Levin

I’m excited!

As you know, I’ve been planning to visit Japan since… well, forever now, and I was really excited this week. Yesterday, not so, because I was not feeling well, and because I saw… with… and I really started a downward spiral again. So, the natural order of things was to think about something positive, like an upcoming vacation, cos’ there’s nothing like running away to another country to mend a broken heart (I can’t believe I’ve actually fled the country twice, and with the upcoming one, thrice because of the memory of him still lingers inside).

Unlike Shanghai and Beijing where I enjoyed the serenity of being alone, and to be honest, not doing much except to hope that I embark on a course set for self-discovery, I was really open to the idea of company this trip. Titus began his previous two relationships through putting up an ad on Trevvy for travel buddies, so I did the same. Maybe I’m dreaming, but I really just wanted a regular platonic relationship where two people could just do things without meaning to fall in love, or in the case of Trevvy, get some benefit out of it. I wanted a best friend, someone like Terrance and Seng Kiat – particularly who plays on the same team (if you know what I mean) so if I ever emo, or feel lousy about myself – and start dribbling on about my mistakes or what not, instead of someone flinching and whose soul reads “this is AWKWARD…” when I look at their eyes, I have someone whom won’t bat an eyelid whenever I broach the subject. While Jsen, whom on the first day of Chinese New Year, decided that he wanted to be part of my life again (although the extent is unclear), I’m keeping skeptical (maybe, he’s bored or somethin’…, I reason to myself). Anyway, it turns out a dependable friend’s harder to find than a life partner, it’d seem.

Pumped up with motivation to just go somewhere, I checked fares to Tokyo this afternoon, and to my horror, the airfares had shot sky high. Fueling the fire further was the skyrocketing prices of accomodation. A quick check on Singapore Airlines’ website revealed still reasonable rates, but the flight times were without a doubt, terribly disagreeable – I arrive in Tokyo too late to make the night’s stay worth paying for, and I depart Tokyo too early to make a night’s stay worth paying for. That, I can stand, but I couldn’t accept the cut-throat accomodation costs at nearly a hundred SGD per night. Disappointed yet determined to go somewhere, I sought for a destination which was actually worth its while (a.k.a. paying a thousand dollars for) – playing with everything from Asiatravel to Zuji. Then, from the depths of welfare, financial turmoil, lost ambitious for a superstate, I found the old world, not in it, but at its periphery, the edges where life still thrived, and in fact, now symbolizes a beacon for the inside to aspire to – Europe!

TO BE CONTINUED

I had forgotten my earphones, but what I wanted to listen most, wasn’t in my iPhone. This scene and theme music played as a single tear hung down the side of my face for most of my journey…

Day 2 of Chinese New Year.

When I felt the Christmas spirit a month ago, I thought maybe finally, I’d be in the mood for the Chinese New Year, but admittedly, things aren’t looking too green, at least from my side. For one, my maternal grandmother isn’t looking too well – her hospitalization two weeks ago, and subsequent discharge just days before the Eve revealed a very torn, tattered and fragile soul, the remnants could be mistaken as downpayment to Hades. But death, is only the beginning, for my grandmother’s only younger but opportunistic sister, has begun manuvering herself into cashing in, a bid for the flat to sell – in order to protect her own children, who are admittedly, not doing very well financially – and in the process, displacing three of my aunties and uncles who’ve basically foregone their dreams and pursuits in servitude of my grandmother (my grandmother is probably the last true Peranakan matriarch). Personally, my third ex re-entered my life yesterday when out of reciprocity, I returned his New Year wishes. While his intentions imply a signal to reenter my life, particularly my romantic life, at this point of time however, my feelings towards him, remain platonic at most. Even though Andy’s may not be no longer an option, my romantic ambitions for Andy still exists, unlike those for Jsen. But you know what? You can look at life from one perspective, you can look at life from another perspective. I choose the perspective that’s bright and sunny, and besides, I’ve got a plan, and I’m keen on realizing my next step of my dreams.

It was really nice of Keidi to invite me to her place for a Chinese New Year steamboat dinner with her and her closest friends. I’ve only had one other steamboat dinner at someone’s place before, and there was wayyy long ago, so as you can imagine, I was a little clueless. I’ll just let the pictures do the talking.

Half of the group was late, so Keidi, her boyfriend, Daniel, Daniel’s friend, Johnathan, Keidi’s best friend, Adela and I started first.

Here’s Daniel.

Then, this guy in green joined us. Curiously, I don’t really remember much of this guy cept’ that he mostly spoke English.

Soon, the rest arrived.

Then, time to “lo hei”.

Chinese New Year. Tis’ the season to be shopping. Well, a necessary evil and a valid reason to shop, at least to my mom. After coming back with enough supplies to last us the two days, namely the reunion dinner on the eve, both of us headed midtown. Before the marathon, we dined at Ayam Penyet Ria at Far East Plaza on my suggestion. She was initially most apprehensive, having claimed that the food’s too dry, but on further probing and tasting, I realized she hasn’t actually eaten it at all, and the misconception was, in fact, a stereotype.

After lunch, our agenda was very clear – find a set of clothes for my youngest brother, Nicholas. His dream of being a military pilot came to a very quick end when he wasn’t posted to Officer Cadet School. Instead, he was posted to Guards, which he dreaded. Within a week, he came back with horrific stories of unreasonable punishment and regiment (he’s not physically nor mentally weak or anything, or so, he claims) had frightened the hell into my parents’ minds enough for them to start treating him like a victim, one whose life at home must be as relaxing as they possibly can, a.k.a., leaving him at home where he wants. My mom was determined to shop for him, and I knew that, so if I was gonna get what I want, I needed to conquer that first. However, finding something to his taste turned out to be a lot more difficult than expected. My youngest brother’s fashion preferences guide towards the simplistic, conformist and regular, as he perceives aesthetics and design as a sign of faltering masculinity. This xenophobia also extends to his perception of life, and openly admitted that he sees me being a “clerk”, and my brother being in “Civil Defence”, to our chargrin, as a sign of weakness, and not worthy of respect. He’s young, immature, and not particularly sociable, and still has a lot of necessary suffering to go through. Anyway, after an intensely long back-and-forth at TANGS Orchard, we eventually found something we thought was suitable. But with that, the sun began to set, and she felt she had to go back already…

With a dinner appointment with Darren later, I stayed on, and continued my search for New Year clothes, which on retrospect, was ridiculous, as I originally planned to forego new clothes in favor of saving for Japan. Anyways, despite searching the length of Orchard Road, I didn’t find anything suitable. Perhaps you could say I didn’t know what I was searching for, so nothing was particularly agreeable. However, it took a stroke of fate by Mother Nature to guide this lost sheep to its herd – I was rained in, at Knightsbridge. Without an umbrella, I was stuck with Ralph Lauren, Brooks Brothers, Topman and Abercrombie & Fitch, but in reality and realistically, only the latter two were suitable. With the rain unrelentless, I began trying on clothes in an effort to wait it out. I was really intrigued by Topman, but was unwilling, as the only things that interested me were outerwear and knitwear. After getting the hang of it (and accepting that in the A&F World, I’m a “S”, not an “M”), the clothes really began flaunting the male body, which appealed to me, and gradually sold me the idea that A&F was indeed a good buy, and slowly, I fell in love…

After thanking Titus for making a detour to Knightsbridge to shelter me to the Somerset area, he invited the both of us to join him at dinner. Even though the both of them are friends, and it was through Darren that I was introduced to Titus, the two of them seem to share an “uncomfortable, but somehow mutual friendship”, at least that’s what I see it as. My friendship with Darren is merely based on our mutual interest in aviation although his opinions are more biased, whereas mine’s more objective. If Darren wants to discuss a development badly, he asks me out for dinner. Anyway, instead of mediating between the two of them, and the need to go back-and-forth, I was like, “let’s just stick with the original plan”. Darren suggested Lucky 13, a newly opened Miami-Cuban-themed bar-club-restaurant located at TripleOne Somerset. I was miffed that Lucky 13 had replaced Italianies, which in my opinion, had the best mid-ranged price risottos and pastas, so that was the first distaste. However, the staff who were all too eager to impress, gradually sold us the idea, and we agreed to try it anyhow.

Lucky 13 retains much of Italiannies’ rustic, wooden interior, except there’s an addition of a bar counter. We were told that at 10pm, the place transforms into a bar-club, with “dimmer lighting” and “louder music”, and when we left, there was already a sizeable (mostly Caucasian) crowd seemingly ready in the mood to party.

Let’s be totally honest here. The food’s of reasonable quality, and worth its money, but if you were looking for authenticity in taste and presentation, then you’re in for a big disappointment. While the lack of service charge nor GST makes this one of the cheapest dining spots in the city sans food courts, I was mildly offended by the taste. I didn’t expect authentic taste nor presentation, but I didn’t expect the taste to be sooo dumbed down. The salsa sauce for the nachos for example, was forewarned by the friendly staff that it was mind-numbingly hot, but it turned out to be nothing more than a mild tomato puree with perhaps a single drop of Tobasco sauce in it. Cuban cuisine is inspired by Spain, Africa and the Caribbean – places where I’ve known the food to be full of soul, vitality of a very rich culture – nothing of that sort here.

The shredded beef with black bean rice was alright, but painfully exhausting and dead.

Cuban pressed sandwich. Portions were huge, and tasted great, but the french fries were hugely unnecessary.

TO BE CONTINUED