Nyanko's Basket

I haven't updated since I got here, because I have been busy running around town, meeting friends and catching up on all the things that happened while I was away.

Outwardly, a lot of things haven't changed - most places still look the same (although Orchard Road and Clementi look very different now), and I can still find my way around without getting lost. :) There are a lot of new bus services now, though, and some existing bus routes were altered (some in ways that are rather incomprehensible). A lot of my old friends are still around, and even my former primary school classmates have found me on Facebook. It's really surprising to hear from them after almost 20 years - a lot of them are out of Singapore, but we can keep in touch through messages and so on. Quite fascinating that a lot of them are in the US and Australia, though a fair number are still in Singapore :)

There are also a lot of new places around - I went to a tapas bar with my sister, my friend and some of her friends and we had a really good time relaxing and talking about life in general. Working overseas means you have more to talk about with people, too - you can ask them about where they work and what they're doing, how the hours are, and things like that. And in return, they ask you about life in the US - it's quite illuminating talking about it with other people. A lot of people are settling down or getting engaged; perhaps that's just because I've been away for so long, but it comes as news to me. People have been asking me too when I'm going to settle down, and for the time being I haven't thought about it in particular.

The weather is still the same, and it took some time to get used to, but it's good to be back with humidity and tropical rain showers. :D Other things are the same too, like the home environment - I'm glad that I don't have to deal with it full-time...

My visa interview is tomorrow, and hopefully there won't be any problems. We'll see, though; if I need to extend my stay I'll do so, but it won't be particularly cheap (I think the change fee is $200 plus the difference in the ticket prices).

Woke up this morning to 48 degree weather outside and what must've been the thickest fog yet this year. Fortunately, I was able to get to work without any trouble.

Work continues to be really intense (and crazy hours), and I'm really looking forward to Phoenix this weekend.

Last Friday I went to Kennelly Keys in Bellevue Square on a whim, and ended up getting two contemporary/classic rock piano duet scores (The Beatles and another one which I can't remember right now, but might've been West Side Story). In addition, I also found...

Cesar Franck's Prelude, Fugue et Variation (op. 18) for two pianos, with both scores. This is a piece I first heard during Touch 2005, and its haunting melody has stayed with me since - it's not a joyful nor extremely morbid piece, but for some reason its melancholy appeals to me.

I almost literally squeeed and ran all around. :D What's even better is that since it had apparently been special-ordered and had been out for more than a week (so the person who ordered it hadn't come to pick it up), I got the score for free and the store will order another copy if requested by the other person.

Now I just need to find a partner and time to perform this with. :D

I'm typing this entry from work, and looking outside the window at the pretty falling snow... in March!!??

I think itsacz already went home (since he has a longer journey than I do), and hopefully I won't have any problems cycling home...

I wonder what this means for plans tonight, though; I was planning on watching 21 with some friends and then hanging out at my place, but if it's snowing this much they may not want to drive. I guess we'll find out later tonight?

EDIT: It turns out itsacz hasn't left yet, and he didn't drive to work (I think he took the bus). I still hope he has a safe journey back home though...

EDIT2: It looks like it's stopped snowing (for now?). Yay~!

06/03/2007 09:36:48 <Phificks> -15 here
06/03/2007 09:38:09 <&Haplo> -26°C here. :(
06/03/2007 09:38:11 <%butsuri> [14:39] <Livia> it's still -38...

It went as high as 60 degrees F (15.5 degrees C) here during the day, and that was the warmest it's been in a while. And it was really great leaving at 5:30 and not having the sky become pitch-black. Although my ride to Bellevue American (or should I shorten it to American Music?) was slowed down both by the traffic (for which I got onto the sidewalk) and the fact that for about half the journey, there was this guy walking slowly in front of me, and the sidewalk wasn't wide enough to pass him safely. But I was still able to clock an average speed of about 7 mph. :P

I bought a carrying bag for my keyboard, which I had to leave in "layaway" (at the store) because I obviously couldn't carry it back when cycling, and some audio cables (2 10-foot 1/4 inch Peavey-branded audio cables, a 1/4" to 3.5mm adapter, and a Y-plug 1/4" to 3.5mm adapter). As a result, I can now record in stereo on my laptop, and hopefully I can put up some recordings soon if SmartFTP cooperates. I've recorded only once so far, but the quality is just amazing. ^^

In other news, work is starting to get really interesting and busy. I hope I won't have to work long hours, but it may become a reality soon...

Yup, it's most likely going to rain here tomorrow and on Christmas day itself. Fortunately, it doesn't seem like it's going to pour. ^^;;;

Weather reports/forecasts are taken from Channel News Asia's Weather section.

Today (23-12): 24 - 30 degrees Celsius (75 - 86 degrees F)
Occasional passing showers

Sunday (24-12): 24 - 30 C (75 - 86 F)
Windy with occasional showers, heavy at times

Monday (25-12): 24 - 31 C (75 - 87.8 F)
Occasional windy with passing showers in the afternoon

Tuesday (26-12): 24 - 32 C (75 - 89.6 F)
Showers with thunder in the afternoon

Merry Christmas (to those of you who celebrate it) and Happy Holidays to everyone!

And last but not least... X!!

Which is a very good thing, because it means I didn't get sick from being out for most of this morning and working. :P

3-hr PSI Readings ( 8 Oct 2006 )
Time	7 am	8 am	9 am	10 am	11 am	12 pm	1 pm	2 pm	3 pm	4 pm	5 pm	6 pm	7 pm	8 pm	9 pm	10 pm	11 pm	12 am
3-hr PSI	57	48	37	31	27	27	29	32	34	35	37	37	38	36	35	33	32	35

My room is somewhat dry now.

But it wasn't like that about 5 hours ago, when there was 4 inches of water covering the floor in all 3 bedrooms. I don't even want to remember how long it took to get the water out.