Tuesday, January 05, 2010
Blubber
Hmm.
There was a Filipino male contestant who tipped the scales at 200kg.
Hmm.
That's more than 4 times my weight....
Wow.
Pao3 Bu4
By the time I get changed and warmed up, it would have been a little too late to head out for a run....
:(
Lamenting Time
2 newspaper articles. (bad press mind you)
3 organisations.
4 weeks of mayhem.
Plenty of people getting overly kancheong.
Working Level Staff, Senior Managers, Bosses, Senior Bosses, Parliamentary Secretaries, a Minister.
And who is the little fry at the end of the whole food chain?
No points for guessing.
Me.
For all the grand hoo-ha-ing which has been going on.
For all the people who are getting worked up.
For all the rest who are trying to get as much information as possible from me so as to cover their asses.
For all who are trying to get themselves out of the picture as far as possible.
Screw them. Screw it. Screw whatever.
But for all the rest of the sweethearts who are or have been a great helping hand in this whole mess.
I'm very grateful.
For my boss who is bearing a greater part of the burden actually.
I salute him. For having the energy to keep up with all this.
Maybe this is just a piece of cake for one with 30-odd years of experience.
But on the other hand.
Wah lau.
I am on on the brink of puking from being "harrassed" by him.
He called me at least 9 or 10 times today.
With the last 5 phone calls happening between 715pm to 1015pm.
He sms-ed me about the same number of times.
And I spent close to 2 hours in his office in total throughout the whole day.
I think I spoke to him on the phone today more than I have with my significant other.
Sheesh.
I hope tomorrow won't be as "eventful" as today.
of hems...but no haws.
That the skirts and dresses worn by working class girls.
Have grown.
Considerably.
SHORTER.
What the hell?
I saw a girl in my office tower today.
Wearing a dress which ended like at the most 3 or 4 inches below her butt only lor!!
Tell me is this appropriate for office?
Or am I just a prude?
P/s: to my horror, the girl took the same lift as I did and I discovered that she was working for the same organisation as I. Government public service employee leh. Can wear such stuff meh? *faint*
I'm Yours
So glad we spent some quality time earlier on!
Hop
In the glare
Of a car's headlamps
Frozen in terror and surprise
Monday, January 04, 2010
Throw a Stone and.....
At least this was what people said about 5-6 years ago.
I think this phrase should be updated. It should sound like this now....
"Throw a stone and you'll hit....
A Masters student or a person already holding a Masters".
Why is everyone taking Masters?
Just found out two friends are doing their Masters now.
One MBA with Insead and one Masters in Science with NUS.....
I guess. I just don't have the drive to study anymore.
Did too much of that in uni perhaps? Haa.
How interesting.
"How? Have you moved into your new flat? How's the environment there?"
How interesting.
It must really have been a very long time since we last communicated.
Tanned
糟糕。。。这么办?
I had a dream
I was in Malaysia. I think. Accompanying my grandmother to buy some household items. I remember buying clothes-pegs.
I saw schoolchildren. Most were just blurred visions. But there were two who spoke to me. Little Malays girls of ages 8 or 9 with pigtails. Sisters I think as they looked very much alike. The elder one spoke to me. There was a very mature and sombre air about her.
I remember feeling a general air of anxiety, heavy and bearing down on me. I remember the watchful eyes of Malay and Chinese hooligans on us. They were lurking in various streetcorners.
I remember two other boys with me. Not sure how they were related to me though. One was younger than I and the other was older than I. My grandmother and I were talking to them. We turned to look at something and when we turned back, they were gone. I remember trying to look for them. Perhaps this was when I felt the anxiousness.
Some analysis gleaned from websites:
Grandmother
To see your grandmother in your dream, represents nurturance, protection, and unconditional love. Consider the qualities and characteristics that exist in your own grandmother.
Children
To see children in your dream, signify an aspect of yourself and your childlike qualities. You may be retreating back to a childlike state where you are longing for the past and the chance to satisfy repressed desires and unfulfilled hopes. Perhaps there is something that you need to see grow and nurtured. Take some time off and cater to the inner child within. Alternatively, the dream may be highlighting you innocence, purity, simplicity, and carefree attitude.
Anxiety
To dream that you are experiencing some anxiety in some affair, is a reflection of what you may be feeling during your waking life. You may have repressed thoughts, unexpressed emotions, resentment, and hostility that are triggering your anxiety dream. This dream also denotes that you are disastrous mixing business with pleasure
Sunday, January 03, 2010
Crabby Old Man
Old age, something which we all don't really think about now at age 30.
But which will inevitably arrive sooner than we think.
Nice and touching. Enjoy.
=============
What do you see nurses? . . What do you see?
What are you thinking . . . . when you're looking at me?
A crabby old man, . . . . not very wise,
Uncertain of habit . . . ... with faraway eyes?
Who dribbles his food . . . . . . and makes no reply.
When you say in a loud voice . . . . "I do wish you'd try!"
Who seems not to notice . .. . the things that you do.
And forever is losing . . . . . . a sock or a shoe?
Who, resisting or not . .. . . . lets you do as you will,
With bathing and feeding. . . . the long day to fill?
Is that what you're thinking? . . Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse . . . you're not looking at me..
I'll tell you who I am. . . as I sit here so still,
As I do at your bidding, . . . as I eat at your will.
I'm a small child of ten . .. with a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters . . . . . . who love one another.
A young boy of sixteen . . . . with wings on his feet
Dreaming that soon now . . . . . a lover he'll meet..
A groom soon at twenty .. . . .my heart gives a leap.
Remembering, the vows . .. . that I promised to keep.
At twenty-five, now . . . . . I have young of my own.
Who need me to guide . . and a secure happy home.
A man of thirty . . . . . My young now grown fast,
Bound to each other . . . With ties that should last.
At forty, my young sons . . . have grown and are gone,
But my woman's beside me . . .. to see I don't mourn.
At fifty, once more, . . babies play 'round my knee,
Again, we know children . .. . My loved one and me.
Dark days are upon me . . . .my wife is now dead.
I look at the future . . . . .. shudder with dread..
For my young are all rearing . . . young of their own.
And I think of the years,. and the love that I've known.
I'm now an old man . . . . . and nature is cruel.
Tis jest to make old age .. . . look like a fool.
The body, it crumbles .. . grace and vigour, depart.
There is now a stone . .. . where I once had a heart.
But inside this old carcass . . . a young guy still dwells,
And now and again .. . . . my battered heart swells.
I remember the joys . . . . . I remember the pain.
And I'm loving and living . . . . . . life over again.
I think of the years, all too few . .. . gone too fast.
And accept the stark fact . . . that nothing can last.
So open your eyes, people .. . . .. . open and see.
Not a crabby old man. Look closer .. . see ME!!
Saturday, January 02, 2010
Yammy Yummy?
The opponents?
500gm of rice flour, 500gm of yam, black mushrooms, chinese sausages, dried shrimp, soy sauce, sesame oil, pepper, sugar and water. Oh yes, coriander, ried shallots, red chilli and spring onions.
Yeah, oh well, we were making Yam Cake.
1st attempt.
It turned out alright in terms of texture, colour, garnish and all.
We followed the recipe to a T. I think we should have just gone with our instincs. Afterall, cooking is quite usually based on instinct and "aggarration".
I'll guarantee it. :)
A colourful colourful forest of garnishing...
Thursday, December 31, 2009
The year goes by
Too many thoughts in my mind. It's all a blur.
Good things, great things, not so good things, horrible things, fantastic things, yada yada.
Special dates and months. People. Events. Countries. Relatives. Colours. Scents. Emotions.
So much to say. Nothing to say.
I can only pray and have faith that 2010 be a great year for myself, my friends and and of course my loved ones.
It's been a great ride in 2009. Bumpy at times but nevertheless a great ride.
I hope for the road ahead to be equally fun and equally rewarding and smoother...:)
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
I want to say
Marcomm FAIL
"Do you know? The average person's body has enough iron to make a 3-inch nail and carbon to make 90 pencils?
And right next to this huge ad, there was another tagline which read as:
"Enjoy the freedom of having instant ideas for better living. DIY"
Hmm.
Seriously wonder what's their objective. No link at all between the two taglines.
English Lessons
I can't pronounce words properly. I can't type proper grammar.
Big time shit! haha....considering I need to do alot of writing for a living.
I've been having various questions on the language in recent months...and here's another one.
Should it be "Did you know?" or "Do you know?"
Imagine this being used as the main tagline in an advert. Which should be the correct one?
Hmm mm...to me...both are right, but the former sounds better....
But still, I'm no expert.
Wonder if K can give me an explanation...hehe.
Rusty Brain
But I've been fucking absent-minded for the last 2 weeks lah!!
Argh. Could it be due to lack of sleep? Maybe. I've been surviving on an average of 6 hours of sleep each day quite often over the past weeks. Because of all the festivities and gatherings and what not.
I packed pressies for Ally & PQ last night. Despite reaching home at midnight after a wedding dinner. I saw the pressies on my desk this morning and reminded myself to bring them.
And when I reached Tampines MRT station. I realised with dismay that my hands were empty...and all I was carrying was my trusty little cardigan...Argh!
Flagellation
Not quite good for the ego, confidence and mind.
Doing too much of this over the last few weeks. No idea why.
Year-end nostalgia making me emo?
Girl Power
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
uuhhh *delicate fingers to forehead*
Those ladies who are delicate and frail and cannot get overly excited else they'll feel out of breath.
Too much food and comings and goings and entertaining and chatter over the last week has left me a little tired...
Woke feeling ok but I dozed off like a pig on the train to work. Reached office and saw some mails arrowing more work to me. Bleah.
And then I discovered I had a slight sore throat when I tried to speak and ended up sounding a little hoarse.
Okok, just a few more days to go...mind over body!
I will not be sick when I herald in the new year!
Monday, December 28, 2009
XiaXue's Love Story
I don’t know why but for some strange reason this afternoon, I thought I’d pop in to have a look. And then I came across this rather wonderful love story of hers, which she posted just 8 days ago, on 20th December.
http://xiaxue.blogspot.com/2009/12/love-story.html
Go on have a good read. It’s a long entry, but it’s not boring.
Maybe after reading the entry, it’ll add that dash of optimistic hope which we all need to have from time to time. We have enough cynicism and skepticism in our lives already.
Nothing like a sprinkle of hope and a good ol’ dash of lurrrvveeee to brighten our day…:)
I know...cos I have my daily doses...hee.
Weighty Conversations
Me: Huh? Got meh? You mean I look shrivelled??
AL: Ya, dry dry like that. Like got no water inside you.
Me: ????
AL: But you're pretty so still not so bad. But you must try to be fairer.
Me: Err...orh ok. But I'm always this colour what.
AL: No lah, when you first came in you were fairer. Must try to get fairer ok!!
Me: Err...orh ok.
AL: Ya ya, else later look like Malay.
Me: ...........
==========
Ee Hong: I think she's lost weight. Looking a little thin.
Sasi: No lah, I think she's put on abit.
Both: Wave your arms leh. Got bye-bye syndrome or not?
Me: .........
==========
Me: Am I fat? Or just nice?
Granny: You're just nice lah! Too thin not good. Like that just nice. Got abit of meat here and there.
Me: ..........
==========
Me: *squeezes upper arm*
Me: I'm bui bui.
Baby: No lah, you're not fat.
Me: Orh hee.
Baby: Even if you're fat I'll still love you.
Me: .............
*burp*
So much food, so much good food! Lots of ham, sausages, chicken, turkey, beef, pork, sushi, veggies, pumpkin soup, clam chowder…haha…
There's quite a bit of ham left in the fridge...It'll be my breakfast for the next few days at least....gosh...
I told myself I need to lie low for the next few weeks and go easy on the intake. Else the waistline will go on an expansion spree. I need to start running again too argh!! My last run was SCM…and that was 3 weeks ago hahaha...
I know! I’ll go for a run on 1st Jan 2010!! Good healthy start to the new year!! Woot!
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Shucks. I am Auntified~!!
I spent 5 minutes scolding someone this afternoon.
And then I just spent 20minutes nagging at the same person. To get her to buck up.
To get her to get her act together. To get her to understand that no one can help her unless she helps herself first.
If need be. I will nag more.
If I see anymore big lapses, she will get it from me worse.
Choco!
They looked harried and frantic serving customers, settling payments, answering queries, doing crowd control, wrapping presents, shooing away playing kids from the store, etc.
Business is brisk for them during such festive occassions and during Valentine's Day.
Guess the tons that they are earning during these few months of the year is enough to cover their costs of operations for the remaining months of the year where only a handful of people patronise them.
Hehe. I was a customer of theirs just now too...
*munch munch* ;p
Monday, December 21, 2009
Losing patience
Really losing patience. It’s really not that difficult to find a place to have a gathering. There’s TONS of restaurants in Singapore.
Wah lau. You’re not working yet. I am. Stop bugging me during the day. I can’t be entertaining you online all the time and giving you suggestions of where to go for the gathering and what to eat.
Sheesh. And I’m not gonna give any more suggestions next time. None of it gets considered anyway.
You’ve “organized” this thing for 2 weeks already. Till today you're still asking me where should we go, what should we eat, which venue has good parking space...
What the?????!!!!!!
Argh.
ERA
Back in my uni days when I was doing choreography work for pageants, I used a number of their songs for catwalks and poses because I felt their songs had more drama and impact ahaha.
Whilst listening to their songs a few days ago, I found myself subconsciously counting beats and seeing how I could use them in a showcase of pageant contestants lol...
Here's two of their lesser known songs...Hymne and Enae Volare Mezzo.
GO AWAY QUICK!!!
Pimple outbreak...!
It's Xmas week and I've started the Monday of the week with 6 pimples!!
*wails*
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Doormat
Anyhow, was researching on the word "doormat" when I came across an interesting blog.
Maintained by a middle-aged lady who's had quite a few experiences n her life I think.
I didn't have the time to read through her posts...
But reading one prompted me to share her blog with others.
www.lessonsfromarecoveringdoormat.com
Time
Your days are occupied by schoolwork, games, friends and nagging parents.
You spend the days wondering when the semester will end and when the holidays will arrive.
Then you get older, you get into tertiary school.
You start to wonder if time passes a little more quickly now.
You spend your days on projects, tutorials, friends, significant others. And yes, the nagging parents are still there.
You finally graduate and step into the world of working adults and are part of the statistic contributing to the country's economy.
You know now that time does indeed pass much faster than before.
You spend your days eagerly learning, trying to prove yourself to the whole world, meeting up with friends, spending newfound wealth, enjoying life, getting acquainted with restaurants and places you’d hardly go to as a student because you didn’t have much funds.
You’ve been in the workforce for a few years now.
You start wondering if time can slow down a little.
You find yourself gasping for breath at times with the long list of things seeking your attention.
You spend your days rushing deadlines, getting bogged down by bosses and colleagues, playing catch-up with friends, getting occupied with the increasing number of bills, running errands, losing contact with some people, wondering about your own life and future, thinking about other issues, trying to stay fit and healthy amidst it all, yada yada yada…
It seems the older we get the faster time passes us by.
Uncontacted Tribes
I know there are tribes around in the rest of the world and even in neighbouring Indonesia and Malaysia. But I never knew there are uncontacted tribes elsewhere in Latin America, the Pacific Islands and the Africas….
Interesting…
Wonder how they live, what they do, how they feed, what languages they speak, etc…
Morning Gripes
I don’t enjoy Christmas group gift exchanges.
And especially not when you’re exchanging gifts with a bunch of folks you don’t really know.
I mean, I love Christmas and all but I find the concept of such group gift exchanges rather superficial and just for the “sake of doing it”. And how am I supposed to get a nice heartfelt gift when I don’t know who the hell I am giving it to?? The whole exercise only results in the boosting of the economy by that little bit but potentially increases wastage by a whole lot.
End result = costs outweigh benefits.
i.e. NOT WORTH DOING.
If it’s buying for my family, I also find it a tad cumbersome but I’ll still do it.
I’d rather just have a quiet gathering with some food and drinks and chill. In the words of the Gen Z…Chillax….
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Longer Than - Dan Fogelberg
This song suddenly popped up in my head this morning. I remember that I when I first heard this song when I was little, I thought it was a tad boring. But over the years, I've grown to appreciate it much more. Mellow and soothing.. :)
Longer than there've been fishes in the ocean
Higher than any bird ever flew
Longer than there've been stars up in the heavens
I've been in love with you.
Stronger than any mountain cathedral
Truer than any tree ever grew
Deeper than any forest primeval
I am in love with you.
I'll bring fire in the winters
You'll send showers in the springs
We'll fly through the falls and summers
With love on our wings.
Through the years as the fire starts to mellow
Burning lines in the book of our lives
Though the binding cracks and the pages start to yellow
I'll be in love with you.
I'll be in love with you.
Longer than there've been fishes in the ocean
Higher than any bird ever flew
Longer than there've been stars up in the heavens
I've been in love with you
I am in love with you..
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Blackie!
It's my 7th black dress.
But but but.
Given a choice between electric blue, electric pink and black...the only logical choice is to take black right?
Yes. Ok, I'm convinced.
Yay!
...........
Made my blood boil twice in a day.
Winner.
HELP!
My female lunch kakis are talking about it almost everyday!!
HELP!
Coll the Troll
And why bug me about finance issues when you're the finance person and SUPPOSED to be doing such consolidations???????????????
Seriously, WTF.
She really has a way of making my BP rise.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Footsie!
Giving K a pseudo pedicure last evening has motivated me to give my own pair of feet a good pick-me-up session with both the foot scrub and a pumice stone.
I'll prolly drown my feet in moisturiser later on too....:)
One should not neglect one's feet (and legs).
Because they're the ones who will carry you around everywhere till you're old.
Read rhymes with eat
For books that is.
Now I only have a voracious appetite.
For food.
Not healthy at all.
Hmm.
Wonder what made my brain synapses go through such a 180 degree change.
Maybe because read rhymes with eat.
And "eat" is a command which the brain takes shorter to process given that it has only 3-letters (compared to 4 letters).
Hence. The brain subconsciously prefers that I eat than I read. :)
Wah! I'm so smart I admire myself.
......
....
...
...
..
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Not.
.
..
...
....Hehe.
Experiments do pay off!
Lettuce - cut into bite-sized strips
Pommery mustard - aka wholegrain mustard
Mix all together and you get a great perk me up salad!! :)))))
*chomp chomp chomp*
*grins*
dollars and cents
It is also a motivation to see that the AWS has come in too! :)
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Admin Matters
I think I really need to sit down and consolidate whatever insurance policies I have.
Be it health, life, travel, accident.
Gosh. It scares me that I don't have a clear inkling what I' m covered for and what I'm not.
And what existing policies I have at the moment...
Forex
I've got too much foreign currencies in my hands now. Korean won, Chinese renminbi, Mexican peso, Phillipine peso, US dollars, Euro, Indonesian rupiah, Vietnamese dong, etc....
I need to change them back to Sing dollars! Didn't realise so much liquidity is held up in all these currencies...
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Info Info
- Sponsoring a child in a 3rd world country
- Honour Killings
- The Cold Storage Management Trainee Programme
- Jobs ;p
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Bleah!
My boss is supposed to be on holiday with his wife in BKK. But the way he is hounding myself and some others, it's like as it he never went away. If I were his wife, I'd be screaming my head off at him by now.
He spent the whole morning on Saturday calling me 3-4 times and SMS-ing me.
He sent me SMS-es yesterday morning.
And he sent me an SMS at 3am last night while I was sleeping. I woke with a shock.
What the hell? Others need to sleep even if you don't leh....I'm a full-fledged zombie today..
He's sent me 4 SMS-es this morning. And it's not even 11am yet...
I will not marry a workaholic. Even if I unknowingly marry one, I'll drill it into the other half's head that there needs to be work-life balance.
Sunday, December 06, 2009
My Birthday!
I had a very lovely dinner with K over at Dozo in Valley Point.
I'd been there before already and loved the place.
Iwanted K to experience the place for himself and so we ended up going there for my birthday dinner.
A lovely bouquet of white roses to start the evening with..:)
SCM 2009 - Women's 10km
My first time completing a 10km run. Well, it was more like a walk-run-walk kind of thing. But still, I completed it and it was around the timeframe I thought I would complete the run.
I thought I would feel good about completing the run. I don’t know why but it felt a little empty and less of an accomplishment compared to when I finished the 5.8km Yellow Ribbon Prison Run back in September.
I spent a good part of the whole afternoon and evening curled up in bed resting. I didn’t feel good physically. I didn’t prepare nor train for the run properly and I think I over-exerted myself. I didn’t have a good breakfast before the run too.
I’ve got a sore upper right thigh now and am walking a little like a duck or penguin. Not quite sure how I’m gonna walk to office tomorrow. Hmm.
Some other things have been running through my mind. I’ve been thinking and asking myself these. What’s the purpose of me joining these runs? For fun? For leisure? To challenge myself? Who am I trying to prove things to? Myself? Others? What am I trying to prove? That I’m not a weakling? So what if I complete these runs? So what? Then what?
A part of me thinks I’m over-compensating for my younger years during which I was not allowed to do any physical activities (due to a mis-diagnosis of a heart condition). Another part of me thinks I am doing these to prove (to no one in particular? I don’t know really…) that maybe I’m not some princess who can’t do such things.
I’m feeling damn shacked out now and yet another part of me is saying that perhaps I should admit to myself that I can’t compare myself to others who are more physically fit.
Ok, I am babbling already. Sigh.
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
???
Like what is exactly my job role??
Am I supposed to know and handle these things tooooo????
A staff who mans the general enquiry mailbox asks me for help with technical questions and operational questions which come in. Her boss (i.e. my peer aka The Coll aka the finance/admin manager) does not know how to answer most of these questions. I end up helping this staff out.
Why am I doing someone else’s job?
My vendor gets me to help out sometimes when they can’t find my tech manager.
I end up knowing how to do simple technical things now.
What exactly is my job role???
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
RAWR!
It felt good. Hell, it felt GREAT! Haha..
And then I heard a wonderful piece of news on the radio this morning.
Class 95 is available again on the Internet!!
It's been almost 9 months since they took it off the Net and apparently they've received considerable feedback from listeners wanting to have it back online. And so voila, they're back online....Wheee!!
Did my French homework whilst on the train to work and revised for the next lesson.
(Fell asleep on my textbook last night though haha...)
Stepped into office and cleared up a paper for submission already.
Time to "kill" off the other items on my to-do list...:)
La Fin de L'Annee
Maybe it’s the weather, the coolness and the general feeling of year-end approaching. Year-end brings Christmas along with it, which I love. At the same time, it brings with it questions and thoughts of how much one has achieved or experienced in the past months or year as well.
Looking back, it has been a rather eventful year and time has zoomed by in a jiffy. Right from 1st Jan till now. Friends, work, family and self…enough has happened to keep me on a constant whir. So much so that I feel as if time has never passed by faster than over the last 11 months.
I remember mentioning that it seems as if the older one gets, the more occupied one seems to get. Haha. I’m not sure about others but it sure does seem like that for me. :)
Friends. Reconnected with some, lost some and made new ones. Got disappointed with some others as well. But I guess at the end of the day you know who are the ones who really matter. I used to be more proactive in maintaining relationships. Unknowingly, I’ve somehow taken sort of a backseat this year. Maybe I’ve just grown more anti-social? Haha..
Family. Same old same old. Parents still drive me up (and over) the wall sometimes I still feel awkward with my nephew. And I’ve been on my weekly visits to my granny’s nursing home for 2 years and more now. Mum’s getting better after her recent kidney stone blasting. Dad’s gonna be discharged today after 20 days in hospital. A cousin’s had a cyst removed from her ovary and a distant relative has been diagnosed with kidney failure.
Work. Abit of a love-hate relationship here haha. Travels have been interesting definitely and I can’t gripe about that for sure. Being given the opportunity to fly around for work was something which I used to think would never happen to me. Projects have been assigned to me over the past year and one of them has been the cause of my edginess over the last months and probably will for the next few weeks/months as well. The boss can be a pain in the ass at times and a nice guy at other times. A bright spark was when I had a promotion and a corresponding increment. Woot! Haha…
Self. Set some targets at the start of the year, met some, barely reached some, en route to reaching some and had to write off some other stuff due to changes in circumstances and direction. Glad I took up blading. It was something which I’d wanted to do for close to 8 years. Along the way these past 11 months, I’d taken a few tumbles for sure, both literally and metaphorically. I can’t say I’ve grown 100% wiser as a result but I‘ve definitely learnt some things along the way that should be in everyone’s “guidebook to life”. I’m still learning everyday though and I’m glad I’ve got K around me, to catch me should I fall.
K. My beacon of light. Haha…who’s brought me many a good thing and shown me quite a number of stuff as well. It hasn’t entirely been smooth-sailing and I’d be lying through my teeth if I said it was. But still, it’s a walk we’ve chosen to take with each other and kudos goes to my king for bestowing much kind patience towards my idiosyncracies. ;p
Onward we march towards 2010 and yet another year ahead. What comes forth? What lies ahead? I guess no amount of planning will prepare us entirely for the unforseen.
So oh well, let’s take it slow and steady….In the meantime, I’ll enjoy my warm cup of tea and lovely cookies. :)
Monday, November 30, 2009
snippets
- I multi-task a little too much at times. No wonder my mind runs all over the place all the time.
- I get very anal about keeping to certain habits. I bore myself sometimes.
- I stalk Gabriel Mendes' website too much. www.gabrielmendes.net
- I don't take care of myself well enough. Sniff.
- I love my food. Burp.
- I think I've got more potential than I think I have. Wait. I think I have means I'm thinking only and actually don't have? Or I actually have? Hmm. Need to think through.
- I think & imagine too much at times. To my own detriment.
- I am a closet narcissist. Wait. I just said it. Means I'm not a closet narcissit anymore. Ok. I'm a narcissist.
- I love my baby. And my baby loves me.
- I enjoy many genres of music. Except techno.
- I really do try to be more lady-like. Except that. It's easier not to.
- I have a short fuse. I count myself lucky that my blood pressure is perfect at 110/70 all these years.
- I have learnt French for 3 years. And still know nuts about the grammar.
- I enjoy squeezing blackheads. Oh the thrill of seeing one evicted out of its pore of a home.
- I might have OCD. I find myself constantly making lists. Not that I can remember them anyway, unless I write it down. I make a list of the lists I have. Is that normal?
- I whine. Too much.
- I daydream. Too little these days.
- I need to sleep.
Saltwater - Julian Lennon
I told him about this song. He said he'd never heard of it. So well, here goes the video...I liked this song alot when it first came out.
p/s: If you think the singer looks alot like the late John Lennon of The Beatles, you're right, Julian Lennon is John's son.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Aspiring chefs
What we made:
Fresh pasta
That's right, freshly made spaghetti and fettucine..lovingly kneaded from semolina flour and eggs and olive oil. Carefully rolled through a pasta machine and tenderly cut with the very same machine. :) Hehe...I think we're doing good in our adventures!
Banana Walnut Cake
Ok, so I cheated on this one. I bought good ol' Betty Crocker's mix. But hey, I still had to mix in all the mashed banana and eggs and blah blah blah ok.. haha.
This turned out good, but I think there was not enough mashed banana mixed in. Good & fragrant when eaten hot from the oven.
Mussel & Clam Stew
Oh what can I say...this was absolutely lovely. The shells were simmered in a soup base made of light chicken broth and a small bottle of white wine. More sweetness came in the form of lovely carrots, celery and onions, all diced up into little cubes.
Next up:
Hmm..let me see. I want to bake foccacia bread and brownie cake...and K wants to make Chinese la mian. Oh yah, I just bought the dough mix for blueberry muffins too heheheheh....
Mon papa
Zipping between work & SGH, home & SGH, home & work, work & home...
The number of cab rides I've been on in this single month has exceeded the number of cab rides I've had in the entire year...
There's news that he may be discharged on Tuesday. Hope so.
But we'll need to rent a machine for him. Some sort of a breathing apparatus.
At a rate of $1,200 a month.
O-U-C-H.
:(
Thursday, November 26, 2009
You parle french?
I was making a list of things to buy just now. And ended up writing “herbs” as “herbes” and “et” instead of “and”.
Lol..but am still glad that despite our broken sentences and horrible grammar, we still manage to get our thoughts across to the teacher. Haha.
Come to think of it, it’s 3 years since I started learning the language. Wah, I’ve never lasted that long in something haha.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
food....
Hee..looking forward to it...
I don't know anyone in my circle of friends who's ever made fresh pasta!
So after Friday, I'll start bragging about it perhaps hahahha. ;p
And oh yes, banana walnut bread is also on the menu...
Though I'm cheating a little by using good ol Betty Crocker's ready recipe lol...
Doughy Shell
With various things vying for attention...
Feel guilty at times for neglecting some aspects...
Feel frustrated at other times when some aspects waste my time..
Wish I could be an energiser bunny...
With bountiful enery to zip here and there...
And be everywhere all at once..
So that I can please everyone and cover all that I want to settle and do..
Not sure how some of those entrepreneurs juggle their time and stuff..
Either they are really full of energy..
Or they choose to sacrifice some aspects of their lives..
Or maybe they are just focused and driven people who don't mind losing out on some aspects...
Am sounding a little off here..
But believe you me..
I'm still doing my best and tackling the whole gamut..
Although with a little too many tired yawns than usual..;p
Need to.
Settle system stuff.
Settle the many queries coming in on a daily basis.
Deflect arrows from The Coll who practices "taiji" whenever she has the chance to.
Settle workplan submission to HQ.
yada
yada
yada
blah
blah
blah
...
...
...
*wails*
Monday, November 23, 2009
When some get repressed too much......
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/World/Story/STIStory_457999.html
==========
TEHERAN - IRAN'S moral police have arrested a dozen couples for engaging in illicit sexual acts, including swapping of partners, the conservative Jomhuri Eslami reported on Monday.
The report said the couples and another individual were running a website, Iran Multiplication, which was aimed at promoting illicit sexual relations.
The couples were said to have carried out sexual acts in the presence of each other and several times with multiple partners, the report added.
Those arrested held university degrees, while some were government employees and had children. The paper gave no further details about their identities or when or where they were arrested.
Extra-marital sex is illegal in Iran where Islamic sharia law is the principal source of legislation. If found guilty of adultery, those arrested in the crackdown face being stoned to death. Reports of partner-swapping are a rarity in conservative Iran, but in March the elite Revolutionary Guards said it had launched a crackdown on several groups who had set up anti-Islamic and pornographic Internet sites.
The Guards, set up to defend the ideals of the Islamic republic, said they have 'dismantled several networks that had set up anti-religious, anti-revolution and obscene Internet sites'. Among those also targeted are people deemed to be Satan worshippers, while moral police often also carry out raids on concerts and parties as part of their tough crackdown on 'un-Islamic' attire and behaviour. -- AFP
Arcana - Love Eternal
Here's one of their songs "Love Eternal"
Updates
The Mum was upset.
Sigh. Hope he gets well soon enough to be discharged.
Bleah..
For taking you for granted
For disregarding your feelings so many a time
For ignoring your hints and signs of unhappiness
It was right of you to blow up at me
I take full responsibility
For the discomfort and unpleasantness
I’m sorry Tummy.
No more beer with oily food next time.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
*poot*
But anyway, K & I went to try out a Malay kopitiam yesterday evening. I had an egg and onion prata as well as a kosong prata for dinner . Couldn’t finish both and so K was activated to clear the plate for me. (Not nice to waste food mah…;p) Anyway, K obliged rather happily and quite promptly in less than 3 minutes, the plate was empty…:)
Anyway, the oil must have wreaked a little havoc on my stomach for I felt bloated for a long time, even this morning.
And err. Egg and onion prata. Onions. Produce. Gas.
I’ve been expelling since last night. Till now.
Time to perfect the art of discretion.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Kylie Kylie!
Monday, November 16, 2009
DXJ aka The Coll
别人说,你只做能为你自己沾光的事。
渐渐的,我也开始这么想。
你能在这儿呆十年, 就是因为这一点吗?
就是因为你会搞这些小动作吗?
XMAS - Elf Yourself
Day 5 – 16th Nov
Popped by during lunch and it was sort of like a miraculous transformation from last evening.
He looked much better and was propped up in a chair. Respiratory machine was taken off him as they wanted him to try drinking some milo and taking some porridge. His first meal in over 4 days.
He was talking and complaining, joking and laughing, teasing and disturbing the nurses.
Ok, he’s doing much better.
But he was supposed to be put back on the respiratory machine after his meal. Didn’t stay long enough to see that being done though.
Day 4 – Sunday 15th Nov.
He couldn’t breathe on his own and needed to be hooked up to a machine. A contraption was fixed to his face and it was uncomfortable for him. Breathing was such a chore for him as well.
He was frowning, grimacing at times and generally feeling low and lethargic.
To date
1.5
3.5
0.25
2.25
Number of years I have stayed in each job I’ve held so far.
Ever since graduation
the blues
Whim and fancy. No holistic picture.
Not enough people. No clear roles amongst existing people.
No strategy??
If that’s the case, then……
How the hell do we grow further?
In name. Pte Ltd.
In role. Regulator.
In essence. Stat board.
In truth. Government.
Friday, November 13, 2009
I'm an Auntie
I was Aunt Agony this morning way before 10am even arrived.
My admin lady came crying to me. Apparently she heard news about someone badmouthing her. And that someone who did the deed was a guy whom she liked alot and treated almost like her son.
She said it hurts a lot. I can understand how she feels.
Coincidentally, this guy is someone whom I’ve distanced myself with ever since more than 6 months ago. We used to be ok-ok with each other and sometimes went for afternoon coffee breaks in a group. But over time, I couldn’t stand his attitude and felt he was just one big asshole who takes and takes and doesn’t give back.
He’s also someone who has a “I’m always right and the whole world is wrong” kind of attitude. He judges too much and can’t see two sides of a coin. Which I find strange given that he’s taking part-time legal studies.
She asked me if she should talk to him or just ignore him and not bother with him anymore. I told her this “Why even bother to try to be nice to people who do not appreciate it and who turn around to bite you instead?” Especially for a guy who doesn’t really listen to others.
She’s stopped crying. I hope she’ll feel better by this afternoon.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
SGH II
We were going home together after visiting my Dad in SGH....
Dad's op went well but because a major organ (the heart) is involved, he has to be in ICU till tomorrow night at least.
He had just woken up from his GA when I was there at around 715pm. We could see that he was still very very groggy and he was also grimacing in pain., from two 5 cm long slits cut into the sides of his chest.
The pain must have been quite bad because the seinor staff nurse, a Burmese lady, admistered painkillers for him. Elevated levels of painkiller shots. Any higher and he would have to be put on morphine, which is not a good thing.
Anyway, we couldn't go in to see him just now as he still had his breathing tube in his throat. Hospital policy that if it were still in his throat, visitors can't go in. So there we were, mum and I standing outside his glass room window staring in.
I went down later and Adrian came up. Hopsital policy again. No more than 2 visitors at any one time.
Will pop by tomorrow again to see him....
Greece oh Greece, I want to meet you too!
He was enjoying a cuppa in his hotel balcony in Crete, Greece and was gloating over the fact that they upgraded him to a suite because they had no other rooms. :)
Lucky guy! This is one fella who’s got everything going smoothly for him eversince he was born. The gods must love him a lot too haha.
SGH
But whatever it is. I’m glad that the next time he wants to see me will only be in 4 years’ time. :) Woot!
4 years is a long time. I wonder what I’d be in 4 years’ time, what things would I have seen and experienced, what would I be doing at that point in time? Hmm…I’d be 33 by then for sure ha.
======
Heading to SGH again this evening and tomorrow evening to visit Dad.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Les parents
Years go by and everyone has gotten older (and wiser haha). I know definitely that they are not right in all matters and they are only knowledgeable in certain areas.
And well, the older they get, visits to the hospital seem to be occurring more.
Both just went to the hospital’s A&E because the mother was feeling unwell with cramps and diarrhoea. With her kidney stone blasting procedure having taken place just only last week, she was freaking out and worried that the cramps might be a side effect of the procedure.
Anyway, both are back at home already. Apparently the prescribed antibiotics were causing those side effects. Strange, I've never ever heard of antibiotics having such side effects. Hmm.
The father’s going to be admitted to SGH tomorrow for a heart procedure scheduled on Thursday. Will probably be in ICU on Thursday night and Friday morning. Hopefully he can be transferred back to the normal wards by Friday afternoon or Saturday.
Health is important. So very important.
Must take care of oneself.
Mai Tumse Pyar Karti Hu
Le sens des mots si-dessus est "Je t'aime" en la langue Hindi.
Il y a deja plus que demi-annee. Ni tres vite mais ni lentement aussi.
Merci beaucoup bebe. Pour etre ici avec moi toujours.
Je t'aime tellement...:)
No more no more *wails*
They don’t do songs like how they did in the 40s and 50s no more.
Jive, swing, jazz no more.
Sam Butera. Chet Baker. Dean Martin.
Big names no more.
Sax and trumpets no more.
What a waste.
For these songs are good stuff.
Real good stuff.
Monday, November 09, 2009
vagueness
Sunday, November 08, 2009
lumiere
Into the dimness
A single bright spot illuminating
The otherwise dull vacumn
And it sits there growing
In intensity and volume
Pulsating
Engulfing
The dimness has gone away
Light takes its place
pics!
Hehe...Look at the post which reads as "Daniel and Yanling - MARRIED".
Hehe...he's the photographer who was covering the event and there's a pic posted up on his website. A pic of all of us "brothers" in the background and Daniel in the foreground.
I look strangely demure. hmm.....
Times Have Changed
And my Dad is sitting in his room, watching youtube videos of "Nobody" by the Wondergirls.
OMG.
What is this world coming to???
I'm singing "Fly Me to the Moon" and "Blue Spanish Eyes" while walking about the house.
And my Dad's humming "Nobody".
Sheesh.
He's getting extremely entrenched in Korean stuff.
Watching Korean shows on KBS on cable and chasing Korean dramas.
My mum can't even be bothered haha. And he's chasing all these shows on a daily basis.
I don't even know what's going on in the K-entertainment world and he knows.
Gosh.
Times have changed.
Lazy Sunday mornings
Love this feeling.
Woke at 10am this morning and rolled about in bed for awhile before getting up.
Doing French homework and listening to music now. Painting my nails at the same time too.
Will be cooking lunch for myself soon too...:)
Eversince mum had her kidney stone blasting on the Tuesday just past, she's declared herself medically unfit for household chores and cooking haha.
Dad has been heading out to the kopitiam and having a blast of a time enjoying all the sinful foods which he'd not have had if my mum were cooking haha.
And I've been cooking for myself as and when I can hee...:)
I like lazy Sunday mornings...
Friday, November 06, 2009
Is this what you would call Determination and Faith?
or
Stubbornness and Foolishness
You decide.
I'm a little torn between both descriptions.
Though the first description weighs more heavily on me. :)
Got this article off StraitsTimes.com
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Asia/Story/STIStory_451040.html
===============
Passed Exam on 950th Try
SEOUL - A WOMAN in South Korea who tried to pass the written exam for a driver's licence with near-daily attempts since April 2005 has finally succeeded on her 950th time.
The aspiring driver spent more than 5 million won (S$5,900) in application fees, but until now had failed to score the minimum 60 out of a possible 100 points needed to get behind the wheel for a driving test.
Ms Cha Sa Soon, 68, finally passed the written exam with a score of 60 on Wednesday, said Choi Young Chul, a police official at the drivers' licence agency in Jeonju, 210km south of Seoul.
Police said Ms Cha took the test hundreds of times, but had no specific total. Local media said she took the test 950 times.
Now she must pass a driving test before getting her license, Mr Choi said. Repeated calls to Ms Cha seeking comment went unanswered. She told the Korea Times newspaper she needed the licence for her vegetable-selling business.
ok so my chinese ain't perfect but who cares.
往前的路一起走
无论发生什么
我们一起面对
Thursday, November 05, 2009
幸福小女人
昨天放了工后就搭了地铁到他家去。 看着他满头大汗的在厨房里,皱着眉头认真的忙着, 心里突然间有了个很温心的感觉。我的宝贝还真像个厨师!哈哈! :D

Spaghetti in Cream Cheese Sauce with Holland White Mushrooms and Prawns and Italian Herbs.
*slurp* 嗬嗬! ;p
宝贝万岁! :)
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Monday, November 02, 2009
shelly and the brain
I can't remember all of the proceedings of that entir eperiod already. I used to be able to remember....
It was years ago that I last met up with John Thomas (JT), the neurosurgeon who sliced me up, stiched me back up wonderfully and basically fixed me.
He looked the same, with the same laid-back sense of humour. Just a little more pudgy. He recommended me to go for a scan just for a look at the aneurysm and if the metal clipping did its job like it was supposed to.
And just like that. $800 flew away from me. That 20-minute scan procedure cost me that much.
I was a little upset actually. "Heart pain" was more like it.
K put it as "Buying a peace of mind".
I know that too. Just couldn't help feeling a little sore that it was so expensive...
Speaking of sore. The procedure involved 2 blasts of medicine and colour dye being injected into me through a plug which was inserted into a major vein on my right elbow.
Definitely uncomfortable, with some amount of pain felt when the dye and medicine was injected into the vein. Thankfully it was just 2 quick injections.
That area has the slight tinge of a blue-black bruise now and still feels a little sore...can't lift anything too heavy too. But I'm sure it'll get better in a day or two.
Going back to see JT next week.
I've got faith. That everything will be aye-okay and that the problem spot is more than adequately solved.
(Just hope that there won't be anymore needles and plugs. choi choi choi.)
..............
Hey Bro!
It was a good and fun experience. ;p Albeit a little awkward at times because I didn't really know the rest of the brothers well enough except for 2 of them.
Anyhow, us 8 "xiong dis" managed to pull through the entire day...:)
I feel very happy for Dan & YL. Don't know why. Maybe it's because I know what they've been through. Mayube it's because I was there listening to Daniel during his break up and during the period of time he decided to go after YL.
Am just glad for them that everything turned out fine and dandy. They looked so much in bliss yesterday and the understanding they have of each other and for each other is just amazing.
I guess there is sunshine after the rain afterall. :)
=========
Dan's wedding is probably the 6th wedding that I'm helping out in, either as a "brother" or a "sister" or as the wedding coordinator. And out of these 6 times, I was sitting at the reception as well for probably 3 or 4 times.
Lol, there's a saying that one should not be a bridesmaid for more than 3 times. Hmm, looks like I've exceeded the said threshold amount by twice the amount. And I've even been a groomsman.
Haha.
party? hmm..
Not frequent weekly guzzling. Don't really understand some folks who head out to "cheong" every weekend.
But yeah, different people lead different lives and have different preferences.
Am I getting old? Hmm mm....
TH jio-ed me to go to the upcoming Zoukout. My immediate answer was no.
It's just not my kind of thing to head there for such an event. Not too keen on it.
Oh well. Am I getting old? Hmm mm...
Thursday, October 29, 2009
hmmm...
good morning to the world!
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.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Resting in room for a little while before heading out for another appointment
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.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Day 1 - Kimchi overdose
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...
Friday, October 23, 2009
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...!!!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Philippe Jarrousky
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
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
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!

