My mother said she caught a glimpse of you on the news tonight, and wanted me to ask you about it.

Such a simple request, but no longer straightforward to administer.

Through your recent messages and call, I know it’s still raw and the last thing I want to do is open it up by revisiting what cannot be.

Sometimes it’s really better to let the dust settle, allow time do whatever it does, and just leave memories pleasant, don’t you think so?

How can I not blog about this: Connie the Crazy Canadian is likely to drop by Singapore this summer. Guess where she might be staying while she explores our sunny island?

The response from the owner of the intended accommodation wrote this in last year’s email when I first asked:

If you are around it would be Ok. But she and you can’t sleep on the same bed. Either one of you have to sleep on the floor. It is very unhealthy for both of you to sleep on a bed meant for one person. Remember this wherever you are. Your friend Sam also should not sleep together with you on your bed. Your bed is too small for two persons.

(Connie, I think I successfully shifted everyone’s attention to my mom’s erm… sense of humour and you’re no longer the star of this post. Hahahaha but yeah that’s the way I am so too bad, banana.

You’d better bring me plenty of Reese’s, maple cookies, some of your banana bread, and quesadilla haha.)

Some of you Few of you know about my recent displeasure with the hubbub on frozen meat in Singapore (ask me for the password to that post laaaa). Granted, whatever the minister said, whatever AVA planned, and whatever a certain someone had to execute came to a successful reality with heartland freezers being stocked up with frozen pork, and the market-going crowd shall be avoiding their regular butchers I suppose.

Here’s the news report I predicted will appear, and guess what? There’s a video accompanying it, which will show a special appearance of the certain someone for…2 seconds? Haha. See if you can spot her.

For my handful of Canadian and American readers (make that two fingers), this video will demonstrate/remind you of the way we speak in Singapore, of what affectionately is my mother tongue. (You gotta go to the article itself to view the video)

Sales of frozen meat increase at NTUC FairPrice
By Hoe Yeen Nie, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 22 March 2008 1921 hrs

	Photos 1 of 1
	Related Videos Sales of frozen meat increase at NTUC FairPrice

SINGAPORE: Sales of frozen meat at NTUC FairPrice have gone up by 30 per cent in the past month since a public campaign was launched on 23 February to get more people to switch over from chilled, fresh meat.

But the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority said care must be taken when buying and storing frozen meat to avoid bacterial growth.

AVA said that compared to chilled or fresh meat, frozen meat can keep longer, plus it’s cheaper too.

AVA added that the price of a chilled chicken has increased by 20 per cent since last September from S$4 a kilogramme, to S$5.

And despite initial reservations, more Singaporeans are warming up to the idea.

NTUC FairPrice said sales of frozen meat at its stores have gone up by 30 per cent in the past month.

So how does one go about buying the meat?

AVA said the meat should be in a hard, frozen state and the packaging should also not be torn, crushed or juice-stained, and there should be no excessive ice crystals on the meat.

Dr Chua Sin-Bin, Chief Executive Officer of AVA, said: “Ice crystals will actually puncture the muscle cells and the next time you thaw the meat out, the damaged muscle cells will allow the goodies, all the nutrients in the muscles, to leak out as drip.”

Another reason why you should avoid thawing and refreezing meat too often is due to bacterial growth.

AVA said that you should buy your meat just before heading home and store it in a cooler bag to keep the temperature constant.

Frozen meat can be kept cold in an insulator bag for up to an hour. But if the meat thaws, keep it in the chiller compartment of your fridge and consume within a few days.

You should also avoid leaving the meat in the car boot, as the higher temperature will encourage quicker thawing of the meat.

And to suit the demands of consumers, AVA is working with importers to package meat in smaller servings. - CNA/vm

From Channelnewsasia.com

I will now fess up. A long-distance relationship is really hard.

And even harder when your girlfriend has to spend all her time planning how to stuff Singaporeans with frozen pork, and who is now losing sleep over her frozen pork galore event at HDB hub this weekend, where thousands of housewives will try to poke and squeeze frozen pork only to complain that it’s hard all over so it can’t be as fresh as fresh pork but must be okay lah, minister say frozen pork nice, cheaper somemore, eat loh.

So after all the news reports show housewives smiling gleefully because they have a chance to be on TV say that they eat frozen pork, their children eat frozen pork, that their dogs eat frozen pork etc and how they all find it a cheaper and just-as-good alternative to the now more expensive fresh pork, the good word will be out on Monday’s papers that Singaporeans will make do with have fallen in love with frozen pork, and they shall have it in their wantons, their gou lou yuk, their prime rib soups, their steamboat shabu shabu etc (but please spare the bak chor mee).

What propaganda won’t tell you is how personal lives are almost wrecked by the pandemonium behind the attempt to convert fresh pork devotees to pay equal worship to frozen pork via a preaching session at HDB hub. That the personal lives of the event planners have been jeopardized is not worthy of mention, for the noble cause of shoving frozen pork into the freezers of every heartlander must be given way to.

No one will think about how a heart is breaking in the land responsible for price hikes in fresh pork because of a certain planner’s obsession with recruiting frozen pork lovers.

I will eat all this damn pork until the day I die.

祝大家新年快乐，心想事成，

在新的一年里，吉祥如意，生活美满幸福！(Credit: CG for editing)

I hope I can inch closer to a life that is 美满幸福. Meaning less 躲躲藏藏 would be good.

So. Resolution for mouse year: (to parents:) drop larger hints, talk about Sam more, leave books lying around, tell less lies.

Haha no resolution for school. Continue skipping classes that are useless, continue sleeping if I feel like it, continue avoiding people who get on my nerves. I must remember that the squirrels were really adorable in UBC, and just be glad of that memory (I think no one will understand this attempt at a joke except CG).

Okay okay, eat less too. I don’t want the day to come when I can only wear PJs. That last sentence came up thanks to Connie’s comment when she saw me in my penguin PJs and said “How come only fat people look good in PJs?” BITCH.

Hey we’ve booked our tickets to go on a short trip to Genting and KL from the night of Feb 11th till Feb 14th.

Let me know if I can use your name to tell my mother I’m going with you.

Yes, I’m way behind in getting my hands on this since the book was launched in August 2006, and I only bought and read it today.

It’s a very easy read, very colloquial, which makes its form very apt for the content, for the stories [sort of like True Singapore Gay (coming out) Stories] are very very real.

It’s not pro-gay, but pro-acceptance — of who you are and who the people around you are. The stories also demonstrate how allowing others the chance to accept you as you are may prove to be the best thing you can ever do to make your life fulfilled, instead of building the mountain of lies like the one I’ve been piling up on these years to protect the truth about Sam and I from my parents and the extended family.

“…in ten years time, I’ll be 38 years old, not young anymore. And [my father]‘d be 68, well into his twilight years. If by then, he can’t acknowledge me and my other half, if we can’t all be happy together, then that’s just sad.”

I don’t know if it’s the easy way out for me to shrug it off and postpone telling my parents until after graduation, because I can jolly well postpone it to after I find financial stability, after I find a place of my own, after this or after that — will it really make a difference to their ability to come to terms with it?

I don’t want them to leave this world without my being honest with them.

So now, I can either leave the book on the living room table to speak volumes on its own, or stash it in some corner of my cupboard hoping they won’t (or will?) pry when I’m not around.

You know, if you really manage to come over, I’ll sign the papers.

Keywords: Same-sex marriage; non-residents welcome; $100.

How To Get Married In British Columbia

Are you eligible to marry in BC?

You do not have to be a British Columbia resident to be married in the province. However, you are required to get a Marriage Licence valid only in British Columbia.

Anyone over 19 years of age is eligible to apply for a marriage licence in BC. Anyone under 19 years of age must first obtain the consent of both parents. Click here for the consent form or get the form from the local Marriage Licence Issuer. No one under 16 years can be married without the consent of the Supreme or County Court.

If one or both individuals were recently divorced within the last 31 days, proof of divorce must be provided. No licence is issued until the courts finalize a divorce, normally 31 days after the divorce decree is issued by the Courts.

To marry, blood tests are not required under British Columbia legislation.

Apply for a Marriage Licence

To get married in British Columbia, the Marriage Act requires that the couple get a Marriage Licence. You may get married during the three-month term of the licence.

Only one member of the couple needs to apply for a marriage licence. Click here for the marriage licence application and fee. Find here locations of Marriage Licence Issuers. Please bring the following identification for both individuals who plan to marry.

• Full name, including given names
• Birth date and birth place
• Marital status
• Current address

The marriage licence is issued at the time of application. The marriage licence is non-refundable, valid for three months and may not be extended.

Arrange the Marriage Ceremony

In British Columbia, couples can choose a religious or civil ceremony, which must be witnessed by two people.

To perform the religious ceremony, you can choose a religious representative who must be registered with the Vital Statistics Agency, under the Marriage Act.

In BC, civil ceremonies are performed by marriage commissioners, who are appointed by the Chief Executive Officer of the Vital Statistics Agency. For more details, click on Information about Marriage Commissioners.

If you plan to have a civil ceremony, contact and book a marriage commissioner as soon as possible once you set your wedding date. Make sure you provide the necessary information on your wedding:

• Date and time of your wedding ceremony
• Location and address
• Payment of fees to the commissioner

Additional information can be helpful, including the number of guests and people in the wedding party, plus any special wardrobe or other requests.

Find here the approved wedding ceremony for your use. Any changes should be discussed with your marriage commissioner. Please note that the bold text is mandatory for all civil ceremonies in British Columbia.

Register the Marriage

The marriage commissioner or religious representative who will perform the wedding ceremony will help complete the Marriage Registration Form. Within 48 hours of the wedding ceremony, the form will be sent to the Vital Statistics Agency, where the marriage will be registered and a legal record will be kept.

Proof of Marriage

At the time of the ceremony, your marriage commissioner or religious representative may provide a statement of marriage, which can be used temporarily as proof of marriage. However, it is not a legal document.

You will receive a legal Marriage Certificate from the Vital Statistics Agency after the registration of the marriage.

Which name can I use?

After marriage, you can continue using or choose to use your own surname at any time. You also gain the right to use your spouse’s surname. This does not result in a legal change of name or any automatic change to your identification records.

If you choose to use hyphenated surnames, a legal Change of Name is required.

- From BC Vital Statistics Agency