Book-tagged!

Haha book-tagged by aparna, so here goes...

Last book I bought
My last trip to Borders saw me picking up 2 books
1) China Inc by Ted C Fishman
I'm fascinated by the rise of the red giant, so got this book to satisfy my curiosity.

2) The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
Hopefully this book can inspire me on how little things can make a big difference.


Last book I read
Cats among the Pigeon [Agatha Christie]
Mystery is one of my favourite genre. I've read most of Christie's books and I'm reading this again for the 5th time as it's one of my favourites.


Books currently reading
I have this habit of toggling between books (and magazines). Currently, I'm toggling between the following:

1) China Inc [Ted C Fishman]
This is really a page turner, filled with facts, observations and insights. Having visited parts of China recently, I can identify with some of the perspectives shared in this book.

2) Shape magazine
Packed full of inspirations for the next gym session. It never fails to motivate me when I'm feeling lazy.

3) Rough guide to Vietnam [Rough guide travel series]
I'm preparing for a trip to Ho Chi Minh City and picked this up to plan my itinerary. Of all the guide books series, my favourite is still Lonely Planet series. This one is a bit too brief for me.


Total # of books I own
Erhm... not sure. I didn't count. Some books I own multiple copies of, so I can pass them on to friends.


Books that mean(t) a lot to me
1) St Claires' & Malory Tower Series [Enid Blyton]
I love the boarding school series and growing up, how I wish I could go to a boarding school!!! Who can forget those those midnight parties and the lacrose matches. And the tricks they played on Mam'zelle!

2) Teenage textbook [Adrian Tan]
Who can forget the Teenage Textbook! It's like THE book every teenager growing up in Singapore identifies with. Unfortunately, I don't own the one I read, so if you've any idea where to get one, please let me know!

3) The Ugly Chinaman and the Crisis of Chinese Culture [Bo Yang]
The original was written in Chinese, but I've read the translated English version.
Though-provoking book that delves into the backwardness of the Chinese people and culture.

4) The Woman Warrior - Memoirs of a girlhood among ghosts [Maxine Hong Kingston]
This was the book that ignited my interest in books written by Asian American authors. I'm fascinated by the clash of cultures, the dilemas faced in the assimilation process and the struggle for their own identity.

5) The Art of Possiblity [Rosamund Stone Zander, Benjamin Zander]
A gift from my sis so it holds special sentimenal value.
A really inspiring book, it shares ideas and philosophy from the perspective of possibilities rather than scarcity and restriction.

6) All things bright and beautiful [James Herriot]
This entire collection paints chronicles the author's life as a vet in Yorkshire. Funny, heartwarming and unforgettable, this remains one of my favourite reads :)

7) Billy Bob Tales [Enid Blyton]
This is my very first Enid Blyton book and a gift from Mummy. It will always hold a special place in my heart.

Tomatoes Attack

Friend's birthday today. We celebrated by having dinner by the river last night.

The salad served by the restaurant was really good. Inspired, I went grocery-shopping today to create my own salad meal.

The result was quite ok. Perhaps it was cos I was so hungry that I wolfed it down (spent quite some time preparing).

I'm sharing this with you sis in case you feel inspired to create your own :)

Ta-da!!! My creation - Plum with sundried tomato salad. Doesn't it look yummy? LK sez it looks like grass :P

Ingredients:
- Iceberg lettuce (4-5 leaves)
- Mixed leaves of rocket, snow pea spouts, radicchio, red oak leaf lettuce (50g -100g)
- Fresh Plum (1)
- Fresh tomato (1)
- Sundried tomatoes (5 pieces)
- Italian dressing a sprinkle

The sundried tomatoes were really yummy... (They are the little red pieces you see in the salad pix. I cut them up cos they were too chunky and chewy whole). I've never tried sundried tomatoes before and they were introduced by a friend. I'd no idea that they could taste this good.

I'm officially into my Tomato Phase now.

5 facts I learnt about tomatoes today.
1) Tomatoes are a rich source of Vit C
2) They're rich sources of lycopene (a carotenoid with cancer-fighting properties) as well.
3) Tomatoes are more healthful cooked than it is raw!
4) Our body absorbs more lycopene from cooked or processed tomatoes
5) Sundried tomatoes are usually plum tomatoes

Interesting resource with more info on tomatoes here.

Knowing me, I'm so going to gorge myself silly with tomatoes for this coming week, after which I'd probably move on to something else.

Wedding bells

Weddings are such happy businesses.

One of my favourite couple had theirs yesterday.

Was glad to be part of their celebration, even tho' this means getting up at 6am in the morning - a challenge since I'm hardly awake before 10am these days

Got to see many friends at the wedding. That's another reason why I enjoy wedding dinners so much.


These newlyweds with helpers here.
The couple has been up since 6am in the morning! Can you believe that they're still so energetic past mid-night?
Yup... that's what wedding does to you. It gives you the adrenaline rush of your lifetime.

This posting is dedicated to beakee and TT.
CONGRATULATIONS!!! Happy for you guys~!

The tribe has spoken... haha

Glad to see so many responses to the proposed itinerary... it's very encouraging.

Seems like HongKong is a hot favourite with Redang coming a close second.
If everyone is okay with following the majority, then I'd conclude that Hong Kong it is.

If you guys are interested, I can even arrange for a day to ShenZhen, just to get a peek inside the place everyone's talking about.

Will talk somemore over gym. See ya!

Where shall we go?

Harlow people! Finally, something for your consideration :)
Know I'm a couple of days late :P very guilty of being distracted.

After thinking hard what we can all do together, I've shortlisted the following.
Trips to New Zealand and Australia has been ommited cos I think we'd have to spend at least 2 weeks there.

Okay, so please kindly indicate your preference in the comments ya? Will look forward to hearing from yous! :)

Option 1: 4N/3D Redang Bay Resort

Copyright2003 Alex Kang, Redang Island Rendezvous

Package Includes :
- Two way Singapore - Kuala Terengganu - Singapore by 25-seater Super VIP Coach (Approximate 9 hrs)
- Two way Merang Jetty - Redang Bay - Merang Jetty Ferry transfer ( Approximate 1 hr)
- 2 nights accomodation at Redang Bay Resort
- 2 breakfast, 2 lunch & 2 dinner / Coffee & tea
- Snorkeling boat trip & guide

Costs - $288 per pax


Option 2: 3D2N Malacca / Kuala Lumpur Cruise (Wednesday Departure)

Image from starcruises.com

Departs: Wed 2359h
Arrive: Fri 1400h
Costs - $400 per pax


Option 3: Hong Kong 5D/4N Hongkong

Image from discoverhongkong.com

Cost: About $650
This is the quotation I got off the web. But if everyone is keen, I'm able to work out a $350-$400 package for everyone :)

Activities:
- Visit Hong Kong Offshore Islands (Lamma, Lantau etc)
- Trekking in New Territories
- Shopping (if anyone is keen)
- Visit the beaches


Option 4: 4D/ 3N Cameron Highlands

Image from cameron.com.my

Cameron Highlands lies just over the Perak state border in Pahang State, but is accessible only from Perak

According to Lonely Planet, the temperature rarely drops below 8degreeCelsius or climbs above 24degree Celsius

Activities
- Mountain Hiking
- Jungle Trekking
- Ambling through Tea Plantations
Lonely Planet documents up to 10 trails that anyone can embark on, ranging from short easy 1.5 hour ones to tough 3 hour uphill climb

Mountains along the trails include:
- Gunung Jasar (1696m)
- Gunung Beremban (1841m)
- Gunung Perdah (1576m)

This one cost will be about $250 - $300 (Estimation on my part) Haven't been able to find a definite provider yet.

Guess which is my personal favourite? *wink*

Catfish and Mandala

"What would you do then before you die? I'd walk out the door to destination unknown, spending the sum of my breaths in one extravagant gesture" - Andrew X. Pham, Catfish and Mandala

Spent the last few days totally sucked into the world of Catfish and Mandala.

Written in first person perspective, this book is a travelogue as well as a spiritual journey for author Andrew X. Pham.

A Viet kieu (Vietnamese born immigrant returning home), he travels through Viet Nam on a bicycle to search for his roots. His narrative is fluid with vivid descriptions of his experiences.

It's a wonderful piece of writing, interspersed with flashbacks from childhood in Vietnam. These in turn blend seamlessly with his life in America.

Available at Amazon.com