bahp joo-seh-yo* December 5, 2009
Posted by paddyfields in All about Me! Me! Me!, Burp!.2 comments
Had Korean food at a restaurant at East Coast Park yesterday. It was Liling’s birthday and a bunch of us were there to celebrate for her.
But this is not about the Korean food that I had at East Coast Park last night. This is about the Korean food that I had in Seoul. And only one word describes it – AMAZING.
Disclaimer #1 – This entry will never do justice to the world of Korean cuisine. In fact what I am going to describe will just be the 10% of the iceberg, but no matter. You can just read it as an initiation of sorts if you belong to the 0.12% that knows nothing about Korean food.
First of all, the side dishes. These are staples at any Korean kitchen table. Primarily kimchi – preserved vegetables with tinged with salt and spice, there are also others like big beansprouts, potato salad, fried egg, seaweed salad, braised egg – it goes on and on. These side dishes typically comes complimentary (but usually not at Korean restaurants in S’pore – dammit) and you can ask for refills. For those wanting to tighten the purse strings, you can get by with just ordering a main dish of meat, and then stuff yourself with on the side dishes with rice.
Main dish – Ok, I don’t know about anyone else, to me, main dish = meat, meat, meat. And not just any meat (ok, well, yes, beef, pork or chicken) but FATTY meat. Yes, if the slices of meat doesn’t have shiny, shimmering streaks of white to offset the red, then it is not meat. NOT.
An example –
check out the rows of fats...
Then the meats are placed on a hotplate or BBQ grill or on top of coals – whatever that will cook it, I am not fussy. When the juices simmer and the meat turns a delicate shade of brown, then it is time. You take the piece of meat, place it on a piece of lettuce, smear some bean sauce on it, topped with some slices of garlic and cut chilli, then wrap up the lettuce, and pop it in your mouth.
Me? I usually skip all the above, and just dip the piece of meat in the bean sauce or sesame oil and in it goes.
I cannot describe fully the sensation of that first bite on the fats, when the flavorsome burst of juices explode in your mouth and as you continue chewing, the fine texture of the meat and as the taste hits you fully, it is bliss. Seriously.
Repeat the above (like 20 to 30 times).
Of course there are other Korean dishes like fried pancake, rice cakes, kimchi/toufu/seaweed soups, stone bowl rice, ginseng chicken etc. But really, they are like the concubines to the emperor – there to provide some variety and distraction but nothing, absolutely nothing compared to the empress who wields all power.
Ok, I know I will die of clogged arteries and high blood pressure and whatnots. But we all gotta die, so die happy.
Korean food, anyone? 🙂
Disclaimer #2 – I am sure there are inaccuracies – factual, biased or otherwise in the above (for those in the know, a parallel would be my camera buying “tips” to a colleague some months ago). But hey hey, this is my blog. So what I say reigns supreme. Hah.
*bahp joo-seh-yo – give me that food! (please)
Ready. Set. Go! November 28, 2009
Posted by paddyfields in Friends, Fun things.add a comment
Recently, the whole organisation had to go for a 2D1N corporate retreat at Camp Sembawang.
When I first heard of it, I admit that the first thought that came to mind was – How do I get out of it? Yes, not setting a very good example, but I simply did not have time to finish my work, much less “waste” two days at an ulu camp with no internet access, just for team bonding. It also didn’t help that pictures of the campsite and dorms really brought back memories of my school days’ camps where a high degree of tolerance for dirt, sweat and smell (besides your own) is crucial.
However, senior management “decreed” that unless we have a very good reason why we cannot attend the retreat, all staff must go and also to spend the night.
Ok, so the part about team bonding, especially with colleagues from other divisions didn’t really apply in our case (because when we had to spilt into groups, the COM division people somehow sorta stuck together – but that didn’t turn out to be a bad thing since our division was big and I didn’t know a lot of them well anyway). Neither was my team the most “on” (case in point, we failed to win any of the team activities or games. Ha). And of course, you have the usual detractors who after the first day, decided to simply leave because at their age, they shouldn’t be made to look silly and participate in activities that will leave you wet, dirty and smelly.
But as you have already guessed, I actually had fun. True, we weren’t the most “on” team however, we did display a degree of team spirit and co-operation. We participated and we tried to do our best & we encouraged one another. Sure, I know some of us were disappointed that we didn’t win anything but it was never about winning only. And I learnt things about my colleagues & friends that I never knew – that Kel was such a good sport after her “epic” fall, that Harold was a natural leader who had the ability to motivate & inspire, that Naiz was a good catcher and didn’t flinch when he got wet countless number of times during one of the games, that Peiling was such a reassuring motherly figure to have around and many, many more.
Oh and at night, there was booze and music (and for a short while, they played mambo music! J ) and it was such a nice feeling to just chat with some of my colleagues in the wee hours of the morning. I was reminded of my school days’ camping trips and I realised that I really missed those days. Of course, gone were the days when I could pull an all nighter (although I remember when I did that during my uni orientation camp, I was so sleepy the next morning that I nearly ended up with my face in a bowl of fishball noodles at breakfast as I nodded off to sleep!) but it still felt good.
I am not naïve enough to think that the retreat did wonders and all of us now get along famously. But at least it showed that we could do a lot together if we choose to. And it also showed, once again, that things, people, situations and experiences that I had resisted in the beginning, usually turns out to be not so bad after all.
I choose to be … November 25, 2009
Posted by paddyfields in Musings.2 comments
Recently, I was talking to someone about what makes one happy and I realised that over the course of four years, I simply got tired of being unhappy all the time. Yes, I got tired of dwelling on things, memories and people that made me sad. Instead, I made the choice to focus on what makes me happy. Like
… being able to make bed angels (that’s my current fave of the moment – its just like making snow angels except that you wave your arms and legs about while lying on your bed with optimal satisfaction when you have just changed your bedsheets or when you are exceptionally tired. I swear I actually go to sleep with a smile on my face. This came about after I went on a corporate retreat where, let’s just say that the beds/bedsheets/blankets can do with some improvement)
… munching on chips and reading (or knowing that I have the option to pick from my 49 unread books or re-reading one of my two hundred plus ? books)
… stoning and day-dreaming on my bed (yea, I know, I spend a lot of time on my bed) … surfing the web (cant do that now though coz my computer has conked, yes, again)
… hanging out with my friends, especially those that I have not seen for a long time
Of course there are days when nothing goes well. Or days when I get hit by a giant wave of sadness. But luckily so far, they go away after a while. Despite all that has happened, I realised that I still have hope, and that I still believe. It maybe just a shred but I am hanging on.
开心也好，不开心也好，日子还是一样的过。即然是这样，你的选择是什么？
Cha-pa-lang November 2, 2009
Posted by paddyfields in All about Me! Me! Me!.add a comment
Yoo-hoo! Yep, still here after a two-month silence. Chief culprit – work, what else? In fact, am now in Auckland, after spending 4 days in Mexico City and heading off to Seoul in two days time. Jet-setting lifestyle – like what one of my friends described, & yes, it does seem so isnt it? But as with many things in life, human beings are just like sheep – always trying to get over the other side of the fence to graze even though grass is aplently on his/her own side.
Anyhows, much has happened in the past two months. Always told my friends at work that I live my life vicariously through theirs coz I am kinda pathetic..haha, but have to say that there were a couple of new or enjoyable experiences recently:
* Attended the Mayday concert in end Aug. That was cooool! I like their songs, they are not exactly mainstream, at least I dont think so. They dont have those sickeningly saccharine sweet melodic tunes with equally diabetic-inducing lyrics but yet they speak to you. In fact, I was telling a friend that the thing about chinese songs is that although sometimes the tunes may be predictable, but the lyrics speak volumes in just that couple of sentences. Anyway, the Mayday concert lasted till after midnight, so that was really value for money, haha.
* Did my first run for charity – 4.5 km in about 30 mins. Ya, not very fast, but I think pretty ok for someone who didnt train before. Oh, I also got laughed at, coz obviously, since this was my first time, I didnt know there were water points along the way, so was clutching a bottle of water. But I had the last laugh, coz the water points were so crowded that I didnt stop for them. Oh, and I also didnt know that I was supposed to bring my own safety pins to pin the race number tag on myself, haha, so had to scrounge from my friends for safety pins.
* Took my first break in a year – went to Sydney and Melbourne for a holiday. I was worried about work at first, wanted to bring my laptop along, but luckily I didnt. Coz once I decided to let go and not think about it, I had fun. No one is indispensable anyway, and certainly not me 🙂 I particularly enjoyed the Great Ocean Road, and even drove! Haha, my mum was sitting beside me, nagging me to go slow as I whizzed the winding roads – ya, kind of dangerous but ooh, so cool! It was cold but the sights, especially the 12 apostles was worth it. Yes, took pix, but lazy old me havent sorted them out yet.
* Went to 3 cities – one in each continent. Had my first helicopter ride and loved it! 🙂 Had (or going to have) a total of 3 flights lasting beyond 10 hours to get around the cities – not so great – I always stumbled off the plane looking like I havent slept in days. More on this trip when I get back.
* Oh, and got injured in a damn silly way at ultimate frisbee. Typical of me, some of you may say, and so because you had that thought, am not going to share how I got injured and had to limp for more than a week 😛
Mystery! August 23, 2009
Posted by paddyfields in Things I don't know.2 comments
Discovered this on Thursday evening – someone has fiddled with my Bert & Ernie, and my two care bears, and Mr P and the Beijing 2008 mascot keychain (can never figure out whether the mascot was beibei, huanhuan or whatchamacallit)!
facing the erm, spam?
Yes, instead of being perched happily on the edge of the shelf, facing me as I work, they are now facing my can of spam! I tried to find out who did it, and actually only one suspect came to mind (and here I have to clarify, that it not only crossed my mind, but my other colleagues’ too, who all felt that only a certain someone is bo liao enough to do this). But the suspect denied totally.
So now, the question remains – Whodunit?!
Working up a sweat (and appetite) August 23, 2009
Posted by paddyfields in Exercise.add a comment
I have been exercising a whole lot more now than compared to, oh I don’t know how long ago.
Frisbee every Wednesday evening, just started swimming during lunch time with some colleagues (we are hoping to go at least twice a week although I am going more for the sun than the X laps in the pool) and soon, probably a netball session once a week as well.
It really helps that there are people that you can exercise with, although I see it more as having fun than exercise, the latter bringing to mind images of wrestling with some hard to manage contraptions at a gym filled with mirrors (I know it is to make sure that your posture and whatnots is correct when exercising but it just seems somehow kinda narcissistic)
I never though I would say this but there is something strangely satisfying about having perspiration trickle down your back, of feeling the wind whipping through and knotting up your hair, of having an achingly sweet sensation in those dormant muscles of yours.
And the best thing after an intense workout? Indulging in my favourite food. More on that another day : )
The thing about epiphanies August 10, 2009
Posted by paddyfields in when i simply don't get it.1 comment so far
Sometimes they hit you so hard that it feels like someone socked you in the stomach. Other times, it’s upon you, slowly and steadily, like the waves licking the shore, till you eventually get the drift.
But whichever way it strikes you, if what follows after is not some form of realisation leading to a decision and an action, then the moment would have been wasted, isn’t it? It’s like finally admitting that there is no Santa Claus, but still continuing to leave a glass of milk and plate of cookies out, for a reason that no one can fathom.
How convenient, but yet, true August 9, 2009
Posted by paddyfields in Quotes.add a comment
“The question of whether a thing is right or wrong, good or bad, must always be considered in relation to a person’s needs.”
— Jostein Gaarder (Sophie’s World)
Little bouts of satisfaction… August 8, 2009
Posted by paddyfields in Books.1 comment so far
It never fails to surprise me how happy I feel when I find out that my friends like the same books that I do, especially books that I recommended or got for them as a gift. I think it is the thought that they also get the kind of joy that I get upon discovering a gem of a literary work that makes me smile 🙂
Half-boiled blood August 1, 2009
Posted by paddyfields in Movies.add a comment
So I finally caught Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince today (ya, I know, slow, especially after practically anyone who consider themselves a fan had probably watched it a couple of times).
I didn’t think it dwelled excessively on the romantic developments between the characters, although yes, a lot of details in the book were left out, and movie was already kinda long. Anyone who enjoyed the movie should read the book. Seriously.
Anyway, my enjoyment of the movie was marred by this irritating guy I sat next to. He was an average-sized chap, but instead of just occupying the space of the rightful ONE seat that he paid for, he had his arm dangling over my side of the seat, so close that he practically could make an assessment on the quality of my skirt had he been an experienced tailor. Only after I pointedly moved to the edge of the other side of my seat, did he get the hint and move his hand.
Then, throughout the movie, he kept having a whispered conversation with his friend. If he was trying to explain the plot, I could maybe try to understand, but no. He was merely articulating what was shown on screen – “they are kissing”, “they are playing quidditch”, “he is wearing his invisible cloak”.
But what happened near the end of the movie made what I had to put up with worth it. At the scene where the inferi suddenly grabbed Harry Potter’s hand as he tried to get water for Dumbledore at the lake in the cave, he got such a scare that he half-jumped out of his seat, went “ahhh!” and grabbed his friend by the arm. I couldn’t help it, I laughed out loud. At him.
I think he was quite suitably embarrassed 🙂
Hitting below the belt July 28, 2009
Posted by paddyfields in Work.1 comment so far
The worse thing about behaving irrationally, letting your emotions get the better of you, and being unprofessional? For the recipient of your unreasonable behaviour to email you an apology after that for catching you at a bad time and adding to your frustrations.
Damn low point of the week and it’s only Tuesday.
Shall I do “IT” again? July 26, 2009
Posted by paddyfields in ramblings.3 comments
Yes. No. Maybe not. Ok, yes, but… Argh.
I wish I could say that I was considering a major decision, one that could have far-reaching consequences on the world and on the lives of others.
But no – I am just having a damn superficial and frivolous inner struggle (it is a Sunday night after all)
I remember the discomfort (ok, pain was involved, but I have a low threshold for pain). I remember the sensation after (long after actually). I remember how it made me feel (sometimes good, sometimes really not good, along the lines of how-could-I-even-think-that-this-was-me).
So how? To do or not? Fine. I cant expect an answer anyway, not when you dont know what I am talking about. Nah. Cant and not prepared to say (but you want to anyhow hazard an answer?)
Time is not on my side. I think I will go consult my crystal ball. Or toss a coin. Or pull a blade of grass and see where the wind blows. Or put yes-no post-its at the end of my bed and see which one sticks to my foot in the morning. Or..or..
What’s that in your eyes? July 26, 2009
Posted by paddyfields in ramblings.2 comments
I wrote before that I tear easily and I hated it coz they are a sign of weakness. There are times when tears swim in my eyes but a deep breath, a tightening of the fist and a steadying of the heart will see the moment pass.
It has been a long while since I gave in to a good cry. I used to do that years ago, but I found out that it was useless. Like what Sumiko Tan said in her article today, crying doesnt help (plus you look ugly to boot) and “a loss is a loss is a loss is a loss”. It is exhausting emotionally and if you are already in a position of extreme vulnerability, then shedding tears just adds to the insecurity.
It is easier said than done to just accept the thing that caused your sadness and move on, and the old, rather over-used advice that time will ease everything is often met with a cry (literally) of – it’s different, you dont understand.
Of course. No one will completely comprehend why you feel the way you do and the extent of it (and maybe no one really cares). But perhaps the question to ask is whether you really understand why your emotions run so deep. Do they really affect you so much or is it because you think they should and you convince yourself so? As lame as it sounds, the passing of time really does help, not crying, although this is something that you can only accept and agree when you have experienced it. But however improbable it may seem now, it will happen eventually.
Body & heart July 19, 2009
Posted by paddyfields in Fun things.add a comment
So a second attempt at wakeboarding a couple of weekends ago left me with slightly more success than the first time round, although the really unglam stances still remain [no pix this time round : ) ]
But no matter, cause it was still fun – sun was good, the salty tinge of sea breeze was fantastic (heck, I didn’t even mind swallowing the dirty sea water!) and the company was great.
A friend asked me – why do all the extreme sports now? Didn’t think that wakeboarding was extreme but you know, despite what others say about age – that you just need to be young at heart – the body sometimes will let you down. So while I can still push and work my body, I better do all that I can before it expires for good : )
坚持还是执著 July 5, 2009
Posted by paddyfields in Things I don't know.1 comment so far
渴望在手掌外的人与物， 如果是意外，侥幸，苦追得到了后，就会有勇气紧握着吗？
或是会发现，原来的坚持， 其实只是一时的想不开，一时无法觉悟。
错觉的坚持是执著，要松开拳头，放开手，承认自己的掌心没那么大，没那么宽，没办法捉着不能拥有的。
坚持还是执著，要分得清。
Passing through July 4, 2009
Posted by paddyfields in Things I don't know.1 comment so far
Just how well do you think you know someone? You can live with someone all your life or be friends for eons, but one day, you wake up, or a moment hits, and you think – who are you?
Everything that you once believed is true, assumptions that you made, conclusions that you have drawn, expectations that you had or thought you had to fulfil, turns out to be, well, not so right. And you wonder – What went wrong? Did I try hard enough? At what point were the tinted glasses slipped on?
People change, you may say. Is that really the case? Maybe so, but to an extent that you don’t know the person anymore? Or maybe you were never really allowed into his/her life.
Perhaps I just cannot live up to those expectations. You can say that I didn’t try hard enough. But I feel tired. I don’t want to have to live my life anymore on someone’s terms or on someone’s view of what I should or shouldn’t be.
When recognition sets in that the differences divide is too wide to cross, perhaps it is time to part ways. Continually trying to build and mend that bridge is just going to exhaust you.
You can say I am selfish, insincere, can’t be bothered. But I also believe that it takes two to make things work, and that most people are not meant to have a permanent stake in your life, but merely making stops of varying duration there before they continue along their own journey.
What I know (and you don’t).. :) June 21, 2009
Posted by paddyfields in Things others don't know.add a comment
It was not without some trepidation that I walked into the dimly lit room. Yes, I have to credit attempts to make me feel at ease and reassured but it could not distract me from what was coming*
Why did I agree to this and countless variations of that sentiment ran through my mind, all of which pointed to the same conclusion – I am such a sucker. But it was too late. To back out now will be nothing short of embarrassing, not to mention being bestowed the Ms C sash – coward with a capital C.
A year of new experiences – I tell myself. But this kind of experience? The little halo-ed one said primly, dusting her white frock. Why not? Don’t be such a goody two shoes, he sneered, prodding me forward with his pitchfork.
Ouch. Fine. 1-0 to the tail-swishing one.
So I did it. Some discomfort. Lotsa of inane talk – I don’t think I have engaged in a conversation that is so pointless and forgettable in a long, long while.
Half hour later I emerged. Ok, so as with most experiences that you didn’t want to try, the moment it was over, 6/6 vision became 6/12, and memory lapses set in. Not that bad after all, I thought, although I am not sure if I am about to repeat it (but I was told that it gets “addictive”)
It wasn’t very different, yet it was too. Regret? Nah – don’t think so. Not now anyway.
*Btw, don’t try to guess. It is probably not what you think it is 😉
In the dark June 18, 2009
Posted by paddyfields in Things I don't know.add a comment
a week has never felt so long.
increasingly i am starting to feel that being dependable means that (alot) more is expected of you. being trusted means you pick up the pieces that others have haphazardly thrown and then having to piece them together quickly and accurately. not drawing lines means that the circle around you grows wider and wider
i dont want to forget the end in mind, and what this means to us collectively, or more selfishly, perhaps, what it means to me personally
i dont want this to be just another job – watching the clock, getting through the day. heck, i’ve been through that before and it is really not where i want to end up again
i dont want to lose the determination, passion and pride in what i am doing.
but disappointingly, i feel that i am losing sight.
Still on the subject (but also not quite..) June 7, 2009
Posted by paddyfields in when i simply don't get it.2 comments
Lent the collected short stories of Roald Dahl to a colleague about two weeks ago as he had the misconception that Dahl only authored children’s stories. A couple of days after that, he told me that the book didn’t engage him very much, and hence, had been reading the book very slowly.
Told him not to waste his time reading it if he doesn’t like it. There are too many good books out there that we will never be able to read in our entire lifetime, so why waste time on those that you know is not your cup of tea? But despite mentioning this twice to him, I still haven’t gotten my book back.
Strange isn’t it? Holding on to something when you know that it is not worth the effort or that the returns will be far less than what you put in. Why are we preoccupied with the idea of one more try or a second chance? Some things don’t change – even with the passing of time.
Such foolishness.
A note from my (soon-to-be) books :) June 7, 2009
Posted by paddyfields in Books.1 comment so far
“Hello!
(Your book(s) asked to write you a personal note – it seemed unusual, but who are we to say no?)
Holy canasta! It’s me… it’s me! I can’t believe it is actually me! You could have picked any of over 2 million books but you picked me! I’ve got to get packed! How is the weather where you live? Will I need a dust jacket? I can’t believe I’m leaving Mishawaka, Indiana already – the friendly people, the Hummer plant, the Linebacker Lounge – so many memories. I don’t have much time to say goodbye to everyone, but it’s time to see the world
I can’t wait to meet you! You sound like such a well read person. Although, I have to say, it sure has taken you a while! I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but how would you like to spend five months sandwiched between Jane Eyre (drama queen)and Fundamentals of Thermodynamics (pyromaniac)? At least Jane was an upgrade from that stupid book on brewing beer. How many times did the ol’ brewmaster have one too many and topple off our shelf at 2am
I know the trip to meet you will be long and fraught with peril, but after the close calls I’ve had, I’m ready for anything (besides, some of my best friends are suspense novels). Just five months ago, I thought I was a goner. My owner was moving and couldn’t take me with her. I was sure I was landfill bait until I ended up in a Better World Books book drive bin. Thanks to your socially conscious book shopping, I’ve found a new home. Even better, your book buying dollars are helping kids read from Brazil to Botswana”
Sure beats the boring – “Your book order has been shipped…” email message, isnt it? 🙂
Check out http://www.betterworld.com
earthsquatter 