*966 - speech recognition technology

I've been seeing prolific ads for a particular speech recognition technology on the telly lately. Amazed by the advancement of technology these days, and to take advantage of the free downloads of that program for iPads (this is the biggest reason), I downloaded it and decided to test it out. Speaking very clearly and deliberately, I created my blog entry for the day!

"meeting sangria exchange involves a bottle of dry red wine sliced oranges, lemons apples or any other fruit you want a cup of fresh squeezed orange juice for very much/L triple sack on the single of sugar and good store and a good long soak in Fitch some people at soda to it which at CNN spent driving now if only it were a hot summer day"

I suppose the gist of the message is there, and it's pretty good at recognising fruit names!

And this is the sangria that I made. Probably a little stronger than the average sangria. But probably a little more delicious as well. Rum-soaked apple slices, mmm.



(This is what I actually said, for the record:

I'm making sangria tonight. This drink involves a bottle of dry red wine, sliced oranges, lemons, apples, or any other fruit you want, a cup of fresh squeezed orange juice, a very large splash of rum or triple sec or brandy, a sprinkle of sugar, a good stir, and a good long soak in the fridge. Some people add soda to it, which adds sweetness but dilutes the drink. Now, if only it were a hot summer day ...)

*965 - colours

One of the prized traits of a research analyst or consultant, at least at this company, is detail orientation. Of which I have to an alarming degree, just like all my colleagues, which makes work such a breeze because we're all on the same nitpicking page.

I still find it funny, though, that there have been five men across from me standing around a screen for the past half hour picking three colours for a report and discussing the nuances of teal and turquoise and all related colours on the spectrum of blue to green. Awesome! I'm thoroughly in support of detail orientation that extends to these depths.

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*964 - lately

I have been absolutely exhausted these days, and absolutely ravenous.

*963 - pole

I did something I've been meaning to do for years, ever since it picked up momentum as a dance/performance/atheletic form that goes beyond its common associations with sex and stripteases.

Nope, I didn't take a pole dance class.

But I will, on Saturday! :)



Is it not beautiful and inspiring? Imagine how strong one has to be!

Very very excited, though early Saturday mornings do not typically see me in my best form. A good reason to be healthy and treat the liver with care come Friday night!

*962 - where?

I almost started bawling at work from a sudden twang of homesickness. Teared up and sniffled and quickly turned my thoughts back to excel formulae and data sheets and the whole nerdy shebang.

I've never really decided on where in the world I want to settle down in. I've never really meant to make a decision, I guess. Why should I? I am out of place here, and I've lost my place there. But I can be happy here, and I can be happy there.

Now, more than ever, love and promises and a future together are no longer shackling me down.

But I'm staying. I want to. And I shall, at least, for now.

*961 - please?

I'll try not to be all Tiger Mother-ish about it, but I would love for my children to love to dance :)

*959 - i'm always talking about the weather

The mess outside my apartment:



Got stuck in ice again yesterday, for maybe the fifth time this winter. When I say stuck, I mean preposterously, impossibly, untenably stuck--spinning tires, burning rubber, spitting ice and muck, zero grip, without hope of even rocking the car back and forth an inch.

Of all the times I've been stuck, I've only managed to get out with the help of either the unlucky friend who happened to be with me, or a kindly passerby taking pity on the little Asian in the little yellow bug.

Yesterday was a fortuitous combination of both (friend + stranger). I put my car in neutral and watched with mouth agape as the two muscle men rocked my car off the ice with sheer strength. Wow. I wouldn't have been able to budge my car an inch otherwise. God never fails to send help (and muscle men, where applicable)! :)

*958 - happy wednesday

Stretching, spiraling, reaching, releasing, contracting, curving, lifting, leaping. Flying.

Hard as I try, a gabazillion unlimited yoga classes at the gym cannot fill the dance-shaped void in me. (Preferably modern, but I guess modern jazz will do!)

Life without dance? No thanks.

*957 - the only auspicious thing that remains in my vocabulary

恭喜发财! :)

*956 - if only

This is what I would do if I were home right now.

(After I have fulfilled my duties as long-lost friend, daughter, and sibling, of course.)

I would stuff a handful of moneys in my bikini and kayak my ass to a little hammock under a tree looking out into natural gorgeousness on a little Indonesian island, sustain myself with fresh caught fish and stingray that I spear with a sharpened wooden stick a la Bear Grylls, use my moneys to purchase a large bottle of water (hydration is key in these parts of the world) and a larger bottle of Gewurztraminer, and get a nice, reasonable tan while shutting myself away from the rest of the world and thinking lovely thoughts of love joy peace and bunnies and cupcakes and steamed broccoli (mmm) and contemporary art and yellow primroses and purple irises and breeeeeeaaaaathe my very best ujjayi (ocean) breath and then let go of all the uglies in my mind, in my heart, in my life.

And then I might take the ferry back home.

*955 - an assortment

What Blackberries are good for: spur of the moment photos, when G12 feels too unwieldy. In other words, the only form of photographic evidence of my life as of late.

The one thing that has been consuming my life in the past few weeks: snow, and a lot of it. Snow and I are no longer friends, because of the damage it is done to my car, my wallet, and my inner peace. Snow storms mean two-laned streets that become 1.5-laned, unparkable snowed in parking spots, getting stuck for hours on ice with wheels whirring and tires burning, a lot of shoveling, getting towed and having to pay $150 to get my car back, getting the front of my poor little bug broken by the towing company, slippery roads and swerving cars, frostbite within 3 minutes of being in the open, soggy toes and salty boots, running ankle deep in icy slush and sliding uncontrollably down icy slopes, the need to scrape off the car in the mornings and shiver for the next 10 minutes while driving, an inclination to be a hermit and not have to face the cold, a general grossness and discomfort all around.



Ok, that turned into quite the rant. Well. I do admit. Snow can be pretty. Sometimes. It was a lot more enjoyable when I didn't have a car.

Next!

These are the best burgers in the world: handmade by Evelyn. Thick, juicy, a hint of thyme to surprise your palate, crispy bacon, melted cheese, lots of fresh veggies. Mmm.



Kid's night involved wheel-shaped pasta in cheesy goodness next to a bevy of t-rex's and stegosauruses fighting it out, chicken nugget style, on Spongebob plates. Also on the menu were s'mores goldfish, chocolate pudding, caramel pudding, fudgesicles, mini swiss cake rolls, chocolate chip waffles, juice boxes, Disney movies, and a couple of stiff drinks. Obviously, my diet needs some working on.



Last but not least, this is possibly the third cat I have endeared myself to in my life. I have not quite learned the nuances of winning over his love, but I do know that he is more affectionate by day than by night, and he does like a good eyeball rub together with the customary chin scratch. Purrrr.

*954 - give thanks

So, let’s do this: give thanks for as many things as you can type in ninety seconds. Who knows what my brain will come up with? Here we go.

Love, God, sunshine on icy days, cute boots and scarves and winter coats, good hair days, rose-scented hand soap, smiles and dimples, pasta and prosciutto, asparagus and squash and eggplant, pretty red nails and ridiculous pink toenails, smiley family photo on my coffee table, wonderful work buddies, long emails and happy texts, hot chai tea, lots of wine, ...

It kind of ended on an anticlimactic note (I guess I should have tried to end with a bang as I saw the seconds ticking to a zero), but there you go. This is what I am thankful for, at this precise moment, in ninety seconds.

:)

*953 - cultural difference

You can look at it from two angles.

One, intrigue. Poo versus pew and baNAHnas and toMAHtoes, tales of an exotic land and places never seen, confirmation and disconfirmation of stereotypes, discovery of the bizarre little things that seem shocking to one but are just another very ordinary fact of life to the other.

Two, contradiction. Different upbringing, different values, different interactions, different taste buds, different habits, different experiences, different outlooks. The question is, are those differences reconcilable or even worth reconciling?

Stereotypical as it is, that is perhaps why birds of a feather tend to flock together. Embrace what is comfortable and tried-and-tested, or venture out into what could be more exciting and eye-opening? I say a bit of both.

What I would give to re-live my college life with the knowledge that I have now.

*952 - just wonderin'

If I were a man and grew out my beard, would I have a magnificent, full-bodied crop, or would I have sparse, scraggly hairs on my chin?

I am guessing the latter, seeing how the hair on my head is fine (as in, thin) and far from voluminous.

Just a passing thought.

*951 - post-Christmas fancy dinner

Perhaps the most involved fancy-schmancy dinner I have cooked from scratch. Everything turned out to be more delicious than expected. Mmm!

Jalapenos



Soup in the making



First course: Spiced Thai peanut soup



Second course: Kaddo (Butternut squash baked in cinnamon and brown sugar, served with a tomato meat sauce and garlic yogurt)



Third course: Salmon lemon risotto with asparagus



Fourth course: Fresh berry trifle

*950 - heritage

Ultimately, the ones who were raised with you in the same culture and churned through the same machine called "Singaporean Education" tend to end up being the ones with the deepest connections. 'Twas a lovely week with a visiting friend, and am sad to face the reality of Real Life Away From Home again.

*949 - i like them runny

I've thought about this many a time, and I think this is how it goes, vaguely at least (favourite first): poached (preferably Benedict), soft-boiled (Asian style), and then omelette (though this comes in so many variations, it could rank first or last, depending) or scrambled or sunny side up or even tamago. Hard-boiled rarely features.

Whatever it is, I pick runny yolks.

A terrific Christmas present: a cheery yellow egg poacher!


Which produces the most ridiculously perfectly circular poached eggs that smile at you.






Bacon and eggs--classic, oh so good, oh so bad.


To continue with the egg theme: innocuous-looking French toast ...


... but do not be deceived! They are actually the teeniest little cheese-stuffed pumpernickel French toasts, even smaller than your palm! Or mine, at least.


-

Goodbyes are the most painful.
When and how and why?
If or maybe or never?
It hurts.

*948 - 2011

A new year, a fresh start.

*947 - dreams

The first thing I think about when I stir from my sleep is "what did I dream about last night?"--a habit formed from dream journalling (the first step towards lucid dreams, they say).

The past week's dreams have been heavy with frustration, panic, insecurity, sadness, general misery. When I am awake, my head swims from the dichotomy of emotions my heart feels. I am pulled this way and that, shoved, prodded, dragged, left alone, shaken.

Half the day goes by in a pretense. But which half?

I dread and I long and I am quite frightened.

*945 - Christmas

... For behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

- Luke 2:10-11

Blessed Christmas to all! 'Tis the season for joyful giving and merriness over enormous Christmas feasts, but above all, to remember the greatest gift--the gift of life and life in abundance because He lived to die for us.

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