RocketJim's

RocketJim DREADS going back to Work

It is great to be off work. I get alot more intellectual conversations and variety when I am not working and that pleases me very much. My last trip with a particular junior had officially elevated me to Zen-hood. She was so banal and meaningless...it really took the training of my patience into a whole new realm. She's really lucky I have plenty of younger siblings so I know how to treat younger people. I didn't totally ignored her you know. Damn, she just couldn't stop talking. It's amazing really. Sometimes you meet people who just keeps you wondering.....wondering if they were ever socialised or among human contact. Their lack of Emotional Quotient (ie. EQ) is suitably amusing.

Anyway all these time off for myself had been spectacular. My last couple of weekends were pretty good. I hate the recession but I ain't complaining about the lack of cash. Now is the best time to catch a breather and enjoy Life's varied offerings. I flew myself over to Jakarta for a short break and to celebrate Loverboy's birthday. We had a very good Italian dinner at pretty restaurant and decided to pop by Jakarta's most stylish scene, Dragonfly. Apparently, that is where the beautiful Indonesians go to drink and socialise. It was empty. *gasp* On Ladies' Night. 10.30pm and not a soul in sight. Not a very good sign.

Anyway the trip to Jakarta made me very ashamed of my own narrow-mindedness. I had been there before last year but I totally forgot. I decided to pack very inconspicuous clothings and jewellery and wore my cheaper G-Shock watch. I even changed my earrings to plain studs! When I was there, I saw more Birkin and Chanel bags during the 6 hours I was shopping compared to 6 months in Singapore. Why are the rich in Jakarta so freaking rich?! I saw so many $30000 Hermes bags (not $3000. $30K). And in non-practical colours like pink! And the tai-tais have finally evolved. They don't have beehives anymore. They have those long, soft waves like those you see in Japanese magazines. And done wayyyyy better than in Singapore. The make-up is still pretty wayang-ish but the rich ARE RICH in Jakarta. And almost all the better incomed people have personal drivers. Phwoa. I am suitably impressed. I like Jakarta. The people are all so friendly and the service staff are so kind.

I have my facials done at Bella Skincare and since they have branches in Jakarta, I decided to pop over to one for a visit. Now I wish I can fly to Jakarta every month to do my facials. The decor is so much nicer than those in Singapore! The therapists are gentle, quiet and they go the extra mile. In Singapore...sometimes the session is over too soon...I guess the tai-tais are a force to be reckoned with in Jakarta. I couldn't speak Indonesian and my therapist couldn't speak English. Bagus. I REALLY don't like talkative staff. When I cut my hair too, I like quieter stylists.

Back in Singapore, I decided to buy Loverboy an experience for his birthday instead. I really wanted to get him a nice, stylish wallet but the brand I like is probably way out of my budget so nevermind! I bought him a baking class at Raffles Hotel. It was very nice! The baking class was conducted by the Raffles Culinary Academy (RCA) and it was pure fun. I am so glad he enjoyed himself. It was pretty cheap too considering a class at The Patissier was going for $180 per person! Classes at the RCA costs from $90-$140 per person. I like everything about the class. Small in size (10 that day), a stove for every one, comfortable duration (3-4hours) and a very pretty ambience. If they ever conduct an Italian cooking class, we'll definitely be back. Oh my god, we had so much chocolate that day. The friendly chef had us trying almost all edible ingredients. There was a German couple seated next to us and they were huge chocoholics too. Turns out, they are Loverboy's neighbours. We had wine and sushi at their balcony the very next day. They are such elegant, friendly people.

Really now....it made me realise that if you open yourself to Life, Life gives you many surprises and opportunities. Ok, rambling...but get it??

After the baking class I treated Loverboy to a dinner at Wild Rocket @ Mt. Emily. The food is really not bad. A food blog I read recommended a dish of seabass and chai poh and that was really good! For dessert, Loverboy ordered some grapefruit jelly and sorbet and it was way better than my cheesecake. The cheesecake was lovely but after a full meal, I guess most people want something to refresh their palate. Do try the restaurant when you have the time or an occasion. I like how clever the fusion Singapore-Italian idea is. Not bad at all!

On Sunday, we spent the entire afternoon at East Coast cycling/blading and waiting out the rain. Loverboy and his friend, Haru had a great workout. They were literally panting at the end of it. Very very good! I am soooo encouraging him to get his own set of rollerblades. At least he finds it more fun than jogging or the gym. As for me, thanks to Empress Boodiboo's suggestion, I have been jogging slower. And because I am jogging slower now, I can easily hit 5km on my threadmill sessions. Very proud of myself. Seriously though, I think it is way easier to clock 5km on the threadmill than in a park. Constant gradient afterall. Anyway, time to really invest in a pair of good running shoes.

Gonna train myself more tomorrow because this weekend, we are going to bake a mountain of cookies and probably pig out at Gallery Hotel's Miharu restaurant again. I tell you, the Shoyu Ramen is to DIE FOR!!!!!!! I love it!! If you like your food on the saltier side (like all Cantonese are!), you will love Miharu's shoyu ramen. Yum yum. Also delicious is Marutama at Liang Court. Where Miharu is heavy and flavourful, Marutama probably sits better in your stomach because of the lighter, less oily broth. The broth is made from chicken instead of pork but equally flavourful. However, I find the portion at Marutama a little pitiful for its steep price...so, minus points!!

Lastly, I am not sure how worried I should be with regards to the swine flu. My next flight is to San Francisco and I now know there is an infected case. How bad is the situation and how much should I panic?? Wow, more reasons to hate my pathetic job. Not only do I have to put up with major stupidity, super pettiness and extreme banality from my junior, now I also have to worry about flu epidemics! Not to forget, typhoon season turbulence! What a great job!