Looking at life through new windows...

Today's the day... the decision was rather rash I would say... but it's decided and today's the day...

I hope everything will go fine and I'm so looking forward to this. My throat's irritating me a little but Rob's gonna help me ask if it's ok. If it's not today, it'll still be soon... =)

Wish me luck all! =)

Time...

"Today is Friday, Oct. 19, the 292nd day of 2007. There are 73 days left in the year." - Saw this statement while reading the news on Yahoo News, an article by AP today.

Goes to show how time flies... This time last year, I was in NZ... this time last year, we just finished a really fulfilling national project and most of us were feeling lost and empty after the exciting and busy stint...

Looking at where I am this year, I still feel lost and empty... But sometimes I think that it's all about the mind... About feeling positive (even when things are not that positive)... About looking ahead and beyond and be on the look out for opportunities...

IN anycase, like many times before... I need to tell myself to make the most out of the remaining 73 days of this year I suppose... =)

Pain...

It hurts so much... so much...

Expectations...

Why do people have expectations? Why do we need expectations? Why do we use expectations as a form of yardstick for one's performance in a certain aspect? Why is it important? Is it really important?

What would life be without expectations?

Soaking in books....

Soaked up "Fashion Babylon" by Imogen Edwards-Jones that Marky loaned me... and I finished up "The Glass Castle" by Jeanette Walls.

"Fashion Babylon" was rather light reading. It provided an insight to the fashion industry from a young and budding designer's point of view. In a way, it gave the readers a good feel of the complexity of the industry behind the scenes. And it was interesting... 'nuff said.

"The Glass Castle" on the other hand, had a more serious note to it. It was nonetheless, very delightful reading. Jeanette Walls' writing was simple, yet powerful. The book depicts a factual narration of her life, with her siblings and parents and I just couldn't bring myself to put the book down. All that I felt after reading her story, was admiration.

A must read!

Moving on to my next book, "The Touch" by Liu Hong.

A most meaningful weekend...

I had a most meaningful weekend in a long time. Under an initiative of the Yayasan foundation by Pak Kris Wiluan, my boss and I helped coordinated a charity project where a group of Singaporean doctors and nurses volunteered to provide free health check-ups for the under priviledged children in Batam. It was a project jointly done with Red-Cross Indonesia (PMI).

We arrived Batam on Friday afternoon, to have a final meeting and to ensure that logistics and arrangements are made. The 4 doctors and 3 nurses from Singapore (who requested to remain anonymous), together with a number of Indonedsian doctors and nurses, had a mission to provide healthy check-ups for a good 1760 kids from ONE kampong in Batam.

It was definitely not a small deal. I was personally involved in the works for Sat and parents & kids came and went. It was no joke that the doctors saw kids one after another non-stop. It turned out that the doctors couldn't even take the planned 1 hour lunch break, and they had to take turns to have lunch, or to run quickly to the toilets and back. The passion and drive that I saw in the volunteer doctors and nurses from Singapore for this project, touched me no end this weekend.

The role I played, was to run around outside, directing Ibus (mothers) and their anaks (kids) in my very broken Malay (which I picked up from my peranakan nanny 'Aunty Jane' long long time back) to proceed to the next available doctor's room to tengok doktor (see the doctor), or to the Apotek (Pharmacy) to collect their Obat (Medication).

Some of the kids were really so adorable but most of them have a problem of being malnutrition. The Singaporean doctors and nurses tried their best to source for packets of children milk and cereal from various vendors and suppliers but there was only so much that they could bring. And moreover, we budgeted for 1000 kids to come to this health screening, but little did we know that the numbers escalated to 1760 on the day before we were to start.

Although the project was to be over 2 days, Sat & Sun, I had to leave on late Sat as my boss had to come back to take a flight to Qatar. I regretted not being brave enough to say that I would like to stay there on my own (without my boss) as I had to tear myself away from what I was doing. I was really enjoying myself to a certain extent and as exhausting as it was, I could see the good cause in it. Finished up 3/4 of a day and I was physically exhausted. I couldn't imagine that the doctors and nurses have to go through these 2 full days of this exercise. I felt all admiration when I recall the zest when the doctors prompted me to bring in the next kid for them to examine once they were done with the one that they were seeing. It was thoroughly heartwarming in and out.

Perk: Pak Kris hosted us over at his Batam Turi Resort and old as it may be, it was a pretty nice place and I could see how nice and pretty it literally is when it was in its more glorious days.

Check out the photos below.....

Planning out the administrative flow of the registration, pre-screening (taking of height and weight) as well as triaging of the 1760 kids, before seeing the doctors...

The entrance of the medical centre which we used for this project...

The tentage that was built to carry out the phase 1 activities...

On the actual day, under the tentage where phase 1 is carried out...
Notice the huge tentage at the back? Many Many Many Ibus and Anaks were being entertained by people hired by Pak Kris, while waiting to be registered...

Rooms where the doctors were settling in to see the kids...

Our nice bedrooms in Turi Resort Batam...

Our nice beds with MOSQUITO NETTING hanging over it...

Bleah...

Been reading and reading and reading... Ain't too sure if reading is one of the ways which I try to fill up the emptiness within me or what... But... reading sure makes me feel more anti-social. Hardly make plans for lunch or dinners these days unless it's pretty impromptu. I think I need something new, something more, something enriching... =/

Anyway, finished "The Glass Palace". It's a historically and culturally enriching book and very very detailed. I would say that Amitav Ghosh is a little too detailed for my liking but that doesn't make him any lesser of a good author. There are some parts I really liked and some parts which I found draggy...

Anyway, I've since moved on to my next book (since it's been a week since I blogged). Am reading Haruki Murakami's "Sputnik Sweetheart".

To be frank, I wasn't too impressed with the writing when I first started. But 3/4 of the way into the book, I got really impressed with the versatile styles of writing that Murakami has. Sumire's (the main female character) diary entry was really 'rich'...

"In the world we live in, what we know and what we don't know are like Siamese twins, inseparable, existing in a state of confusion.

Confusion, confusion.

Who can really distinguish between the sea and what's reflected in it? Or tell the difference between the falling rain and loneliness?

Without any fuss, then, I gave up worrying about the difference between knowing and not knowing. That became my point of departures. A terrible place to start, perhaps - but people need a makeshift springboard, right? All of which goes to explain how I started seeing dualisms such as theme and style, object and subject, cause and effect, the joints of my hands and the rest of me, not as black-and-white pairs, but as indistinguishable one from the other. Everything had spilled on the kitchen floor - the salt, pepper, flour, starch. All mixed into one fine blob."- Sumire

Another part of the novel that I liked - in the capacity of the main male character, K:

"She was far, far away. And most likely that was the future in a nutshell, Sumire growing ever more distant. It made me sad. I felt like I was some meaningless bug clinging for no special reason to a high stone wall on a windy night, with no plans, no beliefs." - K

Gonna finish this up real soon and alternate my next read with something light hearted? Trashy? - Like... 'FASHION BABYLON'... Hahaha.. thanks to Mark who bought it as one of the 3 for the price of 2 books at Borderrrrrrs.... lol... ________________________________________________________
P.S. Read this other part of the book during lunch, on my train ride... It's again part of Sumire's diary entry... I like...

"A question.

So what are people supposd to do if they want to avoid a collision (thud!) but still lie in the field, enjoying the clouds drifting by, listening to the grass grow - not thinking, in other words? Sounds hard? Not at all. Logically, it's easy. C'est simple. The answer is dreams. Dreaming on and on. Entering the world of dreams, and never coming out. Living in dreams for the rest of the time.

In dreams you don't need to make any distinctions between things. Not at all. Boundaries don't exist. So in dreams there are hardly ever collisions. Even if there are, they don't hurt. Reality is different. Reality bites.

Reality, reality." - Sumire ________________________________________________________

P.P.S. King & I was quite disappointing... Borne Ultimatum was good and Ratatouille was cute.. =)

Reclus-ing......

Got the picture from one of Mandy's photos from all her trips. This one came from her Europe Adventure from Pareeeeee... (Paris)...

Somehow the picture calls out to me. It kinda reminds me of how I've been feeling lately... heh....

I feel like a recluse!

Having said that, that's not to mean that I haven't been socialising or have been living like an island. I mean that somehow I'm more reflective lately and introspective. BUT I do think that I have a tendency to get that way when I immerse myself in books... (Not the trashy kind).

I have to admit that lately, there are moments when I feel that life's less meaningful. Sure seems like I lack passion in so many aspects of my life, for anything. Hits me right at home that the passion that fills one up, is usually the driving force behind many things... people, career, love and life...

Yet, when asked on how to get that passion back in me, I find it hard to provide an answer. Sigh... Is this one of the crisis in my life that many others often talk about? You know... quater-life crisis... mid-life crisis... Since when is life not a crisis??

Anyway, on a brighter note... a good friend of mine just got HITCHED (attached... not married...) and I'm terribly excited for her! =)

Thoughts...

This morning somehow turned out to be a rather thought provoking one. I supposed it started with my usual morning session of reading the book-of-the-day in my train-ride to work.

While "One for my baby" has proven to be a slow read, it's a rather enjoyable one. 1/3 way into the book and I find that Tony Parsons is pretty good with insights. His provision of them adds alot of weight and intimacy to his characters.


"Listening to Sinatra makes me feel as though I am not the only person in the universe who ever woke up to find themselves in some place that they never imagined. Listening to Sinatra makes me feel that I am no so alone. Listening to Sinatra makes me feel more human..........
I need this music the way normal men need food and football. Sinatra seems to point a way forward, to encourage me to get on with my life. When Sinatra sings of love dissolving, there is always the consolation of love to come. Love is like a bus in these songs. There's always another one along in a minute." - Alfie Budd in "One for my baby".

In the story, Alfie lost his wife in a scuba diving freak accident. His dad left his mum for another woman who was young enough to be his daughter. It brings across the message that life's never predictable and there's only so much that can be pre-empted or anticipated.

Translating this thought to real life, looking at what's been coming up on the news everyday, I can't help but ask if there's a point for forward planning. To look beyond the now and look into the future. I can't help but wonder what will possible happen to me, to us, in this age of uncertainty and possibilities.

Korean hostages and terrorism situations, natural disasters like the Peru Earthquakes and heatwaves, accidents like the Malaysia bus high-way incident, outbreaks of diseases and viruses and even once too often news of scams in China of which has negative health implications (from cardboard buns to toxic toothpaste to toys with lead paint that may be harmful if ingested by kids accidentally - Am thinking that China might be persecuted with news of such one after another cuz of the upcoming Beijing Olympics. Also, the cardboard-buns scandal have supposedly been discovered to be a SCAM. But what if it's a governmental effort to SCAM the SCAM? Lol.. just a thought...)

But I supposed being the earth-rooted me, the question that's always in the back of my mind is the "WHAT IF?" It's always the contingency plan that matters... that makes a difference.

It also hit me this morning for some reason or other that it's not such a bad thing having kids. That is if your kids are born healthy and fine. Kids can actually be viewed as an investment. There are risks for sure... just like any other investment - you never know what kinda person your kid might turn out to be... But you are investing in them for a lifetime of companionship... It's a high chance for them to be around until the day that you die... if you go by the law of age...

Oh well... so much thoughts for a Friday morning... if only I can get back to bed on this drab, dreary, rainy morning... sigh...

Next in line...

Finished "Little Earthquakes" and another book that I shall not even bother naming... *still drowning in the disbelief that I actually picked up a book like that and read through a good 3/4 of it...* I would call it the 'ULTIMATE TRASH'...

"Little Earthquakes" was kinda fun cuz it gave an insight and a vicarious experience to what preggie ladies and new mums go through in the early stages of child-rearing... Women do not just grapple with adapting to their new lives as a new-born's mother, they have to manage their raging and imbalanced hormones after pregnancy, not to mention issues that their husbands might throw in their path and in their faces. It's kind scary to think about the 'what-ifs', 'hows', 'why-like-thats' and 'what-should-I-dos'... The uncertainties is just daunting to think of...

Anyway... moving on to the next book... Which wasn't exactly the next in line... just that I happened to be near a library, so I decided to get rid of the 'Ultimate Trash' as soon as I could... Too embarrassed to be seen with it for too long...

Well, picked up Tony Parsons' "One for my baby". Seems promising so far... Since Tony Parsons' not unheard of... Will update soon...

*Seems like I've been doing a good job of it lately... this updating my blog business... Lol... *

The cutest bundle of joy!!

After the clash I had with Alpha male on Wednesday, things took another turn downhill on Friday... If I had thought that Wednesday was bad, then Friday was terribly worse!

I just can't imagine working with him all the time... I think I'll just die. While I would happily admit to any mistakes that I might have made in the course of work, or I would even stand there to have his spittle all over my face, I hate it when I get 'wrongly' accused of doing something that I wasn't supposed to, OR of not doing something that I was supposed to. And that happened like throughout the entire day. Truth being told, not only did I feel demoralised, I felt slighted even for not given credit when it was due...

However, I felt a little better when I was given a pat on the back and the words "A job well-done!" by my female boss who was actually more of my direct boss. I really wish that I wouldn't need to interact with that Alpha male that much...

All that being said, my weekend wasn't a bad one once my duties were relieved on Saturday morning. The highlight was being entertained by the cutest little bundle of joy!!!!

Baby Damien & Me!

I only laugh and hardly cry!

He has the cutest and most adorable face... chubby cheeks and all... Also, he was a bundle of all laughter and giggles!! CUTE!!!! =)

I could smother him in kisses all day long!! xxx...

Wham! Bang! Clash!

Lol... the title of this post sums up my day at work which ended with my very first clash with the renown Alpha male in the office...

Seriously, I think the world would be a more beautiful place to live in if we could all read each other's minds, especially those of our BOSSES.

Sometimes I can't help but feel that bosses are such busy creatures that they segment their minds many sections such that, they themselves get lost trying to track which part of their minds they used to talk to you re any subject / topic / issue.

It's unbelieveable how information that was reiterated again and again to them, seem like a brand new piece of information. Not only that, they sometimes change their minds so abruptly and expect us to be able to read it without any form of communication from them to us. Amazing isn't it?

In my future job interviews, I shall emphasize on the fact that WHILE I lack the ability to, I shall constantly try to develop telepathic frequencies with those around and above me.

Now, for a challenge...

The Myers-Briggs Personality Test......

Was having lunch the other day when I chanced upon a book fair...

Was browsing around when I spotted this book "The Pathfinder - How to Choose or Change Your Career for a Lifetime of Satisfaction and Success". When I turned the book around, I saw that it was going for like only $12 and so I decided to buy it cuz I do remember reading book reviews of this book.

With my whole slew of books waiting for me to read, I couldn't bring myself to start on this book yet. However, I saw that they have a slimmed down version of the Myers-Briggs personality test and decided to have a go at it.

I turned out to be a ISFJ... (Introvert, Sensors, Feeling, Judging)

And what this means is the following:

"Warm, conscientious, loyal, considerate, helpful, calm, quiet, devoted, gentle, open, nurturing, practical, patient, responsible, dependable, very observant, sensitive, holistic, inclusive, spontaneous, pragmatic, tactile, respectful, noncompetitive, sympathetic, painstaking and thorough, efficient, traditional.

The most service-oriented of all types. Very much in touch with their inner processes as well as the world around them. Seek harmony for themselves and all others. Serene, appreciative, in tune. Do not impose themselves or their opinions on others. Do no need to control. Find their own creative way to get the job done. Learn by doing. Uninterested in abstractions and theories. Use standard operating procedures only when they are best method for reaching the goals. Often creative and highly skilled, but so adverse to imposing that they are easily overlooked and their contributions go unnoticed."

You know what? Some of these thoughts occurred to me more than once even before I did this test. But it's just another test... At the end of the day, what really happens is what I make out of it and carry out any form of action.

_________________________________________________________

On another separate note, I finished reading "Memories of my Melancholy Whores" and how should I put it...

It was beautiful yet warped. I thought that it's kinda like a piece of art in Gabriel García Márquez's time. It reminds me of movies like "Quills" - Featuring Geoffrey Rush playing as 'Marquis de Sade'.

Actually borrowed another book from the Library by Gabriel to have a more complete picture of his art...

Moving on to my next book... "Little Earthquakes" - Am actually a little embarassed to be carrying this book around cuz it depicts this baby pinkish, teddy bearish book cover... but hey! A lady deserves to read a trashy novel for light entertainment once in a while, don't you think?

Anyway, 1/3 into the book and don't think it's trashy. Just never judge a book by its cover... =P

Never Let Me Go...

Finished the book that Gracie lent me... It was... fascinating... and real... and sad at the same time... It questions morality that deals with everything human...

Kazuo Ishiguro's weaving of the story with words and descriptions was done so intricately... Without spelling out to readers in their face what was actually happening, he managed to craft the story in such a manner that there was no other way you could interprete the story. Yet, there's a great deal to think about when the final page has been read.

Just a little spoiler on the book:
"This kind of insight into our real lives makes "Never Let Me Go" powerful to read despite its simple plot. Kathy and her friends suffer the sort of conflicts that could happen to any of us, but knowing that they are doomed to an early death heightens the impact of their troubles. But on further reflection, we realize that our lot is not so very different from theirs, even if it may take eighty years to play out instead of thirty."

Anyhow... moving on to my next book... Yup, I'm back to my erratic phase when I'll jump and bury myself in books just one after another. Borrowed 4 books from the library yest!! Heee... *Hippeeeee!*

On another note... I'll hate it when they remove the Orchard library end of this year... Guess Bishan's gonna be one... =/

Oh my weak pocket and frail heart..

Urgh... *faint*

*breathes faintly.....*

Can't believe that I've mercilessly depleted a substantial bit of my savings on my indulgent spends in the last month... *gasp*

Just did a quick peek on my balance and the above mentioned was my reaction to the number that I saw... Am never good with numbers... and never really liked them... but when it comes to bank account balance... *Ursp*

Oh well... gonna tighten my purse strings u bet!

*locks credit cards and atm cards away*

A quick post on my supposedly 'career' destiny...

I discovered a really intriguing 'test' that identifies my strengths lately, thanks to Mr. Jack Hong... I thought the test was really accurate and it kinda puts a perspective on my life and the way I lead my life and my behavior... But that shall be another entry on its own...

Just a quick one before I go to bed tonight... Just amazing how astrology.com hits the nail on the head even if it's really supposed to be generic...


Free Sample Career Path Reading for Zen

Your Individuality: Sun in Capricorn

You were born under the sign of CAPRICORN and your ruling planet is Saturn, the planet of patience, wisdom and maturity.

Your Sun sign is CARDINAL and this indicates that you were born to be a leader, either in thought or action. You are never completely satisfied in a subordinate position carrying out the ideas of others, unless they are part of your aspirations. You are comfortable working independently or occupying a leadership position.

Capricorn is an EARTH sign and this makes you realistic, practical and concrete. You will have a strong desire to accomplish material goals and need to feel that your career or enterprises permit you to grow a little more each year.

WOoOOooohhhh.....

Finally... The Tipping Point...

Finally.... finished reading the book. Have to admit that there was somewhat some kinda inertia when reading this. Hahaa... I was rather slow in absorbing what proved to be rather interesting theories. Guess at this point of time in my life, I was looking for more light-hearted stuff...

Anyway, decided to try my luck and put the book up for grabs in Yahoo Auctions. I figured that I should do this once I know that books that I buy are not meant for keeps in my collection. Got to do this before it collects cob webs and dust in my 'filled-to-the-brim' book cupboard.

However, decided to post up some notes here so that I can recall and reflect on my take-aways on this book...

Plot:
The Tipping Pt is the moment when an idea, trend or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips and spreads like wildfire i.e. like an epidemic. This phenomenon is crucial in the selling and dissemination of ideas and information.

Key Factors:
i) The Law of the Few - You don't need many people to make an idea or a project successful. All you need is just a few. However, these few have to be exceptional people who are able to spread the word through social connections and energy, enthusiasm and personality.

ii) The Stickiness Factor - The key in successful marketing campaigns is the element of contagiousness. It means to make the idea reach as many people as possible because there is an impact in the method of marketing. It sticks in peoples' memories and it's difficult to get it out of your head. For example, it's difficult to forget KFC's "Finger licking good" tagline, Pizza Hut's "235-35-35" jingle or the Telly Tubbies, Hi-Five or the Sesame Street for kids.

iii) The Power of Context - Epidemics are strongly influenced by their situations - by the circumstances, conditions and particulars of the environments in which they operate. Even the smallest and subtlest and most unexpected of factors can affect the way we act. The key to getting people to change their behavior, in other words, to care, sometimes lies with the smallest details of their immediate situation.

For example, in a robbery case in a certain neighbourhood, the alarm may ring loud and strong in the middle of the night, but being in a neighbourhood of perhaps a few hundred people, the robbery may go neglected as everyone might be thinking that "Oh, one of the others will contact the police...".

Main casts:
There are usually 3 types of protagonists in the Law of the Few.

i) Connectors - People with a special gift for bringing the World together, people who knows alot of people, has alot of networks AND has the ability to connect and introduce one party to another in a relevant context. They usually have a extraordinary knack of making friends and acquaintances.

ii) Mavens - People with the power to spark word-of-mouth epidemics because they are influential. Mavens are people who accumulates knowledge and information and are more socially motivated to share their knows with the people around them. Their main motivation lies in the want to help and educate.

iii) Salesmen -People with persuasive powers.

Summary: Mavens provide the information, connectors are social glue and salesmen basically do what they do best, sell.

Most importantly as well, intuitions should be heard AND tested for human beings are intuitive creatures.


And there you have it... the big picture... don't you wonder if these are factors which makes the apple and the tick globally renown???

Interesting... isn't it?

It's been noisy...

There's alot of noise up in my head and it hurts so bad... I want them to go away... =(

I think it's time for some solitude and quietness...



Way back into love (Music and Lyrics)

I've been living with a shadow overhead
I've been sleeping with a cloud above my bed
I've been lonely for so long
Trapped in the past, I just can't seem to move on

I've been hiding all my hopes and dreams away
Just in case I ever need em again someday
I've been setting aside time
To clear a little space in the corners of my mind

All I want to do is find a way back into love
I can't make it through without a way back into love
Oh oh oh

I've been watching but the stars refuse to shine
I've been searching but I just don't see the signs
I know that it's out there
There's got to be something for my soul somewhere

I've been looking for someone to shed some light
Not just somebody just to get me throught the night
I could use some direction
And I'm open to your suggestions

All I want to do is find a way back into love
I can't make it through without a way back into love
And if I open my heart again
I guess I'm hoping you'll be there for me in the end

There are moments when I don't know if it's real
Or if anybody feels the way I feel
I need inspiration 

Not just another negotiation

All I want to do is find a way back into love
I can't make it through without a way back into love 

And if I open my heart to you
I'm hoping you'll show me what to do
And if you help me to start again
You know that I'll be there for you in the end

Tea Cosy at Eclectic Attic...

Had dinner over at Tea Cost at Eclectic attic the other evening at Plaza Sing... Was tempted very much by the variety of Foie Gras dishes that they seem to be offering.... It was a very nice place! =)

Very quaint restaurant design. They sell the furnitures that are being used as restaurant tables and chairs too!! =) Reminds me a little of Paisley and Cream actually. Very 'English'....

Prawn Cocktail and Wild Mushroom Soup on the left. On the right, we have Foie Gras with Apricot Jam!

Some Dory fish dish and a closer pic of the Foie Gras!!

Alritey... I'm bushed... attended Petrina's Church weddding and lunch reception today, followed by 'Xiao Gua's' ROM and Walas after... waiting for my hair to dry now actually. Need to go sleep soon!!! Early day tomorrow again... Chel's wedding waiting for me!

Will update with more pics soon! =)

And my stars read...

"While learning what you don't want is important, thinking about your romantic future in positive terms is also important -- especially when it comes to conveying it to others, online or in real time!"

I was told not to think too much for now.. Give myself a real break... I think a break I should take then... =/

Anyway, received some pictures from Liqin again today... Taken from Marcus' and Cynthia's ROM. Obviously, she did some magic to the photos... Haha... Suddenly, I seem to have flawless complexion... You'll see what I mean....




Can't believe that I've got 3 weddings this weekend! Two on Sat and one on Sun! It's the 070707.. just like the 060606 phenomenon... I think I have up to 121212 OR 200122012 to get myself married... Hhahaa... OR we can have it 2102/2012... That's quite cool too! Wahahaha.... *I must be really bored... =P*

Games night at Yilin's sometime back...

Am SO SO SO NOT in the mood for work today... Bosses are out of office and I couldn't lift my spirits to embrace work... lol...

Anyway, was revisiting some of the photos from games night at Yilin's some time back and thought the pix were actually quite cute.

We played quite a number of games but the funniest and cutest I suppose was Dilbert... Decided to post the pictures here for memory sake... =P

New lappie!!

Stayed up till 3 plus am last night setting up my new lappie!

Got everything up and going, short of programs... But I think I got a pretty decent deal... May not be the best around but oh well... I'm committed...

Couldn't believe how I dealt myself a damage of $1599 within 30 mins after lunch...

Had a lunch meeting, after which I popped by Funan to purchase Norton Internet Security for my office terminal... reached Funan and realised that there was a laptop deal going on. Buying a lappie has been on my mind for the last few weeks, since I shifted the desktop out to the study for Daddy's convenience... thought more about it when Mummy highlighted the Courts' deals on Acers and HPs... Went Sim Lim to compare prices but nothing caught my eye that was within minimal budget of $1500. Would have loved a Fujitsu.. but really... I wouldn't have been worthy of such pricey lappies... I'm a basic user...

Anyway, walked into Lenovo after checking out the "Beat the GST hike" deals that were going on on the ground floor, in the atrium. Saw one that was not exactly within my budget, but pretty close, going at $1599. What's more, they were giving a 1GB RAM add on... I thought that was pretty decent considering that I'll be having 2GB RAM for a $1.5K lappie.

What's more, it comes with a NVIDIA GeForce Graphics card... (Good for gaming if I decide to go back to that)... and it's a 1.66Ghz (T5500) processor... And it's not the ugly black IBM design kinda lappie.. it's in 2 tone silver - light and dark... heh...

And so.... my heart was moved... But I was determined to look for a better deal... I spend the next 20 minutes, walking in and out of the other surrounding shops. And guess what.... the other deals I found were all going for $1699 / $1799 WITHOUT the 1GB RAM add-on... so I was SOLD...

Went back to the shop... said that I was keen to buy... asked to upgrade Vista Home basic to Vista Home premium and they said they can't do that... due to licensing issues (excuses so a friend said)... and I asked what else they can throw in... they said it comes with a lappie bag... I was like... "Anything else extra cuz that's standard package?"... and the sales guy went... "Laptop sleeve?"... I was like... "errrr... Okies... I think I need a mouse..." and so I got myself an Microsoft Optical Mouse for my lappie too! Hahaha... Ain't such a big deal I know... but being the typical Singaporean, some useful freebie's better than no freebie at all!! hehe....

Anyway, here's my new toy!! =)



Haha.... pretty tempted to customise my lappie cover some how or other..... but see how that goes... Lol... In the meantime, here I am, blogging with my new toy! =) *heartache... ^$^... but happy! =) )

Some overdued posts...

Heh... Some of the stuff that I wanna blog about is long overdued... but it's better late than never I suppose... Moreover, one of the purpose of this blog is for me to note down things that I might wanna remember in the future... for moments of nostalgia... =)

Went to a really pretty place for lunch the other day with Mandy and Kris... Located at Central, it has a really pretty name, "Paisley and Cream"... The place has a really nice ambience but food's ok only... I though it was a little pricey though.. However, so happens that they are having a 30% discount of ala-carte menu items in conjunction with the Great Singapore Sale...

P.S. They sell alot of the pretty cupcakes too!

I think I've just been eating too much lately... All the rich food that I've been stuffing myself is simply unimaginable!!

Went to Graze at No. 4 Rochester with Danielle and Matt yest. It was partly to do a site recce of their wedding venue. Yes... am gonna be a wedding coordinator yet again... A very nice place... Pricey food but quality's ensured... Though it was a paid dinner, the General Manager was really nice to offer us dessert on the house and when the dessert came to the table, we got looks from the others beside us... our dessert consisted a sample of almost everything they have on the dessert menu!!

Anyway... after reaching home yest evening... I remembered that we were going to meet Celine this evening for dinner to kinda celebrate her really belated birthday... And it struck me that I haven't wrapped her present or anything... So I decided to take the short way out...

Stayed up a little later to do this up for her...

And I thought I wanted to wrap up her present too... but it was 2+am in the morning and I was too freaking sleepy... and this was what I meant by the short way out... =P

Lol... and NO, her present's not from La SENZA... To think of it, I really wouldn't know what to buy her from La SENZA... Heh...

Alritey... I guess I spent enuff time at work on this blog... =P Time to head back to what I'm supposed to be doing... More pix and updates to come! =)

Gobi!

And you wonder what's GOBI? Let me tell u more...

They are the most quaint, delicate and delicious dessert that I've come across...




Danielle bought these as dessert when we met at her friend's place for dinner yesterday night... They do not only look pretty, but they are absolutely heavenly! =) Perfect for those with a sweet tooth! =)

Our gift for Trish on her Wedding day...

Something that I put together for Trishy's wedding... Poem written by all of us the 'AJ Gang'... or so we call ourselves... =)


Trishy’s Montage

P.S. Oh well, this is the best I can get the player to fit and show almost 80% of the picture file... albeit the oddness of it all...Otherwise half the picture's missing from the window... Goes to show how much of an idiot I am at scripting... =P

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

More on Trishy's wedding...

And so the day came and went just like that... And do I have anything to say about the wedding? I have tonnes... But I guess some thoughts and memories of my friend's big day are best kept as sweet memories to myself.

However, I do think that the wedding went really well. It was a beautiful wedding... The best part of the wedding though, was not the luxury of the wedding or the pretty things... but rather, the chemistry that I see between the couple. I would say that they are really made for each other. They may not be perfect on their own, but they compliment each other very very well. Looking at them, I could see the level of understanding and communication that they share... and I guess when Trish said that Marky's her soul mate, I could see why... For once truly, I felt envious of a couple...

Heh... Happy I am, for the both of them, and I'm very sure that this is definitely a beginning of a beautiful life that they will be spending together for the rest of their lives... =)

Boo Hoo...

The picture says it all... Boo hoo! I failed the test...

While a part of me wasn't holding too much expectations on passing it the first time, I guess I'm always lousy with failures... It hit me harder than I expected... Din feel too good yesterday... haha...

Oh well, guess I got to try again... =)

Jitters...

Am waiting to take my driving test for the first time in my life later at 2.45pm. Would it be the only time or the first of a couple to come?

A question to which I have yet to have an answer....

Anyway, while I'm waiting for the later half of the day, I can't help but feel a little jitterrrrrry... Heh...

So wish me luck and watch this space for the answer to the question above...

I'm so tired!!!

I'm so tired that I feel like this...



I suppose it's cause of the late nights that I have been keeping up, trying to do up the photo montage for Trishy's wedding. But, I suppose for a good friend... It's worth it. Afterall, it's once in a lifetime (Traditionally and conservatively), that one gets married...

Work's so far been good... busy but I feel good. Would definitely have felt better if I'm not so tired and sleepy at work. There's alot to achieve and I'm really hopeful and hoping that I'll be able to achieve some of these that are set out for me to do.

People around me have been rather encouraging. It kinda feels good and right for now... However, I've been around enough to know that life's like a roller coaster... While you can anticipate, you never really know how it's going to be until you are at the peak or at the dip of the track.

Well, hopefully after Trishy's wedding this Sunday, I'll be able to have better rest and next week would be a better and more energetic week! =)

New cubicle...

Pretty much set up my new cubicle today... basically it was just a shift of all the stuff over from URA to here...

Was really expecting a laptop, so was a little dismayed when I saw a brand new HP desktop on my table...

I'm not sure if this determines my work scope, my working hours, or my mobility... Oh well... see how things go...

I'm actually quite lucky...

Despite all the griping about re salary and pay... I need to be reminded often that money is not everything in this world...

Quote of the day re a farewell party organised by my BOSS for me:

"OK - will be there by 7.30 then. Tks.

cc: Hope to see everyone there - the more the merrier! Doesn't matter if you "don't know" Zen, its never too late to get to know someone as nice as her."


*Sobz*... it better PAY to be venturing into the unknown... *sobz*

Some overdued posts...

Did I tell you guys about how I finally satisfied my craving for Foie Gras?

Well, made a trip down to The French Stall with Rob a couple of weekends ago and it was not too bad a trip! The food was really quite yummy! What's more... I had two decent-sized pieces of Foie Gras and it wasn't pricey at all! =)




Just when I thought I had consumed enough calories to last me a week, the very next day, we went to Sakae to spend the $20 voucher that I had!



Told myself to go on a diet after after... obviously... it didn't happen... =P

Scrap Booking for Cat...

Had my first attempt at the 'new-age' type of scrap booking yesterday night, after getting the developed photos from Yi Lin... Idea proposed by Flo, we were each supposed to do up a page so that Flo can bind it into a book as a farewell gift for Cat...

Hrrm... Not too bad an attempt I had, I would say... Spent 2 hours plus on it though!

Sigh... there are so many things I wanna do! I wanna explore digital scrap booking as well... Which I will have the opportunity to do so SOON! =)

Heavy...

My heart feels heavy...

I don't want it to...

I want to be happy... =)

WE WON!!!!

Our numbers....



The winning numbers...



Ok la.. not too bad.. each of us who shared won $8... =P

Nice luck, nice start... =P Hee...