My Brother the Rare Commodity
25 Nov 2005 — After becoming an expert on answering questions like “How close can you park to another vehicle when parked parallel to the kerb?”, “Are you permitted to tow a caravan with a person riding in the caravan?” and the like, ladies and gentlemen, I have taken my very first step in obtaining my driver’s licence. Yes indeedy, I have finally taken my Driver Knowledge Test (aka theory) and am proud to announce that I passed on my first attempt! Heng ah! Never waste the $33.
Unfortunately… this Billie forgot to cue me in on the very important fact that in the event that I pass, I will actually be issued a Learner Driver Licence until we were already in the car on the way to the centre! To which my instant reply was exactly the same as when he proposed back in Sep: “Why you never tell me?!! I never wear makeup!!!” Hee hee, so bimbo. Which explains this ghastly photo, so pale, like ghost like dat. Somemore I so gei-kiang , thought for a change I shouldn’t smile with my teeth showing, a little too chirpy for a licence, afterall most times when we’re instructed to show it, can’t be a good thing… but the effect of the photo: lagi worse, I have this almost sinister look on my face. Hor hor?
What to do? What’s done is done. Next time when I get my actual licence must make sure I doll up until 美美.
On a separate note, FINALLY last night when I skyped my parents, I got to speak to my brother and heard from the horse’s mouth that yes, he’s coming for my ROM! Not that I thought he wouldn’t, but becos he’s in the navy, sometimes he’s out at sea or sometimes even weekends have to return to camp for guard duty. But yesterday he’s finally confirmed that yes, he’s attending for sure, and even mentioned that he was thinking of buying a new suit for the occasion. Wah… my first thought was: he loves me, he loves me, my brother loves me… 原来 his sister’s ROM is so important to him one ah… Yah lah wat to do, my brother has made himself such a rare commodity, or at least to me, that in my mind, he almost has “pop star” status. Every time he talks to me (very very rare, not just ‘cos we’ve lived miles apart for the last 5 years, but also every weekend when I call home, he’s never around or never in the mood to chat with his sis, and believe it or not, he doesn’t email, so how to reach him you tell me?!?), I get all girly and excited… Wow! My brother just spoke to me, he actually just spoke to me! Wowee!!!… Is there a more deprived sister out there? Speaking of which, here are a couple of photos of us on our last trip back in Sep:
Any takers? My parents are trying hard to find him a girlfriend. I’ll take applications at my email. (Erh Adeline, you need not apply. The slightest mention of your name still sends Sean running… sorry girlfriend)
And now, another installment from Beijing…
17 Sep 2005 — Yay! Finally the weekend was here! And boy has Weiling planned some great things for us. To begin with, for lunch today, we’re actually heading to the outskirts of town to have a Western style four course lunch at an apple orchard! How fascinating and quaint is that?!? Sounds great. And joining us today is another big bunch of friends — quite a UN gathering yet again, and hmm… very many odd couples. Well you shall soon see.
So here we are, after about a 45 min taxi ride, we’ve arrived! Those trees around me are all apple trees!
The place was done up really nicely, very westernised. Apart from the orchard and restaurant, there was also a gallery/gift shop which sold some pretty upmarket wooden furniture, jewellery, home accesories and jams and chutneys that have been freshly bottled — almost like the wineries we’ve been to downunder.
And the decor as you can see is pretty trendy too, and al fresco dining somemore!
And check out the menu — just like the wineries hey? Except much much cheaper. 4 courses for only 100RMB, which is only about A$17!
When the food arrived… Eh… not too bad leh… and tasted darn good too! For $17 in such pretty surroundings cannot hiam right? Besides, all the dishes that feature apples, e.g. the salad, the apple pie, use apples that are freshly picked from the orchard.
As for the company, here was what I was telling you about earlier. I’m sorry but I really can’t remember all their names now but see…
L: Jin, who’s Malaysian is dating Mel, who’s Canadian
R: Angus, the local Chinese is dating the girl who’s French
L: Lilian (ex-RV senior) has nabbed herself Kostas, who’s Greek
R: Another Singaporean girl, who’s also called Mel, has nabbed herself Chris, who’s American
Whoa! So zup-pa-lang right?!! Weiling and I had plans to mix them all up and play a “Guess Who’s a Couple?” game.
See see, kinda like this.
Just us two girls from Singapore, uncomplicated.
After your meal, if you so decide, you can also wander around the grounds of the orchard at your leisure. In addition to the trees, there’s also a rather big pond with a footpath all around — very pleasant and idyllic, and with the warm, balmy weather, it’s worth the trip if only to walk off a few calories from lunch.
With lunch down, we headed back to town to the San-Li-Tun area. No, not for another sandwich, not to shop (though we unintentionally ended up doing so), but to get our nails done! Hee hee, my very first manicure and pedicure! Wah… +the facial a couple of days ago, give so many of my “firsts” to Weiling hor?
Whenever Bi and I pass by the nail parlours in Chatswood or at Haymarket, we always wonder how come they seem to be doing such brisk business, the shops are always packed with customers! Now I see why… it’s such a tai-tai experience to just sit there drinking your coffee/tea while someone else does your nails for you, a little pampering for the princess in all of us. And in China, it’s so dirt-cheap yet again that most times, it’s a weekly indulgence for Singaporean girls. At most also fortnightly. How cheap? For both my manicure and pedicure, I paid around 70RMB = A$12!!! Go figure!?!
Oh, but it was at this moment that I made the grave mistake of picking my favourite nail colour — dark gothic brown. Very funky considering we were headed to a pop concert next… but in a few days’ time… Alamak! Billie proposed, placing the dainty little rock on some pretty scary fingers…
But yes, you heard me right the first time, we were headed to the Beijing Pop Festival! Open air one somemore, at the Beijing Chaoyang Park. Hippening or wat… whoa, must have been at least 10 years since I last attended any sort of pop concert!
Trying to find our way to the concert site in the dark. Kan cheong becos oredi late! This Chaoyang park is humongous!!!
At first we came across this very very local concert and were utterly thrown aback! Huh?!? This cannot be it right?!? So 没有水准 one meh?!? Even opening act also should have some standard right?!?
Finally, the right gate. This is more like it!
So who’s on tonight? Well, we were mainly there for Ian Brown from the Stone Roses, but in the lineup were also “godfather of techno” Derrick May, hip-hop artist Common and 张震岳, some Taiwanese rocker. All oso dunno who??? Oh well, with a good bunch of mates (yeah yeah this is the Singaporean group I had the most fun with, Les and Cheng from the previous night and also Boon Lian tonight) and some booze in hand, the music’s sweeter and the world is just a happier place at large. Hee hee, in fact, we might have partied a little too hard, as you can see from the crazy pictures:
See the lineup of guards? Very sad, ‘cos they were there on duty, must be cannot show any sign of enjoyment. Aiyoh must be so hard! This sort of hard pumping music and rowdy atmosphere, how to resist the urge to gyrate?!!
By the end, we were a bunch of completely wasted fools. Ah, the follies of youth! Haven’t felt so young and alive in a while!
With that, we were off to some hot steaming noodles, then straight home to bed. Completely conked out that night.