Quarter Review

1) Spent Valentine's under bright lights with 8 men

On a shoot for a television commercial. I love how plain it looks in reality, but on screen, the entire scene looks beautiful. Cinematography, that's what movie magic is all about.

My pretend husband.

2) Discovered Mad for Garlic @ Suntec.

Nice deco, posh enough (but won't break the bank) to take a date. Taking her to this place will hint "no kissing", which makes her let her guard down. Reverse psychology, ha!

The cheesecake is a miss.

It tickled me to see this on the menu. What a name! No hungry ghosts, certainly!

The special drinks are a must get. Can't quite decide if we prefer the wine+sprite combi or the honey citrus+sprite. They're both very good! Skip the pastas, the pizzas are better. 

3) You TwitFace
Ever since i got the iphone, I've been living and breathing social media so much that i am feeling sick. When youtube, facebook and twitter merge? You TwitFace. That's exactly how i feel.

Notebook taking a jab at social media found at The Cathay

4) Had by far THE BEST Italian food in Singapore

Something pinkish, something white. Food porn. 

I'm not much of a cheese lover ( not a fan of REAL cheese, happy with Kraft processed slices), but this parma ham salad with a generous dollop of some fancy cheese bowled me over and my trail of saliva was THIS long (ok, no, you really don't want to see it).  $45 for two (but you can share comfortably with 4 or 5). Everything else is perfect too.

Osvaldo Ristorante Italiano is located at the Maxwell Chambers (next to Tanjong Pagar MRT).

5) Ate a flower

The same Italian restaurant presented us with some dolci to settle our palate and the waitress specifically said the flower was edible.

So i ate.  It tasted like cleanly cut grass, and i looked like a cow.

6) Experienced Banyan Tree, Ungasan.

Just the other day, i met this young boy and we were talking about blogs. Then he told me he reads this girl's blog. 

"Also called christine", he says. 

"Really?" I asked. 

He said, "Yeah. She travels alot and posts her holiday photos." 

"I see."

It's great to get feedback from the community, and i am glad he didn't associate "spoilt rich daddy's girl" with "christine, the blogger."

It's going to be my third trip next weekend and it's only March of 2011. How do i do it? It sounds extravagant, it's not. Live and travel on a shoestring budget.

1) Buy early, buy sale fares

2) Do your research and live as cheaply as $20/day (twin sharing)

3) Maximize your time (friday evening flight out, sunday night flight in)

4) I limit my food court meals daily to $4 (no soft drinks, stay slim and rich)

5) My only extravagance ($500 monthly) is buying expensive clothes (not branded but of style, cut and quality)

7) Sickest film Watched

I have to admit, i do have a sick mind (most of the time) and i can stomach all the nastiest gore. But R-rated Daniel and Ana which was an art house film showing at Cathay recently actually made me squirm in my seat, ALOT.

It documented a real social issue that happens in Mexico and North America, the kidnap of siblings for clandestine pornography. Incest pornography is largely banned in most countries, but still it exists because there is a demand. 

I squirmed alot because although they were actors, i believed them to be siblings and when they start having sex (at gun point), it made me VERY uncomfortable because I DO live with two brothers.

8) Made some new F.R.I.E.N.D.S, met some old

9) Stripped in Public

Checking the price tag out

Generously invited by HTC (Fast queue access, appreciated!) to the much coveted event : Cleo Bachelor 2011. Entering Zouk, we were cajoled by the A/X promoters to snap a picture with their watches for a contest. So we did. Later when they called me to go to the promotion booth, i thought i've won it! Later did i know, i was "picked" to go up on stage to strip.

Not abashed to pick the most good looking one, he happened to be also the shortest. That made stripping him easy as i didn't need much effort (don't have to tip toe) to pull and tug the tees off. 

The quick wrist work (don't think dirty!) won me an A/X watch. Read a detailed account of the event over at my friend Estelle's blog.

10) The stillborn of my rabbit went down the rubbish chute

Didn't know my bunny was pregnant, didn't even know they mated (they are kept in separate cages). Surprised to see a fetus buried under the sawdust. Threw the "thing" down the rubbish chute, we were just being practical and not flush it down the toilet.

Don't waste money buying a rabbit leash. You don't walk it, it walks you.

11) Human Stories 

Lastly, heard so many human stories in this first quarter that i relish the fact that friends like confiding in me. Your secrets are safe with me because i've a memory of a gold fish.  Besides, it has always been an unfulfilled ambition to be a therapist (the rapist). So bare your soul to me.