“When I feel alive / I try to imagine a careless life / A scenic world where the sunsets are all / Breathtaking”

Enveloped by these incredibly majestic landscapes, I thought about how all of us are really just modicums in the larger, grander scheme of things, innit.

Sherry, Sherry Baby.

Well, hello there.  Its been ages since I last posted an proper entry here; sometimes I forget about this space waiting patiently for me.  WordPress has changed its dashboard and I’m having a little difficulty navigating through this ah, web.  Am also feeling a little awkward typing here in this new configuration.  Almost like a stranger.

Anyways, Norway was simply beautiful. So gorgeous that I feel justly lame when I attempt to describe how spectacular it is. Will attempt to explain and be less lame in the next post, as it is sleepytime now. But meanwhile, I leave you with this awesome song – it never fails to bring a dash of humour and hilarity to my sensibilities whenever I listen to it:

More power to the elbow.

“We all need some balance in life, and the easiest way to find it is in the kitchen.  Now, just add a tablespoon of honey for sweetness in here… and then some lime juice from my little green lime juice bottle, mm, good ole’ lime juice…”

- semi-paraphrased, Nigella “Express” Lawson.

Something Quiet:

“Come on, tower crane driver, oh so far to fall”

Kazuo Ishiguro is a serious genius.  I felt really disturbed and traumatised after completing A Pale View of Hills.  It’s been almost a month now, but when I think about it, I still feel rather shaken.  Please understand that Ishiguro’s style of writing is so quiet, nonchalent and subdued that when you finally realise the truth between the lines (I was like whaaa whaaa whaaa lemme read that again sial), it hits you like a punch in the face.  Like pow wow oww.  Memory is a scary thing indeed.

Taken from 9gag.

As fine as finely sliced zucchini.

So I had this incredible + mindblowing bowl of noodles the other day.  The noodles sat snug in a dark red bowl, completely hidden beneath (i) a generous serving of some frigging dark-coloured tasty mincedpork thingy and (ii) a fat beaming green bunch of freshly and finely sliced zucchini.  I’m talking about like, about 1.5mm x 1.5mm x 3inches LBH proportions, that’s how fine, alright.

Now, the noodles.  When you coax them out from under its shelter, they initially emerge as though unwilling.  They are fair, thin, and relaxed; as opposed to the wound-up ramen type.  Gradually, as you navigate around the bowl and tease the noodles around, they adopt the darkness of the flavourful mincedpork thingy.  There is even the considerate addition of a little broth at the bottom of the bowl to ensure minimum friction as you persuade the noodles onto your chopsticks (and/or spoon).  The noodles are appropriately sluggish, and not overly so – they do not clump together, and are distinct enough for us to select a bunch and not have parasite noodles clinging on, if you know what I mean.  This could very well be the epitome of pliancy, I reckon.

The intensity of the flavours, and the whole noodle experience, let me tell you – as good as V’s fireworks.  And oh, when you subsequently consume the chilled, finely-cut zucchinis – you taste clarity and a burst of light.  Just pure, clear, clean crispness.  So terrifically light in the midst of darkness.  So beautifully juxtaposing.  So poetically fresh.

I cannot bring myself to write anymore.  It is too painful.  I shall stop this bout of self indulgence right now and like, go watch some junior masterchef or something.

“Oh reckless abandon, like no one’s watching you”

Just for the record: Laneway was mindblowing.  I will (try to) never forget this insane experience – before this I’d never grooved with rainwater falling ever so freely into my eyes, never squelched around in mud with that much reckless abandon, never stepped on that much muddied garbage, and never thought I’d actually genuinely enjoy the bands that I never heard before (like the !!! – they were mad awesome).

Yo yo yo, yo.

When under the influence:

Found this when I was flippin’ through my travel notebook -

We’re here
At the pier
Having sangria
And paella.

Are we awesome, or are we awesome.  Our inebriated rants manifest through sudden flashes of insight and keen awareness + observation of our surroundings.  It isn’t exceptionally intellectual or revolutionary, but at the very least, we had enough sense to make it rhyme.  Splendid.

“In the rain, the pavement shines like silver, all the lights are misty in the river”

Feels like I’ve been gone for ages – but no, tis only been three days.  Nonetheless I am incredibly thankful to God that nothing went too out of whack, in a manner of speaking.  I have never been so glad to see Changi Airport from the skies, I’m telling you.

Anyways, in the unfortunate event that I have to go for yet another work trip (choy choy choy), I now henceforth make a resolution that I will, two months prior, start working out and getting all muscled up.  Lest I struggle embarrassingly while heaving luggage from one place to another – something that I don’t want to ever experience again, fo’sho.

In other news – I just bought my first mac app, pixelmator.  Was kinda forced to be legit, since they threatened to discontinue updating my existing version if I didn’t transit to this fancypants platform.  Crikey.  I suppose it’s ok to be all hoity toity proper once in awhile, eh.

“You start with a simple stock of all the waste, and salt to taste”

I have been looping Sufjan Steven’s The Age of Adz like crazy.  This album is pure genius (then again I attribute this quality to just about everything he does) – the more I listen to it the more awed I am.  Srsly good shite.  You go, Sufjan, ol’ boy, you.

In other news, I am extremely extremely nervous about work stuff.  Again, the onset of the flurry of activity and lack of sleep has come upon us.  Why oh why, deep, deep sigh.  The thought of making foolish and unexpected blunders during those critical days just make my insides feel all weird and uncomfortable.  Alright yans just freakin’ grit your teeth, clench your fists, put on your smiley-est face and suck it up already.

Anyways on a more joyful note, I’ve recently discovered just how relaxing ironing clothes can be.  That’s right, you read right.  I could be reaching this conclusion in a delirious state, but come now – isn’t it amazing how carefully applied heat can soothe away discrepancies and the like?  Wondrous, innit.