What Do You Think?

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

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!!!

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

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???!!!

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!

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

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

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

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 !!!

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 ...

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

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

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!

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 ...

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

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

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??

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 ...

But ...

But ...

NAHHHH!!

My Ramen Dinner

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

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?