Low Adaptability

I'm still missing my previous lifestyle tons. Perhaps I should attribute it to the fact that I have too much free time on hands, that I cant help but keep thinking about the goodness of life back then.

There were days when the alarm clock rang and I wished the moment I opened my eyes to see myself in our WH aptment; I wished the last 3 weeks were all a dream; I wished I do not have to succumb to the ovenous weather...

There were nights when I was browsing through the pictures we took in STL, and my heart pounded with heavy beats. I wished so much that I could be transported back to the hay days, to either shop the days away or spend leisure noons with TWC...

I am very certain that I've never seen such a horrendous crowd at every nook and cranny in our tiny island before. A few attempts on the train ride during weekday mid noons proved to be annoying. Not only there were not a single seat in sight despite the fact that I board at YCK stn ard 2-3pm, I see shoving and pushing at almost every stations. Driving out during the same time of the day is more agonizing. It took me 30mins to travel fm CTE AMK ave 5 to the PIE exit. I wonder why are there so many people on the move during mid noon.

It has become inevitable to make comparisons of even the tiniest aspect of life back in STL and here.

I am still hoping that one day, I do get shaken up from this dream. One day...

Goodbye

I know, there should be a proper closure to our lives in STL, to my blog. I've been so lazy to update anything, really. It could also be perhaps that I just didn't want an end to my blog. Yet, I want it to end "gracefully".

Have been back for a week. It still seems so surreal. Especially when I'm in the train, or whenever I'm squeezing my way through the throngs of crowd. These are the moments when my life come to a standstill and my mind goes back to STL. I'm trying to get used to the public transport once more, to the heat & crowd nevertheless. "Joo Koon"? I was a little lost on my 1st train ride. The crowd was something I need to really get accustomed to in no time; suddenly I felt like my own personal space has shrink considerably and everyone is standing so near me! I was indeed very conscious of the hands nearby; blame it on the media reports of the happenings during NY. Heat is another problem, not surprisingly. Couldn't live without the fan/ aircon. Meals in the KPT is still very unbearable, and I have been saying no to hot soup and porridge to my mum at home.

During the times when we walk through the aisles in NTUC,I couldn't help but keeping missing the leisure times I enjoyed shopping in Dierbergs. Come to think of it, the only time I truly enjoyed grocery shopping was when we were in STL. Wide aisles, quiet mart, slow life, best combi isn't it?

Despite the "tough" times here, I am still trying my best to integrate back into the society. Left with no other options, this is sadly the only way out...


*P.S. I haven't decide to go back to my old blog, to set up a new one, or to stop blogging indefinitely. We'll see how my life goes.

Last Post From USA

Greetings from Aleyska, Alaska. We've been in Alaska for the past week and will be heading to LA to catch our flight to Japan tonight,transiting at Seattle. It's been a fun week with awesome sights from all angles. Thick white sparkly snow makes all our pictures turn out perfect. We had tons of fun with the winter activites; dog sledding, building snowmans, soaking in the open-air hot springs at -30 degree celsius, etc. Yes u read right, freaking minus 30 degree celsius! The harsh bitter cold was pretty much unbearable, and that is my only complain. Tears & mucus froze instantly and we could feel our nostril hair freezing upon the 3rd breaths we took once we hit outdoors. It was totally insane and we weren't able to remain out in the open for long. Layerings and heat packs were insufficient to keep us warm, as our toes & fingers were constantly numb from the cold.

I'm utterly glad that we'll be bidding goodbye to the intense winter and saying hello to the sashimis and ramens waiting for us in Japan. Goodbye to pizzas and burgers too. I'm not despairing from my departure from STL yet, and I contribute that to the fact that I am still enjoying my 16-day long holidays. There were nights when I laid on my hotel bed and think of those days when I head out with TWC though. The good times we had in STL, the tranquil surroundings in WH and all the nice people I've met. Perhaps the real forlorness hasnt hit me hard yet. I'll emo-check myself again come mid jan. Tsk tsk...

As the guys are skiing down the scary snow-capped mountains now, this is where I'm blogging this particular entry; by the fireplace in the resort's lobby. Nice warm place to chill with an iced-cold sierra mist I must say. Anyway Anchorage is far less colder than Fairbanks, which is up nearer to the Artic Circle and where we experienced the bizzare -30 deg c. Thus, the temperature at where I am now is much more bearable than what I'd gone through the past few days.

Snow skiing has never been my cup my tea, after a bad experience trying to get back to base during my virgin trial in Korea 10 years back. Contradictorily, hubby is a snow-skiing fan, having gone to the extend of buying his own Oakley ski mask and ski pants, and seizing all opportunities to glide down the white mountains. I hope he doesn't come back with bruises and complains of aches. Heh...

After this winter adventure in Alaska, we'll be greeted by kawaii chicks in Tokyo & more snow in Hokkaido, before we head back home for good. I'm looking forward to the fresh sashimis and dinner with my dearest in Thai Village & Chong Qing Hotpot thereafter! Slurpz...

Last Night in Whispering Hills

With 50+ boxes of belongings moved and 7 boxes of trash cleared, the apartment is almost bare. It looks just like the day when we first shifted in 18 months ago. Memories of our arrival are still vivid, and now it's time to move on to the next phase of our lives.

As I typed away, noises made by my keyboard bounced off the white walls of my study and the room is filled with echo. That's how empty my room is now; juz the desk, chair, study lamp, my red baby and me.

Our only belongings left are whatever's in the 2 luggages and backpacks in the masters, and we're ready to hit the road come Thursday.

As I walked around every inch of the(empty) apartment one last time, my heart sanked deeper with each step I took. Those beautiful memories, the fresh crisp air coming in from the balcony, the carpeted floor, the oven, and the parcels from our online sprees... I'm saying my final goodbye to them all.

Tonight's our last night in WH, and I'm going to miss this place loads and loads and loads. It's not any fancy nice big house, but this small apartment in the middle of a quiet and peaceful landscape is made perfect by the friendly & nice people in the neighbourhood. Ron (Ronald) our maintenance guy is one exceptionally kind soul from WH, who made our living experience here far more better than I'd imagined. Just a call away, he's always here to fix a blown bulb, a choked sink/ toilet bowl, faulty this and that, etc. Never had I heard a grunt from him for being asked to fix the slightest fault in our apartment. We received a thoughtful handmade gift from him instead as a farewell cum xmas gift! Sigh, his warm smile is such a lovely sight, and it saddens me to know that he'll never be there to fix stuff for me again.

Knowing myself, I'm sure I won't be able to sleep well tonight, despite the fact that I barely had 4 hrs of sleep last night. Sigh... I wish time could come to a standstill. I wish life could be this good back in SIN. I wish, I wish, I wish......

Goodbye my beloved Hills, goodbye our little temporary apartment. Goodbye squirrels, goodbye geese. Goodbye good life, hello my new chapter.

*P.S. We'll spend a night in Hilton Garden Inn tmr, before we leave STL for good. Sob sob sob...


The movers came early today at 8am, moving all 54 boxes/items out to ship them back to SIN.
Most of the boxes in the hall were cleared.
Some of the boxes in my study, amidst the movers' hardwork.
After all our boxes have been moved. Hubby on his Macbook in the almost-bare living, except for some small belongings on the table and his jacket on the couch, as well as a small box to pack the router.
It's been 17 months since I last saw an empty study... No more bookshelf, no more boxes.
The empty dining room, and a glimpse of the fridge which is stripped bare of our magnets.
No more photo frames lined the walkway to the rooms. :(

Last Week in STL

It has been a mad week of shopping, packing & researching on the job market. I've been out every day, doing my last min buys. We headed to Plaza Frontenac on Monday, Tuesday was my last visit to Beauty First to get more OPIs, Wednesday was supposed to be our last visit to Mills and evening was spent in Bed, Bath & Beyond, we headed to West County mall for more shopping on Thursday as well as to Walmart to get more kitchenware, and today we were back in Mills again. We'll spend our Sunday in Chesterfield Mall, and I'm done with visiting all our regular malls one last time before we leave.

Having swiped my plastic more often than I thought I would, I'm going be slapped with more bills to pay next month again. It's not going to concern me much anymore, since it's going to be my last spree for eons to come! Heh... No doubt, I'm done with my shopping some weeks back, but how to resist when good deals are plastered all over the malls? I'm so glad I've got more clothes, shoes & beauty pdts again!

Packing has been quite a breeze with Hubby's help recently. Guys do indeed work more efficiently by flexing some muscles. I'm free to head out on Sat & Sun for the real last min shopping finally, just before our boxes leave us next Tues. Yipee!

I've gained some insights on the financial job market, after doing some research, and am appalled by the extremely wide range of salary offered to pple in my position. I'm not too greedy; I'll be glad to just land a role that pays me an average salary soon after we get back. :p Pray for me, ok?

Preparing for the Departure

As the boxes pile up in my study & our living room, our apartment begins to strip itself of our presences. The kitchen cabinets are half empty. Hubby's toys, which used to be scattered all over the living room, have been safely packed into the boxes. The shoes cabinet has been totally cleared. The chests of drawers in the study & master have been finally purged of all their contents. Winter clothes in the cupboard have been transferred into our luggages. The walk-in wardrobe is almost bare, with just enough pieces of clothes to last us for the next 6 days. SIX DAYS!!!

I think I am accepting the fact that I'll be saying goodbye to my good life soon. No longer as devastated now, I am starting to imagine life in our matrimonial flat again. Weekends spent watching movie in our ER, and with friends over for drinks around our bar. The occasional cook-out in my little kitchen. Surfing net on our desk. Reading on the couch. All the other daily activites in the place we called home.

St. Louis is a marvellous place. Our 18-month stay has been terrific. As good as our lives here are, and as much as I do not want to leave this place, I'll have to acknowledge the fact that we have to head back to where we came from. Dad & mum are both waiting eagerly for our arrival. We can't wait to meet up with our friends and share the goodness of our past 18 months with them. And of course I can't wait to use all the new goodies when we're back home.

Life's been like a dream, and it's time I wake up to face the harsh reality. I think I am ready to go back to the work force again, and to lead a stressful life in the competitive society once more. Bring it on!!!

I've never felt soooo adverse to going back home, back to my family's warmth, & back to my dear frens' fun. I am willing to give up on all the yummy food in SIN, just to extend our stay in STL... but of course it's not going to happen.

I can't help but tihnk of myself going back to suffer; back to the roaches & insects, back to the less civilised world, back to the stressful & congested place.

There isn't any roaches, ants, stray cats & much insects (I hate them all!!!) in STL; unlike in our oven-uous SIN. I havent even seen much flies to be honest. The only stray animals i've seen are the geese & squirrels that roam around our estate at this time of the year.

People here are soooo much civilised, friendlier and welcoming, this I'm sure I've mentioend before in my 1st few entries. Wind down your car window in the hot hot Summer as ur car is parked in the open, and you can expect everything in the car to remain intact hours later. Getting greeted by strangers with a warm smile is such a common sight here. Signal while driving and you can immediately see the car behind you slowing down to give way all the time! Car horn? It's almost unheard of here, unless in a real desperate situation (read: almost causing an accident).

Talking about driving, the driving experience is truly way much better in STL than in SIN. The roads are wider and less congested. Parking lots are bigger and parking is FREE almost everywhr in STL, except for school (ironically students have to pay whr everywhr else is free!) and downtown (CBD areas) which we frequent less than 5 times during these 18 months. Road bullies are also unheard of; friendly & CIVILISED drivers are in abundance.

Weather is of cos far better than in the oven-hot SIN, despite the harsh Winters. Give me fresh dry air anytime, but not polluted humid air that congested our noses so very often.

Lastly, shopping is of cos uncomparable!!!!!!!!! I don't have have to emphasize on that one :p

I have to rush off. There's more to come. SHall update again when I've time.

My last 8th day today.... sob sob....

The 1st Farewell

Jos leaving in a couple of hours time, for good. I said my goodbyes with a heavyheart, as her departure marks an end to our girly luncheons & shopping trips. Future meetups in Singapore will definitely be a vast difference from the marvellous time we had here. Sigh...

I have another 10 more nights in our apartment. Sob sob...

Last Online Purchase

Just checked out from the Aldo website, and bought my last item on the net. To play it safe, I shouldn't be online shopping after today. In the event that my purchases do not reach me before we move out on the 23rd, I can only say goodbye to my $$.

Has been hesitating if I should buy more shoes. Hubby made my decision much easier when he came home today annoucing his $xk "investment". I reckoned I should use his money to buy more stuff before he squanders his money away. Isn't it much better to splurge on shoes than to see money going down the drain?

To digress, I wish my hubby is more money-wise than he currently is. How can a business be an investment when it doesn't seem like it'll generate income or appreciate over time? Maybe I'm too critical, but how can I not be when I look back on historical datas to predict the future values? Random walks? Unlikely. Bleah... I'm talking finance, but I'm making sense! Additionally, since his annoucement doesn't involve any discussion = not respecting my views, I should really spend more of his money. No wonder Mum oways say never let ur hubby's wallet grow too fat. I absolutely agree on this one!

Anyhow, since he's going to squander his money without batting an eyelid, I should also start spending his money without much hesitations. I'm glad I did just that these few days. :p

It's Snowing!

Today we saw the first snow of the season in STL. Supposed to head to Mills for some quick shopping to grab more last min buys, but we reckoned it's better stay indoors in such cold weather. As I type away here, it's -6 degree c outside now, -10 deg c with windchill. Very strong wind indeed! I never thought we'll be able to catch snow in STL before we leave, as the first snow last season was in January. I was told it seldom snowed in December here, much less during the early days of the month. Though the light snow is not enough to cover the ground in white, I guess it's enough to make me enjoy my day watching the flurries drift from above.

It does look like rain in this pic, but I assure you it's flurries!

A Random Walk

With the help of Hubby I've got 16 boxes up now. I hope I can get at least 4 more sealed this week. Sigh...

Jos is leaving in a weeks time, back to the harsh reality. I feel very sad for her. Soon after it'll be my turn...

Dinner was so good last night. Plates and plates of delicious chinese food; roast duck, salted chicken, claypot toufu, sweet & sour fish, etc. All thanks to JH & Jos for the marvellous treat!

This week's gonna be my last week to purchase stuff online; just in time for our shipment. I'm gonna miss online shopping to the max...

There're a few more places I want to go b4 I leave: La Salsa, Pastries of Denmark, Teochew eatery, TGIF (beef stroganoff!), Cheesecake Factory, and let me think of more.

Was discussing about our finances with Hubby last night, and we both realised I spent a horrendous five-figure sum on shopping during our time here! Almost the same amount of money spent on holidays for each of us during this period. I would never have believed I spent so much, till he did the calculations. Actually I think I just never wanted to know the exact figures. Sigh...

In our discussion, we did a comparison of our lives here & in SIN. I can only conclude there is just ONE thing good about SIN. Food; it's convenient & cheap. That's about it. I hate the crowds, especially now that it is infested with the uncivilised influx of Tiongs. I hate driving on our narrow & congested roads; unfriendly & rude drivers make my road experience worse. & of cos I hate looking for parking space. Lastly, I hate working life!

I've had this idea for the longest time, to chart a comparison of the life here in STL & in SIN, down to the details and post it in my blog. I gues it's really time to get down to it. Give me a couple more days...

Early Winter

We're 2.5 weeks away Winter, but as many have predicted, we're experiencing the harsh weather much earlier this year. When we went Mills last evening, donned only in our Fall jacket, the temperature decided to hit 0 degree celcius. Now as I prepare to hit the gym, the temperature's at -3 degrees; and we're wondering if we need to put on our long john pants just for that short 3 mins walk to the gym...

Shopping & Packing

Backed from Smoky Mtn on Sunday evening. The Black Friday sales was pure madness, with queues everywhere even in the cold weather at midnight! There were long queues to enter the shops, long queues to the fitting rooms, and more queues to pay for the merchandises. I hadn't had enough time to comb all the stores I wanted to, and had to rush to Mills on Monday to try my luck at Banana Republic. Too bad BR didn't have the extended BF sales like some of the other stores, and I lugged back a much smaller bag than I thought I would have. It was Cyber Monday that faithful day too, and I had a crazy evening rushing to buy stuff online before the clock strikes 12. Managed some more dinnerware, and I'm utterly pleased with my buys once more. :p

Haven't had much advancement when it comes to packing. I'm still stucked at the 9th box for more than a week. I'm almost done with all our shoes & books, as well as 2 boxes of Sharon's baby stuff, 1/3 done with our clothes, and am in the midst of packing those bags. Haven't touched on our stationary, beddings, toiletries, sports equipment (rollerblades, golf bags, etc) and other misc stuff. As breakable kitchen & dinnerware will be taken care of by the professional packers, it seems like I am almost a-third done with the packing. Now I need to hasten my pace and get at least another 20 more boxes up within a span of 3 weeks. Sigh...

Today's effectively the last day of class and I'm uber happy that I'm not boiled down by any exam preparations this last term! Will be having a presentation tmr, and that wraps up my 17-month long educational journey. I can finally bid WashU a big farewell! At least I'm happy to close this particular section of the beautiful chapter in my life.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Tmr's Thanksgiving Day, and we're leaving for Atlanta tonight. Not particularly excited over this trip (think 9-hour drive!), but very much looking forward to the spree. Shall blog about the trip after Sunday. Till then...

More of Alaska

An interesting fact about Alaska is, there's going to be only 4 hours of insolation per day in Fairbanks come January. On the contrary, daylight accounts for 21.5 hours during the peak of Summer, i.e. in July. That explains why Alaska is known as "The Land of the Midnight Sun"! If you'd watched "The Proposal", you'll see Sandra Bullocks going to bed in the "day", when the sun is still blazing high up in the sky. Not forgetting about the crazy weather too. The average temperature in Fairbanks now hovers at about -30 deg celsius (I think I've mentioned this before). We thought there's going to be a high possibility the temp is going to hit -40 d.c. or even lower, when we arrive a month later.

We're definitely going to make full use of that limited hours of daylight per day, but we're still not sure if our thick layers wil keep us warm enough to conquer the horrendous weather. Despite this, I'm soooo looking forward to go dogsledding & snowmobile-ridding, while the boys are dying to ski amidst the snow-capped mountains. Of course the Northern Light is our main objective, and lets hope we are lucky enough to catch it!

With this, I think I am sort of ready to leave STL for good, ready to overcome the difficulties of a working life...

Of Potlucks & BBQs

Tomorrow's mass cook-out most probably shall be our last in STL. Here is how we plan our team's pig-outs. It was pretty nostalgic looking back at the past spreadsheets, really. To think that the last potluck we had, which was also our first, was actually a year ago when KY & PS shifted next door to be our immediate neighbours. It seems like it was just a couple of months ago when we were all cosing it up around the tight space for a sumptuous home-cooked meal.

Fridge Magnets

Like Mum, I am collecting magnets as I travel. These magnets were collected as we toured around the Americas during the past 16 months. They each represent a state/city we had visited, except the three magnets on the extreme left, which were gifts from friends. I love how they accessorize our fridge! A picture of the colourful fridge, before I wrap these souvenirs away...

To be added to this collection soon: Atlanta, Smoky Mountains, Alaska & Seattle. These will be going directly into our luggages though.

Thanksgiving

Black Friday Sales is starting next Thursday evening!!! I wasn't even aware we're only 10 days away from the Thanksgiving weekend! Of course I'm extremely excited over this last burst in the outlet, but it also means it's high time I start preparing for the finals and presentation again...

Atlanta, North Georgia, is where we'll be heading to for this spree. It's about a 9-hour drive from home, and we'll be staying a night at a hotel just opposite the outlet. Perfect location, since all we need to do is to just walk a couple of mins to heaven! Thereafter we'll drive another 3 hrs or so to Great Smoky Mountains, and spend 2D2N somewhere in the mountains. The plan's to trek for 2 days, but seriously I doubt I'll have much energey left after shopping from midnight to dawn. The Black Friday Sales starts at 12 midnight on Friday monrning btw, but of cos we're anticipating some shops to start the madness earlier, at 10pm perhaps. =)

Wish me all the best in this last shopping spree! I hope I can cover all the shops needed to be covered, and sweep as many goodies as possible! Hohoho...

Food, Oh Glorious Food!

When I'm in a good mood, I'll try to whip up something we both love. Today, it was Portugese egg tarts (again), and Chicken Rendang!

With 1 pastry sheet left in the freezer, I have been procrastinating for the past month to make these tarts. Since school ended early on Mondays and I happened to be carving for sweet stuff, it's the best time to get my hands dirty again!
My 3rd & best attempt thus far, as these gems had the right sweetness and the egg custards were nicely browned on the top and soft on the insides. Unlike the last try, the insides were a little too dry and over-cooked. Heh...

He had a nice little surpise when he came home to piping hot portugese egg tarts fresh from the oven!

Chicken rendang with Myojo's Char Mee were what we had for dinner tonight. These were part of the food to be cleared as well. Finger-licking good home-made rendang! All thanks to a nice girl, who introduced me to this marvellous sauce during a potluck back home.

If you haven't tried Brahim's Kuah Rendang, you will never know how easy this dish really is. I got mine from NTUC, and it took me 5 mins to get everything into the pot, and another 30mins to simmer the dish before we tucked in. Good with beef stew meat too!

Another Gloomy Day

Starting from today, it's going to be another gloomy and rainy week ahead, after half a month of sun and cheery days. Sian... I haven't been spending time with my notes & book for more than a week; it's time to get back to them again. Very sian... Haven't really been doing any packing too; the mess is giving me a bad headache everytime I try to get started. 3 more weeks to an exam and a presentation, 5.5 more weeks to The Departure. Super duper sad and sian!!!!