having said that, I love my weekends though (all thanks to SIM for not stealing my off weekends away with lectures!) which tend to be filled with even more of life’s little adventures... Had a fulfilling past weekend going Geocaching (treasure hunting with a GPS device) and found my 3rd geocache at Labrador Park! Beautiful bit of Singapore – should go if you haven’t already.. continued Makansutra foodhunting at Old Airport Road Hawker Centre (ate Cho Kee wantan mee and Hougang otak otak), relaxed for a short afternoon with SA over thick creamy unexpectedly yummy milkshakes at Billy Bombers Orchard Point, catching up on each other’s lives, went for a run at East Coast Park (from Macs to Fort Rd and back – wah.. very long!!), then piled it all back with dinner at Fisherman’s Village @ Pasir Ris under a cool and starry night – before ending the week watching a 3h 45 min (so long!! :O )Bollywood hit Kabhi Khushie Kabhie Gham at East Point cinema @ Simei (so far!! :O) it’s worth watching just for the remarkable MTV-style dancing (which will put even MJ and his sister to shame) and the incredibly gorgeous-looking hunks and babes. These Indians look amazing – a mysterious mix of Eastern and Western looks…. Hee hee.. I actually even have the soundtrack from the movie – got that in Mumbai when I was there in Dec! :D

alb just sent me this really funny thing - turn on volume high before you click this.. hee hee...

thanks to karen for telling me to "go for the time share presentation.....if you want to rankle your nerves and commit murder." Ended up really not going in the end 'cos time was really tight, rushing here and there and the timeshare reps were very irritating, calling me at least three times today to check the speling of my name and all that type of nonsense. Know they are up to no good cos guy kept reminding me that i must stay for the full 1 and a half session if i go (same as what karen said about "Been there and almost got into a fight because they wouldn't let me leave earlier than they planned!") and woman told me that i must not "forget to join the special draw to win Cartier products" by matching my 16-digit credit card number with what they draw out at the end of the session.. Wow! Lucky didn't go.. these guys are getting really smart.. getting your credit card details using such deceptive means..

fortunately i am not the greedy type and Cartier-Tiffany-Resort Holidays don't mean much to me..

I'll take hill trekking in Chiang Mai anytime... :)

Just got a call from this "timeshare holiday" salesman saying that I (and another 249 lucky people who did a survey last year - err..oh please!... since when??) have won "Free Holidays For Two" to I-can't-remember-where. durrhh?? these people are so incredibly pesky and he kept pestering me to commit myself to a 1 and a 1/2 hour presentation on time-share holidays.. very suspicious.. but (just for the heck of it) am actually quite curious to know how they sell it - I'm always quite amazed by how incredibly surreal these hard-sell salespeople make you feel as they talk to you... they are like Info-mmercials come alive, going on and on in front of you even when you show the most bored, disgusted, annoyed, PMS-ed look. Where did they learn to talk like that??

Them: Miss, got time or not? (flashes fake million-dollar smile)
Me: No. (looking really sian)
Them: Won't take up much of your time.
Me: No. (avoiding eye contact)
Them: We have here this product hor, you find in shopping centre...
Me: (you give an incredulous look)
Them: selling for $49.99! Today here, just for today, we are having a special promotion. Instead of $49.99, we are selling you for only $9.99!! I am not joking! You can check with Metro and Robinsons! And if you buy today, we also give you this extra thing free!
Me: Thank you. But I am not interested.
Them: Take a look at it lah. You dowan to miss out on this...
Me: I AM NOT INTERESTED IN IT!!
Them: err... ok hor (slightly shocked).. thank you.. (colgate smile instantly vanishes and walks out robotically)..

I sometimes even imagine they are actually mechanical people, run on batteries...

OH NO!! We are going to be hit by a 3.5ton Satellite falling from space soon!!! :O >> Read article from CNN

just upgraded from my faithful to a yesterday! Now I'm Walking On The Blue Side...hahaha...

M1 has this amazing new promotion until month-end and I managed to get the phone for only $0 as long as I sign another 2 year contract for their Ultimate plan!! wow wow wow!! :) well, its not entirely free (as some friends like to keep reminding me).. but don't matter, I am already on the Ultimate plan now and i'm not likely to change my telco provider anytime soon anyway (since my existing number is the only way some of my overseas friends can contact me now..)... hooray!! what a nice treat for myself :)

watched Black Hawk Down last night and couldn't help thinking about the movie again and again today. Gore and drama aside, I think the movie really hit home with a couple of thought provoking scenes, among them being the numerous scenes where the Somalis were shot down like flies by the Americans (and yet they kept coming and coming - a faceless mob of angry people gone mad) and also the scenes where the US soldiers had quiet contemplative moments and being humans had struggled with why they were engaged in "someone else's war".

while taking care not to come across as an extreme pro-US person, I have to admit that the more I ponder on it, the more I am moved by what I realised was undoubtedly the driving force behind what eventually brings US to involve itself in all these wars around the world (surfed the net for "US Involvement In War" and came up with an amazing amount of information about US militia in World War I, II, Vietnam, Panama, Afghanistan (during the time of Russian invasion), Colombia, Nicaragua,Greece, Somalia, Kuwait, the Balkans, Philippines etc etc..). While it is easy to dismiss the US involvement as largely due to self-interest (e.g. for oil during the Gulf War - as your taxi driver uncle will tell you), this cause seems miserably inadequate to explain why the individual soldier on the ground will be willing to risk his life for a cause like this, especially in wars like the one in Somalia and in Vietnam - where the economic benefit to US is even more unclear. That's when I thought there must be a higher cause - something that they believe in so much that they are willing to give up their comfort and prove it with their lives - and it seems like these were (from watching the movie and also from reading some online stuff) the ideals of human rights, democracy, anti-terrorism etc.. some strong beliefs that these people seemed to have learnt from young... Frankly speaking, I think all this is so amazing for a country that is so rich and powerful and comfortable and could choose not to get involved nor to assume such a difficult international role....

This sort of thing must be foreign to so many of us in Singapore.....

have just been passed this small black book TAXI DRIVER WISDOM - a collection of apparent quotes by New York cab drivers together with some really nice b&w lomo-style photos - really funny and amazingly philosophical what these guys come up with.. haha... :p

On the human condition: "You say you are happy, you are lying." On chemistry: "Love is 90% responsibility. Whatever that other 10 percent is, it must be quite something." On cat fighting: "This jealousy I have seen in my sisters, but not in my brothers."

No regrets: "Each day is like another bud on a tree: impossible, without the tree beneath it." At peace: "I like driving. Otherwise I take another job. Each thing can be everything for you. You make driving everything." On understanding: "If there is understanding, there is love. If there is no understanding, there is only an endless stream of questions." Reading signs: "If a man keeps telling you he loves you, over and over, then something is wrong."

On motive: "We do everything for ourselves." On women who claim to love boring men: "What everyone likes the best is money, but they don't say it." On better halves: "People look so much better alone." On the rhythm of life: "The traffic - it slows, it speeds up again for no reason sometimes." On finding a mother: "Women choose who they love the most. Men choose who loves them the most." On identity crises: "Whatever you become, someone will long for what you were." Ashes to ashes: "We are all born poor."

I've never had two consecutive nights where I can remember my dreams so vividly! :O Must be that my body is still trying to digest all the food and late dinners that I've been stuffing my face with...umm... Last night, I had this really long dream where I was in India, having just gotten off a train. Later on, when I had left the place for quite a distance and time, I suddenly realised I had left all my luggage behind in the station (ya, quiet unbelieveable :p).. anyway, I started making my way back to the station and got lost along the way, all the time thinking (ya, still in my dream) that the luggage would probably already have been stolen.. Actually woke up really glad it was only a dream.. gosh, i would really hate to lose my luggage on a trip...

Was curious to know what this can reveal about my psychological state and found this:

Luggage stands for your personal effects or what you carry with you on a journey. What happens to the luggage? Lost luggage might be a concern about your identity or about being prepared for the journey. Stolen luggage might suggest that you feel someone is interfering with your attempt to reach a goal

oh dear... can I possibly have so much going around in my subconscious that I don't know about??

had this recurring dream last night about my car. What happens is that every time I get to my car - no matter where I park it - I will find the bonnet up, the car windows down and this huge stuffed polar bear (it was really really big!) sitting in the driver's seat - :O I remember that in the dream, I was convinced that someone had obviously stolen or made a duplicate of my car keys, so I made an effort to park my car at different places. Yet, it kept happening. Very bizarre. But got woken up by phone ring so didn't manage to figure out how to solve the problem.. :P

Went to Google and searched for "polar bear dreams" just now and found two interpretations of this dream -

1. Your dream is very telling of your emotional state. The snowy environment that you are in suggests that you may be emotionally cold or indifferent. The polar bear symbolizes some deep and negative emotions that is yearning to be expressed. Bears hibernate. This may be analogous to repressed feelings which have remained quietly in your subconscious. At some point, these feelings are going to awake and need to be expressed and confronted... (huh??? what deep and negative emotion??)

2. Due to its color, a polar bear in a dream is a good omen signifying an improvement in your circumstances. (hahahaha :D... duh?? how different the two interpretations can be!!)

Met up with some Sec 4 classmates (haven't seen them for the last 10 years!!) last night for a yummy home-made pasta dinner and decided enthusiastically we are going to try to get the whole Sec 4 class together for a reunion of some sort. Once again, it was interesting to find out where everyone is now and how they have changed in their looks and aspirations and to find out who is still in touch with whom. :) Its really nice to still be able to talk to each other comfortably. Found out most of the girls are either getting married or are already blissfully married. :)

just got this really fun game from alb - let the cats bounce on the trampoline and then rescue them by vacuuming them up - definitely another fantastic time-waster... :p remember to turn on the hypnotic background music..

funny... had a really fun HR mgmt lecture just now and discussed loads about managing and leveraging on culture diversity within an organisation. Had a lot of thoughts on the topic - especially on this article by Singapore writer Catherine Lim about cultural antagonism - and wanted to come back and blog them down but now my brain has turn to mush... think i am just too tired..

got to hit the sack now... zzzz....

watched critically-acclaimed French movie Amélié from Montmartre just now and think it is one of the best movie I've ever ever seen!! With the original quirky irrelevance and discordance of parts of the movie alongside the actual/main story line, the way the characters are introduced and developed, and the feel-good factor in the movie, I really can't imagine how the movie could end up not being a hit! :D Those are probably why the movie really struck a powerful chord in me... Simple storyline of pretty Amelie (played by amazingly adorable Audrey Tautou) who meddles in the lives of fellow Parisians and makes some serendipitious positive changes in their lives. Maybe it was also this thing they call "The Amélié Effect": an accumulation of good deeds and charitable acts the film inspires - really really cool! As one online movie reviewer says "The flick may not be deep but it is entertaining for both the eye and the intellect." Can't agree more.. I say this movie is a must-see. Please, please don't miss it.

Met up with some of my Primary 6 classmates for dinner gathering at Marche Restaurant just now. Wow! Haven't seen some of them for almost 15 years since we all left HPPS to our respective Secondary schools! Interesting to find out about the different paths we have all taken since then (we have a couple of lawyers, teachers, a researcher and others among them) and the varying perspectives and ideas we all have now. More intriguing was this game Miak made us play where we went round the table and everyone had to name someone else in the class who was not at the gathering... it was amazing how many of the names no longer sound familiar (let alone the faces!).. nonetheless we did manage to come up with all 43 names in the end. Wonder when we will finally have a gathering where everyone turns up. Not altogether impossible since we already have almost 26 people on our email list! Not bad, huh? :)

Fun. :)

i'm now an unofficial spokesperson for the new Shell V-Power fuel! Think they've really got the coolest and most delightful product I've ever been convinced to try out! Went to a Shell petrol station today to pump up with Super 98 as usual and was convinced by two bubbly kiosk attendants to try out "The New V-Power". According to them, although the fuel was $0.12 a litre more expensive, it cleans up the engine over the longer run and eventually will help start saving money..umm.. the colourful brochure also struck a chord with me:

- Does your car crawl up a hill at a snail's pace - even when you press fully on the accelerator? (err... yes...)
- Are you always slow to overtake another car on the road? (ok.. ya also..)
- Do you have trouble picking up speed when you car is loaded with passengers? (ya ya ya!!)
- Are you always the last to accelerate when the lights turn green? (gasp! It's so true!!)

If you answer "yes" to all the above questions, you'll need the power of Shell V-Power... blah blah blah....

According to the brochure, the fuel was developed through collaborative research by Ferrari and Shell. Hence, the fuel is able to simulate performance car behaviour (wow, can imagine being a Formula One driver.. :p) The new fuel "comes with a potent blend of high-energy components that vaporises and burns a lot more effiiciently, leading to more increased energy production." With the fuel, the car will also become more responsive, allowing you to experience an extra surge of power when needed to overtake and pull away from road hoggers such as "pick-ups with no pick-ups, lorries spilling mud from its side etc". Lastly, the fuel also cleans up (instead of the usual build-up of carbon on) the engine as it burns.. wow.. quite amazing..

I've always been suspicious and sceptical of this sort of "too-good-to-be-true" product. However, I decided to just try it and the difference was amazing! I don't think I've enjoyed driving as much until now! My old Mazda 323 suddenly became really smooth and I found overtaking a piece of cake.. in fact, while going up a somewhat long and steep stretch of PIE, I actually suddenly felt a burst of power in the engine (rather out of the blue!) and started overtaking even Mercedes Benzs!! wow wow wow!! It was definitely a product that feels diiferent! I have to admit I'm overwhelmed!

Met up in evening for dinner with friends from University and Meili's friend from Mongolia and realised that she (the friend), like many other tourists, find Singapore really fascinating and beautiful. Decided to take a couple of pics around the Singapore River and they actually came out quite nice.. think as Singaporeans, we sometimes fail to see the beauty that is right in front of us and keep repeating how boring the country is to the point that ironically, we need a tourist to tell us how beautiful our country is before we can see that again.....

hahaha... talk about someone who really wants to sell his hard drive!! It's HAUNTED!!! :P

This visualization thing I’m doing is getting more intriguing! It surprises me how much more consistent work and effort will need to be put into what I am doing now if I really want to be where I would ideally like to be in 5 to 10 years’ time. Realised that to be good at something, everything needs to be paced along and built up over time and will not happen overnight.. Think of this analogy my Finance lecturer likes to use.. ”You can’t eat 5 meals all at one go”.. so true..

This is how I do my Visualization Exercise:

1. I think of all the things I am interested in or have always intended myself to learn and be good at. E.g. oil painting, photography, a particular language (e.g. Bahasa Indonesia), blading, etc…

2. Next, I decide the level of competence/standard I really want to be at to consider myself “good enough”. This will differ from person to person, of course. For Bahasa, for example, it will be good enough for me to be conversationally comfortable. I really don’t need to know how to write an essay in the language! : p For photography, on the other hand, I would want to know also how to handle black & white film expertly..

3. I will then rank myself from 1 to 10 on the level of competence I am at now (relative to where I want to be). For Bahasa, I am probably now only at 1/10 (i.e. know really really basic stuff and cannot really sustain a conversation for more than.. err.. 2 mins?? :p).

4. From this exercise, I will then know

a. The areas of interest I am actually interested in,
b. What else I need to learn and know,
c. How much further I need to go, and
d. Best of all, what I would have accomplished 10 years later if all things really go the way I plan (the hope is quite sustaining..)

I will then realize there is still so much work to be done! Try it!

I've been told that the "mock lomo pics" i took are actually just distorted pics, not lomo at all.. its like saying the mock meat i cooked is actually just "modified gluten" i suppose... :p oh well... i'll try harder..

Been thinking quite a lot about where I want to be and what i want to be doing 5 to 10 years from now... Think it was triggered by my reading of this book "Success is A Journey" about this guy who woke up one day and decided to travel 17,000 miles from the west coast of America to Cape Town, South Africa...it's a book about "fulfilling your dreams" and the "importance of courage, persistence, and the acceptance of total responsibility for one's very survival".

Incidentally, over the last weekend, I also chanced upon this "Life In Hell" comic strip in IS magazine by Matt Groening (of The Simpsons fame). This funny rabbit-eared buck-toothed character was told that he had within himself all that he needed to create the life that he wants for himself. All he had to do was to "choose and focus on a life that embodies his highest aspirations and wildest fantasies, a life full of love and laughs and adventure." He had to visualize what the life would be like ("feel it in your bones, let your imagination soar"). Then, imagining that ten long years have passed and everything in life has happened in the "best possible way" - "What will you be doing? What will you have accomplished? Where will you be living? Who will you be kissing?"…

Quite inspiring… seriously…where would I really want to see myself? How do I want to be feeling at that time?

Watched highly-rated Jap animation “Spirited Away” just now and was totally blown away by wonderful storyline, amazingly well-drawn graphics and cute characters. It's such a wonderful, wonderful show!! Heard there were long lines outside cinemas in Japan and even US when it first opened! Brings back the child in all of us - a story with seeming good and evil but at the end of it a thread of humanity stringing everything together... even though all the characters are spirts.. umm.. :p Anyway, go and see it - if not you will regret it when I meet you and rave about it in your face!! :D

"For the people who used to be 10 years old,
and the people who are going to be 10 years old."
-- Hayao Miyazaki

just found out how to take lomo-type pictures with my digital cam by adjusting the white-balance when taking under tungsten lighting!! Check out these pics I took randomly yesterday!

Received an inspiring letter from an overseas friend today and feeling on top of the world now. :)

Wonderful line he wrote inside should speak a lot to all of us:

I know life is beautiful.

A simple sentence… yet, how many of us just cannot seem to be able to feel and see that anymore. Life has become “boring, stressful, tiring…” and people have become “cynical, artificial, and judgmental..”…. you name it, we’ve all heard it.. one form or other… why can’t we just see that life, no matter what happens, is still beautiful and wonderful…. when will we be able to speak this simple sentence with the same amount of confidence and faith...

Even the darkest of moments, for how much it sounds like a cliché, is an opportunity to “learn something and to do something positive for yourself – to become stronger inside, independent, and to want more out of life than before” To quote best-selling author Richard Paul Evans,

“It is in the darkest skies that the stars are best seen.”

Wow.. :)

just saw a link to this on dannybunny's website.... hahahhaha... reminds me of the Mahir craze some two years back.. tried to find the original site again but couldn't.. seems like they have taken it out.. :( What a pity.. :p Read that the hits to this guy's hoax homepage (saboed by friends) went into the millions and spun off a bunch of spoof sites and even a webring!

And this is truely amazing.... The Condiment Packet Museum... truely bo-liao... :p

Spent the day today interviewing people who responded to our ad for a “Sales & Marketing Exec”.. we decided to state upfront what we deal in – art supplies and stationery; our target market – schools, clubs and offices; our requirement for the person to have sales experience and a car; for the candidate to have “excellent communication skills” and to be “a self-starter, energetic and resourceful”. Got quite a bunch of great candidates.. some more interviews tomorrow.. phew! :)

Had a really fun HR management class just now. We went through the different personality types defined by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator – which states that everyone can basically be made up of a combination of 4 dimensions:

Extroversion (E) or Interversion (I) – how you relate to people
Sensing (S) or Intuition (N) – how you look at data and analyse things
Thinking (T) or Feeling (F) – how you make decisions
Judging (J) or Perceiving (P) – how you live your life

I have done this test twice before (at 16 and 23) and have always come out as an “INTP” type – which basically summarises myself as being someone “focusing more on his/her inner world, prefers change rather than continuation, preferring to take in info through “sixth sense” and doing things with an innovative bent, making decisions on the basis of cause and effect by analyzing and weighing the consequences (though I don’t really score high in this area – I may be mildly “F” – which means I sometimes make decision based on values) and like to live life in a flexible, spontaneous way, preferring to stay open to experience, enjoying and trusting my ability to adapt to the moment”. According to the lecturer, S type logical people take in info using their 5 senses, noticing what is actual rather than the abstract notions behind things. They can thus be quite unromantic and tend to express their affection in practical ways, e.g. buying you a vacuum cleaner for Valentines Day so you don’t have to strain while cleaning the floor.. hahaha. :p. umm…. Also, P type people, by their nature of being disorganized and spontaneous, may frustrate J type people, who tend to live their lives in planned, orderly ways, wanting to regulate and control life. J-type people are seldom late, preferring to arrive 5-mins early, compared to P types who are perpetually rushing.. Oh! :O

Read something good:

The Dawn Of Reality
Many great success in life comes just one step beyond where you are ready to quit. There is a time in your life when you feel yourself suddenly beyond caring, completely willing to accept the outcome, whatever it is. And at that moment, fate intervenes. Destiny acts. Something happens.

Every test that you take and pass on your journey merely prepares you for more difficult tests and challenges. They never end. They only change and become tougher as you grow and mature.

Never wish for things to be easier. Instead, wish that you are stronger and better. Never seek the easy way out. Instead look for the hard way through.

Nature is kind. She never sends you a problem that is too big for you to handle. She is clever as well. She prepares you step by step, raising the bar, the requirements, gradually, until you are ready for the big tests when they come.

As long as you have a clear goal and a plan, and you are willing to be flexible in the face of changing circumstances, you will continue to move onward and upward.

You will eventually look back and be amazed at how far you have come. But it is nothing in comparison to how far you have yet to go.

This is so funny!!! hahahaha.... It's one of those animated gifs that tell a story..

I have nothing new to write about today.

It’s one of those days.

And I remember that I used to think that this sort of days were the most wasted days. Every day had to be packed. Meeting people. Doing things. Trying out new stuff. Planning for more adventures… For some reason, I had to see myself (more than to be seen by other people) doing new and exciting things every single day. This was how I interpreted “Living Each Day To The Fullest”.

How wrong I was.

I like days like this now. I really do. Days of stillness and non-excitement somehow give that balance – the essential balance – to the other exciting & busy days. It’s only when my mind is really still and peaceful that I find myself stopping and looking within. I look at how things are going. I think about how I have been over the past few days. I think about how I have related to other people – the words of encouragement and inspiration, but also the words carelessly and hurtfully spoken. I contemplate silently and when I pray, I find myself hearing what God has to say more clearly, uncluttered by the noises of the day. I sleep more soundly at night and I feel more prepared for the day ahead. And I enjoy every experience that comes along after that more consciously and more deeply.

That I feel is living life to the fullest.

Had a really nourishing body-and-mind day yesterday. Woke up early-early for breakfast and then went blading at East Coast, managing to cover the Fort Rd to (not really but almost) Bedok Jetty stretch twice (to and fro). But I think I still prefer running… somehow, it’s feels more like a real cardio workout to me compared to blading. It’s like drinking beer and whisky, as Alb puts it.. Had yummy lunchie of Hill Street Char Kway Teow (I’ve finally found them!! They are here!! At Bedok South Rd Blk 16 Unit 187!! They are the best!! Yum…:) before going “geocaching” (treasure hunting using a GPS device). I’ve found my 2nd cache so far! :D – basically, the idea is to hunt for a “cache” (which is usually a Tupperware container containing a log book, some trinkets and a pen) given just a bunch of coordinates you can key into your handheld GPS device. You will then use these coordinates to find your way to the “treasure”. It’s quite fun and allows you to discover Singapore in a new way.

Met up with close bunch of Sec School friends in evening for dinner at Kopitiam and then drinks at Public House. We had one of the best and most fulfilling gatherings last night sharing stuff that some of us didn’t know about each other… as we shared, we felt our bonds strengthened and really glad about the friendship, the bonding, the certainty that these people will be here for you no matter what happens in the future. As friends who have known each other for between 14 to 18 years, we knew we would still be sitting around together 20, 30… 50 years from now, having a good time together. Of course by then, we may be drinking stuff that is a lot milder.. or worse still, as Kai puts it, we will be wiping spittle from the corners of each others mouths.. hahaha…

I love this bunch of friends.. :)

So I'm back home now checking out online car maintenance sites and wondering when the next AA "Car Maintenance Workshop" will be held. This site is not bad.. got a lot of pictures.. :)

WHAT AN APPALLING GAP IN MY KNOWLEDGE OTHERWISE!! :O

Thought today was going to be a relatively uneventful day until harrowing (ok, I exaggerate) experience just now. Left FM ($$ mgmt) lecture wk 2 promptly at 10pm and went back to car only to find that the battery has gone completely flat!! :O Turned out that I had forgotten to turn off the car headlights!!! Thought these sort of careless things only happen to other people, especially since I had a lot of sleep last night! :(

Anyhow, had to wait for AA guy to come and fix it – Poor guy came after 30mins and was quite appalled by what he saw. The battery had almost no water in it!! Huh? What’s battery water?, I asked innocently (for once sounding like a bimbo.. sheesh… :p also feeling a little sorry for not paying attention to what my dear friend Lynn used to tell me about car maintenance - I think she did mention once something on battery water..) anyhow, nice guy jumpstarted my car and told me to drive to nearest petrol kiosk to buy battery water to top it up. I drove carefully, making sure I didn't stall my car along the way (quite stressful) and went to my favourite Shell station along Upper Bukit Timah Rd. Genial Mr Ramli there was equally appalled at what he saw :p Only 3 bottles (no less) of battery water was sufficient to top up the parched battery (Mr Ramli said he had personally never experienced a situation as bad.. ever.. :p).. on top of that, the radiator water was also almost empty, the water for the windshield wiper was running low, and I could not seem to answer some questions he had, such as if the engine oil is enough etc.. :( Oh dear.. what an embarrassment for a car owner and someone who has been driving for more than 8 years!! Still have to wait till tomorrow to find out if my battery needs to be changed… if not will have to get AA to come again tomorrow.. according to Mr Ramli, I shouldn’t try jumpstarting it myself ‘cos if I get the polarity of the wires wrong, the car may EXPLODE!! :O

I always knew I would be famous some day... (see magazine cover)

In the mood of scanning... check out lovely wrapping paper for one of my presents...

Did I ever tell you how special January 8 is? :) It is the..

Birthday of
- German composer Robert Schumann (1810)
- Elvis Presley (1935)
- Shirley Bassey (1937)
- Stephen W. Hawking (1942) - A Brief History of Time
- David Bowie (1947)

& Death Anniversary of
- Marco Polo, Explorer (1324)
- Galileo Galilei, Astronomer (1642)
- Lord Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy Scout movement (1941)
- Zhou Enlai, the most popular leader of China in the 20th century (1976)
- François Mitterrand, President of France (1981-95) (1996)

Wow! I could be famous one day!! :O Check out who's born on your birthday at Genealogy Today

Check out this site that shows a way of folding maps to make them small enough to be carried easily and still be available for use without having to unfold them entirely. It works! Try it out on paper first! It requires you to cut a slit in the map though. Cool.. :)

My Cologenics Personality Test says that I am a "manipulator", lazy, tired, stressed out, uncertain, suspicious but.. of "true managerial material"!! hahahaha... :p

You are striving to make favourable impressions all of the time. and you are going out of your way to make the impression that you are something special... You are constantly on the watch to see how your friends and neighbours are reacting to your various ploys . But this is so unnecessary.. because most of the time you are in control of the situation - and you are, in the nicest sense of the word, a "manipulator" because you use various strategies very cleverly in order to influence and obtain the necessary recognition.

You are lazy ... You dream of a peaceful, calm, uncluttered and uncomplicated life. Your ideal would be to share a permanent base with some person or persons who would be able to demonstrate on-goinglove, peace and security.

You feel tired...worn out and listless. The last thing that you want to do is to be in an open conflict with those around you that are forever tormenting you... What to do? -That's the rub..you are feeling that you are being choked...unable to breathe..

Setback after setback has resulted in considerable stress and now you have got to the stage that you are continuously on your guard, not only to protect yourself from others but to protect yourself from yourself. It would seem that many of your unfulfilled hopes and dreams have led to uncertainty and suspicion. You no longer wish to answer to others and you are insisting on freedom of thought. You feel that you are fully self-sufficient and can control your own destiny. You are seeking ways to protect yourself from further loss of prestige and against further setbacks. You have become very dependent and you doubt that matters could possibly get any better in the immediate future and this negative attitude is leading you to exaggerate your claims and to refuse reasonable compromise.

You are trying to build up your own position and you resist all external influences. You insist that you are your own person and you will not tolerate any outside interference. Decisive and proud, you are true managerial material...

Just back from yet another stimulating Marketing Management Class - today's topic was Marketing Research :p (which we are very much lacking of but desperately needing for our shop). According to youthful-looking lecturer (who amazingly has a 17-year-old son and a 13-year-old daughter!), important decisions should be preceded by proper research - which he then systematically proved by using the example of his choice of marriage partner - which he emphasized was done only after rigorous "research" of the many choices out there. hahahah :p he says he didn't just go out and marry the first girl he saw... durrhh???

went for an expat tai-tai lunchtime houseparty today halfway through the day at one of our teacher's house. Malay lady married this Englishman and spends her day painting silk and folk art, playing tennis and golf, volunteering, and doing "aqua aerobics" with other such ladies. They are all part of this so called "Singapore Flower Club" (getting together to discuss and arrange flowers) and another "International Ladies Group" that get together to do arts and crafts.. umm.... remember how many of us in school (not me lah!) used to dream of such a life.. hahaha... anyway, all the home-made food were really yummy.. we had moussaka, some popiah thingey, chicken with apricot sauce, thai vermicelli salad, thai sticky rice dessert (which is really yummy!!), spring rolls and lots of exotic fruits (strawberries and grapes).. yum.. yum.. I'm growing fat I tell you...

Look at the new iMac!! It looks like a table lamp! I want!! :P

Birthday celebrations yesterday ended with a bang! Had the best dinner of my life (so far) at The Tavern – this Swiss/Mediterranean restaurant along River Valley Rd – trying out all these gourmet stuff I’ve only (until now) read about. Starters were Foie Gras (pan-fried Goose Liver) and Oysters (both cholesterol-laden delicacies but equally worth dying for!! ok.. I exaggerate..). We then had the US Niman Rib-Eye steak (supposedly the highest “melt-in-the-mouth” quality -sold by every 10g) and Fried Cod – also really yummy!! – downed with this Italian red wine the excitable waiter recommended. Ended dinner with this Swiss desert Coupe Neselrode that came looking like fried spaghetti (chestnut puree) with meringue, whipped cream and vanilla ice cream. Yum Yum!!! :) :) :) :) Yum Yum…

Birthday loot for this year: An Eagle Creek Matrix Neon (Ne) bag (perfect for carrying notes to my lectures! Thanks alb! I love it!), a Basic Techniques for Painting Texture In Watercolour book & a Polymer Clay – The Weekend Crafter book (from my dearest pals from RGS :) thanks gals!), a funky Pop Quartz watch with a really cool but “impossible-to-wear-by-yourself” strap (thanks HM! :)), a “Huiling Poem” (: p thanks Mich!), an ORDNING&REDA glossy notebook with an innocent-looking cat on the cover (great for me to “pen my thoughts, sketch, let my creative juices flow..” thanks SA! :)), “Jelly T-Lights” (from Sarah) and a stream of sms & phone birthday greeting throughout my (otherwise really stressful ‘cos office computer hard drive crashed) day. Thanks Everyone!! Love You All!!

Btw, it has finally happened… an album dedicated to my Buttercup paraphernalia!! Wahahahah….!!! :O

thanks Karen and Matthew for wonderful birthday greetings!! :)

I'm glad to have met wonderful people like you too!!

watched psychological thriller Vanilla Sky on Sunday night and for some reason was really spooked by the show. Started shivering and goose-bumping and felt really spooked out.... inexplicable...but the show is not bad, quite like the original plot and the fact that both Tom Cruise and Penelope Cruz are both good-looking helps..

Ask yourself honestly: WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY?

oops.. just found out that plot isn't original after all! .. >>

Sheer exhaustion from too many late nights and brain and body exerting activities (I mean running, just in case your imagination runs wild.. :p). But I have to blog.. I HAVE TO BLOG!!! :O …. Hahaha… talk about a sudden moment of insanity..hahaha… Am I going.. senile… ??? gulp!

H A P P Y - B I R T H D A Y - T O - M E ! ! ! :) LALALALA…. I AM GETTING OLDER!!! WAHAHAHA…. Today 27 years ago is the very significant day God decided to put me into this world to make the world a better place for you…. Wow! What a great thought! :) I think this is probably one of the nicest birthdays I’ve experienced for a long long while… its nice to realize that a lot of the friends I have around me are people I have known either for a long time or people whom I’ve only gotten to know recently but intensely… that’s probably what being human is really about.. it’s about people and our primal need to feel connected with them..

House birthday party on Saturday went well! Mum made yummy fried bee-hoon (saturated with juicily-fried assorted ingredients), curry chicken (my favourite), steamed prawns (very juicy and very fresh), spicy pig’s stomach soup (phew! Shiok!), ngoh hiang (Mum's specialty), bouncy Jap jellies (as Kai likes to call them Konnyaku), kueh kosui and agar agar, and bought loads of exotic fruits (Sarawak pineapples, seedless grapes etc); we concocted a murky (but still drinkable) version of Sangria (OJ, 7-Up and Red Wine) and Kenneth brought longevity buns (pink, peach-like NTUC ones). Mostly good friends from school plus a rojak mix of others and we all had a good time! Even tried showing my VCD – Ferris Bueller’s Day Off but no one was paying any attention to it, preferring to talk and mingle and stuff face... nice :)

Wah.. so exhausted from working and studying part-time (the 3 times a week 3 hours every time schedule) that I think I am going to start slacking off in my blogging.. must persist must persist... :p Yesterday we learnt (at Financial Management Wk 1) from the "Absolutely Professional" lecturer that accountants are the best off whatever the economic situation. According to him, when the economy is doing well, accountants are definitely employed (cos you need them for mergers, acquisitions whatever). When the economy is doing really badly and the company closes down, accountants are the last ones to go cos you need them to close up the final accounts of the company. In a situation when the company is starting to do badly, accountants will be the first to know (cos they are the ones who manage the company's accounts) and hence be able to quit before things get worse. hahaha... quite true.

Waiting now for guests to arrive for birthday house party!! mum has prepared a lot of food.. yum.. yum..

Finally bought a copy of JB Jeyaretnam’s “Make It Right For Singapore” yesterday from him selling it outside Centrepoint. Decided to buy it cos have been really curious about it since the first time I saw it being sold a long time ago and also because he and his assistant were shouting “Last Copy! Last Copy!” and being Singaporean I just couldn’t walk away like that… our conversation went:

Me: Is this really the last copy? (one must be sure, you see..)
Mr Jeyaretnam: Yes, it is (showing me his empty bag. his assistant did the same)
Me: I see… I’ll have it then… will you sign it for me please?
Mr J: Of course.. all my copies are signed (he takes out his pen and starts writing in it)
Me: How do I contact you if I want to ask some questions? Do you have an email address inside?
Mr J: umm…. No.. but you can contact me using this number (he proceeds to write his number in the book.. gulp!! :P)
Me: Is this book biased? (lowering my voice and saying in a mock-innocent way)
Mr J: (Raising his voice a few notches) Of course it is biased! It is VERY biased!! Hahaha…it is biased, and if you want the Truth, the truth can be found with the PAP
Me: hahaha… thank you then.. (taking the book from him) guess you all can go home now...
Mr J: You can read about how the PAP….. (his voice trailed off as he started to mumble to himself and I continued to walk towards Breadtalk to get my favourite Flossies…)
Me: Thank You.. thank you…
Mr J: ….. (mumble mumble… what a strange man..)

2nd day of work and 3rd day of New Year and am already playing too hard! :P



Stayed up late last night with fun-loving and relaxed bunch of 4 friends having dinner at Rice Table Restaurant (at Cuppage Terrace) having Rijstaffel set (an Indonesian buffet-style meal where they serve you up to 20 dishes (tahu telor, rendang, otak otak, sambal prawns, sotong, sate ayam – yum..yum…:), fruit salad, kangkong belachan, etc etc) and you sample the lot and then you can order extra of whatever you like.. very social-style dinner and much of the dinner-time is spent on discussing which dish you think is nice and passing around those you want your dinner companions to try out. Quite cool. The only other place that I know serves this sort of thing is Alkaff Mansion (which is quite beyond the reach of most of us anyway..) Hung around at quiet Doug’s Bar (still along Cuppage Terrace) after that drinking Tiger Beer (What Time Is It? What Time Is It? :p) and discussing random topics from famous murder cases in the past (Adrian Lim – the medium guy, remember??, Mimi-something – who killed her husband’s mistress, the Curry murder case, etc etc), new PDA models coming up in the year (we all want the Sony Clie!!), and even other topics too risqué to be published :p… very fun…

First day back at work.. Overwhelmed by realization of all the work that still has to be done!! :O Spent morning training new staff and afternoon trying to plan for the whole year ahead plus calculating all the estimated profits of the shop's different operations.. don't know what the economic climate will be like this year.. guess no one really knows.. but since it's still the start of the year, everyone is still in quite a high and positive mood so seems ok so far.. hope it maintains this way..

attended the first day of lessons at SIM today - on Marketing Management - and we already have our assigned group for projects as well as our topics!! quite scary to be back in class.. thankfully nothing was really hard to understand..

Lesson for today: Marketing (in the new economy) is really less about "Selling A Product's Features" but more of "Helping Someone To Enhance Their Lifestyle".. umm... true... should try it out in our new marketing strategy planning for this year.. "Paint and Enhance your Life?".. "Paint and Look More Attractive?"... "Craft Your Life???" umm... think I need to "be in a contemplative mood and let my mind wander freely" to generate new ideas (as guru Dr Yoshiro NakaMats - brilliant guy who has more than 3,000 patented inventions (including 16 to IBM) compared to Thomas Edison's mere :p 1,093 - says)

url: Soda Constructor

H A P P Y - N E W - Y E A R ! ! ! ! H A P P Y - N E W - 2 0 0 2 ! ! ! :-O

Wishing All A Tremendously Rewarding 2002!! And May All Your Grand Plans (i.e. Resolutions) Bear Fruit, May You Achieve Great Happiness & Wisdom In "All Things That Matter To You" - Faith, Family, Friends, Love, Career (or work), Finances, Creativity & Fun! :) - and May You Finally Discover A Path That Is True & Satisfying To Yourself In The Year Ahead!

Counted down to the all important New Year's Day with a bunch of fun-loving people last night at very atmospheric Cosy Bay at Tanjong Rhu Road. Some enterprising chap converted this old lighthouse overseeing the Indoor Stadium into a (somewhat cheesy) mult-storey pub-cum-restaurant - very cooling, very relaxed setting but quite cheena cos they kept switching between Cantopop, Chinese songs, Eurotrance and some random pop music and we stuffed our faces with deep-fried chicken wings and french fries downed with jugs of Tiger Beer (What Time Is It? What Time Is It? :p) as we counted down repeatedly (a-la Teletubbies) and sang Auld Lang Syne. The mood was not quite as exuberant as we had hoped it to be, though we had a bit of excitement as the new year arrived when someone from one of the higher levels of the lighthouse threw a lit sparkler onto the canvas canopy (and immediately fled) and it set off a little fire (which got worst when someone else in a moment of maniacal panic threw a full mug of Tiger beer onto the flames! :p).. anyway, fire got extinguished eventually by quite on-the-ball pub staff and eveyone once again resumed their chatter.. quite anticlimactic...

Started the year well today waking up early at 7.30am (cos went to send friend off at airport) and then blading at East Coast in the afternoon before stuffing face with yummy chilli crab at Long Beach for dinner. Yet I'm home early and blogging before 11pm!! :) Think I'll actually get to bed by 12 and get up on time tomorrow!! Yay! East Coast Park was really crowded (the swell partly attributtable - i'm sure- to the people jumpstarting their New Year Resolutions :p) and people just crashed into each other or into lamp-posts and dustbins.. even this friend of ours (who is a fairly competent skater) fell and got a serious cut on his chin (which needed four stitches!!) and alb dislocated his thumb (ouch!) and almost fell into a manmade pond in the park.. quite bizarre...

This is the final blog for year 2001!! My new year resolutions are already in place (ready for implementation) and plans already set for 1st Jan 2002! We are going to go painting and blading tomorrow!! :)

Just checking around a little bit to find out what everyone is doing (everyone is really sneaky about where they are going to be counting down and what they are going to be doing.. umm.. :p ... will be interrogating all the guilty-looking people tomorrow... hee hee :)) Hope everyone is going to be with people they like/love/do-not-hate tonight... its been a difficult year... :( another couple just broke up less than 24 hours ago... sigh.... 2002.. What will the new year bring? no one knows.... me? oh. planning to go and stuff face with yummy local fare (makansutra stuff) for dinner before the year ends and then go on "healthier" (i.e. not entirely healthy but maybe cutting out unnecessary saturated fats etc) diet plus loads of exercise only next year. :p

Bye Bye 2001!!! Hello 2002!! :O

ARTICLE: Birth Order and Personality: 8 Facts that Might Suprise You

ARTICLE: Sex and Birth Order: How Yours Affects Your Bedroom Behavior

ARTICLE: What Your Birth Oder Means for Your Marriage

My birthday is coming!! :P Don’t panic don’t panic!! Bought myself two early birthday presents yesterday – a transparent Nokia 3310 handphone cover (makes my phone look quite ‘lian’ now with really bright flourescent lights) and a pair of really smooth, ultra cool Salomon inline skates (80mm wheels/ABEC 5/Aluminium frame/Shock Absorber) in shades of blue from shop in East Coast Park! Never had so much fun blading before – whizzed along feeling the wind in my hair and past all the slow bladers on their $80 Ultrawheel blades from Carrefour.. hahahaha…. Think I will make regular inline skating my seventh New Year Resolution:

7. Regular rollerblading at East Coast – on either every Fri or Sat (depending on my off day) – if you want to join me , gimme a call or sms! :)

Attended a cosy candlelight house party yesterday (post Christmas-pre New Year – what you might describe as “New Year’s Eve Rehearsal Party”) – stuffing face with yummy home-made Shepherd’s Pie, potato salad, chicken wings, cold cuts of ham & salami, and ribs from Cold Storey – downed with copious amounts of red & white wines and sangria (yes! two days in a row!) . Slightly intoxicated, we made our way to scare ourselves silly with excellent midnite movie The Others. Really excellent.. and Nicole Kidman was really good too.. don't miss it..

What a fun day :)

Kai & I had the yummiest Spanish tapas and sangria at Ocho Restaurant And Tapas Bar at Chjimes just now after work. The sizzling garlic beef tapa and sauteed mushroom tapas were simply heavenly!!! Plus the sangria was the best I've had so far (and I've had..*burp*.. quite a few before :p)

just met up with "long-lost" friend (haven't seen for six months) for supper over lethal combination of Tiger Beer & D24 durian (old grandma tale dictates that the beer + durian combination can kill.. i'm still here...unless.. this is my final blog... (gulp!).. WATCH THIS SPACE!! Just read online: "This combination apparently creates what the Chinese like to call "internal wind" But for the King of Fruits, it’s more like an internal typhoon"... umm...

anyhow, we encountered two really bizarre events on our way back - firstly, when we went back to his car which was parked in the open-air carpark, we found it almost totally covered with bird-poo on the front and back windscreens, bonnet and boot! It was the worst case of bird-poo attack I've ever seen in my life! And strangely enough, there was none on the roof of the car!! So eerie! Secondly, we encountered at least three separate instances of accidents involving car pile-ups in this single night! One of them was so bad that we counted at least 10 cars involved!! umm...

btw: Check out my new Buttercup wrist watch!

saw this advert in the MRT for the website for the Second Link and actually went to look at it.. do you think there is anyone else out there more "bo-liao" than me?? :p Actually, I was just really curious what I could find on the site.. I mean.. is the site also "e-commerce enabled" to allow visitors to buy "I Love The SecondLink" baseball caps and umbrellas?? maybe.... haha.. now you have to click on the above link to find out!! you can also click on this second link... err.... no pun intended... :p

brrr... the weather has turned amazingly cold and wet and rainy.. so much so that now almost everyone is saying that it is "not like Singapore" anymore... been going around with winterly jackets and may soon be putting on gloves and scarf! :p Met Service says our temperature is now between 23 to 27 degree celsius! wow! Never quite had weather like this before - as one of my depressed friend says "the sky is raining as heavily and continuously as her heart".. :( ... Number of friends and associates in "emotional turmoil" continues to balloon... wonder if there is a bizarre correlation between low temperatures and cold hearts??? aahhhh :O gave Kai this really depressing website to look at today - not sure why.. no evil intent.. I think I just wanted her to know that she was not "alone in the Universe" If you are experiencing some kind of relationship up & down at the moment, this neverever.com site should mean something to you...look at the archives especially.. be forewarned.. it is pretty depressing...

had authentic Yakitori dinner at Nanbantei Restaurant in Far East Plaza just now.. yummy!! but really expensive.. every 2 sticks of beef/chicken/pork/seafood/vege lightly salted and grilled expertly over charcoal fire costs between $5 to $18!! The chef will prepare and cook the food right in front of you and serve you. Nice atmosphere but not a good place to bring friends with hearty appetites unless you want to burn a hole in your pocket or leave unsatisfied.

are you one of the "growing number of people (probably now in the majority)" who don't even make New Year's resolutions? Are you one of the many who say "why make them since experience has also taught us that we will break them anyway, "so what's the point?"" Besides, not making the resolutions will enable you to avoid the "negative spiral of guilt, failure and de-motivation that making resolutions and consistently breaking them creates". Ya?

Here's a little something from Tony Buzan's Head Strong:

.. (considering) how the brain builds up its thinking patterns and probabilities for repetition, thought and action, think about what the non-resolution-maker is actually thinking: "I am not going to make New Year's resolutions because, if I do, I will break them." This thought is repeated, in various ways, both consciously and subconsciously: "I am not going to make New Year's resolutions because I am the kind of person who will break them; I am not making New Year's resolutions because, when I do, I break them; there is no point in a person like me making New Year's or any other resolutions to improve myself, because I am the kind of person who, when I make good resolutions, breaks them; I don't make New Year's resolutions because when I do I break them because my will is not strong enough nor my self-control great enough to make them come true..."..

This, according to Tony Buzan, is a disastrous thing called "Meta-Negative Thinking Habit" that, the more and more it grows, actually and physically decreases the possibility that its owner will make any resolutions to improve at any time and will convince them that both their bodies and brains are out of control, and that growing weakness and overall decline are inevitable...

wah... betcha didn't know it was so serious... :P

je táime ewedeshanno aishite-imasu te amo ‘oku ou ‘ofa ‘iate koe aloha phlâwt-rák jag älskar dig ich liebe dich i raakastan sinua te quiero saghapa amo-te ti amo i love you ....

The language of love is the real language of the world. In some ways we all need to hear the words “I love you” but there are at least two schools of thoughts on this theory. One is the school which says to say it often, or as much as you can, or at least not to waste an opportunity to tell someone that you love them. The other school says to use these three words sparingly, and that it renders them without meaning if you use them all the time. The truth probably lies somewhere in between: in any case, it is all a question of degree. Telling someone you love them when you have only known them a short while may not be as intensely meaningful as telling a long-term partner or your parents. The point is that “I love you” has as many meanings as there are moments – or individuals – and understood in this way we should all be free to express our individual version a lot more. There’s no power in holding back and waiting for the other person to ‘crack first’. Not telling someone you love them could be one of the things you end up regretting all your life. Real power goes tot whoever is able to communicate love. As it is often said, ‘an ocean refuses no river’. The words ‘I love you’ are meant to be used – they’re among the best ones we have. Don’t wait too long. – from Girlosophy2 – The Love Survival Kit

Just had a wonderful 2 hour plus phone conversation with dear friend from the UK (the phone bills!! :O ) and realised how much has changed since the last time we chatted on the phone. It's funny how events in the year tend to speed up as the year comes to a close. Looking back, I can hardly remember what happened in the first half of the year! umm....

new year resolutions.. ahh...It’s the time of the year again when we reflect on the 12 months that have just passed. For many of us, this year has been incredibly intense, very exciting, definitely enjoyable, full of lessons learnt and emotions felt. For many of us (me included) this year can be described as having been rather unpredictable. Most of us felt the effect of the much dreaded “Quarter Life Crisis” and helped each other along even as we clung onto our own crutches or partners. The economic uncertainty made career switching less attractive so most of us hung on to what we had (except for the couple of brave souls who ventured out on their own). While some relationships were cemented with vows of marriage and some new ones were born :), there were those that faltered and fizzled out :( and also those that collapsed and now hung on uncertain. Some of us wished we had manuals to teach us how to handle the many difficult decisions we had to make.. but there were none.. we were left to our own devices and the support of Faith and friends. Many of us also put ourselves through some rigorous tests in creativity, learning random stuff from painting to dancing to languages and taking trips to odd places (e.g. me to Goa).. In short, the year has been memorable in its own way..

have decided on a couple of new year resolutions…
1. to participate in every race/charity run that comes up in the year
2. to more openly appreciate the people close to me
3. to strengthen my connection to my family
4. to be more generous
5. to write a book
6. to allow God a more constant and definite place in my life

.. more coming up soon…. share yours with me the next time I meet you, ok? :)

Two Great Quotes

"One of the key tools for a long-term relationship - a common purpose. If you both agree at a conscious level that the purpose of your relationship is to create an opportunity, not an obligation - an opportunity for growth, for full self expression, for lifting our lives to their highest potential, for healing every false thought or small idea you ever had about you, and for ultimate reunion with God through the communion of your two souls - if you take that vow instead of the vows you've been taking - the relationship has begun on a very good note. It's gotten off on the right foot. That's a very good beginning." - from Conversations with God (Vol 1)

"When I loved myself enough, I could remember during times of confusion, struggle or grief, that these too are part of me and they too deserve my love." - from When I Loved Myself Enough by Kim McMillen

Got giant-sized Buttercup, girlosophy 2 - The Love Survival Kit and a humblebox easel for Christmas!! Wow wow wow!! :) had two separate Christmas gatherings – one yesterday with best pals from Sec School clique and another one today with some people from work. Two absolutely different gatherings in terms of setting, feel and crowd but equally warm, tingly and filled with good Christmas spirit.

The Christmas gathering and gift exchange session with long-time (10 to 13 years!! Yeah!) friends from Sec school has become almost a tradition for the group. However, this year, all of us felt something was different.. for one, the crowd was smaller (with fewer other-halves) than previously. Instead of the usual feasting, we also celebrated it over only some 2-for-1 California pizzas, bbq chicken wings, instant noodles (yes, instant noodles), some red wine and a simple but yummy log cake. We still laughed and joked as much as before but now we also shared philosophical quotations on love and relationships – really feels like we have all gone through tremendous maturing over only the one year that just passed.. it’s almost unbelievable… the gift exchange was also filled with much meaning as we went around the table appreciating the thoughtful gifts we got from each other (i.e. no chocolates).. all in all, it felt a lot more solemn but really meaningful..

Gathering this evening was a more elaborate affair – with nice table settings, delectable sliced beef and turkey, and meticulously prepared salads, salmon, cheese and crackers, and quality red wine. Kinda joined a sort of family gathering but wonderful host put us all at ease to enjoy the feast fit for kings..nice… :) got to learn a lot about entertaining at home from her...

Humour Singapore Politics - Why Did The Chicken Cross The Road?

met up with a friend and ex-colleague for coffee club coffee (and brownie with ice cream!! :)) last night and had a refreshing change of discussion topic from what I have been caught up with for the past week or so (i.e. relationships, relationships, relationships :p). By some strange chance, she has been (sort of) roped into the Young PAP (i.e. the Young People's Action Party) and is now joining them often for one of their discussion groups. I actually find this really quite exciting 'cos ironically, even though "associating yourself with PAP'" has always been taken as "conformity" (check out article)or worse still "apathy", I personally feel the exact opposite about it. To me, to dare to stand up and say that you are "aligned with policies of the ruling party" but "have views about it" is almost taboo among young people of my age group who want to look "cool" and "non-partisan" or "just want to stay out of politics" (which is even more apathetic, in my view). I know (just as well as anyone else out there - taxi drivers included) that Singapore politics isn't perfect - however, I've always believed that if change has to come, it has to come from within the ruling party and probably from the younger members - for the simple reason that the cream of the crop, the brightest of the cohort, have already been snapped up by the party anyway and for the opposition (for all their admirable efforts) to make even a bit of dent in the existing structure will still take a while (with all the "odds" stacked up against them). Since I believe that if you have the cream of the lot of the 20-somethings, there is no way they will sit there and not express their views. change (if necessary) is in fact more possible and likely to happen from being involved in the party, than if you are outside of the party and yelling and protesting (or worse stil just sitting in cafes and grumbling..)

amazing big breakfast at tiong bahru market this morning - stuffed face with famous (and incredibly expensive and rude) chwee kueh, assorted dim sum from equally famous tiong bahru pow and snack stall, chye tow kueh, etc etc etc downed with large mugs of soya bean drink.. burp! couldn't eat till dinnertime..

spent most of today at home sorting out and mounting slides of trip to Goa - quite pleased with results :) not National Geographic standard yet (far from it!) but got a couple of good portrait shots and got the lighting right mostly (I think)..quite inspired to carry on with slides and also to try out b&w film.. maybe just try out couple of rolls on people around me.. like mum cooking and colleagues working.. umm...

played with friend's pair of gerbils yesterday - they are so cute!! not very interactive but i feel they are 10 times better than mice and 5 times better than hamsters :) they are really the most adorable creatures you can find (especially if you look at them from the front - as in pic above). SA, don'tever check out this wonderful Flash site by Joe Cartoon - he does really bizarre (but outrageously funny) things to the Flash cartoon cousins of your favourite Itsy & Bitsy.. started Christmas shopping only yesterday (talk about last minute :p) - the streets are getting really crowded and people are frantically snatching things off the shelf, almost without care what they are buying..quite scary.. had dinner of Make-Your-Own Pasta at Bugis Sketchers yesterday.. found that I am not a good pasta designer.. they are really clever... you can't really complain about their cooking cos you are the one who decided what should go into it.

realised yesterday after talking to alb that I have always felt inferior in a sort of way (I know it sounds quite unbelievable - what with my big ego and all) and he told me something really wonderful and touching.. that the only way for me to love myself is to think that I am worth other people loving me... wow! thanks.. :)

This is really funny!! The Single Man's Guide to TV Dinners - see especially the box pictures... hahaha...

Something really ironical happened to me today - was late at meeting up with a friend at 6.45pm cos I had accidentally taken the MRT in the wrong direction after work (ending up at Kallang when I meant to head to Clementi). Reason was: I was absorbed and distracted by a book on Time Management I was reading.. haha.. :) anyway, found a really funny and good quote inside on how many of us habitually put off doing what we need to do by doing other trivial time-wasting tasks:

I've dusted my desk and I've wound up my watch,
I've tightened (then loosened) my belt by a notch,
I've polished my glasses, removed a small speck,
I've looked at my check stubs to check out a check,
I've searched for my tweezers and pulled out a hair,
I've opened a window to let in some air,
I've straightened a picture, I've swatted a fly,
I've looked for a book and I've straightened my tie,
I've sharpened each pencil till sharp as a dirk...
I've run out of reasons for not starting work.

- Anonymous

Came up with a couple of enlightening thoughts today - realised that many of us are constantly finding ourselves slaves to two main things - Time and Money. The idea behind learning how to manage the two is really actually about learning how to manage ourselves in order to accomplish our goals within whatever of each of the two is available. Time and human behaviour mix together in amazing ways - if we allow a lot or a little time for a job, it will probably take whatever time we're allowed anyway. If we want to be able to attain mastery over time, hence, we must learn to get more done in less time. The key to this is to carefully consider just how long it actually takes to do the job, and then not budget a single second more than that... You can then find yourself freed up to do a lot of other things. Money and human behaviour work together interestingly too - if we allow ourselves to be delighted by money (or to be consumed by material things), we find that we can never have enough of money. If however, we give it away generously and learn to manage our material expectations, we will find ourselves no longer bound by the hunger and perceived need for it. We then find ourselves masters over money.. it's a really great feeling...

missed a day of blogging..umm... was suddenly struck by the wonder if there are people in this world who actually read my blog everyday as some kind of daily vitamin - edu-tainment kind of vitamin, if you must.. and they feel the deficiency whenever i don't blog.. :p

watched Lord Of The Rings last night and hilarious stand-up comedy duo Hark The Jingle Red-Nosed Chestnuts just now.. two simply brilliant shows. Didn't finish reading the book before the LOTR show :( but that might have just been as well 'cos then I didn't have any expectations and could enjoy all that it had to offer with a certain measure of surprise. The scenary in many of the scenes were really stunning (both New Zealand real ones - I want to go!! - and computer graphics fake ones) and the show had a wholesome blend of everything from romance to adventure to friendship, loyalty, fantastic costumes, special effects and quotable quotes.. Think it is hard to find fault with the movie unless you simply hate long shows (3 hours!!) or ugly monsters (which the show is packed with - orcs and trolls)..

Hark The Jingle Red-Nosed Chestnuts was unexpectedly enjoyable - coming from two brilliantly-talented local chaps, throwing together a rojak of a show that spoofs at everything from christmas songs, popular musicals (les miz), local drama serials (the war diary) and local fads (like karaoke and para para dancing) to even the nativity scene (which was really quite impressively witty) and their "politically-correct" version of "Silent Night").. in my humble opinion, at 27, these chaps have a great future ahead of them!

kinda surreal day today..felt connected to many people at many levels - some for the first time, some more deeply, some in new ways... found that there are no other times we can feel more human than when we are connecting with people... pretty amazing...

gathered more insight on human relations - especially on the "connection between two people" idea - while Kai and I were chatting today. Out of the blue, I realised that the strongest way two people feel connected to each other is not when they are together all the time, living, eating, doing stuff together.. instead, we only really feel connected to another person when we know we are feeling the same way about something or about each other.. for example, think about a long distance relationship. Very often, things are made much more bearable only because you know the other person is feeling the same way as you do or doing the same thing as you are (even reading the same book or listening to the same music). A pubescent teenager having a secret crush on another person will suddenly become interested in activities or hobbies that his/her subject of desire participates in as they suddenly feel a connection through doing the same. This is why we can sometimes feel so connected to some of our close friends when we meet them even after a very long time. On a more impersonal level, we can even say that this is why even complete strangers, when caught in a similar crisis (e.g. traffic jam, lift breakdown, or sharing the sorrow of being families of air crash victims) suddenly feel a certain strong bonding.

Conclusion: It is not physical proximity but emotional and intellectual affinity that really connects people..

THE COMFORT ZONE

I used to have a comfort zone where I knew I wouldn’t fail.

The same four walls and busywork were really more like jail.
I longed so much to do the things I’d never done before,
But stayed inside my comfort zone and paced the same old floor.

I said it didn‘t matter that I wasn’t doing much.
I said I didn’t care for things like commission checks and such.
I claimed to be so busy with the things inside the zone,
But deep inside I longed for something special of my own.

I couldn’t let my life go by just watching others win.
I held my breath; I stepped outside and let the change begin.
I took a step and with new strength I’d never felt before,
I kissed my comfort zone goodbye and closed and locked the door.

If you’re in a comfort zone, afraid to venture out,
Remember that all winners were at one time filled with doubt.
A step or two and words of praise can make your dreams come true.
Reach for your future with a smile; Success is there for you!

Author: Unknown
_______________________________________________

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequte. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are born to make manifest the Glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone, and as we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

Nelson Mandela
President, South Africa

Totally agree with Jennifer about blogging.. she says:

One of the points I see in blogging is to try to reach people, and to get them thinking and talking. And debating. Or arguing. I don't feel the need to reach thousands or millions (or even tens) of people. If I know I've touched just one person by something I've said, or introduced new possibilities to another, or made a connection with a delightful, intelligent, creative, or fascinating person whom without the Web I never would have heard of...It's worth it.

Quite an overwhelming day today – woke up really late for work after two late nights in a row. Hari Raya Day – shop filled with happy papas and mamas bringing children and babies… very festive-ey warm feeling… tis the season to be jolly… :)

Very philosophical day - spent almost all of office time talking to good friend with relationship woe (consider it part-work ‘cos have to help colleague sort out personal problem which can potentially affect her work performance : p). Concluded that the most important elements affecting all human relationships are three main things – Fear, Trust & Appreciation.

The best thing we can ever do for friends or any other people we love are to help them conquer their fears. Fears are like evil demons in everyone. We all have our own unique set of fears (some of which can actually be really silly – like one of my old ones which was the fear of sitting on a merry-go-round – I’ve since gotten over it.. really..). When we help people to get over their fears, we inspire in them new possibilities and rebuild their confidence in themselves.. which can be the greatest gift we can ever give them.. more than jewellery or chocolates or even money.. Unfortunately, the inverse is true – creating fear in people (either by being nasty or inconsiderate to them (like how we are sometimes to our parents), making them feel inferior or threatening them in any way, e.g. by messing up relationships or threatening breakups at every bad juncture) divides people and are terrible for relationships. Problem is, these fears that we create are usually done unintentionally and subconsciously, so in the end, we may even deny that we are the cause and blame the other party for it… yet more divide..

Trust, too, to a certain degree is essential for any human relationship to work. While we can’t go around trusting everyone, the loss of it between two individuals who are meant to have a close relationship (either mother and daughter, husband and wife, a dating couple etc), gradually or suddenly, will make it impossible for the relationship to carry on... when we start to doubt the other person’s ability or commitment or even things they say.. .. While nothing may have tangibly changed in the other person, trust can erode subconsciously in our own minds, making us suspicious and hurtful… eventually this divide starts to grow and before you know it, you no longer feel anything for the other person except resentment, anger or some other negative feeling.

Appreciation is about accepting and loving people as they are – what they look like, what they are capable of, what they do, what they say, their values and their beliefs. Its about loving their rhythm and constantly reminding them how wonderful they are. When two people first get together, it is easy to tell the other person how wonderful they are (because you truly think so!) Your eyes sparkle at things they say and your body language shows full acceptance for what and who they are. Then along the way, we begin to stop telling them these nice things. Next thing we know it, we begin thinking of changing these people. Little things start to annoy us and we forget why we loved them in the first place. In fact, we may even feel that telling them they look nice or whatever sound a little contrived and silly and we stop ourselves (even though these words are like vitamins that they need for daily nourishment in this world filled with criticisms and harsh words)…

Conclusion: Cherish the people you are with today.. 'cos they just may not be with you again tomorrow...

feeling a little restless and perturbed now cos everyone around me seems to be having relationship problems of one kind or another all of a sudden (!) - out of the blue.... it's either about one party saying the other can't make an adequate commitment to the relationship; or about how much space to give to each other... there are also woes about new people walking into existing shaky relationships, or old ex-es suddenly turning up in the cold, stirring up old unsettled passions... a lot of these problems also started when one or the other gets shaky feet when the issue of marriage comes up.... when they suddenly are faced again with the question of "Is this The One for me?"... while others are yet about how much of the old respect and inspiration they used to have from the other are now suddenly missing. ... .a lot of the friends i know who feel themselves "stuck" in these situations find the problems worsened by poor communication and minds clouded by emotional, physical and mental exhaustion.... sigh... it is so hard to be at our age...

i call this the "Age of Emotional Turmoil"..

the continued high from my trip is making me lose the rhythm of daily blogging...



watched Ocean's Eleven yesterday - huge cast of good-looking, high-profiled Hollywood stars (George Clooney, Andy Garcia, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts etc) was merely a bonus to an otherwise already well-paced, well-scripted plot. Hugely enjoyable..go see..

still feeling a little detached from everything and everyone around me and trying (yet only half-heartedly) to settle back into the rhythm of life here again..deep in my heart, I know I wish I could still be there today, swimming and boogie boarding in the crystal clear ocean and having time to enjoy a leisurely breakfast and watching the beautiful sunrise every morning. Afternoons spent taking short excursions out to neighbouring villages and national parks, taking photographs, painting, reading, writing or kayaking out to see the beautiful falcons perched in half-submerged trees in the river estuary.... it was almost effortless reconnecting with my inner creative source; and reflecting; and getting inspired by nature ... in Goa, the laid back lifestyle is reflected in the faces of the peaceful and friendly natives and the smiling, waving children... here and there, you find epitomes of timelessness: tree roots wrapped around crumbling old walls, hardened-faced cattle herders guiding huge herds of majestic white bulls with perfectly-shaped horns to watering holes, farmers tending to their rice paddies.. in fact, time often stands still here... i found a certain serenity for my usual restless self through the predictability of routines and familiar faces... if you see a guy there today, you see him again tomorrow doing pretty much the same thing... it was funny how all these actually gave me a nice meditative calm when I was there and still continue to intoxicate me now as I think about my time there....

so.. i didn't manage to blog again until I got back to Singapore.. so much for false expectations and disappointed fans..i'm sorry.. i truely am.. :( guess my timings were really bad.. when i did find time to try the internet services, they were always really either "very busy" or "down".. so i spent my time drinking strawberry lassi and writing my offline journal instead, watching the bulls go by, mildly intoxicated by thck incense smoke and the buzzing of flies...

anyhow.. i'm back!! touched down in familiar Singapore (clean, green, modern, functioning, airconditioned) at 7.40am today and got whizzed back home by mummy and daddy in double time and then showered and slept for like eternity (which was actually only 30 mins). Still in a daze and in quite a high from the trip...

hello from goa!!! finally managed to get internet connection! autoroaming has proven to be annoyingly unreliable and this is probably the best way to stay in touch now until i can get to sms and to send a couple of emails. Will try to do that as soon as i can.. i promise..

feeling a little overwhelmed now with the whole experience of landing in India and coupled with a bad night of sleep waiting for 7 hours at the freezing domestic airport for the connecting flight to Goa. Goa is really beautiful.. just watched a really stunning sunset at Vagator beach (this really wide sandy beach with snowy fine sand) and friend brought me kayaking to this nearby island where we watched hundreds and thousands of seagulls take off above our heads.. very National Geographic.. also saw a rare Arabian white-breasted sea eagle (which my friend says is very endangered) flying over the beautiful harbour. Everything is so photogenic and life here is so laid-back

Ended night with yummy dinner at off-the-beaten-track Xavier restaurant of goan seafood (pomfret and crab), margarita and st miguel beer - slightly knocked me out.. got to head back now. Managed to find accommodation at sea-front resort overlooking stunning beach (promising "unforgettable" sunrise) and overlooking harbour of colourful floating fishing boats and scene of fluttering seagulls...

:) nice start to the trip (Daytime temp: 25 degrees celsius)

I am Henry Kissinger!

Which Evil Criminal are You?

Fun Net Games: Check out Orisinal: Morning Sunshine
Kiss My Freckled Ass Goodbye: A research site for a book about quitting your job (really funny!)

finally finished packing for trip tomorrow.. err... later today... still have to get toothpaste, an extra camera battery (just-in-case), AA-sized batteries, phone charger from office and to borrow an adaptor from alb... maybe I don't actually need it but not very sure even after checking handy adaptor guide from yesterday's blog.



watched Monster, Inc. just now.. so cute!! Interesting storyline and characters and the graphics (especially Sully's fur) were really realistic.. quite impressive.. :)

more updates on our shadow cabinet :)

Latest newsletter from Lonely Planet had a bunch of useful travel-related links:

For info on embassies and visa requirements.

For up-to-date currency conversions.

Gives a comprehensive rundown of events around the world.

Has constantly-updated info on cybercafe locations.

A neat little site with first-hand accounts of travel across the globe.

Has a very handy guide to electrical adaptors.

Just watched Lonely Planet on Discovery Channel and they showed Ian Wright (who has the best job in the world) in Madagascar! Lynn, are we still going there!? :)

Totally zonked out after busy day at shop yesterday, followed by excursion to the Night Safari (free ticket!) and then late night roti prata and tehcinno at famous Thasevi prata place at Jalan Kayu. Couldn’t really see the cute tarsiers but managed to check out all three of the walking trails - the Forest Giant Walk (on the suspension bridge over the primary rainforest that hardly felt “suspension”), the Fishing Cat Trail (where the furballs were actually fishing though they didn’t seem to catch anything – typical fishermen grouch : p) and the Leopard Trail (with the walk through the quite exciting “Mangrove Walk” – where you come literally face-to-face with giant sinister-looking fruit bats – they are the size of HDB stray cats! Quite scary). Promised myself to check up on these giant rodents called Capybaras.

Dropped by at the Bidadari Christian Cemetery yesterday after visiting a nearby school – just to see it again (this must be my 3rd or 4th visit) before they raze this beautiful place to the ground and replace it with some ugly modern construction. This place is really tranquil and some of the headstones are amazingly elaborate. See some pictures that I took. Go see it before its gone.

Other stuff… one of our staff lost her new Nokia 8250 at our shop – literally lost it under her nose as she left it carelessly on the worktable outside the office and walked away from it for a while to help customers – sigh, this is the fourth case of theft in our shop to-date. Can’t emphasize enough to them about taking care of their own possessions :( Caught the act on video through our CCTV (it was this late twenty something woman – typical office worker type – definitely a case of opportunism).. I’ll see if I can upload the "Wanted Criminal" image once I get the tape back from the police.