pink blessings

Friends vs. Enemies

2011-08-14T16:52:00.003+08:00

Dunno why but this phrase kept repeating itself in my head this week:

“Keep your friends close,
And your enemies closer”.

Might be result of reading the following book… hee hee…

Though this led me on to recall Psalm 91:7

“A thousand may fall at your side,
Ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.”

Hurhurhur…… can’t wait for my God to deliver the thousands to me…

I need to blog this

2011-08-12T23:40:00.001+08:00

I’m blogging again.

I know I haven’t written anything for a long time. I’ve been generating ideas for entries in my head, but it takes forever to turn it into a physical entry. That’s because all the photos uploading and formatting (and multiples times of each activity) are more than enough to tire me out.

But today, I’m blogging, I’m writing this, because I really need to.

Heck with the formatting and the grammar. I just need to write this, to set this in black and white, because I’m afraid that one day I will forget.

I’m afraid, one day, I might forget how good our God is.

Yes, this is a testimony of God’s goodness. Maybe to a random reader, it’s “no big deal”, but it’s big enough deal for me to record this down. It’s a testimony, if not for anyone else, then for myself to remember in days to come.

Those who are close enough to me would know the things that I’ve gone through. The injustice, the unfairness, the unkindness that I’ve endured. Sure, the era of tyranny, of oppression has passed, but I’m still experiencing the repercussions of it.

Yet, in the midst of all turmoil, God never fails to amaze me. The events and circumstances that He orchestrates really demonstrate His love for His children.

This week, I was stationed at MW. Today after lunch, I was fetching myself a drink from the pantry. SS was also in the pantry making herself a cup of milo. Of course, I made small talk (or attempted to). “Have you had lunch? / How was lunch?, etc. “ In actual fact, I was feeling quite sleepy after lunch, and was also eager to return to my station to finish up work so I wouldn’t have to work overtime on a Friday. However, something prompted me to stay longer to chat more. (I know now that it’s the Holy Spirit’s work). Usually I can’t be bothered to turn small talk into an actual conversation. But this time, I actually went to the extent of even moving closer to her side to carry on the conversation. She asked about my work, the nature of it, the challenges, etc. Somehow, during the conversation, I mentioned about the baba boy, and she asked of his occupation. When I replied that he was a “housing agent”, she immediately said “oh, I’m looking for a reliable housing agent, quick, pass me his name card”. (or something to that effect). Apparently, she had family / relatives / colleagues / superiors who need housing agents’ services, but so far, encountered none that provided satisfactory service. (I think due to those housing agents being on a part-time only basis, so cannot provide full time service). To be honest, I’m not sure what she does. Only know that she performs admin work, and service some department heads. I think she also assists those expat bosses to source for accommodation?

Anyway, I was really surprised and happy that she was so keen to obtain the baba boy’s name card. Usually I’m the one to offer his name card around to people that I meet, even have to be thick-skinned and “advertise verbally” for him. Sometimes, even have to offer some incentives. (What to do? Sales line is like that). This time round, even before I had a chance to tell him the baba boy’s specialization or the quality of his service, she already pressed me for his name card.

Later when I returned to my desk, I realized that I had forgotten to carry the baba boy’s name card box out with me! I panicked for a while, because I didn’t want to forgo this opportunity. What more today was the last day of my service at MW, and after today, I might not meet SS anymore. I even took a cab back to HQ to check if I had spare cards in my other bags. Unfortunately, there wasn’t. However, God prevailed for me. He reminded me that I had one (and just one!) of the baba boy’s CG flyer in my laptop bag, and it had his photo, name, and number on it. Even on this flyer, God is really amazing. Actually, I’ve been carrying this extra flyer in my laptop bag for a few months now. It’s already dog-earred, and I was thinking of throwing it away, as it was taking up space in my bag. However, somehow, each time I looked at it, I couldn’t bear to throw it in the bin. Again, I think it’s the Holy Spirit’s work. Later, back at MW, I was waiting for an opportunity to walk over to SS’s desk to pass her the flyer. However, I just couldn’t find the opportunity, or rather the time. My laptop kept giving me problems and hanging many times when I was rushing to finish some documentation. I didn’t want to get up from my seat until I had finished substantial work. Yet I was quite anxious, as the clock was ticking closer and closer towards 5pm. Again, God prevailed. At about 4.30pm, the entire team of client personnel that we were serving, including SS, came into our room to shake hands, and bid farewell, especially to Vince, who was returning to HK that evening. I then seized the opportunity to pass SS the flyer, including my own name card with my number. She seemed really impressed with the flyer, and even passed it to the rest of her colleagues. She even announced on my behalf “Hey, next time for any housing matters, we can look for her hubby directly”. I was so surprised. There was no need for me to open my mouth to advertise anything. All the work had been done for me by God. All the opportunities had been put in place at the right time by God. When I piece back the sequence of events, I felt really really overjoyed and amazed at God’s work.

This is just a mini testimony, nothing “earth-shattering” to shout about. To others, they might say that these turn of events are “no big deal”, or simply “coincidences”.
It’s amazing what faith can do. It really opens up your perspective to realize that these so-called “coincidences” are only made possible by the hands of God.

When I related this happiness to the baba boy at night, I felt really glad that I married someone of the same faith, so I can share my joy with someone who understands.

The baba boy agreed that it was the work of God. He also reminded me that when in the midst of miracles and goodness, the devil might also use the opportunity to strike us down.

However, I’m confident that God will prevail. His love will, and His power will.

I hope this is just the first of many more testimonies that I can record down, for the glory of God.

I’m so amazed,
That I give U praise,
That God would save us at such a cost.

Woe be my lifeless hair

2011-03-04T18:32:00.003+08:00

To my wonderous Giovanni hair serum:

WHY OH WHY DID I LEAVE U BEHIND IN SINGAPORE????!!!

Vietnamese zha chai peng

2011-03-04T15:01:00.003+08:00

Just had vietnamese zha chai peng at one of the local coffeeshops for lunch.

1 meat + 1 toufu + 1 veg + 1 bowl of soup = VND 30,000

That's less than SGD 2. Cheap rite?

One thing I noticed about zha chai peng stalls here. U know how in SG, pple automatically form a line (i.e. QUEUE) and when it's their turn, u point to the stall fella (who would already be holding a plate of rice) which dishes u want, rite? Here in vietnam, there might be a line, but pple can hop into the line at any point and any time. When I say "hop", I actually mean "push". And besides pointing to the dishes, pple are also screaming out random vietnamese words. I can only assume that they're calling out the names of the dishes they want.

"FISH!!!"

"TOUFU!!!"

"VEGE!!!"
"NO, NOT THAT VEGE, THE OTHER VEGE!!!"

I have concluded that vietnamese zha chai peng stalls are exactly like the traffic here.

No order at all.

After lunch, Ngoc brought me to look for a mobile phone shop. The HTC USB cable that the baba boy bought me back in SG was broken, so I was in search of a new cable. Otherwise cannot charge my phone.

When we reached the supposed mobile phone shop, it was closed. I thot it was either closed for the entire day, or closed for good. But Ngoc said in Vietnam, pple like to take afternoon naps. So the shop owner probably closed the shop to take a nap, and would reopen at 2pm.

WTH !!!

Can lidat wan meh??!!

In SG, lunch hour is like the golden period for shops to make money. (Ok, maybe ranking after "weekends" and "after office hours".) Just check out the lunch crowd in the CBD! Anyone would be an idiot to close their shop during lunch hour in SG!

PS: Feel like changing my blog layout, except that I'm still in love with that cartoon pic at the side. And also quite sick of blogspot's ineptness to perform certain supposedly simple functions, feel like switching to wordpress.

PPS: Internet connection's damn slow today. Maybe the internet also realises that it's friday, and so it shouldn't be working so hard ..... -_-

Crab spring rolls + Vietnamese coffee + freezing weather

2011-03-04T10:44:00.003+08:00

This will be a short post, just some updates from Hanoi.

Had crab spring rolls for dinner last night.

Ooohhh......ultra delicious man... freshly fried, crispy, fragrant...... lost for words....

Totally miss it now already.

Of cos I took some pics, will upload them when I can get my phone to sync with the computer.

Tried my first sip of Vietnamese coffee at breakfast this morning.

And it was just as everyone else had said.... Excellent!

I am so going shopping this weekend..... already on the list: coffee, apricots, fried lotus seeds...

One of the coldest mornings in Hanoi since I arrived.... was raining and temp dipped as low as 14 degree C.

Thank goodness 2 cycles in wintry Australia have "trained" me to brave the cold weather....

The gals from HCM were less so..... 2-3 jackets, gloves, scarves, etc.... while I only had on my normal air-con temp sweater over the usual sleeveless blouse...haha, not to gloat, but I'm sure the baba boy would be proud of me

Revival

2011-03-02T17:14:00.008+08:00

I've decided to revive this blog.

Sorry....

I've decided to 'try to' revive this blog.

No particular reasons, maybe just becos I'm in an emo mood :(

No lengthy posts yet, probably just small snippets on every other day.

Let's start out with baby steps first, yeah...

Sightings

2010-04-16T17:21:00.003+08:00

On my way to The French Bank, I walked past this "V Bar" place.
At 4.59pm, it was already half-packed. People were already smoking / drinking / chit-chatting inside.
Is this a sign that it's Friday? :)

On my way back from The French Bank to The Acquired Bank, I walked past the "Not White" cafe.
And there was Miss PR and Mister (Ex)PR sitting there in the open, drinking coffee (I presume), and chit-chatting.

At 5.10pm.

Thank heavens I spotted them before they did me, and so I made my narrow escape...

Can't imagine being trapped in another situation where I have to smile pretentiously and do all the fake "Hi, how are you, haven't seen you in a while....."

Even worse, having to put up with the return greetings in fakely-accented high-pitched voices....

*Shudders*

Just the thought of that is making me shiver..........

Muahahahaha........ ok, I'll stop being mean now.

The reason that I'm blogging right now is cos I've cleared all the work that is to clear.

Yes !!! I've actually reviewed all the files that've been sent in.... and the rest don't seem to be coming in till Monday.

Ahhh...... can't help if me and my partner are super efficient...

muahahahahahaha........

Babies

2010-04-08T09:57:00.012+08:00

Was at KKH last night to visit Eileen and her newborn.

Baby Isabelle is ...... just so adorable, so cute, so pretty, and so so so sweet!! I don't think there're any words that will describe her with justice.

I wonder how anyone who looks at her-all wrapped up in her pink throw and sleeping in her little cot-can possibly have their hearts NOT melted....

And amidst all the "coo-ing" and "aww-ing" at Baby Isabelle, my beloved SL posed the *ahem* question to me, albeit in a joking manner (I hope!).

Some snippets from my beloved SL:

"Soon you will have licence to give birth, so when are you planning to give birth?"

"I think those who have licence to give birth should have 4 kids. If you have 2, they will fight with each other. If you have 3, then 2 will fight and 1 will feel lonely. But if you have 4, then 2 will fight, and the other 2 will watch."

My response was:

(To the first): "I also have licence to drive, but have you seen me utilising this licence?"

(To the second): "You gotta be kidding man"

Kenneth's response to the second was:

"If there're 4 kids, 2 will fight, 1 will cheer, and 1 will be the referee."

(How anyone can come up with that is beyond me! )

Jokes aside, I think the crux isn't so much in giving birth.

For the matter, in this modern world of free thoughts, speech, and action, anyone can give birth.

Oh yes, of course, you will need to be of the female gender, be medically healthy, and in the context of church and morality, you need to first obtain the supposed "licence".

And of course again, sufficient level of pain tolerance.

But other than that, there isn't much to "giving birth" that is making people hesitate to do so.

No, it isn't the "giving birth" that scares me. It's what happens after the "coo-ing" and "aww-ing" is over that always makes me think twice.

After the "giving birth" stage comes the stage called "raising the kid".

When everyone is done gushing over your kid's cute-ness, it becomes, and always will be, your responsibility to raise the kid.

And it's a ride where once you get on, you can't simply get off anytime you want to.

It's not like a project or an assignment where you make mistakes, or you screw up bad, and you get a lousy performance appraisal, but you can at least tell yourself "it's ok, I'll try harder the next round".

As at this point, "raising the kid" comes up to these 2 points for me:

1) Will I be able to sufficiently provide for the kid?

And no, I'm not referring to fancy clothes or fancy shoes here. I'm talking about if my kid needs a computer for school, I want to be able to buy him a computer without having to rack my brains on the cost for 10 months. And if my kid wants to go to law school, I want to be able to put him thru' law school without having to sacrifice the rest of the family's meals or vacations.

2) Will I be able to bring up my kid to love God and to do good, rather than to do harm, to the community? What if my kid turns out to be a menace who wrecks havoc to the society? Eeewwww... that's so freaky man...

Sighh..... so you see, "giving birth" is not the hardest part. It's what comes after that puts people to a halt.

But oh well, I guess I needn't be thinking so far ahead right now. At least I've still got a couple of months to go before obtaining my licence. Hahahaha...

And at least for the moment, I'm pretty much blessed with the knowledge that I have a future partner who loves kids, is great with them, and wants to have his own.

I know of too many friends who are stuck in marriages that can't move forward becos one party doesn't want to have a child.

Kudos to the baba boy for being such a sporting partner :)

For now, here's some "baby" photos for you...... of a different species.......

Introducing Gucci.....who, once-upon-a-time (i.e. a month ago), was very tiny, very cute, and very innocent.

Now, he's still tiny, altho a little bigger, still cute, but not so innocent anymore.... that little rascal!!

Posted this photo to show the kitten's "tiny-ness".

When he first arrived, we used to think of him as a little stuffed toy walking around the house, mewing non-stop in his possibly loudest tone, but which in actual fact was just a squeak due to his size :)

Photos courtesy of Ed, with her professional camera, and professional skills :)

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail

2010-03-18T16:22:00.002+08:00

In my line of work, planning is extremely important..

In fact, whether your expected deliverables will be delivered on time, and whether you cover the right risks or not, depends a whole lot on planning..

Having said that, it doesn't take a genius to figure this out:

If I've tested the route from A to B, and also tested the route from C to B, and B is considered constant, doesn't it effectively means that I've tested A to C ???

Even more so, why am I testing A to C, when you're telling me that A and C are variables ???

Becos of someone's lack of plain common sense, I worked the whole day yesterday till 8pm doing something that was totally useless, unnecessary, waste of time !!!!

P.L.A.N.N.I.N.G. my dear, is the key to finishing your work on time.

And of cos, common sense.

伯乐相马

2010-03-01T19:32:00.004+08:00

世有伯乐，然后有千里马。

千里马常有，而伯乐不常有。

How true.

Sigh.

My Reading List

2010-02-26T09:53:00.007+08:00

Finished off the last bit of "The Choice" by Nicholas Sparks on the way to work this morning.

Almost cried. Literally.

I guess those around and close to me know by now that I've added Nicholas Sparks to my list of favorite authors, along side Mitch Albom, Louisa May Alcott, Mark Twain, etc... and of course, not forgetting 琼瑶. (Some may say that her books are all similar, weepy, long-winded, just a love tragedy after another.... but I love her books because they include the most poetic and mesmerizing Chinese phrases / sentences..... but that is for another blog entry).

Some authors write a book or generate a bestseller based on a good plot, like maybe Dan Brown or even JK Rowling. Don't get me wrong, I think it's great, and I'm definitely amazed by how far the imaginations of these authors can stretch.

But these are books that I mentally classify under the "Diamond" category. Because as far as "value-for-money" goes, I won't choose to invest my money in such books. These books are like diamonds - dazzling, bomb-sheller, looks great on your bookshelf / finger, and perhaps even create great conversation topics. But to me, the value of such books only goes as far as the mystery of the plot itself. Once read and the plot revealed, their value immediately drops to zero.

On the contrary, I would choose to place my (very limited) money on books that are in the "Gold" category - timeless, endearing, believable, close to the heart.

That was how I felt with "The Choice". Plot-wise, it was maybe just "okay", probably some twists here and there, but generally quite predictable. This is a love story. Not a Romeo & Juliet, Jack & Rose love story, nothing overly dramatic or earth-shattering (惊天动地). Just an everyday, small-town love story. But it was in this book that I found several, even many, snippets and parallels to my own life. I don't want to be a spoiler and spill out the entire plot of the book. But suffice to say, though the book was full of normalcy, it was very inspiring. Throughout the book, I found myself remembering, recalling, recollecting my own love story. I thought about the times that we shared, conversations we had, memories we created, and those to come, and above all, the reasons why we fell in love with each other.

And that is what a good book should do.

It should make you think, make you reflect, and most of all, it should touch your heart and stir up something within your inner most being.

Till next time.

Ciao.

P/S: The above are just my personal opinions. I don't profess to be well-read at all, or to be an expert in giving book reviews. And I don't deny that I do derive enjoyment from reading Dan Brown and JK Rowling books as well. They just don't evoke passion from within.

And I have nothing against diamonds (in the physical sense). In fact, I half-agree with the song "Diamonds are a girl's best friend". I would say "Diamonds are a girl's friend, just not her best friend". I believe girls were created to love all things bright, sparkly, glittery, and pretty. There is nothing wrong, sinful, or offensive in that. It's who we are.

Sweet Conversations

2010-02-25T13:22:00.003+08:00

Conversations with the baba boy that always make me smile when I recall them:

A couple of weeks back, during our regular night-time teleconversation:
Me: I just finished reading "Nights in Rodanthe". I love it, it's sooo touching.
Him: Oh yah, I heard it was made into a movie.
Me: Really?
Him: Yup. Do you want me to find that movie so we can watch it together?
Me: :)

A couple of days ago, on MSN:
Him: Hello there!
Me: Hello, why are you in "invisible" mode?
Him: Because I don't really feel like talking to people today.
Me: But aren't you talking to me now?
Him: Yup, but you're special to me.
Me: :) :)

Yesterday, again on MSN:
Him: My whole family just left for Malacca, I'm all home alone now.
Me: Oh, why didn't you go with them?
Him: So I can spend time with u in Singapore lorr... Besides, I won't have fun in Malacca without you.
Me: :) :) :)

Work In Progress

2010-01-26T10:47:00.001+08:00

Don't judge now.... just come back later (:

My Reading List

2009-11-03T22:22:00.014+08:00

Had a sudden craving the past 2 weeks to indulge in some "Asian-based" literature.

I was banking on something to the likes of Catherine Lim or Amy Tan, my all-time favourite Asian writers.

Unexpectedly, I picked this up instead:

This book is written by Shirley Geok-Lin Lim, who grew up in Malacca.

And of course later educated in the States... (aren't they all?)

The story revolves around 3 sisters, whose mother happens to be the second wife of a some awfully rich tycoon in Malaysia.... well, I can't really remember whether it was the second wife, or the third or the fourth.... but u get the idea.

Anyway the story tells of the different characters of the 3 sisters. Although all 3 finally ended up in the States (again, don't they all?), their life perspectives and values determined their different experiences and probably different endings as well.

The next book that I picked up was this:

This is actually a collection of short stories, majority of which are set against the background of China during the Maoist era.

I found out that the title story was actually made into a movie:

"A thousand years of good prayers" is a film based in the States, not China.

I don't mind watching this someday actually.

This story kinda reminded me something, a Chinese idiom / proverb / saying, which I learnt to be true through the example of my parents' rock-solid marriage, and which I do hope to remember and apply as well in my own marriage.

十年修的共船渡，百年修的共枕眠。

Countdown to The Happy Day

2009-11-03T21:48:00.010+08:00

Sorry for the unintended absence !!!

Have accumulated a whole lot of things to blog about.... but first things first.....

Happy News !!!

Finally received the long-awaited confirmation....

And so the countdown to The Happy Day starts!!

Yes, I have "pink-ed" out selected info..... shall reveal the exact details in due time soon !!

P/S: I have no idea why the email was titled "28 March 2009"

My DKNY

2009-10-04T02:41:00.008+08:00

A while back, the baba boy bought this for me -
The DKNY NY3715 ladies designer watch.... supposedly encrusted with Swarovski crystal, and hence the bling...

Mad love!! =)

And because of its excessive bling, this watch was reserved for special occasions like dinners and parties...

Not something that I would wear on a day-to-day basis, mainly because I haboured the innate phobia of getting the crystals scratched.

And so, two weeks ago, after growing tired of my $3/$5/$10-Bugis / Malacca / KL / pasar-malam-watch-or-no-watch-at-all-condition....

The baba boy bought me this-

The DKNY NY4590 ladies essential watch

Mad love again!! =)

A closed up view

This is now my daily operational watch...

Meaning I wear this to work, church, cellgroup, shopping, eating out, blah blah....... basically anywhere that involves stepping out the house....

Yayy!!! No more struggling-to-find-my-phone-in-my-messy-bag just to look at the time....

And of cos, no more dealing with crappy straps of $3/$5/$10 watches....

(But hey, those crappy watches do come in a huge variety designs ok...)

And so, I wanna say this a big big THANK YOU to my dearie for the lavish-ness!!!

(I tried putting up a nice image of a "Thank You" note..... but it refused to go up nicely :( )

The Letter T Word

2009-10-04T00:24:00.021+08:00

Had the rare fortune of having some quiet time to myself tonight.

Wanted to blog about a million and one things..... well, maybe not a million and one, but I had accumulated at least ten things in my head that I wanted to blog about...

But somehow, all the energy, enthusiasm, and possibly exhilaration just melted away tonight.

"
"

Well, I don't really fancy the look of the old geezer.... but how true.

'Twas a night of relevation, recounting, reflection...

Thanks to a certain Ms. Leow and lil sis for the chats... =)

Watching the waves crash...

2009-09-01T22:15:00.009+08:00

"A friend loves at all times..., and a brother is born for adversity"

Proverbs 17:17

"Friends are friends forever

If the Lord is the Lord of them

And a friend will not say never

Cause the welcome will not end

Though it's hard to let you go

In the Father's hands I know

That a lifetime's not too long... to live as friends."

ROUND TWO. .FIGHT!!!

2009-07-29T00:25:00.013+08:00

I promised myself (and a few other people) that I would blog more once I laid my hands on this:

Behold… the great & awesome HP Mini Vivienne Tam Edition!!!…
Designed by none other than top fashion designer Vivienne Tam herself…

Check out the keyboard… it’s not obvious from the pic, but the keyboard is actually bright red and glossy…

I must say, I lurrrvveee my HP Mini to bits….it’s fashionable, stylish and classy…. Ok, so maybe the 3 are almost synonymous… don’t you judge me for repeating myself… My HP Mini will trump you flat !!! bwahahaha….

Anyway, this design is part of the Vivienne Tam’s spring / summer 09 collection. And to prove it to you, here’s a piece from said collection:

Photo courtesy of www.viviennetam.com

I must admit, this is kinda exaggerated… somehow reminds me of a giant angbao…muahahaha….

I much prefer this tho:

Elegant and chic...

But ok ok, the most important reason why I love my HP Mini so much is cos it was given to me by my precious baba boy as my birthday present this year…

Thanks so much dearie… for buying this in spite of the exorbitant price… and also for searching high and low for it…

So, yes, before I continue to digress further… as I was saying, I had the truest intention to blog more often using my stylo-mylo netbook.
But alas… as what the chinese dramas always quote “人算不如天算” … muahaha..
Anyway, I had a good one-week break after Round One of The War… well, not exactly a break, cos still had to clear up the debris, and the stupid cough kept me lethargic all the time…

But anyway, here I am, at Round Two of The War… it’s been 2 days…
Hmm… having mixed feelings. Somehow I’ve been feeling kinda inadequate, and incapable of living up to people’s expactations…
Yet, I dunno if the situation is actually a blessing in disguise….

Oh well, GOD PLEASE HELP ME TO DO MY BEST !!!!
(Believe me, wanting to do your best and actually being able to do it, are 2 different things…)

Till next time…

ROUND ONE. .FIGHT !!!

2009-07-09T12:46:00.007+08:00

It's been slightly over a week since Round One of The War begun last Wednesday at Number 135...

I wouldn't say that I'm proud of my progress or victories (if there is even any to speak of), but I'll try to improve and do better....with God's grace =)

Am sick today....most probably it's due to the freezer and the constant supply of "overly-toxic" provisions on the table.....hee hee...

Feel super irritated.....kena discriminated by the doctor at The Corporate Office.....

Hey, I totally understand your concerns ...... but your patient has feelings ok, u need to take care of your patient's emotional health too...

Somemore, what's up with you making your ONE & ONLY patient wait for you to finish your other admin work before consultation??!!!

And forcing your patients to suppress their cough..... hello, is this even humane??

Thank You / Terima Kasih / 谢谢 / Vielen Dank - Part I

2009-06-25T19:44:00.028+08:00

These are all the languages that I know..... and some not even fluent..........

To the following friends who helped make the surprise party for the baba boy a complete success (in alphabetical order only):

Andry Edlyn Frank Jai Joyce Kenny Luanne Peirong Sophia

This is me and the baba boy..... in our stick-figures persona.....muahahaha....

Specially for KENNETH

Thanks so much, bro, for all the trouble and for being the best coordinator / logistics person eva!!!

Look look Kenneth.... you get a "Thank You" note in all pink, purple and glitter.....hee hee hee.....

It's My Day....And I Deserve a PINK Cake =)

2009-06-25T15:11:00.027+08:00

I can't possibly be late in wishing myself right? That would just be doing great injustice to me.....hee hee.....

At risk of being labelled "自恋"

I was just wondering to myself....... How come I never get to have a pink cake on my birthday? I think the most common ones that I've had so far are either chocolate or mango cakes..... Ok, granted that I love chocolate and mango flavours......... but look at these, don't they just brighten up your day???!!!

Look how intricate the roses are on this cake.... ain't it pretty?

Oh my goodness..... this might just be the most perfect cake that ever existed!!!

I promise you, this is really a cake, not a pillow !!! Isn't it classy?

I want this !!! Both the cake and the real thing!!!!

Happy (Belated) Birthday 小熊

2009-06-22T19:36:00.008+08:00

I know I know....... I'm late as well in saying this....
But better to be late 1 day than 2 days, right? Hee hee hee.........

So here's to Mr. Teddy Bear:

Ok here's another gigantic one to make you happy...... hee hee hee...

The surprise party (aka "shock" party) was a blast!!!
Shall blog more about that next time, together with the photos......
And of cos, need to thank the gang properly....

Till next time......tata....

Happy (Belated) Father's Day !!!

2009-06-22T00:21:00.012+08:00

I really really honestly did mean to post this on Sunday proper....

In fact, I had the truest intention to put this up first thing in the morning.....

BUT!!!! I woke up late!!! And had to rush to do alot of household chores before leaving the house again...

Oh well, I shall use the most popular excuse and say "Better Late Than Never"!!!

muahahaha......

So here goes....

For all the super-daddies out there:

Errmm.... don't think my dad fancies himself in a Superman outfit....hee hee hee....

So the next one's specially for my pa:

I love you Pa... *muacks* ...... and I know you love me too, even tho you always say I am the source that depletes the energy from your life......muahahaha.......

And finally, the last one is for all the Fanboys out there:

"
"

My Movie List

2009-06-20T00:16:00.037+08:00

This was my R&R week, so managed to catch a few movies with the baba boy....stress-free.... (*which is the way I like it....*)

We actually watched this one or two weeks back.... but I put it up anyway as it's not often that I get to watch a Chinese movie with the baba boy....

It is really really hilarious ..... even my mum was pretty amused by it, although she only caught the last few scenes.

This is a re-make of the 1992 movie, starring Stephen Chow:

I guess no explanation or rating needs to be stated for this show.....

It is both a girls AND guys show, in my opinion....

But I still think that it falls behind this:

I think it will be a long long time before any movie can come close to this...

Somehow, this movie reminded me of the Narnia series......

Maybe becos some of the creatures in the 2 shows are similar........ hee hee hee......

Scary cartoon

Don't be fooled by the bright colours.... This cartoon is seriously not meant for kids...

Or faint-hearted adults....
Aka the "scaredy-cats"...

Ok lah, I'm one of them.........
So I covered my eyes at certain parts of the show......ok, cartoon....cannot is it?

The cartoon was adapted from a story book..... which apparently, if my research is correct, is a children's classic.....

I can't believe it....
I can't believe that parents would read something like that to their kids....

And I can't believe that the kids can actually still fall asleep after hearing it.....

"The *supposedly* Other Mother"

Look look how creepy she is!!!
Even the *chicken* oven glove that she's wearing looks horrified..... (yes, pun intended)
hee hee hee..........

I can't believe it !!!! They actually make figurines of the characters....... Please enlighten me, why would anybody want to have such a scary looking doll in their house???

In fact, what are these 2 scary images doing on my pretty pink blog??? They're probably scaring the hell out of my other non-scary images....
Sigh.... I'm such a retard....the things I do for you readers out there....... muahahaha....

I thought the title was kinda *cheesy*...... but the movie actually turned out to be pretty good.

I did not get this one at all....... nope, totally none of it at all......

But then, as the title suggests, maybe this was made for fan boys only.... which the baba boy happens to be one...

(If you have to ask me "fans of what?", then it means you don't get it as well....welcome to my club)

My Reading List

2009-06-19T22:03:00.020+08:00

This should be a back-dated post...

Finished reading this book long ago, just before my blogging activities were temporarily suspended...

Fine...so I was motivated to read this book becos of the colour.... WHAT??!!! cannot meh??

Honestly, I can't really remember what this book is about, except that it's one of those 'chick-flick' books similar to the likes of the "Shopaholic" series...

I didn't manage to finish this book before I had to return it.

If I'm right, this novel was actualy inspired by the play "The Importance of Being Earnest" by Oscar Wilde.

It was a good read, and I do recommend it to anyone who loves Oscar Wilde's plays as much as I do.

Fine...so I was also attracted to this book becos of the colour.......

I'M BACK !!!!

2009-06-19T21:40:00.013+08:00

In true-blue Terminator style…

I'M BACK !!!

And I'm not even going to attempt to explain where I was and what I've been up to or why I've not been blogging for the past 3 months.....oh my goodness, it's been more than 3 months in fact....

My Reading List

2009-03-02T10:07:00.006+08:00

Finished off this book over the weekend:

When I first opened up the book and read the first page, I thought it wouldn't be as interesting or as captivating as this (which I had read last year):

After finishing the whole book, I realised I was wrong.

I love Mitch Albom's books and I would recommend them to anyone, anytime.

Always written in such simple language....yet always moving, heart-wrenching, thought-provoking.

Now, that's the epitome of good literature.

Edlyn's farewell party

2009-02-28T13:08:00.022+08:00

If posting photos constitutes blogging.....then ta da!!!

Date: 8 Feb 2009 (Sunday)
Venue: Jansen Road

I am too lazy to write any captions...

This is me...

2009-02-28T12:59:00.007+08:00

Photo courtesy of http://www.headhunt.com.sg/

Ok, minus the blond hair (and eyebrows), and wedding ring, and the fact that this fella is a guy…

And oh yeah, the table is waaaaaayyy too tidy…..and the files are too thin…

Other than that….yeah, this is how I feel sometimes at work…

Ok, don’t give me that “if you’re so busy how come you have time to blog” look….
If you want to know the truth, I actually pen my random thoughts as and when….That’s why this blog has no central topic… and that’s why I can’t be bothered to attach labels to the posts because they’re all too random!

My Reading List (*updated)

2009-02-27T14:48:00.009+08:00

Just finished reading this:

"Think of me what you will, but beware of me in time, for against my will I may do you harm”

In case you were wondering, yes, this is the same Louisa May Alcott who wrote the famous “Little Women”, “Good Wives”, and “Little Men”.
If my research is correct, she wrote this book in 1866, under the pseudonym A. M. Barnard, before she released “Little Women” in 1868.

At first glance, it’s quite surprising that Louisa May Alcott would write something like this. I was a little surprised myself to see this book on the shelf. It seems to be far from the theme of “domestic affairs” that Little Women is centered upon. Yet, upon further reading, you will still find that the book does contain Louisa May Alcott’s hand in it, in good ole’ fashioned Victorian style.

Basically, the story is about a woman from the lower class who schemes and plots against an innocent family in order to squeeze into the upper class. Probably doesn’t sound very exciting coming from me, but trust me, Louisa May Alcott is a brilliant writer. The way she crafts the characters and their actions will surely captivate the reader. Well, at least it did to me. I believe Louisa May Alcott had very meticulous observations of the men and women in the Victorian era, their words, thoughts, mannerisms, etc.

I would recommend this book to anyone who desires to read a classic, written in good old-fashioned romantic style, and yet the material is not too heavy that it becomes too difficult to understand.

Same story, but different cover illustration

Update: I forgot to add that there are two very incredulous points of this story.
One is that a 19 year old girl marries a 55 year old man… Gosh!! That’s like a 36 year gap can?? How can any 19 year old tahan that?? Regardless of how much money the old man has… Ok lor, maybe I’m just an old-fashioned fuddy-duddy lor…

The second thing is even more unbelievable … Get this, the 19 year old girl is actually a 30 plus woman!!! 30 plus can actually disguise until 19 year old lor!!! Cosmetic surgery during the Victorian days must be freaking good man…..either that, or their makeup is super thick lah…wahahaha…

Post-script: To avoid anyone picking up wrong info, makeup during the Victorian days was supposed to "modest, restrained, natural".... i.e. no makeup is good. In fact, using makeup was considered to be vulgar and improper, reserved only for prostitutes, clowns, stage actors...Well...thank goodness I don't live in that era.

What is this supposed to be?

2009-02-25T14:59:00.020+08:00

Can someone please enlighten me what this is supposed to represent??

If you're thinking that this is a flag, or a broken piece of stained glass, or some part of a jigsaw puzzle.....

You're wrong!!

This is a painting by the famous Dutch painter Piet Mondrian...

This painting was recently auctioned off in Paris for...........get this:

€21,569,000

I don't even want to calculate how much that is in SGD lor....

Life is unfair man.....This looks like something that I can easily create also lor... oh boy, I think anyone can come up with something like this....

How difficult can it be? All you need is drawing paper, a ruler, some random colours (magic pens, water colour, or whatever...) and probably a black marker!!!

Ok fine, you also need to have a very stable hand....cannot be shaky, otherwise if you colour outside the boxes, then fail liao....buahahahaha....

Ok ok... cannot seem so uncultured....must at least pretend that I understand the story/message behind this picture.... you know what they say "a picture is worth a thousand words"....so shhh...I'm trying to concentrate here.....I got artistic side also ok?

hmm.....I think if I squint my eyes really hard....... I can make out random bits of grey here and there..... is that the trick behind this picture...or is that just because my eyesight is fuzzy? wahahaha....

ok ok....seriously...enough of jokes..... this painting got very cool name can? It's called ...

Composition avec bleu, rouge, jaune et noir

In French somemore ok? Very classy right?

I think if translated in English, it's called "Composition with blue, red, yellow and black"

???!!!

Anyway, here's a picture of the guy himself who painted this:

He looks extremely bored....... and boring also.

He looks like someone whose table mats must run parallel to the table edges...

buahahaha....

I’m throwing a $5,000 (per table) wedding banquet

2009-02-24T11:01:00.003+08:00

And that’s in USD for you…. (The last time I checked on Yahoo Finance, that converts to about SGD7662).

Nah, I’m just kidding….. (relax guys!!!)

Had lunch with some friends last week, and heard that a particular acquaintance was throwing her wedding banquet at a very fancy, 5-star (or 6-star) hotel on Sunday.
For simplicity’s sake, let’s just call this particular acquaintance Miss K.

Anyway, I don’t know the exact setting at which she came to announce the “per table cost” of her wedding banquet to my friends, but it did came out as close to $1,500, with each table seating 10 people.

Of course, upon hearing the cost, my friends, being very kind-hearted souls, came to a conclusion that they had to present a $150 angbao each. Apparently, the so-called “market rate” of $100 ain’t enough…
(In case you’re wondering, yes, woe to my friends, they were all invited to the said wedding banquet…)

Let me just put it straight that my friends do not belong to the “wealthy, well-to-do, well-off” category. No, I’m not trying to put down my friends here. We are not exactly destitute, we do make enough to get by, enough to perhaps squeeze into the “middle class” category.

But still, that doesn’t give anyone the right to “siphon” money off friends this way. For goodness’ sake, you’re throwing your own wedding banquet!! Not holding a charity auction!! Why should people have to bear the consequence of your costly choice of venue!!!
I talked to dad about this, and he agrees as well… It doesn’t make sense at all!! You don’t budget for a wedding banquet, invite your friends, and expect them to cover the costs for you!!!
If that were the case, why don’t I start sending out invitations to all my friends to my wedding banquet….with the extra information that each table costs $5000??!! This means, my dear friends, you will each have to pamper me with a $500 angbao….
Of course, it’s very nice if people lavish you with big fat angbaos on your wedding…. But these are just bonuses!!! Not to be taken for granted!!! When you plan your wedding (or banquet, for that matter), you should plan according to what you can afford, out of your own pocket, before expecting any additional cash from friends or whatsoever.

Hello, this is called “Managing Your Finances”, or “Budgeting” can?
Oh, I forgot…. Miss K isn’t exactly from a business background…. So maybe that term seems tad unfamiliar to her.

Moral of the story: CUT YOUR COAT ACCORDING TO YOUR CLOTH

Of course, you will say that nobody forced my friends to give a $150 angbao… you should give what your heart tells you to….. blah blah blah blah…..
Again, for goodness’ sake!!! Do you really believe that Miss K, out of an angelic and innocent heart, would let slip of the per table cost to my friends, without any intention, none at all, of recouping back her losses from the angbao collection?

Oh wait, I seem to recall my friends saying that her husband’s family was pretty wealthy….which means she doesn’t need the pitiful angbao at all….
Ah….That explains it… the $1500 per table banquet….is more for “face” reasons.

Which, if that’s the case, then next time, don’t go around announcing your costs to people!!!

Eh, hello, we are still living in the Asian culture…. It’s too bad we have this “must match angbao money” mentality…..
Don’t tell me that you disclosed the cost of your wedding banquet with only the truest intention of providing pure, yet useless information….

Hello, many of the above-mentioned friends only recently entered the workforce… we are all still very junior-level staff here….
Some of them are even working on contract basis, with no guarantee that their contracts will be renewed after expiry.

And hello, in case you haven’t noticed, the economy is currently in a recession period now…. People are being retrenched… or even if they’re not, everybody is walking a tightrope nowadays… nobody knows what will happen tomorrow… or whether we have already hit rock bottom yet.

Or… maybe… just maybe, Miss K doesn’t know about the realities of life yet!!
Opps… did I just burst the bubble here?
Did I mention that said Miss K is a school teacher?
I always thought teachers were very “in the know” of news…. But maybe she’s a different class of teacher…. Maybe she teaches about fairytales…. And princesses… and expensive feasts….and how one day, when you wake up, you’ll find yourself surrounded by big fat angbaos all over……..
Buahahahaha….

Alright alright, I admit, I’m just being plain mean….

And yes, I know you out there, will say that I’m jealous of Miss K….

Yes, you’re right, I’m sooooo jealous……..sooooo jealous that I have to put off my wedding for another year so that I can gather sufficient funds for my $5000 per table banquet!!

Buahahahaha….

Special Dedication

2009-02-24T09:34:00.007+08:00

This post is specially dedicated to MIMOSA

To all of you who have made MIMOSA possible: I Love Ya All !!!

Here's a toast to you !!

Cocktail drink with Mimosa leaf =)

My Reading List

2009-02-20T09:49:00.006+08:00

Just finished reading this... for the umpteenth time:

<<两个永恒之一新月格格>>

Now in the middle of reading this:

Don't judge me for the books I read.

Remember ...

2009-02-19T23:39:00.009+08:00

Remember
“Remember me when I am gone away,
Gone far away into the silent land;
When you can no more hold me by the hand,
Nor I half turn to go, yet turning stay.
Remember me when no more day by day
You tell me of our future that you plann'd:
Only remember me; you understand
It will be late to counsel then or pray.
Yet if you should forget me for a while
And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
For if the darkness and corruption leave
A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
Better by far you should forget and smile
Than that you should remember and be sad.”
by Christina Rossetti

Came across this poem one day, and fell in love with it immediately.
Written by a nineteenth century English poet – Christina Rossetti.

What totally amazes me is the simplicity of the words.
Quite surprising that it was fairly simple to understand, seeing it came from a Victorian poet.
Or maybe the words are supposed to mean something deeper than what I interpret.
But then, a poem like this, though the words are simple, the interpretation and the emotions that evoke from it, really depends on the reader’s personal experiences and life circumstances, does it not?

I was pretty intrigued by this poem, so I went to Google on the author. Guess what I found… Apparently, this Christina Rossetti person is famous for another poem titled “Goblin Market”, which is supposedly about two sisters who get tricked by some goblins into eating some forbidden fruit. Before you start spinning connections to Harry Potter, Enid Blyton, Lord of the Rings, and all other fairytale writers….

Get this: This poem actually carries sexual connotations!!!

Shocking.

How can anyone who can pen down a poem as pure as “Remember” also write something so controversial, perverted even!!
The extremes that people can go to.

And I was actually contemplating of having this poem read at my funeral.

Morbid right? haha...

But now after finding about the other poem written from the same hand, I guess I'll have to find another poem.

Keep your music to yourself !!

2009-02-19T14:19:00.003+08:00

Been harassed a few times while on the train these week…..

No, I’m not referring to physical harassment … (if it was that, I would be making a police report right away, not just ranting on my blog).

Harassed by music… in particular, people playing music OUT LOUD.
Now, let me just put it straight that I am NOT a music hater.
On the contrary, all my friends know I absolutely love music… good music especially. Hell, my childhood dream was to become a musician when I grew up!! (ok, I can have a lot of childhood dreams, can’t I)

But there is a place and a time for music to be played… especially when it’s played OUT LOUD…
I really don’t understand those people who simply must BLAST their stupid MP3 / ipod / handphone music out loud while on the train. I say “must”, because I suspect maybe if they don’t do so, they might accidentally lose their centre of focus and fall off the train or something..
You can be sure that their music is definitely not those classic, jazz, or anything belonging to the so-called “soulful” genre.
No, of course not. Their music is not only loud (of course, aided by being played loudly), but is guaranteed to jolt even the “dead-est” or “stone-iest” soul in the entire length of the train awake.

Ok ok, maybe entire train is too exaggerating.
Entire cabin… can?

What’s up with these people man??
Like I said, there is a place for various kinds of music…
These kind of music belongs to Mambo Night @ Zouk ok?
Did it ever occur to these goons that there are actually other people (a lot of other people, can?) travelling in the same cabin at the same time?
And I bet it never occurred to them that some other people would like to have some peace and quiet while on the train. Some people happen to lead such hectic and chaotic lives that the only time they have for themselves is while they are on the train, can? Some people would like to have the opportunity to be able to catch up on their reading, do some reflections, and all other activities that require no blasting music, while being on the train.
(Alright, I know, I say some people, but the biggest victim here is me, can?)

Honestly, it just doesn’t make any sense to me when I observe these “music-blasting train-taking” people. They appear to be carrying miniature phones in their hands….. but oh, don’t look down on these mini gadgets, the music will
Blow.You.Away.
Literally.

“oon-ch…oon-ch….oon-ch”

Some considerate ones will bother to use their earphones… but goodness me!! If I, standing like 3 arm’s length (or more) away from you, can already hear the lyrics from your wonderful song, I think the most pitiful thing to be in the entire universe is to be your ear drums man!!!
(Ok, maybe second most pitiful thing. The most pitiful thing is maybe being the toilet bowl brush).

Anyway, I think it’s not just about me.
These people are not doing justice to the music as well!!!
Imagine, if you were a piece of music…. So perfectly written, so magically composed… wouldn’t you want to contribute to mainkind in a more wonderful way? And by “contribute”, I mean sparking off positive feelings (like love, joy, happiness)…. and NOT irritation…

And don’t give me that about “it’s my right to play blasting, explosive music anywhere I want”….

It’s my right to raise a suggestion that such people should be banished to the ends of the world (by that, I mean kicked right off the train)…
Then finally, all peace and tranquility can be restored…

Again, I say this:

Keep your music to yourself!!!
We don’t need to hear what you’re hearing!!!

Post-script: Next up, “Keep your legs to yourself”

My Movie List

2009-02-17T14:22:00.016+08:00

(Re)Watched this on Sunday night with z...

It's really freakingly funny.... no matter how times u watch it.

And I agree, it's really a show made for the Americans.

And the baba boy =)

By the way, have you ever wondered what "Hustle" means?
(or maybe if you already know that, good for u then).
This is what I found out from dictionary.com....whoa, there are 21 definitions!!
Ok, so here's just No.1 and No. 21....I'm too lazy to write the in-between, and I'll bet u're too lazy to read as well.

1. To proceed or work rapidly or energetically: to hustle about putting a house in order.

21. A fast, lively, popular ballroom dance evolving from Latin American, swing, rock, and disco dance styles, with a strong basic rhythm and simple step pattern augmented by strenuous turns, breaks, etc.

Ok, I have no idea how the dance from No. 21 looks like, but I'm curious.
Any takers? =)

@ client's

2009-02-16T20:45:00.005+08:00

The view from 3Xth floor on SCB, is kinda cool...

[X= any number from 0 to 9...duh!! A bit inconvenient for me to disclose the exact digit, as it might give away my exact location now... i.e. my exact client. =)]

My window overlooks the IR construction site.

Occasionally, from the distance, the whirling and pounding sounds of heavy machinery can be heard.

Little white lights scattered here and there.
(well, obviously they are 'little', as I am a distance away).

Kinda reminds me of a huge lego set that some kid is still trying to fix up.

Would have loved to take a picture of the view, but I guess that would be futile, due to the reflections in the window.
I even had to plaster my face against the window to really take a look.

It's Monday....start of the week.... and I'm already staying back late...
It's a little weird, cos I used to refuse to work overtime on Mondays. Reason being that it would only result in me being tired the rest of the week... and thus inefficient.
But then, somehow, I don't mind working late tonight...
haha...perhaps it's the adrenaline that's still going ... don't want to waste it.

[Post-script: opps, I just realised that if I switch off the lights in the room, the reflection isn't that bad....haha]

More "lawyer game"

2009-02-16T13:01:00.005+08:00

I can't believe it....

Just when I thought I had completed all series of my lawyer game.... z installed this for me as a surprise:

I love u my baby !!!!!!!!!! [this being my NDS, and of cos, z as well =)]

Does that mean that I will be "away" again? Haha.... I'll try not to be.

On a separate note, was pretty irritated today at work.

Sometimes I just don't understand....

If you think you have what it takes to leave for a greener pasture, for a higher ground, then why bother to come back to this "mid-valley" ?

Oh well, I guess I shouldn't judge people too much, who knows, maybe one day I'll be doing the same thing. Though I hope not for the same reasons, or at the same "level".

Having Macs for lunch today...

Sudden craving for it...

Disappearing Act.... and Lawyers.

2009-02-15T12:28:00.010+08:00

YES!!!! I’ve done it again, haven’t I??? I managed to do it again, for the umpteenth time. Do what ah? Haha…. DISAPPEAR lah…. Not physically, but from the virtual world.

Disappear.

Haha… that’s just a nicer way of saying “procrastinating for the longest time ever”….
Alright, before I manage to bore myself out (plus u out there), here’s a laundry list of what has been “slightly exciting” in my life…..which yeah, I had the truest intentions of blogging until I became too darn good at my disappearing act.

- (Early) Christmas party @ Mimosa Walk
- Malacca Trip over Christmas holidays (this I really want to blog, perhaps in the future?... which is effectively never….haha)
- Chinese New Year trip to where else, but Malacca again
- Ed’s farewell party (I MISS U ALREADY GAL !!!)
- Valentine’s Day (or rather, preparations of that)

Oh well, if and when I do muster enough motivation, perhaps I’ll back-date and write some stuff regarding the above pointers….
Yeah, IF and WHEN….. haha..

Well, anyway, I have a confession to make. I have a serious addiction !!!!
Yeah, you heard me right…. This addiction is what has been distracting me lately from blogging…. Haha, don’t let your imaginations run wild, it’s definitely not an addiction to smoking, gambling, drinking, … - all of which are DISGUSTING habits, in my opinion. My addiction is to….

THIS:

AND THIS:

MORE OF THIS:

Yes, these are the NDS games which I’ve been playing non-stop … well, not exactly non-stop, because that’s humanely impossible (All you loser gamers out there, who eat, sleep, drink gaming, boo on you!! What a way to defy the rules of humanity!!) …. Only on the train / bus on my way to/from work, when I’m waiting for people, before I fall asleep at night, blah blah blah…

Anyway, in case you were wondering, this game (well, 3 games, to be exact, but I shall just use the singular from now on, since they are all similar) is what z calls “lawyer game”.

“Are you still playing your lawyer game”

“Have you completed your lawyer game”

To give a really short summary of this game – basically, I’m playing the role of a lawyer (either Phoenix Wright or Apollo Justice), and I get clients that I have to defend for in court. But before going to court, I have to go around different places, gathering evidences, talking to people, spying on people’s dark secrets blah blah… And then in court, I get to hear testimonies from witnesses, get shot down by the stupid judge and prosecution, raise objections, and then I have to choose the right evidences to present in order to expose people’s lies…
If you want to know more about this game, you can easily go Wikipedia or Yahoo or Google to find out. I shan’t bore you with more details here.

I love this game a lot. Generally, I think I prefer investigative / detective-style games more… Absolutely can’t stand those shooting / killing games …. What’s up with those kind anyway!!!?? U don’t need much brain matter to go around shooting people … totally brainless…. Ok, z loves those kind of games, and so do many of my other guy friends…. So, I guess I shouldn’t “defame” such things too much….hahaha… =)

The other kind of games that I like are the “adventure” kind… like Mario Brothers (ABSOLUTELY LOVE), Little Big Planet (on PS3)… But the irony is this, I don’t enjoy playing them myself, I’ll much rather prefer WATCHING people playing them… (Like z, he is AWFULLY good at such games too)
Yup, u heard me right…
Reason being: Unless you know what’s coming ahead (which usually you won’t, unless you’ve played it before, or cheated by reading solutions online), hey your character can “die” quite easily by being eaten up / squashed / burnt / hammered / nailed / dropped down into the deep valley below / all other kinds of horrific ways of causing death…..
And truth be told, I don’t really fancy dying so much, whether in the physical world or virtual world…. What !!! when u’re playing a game, u’re supposed to take on the identity of whichever character you’re playing, even if he is a stupid plumber or some dumb rag doll….

So yeah, anyway, I get really easily stressed up by such “easily dying” games…. Cos I’m not very good at them… What !!! Cannot meh??
But still, I really enjoy watching people play….cos they’re so cute!!! And creative!!! all the little adventure lands…. And oohh…. All the evil traps lying in store, waiting to swallow your character alive….buahahaha… now I just sound plain evil, don’t I?

Anyway, I really enjoyed playing my lawyer game..
I use “enjoyed” because I’ve completed all 3 series…
Well, if not, u wouldn’t be reading this post… I’ll be too busy trying to crack those cases.

I think this game kinda reminded me of my little ambition last time….how I wanted to study law in university, and maybe become a lawyer. But blah blah blah… as the story goes, that never happened…

But anyway, speaking of lawyers, I had lunch last Wednesday with z’s neighbour, who happens to hail from a bloodline of lawyers!!!
Ok ok, so this is a little exaggerating… but how many families you know where EVERYONE is a lawyer…
So anyway, I had a really nice chat with my lawyer friend… who shall be known as VK in my blog.
Really nice chap, very humble, very down-to-earth, none of the airs you would expect of someone who is already relatively successful in his own field, despite being only 30 (or thereabout). Hmm…. I shall arrange to have lunch with him more often… since his office is in the same building as mine. But then, lawyers…busy people eh…

Ok, end of blog post.

Yes, it’s an abrupt ending… I’m too hungry now to think of anymore worthy things to write.

Angry

2008-12-11T17:41:00.006+08:00

Barely a month after the last blow, hope seems to glisten in the horizon again….
Ok, that horizon is not exactly very clear…… in fact, seems kinda bleak.

Whatever.

Was pretty infuriated today with certain beings at work……. myself included.

Hopefully the anger can transform into some kind of positive energy and strength tonight, so that I can get the necessary work done.

Do I, or do I not have The FACE, in order to be The FACE?

It’s all in God’s will, I guess.

Not very convincing, but also not very convinced myself.

Hanging out at Sengkang (Part II)

2008-12-09T11:11:00.020+08:00

More photos.......

I made a pact with KC to post up all the photos, including my ugly shots.....

in exchange for something.......hahahahaha........ KC, you better keep your end of the contract !!!

(those who have no idea what I'm talking about...... it's ok, you can continue to live your lives not knowing......it's not lethal)

This was supposed to be a candid shot....... however Rach caught me snapping away, hence she's the only one that's looking at the camera... hmm... who's Kenneth toasting his plain water to? hahahaha....

A b/w shot of Kenneth and me..... stupid camera flash blinded my eyes, hence the "vampire-ish" look.......

Garlic bread with fake vodka........ best combi ever......muahahaha....

Rach and her beef lasagne

Kenneth and me with my chicken-and-mushroom pizza..... which some of them felt it was bland, as compared to Andry's vege pizza....... WHAT !!!?? At least my pizza doesn't have awful stuff like olives and capsicum ok !!!

Andry proudly displaying his vege pizza..... Frank with his baked rice.....

Kenneth can't wait to dig into his seafood combo platter dish......

Andry recently started this practice of going vegetarian for 2 days per week....... since not all of us share in his passion and determination, we decided to show our support and encouragement by sacrificing our parsleys......... muahahahaha.....

I took this photo just in case I forgot the name of the place.........hahaha....

Hanging out at Sengkang

2008-12-09T01:28:00.014+08:00

Today was a public holiday (Hari Raya), so z and I met up with some friends to hang out and chit-chat.

(ok, techinically, it should be "yesterday", since it's already past midnight now......yes, it's past midnight and I'm still not sleeping......amazing !!!)

z and I made our way to Compass Point first to have lunch @ Yoshinoya....

Then Kenneth arrived just as we were finishing lunch...
Later on, met Frank, Andry, and Rach @ Metro.....

Managed to shop around Compass Point for a while...... then went to Ya Kun for kopi and kaya toast.....In our usual fashion, sat there for the longest time ever to chit chat...... hahaha... but it's a nice feeling, just hanging out with close friends...

Then, I think we continued to shop around just a bit more....

After that, all 6 of us cramped into z's family car and made our way to Sengkang SSC. supposedly to have dinner ....

There, z and the rest of the guys totally "wow-ed" at the pool and the slides...... ok ok, I have to admit that Hougang swimming pool now totally fades in comparison to this ultra cool neighbourhood pool now........ hahahaha

Ok, it doesn't seem like such a big deal from this pic...... but trust me, it's totally awesome !!! Ok, at least it looks like so....especially since it only costs like $2 per adult for weekend, and $1 for a normal weekday....

Presenting...... the multi-coloured slides !!!!

All 6 of us at this restaurant called "bakersbrew" or something like that... haha, I can't really remember the full name..... anyway, it's a really cool place to hang out....

The napkin from the restaurant..... it's actually part of the Jack's Place Group of restaurants....

Does that look like a vodka bottle? hahahaha......relax, it's just our plain water.... pretty cool huh..

Cheers ! (or should I say "yum-seng"? hahaha....) The beer was really cheap.... there was this 1-for-1 promotion, $9.80 for two glasses.

Debbie joined us during dinner as her house was supposedly close to Sengkang SSC. hmm...What's Frank looking at now? hahaha....

Ok, end of this blog post...... I'm very tired..... wanna go sleep now...

post the rest of the pics tmr.......

It's a cold night for kitty...

2008-12-09T01:19:00.004+08:00

The queen has changed her royal robes...... hahahaha...

It's a cold day for kitty...

2008-12-08T22:31:00.010+08:00

Today was a pretty cold day.... Raining from morning till night...

Even the cat could feel the chill.... hence the pics below....hahaha.....

She created a "self-made" throne for herself......complete with pink royal robes...hahaha

Soccer night

2008-12-08T22:06:00.009+08:00

Back-dated post...

Last Sunday night (30 Nov), a couple of the guys came over to z's place to watch soccer - Man U vs. Man City...
Final score was 1-0.....

My cell group has an unbalanced number of Man U supporters...... it's time to tip that balance !!!

Ok, actually I don't really care how many Man U supporters there are, since I'm not even one teensy weensy bit crazy over soccer..... but z supports Liverpool....so in a way, I have to half-support it as well.......hahahaha....

Anyway, I tried to capture the different facial expressions of our dear friends during the "ups and downs" of the match....... enjoy!

Beginning of the match..... when all was still calm..... and people could still eat chips without stress.... hahahaha....

Alamak! What happened ??!! Suddenly everyone is very excited (or agitated?) hahaha.... except for Frank..... look at the bright smile on his face.......... I think this was taken when Man U almost scored...

What happened now? I have no idea....hahaha..... Frank's smile looks kinda "frozen", like he forgot to "unsmile"...hahaha......Deyuan looks like he's giving some serious commentary...

Photos from Simon's wedding

2008-11-30T12:55:00.034+08:00

As mentioned in the previous post, here are some photos from Simon’s wedding….

Yeah I know they’re a week late, but I was really really busy and stressed out at work the whole week…plus I didn’t have internet access in my current client’s meeting room….
Alright, more about that in another post… don’t want to mix the happy stuff with the stressed out stuff …. Hee hee..

The wedding banquet was held at Marina Mandarin Hotel, Vanda Ballroom.
Earlier this year (sometime in April) I co-organised a financial services related breakfast seminar at this same ballroom. At that time, I thought the ballroom was quite small…. Probably sufficient to hold a seminar, but probably not to hold a wedding banquet.
And it wasn’t just about the size…. It just didn’t seem elegant, fanciful, romantic, glam, etc. etc. enough…
Ok ok, don’t judge me…. Yeah, so I’m being a little materialistic and show-offish here. But hey, I only get to hold one wedding banquet in my entire life….don’t I deserve to make it a bang?

Well anyway, I think Simon and Daphne’s wedding totally proved me wrong…. Yes, I admit, I was wrong!!! Even tho some parts of the wedding seem a little cliché, but put together, everything was so sweet…so romantic…..
In fact, I was so touched that when the bride and groom made their entrance, I actually teared.

Yup, that’s how a wedding should be like…… having your closed friends and family coming together and celebrating ….
Yup, it doesn’t have to at the most fanciful ballroom to touch your heart…

Z was part of the “brother gang”. So he had to wake up super super early in the morning….. then got tekan at the bride’s place….
His biggest sacrifice? Having to drink a cup of chilli sauce mixed with tabasco sauce …eeeyyeewwwww….. even a chilli-lover like him couldn’t take it….. hahaha….poor guy.

Hmm…. Wonder who will be part of our “brothers” and “sisters” gang during our wedding??
Hee hee hee…..

The photos displayed at the entrance of the ballroom....displayed in a really simple frame...nothing very fanciful....even the easel used to prop it up was very simple.... but the photos were really beautiful.... very well taken... somehow didn't come appear to me as those "cliche" wedding photos..

Simon talking to the hotel events managers on last minute arrangements ... he looks pretty stressed .... hee hee... but it's great to see a guy taking his own wedding so seriously...

we arrived at the hotel super early, at around 5pm.... we knew the dinner wouldn't be starting till 7+....hey, we're not kiasu ok.... z had "brother duties" to fulfil, so we had to be at the hotel earlier. Anyway, I was really hungry, so z brought me to Macs @ Marina Sq, where we had medium fries and an iced milo.... z refused to eat his fries with chilli, due to his already huge consumption of chilli earlier in the day.... hee heee.... poor guy.....

Oh, we found a "secret door" leading from the hotel straight into the heart of Marina Sq shopping mall....ok, I call it "secret" cos I never knew about it before.....and it is pretty obscure.

The cute flower-candle arrangement on the small tables outside the ballroom. I know, under camera lighting, they don't seem anything special....but trust me, under the hotel's lighting, it looks perrrrrfect.....and really romantic. ok ok, so I'm a sucker for such things...haha.

The peanuts that were served to guests before the doors to the ballroom were officially opened.... I had quite a number of those, cos was quite hungry..... and my "cherry-sprite mix" drink in the background.... yummy!

I had to sit at the table by myself when the ballroom doors were opened.... cos z had his "brother duties" to fulfill. hee hee.... the cute little bear is now hanging from my cellphone.... it's a reminder of to me of z...... cos his chinese surname literally means "bear"...hee hee...

The bride and groom entering the ballroom..... swept in with a rush of bubbles and flower petals.. aawwww.... how magical...
sorry, I can't show their faces, cos I dunno if they're ok with their photos up on someone else's blog =)

The gifts from the banquet..... z forgot to bring the girl-bear back =(

Us! I love this picture alot !!!

z and Tres (who introduces himself as "z's friend from the past") hee hee...

Back from Simon's wedding.... EXHAUSTED

2008-11-24T00:30:00.004+08:00

Just came back from attending Simon’s wedding banquet at Marina Mandarin Hotel, Vanda Ballroom…

Was quite touched by the wedding… which surprised me, cos I was feeling quite sian and depressed initially…
Oh well, maybe I’m a suckers for weddings huh? Haha..

Now feeling super exhausted… both physically and emotionally… so I’ll blog more about the wedding at a later date, including posting up some photos.

Just wanna end this entry by saying THANK YOU once again to my best friend mr. z for all your relentless efforts in cheering me up today !!!
Ok, I know I've said that before in my previous entry... but I'm really really grateful to him... all the jokes, the prayers, the encouraging words...

Yup, you are right… at the end of the day, I’ll still be looking forward to spending an eternity with you in heaven…. That’s all that truly matters =p

Alright folks, need to go pray now..

Gotta need courage to face tomorrow u know !!

ciao.

Cotton Candy Pink

2008-11-15T13:04:00.009+08:00

Alright, so this morning when I woke up, something must have snapped inside me……. Becos I actually registered myself on a blog and facebook….
The 2 things that my friends are always asking me to sign-up for, to which my reply was always “I don’t like to exist in the virtual world”.

Ok, so that may sound a tad arrogant. But the truth is, I didn’t really want to exist in the virtual world. Well yes, facebook is good to re-connect with long lost friends……. And a blog is probably a good way to let your friends know what’s happening to your life..
But honestly, the friends that truly matter to me, already actively exist in my physical world (meaning I actually hang out / chat with these friends frequently).

Oh well…… enough of that.
Technically, I registered this blog a year plus ago….. And then, procrastination, procrastination, procrastination…….so here’s the first post a year plus later.
*Gosh!! I hate that word – procrastination*

Alright, that’s all for now…. I’m tired of blogging already.
Muahahaha….

Maybe I’ll post some thanksgiving photos later…