24 March, 2009

Je T'aime... Moi Non Plus by Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin

Are you in the mood for erotic love? Then this is for you - Je T'aime.....Moi Non Plus by Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin. You might have heard of this song before, banned in the 60's because of Jane's orgasmic moans. But to me, her suggestive panting and moaning is the best part of this song. It ties in so well with Gainsbourg's equally erotic lyrics.

Petty introduced Gainsbourg to me back when we were courting. Back then, we were both poor students living in London. With his erotic lyrics, Petty considers Gainsbourg a genius who really understood women. I don't understand much French but I just blindly like this song.

The lyrics are supposed to be dialogue between two lovers during a sexual rendezvous. Gainsbourg's throaty voice from too much drinking and smoking and Jane's almost innocent looking fresh face makes her heavy breathing even more erotic than it sounds, if you get what I mean.

Gainsbourg has long gone. The last time I saw Jane was in 2002 at Paléo Festival in Nyon, Switzerland. Though English by birth, she sang only in French. She looked tamed and mature. Her face mellowed with age. I couldn't relate her to the fresh face in Je T'aime.....Moi Non Plus. Such is the cruel passing of time. But this video is timeless and ageless. Let's relive her good old days with Gainsbourg.





Je T'aime.....Moi Non Plus


Je t'aime, je t'aime
oh, oui je t'aime!
moi non plus
oh, mon amour...
comme la vague irrésolu
je vais, je vais et je viens
entre tes reins
je vais et je viens
entre tes reins
et je me retiens

je t'aime, je t'aime
oh, oui je t'aime!
moi non plus
oh mon amour...
tu es la vague, moi l'île nue
tu va, tu va et tu viens
entre mes reins
tu vas et tu viens
entre mes reins
et je te rejoins

je t'aime, je t'aime
oh, oui je t'aime!
moi non plus
oh, mon amour...
comme la vague irrésolu
je vais, je vais et je viens
entre tes reins
je vais et je viens
entre tes reins
et je me retiens

tu va, tu va et tu viens
entre mes reins
tu vas et tu viens
entre mes reins
et je te rejoins

je t'aime, je t'aime
oh, oui je t'aime!
moi non plus
oh mon amour...
l'amour physique est sans issue
je vais, je vais et je viens
entre tes reins
je vais et je viens
et je me retiens
Non! Maintenant viens!


Nick Cave's English version of the song:

I love you, I love you, Oh yes I love you
Nor do I
Oh my love
Like the wave, irresolute
I go, I go and I come, Inside you my love
I go and I come, Inside you my love
And then I hold on

I love you, I love you, Oh Yes I love you
Nor do I
You are the wave, And I the naked island
You go, you go and you come, inside me my love
you go and you come inside me my love
and then we are one

I love you, I love you, Oh yes I love you
Nor do I
Oh my love
Like the wave, irresolute
I go, I go and I come, Inside you my love
I go and I come, Inside you my love
And then I hold on

I love, I love you my love, Inside me my love
I love you my love, Deep inside me my love
And then we are one

I love you, I love you, Oh yes I love
Nor do I
Oh my love
Physical love is a dead end
I go, I go and I come, Inside you my love
I go and I come
And I hold on

No. Now...come






Hot in Singapore loves




18 March, 2009

I've joined The First Commenter Club!

I read about Mariuca's First Commenter Club (FCC) some time ago and found it a really wonderful idea. She is a generous lady who believes in giving away free linky love to her First Commenter (FC) for any star posts that you see at her site.

It bothers me a little for not showing my appreciation for all my commenters. That's why when Mariuca came up with the idea of forming a FCC, I couldn't wait to join! The benefits are mutual. What's better than giving linky love to commenters who make the effort to stop by and comment on our blogs? It is also a great way to increase blog traffic and comments, as bloggers are more inclined to drop by our blogs to see if we have a new star post out in hope of winning the free link back that we are giving away.

As long as you see this FCC badge displayed on our sidebars, you know we are in the club and we are the generous bunch of nice people who give away linky love to our FC! If you want to join in the fun, you can drop by Mariuca's site to get the details.


First Commenter Club


The example is as below. I shall start giving linky love to my FC in my next post! So, hurry up and place your comments here. Thank you for your love!





Hot in Singapore loves





16 March, 2009

Meet my cheeky monkeys!

Sometimes it takes very little to crack me up. Like now, looking at these photos of my cheeky monkeys.



Piggy and Bearbear all smiling behind their funny looking masks


These masks were given when I bought nappies for Piggy. One mask per pack. Here they are, messing about in the bedroom.



Bearbear: I am a bear and you should be very very scared!



Bearbear: Now I am a bull and you should run for your life!

05 March, 2009

Is this your dream home?

I took a walk with mémé one day near HarbourFront area and we came across the show flat of Reflections at Keppel Bay. It's one of the most luxurious waterfront living experiences offered in Singapore.


Simple minimalist design in the bedroom

The project was designed by Daniel Libeskind. He's the architect who created the World Trade Center Memorial.


The project is overlooking Marina at Keppel Bay

According to Reflections's website, the project is set in lush and expansive grounds. The waterfront development features six high rise towers, some linked by sky bridges, and spacious low rise villas. The Libeskind development will sit on a land size of approximately 84,000 square metres with an extensive shoreline of 750 metres.

Every detail and aspect of design will optimise interaction with the sea and the commanding panoramic views of its scenic surrounds.

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See, mémé is so excited about the interior of Reflections

Mémé has just arrived from Switzerland to stay with us for 6 weeks. She's curious about almost everything in this city state. She thinks Singapore is a paradise on earth. She even praises the hot weather. "Oh, you don't know Angie, it's so cold in Switzerland right now. You don't want to be there."

At the entrance of the show flat, I asked her again, "So mémé, do you want to have a look at this show flat? Perhaps you can buy one here to retire."

"And why not? Let's have a look."

Yeah, that was before we looked at the price tag.

***************************************************************


Very neat design in the toilet

There are only 2 bedroom and 3 bedroom flats on show. The size, at 91 sq m (980 sq ft) for a 2 bedroom flat and 138 sq m (1485 sq ft) for a 3 bedroom, is relatively small by European standard.


Dry kitchen area where all the appliances are provided by Miele, a German brand

The estate agent quoted us a price of SGD$1.92 mio (at SGD$2,207 psf) for a 2 bedroom flat located on the 10th floor. The size is ranging from 81 to 88 sq m (872-947 sq ft)! Extremely tiny!


Wet kitchen for messy Chinese cooking

The price tag for the 2 bedroom flat on the 11th floor is a cool SGD$2.03 mio (at SGD$2,217 psf). This one has a size ranging from 82 to 85 sq m (883-915 sq ft). And the price doesn't even include furnishings in the flat!


Living area where all the furniture is from Giorgetti, a famous Italian brand

At this price one can easily get a much bigger flat, say in Zurich. The property prices in Singapore have clearly shot through the roof in the past years though there's been a sign of slowing down recently.


A second bedroom with Sentosa Island at the background

Crazy prices as they are, but they come with the Daniel Libeskind fame. For some people, this is like buying scarf with Hermès brand attached to it. It's a matter of prestige. But of course, for some, a scarf made in China offers the same functionality.


The study. Again, it's like a fashion model clothed exclusively by Giorgetti

My dream home is a big house with a lovely garden. If possible, I don't want to live in high rise building. Inside my house I want minimalist design which offers simple decor, clean lines and the least volume of furnishing.


Bedroom with very limited space

On the way out, mémé said, shaking her head in disbelief, "This is a dream home. Far too expensive but I like it very much!"

Yes indeed, with the ideal location and the condo facilities offered, not to forget a marina where buyers can dock their big boats and a golf course right next door.

Is this your dream home?

02 March, 2009

Photo Challenge Tag

Hi Monica! Thanks for tagging me for this photo challenge. Normally I don't do a lot of tags. Not because I don't want to, but because some of the tags that you guys (I mean Mariuca and Lady Java and the lot) do are just far too technically challenging for me. Luckily this photo challenge tag is damned easy!

The rule you've set for me is quite simple - just go to the 6th folder in the folder with all your photos and select the 6th photo and post it. Oh, that's piece of cake, even for me!

Voilà! here's the 6th photo from my 6th folder.



Scherrer Park in Morcote, Switzerland

The photo was taken during our weekend trip to Morcote while we were staying in Zurich. Morcote is a village on the lake of Lugano in the Italian part of Switzerland.

Scherrer Park is located on top of a hill overlooking the lake. To go up, you have to take the steps. Imagine how many steps we had to walk before reaching the top!

Not to forget - poor Petty was carrying Piggy all the way up as using baby stroller was out of the question. That's why you can tell from the photo Petty was simply exhausted after the walk!


And of course, at 6 months old, Piggy was already the size of a small sumo wrestler! Just look at the size of his head. No wonder basketball was his nickname back then. Hugo at the time was only 4 years old. My boys are my world.

I like this photo very much. It has all my favourite people in it. I have very fond memory of this trip. We drove all the way from Zurich. Then stayed at a charming small hotel located right by Lugano Lake. It was in October 2007. The weather was too cold for us to go into the pool. I remember looking at the pool from our hotel balcony, thinking: how I wish it were summer time!

Scherrer Park is a very beautifully landscaped botanical garden. It's really worth a visit when you happen to be in Morcote. Readers in Switzerland, do check out this place! If you're curious about Scherrer Park, here's the information straight out of
Morcote Tourism:

**Scherrer Park, rich with luxurious subtropical vegetation and many kinds of buildings and art, both original and copies from all over the world, were left by Mr. Scherrer's widow in 1965 to the village of Morcote with the desire to open them to the public.

This Eden, made of an impressive subtropical flora including palm trees, camellias, wisteria and oleanders, cedar and cypress trees, camphor and eucalyptus, magnolias and azaleas, orange and lemon trees, bamboo and many other kinds of fragrant plants, attracts and fascinates every visitor. The gardens are also suitable for cultural and artistic events which have always been successful.

About sixty years ago, there was a small house with a stable on the shore of the lake here, with cultivated and partly wooded hills rising behind it. At that time Arthur Scherrer acquired the house and bought plot after plot of the land surrounding it. He altered and improved the house until it became a beautiful home.
Scherrer was a romantic and a passionate gardener too. In time, he was able to create what is now called “Parco Scherrer”.

Arthur was born in St. Gall (Switzerland) on 2 November 1881. He was the eldest son of Mr. Gustav H. Scherrer, a merchant and town councillor, and he had five brothers and one sister. Scherrer went to school in St. Gall, was later educated together with other boys of respectable families from different countries at the then famous college “Institut Schmidt”.

Later he went to Lausanne to complete his study of French, and then he studied at the Textile and Weaving College in Aachen (Germany). Next he staged in Siena (Italy), where he studied Italian. He then went to North America to learn English and to receive a business education. On his return to Europe he took over his father’s cloth-trade in Munich (Germany), developing a modest “Loden”-Shop into one of the smartest fashion-houses for men. Arthur Scherrer died in 1956.

In 1965 Mrs. Scherrer donated the Park to the Commune of Morcote, on condition that it was made accessible to the public. This exclusive garden offers today a unique and marvellous background for cultural and artistic events, and with its new structural improvements it brings ever more visitors to share in Arthur Scherrer’s dreamworld.**


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Leon, Maiylah, Jade, Gagay, Bill, Emm, Miss Igorota, Nurin, Marlene, PinkLady, chinkygirlmel, Kikit, *Lynne*, Vicky, Azlan and Romy! Let's play along with the photo meme tag! Have fun!

01 March, 2009

Interview with Hot in Singapore's Angie


Morcote in the Italian part of Switzerland

The lovely lady with a big smile from Emm in London is in the mood to interview fellow bloggers. I've volunteered and this is the end result.

Emm, as she's confessed, is a South African living in London. Her blog is all about her adventures in the UK and the holidays she takes. She is curious and energetic - these are great assets frequently shown in her travel posts.

If you're a TV addict, book worm, movie freak cum music lover, you should not miss Emm's
Emm Media. Here you'll be able, amongst all other things, to pick a movie to watch based on Emm's review.

If you're into current affairs, Emm also runs a blog called
A passion to understand. It's a collection of current affairs and selected news which has caught Emm's attention. She then publishes the story in her blog with a twist of her own added flavour.

Emm is also a very special person as far as my blog is concerned - she is by far my first ever follower! Hooray!!

Now let's find out what Emm would like to know about me. Ahem, here we go........


1. What made you start blogging? Did you have other friends that had blogs or did you spend time reading other people's blogs and decide it was for you?

In 2007, a colleague introduced me to a blog written by a Taiwanese woman living in Switzerland. Through reading her blog I found out that she could manage to earn a decent income by writing about her daily life and compiling the written posts into books. She then proceeds to sell her books on the net.

And at that time I thought: Hmm, I can do that!

But as you can see, currently I am still stuck at the stage where I'm writing about my daily life.....but then, blogging is fun. It combines my love affair with words and photography. That's why I'll keep doing it in the foreseeable future although it's far from rewarding financially.


2. What did you think about moving to a foreign country the first time you did it? Had you done lots of travelling before that? How did you fit in?

The first time I left Malaysia, it was for me to go for further studies in London. It was daunting as I had not done much travelling before that. I was foolhardy, totally unstreetwise and I was only 18. I remember the first time I went out with an English boy. He came to my flat with half a dozen of Foster's beer and a box of condom. I was expecting flowers and romance and turned out that he was only interested in sex! What a shock for an 18 years old looking for love!

My second move was from Malaysia to Switzerland after getting married with Petty. With my smooth London experience, I thought it would be easy peasy to live in another European city. But as it turned out, Zurich is NOT London! It's not just another European city. To start with, I had to start learning a new language. i.e. German. In my first year in Zurich, I couldn't even get our local butcher to cut my sirloin steak at a certain thickness. The first time I cooked for Petty and his friends, I chose a piece of horse meat from the supermarket when all I wanted was a piece of beef fillet! Oh dear, those were the days. The unglamourous truth of living abroad.


Singapore city centre


3. I have been to Singapore but never to Malaysia. Are the countries similar or completely different?

Singapore and Malaysia are similar in many ways. Not to forget, not too long ago the two countries were part of the Federation of Malaysia. In 1965, Singapore, under the rule of the formidable Lee Kuan Yew, was expelled from the Federation to form the Republic of Singapore, after Mr. Lee's disagreement with the federal government in Kuala Lumpur.


Though similar in terms of geographical make up, the two countries are world apart when come to things like politics, population and cultural make up. To start with, At 707 sq. km, Singapore is the smallest country in South East Asia. Along with Monaco and Vatican City, it is also one of three remaining sovereign city states in the world. Malaysia, on the other hand, is a vast country with land area totalling 329,749 sq. km.

Politics-wise, Malaysia was established as a constitutional monarchy having the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (The Sultan) as the Head of State who assumes largely a ceremonial role. Singapore's political framework is based on a parliamentary republic whereby the Prime Minister is the head of government. Though largely seen as a democratic nation, Singapore has long been classified by the Economist's Intelligence Unit as being a hybrid model with democratic and authoritarian elements.

Both Singapore and Malaysia are multi racial nations. However, Singapore has a majority of Chinese in the make-up of its multi-racial population whereas Malaysia is a Muslim dominated society in which the Malays are the majority.

On a lighter note, Singapore is well known for its high rise government sponsored HDB flats whereas most Malaysians live in terraced landed-properties. Singapore has kiasuness - it literally means fear of losing. This is a unique Singaporean mentality. The adjective, kiasu, is mainly used to describe a social attitude of being afraid to lose out in a highly competitive society. Malaysians, with the Malays majority, are generally regarded as being more laid back and easy going by nature.

I guess I am boring you to death with all these dry facts. Let's move on to the next question.


Roach Reefs Resort in Tawau, Malaysia


4. What do you miss most about home? Do you ever visit? Would you like to return home eventually?

When I am out of Malaysia, first and foremost I miss my family dearly. Next comes all the local food, especially Malay food such as nasi lemak and sambal prawns. Since I moved to Singapore in July 2008, I took the opportunity twice to go back home to visit. First visit was to Kuala Lumpur to show my newborn, Piggy, to my mom and other family members. Second visit was to celebrate Chinese New Year with my family in Tawau - a small seaside town on the island of Sabah, otherwise known as North Borneo.

I doubt if I will ever return to Malaysia eventually as I've tried and tested my life in Switzerland and I do like my lifestyle there. When I am out of Switzerland, I miss my friends dearly, and of course the natural beauty of Switzerland is always on my mind no matter where I go.


5. Which country would you like to visit that you have never visited before? Which country would you never visit?

I love travelling. Currently my favourite countries to visit are America, Argentina and South Africa. To me, there isn't a country that I would never visit. Each and every country in this world is worth at least one visit in my lifetime.

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Now if you'd like to be interviewed:

1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."

2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. (I get to pick the questions).

3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.

4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview others in the same post.

5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.



There you go. If you would like to be interviewed by me, please write to me at my email address angieeverywhere@gmail.com. I shall then email you my questions. Have fun!