My last meal before I turned 29

Poops and me have this unofficial and unwritten weekly compulsory visit to one of the crap sushi places around town. What's crap sushi you ask? Well...pretty much any form of sushi that runs rounds on the conveyor belt and requires little effort to make thanks to the sushi robot. Not to sound derrogratory, but we have labelled all conveyor belt sushi joints as 'crap sushi'.

So...it's becoming a weekly rituals of sorts. For me, I pretty much eat everything so I don't have a problem with it...I also don't have a favorite crap sushi-sushi so far in Singapore yet.. at least. (I was addicted to the Spicy Tuna in Honolulu Genki Sushi) Poops has her favorites down already...she likes the tuna roll with pork floss sushi at Ichiban Boshi. Look at how she lights up with glee in the picture.

And thus, the ritual begins...

Oh...they serve water so I'm going back...


My apologies for the bad pictures, but I was trying hard to snap Poops together with the guy's armpit in a moving train....so bear with it it lah...

Bottomline is that IT FRIGGIN' SUCKS TO BE SHORT...at that uncompromising level, you are exposed to all types of armpit features and aromas on a crowded train.....Lucky thing we had dinner already...eeeks


Channel No5 straight from PRC(Peoples' Republic of China)...好香味是不是?

I think Poopie's trying to kill me...

When your girlfriend gives you a tin of CarbonicAcid crackers/cakes she brought back from Japan, you'll know it's time to stop leaving your used undies all over the place and put it in the laundry basket...

The Arima Carbonicacid cake- Crisp, light and mildly sweet with a mild hint of acid...

Couture du touristes

This guy champion....His garish 'paradise in the pacific' shirt and shorts ensemble just screams 'incoming tourist'. Oh by the way....wearing grey socks with beige sandles don't help either...

Yet another golden photo opportunity brought to you by "Uniquely SIngapore"-Along the Esplanade Bridge towards the puking half lion-half fish.

life in Singapore-A short film by yours truly

When I first made this short film- I had the intention to add a commentary...However, once I viewed the entire film...I think you'll find its rich and absorbing content self-explanatory, hence omitting a commentary altogether. This short film is basically about the fast paced 'rat-race' life the general populace in Singapore leads. Also about how SGPeans 'run their hearts out' to hopefully get to where they desire to be, but without the realisation that they are all still stuck in the neverending wheel-running the neverending race over and over again. -Markie(Director)

(wah...macam like director dialouge above hor...?)

So anyway, presenting(drumroll please...)

LIFE IN SINGAPORE-A short film by Markie

jalan time-playing tourist

While going about on my job hunt(without much success so far-maybe i shouldn't apply for CEO positions...) it also coincidentally makes me become an accidental tourist. However, you can only last that long walking around to look-see when wearing your full on garb for interviews. Walking around in your pants, shirt and tie is no bloody fun especially in this tropical heat.

This time around...my 'travels' had brought me to Keong Saik Road. Nearly late for the interview due to the changes in the surroundings...also...I kept looking around for a skyscraper with the initials AIA-thinking it was gonna be in a big building or somethin'.(coz the HR bugger told me must check in with security prior to going 'up'). However, 'UP' was only the second floor...who would have thought a converted shophouse/heritage site had the need for a CISCO guard? What? got gold inside ah?

Keong Saik road as far as I can remember...5 years ago...was a sleepy street filled with nothing more than rows of shophouses selling all sorts of crap...Now...it's developed into a dining/partying street, complete with stylish shops for the urban yuppie in you.

Don't ask me who Keong Saik is....

Boutique hotels are all the rage now...there's like at least 5 of them along the row...Heard it's fancy inside..will check it out the next time. And as usual in Singapore, we have extremely 'creative' people who come with names for hotels amongst others.

Art Gallery...located next to a shop selling chinese prayer goods/incense...

Characteristics of a not-so-proper massage place....the numerical litted-up signage and the red/bright orange doors... Don't expect a professional LOMI-LOMI here....if you know what i mean....they lomi somewhere else...

Yet more scenes of crap vendors plying their crap...SGPeans simply love buying crap because crap makes us happy and we have nothing much else better to do....

Career Overhaul

I'm now in a midst of a total career overhaul...a giant leap out of my comfort zone from what I was so comfortable at doing. After all, I've been professionally trained for it, had toiled long and hard for what I've achieved so far. Then, I ask myself that question...What exactly had I achieved to far in the hospitality buisness? Let's go down the list:

age 14: McDonald's Restaurant...part-time crew leader $2.90/hour
age 15: Milanos Pizza Restaurant...waiter/food prep $4.00/hour
age 16:Petite Monde Japanese Restaurant...waiter $4.50/hour
age 17-18: A-Roy Thai Restaurant...waiter $5.50/ hour
age 18-20: 2 years spent defending my country...$290/ month
age 20-22: Margarita's Mexican Restaurant...Supervisor...$2000/month
age 23: The Beaufort Hotel Singapore...exploited management trainee...$500/month
age 25: Fish-Hooks Restaurant opening...Opening team....US$10.00/hour
age 25-26: LaCucaracha...prep cook...US$10.00
age 26: Enterprise Rent a car...US$1000/month
age 27-28: Graduated from college...Plaza Club all round guy...US$10.00/hour
Pink Hotel....Manager...US$40000(55-60+ hours/ week, so if you break down the
pay....it's about US$13.00/ hour

This list does not include the many odd jobs done in-between here and there....and so on.

Work Related Achievements to date:

1) 10+ years Experience, Strong Leadership Quality, polished customer service skills, multi-tasking freak, Many satisfied guests who became good friends
2)I am able to say "'I've worked my way up...."

BUT FOR WHAT!!!!????

Jeezz...I mean after all this precious time of toiling in the wonderful world of hospitality, I'm as pennyless since the day I've started. Ok...I hear my mom going:" You should have tried to save your money even harder?" Hmmm....maybe the reason why I can hardly save anything is because the rate of remuneration all this time is barely enough? People who know me know I'm not a person who spends my money on useless crap. I only shop when I finally find a hole in my shirt and slipper or somethin'...Ok, so I spend most of my money on food and drink....But heck, I deserve it because that probably brings me the most joy....and besides...being in the buisness, you need to wine and dine to check out what the rest and doing. Gamble? no...I even gave up buying 4D....it's like buying false hope.... so...why am I still pennyless?

SIMPLE....the goddamn hospitality buisness pays too low....to put it even more simply...the pay doesn't match the work you put in.

Ok...so we all know the hotel makes plenty money right?(otherwise they wouldn't be in buisness) so where do all that money go to? Voila:

1) Owners/Shareholders
2) Overpaid European GMs' who know nuts
3) Your expat chef or Director who know nuts but looks good in the hotel because he's Swiss or somethin'

Of course, I'm not implying that all of them are inept at their work...sometimes the workload's partly to blame. And I agree the good ones are really good and worth it...So, what then is my point here?

IF YOU DON'T OWN THE HOTEL/ RESTAURANT/ BAR ETC. OR IF YOU'RE NOT SOME OVER-HYPED CHEF OR DIRECTOR FROM EUROPE, DON'T EXPECT TO BE PAID WELL....

I have no idea why I'm posting this particular blog entry but...it's probably because I'm downright pissed at myself for letting myself get underpaid all this while. Yea..pissed. Don't get me wrong...I've always been passionate about the buisness, and rightfully still is. However, considering it has left me with empty pockets after all this while, I will only go back into it if I set up my own shop. And I'm pretty sure the day would come. In fact, I'm very certain.

so....to carry on my list:

29: Career Overhaul...it's now or never...it's not too late...Time to try something new that might see some success in attaining financial security...Time to audition for SINGAPORE IDOL.....

you can now read this blog in arabic

Because I strive to help Singapore in creating a more cosmopolitan society, you can now view my blog in a variety of languages. Simply click the flag button for your language of choice.

由于我努力帮助新加坡在创造一个更加世界性的社会, 您能现在观看我的blog 在各种各样的语言。简单地点击旗子按钮为选择您的语言。

私がより全世界的な社会の作成のシンガポールを助けるように努力するので今色々な言語の私のblog を見ることができる。選択のあなたの言語のための旗ボタンを単にかちりと鳴らしなさい。

Porque eu strive ajudar a Singapore em criar uma sociedade mais cosmopolitan, você pode agora ver meu blog em uma variedade das línguas. Estale simplesmente a tecla da bandeira para sua língua da escolha.

For being so civic minded and thoughtful, do vote for me if I run for any future elections...

new look

blog still same- but new look.

Think I'm a little too free....

perfusionist....sell perfume ah?

My dilligent efforts in looking through the job classifieds has led me to a discovery of a vocation that I've never seen or heard. And yes...I am still dilligently searching for a suitable vocation that would best fit my needs and end this phase of temporary unemployment. That said, I'm progressively easing myself back into answering interview questions such as:

"What is your mother doing?"(now...later? she's home playing mahjong?)
"Are you planning to get married?"(you want to be on my RSVP list or somethin')
"What car do you drive?"(I have my own chaffeur...his name is Mr.MRT and Miss SBS)

So...there I go griping about our peculiar human resource process of finding the right candidates...but I shall stop here as this is not what I want to talk about.

Flipping through the classfieds, I came across an ad for a Perfusionist. At first thought it was someone who concocted perfumes for a living, but later after Googling it came this result.

One of the major medical technological breakthroughs of the last 50 years is the development of the heart-lung machine. This was devised to maintain the human body in a living state even when such vital organs as the heart and lungs are not functioning. Removal of carbon dioxide from and the addition of oxygen to the blood takes place as the blood passes through the machine and is then returned to the anesthetized patient. Thus, surgeons now are able to make necessary repairs.
The professional who operates the heart-lung machine during surgery is the perfusionist. These workers are also involved in acquiring patients' blood for temporary storage before surgery. With coronary bypass surgery becoming commonplace, the current focus of advancement in this field involves organ transplantation.
Activities
Perfusionists are trained to carry out a complex, challenging, and extremely responsible job. They use complex, specialized instruments and life-support techniques. Constant monitoring of vital signs is essential to properly managing the physiologic functions of the patient. The perfusionist must be prepared to respond quickly and appropriately to instructions from the surgeon or anesthesiologist.
Training
Bachelor's degree plus 1-2 year perfusionist training program.

taken from http://www.utexas.edu/student/careercenter/careers/perfusionist.html

So...they don't make perfumes after all.....of course I would rather make the world smell better than fiddle around with someone's life....It scares me when they put the word extremely in front of responsible....

Anyway....the search goes on....

ibranding isore

First came the ipod...then the whole wave of products taking the 'i' and putting it on every friggin' contraption and gizmo on the markets...(thanks ah...Apple!!!!) I still have yet to i-nform myself of what the heck the 'i' stands for....could it be i-ntelligent...i-diotic...i-ndispensable...i-gnore...and the list goes on.

So...anyway, my folks just purchased one of these isqueez foot reflexology gizmo. Compared to the ultra uber design of the ipod, this one is simply...well...an isore. Additionally, iSqueez sounds kinda painful don't you think? Thankfully it's not for the undercarridge area of the human anatomy....(you know where I'm referring to) Because it looks like something you put your feet into and then switch on the rocket pack to blast you off into space...I'm really not enticed to give it a try. I'll let my folks be the guinea pigs first eh? heehee...

not for juicing....
wah...can fly to space or not?

So...anyway. With all the hoo-haa about everything ithis and ithat...I've developed my own ipoop 30 second video for all you fitness freaks out there. Email me if you want to purchase the 10-part ipoop workout video for only S$9.99...oh...by the way, I'll also be expecting a call from Twisties to thank me for endorsing their product.

ipoop workout-jane fonda eat your heart out...

Some Ang Moh psychologist telling me what my type is...

Recently found this forgotten document while clearing out my stuff in my folder....took this type indicator thingy as part of some class...(I forgot which, like everything else I've learnt in college). A fun read and I thought it was 89% percent accuate, except for the part where it said I loved surprises. Well...I don't. I just don't like getting caught with with my pants down.

Help Me!!!!

Another day of fooling about around the home....

Ahhhh...Help me!!!! The TV is sucking me in....

jalan jalan again...

Apparently, as I found out not too long ago, the hottest club around Singapore is MOS...No...not Mos Burger but the Ministry of Sound. Also heard the lines to get into the place is crazy long and at least an hour wait on the weekends. That good ah? I've yet to check it out...But all I know is the thought of gyrating sweating bodies around me no longer sound appealing. I mean...it's not like I'm getting old(OK OK I AM) but I guess gone are the days where I would patiently wait in a line just to pay an obscene cover charge and get myself sweaty. I think the weather here is already the right temperature to get sweaty, besides I get more bang for my buck knocking back a few beers at the kopitiam.(can buy 5 bottles)...The probable only downside is the lack of skimpyly clad chicks in which to look at. Then again, they all look good only under those dim lights anyway...

That said, it's actually nice to see Clarke Quay coming up with a sorta revival. No pics of MOS yet...maybe not anytime soon either.

Alamak, where my oil blotting paper...must remove the shine before taking picture
ok...all set...snap away...
Water is an expensive and precious resource in Singapore and yet we waste it on useless water features that spill water all over the friggin place...Go figure.
Nothin to do with Clarke Quay but...this friggin rock costs SGD$270,000...yup a price of a HDB flat on your finger.

Poops indicating that size does matter

pinkie felt left out...

-Pinkie-

Currently unemployed and enjoying it...Recently moved to Singapore...Hasn't taken a bath in 6-7 years...Definitely not top PSLE student either....