I can seeee youuu!

So, back when I was blogging almost everyday, I heard about Google Analytics and decided to sign up for an account, since I was curious to see who visited my blog. Unfortunately all the accounts were used up and I got an email from Google stating they weren't giving out any accounts for the time being and that I would be put on the waiting list.

And I waited, and waited and waited, and after a while I completely forgot about it. Earlier this week, I finally received an email stating that I could start my account. Yippee! I eagerly signed up, inserted the code, and waited for the data to load. And the results were quite interesting. Who would have thought I had visitors from far-flung places like Buenos Aires, Egypt and New Zealand? So exciting! I seem yet to conquer the vast country of China though, maybe I should start writing in Chinese. :) So to all my non-S'porean visitors, helloooo!

The most popular post, aside from the homepage, was my where to shop for shoos post. I'm so glad to see that the world shares my rabid interest in accessories. Perhaps it's time to resurrect Shoo Stories, yes?

Fashion forward

After looking through sites like The Sartorialist and Face Hunter, I realise I'm not taking enough risks in fashion. After all, I'm allowed a certain freedom in what I wear to work, so I should make use of that.

I mean, my idea of being adventurous in fashion is to tuck my shirt into my jeans. Ooooh, living dangerously.

Oso good

I'm not sure if I've said this before, but I lurrrve working in the CBD! So many great eating places to choose from. If you want cheap and good, there's the myriad hawker centres and food courts, if you want a little more chi-chi, there's a slew of good restaurants to choose from along Tanjong Pagar Road. This is definitely a far cry from canteen food and the occasional visit to Jurong Point!

Today my dad was in town, so he came by my office and we went out for lunch. We had originally planned on eating at Ember, but me being the last minute person, forgot to book a table, so by the time I called, there weren't any tables available. I tried Buko Nero next, and that was of course full as well. So that's how we found ourselves at Oso. My dad popped in and luckily for us, there was a table available. The waiter, not without a touch of pride, said we were "very lucky to get a table".

I've heard lots about Oso, and some people will argue that it is the best Italian restaurant in town, while others will gun for Garibaldi. For me, I'm yet to decide, since I haven't eaten at Garibaldi yet. That will have to be for another time. We decided to go with the set lunch, and I found it to be quite comprehensive. I had the beef carpaccio for a starter, the sea-bream for mains, and a coffee espresso cake with banana ice-cream as dessert; while my dad had lentil soup, pasta with duck breast and profiteroles. We had the house wine to go along with our meal (drinking in the afternoon, how decadent!), and finished off with a tea and coffee. My beef carpaccio was seasoned quite delicately, and balanced off nicely with the sea-bream, which came with a heavyish-cream sauce. I wasn't too enthused about the cake though, and felt it was a little dry. Thank goodness for the banana ice-cream.

The portions were quite decent, and everything was tasty. And the best part of it is, it wasn't outrageously expensive. The entire set lunch costs $28++, and if you were to consider the fact that you could spend $20 on a pasta at Pasta Brava, this is really quite value for money.

I was really impressed by the service too. Our waiter was very friendly and professional without being too familiar and servile, and treated me like a true lay-dee, despite the fact that I was wearing jeans. When we left, he opened the door for us and told my dad, "I really hope to see you again sir!" with perfect sincerity. It's so nice to get good service.

It's past 4 now and I'm still full from lunch. Mmmm...

In a world of her own

So, if you've ever been curious as to what I look like, I suggest you mosey down to the nearest newstand and buy a copy of the latest issue of a certain local fashion magazine.

Needless to say, the little item is all about shopping and fashun. And that's all I'm going to let on. You think I'd make it so easy for you ah?

hurhurhur.

A sign that work is too much on the brain

Instead of typing "movie", I typed "meeting" in an sms to a friend.

Sigh.

There is such a thing as a free ride

I'm very puzzled. I've had some time to turn it over in my head, and I still can't figure it out.

I hailed a taxi off the street after finishing work to get home today. My taxi driver was a soft-spoken Chinese man with a moustache, and looked to be in his 40s. He spoke English very well, and was listening to a Mandarin radio station. As with most taxi drivers, he asked which route I wanted to go by, and countered my suggestion with another one, saying his was a quicker route. While we stopped at a traffic light, he even asked me which radio station I wanted to listen to, but I told him I didn't mind and he could listen to whatever he wanted to.

When we were on Scotts Road, I told him to go by Newton, but perhaps he misunderstood me and turned left to go by Bukit Timah Rd. In my flurry, I voiced slight irritation at that wrong turn, but after a while, realised that it probably didn't come out to nicely, so to show that the wong turn didn't bother me, I said, "Oh well, it doesn't matter. At this time after peak hour, this other way doesn't really make much difference at all." He replied by saying, "Next time it happens, I'll know what to do."

When we reached my destination, he reached over and switched off his meter. Just as I was requesting for a receipt, he said, "It's OK. No charge. I'm giving you a free ride." Stunned, I said, "What? But why? Are you sure?" And he said no no, it was ok, and something else which I didn't catch. I tried to remonstrate by saying, "But it's ok you know, my company is paying for this anyway." But he refused, and repeated that next time, he would know what to do (I don't even know what that means). So in a daze, I thanked him profusely and got out, very puzzled.

So while I'm very happy I got a free ride home and saved $6.40, I still can't figure out why he wouldn't take my money. Was it because of the wrong turn? But it was such a teeny thing, and even if so, he could have just given a slight discount. Did I somehow piss him off with something I said? But then if I were a taxi driver and a passenger pissed me off, all the more I'd want to take his/her money. I just dunno.