How to Celebrate Your Birthday in 12 hours

So it was my birthday last August 3. I turned 22, although I do not feel a year older. I feel A LOT OLDER than that with the job and everything. Anyhow, it was a happy time, lots of running around and surprises.

What's that? You would love to read how it went? Well, best friend, here's how to go about it. Scroll down and find the entry titled Birthday Lunch and Flowers. PLEASE DON'T DISREGARD THIS LITTLE TIP. Then you have to start reading from there and work your way to each entry by scrolling up. That means the entry that follows one entry is the one directly above it. You should end up with the last entry, A Surprise Gathering. Nothing too fancy, right? Well then, get started! I'll be just right here.

The Surprise Gathering

The Surprise Gathering
Originally uploaded by ladyisis.

After our cable car ride, we headed back to school to celebrate some more with gulpfuls of margarita. But when we got to Donny's room, I was surprised to see my friends inside with a birthday cake, sparkling candles on top of it. I was touched. Donny did something amazing tonight and that is rounding up my friends for this late night gathering. It was quite a night and I was drunk though there was no margarita involved.

Then Donny gave me a handmade gift. It was a chalk carving -- the one that I've asked him to make for me ages before in a fit of envy because if he gives hand-carved chalk blocks to his friends, I should have one, too. And finally he did.

I should have taken a picture of it. It's enclosed in a clear casing, think of a huge paperweight, with a black base. The pink chalk was mounted on top of a base with a rough metallic finish that represents a rock, symbolizing the solid foundation of our relationship. I will not go into the details, but it was a very meaningful gift, with every detail significant and pithy. I love the fact that it is so well-thought. It was his way of saying to me that our relationship is secure and we have nothing to worry about.

I am so not trading him!

Lights by the Docks

Lights by the Docks
Originally uploaded by ladyisis.

I love city lights! Something about them cheers me up like a little kid who's been given candy. Looks awesome from up there.

Cable car meets Sunset

Cable car meets Sunset
Originally uploaded by ladyisis.

Aaaand ... drumrolls! This, my babies, was taken by me. Oh, you would not believe how hard it is to capture a cable car this perfectly, there's only one way to do it and that is BY ACCIDENT. Yes, that's the only way.

I was just aiming for the sunset when suddenly, this cable car came cruising in front of the camera just as I was clicking it. And there you go! Perfect shot.

That's my new desktop wallpaper right there.

Breathtaking Sunset as Taken From Our Cable Car

Sunset Taken from Cable Car
Originally uploaded by ladyisis.

Eh. Please forgive me for the crude caption. But the title sums this up nicely. It's always refreshing to see views of sunsets. I don't know why.

From the previous picture (with the sun setting over the city skyscrapers), you can guess how long we've been in the cable car. Our ride lasted for about 1 and a half hours. Every penny is so worth it!

The Sun Sets Over the City

Sun goes down to the City
Originally uploaded by ladyisis.

This photo could be included in a montage for Singapore's 40th National Day. But back to my birthday celebration.

After our lunch, we went to Plaza Singapura to watch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I enjoyed it and Johnny Depp is, once again, amazing. This has to be repeated. He is amazing, people.

Right before the movie started, Donny excused himself to go to the toilet. He missed about 5 minutes of the movie or equivalent to the history of Willie Wonka's chocolate factory.

I later learned that he was ordering pizza at Pizza Hut. It's like this. After the movie, he gave me the task of buying drinks. His words were, "Okay dear, here's your task. Buy any two drinks at Carrefour and I'll meet you at Delifrance." The way he said it was very business-like that I just did what I was told and decided to bug him later.

While waiting for a cab, I bugged him. He had a box of pizza (which he ordered at the start of the movie) with him and I got us two drinks: Nescafe banana caramel for me and iced tea for him.

"Where are we going?"

No answer.

"Tell me where. Where are we going?"

"I'm going to bring you to somewhere nice and quiet. We've been there before. You'll see."

In my mind: bluff.

So I kept quiet and just let him orchestrate the whole thing. I made it clear to him that I wanted the chocolate cake from the V Tea Room (I am so not spoiled.) But since we had to be at our Secret Location in about 15 minutes, he called up the V Tea Room and ordered two cakes for takeout. When we got a cab, we made a stop at the Esplanade mall to get the cakes and then proceeded to our Secret Location.

While giving directions to the cab driver, Donny had to say yes when the uncle asked him whether we are stopping at the "cable car there".

Ha! I got it!

"Are we going to ride the cable car?" I asked him with matching big, excited eyes.

"Ai-yah! I asked the uncle in Mandarin then he spoke to me in English. The surprise is ruined!"

"It's okay. I'm still surprised." At this point, I was grinning from ear to ear because yay, cable car!

We were delayed because of a misunderstanding regarding our reservations but it was soon settled and then off to the cable car station we went.

The staff set a table with a cute red lamp inside the cable car and it set the mood right away -- nothing short of romantic.

At the same time, it was relaxing. Scaredy cat that I am, I held my breath for a few seconds when our car first descended into the open air. But I got over it fairly quickly and it was pure fun after that!

I leaned back, took in the spectacular view and took lots of pictures. It was really liberating to be travelling in the air.

The photo above was taken by Donny while inside the cable car. It was taken just before the sky darkened. How I love the feeling of being up there!

Birthday Lunch with Flowers

Birthday Lunch with Flowers
Originally uploaded by ladyisis.

Birthdays are always stressful -- to the surprise giver, meaning, Donny. Since this year my birthday fell on a Wednesday, a school day, I've decided to veto our plan of going to Spagheddies. I would cook my birthday lunch instead and in turn, ease some load off Donny.

I love cooking (and food shopping) so the labor is not to be fussed about and I got lots of free time, so why not? It'll be a treat for both Donny and me. He'll just have to show up at my doorstep and lunch will be served right then. No time wasted!

I have always coveted the seafood platter at Spagheddies located at the Paragon basement. As I have emphasized before, I have a high standard when it comes to spaghetti (or pasta dishes in general) and Spagheddie's spaghetti? It passed with flying colors. For a moment after taking a forkful of it, I did not feel like cooking again because my pasta dish will never be half as good as their spaghetti. Then Donny, the ever comforter, told me not to even dare compare my cooking to Spagheddie's spaghetti because mine definitely trumps it -- no doubt about it. Or something to that effect. He's so good at that and I believed him. Of course. So I stopped whining after that and recovered my self-worth.

So for my birthday, I have decided to try my hand at replicating the Spagheddie's seafood platter. Like a determined cook that I am, I shopped for my favorite shellfish (crayfish, shrimps) at Carrefour (currently my favorite grocery store because it has everything except Ghirardelli), cooked them separately, then combined them in a tomato-based sauce with fresh Italian parsley and Italian seasoning (oregano, basil, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, etc.). It was a lot of work because:

1) I do not know how to shop for shellfish, especially, CRAYFISH. I have no idea how to choose a healthy-looking crustacean fit for cooking. Turning over each one using the tongs was an awkward moment and a little bit scary for me. But I got over that and then there's the matter of cooking it, which brings me to point number 2.

2) I tried cracking the crayfish open before I cook them but not even the heavy cleaver could cause damage to those rock-hard carapace. So I experimented with cooking it in sauteed garlic and lots of white wine. Added some salt and then eventually some water because I'm afraid of putting too much wine. All I needed was some steam for the crayfish to cook. When it was cooked, I was able to chop the crayfish into two. Sampled some of the meat and wow! It's got kick! Success!

3) I forgot to mention the cleaning. Cleaning the shellfish was a chore. Your nose can only take in so much of that "uncooked seafood" smell.

4) I later learned that it's better to buy crustaceans (like lobsters, crayfish) alive because the meat will easily spoil once they're dead. So there, I will not shop for dead crayfish again.

So anyway, the shrimps were sauteed as usual, except I peeled the shrimps and sauteed the shells first until slightly crispy. I removed them from the pan, then I sauteed the peeled shrimps. Makes it more flavorful that way.

The spaghetti sauce was made using lots of chopped garlic, fresh tomatoes, bell peppers, fresh Italian parsley and a generous dash of Italian seasoning. Then I added a tablespoon or two of Leggo's Bolognese sauce for added flavor and richness. You could never go wrong with this.

The result? It was a good first try, so, yay!

Donny showed up at my doorstep promptly at 1:30 pm (he had lessons in the morning and went directly to my house from school) and presented me with 3 Colombian roses in a shade that I've never seen before. It's yellowish with a red trim -- something like that (look at the picture above). They're lovely. Nothing like a bunch of flowers from your boyfriend to make you feel like a birthday girl.

So lunch was good and that's just the start of my birthday celebration.

The Sunset Caressing our Backs

The Sunset Caressing our Backs
Originally uploaded by ladyisis.

The background is stunning. It is windy and my hair is flying in all directions. But we got the shot. Both of us looked tired, but look closer. We're happy. I find Donny's expression to be that of someone whose burden has been lifted off his shoulders. Seeing him this way brings a jolt of gladness in me.

A Bugged Life, Part I and II OR Shaq Attack!

Many of you are not aware, but my room is one of the places that insects frequent. They just LOVE to fly/hop in and out of my room like it's their clubhouse.

Bug #1: Hey, dude! Where are you going?
Bug #2: Oh hey! I'm off to see what the buzz is about. I heard this cool place from my friends and they say it has an amazing landing area and swooping are--
Bug #1: Whoah. An amazing--
Bug #2: --like you wouldn't believe.
Bug #1: --SWOOPING AREA? Get out!
Bug #2: I know! And I heard it's getting more crowded everyday, so I'm going there now before it gets packed.
Bug #3: Hi guys!
Bug #1: Don't tell me you're going to--
Bug #3: Yes, I am! I am just dying to see Josh Hornet in concert.
Bug #1: Wait. You're telling me, that Josh Hornet is going to have a concert in that latest chill-out place?
Bug #3: Yeah! Didn't you hear? Oh, my gosh, he's SO hot. He buzzes like no other hornet can and did I mention he has the sexiest thorax in the WORLD? Sigh ... (twirls around ... and around ... and around ... )
Bug #1: Wow, she's .... oh, WOW. Um, hey! Can you stop? You're going to get-- (Bug #3 hits a tree) --dizzy. Or fall flat on your face, apparently. Hey, dude-- Where the hell ... Darn, he left without me! Now what? (hears Kool and the Gang's "Celebration" and sees five bugs with aphros, clad in thorax-baring shirts)
Gang of Bugs: YA-HOO!
Bug #1: (to himself) I bet they're going to that place. Ya-hoo!

And yahoo he did, from dusk till dawn. He has since converted and became a Josh Hornet fan. Bug #3 miraculously survived (as she has had similar experiences in the past, which has caused her body to develop some sort of immunity) but did not remember who or what Josh Hornet was.

***

One hot afternoon, I was happily typing my final year project report, when a grasshopper made its presence known by landing on my pillow. At first I wasn't sure of its identity as it is, without a doubt, the largest grasshopper I've ever seen so I thought there's no way it's a grasshopper. Or it could be a grasshopper who has had too much growth hormones. He's the Shaq of grasshoppers. It's HUGE, I'm telling you.

(Henceforth said huge grasshopper will be referred to as Shaq.)

I tried to ignore Shaq because I have a deadline to meet and I have no time for dealing with such unwanted visitors, especially if they have antennas. But the enormousness of Shaq cannot be ignored and not long after, I was starting to feel creeped out. Granted, he was just staring at me but I won't have any of it. I shall not be terrorized in my own room. So I took arms (by which I meant, flimsy slippers) in the hope of threatening him to leave the vicinity, which is MY TERRITORY. Shaq, whose athletic abilities surpasses that of the human form Shaq, leaped (LEAPED!) out of my bed and FLEW TO MY HAIR, which made me shake my head like I'm Tina, the crazy shapeshifter of Smallville season 2.

Shaq ended up on the floor near my closet and from his brief landing on my head, I realized that his size, apparently, is not what I should worry about. Don't let that friendly greenish color fool you. He's one tough and VERY STRONG grasshopper. I stared at him, baffled by his unbelievable strength. He returned The Stare and from his antennas, I could tell he's preparing for action. I thought, "OH, SO YOU WANT A PIECE OF ME, HUH? HUH?"

Then it occurred to me. A plan. A simple, yet risky, plan. I grabbed a microwavable bowl and silently positioned myself behind Shaq. Slowly, I lowered the bowl and trapped him with it. Hah! But Shaq jumped with all his might, until the bowl almost tipped over. I held on to the bowl like my life depended on it and after a moment of crying to the heavens while steadying the bowl down, I subdued Shaq. Shaq gave up, tired from all that jumping and bumping to the wall of the bowl, and accepted his fate as a prisoner.

"Hi, I'm Shaq. I was just minding my own business, y'all, and all of a sudden this crazy lady starts assaulting me with her slippers! And then! She imprisons me like I'm some sort of criminal! WHAT THE HELL?!?"

Never have I been more grateful for keeping a collection of microwavable containers, because THIS is an example that shows one cannot have too many of those.

Shaq, with his Herculean strength, cannot be left alone or he would escape. I had to weigh down the top of the bowl with, among other things, a purse filled with Philippine coins (don't ask me why for I have no idea). Then all was peaceful. I went back to typing and carried on with my life.

I, of course, reported the bizarre incident to Donny, who must be thinking why his girlfriend would take on an innocent insect and that there must be something loose in her head. But he didn't. He helped me seal Shaq's dungeon with the lid of the microwavable bowl (thus eliminating the need for the purse) and volunteered to set him free. I warned him it could get ugly. Luckily, he didn't experience said ugliness.

When he left my room, he forgot to take Shaq (and his dungeon) with him so he remained imprisoned (Shaq, not Donny), sealed in a container, IN MY ROOM. Soon after, I lost interest in Shaq's welfare and he was forgotten. For days, he would jump, in an attempt to extricate himself from this life-sucking predicament, but to no avail. Until one day, I didn't hear him jump.

Shaq died, after three or four days of house arrest. More like, I starved him to death. And maybe he was claustrophobic. He went crazy and tried to eat himself because he would rather die than continue living in this hell hole. I stared at the container and the corpse in it, shocked that I could do such a thing. I had felt remorse for a while but recalling what happened to me IN MY ROOM, I would brush it aside. This should teach the other grasshoppers of NTU not to mess with me.

But still, I can't help but be ashamed. Goodbye, Shaq. May you rest in peace (And wherever you are, could you not barge into other people's homes? Thanks.).

Hello, Bandwagon

Ooh, a new blog. Let me see if it's nice to me. Because diaryland? It keeps on having server problems and whatnot. I know it's not the site's fault but I feel there's a better service out there. Life's too short to remain in misery. So here I am. Diva-ish Rocker. Yes. Because I am.