[CHIJ 160TH] The IJ Bazaar

CHIJmes, formerly convent, now houses retail businesses and high end eateries

This year IJ celebrated its 160th with a MUCH smaller scale bazaar (contrast this with the one held at CHIJmes in 2004 with all the IJs), a Brunch, two art performance, the IJ link (where the new and old girls held hands around CHIJmes *did not take part, not sure if they made up enough girls) and the gala dinner.

Alumni stall

I wanted to watch the performance so arranged with Mdm Bear to watch it with me after Ms Bear vetoed watching it. I was quite annoyed that Mdm Bear was 1 hour late, though Operation Tact rendered me unable to display my displeasure (it also helped that my pain could be used as a means to explain my grimacing). Thankfully Ms Bear was more magnanimous than me and didn't mind having to wait for Mdm Bear as long as we grabbed something to eat. Then while we were having lunch back at Raffles City (where we met Mdm Bear), Mdm Bear explained that the school didn't receive her cheque so she was of a mind to skip the art performance (think my fuck face really showed up at that point. I have been told that I have a terrible poker face). Ms Bear also explained to her that it would cost S$30 to cancel her S$20 cheque, so that was how Mdm Bear agreed to go to the event to check on the status of her cheque and lucky me got to watch the sold out performance *yeah!*.

this is Miss Bear's. I am helping her buy while she's overseas. Mine has a yellow badge because I have one with red badge already. Ms Bear helped to change the bear because the earlier bear had a twisted nose. This one now smirks knowingly, but we tried our best! :D

So while waiting for Mdm Bear, Ms Bear and I checked out the bazaar. We immediately went for the alumni stall where Mdm Bear and I each bought a bear (S$25) wearing the IJ uniform. As usual, modesty is ensured with its matching bloomers (I looked under the pinafore *lol*).  I thought the bear didn't look as expensive as the one Miss Bear and I bought 10 years ago at CHIJmes, but this one is certainly cuter. 

The "spots" are smaller versions of the same little girl!

I was also massively tempted by the customized school bag (S$12), which came in black and gold colors. Ms Bear was right, gold was nicer. I agreed with her aesthetic after spending the entire art performance debating whether I ought to buy it. Admittedly,  I had withdrawn S$140 in case I wanted to buy alot of memorabilia, but there wasn't much, other than this really dubious black curved wang-looking thing that Ms Bear whispered "looks like a tiny dildo" from where we were standing at the back of the stall. Walking up to the stall, we realized it was a tiny wooden figurine of Mother Mary and the infant Jesus. OMG, we ARE horrible people.

Other than the alumni stall, there was a stall selling pre-loved books, prayer accessories, cupcakes and macaroons (ex IJ girl of 2001 and her friendly mommy running the stall together, shout out to SUPPORT her entrepreneurial endeavor!)

Art corner

The bigger tent holding the rest of stalls

Alumni practicing outside before their performance

Performing at the bazaar

The IJ bazaar

Mr Bloke's latest Goodwill Parcel

Two Sundays ago while I was at MacRitchie Reservoir, I fell on some slippery gravel and cracked my butt. People, this is a public announcement. If you have a choice between mud and slippy gravel while on a downwards slope, make the clever choice and walk in the mud. 

I am reminded of the ditty that Crayon Shinchan sang in the doctor's office once, while shaking his butt:

医生医生怎么办， 我的屁股变两半！

For those of you who don't understand Mandarin, I have it in English now (pain is the mother of creativity, ask the starving artists):

Doctor Doctor what to do, my butt has split into two!

So I have been pretty miserable, but thankfully Mr Bloke's Goodwill Commiseration Parcel showed up, alleviating my pain for quite a bit. The man always gives such thoughtful presents. Unfortunately for him, I can't measure up in return. :D

Mr Bloke's Goodwill Commiseration Parcel

I'd say that I love love the Rose Book (read a few times, still hadn't figured out what are the rose varieties I have in my garden), Pu-Erh tea (it's an acquired taste, Mr Bloke, and things that taste bitter bad are good for you, that's what we Chinese say, ie. 良药苦口利于病). You see how thoughtful the man is? Not only does he send me tea, but a mug to brew it in! Though I am more of a:

I also appreciate the German dictionary. Less painful to lug around than my giant ass dictionary which is ironically too heavy to refer to, and I don't need internet connection now to access LEO whenever my German friends write me.

[backdated post] Replacing the buttons on my dress

I bought these buttons while out with Bobo for FURY that afternoon. Luckily I bought 6 buttons, because I forgot that the dress used 5 itself (just nice, one for back up).

The old button was spoilt in the wash, and I couldn't find the replacement, so now I replaced the old silver buttons with gold buttons instead. Sewed them while playing Company of Heroes Stonewall. *lol*

Mookata

Mookata is a form of Thai BBQ where you BBQ the meat at the center of the hot plate, and the fat flows into the surrounding trench, making a supposedly tasty broth (didn't like it). Bobo was explaining the concept to me one day, and it was pretty strange, the next day I saw a huge banner advertising mookata near the library.

It was quite cheap. S$20 for a decent amount of meat, and you could add on more ala carte items. I found that I LOVED LOVED LOVED the Maggi Seasoning marinated chicken. Have you tasted this magical sauce before? I try to cook from scratch but I have a massive weakness for this seasoning...probably because this bottle used to feature in my family's cooking but I hadn't had it for YEARS. The familiar umami taste *melt*

Fury (the movie) and other mundane events

Took leave on Monday. Wanted to play with my new scooter at the Park, but didn't because of the stupid rain. It kept raining on and off yesterday. Sigh, didn't manage to capture enough rainwater for my roses, I need to build a contraption to capture rain water off the roof. All that wasted water!

We ended up at AMK nursery (next to library) because I wanted to get bamboo sticks to support my crazy white rose (came back to life again after the spider mite nonsense. However my purple rose never recovered from my doctoring, but when I bought it, it already had yellowing leaves. I couldn't resist getting purple roses, hello, PURPLE).  

There must be a massive demand for bamboo sticks or something. The Thomson nurseries are selling them at S$1 a stick (daylight robbery), whereas I got a bunch of them for S$2 the other time at AMK garden. The lady said they have run out of the sticks. Sucks. I did notice that they were selling the Daiso (everything S$2!) gardening supports (the one I buy for my roses) at a marked up price of S$5.20. Very cunning. They have removed the packaging that easily identifies the item as a Daiso product, but retained the green wire that comes with the packaging. OMG.

So we continued onto the central area, with Bobo whining that he wanted to zombie at home, instead of being dragged around AMK. In the end we decided to watch a movie before getting my salmon (S$63 for a whole fish, eye watering!) and some buttons for my dress. 

We watched FURY. Being a massive CoH fan, I was instantly attracted by the promise of a Sherman tank (btw the Tiger tank used in the movie is the last working Tiger in the world. Amazeballs!). It was gory, violent and horrifyingly captivating to watch. I was sufficiently traumatised, so it has achieved its purpose. Too much talking though, same complaint that we had with the CoH movie.  Yak yak yak, fight fight, Yak Yak, sex with a german girl, yak yak. Everyone dies except for that moron.

Bobo and I were disappointed with the ending. He thought that it was going to be like most American war movies, the air support/ backup will show up at the critical moment to save the day and everyone's life would be spared. Instead everyone got picked off one by one like a horror movie, except everything happened in the eponymous tank.

I thought that the stupid moron was going to be injured and Brad Pitt was going to shoot him between the eyes to put him out of his misery like what Gonzo described about mercy killing the horses used in the war (when they were sitting around the dining table). I liked that poignant ending. Instead the movie used another poignant ending. The moron didn't want to shoot the hitlerjugend at the beginning of the movie, and in the end, he was spared by the mercy of a young german soldier when he discovered him alive and well under the tank hatch. So expected...

*realized I sound pretty cheerful today. I must be coming down with something*