Cow xi fa cai!

L felt like he's been here forever even though it's just 2 weeks since he touched down. He was surprised to see me in my new hairdo and even more pleasantly surprised to see my bedroom and its new arrangements. The tropical heat of Spore wrapped around him like a warm wet embrace; he couldn't imagine experiencing winter and summer in 48 hours. We did the customary trip to the bustling Chinatown on CNY eve after sweating over his favourite steamboat with my family. Everyone was pleased to have him over; he's such a sweetie to warm up to.

On day uno of CNY, we spent all day at nonna - stuffing our faces with tidbits and bak kwa - then went to dad's side in the evening where over 60 relatives awaited. He was a bit petrified but mustered courage to say ciao to all. We also visited friends like Ad, F and M, and overdosed on steamboat, Chingay and snacks. Too much good food and soccer led to a bout of flu for him last weekend, and I eventually got the bug. Luigi is not resting a bit however and relentless with his resume posting. He also went to a casino school seminar and met the VP of the IR in person. I told him he needs to smooze and network in S'pore, especially with his fellow chao angmohs. And my cats. As you can see, they are starting to cosy up to him. Lol.

Anyway to cheer everyone up, here are the annual CNY responses from my amico Chris. Hilarious!

Wah you've put on weight ah?
- Yes, now we look like twins!
- Yes, I work as a counterweight on the Singapore Flyer.
- Yes, I've landed the starring role in The Little Nyonya sequel, The Enormous Nyonya.
- We all store fat differently - just because you put yours in your BRAIN doesn't mean I have to.
- What happened was I went for liposuction, but the doctor pushed the lever in the wrong direction.
- No, I'm just having an allergic reaction to your obnoxiously strong perfume.
- Actually, in Australia/USA/Europe, I'm considered small-sized.

Not married yet ah? This is the last year I'm giving you ang pow ah!

- You - you mean - you think I'm going to die before next CNY?? Why you so mean?? Everyone, she/he say I going to die one!!!
- Orr, you facing bankruptcy after the economic crisis is it? Poor thing.
- It...it will be tough coping with the loss of your annual $2, but I...I'll try.
- Yah married already, but we didn't invite you to the dinner cos everytime got family wedding you always turn up and eat a lot but give small small ang pow one.
- Wow thank you so much! With this wonderful $2, I can buy a bride and some camels from Yemen.
- When the SDU found out I was related to you they rejected my application to join lor.

Still got no girlfriend/boyfriend is it?

- Got. But not like I'm going to bring Condoleezza Rice to your tiny flat.
- Who needs romance when you have a Blackberry?
- Girlfriend got. But the Clean Up Joo Chiat committee sent her back to her home island.
- Yes, I'm dating this Nigerian businessman, we met over the Internet when he asked me to help him collect some funds from this really interesting scheme.

Benvenuto amore mio

Since I got back in Spore, the weeks flew by, packed with work appointments and tastings. The hibernated bear in me awoke and slowly gained the momentum of a workhorse - with the help of the capable new intern P. I told her we fired the last intern as he sucked, but I think anyone should be able to do better than him. I also laid down a rule for her not to wear high heels to meetings with me because she'd make me look like a midget. I couldn't do much for my height but luckily I could reduce my girth by practising yoga and have been going at it 3 times a week - which helped to shave off the post-festive weight gain!

Needless to say, L and I missed each other so much and after some deliberation, he decided to come over to look for a job and would arrive this Sabato, in time for CNY again! My mom was amused when she found out. I said he loves steamboats and angbohs, but she knew he's probably here for another reason. Already, I have cleared half my wardrobe and shelves, and bought a new single mattress for him. He's totally psyched up about a new beginning here and we're crossing our fingers that he'd be able to find work despite the economic crunch. (If anyone knows any lobangs in hospitality or casino-related industries, let me know!)

I also bought pots of mint and rosemary at the nursery for sessions of mojitos and pasta with L while my family lugged back pots of spring blooms. And yesterday, I popped into the hair salon and decided on a whim to chop off my hair and colour it brown. My mom said I look like an angmoh and stared at me every 10secs. This morning I nearly screamed when I saw my before-make-up reflection. But after some sassy styling, I was different - in a good way - so my sister said. At the bus stop, a man walked by, did a triple take, and backtracked to ask me if I'm Filippina or Indonesian. I don't know if that's a compliment. My sister again assured me texting 'Exotic new look mah'.

Anyway I've decided it's gonna be a fun crazy year, and I'm embracing 2009 with specific resolutions. So instead of generic vague goals like 'be more healthy', I'm gonna eat more vegs and fruits, and exercise at least 3 times a week. Instead of 'be happy', I'm gonna wear more colours and be more fun and daring with my approach to personal style! To be less stressed, I'm gonna be kinder to self and others, and put love above everything else. Let's go!

Palermo port of call

La vista di Palermo dal nostro B&B

After 3 full days of feasting, we left for Palermo in my beloved Sicilia - finally some peace and privacy. Initially L bought the overnight bunks for 28 Dec which would leave us just 3 days there. I sulked in the car, and he sighed and ran back to the stazione to exchange it for the earlier day trip on 27 Dec. Despite being frustrated, he said something that touched me: 'You're never happy, but I'm never happy without you.' Awww, isn't that the sweetest thing? I was so excited with the prospect of being back in Sicily that I could barely contain myself throughout the 8-hour train ride. We passed by the familiar stark seaside landscape of Calabria, passing by Paola where the late afternoon sun sparkled over the blue waters. We played the card game of 'chor dai dee' (I kept winning) and he surrended to sleep when the treno rolled into the enormous belly of the ship and sailed across the Messina Straits.

It was another 2hrs+ before we got off at Palermo at 6.30pm. The sun set at 4pm+ in winter and the sky turned dark, choking the joy and activity from daytime. Honestly winter was no fun, all grey and sleepy. One can't do much; even going for long walks was a challenge in the face of the sombre chill. This was both our virgin trip in Palermo, and we didn't do any research on it but we went with our gut feeling, strolled down Via Roma and found Hotel Centro easily (70e).

Hungry we went in search of cena and by some stroke of luck, we overheard 2 tourists looking for a local trattoria and backtracked our steps to the cosy Casa del Brodo which was the only eatery buzzing with life around town. To celebrate our arrival in Palermo, we splurged on dinner - first una bottiglia di vino bianco (because the house wine was insipid), poi I had a big bowl of steamed fresh mussels and my favourite spaghetti con sarde (an essential in Sicilia) while L had the comforting tortellini in brodo and fritto misto. I always suffered from food envy and luckily L always lets me order for us and waits patiently while I picks at his food. Hehe.

The next day, we checked out of Hotel Centro and I followed my nagging instinct and knocked on the door of the B&B upstairs. A chirpy Rosella Bianchi greeted us and proceeded on a quick tour of her gorgeous old apartment filled with antiques, art, books and her own range of handsewn cushions and curtains. We were sold when she unveiled the double bedroom with an attached bathroom and balcony that overlooked Palermo's skyline (at only 55e).

She happily outlined a full day of itinerary around the surrounding quarters and we enjoyed getting lost in the colourful Ballaro mercato where morning vendors competed for your attention. Stall-owners were flogging fresh meats, seafood, seasonal veggies, bbq organs, used goods, clothing, etc. We tried to find this trio of churchs but kept going in circles in the Indian muslim quarters where street signs displayed all 3 languages (like in Spore!). We caught a whiff of curry powder and fresh laundry, walking by battered flats next to refurbished ones, rundown churches to majestic monuments.

Palermo is at once grand yet ruined, depressing yet energetic. It's full of contrasts at every corner you turn. In hind sight, we should have stayed longer in Palermo but it was also a great pleasure to be back in bella Taormina. Three years ago, I did promise myself I'd return with mio grande amore :)

Where to Stay:
Centrally located at Via Roma, 72, Hotel Centro is a cosy 3* hotel (70euros/ night in winter) overlooking the busy main street lined with shops and bars.

Bed & Breakfast Rosella Bianchi above Hotel Centro is run by a chirpy Rosella - we love her gorgeous old apartment filled with character (55euros /night in winter). Book in advance as she only has 2 rooms. Tel: 091 617 1098.

What to see:
Palermo has many gorgeous churches, lively piazzas, the Indian muslim quarters and outdoor markets. Must-sees are the Palermo Cathedral, Fontana Pretoria, and the colourful Ballaro food morning market.

Where to eat:
Palermo is known for their seafood, esp swordfish, so knock yourselves out! Casa del Brodo (est since 1890) is a great seafood restaurant and quite easy to find. They have a buffet spread of antipasti which they will charge according to what you pick but I'd suggest sharing a antipasto like the Spaghetti con sardes (sardines) or their signature Tortellini pasta in brodo (meat soup) - followed by the fresh seafood like Frittura mista di pesce (deepfried fish n seafood), Steamed cozze mussels, and Involtini di pesce spada (stuffed swordfish rolls). Address: Corso Vittorio Emanuele, 175. Tel. 091-321655 - closed on Sundays in summer. Book in advance. http://www.casadelbrodo.it/

Not far in a small lane is Antica Focacceria San Francesco (Via A. Paternostro 58) opened since 1834. They are known for being anti-mafia and refused to pay bribes (which explained the presence of polizia). Cheap and popular, it serves stuffed Focaccia to the specialty Panino con la milza (a bread roll stuffed with slices of boiled beef spleen and melted cheese) and Panelle (deep-fried chickpea fritters). I liked the Arancini di riso (stuffed fried rice balls) and the glorious Boiled polpo (octopus) with a dose of sale e limone.

Bar RosaNero is a popular self-service pasticceria and bar and they have all kinds of sweets, cakes and pastries. A must try is the Sicilian cannoli. At Piazzetta Porta Reale, 6.

Street vendors also offer all kinds of local specialties such as granita (shaved ice w fruits) and panelle fried chickpea fritters.

Xmas In Italia

Finalmente, I got on the plane on Emirates and began my 20-hr journey to Roma on early sabato morning. I had just started packing on Friday night - trying on assorted winter-like combos of what I could find in my wardrobe - and managed to stuff the xmas gifts in the luggage too (which weighed just 13.9kg). At 12.45pm, the plane touched down at Roma and I ran to catch the Fiumincino espresso where I chatted with a jewish businessman from Israel while staring out at the familiar vista. The only tell-tale signs of winter were the bare trees against the clear blue sky, and everyone all wrapped up in furry coats and boots.

The cold crisp wintry air was actually refreshing and jolted me up from my jetlagged slumber. I spotted L easily at the platform, his blue eyes beaming underneath his cap and his kiss like a breath of fresh mint on my face. We found the Best B&B (Vatican) easily and it looks exactly like its advertised foto - modern n minimalistic, plus the superb colazione lived up to expectations. The next morning after sleeping for 14 hours, we seeked out la bocca della verita (mouth of truth) where I stuck my icy hand in and tried to think of a honest question but the stupido staff kept saying 'ooonly 1 foto!' and interrupted my thoughts.

We hurried back to Napoli where Raef came to pick us up in time for Mel's Sunday lunch. Ah back again at Pozzuoli. This time in winter... and it's freaking cold lor. One doesn't seem to do much in winter except eat, sleep, watch tv. No wonder I felt like a bear, gaining extra fats during this hibernation festa period. Luckily everyone seemed pleased with my gifts, specialmente Nonna with her deep plush purple chinese silk and chinese frog buttons (perfetto for her 80th birthday dress), Raef with his oilment and muscle medicated patches, and Mel with the silver bag and sequinned blue shirt.

She paid for a lovely blue knitted dress which I picked out at the open market at Bagnoli. I so loved the seasonal produce, from the bright orange clementine mandarins, whole stalks of gorgeous artichokes and leafy bunches of kale to streetside roasted chestnuts and festive sweets. I couldn't find any ideal boots there so L and I made a trip to bustling Napoli where everyone is fighting for last minute xmas bargains.

Of particular interest, Via San Gregorio Armeno is the famosa strada of nativity artisan workshops responsible for the intricate nativity scenes and terra cotta figures (Obama anyone?) to dress up the festive home decor. After a quick grab of pizza fritta (deepfried folded stuffed pizza, very fattening), we located a Chinese shop selling all kinds of winter boots and both picked out the same pair of brown sporty boots (15e). Yay, sono quasi italiana ora, keekee.

Apart from pure vanity, one reason why I got the boots was the Xmas eve wet fish market at Pozzuoli where everyone heads to buy some fresh catch and soak up the festivity despite the freezing cold. It is one of my few favourite places in Italy where tenacles, fins and shells of many kinds rub me the right way. I love my polpo (octopus) - big and small, when it's boiled, chopped up and dressed with parsley, salt, olive oil and lemon juice.

Mel, cugina Linda and zia Luisa stocked up on a shipload of pesce and seafood for the Xmas Eve, Xmas day AND Boxing day family feasts (si, 3 days in a row and we only got out by escaping to Sicily!) - where everyone come together and stuffed their faces on traditional favourites such as pasta al forno, lenticche con zampone, frittura baccala, poven-roasted fishes and copious amount of vino. They could see I was fawning over the fresh artichokes and made a bunch battered in crumbs and crispy fried, specialmente per me. So sweet. Certo, ho finito tutto.

Every Xmas eve morning, Mel also makes pizza dough from scratch and filled it with a light mixture of spinach and raisins. This pie-like treat is considered a 'light lunch' - the calm before the storm. Tip: some walking before dinner also helps.

I also liked the spaghetti con aragoste (lobsters) - although L said the sauce could be better. He's a real sticker with food but that's one of the many qualities that I love about him. We could discuss and debate about how to cook various ingredients. Sometimes he would describe careful steps of preparing a certain dish for me - peppered with lots of amore - and it's very sexy. OOOOh.

On Xmas Day, we played the traditonal festive game of Tombola (akin to Bingo), ideal for the young and old. Except they don't play very high stakes, so not very fun for Chinese people. Ha. I enjoyed more cugina Linda's yet soul-satisfying brodo di spinach, oily fatty pork and sausages. The pork meat was culled from the recently-slaughtered pigs on Massimo's farm and tasted very good. I had 3 helpings and gave the thumbs up to them.

Dolci (desserts) was another thing - fresh seasonal melone, roasted chestnuts, chocolate-coated spiced natale nougat, whole panettone, crumbly doughnut-like pasteria, and struffoli - tiny fried pieces of soft, porous egg pastry, formed into balls coated with honey and sprinkled with bright and colorful candied sugar and candied fruit peel. Warning: do not consume at one sitting or suffer from 10 thousand calories! (See the foto: what's the common link among the 4? They are all sooooo sweet! That's Alessia - Anna's 5-month old baby girl. She was conceived right after the wedding which I attended last year. Mamma mia!)

Lights camera act

We fired our intern last Friday. It was inevitable. We were tossing with the decision for the past 2 weeks, even at our annual potluck ALOFQ Xmas party. Talking about him always makes our blood boil but we thought hell, we could try to put up with him for 1 and half months more till end Jan'09. Anyway his lecturer's call was the last straw on the camel's back. He asked if all was ok, so we met him and found out that K has been complaining non-stop to him, the other lecturer and his friends about us. We could tell he was miserable but expected him to be more mature about it.

Even his lecturers said he has to learn to deal with the stress and empathise more with us than him. We decided with the lecturer's blessing that it was better for K to move on to another company where he might eventually like or not (and realise it's not us, but him). On Friday we broke the news to him and he seemed ok (maybe relieved?), just mummering 'Sorry I let you all down.' We said it's not personal but hope he'd see this as a positive lesson. Life moves on.

Xmas seems to be creeping up real fast - I've had my share of turkey, pork knuckle and the works at 2 Xmas parties already. And the real countdown started over the weekend to seeing L again on 20 Dicembre this sabato. Roma is flooding over from the torrents of rain and northern italia is buried under tons of snow. But we are looking forward to a wintry snug Natale and ushering the New Year with some prosecco and fireworks. Ironically, we are not sure how it'd unfold for us but we're clinging onto every hope that we could be together. C'e speranza.

I'm happy for V, who is getting hitcked to P from down under. Just today she was shrieking and I was doing the 'V-is-getting-married!-dance' in the office, as she clicked on the online ROM application and booked the date 16 March. That's the day they first met online and a year later, they are taking the vows. It's funny how things turned out. Marriage is scary but it is the logical decision once you've found that someone special to spend your life with; who's your soulmate and best friend, whom you want to travel the world, laugh and cry over everything and nothing.

Intern woes

Pop the prosecco - it's 1 Dicembre! Cool bananas cos in 3 weeks I will be on that plane back to Motherland! I've gotten most of the Xmas gifts for L's famiglia - including a durian bar from Davao for L, who's craving my spicy tom yums and curries too. Aspetta un po' caro! He said winter has finally arrived and the temperature has dropped to 2-3 degs at night and 15 degs+ in the day. Luckily my sis is lending me her glam winter jacket with a warm rabbit-fur lined collar (ok i know not v politically correct but I do eat rabbit). I've been trying to eat better these days too ever since I've started our cats on a trial raw meat diet (grazie Jan!). If I can bother with their health, what about mine?!

With all the recent health scare, I have thought twice about all the food that goes into my body. After all, we are what we eat right? My new food guide rule no.1 is to eat more vegetables and fruits (esp organic ones), and will try to stick to 3 vegetarian days in a week. I don't think I will ever give up fish and seafood, but will slowly wean myself off red meat for a start (meat production is a factor that's also contributing to the declining global climate - becos more resources such as animal feed go into it).

I also try to buy more environmentally-friendly natural products ('Yes To Carrots' is a good label, avail at Watsons) and recycle wastes including open envelopes/used mags/papers/plastic bottles/ etc. Personally I also have been carrying my own shopping bag for more than 1 year now and in the office we have been using our own lunch boxes to tah-bao food for more than 2 years now! Perseverance, my child! :)

However our new intern K needs a little lesson in this - he has been bringing in daily sandwiches packed by mommy in those plastic triangular boxes. And everytime he finishes them, he throws them away. N literally asks him to skip the boxes but I still see them on his desk. He's a tough nut to crack. Also since I've come back, I've heard nothing but complaints about him from the girls that he's an unmotivated blur sotong. I tried the 'soft approach' - being the funny, easygoing, approachable boss - but it didn't work as he continues to show a lack of initiative and enthuasiam.

One day the dam broke, V lost her cool and we lashed out at him which made him cry. I actually said 'You should learn to use your brains!' He's a little better now but we have no great expectations from him. Already we've secured a new intern from my alumni Comm Studies at NTU for next year - she seems hopeful; in fact an over-achiever who has a black belt in karate (national athlete leh, don't pray pray), who started her own online portal for the youths, partakes in theatre and charity, and has learnt Korean! Truth be said, girls make better interns because most guys can't multi-task well and are less mature at that age. It's true!

Reading the signs

I'm not very inspired to write these days. Nor to read despite the pile of new books and tons of reading materials on my newly self-assembled book shelf. Infatti, I'm a little lost. Sometimes I feel pulled in different directions. Frankly I'm ready for a change. But I don't know what form it will take. Perhaps it's the time of the year - to make new resolutions again. I'm quite proud to say I've achieved most of my resolutions in the past 2 years! That's the power of listing down your short-term goals and working towards them. Pick up that pen and paper, it's easy lah.

A girl's issue

Work has been on an upswing with a few projects coming in at the same time; we couldn't really complain - especially with the recent 'economic downturn'. Take now and worry later. I try to skip all the negative headlines in the papers too, because life is already quite tough trying to put up a positive front. We don't need the media telling us about the next World Depression. Perhaps all this credit meltdown is a good thing. Humans deserve a big wake-up call to stop over-consuming and over-spending when they don't have the bloody means to. What happened to buy it only if you can afford and need it?

Greed is one evil that needs to be replaced by responsibility. Take the latest melamine scare for example; it goes to show businessmen's greed is blinded by quick profits with no heed for conscience and integrity. We should all boycott China's produce untill they learn to respect consumers' safety.

This led me to ponder about the pet food that we've been feeding our cats. You never know where this melamine is hidden. Ah Girl (Ripley) has been losing a lot of weight and is all skin-n-bones these past months, probably due to old age (she's 16 and that's almost 80++ in human years). We confirmed it at the vet who did a blood test. It indicated that her kidney, liver and heart are under stress and she'd need to change her diet to prescribed food, undergo weekly fluid dialysis, and take a liver tonic and heart pill. Poverina. My mom cried on the way home, as she loved Ah Girl the most. We'll just have to care for her in the best ways we can now, while we still can. She has lived with us for close to 10 years now since I adopted her from the streets of Tiona Bahru and is a part of the family. Sigh.

Ok just to cheer us up, here's a funny incident which happened to me last week on the mrt. I was on the way home and playing with my phone when this Indian guy seated next to me, said in a heavy accent:
He: 'Miss, the train is very slow today...'
Me: 'Huuuh?'
He: 'The train usually 2mins from Tanah M to Simei, today 4mins.'
Me: 'Ooh is it? I dont know. bo.'
He: 'Miss, you married Singaporean?'
Me: 'Yes' (i thought 'oh no')
A brief silence.
He: 'You know where is cheapest to stay in S'pore?'
Me: 'No, I dont know, sorry...'
He: 'Sorry miss, i ask u because u look very educated.'
Me: 'sorry I dont know. Bye'

Encore encore!

I got my attestato di frequenza today - quite amazing - considering I was expecting it 3 months later. But these italians surprised me at times. I do miss them, the country, my life back there as a carefree studentessa. When people asked me how it was, I just smiled and they knew it was incredible. During the last 2 weeks, I've gotten emails from Elena, Iris, Michele, Gang, Dali, Kumar, Moe and the 3 Yukos. Some are back in their own countries (save for Mic who's in 'paradiso' in Seychelles), while the others are pursuing C1 at Perugia. I even got a hilarious reply from the wonderful madcap Professoressa Daniela who wrote:

"Ciao bellissima chiacchiera mia, tante grazie. Mi viene da piangere al ricordo. Buona e bella vita a te e ai tuoi, te la meriti. Qualche volta, poco poco ricordati di me grazie con tutto il cuore, Daniela M (cell no.) Non ho computer a casa. Carissima, unica, insostituibile chiacchiera mia."

(Translated: Hi my very beautiful chatty one, many thanks. The memories make me cry. Have a good and beautiful life, you deserve it. Sometimes do think of me a bit, with all my heart, Daniela M. I dont have computer at home. My dearest, unique, unsubstitutable chatty one.)

She's one of the most unique characters I've ever met - why be normale when you can be brilliante, passionate and funny? The current world needs more citizens like her - people with a real consciousness and deep faith in their ways. Faith is one ingredient that'll also keep L and I going; we miss each other a lot, especially after being together 24/7 for 3 glorious months.

After some deliberation (ok I didn't take much time to decide), I've booked an air ticket back for Xmas and will fly off on 23 Dicembre on Emirates (oh no, Dubai again)! Funnily I've never spent Xmas in Italia before, so I'm really forward to the frost, festivity and food. We're also planning to head for the Dolomiti for some skiing and snow. Now how cool is that?

P.S: Oh, my organic farming story came out in Simply Her Settembre issue while I was away -- I love the layout and my bellissime foto! I emailed it to Iris at Casa Lanzarotti and she said 'sei una vera artista!' They're the real heroes in my eyes :)

Auguri mio caro

Today's the birthday of L and peccato that we couldn't celebrate it together. We'll just have to take a raincheck then. Ottobre is a busy month for birthdays indeed. Just 2 days ago, his sorella celebrated her b'day(auguri!) and in a couple of days, their mamma Mel as well as my papa will be celebrating theirs on the same day. Si, what coincidence! Mel said L was a gorgeous baby; blonde, blue-eyed, snowy skin and chubby. No one could resist pinching those cheeks and he'd respond by kicking them. Bad, bad boy.