Just came back from dinner at Siti and Rob's. Siti made fabulous Mexican food and I gorged myself.

Very shamelessly, I attempted to make chocolate cake with chocolate icing but it doesn't look at the picture in the book at all! But it doesnt taste all that bad.

So we are back home and I'm feeling bloaty and probably gonna turn in early today.

But before I do, enjoy this song by Plain White T's. Initially wanted to share "Hey there Delilah' with you but I stumbled across this and found it very quirky.

Hate is a strong word. But I really really really don't like you.

Our weekend in DC

Been wanting to blog this for a while.

Last week, 5 of us (the gohs, us and willie) drove down to Washington Zoo. Now, this zoo is amazing. Firstly because its FREE. Secondly, its HUGE. And THEY HAVE PANDAS.

But this I gotta admit, there is probably a reason why Singapore make you pay an arm and a leg for entrance to the zoo. While the DC Zoo was great, we didn't really see a lot of animals. I dunno, maybe we were just unlucky. Actually we were, but I'll tell u in a bit. Most of the animals were 'non-existent' or sleeping. Or you need sniper eyes (thanks Willie) to spot them.

The panda was breath taking though, and we were lucky enough to be at the enclosure just as Tian Tian (the male panda) woke from his nap and walked around his enclosure a bit before going into the back room (not visible to public) to probably sleep more. But I felt a little cheated by the zoo volunteer who said that the other 2 pandas are roaming around at the other enclosure if we just walk down the road. After walking down and saw nothing, willie came back to a empty tian tian enclosure and realised the zoo volunteer was probably just regurgitating a script. Cos she was saying the exact same thing!!

Now, lemme tell you why luck wasnt with us. Firstly, about 15 mins into the drive towards DC, Sihou's suddenly realise there is no petrol in the car! And the petrol sign came on!!!! I suffer from petrol anxiety, by that i mean i get nervous when petrol runs low ie, 1/4 tank. So seeing that petrol sign was just nerve wrecking for me. But well, it was an Audi and he said it should last us til DC so i just try to focus on other things.

Then, we have had lovely weather all week. Cool and breezy, cold even some days. But somehow on the day we decided to go to the zoo...it was freaking 40C and the sun was blistering!

After the zoo, we sat our scalding ass down at a Malaysian restaurant. Not before making about 3 wrong turns and 10 mins spent looking for parking. By that time, I was hungry and we were all looking forward to good local food. But it was a let down. My mee goreng was bland and not spicy at all, willie's beef hor fun was just oily, hei's curry laksa tasted like indian curry.

One fun thing happened tho. We gatecrashed a open house at Georgetown University. Entered one of their function halls where they were serving food, and helped ourselves to the refreshing lemonade...haha.

It was fun being back in school again.

I can't help it. So proud of my husband....Top in class!!! Full marks!!!

My next career move

I have decided, my next career of choice will be the mascot/spokesperson of Handiplast. Seems like I have a plaster on me every week...Last week, I chopped my left ring finger, it grazed my cuticle and left a cut on my nail. Then I dropped one of my bowls and a piece came flying at my feet and pricked it, leaving a gapping hole on my right feet.

Today, just first day of the week, I 'chopped' my left index finger while sharpening my knife and...well you can see from the picture.

So how about it...am I eligible?

The King

'And while I can think, while I can talk
While I can stand, while I can walk
While I can dream, please let my dream'

I dunno if its because I am so much closer to Memphis and there is some supernatural spiritual power, or because it has just been an Elvis week. (Elvis's death annivesary just passed on 16th Aug). But I've been on such an Elvis mood, and it helps because telly here shows a lot of Elvis lately.

I promised myself that I will make that trip to Memphis and see graceland and pay homage to the King at least once while Im here. Think this would make my dad so proud.

So what issit? When I watch his documentary, tears actually well up my eyes and i feel a slight ache that such a great (and so hot looking) man passed. But i think partly I always see my dad when i watch Elvis.

And I miss my dad so much.

I stumbled across this article...how to be the perfect wife.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/153701/how_to_be_the_perfect_wife.html

it talks aboout how the perfect wife maintains the harmonic balance in the house. laugh at jokes that have been told repeatedly. Cleans up after the husband's mess. cover her husband with the blanket in the middle of the night. cook the husband's favourite dishes...and if she doesnt know...learn.

im so not the perfect wife.

what does that make me? currently, a slob with clouds print PJs..

We hosted Sihou & Xinsui, Willie and Chris for a Nasi Lemak Party. Coconut rice, fried chicken wings, hard boiled eggs, sayur lodeh, fried peanuts and bagadel almost made the environment home. For 20 mins, it actually seem like Singapore.

Though, if we are in Singapore, we would be having this party in Serangoon and we will be having Punggol Nasi Lemak after paying $50. Ahh, and sweating like pigs.

But well, i think the effort was well done and I truly am proud of our attempt. My great husband spent the entire afternoon frying up all the chicken wings and bagadel. I had the easy job of sayur lodeh only....

Chao Shao Bao. We all like Cha Shao Bao

Ok I know it doesnt look very asthetic but I made this char siew bao from scratched! Marinated the pork. Followed up roasting of the pork into char siew and chopped into small pieces. Made and knead the dough and 'shaped' it.

So it looks bad...and it doesnt taste nothing like my mother-in-law. Her char siew baos had fluffy light skins and aromatic flavourful char siew when you break it open...makes me water now just thinking about it.

But nonetheless, I am proud. Hei is gonna attempt next.

Washington last Sunday

After driving a good 45 mins and another 15 mins looking for parking, we finally arrive in Washington DC.

The landscape was exactly like what I watch in movies like Independence Day (minus the blowing up of White house), Forrest Gump (minus the hippies on the lawn) and many other movies set in the capital.

Unfortunately it was simply too hot for us to really submerge in the environment, breathe and taste the air...all we breathed was hot stale air and tasted the sodium that was in the beads of sweat trickling down my cheeks.

Nonetheless we had a great time. Spent 2 hours in the National Air and Space Museum where I must admit, I was kinda bored after the first hour. And then walked down National Mall (thats where Jenny was running when she spotted Forrest, when Forrest was giving a speech on the Vietnam War) and towards Capitol Hill. After that, we very quickly down a cup of diet pepsi. Hit the met to get our car and headed home...Ahhh good ol' air conditioning.

I didn't believe how outraged i was when I watched this so-called documentary. Why oh why oh why is a Singapore thing such a big thing for the world? As a Singaporean myself, I used to love chewing gum too. And when they banned it, I was upset but today, it doesnt bother me anymore and I see the benefits behind it.

How come something that (mebbe to me) is so trival led to this film maker saying things like 'taking away rights', 'oppressed citizens'. When you 'critize' others, do you not look at your own reflection in the mirror? It's really so much easier to pass judgement?

If you are a Singaporean like me, I'm sure you have a lot of 'complaints' about our Singapore government and have heard many many more 'complaints' from others (taxi drivers for one...hee) but I really don;t think its a bad place to live. Sure its expensive...and stifling at times. But its safe, its clean and the economy is relative resilient. Is it that bad?

I dunno...maybe Im just ignorant...maybe Im just a patriot.

1 month in fast food nation and look how big my butt got!!!

The King and I

Blacks has a habit of turning on the TV while having his breakfast in the morning before he leaves for work. Usually its the news channel we watch but because he was in a hurry today (alarm didn't go off) that he simply watched the channel that was already on.

And it happened to be the 1956 version of 'The King and I'. Somehow it caught my attention and I continued to watch it after he left. Until of course I fell asleep on the couch.

I really can't explain what intrigued me, not sure if it was the vocals or the cast. At first I thought it was funny to see a cast of cauasians playing the role of the Thais and thought the 1999 'Anna and the King' starring Jodie Foster and Chow Yun Fatt was much better. But then of course, the budget for the later movie was much more and everything else.

Then, I begin to be very awed by the magnitude of the set, the detailing of each of the cast costumes, the vocals of Julie Andrews. Plus, its nice to watch an old musical movie everynow and then cos its just pleasant to hear people tell a story true a song. Not plain old dialogue like what we have today.

So I leave you here with a song. Most of you should have heard the tune before...I've always known the song but not sure where it was from.

I am having such a terrible headache its unreal. Feels like my brain is banging on my skull, screaming to be let out and its making nausea at the same time.

No. I am not pregnant.

Attended the BBQ organised by Black's classmates for all the international students and their family. Met so many people that I can't recall all their names but think I will have more chance. There was wine from all over the world cos we had people from france, spain etc...and beer from all over the world, German, Dutch, Japanese, Canadian, USA.

iGeek: You would have LOVE this tasting session.

BBQ was typical ang-moh style with just hot dogs and hamburgers. While I was there, I was thinking if this was a Singapore BBQ there would be Chicken Wing, Pork Chop, Chicken Chop, Beef Steak, Satay, Sting Ray, Curry Chicken, Char bee Hoon, Almond Jelly, Agar Agar, Hot Dog, Salad, more Curry Chicken, More Char Bee Hoon. Fried rice....

Just thinking about it makes my headache feels a lot better......ahhhh I miss my mother and my mother-in-law cooking....