Of all times, my USB port connecting my camera to the PC has malfunctioned. Of all times that I am so super enthusiastic about uploading my pics!
Well, I suppose I will just blog on first and bring the poor fella in for a check-up after my exams are over. My on-site visit is tomorrow and I am nervous like hell but I shall have the Lord by my side and I will conquer it all. Two years of studying and it is finally over. Yet, I am looking at taking up French again and perhaps, perhaps, even Dutch. Got to weigh out the opportunity costs though. Not sure whether I want to learn Dutch due to the fact that I have been there and that my friend is there (i.e. vain lah) or do I really want to learn a new language?
See? That's me. Very...undecided :P
Showing posts with label Language. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Language. Show all posts
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
Craving
Never had I have such a bad craving for something. I almost thought that I was pregnant and although I know that I wasn't (how to, when I am so very single?), I thought I would die if I did not satisfy my craving.
It was a Tuesday evening and I decided to go and eat at Ion Orchard. I passed by the very much talked about bakery/ patisserie called Bread Society. It was opened by this very much celebrity Japanese baker and it has very European sort of breads there. My parents like the Kraften (hope I got the right spelling) dark rye bread and so whenever I can, I will buy it for them. It is $3.30 for only half a loaf! Super precious!
I once overhead this Japanese lady comment, "Tsubarashi" while I was buying bread in the shop and upon checking the internet, this word means something along the lines of "fantastic, excellent, incredible". If it came from a fellow Japanese's mouth, then it should be good! Then again, I already tried it before that and KNEW that it IS good!
There are lots of fanciful stuff within the shop like the custard brioche and things like that, but my favourites are 45rpm, mad about mushrooms, and most of all (the one that caused me to crave), the spinach and cheese bun.
Let me start with 45rpm. It is a super long sausage wrapped in dough and the description in the shop makes me conjure up this cartoon image of someone eating up a very long piece of bread from one end of the room to the other at top speed. The mad about mushroom piece has got some potato and squash in the middle of a round bread topped with lots and lots of forest mushrooms. Hee! Maybe not forest mushrooms but really delicious ones.
I chanced upon the spinach and mushroom buns by accident. They were just lying in the corner, away from the main trays of buns. They did not look very attractive. I had to walk by twice to finally decide to get them. I only got it because the ingredients reminded me of quiche lorraine, which I happen to like.
It was love at first bite when I heated it up in the oven to eat. Yummmmm, yummmm!!!! I really wanted to go back that same night (Wednesday) to buy some more as they were not too expensive, but I really could not. I had to attend classes. Bummer! The thought of me not being able to eat it the next day and having to wait two days to buy and eat it just made me feel all panicky and like I said before, I thought I was going to die. At that point of time, it was worse than missing someone.
Anyhow, I really went back to Bread Society yesterday to get my beloved bread rolls and I have another new favourite which is called mustard and bacon on dark rye. Yes, I actually went to the heart of Orchard Road, despite the newspapers reporting that the Orchard MRT had been marked by Indonesian terrorists; despite the fact that there was heightened security all around. All this, for the sake of food.
p/s: The Japanese baker, who has a life-size cut out of himself in the shop, actually does exist! My mum was fortunate enough to see him kneading dough in his work area and she said that he was very polite as he nodded at her every time he looked up and saw her. Aaaargh!!!! Jealous!!!!
It was a Tuesday evening and I decided to go and eat at Ion Orchard. I passed by the very much talked about bakery/ patisserie called Bread Society. It was opened by this very much celebrity Japanese baker and it has very European sort of breads there. My parents like the Kraften (hope I got the right spelling) dark rye bread and so whenever I can, I will buy it for them. It is $3.30 for only half a loaf! Super precious!
I once overhead this Japanese lady comment, "Tsubarashi" while I was buying bread in the shop and upon checking the internet, this word means something along the lines of "fantastic, excellent, incredible". If it came from a fellow Japanese's mouth, then it should be good! Then again, I already tried it before that and KNEW that it IS good!
There are lots of fanciful stuff within the shop like the custard brioche and things like that, but my favourites are 45rpm, mad about mushrooms, and most of all (the one that caused me to crave), the spinach and cheese bun.
Let me start with 45rpm. It is a super long sausage wrapped in dough and the description in the shop makes me conjure up this cartoon image of someone eating up a very long piece of bread from one end of the room to the other at top speed. The mad about mushroom piece has got some potato and squash in the middle of a round bread topped with lots and lots of forest mushrooms. Hee! Maybe not forest mushrooms but really delicious ones.
I chanced upon the spinach and mushroom buns by accident. They were just lying in the corner, away from the main trays of buns. They did not look very attractive. I had to walk by twice to finally decide to get them. I only got it because the ingredients reminded me of quiche lorraine, which I happen to like.
It was love at first bite when I heated it up in the oven to eat. Yummmmm, yummmm!!!! I really wanted to go back that same night (Wednesday) to buy some more as they were not too expensive, but I really could not. I had to attend classes. Bummer! The thought of me not being able to eat it the next day and having to wait two days to buy and eat it just made me feel all panicky and like I said before, I thought I was going to die. At that point of time, it was worse than missing someone.
Anyhow, I really went back to Bread Society yesterday to get my beloved bread rolls and I have another new favourite which is called mustard and bacon on dark rye. Yes, I actually went to the heart of Orchard Road, despite the newspapers reporting that the Orchard MRT had been marked by Indonesian terrorists; despite the fact that there was heightened security all around. All this, for the sake of food.
p/s: The Japanese baker, who has a life-size cut out of himself in the shop, actually does exist! My mum was fortunate enough to see him kneading dough in his work area and she said that he was very polite as he nodded at her every time he looked up and saw her. Aaaargh!!!! Jealous!!!!
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
I did it!
I finally did it!
I went to sign up for the Early Childhood course yesterday. I wanted to blog all about yesterday and say "I signed up for the course TODAY!".
Of course, I was too tired to even press that start button on the CPU and fell straight to bed. Well, better late than never.
I took all my certs and forms with me in the morning yesterday, still not sure whether to sign up or not. Then, as my work day drew to a close, there was this strong inner voice telling me to just go and sign up. That was what I just did. I dropped down at the wrong MRT stop (Dhoby Gaut) and walked about 4 bus stops to my destination. It was one of the hottest days but it was one of those days where I walked the most.
After what seemed like umpteen numbers of form-filling (actually only one), I finally made payment. It never felt more right. I am also relieved. This particular school already has very good reputation and I just found out that a close family friend also teaches there. Unfortunately, she is teaching the Chinese course modules. If not, we will really be having fun trying not to know each other, all in the name of fun!
I am in a I-want-to-learn-everything-under-the-sun mood. My friend has encouraged me to study my translation and interpretation course simultaneously. Then, I would also like to resume my french lessons and take my D.E.L.F 1 certification. Health-wise, I would also like to resume my Bikram Yoga (hot yoga), which I have neglected for about 2 years now. This one, I tell you, really slims me down fast. Only thing is that I must maintain and watch my diet. If not, I will bloat back up again. Kekeke... .
Well, I will take things one at a time and see how much load I can take. Plus, I must also have the financial means first before I embark on anything.
I went to sign up for the Early Childhood course yesterday. I wanted to blog all about yesterday and say "I signed up for the course TODAY!".
Of course, I was too tired to even press that start button on the CPU and fell straight to bed. Well, better late than never.
I took all my certs and forms with me in the morning yesterday, still not sure whether to sign up or not. Then, as my work day drew to a close, there was this strong inner voice telling me to just go and sign up. That was what I just did. I dropped down at the wrong MRT stop (Dhoby Gaut) and walked about 4 bus stops to my destination. It was one of the hottest days but it was one of those days where I walked the most.
After what seemed like umpteen numbers of form-filling (actually only one), I finally made payment. It never felt more right. I am also relieved. This particular school already has very good reputation and I just found out that a close family friend also teaches there. Unfortunately, she is teaching the Chinese course modules. If not, we will really be having fun trying not to know each other, all in the name of fun!
I am in a I-want-to-learn-everything-under-the-sun mood. My friend has encouraged me to study my translation and interpretation course simultaneously. Then, I would also like to resume my french lessons and take my D.E.L.F 1 certification. Health-wise, I would also like to resume my Bikram Yoga (hot yoga), which I have neglected for about 2 years now. This one, I tell you, really slims me down fast. Only thing is that I must maintain and watch my diet. If not, I will bloat back up again. Kekeke... .
Well, I will take things one at a time and see how much load I can take. Plus, I must also have the financial means first before I embark on anything.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
About the film, Seventh Heaven
Went to watch the film "Seventh Heaven" tonight. It was an Egyptian production. Watched it because I have heard so much about Sufi dancers that I wanted to see it on screen. The last time I saw it was during WOMAD.
The dancer did not disappoint. What was disappointing (a little) was that there were no subtitles. At first, I thought that the director of the film had purposely done it that way. About 10, 15 minutes into the screening, people started to walk out and the screen suddenly went blank and the organiser came to tell us that it was not meant to be like that. That there WAS supposed to be subtitles. Obviously someone had gone to complain.
One of the options that the organiser gave was to move to the other theatre, where any show was being screened. The other option of course, was to get a refund.
Personally, I thought that it would be quite interesting to watch an entire film that was not spoken in your own native language and with no aid of subtitles whatsoever. Haha...I felt that it was artistic to do so. That's the vain me thinking again.
Even though some of the essence is lost, but I still got the gist of it. The funny part was that I started to add in my own dialogue, more American style. Like the part where the dancer's son found out that his girl was two-timing him and he was beaten up by the other guy. He was lying on the floor with blood on his mouth and nose and his girlfriend, who was standing so far away during the fight, came over to talk to him.
I was thinking that the girl must have said something like "I am so sorry...are you OK? Let me take a look..."
Although I did not understand their language, but it sounded part German, part French and part Russian. Everything all mixed together. When they said "thank you", I was very sure that they said "merci".
It also occurred that us people living on this small red dot, are so reliant on subtitles and so used to the norms that anything that is out of the ordinary is not acceptable.
p/s: The "tonight" that I was referring to was Friday. Me night bird lah, so blog at such a time that causes the computer to get 'confused'.
The dancer did not disappoint. What was disappointing (a little) was that there were no subtitles. At first, I thought that the director of the film had purposely done it that way. About 10, 15 minutes into the screening, people started to walk out and the screen suddenly went blank and the organiser came to tell us that it was not meant to be like that. That there WAS supposed to be subtitles. Obviously someone had gone to complain.
One of the options that the organiser gave was to move to the other theatre, where any show was being screened. The other option of course, was to get a refund.
Personally, I thought that it would be quite interesting to watch an entire film that was not spoken in your own native language and with no aid of subtitles whatsoever. Haha...I felt that it was artistic to do so. That's the vain me thinking again.
Even though some of the essence is lost, but I still got the gist of it. The funny part was that I started to add in my own dialogue, more American style. Like the part where the dancer's son found out that his girl was two-timing him and he was beaten up by the other guy. He was lying on the floor with blood on his mouth and nose and his girlfriend, who was standing so far away during the fight, came over to talk to him.
I was thinking that the girl must have said something like "I am so sorry...are you OK? Let me take a look..."
Although I did not understand their language, but it sounded part German, part French and part Russian. Everything all mixed together. When they said "thank you", I was very sure that they said "merci".
It also occurred that us people living on this small red dot, are so reliant on subtitles and so used to the norms that anything that is out of the ordinary is not acceptable.
p/s: The "tonight" that I was referring to was Friday. Me night bird lah, so blog at such a time that causes the computer to get 'confused'.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Han-gul
Yippeeeeeee!!! I just signed up and paid to go for Korean language lessons and it's going to start in February!
I CANNOT WAIT!
I am going to study with my colleague, which means I can have someone to practise it with. Hopefully, after 10 weeks of lessons, we can at least manage some simple conversation.
I still find it unbelievable though, how a simple Korean drama can set off a whole domino effect on a country's everything. From it's economy to it's culture.
Even for this tour that I went for in December, the tourist spots that we visited were based on the actual filming grounds of the different drama serials. It was also through its drama serials that I learnt about how Koreans are very respectful towards their elders: they do not see them directly in the eye, but lower their heads when speaking to them.
I CANNOT WAIT!
I am going to study with my colleague, which means I can have someone to practise it with. Hopefully, after 10 weeks of lessons, we can at least manage some simple conversation.
I still find it unbelievable though, how a simple Korean drama can set off a whole domino effect on a country's everything. From it's economy to it's culture.
Even for this tour that I went for in December, the tourist spots that we visited were based on the actual filming grounds of the different drama serials. It was also through its drama serials that I learnt about how Koreans are very respectful towards their elders: they do not see them directly in the eye, but lower their heads when speaking to them.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Lotte World
Yesterday, went back home to give my neighbour's kid some stuff that I bought from Lotte World. It is a HUGE amusement park and I wish we had more time there. In fact, Lotte is a huge conglomerate. It produces foodstuff, it has a fast food chain...will touch on it soon. I know this is long overdue but I thought I would reminisce a bit.
We only arrived there in the very late evening and it just did not feel right to go to an amusement park at night. Anyway, we had the Big 5 tickets, which meant that we could go on any 5 rides. The tour guide told us that we could either follow him to take the monorail and then split up, or split up right away and explore on our own. We, of course chose the latter.
Every ride had a incredible waiting time of 60-90 minutes. We were so flustered coz we did not want to wait so long. Anyhow, we decided to take the Gyro Swing. It was crazy coz it was situated just by the Han River and when we sat on it, it felt like we were going to be thrown into the river!
The wait was long, very long and I had to pacify the others in the group who were waiting with me. At first, I was really worried as I was carrying quite a big bag (to put all my shopping into) but I soon realised that there were special boxes where we could deposit our bags while we enjoyed the ride. Unlike in the picture (which is not quite clear) there was a bubble plastic cover to shield us from the strong winds that were blowing.
The funniest part was that every time before the ride started, the person in-charge would say," Go, go, gyro, uh-huh!" That just made me flip every time!
I must commend these people who operate the games though, be it Everland or here at Lotte World, they have to maintain this happy, and sometimes high strung mood. They have to keep talking in between too, when they are 'loading' and 'off loading' people. Although, really, I have no idea what they were talking about as it was all in Korean. Even if it were in English, I would not have a clue as their accent is way too deep for me to catch just in a snap.
Anyhow, I might just go back to Korea once I have mastered the language.
We only arrived there in the very late evening and it just did not feel right to go to an amusement park at night. Anyway, we had the Big 5 tickets, which meant that we could go on any 5 rides. The tour guide told us that we could either follow him to take the monorail and then split up, or split up right away and explore on our own. We, of course chose the latter.
Every ride had a incredible waiting time of 60-90 minutes. We were so flustered coz we did not want to wait so long. Anyhow, we decided to take the Gyro Swing. It was crazy coz it was situated just by the Han River and when we sat on it, it felt like we were going to be thrown into the river!
The wait was long, very long and I had to pacify the others in the group who were waiting with me. At first, I was really worried as I was carrying quite a big bag (to put all my shopping into) but I soon realised that there were special boxes where we could deposit our bags while we enjoyed the ride. Unlike in the picture (which is not quite clear) there was a bubble plastic cover to shield us from the strong winds that were blowing.
The funniest part was that every time before the ride started, the person in-charge would say," Go, go, gyro, uh-huh!" That just made me flip every time!
I must commend these people who operate the games though, be it Everland or here at Lotte World, they have to maintain this happy, and sometimes high strung mood. They have to keep talking in between too, when they are 'loading' and 'off loading' people. Although, really, I have no idea what they were talking about as it was all in Korean. Even if it were in English, I would not have a clue as their accent is way too deep for me to catch just in a snap.
Anyhow, I might just go back to Korea once I have mastered the language.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
