Books

Most of my best friends will know that I love books. I spend hours on end in Kinokuniya and Borders just walking through the aisles. I will not be caught dead in the cheap paperback section or with a fluffy chick lit in my hands though. I am such a snob! I am stuck with George Elliot's Middlemarch. Somehow, it is hard to get into that book. After reading What a Carve Up!, I should have selected something that is er, lighter. Sherlock Holmes perhaps?

I remember going to the this small little library in Whampoa drive when I was young. It is situated just below a block. It was tiny, but more than enough for me to keep going back every few days or so. Sigh, I had so many books back then. I regretted giving away my Enid Blytons, I loved them to bits. My mum sometimes will surprise me with one of those Enid Blyton books. I think I never stop liking fairies, gnomes and elves and all things magical. In primary school, I subscribed to Bookworm Club, and had 2 magazines sent monthly. One was Bookworm Digest, and the other, which title I have unfortunately forgotten. I thumbed through the Straits Times too. We didn't used to have newspaper subscriptions, sometimes Mum would send me down to the mamak store to get a copy it. I might not read any of it really, but I love just flipping through. I can't do without the papers now. Even when the writing's pretty bad at times. At least, my thumbs and fingers are not blackened by the papers now.

Reading was something that I never got tired of. I read vivaciously when I was younger, I would read even during lessons. I think that explains my dismal results in all subjects except English. Reading transports me to another place and I will be in a whole different world on my own. Once I get absorbed into a book, I will be lost in it for hours and sometimes through the night. I get happy, I get sad, I laughed and I cried. It is hard for others to completely understand the joy of reading.

I used to just read fiction. Starting with teen fiction and then bestsellers. Soon I got bored with trashy novels and bestsellers are not entirely all to my taste. I started reading the classics. I started with the "easier" ones like Sherlock Holmes and Dracula and proceed to the "tougher" ones. As I got older, I included non fiction too. One of my firsts was How to be Happy by Andrew Matthews. That book was hilarious. Most of my non fiction books are recipe books, travel guides and a couple of biographies here and there. I have one of Margaret Thatcher somewhere. Now I can see my history books collection getting bigger. History can be interesting and less daunting outside the classroom!

My new love for now are hobby books! I love love sewing books, they are so pretty! I love Japanese ones, really really nice, but ALAS, I can't understand. I almost bought one, but luckily my good sense took over. If not, I might end up buying a few. So irresistible! Recipe books are so yummy looking. Makes me hungry every time I look at one that has gorgeous photographs. I detest cook books with minimal or no photos.


I am still deciding if I should buy this Martha Stewart book. Okay, I know that this is not a hobby book per se, but I love cleaning! Hard to believe that, but I do! I am born to be a housekeeper, though not exactly a very good one. It is ginormous, with a ginormous price tag to boot. Does Amazon ship to Singapore? I should check that out, might turn out cheaper that way. I believe that this book will serve me well in my quest for domestic goddess-ness. But, really, $80 is so so dear for a book on housekeeping! I should go through it one more time and see if I really really really need the book . I know it is Martha Stewart, and I hate to admit this, but I love her! Hee hee!


I have Sew U, a book on sewing (stating the obvious here) for beginners, complete with a couple of sewing patterns. Everytime I try to read the book, I get sleepy, like it is some kind of antidote for insomnia. All that technical talk is getting to me. Maybe getting sewing lessons will be easier. I shoud have more faith in myself, I can do this! I do in fact have another book on sewing. Tis called Simple Sewing, and really, it is simple. I have done a few projects already, and that has been pretty encouraging. I just, well need to learn how to sew in a straighter line, all my lines seem so crooked!

Lastly, a book from the domestic goddess herself, Nigella Lawson. Recently I borrowed one of her books, aptly titled How to Be a Domestic Goddess. I tried out one of the recipes, and it turned out well! She makes baking a lot less tedious too. I will try another recipe and if it turns out great, I will get my hands on that book. Her new book looks good too, Nigella Express. Fast, simple, no sweat recipes.

Somehow, I think I am just buying because they are books, with gorgeous pictures. I still have space on my shelves left to buy books! So why not? It is an addiction that I am proud to say, is under control. The last new book was a month ago! I haven't been to a book warehouse sale for a while now. I can't go to one alone. I need to go with my husband. This is the way I buy books during a warehouse sale: First, look for a basket, if there are no baskets, grab a box. First section will be the Cook book section. Crossing my fingers, I hope to find something great. I found a Gordon Ramsey book once going for just seven dollars! I will then hop over to non fiction, then to Travel, lastly to fiction. The box will then be pushed with my feet as I go along. The husband will probably be in some cafe having coffee, wishing that his wife will be done soon.

It is terrible I know, but at least it is a somewhat healthy addiction.

Blow

One day as I was blow drying my hair, there was a smoky smell coming from the hair dryer. Worried that it might burst into flames, I switched it off and took a few steps back from that smoke emitting thing. There were some tiny sparks coming out from the air vent. With that, my beloved little avocado green hair dryer took its last breath and died. I guess I dropped it one too many times.

I had it for years, that thing. It was cheap, didn't cost more than $30 and served me well. Though at times I wished I had a bigger one. I can't live without a hair dryer. I procrastinated for a day or two and went to the nearest electronic store to get a new one. I decided to splurge and got a bigger and more powerful one this time I am loving it now! Why oh why didn't I buy it earlier? Took me 2 minutes to dry my hair and it look great! My ancient one didn't have the cold air function, which really comes in handy. It cost more than 2 times the price of the older one, but it is worth every penny.

Now, I am careful where I put it. I make sure it sits safely away from the edge of the chest of drawers. No more wantonly chucking it into the 500 bottles of lotions, potions, beauty things that shares a tiny little box on top of the said chest of drawers Sometimes I can see the old one hanging precariously over the edge, not unlike a mountain climber who is hanging over a cliff.

Travel Essentials

Here are stuff that I lug with me onto the plane. I have an insecurity issue and tend to bring more than I should, but I like to have my things with me especially on longer flights.

My camera. Of course, it stays by my side all the time, no matter small ones or big ones, I can't possibly check it in right? Along with it comes the extra memory cards and batteries, lenses and what-have-yous.

A little cosmetic pouch containing facial cleanser, moisturiser, lip balm, hand cream, sunblock, a small mirror, maybe a little powder, tooth brush and tooth paste and a little towel. I have to be a little careful packing the pouch these days due to all the airline and airport restrictions.

An empty water bottle. I hate asking for water and they give you little plastic cups. Never enough to satisfy my thirst and I feel like a little old troublesome fussy old woman if I ask for a cup too many. Besides, I love drinking water, keeps me hydrated. I avoid coffee and alcohol when I fly, bad bad bad! I relent sometimes and have coffee, usually towards the end of the flight or if it is a short flight. The coffee sucks most of the time, not much of a coffee fix if you ask me. I used to bring along my own bottle of water but again with all the restrictions now, just bring along an empty bottle and get it filled up for you on the plane. Fuss free and environment friendly too since I will not be wasting all those little plastic cups.

Tea - I hate the ones from airlines. I vow to bring my own come the next trip! I have always meant to bring my own, somehow, it is always the one thing that I forget.

Socks. To keep my feet nice and warm, some planes have Antarctic like temperatures. Of course I take them off when I go to the toilet! I wonder if it helps in reducing DVT even when they are not flight socks. I have a lightweight jacket with me too. I hate using the blanket that is provided, too much static!

A magazine or a book that is a light read. All the better in helping me pass the time on the plane. It is not every time that I take Singapore airlines that come with a good variety of entertainment channels you know. Sometimes I will read the guidebook and study the map. That is when I get a little too bored.

I suffer from neck aches ever so often, a neck pillow would be essential. I am thinking of getting a eye mask soon! Hopefully that might lull me into sleep.

A list of important numbers and contacts, airline info, hotels info, maps, embassy info, banks and emergency numbers, a copy of my passport. I have the same list saved in my email as well. Yes, this may seem a little too extreme and paranoid, but i like to feel prepared and it reduces my anxiety and give me a peace of mind.

Most importantly, bring along a sunny disposition. it is all you really need to survive long flights, rude stewardesses, stinky neighbours (eh, remember to bring medicated oil for this) and yucky food

Same and different at the same time.

I was munching on a hotdog in Ikea last week and a question popped into my head.

What exactly is the difference between a hotdog, a wiener, a sausage and a frankfurter?

The more I thought about it, the more confused I got. This is what I arrived at after some pondering in Ikea.

Sausages is the generic term used by the English to call meat that has been packed into a casing. If meat not packed in a casing, they are not not considered sausages right? More like meatloaf and pate. Anyway, the casings are traditionally made from the animals intestines, and it was a good, not to mention economical way of preserving less than good looking parts of the animal. The butchers would season those meat and fats heavily and smoke them. These days however, it has become much of a starring item on meal plates as many other cuts of meat as well.

Hotdogs are sausages in a bun. That is the only time when you can call a sausage a hotdog. I always associate those red long ones that come out of cans with hotdogs. Those that don't exactly taste much like meat, like the one I had in Ikea. The humble hotdog is an American institution! Cheap and trashy, but still nonetheless irresistible! A Frankfurter is a sausage from Frankfurt. Like Champagne, sparkling white wines from the Champagne region in France and no where else can be called that. Thinking about that,Viennese sausages should be from Vienna in Austria right, just like how wieners are Austrian.

The Chinese have Lap Cheong, The French call theirs saucisson, the Germans eat wurst and let's not forget about salami. The Spanish and Italians love their sausages, though I have no idea what they call it. One thing for sure, a sausage by any other name is just as savoury.

Things that I Can't Live Without.

Lip balm - So that I will not have horrid looking chapped lips. I don't usually use lipsticks so much, and lip balm makes me feel like I have "completed" putting on my make up. It has become a habit, it is always in my bag.

Hand cream - With the ridiculous amount of house chores that I am doing, my hands are turning hideously dry and rough. I can't let that happen!

Books - Or any reading or any reading material when I am desperate. I need to read on a daily basis, at the every least, the daily paper in the morning. Being totally engrossed and lost in a story is one of life's greatest little pleasure.

My hand phone - I can unabashedly say that I can never do without it! Used to listen to the radio while on buses, running errands til my brother got me an iPod.

My iPod - I need music when I run my errands or on trains and buses. I will go on a trip into a world of my own.

Television - For me to tune in and cop out.

Air conditioning - Bad for environment, but I can't do without it at night.

Hario kettle - Mega cute, boils water in a jiffy, great thing to have around the house when a fancy for a cup of tea, coffee, horlicks, milo or hot chocolate strikes.

The internet - Recipes, book tickets, read gossip. Chatting with friends overseas for hours would have cost a limp done over the phone. Aimless surfing, watching bo liao videos, travel tips, shopping. Finding friends whom I have lost touched with over the years. Where would we all be without it?

My little organiser - Helps me remember important dates, scribble some quotes, write nonsense, doodle, and keeps my life organised.

Coffee and tea- I can survive a day without it, but 3 days is a little stretching it. I love its nutty aroma, the slight bitterness it leaves on your tongue, its luxurious rich brown colour and how it perks me up right after. Tea is perfect after a very tiring day. It never fails to soothe and it great for a gossip session with friends!

My passport - But of course!

Water - Apart from the obvious fact that it keeps us alive, I like drinking it very cold on a very hot day. It makes me feel like I will have great skin if I drink a lot of it.

Marmalade - It is for the anglophile in me. I got to have some in the fridge. I feel grown up eating it. HAHAHAHAHA! Marmalade is an acquired taste, used to detest it when I was young.

Showers - I am a shower person not a bath person. (not that I have a bath at home anyway.) A nice hot shower at night to relax and a cold cold blast in the day to feel invigorated and refreshed. After the shower, good to slather on some Molton Brown body lotion before bed time!

Chocolates - I love those things. Makes me happy eating them. I absolutely adore Cote d'Or dark chocolate with hazelnuts. I love love anything chocolate.

Vanilla sugar - Goes very well with tea. Smells good, looks sophisticated. Good for baking too.

Iron and iron board - I have an unhealthy obsession with ironing almost everything. I need everything to look nice and pressed. From bedsheets to sleepwear.

Po Chai pills and Ju Yu Oil.

Boxes and containers - I need to keep things need and pigeonhole everything little thing at home. I think it is bordering on madness. It is pointless to tell me that I am being excessive, I already know that!

My camera - Partly to freeze memories, mostly for pure narcissistic reasons.

Life's Single Certainty

Once in a while, I get reminded about how fragile we all are, how we are going to all die one day. It forces me to face my own mortality. What have I done in my life, have I done enough? What could I do to make it better? Have I make enough time for everyone who are important to me? Have I truly appreciated what has been always been around me?

Are people who are less afraid of life, less afraid of death?

Facing mortality has got me to make healthier choices. I am eating healthier, getting more active. I stay healthy not just for myself, also for people around me. It has reminded me to live the only life that I will ever have fully. I will stop spending my time and energy on things and people who aren't that important to me. I will stop to smell the flowers on my way home. I will stop fretting about getting wrinkles and pigment spots. I will start saving more. I will learn to relax when I have chores that need to be done. It is alright that my flat is not spanking clean like my mother's.

I have written a review of my life. It has all the significant moments, moments that shaped my life, changed my life, regrets, people I loved, things I loved, changes that I want to make, things that I will not changed. The stupid things that I have done, the clever things that I have done. Sadly, stupid things outweigh the clever things by a ton. It took me two days. I learn a lot about myself that way. There isn't much that you can do about your past, but there is much more that you can do with the present and future.

So what would you do from now til then?

Good Buys

It is Antipodean's annual sale, I just have to pop in and sneak a peep. I did more than peep, I came out with a shopping bag.