Aside from the Across the Universe soundtrack, I also bought Colbie Caillat's Coco. I have not heard her sing before or even knew that she was also a MySpace celebrity.

Her album contains 12 tracks including the addictive ear candy Bubbly which has been playing on Wacky for about twenty times in the last twenty four hours.

I would describe her songs as easy listening. I mean if I knew all about songwriting (and SINGING!) I would identify with her style a lot. It reminds me of a hammock between two palm trees, white sand, the beach on a cool afternoon and orange juice. So relaxing!

Somehow though, all her songs have the same sound, I think. I would have wanted more variety.

Aside from Bubbly, the song Midnight Bottle is also receiving major earplay on Wacky. If you see my bobbing my head while walking or doing some fancy footwork (well, at least I hope that it looks that way), I am listening to that song.

and oh..

PAPA's COMING HOME TODAY!

I can't believe that in my harried life, I forgot to blog that my Dad went back to the Philippines last Tuesday to visit my Grandpa, who we call Daddy. My cousin will also be coming along because he'll be staying with us to look for work.

I will be busy this couple of weeks. But the contest is still on guys.

I love this line from Kendall Payne's song Scratch:

how do you dream when you can't fall asleep? 

Don't you agree?

Overdue Beatlemania (?)

 I think I really need to watch this movie, is the DVD out already?

For the past few months that I found out about this movie from Elsie Flannigan's blog, I felt that I really wanted to watch the movie and see it for myself. I blogged about it twice, here.

I am, by my standards not so easily convinced into watching a movie unless I have a strong desire, but I really felt that this is one of those movies that will amaze me and leave me deeply impacted.

This Thursday, I just couldn't resist it anymore. I am not really a Beatles fan. I used to think they were a bit overrated but the songs which I know they had penned/sung were just OK to me. Sidenote: I know, I'm a late bloomer, Lorraine, to have only discovered the Beatles at a ripe age of 22, what can I say? I have an acquired taste. 

I was browsing through Popular at Tampines wondering if they carried the CD. At first I couldn't find it but then after paying for my purchases I went back again, lo and behold, it was love at first sight on the top shelf rack!

 I bought the soundtrack just to hear Evan Rachel Wood(Marilyn Manson's current girlfriend) sing the Beatles' If I Fell (check out the video link, it just breaks my heart). Still the $20 was worth it, because I fell with TV Carpio's (she's Filipina Chinese) rendition of I Wanna Hold Your Hand. OK, granted that in the movie she was a lesbian cheerleader and the song suddenly had a new meaning to it.  

BLESSED

Super blessed this week, my sister and I had two free cab rides courtesy of the people from work. OK we don't really know them, it's just a casual smile, but we thank them a lot!

The BIG Boss (to differentiate from the Boss) confirmed us last Tuesday! For those of you who are not aware, we have a 3 months probation thingy at work so if we get sick or anything within this period it's considered as UNPAID LEAVE which will be deducted from our pay. God moved in such a way that we now can take medical leave! YAY! Especially for me since this past week I have been having flu-like symptoms and sore throat. Today, I got caught in the rain while going back from the food court to my workplace, the umbrella which was supposed to protect me was leaking and it was flooding too, that was at 2:50pm by the time I reached home at 7:20pm my shoes and pants were still damp. MAJOR EEWWNESS!

I was in need of a bag because my Charles and Keith bags were either (1) tearing at the handles due to abuse or (2) a very popular design that I see it almost everywhere so I got turned off from using it. This morning, my sister called me in our room after I finished bathing and on her bed lay a nice patent Esprit bag which my Mum had bought for us...triple yay! Super happy!

Cellgroup tomorrow, hopefully, I'm feeling better.

First of all, I just want to say that I really, really, really, really, super really want - no...covet (?) this gown:

I haven't finished Ian McEwan's book, nor have I watched the movie - but I'm sure that I will read and watch Atonement.

Ok as for watching I'll just get the DVD once it is released here in Singapore. The gown is so awesome, I would have worn this for my senior prom! It is now known as that little green dress. And it was voted as one of the top 10 best film costume poll!

Anyway, I just realized that I am so gonna be super busy with my comms this month. And I haven't even started on the packages! I think I will be going to PS to buy some stuff from Made With Love. Have to make a lot of cards and buy stuff to for D's package which will be sent out on Feb 14 but before that a birthday package to Lasairiona. Grr....where has the time gone? Anyone want to go with me on Saturday for some paper shopping? Oh yeah, anyone want to join me to go to museums? Please, please? And anyone want to go out on a movie? I sound desperate :( .

So I will be posting every once in awhile, but the contest is still on. I have received a few emails and hope to hear from more people. And please follow the rules people! Only email and comment entries will be accepted! Thank you very much.

Have a great week ahead!  

image credits:

Keira Knightley gown(1)

Keira Knightley gown(2)

WHAT IS THAT ON MY PLATE?!

Ok, due to the strict standards of my Mum and my fear of food-borne diseases like Salmonella or E.coli I am not the type who will just eat anywhere. I never ate at a local carinderia unless you can talk about the one that one of my Mum's amigas or the one whose owner is Aurea's landowner. I don't eat there because I smell rats and cockroaches, and seeing the scum in between the fingernails of the people who are prepping the food does not entice or whet my appetite.

Hawker Centre IMAGE CREDIT

So I think it is with great irony that I am forced to live in a country where my very fear in eating out is made tangible and I expose myself to food poisoning with every single bite. And so I was acquainted with hawker centres. Mind you, in my country food poisoning is deadly serious, and even if household pests abound we are very vigilant with our hygiene and the cleanliness of our food. I still remember that TV ad where a cockroach scampered over the prepared plates and utensils on a dining table and when the plates were turned over they had the names of different diseases. It's only here at Singapore where, despite my best to try and eat safely, I was struck down with gastric virus. The most unclean food I ever ate was Betamax if you're curious to what it is check here and here. Even if I felt like handing myself a death sentence when I took a bite which eventually amounted to me eating 3 sticks (9 pieces), nothing bad happened, no typhoid fever whatsoever.

Admittedly, I was apprehensive everytime I eat at a hawker centre, especially once when I saw a big rat loitering around the premises, and what turned me off even more was the fact that this rat was out in the daylight, and seemed to be used to humans. So it's with a lot of prayers that I eat at hawker centres and I order items which have less potential to make my stomach upset. I also reasoned that this type of eating setting, no matter how dirty I think it is, is part of the culture of my adopted country. If I could endure in mosquito infested bedrooms, streams with leeches waiting to latch themselves on you, eat Betamax and do my business among the pilapil as the TV add said, I can tackle this.

And so after almost two years of eating out in hawker centres occassionally, I thought I was ok. Even if I really hear "mono" when I take the still wet cutleries to use or drink from cups. Even if I went to IKEA and I drank coffee from their recently washed cups and the next day I had a gastric virus that would last me one week (I was the only one who had drank from their cups). Ok so the IKEA thing was off topic it was a food court not a hawker centre and it may be a one off thing, but hey, I'm talking about hawker centres and not the cockroach that my friend saw after he drank half a cup of his favourite Latte from *cough*CoffeaPhaseolus *cough*. It's a lot like playing Russian roulette.Granted the hawker centres serve cheap food and I think most locals would prefer the convenience that these food establishments provide, but I don't want to risk my health (think hopsital bills and time off work) for $3 chicken rice.

Speaking of rice, the incident which sparked my phobia of hawker centres this week was when we ordered rice meals for tapau (aka take-out, takeaway or to go in some places of the world). Joanne, ER and I decided to tapau food as there was no seats available at the hawker centre, but once we finished ordering we found a table and decided to just eat at the place. Halfway through our conversation, Joanne suddenly said, "I don't want to eat anymore", then we looked down on her plate and saw a cockroach, yes a cockroach under the rice! Since we had ordered from the same place, on cue, my sister and I pushed back our containers. It was so disgusting! We asked her if she would complain then she told us that the hawker centre people wouldn't care at all because we have already paid them!

I really think it's serious and if these hawker centres don't give concern to the wellbeing of the people they cater to, then it's a very dangerous thing. And maybe Singaporeans have a stronger immnune system but I wouldn't want to bet my health that my stomach would develop a resistance to bacteria and viruses over time.

And sometimes this is why I'd rather not eat or bring my own food. I have yet to find a clean hawker centre, where I don't feel like disinfecting the whole place. I'm even wary of sharing the same cup with my family members, or even using a spoon they've used. Maybe I'm a neatfreak or a hypochondriac but I grew up being admonished by my Mum about the dangers and pain of eating dirty food.

So I'm steering clear of hawker centres for now. Someday, maybe I'll try to eat again. I mean eat there again.  

And by the way, my Mum still doesn't eat at hawker centres or where food preparation does not meet her standards.

So I had my regular breakfast of Sausage McMuffin and coffee, opened my browser and I my eyes cannot believe what I've read. Heath Ledger dies at 28, the police had found sleeping pills on his bedside.

I wasn't able to watch Brokeback Mountain, where my friends say he did an awesome job (which I'm really not quite sure what that means), but he fed my hormonal tendencies when I watched him as the cool, mysterious Patrick Verona on 10 Things I Hate About You.

This is just so sad. I mean, he's only 28 years old, which is like five years my senior. I really believe he's a good actor too. Mikee! I hope you're not too devastated.

I was supposed to write something inspiring today. But I guess I have to put it off until I get over the shock.