Casual Poet

A Casual Afternoon...



Licia Lee & I finally made it to Casual Poet this afternoon.
Hey Linzy! Can you spot what those people are ploughing through?
Yap, your Red Dot award-winning creation!
Very proud of you! (Applause!!!)



I love these red chairs.
Reminds me of those Linzy bought.
Her Moulin Rouge table and chair set!



The afternoon sun was seeping through the notices that were plastered
carelessly to the window panes.



A new resident at the Casual Poet!
Blackie the kitty

Muscisophilia

by Oliver Sacks
Author of "Awakenings"

My latest reading material.
You need to be equipped with knowledge in both Music and Medical Sciences to digest this stuff.
In one of the case studies, a patient who was struck by lightning
but was resuscitated, had a sudden surge in his musicality.
You will certainly find me walking in the rain during the next monsoon, awaiting that fateful moment!
Like Mozart said... It is from God!!! Hahahahah!



What an odd thing it is to see an entire species - billions of people
playing with, listening to, meaningless tonal patterns,
occupied and preoccupied for much of their time by what they call 'music'.

Casual Poet vs Tea Cafe

Tea Cafe Revisited

Had intended to spend the afternoon at Casual Poet with Shelby.
After battling the sizzling heat and climbing up the neverending stairway,
we realised it opens only at 3pm.
Plan B...
We headed for my new haven, Tea Cafe.


Tea of the day ... Long Jing (Dragon's Well) for me.
It came with preserved sugared mandrin.
A great symphony of taste.




Shelby's apple tea turned out to be quite a treat.
Mildly sweetened and has a light apple fragrance.
Tickles the tastebuds,
yet without the usual overbrewed tanin in most of the fruit tea I have tried.

Extra side orders...

Crispy fish rolls and tea egg.

Generous serving of fish rolls.

Toasted till they are real crispy. Yumz!

Most tea eggs are simmered till they are pretty dry inside in order to infuse the flavour.

This one is really flavourful and yet has a runny egg yoke!

The taste just overwhelms the senses.

Divine!

Another day of adventure at the Tea Cafe.

Bravo! Bravo!

Tea Cafe @ Seah Street

Haven of Solace

Here's the little hideout Linz had wanted for me to celebrate my birthday.
Unfortunately, this place has odd operating hours.
11am to 7pm and closes on Sundays!
They do events at other times.
I had the whole afternoon to myself and decided to check it out.

Ordered Japanese Gyokuro tea.
It has a noble mellow and refreshing taste.
Great for beating the heat and the haze.
The set came with sweets and a lil pastry to go with tea.




The preparation area is right in the hallway.
3 white rustic looking square sinks and a spiral staircase in the workarea.
A touch of nostalgia.

Lots of room and comfy sofas!

I spent the afternoon reading at that table by the window. Bliss.

They really look into fine details.

Even the toilet was inviting!

A little white china globe with a dreamy assortment of Space Candies inside!

Tea Cafe has an upper deck I have yet to explore!!!

I'LL BE BACK!

More Birthday Bundle!

Harumi & The Rabbit

Hian always has it.
He always picks the right gifts!
Here are 2 of my favourite things...
a Japanese cookbook and the straw rabbit.
Love them both!




Of course, Hian has his way of telling me I should make him a bento soon!!!

More Love! More Love!

Roses are Red...

Can you smell the roses???
My friends decided I should get a bed of roses this birthday!
First, the garden of roses from Celine.
Then, home-made bouquet from Chris!
Here's another cheerful bunch from the Gangs of TKPS.
Special thanks to YY, Fong Lai, Veron, Hazel, Kua (again!) and Ah Bin (again!)
for your 'passionate' love!!!
Muacksssss!



I pondered for a long while as I read the message card that said Hazel Floral...
Did Bay Hazel start a gift company between feeding times???
I even went online to verify that!!!
The webbie was very american in style...
Could it be???

4:15PM

FLOWERS!!!



More birthday surprises from Linz and Licia!
I was told they wouldn't be spending my birthday with me.
Linz would be in Colorado and Licia would be busy.
Uncle KH said Linzy Queen made a reservation at The Tea Chapter...
hardly a place I would wanna spend my birthday this year.

2:55PM
I arrived in Chinatown, completely upset by the maddening crowd of Chinese nationales
loitering the streets and squatting at the street corners.

3:00PM
I climbed the narrow stairway that lead to Casual Poet and found my peace at last.
Spotted a four-sitter in the middle of what seems to be a jigsaw of tables and chairs.
The afternoon sun forced it's way between the posters, cuttings and notices
plastered carelessly on the window panes.

3:05PM
I placed my order for flower tea and spicy fries and waited to be served
while I stroke a tiny lil black kitten napping on the red couch. I scanned the room.
The guy behind was burying his head in "Radar Systems".
A couple behind me peering over a lap-top.
2 ladies taking picture of the kitten from their seats.
A caucasian man studying Japanese or Chinese, can't tell.
2 teachers marking their scripts.

3:15PM
Uncle KH arrived. I was trying to convince them to stay with me at Casual Poet.
But still that nagging feeling.
Didn't want to change the plans Linz made for me.

3:30PM
My orders arrived.

4:00PM
I reluctantly left Casual Poet.
Walked down Keong Siak Street in the steamy heat.

415PM
We made it to Tea Chapter.
I was handed a bouquet of white Gerbaras and a card that said
"4:15PM Flowers!!!"
My heart sank!!! I thought I had ruined the moment Linz and Licia had planned for!
I looked down at my watch...
4:15PM!!! FLOWERS!!!
In perfect timing...

Special thanks to Linz and Licia for planning.
Licia for arranging and delivering the bouquet.
Uncle KH and Aunt QF for being there!

Birthday 2009

Chilling out @ Chris & KL's Cafe





To the beautiful people who made my day with a lil' birthday surprise!
Here's the bouquet put together by Chris!!!
Kow Lee says he hasn't done it since their wedding!
What an honour!
Big 'Thank You' to Kow Lee for that table of food!!! (And her prayers of course!)
Yes, we shall chill out at Chris & Kow Lee's Cafe soon again!
Kua, Bin Bin and Licia Lee conjured up a lil plan too!
They had quite a night trying to hide that cake and keep the candle on!
Hey people, thanks for telling me in your special ways that I AM LOVED!!!

Plan B

Happy Birthday Cheri Joan



A week ago, Celine asked what I would like for my birthday.
I told her I didn't need anything.
She said I should make her job easier.
Nothing came to mind really, so she said she will execute Plan B.
This arrived in school today with a card that said nothing else in it but...
Plan B

Thank you Celine!!! Sarang heyo!!!
Think the teachers in the staffroom probably hated me for this!!!
But I love it!!!
Let them turn green, or purple or blue for all I care.