MeetinG my Best FrienD, AmY

Friday, 27th May 2008

Had McDonald's for breakfast. I miss their big breakfast. McD has opened up in Jakarta for so long yet they never have breakfast menu. So sad.... Then off we went to Takashimaya to shop. Planning to shop a lot but turned out it was the kids who shop the most =.= We first went to the kids' section. Bought some clothes for my nieces and nephews. Saw some erasers too which I bought for Ria for her collection. We all spent a total of S$700 there. Crazy!! Kids' stuffs are so expensive these days and I'm just talking about the clothes here. Then we went to Kinokuniya. Kids wanted to look for books. I myself bought 2 books.... 1 for me and 1 for Suli.

I had to go to Watsons when Sam came to join us since I need to buy some sanitary pads. I had my period at a very wrong time. Was planning to go to Wild Wild Wet actually but due to Cecil and me having our periods at the same time, the trip to WWW was cancelled. In Watson, I bought some Tiger Balm Neck & Shoulder Rub.

My MIL gave it to me when she came back from her last trip and I find that it really work wonders especially when you have muscle pain or when your shoulder aches. It's so much better than Counterpain. My MIL asked me to help her buy that so in the end I bought a couple more for my dad too. Someone told me before that Panadol is the latest trend for souvenirs but I think that's just too cheapskate hahaha... Moreover, Panadol doesn't work shit for me. I prefer Paracetamol.

Sam asked me to go straight to Sanur since we booked seats for 1pm. Sanur has been my all-time favorite Indonesian Restaurant there. I used to frequent that place when my mom came over to visit me in Singapore during my school years so that restaurant kinda left a really memorable place in my heart. Even though the one I used to go is in Centrepoint, nevertheless, the food still taste the same.

The Tahu Telor and Fried Baby Squids are my favorite dishes. They are the best.

When we finished our meal, we went back to the hotel to put down our stuffs. Then we took a cab to Raffles Avenue where we wanted to take the Singapore Flyer. I planned to take it during the sunset but we were way too early there and there are not many shops which we can go to so in the end we booked for a 3.30pm ride.

The place isn't crowded at all. I was expecting the place to be more alive but there weren't many people there. Just below the Singapore Flyer, there's a Yakult Rainforest. The Singapore Flyer didn't leave a deep impression on us. The Ferris Wheel that kids and I took in Dufan during our photo session was so much more fun. Maybe it will be different if we waited for the sunset to take the ride. Anyway, these were some of the pics taken while we were inside the Singapore Flyer:

The ride itself took 30 mins. Kids then went to Build-A-Bear Workshop. There used to be one in Kelapa Gading but I think it's been closed down already. It's a freaking waste of money. Children are so easily fooled. This is a pic of the shop.

After they each come out of the shop with a stuffed toy in their hands, next, Casey and Sam wanted to try the Fish Spa. Sam said we should all try it out and see how it feels so we went to Kenko Reflexology & Fish Spa just next to the Build-A-Bear Workshop. You can read more about the Fish Spa here. Casey here was being held by Sam coz she kept taking her feet out.

It was kinda ticklish but once you are used to the sensation, it was pretty okay. This the pic where the fish were having a feast:

It costs S$28/pax which I think it's alright if someone pays for you or else it's just bloody not worth it. Cecil said her feet felt smoother and asked if it had that effect on me. I told her, "Are you kidding me? Mama's feet are smooth by nature. They can't go any smoother than they already are." Yeah...call me ego maniac :P Sam also said he's not ever going to try it again.

By the time we were done, it was time to go to Anchorpoint to meet up with Amy and her family. We had set a date to have dinner in Disney Naturally. It was downright disappointing when I saw the restaurant. So, so small! We ordered 3-4 pizzas, 2 macaroni & cheese, 1 chicken pot pie, 1 beef pot pie and 4 kind of juices. That added up to a total of about S$130. Nuts, right? Almost the same as eating in Sanur. Anyway, here are some pics:

That is little Nynke with Amy, BTW. Nynke is Amy's younger daughter. She's really, really cute. Doesn't resemble Amy or Wee Teck, Amy's hubby. Looks more like 'Ang Moh', isn't she? I got tons of Nynke's pics which I will upload to my Fotki album later on. Amy is so much thinner than the last time I saw her. As you can see, even I'm chubbier than her now LOL... That means what? Time to work out!!! The service in Disney Naturally sux as well. The waitresses were pretty unfriendly. I really don't recommend the restaurant to anyone. Of course if you just go for the atmosphere, then it's okay even though it's really crammed IMO. We were so damn fooled by the rave reviews we read elsewhere hahaha... Anyway, since Wee Teck didn't eat much in there, we finally shifted to TCC. I think it's like Starbucks except they serve food too. Kids ordered the dessert which was quite like the Molten Chocolate Cake I usually made.

They presented it way better than me though :P I ordered the Iced Minty Mocha which I deleted the pic by mistake :P It was quite good but the mall was really, really cold so it was pretty uncomfortable for me. Sam even went to buy 2 sweaters for the kids. By 9pm, we decided to go back to hotel. It was a short meeting and felt kinda sad having so little time with Amy and her family.

Waiting for a cab there was a torture. We were all so tired and ready to hit the bed but we couldn't find a single cab. It was after half an hour that we finally got one. By the time we reached the hotel, I was ready to just drop dead hahaha... Amy, gave me an early bday present BTW. A G-Shock watch.

We all think it's beautiful. Sam thinks so too. Amy said she can't afford a Rolex for me... she would buy me a fake Rolex though if I want hahaha... I told her that it's clearly stated in my blog, even if I can't afford, I won't use fake stuffs. That's just my motto. Hehehe... I lurveee the watch, Amy. It's really beautiful. Thanks again for the early bday present.

Gotta write the last 2 days of my trip tomorrow or maybe on Wednesday. Might not be able to blog tomorrow since I'm bringing the kids to Waterbom again. My schedule is so packed for the holidays. Need to spend good quality time with the kids during these last couple of days. Once school starts, they will be busy with tuitions and other stuffs. No time for dear mommy anymore ^.^

Received a piece of good news from Irene just now which I must just share. Ivan's visa is approved so he'll be leaving for States in Thursday or Friday. I'm so, so happy for them. And it's not just 6 months' visa...it's for 5 years. Woahooaa.... Good for him since he'll be going there for 2 more times and Irene will be going to his place in November. LD doesn't feel like LD that way, isn't it? Seeing them so happy makes me happy as well. I kept asking Ivan about it for way too many times. I think I'm more nervous than him hahaha... Now that the good news is finally out, I can't help but feel relieved. I mean after all his plans to spend Irene's bday with her, it will be just too sad if it doesn't come true. He's such a romantic at heart. Hope they have much more romantic and memorable memories from this trip and many more trips to come *wink* *wink*

CeciL's ChecK uP

A short update about my weekend in Singapore.

On Thursday, we left the house at about 8am. Our flight SQ 955 was really on time. At exactly 10.30am it took off. We weren't seated all together. Casey and me were in the row in front of Cecil & Sam.

Food was served as per Sam's choice. The good thing about taking SQ flight is we can choose our menu online. Cool, eh? I also just know about it from Sam. Sam ordered the oriental fried rice for us.

It was pretty good. At least so much better than Garuda Airlines food.

We reached Singapore at about 12.30pm. It was our first time in Terminal 3. The airport was freaking cold and way too spacious. Found out much later that T3 is strictly for SIA and it's to accomodate those tourists who go there once the casino is opened. Those who travel by SQ to other Asean countries will still leave from T2. Sam doesn't really like T3. It's so inconvenient. You have to walk a long way from the gate.

Checked in at Mandarin Meritus Hotel. The place was so freaking packed. Indonesians everywhere. I wanted a different atmosphere actually. Kinda sick staying there but Sam said it's the cheapest compared to Marina Mandarin or Ritz Carlton. Moreover, it's within minutes walk to Takashimaya, our favorite shopping place.

Kids and Sam ate again in Taka food court. Then we walked to Tanglin Shopping Centre since we have a 5 o'clock appointment with the doctor. On our way there, we stopped by Haagen Dazs to eat ice cream. Sam was not in such a good mood after getting calls from Tedja regarding the government people coming to check the warehouse. Me taking a pic of the troubled him:

It was a long wait at the doctor. I even took a short nap hahaha.... Then we finished at around 7pm. Went to Forum Galleria first where I bought my 1st blouse in Emporio Armani. It was a good sale. Walked back to Takashimaya. Wanted to have dinner in Sanur (Indonesian restaurant) actually but the waitress told us that we had to wait for another 30 mins. We were already so famished by then. In the end, we had dinner at the food court again =.= I ordered the wrong food. Didn't know it was a vegetarian stall since I didn't look at the name first. Was so disappointed with the food that I instantly become full just after eating 2 spoons of the food.

Got back hotel at around 9pm. Was dead, dead tired. Slept almost the same time as the kids.

To Irene with Love

I was just being told by Irene about what's going on in IC. IC is sooo basi. After hearing what she said and saw what people been calling her, I told her to stop wasting her time there. There's a saying "Those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." All I can say, Irene is one of the least fake people I ever come across. So what if she speaks her mind? At least she's honest and she doesn't wear a mask unlike those people who keep on attacking us. We don't need others' approvals. I know I don't give a shit. And if you don't like reading her blog, just stop clicking it. No one needs your freaking opinion. It's HER blog. Some people should really learn some manners instead of telling people what they can or they can't write in the blog. Shit...you guys should seriously get a life! IC is turning you all into fucktards! And to Irene & Ivan, forget them. They are so not worthy of our time. Terserah deh mau dibilang mandang rendah.... Anggap aja iya. I think I have more respect for the poor people, for the gays and lesbians more than I have for them. That's how I feel. Everyone I know who helps to build up IC can't even be bothered with IC anymore. Why? Coz the fucktards now rule that site, that's why. So, let them be happy in the cyber world and let us be happy in our real world. Be happy that we have a real life and they don't ^.^ Don't bother to leave any footprints in IC anymore. Remember, arguing with a fool only proves there are two. So let them rule....let them think whatever they like... Your real friends know the real you without having you to prove otherwise. We love you just the way you are, Irene ^.^ Lagian ada si Ms Swan, clown of IC, yang always lurking everywhere.... they don't need you to entertain them. She can accomodate them with her far-fetched tales. You are just taking the spotlight away from her. I love and care for you, that's why I'm telling u this. BTW, congrats on your promotion. Way to go!!!! Your salary is the same as Sam, you lucky girl!

Back From My TriP

Am home now.... Such a short weekend and kinda disappointing actually. Sam has troubles again in the warehouse. Poor him =.= Will be blogging more tomorrow when I'm less tired. Don't wish to come back. This trip feels too short to be enjoyed thoroughly and I spent more than normally but it's like the money just disappeared into thin air. No proof or whatsoever to indicate what the money has been spent on. Weird... Nevertheless, I so appreciate that in the mid of his crisis, Sam still tries to make me happy during the trip. What more can a wife ask for, right?

Emporio ArmaNi ShadeS

My last entry for the week. Hopefully by next Monday I will be blogging again. Tomorrow will be busy, busy day for me. I need to pack since I will be leaving on Thursday. I know it's only S'pore but it's a rare chance that we all go as a family... just the 4 of us.

Today, I went to PS for pedicure. Had a 3 o'clock appointment with Ikah. Kids went to games arcade as usual. When I was finished, went to look for birthday present for Amy. I hope she likes what I got for her. Then kids and I went to Din Tai Fung to eat. I ordered this Kepiting Soka Saus Mangga and it's pretty delicious. When we finished eating, went to Optik Melawai. I asked Cecil if she wants to learn how to use contact lenses and she said 'yes'. So there we were in Optik Melawai and Cecil was being taught how to use the lenses while I browse around. Casey & I gasped in disbelief when we saw this CD glasses on display:

Did u see the price? Rp 43 freaking mill !!!! Would anyone actually buy that??

Anyway, I also got myself a new pair of shades. It's been awhile since I bought one and I really like this one. It's cool too. You just need to unclip and voila.... a different kind of shades.

I didn't even know you can change the shades until I bought it and the lady gave me the other lenses.

My girls wanted to have desserts in Haagen Dazs and on our way there, saw this Hello Kitty stand and I actually bought something else for me... again :P

In Haagen Dazs I ordered Affogato. It's vanilla ice cream with espresso. I just need to pour the hot espresso on top of the ice cream. It's actually very nice ^.^ The traffic was bad on our journey home. Took us 2 hours to reach our place.

Okay guys.... have a great weekend. Wish me have fun on my trip. I will be meeting my best friend, my godsis and spending some quality time with my family so I'm sure mine will be a splendid week ^.^

MaidS ProbLeM

Will it be rude if I just tell my FIL why my old maid refused to come back to work with us? Will it be okay to tell him that it's not about the salary? I'm getting pretty stressed out coz he keeps comparing the new maids to the old. Okay, maybe the new ones aren't so smart but I think they are actually okay and what I like about them is their perseverance; no matter how my FIL scolded them, they are not known as the quitter type. And reason why the old maids don't want to come back, it's because they can't stand facing my FIL day in, day out. It used to be so much better when he only came back in the morning and left the house no later than 2 pm. The last month before the maids started going back, they had to face my FIL everyday especially weekends. It's not so bad for me coz I know even if he sometimes disagree with how I run things around the house, he will never confront me directly. Always complain to Sam and then Sam will tell me. That's annoying but still bearable. Not the same with the maids though.

So just now while I was eating dinner he started asking me:

FIL : How much were the previous maids' salary? Do you give them all the same?"
Me : Only Lia's salary differs. I gave her Rp 900K
FIL: So what did the rest get?
Me: The other 3 get Rp 500K each
FIL: Hah?? Only Rp 500K?

Come on... Rp 500K is a lot for a maid's salary in Jakarta. Alright, it's not a lot but it's the average or at least a little more than average. Rp 900K for my old maid coz she's really, really dependable and you can trust her coz she's the hardworking type. Even when we aren't home she won't laze around. I know coz my neighbour told me so and I've seen how she worked. She's so different from any other maids. I think Rp 500K for the rest is pretty reasonable coz 1st, my house isn't so big so there's nothing much to clean up anyway. 2nd, they don't even help me look after my kids unlike the Rp 900K one. I think my FIL must be thinking I'm such a cheapskate boss to the maids. I don't care coz I know I'm doing the right thing. I don't know if only my maids are like that but I've learnt from experience you can't be too good to them. They just don't know how to appreciate. I had this maid who used to take care of the kids once. She came with us twice to S'pore and to Bali.... we really treated her like a family but what happened? Just one small incident and she just quit without giving us even a day notice in advance. And she made the other 3 maids quit with her at that time at the middle of the night. That was really disappointing. Learned not to be too close with them afterwards.

I went to my dad's house in the morning. Have to pray for my grandma today. Stayed there until 3pm. Went to Versa Tour after that. Asked Cin to help me buy fish balls soup from Restoran Angke. We started to talk about Ivan's situation. It's really bad but I guess what Cin & Ayau have decided is for the best interest of my dad. When Cin retold me his conversation with dad, it was so sad at one part that it made me cry. My dad shouldn't have this kind of thing worrying him at his age. By the time Ivan realized how much he hurt us all, it will be too late. I have also told Sam about it just now over the phone.

BTW, hari ini gua ambil sarung tripod gua dari tukang jahit. Hehehe... You know how the cases normally look so dull and so long? I decided to buy some cloth and have it made into tripod case but in a smaller version. This is how it looks like:

The IncrediBLe HuLk

So it was another pretty good weekend. Yesterday I spent almost the whole day at home and only left the house at 5pm. We were due in Sam's cousin's house for a wedding reception at 7pm but since it's in Tebet, my MIL suggested us leaving earlier fearing the heavy traffic around that area after office hours will make us late.

We stopped by to fill in the petrol and bought some light snacks in case the kids got hungry before we arrived. We reached there just a little over 7pm (we stopped for quite awhile since Casey ordered fried rice). I'm not sure it's the house that's too small or it's because they invited too many people but it was so damn packed last night. We all have to squeezed in. I was sitting near the buffet table but luckily they didn't open up until the mass was over. I want to do a collage for the food but it won't do so much justice to them coz you really should see them in full view to drool over them like I did hehehe...

Sate Ayam

Ayam Kodok

Pangsit, Sosis & Ngo Hiong Goreng

Meat Balls in Coconut Gravy

Sauteed Brocolli

Pastel Tutup

Gado2

Coke, Miranda & water

The food was all delicious but what was the most unforgettable was the Ayam Kodak. The taste was so amazing that when I took the first bite, I felt like I could cry due to joy. The others are yummy but nothing too stand out. Irene's mom pastel tutup taste better for sure. We left the place at 9pm and reached home at a little over 10pm. I couldn't find someone to take a pic of me while I was there coz kids were busy eating too. Finally was able to ask Casey to take one while I was in the car.

Was wearing the white blouse from Zara which I bought not long ago.

Today, I had a lunch date with Therry and Cn. Too bad Syl couldn't join us. We ate in Pepper Lunch and later had to move to Excelso since I kinda had the feeling that the waiter in Pepper Lunch couldn't wait for us to get our butt off the chairs and got out of there.

It was pretty spooky when Cn told us the story about her in Pisa Kafe not long ago. I even had goosebumps when she went into details. We ended up talking about ghost stories hahaha... Asked Casey to help us take pics:

In Excelso Cafe

Outside Lovely Lace

Kids and I continued to EX at around 3.15pm. Stopped by at T Lab to get personalized tees (for me and the kids). Since it took quite awhile for the tees to be ready, we went to watch movie first.

Yon said "The Incredible Hulk" is a let-down while Suli said it's really good. My opinion is somewhat in between. I think it's pretty good although it's not as good as "Ironman" I guess that's because I always have a soft spot for Edward Norton. He's one of my favorite actors. I think he was really good in "Painted Veil". That movie was just sooo romantic. In this movie, I like the part where he finally met up with Liv Tyler again. It seemed so touching. You know, those romance movies, where couples pause to look at each other in the rain and then they run towards each other to hug. Maybe someday I'll re-enact that part with Sam hahaha....maybe. After all, Sam is still able to run towards me at his age. I don't know if 20 years from now he'll still be able to do that or not :P I just can't imagine Sam in his late 50's running in the rain. More like dragging his feet probably hahaha....

The movie ended at almost 6pm. Went back to T Lab to get the tees and decided we better have dinner before heading home. After a lot of consideration, we finally decided to eat in Bakerzin.

Not too keen on their pastas. Rasanya kurang menggigit. Menurut gua masih enakan Miitem. Should go and eat there again one of these days.

We reached home at 7.30pm. Got the tees out to see how they turn out. Remember, there was a time when I was vain enough to put the words up as one of my favorite quotes? Well, today I took a step further and have the words printed on a tee. I'm SO going to wear it.

They are out of letter 'A' but since I was persistent, I even agree when the guy suggested I use letter 'A" backwards. The kids' ones resemble the one Casey is trying on:

Cute, huh? Hehehe... Casey bought the red one while Cecil got a black one.

We also finally got our dining chairs back. A week ago they were taken away. The material finally worn out after being with us for 7 years. Some seats were torn while others have spots due to kids' carelessness in handling their drinks. This is a look at how the seat looked previously:

And this is how it looks like now:

So much prettier now, right?

Gotta sleep now. Have to be extra fit tomorrow night *wink*