You will be ok

There are things that we don't understand. There are things that we despise. There are things that we dream for. There are things that we want but cannot seem to have. We will learn to understand. We will learn to accept. We will learn to dream again. And we will get what we want. You will be ok.

Trains, Planes and Automobiles...more trains please

My wind often wanders while I'm writing my posts so I've decided to put my thoughts in quotes (or paretheses whichever you prefer) and italics. This way it's easier to read what I actually want to say versus the thoughts that suddenly pop in my head. I am one of those people who can have a conversation with myself in my head. I'm just kooky that way.

I finally found platform 9 3/4. I've been to King's Cross so many times and crossed that platform (more running than crossing, I just have this fear of being left behind by a train. I remember having breakfast with Meh in Paddington. For those of you who know her, she cannot be rushed during mealtimes. I think this is just the lady in her or maybe it's the manifestation of the brute in me. As she was finishing her toast, I was paying our bill, drinking oj and putting my coat on at the same time. The look she gave me was hilarious with a touch of menacing thrown in to tell me that I was being so rude. Hey I figure, we've known each other since four, so I can be allowed the liberty at times to rush her without being subtle. *Grin*) I've been on platform 9 so many times but have never seen Harry Potter's platform before. As we got out of the gates, there it was, complete with half a trolley (I assume the other half is on the other side towards Hogwarts). It made me remember what attracts me to London...there are just so many quirky things to see if you keep your eyes open. I've seen the hospital where Louis Pasteur invented penicillin to name one. I just need to find where Sherlock Holmes lived (I've been told it doesn't exist. Shame.)

The train ride from Cambridge was wonderfully quick and full of scenery. I always like train rides, there's just so much to see in the countryside. As always, you (or ewe) see sheep that look like fluffy clouds in the distance. There was one that was particularly close to the tracks that looked like a fluffy marshmallow, all white and bouncy looking without legs. Cows, a particular favorite especially when there's lots of them. As you all know (or not) I have a thing for cows (no not the kind of thing that lands you on the sex offender's list). I just like cowprint. I was given a mug with cow print complete with pink teats for the legs, perfect gift for me, I just love it. (Somehow, I just sound like a pervert when I say that.) And horses. Loads of them scattered around with scenery, just munching on...stuff. There's no grass so it's either they've eaten the whole landscape, or they just munch on stuff you can't see (from the train that is.) I just noticed today how some horses have coats on (you know, those rainproof coats they wear on their backs) and how some of them don't. How do you know if a horse is cold and he needs his coat? Next time I see one up close I'll check if it goes brrrr.

Things that make you go...EH?

Seen today in amazon:

Customers who bought a Le Creuset Cast Iron Round Casserole also bought:

Le Creuset Stoneware Deep Rectangular Dish
Le Creuset Handle Glove
Benazir Bhutto's Reconciliation: Islam, Democracy and the West

Overheard:

Man: Hey, this plant looks just like the one we have back home. I think it's called 5 fingers. It's a lucky plant.

Woman: Looks more like 3 fingers to me. I guess it's not so lucky.

Eh?

It's official...I'm an adult

There's a moment in your life when you realize that you're no longer as carefree as you once was back when Madonna first wore fishnet stockings (this was before she was married to Guy...heck this was before MTV). I was in the park with my trainer (listen to me sounding all posh eh?) when she told me about RBS sacking 40,000 employees. I felt my heart race and it wasn't because of the jogging (yes my friends...I jog now...). I bank with RBS in one of their subsidiary banks, and I was suddenly scared shitless that I would be able to have access to my money, or worse, my money would be gone. I don't have millions in the bank, but I have some so that I can pay for things that I would rather have in life (they're not a necessity but you want them anyway...) i.e. trainer, food, rent. It motivated me to finish our training session (man, you've never seen me run so fast!) and go back to the office to check the news (what would I have done if this happened pre internet?)

RBS is not going bust, I can still pay for my trainer, and I can still sleep at night knowing that I won't be penniless tomorrow. Thank you thank you I will be seeing you on Sunday in church.

Bob enjoying a pizza

Bob was hungry last week and ordered some pizza. Yummm.

He looks like he's about to jump in.

Life's little pleasures

A few weeks ago I had lunch at Kiasu and had my customary hainanese chicken rice meal. As I was walking back home, out of the corner of my eye, there was display case full of...bamboo steamers. Hmmm...about turn... OMG it's a chinese grocery! *Jump for joy.* It's a chinese grocery! *Twirl around while the locals mumble about these loony immigrants invading Britain*. My friend looked at me as if I've gone bonkers. I won't have to trek all the way to Picadilly just to get my fill of tofu, oyster sauce, chilli sauce (my mother in law hasn't given me my rations yet), Kewpie (those in the know...you know what kewpie is), Kai lan, sesame oil. Ohmaigas!

I just had to go in for an inspection (of course). It was better than I imagined. They even have the black herbal tea that I used to hate when I was a kid. Ki pe loh (who would have thought I'd go gaga over throat medicine?) They have everything! (Ok. Obviously not. If they had dried deer testicles then they'd have everything...but since we are talking about the chinese here then I wouldn't be surprised if they did.) I digress as usual.

I dragged M as soon as we had the same day off (what? I'm not going to carry all that load, after all, I'm a laydeeee.) I started grabbing stuff as soon as we got in. An hour later, M commented that I looked like a kid in a candy shop. I suppose I was. I didn't have to trek all the way to Chinatown together with the obligatory tourists posing underneath the Chinese arch. I didn't have to take the tube. Glorious!

And so, like so many years ago when my roomates and I used to take pictures of our pantry, I present to you...my grocery shopping (minues the Tesco cereal and perrier). Spot the hidden booze!

Ala Peanut Butter Sandwiches!

The baking process for the beads went better than I expected. It was just a matter of buying an oven thermometer (I needed one anyway) and monitoring the temperature during the baking. 25 minutes and I had my first batch of beads! I can't believe how easy it is!

I just need to polish and buff the beads to make them shiny. You'll notice my fingerprints on some of the beads.

I had some leftover clay so I made one for myself...

Beads!

Last night I was coming down with the flu, but stubborn as I am I kept on browsing into the wee hours of the night. In my daze I totally forgot what I entered in google and I stumbled on a bead site. It was a eureka moment. I couldn't wait to try it out.

My dizziness turned into full blown flu today and I made the excuse of going out to buy *flu medicine*. Lucky for me the art store is just right beside the chemists. I armed myself with clay and headed back home (with my flu medicine of course!).

Admittedly I was feeling dizzy but I get antsy when I don't do anything for the whole day. I thought about waiting for the book that I ordered (Yes...when I'm onto something I immerse myself fully...) but then again, how hard can bead making be? (This is my arrogance speaking here.)

Viola! Beads! All that's left now is to put holes and bake them (Yes...I make it sound so simple.) There's a lot of things that could go wrong in the baking process. There's this ominous warning on the packaging that says: IF CLAY IS SCORCHED OR BURNED, LEAVE OVEN DOOR OPEN AND EVACUATE PREMISES FOR AT LEAST 20 MINUTES UNTIL FUMES DISSIPATE. Nice eh?

Go Beijing!

The 2008 Olympics will conclude tomorrow. I don't know how I'll cope. I think I'll have withdrawal symptoms for a few days. I've been following the olympics more than I've followed any other (apart from Greg Louganis crashing into the swimming pool after that dive in 84) due to the fact that this year everything is in China.

When I watched the opening ceremony (on TV obviously), I felt choked up. Like I was going to cry (and I did, after each segment, while my husband was looking at me like I was the weirdest person he's ever met), my eyes welled up, and I felt PROUD. What's happening to me? I haven't even been to China. The only thing linking me to China is my grandfather's birth certificate (and the fact that in my everyday life, my being chinese gets more evident in the way I speak, eat and live. I do shave though. ). I felt proud to see my grandparent's country come so far and acheive so much. Sure there's still the human rights issues but other countries have that too. On this day however, they pulled everything off perfectly. I kept on repeating over and over, nobody is ever going to top this. I felt P-R-O-U-D.

I wish my grandparents could have seen the opening. I think my tears were for them too, of not being able to go back home and see their family, only being able to watch from a distance. I now understand the feeling of being away from the place where you came from, of not having ties, but knowing that you're still part of that faraway country. Of rooting for them to succeed, and screaming with joy when it finally happens.

Cream Puff Heaven

I generally don't like sweets, but when a friend gave me these cream puffs I was instantly hooked. I can only describe it as cream puff heaven. The choux pastry is crispy yet chewy on the inside, baked perfectly. The filling is not too sweet, not too thick, just perfect for a bigger than average cream puff.

We had some ordered for work. I think it was well received but probably not enough for dinner. Oh well...

Bob enjoying his eclair cream puff. I was looking at the picture and noticed that if I just positioned him slightly in front of the sweet, it'd look pretty disgusting.

Bob is a rebel

I've always had jobs where working on weekends is a requirement, so I've never had the feeling of TGIF. It was the same at school, we had no school on Thursdays, and had to go to school on Saturdays. However, in celebration of the end of the week (for most, not us) Bob has decided to go a for the dress down rebel look. Happy weekend everyone!

Bob it is

So I guess it's official. The day after I posted the picture online, everybody started calling him Bob. So Bob it is then. He's a big hit. People keep on wanting to touch him so I don't really know how to clean him once he gets grimy from all the handprints. I think when that happens, I'll rename him to Dirty Bob (sounds a bit pornish but what the hey).

So here's Bob in studious mode.

Nice day!

I have a new friend at work.

Everytime I touch his head (yes it's a he...I'm not sure why but it's a he dog) he starts bobbing it up and down and it relaxes me. It seems like he's been bobbing his head a lot today.

I still don't know what name to give him. Obvious choice...Bob.

A Perfect Ending to July Birthdays

Last Saturday was a belated birthday celebration with someone I hadn't seen for 14 years. I've known July since we were kids, but we never really hanged out in the same crowd. Somehow when you get older, all that doesn't really seem to matter. I couldn't wait to see her.

I've mastered my cake by now and I baked my last cake for July (both for the month and the person). I think it's an apt ending to a perfect July celebration of birthdays. Seeing her again gave me memories that will last me a lifetime. She has changed, but in a lot of ways she still reminds me of the bubbly, energetic girl that I used to see around school. This time though, I got a glimpse of her up close. It was worth the 14 year wait.

We've promised to see each other again. I think this time, we'll both be seeing each other without letting another 14 years pass.

Happy Birthday July.

Happy Birthday Goorba the Greek Part 2

I started the day pretty worn out. I spent the whole day preparing the food, running out and getting more supplies that I pretty much forgot I needed. At one point during the party, I felt like passing out from lack of sleep. I just didn't say anything as everyone (well...the two other people at the party...the other one was preoccupied with a computer game...) knows my propensity for fainting. Lucky for us, Cindy made really really really strong coffee.

Now, don't get me wrong, I love it when she makes coffee for us. She brews the best coffee, but somehow it's always really strong so I tend not to drink more than a cup. That day was our eureka moment, as Sadrina takes her coffee black. So black it is... The moment she took a sip out of that cup she got up, got herself a full jug of milk and started stirring it in. For all the times we've had brewed coffee, we've never realized that we were drinking the brew undiluted. Ahhhh....no wonder I felt so wide eyed everytime I have that cup. Now, this cup was just half full (or half empty whichever you prefer). Diluted with milk, this is what it looks like...and just so you know, that was a full jug of milk right there.

I was awake til 5am that night, even after a full hour's worth of Wii sports. Everyone wanted to have a go at boxing by the time we drank that oh so strong brew. For all the entertainment the Wii provides, I think it gets plus points for the people watching the players have a go. I know I did (that was me and Sadrina laughing hysterically in the background). Somehow, this boxing session turned into taekwando.

*Video Deleted*

Apparently, there's a nice footage of me and Sadrina playing boxing with less than ample support.

Happy birthday Goorba the Greek Part 1

My kitchen hasn't seen this much activity since last Christmas. I've been so worked up about work (what?) that I just don't have the energy to make an effort to prepare our meals. It's a good thing Michael works late and has staffmeals, he's not really hungry when he gets home from work. I digress...I have a tendency to do that lately, like my mind is swimming with so many things that I've not blogged about and everything just wants to come out at the same time...and there you have it I digress again.

So anywaaaaay....as I was saying...my kitchen...so much activity. The reason for the sudden burst of food in my kitchen this weekend was the birthday party (well a party for 4 people...) for Sadrina...aka goorba. Also, it was my mother in law's birthday last week, and then Cathy's birthday yesterday. So 3 cakes in one go. I'm a cake novice so it was pretty nerve wracking stuff. Thank you Martha Stewart...you saved my butt. It's not that I don't know how to bake cakes, it's just that...I really don't find any enjoyment in doing it. Well ok I do, but it feels much more of a chore compared to chopping onions the whole day. I would happily chop onions than ice a cake. Sooooo....I keep running around in circles today...back to the birthday...

Sadrina didn't want any carbs (yeah...you give and give and they ask for more...) for her birthday menu. I admit, I was pretty excited to give the old girl *GRIN* a party. I haven't had something to look forward to in a long time. Hmm...that just makes me sound like a pathetic loser...well you know what I mean. I had the menu planned in advance, took my days off work and prepared for her party. What I didn't know was, everyone I know was born in July and practically everyone I know born in July was born in between 22-31. That just doesn't give me time to make the cakes on separate days. So while I was preparing food for the party, I threw myself on the deep end and baked 3 cakes. Stressss....but the cakes turned out ok. Actually, Mike and I couldn't stop eating the trimmings heheheh.

I was supposed to prepare minimal food and lots of booze for the party. In the end, we had lots of food and minimal booze. Oh...and outstanding company.

We had a riot with the Wii. I suspect we had too much coffee that resulted in our manic energy whilst playing boxing. More about that in a separate post. For the meantime, I'll leave you with Sadrina cutting the cake. By far the only woman I know who can make cake cutting look erotic yet scary at the same time.

Happy birthday Sadrina.

Out of sorts

After my fainting episode I decided to go to the doctor. First, to reassure everyone that I'm ok, but really it was to reassure myself. I'm not as young as I used to be. So off I went, but not before I took the obligatory test to find out if I'm expecting. The minute I woke up from my blackout, everyone was gushing on how I might be pregnant, and OOOHHHH I hope it's a girl!!! I tried to smile, and I don't think anyone saw the look of sheer terror on my face. B-a-b-y?!?! Now most of my friends (ok, not most, just one of my friends) would be ecstatic to find out that she was carrying a package (I just cannot bring myself to say the P word), but most of us just don't want to have one yet. So when I felt well enough, I took the test. PHEW! Don't get me wrong...I love kids...especially the ones that you can return to momma after a few hours of playtime. I'll probably read this in a few years and wonder why I didn't have kids sooner. Probably being the key word here.

I hauled my @ss to the doctor's to see what was wrong with me. When I finally saw the doctor, I explained what happened to me.

Me: I fainted last Monday.

Witch doctor: I see.

Me: Yes, see I've had fainting episodes before but it took me a while to bounce back from this one.

Witch doctor: I see.

Me: I've just had my regular checkup done last March and everything was normal.

Witch doctor: I see. Did the nurse bother to take your blood pressure?

Me: No.

Witch doctor: I see. Ok let's do that then. *pump pump pump, my arm feels like it's exploding, deflate* Oh it's really high...come back in two weeks.

Me: What do I do till then?

Witch doctor: Come back in two weeks.

I so wanted to check if she had a key on her back that you turn whenever she stopped moving. This so called doctor didn't even do squat. I'm in my first week of doing nothing, hoping I don't keel over from the abnormally high numbers that I see on the bp machine. I'm also looking for a new doctor.

Dizzy Spells and Fainting...

I fainted yesterday. Nothing too melodramatic. I felt dizzy, then everything went all dark like falling asleep and then that was it. It's the waking up part that's a bit embarrasing. For those not in the know, I've been having fainting spells on and off since I was about 6. It started when I went to my first midnight mass with my mom and yaya (probably not my first but the first that I can actually remember). By on and off I mean every 2 years since college. I've fainted in an elevator with Tinah, outside a bar in Timog with Winnie (uy! Robbylyn!), at home in Kilburn with Michael which was particularly bad cause I banged my head and had a mild concussion, and now outside Liberty's with Beth. So everyone who's been at the receiving end of my fainting spells has had a shock, especially since I always wake up telling them *This is normal, don't worry, I'm ok* Heheheheheheh. I find it funny, I don't think they do.

So I thought, ey....what better time to come back to my blog? Fainting is as melodramatic as it can get.

Beware of scammers!

I received an email from a victim of a scam.

July 5, 2007
To Whom It May Concern:
Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Sandra Slate of San Diego, and my family and I were victims of Kathleen Kafashian Legaspi and her fraudulent schemes in the sham modeling business she operated. For example, she promised my son that she had secured him endorsement modeling contracts for Nike and Armani Exchange, a role in The Brazilian Job, and many other lucrative modeling jobs. In all she promised him contracts totaling in excess of $10M over 4 years. She promised my 3-year-old grandson an endorsement modeling contract with Nike and Armani Exchange plus commercials for Toys R Us for over $3M over 2 years. She used my credit card without my authorization. She forced my son to quit his personal training job to follow her to Los Angeles to further his career, which was a lie. She convinced him and our family that she was pregnant with his twin sons, which then became triplets, then lost one fraternal baby leaving the identical twins, and then months later we discovered it was all fabrication. She convinced us she had leukemia, a brain tumor, a brain aneurysm, a major heart defect, ovarian cancer, she needed a bone marrow transplant, she would die during childbirth, etc. None of these conditions were true.
I discovered Kat was in contact with you and I am writing to ascertain how you were involved with this individual and whether or not you lost any money or valuables to her.

I remember getting a call from someone names Jules interviewing me for a writing position for an online magazine. I even sent some of you the article that I was submitting for the position. Surprise surprise, I didn't get any calls back. Months later here I am reading this email.

I googled her name and found this: http://superripoff.com/KatleenKafashian.html

Someone up there is looking out for me.

WTF?

I had to delete a post today. Someone posted my entry online. I don't know how else to say it, but this blog is a personal entry and in no way connected to work. This is where I release my thoughts for my friends. Someone not happy with the office decided to invade my personal space.

I feel defeated. If they're not happy with the office, fair enough, but to invade my personal space? Low blow.

Then again, all is fair in love and war. Except this is a war I haven't started. I'm cleaning up after someone just left shit all over the place. Nice.

Oh well, at least it's not a sex tape.