Goat In Small Group

What Do You Think?

2011-04-12T13:55:00.002+08:00

When I was flipping thru the newspapers yesterday, I came across an advertisement for a Mount Vernon Sanctuary. It boasted of a 6-star parlour, lush fauna and flora for a sense of comfort and tranquility and private family rooms. But the one-liner that caught my eye was "Free WI-FI access". If you're there to pay respects to your loved ones, should you be surfing the Net at all?

After all, isn't it all about being respectful??

http://www.mountvernon.com.sg/mvsfactsheet.html

Farewell, John

2010-05-15T05:45:00.001+08:00

Yesterday, a colleague passed away. John Loh Kin Chung was only thirty-eight. He passed away due to some form of cancer. The story was, he knew that something was wrong and he'd gone to see the doctor. He was given six months but yet, he chose to keep it a secret from his wife and parents, not wanting them to worry. They eventually found out and by then, he only had three weeks left before he passed on.

I admire him. I admire him for being able to keep the biggest secret ever, from his loved ones, to spare them the pain and agony. THAT, is selfless.

Imagine : You only have a few more months to live. You would probably want to do as much as you can. Cross off those things that you have always wanted to do? Tick those boxes off the "bucket list"? Like take a cruise in the Bahamas, swim with the sharks in South Africa, go bungy-jumping in New Zealand, splurge on a relaxing seven-star holiday resort in the Maldives. Have children. Grow old.

But yet, he couldn't and he didn't. He had to pretend to live a normal life. His normal life. All for the sake of the people he loved and cared for.

Rest in peace, John.

Busted!!!

2010-05-12T20:10:00.005+08:00

Scene : Bak Kut Teh restaurant at Joo Chiat Road
Friends : Moi, Mei, Irene and Jeremy

I was telling them that I ordered Kentucky delivery for dinner last night. And how they had this special promotion set "Buddy Meal", which consists of thighs, drumsticks, whipped potato, coleslaw and Pepsi - two of each item, of course. Hence, Buddy Meal :)

My close friends know that I have this thing about chicken - I ONLY eat drumsticks, thighs and wings. Giblets included. I stay away from the tough and dry stuff - the breast meat. Never liked it. Never will. So this Buddy Meal was MY kinda meal. I didn't have to go thru the hassle of requesting certain chicken parts (the counter person always gives me THE look when I do that!!) or getting upset when I don't get my request met. After all, a friggin piece of chicken costs $2.90, the last time I checked! I should think that I have the right to choose my parts! Anyway, that's another story all together.

Then Jeremy chipped in and said, "Do you know that you just revealed your age when you said that you ordered Kentucky?"

Moi : *blank look*

Apparently, kids these days, call it KFC. His kid, Denzel, does not know what KFC stands for. Just that it means fried chicken. Only the old-timers like me, and Jeremy, call it Kentucky.

I feel old :(

The One

2010-05-12T07:36:00.003+08:00

He makes you smile ... when he says Hello
He makes you laugh ... with his stories
He makes you blush ... when he tells you you're beautiful
He makes you feel loved .. when he says he misses you
He makes you feel like you're the only woman in the world.

Funny how that one person who can do all of the above and more ..

Is also the only one who ...
Makes your heart ache
Makes you wanna curl up in bed all day
Makes you feel so alone in a mall full of people
Makes you feel so hollow and dead inside
Makes you hurt so bad.

Did They Really Say That???!!!

2010-04-15T01:07:00.006+08:00

Melissa Smith, a stripper who allegedly had a two-year affair with Jesse James, said,

"He never used a condom. I could have gotten pregnant."

Coming from a stripper. Precious.

I DID IT!

2009-10-20T20:09:00.001+08:00

Today at 1906, I finally got the courage?? guts?? to delete Bastard-Mofo's MSN from my contact list.

I know, I know. I should have done it two years ago. When the hurt was still fresh. It's not any less now as I do still think of him constantly. And wonder what he's doing. I'm not afraid to admit that I still have that little itty-bitty piece of hope in me, that one day he'll wake up and regret what he did and realise that it's been ME that he has loved all this time. He'll come back, begging on his knees and I'll take him back in my arms.. All is well again..

Ya, RIGHT! I know I have to wake up from this fantasy of mine. So today, I took another step. I deleted his MSN. I still have a long, long way to go. Being the sentimental fool I've always been. But one step at a time, no matter how small, how hard it's going to be, I'm going to have to do it. Alone.

Next, Ed-Mofo's MSN!

4th October 2009

2009-10-04T23:59:00.007+08:00

3rd Oct
11:00pm - Just got home from Joyce's wedding dinner

4th Oct
12:00am - Fast asleep in bed
04:00am - Woke up, pack bag, iron uniform, print out paperwork
05:15am - Took shower and started to get ready for work
06:15am - Uncle came to pick me up
07:05am - Officially on the clock
11:45am - Took a break
02:45pm - Break over
10:45pm - Clocking out
11:30pm - Checked in. Had a bak-chang for supper
11:59pm - Day is over. It was just another day. Like every other day.

That was how I spent my birthday.

Happy Birthday to me ..
Happy Birthday to me ..
Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday to ME!!

Running On Empty

2009-09-21T02:09:00.005+08:00

It has been fifty-four hours since I had my last meal!

Date : 18th Sept 2009

Time : 8PM
Location : Mongkok Restaurant located on Gouger Street, Adelaide
Cuisine : Szechuan food
Menu : {1} Steamed oysters and scallops with black bean sauce {2} Dry-fried long beans with chopped dried shrimp {3} Spicy preserved fatty pork strips, fried with gow-choy and preserved vegetables {4} Steamed rice

That was the last decent meal I had. It is now 2am on the the 21st Sept and all I've had since then, was a lot of Coke, a packet of milk, three ice creams, two packets of salt & vinegar chips and some Khong Guan lemon biscuits. Not all at the same time, of course! And yet, I'm not ravenously hungry.

Since I came home on the 19th evening, I haven't done anything except sleep, lie in bed, read my book and newspapers, surf aimlessly and text friends on my phone. The thought of walking to the mall for food was too exhausting. Calling for delivery was too expensive and besides, I only wanted a piece of chicken or two. Peggy's family is around so I stayed in my room and out of the kitchen, hence no instant noodles either. All I had were the biscuits and chips in my room.

I'm going to get ready for work in an hour. Should I eat something light in case I faint from lack of food? Or should I just have another can of Coke?

My Poor Fan

2009-04-24T18:26:00.007+08:00

This is the story of THE FAN...

It was a tiny, little thing - standing at 3 feet 0 inches? It was some unheard-of brand, it wasn't very powerful and it had a tendency to shake and tremble if you chose the fastest speed. And it couldn't oscillate either - it could only blow in one direction. But it was better than nothing!

It was probably Karen's fan. I don't remember buying it - it just appeared at the Tampines home one day. It was in the spare room upstairs?? I think Karen must have bought it for guests when they came to stay over. After she moved out, she left the fan behind. I brought it with me to my Bedok apartment where it was placed in the dining room, providing me with much relief on a hot day. When I moved to Pasir Ris in April, this trusty old fan came along too.

Andrew came by one day, to help me with my Ikea stuff. The big oaf thought the fan was a little too close to the sofa so he tried to push it away. He didn't know that there was a ledge on the floor (a step-down to the balcony area) and my poor fan went toppling over! Ka-boom!

My fan came apart. The front grill popped off and the blue blades flew to one side. The main stand was also a little wonky. We tried to fix it but like Humpty-Dumpty, it could not be put back together again..

Andrew offered to pay for the fan. But how do you put a price to something that you've had for years and years?? An old faithful! Got sentimental value one, OK!! Thankfully, I had a cheap Akira fan in storage, which I bought for Kek when he moved in but he never used it, so that has since replaced the little fan in the living room, yes - next to the sofa.

Many, many days later, I lugged the forlorn, broken fan downstairs to the recycling dumpster. I was almost sure that it waved its little blue blade at me to say Goodbye when I left .. :(

Old Liao !!!

2009-03-27T18:16:00.005+08:00

My Shinco SDP-5860 DVD player broke down over two years ago, after four months of use. Since I bought it from EBay and I didn't have a valid warranty and I didn't know where the service centre was, I never got around to getting it fixed. I bought an LG player from Harvey Norman instead, thinking that I would rather pay a bit more to get a better brand and also a warranty. After the first major move from Tampines to Bedok, I misplaced the Shinco player in one of my many boxes and totally forgot about it.

When I found it again last week, I decided that I would get it fixed. Maybe sell it on EBay and get some money back. So today, I went down to the service centre at Tannery Road. The guy took one look at it and went, "Wahhh! This model har?" He tested it out, handed it back to me and said, "Don't waste your money." The player still looks brand new. Now I have to throw it away. Damn.

Since I was in the mood for fixing stuff, I decided to get my Canon S820 printer fixed too. The paper feeder wasn't working . So I bought another cheap-cheap Canon printer to tide me through till I got the old one working again. Temporary measures, I thought. And as usual, I've delayed fixing the old printer till now. It's been six months?

I lugged the printer up to the service centre this afternoon and the young chap at the counter, gave me a look, "Wow, this is an old model. But this model was one of the top ones at that time la." I think he added that last line in when I started to glare at him. He tested it out and told me that the gear was not working. As it was an old model, they didn't have the spare parts anymore. So he gave me an option to trade in my printer for a new one. But I already had a new one!! I wanted my old one back :o(

All I got was a piece of paper, giving me the option to upgrade my printer. I could also trade in my old printer ink, which I thought was good as I still had about 3 boxes left. So now, I have to look up the Canon website and see which printer I want and give them a call. Free delivery too. I must say that the service is really good. I give them two thumbs up!!

Today has reinforced what I have known all this time. When things get old and you can't fix them or get them in tip-top working condition again, you would rather just get a newer model. Something that would last you a while longer than try to fix the one that you have. I think men generally, follow that rule when it comes to gadgets. And women.

WTF.

Mustafa Calling ...

2009-03-19T18:31:00.002+08:00

Eddy called at 6:15pm today. From Mustafa.

Ed : Eh, you want to change Pesos or not? I'm at Mustafa now.
Sk : Dunno lei. How much you changing?
Ed : Seraj said that we need about S$500 per person.
Sk : How much you have? I don't think you have $1k on you now, right?
Ed : No, I think I have about $600??
Sk : Then where got enough? You change for yourself first la.
Ed : Ok la. Bye.

WTF. The phone call was a total waste of time. If Eddy has any romantic bones in his body, I would like to think that he missed my voice and just thought of an excuse to call. Fat hopes, Girl!

I really do not know what is going on in his head. Does he call me to let me know that he still has a life without me? That he is out shopping while I am rotting at home? Does he call just to taunt me? Like,"Hey, you're home??!! Hah Hah! I'm outside in the real world with real people and you're still caught up in your own misery! Hah Hah!" The last time he did that, he called from his carpark to tell me that he was going out for dinner with his friends.

I don't need to know that. I DON'T WANT to know that! WTF.

Stoopid Things I Do

2009-03-10T05:57:00.000+08:00

I was at the pharmacy in Las Vegas, getting a bottle of water, when I saw this : sunscreen in a spray can! Which I thought was COOL! Now I don't have to get my hands all greasy from applying the gooky stuff. It was SPF50 and Ultra Sweatproof too. AS IF I go into the sun and do lots of sports, right? Well, it was sunny in Vegas and since I was planning to be outdoors for the next few days, I thought that I'd better get some protection before my "freckles" get any worse!

So the next day, before I checked out of the hotel, I decided to put some on. The description said " Ultra Sweatproof so it won't run into your eyes and sting." So I gave the can a good shake and sprayed it on my face.

#$%^&*(@#$%^&* WTF! It stung my eyes and I was tearing! I thought I was going blind! Eventually, I managed to wash it out of my eyes. But I was so upset when I thought, Hey, I'm in the States. I could sue for false advertising! So I picked up the can and read it again. This time, I read the instructions : Do not spray directly on face. Spray into hands and apply to face.

The silly things I do. Damn.

Time Management Needed

2009-03-09T04:12:00.003+08:00

I just had a look at the calendar. I only have six full days in the coming weeks to pack my entire house! WTF.

I packed eight boxes yesterday and that was the easy stuff. I now have 95% more to go. Sheesh! I really can't afford to waste any more time. But yet, I can sit here and blog! Haha :o) Jean and Ray will probably have to help me again. And I will have to hear the usual refrain from her : Throw la! Throw la! I just hope that all my roster changes and leave applications will be approved. That will give me a bit more time to pack.

Darn. I hate moving.

Expired!

2009-03-08T20:11:00.000+08:00

3 bottles of Amo contact lens solution

Still in its packaging

Expired

A bottle of Clairol Leave-In Conditioner
Bought it in Jul 2000

A bottle of Listerine
Manufactured SEP 2005
Expired SEP 2007

Another bottle of Amo solution
Manufactured FEB 2005
Expired FEB 2005

Fresh White Musk Fantasy - barely used
Tommy Hilfiger Girl - almost finished
Christian Dior I Love Dior - new bottle
Calvin Klein - almost finished

A whole box of Imedeen supplements
Expired

Sign On The Dotted Line ...

2009-03-06T19:30:00.002+08:00

FINALLY!!!

I signed my new rental contract at 7pm today. But yet, I do not feel the joy nor a sigh of relief. I have been encountering way too many setbacks and hiccups that I do not dare allow myself to celebrate until the day I officially move into the new place. April 15th, 2009.

40 days and 40 nights. Before I can get a good night's sleep :o(

Pet Peeve

2009-03-02T20:16:00.000+08:00

Have you ever met people who use umbrellas when they are on the sheltered walkways?

You have an umbrella. Walk in the rain. You're still sheltered. Let others try to stay dry!
Don't expect people to give way to you just because you have this "imaginary bubble" that you're walking under. People only give way because they are afraid of getting poked!
Excuse me! You're making the dry people "wet" because you brought your dripping umbrella onto the walkway.
Why are you using the umbrella under a shelter anyway?
If you're short, please make way for taller people. Which means, carry your darn umbrella high up and not at other people's line of sight. You could poke an eye and seriously hurt someone!
Please have some courtesy. Close your darn umbrella. Simple. And yet, so many people are just too stupid to do it.

WTF.

Eilyx & Xylia

2009-02-28T16:35:00.002+08:00

Eilyx Lim and Xylia Lim. Cool names, huh?

Eilyx looks like Nick while Xylia has her own unique look. She has really cherubic cheeks that you just want to kiss all the time. She also has a little birthmark on her right arm, just like me! We're special girls, you know :o)

They are both very pretty and totally photogenic. But what I like about them is that they remind me of children of yesteryear's. They are not afraid of playing in the sandbox or getting their hands dirty. They don't run to Winnie or a maid when they fall down. They don't throw tantrums or shun away from people when people greet them or play with them. They enjoy the outdoors. And they are creative. They drew themselves a little house in the sand with smoke from a chimney, made a little pathway with little stones and a garden with trees and leaves! I forgot to take a picture *smack on head*
I was glad I was able to capture a few beautiful pictures of Eilyx. Xylia was a bit more elusive, always turning away or making faces. In the last photo, she knew I was taking her picture but she turned her back on me. But she was giggling the whole time so you knew that she was doing it for fun.
Children!

Casket??

2009-02-25T21:35:00.002+08:00

Would you buy a watch from the CASKET series? When I saw this catalogue, I was amused. I immediately thought of coffins and dead bodies. But a search on Wiki revealed that a casket is a receptacle for trinkets and jewelery.

Hmmm ...

But ...

NAHHHH!!

My Ramen Dinner

2009-02-25T19:10:00.008+08:00

I found this little ramen place, along one of the alleys in the Shinjuku area. I love anything soupy so when I saw this, I just had to try it. It looks like Maggi Mee but was much nicer as the ramen had "spring" and the soup was just right to warm your tummy on a cold night. It's a little spicy and chockful of vegetables, with a few slices of beef. Oh, I added the egg for extra yum.

It was Y$580 for the noodles, an extra Y$100 for the egg. Cheap, by Tokyo standards.

Delish!

Housing Woes With Kek

2009-02-23T02:46:00.014+08:00

Kek is my housemate. He moved here in September '08 when he decided to rent out his own condo unit, moved his family back to Penang and rented my spare room. He is hardly around as he is always away for work and he goes back to Malaysia when he can. The perfect housemate! He does dribble all over the toilet seat though :o(

When my landlord told us that he was selling the house, Kek agreed to move with me, provided that we kept to his budget of $600 for his room. I was positive that we would find a unit for the same price as the newspapers were always reporting that rentals were going down as more and more people were getting retrenched or sent home. I started viewing flats in the East area, namely Bedok, Tampines and Pasir Ris. To my shock, I could not find a decent place that was below $1800! But I assumed that he would understand once I updated him on the rental market situation and adjust his budget accordingly.

I texted Kek but there was no reply. He was never online. Until a week later. I was in Los Angeles. Two o'clock in the morning : I saw his name and immediately buzzed him. He was not going to pay beyond $600. He explained - his needs were simple - a basic room for him when he's in town and he was also servicing his loan on his condo, among other things. So his budget was limited. We then decided to go our separate ways. I wasn't angry at him but I was now in a fix.

I thought that staying with me was a bonus because for one, I was hardly around too. He had a lot of privacy. Ling and Baby Lynus could stay over at any time. I never charged him for his utilities and even provided him with free Internet. I kept the house "reasonably clean" and I did all the housework. $600. What more could you ask for?

So do I look for another housemate or do I start a search for a smaller apartment?

My Favourite Vending Machine

2009-02-21T14:57:00.003+08:00

This is my favourite vending machine in the world. It's located on the third floor of the Port Hotel, Narita, Tokyo, Japan.

I will always buy something from this machine when I'm staying at the hotel. My favourites are the Chicken Nuggets (third picture) and the Fried Noodles. The French Fries and the Fried Rice are nice too. They cost about Y$400-450 each, approximately S$6.50. Definitely not the cheapest fast food but it's the novelty of having delicious, hot food pop out from a vending machine. The boxes even come with cutlery - spoons for the rice and chopsticks for the noodles. A packet of salt with the fries. They thought of everything.

There used to have labels in English for the various selections and I always wondered before, why no one ever told the hotel or vendor that HOT DOG is not spelled HOT DOCK, although that is the way the Japanese pronounce it. The labels have now been removed, after ten years? I guess someone finally noticed the blooper!

Notice the banner - "Casual Frozen Foods". I know my nuggets don't come on Noritake Bone China plates but what does Casual Frozen Foods even mean??

Strange Names

2009-02-19T14:40:00.004+08:00

I have been meeting real estate agents with unconventional names.

I called this one guy and he introduced himself as Gate?? He recommended that I call his colleague, Kingsman for another referral. All the king's horses and all the king's men ... When I met Kingsman, he handed me his card. His name was KLINSMANN!! WTF. "Hello, I'm Klinsmann from the Klingons. I want to conquer your planet. Take me to your leader. "

There was another guy called Alister. I have always spelt it as Alaistair. But when I met Alister, I understood why his name was spelt as such. He probably heard the name and liked it and decided to spell it his own way - the way he heard it! Our conversation went like this :

Sky : Hello. Can I speak to Alister?
Ali : Haro? Haro Haro?
Sky : I'm looking for Alister?
Ali : Yes, yes .. I Alister. Why ah?
Sky : I would like to enquire about the place in Tampines?
Ali : Orrr... that one. You how many pee-pow (I think he meant people) stay?
Sky : Just me and a housemate.
Ali : Wat your bah-jut?
Sky : Below $2000
Ali : Ah, dis one OK. Arse-king onli $1,900. Come see. You when flee to view?
Sky : Anytime.

I couldn't "flee" any faster! Call me a snob but I draw the line at having pee-pow like these, handle my housing affairs!!

Francis Yip

2009-02-14T23:34:00.012+08:00

I spent my Valentine's evening in the company of a younger woman, listening to an older one sing love songs.

Francis Yip. A name I always associate with the song, Shanghai Beach 上海灘 from The Bund, a Hong Kong drama from the 80's. I used to hate that song. That first verse ..
Lo..ng punnn (dum dum dum)
Lo..ng lauuu (dum dum dum)
That used to irritate the hell out of me. Maybe it was because my dad never let me watch any HK dramas and forced me to study in the kitchen while the rest of the family had their eyes glued to the TV.

But when I saw her concert advertisement on TV on New Year's eve last year, they showcased her powerful voice, singing songs in English. The ticket prices were reasonable and I was keen but I had no one to go with. I did think of bringing Eddy but I know that he would probably not be interested, even though she is closer to his age group!! And besides, I didn't know if he had the day off.

Then one day, when I was talking to Jean, I mentioned that I saw the ad. To my surprise, she said that she was a fan and always have been. That was it. We bought tickets, got a discount from the nice lady at the Sistic counter in Atria and we went for the concert.

When I was waiting for Jean at the Singapore Indoor Stadium that evening, I was amused at the age group that was present. We were definitely much younger than the average crowd which was good. You know what they say .. If you want to look young, hang with the old! Haha :o)

She came, she sang. And she WOWED! She has a very powerful voice for someone who's 62 and she has a figure that I would die to have! She had to sing Shanghai Beach of course, but I was singing along with the rest of the crowd. We enjoyed the evening and left with fond memories. And I no longer hate that song.

Thanks Jean, for spending Valentine's with me ..
Thanks to Ray, for letting me have your wife for the evening ..

And thank you, Francis ... for making me a fan!

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T10:56:00.006+08:00

Love is in the air!

Irene got married today. It was a simple and tasteful affair. And everything went as smoothly as she had planned in her 9-page schedule :o)

A simple tea ceremony for the elders was held in the bridal suite. Cocktails were served at the Roof Garden at 12pm and the actual reception started at 1pm. The Justice Of Peace was there to solemnize the marriage between Irene and Jeremy. And a traditional Chinese sit-down luncheon was served after. There were speeches and the usual yam-seng cheers for the happy couple. The girls at our table even did a congratulatory message on video.

To Irene and Jeremy :
Happy marriages begin when we marry the one we love, and they blossom when we love the one we married. Congratulations!

A Gift From Fullerton Hotel

The Wedding Rings

The Wedding Luncheon Banner

The Wedding Keepsakes

The Wedding Guests

Friday The 13th

2009-02-13T23:59:00.003+08:00

Today is Friday the 13th.

I should have felt the cloud over my day. And true enough, something bad happened. Eddy found out about my extravagant purchase in Milan. No wonder he sounded funny over the phone this evening. He casually mentioned that he had met Jacqueline at the office. And I had a feeling that he found out about the watch.

I quickly texted Jacq to get the details but she never replied. I couldn't sleep the whole night. All the while, this feeling of guilt was hovering over me. Finally, Jacq called and I got to know what happened today. Jacq was with Eddy's ex-girlfriend, Lilian and they started a conversation. Then Jacq told him that I bought a watch and he was surprised as I told him earlier that I did not buy anything in Milan. He was probably shocked at the price I paid too. I assume that he was pretty unhappy about why I lied to him.

Why did I lie? First of all, I felt that I was too hasty in buying the watch. I did not check out the prices in other countries to do a comparison. I just assumed that since Milan was a place to buy branded items like leather goods at a lower price than other countries, it would be a place to buy watches as well. Ever since I found out what I could have paid for it in Singapore, I felt like an idiot and I really didn't feel the joy in owning the watch. I didn't even wear it after I got back home. I felt foolish. I felt like a sucker.

I also knew that Eddy did not approve of buying branded goods - period. Many times when we went shopping, he would point out that he would not pay for this item or that, but I, on the other hand, would. This was where we differed in priorities and tastes. I will pay $250 for a Casio watch but not a Blum dress? I would fork out $4000 for a holiday but not for a Chanel bag? So I did not want to admit to Eddy that I had bought an expensive, excessive, exorbitant, overpriced watch because I was too ashamed and guilty.

But now that he knows, I wonder what I should do. If I try to carry the lie further, I might trip over myself one day. If I admit my rashness, he will know that it is because I spoke to Jacq and it was not my conscience that made me tell the truth. Either way, I'm fucked.

Although we are no longer together, I still value Eddy's opinions and want his approval because he still matters to me. It's almost Valentine's Day and my sweetheart is upset at me. I have to salvage the situation and hope for the best.

Honesty is the best policy.

Despondent

2009-02-11T19:25:00.013+08:00

I met up with Leonard yesterday.

I always get this "sinking feeling" in my tummy after we meet up. He is the only one who does that to me. He doesn't do it on purpose, I know. But somehow, being with him, makes me less confident and often leaves me with questions about myself.

The last time we met was in Dec '07 when I went to Melbourne for a holiday. We met up for drinks and dinner a few times during my stay there. And when I left, that feeling struck me again. So for a year, we stuck to irregular MSN chats and texts to keep in touch. I often avoided or ignored him because that feeling was still fresh in my tummy.

Then just last week, he texted, saying that he was coming to Singapore and wanted to meet up. He asked when I would be back from my trip and he would come down then. I was back on Monday but I wanted to delay the inevitable so I told him Tuesday. So we met up late last night after his dinner meeting. We went back to the hotel and we had a nice chat, catching up. And no, we didn't have sex. I swear. We just fell asleep in each other's arms. But all that time, I was thinking of Eddy, believe it or not. About how nice it was to be in his arms and how good he used to smell. But it was Leonard that kissed me on the cheek when we woke up. Eddy never did that :o(

Today, we went for lunch and a foot massage. I got to know more about his current girlfriend and I guess that was when the feeling started. It wasn't jealousy. It was something else. His current girlfriend, Jacklin, although I don't know her, sounds like a gold digger. And he knows it. But he is willing to go along because she has other qualities that he likes. Money is not an issue for him. He likes the overall package, as he put it. All his friends including his mother, can't stand the girlfriend. Because they see her for what she is. But he is blinded by love.

He said that she was smart, exposed to the world and lots of fun. She can talk shop with him, about the stock markets, about business, about who's-who and what's-what. And that's when he delivered the blow : he said that I was not like her.

I have always considered myself to be pretty knowledgeable about a lot of things, from cars to movies and sports. Enough to start a conversation and know what others are talking about. But judging from the kind of girls that guys fall for these days, apparently, that is not enough or not important. I know of bimbos who talk about shopping, facials, nails and girly stuff all the time. But yet, they have guys waiting in line to help them with the shopping bags. And even pay for their purchases. So what am I lacking? Must I be like them? Study the daily market and subscribe to the Business Times? Or take the easy way and just learn to bat my eyelashes, flirt and act stupid.

I feel so despondent.

Chap Goh Mei

2009-02-09T23:59:00.003+08:00

Today is the the fifteenth day of the Chinese New Year which is also known as Chap Goh Mei. It marks the end of the Chinese New Year celebrations. Prayers, dinners, fireworks and fire crackers usually conclude these celebrations.

Chap Goh Mei is also considered the Chinese Valentine's Day. Young women wearing their best, would flock the temples in the hope of finding a prospective suitor. Single women would gather to toss tangerines into the sea, in hope that their future spouse will pick it up – apparently, a custom that originated in Penang.

Tonight, I went out with a single man. I did dress up a little. I went near the sea. But he was not my prospective suitor nor the man in my dreams (we all know who's the man of the month!) and I forgot to bring tangerines along with me. But knowing my darn luck with men, I think that even if I threw the bloody orange at the guy, he would still not see me loh!!

Chris. He was my colleague on a recent trip on Christmas Day. I had worked with him before but I suspected that he was gay. He was very soft spoken and had rather effeminate moves. He reminds me of a gay salon hairdresser. He has the funniest looking poofy hair too. And he has this lazy walk, someone who walks with no purpose. Just dragging their feet along, plodding along in life. He had denied that he was gay but I had my suspicions. I have nothing against gays, in fact I think they make very good girlfriends. So on this trip, I thought nothing more of him other than another nice colleague. Until another girl had the bizarre idea of match-making the two of us. The ONLY thing that we had in common was that we were both single. Oh, and that he was a nice guy and I was a nice girl and we both lived in the East. If only it were so easy.

Somehow, we exchanged phone numbers and I never gave it another thought. Till last Tuesday. He texted me and wished me Happy CNY. After some text-bouncing, we decided to meet for dinner a week later which was today. Eddy never texted me to have our CNY dinner as 99.99% expected. But I couldn't help hoping like a lovesick puppy. I will never learn.

Back to Chris ..
CC : Eh, no need dress up hor.
SK : I casual one la. Unless you ask me out for a date la. Then different la!
CC : Huh, feel like a date leh, heart beat'g like a date. Must be a date!

SK : Oh, then I must dress up loh!
CC : No la, it's just two friends, meeting for dinner and small talk,k?
SK : OK, see ya! (feeling a little stressed out now..)

We met at Parkway Parade and had a nice time chatting over dinner. The he suggested we walk to the beach. (Alarm bells are ringing in my head now...) But I went along and we sat on one of those stone benches where we continued talking. During the chat, I'd sneak a peak at him every now and then. I REALLY could not imagine being with him as a couple, holding hands or even (shivers..) kissing him! Eewwww....

Anyway, bells kept ringing in my head but I didn't know how to handle the situation that was slowly becoming awkward for me. We were talking about condos and when I mentioned that I was interested in one particular one, he said that we should go see it together! Gosh! We adjourned to McD's and then, finally home. Then he texted, saying that he wanted to make a second date with me. Hey, I thought it WASN'T a date today! And I really don't want to go on a second date, much less a first one. I thought we were just being friendly. And when we were talking about ourselves, we have so many things NOT in common! Isn't it obvious that we are not compatible??

Why do I keep getting myself in situations? Sigh!

Eddy = Me

2009-02-08T04:21:00.006+08:00

The Snake is known to be rather selective in his choice of close friends and a mate. But of the twelve signs of the Zodiac, the greatest clash of wills and personality takes place between the Snake and its natural enemy, the Boar. While Snake is of the Fire element, Boar is Water. Fire and water simply cannot mix and the same is true of Snake and Boar.

It is a mismatch of the worst kind and even though they can be quite close in their early days of coming together, in no time at all, the differences between them will certainly start taking its toll on their closeness, causing them to think twice.

You read such things and take it with a pinch of salt. But sometimes, you can't help but wonder ...

Always The Bridesmaid..

2009-02-08T02:14:00.001+08:00

My friend, Joyce just asked me to be her "zi-mui".

This is the second wedding I'll be attending this year. AND the second wedding that I have been asked to be the zi-mui / bridesmaid. I hope that it doesn't have anything to do with that tradition of "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue." Me being the "something old" ?? That is a rather depressing thought. Hey, I should be privileged that a friend thinks that I am important enough to be by her side, on one of the most important days of her life. That's what I should be thinking! But .. always the bridesmaid, never the bride? How many times is once too many?

Irene is getting married on Valentine's Day. Romantic, isn't it? And it's at The Fullerton Hotel, one of the grandest hotels around. She's getting married to Jeremy, her boyfriend of two years? She's a very pretty girl, very petite, with huge eyes and the pinkest complexion. She adores pink so it's little surprise that I've been asked to get a pink dress. Or a champagne-gold one - that is her colour scheme for the wedding. I'm still looking.

Joyce's special day is on the 3rd October. It was her grandmother's funeral that brought her and Aaron together. A sad occasion with a happy ending. And I'm glad because she is one of the nicest girls I know and she deserves to be blessed . And Aaron makes her very happy.

To my two friends, Irene and Joyce : Thank you for the honour and thank you for being my friends.

Darn Weather!

2009-02-06T20:40:00.003+08:00

The darn weather forecast let me down!

It didn't rain or more importantly, pour like it did, the day before. Where were the cats and dogs when you needed them? And because of the promise I made to Jac yesterday that if it didn't rain, I had to get out of my warm bed, leave my lappie and Nintendo behind and go shopping with her. Not my favourite thing to do on a cold, winter's day. Not my favourite thing to do, period.

I was really not looking forward to being dragged from shop to shop. Trust me, window shopping is no fun when you look like the Michelin man and have a budget like Scrooge. You don't want to try on any clothes because you need to take off the clothes that took twenty-five minutes to put on. You don't think that you should buy a new wallet because the old one that your ex-ex-EX boyfriend gave you is still usable. Usable being the key word that it can still keep all your notes and coins, numerous discount and membership cards in one big fat wad, despite being held together by a rubber band. The clasp is broken. Sue me.

But because of Jac's enthusiasm and bubbly nature, I ended up having a pretty good time. She took me to Louis Vuitton where she helped her best friend get a scarf, a tie and a wallet. Then we went to Cartier to try on some really nice watches - the Santos and the Tank models. Gucci was next where she showed me the shoes she bought yesterday. We finally found Chanel and she bought a pair of Chanel sandals for Euro$450! WTF! I can't imagine paying S$900 for a pair of slippers! I can't even buy a pair of Birkies!

I smelled the leather. I carried a Chanel 2.55 bag. I slipped on a Cartier watch. I touched a world that I can only dream of in my wildest imagination. Even if it was only for that few minutes. Make that Cartier minutes!

Money Talks!

2009-02-06T06:16:00.009+08:00

On Wednesday, a former colleague pinged me online. We chatted a little before she asked me, "So this year got bonus or not?" I was dumbfounded for a few seconds. I didn't know what to say. I find it absurd that in uncertain times like these, there are still people who are still hung up on bonuses! Shouldn't you be concerned if you still had your job? And worry about not getting retrenched? And be thankful? Heck, I'd be happy if I was still able to draw a basic salary which is not much but not have to join the unemployment line!

On the other hand, I just met a colleague who's spending freely as if money grows on trees. She casually mentioned that she lost S$5000 at mahjong over CNY. $5K! WTF! A few hours later, she was looking for other colleagues to go shopping with. She had a whole long list of things to buy and I'm not talking about basic grocery items like sugar and rice. She wanted to hit Chanel, Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton, the works!

She called me in the morning, asking if I wanted to go to town.
Jac : Eh, wan to go town or not?
Moi : No la, I got nothing to buy. I ordi ask Vivi to help my friend check if her item is in stock. If have, then I will go down tomorrow. If not, I no need to go.
Jac : Ok la, we go makan later, ok?
Moi : Ok. Call later la.

Six hours later :
Jac : Sista, you wan go town or not?
Moi : No la, dun wan. You hungry or not? We go makan?
Jac : Not very hungry yet la. Tinking to go town loh.
Moi : Call Nick la. Maybe he wan to go?
Jac : Ok, call you back. You sure you dont want to go?
Moi : Sure. You go ahead.

Another six hours later :
Jac : Sista, I bought so many things lei! Wasted you never go. I bought three pairs of Gucci sandals, an LV bag for my boyfriend and an LV wallet. I spent Euro$2000 ordi lei.
Moi : Wah! Why stop there? I thought you had more things you wanted?
Jac : The shops were closed loh! Aiyo, tomorrow must go again! I still have to go to Hermes and see LV again. Wanna go or not? Come la!
Moi : No la, nothing to buy.
Jac : Go la. Nick oso had nothing to buy until I stir him to buy the Gucci sandals. Then in LV, I oso stir him to buy a limited edition LV bag for his wife. Haha! I very good at stirring people.
Moi : (thinking silently : HENG ah, I never go!!)
Jac : So how, go la?
Moi : See how. If raining, very sian one lei. Walk in the rain.
Jac : Ok, if it's raining tomorrow, we don't go. If no rain, we go, ok? Set?
Moi : Ok la.

Weather.com said that there is a 80% chance of rain tomorrow. I don't know how to turn people down sometimes, especially when they are so enthusiastic about something? I don't want to be a wet blanket. So now, I can blame it on the wet weather!

Melancholy

2009-02-03T00:23:00.001+08:00

I guess I'm feeling a little pensive these days. Ever since I made it back home for my CNY reunion dinner this year. I saw how my grandmother has deteriorated in her present condition and how old my mom looks as well. My grandmother has four other daughters to look after her. My mom only has my brother and I. And that kinda woke me up.

It is sad that a person has to go through life, without knowing the unconditional love parents can give their child. I had a very tough time growing up. I don't think anyone should ever have to go through what I did. But one can never choose their parents, can they? Let bygones be bygones? That still does not stop me from wishing for something like Jean or Susan's relationships with their families. Wistful thinking, I guess.

Relationships are hard. Mother-daughter, father-son, wife-husband, boyfriend-girlfriend, friend-friend. We have to work at it. Nothing should ever be taken for granted.

I Give Up!

2009-02-02T23:51:00.002+08:00

Why am I still being so nice?

On Friday, I suggested to Eddy that he bring his parents out for a CNY dinner. His dad is a little immobile due to a mild stroke but his mom is a sprightly 70+ year old little firecracker! The conversation went something like this :

Me : Hey, lots of people eating here lei. You should bring your parents for dinner since it is CNY and so near your house?
Ed : Ya. Maybe.
Me : Monday night la. I free oso.
Ed : See how la.
Me : You better tell them before you go to Bombay. In case your mom cooks dinner for your dad. You know how early she starts cooking.
Ed : Aiya, I still can tell them in the morning when I come back.
Me : OK. Up to you.

So today, I waited, knowing that he will call in his own time and I was already expecting him to cancel the dinner. True enough, he cancelled. At 6pm. Said that his mom had cooked and she was going out with her friends. That was it.

I expected him to ask me out for dinner since "Hey, I did put aside this evening for you and your family". But Nooooooo ... he just hung up. I waited till 8pm and then I got too hungry and upset. I went to have my own dinner and he called when I was eating. Apparently he was on his way out too. Later, he told me that he went for dinner with his friends.

You say ANGRY or not?? I give up.

Baby Roses

2009-02-02T00:17:00.007+08:00

Eddy's mom gave this to me a few months back when Eddy and I were seeing each other. Auntie started telling me that she learned to make roses out of ribbons at the local community centre and she made so many for practise that she didn't have anywhere to "chaap" these baby ones. So she stuck them in this tiny pot of jelly-seashells.Then she handed the pot to me and said, "Kei ni la."

It wasn't anything much but it was the spontaneity that took me by surprise. I was touched. I think Eddy was embarrassed. This little 2.5 inch tall gift has been sitting on my shelf ever since. I thought I'd better take a photo and blog it - just in case it goes missing when I move!

She's a dear old lady. Bless her heart!

Another Expired Product!

2009-02-01T10:52:00.003+08:00

See lah!

Another one. And this one hor.. cannot miss one!! EXP SEP 2006. Thankfully, there was only a little bit more of the product inside the bottle. But me being me, I unscrewed the cap, dug my little pinkie into the hole and korek-korek for that very last drop before I threw the bottle away.

I MUST remember my resolution!

Happy Yan Yat!

2009-02-01T00:00:00.002+08:00

Today is the Seventh Day of the New Year. We call it Yan Yat or Ren Ri 人日 in Mandarin. It is known as the common man's birthday where everyone grows a year older. It is when yue sang is eaten. People get together to toss the colourful salad as high as possible and make wishes for continued wealth, success and prosperity. We are also encouraged to eat noodles on this day as they represent longevity. That reminds me - I better go cook an instant noodle and have some, for "yee-see yee-see" la :o)

So Happy Yan Yat, my friends! A year older, a year wiser!

Visitors On My Pie-Ties

2009-01-31T19:36:00.007+08:00

This evening, I came back from work to find teeny-weeny ants, crawling all over my baby pie-tie tarts. Apparently, the container is not airtight. Darn and double darn.

I put the whole container in the fridge and froze the little buggers into a stupor. I intend to scrape them off and flush them down the sink! That will show them! How dare they sample my tarts!

Hmmphh!!!

180703

2009-01-27T18:24:00.003+08:00

MFG 180703 - This is the date printed on the bottom of the bottle of Nivea body lotion which I found in my stash of toiletries. It is exactly 2020 days old. Or 5 years, 6 months and 9 days old. According to Adelene, body lotions have a shelf life of 3 years. Google confirmed it. This lotion is way past its prime!! But the contents seem alright - no funny smell and the consistency looks fine. What should I do? It does seem such a waste to toss a new bottle into the bin. Maybe I'll try some on my legs first. If I do get a rash, I can always wear my jeans to cover up. If my "kiok mou" starts to die on me, then all the better :o) No shaving or plucking in future!

My New Year resolution - Stop my bad habit of over-buying stuff to avoid things expiring on me! (Refer to posting dated 13 Jan 09)

CNY Decor

2009-01-24T01:54:00.005+08:00

This year, my neighbours (the ones on my immediate left) decorated the lift lobby area with some nice Chinese New Year decorations. There was a pair of 3-D cows (2009 being the Year Of The Ox) and one of those banners with Chinese greetings. It was a pleasant surprise when I first saw it after I came back from work one day. It certainly brought a little New Year cheer to the eleventh floor of Block 768!

So, thanks, Neighbours!

Thank you for making this Chinese New Year a little special for me!

More Lucky $$$

2009-01-22T18:21:00.001+08:00

I picked up S$50 today!!

I was walking past a durian stall in Bedok Central. Then .. Ka-Ching Ka-Ching!! A $50 note lying on the floor. There was a stall helper standing near the note but he was busy talking to another colleague. I coolly picked up the note and walked away. Note the word coolly - actually my heart was pounding as I walked off .. half expecting someone to call me back! Once I turned the corner, I went PHEW!!

Well, I figured :
- A customer probably dropped the money when she was paying for durian.
- If I asked the man if it was his money, he sure say YES one la! Right? Who in their right mind would deny that the money was theirs? Especially a $50 note? Siao ah??!!

So money found must be spent, right? I bought myself a Nintendo game - Cake Mania for $35 and I still had $15 for food and drinks. I had a feast!

So ladies, eyes peeled when you walk along the streets. And I mean look DOWN, not up, for good looking guys, OK? They rarely exist and besides, they are not going to hand money to you!!

Pineapple Pie-Ties

2009-01-21T23:06:00.008+08:00

Aren't these the cutest little pineapple tarts you've ever seen??

I bought this at Kovan Mall for S$18 where Chilli Padi Restaurant had a CNY goodies stall. A little pricey but they looked really cute! Mini kueh pie-ties with pineapple fillings! Just about the size of your thumb? Why didn't anyone think of that before? Chilli Padi is the same shop that sells that fantastic assam laksa in the basement of Tangs departmental store. The tarts are just as yummy and certainly small enough to keep popping and not feel jelak!

Good things come in small packages! AHEM :o)

Lo-Hei 2009

2009-01-21T22:45:00.012+08:00

My first reunion dinner of the year!!

I was invited to Li Peng's house for an early reunion dinner. She was leaving for Hong Kong the next day and would miss the first few days of CNY. Li Yung and her family were there. We had a little lo-hei and a simple steamboat dinner. We even had a little birthday sing-a-long for Peng's helper (I forgot her name??) Apparently Peng forgot her birthday which was a week past?? We had two cakes for the night - one was chocolate with strawberries which Peng bought and I brought the other one - New York Cheesecake, all the way from New York, as fresh as you can ever get it after an 19 hour flight!! Li Yung made some bubur cha-cha too and that was as home-made as you can get!

After plenty of food, sweet desserts to top it off, I had one round, Buddha belly! Rub! Rub!

Thanks to Peng, Thian Chye, Lisa and Joel :o)

Singapore Non-Flyer

2009-01-15T15:08:00.013+08:00

This is the Singapore Flyer, currently the tallest observation wheel in the world, standing at 165m.

It is also the world's tallest white elephant as it is not "flying" at the moment. A short circuit in one of the motors caused it to breakdown on the 23rd Dec. 173 people were stranded for up to six hours. As usual, the authorities want to make sure that the Flyer is safe before it can start operations again. Aiya, none of the 173 people were in any danger at all. They were just stuck in the pods. Food, water and even "methods of relieving themselves" were provided. I'm assuming a potable potty of sorts? So it couldn't have been all that bad. I think people need to understand and accept that these sort of things do happen. This is not a perfect world.

Singaporeans can stand in line for HOURS, come rain or shine, to buy a Hello Kitty from McDonald's or bak-kwa from that Chinatown shop and not complain, not a whimper. But they will complain and complain when there are no seats on the MRT or when they have to wait too long for the buses. WTF.

OK, back to my flyer story.. although I'm proud of Singapore and its many achievements, including the Flyer.. I think it is one of the plain-est, boring-est wheels ever. From afar, it looks like a caricature of a lady's head with rollers in her hair. The capsules on the London Eye look like little space pods. Ours look like recycled oil drums. The design of our wheel? Blah! A bicycle has better looking spokes. Look at the Southern Star! It is so pretty! Need I say more? I'm posting some pictures of other wheels around the world for comparison. You be the judge.

Hold Me Now .. Somebody! Anybody!

2009-01-15T02:55:00.003+08:00

I just had to add this song to my Playlist it as it was one of my favourite songs back in the eighties. Have you ever tried to sing when you're crying? And because you think that song was written just for you, you cry even harder? Hmm .. that reminds me of another song ..

Strumming my pain with his fingers
Singing my life with his words
Killing me softly with his song
Telling my whole life with his words
Killing me softly with his song

OK, tears and snot all over my face now .. I can't tell the difference ..

Hold Me Now - Johnny Logan

2009-01-15T02:54:00.006+08:00

Don't close your heart to how you feel
Dream and don't be afraid the dream's not real
Close your eyes
Pretend it's just the two of us again
Make believe this moment's here to stay

Touch me the way you used to do
I know tonight could be all I'll have with you
From now on
You'll be with someone else instead of me
So tonight
Let's build this memory and for the last time

Hold me now
Don't cry
Don't say a word
Just hold me now
And I will know though we're apart
We'll always be together
Forever in love
What do you say when words are not enough?

Time will be kind once we're apart
And your tears
Tears will have no place in your heart
I wish I could say how much I'll miss you when you're gone
How my love for you
Will go on and on

Hold me now
Don't cry
Don't say a word
Just hold me now
And try to understand that I hope at last you've found
What you've been searching for
And though I won't be there anymore
I will always love you

What can I say when my words are not enough?

Broken Hearted Anonymous

2009-01-14T21:03:00.011+08:00

I was crossing Anderson Bridge and stopped to take a photo when this girl came up to me. She wanted to send an sms and she didn't know how to spell Congratulations. I helped her out. And then she started talking..

- She just broke up with her boyfriend
- She suspects that he is already seeing someone else
- She texts him all the time but he doesn't reply
- She wants him back but he doesn't want her back
- She lost her virginity to him
- She thinks that she might be pregnant
- She will make him accountable IF she is pregnant
- She lent him money
- She doesn't want to go home
- She wants to drink and forget her problems
- She feels like killing herself!!

Sound familiar?? Well sista, been there, done that. OK, not ALL of that but some.. certainly not the pregnant part! Thank God! And I've been stuck in the same vicious cycle since I was a teenager. I'm still none the wiser. When she was relating her story, I didn't know if I felt sad for her. Or sadder for myself. She was only 26. She still had her whole life ahead of her, plenty of other guys to fall for and get her heart broken again and again. I, on the other hand, 38 this year, one dusty uterus.

She wasn't hysterical or crying but I think she was there because she was thinking of jumping off the bridge. She didn't strike me as the type that had the courage to take that last step but hey, better to be safe than sorry. She probably just needed someone to talk to. So I did what I could. I told her what I thought she wanted to hear.

Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer but wish we didn't - Erica Jong

No Parking!

2009-01-14T18:43:00.015+08:00

Which part of the sign does he NOT understand???

But I have to salute this person also. Can park right under the sign somemore! Maybe he thought cannot park many bicycles? But ONE bicycle is ok??

Haha :o)

Expired Toothpaste

2009-01-13T21:05:00.005+08:00

Did you know that toothpaste had expiry dates?? I didn't.

I ran out of toothpaste but I knew I had some in stock somewhere. That's when I found this : Colgate, Tiga Jalur Untuk Perlindungan Tiga Cara, Nilai Hebat 160 g + PERCUMA 40g! I was just about to open the kotak when I saw the following :
* MFG DATE 261004 * EXPIRY DATE 261006 *
I nearly dropped the box. I have toothpaste that is TWO YEARS AND TWO MONTHS past the date that it would still be fresh and minty!!

So what do you do? Do you throw it away? Do you try it and see if it's gone bad? What could possibly happen? Your teeth start falling out? That, my friend, is usually due to old age and I don't think that has anything to do with toothpaste!

Anyway, I googled. Apparently, the elements found in toothpaste, including fluoride, don't expire, and toothpaste isn't any less effective if it's used after the expiration date. When stored under ideal conditions, it can generally be considered effective even one and a half years beyond its expiration date (which means mine is still expired!) Also, some of the aesthetic aspects of toothpaste, such as flavoring and consistency, can diminish after the expiration date. But it's certainly not harmful to use. A Dr. Sullivan did however, advise people not to go overboard - although using toothpaste a short time after its expiration date is fine, he wouldn't recommend using it several years after it's expired.

I'm going to give it a try. If I need dentures, I'll let you know!

Self - Restraint

2009-01-13T14:51:00.000+08:00

Restraint of one's emotions, desires, or inclinations; self-control.

I practised self-restraint today. I was at the airport when Eddy landed from Sydney. I knew he was arriving around the same time I would be there so I called the service hotline to check the time, gate and terminal. I was dying to surprise him and see him. But deep down, I was afraid that I would be disappointed. He would greet me casually. He would be occupied with all the goodbyes from his colleagues that I would be left standing on the side. I'd be tagging along when he went for his smoke and I'd be waiting. He would probably see a few people he knew and make small talk. He would go into the office to sign out and would be stuck there as he met more friends. And then, maybe, he would have some time for me. All these are "would-s" and "probably-s" but it has happened before. And I didn't like it.

I was THAT close. But the fear of rejection? the fear of disappointment? was far too painful to bear. So I left and went for lunch with my colleagues.

A pat on the back for me!

My New Flickr Icon

2009-01-13T00:24:00.006+08:00

This was suppose to be my new icon for Flickr. I forgot I took this picture of myself in the mirror (ala DTKC - doing the Karen Cheng) when I was in Adidas. But due to the dimensions available for my buddy icon, I had to crop it even further to a teeny-weeny size - you only see the camera as the focal point and a little of my wrinkly fingers too! Probably two-thirds of the current picture, which is already one-eighths of the original?)

Look professional or not? :o)

Closing The Ring

2009-01-12T23:49:00.000+08:00

If you can't keep a promise, it's not worth making.

A deeply moving love story, interwoven between past and present. Spanning two continents and half a century, stars Shirley MacLaine and Christopher Plummer tell the story of true love and promises.

When I first saw this DVD at the shop, I merely glanced at it and had a quick look at the synopsis. I had never heard of the movie nor saw it on the big screens. I don't even remember getting it. I watched it today. And all I can say is ... GET IT!! That is if you liked movies like The Lake House, Message In A Bottle or P/S I Love You. It is guaranteed to make you cry. Like mad. I bawled! I sobbed. I wept. And I loved it!

None of the synopsis or reviews online gave it justice. That is why I never cared for critics. Watch it and rate it yourself. Better yet, watch it with a girlfriend because it is definitely a chick-flick. Arm yourself with a big box of tissues and plenty of pillows to hug.

As a hopeless romantic with her head in the clouds, this movie reaffirms my belief that there is still true love out there.

Welcome Home!

2009-01-12T15:34:00.006+08:00

Kek is back from Toulouse, France.

There goes the my freedom :

* Sleeping with my bedroom door open
* Walking around the apartment buck-naked
* Blasting my music in the dead of the night
* Leaving my bags / stuff all over the place .

Sigh !!

p/s : Bienvenue à la maison, Kek!

Happy Birthday!

2009-01-12T00:00:00.002+08:00

BH turns 38 today.

Every year, he never fails to text me on Chinese New Year and my birthday. I used to get messages on New Year's Day and Valentine's too. But with New Year so close to CNY these past few years, one text to wish the same usual festive greetings was enough. And Valentine's Day ... well, I guess it wasn't appropriate anymore. Anyway, I uphold the tradition and do the same. In Jan, I wish him many happy returns and on CNY, a Gong Xi Fa Chai.

Boon Hui,
Thank you for the good times ..
The days you filled with pleasure.
Thank you for fond memories,
And for feelings I'll always treasure.
Happy Birthday.
Love, Chubby

21st Century Slimming Tea

2009-01-11T16:51:00.030+08:00

A friend was taking some slimming tea to help with some weight gain. Apparently it would make you go to the loo to poo :o) One day, I passed a Watsons so I popped in to have a look. There were a few brands - I picked 21st Century which had Original, Orange Spice and Honey Lemon flavours. No points for guessing which flavour I bought.

One night, I had dinner with Jean and Ray at that Master Crab place in Buangkok. We had Thai style prawns, KL Hokkien mee, mee goreng and a plate of vegetables. After that feast, I thought, "Hey, this would be a good time to try the tea." So I got the box out and read the instructions. Oh, I'm supposed to drink it 15 mins before or during meals. NOW they tell me!

I had a couple of cups of the tea (from the same teabag, of course). Then two hours later, the tummy aches started. It was this severe abdominal, wrenching pain. The kind of pain that you cannot tahan one loh! I think I went every other hour. Even after falling asleep, I was woken up by the pain and had to go.

The next night, I thought I'd drink the tea again. I had the next day off and would be staying home so it wouldn't be inconvenient for me to go to the toilet. This time, the reaction was less severe. The aches only started hours later and not as often as the first day. I had the tea again last night. The aches came this morning. The box did say that you can gradually increase the tea strength as your digestive system adjusts. So I guess my system is adjusting.

There are no further instructions on how often a day I can take this tea, or for how long a duration. I can't find any further information on the Internet either. I think I'll take it when its convenient for me.

The things we do to lose weight!

Biggest Moon Of 2009

2009-01-10T23:56:00.005+08:00

Saturday, January 10, 2009. This was the biggest moon of the year.

Tonight's full moon shone brightest - 30% brighter and was the biggest in size - 14 per cent bigger than normal. The last sighting was December 12, 2008. I was blading at the park this evening when I managed to catch a glimpse of it as it weaved in and out of the clouds. It was quite a pretty sight.

Do people wish upon a moon??

Ah-CHOO

2009-01-10T15:11:00.005+08:00

Dust and I don't mix.

Every time I start to wipe a surface or sweep the floor, I start sneezing!! And then I get the sniffles .. I'll be making wantons enough for a family of four before my nose calms down.

I never had that problem when I was younger. Must be old age setting in...

Fortune Feast

2009-01-09T23:47:00.008+08:00

This is the S$28.80 Fortune Feast (not including $3 delivery charge, mind you) It came with :

* 8 pieces of chicken
* 4 Golden Shrimp Coins
* 4 Crispy Strips
* Popcorn Chicken
* Medium Coleslaw
* Medium Whipped Potato

Ordering delivery was easier than asking Jean to cook. We were too lazy to go out after a long day at work. We also couldn't decide where to go and what to eat. I suggested KFC and a movie at home. So 6222-6111 later, a hot meal awaits us!

I enjoyed the chicken. Jean puked later in the night. She can't take KFC for some reason. Once we had KFC, she did the same thing. We thought that it was a one-off thing. Now that we know- no more KFC for her. She reckons it's the oil - too jelak??!! Ray - it was just another meal for him, I guess.

We watched Get Smart after the dinner. Or rather Ray and Jean watched it while I fell asleep on the sofa. I woke up just in time to see the ending :o)

Let Me Throw!!

2009-01-06T14:43:00.001+08:00

Let me throw! Let me throw!

Jean wanted to throw away one of my favourite pairs of shoes - the brown ones. She saw them on the top of the shoe rack, grabbed them and went to the disposal area and taunted me with them. OK, the shoes have cracked soles and they are really quite shabby. But I wouldn't let her! I liked those shoes too much! I didn't wear them anymore but still ... NO!

The white sandals are another favourite. I wear them with everything. Jeans. Skirts. Shorts. Dresses. It just goes with everything I have. I've had them for 3+ years? You can probably tell from the sweat stains on the soles :o) You can almost make out the shape of my toes!! They were Charles & Keith copies of the expensive Birkenstock model. I couldn't bring myself to pay S$80 for a pair of sandals so I opted for the cheap and good $30 pair. Hey, it lasted me 3 years so it was a good decision.

The strappy pair - I think I bought them in Ipoh years ago. Simple, casual, and not very comfortable. My feet always felt so exposed when I wore it. I tended to curl my toes in when I came close to a woman in heels. Can you imagine the pain if she stuck her stilettos in my toe? But still, I wore them every now and them. You can see the worn bits on the right sandal, near the heel and the thong area..

Jean, I've thrown all these shoes away.

Leftovers.. Again

2009-01-04T13:43:00.005+08:00

This is my char kway teow. Or what is left of it.

When I came back from Taipei on the 2nd Jan, I went to the hawker centre, across the highway, to buy my supper. I had about half and stuck the rest in the fridge. Two days later, on the 4th, I took the leftovers, zapped it in the microwave and voila .. an instant meal! That's what it looks like after two days in the fridge and two minutes in the microwave. (please refer to pic)

I know that some people consider it bad. Gross even. To eat food that's been kept for too long. Like that Cantonese belief .. don't drink "overnight water". What the heck is that? Apparently you're advised to drink freshly boiled water and not water that's been kept overnight in the kettle. But... but ... I don't like to drink hot water. If I need to let the water cool down before I can drink it, I'd just rather grab a can of drink, readily available and chilled. And anyway, chilled water is overnight water, right? But apparently overnight in the fridge is OK??!! Go figure!

Get Smart !!

2009-01-03T15:56:00.003+08:00

This is one funny movie! :o)

I don't care what the critics said but I liked the movie. The critics bombed it and said that it wasn't true to the original. I never watched the original series so I wouldn't know - it was in the late sixties?? when it was first aired.

This movie was a little slapstick and silly at times but hey, it's a comedy! There were some really classic scenes that only Carell, with his no-nonsense, stoic face and his comic timing, can pull it off. The Rock as Agent 23 - for a chunk of hunk, he's really funny too! Check out the stapler-incident! I'm still laughing :o) Even Masi Oka, Hiro from Heroes, has a small role!

More importantly, the movie wasn't over-exaggerated. I get so annoyed at Jim Carey's facial antics or Jackie Chan over-used, signature "shocked" look, that I prefer not to watch their movies. I hated Borat - I'm still trying to forget the memory of Sacha Baron Cohen in that string bikini!

So GET SMART!! Check the movie out!

Make-Up CLEAN-UP!!

2009-01-03T11:30:00.002+08:00

Five clumpy mascaras and 2 almost empty eyeshadow pots.

These were sitting in my make-up pouch for the longest time! They took up space but I never bothered to throw them away because simply, they were still usable! I could still get a little bit of mascara from the tubes if I dug hard enough. The wands are no longer straight, by the way. And the eyeshadows .. just scrape the sides .. use my nail if I have to and I could always get enough to cover my eyelids. So why waste, right? If still have, then keep loh!

I got the Dior stubby mascara from a sample set. I can't remember where I bought the Rimmel. No7 in Black - I bought this in London Oct 07 when I met up with Adrian. I was getting some things for a friend at Boots when they gave me a voucher for $5 pounds off any purchase above $10 pounds. Adrian said that it was a tactic to get people to shop more. Well, it worked because I bought a mascara. Not that I needed it. I just didn't want to waste the voucher.

The Loreal was one I picked up at the airport duty-free. Anna Sui - I saw a colleague with some pretty lashes and she recommended this. It was S$40 at Robinsons. Probably the most expensive mascara I have ever bought. Tried it. Didn't help. I guess the only way I will ever have Japanese-kawaii-like lashes is if I put on extensions or falsies.

Eyeshadows - Silver Kose one was from Japan. It was shiny and sparkly, used as a highlighter. I like sparkly!! Bought the green Mac from the Internet. I thought it was a good deal - a regular eyeshadow costs about $25 from the counters. This was selling for $16. When I received it in the post, I thought, "Hey, Mac has a new packaging. Cool." Under the color, there was a little mirror and a tiny compartment in which you could stow a tiny brush. Anyway, I liked the green color and used it regularly. So one day when I passed the Mac counter, I asked if I could get a refill. They took one look and told me that it was an imitation. A fake. Petaling Street export. I should have known .. things that sound too good to be true, usually are!!

Anyway, with the new year here, out goes the old, used and almost empty!!

A New Year Dinner

2009-01-01T22:00:00.004+08:00

My dinner on New Year's day in Taipei!

We get New Year's dinner when we're away. Part of our "welfare". I don't know if our company or the hotels pay for it though. Sometimes, the dinner is a 3-course affair - soup, salad and main. One year in Narita, it was a 10-dish buffet with karaoke! All I could remember from that dinner was the awful singing!

We had just checked into the Taipei hotel at 6pm and the dinner was at 6:30pm. We didn't even have time to shower as we didn't want to keep others waiting. One girl did not have the proper shoes, one only had a polo-tshirt. But we all went in the end and we didn't regret it at all.

This year, my colleagues and I were treated to a fantastic buffet dinner : 2 choices of soup with warm bread, cold cuts and salad, 20 mains, cut fruits and tons of yummy dessert! All that food for 45 of us! We just ate and ate and ate! I did, anyway. There goes my new year resolution! My favourites were 1) Jelly fish with beans 2) Kung-pao prawns 3) Sliced marinated beef with black beans and chilli 4) Drunken chicken.

Besides, the food, I was impressed that the wait staff kept topping up the buffet although we were already half-way through. That's service for you. I did my first good deed of the year - I sent the hotel a thank-you email right after I got back to my room.

Good service should never go unappreciated.

My High School Sweetheart

2009-01-01T11:25:00.002+08:00

It was the first day of 2009. My past appeared in my present.

Today, I bumped into my high school sweetheart, WS. He still looks the same - a little older, trendier hairstyle, different glasses - skinny as ever.

We broke up 13 years ago after dating for six. WS is now happily married to K, with a son Jarrell, to carry on that all important family name (WS has 4 sisters) Jarrell is a very handsome boy, almost 6 this year and going on to K2. He will break many hearts when he grows up. WS says he takes after the mother.

He also showed me a photo of his family back home in Ipoh. Family members whom I used to know.

* Father is much older but healthy.
* Mother just had hand-surgery for a tendon problem.
* Ching-che's oldest daughter is now in Form 5. Her son looks exactly like Hong-Kor.
* Fun-che has a son and a daughter. She's a housewife in KL. Hubby is a partner in a law firm.
* Yee is married - I think she doesn't have any children. I forget.
* May is still single and has now taken over the family business / shop.

* All is well in the K family.

Looking back, it turned out for the better. For WS. If we had remained together, he would have been hen-pecked as I was always bullying him. And throwing my siew-cheh tantrums. He gave in to me - that was his nature. He was a really, really sweet guy. And he deserved someone much better than me.

Till the next time we meet again..
I wish you love.
I wish you happiness.
I wish you all the best.

My Baby Pineapple

2009-01-01T10:00:00.019+08:00

For the first time ever, I hung a festive decoration on my door..

Ok, it's NEXT to my door. And a small pineapple, the size of a 20c coin, is hardly festive, right? But I like it. It's small and cute. And not too over-the-top. And I can use it next year too! Recycle! That is if it doesn't get stolen over the next few days! Chinese New Year is 26 days away ... Fingers crossed!

This year, it's the year of the Ox. Year of the Bull. Kerbau. Lembu. All the same ... they all go Mooo .... And almost every decoration on sale, has a smiling cow, or two. We have cows clapping their hooves together. Cows holding angpows. With all 4 teats in full glory! And all these cows have a really cheerful, almost sneaky-obscene grin .. as if they were getting some action "down there" ... and I'm not talking about the udders-region either..

So yah, I'm sticking to my baby pineapple :o)

Happy New Year !!

2009-01-01T00:00:00.001+08:00

Vandal?

2008-12-31T23:50:00.003+08:00

It was around 11:40pm, just before the New Year Countdown..

I was in the living room, watching a very boring telecast of the New Year celebrations party at the Marina when I heard a noise outside my door. It sounded like someone was trying to open my metal grille. I could hear someone trying to put a key in the door and fumbling, as if he or she was drunk. I was scared and I didn't dare to peep to see who it was. Wild thoughts ran through my head .. was it my landlord? Maybe Kek was back early from France? Maybe it was my idiot ex-housemate, Gilbert? Or one of his many his spurned lovers? Maybe it was that psychotic neighbour of mine?? Help!!

The noise at my door stopped. It moved to the rubbish chute and then, it was gone. I waited ten minutes before I dared to go to the door. I peeped out but saw nothing. I stepped out into the corridor. A neighbour was peering around his door and saw me - I guess he must have heard the commotion too. That's when I saw my right-side neighbour's lovely purple orchids all over the floor! She had hung it near the rubbish chute to get the best light, I suppose. Or maybe it was her idea to brighten up that area with a pretty plant.

I was out in the corridor that evening, trying to take some night photos of the expressway and the evening sky. I'd seen the plant and thought of taking some pictures but I decided the light wasn't too good. It would look better in the day. Next time, I said.

Now all I got, are pretty flowers scattered all over the floor ...

My Last Buys Of 2008

2008-12-31T21:16:00.007+08:00

I just had to buy something before the year comes to an end. I ended up with ...

* My favourite bubble-tea drink - Oreo Chocolate
* 2 Chinese New Year cards (for 2 lucky friends)
* A "pineapple with gold coins" good luck charm (to hang outside my front door)
* A bottle of Colgate Plax mouthwash in Freshmint (it was on sale!!)
* A can of Nivea deodorant (I need to smell good for the new year!)
* The last newspaper of the year!
* The first magazine of 2009 - 8Days dated 01Jan2009
* I spent a total of S$27.63 - a lucky 4D number, perhaps?? *

I also had my last meal of the year - an all-time favourite - Malaysian style curry beehoon with chicken. Yummy!

47.5

2008-12-30T19:14:00.010+08:00

I never thought that I would ever get my weight back down to 47.5kg.

Over the last two years, I put on 4kg?? My weight crept up on me, slowly but surely, from 47kg to 48kg to 49kg. And then I hit the magic 50. I kept telling myself that once I hit 50kg, I would curb my eating and start doing something, exercising if need be. Last resort, of course. But easier said than done. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak, not to mention the tummy! I love food! I live to eat! Being in Singapore, it's hard to stay away from food. There is food everywhere! On every corner, every street, at any time of the day or night! My favourite foods - chicken rice, char kway teow, noodles, carbs. My uniform was straining at the seams to hold me in. I think I hit my heaviest at 52.

Then about a month ago, I started to lose my appetite. I could get by with just a meal a day. There were times when I didn't even eat anything for 24hours. I was just not hungry. I also wasn't sleeping well. Was it stress? Or was it because I was missing my makan-kaki, E? The weight started to drop. My cheekbones were a little bit more pronounced. My double chin was now a "half double"? I looked better in pictures. But my buddha-belly was still the same :( Round and wobbly.

Unfortunately, my appetite is back now and so is my weight. I'm hovering between 48 and 49. But I'm glad I managed to see 47.5 on my scales before the year ended. I feel a little better about myself.

So here's to 2009 and a new resolution : To keep my weight under the magic number 50!

Mr Krishna

2008-12-30T17:00:00.011+08:00

Mr Krishna was calling ..

I had barely opened my eyes and switched on the lights when the phone rang ..

(Veering off course a little here ..) In this really cool room, I have this really fancy remote thing-y that switches off the lights or dims it to your liking... Cool! Usually the good hotel rooms have light switches near your bed which can switch off certain lights or a master switch that turns off all the lights which is great. Unless you're in the US / San Francisco to be exact.. you have to go to every single switch / light to turn it off... Walk to the passage, switch light off. Walk to the toilet, switch light off. Walk to the desk, switch light off. Walk to the standing light, switch light off. Walk to bed (finally!!), switch off bedside lamp. Phew! What a stupid system, right? And to think that you have to do the reverse when you wake up!! So usually, I just fall asleep with all the lights on! Haha!

Anyway, the phone rang and the caller ID read "Mr Krishna". I didn't know a Mr Krishna. I was in Dubai and I was a little apprehensive in picking up unknown numbers. But it could have been a wrong number and we were staying at the Angsana so certainly no riff-raff here! I picked up and it turned out to be my colleague. I know him as Viviek. He wasn't feeling so good so he wasn't coming back with us. Poor guy - he'll be celebrating his New Year here in Dubai all alone instead of at home with friends and family.

So Mr Krishna, Happy New Year and get well soon! Hare Hare :o)

Best Before??

2008-12-30T05:05:00.011+08:00

Look at the date!!

I was going through my pantry to stock up my noodle-bag for my upcoming trip to Dubai when I came across this packet of noodles. It was 13 months too late.

This shows you how bad I am when it comes to shopping. I can go to NTUC, buy my groceries and stick them in the fridge / pantry and totally forget about them till it's too late. I buy oranges because I felt like having some or a carton of milk because I know that I should be getting some calcium. I usually end up with prune-ny looking oranges and tofu-like milk. Sometimes, I'm just plain greedy. I hardly get to go to Tokyo so when I do, I buy lots of fruity jelly-cups because they are so yummy. And who knows when my next trip will be, right? So I stock up... just in case. I end up throwing them away because I can't finish them in time.

That day, I went through my pantry and threw away packets and packets of expired noodles and drinks.

Now, what if they DIDN'T have a Best Before date??

Mini-Bar Mystery

2008-12-30T04:02:00.011+08:00

This was my mini-bar in Istanbul.

A mini-bar doesn't usually get that cold, much less freeze a whole bottle of Coke. The rest of the drinks inside the fridge were at the right temperature. So how did one single bottle get frozen solid while the rest remain chilled?

I had to call Housekeeping to clean up the mess. The guy wasn't too happy. I don't know if it was because he had to handle broken glass or he just looks like that all the time?

Who knew that Coke Light would be that explosive?

Aftermath!

2008-12-25T22:00:00.000+08:00

This was my bedroom floor after I finished wrapping some Christmas presents! All this for only ONE person's pressie!!

Christmas Basketcase Of Blues

2008-12-25T18:04:00.008+08:00

At 17:27 today, I got an sms from E. Finally.

Well, what more did I want? I was the one who wanted to break it off. I was the one who thought we could be friends. And then I decided that we couldn't be friends. And then I go all psycho when I don't hear from him!! @#%^&#^

I'm a total basketcase!

Christmas Carols

2008-12-25T13:19:00.008+08:00

What is it about Christmas carols that can lift your spirits in an instant and make you feel all festive and jolly?

I was moody this morning. I woke up at 8am and that's enough to make me depressed. The weather was gloomy. I had spent Xmas eve alone (By choice. I only have myself to blame, I know) Watched Sex & The City last night and saw the episode where Carrie and Aidan broke up and that made me cry. Went to bed with swollen eyes. This morning, I was listening to Corrinne May's Fly Away and that is not exactly a "pick-me-up".

So I thought, how about some carols? I'm sure I have a Christmas CD ..somewhere .. somewhere .. somewhere .. Now where is that darn CD? (Oops, no swearing on Christmas!)

Found it! Don't remember when I bought this CD though. But I'm sure I bought it at Target. How do I know that?? Because it was a Target-store compilation!! Got one big-big Target logo on the cover :o) Popped it into my player, volume up high and .. Hallelujah! I was jigging and singing along to the songs in no time!

Now all I want for Christmas is ...

Merry Christmas!!

2008-12-25T12:57:00.004+08:00

Lucky $$$

2008-12-23T23:23:00.011+08:00

I picked up M$11 yesterday.

We were walking to the Tiger Airways plane, parked just off Gate T3 at the LCCT. At the LCCT, there are no aerobridges to the planes. We have to walk to the aircraft via covered walkways, much like our walkways here under the HDB flats. Then a short open-air walk on the tarmac to the aeroplane steps. Which is fine..as long as it doesn't rain!

Anyway, I was just a little ahead of Peng who had Lisa napping in her baby-sling. Then I spotted something on the ground. One M$10 and one M$1 note, folded together, as if someone had collected it as change after a purchase and stuffed it in a pocket in haste. The person ahead of us was pretty far away and didn't look like she was turning back. So I picked up the money. It was my lucky day!

I thought that M$11 would probably be just enough to buy Peng and myself a cup of coffee and maybe a hot Milo for Lisa when the drink-trolley goes by! Well, it wasn't. A cup of coffee was S$3 / M$7. It was free money but it just wasn't worth paying $3 for a coffee which I can't even drink leisurely because the flight time is only 35mins??

Anyway, Finders Keepers!!

p/s : I picked up 20cents today. I was looking at cards in a stationery shop when a card fell behind a vase. I moved the vase to get to the card and there was a 20c on the floor. I picked both things up. Put the card on the rack, the coin in my pocket! :O)

Susan's Pot Of Goodness

2008-12-22T11:45:00.005+08:00

Susan boiled soup, just for me! Bless her heart! And she only used the "ho-liao" too, good stuff like chicken drumsticks (because she knows that this "pah-pai" friend of her's, doesn't eat anything else!) and the Chinese herbal stuff. Sorry to say but not even my mom boils soup for me when I go home. This picture was taken after I've had like 3 bowls?? It was yummy, not to mention, nutritious! Left the "cha" only!

Thanks, Girl! Hugs :o)

A Sneak Peek!

2008-12-18T11:29:00.020+08:00

No one's ever been in my bedroom before.

I think B was the only one because he helped me choose the apartment. I spent very little time at my place when we were together. I'd go home to grab a change of clothes or drop off my stuff after work, before heading over to his place. He never stayed over. Maybe just that once. We were just more comfortable at his apartment.

E probably took a peek or two. At first he was shocked when he thought he saw the stuff on my floor. But he was a gentleman and never pushed and accepted the fact that I didn't like anyone to see my messy room. I liked that about E. Never pushy.

So hey, here's a sneak peek into the Forbidden Room!! (after the clean-up, of course!!)

Beer And Cigarettes

2008-12-17T23:10:00.018+08:00

Why do I always turn to beer and cigarettes whenever I feel down? Do I hope that it numbs my brain so that I don't have to think about my problems? Do I hope that it gives me a throbbing headache that makes me forget the pain in my heart? Kinda like taking a hammer to your thumb when you have a nail stuck in your head.

Maybe the movies play a part?

Cue .. sound of soft waves in the background.. the sun setting into the horizon.. a beautiful girl is sitting on the beach, with a beer bottle stuck in the sand and a lit ciggie in hand. A teardrop slowly making its way down her cheek. She's pondering what went wrong. Why she is, where she is. The sky turns to night. She stubs out the cigarette, drinks the last drop of beer and flings the bottle into the water. The world is suddenly a better place and she seems to have the answer to her troubles..

I lit a cigarette. Took a puff. Took another puff. And another. I put it out. Took a bottle of Hoegaarden and had a sip. Yuck. Tried another sip. Emptied the bottle down the kitchen sink.

Nothing like a drag on the ciggie or a gulp of beer every now and then to remind myself WHY I never smoked or drank beer!

p/s : I'm no closer to finding an answer :o( Any ideas??

Inspection OVER!

2008-12-17T21:35:00.008+08:00

I got the house ready with 45mins to spare. Talk about cutting it close. Phew!

I cleaned up my room. I can see the floor now. And I can walk from the doorway to my bed, without having to follow a narrow, treacherous passage, through piles of DVDs, unopened mail, credit card receipts, toiletries, bags, paperwork, clothes. Yes, I had all these on the floor before. It was like navigating through a mine field. Even in my sleep-muddled state, I was able to walk to the bathroom, 20feet away, and retrace my steps back to the bed. Most times, with no incident. I'm pretty sure that the laminate flooring is a little more worn-down in some places.

Now all I have to do is to keep it just the way it is for the next 3 months. Darn.

My Mickey Mouse

2008-12-17T16:11:00.003+08:00

I once told B that my wrist hurt after using my laptop for a few hours. I had switched from a desktop to a lappie and I wasn't used to using a touch pad. The awkward position and constant tapping while surfing was not very comfortable.

He surprised me with the above - a wireless mouse. I didn't have to use the touch pad anymore and hey, no wires to mess around with. The little black USB thingy popped out the back and once plugged into my lappie, I had a remote mouse! It even had a scroll-wheel. Cool! When I was done, I just stuck the black stick back into the mouse's ass. A neat little package.

The mouse died after a while. I kept it till today because I wanted to remember B and his sweet little ways. I took a picture for remembrance and threw Mickey out in the trash.

My Chu-Chu

2008-12-17T15:35:00.003+08:00

This is Chu-Chu.

B gave her to me as a surprise. She came with a small bouquet of blue roses. She used to sit in the car and keep us company.

She has since lost her nose. And the roses have disintegrated.

Ghost-Cover-Eye

2008-12-17T10:24:00.002+08:00

I lost my Sales Receipts the other day. It was the first time ever, in 4.5years? I am usually very careful with my sales-paperwork. I didn't even realise that it was missing until I started to look for my little clipboard before I did my Sales rounds on the flight. And this was already on the way back to Singapore. I searched my cabin bag and my mamasan bag but it wasn't there. I was upset but I thought, Hey, I'd probably left it on the cart. All I had to do was write an email to the other girl and see if she found it. When I got home, I gave my bag another peek before I wrote her.

She replied today. She didn't find anything. I was really upset now. I was 90% sure that I had left it there. Where else could I have put it? That was probably the last place I saw it.

I went through my bag again. One more time, I said. Searched all my little pouches, pockets and even in my files. Nothing. Then I picked up my announcement book in its little black bag to put it away. I felt something. And there it was! It had been in my bag the whole time! The weird thing was that I had been using the announcement book during the whole flight and yet, I didn't see it at all. Didn't even realise that it was there in the little bag although it was a little heavier than usual.

I'm so relieved now. I don't have to write an official report to state my loss. I don't have to worry about having to pay for any shortfalls. I guess when your mind is so preoccupied, you do tend to overlook things and not be focused.

Or, it could have just been a case of "ghost-cover-eye"??!! I wonder ..

3:30pm Deadline

2008-12-17T00:50:00.001+08:00

My landlord, D, texted me to tell me that he'll be by at 3:30pm. Darn and double DARN!

Today, I was supposed to clean up my room. I did.. well, does 2 feet x 2 feet of space count?? I threw some stuff away, wiped the area clear of dust, and cleared some old mail. Then I got distracted. I took a nap, watched two episodes of Sex And The City and even went to town for a photography shoot! Now, I'm yawning and can't wait to go to bed.

I still have 20 feet x 20 feet of stuff to go through. By 3:30pm, mind you. Sigh.

I HATE Housework!

2008-12-16T12:11:00.003+08:00

I hate housework.

Especially when it's dictated by others and not by my schedule. I need to be in the mood to clean. I need the urge before I can clean. And the urge comes well, once in a while. Ok, once in a few months or so. Then a few days ago, my landlord decides that he needs to come by and assess the house. So I have to clean. But I'm NOT in the mood!!

This evaluator-person is supposed to come by tomorrow to check the house, take pictures and well, evaluate! As much as I dislike my landlord, I still have to clean up the place a little to make it a bit more presentable. And sell-able.

First impression : My place looks pretty decent. I do try to keep the general areas as neat and tidy as I can. The living room, the kitchen and the dining areas are presentable and free of clutter. My room? Well, it's a junkyard. It's a dumping ground. It's a MESS! I have stuff on the floor, stuff on the bed, stuff on the desk, stuff on my TV. Stuff everywhere. If there's a surface, there's stuff. There's stuff ON stuff!!

I would post a picture but I'm too embarrassed :o(

EX And The City

2008-12-13T16:49:00.001+08:00

Sex And The City - Season Two, Episode 30.

Can you be friends with an ex?

My answer is NO. I've tried doing that with three ex-boyfriends. It didn't work. Let's ignore the fact that I'm neurotic!

I was dumped by one boyfriend, BH (my fault, but that's a whole other story) After a few months of silence, he suggested that we be friends. In the beginning, I was happy because it meant that I would still see him and have dinner and still go out with my best friend. After all, we were together for 8 years. You don't just throw that away. I also secretly hoped that he would take me back again. But after 6 months of "friendship" and friendly hugs and pecks on the cheeks, he told me that he was dating again. It killed me to hear that. This time, I called it off.

It was easier with the next guy, J. I didn't feel as strongly for him. I was also the dump-er. It is always easier when you're the dump-er. We met for the occasional dinner every few months or chatted online. No hard feelings there. One night, we were out for dinner and Alison called. That's when I first found out about her. J was one of those "Don't ask, don't tell" guys. Then another time, he invited me to a family gathering to celebrate his brother David's birthday. I thought that if I were Alison, I wouldn't want to see my boyfriend's ex-girlfriend at a private family function. It's a NO-NO. So in view of Alison's feelings, I started to fade into the background. Last I heard, he was in Malaysia for a holiday with Alison. I'm happy for him.

With E, it was hard. He still wanted to be friends. I should take that as a compliment because he didn't want to be friends with any of his exes, other than Amy. But the few times we went out, I found myself trying to sneak a whiff off his shoulder (he smells so good all the time!) or accidentally bump into his arm or playfully chuck his chin. It was hard to keep my hands off him.

I would always check my Messenger to see if he were online. Switched on my mobile the minute I land, hoping for a message from him. No familiar beep-beep. I always assumed that he would look me up for breakfast / lunch / dinner when we were both in town. I would always end up eating alone. Pathetic, I know.

After one too many downs, I told him that I couldn't be friends anymore. It was too exhausting. All that disappointment. I was the one with expectations. It was not his fault. He was just being him. E.

Carrie went through the same thing. She thought that she could have dinner with Big and just when she thought it was going so well, he dropped a bombshell - he was getting engaged. That is NOT something you want to hear from the guy you still want, you still care about deeply, you still love.

I hope that I will be over E soon. Wish me luck!

Clothes!

2008-12-13T14:57:00.001+08:00

Susan suggested that I donate my old clothes or throw them away. My response??

I have 3 categories of clothes :

One - My current wardrobe : Which consists of what I like to wear now. What I consider fashionable. Regardless of what others might think. The all-time favourite jeans, Abercrombie tops, tshirts, some Uniglo shirts, the denim shorts that will go with anything and everything.

Two - My future wardrobe : Clothes that I might be able to fit into, if I ever lose some weight, that is. Skimpy spaghetti tops, some ultra short minis, a few dresses, some tshirts that hug you in all the wrong places. Clothes that are in the Extra Small-Small range. Target weight : 45kgs or less. There are also clothes in this wardrobe that I might need if I put on more weight. Or get pregnant (horrors!!) Large flowy dresses, huge tshirts that double up as night shirts, pants that you could probably stuff a chicken or two into it. The XL range.

Three - My past wardrobe : Clothes that I can wear again, if and when it comes back into fashion!! Clothes that you could wear to a Halloween party or on a cruise. The loud Hawaiian shirt. My retro stuff. The Madonna-bustier lookalike minus the tassels, of course. The colourful Cyndi Lauper skirt, the 80's sweet-Kylie floral dress. Clothes that you bought at a sale where you thought, "Hell, it's only S$10." What-was-I-thinking??-clothes fall into this category too.

I'm sure we're all guilty of the above. Minor or otherwise.

What would the retail industry do without us?? :o)

p/s : The above applies to shoes as well!

Men Are Like Oxygen ..

2008-12-13T08:07:00.002+08:00

Just yesterday, a colleague, Astley, told me a very interesting analogy.

Men are like oxygen. You know its there but you can't see it.

I'm sure he made this up. But why would I want a man, in this case - my boyfriend, there.. but "not there"?

He said that I needed to understand that a boyfriend was there all the time. I know he's there. But I don't need to see him to know he is there.

He gave this example :
If you were sick and you called me, I would tell you to go to the doctor. My logic is because only the doctor can cure you. I would not go to the chinese sinseh and get herbs and stuff to boil or come over to your house to rub your back to make you feel better or run to the local supermarket to get tissues for you. But if you need some money to PAY for the doctor, then I'm there for you. Because its something that I can do.

What is it with men? They know WHAT to do, what they SHOULD DO! To make a woman feel good. But yet,they refuse to do it? I'm referring to the :
Oh, you're sick, Baby. Let me make you feel better. (Man : I'd rather have sex! That would make me feel good!)
Do you need another blanket? (Man : Just don't expect me to get in with you!)
Should I give you a massage? (Man : Please say No.)
Do you want me to stay home with you and keep you company? (Man : I'd rather go out and be with my buddies since you won't be much fun!)

Astley said that I should treat my boyfriend like a friend. If I'm able to do that, then my man would love me for it. Well, I do treat my boyfriend like a friend. Sometimes. When we talk about common, general things like work or photography. But then, I treat him like a boyfriend other times. I WANNA treat him like a boyfriend. Like when I hug him even if he reeks of cigarette smoke or tell him that he looks good with his 3-day-old stubble all over his face. Or that he's cute when he smiles even if his teeth are a little crooked. If he were just a friend, I'd tell him to shave, shower and get his teeth fixed! But because he's my boyfriend, I love all that about him. Smoke, stubble and all!

And besides, I have my regular friends. Friends that will tell me to see the doctor when I'm sick, logical friends that will not pamper me just because I'm making wontons in bed or coughing my lungs out. They have lives of their own. Their own boyfriends or girlfriends, husbands and wives, that they need to take care of and be with. They have no time for me.

I need a BOYFRIEND.