02 Sep 2010
by Ubiquityin Reality bites Tags: Nacou, photos, Schaffhausen, Switzerland, updates
So my fruit diet wasn’t really working out. Although I managed to replace breakfasts and lunches with fruits, it gets really tough at night when my tummy growled ferociously from the lack of carbs. I don’t mind being hungry but I hate being very hungry. It makes me weak and I can’t think properly. I had to give in at end and it went on like this for 4 days. But hey! Guess what? I’ve permanently lost 1 kg! That’ll do for now.
—
According to the Events widget on my blog’s sidebar, I will be leaving for Singapore in 6 days. I think ‘time’ purposely pass really slow just to make the wait unbearable. Each day seems forever to end but when it really ends, the next day seems even longer than yesterday. The worst part is when ‘time’ decides to fly when I’m there. Why can’t ‘time’ slow down and make that moment last a long while for me? Just that while when I’m with my family? Pfft!
—
TO-DO list in Singapore
- eat prata & chappati
- eat kway teow goreng pedas2
- eat black pepper crab, cereal prawns, bbq stingray, sambal kangkong & seafood fried rice
- eat fried fish beehoon
- eat epok2
- change name in NRIC
- change passport
- shop for spices
- go on the Singapore Flyer
- eat KFC
- eat laksa
- eat Nasi Padang
- buy more Mamee!!!
That’s all I can think of right now.
—
Some photos on my iPhone…
Isn't she cute?
She was pawing at the laptop monitor for my attention!
Nacou startled from her sleep
Nacou sleeping
Nacou still sleeping
Nacou preparing for sleep
Nacou curling herself up into a ball
Nacou is too picky for her own good. Each time I try feed her with some new brand of canned food, she would simply sniff her plate and walk away in utter disgust, as though I’m feeding her poison. And it’s not some cheap and smelly canned food that I’m feeding her, mind you. It’s those gourmet kind that are highly recommended by vets! Yet… she refuse to eat them. Especially when there are rabbit’s meat. How in the world does she knows that there are rabbit’s meat in there?!? So there goes another 2chf worth of cat food…
Strangely enough, she only prefers Purina Gourmet. That’s the salty kind of canned food. Totally bad for cat’s health. But there’s nothing else I can do to make her eat healthy. I guess a cat really takes after their owners.
—
We went up to the chalet for a weekend...
...had dinner with family and good friends...
Nacou again, this time stretching as far as she can reach
Nacou sleeping on the sofa with us. She's really everywhere I go.
Fred thinks that Nacou is a ‘broken’ ragdoll because she’s hardly ever nice and docile to him. On the other hand though, she’s a total ragdoll when she’s with me during the day. Following me around like a puppy, demanding for attention, snuggling up close to me on the sofa… So is she really broken? I’d say that she’s just used to 1 person’s attention. What do you think?
Nacou doing what she does best
I don't know what this sign means but I think the cow looks kinda cute
Went up to the chalet again for another weekend...
I've never seen a fresh raspberry!
I think this photo is awesome because it's taken by my iPhone and it looks like some DSLR shot.
Magnificent view!
Mom asked me to take photos of the grapes
Nacou again. This time she's snuggling up close to me...
Nacou in one of her many sleeping poses...
Finally got my residency permit! Comparing the photo with my NRIC... Not so many changes huh?
We went to the Rheinfall last weekend...
So many fishes! And I stupidly asked Fred, "Who put them there chéri?"
Okay, so this time the iPhone camera can't do justice to the Rheinfall...
On our way home, we stopped by the canton Schaffhausen and I decided that I liked it better than Luzern.
Wanna take a peek of our humble home?
Entrance & Dining area
Entrance & Buddha console
Dining table & my favorite lights
MY kitchen!
Hallway
Living area
Living area
Terrace
Master bedroom
This entry will end right here because I have to collect the mail, take out the trash and go to the supermarket. Oh, I wanna make macaroni goreng tonight! Tchüs!
PS: I’m not Malaysian by the way.
06 Jul 2010
by Ubiquityin Reality bites Tags: photos, Switzerland, updates, Zürich
A day just before I left for South of France, a friend came to visit. Sabby has been to Zürich many times before but according to her, the only place that she has been is along the street where the hotel is. I couldn’t believe my ears until I came to visit. I won’t blame her for not going out when she was in town. The hotel is located in a quiet street! Almost in the residential area! And to be really honest, it’s a very boring area. I guess she thought, “That was all there is to see in Zürich…”
So being a good host, I took her out for a little tour around the city. I don’t know Zürich very well but I know enough to bring her to some nice spots that I love, and I’m pretty sure she’ll love it too. It was a bright and sunny day and she was really lucky. Just 2 days before she arrived, Zürich had the crappiest start of summer.
Photos courtesy of Sabby.
When you put 2 girls and a camera together, you get lotsa photos. :-P
Showing off my green fingernails
A terrible idea to put on those stockings. It was such a warm day!
I think I’ve mentioned in a previous post that there was a place in Zürich that I really love to frequent. All those times I never knew the name. Until a couple of days ago. My ignorance!
The Lindenhof is the oldest part of Zürich and it is also an original site of the Roman customs post. The broad space is quiet now, occupied mostly by chess-playing old-timers and gives a wonderful panorama over the rooftops on both sides of the river.
Who doesn't love swings?
After a full day of walking, we were starved when we reached Spaghetti Factory
We took a looooong walk to the lake...
…and I met the world’s BIGGEST asshole. I wanted to smoke but I misplaced my lighter. As we were walking I held on to my cigarette and waited for the next person who smoke to pass. I saw 2 guys walking towards us and when they were close enough, I asked one of them with a smile (politely, mind you), “Hi! Excuse me, do you have a light?”.
To my surprise that guy, looked at me as though I have lepers all over and he simply walked away. I was flabbergasted! What the hell did I do? No, I don’t think he was offended in any ways. Why would he? He was obviously a smoker too! He had a lighted cigarette in between his fingers. Maybe he had a bad day in the office? Maybe he’s just a rude homosexual who hates woman? Or maybe he plainly hates woman? I don’t know what’s his problem but he is definitely the biggest jerk I’ve ever met.
Mmmmm... Mövenpick's Double Crème de Gruyère & Meringue ice cream to end the day
Saw some guys jumping into the lake from a bridge on our way back...
...it turned out that they were actually trying to jump on a swan which was swimming in the lake (swan not in photo)
Zürich IS pretty as seen through another person's eyes
Don't get me wrong though, I still find it pretty except that it's not the same anymore when you live there.
So who’s coming next?
06 Jul 2010
by Ubiquityin Festivals & Celebrations Tags: parties, photos, Switzerland, updates, Zürich
Last weekend there was a massive festival in Zürich. The Züri Fäscht. The triannual event, began on Friday and ended on Sunday at midnight. Throughout the city centre and around the lake, there were colorful funfairs, free concerts, outdoor dance arenas and lotsa food and drink stall. It also featured impressive air shows, water shows and fireworks! Züri Fäscht is such a huge festival that almost the entire city shuts down.
Tons of tents selling Caipirinha were littered everywhere!
I only started to get anxious well after we bought the tokens... Too late!
I don't know what was I thinking to get myself on that ride...
It has to be the MOST scariest ride I’ve ever been on. It’s called the Transformer. Seriously, I love thrill rides. But not that one! It’s a badass! It looked harmless but I scared myself shitless! I was praying over and over! Basically everyone was seated in a circle. Then after making you wait for 15 whole minutes, the ride slowly lifted and turned clockwise gaining speed by the second. After about 30 seconds of spinning clockwise, it turned anti-clockwise and suddenly it went upside down and round and round and downside up and round and round again. Maybe my explanation wouldn’t do it justice. But it was seriously f*cking crazy! Never again!
We went over to a friend's place the next day before heading for the 2nd night at the Züri Fäscht
One of the many outdoor discotheques
I can’t wait for the next one! And that’s gonna be in 1,095 days. Pfft!
03 Jul 2010
by Ubiquityin Festivals & Celebrations Tags: celebrations, photos, Sion, Switzerland, wedding
…or was it the other way around? However it happened, Anna & Frederic are MARRIED!
The ceremony
"We're married!"
Getting ready for the reception...
The reception
The apéro
Time to loosen up those ties!
The party started... and the rest of the night was a blur... ;-)
PS: Merci beaucoup Romine ! ;-)
31 May 2010
by Ubiquityin Reality bites Tags: photos, updates
Don’t worry. I’m still alive. Just taking a little break from blogging. Haven’t been up to anything fancy lately. Haven’t had much inspiration to write. Sorry. I’ll be back in a couple of days. I promise! In the meantime though, I’ll leave you with some photos…
Bisous bisous…
Saw a cute haystack being lifted by the crane while on our way to Zug last week...
Zürisee (Lake Zürich)
The sun is out. So are we!
When I was young…
10 May 2010
by Ubiquityin Reality bites Tags: photos, Singapore, Switzerland, updates
…what better way to start the week than washing all the dirty linens? Doing nothing of course. But I don’t have a cleaning lady nor a job (yet). So Mondays are my laundry day. To my dear readers from Singapore, I’d like to remind you that you are very lucky. Allow me to tell you why…
In Switzerland, it’s uncommon to have a washing machine at home. I know a person who owns one but most people here, they have none. Reason for so is the lack of space in the apartment. In Singapore, washing machines are normally in the kitchen or in the utitlity area. Here (if you have the space), they are in the bathroom. Most buildings here have a common laundry area in the basement. I’m not sure about other apartments, but where I live each tenant will then own something like a key to access the machines. Some apartments have a washing schedule where each tenants are allocated a specific day to do their laundry. Some have none.
(To Singaporean readers) Now can you imagine having to go elsewhere to do your laundry? What if you live on the 16th floor? That’s why you’re lucky!
We live on the 2nd floor (That’s the 3rd floor by Asian standards. Just in case if my non-Singaporean readers are wondering… In Singapore, the ground floor is the 1st floor.) and there is a lift in the building but I don’t use it when I’m alone. I got stuck in there for 15 WHOLE minutes once! So never again! I’ll only get in the lift when there’s someone with me. So imagine me going down 7 flights of stairs with a laundry basket multiply by 3 (for 3 loads of laundry) every Monday.
And that’s why you’re lucky!
PS: I’m not saying I’m unlucky and I’m not even complaining. I’m just sharing my experiences with you.
Until my next post, I’ll leave you with some outdated photos…
A quick stop in Gruyère for coffee & sandwiches
Then on the road again to Valais...
In the valley
27 Apr 2010
by Ubiquityin Reality bites Tags: photos, updates, Zürich
UPDATE 27th April 2010: Written this entry last Thursday but couldn’t manage to publish with photos as I was super duper tired.
After spending minutes trying to find a clever title for this post, I decided to put better use of my time writing it instead. Let me warn you though, it won’t be as interesting as you might hope for because I’m merely filling in the details of what I’ve been up to lately.
Right now, there are just TOO many things going on at the same the time. So was some weeks back. Hell! I’d dare say I haven’t really had a relaxed moment since 2 months before I moved here. Nope! Not complaining. It’s quite the opposite really. I’m actually basking in my productivity! Hehe…
So there were the preparations for the wedding. The list of tasks were endless! If I were to compile them in this post, it’d be really long and boring but I won’t because I don’t have the time right now. It’s pretty late and I really need the rest. I’m truly exhausted, mentally and physically. Especially the last few days with the recent ban on the European flights, I’ve spent days and nights worrying about the arrival of my family. If you have been following my tweets, I’m pretty sure you’ve noticed my rants.
I’m sure most of you are aware about the eruption of the Icelandic volcano. To be honest, when I first saw the reports on tv, I didn’t give much attention to it. I didn’t even know that it was the second eruption! It never crossed my mind that I would be affected. Not in any faintest way. When the wind started to blow the ash clouds, it went chaotic. Airspace in UK were closed, followed by Russia, Italy, France, Netherlands and even Switzerland! Millions of travelers were stuck and unable to resume their journey. 4 days in a row, the first thing I did when I woke up in the morning was checking for the latest updates on the flight ban. I was worried that my mom and sister couldn’t make it for the wedding.
Until yesterday. After a couple of uneventful test flights and millions of daily revenues lost by the airline companies, they began to realize that the ban was uncalled for. Flights to Europe slowly resumed and I was finally able to breathe. Who would wanna be married without their family present? Not me at least. And again, if you have been following my tweets, I’m sure you know that they arrived safely this morning. :-D
Mom and sister all weary and tired from the long flight but was still able to enjoy a day out in the city. I brought them to the same route that I did when Fred was away. They even get to pay a little visit to the Wednesday’s Farmers Market!
Cheese!
Chacuterie
Yummy pastries
Canapes, my mouth waters simply by looking at them!
And the selection of breads! Oh la la...
Really really awesome fish sandwiches and wraps from Nordsee
Desserts on display at Sprüngli
Taking a little rest at Paradeplatz
Mama is always contorted :-P
Mama found her clan :-P
Me at my happiest. Reliving my childhood.
Old murals on a building in Niederdorf
Despite the amount of errands, we were able to attend the Sechseläuten. Every year, the guilds of Zürich and the general public celebrate their traditional spring festival: the Sechseläuten. The celebrations start on Sunday with a colourful children’s procession. This is followed by the main festival on Monday: People in historical guild costumes, 500 horses, 30 marching bands, together with 50 carriages and coaches, parade through the city centre to Sechseläuten-Platz on Lake Zürich. There, at 6 p.m. a pile of wood, on which the ‘Böögg’ – a symbolic snowman – sits enthroned, is set on fire. The quicker his head catches fire and explodes, the finer the summer should be.
A raclette stand
A bratwurst stand
Marching band
Little farmer and peasants
Sadly we missed the procession on Monday due to the mishap of Fred’s shirt.
2 weeks ago, we went to get some shirt tailored for the wedding. The sales guy told us that it will be ready within 2 weeks because they had it made overseas. We knew that it’ll be a risk for us to wait that long but still gave it a go to save the hassle from doing more shopping. Then a couple of days back, that same guy called and announced that Fred couldn’t have his shirts on time! And it was all because of the darned flight ban. Apparently, his shirt was tailored in Thailand. Pah! Luckily, he offered us a 50% discount on a replacement shirt. Problem solved.
So I’ve rattled on for way too long now. Gotta catch some winks before another long day. Loads of packing to do and we have to leave for Valais when it’s still bright. Don’t think I’ll be able to write again until we’re back from the honeymoon. But do check back regularly for my tweet updates okay? There are still more photos but I can’t upload them all now. I’ll add it when I’m back.
OMG!!! I’m getting married!
11 Apr 2010
by Ubiquityin Reality bites Tags: photos, updates
That brew in my hand may seem nothing but it's extremely lethal!
Last Friday, after a month of hiatus from Les Halles, I decided to join Fred and his colleagues for some beers there. What was meant to be a quiet night turned out disastrous for me. I lost count of the beers I had and by half past 9, I blacked out in the toilet. Fred who was also drunk turned sober when he found me missing. When he found me, I have already passed out on the toilet seat. It took 2 men to carry me out of the bar, into the taxi and finally home. I’ve never felt more shittier in my life.
The next day was supposed to be Fred’s long awaited bachelor night and I seriously thought I screwed up. But I didn’t. Somehow I managed to get myself out of bed by 6:30am (blood still loaded with Les Halles’s killer beer, feeling dehydrated and even shittier than the night before), took a cold shower and wait for a friend to turn up. And guess what? I survived! Fred went to Zermatt for his bachelor party and I spent the day with Romaine in Sion. I even managed to squeeze in a Caprice Festival in Crans Montana!
Never again with Les Halles beer. I never took Fred seriously when he told me that it’s lethal. He always said, “…a couple of beer and you’re out!”. I never believed him. As always, he’s right.
Back to reality, we’re 11 days away to the wedding. How do I feel now? Exactly the same way as I did 3 days ago; nervous and excited. Nervous if something turned out badly and of course, excited to be someone’s wife! I’ve found the hairdresser for my hair and did a test yesterday. He was reluctant at first; my hair’s too short, too fine, cannot make a chignon… But he managed. Here’s how it will look like (not exactly the same but something similar)…
Volumed up hair
Still many things need to be done:-
- table placemats
- order food for the apéro
- print menus
- print photos for menus
The list goes on. And so, while I ponder and procrastinate on my tasks, I shall leave you with a photo or two… Hope you had a great weekend!
A statue of a man and something that looks like an eagle near the Zürich lake
You wash your own car in Switzerland
We found a Singapore Restaurant just around the corner!
31 Mar 2010
by Ubiquityin Reminiscing Tags: photos, Singapore
The weather sucks today. I’ve been planning to whip out Fred’s Nikon D90 and show off my photography skills in town but the skies kept playing tricks on me. The sun shined in all its glory this morning but then it poured like nobody’s business barely through noon. Then an hour later, there were no signs of dark clouds and it was brilliant blue skies until the wind came blowing in the moody clouds and it rained all over again. This went on and on several times till I gave up to the wretched weather. There goes the Wednesdays Farmer’s Market…
And so… with a cup of steaming green tea and Owl City’s Fireflies playing in the background, I reminisced to the memories of 3 years ago, when a good friend came to visit.
My brother & I, after a grueling session of wakeboarding
Note to Jason: if you’re reading this, lemme explain my goofy expressions on most of the photos with you. After you told me about the huge crush you had for me, I was utterly shocked. Nope. I wasn’t flattered. But don’t be mad okay? I’m just being honest here. So I came up with my own logical thinking that if I made myself look ugly, you would stop being attracted to me. On a side note, please know that I enjoyed myself tremendously throughout your stay with us. :-D
Playing retards
I thought I was at my most retarded look here but noooooo...
This one topped it all off!
The next couple of photos are my favourites! Especially this one…
Damn!
Can you spot something dripping from his mouth?
Disclaimer: None of us was/is mentally/physically challenged.
24 Mar 2010
by Ubiquityin Reality bites Tags: photos, Switzerland, updates, Zug
Nothing too interesting to be honest. Just lotsa errands to run and things to be done around the house. We’ve finally gotten rid of the boxes and we’re left to look for lights and other knick-knacks. All in all, the house is looking pretty good. I’m not gonna post any photos of the apartment just yet. But I will as soon as we have everything in place.
Oh, Spring is almost here! The weather has been superb. Bright blue skies and very sunny. I’ve ditched my thick jackets already.
The wedding is in a month from now. Cards all sent out. Dresses ready. Flights and hotel booked for our honeymoon. I’ve even tested the makeup look for the civil wedding. Wanna see?
Took me 2 whole hours to do that! That settled, left the makeup for the wedding reception. I will have to get someone to do my hair because I just don’t know what to do with it. It’s still short! And then I have to make the batik placemats for the tables. That’s still not done yet!
So I tweeted today that I wasn’t in the mood to blog and it’s true. I can’t pen down any thoughts right now. There’s a lot going on in my head. But generally, I’m fine. I’ll be back to write some more serious stuff soon. For now, I’ll leave you with some photos instead.
Our new car!
We found a northern & southern Indian restaurant near our place
We went for a little drive to Zug over the weekend...
The town of Zug, is the richest place in Switzerland, which makes it very rich indeed. The town’s location on the crystal-blue Zugersee is very attractive, framed by the high wooded plateau of the Zugerberg rising 600m to the east and the peak of Rigi on its southwest shores.
Shops are closed on Sundays...
It's like a dead town!
PS: I turned 26 last Saturday. I’m old.
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