*1027 - adventures of pocahontas, the alpaca

Meet Pocahontas, the alpaca.

He is a privileged alpaca, a worldly traveler, hailing from Peru, and gracing us with his company on a road trip up to Maine.



He enjoys a good glass of Rosa Regale.



And sits poised against the beautiful Ogunquit backdrop.



He also gets soggy with us in the hot tub, watches as we skip stones by the beach, hurtles down slides in playgrounds--adventures that no common alpaca dares to dream of.

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The adorable B&B with a quiet owner who didn't really match its adorableness (not in a bad way, we just expected him to be more frilly and cute like the B&B)



Mist in Maine



That comes and goes



Nutella and mint ice cream in the cold, by the bay



Birthday Dom Perignon



Aforementioned hot tub, at midnight, in the drizzle



And aforementioned skipping of stones



:)

*1026 - sometimes

... but sometimes, a nap and a bit o' love is all you need :)

I think being sleep-deprived makes me cry. Without reason.

*1025 - do you?

Do you ever sink into your chair at the end of the day with knees a-tremble from exhaustion, feel the weight of your body, feel an almost tangible blanket of heaviness, almost physically and certainly mentally, feel the need to hold on to the power button for one, two, three seconds to forcefully shut yourself down to the world, and while you're a blank black screen to everyone else, submerge yourself in the solitude of the blank blackness and bawl your soul out over nothing and over everything?

What does that mean?

*1024 - sleep

Inability to go to bed anytime before midnight, even when I feel like a squished pancake (pardon my ineffective analogies). Also, inability to wake up any time later than 7 am, due to my body's insistence that early sunrise = early rising. No thank you!

*1023 - is it worth it?

The fact that your happiness can be so closely tied (had to physically stop myself from typing "correlated") to another person's.

Puzzling? Somewhat, because it's an additional element that never used to exist, but now that it does, it's set its roots curling so, so deep into you, that it leaves such an emptiness when it is gone--but where did that emptiness come from?

Scary? Often, because you sometimes lose a bit of yourself, a bit of your independence, a bit of your strength and your sharp edges and your spunk.

Worth it? There is no question to me. Yes. But of course.

*1022 - survived the world end, and one year older to boot!

Had the loveliest birthday, especially for someone who claims not to be into birthdays!

Many thanks to all for the love.

Especially to YOU for making it particularly lovely.

:)

*1021 - alma mater

This Is from Alex Silver on Vimeo.

I had a feeling this would go viral.

Very well done! I thought it was going to be cheesy, but ... nope, a big thumbs up! Perhaps you do not even need to be a proud Cornellian to appreciate this :)

*1020 - here fishie

Cooking fish is NOT my forte.



Pan seared salmon: meh.
Seared ahi tuna: MMMM.
Baked mahi mahi: epic failure.
Cheesy tilapia: MMMM.
Baked cajun (any fish) with capers: standard.

I guess I net out at ... certainly edible, usually fair.

*1019 - lifestyle

Ibuprofen for breakfast, free pizza for lunch, and inertia for dinner, with a bad taste in my mouth.

How's that for healthy living?

*1018 - end of a legacy?

Lee Kuan Yew steps down from cabinet

*1017 - dancing with the chan's

Yes, my amazing dancing skillz are genetic, as you can tell from the natural grace, athleticism, and musicality of the Chan's as we put up a smashing performance. Daddy is particularly lithe.

Also, it seems I have sprouted a beard. It's a good look.

*1016 - tragic

RIP, Brian Lo.

Legendary Hotelie who taught everyone around him that life is about big grins, large doses of goofiness, positivity, and a certain amount of disregard for the things that "matter" but don't really (rules, grades, authority, things that sometimes hinder the joys in life).

That made me cry. I'm in shock.

But he would have wanted everyone to be happy and laugh and put on a big goofy smile when thinking back to the good times he shared. So that's what we shall do. Here's to living life fully and joyfully and indulgently with enough goofiness to get by the tougher days.

*1015 - graham

Today's animated Martha Graham google doodle is lovely.

*1013 - a reminder

A reminder to myself to not be blind to the things I am blessed with, to always be thankful for what I have, to realise that my world does not selfishly consist of me alone, to remember that I have been blessed to be a blessing.

*1012 - May 7, a turning point in Singapore's history

Many thanks to Tubs for providing three screaming Singaporean girls in the Boston zoo (and two Virginian boys calmly listening on) with live running commentary on the results of Singapore's GE.

- Singapore's ruling part faced the strongest opposition to date
- The PAP was returned to power but had the worst showing in history: 60.1% of votes
- A record 82 of 87 parliament seats were contested by the opposition (last year: about 40 or 50?)
- The PAP lost a GRC for the first time since GRC's existed

Wow. A true breakthrough for the opposition, an indication of change (for the better, I think) on the horizon for this little country's political scene, and a clear signal that the PAP will be shaken into listening and communicating better and making the right changes.

*1011 - kaiseki

Had the most exquisite kaiseki at a Japanese restaurant downtown some weeks ago--so swanky that we exchanged a discreet waggle of brow after glancing at the prices and so swanky that I had to take stealth shots of my food when it arrived. I probably wouldn't have, except that it was so gorgeous that not documenting it would have been criminal. Evidently, the pictures were taken quickly without much composition, but you can imagine how lovely it was if you multiply the mild gorgeousness pictured below by about 15 times.





Shrimp and asparagus tempura, agedashi tofu, avocado sake sushi, deep fried tuna sushi, seaweed, broccolini with sesame sauce, soba soup, grilled mackerel.

DROOL.

And this photo is relevant because we went for a meal after church:



Iconic and stately church right on the freedom trail, led by a great pastor whose name, most delightfully, reminds me of "hamburger" whenever I hear it.

*1010 - i'm not an economist

Pros of minimum wage:
- decreases the burden of poverty on the economy
- provides an incentive for low-skilled workers to find work as labour is more attractive
- increase in purchasing power leads to higher quality of life, decreasing crime, increasing spending, etc.
- ensures that workers are fairly compensated

Cons of minimum wage:
- slows growth as a minimum wage may represent an expense a company cannot afford and businesses are less likely to pay a minimum wage for many low-skill jobs. The least employable will be less likely to find work.
- businesses that have to bear the costs of minimum wage will pass on increased labour costs to consumers (e.g. more expensive Hokkien mee at the hawker center)
- as an unskilled worker, it eliminates my ability to opt for lower pay rather than unemployment
- may encourage companies to use illegal labour at the expense of unemployed citizens
- may lead to misallocation of resources as supply of labour increases but fewer will be demanded due to their higher costs
- redistribution is unlikely to happen, inflation of pay might instead
- lower skilled workers should receive lower pay; a minimum wage may foster dependence

I'm not an economist, but the concept of minimum wage is befuddling to me. There are so many conflicting studies that show the merits and shortcomings of either school of thought, and I suppose the fact that there is so much room for debate is why it is a hot point of contention.

Logically, it makes sense to me that it sounds like a good thing to do to help the poor and unemployable, but it doesn't make sense to me that it can actually work to help the economy. It sounds like it will only backfire to ensure that people who do not have the skills to justify the minimum wage WILL be unemployed. But I guess it works, since it has been a law here in America for decades. But there also must be a reason why Singapore has chosen to go other ways to help the poor (e.g. income supplements, subsidised training schemes to "teach the man to fish").

In need of some enlightenment, please? :) Apologies in advance for my ignorance. I figure there must be a reason for the fact that I have lots of friends who are all far brainier than myself!

*1009 - little told history

Ex-political prisoner speaks out in Singapore

A tiny glimpse into the horrifying political scene of the 1950's and 1970's. Dr Lim Hock Siew, Singapore's 2nd longest-held political prisoner, speaks about his torturous experiences.

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It seems like change is on the horizon for little Singapore. Waiting with bated breath.

*1008 - some other days

To that end, I am blessed because I have all of you to look out for me and all of you who care.

A new week, a fresh mindset, a real smile, to be a blessing to others.

*1007 - some days

As much as I try to be cheery, to always count my blessings, to revel in His grace and redemption and divine provisions,

some days are tougher than others,
some days I am in despair over my ugliness and my inability to overcome the faults that I know that I have,
some days I am filled with abhorrence and disgust at myself,
at my shortcomings that arise again and again,
at the mistakes I make over and over,
some days the desire to punish or to rid the world of this unsightly blemish feels so so real,
of this soon-to-be 23-year-old blemish that is inexcusably blemishy,
that should not be, after all these years, and all these lessons,
that should be far beyond and above the emo years of her youth,
that should be a completely different and far better person than she used to be.

The things I scorn and the things that hurt me
are the very things that I find inside myself.

Why is it so hard on some days?

*1006 - fabric flowers update

My hairpin/brooch backings have finally arrived in the mail (yippee)! Fully functional fabric flowers are soon to be!!

Next conundrum: to figure out how to ship them across the world without getting them squished ...