tropicana ~ life is a kaleidoscope
Join The Princess in her journey of a plethora of changing colours and patterns

Overheard@40,000 FT

Saturday, May 31, 2008
GVA-EWR, onboard medical emergency. PA made for doctor, but no one stepped forward. Crew checked and there's a doctor listed in passenger list sitting at 24E.

Crew : Is there a Dr. XXX here at 24E? (Addressing row 23-25)

Pax@25E: Excuse me, we changed seats.

Crew : Oh, you changed seats with the doctor? Do you know where is he now?

Pax@25E: No, I just want to inform you, we (pointing to seats 25 A,B,D,E) changed seats. So for the second meal, please do not send the AVML (airline lingo for Asian vegetarian meal) to the wrong person.

Thank you asshole, for wasting 1 minute of my time. To you, your AVML is probably more precious than someone else's life.
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Friday, May 30, 2008
I'm going to be very poor next month. Just did GVA-EWR for the whole freaking month. Recurrent lar, illegal for FRA lar, changed my 3 days unplanned leave and effectively disrupted the roster for the first half of next month. Worse part is, have to stay in The Sandpit for one week. One week!

Eat sand lor, since there's unlimited supply of it.

Some pics of NYC during my recent trip there. Specifically, of Times Square in Manhattan. It is located at Broadway and Seventh Avenue and extends from West 42nd to West 47th Streets. You will never ever get lost in Manhattan due to it's grid layout. Avenues run south to north and streets run east to west. At night, the whole area is lighted up with neon supersigns and generally buzzing with people. Like they say, the city never sleeps.


A good view of NYC is before entering the Lincoln Tunnel
connecting Manhattan and New Jersey


The day before Memorial Day












The Princess chiong-ed to the shops on the second day as it was Memorial Day and there's sale everywhere. In the end, didn't buy much as I just couldn't be bothered jostling with other people for space. And the queue was another major turn off. But managed to sapu a lot of lotions from Victoria's Secret nevertheless.





And of course, I had, what else, but McDonald's, in the land where the golden arches first came about. No wonder Americans are obese. No small, medium, large meal for your picking, everything comes in standard size, which is extra large. Ordered the Angus Third Pounder - Angus Mushroom and Swiss. And guess what? It's nice. Maybe it's because of the Angus beef or just my mind playing with my taste buds, but the patty is juicier and tastes more meat-like. The McDonald's folk probably forgot to throw in the sawdust while processing the patties.

Shit. I still cannot get over the fact that my Rome is taken away next month. So that I could attend some interview that shortlisted every Tom, Dick and Harry that bothered to apply. Talk about quality control.
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Of Mis-craving

Friday, May 23, 2008
I.Am.Seriously.Missing.Banana.Leaf.Rice.

To the extent of googling for pictures of it.

Huge mistake. The craving got worse. Oh man, what wouldn't I give for piping hot rice served on banana leaf now, with the waiter going around with the tiffin-like metal containers of assorted vegetables, pickles and curried meat, plonking everything on the leaf until you say stop. How can I forget the crispy papadums. And the chilled mango lassi (best!).

Aiyoyo, ini macam tak boleh lar. Mesti kasi tido itu otak, tak boleh asyik tengok itu gambar banana leaf rice lar, sister.
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Of Dandelion Dance

Tuesday, May 20, 2008
I haven't seen dandelions for a long time. Maybe I did, but I could not be bothered to stop and smell the grass.

I saw fields of dandelions in Munich. Bright yellow rosettes dancing in the wind. White puffy heads swaying gaily in the bright sunshine. They stopped me in my track. Suddenly I remembered the dandelions of my past.

Have you ever made a dandelion wish? I used to do that whenever I stumbled across dandelions. You hold a dandelion in your hand, close your eyes, wish upon it and blow all the spores away. Hoping your wish will come true wherever the wind carries it. Only to find out your innocence is lost along the way.























That day, I blew wishie after wishie of dandelions (yes, the dandelion clock is also known as wishie). White furry seeds floated blithely across the field. For that short moment, I regained my innocence.



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Of Spring Festival Is Truly Auspicious

Sunday, May 18, 2008
I just got to know a surprising news from my best friend. Delightful surprise anyway.

I know what you did last Spring Festival ;)
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Of Dentist's Best Patients

Saturday, May 17, 2008


Another reason not to get pissed drunk in public (apart from not being able to haul your ass back home) - You risk having embarrassing photos of you plastered all over the Net.







To these two guys sleeping in Ostbahnhof station 2 days ago, no, I will not take these down. But I could send you the full resolution photos if you want. *wink*
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Of Mum's The Word

Saturday, May 10, 2008
I always say my mum is the coolest mum. Old school cool. She's not exactly your typical conservative Chinese mum who, you know, forbids her daughter to hang out with boys or to listen to noisy music.

But she does have the typical Chinese mum trait of comparing her daughters to someone else's. Those irritating "Oh, Auntie Lily's daughter scored straight As in her SPM" or "Why can't you be like ah girl next door, she mops the floor everyday without being told to".

Mum generally lets me do as I like (within reasonable grounds, of course). While Dad will go "You're not exactly going out wearing those, are you?", Mum will come to the rescue and retort with something like "Haiya, what do you know about fashion? Still living in the past is it?".

Mum let me buy my first and ever pet, an iguana. And she takes care of him all this time while I'm away. Heck, Mum even let me get my first tattoo done while Dad was furious and asked me to rub it away (as he put it). When I told her about my plan to do volunteering works in Peru after I leave The Sandpit for good, she didn't say much, except for "Take good care of yourself".

I guess she gave up trying to change my mind. She knows how hard it is to change my mind once I have my mind set on something. Sometimes I do wonder, whether I make her proud. Whether she's disappointed in having a daughter who doesn't follow the norm, who always have some bizarre ideas cooking in her head.

But sometimes I have the feeling that I am Mum's favorite (even Siew Li said so). Not that she's showing favoritism, she's always been fair, it's just this feeling I have.

We're raised in an environment where affection is not expressed verbally, but through actions. Maybe that's the reason I have trouble expressing my emotions. I could put feelings into words but ask me to say it out, I just go blank. I still couldn't bring myself to say I love her no matter how I try.

Today is Mother's Day. I couldn't celebrate it with her but I'd like to say this to her (even though she doesn't read my blog).

Happy Mother's Day. I love you.

Next year, I hope I could bring myself to say it face to face to her.
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Of Lucky I Found Dessert

Friday, May 09, 2008
My absolute favourite dessert shop in Hong Kong - Lucky Dessert.

Because they serve ass-kicking durian soup. With two ulas of durian in thick, creamy durian paste top with pomelo sacs.


Durian soup

While you're there, do try the Mango Pastry Roll. Sweet, juicy mango flesh rolled in a layer of sponge cake and flaky filo skin (they do durian and banana as well, but the banana one is the best).


Mango pastry roll


Alex, you've been told.
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Of Free RPK, Free Malaysia

Thursday, May 08, 2008

RPK is arrested under sedition charge for posting a piece of article titled 'Let's Send The Altantunya Murderers To Hell' in Malaysia Today. What sedition? Sedition is the stirring up of rebellion against the government in power. No need to stir, it is long time there, just that the people finally put thoughts into action.

But I'm kind of amazed by the speed the police got into work in this case. Buang tabiat betul.

Don't sue me ok. I'm just a high class waitress working in some ulu place. What do I know? *Open eyes big big, give innocent look*


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Of Irony of Life

Thursday, May 08, 2008
You thought it doesn't matter. You thought you're in control. You thought it'll go away. But then you thought babies came out from navel holes as a child too.

How could something so short-lived leave such a profound effect? It was never meant to be, it will never be.

I'm glad you are gone. Closure, they say.
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Of HIIT It

Sunday, May 04, 2008
I started HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) yesterday. Basically, as the name suggests, you perform cardiovascular in intervals, alternating between the highest intensity your body could take and then slowing down. My body is aching is to put it mildly.

I feel like dying is more like it.
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Overheard@40,000 FT

Thursday, May 01, 2008
Pax: Thank you, Diana. I'd love to eat in your restaurant again.

???
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He Says, She Says

Royal Entourage