Category: life

Something interesting that I learnt.

While in Capri, I had the most interesting conversation between new friends Andrea and Dario, and Cartcart. I don’t remember how it started, but all of a sudden Cartcart demonstrated at how you can tell if a person was left handed or right handed by the way they fold their hands.

I’m right handed because when I fold, my right hand naturally tucks in and the left goes under. Like this :

Left handers on the other hand, do it with the opposite hands. But when I try to do the opposite side, I get confused.

Cart also demonstrated that the way a person claps will reveal if that person is a left hander or a right hander. For me, my right hand naturally goes up higher than the left.

Normally, I’d raise my hands all the way up till they are close to my mouth and almost parallel to my body and we clap like this :

Cart looked at me all puzzled, as Italians clap differently, hands crossed so that they are able to make a louder clap.

And that was when Dario chipped in, informing that his Japanese colleague claps the same way I did too, as it was considered more elegant and refined. So it’s more a cultural thing.

It’s probably nothing important, but it was quite interesting to me.

Hi everyone!

Cart and I just got back from a 4 day trip from Capri and Napoli to attend our friends’s wedding. It was so beautiful and everything went so lovely that I feel so blessed and humbled.

Yes, that’s a baju kurong I am wearing there

I’m feeling a little tired from our long train ride home to write a proper post, but I’ll try to blog more about it as soon as I can. In the meanwhile, here is something to whet your appetite

So beautiful!

Hi everyone!

My birthday will be coming in about a month’s time (August 1!)and it’s starting to be kind of like a tradition for me to make a video tribute to all whom have been wishing me happy birthday (like this one done last year)

So this time round, instead of it just being me making a video, I was just wondering if anyone would be interested in participating in a sort of video-wishes collaboration. I think it’s gonna be fun! Just like this one I did with friends over at ping.sg.

It can be a simple as just you filming yourself saying “Happy Birthday Marina!” or dancing around with a placard that says “I love rinaz.net!” or shooting yourself eating my favorite food, Ayam Penyet on my behalf … or anything crazy! Anything goes! 

To sweeten the deal, best video will get a fantastic prize! Of which at this point of time I have no idea yet. Italian Food Ingredients? Italian Mekap? Or a first class train ticket from Laurentina to Rebibbia! (That’s like from Boon Lay to Tampines)

Just let me know in the comments below, what you think. If there are at least 10 people willing to do it, we could give it a try

P.S If anyone is wondering about the chocolate cake picture, I made it! And here is the recipe how 🙂

My bestie Hema was ambitious and decided to go on a two week Europe tour. Personally for me, I wouldn’t recommend such a compact trip as it would be such too rushed to be enjoyed properly. Nevertheless, I had to respect her decision.

Anyway, Cart and I managed to meet up with Hema and her hubby for pizza and they started to talk about their experience in Rome. And just as I’ve expected, it was a tiring day for them, as they walked all over, visiting all the major monuments in one day.

And then we started to talk about the comparisons of prices. Like 4 euro for a gelato while my favourite gelateria would be 2.5 euro. Nevertheless, it was understandable since they were in a touristy area after all.

But the scandalous part of all was when she told me, “The tour agency said that the water fountains next to the road is not safe to drink” I was completely dumbfounded.

“They said that this is because the components of the water is different compared to the water in Singapore” She added.

It was just so incredulous to me. This is unsafe? This?

This is a Nasone. Literally translated, it means “Big Nose”. It’s a water fountain where anyone who is in Italy can drink from freely. The source of the water is from a spring and while some fountains may look dirty, it is completely safe to drink from.

I mean, I’ve been drinking from this since 2005 when I first visited Cart and Cart as well as a zillion Italians has been drinking this since they were children and no one has been dead from water contamination yet. So what gives?!

You can check this out in the 7.50 mark in this video I made in 2007

It was then when I learnt that the agency charged money selling their own bottles of water for about a euro each. Sound cheap? You could get them for 30 cents in a regular supermarket here in Rome.

Imagine the profit you’ll have for one person. Now imagine it for 40 passengers. Now imagine it for the next 14 days. All for just water.

And that’s just the water part. I haven’t included entry tickets for monuments (They had to pay 3 times more to enter monuments compared to regular ticket prices) additional bus petrol fees (wtf? Shouldn’t that be included already?) and other transportation fees as well as TIP for the bus driver.

Woah. What a rip off. I’d rather travel by myself.

Me as a teenager

Friend : You studied at Jurong Institute?! You MUST know Soandso! She studies there!

Me : Err …

Me now

Friend : You live in Rome now?! You MUST be familiar with Hotel L’Albergo!

Me : Err …

After hosting the lovelies Daphne, Serene and Nick for 5 days, they left Rome just a few days ago.

I’d have to say that I’m very impressed by their stamina … It seems like they could eat and walk and eat and walk non stop! Funny thing is that whenever I asked their opinions, they’d always reply … “It’s ok!” … What kind of answer is that?

Anyway, we visited touristy places such as the Saint Peter’s Square, The Vatican Museum and the Colosseum.

And we visited non touristy place like Tony’s Gelateria, The Torre Agentina Cat Sanctuary and the wet market.

I took some video shots and so hopefully I’ll try to update this blog with some video blogs the next few weeks. Cart and I had a blast hosting our guests that I feel withdrawal pangs at the moment …

I want to eat my gnocchi con asparagi again …

Sidenote : I think Cart and I have potential to be a husband and wife run tour / homestay agency

I started to swim at about 9 years old – it was part of an after school enrichment course I suppose. But all I can remember was how much fun I had. Swimming came naturally to me. And I used to swim so much that people thought that I was an Indian for a while.

My best friend E1 and I would head to the Jurong Town Swimming Complex. It was interesting as I remember that it had a very tall diving board and that edge of the pool was about 4 meters deep.

Picture by Good Morning Yesterday

As kids we’d do silly things like rolling off the edge and into the pool. Impulsively, I pushed him down the pool and ran away. Later, he looked at me all bewildered, and told me that he hit a couple of swimmers below. I was such a naughty kid.

The pool has since been converted into a hockey rink, much to my horror. So we had to travel a little more to go to the one in Jurong East. Come to think about it, even the stadium next to the pool is closed to the public. My mum can’t do her morning jogs there anymore.

</grandfather stories>

Anyway, I miss going swimming. Although I balk at the thought of paying about 10 euro just to swim at a public pool here in Rome, perhaps going for a course at one could be cheaper.

And so I dragged Cart to take me to a couple in the neighbourhood. After searching and inquiring, I signed myself up for aquagym at the pool which is within walking distance to my house. If you’re wondering how much it costs there – it costs a yearly 30 euro sign up and 11.50 euro for two times a week. Oh and it is also compulsory to show them a medical certificate from a doctor.

The Piscina Communale Roma 12 isn’t a classy looking place, but it isn’t a bad place either. It’s an indoor pool, the place is clean and the pool is heated.

I can’t take pictures in the pool, so here is a swimming kitty instead

And so I went to my first aquagym class yesterday, I took my pass at the segreteria and then went through the ladies to change. There is a connecting door to the pool and then I handed my pass to the caretaker there.

I met a couple of ladies there and we started our aquagym proper. It was a lot of fun. It’s kind of like regular gym, but only in water. Every movement feels slowed down and less rigorous. But it was still a challenging workout anyway.

After our our course, I headed off the to shower to clean up. But when I reached there, I was very puzzled. I see shower heads … but where are the doors? Where are the curtains? Huh?

And that’s when I saw a lady showering … naked … She looked so noncholant. Like it was natural for her. And then two of the ladies from aquagym started to strip off their swimming costumes while all the time, chatting animatedly to each other.

I.. Uhm… Ehm… Uh…

My heart just sank momentarily … I don’t want to show my naked self! I felt so panicky and so out of place that I just jumped in and jumped out of the shower and hurriedly found a corner to dry myself and put on my regular clothes and got the heck out of there.

I know. I know. It’s just me. Most Europeans wouldn’t bat an eye to nudity. There are even topless women on Italian television. But nevertheless, I feel so shy uncovering myself in the open …

Remember my post about a room makeover last month?

Cart and I have been rather busy last weekend doing a bit of spring cleaning and also moving some furniture in anticipation of a couple of a new table and a sofa-bed.

One of the changes is that my computer was shifted to the bookcase. While it looks pretty good up there, I still have got to get used to typing in a new position. It’s strange having the window to the back of me. Even more awkward having to keep standing up.

I could take a chair and sit down across the room. The wireless keyboard and mouse works, but then the words are too tiny from the distance.

In any case, Cart and I were at Mondo Convenienza last Saturday. Mondo Convenienza is kind of like the Italian version of Ikea. Cart seems to prefer the Mondo Convenienza compared to the latter. We’ve already a couple of pieces like the dining table and the kitchen cabinet.

Anyway! The delivery guys arrived Tuesday afternoon … and here is our sofa-bed! In sexeh red.

Not wasting time, of course I’m sitting on it to enjoy the full value and experience. In fact, I’m sitting on it right now while writing this post on my netbook.

Anyway, because I’m totally jakun, I thought that I’d share a very quick video about the sofa-bed :

Hehehehe! Next to visit Cart and me can sleep here 🙂

It was like any other night. I was in bed sleeping. And I awoke to find a woman slowly and deliberately going through the cupboards stealing my jewellery. I saw her taking one of my favourite necklaces.

I asked her worriedly, “Please don’t take that. That used to belong to my mother. And my grandmother gave her that. It’s very precious to me”

The woman laughed, continued rummaging through the drawers but later on left the jewellery on the bed and eventually went out of the room.

I was surprised and asked Cart to call the police and I walked out to investigate.

But I was stunned to see on the dining table, all full of food like Curry, Rendang, Ketupat Ayam Masak Merah and all the other types of food that my mum used to cook. I could hear them. I was touched that my family would come all the way and give me such a nice surprise.

But when I turned my head to say hello. They were gone.

I woke up sobbing uncontrollably. I’ve never cried from a dream like that.