Scouty’s Weblog

Attended my Gan Ma’s daughter wedding dinner last night at Mandarin Marina. I must say paying a premium you will get premium services. The whole set-up of the place was done very nicely from the cocktail recept area to the dining area. I do like the dining area, as due to the large area of the ballroom, it make the whole dining area very spacious and with the chandelier hanging on the roof, it give the whole ballroom a very grand feel.

The food served was also good too. Serving was large and food is tasty. Though the only drawback was the waiters seem abit inexperience. But overall the service was prompt from clearing and replacing the plates to refilling the Chinese tea and red wine. Perhaps the whole evening, apart from the red wine (Red Door) that I enjoyed. The other dish that I enjoyed most was dessert.

As the couple had selected Mango Sago and Ice-cream for dessert, something quite different from the usual Chinese dinner where they served yam paste or the red bean soup with glutinous ball. The mango used were fresh, as there is a mixture of those ripe mangoes that are sweet and the not so ripe one where you can taste a tinge of sourness.

Felt happy to be able to grace the event and share the happiness with my Gan Ma. Can see that she is so happy. Perhaps the dinner is also a good time for us to meet up, since we had not seen each other since we last left the private school.

Anyway… a totally great experience and of course a good hearty meal + good red wine!!!

Just attended a concert at the Esplanade Concert Hall with my friend HT. Since both of us are quite into instrumental music so we were rather excited about the whole performance.

So I went and collect the tickets first, then meet up HT for dinner at Marina Square. Had our dinner then proceed to Esplanade for the much awaited concert.

As it’s my first time going into Esplanade Concert Hall, I was very impressed upon entering the concert hall. It’s very grand and classy feeling. We got a corner seat at the 2nd level of the concert hall, where from our side, we can get a good view of the whole band. Though the draw-back is that we have to turn our head to one side.

The performance started with our SAF Central Band Conductors doing the first half of the performance. Really great work there… Especially the 2nd piece, the music was just too captivating. It goes from fast pace, then slow pace, then pick up to fast pace again.

After the 3 SAF Conductors played, there was a 20 minutes interval for break before the US conductor took over for the second half of the performance.

He too was great, though I find his 2nd piece abit too long. But overall he was also good. Furthermore, upon receiving the ‘encore’ request twice from the audiences, he gladly conducted 2 more piece before calling it an end.

Totally enjoyed myself at the concert. Furthermore being my first time attending a concert in Esplanade Concert Hall, it sure was a great experience. Best part was both the visual and audio senses were satisfied. Can get to hear all the instruments played, something which the CDs or radios can’t really achieved unless the volumn is turn up loud, which then will have an impact once the other larger instruments are being played, cos the music will end up being too loud on the sound system. So in a concert, everything is so clear and while listening to the music, the visual aspect is also fulfilled, since we can also see the musicians playing the various instruments as well.

Am real glad I decide to go for the concert. Totally great experience and enjoy. Will look forward to more of such performances in future.

Well.. below is the link to the write-up for the performance. Happy Reading.

http://www.mindef.gov.sg/imindef/publications/cyberpioneer/news/2008/November/17nov08_news.html

Had went to the funeral of C to see her off. Reached there rather early. So took a seat before the prayer ritual start. Was contemplating if I should go over to her coffin to see her for the last time. But somehow I didn’t…

Soon the prayer session started, thats where thoughts seem to drift everywhere. During the session, can see some people were shedding tears. Somehow I was sad but tears just didn’t flow out. As the session ended, I finally decided to walk over to her coffin to have a last look at her, so that I won;t regret not seeing her for the last time.

My heart really hurt and fell when I saw her…. Tears just flow down. I can imagine the struggles she must had gone through during the period. Though she is a strong woman, but I believe the whole ordeal must have taken a serious toil on her… The once jovial, energetic C is gone…. I guess if I had seen her before the prayer session, I would have cried myself crazy.

A very heart wrenching moment at the crematorium, for that will be the final destination where C will bide us farewell forever.

Was just going through my photos and I am glad I had taken photos with C during the NDP performance. Looking at her from the photos, thinking of the days where she was one of my trainer… Sadness filled the air. Still trying to get over it… Especially seeing how hard she must have struggled.

As my friend had said while on the way back.

“我又少了一个朋友，多了一个思念”

Was supposed to be posting some fun gatherings I had with friends for the past 2 days. However was informed by my friend of a sad news yesterday afternoon that kind of shocked me.

C, a friend from the association had passed away. Another young lady had left us.

Had known her during the 2004 NDP. She was the trainer for my group, very jovial and energetic lady. Always doing her best to encourage the participants and ensuring everyone’s well-being in the group. Though we rarely keep in contact after the NDP. But the impression of her and my other guy trainer is still constantly in my mind. Especially when the topic of NDP comes aback.

Thus it really came as a surprise to receive news of her passing. Totally shaken and taken aback.

Just came back from my friend’s wedding. Due to the intake of red wine plus the hard liquor, now I am having the dis-orientated feeling. Due to downing like countless glass of red wine and also the glass of hard liquor that we got to disturb the groom.

As the folks at my table decide to come up with our own cock-tail of drink for the groom, thus i requested for a glass of beer, a glass of hard liquor and a glass of red wine to come out with our own cock-tail for the groom. So we end up having a glass of drink that is made up of the following, red wine + beer + hard liqour + 7-up + Coke + Orange.

I must said the hard liquor they served is seriously strong, just from the smell of it, quite a few of the folks at the table are kind of put off by it. I had the first sip of the liquor to taste how strong it was and my god… it is really strong with very strong after-taste as well… Very different from the Chivas that I used to drink….

Well… So I down like half a glass of don;t know what hard liquor and countless glasses of red wine. The result of it… I am now feeling kind of high and drunk, its amazing that i can still do a post in my blog and still facebook and msn with my friends…

Haa… Well, will be sleeping after this… Need to rest already. But will provide an update of what happened at the wedding soon.

Well… Kind of in a mixed feeling now. Happy at one end that after 3 years of hard work and struggle, I have finally completed my 3 years of diploma course with Temasek Poly. Now can officially call myself a Diploma Graduate!!! But at the other end, sad as its like a farewell with the group of friends I made during the 3 years process.

Today is the last lesson for my HRM class and also the last lesson for my Diploma course. So as of today 7/11/08, I am officially done with my Diploma Course!!!

Basically today’s lesson its more like go there for the formality sake as it was a scheduled lesson. So was there to sit through a quick re-cap of what this topic of HRM is about (remind me of the Revision Lecture before exam) and then chit chat away over cakes that Uncle B bought to round up the last lesson with us.

Yes!! Its finally the day I complete my Diploma Course. After 3 years of hard work/stressful nights of studying for exams and rushing out reports/creating laughter in class/disturbing lecturers and classmates/making friends with the zhu chao stall people/ensuring our 3 entitlement per lesson is fully utilized/forging close friendship with my project mates and I guess I can just go on and on…

To sum it up… I think this video clip is most apt in this post.

One of my favourite song and video – All Good Things (Comes to an end) by Nelly Furtado

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgqZfMQ2U08

Ohh… Another thing. Had dinner at Ding Tai Fung Tampiness Mall with R today. Thanks to his recommendation. I must said, the fried rice there is the best fried rice I had eaten thus far. Serving is just nice, not too big a portion, so won’t have the very ‘filling’ feeling. I had the pork chop fried rice, and it come with a large piece of pork chop with some black pepper on top. Also the Xiao Long Bao is just as nice. The skin is not too thick and the meat fillings are just nice. That explains why the place is always having long queue.

Ok… This post should be out before 12am…

Where should I start with this… perhaps to start off the whole post with whatever happens in the morning till afternoon.

Somehow the idea to drop G a SMS came to my head while I was trying to sleep last night. As I had down 2 cups of Chinese Tea, so due to the effect of caffeine, it kept me awake for a while. So in the midst of trying to get myself to sleep. Thoughts of this person, G came to my mind. Thinking back it had been almost 2 years since we last communicated. Its like after the abrupt end to our SMS, we stopped all form of communication until today. So in the morning decide to pluck the courage to drop G a SMS, while keeping my fingers crossed that, G will reply. Well, got a reply from G an hour later and from there we start our short conversation via SMS. As expected, after 2 years of no communication, the conversation was kind of formal. But at least a first step out for a start.

Anyway later in the day, got a call from my this God Mother that I known during my days working at the private school. Though we had left the place for many years, but we still keep in contact. Somehow, during our days there  we will always encourage each other, as the place was governed by this crazy HR that creates hell for everyone that is not on her side. This God Mother of mine is also one of those (I got many God Mothers) that taught me a lot of those Life Skills (作人的道理) that till date I still remember quite a bit of it. Anyway, the purpose of her call was to invite me to her daughter’s wedding. As she mentioned that since we had both been trying so hard to meet up and catch up, might as well use the happy occasion to meet up, as she will also be inviting a few of the other ex-colleagues as well. I guess it does seem a good reason for a nice gathering with the few of the folks from the old workplace. Some-more over a joyous occasion.

Thinking back, 2008 seems to be a good year for marriage. As till date, including the upcoming wedding invited by my God Mother. It will be the 6th wedding I attended for this year alone. A new record set for the number of weddings attended for this year by me.