Listen to the animals

Sri Lanka is seeing over 20,000 deaths in the aftermath of the Tsunami. Amongst the lifeless corpses, few, if any, belong to those of our four-legged friends, even though the waves had swept into Sri Lanka's Yala National Park, "uprooting trees and toppling cars onto their roofs - one red car even ended up on top of a huge tree".

Animal angels are watching over them. Otherwise known as animal instinct.

*

From Bernama.com:

KEPALA BATAS, Dec 28 (Bernama) -- Fishermen in Kuala Muda were overjoyed when they hauled in nearly 20 times their usual catch for three straight days before tsunami tidal waves slammed into the coastlines of the north-western states last Sunday.

Fisherman Ramli Yahya, 62, said their daily income of RM300 surged to RM6,000 and even RM8,000 just prior to the undersea earthquake off the Indonesian island of Sumatra which spawned the giant waves that struck countries across the Indian Ocean, killing tens of thousands.

"Last Thursday, many fishermen here hauled in catches worth about RM7,000 each. On Friday they reaped about RM6,000 and the catch on Saturday increased to RM8,000. There was an extraordinary amount of mackerel," Ramli told Bernama Tuesday.

via No Trespassing Beyond This Point

Don't we humans learn by now, that there really is no free lunch in the world, or a fast and furious route to that pot of gold. Bubbles, that's what they call them. Like the financial balloons, or Internet / dot-com bubbles. Where players strike it rich overnight ... normal ? Or a big billboard sign of something to come before the storms hit ?

*

Why I never listen to NPR news very long, by Professor Miller

Big news item today: "Massive environmental damage caused by the recent earthquake and tsunami."

It's always great to hear how the environment is destroying the environment.

(12/28/04)

via Daily Speculations

Thank-yous

I meant to do this earlier, and then the Tsunamis struck. I'm sorry if this sounds like one useless petty entry in the face of the disaster that struck our neighboring countries. But I meant to do it, and I think I will, before the year ends.

Thank you, Mr. Santa Claus aka Jason, for sending me the card all the way from Taiwan, where all things chrismassy are not easily available. :]

And to HS, for thinking of me this X-mas, and Angelia for my first card this year: I really appreciate that.

To beloved Monet - it was delightful receiving that favorite book from you. I love love love it. Thank you. I didn't even know you checked out my Amazon Wish List. But I'm glad you did.

To you, thezaks: thank you, for helping me with the notes and remembering my wine when you came back from Indo.

And merlady, for my gift under the Christmas tree.

To my cousin, Valentino - I am honored to be that 1 % of what makes life good for u. Haha. You're not too bad yourself. (and continue clicking on that link everytime hor ... heh)

Most of all, to Little Tank, for my black furry X-mas gift, the most wonderful of them all. I love you.

Every effort counts

The first time I read the news at wee hours on Dec 27, total death toll stood at a four-figure number. I was shocked and saddened. As the numbers climbed, I felt guiltier than ever for having spent the better part of Boxing Day out in a shopping mall, while just a strait away, people were suffering and dying. Looking at the damages left in the trail of the tsunamis, I felt the most helpless since the hurricanes hit FL where I once stayed and had loved ones there. As of now, the official numbers stand at 50,000 dead, more missing, and most unidentified. It was heart wrenching. If you can help, please do.

Red Cross Singapore; Tsunami Help Blog; Mercy Relief

I am falling more in love with Gmail

Gmail is more than proving its worth in the big bad congested world of Email. I just got some attachments in the (e)mail, and this time, all I have to do is to hit on the 'download all files' option and it automatically zips up the files as a single download. No more multiple files all over on my desktop too. Hooray !

*

Depp forgot her mobile phone when she left her office to run some errands. Just long enough for her to have to run all over Plaza Singapura later, frantically looking for a public phone, for a half-minute confirmation of some shoestring details with the Big Boys back in their air-con rooms.

When I was without my mobile phone cold turkey in Tally (with only the good ol’ LAN phone for use), it was all withdrawal symptoms for me. By the end of the month, I was rehabilitated. By the time I returned to the tiny island with one of the highest densities of mobile phone users in the world, I was (and still am) leaving the phone in, more often than I probably should have, when I was out.

But really I enjoy being mobile-phone-less. I derive a sense of peace that no one can get me anytime anywhere. I like it, no strings attached.

*

I'd been on an eternal hunt for my ICP Bible, when it decided to show up at the least expected timing, at one of the places where I thought I had searched a thousand times, while perspiring like a mad cow.

Almost like that bus which never comes when you want it to, but shows up once your mind's set on another bus number.

Some skewed psychological effect again, I know. Can't blame larh. Most of us humans do seem to have a tendency to overbalance one or the other. Though most of the time, the (imagined) bad in our situations always seem to overshadow any good. Especially now, when I can't stop thinking, WHY DIDN’T THE BLARDY THING APPEAR EARLIER ?!

*

PS: as a Christmas present (x-mas lasts for twelve days okay), I am giving out five Gmail invites. Drop me a message or email (redshot at gmail.com).

Pray

It's paralyzing, the numbers. Every time I check the updates, the no. of casualties increases by at least two thousand. 10,000, 14, then 16, now over 20,000. The statistics are cold. And heart gripping. Please, take a moment to pray for them who are lost and them who are still lost.

For the Love of Christmas

Have fun, enjoy yourselves, and party the eve and Dec 25 away.

But don't drink and drive.

I'll see you back here soon.

We are called Bee and Dee, and have a newborn ST. Can we have free lodging too ?

When I was on the road, Travelodge was one of the favorite night-overs. Budget like Hotel 81, only bigger (and I mean, really bigger) and more comfortable, with no visible stains of ... eh ... something. Haha.

This time last year we were on the road to NYC, with the luggages and bags and a sleeping shih tzu puppy in tow. If only they had this promotion back then ... you could very well call me Mary if you want.

"We are trying to make up for the hotel industry not having any rooms left on Christmas Eve 2004 years ago," said Sandy Leckie, manager of the Travelodge hotel in London’s Covent Garden.

"Our hotel is definitely more comfortable than a stable. I just hope they don’t bring their donkey," he said.

via faithtoh.quackpolka.com

Tang Yuan on Dong Zhi

It was 冬至 on Tuesday. Literally translated as "arrival of winter" and occurring six weeks before the Chinese New Year.

When I was young, Mom would buy glutinous rice flour from the market and I would climb atop on a tall chair, and roll the flour into small balls at the counter. It was one of the rare occasions when Mom was more lenient about a messy kitchen, and I could play dough lego with food.

It was easy enough. I, I mean we, rolled the flour into little balls of red-white-pink, dump them into a big pot of sweet pandan boiling water, and voilà! We have another one of my favorite grub: 汤圆*. Almost as simple as cooking instant noodles. Only tastier and more satisfying.

<<Balling around: 2 small ones + 1 big makes a Mickey. Heh.

*The Chinese word tang (meaning 'soup') sounds like tuan which means reunion, while yuan means round, signifying "yuan man" (complete / 圆满 ). The entire phrase tang yuan therefore symbolises "tuan yuan" (family reunion / 团圆 ), and eating tang yuan on Dong Zhi represents family reunion and harmony, and also signifies family unity and family prosperity.

*

Such a vampiric experience, all the blood overflowing from the mouth. So erotic ... not.

There I was, in the reclining chair, squinting my eyes at the blinding light above, under the mercy of the Dentist and his nurse. My mouth held open by clampers of some sort, and the Dentist doing his thing with my teeth/gum. It was a date from hell. What was worse, the scaling (most basic dental service) cost 92 bucks. Horrendous dental costs.

Barbecue Chows Part II

It’s amazing the finds that you can mine from clicking on the google ads (by the right column of the page):

Extract-

The primary ingredient to any impressive outdoor barbecue is time! Barbecued food is meant to be slow-smoked, charred or grilled over moderate heat. This way the meat is bathed in all of its own fat, smoke and natural juices.

The following pages include some of my own favorite barbecue concoctions. Seafood lovers will love the Mango Sea Kabobs and the Italian Portabellas are the perfect topper for steaks, chicken and pork or marvelous combined with mixed salad greens.

The Olé Salsa Burgers are an innovative look at a classic hamburger recipe. And finally, the kids will love some truly campy desserts like Grilled Banana Boats and Cinnamon Baked Apples - prepared over a barbecue or a traditional campfire grill!

Great Grilling Recipes

from BarbecuesAndGrills.com

Yum.

*

and something related:

from one of the tests I once took-

You enjoy food and can be a ravenous eater. A good cook will get your attention quickly.

Haha.

Barbecue by the Beach

Cooking is never my game. I usually leave that to the boys, or the model wives / husbands. So if for some weird reason, you must invite me to Seoul Garden for my birthday, please be prepared to be the chef. I will help you get the raw ingredients from the buffet tables to the pot of black cooking oil, but all things cooking are yours and yours alone.

*

On Saturday night I gatecrashed a reunion barbecue party at East Coast Park. I knew no one there (well oki I did know two of them), and had no intention to gatecrash a party of males-only, except that I was hungry and unwilling to have McD meal alone again where I could get something better just a couple of meters away.

The boys were cool. By that, I mean I didn't have to intro myself blah blah. I hated gatherings where I had to do that. I just wasn't good with all those introductory bullshit. There, all I did was to sit there and try not to look as unruly as I already was (I didn't ask to be caught in the rain, or to have Lecter's muddy paw prints all over me lorh). I didn't even have to feel paiseh about not offering to be one of the rotating chefs at the bbq pit. Hey I didn't know them remember.

I was expecting something better than McD (usually most food was, so I guessed that was hardly any expectation, but still.). But it turned out to be the most well prepped barbecue, and by a single person too.

There was the usual bbq stuff: marinated chicken wings, prawns (hmm yum), crabsticks, hotdogs, fishballs, potatoes, otah (junkie food ! my love), satay and tutupuk (square rice in leaves ? ) with yummy satay sauce. Then there was bread with garlic spread on toast (Ya Kun style), Taiwanese sausages, cucumbers, honeydew x1, watermelon x1 and champagne x2 ! Mr. Chef himself was also dishing out some other improvised bbq recipes as he cooked, like buttered-mushrooms-on-grill. I am getting hungry just writing about it.

Like a vulture, I would have devoured at least half of the food. But I was distracted trying to rein in Lecter who was busy conquering new territory, and trying not to look like I just emerged from a jungle with hair all over and in my face and mud on my clothes.

At last count, I had chicken wings x1 1/2, crab sticks x3, fishballs x1, tutupak x3/4, satay x1, hotdogs x2, garlic spread on toast x1, Taiwanese sausages x1, honey dew x1slice, otah - nil (ahh ... my greatest regret), cucumbers x infinity.

So I didn't eat much (by bbq standards) but I would like to think that I had a balanced diet like Ms Zoe Tay, and Mr. Tay PH, what with the honeydew and plates of cucumbers.

It was definitely one of the better bbq sessions I'd had. Also, I had a crush on the Chef.

iPod, Do You ?

I no longer have to painstakingly record each song one by one, second by second, as they play on my com, to my minidisc. I just transferred nine gigabytes of imported songs (approx. 2k of them) from my iTunes library to the shiny white pod in under ten / twenty mins ? Record time ! Plain impressive.

The Male of my life is back in town ! Plus with the holiday seasons and all, playing favorites shall be the renewed game of the month. And penning blog entries, for now, would be taking a back seat from all the excitement. So all of you, go have great feasts and empty your pockets on gifts for me your loved ones. Check back this space from time to time.

*

I just came back from watching Blade: Trinity, the third installment of the vampire movie series. I'm not going to launch into a half-baked, non-professional review of it. But I am going to say this, if you gonna watch it, don't base your expectations of this one on its first two predecessors. You might be sorely disappointed.

People are encouraging me to give Alexander a miss, at least 'til its DVD / cable release. What with the usual year-end spread of blockbusters, I don't mind that one bit. Pampered for choices, us consumers. Yay !

I finally got the Quill DVD. I shall go re-watch it and tear myself silly again like one greatly emotional dog / pet owner. Then I will visit Mr. L at the prison and try to smuggle him home again.

Forget Shutter, this is freaky.

I came across this, I have absolutely no idea how true it is, but it sure makes a creepy read:

Abraham Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846.
John F. Kennedy was elected to Congress in 1946.

Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860.
John F. Kennedy was elected President in 1960.

Both were particularly concerned with civil rights.
Both wives lost a child while living in the White House.

Both Presidents were shot on a Friday.
Both Presidents were shot in the head.

Now it gets really weird.

Lincoln's secretary was named Kennedy.
Kennedy's Secretary was named Lincoln.

Both were assassinated by Southerners.
Both were succeeded by Southerners named Johnson.

Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Lincoln, was born in 1808.
Lyndon Johnson, who succeeded Kennedy, was born in1908.

John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated Lincoln, was born in 1839.
Lee Harvey Oswald, who assassinated Kennedy, was born in 1939.

Both assassins were known by their three names.
Both names are composed of fifteen letters.

Now hang on to your seat !

Lincoln was shot at the theatre named "Ford."
Kennedy was shot in a car called "Lincoln" made by "Ford."

Booth and Oswald were assassinated before their trials.

And here's the "kicker":

A week before Lincoln was shot, he was in Monroe, Maryland.
A week before Kennedy was shot, he was with Marilyn Monroe.

and Lincoln was shot in a theatre and the assassin ran to a warehouse.

Kennedy was shot from a warehouse and the assassin ran to a theatre.

Dying is

Now and then you read something which touches you profoundly in such simple ways, that you wouldn’t forget it for a long time to come. Today, Grace Chow does just that. I never really know mortality before today, and yet I would never understand it like she did. Godspeed, Grace. Rest in Peace.

Gratification in

41,

40,

39,

...

[to be continued]