Free concerts at the Jay Pritzker Pavillion, Millenium Park

Summer in Chicago is supposed to be the best time of the year. I never really appreciate summer because it is hot and humid. How different is that from Malaysia? However, now that I am a Chicago native, I thought it might be good to enjoy the summer before going through 6 months of winter (ok, maybe I exaggerate a little about how long the winter is but it is long and cold).

Winnie and I went for a couple of free concerts at the Jay Pritzker Pavillion at Millenium Park. Pretty good quality if you ask me. We went for the final show of the Grant Park Music Festival and it was on Beethoven's 9th symphony. Since it was just music, it is ideal to get some food and some wine and sit on the grass and eat and drink and be merry. I also taped some of it using my iPhone - just wanted to test the Voice Memos. It works!

A week after that, we went for the Chicago Dance festival and they had 6 dance troupes performing. 3 ballet troupes, 1 contemporary troupe, 1 contemporary solo and 1 step dance troupe. It was pretty amazing how talented these people are. The ballet dancers doing a pas des deux were so spectacular that they were practically flying around on stage. They also had an all male ballet troupe that called themselves the Grand Divas. They were over the top and hilarious in their dresses and tutus.

This time we opted to get proper seats instead of lawn seats because we wanted to see the stage and the people dancing.

Perhaps summer is growing on me now... just as it ends and we go into the next season... My fav - TV SEASON!

Legend of the Seeker

I've been wanting to blog about this for a while now but I have just been too lazy. Legend of the Seeker is based on Terry Goodkind's The Sword of Truth novels and was produced by the same guy who did Hercules and Xena.
I started watching this on www.hulu.com (which is available for free in the US) and I was hooked! The storyline is basically about a farmboy who discovered that he is the Seeker (a hero who arises in times of trouble and suffering and seeks out evil) and goes on a quest to kill an evil tyrant. The Seeker is always accompanied by a Wizard of the first order and a Confessor (who has the power to magnify the love a person has for her and allow her to control them).
Of course there is the attraction between the Seeker and his Confessor but the love is forbidden as her power would take away his soul and he would not be able to fulfill his destiny. With all forbidden love, it gives the series a little more spark!
My favourite character has to be the Wizard - Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander (Zedd) who has loads of witty one-liners and corny comebacks. What I like about the show are all the different types of characters they introduce and the pretty good acting. I think it was filmed in New Zealand and they had some extras who were Kiwis. Occasionally you will hear a Kiwi accent. It amuses me.

I watched 22 episodes in 4 days. I can't wait for Season 2.

Traumatised!

I went for a haircut last Saturday. This is something I absolutely hate to do in the US because they can't do asian hair!

Anyway, I was due for a colour since I haven't coloured my hair for almost a year. So she did the colour first and after 2.5 hours, when she washed it off, my hair was black! I was annoyed and I told her that if I wanted my hair to be black, I would have just let it grow out instead of colouring it. She said she will fix it and she did the colour again. Meanwhile I was starving because this was taking longer than expected and I didn't have lunch. Luckily the colour came out the second time around and she started on the cut.

O-M-G. She was a butcher. She cut and cut and cut. I told her it looked like a boy cut and she said she will fix it and cut even more! I told her that one side was longer and she immediately cut some more of the shorter side! How stupid could she be? I was already getting super irritated when she accidentally snipped my EAR! What the hell!?? From the picture, I guess you can't really see it. It was just a small nick but it wouldn't stop bleeding. I had to rush to the bathroom and wash it off and put a plaster on it. Urgh!

Totally traumatised by then.

Anyway, as per Monty Python, "always look on the bright side of life!". I had a free hair cut and colour as well as a free shampoo and conditioner to take back.

Sigh... I miss getting my hair done in Malaysia....

Where am I? - June update

Since people seem to be wondering where I am now, I thought I better update this blog. I am now on a short project in Monroe, North Carolina. I am supposed to be here for 3 months but it might be until October. Not sure yet. I am flying every week between Chicago and Charlotte. Hate waking up at 4 am in the morning on Monday so I might start flying in on Sunday nights. Here's where I am now:

Macaroni Casserole

When I was in secondary school, Joyce used to make her "mac and cheese" and all of us fell in love with it. That was the first time I have ever eaten macaroni and cheese and I thought it was delicious. Then I found out that the usual mac and cheese would just be pasta in cheese sauce. YUCK. Luckily, Joyce shared her recipe and Winnie and I decided to try making it.

Sauce:

Stirfry onions and then put in the minced meat (chicken or turkey). Stir until cooked. Put in the mushrooms and tomato paste. Stir it all and throw in some salt, oregano, black pepper and sugar.

Pasta:

Boil the elbow shaped pasta until al dente.

Method:

1. Make a first layer of pasta in the baking bowl

2. Lace the sauce over the pasta.

3. Do another layer of pasta on top of it.

4. Pour Campbell cream of mushroom over it to make another layer.

5. Another layer of pasta.

6. Final layer of sauce.

7. Cheese and more cheese.

8. Liberally pour parmesan over it.

9. Bake in the oven. If the cheese don't turn brown, broil it until it does.

Ta-dah!

Slice it up and serve it with a side of salad.
Delicious!!

Where am I?

My earlier plans/expectations didn't turn out the way it was supposed to. I left Dallas around mid-March but spent some time in Chicago and New York and then Chicago again. Looks like I will be going back to Dallas again for a month. Not sure where I'll be after that.

Ta ta!

Moving on...

Looks like this is my first post for 2009. There was just too much going on at work with working through Christmas, working long hours, working night shifts, working working working. Anyway, looks like there is a light at the end of the tunnel. After almost spending 2 years here in Dallas, I am rolling off this project and will be moving. I always have mixed feelings when I finish a project. I will miss the people that I have connected with and would kinda dread starting all over again. However, there is also a sense of accomplishment and new and exciting challenges ahead.

So, this is where I have lived in US and where I will be moving to:

1. Stayed in Connecticut for 1 year.

2. Moved to Dallas and stayed here for 2 years.

3. Will be moving to Columbus, Ohio for 18 weeks.

I don't think I will be getting an apartment in Columbus since it is just a short project so I will be flying in on weekdays and flying to Chicago on weekends.

Wish me luck!

Goodbye 2008, Hello 2009...

It is rather scary how time never stays still... In a blink of an eye, it is the end of the year. It is never beneficial to regret decisions or to be held back by the past. I would like to think that 2008 was a coming-of-age year for me. So many decisions made, so many sleepless nights, so much laughter, so much tears, so much heartache. But it is all part of being me and it is the best part of me. 

In my mind, Malaysia is always my home. I have accepted a post in the US and I guess I have to start thinking of the US as my home now. Many people think that it is an easy decision, since I have been here for 3 years. But I know it took me a long time to even consider the possibility of living here. A lot of my close friends think I am mad to even do this after listening to me gripe over and over again about how I hated it here. I am not at a point where I can say I love it here, but it is acceptable for now. 

The key is to live in the now and be present to life. Be happy. 

Twilight

I have just started reading the books so I have to say I haven't really connected to the characters just yet.

I watched the midnight show of Twilight last night. The cinema was packed with teenage girls. Just shout Edward! and the whole cinema will scream along with you.

They started off with the brand new Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince trailer and this caused the whole cinema to go into a frenzy. I could barely hear anything in the trailer because everyone was screaming.

That was just the start of it.

Throughout the whole show.... screaming again.

When the credits were rolling, screaming again.

I don't think I was ever this annoying when I was a teenager. Hmm, I think I am getting old.

Free internet!

I was actually pleasantly surprised to find free internet at DFW. This being my 3rd year in the US, I have resigned to the fact that you always have to pay for internet at the airport (except Vegas - I love Vegas). So t-mobile, take that! Neptune networks rocks!

I have also came to the conclusion that I am addicted to the Internet and checking my emails.

Help!

Maroon 5 and Counting Crows

I went for the concert in August but I've just been too lazy to blog about it. It was at the Superpages Centre in Dallas and we got lawn seats which are the cheapest but it is on a first come first serve basis. We got there just after 6 pm and we thought we were late but there weren't that many people and we still managed to get a really good spot. All 8 of us squeezed onto one tiny blanket. It was fun but after a while, your back will start aching so it is good to have a beach ball to lean on.
Augustana was the special guest featured and they were pretty good. Everyone was keen for Maroon 5 to start and when they did, the atmosphere was full of excitement. It was fun to sing along and dance and since we weren't restricted to seats, we had the freedom to do just that. Counting Crows were really mellow after Maroon 5. I guess they just have a different style. We were feeling a bit sleepy during their performance and left just as they played their last song. Beat the traffic and even managed to get supper (McDonalds) on the way back.
After the concert I faced a dilemma, should I actually buy Maroon 5's songs on iTunes to show my support or get it from "friends"? Tee hee hee!

What's next?

I have been trying to be more positive and happy but it is really difficult when you are getting beaten down over and over again. I was on the cross-trainer yesterday and when I was dismounting, I stepped on the rail and twisted my ankle. Argh! I was already limping last week because my foot was extremely sore (no idea why!) and I thought that was behind me. Now I have another injury.

But... Will this matter a year from now? I guess not.

Get well soon to me....

Yearbook pictures

Nerdy geek

Cheerleader chic
Fashionista
Party afro
Sweetheart

Cold water

Look at how cold this bottle of water is. It is icy cold and I can draw a smiley face on the bottle. I usually drink warm water but since my office provides bottled water, I have been drinking the bottled water for quite a while. I don't usually like cold water but I like "chilling" the water.

I sit close to the mini-fridge that stores all the free drinks. However, if you come into the office early in the morning, the lady would have just put in the drinks and it would all be luke warm. This fridge is also located at a highly populated area and the drinks go out really fast. So before the water gets cold, it is already gone.

Since water is the most popular beverage, they usually leave a stock of 4 crates of water next to the fridge. So, if there isn't anymore water in the fridge, help yourself to a room-temperature bottle next to the fridge.

However, I have taken upon myself to refill the fridge everytime I walk past it. If I fill it up before I go back home, the fridge is full of icy cold water in the morning when I get in. YES! Then, if I keep filling it up throughout the day, there will always be a cold bottle of water waiting for me when I open the fridge. For some reason, this is very satisfying.

Chilling water is the cool thing to do...

Inspiration for me

I find myself feeling so bitter about everything nowadays. Just thought I needed to remind myself a few things I have probably forgotten:

"To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you."
~ Lewis B. Smedes

"Holding resentment is like eating poison and waiting for the other person to keel over."
~ Unknown

"Live well, laugh often, and love with all of your heart!"
~ Unknown

"Do not wish to be anything but what you are, and try to be that perfectly."
~ St. Francis De Sales

"The way we live our days, is the way we live our lives."
~ Annie Dillard

The Covey - Restaurant and Brewery

'Tis the season for Oktoberfest! Drove down to Fort Worth last Friday for some german food and german beer. The Covey had an Oktoberfest buffet which was a pork fest. Yum yum yum!
Oktoberfest Menu
Assorted Fresh Pumpernickel and Rye Breads
German Coleslaw
German Potato Salad
Pickled Beets
Braised Red Cabbage
Bier Bratwurst
Knackwurst and Sauerkraut
Wiener Schnitzel
Beer Glazed Pork Hocks
Black Forest Cake

It was good fun to stuff our face with food and beer. Tried the Vienna Lager and the Oktoberfest beers. This restaurant was actually quite interesting as it was a fine dining restaurant plus a brew pub with an on-site Brewmaster. We had the buffet but we also looked at the other tables that ordered from the ala carte menu and the food looked really good too!

I might come back again for their Fried Chicken Sundays when I am craving for fried chicken!

Mamma Mia!

I love musicals... That's just a fact. I watched Mamma Mia the movie about 1.5 months ago and I just love the songs because I love ABBA! I was singing the songs from the soundtrack for weeks after watching the movie.
Found out that the musical was going to be in Fort Worth for a week and I immediately asked Steph if she wanted to go. Going on a weekend would be ideal but we were told that we had to work that weekend so we got tickets for a Thursday night. Figured we could skive off work a little earlier on that day.
We got there early enough to have a Bay Breeze (vodka with cranberry and pineapple juice... YUM!) and just hung around until the show started.

I have to say I enjoyed it more than the movie! It was just extremely good fun and I had a smile on my face the whole time. I had to secretly stop myself from singing out loud. It was infectious and I had to stand up at the end when they did some encore songs!

Wish we had more musicals in Dallas....

Ailments

It has been a while since my last entry. I guess I have been pretty busy with work and also with an early trip back to Malaysia. Recently, someone told me I have been like a disaster area. I got back to Dallas after 2 weeks in Malaysia and I could barely walk the next day (Monday). Both my legs were swollen and my ankles were twice the normal size. At first the doctor thought it might be DVT so I went for an ultrasound. Luckily there wasn't a clot and the doctor said that it is probably just an inflammation. I also had a little bit of rash on my body but the doctor said it was probably nothing.

The next day (Tuesday), I had a slight fever and more rashes. This was when I thought... ooo... maybe I've got rubella. The doctor dismissed it again and just told me it is probably just a viral infection. I noticed that with doctors, if they don't know what it is, they usually tell you it is a viral infection.

On Wednesday and Thursday, I went back to work because I was unable to stay locked up in a small hotel room. I think that was a mistake because I was probably still a bit run-down and when I woke up on Friday, I had a massive breakout of rashes all over my body. Had to go to the Emergency room to see the doctor and they told me it was an allergy. I don't know what I am allergic to but I am sure it is "work". The rashes were bad. I could barely bring myself to take a picture. Took a blurry one with my iPhone. Spent the next 3 days eating antihistamines every 4 hours and sleeping.

I was better the next week. Then I went for the Maroon 5 and Counting Crows concert (which was extremely good by the way) and sat on the grass and had a hayfever attack. I am still having the sniffles even though it has been a few days after the concert.

I just want to get better!!

Minor burn....

If it's not one thing, its another. This has just been a year of incidents. You can't really see it in the picture but I burnt my hand (between the thumb and the forefinger) this morning. I was trying to have something different for breakfast so I put fish fingers into the oven and when I took it out, the cloth slipped and I got burnt. Sigh...

Luckily I can still drive with 1 hand and got to work safely. Found some "burn gel" in the first aid kit in the office and applied generously on my hand. What a relief! Anyway, I can still type so I guess I can still work. Bummer!

A spider experience

Even though I am the youngest in my family, I always seem to be the first to experience new viruses - e.g. mumps, measles, german measles, etc. I was also the only one that had appendicitis and had to be operated on when I was 9 years old. Anyway, last week, I became the first in my family to be bitten by a spider. What a harrowing experience. I was supposed to go out for dinner with some colleagues after work and I was just heading back to my hotel room and walking up the stairs whilst searching for my keycard at the same time. Suddenly I felt an electric jolt on my left hand all the way up my arm. I glanced at my hand and saw a light brown spider (about the size of a quarter) gnawing me. I shrieked and pushed the spider off and dashed into my room. I started washing my hands in hope that I would wash it all away but I noticed I was bitten twice! One on my wrist and another one on the side of my hand. Both started swelling and it was painful! Dang!


I rushed to my colleague's room where we were all supposed to meet up before dinner and when I told them what happened, someone said that there was a poisonous spider lurking around where we were staying and that someone else at work had been bitten too. We quickly googled "spider bites first aid" and found out that there are 2 poisonous species in our area - the black widow and the brown recluse. I looked at the picture of the brown recluse and went... OH SHIT! That looked exactly like the damn spider that bit me. Anyway, we (all 10 of us) went to the minute clinic just across the street. This was what she said "ohhhh... you were bitten.... ohhhh!! It looks swollen!". OK, I'm not a doctor but this woman was just stating the obvious. She referred us to an Urgent Care clinic because they were not allowed to treat spider bites.

So we left in search of the Urgent Care clinic - I was holding a wet kitchen cloth with ice cubes pressed to my hand. We found the clinic and me and my entourage went in and I got registered. It took another couple of hours, an antibiotic shot, a tetanus shot, a prescription of antibiotics and vicodin before I got out of there.


Managed to get my dinner around 11 pm that night. I'm traumatised. I'm glad I wasn't alone though. A big thank you goes out to my colleagues that helped me through the night.






Update: (22/7/2008)

I still look like this:


















And not like this: