An Andante August a Cappella

Yeah yeah yeah.... I knew I broke the rhyme.  Anyway, a slow month it has been.  I finally went to Jewel and visited Bintan after 6 long years...  In the office, I had to deal with the worst of micromanagement, proofread newsletter articles and laid them out, made power point slides for D&D and some ship signing ceremony, attended a superfluous 2 day "digitalisation" course,  went on an onboard visit to a training vessel and did numerous mind numbing chores in the office, I could just cry… my sister went for surgery.... and a slow job market only made things worse, as such I have also baked quite a lot as usual.  Sometimes I wish I could just throw everything up in the air and do whatever I like.  But that’s a fairy tale.  Purposely getting unemployed is a matter of "forking" consequences (I learned a new phrase from a recent read which I will elaborate on later). 😐😐😐

On a brighter note, I learned a new Kata called "Hangetsu" - 半月 this month within a week.  I also went to a friend's baby shower party and accompanied Lincoln to his classmate's poolside birthday party where he had an absolute blast.

Nice Looking Pool After Sunset - Galaxy Note 9

Tanjung Pinang Trip 2019 - Part 2

Day 2 started with a hearty breakfast in Lumba Lumba Inn.  My father had arranged for additional food to be brought in such as Martabak and Bangka noodles for everyone to share.  After breakfast, we set off for Bintan Agro Beach Resort.

The resort has changed quite a lot since the last time I was there.  The kids had some fun with the antique cars there, especially Lindsay with this cute Hello Kitty Mercedes Benz convertible.  Dad has a weird hobby of collecting antique cars, including cute ones too apparently.

Tanjung Pinang Trip 2019 - Part 1

Last week we just came back from a short family holiday in Tanjung Pinang, Bintan over a 4 day long weekend.  It's been 6 years since I last visited Tanjung Pinang and a first for Lindsay.  Our trip started from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal all the way in the East near Changi airport. 

The last time I came to Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal was about 10 years ago as after I had moved to Batam, my journeys to Tanjung Pinang were mainly from Batam's Telaga Punggur.  And Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal certainly hadn't changed much.  The terminal was packed to the brim with holiday makers. 

Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal Common Area - RX100 Mk3

After checking in, we waited for about close to an hour before we could board the ferry. 

Jewel Changi

Yeah, I finally made it to Jewel at Changi.  I sure am a latecomer, but the rain vortex is here to stay so no worries.  

The Rain Vortex - RX100 Mk3

Earl Grey Vanilla Chiffon Cake

And so, my baking spree continues into August.  This time, I decided to try baking an Earl Grey Vanilla Chiffon cake.  As usual, I turned to Diana's blog for guidance and did some tweaking on my own to streamline the baking process.  

Instead of brewing my tea in water, I decided to just use milk & vanilla.  The aroma is heavenly as expected, however the taste of the milk tea is really quite bitter.  But that will change once the sugar is incorporated.  

Brewing Earl Grey Tea Leaves in Milk & Vanilla - Galaxy Note 9

Jaded July

And July finally comes to a close.  I've baked a lot this month to offset my gloomy mood in the work front.  At least baking takes my mind off some bumps at work.  It hasn't been an easy month as I've grown weary of my mundane daily functions in all honesty.  I can't help but miss my early project management days.  

Soy Matcha Latte From Kopi Janji Jiwa @ Grand Batam - Galaxy Note 9

I don't have much to share either this month other than some interesting stuff in Batam.  I've also come across a new idea to increase occupancy rate of my father's property in Batam.  As of now I'm waiting for the marketing staff & the general manager to draft out the plan formally for me to check and fine tune.