The urge to blog strikes!
And this time, it's because I'm happy.
Today there was fencing chalet, generously sponsored by Yan Li. :) To tell you the truth: Before this I didn't have a good impression of Yan Li. But I think he's okay now!
I met Florence at Buona Vista at 3. I took taxi there cause I slept in, and I would have to leave 15 minutes after she replied my message if I wanted to take public transport. And of course you know that no self-respecting person can prepare for a social event in 15 min.
We travelled all the way to Pasir Ris, where we were supposed to meet Cheryl. She said she come later, so we went to walk around in White Sands (where I realised that Ben and Jerry's is closed! What are all the army guys' girlfriends going to be treated to now after they travel all the way there??)
But Cheryl told us not to wait for her in the end. Then we wandered to the mrt again to check the map and see if we knew how to get to the chalet. Which is when Florence spotted fencers in the distance, at the taxi stand. Turns out that although they'd met at 2, they'd taken a while shopping. There was Yan Li, Reynold, Marcus, Jeff and a few others I can't remember now. :) Anyway we took a grand total of 2 cabs to the chalet with all the food! And as they'd let the girls go in the first taxi, which was very loaded with groceries, we had to unload them ourselves when we first reached. :|
***
The Chalet. It was the chalet of some company which I assume Yan Li's parents worked at. It was exactly the same inside as this other chalet my father's company once held a function at, which was unexpected. It wasn't the typical east coast chalet next to the beach either - it was quite far inside a housing estate at Pasir Ris Avenue.
Unloaded the things to the kitchen, when the question was asked, "Does anyone know how to marinate chicken?" Turns out that Meiling did. So she directed Florence and I to pour all the *raw* chicken wings in a silver foil container and some marinade sauce. Then we individually marinated each chicken wing in sauce! And Ivan put some chopped garlic in too, and it smelt yummy enough to eat raw. (Although I resisted the temptation.) It was fun to marinate the chicken actually. :)
Explored the upper levels of the house. There were so many rooms with some proper beds and aircon. For a moment I regretted my choice not to stay over, because it wouldn't be as uncomfortable as usual sleepovers. And because we're girls after all, we could have staked out our own room.
Played a few games of bridge, though first we had to teach Meiling how to play with an open hand. Marcus seems very smart and geeky. :P He knows magic card tricks. Or just one, actually...
By the time we'd finished a few games of bridge (and I note that Florence has improved), the others were outside starting the fire. This was where I appropriated Meiling's camera to diligently take pictures. I think I take rather nice pictures. :) I'll eagerly await the uploading of them, cause I thought of picture captions as I took them. Basically, Cheryl Ling's fire > the fire the guys started. Even for the cooking, Cheryl's fire was the nice and steady one whereas the guys' one was too hot and burnt everything on the outside.
Then stopped to eat Ivan's pasta, and after eating, helped to cook. The fire was really really hot, and all the time people were arriving who needed to be fed. Daniel and I were at the hotter fire pit where we monitored the satay. At first I was doing the chicken wings but well. They were heavy to turn about over and over again, and it's stressful cause you must make sure they're well-cooked inside! We cooked until the satay was done.
Alan did make the remark that it's the first time he'd gone to a barbecue where primarily girls were cooking. Then he decided to cook all the food he was eating himself to maintain good quality. >_> Anyway. Our satay was nice! I brushed butter and honey on my final batch. Sounds good right?
And then Marcus came up with a cool technique on barbecuing marshmallows so we ate a few.
After that, there were more games of bridge for me, while others played mahjong. Which I should learn how to play sometime! But later Yan Li gathered everyone for a game called Time's Up, which is basically charades but more fun. It requires memory work as well - there are three rounds using the same cards, and there is less pressure on the actor because he/she has a partner, and not Everyone is trying to guess - only their corresponding team. It was funny when Florence's group got the bell jar. Florence was describing the word 'jar', and it was quite obvious to everyone that the word was jar, so they started distracting Wei Choon and Alan from guessing, by loudly declaring distracting answers.
Was partners with Jeff, who is quite good at guessing but he didn't want to talk/act just because I'm in law. :? Our corresponding group was Yan Ling and Maggie. (And Wei Lun, our dearest chairman who likes to throw childish fits and proclaim he's going home because he took three hours to reach the chalet, and proceeds to carry out his threat halfway but return in the end. He anyhow joined in our group.) Anyway. Our group didn't win. But we didn't lose either!
Joanna only arrived near the end of the Time's Up game. :P She's lousy. She said she'd arrive from 7-8. Anyway Florence and I left soon after that game and a group picture initiated by me. :) (I am smiling here because it is fun how people listen to you if you act like you're in authority and call everyone for a group picture).
Then we had yu sheng which was gross as usual but I did eat some.
Then Maggie gave us a lift to a road where we got into the car of a female Indian taxi driver who went to pump diesel first, cause she thought the journey would be too long.
***
Just Florence and I in the taxi. It was a really long ride - a bit less than an hour? - and we talked about a lot of things. You know today I realised that I semi-know Florence's relatives who stay in my estate. Her aunt is my mother's friend, and my sister went to their house last year regularly to upkeep!
***
And why am I so happy? I like the fencing people. They are pretty decent and have initiative and are sporting and nice. And some of them are thoughtful, like Daniel when he helped me cook the satay, made sure I had stuff to eat too. Or Maggie, who helped drive us out. Or there are cool people like Jeff and Cheryl and others. :)
And it was nice to know them out of fencing - especially since I don't go for fencing that often and don't know a lot of names.
Happy that I went,
Alaris.
Today there was fencing chalet, generously sponsored by Yan Li. :) To tell you the truth: Before this I didn't have a good impression of Yan Li. But I think he's okay now!
I met Florence at Buona Vista at 3. I took taxi there cause I slept in, and I would have to leave 15 minutes after she replied my message if I wanted to take public transport. And of course you know that no self-respecting person can prepare for a social event in 15 min.
We travelled all the way to Pasir Ris, where we were supposed to meet Cheryl. She said she come later, so we went to walk around in White Sands (where I realised that Ben and Jerry's is closed! What are all the army guys' girlfriends going to be treated to now after they travel all the way there??)
But Cheryl told us not to wait for her in the end. Then we wandered to the mrt again to check the map and see if we knew how to get to the chalet. Which is when Florence spotted fencers in the distance, at the taxi stand. Turns out that although they'd met at 2, they'd taken a while shopping. There was Yan Li, Reynold, Marcus, Jeff and a few others I can't remember now. :) Anyway we took a grand total of 2 cabs to the chalet with all the food! And as they'd let the girls go in the first taxi, which was very loaded with groceries, we had to unload them ourselves when we first reached. :|
***
The Chalet. It was the chalet of some company which I assume Yan Li's parents worked at. It was exactly the same inside as this other chalet my father's company once held a function at, which was unexpected. It wasn't the typical east coast chalet next to the beach either - it was quite far inside a housing estate at Pasir Ris Avenue.
Unloaded the things to the kitchen, when the question was asked, "Does anyone know how to marinate chicken?" Turns out that Meiling did. So she directed Florence and I to pour all the *raw* chicken wings in a silver foil container and some marinade sauce. Then we individually marinated each chicken wing in sauce! And Ivan put some chopped garlic in too, and it smelt yummy enough to eat raw. (Although I resisted the temptation.) It was fun to marinate the chicken actually. :)
Explored the upper levels of the house. There were so many rooms with some proper beds and aircon. For a moment I regretted my choice not to stay over, because it wouldn't be as uncomfortable as usual sleepovers. And because we're girls after all, we could have staked out our own room.
Played a few games of bridge, though first we had to teach Meiling how to play with an open hand. Marcus seems very smart and geeky. :P He knows magic card tricks. Or just one, actually...
By the time we'd finished a few games of bridge (and I note that Florence has improved), the others were outside starting the fire. This was where I appropriated Meiling's camera to diligently take pictures. I think I take rather nice pictures. :) I'll eagerly await the uploading of them, cause I thought of picture captions as I took them. Basically, Cheryl Ling's fire > the fire the guys started. Even for the cooking, Cheryl's fire was the nice and steady one whereas the guys' one was too hot and burnt everything on the outside.
Then stopped to eat Ivan's pasta, and after eating, helped to cook. The fire was really really hot, and all the time people were arriving who needed to be fed. Daniel and I were at the hotter fire pit where we monitored the satay. At first I was doing the chicken wings but well. They were heavy to turn about over and over again, and it's stressful cause you must make sure they're well-cooked inside! We cooked until the satay was done.
Alan did make the remark that it's the first time he'd gone to a barbecue where primarily girls were cooking. Then he decided to cook all the food he was eating himself to maintain good quality. >_> Anyway. Our satay was nice! I brushed butter and honey on my final batch. Sounds good right?
And then Marcus came up with a cool technique on barbecuing marshmallows so we ate a few.
After that, there were more games of bridge for me, while others played mahjong. Which I should learn how to play sometime! But later Yan Li gathered everyone for a game called Time's Up, which is basically charades but more fun. It requires memory work as well - there are three rounds using the same cards, and there is less pressure on the actor because he/she has a partner, and not Everyone is trying to guess - only their corresponding team. It was funny when Florence's group got the bell jar. Florence was describing the word 'jar', and it was quite obvious to everyone that the word was jar, so they started distracting Wei Choon and Alan from guessing, by loudly declaring distracting answers.
Was partners with Jeff, who is quite good at guessing but he didn't want to talk/act just because I'm in law. :? Our corresponding group was Yan Ling and Maggie. (And Wei Lun, our dearest chairman who likes to throw childish fits and proclaim he's going home because he took three hours to reach the chalet, and proceeds to carry out his threat halfway but return in the end. He anyhow joined in our group.) Anyway. Our group didn't win. But we didn't lose either!
Joanna only arrived near the end of the Time's Up game. :P She's lousy. She said she'd arrive from 7-8. Anyway Florence and I left soon after that game and a group picture initiated by me. :) (I am smiling here because it is fun how people listen to you if you act like you're in authority and call everyone for a group picture).
Then we had yu sheng which was gross as usual but I did eat some.
Then Maggie gave us a lift to a road where we got into the car of a female Indian taxi driver who went to pump diesel first, cause she thought the journey would be too long.
***
Just Florence and I in the taxi. It was a really long ride - a bit less than an hour? - and we talked about a lot of things. You know today I realised that I semi-know Florence's relatives who stay in my estate. Her aunt is my mother's friend, and my sister went to their house last year regularly to upkeep!
***
And why am I so happy? I like the fencing people. They are pretty decent and have initiative and are sporting and nice. And some of them are thoughtful, like Daniel when he helped me cook the satay, made sure I had stuff to eat too. Or Maggie, who helped drive us out. Or there are cool people like Jeff and Cheryl and others. :)
And it was nice to know them out of fencing - especially since I don't go for fencing that often and don't know a lot of names.
Happy that I went,
Alaris.
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