The Lost Kway Teow

And so I started with my new job in my new workplace. As I have been warned I will have no team mates, thus, as I have expected I would be spending my lunch breaks with myself. This is something I have to get used to (aside from the fact that my desk is strategically located with the CEO's desk a couple of meters away behind me). I have been used to having my girlfriends cum lunch buddies in my previous work that I need to adjust being alone again, and I always feel sad when I eat alone. So in times when I eat alone, I have observed that I keep myself from being lonely by having
Kway Teow (image also taken from there) or Hokkien Mee, but I am more keen on the former.

As the Kway Teow is a common food in Singapore, I should be able to find it in any food center. So when I went to the food center at the back of the building where I work, the first thing I looked for was for a Kway Teow. To my surprise there was only one store selling Kway Teow, so even if the line was long I queued and waited. Then my turn came and Auntie seller took my order, I said I'd have a Kway Teow and since I could not clearly understand what Auntie was saying, when she asked me something I just said yes like I usually do so to make things simpler. But then after saying yes I had a feeling I made a wrong answer. When I got my order was the time I realized what Auntie seller asked me -- she was clarifying if I wanted "the soup one", to which I answered yes so she gave me a big bowl of Kway Teow SOUP!

Awwwww nooooo!!! =(

I wanted the fried Kway Teow, I thought it was standard that when you say Kway Teow, it's FRIED seafood Kway Teow. But well too late, so I ate the Kway Teow SOUP. In fairness it was delicious, but still I am not into soups because for some reason I always have my tongue get "burned" from eating hot soup so it takes me eternity to finish a bowl of soup because I have to eat slowly to wait for the soup to cool down a little.

Anyway, the following day I went back to the same store to get myself a FRIED Kway Teow and guess what, it didn't taste good so I was sooo disappointed.

Awwwwww noooo!!! =(

I really don't know what's the point of me writing about my obsession on Kway Teow. Just that I got frustrated that I couldn't have a nice fried kway teow that day, moreso I got lost after deciding to take the bus going to the mall I needed to go to after work and then when I got a taxi finally I was unfortunately stuck in an unusual traffic jam that the only thing I could say to Uncle taxi driver to strike a conversation was where I could find the best fried Kway Teow in Singapore. He looked like he was amused to know I like Kway Teow and so he seemed happy to think about it and finally said in the restaurants in the East Coast.

But then again, when I think about Kway Teow now, suddenly, I don't feel like having one anymore. Suddenly, I just lost my craving for it.

Awww nooooo!!! =(

Hello (again) Corporate World

Imagine a little lady well dressed up in her brown blouse and beige pants with matching beige high heeled shoes emerging from the train station tunnel to have a view of her new work place. Big black leather bag on her shoulder, she stopped to have a look at the towering building in front of her that would be her new "home".

Ah yes, that excited and scared look in her eyes, just like when she started her first job after college...

My very nice breakfast before I went to my first day on my new work ;O)

So I'm back to the corporate world and I am back to the central business district. Reminds me of the first time I got acquainted with the hussle bussle in the corporate world and all the usual career goal hullahbaloos. Funny when I think about those times last year when I used to have a lot of headache from the stress I had from the corporate world to the point that when I got home after work one night I literally put ice on my head to cool down the throbbing in my forehead that I felt.

When I was just applying for my current job, I did ask myself then if I was ready to go back to the rumble. My previous job at The School was a breather -- I went home right on time, no pressures or tight deadlines, no tedious administrative work...With my new job, I'll be back to the Financial world and when talking about money, everything becomes very critical, thus the stress and pressure. But then again, I feel that I have to return to Finance, as it is my my field of competence. Furthermore, I have a good feeling about my new company and of what will be my job responsibilities. I really can't exactly say why, but I just feel that this job was meant to be for me because first of all I did not look for it, a headhunter just got in touch with me and asked me if I was interested in the job and from his description I had a good feeling. Next is the coincidence that my new company's trademark/logo is of fishes jumping out from fishbowls, just like signifying my life. Last of all, I never could have imagined I'd pass the written technical exam they gave me, plus the three panel interviews I went through. I knew it was God's gift to me, as I think it was the message from my Bible cut (Sirach 17:22-28) the day before the headhunter called me up to tell me I got the job.

Getting this job was indeed a life saving turning point because it made me realize that people do appreciate me and that my skills are indeed giving value to my work delivery and to which I am very happy to know about. My cup overflowed when the headhunter told me that just from our first meeting, he knew that I'd get the job, when my manager from my company way back in the Philippines gave a very good feedback about me when the headhunter interviewed him for my background check, when my current company agreed to pay for the penalty for my premature termination of my contract with my previous employer so that I could start with them in a month's time, and most especially when my manager from my previous work counter offered to make me a permanent employee when I filed for resignation from The School as she told me I have the qualities of a staff she'd really want to keep plus she told me on my last day in The School that if things don't work out well in my new job, I could always go back to The School.These are beyond flattery and I was really, really moved.

So, as I walk on a new path in my journey, I am keeping these memories which will be my inspirations -- across the road, to the 26th floor where I feel that one thing has fallen into place again.

Cheers!

Goodbye Academe

Yesterday was my last day in my job in a college school. Maia gave me the cute bear above for a farewell gift, she said it was like I have "graduated", hehehe. Though I did not cry (thank God!) on my last day as I thought I would, I did not have an easy time restraining myself from being sentimental. It is not my first time to be leaving a company but everytime it is not easy to say goodbye especially when you've made good friends there already. There is always my fear that my new found friendships will fade away when I leave my job, but then again it's something I have come to realize: that your true friends are those who will reach out back to you and continue to keep the friendship regardless of physical proximity. So with that I just hope and pray that to those I reach out, they reach back.

My farewell message to my collegues (some names were changed):


My dearest everyone,

Time flies so fast, it amazes me to think it has already been 9 months since I first stepped in to This School to become a part of This Department.

I believe that we have our free will which allows us to make our choices, however, I also do believe that my fate is led by destiny so I follow where it leads me to. Just like how it led me to work for This School last year. I already had a good feeling even just from learning I would be working for a school as I have this natural love for the Academe, perhaps because my parents are both college professors and are both working in government schools in the Philippines since even before I was born. This also reminds me of the University where I graduated from, with all the trees and nature within the campus.

So my decision to leave This School was indeed a tough choice as I have come to love This School and my collegues, including my new found non-human friends I have met (and maybe you'd like to meet too? :-) thru my daily 10-minute walk from the train station to our building -- the centipede, snail, humming bird and green snake at Bldg 14, the chameleon at Bldg 8, and the squirrel at Bldg 6. But just like how fate led me to This School, I also believe that fate calls me now to move on and continue with achieving my goals and fulfilling my destiny.

However, before I go, I would like to emphasize how grateful I am to This School for giving me the chance to work for this prestigious institution and for introducing me to a good life in Singapore. I would like to thank my team mates, most especially my manager, CTPK, for trusting and believing in me, I admire her so much for being such a good mentor and how she manages to handle both her work and home responsibilities and still maintain her grace. My thanks also to Ms. Asst. Deputy Director and to Mr. Deputy Director. On a side note, I also would like to thank Mr. Deputy Director for his patience with me because I have only tried to stay up late in office twice and for these two times that I needed to switch off the lights and lock up the 3rd flr, both times I have unintentionally switched the lights out on him as I thought I was the last one in office. :-)

As I leave This School today I will be keeping with me memories of everyone like

~Regina's farewell gift to me and her thoughtfulness (thank you so much, Regina)

~Mr YWH's farewell wishes to me (thank you Sir)

~Doris' homegrown banana and her motherly kindness

~Ai Choo's lunch out treat at a very nice restaurant

~YYH's daily words of wisdom and pronounciation of my name as 'Florence' :-)

~YXS' occasional visits to my desk and his sharing of his goofy "words of wisdom"

~NMS' turtle soup served in turtle shell

~TWY's good company when we attended an event in Raffles Hotel

~AC's warm greeting and smile and our occasional chats

~N's knowledge sharing during the times I have been mentoring him

~CTPK's coffee plus tea drink, the time she told me to not slouch when sitting and the time she helped me when I had a cut on my finger

~LKL's frequent appearance at my desk for his food dosage :-) and for a good chat about work, life and almost anything under the sun (thanks Man! you're one of the best mentors I've had )

~Damon's many attempts to surprise me from my back while walking around the campus (and one time with me almost spilling a mug full of hot coffee)

~Mhean's friendship -- for being so kind to me even before I came to Singapore, for being my 'big sister' (although I'm a year older than her :-)

My many thanks to each and everyone of you for making my stay in This School such an enjoyable and memorable one which I will truly treasure.

It has indeed been a privilege for me to have worked with you.

Keep in touch

(*Sigh*)

Anyway, I had a blast to end my day. My collegue treated me to a sumptous dinner at a very nice Mediterranean restaurant. Then I met up with Bes, Maia and Rey, my classmates from highschool who are also working here in Singapore to have some drinks to celebrate my last day and also Rey's birthday on Tuesday.

On Monday, I start on my new job.

The Three Little Figs*

(*The Parable of the Fig Tree)

Another Lenten season is over once again. For the third consecutive year, I have spent the Lenten season and easter in a foreign land. It is a nice experience though, as I could see the differences, yet the similarities are there as being Catholic, the tradition and teachings should be the same anywhere in the world...

Lenten 2004 - It was my first time to ride a Boeing 747, first time to go on a 16 hours flight. As I was excited for a new experience, I found I didn't mind talking to any stranger, let alone my would be seatmate on the very long flight from Manila to Amsterdam. He was an old guy from Switzerland who visited Manila to do some missionary stuff. Good, I thought, at least he'd be a kind person I can trust. So I didn't have inhibitions when we striked a conversation, I told him about my experience of watching Passion of the Christ, how I cried and cried so much while watching that film because I really felt guilty to watch Jesus suffer and die for my sins (and I meant every word of this). When we arrived in Amsterdam, we waited for our connecting flights for a couple of hours and we were parting ways there, me to take the plane to Dublin and him to take the plane to Switzerland. As I thought I found a new friend, I asked that we had our picture together taken and he agreed. Then when I asked him for his email address so I could send him our picture, I got an unexpected shock from his answer. He said he'd rather not give his email address to me as his wife might think negatively about it, in short he was implying his wife might think I was his fling or something. What in the world!?! I really didn't get that, he was old enough to be my grandfather for heaven's sake! So I deleted his image from my camera immediately after parting ways. Sadly, it was a memory not worth storing I suppose. *sigh* =( Anyway, though I did not start the Lenten season in Dublin as I went there after Ash Wednesday already, I did spend the Holy week there. I am so thankful that my friend and collegue, Joanne, was there with me during my first month there. As there were many churches in Dublin, we initially planned to do the stations of the cross one station per church during Good Friday. However, after realizing that it was not feasible to walk to fourteen churches within the whole day, we opted to do 5 stations per church so that we only had to go to three nearby churches (hmm, this would also be almost the same thing that will happen with Me and Miswa's Good Friday bisita Iglesia two years after, hehe =P). It was my first time to do the stations of the cross and I was glad and thankful to Joanne for introducing me to the stations of the cross and to God for giving us that opportunity. Joanne and I actually revived our friendship that time, as just before she left to go to Dublin 3 months before that we had this gap due to a misunderstanding we had at work. Indeed God works wonders, He fixes things in a most unexpected way...

Lenten 2005 -The pilot announced there would be a delay in landing to Detroit airport because the runway was not visible because of the snow. Though there was no need to panic yet, I did get a little nervous then since the plane had to fly around the airport for some time. So you could imagine my relief when the pilot announced that we could finally land after more than 30 minutes of circling in the air. It was indeed a very very exhausting trip. The 5 hour delay in Detroit airport for my connecting flight to Houston seemed like eternity. Almost all flights to other States were cancelled because of the snowstorm, but thank God ours was just delayed. So after almost a total of 24 hours flight from Manila, we safely landed in a snowless Houston, Texas. Although, it has just happened last year, I have a vague memory of my Lenten in Houston. It's a wonder I vividly remember my Lenten in Ireland two years ago, but I am having a hard time remembering how I spent my Lenten in Houston last year. I searched thru my planner and diary to have some idea what I did but there were no entries. But I do think I went for mass on Ash Wednesday and Easter and I remember I was doing stations of the cross too during the season because the church I went to every Sunday for mass gave out a free Stations of the Cross handbook. But yeah, it was understandable, because those were the times that I was at the peak of my emotional struggle in life. Before I went to Houston, I did a Bible cut and it led me to a verse saying I would be going to a foreign land and there I will die. I remember I was a bit scared after reading that verse, but after going to Houston I realized what it really meant. I really did die -- the old me died and a new me was born and I thank God for that, perhaps I was really meant to go through all the past struggles I've been through to make me who I am now...

Lenten 2006 - When I went to Singapore in 2003 for a 5-day vacation with Joanne, we both agreed we didn't want to work here, we found the ambiance quite serious and stiff, and everyone seemed to be all in a rush. How ironic would it be that fate actually led us to work here two years after saying that and would make me take those words back. Moreso to the irony that Singapore, being a small country known for its strict enforcement of laws and rules, would actually give way to taking me out of my fishbowl I've always felt I was in. Moving to Singapore has made a significant change in me and my life. Moving here made me realize that distance can actually make me more closer to my friends and family. I have come to know myself more, my perceptions in life has changed, I see things now in a different light, I have made lots of new friends and I am happier. I found my spiritual thirst being quenched here and my heart rejoices each time I am at church, or I have done a good deed for someone or even just brighten someone's day in my own simple way. It is unexplainable the feeling of fulfillment is, when my holy week this year was concluded with a happy easter indeed, as I saw the children happily decorating their easter eggs with their parents or going through the easter maze we have created last week out of donated boxes, enjoying all the activities we have organized for them, seeing the teenagers of Catechism students participate in Pastoral Attachments (and hearing them say they actually would like to continue participating in the church activities even after their Pastoral Attachment schedule), seeing a whole community mingle and have fun in the Lord's house... these are priceless fruits of our labor that cannot be compared to any monetary compensation. Yes, I have been relatively active in religious activities but no, I do not consider myself religious in a dogmatic sense, rather, I would like to say I am a spiritual person. I love God and I am honored to be His servant. For all the blessings that God has given me, I hope to thank Him back by spreading His love.

Praise be our Lord Jesus Christ for dying on the cross for us. May He live in each one of our hearts.

It's a good Good Friday

This Good Friday is one of my best Good Fridays ever.

Together with Her highest mushroomness (who is now starting to have some chlorophyll due to my insistent prodding, hihihi =P ), we went for Bisita Iglesia (Church visitation). Our initial plan was to do the stations of the cross in 4 churches but decided at the last minute to limit to just 3. First stop was St. Mary of the Angels where we did the first 4 stations of the cross and I toured Her mushroomness around the church compound. Then we had lunch at a nearby hawker where I had Hokkien Mee (I am really getting hooked into the local noodle dishes here) and Her mushroomness, Fried Rice and tofu. Then next church was at Novena Church, but to our surprise there was some kind of program when we got there which we thought was a mass but there shouldn't be mass celebrations on Good Friday so perhaps it was Psalm reading. So we decided to just make a quick prayer and make the rest of the stations of the cross at our last church. So we proceeded to Good Shepherd Church where we read the rest of the remaining 10 stations of the cross.

Then we met with Miswa's housemate and the three of us marched our way to the Book warehouse sale (gooooooo bookworms!). When we got there, it was indeed a warehouse full of books! But well, since it was a sale, you have to have the patience to look for good books, they wouldn't put popular books on sale, right? But Miswa's housemate was so good in catching the best books, she got a Pablo Neruda book! So I said to myself I'd do my best to find these type of good books. Along the way, I saw so many books that didn't seem interesting and whose authors I didn't know. I was wondering how sad it would be if I were one of those writers and I'd see my books on sale and people still won't buy them, that would be so heartbreaking. =(

After a couple of hours and S$30 damage in my pocket, I got me 4 books which are far from a Pablo Neruda book, hihihi. But nevertheless, I am so happy to get them. ;o)

Care Bears Official Handbook by Scholastic - I was so ecstatic when I saw this! I'm a Care Bear fan, you know. And here's more, this handbook had a poster of the Care Bears inside! Wowee! It was a treat indeed! Come do the Care Bears countdown, 5 4 3 2 1.. =P

Orlando Bloom , The Biography by AC Parfitt - Haha, what can I say? I'm just a girl like any other girl. Yes, this guy is one good looking man and is one of the reasons I can watch the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy over and over again (*sigh*). This is really something else, because the only biography book I have before this was St. Therese's, and I was able to restrain from buying Johnny Depp's biography book too which was on sale. But my gosh, just look at the book's cover and you'll know there's more handsomeness inside! Her mushroomness was not able to find another copy and so the whole night she was devising a way to steal my beloved Orlando Bloom book from me, hehehe.( I told you Miswa you can buy it from me for S$100, tee hee =P )

Love by Toni Morrison
- When I got this book, I thought I already had a paperback copy of this and I just felt like buying a hard bound one so I had second thoughts at first in buying it. But after giving more thought I realized the book I had was not the same book, as the book I already had was Love by Leo Buscaglia. This is a popular book and I've been seeing it in bookstores back home and I knew it was expensive, being hard bound and all and Toni Morrison is Toni Morrison. So yey! I got a good buy.

Pope John Paul II, Memory & Identity, Personal Reflections by Weidenfield and Nicholson - Of course, in my quest for my spiritual growth, inspiration comes from holy people I admire like Pope John Paul II. I admit that I don't know much about him though, I was still indifferent when he visited the Philippines for the World Youth Day back when I was in high school but now I wished I was there to see him. I hope to get to know him more from reading this book, just like how I got to know and love St. Therese of Liseux from reading her autobiography.

So after going to the booksale, we had a sumptous seafood platter for dinner at Fish & Co. in Changi Airport. We had ice cream from Swensen's for dessert and finally called it a day.

Tennis the Menace

I came 15 minutes early to the tennis court to do some stretching before I started my tennis lesson. There were two students that my tennis instructor was teaching before me, one boy was around 12 years old, the other around 8. The boys were given a water break while the tennis teacher picked up tennis balls. I sat on one of the benches when the 12 year old boy suddenly sat next to me and I had this amusing conversation that made my night...

Boy: You still studying?
Me: No, I'm already working
Boy: What's your job?
Me: I'm a computer programmer
Boy: Which type is it?
Me: I'm doing Peoplesoft..it's a business application
Boy: Hmm, I don't know it but I think I've read it somewhere...
Me: Oh really?
Boy: How old are you?
Me: I'm 26
Boy: You're still young...
(Hmm, what is this boy up to?)
Me: Oh yes I am? Thanks.
Boy: Are you married? (What is this boy getting at!?)
Me: Nope
Boy: Do you have a byrfrnd?
Me: What? (I didnt clearly understand what he said, it sounded like boyfriend...)
Boy: Do you have a boyfriend?
(Oh my God! I did hear it correctly!)
Me: No
Boy: Why?
Me: Why?! Hahaha, why? Why? Hmmm, I don't know! (I could not believe I was being asked that question by a 12 year old kid)
Boy: Why you dont know? (Somebody stop him!!!)
Me: Well I used to have a boyfriend but we broke up...
Boy: Since when?
Me: Two years ago
Boy: Why? (I could not believe I was having that conversation)
Me: Because I discovered he had another girlfriend.
Boy: Maybe he didnt like you..
Me: Yea, I guess so (Ouch!)
Boy: So how long have you been playing tennis (Thank God he changed the topic!)
Me: Since October last year. You?

Boy: Just this year.

The tennis instructor then called on him as it was time for him to resume his lessons.
End of conversation.

Whew!

I think it was one of the longest three minute conversation I've had in my life. I wasn't prepared for something like that, if that boy was a decade older I'd say he was making a pass on me. hehehe. =P

I admire his courage though, as at such a young age he has the guts men should have in talking to ladies, although if he was my age and he approached me with a conversation like that I'd definitely get turned off, asking why a girl doesn't have a boyfriend is definitely not a good pick up line, sorry. hehehe.

I've been tagged!

My ignorance on being virtually tagged led me to this entry. His majesty Prince Romp gave the honor of introducing this tagging in the blog world to me. heehee =P

So here goes mine....

Four jobs I have had in my life.

1. Children's playcenter marshal
2. Part time tutor
3. Revenue Associate
4. IT consultant

Four movies i would watch over and over again.

1. A Walk to Remember (and I will still cry over and over again)
2. Forever (A Filipino movie)
3. Lord of the Rings
4. Bruce Almighty

Four places that I have lived.

1. Singapore
2. Houston, Texas
3. Dublin, Ireland
4. Quezon City, Philippines

Four TV shows I love to watch.

1. Friends
2. Fear Factor
3. Gilmore Girls
4. Soundtrack Channel

Four places that I have been on vacation.

1. California
2. New York
3. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
4. Different beautiful places around the Philippines, but Boracay Island is the best

Four websites I visit daily.

1. My friends' blogs
2. Google.com
3. Yahoo mail
4. Blogger.com

Four places I'd rather be right now.

1. Bookstore
2. Paris
3. Starbucks
4. Riverside,California

Four friends who I tagged that I think will respond.

1. Her highest mushroomness
2. Missy blackwidow
3. Angel Len
4. Kayan

Okidoki, my part's done! (bows head)

May the tag be with you. =P

What kind of car are you?

I was blog hopping one day when I saw an entry with a link to Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.

And here's the result:

I'm a Mazda RX-8!

You're sporty, yet practical, and you have a style of your own. You like to have fun, and you like to bring friends along for the ride, but when it comes time for everyday chores, you're willing to do your part.

*********
Hmm, so that's me if I'm a car I guess. =)

Anyways, this made me realize again how much I would like to have a car of my own since I started to be aware of my interest in driving (which was since I was a kid and I had this fascination on driving bump cars!). Though yes I've been driving since I was 17 but I've not been driving a car, because what we had was the family utility vehicle, a '97 Toyota Tamaraw FX
(photo not our actual vehicle but looks the same and taken from http://www.cardomain.com/ride/730702, I believe this model was exclusive for the Philippine market and is currently already obsolete as of now). It's not really fit for a little gal like me. I remember my classmate in college freshman year who, after walking me to the University parking lot and saw my "wheels", couldn't help but gasp "Foyan, you have a big car!"
Hahaha, I know.
But really, it was not big, I was just small for it. (Imagine what I would look like if I were driving a big van/truck in Texas, big there is actually reeeeeally BIG!).But in fairness it was powersteering and the seat was high enough and the rear and side mirrors were big enough so it was easier actually to drive as compared to a car where you seemed to be eaten up by the car seat if you're a petite person so it will be a challenge to see beyond the dashboard and rear end plus the side mirrors are small.

It's not that I have not tried driving a car at all and that I am not proficient in driving a car. I did learn to drive using a car from the driving school. Then in Oct 2003 we finally bought a second hand '98 Mitsubishi Lancer GLi (photo on the left is our actual car) although I only have been able to drive it for just brief moments due to I dont know how to explain it but it happened that my only bro got to use it while I got the FX.
If I stayed back home last year and did not resign from my job, by now I would be driving my own brand new car. It would have been either a Toyota VIOS or Honda City,the only cars I could afford at most. =( But well, I had to go, as I had a more important priority. It's just sad that in Singapore it is almost impossible for me to get myself a car, as it is tooooo expensive that even only a few of the local population has cars. So right now I could only wish and dream I have a car. Anyhow, you really can't have it all. Wuwuwu =,(

When language does not work as a barrier

This afternoon I was having my usual fried Kway Teow* for lunch in the mall foodcourt. As it was crowded, I was not surprised if a couple asked me if they could share the empty seats at my table. I said yes with a smile and they settled in the seats. I was not sure at first if they were Filipinos because it was noisy and I could not hear much of what language they were talking with. When the guy came back from buying food and they started to eat was the time I clearly heard they were speaking in Tagalog and so I confirmed they were Filipinos. As there were only two seats for them which they already occupied, the lady started to see where she could put her bag and I took that as a chance to offer the chair where I placed my own bag and let them know I was Filipino too. So I spoke in Tagalog and they were surprised to learn I was Filipino. The guy told me "Filipino ka pala?" (Ah, you're Filipino), I said "Opo, hindi po pala ako mukhang Pinoy?" (Yes sir. I don't look Filipino anymore?"), hoping to strike a short conversation but nothing striked at all and they proceeded to eat. Then to my surprise, they conversed now using another dialect, which was Ilocano. I felt a little offended by it because I could not help but get the impression that they didn't want me to understand what they were talking about because after learning I am Filipino they stopped talking in Tagalog and conversed in Ilocano instead. I don't think it was the proper etiquette. They didn't talk about me or anything bad so I didn't see why they had to change language thinking I wouldn't understand what they were talking about.

So how was I sure that they didn't talk about me or anything bad?

Well, incidentally, I also understand only one other dialect, and guess what, it's Ilocano. hehehe.

*(Miswa, I made a careful analysis of my Kway Teow and found out that it had also the small mussels(?) ingredient that they had like in the Kway Teow in Tanjong Pajar hawker we ate at. I therefore conclude, that all Kway Teows should have that mussel ingredient. =P )