Ok... I've found a wonderfully simple dessert recipe and plan to use it for a family dinner. Problem? There are as many kids as there are adults. And this recipe calls for vodka. So... any suggestions what to replace the vodka with? I want something alcoholic for the kick, but not too much. The driving person still has to drive home! And I don't want to end up with 9 drunk kids on my hands!

So... suggestions?


Mango Soup with Fresh Grapefruit

Ingredients:
4 ripe and large mangoes
Half cup vodka
2 tbsps syrup
Half cup water
1 ruby grapefruit
Mint leaves to garnish

How to make:
Peel mangoes and cut into smaller pieces. Discard the seeds. Process mango in a blender together with vodka, syrup and water. There should be no lumps.
Peel grapefruit and tear off the skin to get to the fruit. Pour blended fruit and vodka into bowls, and top with grapefruit and a sprig of fresh mint leaves. Serve chilled.

Confident Christian
It's very interesting when both Christian groups you're in have this as the same theme for that period. YF has chosen to go the way of examining cults and seeing why they're not the real deal. CF has chosen to read 1 John and see what is and what is not the real deal.

It's just very interesting... where we choose to base our confidence on. Then again, I think it's a blessing to be able to see things from such a well-rounded view. Seriously, I'm not worried about the 1 John choice. I'm more worried about the cults choice, because well, it might send the message that the Bible isn't enough to give us the confidence that we are Christians, and that we need to look to outside sources.

Please pray for the YF. I don't think the leaders want to do send such a message, but it might just come out if we're not careful.

Listening to this song by Steve Curtis Chapman right now. It's a really touching song...

I Will Be Here
Tomorrow morning if you wake up
and the sun does not appear
I will be here
If in the dark, we lose sight of love
Hold my hand, and have no fear
'Cause I will be here

I will be here
When you feel like being quiet
When you need to speak your mind
I will listen
And I will be here
When the laughter turns to cryin'
Through the winning, losing and trying
We'll be together
I will be here

Tomorrow morning, if you wake up
And the future is unclear
I will be here
Just as sure as seasons were made for change
Our lifetimes were made for these years
So I will be here

I will be here
And you can cry on my shoulder
When the mirror tells us we're older
I will hold you
And I will be here
To watch you grow in beauty
And tell you all the things you are to me
I will be here

I will be true to the promise I have made
To you and to the One who gave you to me

Tomorrow morning, if you wake up
And the sun does not appear
I will be here
Oh, I will be here.

Hungry Ghost festival is seriously one of the worst times, besides haze season, to get ill. Copious amounts of smoke from all the incense burning lingers in the air. Even two fans are not enough to get rid of some of the smell. The wind blowing inwards is not helping either.

I've smelt at least 3 different kinds of smoke already, all in the span of 1.5 hour. Different types of paper apparently emit different smells when burnt. Now, the ash is blowing in my house. Time for desperate measures: close all doors and windows!

All this paper is meant for deceased relatives. Whatever is burnt is believed to appear magically in hell. Hell is a good place in such legends because the originally bad living conditions can be alleviated.

Unfortunately, that is not so in the real hell. Real hell is just plain hell. Nothing good in it. No friendship, no big house (not even a small house), no car, no cellphone, no nothing. Everything bad is in it. Some even say it's a lake of fire. It may be so, but to me, having a place without God is bad enough. Living in a place for eternity where nothing good is in it, is really terrible!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When creators of Japanese anime make their female characters squeal in delight or overreact over anything, it is quite true. At least, that's the impression I'm getting from Japan Hour on CNA. The female host, Aimoto-San has been squealing and screeching about the good food she's had so far. Traditional Japanese confectionaries dissolved her into squeaks and squeals. And those sounds that I shall call "koto-koto-kaseh" because that's what they seem to be saying. In saying "koto-koto-kaseh", the voice suddenly becomes very loud and a bit grating even.

Don't believe me? Just watch any Japanese anime with a comedic element in it. And turn the volume up.

It just baffles me how the Japanese, portrayed as hardworking docile people can appear so extremely passionate while hosting food shows.

Blogs

Blogs seemed to have sprung out of nowhere. Perhaps it was the desire of some exhibitionists to tell their life story to the whole wide world. Perhaps it was the work of some narcissist. Perhaps it was just the preference of a technology junkie.

No. Blogs came about as a attempt to compile news about certain topics. Some brave people endeavoured to post everything they could find on the net about a particular topic on one webpage, complete with links. And all that was done in chronological order, so whoever came across the site could trace the unfolding of the event and situation.

But what used to be an objective collection of articles soon evolved into a normative expression of opinions. From opinions, contents evolved into Chicken Soup for the Soul-type stories in the sense that they are real stories. And from there, we get the most common occurance of weblogs these days: weblog as an online diary.

I'm not making any of this up! Learnt it in a class about sociology and politics of journalism many moons back. Can't find the file though, so I can't give exact references. Whatever it is, I'd rather trust that source (a periodical) than Wikipedia, a free encyclopaedia which is not populated by people dedicated to printing the truth. That encyclopaedia has many good and true articles, but its entries are also written by many who have skewed perspectives about whatever they're writing.

Oh, for the days when truth mattered as much as opinions. In these days of postmodernism, everything is relative. My moral standards are right relative to perhaps a vile person's moral standards. And much more. Everything is relative. Isn't that any womder why learning journals (your opinions about an event) are so popular now? And that is perhaps why PR is such a good industry now. Because people want to hear perceptions.

a mini epic on the humble but vicious sorethroat

A sorethroat is any of the various inflammations of the tonsils, pharynx, or larynx characterized by pain in swallowing. Sorethroat is the colloquail term for this inflammation.
www.answers.com

Remedies:

• Pi-pa-gao. It's a Chinese herbal mixture that's sold on the shelves of most supermarkets and pharmacies here in Singapore. Just take a tablespoonful of it. Thick, sweet and minty, it's a perfect throat soother. It works by coating the throat. So, don't drink any water an hour after taking this or you're just removing the protective coating! (Comments: I like this cold from the fridge, or mixed into a cup of warm water. Delish.)
• Mix salt in water and gargle the mixture. Salt is an antiseptic, so it'll kill the bacteria. Do this a few times a day. (Comments:I got this rememdy from a customer, who knew that I used my voice to earn moolah then. It helps me keep my sweet voice, not to mention is very soothing.)
• Squeeze some lemon juice into warm honey water. Don't put in too much lemon, as it may become too acidic and irritate the throat even further! Another touch is to add some freshly squeezed orange juice. This whole concoction is very soothing. (Comments: my mum and many other friends like to use this remedy because the ingredients are so generic, you can get them in every part of the world. That, and you get to drink the sweet concoction. Yummy!)
• Boil some ginger shreds in coca-cola. No kidding! Coca-cola seems to have some amazing healing properties. Coca-cola sold in Thailand can soothe fevers. Coca-cola sold in China can soothe colds and throats. Coca-cola sold in Singapore can soothe allergies to MSG. And it tastes pretty refreshing. The sharp tingle of ginger infused in the sweetness of boiled coca-cola. (Comment: my dad made this for me once when he heard me clearing my throat one too many times)
• Lozenges. Some swear by it. I don't. If anything, it's more of a sweet to me! I think that's quite evident from the way many students consume Ricola as a way of staying awake during boring lectures.

I also found some interesting stage-door remedies from http://www.mothernature.com/Library/Bookshelf/Books/47/120.cfm.

Alrighty, my throat is acting up. Time to go for some time-honoured remedies.

Rambles of the day

yippee! the song has been passed!

i feel like digging my throat out it's so sore.

appearances are not everything. making a good first impression is of no good unless that impression is upkept. no point making everything perfect for a day and letting things lie for the other 364 days in the year.

my mum's getting more forgetful. must be the menopause.

must read labour econs text. and fixed income notes. and actuarial math notes. die la

acts... meeting next week and must finish reading the book by then.

most icky part of the relationship: deciding which church to go to marry n to attend once married. icky-poo decision.

Random thoughts, random swirls
Typed, not written with a quill.

Chocolate Overdose

You know you've had a chocolate overdose when your already sore throat feels more sore.

Went to watch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory today, and really, it was quite a lot of chocolate! Selvi said that people would go out and buy lots of chocolates after the movie and share, but I beg to differ. I, unlike many other females, prefer the bitter dark chocolate. Why? Simply because it is not as cloyingly sweet as milk chocolate.

Oh, and during the movie, there was just so much chocolate I began to smell chocolate around me. No kidding. My neurons were playing tricks on me... tricksy things!

After the movie, there was a time where lucky people could win hampers filled by Nestle, vouchers by Fullerton for chocolate buffet and vouchers for a chocolate spa. Wow when that announcement came on, I thought I was beginning to feel sick.

Chocolate is good, chocolate is great! But... too much chocolate is bleagh! Haha... Now you know what NOT to get me for a present: chocolate! The only exceptions I'll make are for Max Brenner's chocolate, Lady Quality chocolates, Kit-kats, Kinder Bueno... ok, that's a lot of chocolates! Just don't give me white chocolate! *wink*

Domesticity
Been feeling kinda domesticated the last few weeks. I'm now cooking on the spur of the moment, which is much more than just special occassions. I used to spend hours in the kitchen on special days like Mother's Day, Christmas, mum's birthday, teacher's day... Yes. That's the cheapo 'ole me speaking! Father's Day would be a no-fuss-go-out-and-eat event if Dad's in town. For the little girl, it'll be a big-fussy-event-with-friends-and-cousins that my mum'll preside over.

But I've been watching travel and living. That, and the 5 weeks of cooking in Switzerland. I think I'm enjoying cooking much more! And it helps to hone the skills now. Like I told Serene, better that he gets diarrhoea now that he's younger (and hopefully stronger) than after you guys are married.

So well, I've prepared food twice a week for this week. And I think it was quite fun! It's a joy to see the people you've cooked for eat the food and polish it off.

And now, I've got two favourite celebrity chefs: Kylie Kwong and Nigella. The food's simple to prepare, but yet tastes good. Another show I like watching is Surreal Gourmet, which features simple and good tasting food. It also presents food very uniquely. Creative! Thing is, most of their recipes require the oven. And there's one thing I seriously don't have: an oven, and any ability to use it correctly. But come November and December, I'll be trying to bake cookies. If they're successful, no prizes for guessing what your Christmas present's gonna be!

5 reasons to eat breakfast
Bimbo alert! Mouse suddenly feels like a bimbo. Perhaps an analytical bimbo. But now, we all know that doesn't exist right?

• Get a kick. Coffee drinkers find themselves working more efficiently and responding quicker once they've had their cuppa. Same goes for tea drinkers. Funny enough, the same goes for milo drinkers.
• Start full. Brains generally fail to function at full potention when stomachs cry out for attention. Filling the stomach ensures more energy and fuel to run on until the next meal.
• No goodies. Waffles, Croissan'wich, Cornflakes, hotcakes, and even Frosties, are the mainstay of breakfast. Skip breakfast regularly and you miss out on good stuff.
• Stay awake. Don't want to start your day asleep at your desk at 11am? Have breakfast for the nutrients and energy.
• Lose weight. That's right, lose weight. When you eat breakfast, you feel fuller throughout the day. That reduces the tendency to snack, removing the archilles heel for many. Less snacks means more healthy people who have less sodium and sugar in their bodies.

Got the tickets for this year's National Day! So now, finally, after about a week, I have fittingly done up a little montage celebrating the celebrations.

Ok, that didn't sound too right, but you get the idea. Anyway, the best parts were the fly-past (with the big big Singapore flag) and... the fireworks!

Awesome!

It's my last hour here at Providend, and I'm quite free now. They wanted to bring me out for coffee, but too many things came in today. So well, I've finished all my work, and am quite free right now. Aaron's older son's at my usual workdesk... i'm typing this at another computer.

So now, after 10 weeks here, i've come to love the people and enjoy the work. All the weekly soccer games or jogs... that quarterly company retreat that they asked me to come along for... it all brings back many memories.

Memories of being a soccer ball magnet. Evelyn and Madeline agree that i need to get a rubber suit just for soccer coz the ball always seems to fly my way!

Memories of being a cannot-make-it-jogger. But you gotta admit, the view along the esplanade is way better than that along Kallan Basin!

Memories of pigging out. Roti prata & teh, wanton mee and kopi/luohan guo, fruits galore, seafood (lobster, crab, fish...), secret recipe cakes...

Memories of 'rowdiness' come 4pm. Everyone would come out of their offices and desk and make some noise eating, chatting, and fighting off some of the sleepiness. People would bring along different goodies and pile them on the snack table. It's going so high now!

Memories of Evelyn's hyena laughter.

Memories of Daryl making fun of her and other people.

Memories of Hian Yau and Daryl 'screaming' at everyone to get into their PE attire and assemble by 4.30pm for games.

Memories of Eddy congratulating himself on a ball well saved when no one else did - his wife didn't either coz she was in the other team!

Memories of James bringing in his month-old son with the full-moon cakes and everyone going gaga over the little baby boy.

Memories of rushing to work to fill the Coffee Corner before clients came in. And trying to up the quality of food.

Memories of Meng Hong bringing out the cordless office phone to lunch. He went to the toilet while on the phone, finished the conversation before reaching the toilet, and slipped the phone into his humongous pants pocket. Guys have big pants pockets.

Memories of us looking at each other and almost collapsing in giggles during a teleconference. The guy was a Japanese who spoke such muddied English we could hear him better if we closed our eyes and concentrated.

Memories of the two ladies from the next door law corporation that I got to know. Will miss Marilyn... met in the toilet and we just talked! It was great fun to talk to her!

So well, these 10 weeks have passed by so fast. I still don't believe it. But I hope that with the little support work that I've done, it's helped the consultants and assistant consultants somewhat, especially with regards to compliance. Conducted an independent audit. been at it the last 3 weeks or so...

And I did some admin work as well. They thanked me for the extra hands during this transition period when we were shifting offices to improve the work flow, but really, I thank all of them for the chances they have given me. For showing me how the Fish philosophy can really be applied to real life. But really, for giving me a chance to see this and reignite some interest in finance.

After what some of my finance and econs profs have gone and done, it's really a miracle that this interest in finance can be reignited. I've been convinced by Providend and their subsidiary, Commissions Free Insurance. Have been, and will continue to be their unofficial spokesman.

Just watched a show that's based on a true story. A woman had many men. And many children from the many men. 5 of them in fact: 2 girls and 3 boys. Then, she upped and left with another man for years.

The children were left to fend for themselves. The oldest, Gracie, had to suport all the children herself. She was not even doing well in school! But she bucked up. Got a job. And got through all the social workers. The second girl went to live with someone else.

Gracie had big dreams, that she would go to college on a scholarship (her boyfriend persuaded her to go chase the dream). She also dreamed of marrying her boyfriend. But she knew that the boys would have no one else to depend on if she left. She wavered, and on graduation day, she was faced with an ultimatum: marry or adopt. The two choices could no co-exist.

She chose to adopt.

So she faced an emotional court battle with her mother. The judge asked the three boys who they wanted to stay with. They all said they wanted to live with Gracie, because she fed them, clothed them, changed their diapers, and was a mother to them.

And so the show ended with her going to college on scholarship. And with these lines: Gracie went to college, and was a working mother and a full-time student who consistently scored a GPA of 3.9. The boys were adjusting well, and the youngest wanted to become a judge!

I'm super impressed by her. I don't even know if i can ever be so selfless to give up my dreams. This 19 year old girl has really amazed me. Really really amazed me. Such a strong, unyielding and determined girl...