Hello & Goodbye

The IJ clique celebrated our annual Christmas dinner on 18 December 2009. We had our first little gift exchange. Plans were changed due to some unforeseen circumstances and we ended up at Greenwood for Italian food at Donna Carmela. I had the ride for the weekend, offered to pick some of the girls up from Orchard – huge mistake, I was stuck in a traffic jam on the slopes of Orchard Road for a good 15 minutes, it was a damn stressful drive.

As usual, we entertained ourselves with chit-chats and plans for YW’s hen’s night for 2010!!

We had copious amount of food starting from the starters and our mains. The servings for the pastas were huge! I think most of us left about 1/2 of our food uneaten. The food was not up to my standard though, I could get better pasta else-where. I didn’t enjoy my food much.

We adjorned to another restaurant (some of them complained about the “noise”) to have desserts and do our little gift exchange.

Wondering why Mel was like this? That’s cause “she didn’t bring her gift exchange present”. Tsk tsk. Haha.

We had to guess who picked us and those who got it right will get to open their presents! There was much laughter at the gift for BT from me. I really thought hard on the gift! It would surely spice things up ;P

The night ended early as we concluded plans for our getaway 2010 and the north-siders had a taste of my reckless driving. Haha.

Till next year!

I’m having butterflies in my tummy. It wouldn’t go away. I think I know the real source of it. Please just go away. My feet and hands are beginning to water. Argh.

That, plus, I think I just drank water sprayed with perfume = (

(pardon the crappy drawing!)

Car A: BF’s bro’s car – driver: BF, passenger: Shortfart, SeowDad
Car B: Orange MPV – driver: some cock-a-na-dan blur aunty

You may be the most careful driver on the road but when there is such cock-a-na-dan people around, accidents are bound to happen. Luckily for us, the BF’s quick reflexes saved us and the car. What happened?

See illustration:

Our car (Car A) was driving round a bend and approaching a side road when Car B suddenly swerved to our lane and attempted to make a turn into the side road. Car A honked but Car B seemed oblivious and continued to turn slightly causing Car A to swerve (see solid light blue line) into the other road. The BF honked to no end and the Seow Dad went crazy spewing all sorts of vulgarity and obscenity in the car. Shortfart was truly shaken but thankful that the BF was driving really slowly so that he could react in time, that the stupid aunty lady driver turned, though abruptly but slowly, so didn’t cause much damage. She would have loved to give the lady a lashing but SeowDad’s reaction was enough to deter her. It was that close and the worse is the driver seemed so oblivious but I’m glad everything is okay. I guess the memory will haunt me each time I approach that road.
Please, let everyone be safe on the roads and please, be alert on the road. Yes, I have to agree – females are terrible drivers!

1. There are some things I wished never happened. Some words I wished I have never uttered. But what did they say about spilled water? Days on and I am still haunted by this, how I wish I am always as diplomatic, always as careful with what I say. It is a lesson never learnt.

2. This is the fattest I have ever been. The heart is willing but the body not, to do anything about it.

3. I am actually rather glad that I did not choose to take the shortcut route by taking the auto car license. It took me 3 times before I passed but it is quite worth the effort now. Well, it is a little rusty and jerky but I guess nothing my personal instructor can’t help with

4. I had a funny dream last night. A big bunch of us peeps were on a trip to China (?) and one of the gfs of the group was alone as her bf did not join. TheBF entertained her for the whole journey and totally ignored me. I tried to butt in but they were oblivious to my existence. I went to my confidante and ranted off to him, nearly bursting into tears. We had lunch and I refused to sit next to TheBF, during our nap (?) I slept next to others. We went sightseeing, they tried to talk to me but I walked away. The dream was a lil’ too close to heart.

5. Funny how it was times like that when I realise that he is not the little boy I knew. That he has grown up so much and is a man of his own.

TheBF and I have to push back our plans of getting our own ride because as it is, we are getting a “free” car for the weekends and possibly some weekdays too. Well, at least till 5th Decemeber, it is basically ours to use.

Although I have been hankering after having a ride of my own, I am none too thrilled about the “free” ride and my main grouse is that it is a manual transmission car which I have all but 2 chances to drive ever since I passed two years ago.

Now the question is – “Should I or should I not go back home to drive the car for our outing later?” I am truly terrified and fearful but it would be so much more convenient if I do that. How now brown cow?

ONE

290909 holds a special meaning for me, no, not that I was invited to the extravangaza wedding of Singapore’s most famous couple bu it was my one year anniversary in obtaining the little green card – my driving license!

I am off probation, off the striking p-plate… To more driving expedition…

How did your long weekend go? Mine started with some fun with the peeps as we headed to (vices)CaptainSoon’s place for a surprise party for CrystalAnn. It was a long journey for me as I came from my PSA office. I was saved from having to cook up conversations with a colleague by Janice as she boarded the train at City Hall. Imagine my relief!! I was stuck wondering around at Eunos Station until ylong gave me the right directions to parkway parade. I was seemingly exhausted by the time I met up with the guys.

What is a surprise party without the preparation work? We got to work by blowing up the balloons, decorating the place (haha, minimal), rehearsing and basically entertaining ourselves. The birthday girl was late as always. We entertained ourselves with youtubes, facebook and chit-chats before she finally arrived.

It was mad funny as the big group of us huddled in the balcony and commanded instructed to keep extremely quiet as she made her way to the house. What followed was lotsa merry-making and photo-taking. We played a round of pictionary – with a white board and our imagination. We split the group into 3 – girls and 2 all-boys group and each group was to come up with their own category. I must say, the girls (or rather the SeowSister) were most evil rather clever to come up with Category:Earth – basically anything under the earth, hehe. There was also Group Erotica and Group H1N1. The girls won! J Subject matter expert in da house… hurhur…

Poor BF was sick and couldn’t join us so left quickly after the game to head home to accompany the poor baby.

It's her party!!

I was so looking forward to the high-tea with Di! After reading reviews, I made a reservation for Sheraton Towers – “The Dining Room”. It was a huge disappointment! The spread was limited and there was not one dish that left an impression and would entice me to go back there again. The sashimi was not fresh, the lamb had the “mutton-y” smell and the durian pengat was not very fragrant so all in all, a rather bad meal for its price. I had a good time as usual with Di as we chatted for the whole time.

Ohoh, the floor of Sheraton’s washroom is so reflective, as I was waiting for Di to finish her business, I could actually see briefly what she was doing. Yucks, it was a most horrid scene. It was disgusting and I had to show Di with a little demonstration of our own.

The day ended early with Di having a rather bad tummy and I headed back to the BF to nurse the whiny, sick boy.

Sunday was KTV day with the Peeps, at Topone at Bugis. Cheap, cheap at 20 dollars only. We sang for four hours and it was fun. Since when is it not, when it involves the peeps. We had dinner at Bugis Junction before heading to (vices)CaptainSoon’s place/entertainment hub for some soccer (all important Manchester Derby match) while some of us played one round of mahjong. Thankfully there is mahjong, otherwise I would have been bored to death. The royal rumble continues back at the JalanRajah though the seats were already fully taken. The crazy family played till six in the morning! We are the royal rumble addicts family.

Monday, blue Monday morning started with me sending my bro off to school (The BF had the car for the weekend). After waking the sister up, with my Dad, we went to Toa Payoh in the hopes of eating our favourite carrot cake. That is when the unfortunate happened, while parking the car, I managed to scrap the car at a small pillar that was jutting out. When I heard the “eeeekkk” sound, I was petrified. I was so scared and was hoping the damage would not be bad. As I saw the face on my sister, I knew the damage was done. I had to confess to the BF and all I could think of during breakfast was the car. Lucky for me, the BF was very forgiving and all he said was “next time ybe more careful, treat it as a lesson learnt”. Of course, he is going to be the scapegoat for me. Uh-oh. Otherwise, yewdad will definitely try to sell me his car again, hehe. The day was spent at home for the BF to do his work. We went to have dinner at Great World City with the Sis and Hai before catching “The Ugly Truth”. I didn’t like it much, the movie. Can’t quite say why I don’t like it, I just don’t.

I know everyone thinks I am a bad driver and it is saddening that I am living up to that “expectation”.

What is that? That is the route I took on my virgin sole ride in a manual transmission car. And a sports car at that  

It is nearly a year (19 days short!) since I had my license but it was only my second time driving TheBF’s brother’s precious car. The previous time ended in such a disaster (the BF chased me out of the car to park it for me) that I was a tad nervous when the BF insisted that I go pick him up after work. 

I offered to pay his bro to go fetch him and to pay for my BF’s taxi fare but the keys were entrusted into my sweaty palms. I sat in the car for a lil’ while and went about my preparations – turned on ignition, fixed the mirror, adjusted seat to the front, pumped the cushion highest higher, straightened the seat, switched on the aircon and off I go… whee… wait a minute, missed anything yet? 

Turns out that, the cock-a-na-dan me, did not switch on the headlights! Gasp! I only realized it when a nice-man-in-big-car signaled to me. I was still quite irritated at him for looking over continuously and was even blaming him, in my mind lar, “what, small girl cannot drive sports car arh?”, “what cannot test the seat’s limit arh?” but really, he was just being kind. I bet he must have thought I “stole” someone’s car without license. I was that nervous! 

Any-hoo, after a rather smooth and road-hogging (what? sports car cannot drive 60-70km/h on expressway issit?) ride, I finally reached my destination. I breathed a sigh of relief. 

It was only then that I sensed that something was amiss, it was too quiet. Alamak, in my haste and nervousness, I didn’t even switch on the radio. 

Pat on the back for me everyone, applause for me… I made it… I drove a manual car unsupervised. Hehe :P so silly to be happy over such little achievements, but I am. 

Double pat on the back for me, I finally figured out how to upload pictures from my hp, all it  takes a little more patience and a little more clicking.

Do I hear a double-chey?!