Spur of the Moment

18 May 2009

I'd hate to say this, but I have this nagging feeling this site of mine is almost dead..... seems like it has become an avenue where I just upload my new compositions. Anyhow, we'll see....

Now Playing: Rain

18 January 2009

Wow, you mean I've not updated this site for 5 months???

Now Playing: Hold Me

Will anyone care to buy this for me??

Ok, I'm totally in love with this song though I don't know what's it all about. Somehow, I like singers who do not have your typical soothing and pitch-perfect voices, if you know what I mean. Such distinct voices add so much more character to the songs.

Kidarim from the movie '...Ing'

Found this photo in my phone. Took it when I just finished the surgery on my wrist. Have always wanted to have a feel of being hospitalised. Finally got my wish. Ha ha... hope I won't have to go through it again!

Beautiful song from the movie 'Once'. This song won the Oscar for Best Original Song this year.

Falling Slowly - Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova

I don't know you
But I want you
All the more for that
Words fall through me
And always fool me
And I can't react
And games that never amount
To more than they're meant
Will play themselves out

Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice you have a choice
You've made it now

Falling slowly, eyes that know me
And I can't go back
Moods that take me and erase me
And I'm painted black
You have suffered enough
And warred with yourself
It's time that you won

Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice you had a choice
You've made it now

Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice you had a choice
You've made it now
Falling slowly sing your melody
I'll sing along

To turn off the background music of the site :( just scroll all the way down and press the 'pause' button.

Been really quiet these two months here. I'm getting lazy updating this site. Sigh, another reason is I'm no longer able to find the time to do it. And when I do, I don't know what to write.

Anyway, another new piece of music. Did this in 45mins so can't expect too much (since there're also some mistakes. Oops!).

Now Playing: Rainbow Fields (Sigh.. When will I see my rainbow again......)

Oh, I did add some new stuff to 'Foodie'... :) My source of joy and inspiration.

Yup, I was 'screwed' by a Swiss surgeon...... 

A routine 1 hour operation took 3 hours instead. The regional anaesthesia on my left arm wasn't enough, so they had to give me the general anaesthesia. Needless to say, I was knocked out. I think the dosage was enough to even knock out an elephant. When I woke up, I was vomitting, had no appetite and was very very groggy, to the extent they had to keep me in the hospital for one night. Bah. That was totally unexpected. Anyway, have always wanted to experience the feeling of hospitalisation and I guess now that I've experienced it, won't want to go through it anymore. Ha ha...

Just returned from Barcelona. Was there for 4 days. Needed a well deserved break. Anyway, the winter skiing season is officially over. This was the first winter I've tried snowboarding. Well, here's my 'roll of honour':

1. Strained neck
2. Aching thighs and calves
3. Bruised ankle
4. 'Concussion' - good thing I was wearing a helmet
5. Back aches
6. Broken left wrist

Yup, you read it correctly. I broke a bone in my left wrist, which might end up in surgery. Could have been worse as I was already wearing proper snowboarding gloves that have protection plates, rather than normal gloves. At the moment, my whole forearm's in a cast. The doctor will tell me this Thursday if I should go for surgery though I would like to, as I want to get it over and done with and ensure the injury heals properly. Oh well, at least the cast didn't stop me from visiting Barcelona and working at the airport. Though it's a little inconvenient now since without the use of your left thumb, it's hard to even eat and shower properly, and even buttoning my own shirt. Heh... on the downside, I have to wear the cast for at least 8 weeks. Bah...

Argh! I've been imapled!!!

From tomorrow onwards, my workload's going to double. Day and night operations every single day. Gosh. Never expected something like this when I first came here. Oh well. Now I now how my colleagues in bigger stations feel.

I think winter's over once and for all. Temperature's more than 10 degree celsius now. Sunshine's definitely welcome. Wonder if I'll have the chance to see another winter here though I'm not exactly looking forward to it. Ha...

Now playing: Dear

Now Playing: Be Mine (Finally.. something more light-hearted.... )

One of the HAPPIEST DAYS OF MY LIFE!!!!!!!!!!

2008 Carling Cup Final:

Tottenham Hotspur 2 - Chelsea 1

Brilliant, simply brilliant. This win brought tears to my eyes. I know it probably won't mean much to Man Utd, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool fans because they're so used to seeing their teams win trophies. But when your team finally wins a trophy after 9 long years, the celebration was well worth the wait. That's why it means so much to me.

This was my dinner: 'Wet Hor Fun'.

Erhm, nowadays I'm just not used to cooking for one person. My portion control's a little haywire. This serving's actually enough for 2 people. (Ok, maybe 1.5 considering Sharon only eats 0.5) Felt really bloated after the meal.

I wonder how many people out there will prepare such a meal for himself after a long day's work. Anyway, it only took me around 40 mins to prepare this. 15 mins to defrost the prawns and chicken pieces and at the same time soaking the flat noodles in hot water, and chopping the garlic and vegetables. 10 mins to marinate the chicken and prawns, and letting them set, while I blanched the noodles in boiling water. 3 mins to fry the noodles in dark soya sauce. 10 mins to cook the chicken, prawns and sauce. 2 mins for miscellanous. The 40 mins is definitely worth the effort, not just because I enjoy a good meal, but the cooking process is therapeutic to me as well. As long as I have my kitchen and piano, don't think I will ever complain of being bored.....

Back in Zurich since 12 February. Yup, spent Valentine's Day alone. Sharon's still in Singapore as usual, spending more time with her family and friends whereas I have to rush back to prepare for the new additional frequencies beginning in March.

Well, here's my dinner for this evening: Leftover Chicken Curry from 14 February, Stir Fried Beef, Fried 'Wong Bak' and Steamed Snapper Fillet.

Sometimes I'm sure you'll wonder how the heck do I find the energy and time to prepare so many dishes just for a one person single meal? Frankly speaking I don't know. Even if I'm really tired, I still make it a point to make fried rice or noodles, but instant noodles' a no-no for sure.

It really comes as second nature to me now, down to the preparation of the ingredients to selecting what to cook first, or even cooking two items at the same time. Multi-tasking takes over and it seems that I'm in sort of a trance once I start preparing to cook. And the whole process only takes 30-45 minutes. If only I could incorporate this type of attitude into my work. Ha, I'd be doing really well. Or maybe I should just change my form of work, if you know what I mean....

I actually composed and recorded this piece the day after 'Romance Under the Stars' but didn't upload it because I thought it was too soon. Anyway, now playing: 'Distant Memories'.

Brand new year. Brand new composition. Sharon came up with the title. 

Now Playing: "Romance Under the Stars"

Another new composition. Inspired by the frost I saw this morning outside our home. Merry Christmas!!!

You're listening to 'A Christmas Wish'. 

Latest composition you're listening to now on this page: From This Day.

What I've learnt from watching 'Lust, Caution':

Women are suckers for diamonds......

Finally. What you're listening to now is my latest composition. I named it 'Reflections of You'. Hmm, after reading the title a few times, maybe I should rename it to 'Reflections of Youth'. The more I listen to it, the more I think the latter title suits it better. Oh well.. we'll see.

Anyway, I've not composed and recorded music for a long long time. Glad I decided to just experiment with different chords and progressions today, and happened to come up with something I liked. Hope I don't run dry of inspiration juices now that I finally broke through the inertia and procrastination to compose something new.

Just returned to Zurich a few days ago. The funny thing is, I had this weird feeling of 'booking in' just before I left Singapore. Yah, I know it's Switzerland we're talking about here and I'm not supposed to feel like that. I didn't have this feeling when I was in India and Canada. And not at the beginning of my Pakistan stint. I think this is a major sign that I'm really jaded of what I do now.....

Anyway, the temperature's dipping here. Even though the heaters are turned on, the temperature of the house does not seem to go higher than 18 deg celsius. Think my parents, Anthea and Sam who are arriving here on 2nd Nov, are going to freeeeeeeze. And it's time to play host, driver and chef again.

Oh, and I've forgot to mention earlier: we bought a new dog! Her name's Heidi and she's a Sheltie. Isn't she cute???

My kind of doctor!

HEALTH QUESTION & ANSWER SESSION
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life; is this true?

A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... Don't waste them on exercise . Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.

Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?

A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products

Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?

A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!

Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?

A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.

Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?

A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good!

Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?

A: You're not listening....Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?

Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?

A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.

Q: Is chocolate bad for me?

A: Are you crazy? HELLO Cocoa beans! Another vegetable. It's the best feel-good food around!!

Q: Is swimming good for your figure?

A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me. ; ;

Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?

A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape! !

Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets.

And remember:
"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming, "WOO HOO, What a Ride!"

Another lovely song from the Korean anime 'I'm Sorry, I Love You'. This one's sung by HoWL... I like his songs though I don't understand them.. heh...

This is my dinner for today.

'Three Cups' Chicken, Thai Chilli Sauce Fish and Stir-Fry Kai Lan. Yup, whipped up everything within 30 minutes again. Well, prior to cooking, I spent around 10 minutes chopping and marinating the chicken, washing the vegetables and seasoning the fish with salt and pepper first. Every step seems so automatic now. I don't even really think what's the next step. Was multi-tasking, such as letting the chicken simmer while I fry the vegetables and washing the used chopping board and chopper. Things like that. I think I cook even faster without Sharon around. Heh... It really doesn't seem so troublesome once you can prepare everything under 30 minutes and of course, I finished my dinner in 10 minutes. Well, something to be proud of. A wholesome home-cooked dinner in 30 minutes. Maybe I should start writing a book on how to prepare a simple 3-course Asian meal under 30 minutes (plus 10 minutes of preparation time). Hee...........

This is my dinner for today.

Stir-fry Pork with Ginger and Spring Onion, Sambal Kang Kong and Fried 'Chai Por' Egg. Prepared all these in 30 minutes. Yes, it's a little troublesome to cook three dishes just for ONE person. Sometimes I wonder too why I bother to do it. Anyway, it's also part of my lunch tomorrow because I don't have time to prepare it early in the morning. So might as well prepare double the portion. While having dinner alone, I didn't realise I was eating most of the kang kong stems until I was left with mostly kang kong leaves. Sharon doesn't eat vegetable stems so it comes to me most of the time. Ha, subconsciously I was still eating the stems even though she's not around. Oh, and thanks to her, I've finished her last tub of strawberry yoghurt within two days because she bought too many the last time and it was due to expire today. NO, I'm not a fan of yoghurt.  Oh well..............

One of my biggest dreams: To watch a 'live' Tottenham Hotspur match at White Hart Lane stadium, home of my beloved Spurs. I was really excited to be able to get the tickets to watch Spurs take on Derby. The mission was accomplished on 18 August 2007. We spent four days in London but the first two days were mostly spend on visiting the stadium, the store and the game. Immediately upon arrival, we went to White Hart Lane to collect our tickets and to buy Sharon's ladies' jersey.

Needless to say, we spent quite a bit of money at the store. Though it doesn't seem much in the British pounds, once you convert back to SGD, it's quite a sum. Anyway, heck with it. It's my once in a lifetime dream.

We bought seats at the West stand. According to fans who have sat at the same place, we were advised to hang around at the West Side entrance to wait for players to arrive, especially the ones who are not playing that day. Lucky us! Sharon took a shot with our new defender, Younes Kaboul and I took a photo with Teemu Tainio. More to come later!

The excitement in the stadium was tremendous. We were happily taking so many photos that all the normal fans knew we were tourists. Ha...

After the match, we decide to loiter around the exit of the stadium to catch hold of some more players. We saw Darren Bent, Lee Young-pyo, Jermaine Jenas, Tom Huddlestone, Pascal Chimbonda, Ricardo Rocha and Steed Malbranque.Too bad no Dimitar Berbatov or Robbie Keane. Oh well, better than nothing.

The final score was Spurs 4, Derby 0. Up till now, we've yet to win another game. Hhmm.. maybe I should attend more matches. Hee.. but that one experience has really made me all the more determined to watch another 'live' match! Hope my work schedule will allow me.. sigh.....

(Oh, did I ever tell you Sharon's been converted by me into a Spurs fan too??? Heh heh....)

Saw these two watches at IWC in Schaffhausen. The Portofino Automatic (left) and the Portofino Rose Gold Automatic (right). The Portofino Automatic is actually the cheapest IWC watch.  But it's nice lah.... The Rose Gold version costs at least 150% more!!! Sigh.. which one should I get... Or will someone care to buy it for me??

Finally, my pilgrimage.....

More of it coming soon.... 

Fell in love with this song once I heard it. Title's 'Yuki No Hana'. There's another korean version from the drama 'I'm Sorry, I Love You' but I think this is the original. Though I don't understand 98% of the lyrics, the song still feels totally heart-wrenching.....

Just realised throughout these years, I've been cooking quite a lot and experimenting with recipes. Actually, quite proud of the fact that I've improved significantly.  So finally dedicating a new page to the stuff I've prepared. Well, not all the pics are there coz sometimes you get so excited about your dish that you eat it straight away and you forget to take a photo. Oh well...

What I've learnt today.................

That problems can be 'LICKED'!

What I've learnt today.....................

That there are many incarnations to the word 'Goof':

• Goofy (Copyrighted by Disney)
• Goofster
• Goofian
• Goofer
• Goofingly
• Goofed!
• Goofman
• Goofgirl
• Goofboy
• Goofling

Any other suggestions?

Go on.. play some music....

Aging

You know you're getting old when......

1. Everyone keeps asking you when you're going to start a family
2. You buy Clarins Men's face care products to protect your face
3. You think watching movies like Happy Feet, Flushed Away, Disney cartoons are a waste of time
4. You drink Coke Light instead of Coke
5. You drink espresso instead of ice-blended coffee
6. You think strolling is a good way of passing time
7. You start to buy more 'happening' and colourful clothes to look younger
8. You start looking at furniture for your home
9. You begin to read the 'Money' pages in the Straits Times
10. You haven't played soccer for ages

My breakfast this morning:

Prepared by Sharon's sis CSY and her friend, Charlotte, who are currently bunking in our place. Dunno what you call it but it's croissant/sandwich with ham, tomotoes, and egg. Erhm, think the stuffing's a bit overwhelming. Oh, they also bought cabbage thinking it was lettuce, and wanted to use it as part of the sandwich filling.  Ha ha... but at least for once, a breakfast not prepared by Sharon or me. 'Mai hiam' lah..... 

FINALLY!!!!! Finally three days of peace and rest!! Sharon's parents have returned to Singapore, and the two little ones have gone to Interlaken for the weekend. At last I have some time on the computer to do a little writing.

These two weeks have been quite hectic and busy for me. On days I'm not working, we'll take long drives out of Zurich. Already drove to places such as the Blackforest (for Blackforest Cake and cuckoo clocks), Colmar (France), Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen (again!), Cham (Adidas Factory Outlet), Lucerne (Tobaggoning), Europa Park Amusement Park in Rust (Germany). Also took the train to Zermatt and spent three days there.

And on days when we're not traveling, I'm back at work clearing emails, writing reports and attending meetings. When I come home, it's time to prepare dinner for the family. Dinners have been rather sumptuous affairs. Prepared chicken rice, 'ang zao' chicken soup, cream of tomato soup, chicken curry, cream of mushroom soup, 'kiam chye' duck soup, 'suan ni' pork, hainanese pork chop, barbeques, 'ma la' steamboat, and even 'chai tao kway'. Too bad we can't get crabs here, I could have prepared black pepper crabs to pamper the little ones. At least I think everyone enjoyed the food. My mom-in-law kept asking me how I prepared the dishes, especially the 'chai tao kway', chicken rice and 'suan ni' pork (this is my very own recipe!). Gosh, now I know how our parents feel when they have to come home and still prepare dinner after a long day at work: TIRING!!!! Not really complaining coz I love cooking and they enjoyed my food. At least I don't need to clean up the mess. Heh....

I hope I've scored enough brownie points with my in-laws and glad that I've become closer to them. Though I've been tired out by the visitors, at least I'm happy that Sharon is happy coz her family's here to keep her company. So if she's happy, I can also relax since she won't bug me all the time! Hee hee....

Here are some new photos we took in Zermatt and Jungfraujoch....

Oh, and summer sale's finally here.  Time for some retail therapy... heh.... (gee, sounding like some himbo.)

Will anyone care to buy this for me??

Will anyone care to buy this for me??

Quote of the day: "You've goofed, you bugger you....."

Excerpts from my May horoscope:

"The month opens with a bang! Great career news has you humming a happy tune, as accolades, honors, and praise come to you as a reward for past efforts. You may get a new position or a promotion, or, alternatively, you may find that your industry will, from now on, view you in a whole new light. Either way, you can't fail! All this good news comes as a result of the full moon on May 2 that will fall squarely in your house of honors, awards, achievement, and fame."

Check. Received news of my upgrading.

"Speaking of money, you have been dealing with very high expenses lately - ones you did not see coming. That situation should calm down soon after Mars leaves your second house, on May 16. While you may have a few leftover bills at that time, you won't be racking up so many new charges and financial obligations in the future, and that will be a relief!"

Check. We spent lots of money during our first week in Zurich, due to all the 'start-up' costs (e.g. bbq grill, utensils, cable TV deposit , registration fees etc.)

"Mars will then go into your third house of travel, so your busy schedule will lighten up when you have a handful of happy reasons to get out of town. Your trips will be very short - just a few hours in length - but just right for putting you in a new scene, one that will help refresh your spirit without demanding too much of you. (Often big trips can be a little tiring with all the packing and unpacking, don't you agree?) The ones that are coming your way will be small, manageable, and possibly even frequent. You'll have many opportunities to go between May 15 and June 24, the period Mars will spend in your third house of quick trips."

Check. Sharon's folks and sisters are coming in June and we've planned lots of short trips around Switzerland.

GOSH! How accurate is the horoscope!

Now I need to start looking for a black cat.....

Alone in my own world....

In Canada, I learnt to appreciate sushi and sashimi. In Switzerland, I learnt to appreciate tomatoes, strawberries and chocolates. In Pakistan, I learnt to appreciate.... erhm... uh..... home? 

This has got to be one of my favourite websites: http://www.goodbyekitty.net/ . Sharon sent this to me and look what I've found.

Ha ha. These pictures define perfectly what I've always wanted to do to that mouthless cat in my house. MWAHAHAHAHA. Ok ok, think I'm too stressed by my work. Wish I can do this to the 'Bunny' too.

The Swiss Alps. We went for a 3D2N trip to the Jungfrau region. Tiring but well worth it. Anyway, don't think I'll have much time to write here so if you want to read more of our local travels, check out Sharon's site instead: http://s1.blog.sanriotown.com/stone_68:hellokitty.com/

The occupational hazards of a Station Manager.

The closest a Singaporean can ever get his hands on the World Cup. Goal 2010?? Ha, yah right...... dream on.

Anyway, these were taken at the FIFA Headquarters in Zurich, though it's not fully opened yet. The official opening is in May. Hmm... maybe I'll get to see some soccer stars.

All the different World Cup trophies  

Ok, finally have some time to do a little housekeeping. Archived my Pakistani entries into Word documents. Not that I really want to remember these memories. Ha ha. Anyway, here's a little Swiss flag to remind myself that I'm in Zurich. 

If anyone wishes to email me, I can be reached at spursian@hotmail.com

This statement has been read  times.