Gathering with the Folks

We had one of those strange weekends where we hung out with people beyond our years :p

One of the choir ladies AH decided to hold a monthly gathering of sorts for fellowship sake. There were about 14 of us that showed up for the first get together at Crystal Court, Killiney on Sat evening. We were the last to arrive as we did not expect the folks to really mean to eat at 6 pm! Well, there is a good variety at the $16 porridge buffet, and it was a simple and enjoyable dinner.

The weird part was when the folks decided on the spur to proceed for Karaoke. So just imagine a group of us treading to Orchard Cineleisure on a Sat night after a good meal. Well, I have to admire the folks for being so gung-ho about walking and for going to a place where only young people would gather!
We arrived at K-Box (yes K-Box) and Eric got us a big room to accommodate the group. And throughout the night we were serenaded with songs that were beyond our years: Mandarin, Hokkien, English oldies and a few Christmas carols. It was also unusual as we had 2 Rev with us, and the oldest is in his 70s. We are ashamed to admit that some of them have inexhaustible energy which we could only envy from afar :p

I think the folks enjoyed themselves despite that it ended close to midnight (there's service the next day) and it cost us a pretty penny. There is supposed to be some sharing which obviously did not transpire. As for us, it was a weird night and I don’t think I will want to go for another Karaoke session again! The last time we went to one was probably a decade ago. Nevertheless, we thoroughly enjoyed the evening and have offered our place for the next gathering (No KTV).

And I shudder to think that God is trying to show us how we will live our golden years...

Crowd to Avoid

Well, it was pouring on Sat morning but was sunny by noontime. We needed our exercise and proceeded with our plan for a walk at BG. Before that we had our lunch at the new Taman Serasi Food Centre. The food was not too bad, surprisingly...

We recall visiting the food centre after the revamp earlier this year and decided to boycott it for some reason which I can't remember. It must have been the price of the food that threw us off, as it is more expensive than the usual food court prices. The popular soursop drink cost us $2.80 for a small little cup with lots of ice, which we could get elsewhere for $2 in a larger cup. My bak cho mee cost $3.80, and Sam's char siew rice and watercrest soup cost $7+. The food was not too bad but little pricey.

After our meal, we went upstairs and were surprised to find many people hanging out at the park. It then occurred to us that it's a public holiday, and people were gathering everywhere having a picnic. It was not the usual crowd and atmosphere that I am used to, very humid. So after a short walk we decided to head back home! No exercise!

Personality Test

It's been sometime since I did any personality test. The last test was done for work style profiling, and I'm a 'Dove' personality vss the Eagle, Owl or Peacock. The 'Dove' person is amiable. :)

Thanks to Min I tried out a fun quiz and if we go by the Myer Briggs Type Indicator, then I belong to the ENFJ group: Extraversion, Intuition, Feeling, Judging.

Sometimes I wonder how accurate are the tests, as I have to truly know myself well enough to answer them correctly. Over the years, my personality has been moulded by my work and life experiences, and as such I could not answer somes questions truthfully. Depending on the situation and who I am with, I may react and respond differently.

So what's your personality type?

You Are An ENFJ

The Giver You strive to maintain harmony in relationships, and usually succeed. Articulate and enthusiastic, you are good at making personal connections. Sometimes you idealize relationships too much - and end up being let down. You find the most energy and comfort in social situations ... where you shine. In love, you are very protective and supporting. However, you do need to "feel special" - and it's quite easy for you to get jealous. At work, you are a natural leader. You can help people discover their greatest potential. You would make a good writer, human resources director, or psychologist. How you see yourself: Trusting, idealistic, and expressive When other people don't get you, they see you as: Bossy, inappropriate, and loud

What's Your Personality Type?

Weekend for Errands

The past weekend was spent running errands and shopping for essentials. There was so much to do we needed a checklist to keep us focus on the task. It was to Vivocity on Sat and Chinatown on Sun.

We like Vivocity as it houses many shops and you can practically find anything that you need under one roof. I managed to find a replacement for my worn out dress shoes. We also bought scents for the car, stationeries, and donuts to fill our stomach. The shopping spree ended when we had to rush home for Sam to catch the Rugby World Cup (Aus vs Eng).

On Sun, we went to my regular seamstress in Chinatown to replace a spoiled zip. People's Park is also where we stock up on our supply of toiletries: shampoo, toothpaste, mothballs, floor wipes, face cleanser, toner and mask. We managed to steal a little time to visit the National Library as I needed some pictorial books to aid in my Sun school lessons, but unfortunately we did not find anything appropriate. As our choir practise has resumed on Sun evenings after a 1 week break, we had to dash to our next destination.

It was a fruitful weekend even though we only managed to cover half of our to-do list ...

Crocs

I know some people probably think that Crocs are the most hideous shoes ever invented. The imitation alternatives widely sold in the market and commonly sighted in hawker centres have taken away the uniqueness of the design and compromised on its quality.

Nonetheless, we are still enjoying our first pair of foam shoes which has a degree of arch support built-in and non-skid component. If the pricing is better, I am sure these functional originals would attract more followers.

Yesterday, we decided to fancify our Beach Crocs and purchased some accessories from the store at Vivo. We purchased different color stripes and I got myself a pawprint jibbitz. Now we feel like we have a brand new pair of Crocs and are ready to have fun with them!

The Bontanic Gardens

We had a great start to a Sat morning, visiting the Botanic Gardens (BG) after breakfast at Prata Cafe.

I recalled my first visit to BG with my Godma, Aunt Nancy, Eugene and mum when I was a kid. I ran and climbed trees, all hot and perspiring in my uncomfortable dress as evident in an old photo. At that time I did not know how to appreciate such outings and never went there again till some years later. I realised though that as I age :-( , I began to enjoy the Parks and Gardens more.

We parked our car at the public parking along Tyersall Ave near the Burkhill Gate entrance. The nice thing about the BG is that parking is relatively cheap, and from 11am - 5pm it's free for the first hour.

We strolled through the Ginger Gdn, Orchid Gdn, Palm Valley, Visitor Centre/Shop, Bonsai Gdn, Sun Gdn (succulents) and E.J.H. Corner House (now Au Jadin Les Amis). There were people jogging, walking their dogs, having a picnic, having meals at Halia Rstnt and other cafes, enjoying the greens and admiring the varied spieces of plants and trees. There were also a number of tourists who probably found the heat today a little unbearable. Coincidentally we met Gerald with some friends, discussing work while doing their walks. Now, that's something new... working at the park.

On display at the Sun Gdn is a 'Passing of Knowledge' sculpture by a local sculptor. The sculpture depicts his interpretation of the 4-Way Test, a philosophy embraced by Rotarians worldwide. The 4-Way Test of the things we think, say or do are:

1. Is it the truth?

2. Is it fair to all concerned?

3. Will it build goodwill and better friendships?

4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

The BG is huge and we only covered parts of it. We thoroughly enjoyed the walk and hopefully could make this a weekly routine. :-)

TGIF

The weekend is finally here again! I have been looking forward to this day, again! :-)

For dinner today, we decided to try out the Harvest Thai Restnt at ACS (Barker). It is located by the Olympic-sized Shaw pool where we watched the swimmers do their laps while we dine with Christian music in the background. Not crowded. Nice ambiance.

Sam must have been really hungry as he ordered a lot of food. We had olive fried rice, green curry, a veg dish, seafood salad and a Harvest harmony drink. The food is Thai with some local flavour. They are also pretty generous with their servings and we were really stuffed. We will visit again as it is closed to home, free parking and food is reasonably priced. In the day it is opened as 'Cafe Daily Bread' serving snacks and pastries.

After dinner, we headed for CG at the Choos' new residence at Lor Selangat. It's a lovely terrace cluster housing, 4 stories high consisting of 16 units, ample basement parking, an infinity lap pool and a baby pool. When you enter from the car park there's the maid's room, and on the next level is a big living/dining room and the kitchen/laundry area. The 2nd level houses the master bedroom and a study room. On the topmost level are 2 bedrooms, one belonging to Don (decorated all blue), the other to Laetitia (EVERYTHING in there was her choice color - pink). Each level has a balcony and at least a washroom. It's a very lovely and cosy home, with good choice of wall color and furnishing.

This evening, Sam led us in a comparison study on the story of Zacchaeus and the Rich Young Man. We concluded that the Rich Man was unwilling to give up his earthly wealth to inherit eternal life. The self-righteous man despite living a righteous life, has forgotten to obey the very first commandment "Thou shall have no other Gods before me". These other Gods need not be deities but material things or putting of self before God. It is indeed a good reminder for all to remain humble like Zacchaeus and to seek God first.