Was looking at a video that Rui Ling posted of Kwang Liang singing, and had the sudden urge to blog and record what had happened on that day... hahahaha

Went out on Tuesday to meet up with Rui Ling and Kwang Liang. Was supposed to meet at 2pm @ Parkway Parade, but left early because of the left-over hurt of the quarrel with my mom on Sunday. (Update: She told me on Sunday that my dad has given up on me to be a good daughter... How nice, right?)

But no worries, we're talking now... Don't know why, she started talking to me like nothing had happened over the last few days and she even cooked cold udon for me this morning. I've been responding to her like usual, but doesn't mean that I'm already fine. The stuff which she said still hurt. Really hurt. But well...

Didn't do much today, only looked after the two little ones. Bathed and fed Qiqi, watched TV with her, made her do homework. As for Ah Di, I just helped to carry him abit when he cries, fed him and petted him to sleep (which really takes time and patience). Went to buy unhealthy snacking food (chicken wings, fries and onion rings) for mom and ate together with her, sis and dad (who came back at 5pm) today. Mom cooked fish soup for dinner.

*sigh*
I can't get into the mood for studying! Exams are coming (next Monday and Friday)! Today's already Thursday, AND I HAVEN'T STARTED YET. Worse still, NIE band is having rehersal tomorrow night and a PERFORMANCE on Saturday. I'm gonna be dead meat on Sunday!!!!!

I've been trying to get myself to sit down and study since yesterday, but I really just can't focus... My mind is drifting everywhere, from my friends' problems at work, someone needing to borrow money urgently but I really don't even have enough for myself, the two kids downstairs when they cry to issues with my parents. I really just can't sit still... The only time when I can stop thinking about these are when I keep myself busy, like looking after the two little ones and numbing myself with the TV. May anyone with the power help me to keep my thoughts at bay so I can really study in peace for the next few (half) days and Sunday before my exam on Monday. I really need it.

Anyway, back to the outing... Side-tracked quite a bit like an ahma (old granny).... haha

I reached Parkway Parade at about 10am (VERY early for a non-morning person, I know!), walked around abit, decided to plant myself at Coffee Bean with a cup of iced berry tea. So I just sat there, thought about things and read my e-book on the hardly-used iPad that I bought. Sat there all the way from 11.45am to 2.15pm when Rui Ling and Kwang Liang came. hahah

Things were a little awkward when we sat down, but we warmed up to one another after awhile. Kwang Liang informed me that the earliest booking they could make was 5pm at Teo Heng @ Katong Shopping Complex. We then decided to eat before heading over.Went up and down several places before stopping at Pasta Mania.

I know... I said before that I didn't like the food there, but it's okay lah. It's cheaper than the other restaurants, and honestly, I haven't eaten anything from there since my poly days. It's not that I have something against pasta in general, but the cooking and quality of food is so damned INCONSISTENT across all outlets that I gave up. I used to find the outlet at Plaza Singapura good the first few times, but then after that, all the food was EWW. They used to have the stuffed pasta, but  the number of the stuffed pasta seemed to be getting lesser with the number of times I ate at that place, and the taste of the tomato pasta base seemed to get worse. The final straw came when I was served a plate of cold pasta swimming in a watery and sour tomato base. I sent the pasta back for the cook to cook it proper, but the pasta was only mildly warm when the plate was returned to me.

Urrgh.

Anyway, back to that day... I ordered their one of the set lunch from their 3rd Anniversary menu - some potato-pasta thing with cream base and a sourish tomato paste on top. I 'upsized/upgraded' my dish to a meal with mushroom soup and garlic bread. The garlic bread tasted more like super thick (and hard) butter toast. The mushroom soup, obviously from a can, is super thick. It's not runny/liquid at all, when you try scooping a spoonful and pouring it back in the bowl, it falls in clumps. And I don't see any chewable bits of mushroom in it at all... As for the taste, it's just milky and thick. It's worse than the one I was served in NIE canteen. At least they have mushroom bits in the soup...

As for the main course, urrgh... Okay, it doesn't really taste THAT bad, but I found the cream too watery, and the tomato paste on top needs some flavour enhancement. Honestly, the cream base was BLAND, and the tomato paste just gives the cream an overall sour taste... I added LOADS of pepper in it... urgh. The only saving grace was that the dish contained POTATOES. It's not that it is a horrible dish. It has ALOT of points where it could really taste great (with some seasoning of the cream base and adjusting of the sourness in the potato paste) and I can see how the creation won and got a place in the anniversay menu. But again, I must mention that the standard and quality of food differs across the outlets...

So yup. Guess I won't be eating Pasta Mania for awhile after this.  >:(

Anyway, despite the not-so-great food, the three of us had a good time catching up, although much of it was reminiscing the GMBand days, sharing things of people who we stayed in touch with and sharing and complaining about working and life in NIE.  xD

Chit-chatted till about 3.15pm, when we decided to leave and walk about a little around Parkway Parade. We stepped out of the dining place and we saw some gigantic bears in Giant. Rui Ling was so excited about the bears (They were 93cm long!!) and we carried them and took turns to take photos of the bears. When we started doing that, people started gathering around and doing the same... Hahahahaha

Left the place and walked around. Rui Ling wanted to see some watches and we just walked around and window shopped here and there. Kwang Liang was excited about some shops along the way and kept snapping pictures with his new SIII. hahaha

I brought them to Scoopz and we bought some ice-cream before we left for the old Katong Shopping Center. I bought my standard Rum and Raisin and recommended some flavours to the two of them, which they bought and didn't regret. :D

Walked over to Katong Shopping Center through the over-head bridge to Roxy Square as we ate our ice-creams. Passed by few interesting makan places ranging from Indian food, Paranakan Food to Western food of various kinds as we walked. We reached Teo Heng and was too early... So we decided to walk around Katong Shopping Center for a bit... I've never really been there, other than the once where I went gaming with the boys after a BBQ @ East Coast Park. Nothing much there, other than loads of maid agencies and other shops offering services like massages and photocopying and binding services.

We went back to the karaoke place nearing 5pm, and was brought to a tiny box-like room with seats, blaring speakers, 2 microphones, a long sofa, the karaoke machine and a TV. I was very awed by how a small room could have everything we needed... The ones that I have been to with Ming Zhu, the KSWS ppl (when we celebrated Karen's b-day) as well as Joce and Cheryl, are quite roomy. The small room seemed just nice and cozy too... As for the equipment, we were provided with some old and badly scratched mics. But the TV provided were mounted FLATSCREEN TV! OMG.... And the karaoke machine is touchscreen! We were given some paper-like sleeves for the mic, which I found funny for no apparent reason.

Yup. I fore-warned that I was not much of a singer, and that I don't really know much Chinese songs. Was impressed by Rui Ling's clear middle range and Kwang Liang's super high vocal range... Btw, Kwang Liang was ultra entertaining throughout the session! He really impress Rui Ling and with his high vocal range... You should hear him singing Jay Chou's Huo Yan Jia... He can finish singing the Huo (x8) parts and immediately switch to the opera falsetto voice!! Damn awesome, I tell you... And the 死了都要爱by Shin... Fuuyoh! And they way he tries to imitate the singers... Made Rui Ling and I double up in laughter almost in every song that he sang.

Rui Ling chose 'Home' by Tanya Chua - Chinese version - for us to sing together. I kind of stunned her and Kwang Liang by my inability to read Chinese words. Hahahaha. I knew the tune of the song, but the lyrics in English. I tried to read the Chinese lyrics then gave up halfway. Rui Ling was used to the English version too, and both of us were struggling to sing (or get used to singing) it in Chinese, we gave up and skipped to the next song after the second chorus.  xD

Kwang Liang is very nice... I think he knows that I don't really know much songs and kept asking me to choose songs for myself... Well, the repertoire of English songs are kind of not updated, and the Japanese songs are even worse. (They only have ONE song from L'arc! Can you believe that? They have quite a few super-duper old Japanese ones which I recognize, but there's NO WAY I'm going to sing those!) In the end, I chose songs I knew for him to sing, mainly the older songs from Jay Chou and Mayday (and one Malay pop song, which we skipped after the intro). Hahahaha

Rui Ling's boyfriend came and joined us at about 7+pm. Apparently, he was from GMSS too! (And Kwang Liang informed me that he was the Head Prefect. OMG.) He had a little of a strict aura around him, but he is a really nice person. And he sings VERY well, especially at notes of the middle and lower register (and I mean REALLY WELL). Rui Ling and I had fun listening to Kwang Liang and him sing together - him taking the lower verses of the song, while Kwang Liang took the higher parts, mainly the chorus and ending parts of the song.

The machinery automatically stops at 7.58pm, stating that it's the last song. (I was really impressed by the system and got teased by Rui Ling for a bit.) At Rui Ling's suggestion, we walked out to the famous 328 Katong Laksa place for dinner. As my stomach can't tolerate coconut milk, I went to order chicken rice at the next stall while both seniors had laksa. I found out that Rui Ling's boyfriend is a contract teacher at a secondary school, and the four of us started to discuss and share our experiences at our different schools. Seems like teachers always can't help talking about our jobs and experiences no matter where we go and how we try to steer our conversations.  xD

Rui Ling's boyfriend was very nice and offered us a ride in his car. Kwang Liang and I were telling him that we have direct buses home, but he insisted and told us it's okay. Thanks!! :D

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Anyway, I had a really great time with my two seniors - especially these two who looked after me and enouraged me so much in my secondary school days. I have been out with friends, but I haven't really laughed and felt happy for ages. It's not that I am unhappy when I'm with my other friends, I DO enjoy and cherish the time with them. But in terms of really laughing out and enjoying myself, I really haven't done that in a long time.

Rui Ling's happy moods and laughter are VERY infectious and I find myself giggling or smiling with her whenever she starts. As for Kwang Liang, aiyoh. That guy can make anyone laugh at anything. Just ask any person who knows him from GMBand or NTUSB.   xD

Just hope that we can do this again in future.    :)