good morning to the world!

Ok, this is the 4th ICANN meeting I’ve attended and by far the most busy and tiring. I’m surprised I’m getting by on an average of 5-6 hours’ of sleep everyday. I feel a little zonked out here and there but am still holding out well enough.

With an involvement in 2 mini events and another 5-6 separate appointments with various companies, I’m thinking that this is the most fruitful of all the ICANNs I’ve attended so far too. :)

I love the food here. Loads of beef. Yum yum. Loads of kimchi. Yum yum. Loads of garlic and onions. Yum yum. Loads of spicy tofu soup. Yum yum. Heheheh…

I’m still amazed by the number of cosmetics shops there are here. On one single street alone, there can be multiples of Face Shop, Skin Food, Missha, Innisfree, Body Shop, Etude House. There can be 2 or 3 branches of the same brand name on a single avenue and each branch will still have many ladies jostling for space inside haha.

I love these shops!! Went on a rampage and am now equipped with close to 40 pieces of masks and various bottles of BB cream, moisturizer and other products.

Resting in room for a little while before heading out for another appointment

Sitting here in different meetings and sessions over the last few days has reconfirmed some of the things which I’d come to learn.

1. Caucasians really have a knack of talking a lot. One simple point to bring across is expressed in 9 or 10 long sentences.

2. But well, those who can talk well and those can talk for long and those who can talk loud, are usually the ones who get further and higher.

3. Some Caucasians really have a cocky attitude and most of them come from the States. I had a meeting with a company in the morning. Started and based in the US but with companies in Germany, Japan and some other European countries. 3 of them versus one of me. CEO was a young guy, probably in his 30s. Relatively good-looking with a typical cocky attitude. Lots of snide smiles between him and the other guy, who was Spanish I think. Only the lady was nice enough and was sincere in her smiles……

4. With point 3 said though, there are also those Caucasians who are sincere, genuine and take the effort to accommodate their ways to those of Asians or who bother to keep relationships going with you. I definitely appreciate the sincerity of these folks. :)

5. “Guan xi” is really deeply rooted in the blood of Asians. Building relationships, eating and drinking and having fun together are so very common.

I am also getting a little irritated by the aggressiveness of a certain someone. And his enthusiasm. I don’t know how to put it in words. Maybe he’s gotten passionate about his work over the last year or so. But the way he speaks now about work is grating on me a little.

Day 1 - Kimchi overdose

Landed in Seoul around 6:55am this morning. Meaning it was about SG 5:55am.

Just some quick observations about Korea....

• There are many couples who like to wear couple-outfits i.e. top matches, bottom matches, and sometimes even footwear matches as well
• Kimchi is so prevalent in each and every meal that I thank God I can take spicy stuff. In a strange way, kimchi has somehow not made my stomach feel worse. Yay!
• Their Insadong area is very much like Taipei's Shilin Night Market, just 3 times bigger and 5 times less dirty. I love this area and couldn't stop myself from grabbing knick-knacks...:)
• I like the way the country is so "digitised" and so forward in its approach towards IT. Loads of digital billboards everywhere. Alot of things seem to be quite IT-oriented...They've got the world's highest broadband penetration rate.
• Most people here can't speak English for nuts and those who can speak a smattering of the language can only count in it and speak words like "5 thousand dollars".
• They dress in a less quirky manner than the Japs.
• Most Korean girls look the same.
• Korean guys ain't that good-looking, well, at least the average guy on the street.
• I absolutely dig the grilled meats here and the BBQ meats.

Till here, I need to buy facial products for myself and my brother tomorrow....Face Shop, Skin Food, Etude House and Missha shops aplenty...:)

Plus the supermarket downstairs seems very interesting. Will make an efort to pop by there too...

metamorphosis

Little kiwi is now a pseudo porcupine.

yip yip yip yip

Been a little high strung ever since I came back from Europe. I think it’s because of…

• My project which is due to be launched very soon but there are still things which are pending. Argh.
• Big auntie is approaching.
• Tension from over-zealous folks at home.
• Rush for things to be prepared adn arranged for the upcoming meeting in Seoul.
• Trying to keep fit but can’t seem to be achieving much in running. haha.
• Anticipated mad rush for the project and personal stuff when I come back from Seoul.

I feel like an ant running around lol...!!!

Philippe Jarrousky

My new fav. :)

Philippe Jarrousky, a French counter-tenor.
Singing Vivaldi's aria "Vedro con miodiletto".
Accompanied by the Matheus Ensemble
And directed by Jean-Christophe Spinosi.

He has collaborated with Jean-Christophe & the Matheus ensemble for the last 5-6 years.

Enjoy! For those who are open to listening to opera that is haha...;p

toofy

Oh yes. I'd like to share this lovely blog and spread the happiness around.
This blog has brought me smiles aplenty and I hope it does the same for others out there as well. :)

www.mymilktoof.blogspot.com

It's amazing.
It's lovely.
It's so darn cute and...
It's god-damn creative!

Still not too good

:( Hope I’ll be ok by the time I fly off on Friday night.

Self-medicated and popped flu medicine last night. Thought I’d be concussed and have a good night of sleep but it turned out otherwise. I woke up a grand total of 4 times during the night, became a certified zombie this morning and ended up going to office 40minutes later than usual.

*whines*

Was instructed by the significant other to take more vege. And so the obedient me had fish porridge for lunch today, together with a packet of plain stir-fried green vegetables gotten from the “cai-fan” stall. Cost me $1.50 just to get that bunch of vege…

Having my nose slightly blocked apparently renders my brain being slower and more careless than usual. Sent an email to the boss yesterday evening with loads of errors in dates and months and other details. Gosh. I’d slap myself if I were him.

I shall endeavour to be more alert today despite the stuffy muffy feeling.
GANBATTE!

Shells attract oldies

I attract uncles and aunties.

A Taiwanese uncle openly hit on me during my Sydney trip in June. It was rather embarrassing because we were at a dinner table. A Taiwanese uncle is now stalking my FB site.

And when I came back to office from my Europe trip, at least 4 aunties came by my cubicle one by one asking me how come I was not in office for so long, where I went, how was it, etc.

When I was in Fontainebleau (outskirts of Paris), an auntie kept smiling at me on the public bus and eventually started a conversation with me.

Shucks.

It's the shell's turn to feel under the weather

K was not feeling well over the weekend but he's gotten better yesterday already.

Now it's my turn. Had a strange bout of flatulence and slight diarrhoea yesterday evening.
And woke with a sore throat and a runny right nostril this morning.

Hence, macaroni for me for lunch today. Really light but still very tasty.
I love Boon Tong Kee's macaroni~!

Get It On!

I wasn't feeling very good this morning.
Both pysically and emotionally but seeing this video totally made me laugh out loud!
It's amazing what these creative folks can come up with!

HAHAHHAHHAHA....enjoy the vid!
p/s: Turn on the volume. :)

All men are jerks. (Oh well, almost)

This has been a recent topic amongst myself and some girlfriends. Perhaps I shouldn’t say recent because the phrase has been uttered by us since a year or more ago. It died down after awhile and in the recent past week or so, it’s been revived again because of a situation a friend unwittingly got herself into.

It’s a universal fact most men think with their head. The one down there I mean. That is, if they even think at all. A guy friend once told me, it’s a constant challenge for the bigger head to try to reign over the smaller head. With discipline and will and sheer effort.

I don’t know. Is that true? The older I get, the more instances I see, hear, witness of men acting like dumbasses. Is it in their make?

But oh well, with all that said, to cut the men a little slack and to avoid sounding like an old spinster, I won’t deny that there are women out there who are bitches as well.

Lily Allen - Fuck You

I really do like this song as it's rather catchy. My head can't help but bob to the tune of it. :) Her songs are nice! Nicer than Lady Gaga's :)

Titles are a chore.

The kiwi is no longer fuzzy.

Tolerance?

I find my heart and mind not as open as it should be to embrace some "shortcomings" of others. Disclaimer: I am no saint, I am no perfect person. So I know I have my own areas of lacking.

Just wondering how tolerant I should be as a person. Hmm...

"Shortcomings" are in inverted commas because they might be shortcomings to some, might not be to others.....or maybe I am just being picky.

Quotes

There was an email thread this morning about a staff apologising to me and another manager for a mistake made.

I've gleaned this from some of the ensuing emails which were sent. Which I find rather true.

"Don’t worry about failure, worry about the chances you’ll miss when you don’t even try"

"When you make an effort to understand, you will learn better."

Question Time

What is the best way to market oneself in an organization?

I am not the kind to engage in a “see and be seen” modus operandi. Nor am I one to spend time licking the bosses’ shoes. But somehow, these two methods seem to be the fastest way to move ahead. At least from what I’ve observed.

I’ve been in both the private and public sectors and that seems the quickest way to move up the ranks or get into the good books of the bosses. The quiet hardworking worker may or may not get his/her just recognition unless the boss is a perceptive and partial person.

I used to think that being hardworking and delivering well is good enough. Till an ex-boss, Guin, said to me “You need to put yourself out more and let the ones in management see you more.”

A little digression. Work, can get a little complex. Aside from the work itself, there’s politics and people dynamics to contend with. How energy consuming sometimes. Which is why I usually choose to hide in my own corner and just work.

Which brings me back to the first question again. What is the best way to market oneself in an organization if one prefers to be the quiet worker and not the worker with the gregarious (whether real or reel) outlook? Hmm.

Happy Hatchday! (well, soon.)

Interestingly, I was telling K that day...that this is the last year that I will be in my 20s.
Yeps, I'll be hitting my 29th birthday soon.

Looking at the numeral brings me some thoughts. I wonder what the future will bring for me. I wonder if I will go maniacal when I hit 30 next year. And I wonder if I need to start being more health conscious.

Mainly, I reminisce. I do have some small regrets here and there. Like how I could have done better at certain things, how I could have achieved much more than now, how I set airy goals for myself only to fall because I did not make good on my own words or I did not know how to go about making things happen, how i could have blah blah blah...you get the drift.

I think about how when I was younger I'd look at the corporate executives walking around office buildings and I'd tell myself that "Wow. I want to be like them. Working, earning and generally enjoying life." How naive and innocent haha.

I'm the one walking around office buildings now and wondering how I wish I could be young again and carefree and just enjoying life haha. The ironies of life. :)

I've never celebrated my birthday with a mad party or a drunken escapade or a dance-through-the-night marathon. And I've never really understood why some choose that way of celebration. Ah well, to each his own, I shall respect their preferences haha.

Simplicity for me is best I guess. Everyday life is sometimes hectic enough as it is I don't want to complicate things with sore feet, a hangover and alcohol-induced memory loss. Simple meals in the company of loved ones and friends and of course K.

Looking forward to Friday night with K, Sat with K and the Frenchies, Sunday with sec sch peeps and next Monday with my cousin. Meals, meals, meals. I hear calories ringing their way into my blood stream but what the heck. haha.

I'm 29 in a few days. I'm looking forward to things to come.
I've yet to reach my peak and voila, there's electricity in the air. :)

CPDRC

And now, I'm gonna spam my own blog with a few videos. (There's too many to be put up at a shot haha.) Because I think it's quite a meaningful thing which has been done here. Alternative rehabilitation methods. Inmates from the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center Dance group perform monthly for visitors and their friends and relatives.

Loads of practice and coordination needed. I think they've put in alot of effort and big big kudos to them! And I hope you'll enjoy the vids as much as I did. :)

Michael Jackson medley


Nobody


Jai Ho


Thriller

What sound does a hippo make?

I was flipping Recruit earlier on and was amused to see one of my ex-companies hiring.
There was a whole long list of job openings so much so I began to wonder if there was a mass exodus of staff from the company again...lol.

Some of the positions include:
Tour Operations Managers & Execs
Marcomm & Brand Manager
Business Development Managers & Execs
Web Marketeer
Graphic Designer

Think some of you should know by now which company this is haha.

No Matter What

I was a fan of Boyzone back in 1997-1998. I remember cutting out little photos of them from newspapers and magazines, and pasting them everywhere.

I had posters of them on my walls and when my cupboard, shifted them to the insides of the my cupboards so that when I opened my cupboard in the morning, I'd see them.

I gushed over Stephen Gately and Ronan Keating mainly. Shane Lynch had some attention from me but it was mainly Stephen & Ronan.

I cast them aside when I entered uni and didn't really bother much about them thereafter.

Still, it's a little sad to hear of Stephen Gately's death.

A sudden death apparently. In Majorca on 10th October. No further details as yet.
And I was just in Barcelona about slightly over a week ago. We were in the same country....gosh.

RIP Stephen.

ARGHHHHHHHHHHHH

I have a 58 year-old male boss who is in a perpetual state of menopause.

Period.
(opps, no pun intended.)

Hmmm...

Some people can get rather insistent on their own views and thoughts. And when they get that way, sometimes they raise their voices (whether consciously or subconsciously), sometimes they just adopt a more agressive physical stance.

Anyway, I think there’s a variety of reasons why some people can get rather insistent but there are some major ones which stand out.

• Plain old stubbornness
• Not wanting to “lose” in a discussion or a small argument
• Confidence (or overconfidence?) in one’s ability and thought
• Plain old muddleheaded-ness (is there such a word?)

Just my two cents' worth.
Food for thought. Do you get this way?

Sigh

A little upset.
I thought I could have a nice, hot simple meal in office whilst clearing my work. For me, a good meal is a source of motivation in a way...

My fav century egg with minced meat porridge turned out horrible and tasteless because a different guy was cooking it today.

And the Chinese pear which I bought was overripe. More mushy than crunchy. Either they kept it overnight or it was overripe.

Whatever it is. I feel a little shortchanged now. :(

Thank god K is bringing me for supper at Blk 85 tonight.

HAHAHAHHAHA

This is absolutely hilarious!!!!

How would you react if you were the interviewer?

I was thinking of something whilst on the way home yestreday. I wonder how a job interviewer would react if I gave him or her such an answer in the following scenario.

Interviewer: So tell me, what do you think are your weaknesses?
Me: Oh, eggs, mushrooms and chicken wings.

(Disclaimer: Of course I'd follow up with the proper answer later on lah... haha.)

I realise that...

• My pockets are getting dry and will get drier in the next few months. There's 3 one-month-old baby celebrations this week alone and there'll be 2 upcoming weddings,and Xmas is coming...
• I might be too accomodative sometimes.
• One should still try to smile despite having shit poured all over you. Easier said than done though.
• My back view probably looks like thousands of other Chinese girls in Singapore.
• It's been 3 weeks (or more) since I went jogging. Uh-oh..how to prepare for 10km SCM?
• Even when you do good and get nothing in return, you should still try doing good. And that's a paradoxical truth of life.
• I am blessed to have a wonderful bunch of friends, family and my Knight.
• I miss K alot now.
• Alot of people live in the past. I am one of them. Need to learn how to be more forward looking.
• I should probably be slogging my butt off now but I am not. Uh-oh...
• A pimple has sprouted on my nose.
• SQ is still the best airline I've taken. Not that I've taken many others though hahaa..
• I' d better get back to work NOW....hmmm then again...there should be time for just one more short post right? hmm mm....

Me Back

16 days, 4 cities, 750 photos, numerous sandwiches and dozens of cathedrals later, I am back in Singapore.

I am back at work. After clearing 1200 emails and 6 files on my table, I MIGHT be back here.

In the meantime, I’ll slog away…body in SG, mind in Europe.

Bye Barcelona, Bonjour Paris Again

By the time we left Barcelona, we were already tired from the trip. For me, it was sore feet, tired eyes from the glare of the sun at times and a lower back which ached at times. Haha, I seem old suddenly.

We went to a hill called Tibidabo on our last day there. It was a long way there, about an hour-plus by public transport (metro, bus, then tram). But it was surprisingly beautiful place which overlooked the city. A cathedral sat atop the hill and atop the cathedral, there was a statue of Jesus, almost like the “Christ the Redeemer” statue in Rio de Janeiro.

There was an amusement park there too, complete with carousels and Viking rides. It felt as if we were transported back in time to the 1950s where such fairs were commonplace in UK. What was missing was clowns walking around and cotton candy machines haha.

I've tried the Fideguay and the Seafood Paella in Spain. And all I have for them is applause haha. :) Hehe, those with a preference for more salty stuff will like them too.

We left Barcelona early yesterday morning. And reached Paris about 9 hours later in the evening. Trundled through loads of towns and finally reached sometime around 530pm.

It was extremely cold today. So cold till my fingers were frozen. Toes were half frozen in my shoes too haha. And my lower back acted up again in the cold weather. K had to bear with a grumpy me lol.

Nothing particularly exciting today though haha. Tomorrow will be more exciting. With a boat ride along the La Seine planned and a special dinner reservation at this mini island within the city. The island's called Chalet des Iles.

Till here.

Bonjour! Hola!

It's only been 9 days but it feels like an awfully long time since I last penned any notes within this space.

It feels a little surreal right now. To be sitting on a bed with lovely flowery sheets and with Spanish programmes running on TV. Yeps, I'm in Barcelona right now.

The weather's rather cool here. Bright and sunny but still cooling with occassional winds blowing. That's temperate weather for you. It's doing good for my skin definitely. The oil glands are not in overdrive. :)

K & I flew off on the night of the 20th of September. Paris was our first stop, my second time there and his first. We did the usual rounds of places and touristy hotspots like the Musee du Louvre and Notre-Dame Cathedral. The weather was cold. K loved it but I was feeling quite grumpy at times haha. For a person used to being in a 30C environment, 18C suddenly felt quite cold. ;p The mornings and evenings were especially cold.

Meals were simple. Sandwiches and baguettes filled our days. Oh yes, and crepes too! Lovely lovely crepes! Made fresh on the spot right in front of you, wrapped up steaming hot in foil or paper and passed right into your waiting hands. These were the more reasonably priced meals we could think of haha. Such is the life of a weaker currency. (It's about 1 euro to 2.08 SGD by the way.) A baguette cost about 3.90 to 5 euro. Crepes were usually about 3-plus euro.

From Paris, we also spent some time visited outskirt towns like Fontainebleau (where INSEAD is situated) and the Versailles area.

We bid farewell to Paris after about 3 nights and trundled our way on a high-speed train to Nice. I'd never been on a train before (unless you count the MRT haha). It was a nice experience watching the fields, terrains, hills, mountains, roads, buildings go past you in more than a jiffy. And it felt nice to have K sitting by my side. :)

Nice was about 4 hours from Paris. It was much warmer there, much to my delight. The days were absolutley sunny and I was glad I brought my shades and sunscreen. (Yes, I have taken to using sunscreen. For those whose mouth are agape right now, that's a whole story on its own.)

Anyway, yes, Nice was so sunny I had a tanline running straight across my chest from wearing a tube. Haha. The place was lovely. Stunning stunning views of the whole town and the sea too from a hilly tourist spot called the Colline du Chateau. We visited a monastery on top of another hilly area called the Cimiez Hills. Out of the numerous cathedrals we'd seen, that was my favourite. I spent some time sending silent prayers to Mother Mary and Jesus, some on behalf of Granny.

Being a coastal town, Nice's beaches were almost always populated with hordes of people tanning. Topless men (and ladies) dotted the sandy beaches. K was complaining of old sagging titties hanging (pun intended) around the area. Anyway, the waters were so nice! A blue-green aqua colour reflecting slivers of sunlight...I've never ever seen blue coastal waters. Those we have in SG are just um, brown? Or grey?

The architecture in Nice was pretty. Very very pretty. For lack of a better word. Especially in the section of Nice called Vieux-Nice (Old Nice). Old alleyways, criss-crossing each other, cobbled streets, wooden doors with brass or cast-iron locks and knobs. Small little verandahs cordoned by iron railings, some with vines trailing through them or creeping up the brick walls.

Quaint bistros and restaurants all along the streets and nestled in quiet corners. Old folks walking their dogs or just sitting around. People enjoying a cuppa with their pals at one of the ubiquitous cafes. There was just this huge iota of charm and cosiness oozing from that part of town. I loved the place! :)

We spent half a day over in Monaco, which was about an hour's ride away from Nice by bus. Monaco is technically a country on its own. And all I can say is that it's filled with rich people haha. The number of expensive cars we saw was horrendous! Haha...loads of BMWs, Rolls-Royces, Aston Martins, Mercedes, Maseratis, Ferraris, Porsches, blah blah blah...

From Nice, our poor butts spent another 8 hours on an old train to go into Barcelona, with an hour's stopover in Montpeiller, a town in the south of France. Our first day was spent shopping haha. We had the intention of looking for lunch at McDonald's because we saw it on the map. Somehow, we stumbled across a huge shopping area. Streets and streets of shops. I know some people who would go berserk in such a place haha. We spent quite awhile in H&M (H&M is to Europe what Uniqlo is to Japan, but of better fashion and higher quality), Mango and Zara just to name a few shops.

We've tried out paellas and fidueas and will be trying out a tapas meal tomorrow. :) yum yum.

We've got about 2 more days here before we haul our butts back to dear old Paris where we'll be hitting the streets of Champs-Elysees and Le Marais, climbing up the Eiffel Tower, traversing the old corridors of the Basilic Sacre-Coeur cathedral and riding in a boat down the La Seine river.

Till here for now...:) It is 1040pm in Barcelona. 440am in SG.

Lameness

Haha, I seriously wonder why or how these people have so much time to do these things? Lol..a cheap way of lame entertainment. Not good for kids though, the standard of english is not good at all haha.

We'll pick kutus from each other's hair

I came across this hilarious parody of The Wondergirls hit single "I Want Nobody But You"...
And this cover version was done by no other than....Mr Brown! hahahah...

Th elyrics were really funny and had me laughing like a hyene hahha...Enjoy the vid!
check out the rap portion at the end. ;p

In 7 seconds, someone in the world gets dementia

I thought this video was quite nicely done too.

Dementia

This video has been circulating on Facebook.
Watching it brought me tears. Not only because of hte storyline, but also of how it reminds me of my own granny when she gets a little "off".

Have a watch.

Going Home

cuzzie

Just got the news that my cousin's intending to get married. Sometime on or after March 2011.
Happy for her...:)

Hope their flat and everything will be smooth-sailing...

She said something to me though. Which got me a little worried hmm.
"I hope I did not make the wrong choice. Sigh"

And this was not the first time she mentioned that to me.

Hope her mind gets sorted out...

miffy shell

A little miffed.

Incident #1:
I offered to help a friend buy LV back for his wife because he told me before that he really wanted to give his wife some nice stuff. And he did mention to me before to let him know if I were to go to Europe again. He sent me an email with 3 items today. One item, and it was the most expensive item, was for his sister. Didn't even offer to give me some cash as partial payment first. I macham delivery girl. Am gonna get $$ from them first before I fly off.

Incident #2:
I have become the unofficial Nokia handphone charger lender. There's a guy who comes to borrow it at least 3 times a week. Not that I don't want to help. But it's starting to irk a little that it has become such a regular basis. Maybe I should start charging him.

Incident #3:
When you talk to me about non-work stuff and I am not responding. It means I AM BUSY and I NEED TO WORK. Why do I always have to tell you straight in the face that I NEED TO WORK?

==========
I'm hormonal. AGAIN.
Ok, time to go home.

Zua

I think I'm heaty.
Lips are red and feel like as if they're about to crack and peel anytime.

Not good. :(

I was uber thirsty yesterday and constantly guzzled water. I feel less thirsty today but lips feel a little sore...hmm mm...

law-gor-WHAT??

I came across this word today. And thought it to be an interesting one.

Logorrhea.

Means "incessant talkativeness" or "incoherent repetitive speech".

Pronounced as "Law-guh-ree-uh".

And it reminds me of diarrhoea.

hmm. ;p

SP

Met up with Sock Peng for lunch today. Haha, I think the last time we met was more than a year ago? I really cannot recall.

I think work changes a person. New experiences, new responsibilities, new exposures. She seems a little bit more worldly-wise now compared to before. I don’t know. Can’t exactly tell much within the span of an hour haha.. ;p

But still it’s nice to see your ex-intern coming along good. And she’s intending to start a part-time degree course early next year too. Still waiting for her application results now though. Hope everything pans out well for her.

Stay happy little one.

Me and my pair of ears

Maybe I should consider a career switch.
Maybe I could be a Meet-the-People session volunteer (like what K suggested).
Maybe I could become a counsellor.
Maybe I could be a social worker dealing with teens.

Aw man.
Just spent the last 15 minutes being an Aunt Agony and listening ear to my department's admin exec. Was dispensing some advice to her as well.

Her problem. She's scared of my other 2 peers and can't talk to them. Scared to talk to them. Words don't come out right. But she can talk to me. Only thing is, I am not her reporting officer. And I don't oversee her work except on certain occassions.

Hmm.

I know! I'll go join HR! muahahhaha...;p
HR people need more empathy right? And it's good to have a HR who can listen right? ahhahahah

still a hubber at heart hahaa

Whenever I walk home from the MRT station, I’d do a simple short-cut through Tampines North CC. I was doing that yesterday evening and happened to see a sign saying “NTUC LearningHub Workshop #01-06”.

It was the first time I’d seen such a sign indicating LHUB stuff and so I went over to see.
The room had its blinds drawn but there were still some small gaps where I could peep in.

There I was, an office exec, trying to peep in through the glass windows of a nondescript room in a CC. I felt like a voyeur but oh well.

It was a Workplace Literacy class. I saw coursewares on the table, people concentrating in class and the teacher reading out loud to them.

I felt a strange sense of pride when I saw the company logo on the courseware. Maybe it could be that I was from the pioneer group of staff and the second Marketing person (first was my boss) hired back haha. That LHUB has done well so far and will be doing better in times to come. :)

It’s strange though, but I don’t get that feeling with Ducktours even though I was one of the pioneer batches… haha.

Way to go LHUB!
And yeah, in a way, I’m glad to have left the place on a good note.

Calcium is good!

I suddenly realized I have been loading up on calcium hahah…
I’ve been eating fish soup mee sua with milk (calcium) and there’s lots of accompanying ikan bilis (calcium) with it.

I’ve eaten kimchi ramen two meals in a row as well and ikan bilis (calcium again) comes along with it too! Haha…

And I’m drinking a glass of milk or more almost everyday too..:)

*claps claps*

I just got news on confirmed meeting venues next year…and I’m getting excited.
I hope I get to go to these places man..

February – Jordan
I want to go see the Petra! One of the 7 Wonders of the World! I want to see River Jordan where Jesus of Nazareth was baptized by John the Baptist! I want to see Mount Nebo, where Moses was said to have viewed the Holy Land from before he died. And lastly, I want to see the Dead Sea!!

March – Nairobi, Kenya
Enough said. I’ve dreamt of visiting safaris since I was a kid. The only thing is the flight there would probably be a killer long flight.

June – Brussels
I want to eat mussels there! Drink Belgium beer! Munch on Belgium fries! And most of all, speak French there! Hahahha..

spend spend spend

I remember asking K that day. There are 3 or 4 IT shows each year. And yet, throngs of people still go to each event and tons of people still buy stuff at each event. Are there so many things to buy?? Doesn’t seem like as if there’s a recession going on?

Today’s report says $63million was spent at the recently concluded Comex. About 710,000 people attended the event. If each of them bought something, then on average, each person spent about $89.

Heh, this time round, I am part of the statistic. I spent a grand total of $87.50 buying 2 wireless adaptors and 1 SD card!

Forward Foreword

There comes many a time
When you wonder out loud to yourself
Why things happen the way they do
How things happen the way they do

You think and ponder
Sometimes reaching plausible explanations
Other times not reaching any conclusions
But all the time realizing
That things can usually be handled in a better manner

To improve, to reflect, to think
Ameliorer, reflechir, penser. As the French verbs go
And then we grow
Hopefully with new insights, perspectives, knowledge
Ready to face the world again
With a more valiant heart and a bigger smile

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.....

hmm. thought my visitor counter was numbering at 19,000 plus.
how did it en up as 11,000 plus now? hmm.

Funny Street Signs

http://www.slightlywarped.com/crapfactory/curiosities/2009/hilariousstreetsigns.htm


haha....this is absolutely hilarious...:)

okok

Ok, I apologise for my outburst.
It's just that when you have told someone umpteen times not to do something.
And that person still does it.
You can't help but feel frustrated.

Oh well. TGIF.....lun.

Looking forward to 530pm.
Cos I'll be seeing a special someone...:)

argh

Why the hell are people always asking me if HC is gonna "be in the office today?"???

If you want to know, can't you call him or SMS him??? Or email him???

I am not his friggin PA for god's sake..........!!!!!!

$%&^*&$!#^&^*&#

Came in this morning and the admin asked me if he was going to be in today.
Like the hell I will know!

You're the PA and admin supporting the team, you're supposed to know all these. Not me.

sigh

I worked hard for a paper. Dabao-ed lunch for a few days and OT-ed for it.

And now I just found out that the presentation date for that paper is now on 28 Sept. I won’t be around. It was supposed to be in mid-October but was rescheduled. The boss may be getting another guy to present on my behalf.

I admit, I’m a little disappointed that I won’t get the air-time in front of the 2 big bosses who will chair that meeting.

Less exposure = less recognition

tick tock tick tock

I’m not sure if this is what they term as the “biological clock ticking away”…

But in recent months, I have wondered how it would be like to have a kid of my own. How it would feel like carrying it to full term and how it would be like bringing a child up. A child with my genes running through its bloodstreams. Hmm, I’ve even wondered how would the child look like. And what lessons in life would I teach to my child…what clothes and toys would I buy? Would I get impatient? Would I be a good mother?

Cham.
I think the bio clock really exists…..

With or Without You - U2

Another classic song. *swoons*

We, the complainers of Singapore

What is it with Singaporeans?

Complain, complain, complain.

Complain once and it's still not so bad.

Complain alot of times somemore.

Since when did we become such a nit-picking crowd??

Singapore is so small, nothing to do ??!!!???!!
This foodcourt nothing to eat one...???!!!???!!!
My company sucks.
My life sucks.
Everybody sucks.
Taxis are so expensive!!!
The schools are not doing enough for our kids!!!
The government is too strict!!!!

Blah blah blah.
Yada yada yada.

Oh darn.

I'm complaining.

One - U2

What more can I say? Classic classic song...:)
One by U2

Reflection Time

Just a little something I received in the mail...

=====
A boy was born to a couple after eleven years of marriage. They were aloving couple and the boy was the gem of their eyes. When the boy was around two years old, one morning the husband saw a medicine bottle open.

He was late for office so he asked his wife to cap the bottle and keep it in the cupboard. His wife, preoccupied in the kitchen totally forgot the matter. The boy saw the bottle and playfully went to the bottle, was fascinated by its color and drank it all. It happened to be a poisonous medicine meant for adults in small dosages. When the child collapsed the mother hurried him to the hospital, where he died.

The mother was stunned. She was terrified how to face her husband. When the distraught father came to the hospital and saw the dead child, helooked at his wife and uttered just five words.
What will you do if you were the husband?


More QUESTIONS :
1. What were the five words?
2. What is the implication of this story?












ANSWER :
The husband just said ' I am with you Darling '

The husband's totally unexpected reaction is a proactive behavior. The child is dead. He can never be brought back to life. There is no point in finding fault with the mother. Besides, if only he had taken time to keep the bottle away, this would not have happened. No one is to be blamed. She had also lost her only child. What she needed at that moment was consolation and sympathy from the husband. That is what he gave her. If everyone can look at life with this kind of perspective, there would be much fewer problems in the world. '

A journey of a thousand milesbegins with a single step ' . Take off all your envies, jealousies, unforgiveness, selfishness, and fears. And you will find things are actually not as difficult as you think.

Bees no more

On hindsight, I think K was quite right.

When the green light appears above a girl’s head signifying availability and singlehood, the bees naturally come buzzing. When that green light turns to red, the bees stay away.

The bees from the 1st quarter of this year have all but disappeared.

Human behaviour can be so interesting at times. Loads to observe.

Yellow Ribbons Aflutter

I went for the Yellow Ribbon Prison Run yesterday. :)
Finished the 5.8km fun run. I was very slow but steady enough.
I felt very happy about it…for 2 reasons.

1. I felt good after the run. I didn’t feel overly breathless and could still run an extra 500-600m to the baggage collection area. Hehe…
2. It was my first run with K! Though we had different routes but at least we did something together…And that’s what matters most! :))))

The right bunion is aching now though...bleah.

Next up: SCM in December…

Aidan Davis

I have recently gone a little nuts over watching America's Got Talent and Britain's Got Talent on YouTube.

And I was mighty impressed with this kiddo...Uber cool boy..:)
Love his charisma and confidence!

Wise Words

A woman can never have too many bags, shoes, make up, sex and love.

~quote from Ms Cylea Au aka Thicelia Pijjay

===============

Lol, this is the kind of advice you get from your girlfriends from time to time. ;p

TGIF

Woke this morning feeling a groggy and tired. :(
The tum’s acting up again. Too much restaurant food this week perhaps.

Hope I’ll feel better later on.

Jiayou!

Berlari-lari

I did a 4km jog just now. yay!
It was excrutiatingly slow but yes, managed to complete it...:)

I hope Sunday's inclined slopes will be merciful to me and my legs...

abstractism

I was brought up in an autocratic family.
Submerged since birth in an almost vile liquid of authoritarianism.

Close to 30 years in the jar. I feel pickled by now. Almost turgid.
Preserved in a state of inertia and ensconced in a bubble of nothingness.

Emotionally rich but clueless. Mentally adept but clueless.
The mind seeks reprieve yet knows not how.

I slip and slide. Within the rut.
It is said when preserved food jars traverse past their date of expiry, naturally built up gases from within forces the jar cap off in a somewhat explosive occurrence.

The jar has been shaken. Not stirred. More gases build. Pressure is rising.
Albeit at slow rates. In the meantime. The dams are open.

Love Without Talking

I saw a very lovely video on Facebook today.
For those who are feeling less than well, I hope this video brings a whole big pot of positivity to you..

I loved the vid and was feeling so happy for Jason by the end of the 12 minutes.
Enjoy it...

Click here.

Or you might want to cut and paste into your browser.
http://video.aol.co.uk/video-detail/love-without-talking/3687832661

Ffffttttpppphhhttttt........

Why is it that no one wants to think of a place to go to. “Anything” becomes the reply when the question of where dinner should be is thrown at them.

But when a venue is suggested, counter-suggestions and comments flow in fast and furious like the Yangtze River. “Too far to walk leh”, “The food not very good there leh”, “Err, can we go elsewhere”, “Is there anything for me to eat there?”. Yada. Yada. Yada.
Whine. Whine. Whine.

You don’t like the place then you bloody well suggest one and you bloody well organise the gathering.

A dinner is just a dinner is just a dinner. Sure food matters somewhat but the company you’ll be with matters more right???

I am cheesed off. Period.

Hmm.

Dilemma.

Not sure if I should still head to Korea for the end October conference.

Growing Old - Redux

I’ve got 3 old folks at home. Well, technically one of them is now in a nursing home.
For the last 15 or 16 years of my life, I’ve seen enough of medicines, pills, liquids, sprays, creams, mixtures, supplements, lotions, strange breathing apparatuses, etc.

Hearing of them heading to medical check-ups every other week has become just a routine thing.
Dad needs to go for an op. Now mum needs to go a procedure as well.
The mum is a little upset. Don't really know how to console her.

Done Deal

Flight tix. CHECKED.
Rail tix. CHECKED.
Hotel accomodation. CHECKED.

We spent 3 hours this afternoon booking all the hotel accomodation and the rail tickets.
I saw the dollar signs blinking before my eyes and then flying away. Haha. ;p

But yes, it's a done deal.

Paris, Nice & Barcelona, HERE WE COME!! Muahahha....
I'm gonna say hi to Mona Lisa a second time hehe ;p
I want to say hi to all the spirits of all the kings of past at the Chateau de Fontainbleu and Chateau de Versailles!!

p/s: Baby, we're gonna walk the cobbled streets together...:)

Ray

We were supposed to watch "Departures" on Friday night.
But the DVDs for that movie had all been rented out.

We ended up watching "Ray".
It was still a nice enough movie. I thought Jamie Foxx did a good job on his portrayal of Ray Charles in the show.

Incidentally, I was wondering if the shades he was wearing through most of the movie was sponsored by Ray-Bans. Hmm mm. ;p

I really want to watch Departures with K.
I've caught it once before already. But it's a darn good movie and well well worth watching many more times.

Last Night's Munching

Dinner last night was spent with K and his family.

The food was nice. We were at Long Beach King Seafood Restaurant. Chilli crab, fried mantou, kailan, roast duck, steamed soon hock fish, dong bo ribs, bee hoon with la-la. Some dishes could have been better but K & I agreed that the dong bo ribs was the best dish of the night. :)

There was talk too. Mainly between K, his sister and papa lim. Discussions on politics, financial matters, religion, current affairs. From light banter to more serious exchanges.

This is something new to me. Such conversations never existed in my family. Gatherings with the extended family has also never seen such discussions. Talks mainly involved the weather, soccer, kids, schools, foods, my granny, gossips about other relatives/friends and other mundane topics.

Oh sure, conversations sometimes touched on economics. The price of vegetables and houses. Is that considered? Hmm.

K's lucky in a way...to have been encouraged since young to speak up and listen and learn more and take a greater interest in such areas.

I feel like a frog in the well.

Growing Old

Every working morning for as long as I can remember, I’d walk to the MRT from the bus interchange. And just before the entrance of the MRT, there’d be an old lady selling tissue paper to commuters and passers-by. She’s been there for the last few years. Ever ready with a cheerful grin and chirpy greetings of “Mister, Miss, Good Morning! Thanks!” or “Xian Sheng, Xiao Jie, Zao An! Xie Xie!”

It struck me this morning that I’ve seen her evolve from being a robust lady to now being a little frail. Her hair’s gone from dark brown peppered with strands of white and grey to now being mostly grey and peppered with strands of white.

She’s gone from fairly chubby to being a lot less chubby and her cheeks no longer have as much meat on them as they used to. She’s lost a tooth or two as well. And since a few months ago, she’s taken to standing with a walking frame.

But one thing has not changed. She’s still hardworking and every bit as cheerful. Greeting everyone who passes by.

She reminded me of my granny and how I’ve seen her evolve from a strong strong woman to a lady who’s 80% bed-ridden now. How I’ve seen her move along from feet to walking frame to wheelchair. From being quick and crafty in her mind to having sporadic bouts of dementia and extreme forgetfulness now. From being able to whip up numerous dishes of food and snacks and desserts single-handedly in the kitchen to having to settle for mashed and blended food now.

But she’s still got her lovely smile going. And her eyes still light up beautifully when she’s having a bout of silly giggles or a fit of mapcap laughter.

The other two folks at home. Though they get on my nerves more than half the time. I’ve also come to realize that their once formidable bodies are weakening. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, osteoporosis, weakening heart, borderline diabetes, kidney stones, strange aches, yada yada.

But they’ve still got active lives. And they’ve still got more than active minds. (Which incidentally is not very good for me. Haha.)

For a few years now, they’ve taken to scanning the daily obituaries, just in case they see people they know. Yes, they’re at that stage of life now. And this morning, they did see an obituary of someone they know.

Aging is a little scary ain’t it? Inevitable but scary. And watching people around you age can sometimes be a daunting thing.

On a side note, did you know that Singapore is about to be the world’s third fastest aging nation? The proportion of those aged 65 years and above is set to soar to almost 20% by the year 2020. And correspondingly, the average growth in economic output will fall more than 40% over the course of the next 25 years. Possible government support for the elderly could amount to close to 7% of the nation’s GDP.

Looking at the amount of money which has been spent on medical stuff for granny and the folks at home, aging can be a costly thing as well.

Growing old.

I hope I grow old gracefully and happily. And I hope I’d be as healthy as I can be.
And oh yes, I hope I grow old with my loved ones surrounding me too.

p/s: Came across this interesting article on Singapore’s population.
I think this is just a surface skim of the depth of stats that the Department of Statistics maintains. A friend works in there and hearsay the team of people managing population stats is close to 10.
http://www.singstat.gov.sg/stats/themes/people/popinbrief2009.pdf

Let's Get Lost

Nice cool evening. Nice jazz music.
In the comfort of my room. The only thing missing right now is a glass of wine.
Am missing both K and my Moscato.
Thoughts...

This song just played..Enjoy it. One of the more popular songs from Chet Baker.
Enjoy his world class trumpeting...

Just read his life profile on Wikipedia too..sort of a sad story...Talented musician struggling with drug abuse which eventually led to his death in his 50s...

Let's Get Lost

Morning Musings

I was on the train this morning. Positioned strategically between a Chinese lady and an Eurasian uncle. Both gave me a good enough berth today. I wonder why. But I was glad for the 15cm personal space surrounding me for the entire journey. It is really a rarity during the morning rush hour.

Somewhere in Kallang or Lavender, there was a commotion in the door further from where I stood. Agitation and irritation in the air. Two ladies were having an argument. One was obviously a Chinese lady, possibly in her later 30s or early 40s judging by the sound of her voice. The other was more patient but race and age were indecipherable.

From what was exchanged, one could make apparent that the Chinese lady was pushing the other lady when they were entering the train. First lady perhaps said something to the Chinese lady which got her riled up. And riled up she was. She was on fire. Some excerpts from her rant (which was quite an amusing piece actually):

“What push? Then you walk so slow for what? You cannot see there’s so many people who want to get on the train meh?”

“Then still walk so slow! Then don’t know how to move in somemore. You see you see, there’s still so much space there and don’t know how to move in. So selfish. So SELFISH!”

“You got no eyes to see meh? So selfish! So many people so crowded then still walk so slow! Never push then how to get in??? BLOODY BITCH! Got no brains!!”

“You’re the f*ck!”

I didn’t hear the entire conversation, let alone what the first lady said. But I could tell she was patient and couldn’t be bothered with this mad ranting Chinese lady (who was obviously doing the pushing).

What I was thinking of was her last phrase. “You’re the f*ck!”

Hmm. I felt like correcting her but I am no whiz at this. I’ve always known the f-word as a verb or an adjective. But never as a noun. Hmm.

For example. “It’s f*cking hot today!” Adjective. “He’s f*cking her mind”. Verb.

Interesting to see it used as a noun.

Hmm.

Les Mois de Novembre et Decembre

I gave up my seat on the train to an old lady today. And was standing all the way from tanah merah to city hall….

I was reading a book…but for the most part of the time, I was day dreaming.

I was wishing it were year-end already. When the air is cooler and the general atmosphere is relaxed and cosy. The time of the year when you can smell Christmas in the air and the general festivities happening around you.

The time of the year when the air smells crisp and has an aura of optimism to it. And when you find it humming with positivity and nostalgia. The time of the year when everything slows down and you get a breather and you start to get acquainted with yourself and friends again……

I’m missing those languid days. So much so I feel like taking the rest of the day off, heading home, hiding in my room and relishing the cocoon of space and solitude it provides me.

It’s nice. To be able to imagine. To be able to see virtual images in your mind.

I told K once. If I could, I’d have a fireplace and we would cosy up in front of it, wrapped in blankets and armed with some wine. With jazz music playing in the background or whatever soft music we were comfortable with.

I’m looking forward to November and December. I want to end the year on a nice and good note. With K by my side. My baby.

1029am

Taking a quick 10 minute break to write about some stuff.

Didn’t sleep well last night. Woke at 1-plus and then again at 3-plus. Feeling tired at 1030am in the morning. I hope I can last till 6-plus in the evening.

========
I get agitated when any of my books get mistreated.
I lent a book to someone and it came back looking very much the worse for wear.

The pages were discoloured. There were some stains on the side of the book. There were fold lines on the front cover. And there was some strange imprint on the cover as well.

I’m upset. Very.
I mean, sheeeesh. Please treat other people’s things with respect can???

========
Came in this morning switched on my MSN and saw K’s offline message….

In gist, it said: “MUACKS MUACKS…. Morning baby :)”

Hehe. *beams*

========
Frustrated.
Could I drop everything? Head off to a quiet corner somewhere.
And just sit down, listen to jazz and be with myself.

========
F*ck lah. Why is your staff coming to me for help and advice???
This is YOUR job. Not mine.

gulp gulp

I guzzled a total of *counts*....2.8 litres of water today. At least.

On instructions by the doctor to take 2-3 litres a day.

To get rid of the dumb infection I have.

Ugh.

I feel like a barrel now.

A water barrel.

And it's late.

So this water barrel will roll herself to sleep very soon.

*slosh slosh*

those stuff on my head

Lopped off 4 inches. And I received these comments this morning....

- You look younger
- Your face looks rounder
- Hmm, looks a little tomboyish.
- The previous long hair was more feminine and sexy. Now like normal, no oomph...
- Why did you trim the fringe? Longer nicer mah

Haha, should I laugh or cry?

Goodbyes

I’ve been in IDA for 2 years.

And I’ve seen close to ten people leave…So far, most of these folks aren’t really that close to me.

Next week, 2 more will leave, which brings the tally to 11 exactly. And these 2 are part of my bunch of lunch kakis.

Can’t help but feel a little sad.

I’ve left 4 organisations. And this is how I started my last two farewell emails.
“Sunrise, sunset. People come, people go…through the vestiges of time, tt has come to be time for me to bid goodbye.”

Cheesy and clichéd? Perhaps.

But goodbyes are not easy.
And how oft it has also been, that promises of “keeping in touch” have not been fulfilled.

Anyway, I wish Kel H and BK all the best in their next endeavours.

Me Back

I'm back in SG. With aching calves.
More on the Beijing trip later on....

In the meantime, I need to wash clothes, collect clothes and be a domesticated woman.

&%*(*&&^*&)(*

Sometimes. There's only 2 words to describe parents.

Fucked up.

Love like...

Listening to Class 95 now with Yasmine helming the programme.
She's the love guru of Class 95 and her "Love Songs" programme tends to be filled with lovey dovey songs. Abit too cheesy for me sometimes.

But anyway, there'll always be snippets or meaningful quotes being aired. I heard this one tonight......

"Love like you've never been hurt before"

Meaningful...very.

Time to Go Home

It is always a nice feeling when you've reached the end of the workday and are ready to head off.
I love this time of the day. When day melts into dark and then finally succumbs to night. I'm an evening and night person. I do not enjoy mornings unless it brings with it food and love.


I'm wondering what some of my friends and loved ones are doing at this point of the day.


Is Ally packing up or going to OT again?
Is PQ heading home today or heading out? Did she have a shitty time with her staff appraisal?
How did Daniel's trip go He sounded mighty happy and excited just now.


How was Chloe's first day at work?
Is Cylea heading home and feeling excited cos she can see her darling hubby?

What are my parents doing now? Are they having dinner?

I hope Adrian's not OT-ing.

I hope Dasao is enjoying herself with Marc at home.


I wonder what Chiewz is up to?
I wonder if Sing Lee's baby girl is kicking her by now in her tummy?
Is Eugene still referring a match over in Sabah?
Is Lydia rushing home now to MSN chat with her bf who's in Indonesia?


And....

I wonder if my baby's having a good time popiah-ing at home now.
Missing him loads...

My Engrish

I realized. I write better when I am emo.
And I realized. My standard of English and writing abilities has gone from bad to worse to terrible to horrendous to…….:(

Mundane Snippets

Friday
Went for mum-mum with PQ & TH at Curry Favour followed by dessert and kopi over at Mint Café. Then hopped over to K’s place to chill. Big Auntie arrived so I was having an irritating backache and felt bloated, like my abdomen was gonna burst anytime...

Saturday
Mad-rush again in the morning. Woke, tried to read a little of French, tried to listen to Mum talking about some stuff, bathed, had lunch, went to visit Gran then met up with K to go class together. Class went good. Went to explore Orchard Central. I didn't like the place. Way to omany things going on at the same time, too many escalators. The architecture and navigation was not intuitive enough for me. Lovely pasta dinner at Pasta Fresca.

Sunday
Sleepy, woke with a headache. Snoozed for a while and the headache went away. Then went for a lovely blading session with baby K. It was good going. Except for a point in time when I didn’t see a fruit of some sort and tripped over it. Ended up sprawled on the floor. Thank god for knee and wrist/hand guards. Watched the National Day Rally at night. I enjoy PM Lee's rallies compared to SM Goh's speeches last time. I find PM Lee damn humorous lah haha....:)

Frus

OMG.
I hope I don’t become as anal as some of the public service folks around.
OMG.
I hope I don’t become as pompous or ostentatious as some of the public service folks around.

Stuck in a fucked up meeting where I’m not needed.
Stuck hearing two men fighting to be the alpha males.

*sheesh*
Friggin waste of time.

*wails*

I want to comprrrraaaaaiiiiinnnnn!!!!!

Bloody stiff neck...
Bloody stiff shoulder....
Cranky stomach....

:((((((((

I want TLC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*pout*

It's been a year of aviatory adventures

I realise I've travelled quite a fair bit this year.

There are more trips coming from now till the next few months.

Next week - beijing
sept - europe
october - korea maybe

It's been a flightful year so far..:)
A little tiring at times..but for the experience, it's all good, all good!

Just got news that early next year there'll be conferences in Jordan and then Nairobi in Kenya.
Hmm, wonder if I'll get to go...

Gripes

I cannot help it. But I view foreigners in Singapore with alot more irritation now than I ever did before. Foreigners as in those who live and work here.

For one, a large chunk of them lack social graces. I'm not saying that Singaporeans are mighty good in this aspect but at least a majority of them have a fair bit of social grace contained in them somewhere.

It's depressing sometimes. You step into an MRT train cabin and you hear these foreigners speaking at huge volumes. Enough to rival the volume of the recorded voice of the lady announcing the arrival of each station. Enough to irk everyone. And enough to prompt me to want to shout out "Can you just shut the f*ck up??"

What nationality am I referring to? Well, two groups. One with olive skin, and the other with fair skin. Go figure.

You go to a foodcourt and order food from a Chinese national. You step out of the lift at your office floor and meet face-to-face with a cleaner from there as well. You go jogging at night and an Indian worker rides past you on his bicycle, leaving a waft of nose-tingling scent behind him.

You head to Orchard Road on a Sunday and find the place teeming with foreigners. You step into Sim Lim Squaare, start eye-ing a laptop and a Fillipino or Chinese national salesgirl tries to get your buy-in on the product.

A Chinese national barged her way past me to get into the train this mornig. I muttered "bitch" under my breath. A local lady turned around to look at me. Hope she didn't thinbk that I was referring to her. But even if she did, then tant pis, too bad.

A Fillipino lady constantly stepped on my foot whilst on the train. Hello, my foot was in the same position for the longest time. You couldn't shift yourself a little to avoid stepping on my toes?? You couldn't even say a single word of apology to me too?

You throw a stone and there's a 50% chance you'll hit a foreigner. Ok, I might be biased, there are nice foreigners around. People like the nurses in our hospitals who work hard to serve the patients and those nice ladies helping out at my gran's nursing home.

But even so, what's becoming of the country? National identity. Is there one at all? Hmm mm. Was there one to begin with? Will there be one?

*pant pant* redux

I ran yesterday morning and just now as well.

It feels good. To be able to hit almost 4km at a go now.

Short/Normal by most people's standards.

But mighty good for me! Haha.

Slightly over half a year's effort.

Onward I go! Ganbatte!

Woof!

I was besieged by a Wire-Haired Jack Russell, a West Highland Terrier and a Beagle on Sunday night. Respectively named Twinkle, Knut and Gini.

Was over at K’s sister’s place that night for dinner. Ordered Pasta Mania and it turned out rather nice. Perchance it was because I was hungry too haha. The pizza was lacklustre though. But anyway, the main point here is about the dogs.

It was Twinkle's the Jack Russell's birthday! And there was a mini cake to celebrate for her... haha. It was devoured in less than a minute by all 3 doggies, with Gini being the biggest winner of the night with loads of cake in her belly as prize.

I love Gini!! She's the beagle. Huge mournful eyes, large floppy ears, smooth fur and a lovely long tail! But she’s got an over-zealous tongue. She was overly-intent on slobbering all over my face. I literally had to fend her off by holding her back an arm’s length. Haah…

The first time I met her, she was cowering in a corner. Too scared and too shy to come out from her hiding place under the TV. This time round, she’s grown a little older (though still less than a year old), a little wiser and a lot less shy. She spent quite sometime licking my toes too…Wonder what’s so interesting about my toes hmm mm….

Knut spent some time at my feet too. Sprawled there whilst I terrorized his ears. I love ears…don’t know why haha…

Twinkle was more bochup. But she loves to play with her toys. She'd bring you the tennis ball, drop it at your feet and wait for you to throw it away. She'd chase valiantly after it and bring it back to you and the process starts all over again. I was scratched by her at a point in time. She got too excited when I hid one of her toys beneath my feet...okok, dumb I know.

Anyhow. Till the next I meet them again..:)
One thing though. I don't really relish the tons of dog fur which clings to your clothes after a night with them. ;p

Another lovely version.

Canon in D - Rock Version

I'm on a roll...
Been listening to all versions of Pachelbel's Canon in D.

This here is a rock version which I absolutley heart haha.
Done by a Taiwanese rocker by the name of Jerry Chang.

Dreamology

I have been dreaming an awful lot over the last couple of days. Since last Wednesday.
The only day I've not dreamed was on Sunday night.

It's giving me the creeps. Because in two of the dreams, it was about running and escaping.
In two of the dreams I've seen terrorists. And the colour red has appeard in at least 3-4 of those dreams...

Hmm mm....

Avoir Besoin De....

J'ai besoin de sommeil et le temp.

Et un direction?

Robert Miles - Canon in D (Remix)

WOOHOO!!!
Friday's are meant for dance music!!!

ADRENALIN!!! Me heart!!!
Totally dig this feeling...makes my work much more productive hahahah :p :p :p

Korean Hip Hop

If you see me blogging, means my mind can't think of work anymore hahah...and I'm trying to take a break.

This here is an interesting vid. An adaptation of "Pachelbel's Canon in D Minor".
Traditional guzheng, hip hop dance moves, beatbox, turntables...
Abit disjointed at times. But still makes for an interesting watch.
Esp the cool dance moves.

A dream which makes no sense...

A dream which was well..…Surreal, strange and downright bizzare.
Had it last night...

=======
I was in Suntec, with Ashley, Charles and of course K. I think Marcus was in the background somewhere but I couldn’t see him. Was walking along and I was staring at the shop windows when Ashley pulled me along. I suddenly realised that Charles & K were running ahead of us and everyone else was running.

Then *poof*. We were in an underground carpark. Apparently, we had to take refuge there alongside dozens of others because a riot was about to take place upstairs. We saw contingents of policemen, riot police to be exact, starting their march from the basement carpark to go upstairs.

Only thing was, they were mainly Indians, heavily moustached and dressed in khaki uniforms. Short-sleeve shirts and shorts, with brown boots. Some were in red berets, others in green berets.

I was huddled with Ashley. Chales & K were somewhere in the crowd. I couldn’t see them but I knew they were somewhere around. Then 2 make Caucasians started quarrelling. Something about one of the men accidentally pushing the other guy’s lady. They were challenging each other to a fight.

But the next thing I knew, instead of fighting, they were singing rock songs and “air-jamming” to try to out-do each other. (Yah, I know…cheesy dream).

Then *poof* again. I was still with Ashley. Charles & K were somewhere in the background as hazy figures. We were overseas, seemed like a resort somewhere in a Khmer country. Could have been Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia or around that area.

She had a big chunky red digicam and wanted to take a pic with a lorry. (Why a lorry I don’t know). I was supposed to take the pic for her. While I was aiming for the pic, K jumped into the frame and all I took was him and the lorry head.

And then I saw Kaemin (an old sec sch classmate whom I've not seen for years) holding a bunch of grapes and walking next to me.

And then voila, the dream ended…
*scratch head*

Brrrading....Blading..

• Hmm..it sorta sucks when you realise you've spent $$ on lessons trying to learn how to do a T-stop and you still can't do it for nuts now.
• It sorta sucks too when you're a slowpoke and can't even overtake a jogger...$#%^$&^%
• It's a little embarrassing when you're chor lor and blade with your legs going everywhere and anywhere
• It's irritating when you've got a bad habit (kickbacks) which you somehow can't get rid of haha..
• But it feels good to blade with the seabreeze blowing at you...
• And it feels nice to be able to blade with your other half
• You feel good and alive when you've worked up a sweat and realise your legs ache after the blading session
• And you feel you've done yourself justice that at least you've tried and didn't give up

*sniff*

I miss K. Alot.

I don't know why but I seem to have withdrawal symptoms today hahaha.

Stomach Spoil

Great. Stomach spoil time.

For those who know me. I get into this every once in awhile. It's here again...zzz.

Feeling bloated. Slightly nauseous.

Maybe too much food over last Thursday, Friday, Saturday? Hmm mm. Too much oil and carbo.

Had macaroni for lunch and fish porridge for dinner yesterday.

I'm very inclined to take macaroni for lunch again later. Need soup and something light.

Else I'll barf.

Me, myself and I

I’ve let slip. And allowed my insecurities to get the better of me.

Every now and then, I get into a self-bashing mode. Major or minor and how often, it depends.
I remember it used to be very frequent back when I was in uni. It got better over the last 2-3 years and I’ve curbed it a lot.

But over the last one week plus or so, I’ve let slip again. And somehow wandered into a hole where I wasn’t feeling too good about myself. It all started with me feeling emo and letting myself spiral down from there.

Tsk. Need to get a grip. I can’t be wallowing like a sick meowing kitty.
Crawling out slowly. But surely. :) Will be back with a vengeance.