crisis? what crisis?

The media is really good at blowing things out of proportion. And in this case, Manchester United has been their target with an epic proportion. With the departure of inspirational captain and the early exit of the champions league, it was said that United is in a crisis. Okay, they may have been out of the champions league but I will let their premier league results speak for itself. They are now giving Chelsea a run for their money to win the title. So, what crisis?? If anything, it would be Arsenal who is in a crisis. Their key players are plague with injuries and 17 points behind the league leaders. But, I have always admired the Gunners – a consistent London team – and I am rooting for them to have one over the Blues this Sunday.

I have been getting quite a bit of winding up from other football fans about Manchester United doing really bad this season – they were so influenced by the media. Well people, it ain’t over till it’s over. We have this discussion again at the end of the season.

slightly mad....

I am going slightly mad. It is December, the last month of the year. You would think that things would slow down a bit at office and you would be running at 50% of your usual capacity. Nooooo…. That is not the case for some of us at work. We are running at full steam. Our plates are already full but with half of the department going away on their annual holidays, our plates are overflowing with stuffs from their plates.

This week has been horrible. I found myself getting angry easily and get totally knackered at the end of the day. It is a sign that a getaway from work is due. I thought of taking a day off this week but with the way things are going, it seems almost impossible. Not so much of a holiday season for me.

Anyway, my colleagues and I, who are working our butts off this holiday season, we will be getting our revenge next month. We will let them have a taste of their own medicine in the new year when we will take off for a couple of weeks and leave their plates overflow. Ppwaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh….

end of a dream of a mad season...

Keane left.

Best passed on.

No more European nights for Man U.

What else is coming our way?

What a season and we are only half way through it!

Come on, hit me!

addiction...

I have been told that I am an addict because I love the feeling of the following things:

Cough syrup from my family doctor
It is sweet and it makes me drowsy, leading to hours of uninterrupted deep sleep.

General anaesthetics
I may be under it for an hour or less but it was like I have sleeping for days!!! Been only through that twice in my lifetime, so far.

Is it wrong to like feeling drowsy and falling into deep sleep? It is a known fact that as you get older, you tend to sleep less. I can only put in 7 hours a night these days when before, I was able to sleep for 14 hours straight. What I wouldn’t do for a good 8 to 9 hours of good sleep these days…. But believe me, I am not addicted to these drugs. I just wait for the next time I get a serious cough to enjoy the sweet syrup – which will be a year from now because I only fall sick once a year! Also, believe me, the after effect of anaesthetics is not something that one enjoy. Being knocked out was good but after that, it is not something that you would look forward to.

But my caffeine addiction remains. Used to be 3 cups a day but now, a cup of coffee a day, keeps the doctor away. :-)

finding PJ....

In 1994, I met PJ, a guy who became my one of my good buddies, when he came to work with the multi-national corporation, where I worked for a few years. My first impression of him was not good. He appeared to be arrogant, going around speaking to everyone in American accent – he is an Asian American actually. I thought he was a local who picked up the accent while studying overseas for a few years. Despite the bad impression, I still could not help but talked to him a bit – I didn’t have much of choice considering he was working in the same department and our boss have asked me to give him a little bit of orientation.

Like I have mentioned, we became such good buddies. It all started when I told him one afternoon that it was a public holiday the following day and he didn’t have to come to work. I gave him my home number and told him to call me if he had any issues during the holiday - he has only been in town for a few days and I was being a nice Singaporean. That evening, another colleague and I invited him for dinner. PJ and I hit off very well and we have been hanging out quite often since. We would go out for the occasional dinner and movie during the week and on every other weekend, he would join my friends and I for football matches of the local league. That would be followed by dinner, drinks and partying. We always had a blast when we hung out together. He is a great company!!!

He moved back to the US sometime in1997 and settled in Seattle. I visited him in late 1998 and we relived those days while he was in Singapore. He was a great host and it was quite sad when it was time to say goodbye.

P.J has not been good at writing e-mails and we have had the occasional phone calls to catch up but one day, I found out that the provider where he subscribed his e-mail with had gone out of business. I didn’t have his work e-mail and then, he didn’t have a mobile phone. He didn’t write me with his contact details. That was in 2000. I have lost touch with him since.

Lately, I have been thinking about him and wondered what he has been up to. I was hoping I could find him in some companies website that he is working for but so far, no luck. The one sure way would be to use the paid people finder service on the web. It will cost me about USD20 – with a confirmation that he still lives at that address and phone number. I am still contemplating. Should I or should I not? If he had wanted to stay in touch, he would have written to me with his new contact details, right? However, what if he had lost my contact details? And I don’t know if he would be too happy that I have tracked him down, when out of the blue I call him at home. I am in dilemma now. What do you think? Should I go ahead and pay to get his contact details? Or let it be, never find out what ever happened to him and go on with my life wondering? Sigh…

the week of mister D....

Mister D has been the highlight of my week. Last night, we said goodbye to him and his parents after a short hello. They returned to Dubai after a 12-day visit to this side of the pond. Mister D has kept me entertained during his visit - he is so comical! It will be next year before we get the chance to see him again. I am going to miss him. I look forward to seeing his new 'tricks'. Also, Mister D is going to be a little big brother early next year. So, we may see even more comical actions from him and his little sibling in the future. Double trouble is coming our way. Watch this space!

happy hour..

It is amazing how children will find little silly actions from adults as humourous. It is quite easy to entertain them, innit? Examine the evidence

funky little dude...

Well, look who is back in town? Why, it is Mister D!!! And he's a funky little dude! I am so happy to see him again today when he came for a visit with his parents. He was a little shy for a while and it didn't take him long to warm up again. It was like he never left.

He has grown so much and has learnt some new tricks... (I am making it sound like he is a puppy). We tested to see if he still remembers me. His parents showed him a photo of me and my friend, Noridah and asked him, "Where is Aunty Ida?" He responded by pointing to me in the photo followed by pointing to me standing in front of him. My heart melted.

Mister D will be here for a week and I look forward to spending some time with him... and his parents off course. Welcome back Mister D & Family!!

written off..

It is amazing how the critics are writing off Manchester United as a non-Champion material given their less than stellar start to the season. We had a local newspaper column, who felt that Man U do not have the makings of a Premiership champions, let alone to be the European Champions. Well mister, obviously you were in Uranus last season when Liverpool won the Champions League but did not even finish the top 4 of the league.

Anyway, Man U fans have faith in them, based on the polls taken at soccernet.com. Those who are being disloyal and criticising the team may as well not call themselves a fan. You might as well be just a soccer fan because you are not worthy to be a fan of a club if you continue to critise. You should probably apply for Sir Alex's job, since you think you can do a better job and put your criticism into work at the club. See if that works out!

Yes, Chelsea may be the runaway leaders and according to their William Gallas, they want to seal up the Premiership by January so that they can focus on the Champions League (what arrogance!), but it ain't over till it's over! It ain't over till the fat lady sings! This early part of the season has been quite exciting with the unexpected clubs like Wigan and Manchester City being up there on top of the English Premiership. This season may be an exciting season yet.

say goodbye....

On Thursday, I said goodbye to a glamorous office with absolutely fantastic view from the 38th floor in the heart of the downtown Singapore. There will be no more window-shopping during lunchtime, nice meals at classy eating establishment, spontaneous drinking sessions after work or looking out the window to clear your mind on a stressful day. It hasn’t really sunk in to me yet that I will now be based in a small business park in the east – no, it is not a new job, it is an office relocation - I still feel like I will be back at that office next week.

I should be able to get used to this because almost three quarters of my working life has been outside of the city. This should not be a big of deal. However, I will surely miss the fantastic view, a nice hot cup of coffee from my favourite coffee place in the mornings, ice blended drinks on Friday afternoons and a big western breakfast when I feel like it.

As they say, all good things must come to an end but this will be the beginning of patching that hole in my pocket from the three years of extravagance of being based downtown.

How can one give up a space with a view like this?

bollywood jam....

Bollywood fever has hit Singapore and it is jamming our streets!!! It is causing so much commotion!

This morning, there was a jam downtown, because there was filming at Shenton Way, the financial district. I wonder if it has caused work in the surrounding offices to stop. Hell, it even caused a jam.

Yesterday, we received an e-mail from the building management that the roundabout at our office buildings will be closed next Tuesday for another filming. I like to know exactly when this will start because, hell, I want to be part of the dance routine. Boy, do I want to do the bhangra or run around the fountain. My colleagues were laughing our arses off when we read the e-mail and we thought it would be fun to go to the filming and dance around in the background – well, there is a likelihood that we may be permanently removed by the security but what the heck? How often do you get the chance to be in a Bollywood film. :-D So, you need to take every chance you get!

Apparently, this filming is part of Singapore Tourism Board's effort to draw leading international filmmakers and broadcasters to produce movies, television programmes and music videos in Singapore. Hmmm, think about the opportunities for me to be an extra and perhaps lead to stardom. Hey, a girl can dream, right? When will I, will I be famous???

the story so far...

it has been a year of blogging...
let's see how much longer can i keep this up. ;-)

the library...

What are your expectations when you walk into a café or a coffee place like Starbucks? Well, I could see people sitting around, talking – either business or pleasure – and laughing. I guess, it is a place where it is usually bustling with chatters, coffee brewing and milk steaming.

Well, not this evening. My friend and I walked into Starbucks this evening and decided to sit inside where there is air conditioning to cool off for a bit. We went about with ordering coffee and cake and started chatting away, only to realize later that the place was rather ‘happening’. We thought we could like be having a few good laughs but each time we started to talk a little loud, we started getting stares. Only moments later, we realized that students, who are studying for their exams, have invaded the place. The whole place somehow has been converted from a bustling joint into a library.

With all due respect to the students but for fart’s sake, this is a coffee place. You would expect some noise and all. I was just upset that we were getting stares each time we get a little excited with our conversation. Isn’t there anywhere else that they could go to study? Can’t they study at home? I was a student before but I find studying or revising at public place did not do any good. Well, maybe that was just me. However, I like to be able to go to a café, have my coffee and talk to my friends without getting any stares when we get a little loud. Honestly, we could have just cared less – it is a public place - but instead, we moved and have a seat outside. It was warm but it was a completely different atmosphere – there were adults free to talk as loud as they want.

I think it is about time that these café and coffee places have a policy of ‘no studying’ for students. It is not a #$%^&* library. or study hall. I felt really stifled. This evening, I felt like we were the noisy teenagers and the students were like the mature adults. Role reversal and I wonder if those teenagers would learn anything from that? I doubt.

my life in crushes...

Upon reading Sara Dalin’s (of Bananarama fame) list of men she fancied in a magazine, I thought, "I have my own list too. Why not?"

Here it is... The TOP 10 men who I’ve fancied:

10 Donny Osmond (of Donny & Marie Fame in the 70’s)
My first crush when I was six. I used to get really upset for missing their weekly shows on the tele.

9 Rick Springfield
My first exposure to a rock star. He was extremely good-looking for someone who was like 15 years older than I was.

8 Bryan Robson
My first craze with footballers. He is handsome and one of the talented footballers in the 80’s.

7 Larry Mullen Jr (U2’s Drummer)
He has that cool bad boy image that a girl would fantasise about.

6 Alan Wilder (Depeche Mode’s Keyboardist)
The bad boy of the New Wave Era but I think he’s decent under all that make-up and black leather.

5 Harrison Ford
Nah, I didn’t fancy him during the Star Wars days. More during his role as Jack Ryan of Tom Clancy’s novels like Clear and Present Danger, Patriot Games, etc.

4 John Taylor (Duran Duran’s bassist)
It must be the square chin that caught my eye. And his good looks too.

3 Ryan Giggs (Winger at Man Utd)
It is either his skills or the time when he bared his chest after scoring that magnificent winning goal against Arsenal in the 1999’s FA Cup Semi final.

2 Rick Astley (former teaboy turned late 80's hit making celebrity)
Never gonna give you up. What is it about him that I like?

1 Hugh Grant
Timeless… sigh.

new toy.....

Last week, yours truly got herself a brand new cell phone. It is a Nokia 6101 - A flip phone. I was never a fan of flip phone after seeing my colleague having to give a slight knock of his Motorola flip phone before he could say hello.

That was a few years ago and my view of the flip phone has changed after watching several television series where the character looked really cool answering a call from a flip phone. So yes, I want to look cool answering my phone. (I also think I need to get a real life!)

I have abandoned (well, not entirely because there are still some memorable text messages in there which I'd like to keep) my non-flip Siemens S55 cell phone. It is still in a good condition but what made me buy a new phone is that my Siemens is almost 3 years old now and some of the features which I always wanted to use are not working as well as I have expected.

So, this new 'puppy' has all what I need in a phone. It may not have the ultimate features like blue tooth or 5 megapixels built-in camera but I am quite satisfied. I am still trying to get used to some of the features and also trying to type text the Nokia way - I kept reverting to the Siemens format, which sometimes frustrates me but that will go away soon. And I am looking to put my favourite MP3s songs as my ring tones. Still thinking what would be cool.

It has been a week and I am still excited. Flipping away I am, from now on with my new slick black Nokia flip phone.

the talented mister ripley..

Well, his name is not Mister Ripley but he is indeed talented....... in photography that is. Today being his birthday, I like to honour his excellent photography skills by putting a link on my little blog to his site of masterpieces.

Happy Birthday, Pierre! Your masterpieces have inspired some of us to be better photographers. :-)

high...

This year is the year of running into or hearing from people I used to work with at this large American multi-national. Good times were had while I was there and as such, seeing them again is indeed a happy moment.

Earlier this year, I managed to get in touch with Lydia. She was the one who hired me. Although she was my boss then, we were pretty tight and sometimes would hang out after work, much to the surprise of my other colleagues then.

A few months back, I ran into Chee Hian, who was also my boss (yes, I went through a few bosses then) and arranged to meet for lunch a couple of weeks later.

After that, I ran into Ernest who still works there. We have a lifer here.

The most pleasant surprise of all would be getting an e-mail on Monday from Keith, who wrote that he was in town for a day and asked if I fancy having dinner with him. I used to work closely with Keith – he gave me much exposure into networks and infrastructure. I owe him much for that. So, when I saw his e-mail (which strangely was a reply from an e-mail I sent him in March but he never replied), I called him at his hotel and arranged to meet.

Having not spoken in 5 years, there was much to catch up on. We had a few drinks and talked too much. Off course, I didn’t cut him any slack for not writing. Before we parted, Keith said that he would not stay out of touched like before. That remains to be seen but I am glad to see him again. I enjoyed working with him before and the fact that we could still be friends outside of work was just great!

I wonder who will be the next to meet. Keith was icing on the cake really.

low...

It has been a few weeks now that I have been feeling low. I may be showing signs of depression but I don’t know. I think it is work. I begin to find it monotonous. However, I don’t understand why I am not doing anything to change it. I may not think about it all the time but I guess at the back of mind, it is doing its work because I have been having trouble sleeping. When I do sleep, I would have bad dreams or would be waking up a few times in the middle of the night. At on my day offs, I don't feel like doing anything else but be a sloth. It is an awful feeling. Note to self : MUST CHANGE THINGS. MUST START DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!!

parlez vous francais?

This evening, I resumed with attending French lessons after a 4-year break. 4 years??? Has it been that long?? I didn't realised it until I registered for the class earlier this month. I have been told that the previous time I attended a french lesson at the school was in 2001

Anyway, it was good to resume with French lessons. I am not very good at it, hence the reason for resuming. Or so I thought. Despite being nervous, thinking that my French grammar would go horribly wrong when speaking in class, it seemed like I may have made a bit of impression when I responded in French to the professor with my name and that it has been a long time since I last attended french lessons. I have to thank my French friends for that - pushing French down my throat by speaking French to me until I get completely clueless with what they have said and caved by continuing the conversation in English.

I think the point of resuming the lessons is to overcome my fear of making mistakes in speaking the language. It is not easy. English is not my mother tongue. I started learning English grammar in primary school and it took me 10 years (or more) to master the grammar and it is still not good, let alone perfect. It may take me 20 years to master the French language. It is going to a long journey but I will persevere. Like the saying goes, "It is not about the destination, it is the journey. Besides, this reminds me of Colin Firth in that movie, Love Actually, where he learnt how to speak Portuguese and was struggling to express his feelings to a girl that he fell in love with. That should be an inspiration and motivation.

I'll end with my favourite french phrase : la souris es en dessous la table.
I say this phrase a lot, so if you can figure it out, put it in the comments.

Good luck to me with my French lessons.

new sensation...

I have been following this new reality show called "Rock Star INXS" on and off over the last few weeks but after last week, I had to follow it every week now and it is all because of this one performer/contestant called Mig Ayesa. Man, not only is he hot (based on my taste, I think some of my readers out there will probably disagree with my statement.) but he is a great performer too. He first caught my attention when he performed The Kink's All Day and All Of The Night few weeks ago. And I thought, "Man, this guy is good!" and then on, I made a point to watch this program every Wednesday night

Two nights ago, he sang Peter Frampton's "Baby, I Love Your Way" and I was captivated. Even the judges (comprised of INXS (off course) and Dave Navaroe) were captivated and when Mig was voted in the top 3 when the results were announced, Dave requested for an encore of his performance. Again, I was captivated and it seems I was not the only one. I checked out his blog, and he received hundreds of comments from all over the world about this performance... good ones, off course. I think the whole of Asia Pacific is rooting for him. Why? He is of Filipino roots but was born in Australia. So, go figure why we are rooting for him.

I am rooting for him to go all the way in this competition. There are 7 contestestants left before INXS will find their new lead singer and I am already excited and nervous because I want Mig to win!

for the love of shoes...

Aaahh, the love of a woman for her shoes. Nothing can stop her from buying shoes to match every outfit in her wardrobe.

I am one of those women. To date, I have never purchased more than 3 shoes at one time. But over the weekend, I broke the record - I bought 8 pair of shoes at one go. You will probably be falling off your seat when you read this. It is like I am competing with the likes of the late Imelda Marcos and Princess Di.

Well, it was not like I splurged all my my hard earned money on expensive shoes. These were on sale. The prices were marked down from SGD70 to just a mere SGD9. Who in the right frame of mind would not grab the good deal??? In fact, I don't think I broke the record in terms of the number of pairs I bought. A family who was in the shop at the same time with me bought like 20 pairs.

I spread the word around about this awesome deal. Noridah bought 4 pairs on Saturday. Two of my colleagues bought 5 pairs this afternoon. Even my mom wanted in but alas, she could not find a pair that she liked. Better luck next time mom.

On the above left are the 8 pairs which I now proudly owned. The blue wedges being my favourite. I can't wait to put each of them on.

shanghai surprise....

I was in Shanghai last week for work. I traveled to Shanghai before 3 years ago, also for work but it was so short, I could not see much of the city.

Much has changed in Shanghai since 3 years ago. The airport was new. The hotel where I stayed and the area around the office are quite posh – with modern tall buildings and luxury good boutiques in most of the shopping malls. Every 500 metres, there is a Starbucks outlet. When did all these transformations happened? I was in awe. The city is just so modern.

Except for the language (taxi drivers don’t speak English; signs are mostly in Mandarin and the English names are completely different – so getting around was a bit of a problem for yours truly) and the bad traffic, I didn’t feel like I left the Lion City. When I wandered around, it feels like I am in Singapore but when I started talking to the locals, it felt like I was in Hong Kong.

I actually planned to stay the weekend and check out the city – I heard the nightlife is up there with Hong Kong now. However, before leaving the office on Friday evening, I was informed by a colleague that they were expecting a typhoon to hit the city that week and expected to last throughout the weekend.

It was clear on Friday night when I strolled around the city but the next morning, it was gloomy with some rain. Maybe the typhoon was really coming. I made a decision to change my flight and get my butt back home in order to escape the typhoon. No point staying in the hotel in a foreign city when I could be on my way home and spend the weekend in Singapore where no typhoon or other weather calamities can be expected.

However, when I arrived at the airport that Saturday afternoon at 1pm, the typhoon already hit the city – there was no typhoon when I left the hotel. Most flights were delayed or cancelled because there was absolutely no way a plane could take off in such strong winds. I ended up being stuck at the airport for 12 hours – I was beginning to feel like Tom Hanks from that movie ‘The Terminal’. I think I may have used all the public toilets, ate in all the restaurants and went into almost every duty free shops in the airport. I bought a few magazines to keep myself occupied from a limited selection of English publications. I played games on my palm.

I guess the blessing in disguise for being stuck in the airport for 12 hours was when the airline made a decision to put all the passengers up at a hotel for the night. Little did I expect that they were going to put us up at the Westin! Yours truly got herself a junior suite with king size bed. Slept like a baby that night (or morning rather since we didn’t get to the hotel till 1am Sunday morning).

The following morning, we were pampered with a good breakfast before being whisked off to the airport later that morning. However, we didn’t take off till 5pm due to logistics issue. Since the day before, it was a logistical nightmare for the airline but I understand it was not easy making travel and accommodation arrangements for a few hundred people in such short notice. I began to see ugly Singaporeans at the airport, complaining that the airline could not fix a time for departure, etc, etc, blah, blah and a couple commented that the assistant manager of the airline didn’t know how to do his job. I am sure the assistant manager was doing his best. I felt like turning to that Singaporean and tell him, “If you think you can do a better job, why don’t you just take over? It would surely speed things up for all of us”. It just upsets me when I hear people complaining about things when they don’t even know what is happening in the background. Oh well, we’ll see these sort of people everywhere. This world would be a perfect place if no one complains.

So there! Spent pretty much of my weekend in Shanghai airport. Shanghai – an eye opener for a woman from a small city where natural calamities almost never happens and a challenge where language is concerned. I didn’t see much again this time around but I am sure I will make my way back there again to check out the city proper. Perhaps make my way to the capital, Beijing as well - much to see there; The Great Wall, The Forbidden City and Tianamen Square to name a few.

tis the season...

... for football!

"It was just 12 weeks ago when the curtain closed for the Premiership last season… " the commentator said into the first few minutes of the LIVE telecast of Aston Villa versus Bolton Wanderers. JUST? JUST 12 weeks? Good God! Maybe he went through a time warp or something because it was a miserable 12 weeks for me without watching any competitive football matches. Plus, there wasn’t any major international competition this summer like the World Cup or the European Championship. Man! I was cut dry the last 12 weeks! There are other football matches on the tele but they are just not the same as following a league week in and week out for 9 months.

However, I am happy that the first day of the new season has begun today. English Premiership League matches, European Champions League, UEFA Cup, World Cup qualifiers and international friendlies. And what more, at next summer will the World Cup Finals in Germany.

The season has already started on the right note for Manchester United, beating Everton at Goodison Park 2-0. Here’s to an exciting season!!

leeds to reality...

If memory serves, it was in 2003 when I came across a list of the 10 best European castles in the Discovery Channel website. And topping the list is Leeds Castle in Kent, South East of England. Having such a fascination of royal residences, I have been talking about going to this castle since.

I made it there last May, during my holiday in the UK. According to the Discovery website, the English call it the loveliest castle in the world. Maybe other citizens of the world may beg to differ but if it is the loveliest, I can’t be the judge of that. I have not visited that many castles in my life. The castle itself is not huge as I expected it to be but it has wide-open spaces, which I love the most when visiting these royal residences. It makes me feel like a princess strolling around in it. Hhmm..

Leeds Castle has entered my list of favourite royal residences visited after Schonbrunn Palace in Austria and Chateau de Versailles in France. There are other palaces, castles and chateaus, which I have visited, but none of them has left a lasting impression on me than the 3, which I have mentioned above.

To see more of Leeds Castle, click here to see my photo page from my visit to the UK in May.

at last...

It has been a while (a VERY LONG while in fact) but I finally got around to sort out my holiday photos i.e. edit, resize and upload to the server. To view them, click on the following links:

England - May 2005

Paris - May 2005

The links can also be found at the sidebar of this blog.

Enjoy!

vegas to miami to new york...

Since 2001, I have been a huge fan of CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) - an American forensic drama that became very popular the angle that it has focused on how a crime is solved. Forget about theories, let the evidence do the talking. I was totally hooked since I first saw the first episode. It left me hungry for more. Each time I watch an episode, I become immerse into it, wanting to solve the crime based on the evidence collected before the episodes end. And I have to wait for a week before I can 'work' on my next 'crime'.

However, after Vegas, came CSI Miami. The crimes to be solved became more intrigue.

Before long, New York came .. CSI New York.

Forensic galore!!!

And the best part is, the cable channel was airing all three at the same time with Sunday night being the CSI marathon where the episode from each cities would be aired back to back. How cool is that? If I missed all the episode during the week, I have a 3-hour fest of trying to solve crimes.

However, tomorrow, it will be the season finale for CSI Vegas - 2 hour season finale, directed by Quentin Tarantino. It should be Kill-Bill like. This season of CSI Vegas has impressed me. My eyes are glued to the tele each time. It just gets better and better each season and with this season finale directed by Mr Tarantino, it should be interesting because it seems like the plot is something which the writers have never taught of.

CSI Miami is just as good but we will have to see the new season which will begin next week. Sad thing is one of my favourite CSI from Miami will no longer be in the new season. Such a shame! I thought he is rather cute - a cute geeky guy... what more can a geeky woman ask for. ;-)

CSI New York is rather textbook. Well, perhaps with all the other CSI episodes I have been watching, I have somewhat gained some insights into the world of forensics.

If only I could turn back time and go into the path of forensics. I could be one of those crime scene investigators, processing crime scene and evidence. Oh well, the key words here are 'if' and 'only'. I guess, I will have to settle for solving crimes in my head while watching CSI on the tele.

caramel crazy..

I don't have a sweet tooth. It drives me crazy just eating food with too much sugar. However, this past week, I've had the caramel cravings. The following was what I had in the last week:

Sunday, 17 July - Almond Caramel Ice Cream
Tuesday, 19 July - Almond Caramel Pretzel
Wednesday, 20 July - Ice Blended Banana and Caramel from Coffee Bean
Thursday, 21 July - Caramel Latte
Saturday, 23 July - Another Caramel Ice Cream

Crazy or what?

out with the old...

in with the new....

My old tele has been acting up for over a week now. First, there was no red. Then, there was no yellow. Over the weekend, it came down to just black and white. I was toying with the idea of waiting for pay day to get a new tele but the thought of the tele breaking down during the week where there are a few good programmes that I want to watch, was just unbearable.

So, I caved in and forked out a few hundred dollars to get myself a spanking new tele to replace the old boy, who has serviced me since 1995. My new tele is a Toshiba 20 inch LCD flat screen.

This new toy should be the highlight of my week.... but no. Man, I was having issues, technical issues. If you are not keen on technical stuff, skip the next 3 paragraphs.

TECHNICAL ISSUES
I plugged special cables, which I paid $75 for, from the DVD player to component connection on the tele. I understand that it would give superb quality picture. However, the moment I plugged in the last of the three component cables, the picture on my cable channel would disappear. But no indication that the DVD player is actually connected. After a few tries, I gave up and revert to the regular video-out connection with regular video/audio cables.

So now the DVD works but my DVD remote is conflicting with the tele sensor. When I press buttons on the DVD remote, the tele would switch functions like as if I have pressed the tele's remote and vice versa. I switched of the DVD player but the sensor issue is still not resolved but worse happened...

Now, most of the functions on the tele's remote is not working except for the power on/off button and a few other buttons which I don't need to use. The menu function is totally out now and thus, I cannot adjust the brightness, colour, contrast of the picture on my tele.

I gave up fixing it. I may bring the remote back to the shop to test it with the same tele on display to see if it works. When I regained my sanity, I will sit down and figure it out again. In the meantime, you experts with the video components/remote control functions, do provide me with some pointers.

Apart from all the issues, I like the look for my spanking new state-of-the-art tele. However, the services of my old tele and VCR are not forgotten.

Long Service Award goes to:

NEC Color Television - providing good video image services since 1995 (left)

Mitsubishi Video Cassette (what is that?) Recorder - providing recording & playback services since 1990. (right)

Your years of good service are greatly appreciated!

crack the code.. part II

This was taken during my recent trip to Paris. It was taken on my first evening in Paris, as I walked through Jardin de Tuileries, I spotted this statue. I think there is a reason why the statue is covering his face. He is embarassed and I think I know why. Do you? ;-) Figure it out and let me know.

Photo taken on Monday, 23 May 2005

crack the code..

I had to do it, what with all the hype about it. So last night, I finally finished reading Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code. The contents were intriguing and I just could not put it down after I started reading it. Chapter after chapter, I just want to go on reading and reading. Chapter after chapter, Dan Brown continued to keep you guessing. Chapter after chapter, I was dying to find out what was going to happen next. Now that I have finished it, I am dying to discuss it.

And the things that Dan Brown mentioned in this book were thought provoking.

I want to see the painting of Mona Lisa.
I want to look at the Last Supper and observe the apostles besides Jesus.
I want to wander around the Louvre again.
I want to go to WestMinster Abbey and see Issac Newton’s grave.
I want to go to Rosslyn Chapel in Edinburgh.

His writing is excellent. Narrative. It makes you want to read his other books. However, I am reluctant to do that. Why? This brings me back to when I first read John Grisham. The Firm was probably one of the best books I have ever read. After that, I went on to read his other books and then, the plot stop to thickens. Subsequent books began to tell a similar story like his previous books. I don’t want to go down that road… unless you out there beg to differ and convince me otherwise.

My thoughts are still provoked at this point, from reading Da Vinci’s Code.

she's leaving home...

Wednesday morning at 4 o'clock as the day begins in Singapore, As most of us were still in dreamland, Liza, one of my closest friends, and her son, Adam began their long journey to a new beginning. A new beginning in the United States.

It was not easy letting her go but she is an adult and you can't tell your friends to run their lives. Tears rolled down our eyes when we had our last dinner together on Monday night, Despite trying hard not to let that happen. Sending her to the airport was not an option ... flood of tears would be too hard to handle.

No more spontaneous nights out on weeknights when one of us has had a stressful day. No more talk over coffee on the weekends. My world has changed. Nothing's the same now. First was Sal - left for Dubai with her family - work reasons
Now, Liza..... the close friends I have are numbered.

C'est la vie but this is not good bye... this is au revoir!

is this world a better place now?

As I am writing this, LIVE 8 concert has just started, marking the 20th anniversary of when the first LIVE 8 concert was held in 1985. Twenty years and things have not changed much in making this world a better place to live in for every single human being. You think you had it bad because you lost your job? Think again. A woman in Africa struggling to feed her children. Children who were born with Aids. People who lived in countries who could not even afford to feed themselves, let alone vaccination to fight against diseases. You don't have it bad compared to these people.

Funds will raised during this concert and from other fund raising events. But how much of those funds will actually reach to those individuals in those developing countries. World leaders from developed countries need to put an end to wars and help those countries who needs any form of help they can get and work into ending corruption in poverty stricken nations.

You can do your part :
Go to Live8 site and sign your name.
Go to site to see what you can do to help.

Make this world a better place. Your small contribution is a big help to those who needs it.

Happy Birthday, Nadiah!

northern exposure...

Traveled up north last weekend to the capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur or KL, as we like to call it here. It is one of my favorite weekend getaway spot. KL is another city like Singapore - bigger but less crowded. So why bother going to another city for the weekend when you already live in one, you ask. Well, for one, our Singapore Dollar is stronger against the local currency. Besides, we actually went to a whole other country!!!

We checked ourselves in the Renaissance hotel – it looked pretty posh. It is not often that we are able to pay out of our own pocket to stay at a 5-star hotel. We can only do that in these parts. Check out the view from our room - definitely worth every little penny we paid.



The Petronas Towers (The Twin Towers as it is famously known, what it being one of the tallest buidlings in the world) is one of the main attractions of the city. I could be taking photos of that building from a lot of angles (if only I had my camera with me). Here’s one example.



It was nice to get away, even for a little while. A spot of retail therapy, a dip in the pool at the hotel, hung out at nice eating establishment, people watching and much talking … obviously, we didn’t do much but isn’t that what getting away from it all is about? Also, the road trip up north and back was really nice – business class size seats with a price which was an absolute bargain. It was a nice change of scene (despite a wee bit of pollution while in KL) & a good time was had by us.

To see more photos, click here.

hello, hello. i'm at a place called vertigo..part III

As a matter of fact, yes, I have been at a place called Vertigo since returning from my holiday. I was struggling with jet lag – what usually takes me 3 days to get over took me almost 10 days – and the heat here was unbearable and trying to sleep was a torture with the heat. At work, it was like going on a roller coaster ride that never ends. With the endless meetings, I could hardly get any real work done. By the time I get home, I don’t feel like doing anything but just lie in bed and not let my brain do any work – so I stare into space a lot. Hence, this blog has been on holiday. However, yours truly is doing her best to put her thoughts into words here real soon. Come back now, why don't you?

she is back...

I am talking about Mariah Carey, whose latest single, We Belong Together, has been on the Billboard Charts for three weeks now. I just can’t get that tune out of my head. I have been listening it over and over again on my iPod when I am travelling to and from work as well as when I am home. Call me crazy but according to my iPod play count, I have listened to this song for over 200 times. It is one those classic Mariah’s ballet - like her earlier hits in the 90’s – Vision of Love, Love Takes Time, One Sweet Day, Can't Let Go, etc – It’s catchy!

When I first heard We Belong Together, I just know that she has made a strong comeback. I have always been a fan of her music. I couldn’t care less if she dresses like a slut or behaves like a bimbo sometimes – the tracks, which she writes and produces have always grabs my attention to her music. I believe that she will be around for a while. Like Madonna, she will continue to re-invent herself and her music. However, the classic Mariah track like this one will always be my preference. Some of the tracks from her new album are quite good as well.

If you want to listen to this track, which I have listening to for about 200 times over the last 2 weeks and see what the big deal is, click here. Enjoy! I know I have, I am and I will.

one good looking man can't be wrong....

My friends have completely different taste in men. This I know for sure because when one sees a guy who they find to be extremely good looking, not all of us will agree. But that has changed recently when my entire ‘posse’ saw a photo of a man taken from my recent holiday.

The first one I got was more a cool attitude reaction: “This guy is a looker. No brainer.”

Then there was a joint instant spontaneous reaction from a couple of them, which went: “Ooooo la la… who is this handsome fella? Come to mama!” followed by the ooooooo’s and the aaaaahhh’s of the subsequent photos. (If this were to happen at work with an actual man, personnel would have summoned us for sexual harassment!!!)

There were more ooooo’s and aaaaah’s to follow when a citizen of planet Venus saw the photo. Honestly, it was not like I was soliciting for these reactions. I think it was their hormones, which send the signal to their brains to generate this natural reaction of us Venusians.

I think this is the first time that all of ‘posse’ actually agreed on something and it has to come down to a good-looking man to get into an agreement.

I don’t think they have gotten over the good looks of this person. I may have to start a fan club here. I could make money out of this with the sale of merchandise and all. :-P

Should I reveal who this mystery man is? No, it shall remain a mystery - so as to respect his privacy. He definitely has captured the hearts of a few women here in Asia and he is not even here in this continent. Bizarre o’world, innit? But let me just end with the wise words of my mother : "if you can't have a good looking guy being attracted to you, there is no harm admiring the good works of God to us womankind." I hear you, Mom!

reality bites....

The last few weeks have been like a dream when I had a whirlwind holiday:

• A few days in Dubai to spend time with Sal & family
• Spent time with Kevin in England and in the 9 days there, tried to see as much of the country as I can, taking me to Bearsted in Kent, Isle of Wight, Hampton Court, Cambridge & Brighton. Met with Rob, Rachel & family, who showed me around the Isle of Wight.
• A week in Paris where I have been able to see the city in a French perspective with much help from Cyrille & Pierre. Also, a scooter perspective of Paris with Jim.

Much fun was had and now reality sets in as I struggle to cope with jet lag and braving my way to work. The few weeks away from work and this country has done me good : with time to reflect and see things from a different perspective - A few of which will appear as posts on this blog. Film at 11.

the emancipation of me...

… from the world of work. In a few hours, I will be leaving for my annual holiday. Very unusual for me to go on a holiday in May, when typically, I would go in September. After having gone through grueling months at work and not going for a long holiday last year, I truly deserve this holiday. So, I may or may not update this blog while I am away – holiday also means not having any contact with tools that you use at work and at home.

Also, I have emancipated myself from the gruelling hours of packing. I love travelling but packing, I hate. I never seems to be able to get the right touch. It is either I pack too much or too little. My friend, Sal suggested that I bring a few because I can always send it to the laundry later. Honestly, I don't like to even think about that while I am on holiday. So, hell with it this time - I am going to be struggling with one heavy luggage at least a few times throughout this holiday, since I will be making some travelling on public transport. Yikes! Well, I've gone through worse because at least this luggage comes with some wheels. I have travelled before without a wheely bag, so can you imagine just how bad that is??

Hi! Ho! Hi! Ho! Off for my vay-kay, here I go! :-)

welcome back mister D...

... even though for a little while. Mister D and mom made a short return to Singapore on sunday. They are here for a few days for mom, Sal, to sort out some things. Off course, Nadiah and I took advantage to see mister D. Who could say no to meeting Mister D? He has been gone for a couple of months and we miss him like crazy. And our dear friend has become such a poser in front of the camera. If you want more of Mister D in action, go to Nadiah's Photo Pages.

We enjoyed every little moment we spent with him yesterday. Here is a photo of us with Mister D.


Left to Right: Mom, Mister D, Nadiah and Yours Truly.

what time is it???

I just don’t understand why people can be late. Once… Twice… I am fine with it. Five… ten minutes.. I am fine with it too. But if you are late every time and late for more than 15 minutes, that is just totally unacceptable!

I am anal about punctuality. There was a time when I used to be late when meeting my friends. Not just 10 minutes but 45 minutes or an hour. Then, my best friend, Sal told me off – “You know what you are? You are a habitual late comer!!” she said. I admit that I was hurt when she said that to my face. Then, I realized that she was making a point. Since that day, I realized that it is not very nice to keep people waiting and make every effort to be on time or early for that matter. It is just plain rude to keep other people waiting for you. Have you no respect towards other people’s time? Time is money but money can’t buy time (or love for that matter… I just have to throw that one in). If your friends can make an effort to arrive on time, why can’t you? If you can make an effort to arrive to work, an interview, class at the gym, massage appointment and other official engagements early or on time, why can’t you do the same with your appointment with your friends? Think about it if you keep someone waiting for 30 minutes. That is 30 minutes of her day that has been wasted waiting for you, which she could have used doing something productive.

I guess some people just can’t be punctual. Perhaps they are one of those habitual latecomers. Perhaps they like to be fashionably late. Perhaps they are one of those who do not like to be controlled, so showing up late is a way of showing, sub-consciously, that they do not like to be controlled. Perhaps they just don’t have a sense of timing or just underestimating time.

However, I feel that this is something can an individual can make an effort to change. It is just a matter of whether that individual wants to it or not. It is all about managing your time, your tasks and prioritize it. Provide some allowance for traveling time, in case you missed your bus or get caught in a traffic jam. I have a friend who has been one of those habitual latecomers and she has changed now – significant improvement. I changed too. So in other words, all of us can make an effort. Being early or on time also shows that you are responsible and reliable. Now, that’s a character!

driving miss daisy....

Are women really bad drivers? My friends think that we are being stereotyped, perhaps because women are generally known for not handling mechanical things very well. With all due respect to my women-kind, I must admit that most of my observations prior to last weekend, women are not good drivers. Maybe that is why up till now I don’t have a driver’s license. I failed the basic theory twice – also because I did not study for it. Heh! Heh! And every now and then, I get driving dreams – you know, where in my dreams, I am driving but I always announce that I don’t have a license.

Here are some funny stories of women and driving….

I have a friend who obtained her license at 18. She didn’t drive much since. A few years after, she decided to take the family car out and hang out with her friends. She drove up to car park exit but then made a u-turn back, parked the car and took public transport instead. She was too nervous to go out on the open road where there are so many cars!!

Another friend obtained her license while in Canada. When she returned, she told me that each time she parked the car and released the brakes, the car moved. I told her that there is this thing called hand brakes and I am not the one with the license or had any learning experience.

There is another friend who obtained her license last year after only 3 months I think. Bravo! Last weekend, after dinner, she wanted to send us home. Went to the car park and she could not find her car, despite telling us where exactly she parked her car. We were going up and down the multi-storey car park for over 30 minutes – a long time to be in a place without air conditioning in Singapore. Okay, so you asked, what has this got to with her driving? Well darling, if you can drive but can’t remember where you parked your car, in my books, you have failed. ;-) I am only kidding. It is just a funny story and I have to tell it.

So, that evening, when my friend sent all of us home, we were debating about women being bad at driving on the road. Off course, I was proved wrong because there were at least several spotting of bad drivers and they were all men! I guess I was proved wrong. Sorry girls! I am now no longer impartial especially after I saw a man drove into a multistorey car park but not at the entrance but at the exit where there are No-Entry signs all over the exit. How blind can you be not seeing the no-entry sign? Perhaps the sign was in the blind spot. Ha! Ha! Ha !

are you being served?

it has been a while since i was on a business trip. not that i like to go on one but there are certain aspects of it that i like:

1. stay in nice hotels
2. eat good food & drink the finest wines
3. i use the time during the flight to catch up on my reading

last week, i had to go to jakarta for a somewhat last minute meeting. i was reluctant to go on this trip but had to. but you know what it is like when you expect the worst but things actually got better.

first, my room was upgraded from an executive room to a suite at the hotel because the executive floors are all fully booked. sweet!!! had the opportunity to enjoy free cheese and wine at the executive lounge! breakfast was fantastic!! meeting went well. so my reluctance was like a blessing in disguise.

i tell you, business travel will definitely spoil you. once you start traveling on business class and stay in 5-star hotels, your standards would be raised. you always want things with certain class for your travels and holidays. traveling on economy will be such a drag and staying at a tiny hotel room for your holidays are just crap because you will not be getting the service that you would in business class or 5-star hotel.

it is about time that i get a job that pays me more money – much, much more money – so that i can start to travel in style & class for my personal trips. ;-)

hello, hello. i'm at a place called vertigo..part II

today, i was in vertigo...

lack of sleep (only 6 hours... i need at least 7.5 hours)
cranky as hell at work. little things got me worked up. snapped at every little thing that came my way.

i went to the gym during lunch - to bust my stress away. it is amazing how a week of not going to gym can change your stamina level. i have been going regularly for the last two months and last week, i had to skip because of, what else, work. picking things up today at cycle challenge class was indeed a challenge. but the music in the class got me in a trance. these high-powered music just got me going. what was sweet was the last 3 minutes, we were cycling to U2's Vertigo. how cool was that??

despite a good workout, a nice sauna and a cold shower, i was still vertigo... i think what i really need is a good night sleep.

good night, world!

hello, hello. i'm at a place called vertigo..

ver·ti·go ( P ) (vûrt-g)n. pl. ver·ti·goes or ver·ti·gos
1a The sensation of dizziness.
1b An instance of such a sensation.

2 A confused, disoriented state of mind.

i have been feeling 1a a few mornings this past week because i did not get enough sleep. man, the lack of sleep does affect your mood and productivity. yes, i was in a vertigo ... is that the right way to use the word??

anyway, the point of this post is to talk about the undoubtedly the best rock band in the world, U2. their music still rocks! they still have producing music which hit the top 10 on the charts even after they were inducted into the hall of fame. their music reflects the current political situation and how they feel about it. on top of that, U2 plays a part in making this world a better place for the less fortunate ones in the third world country, with their lead singer, bono as the leading activist.

i have listened to their latest album and it is becoming one of my favourite albums and their music videos are really cool. despite being in the industry for a very long time and i know for a fact that they are not that young anymore but not only does their music gets better with age, so are their looks. i have always thought that larry mullen jr has been the best looking one in the band and i still think he is.... GORGEOUS! bono - yes, he was a few wrinkles and the signs of aging are there but he still looks good. the edge - i think he looks better now than before. and adam clayton... let's just say i prefer the way he looks like than he did before. maybe it is just me... as i get older, it seems like older men seems to be my preference but that is another topic to be talked about in another post on this blog.

end of a title hope..

man u lost away to norwich in the english premiership league last night. they have drifted away from the league leaders, chelsea and second placed, arsenal. i will stop following the league now. too painful to watch. all the best to man u for next season. i know they will make a come back because they are not taking this lying down.

damn that jose guy... bringing chelsea to their first league title on his first season!!!

farewall karol wojtyla....

today, we say farewell to pope john paul ii as he was laid to rest in the basillica at vatican city, rome.

i have never really followed this man's great achievements during his papalcy until recent years. i must say, after having seen some documentaries and reading some articles, that the pope has such strong influence on the state of the world today. i am impressed with his leadership skills and his determination in to change things across political and religious boundaries.

the pope was a truly remarkable man. i don't know if the next pope would be able to step into his shoes... well, the next pope could step into pope john paul ii's shoes but the question is will the shoe fits?

productive day...

it's sunday and i was woken up by my neighbour's alarm clock at 6.30am. bugger!! that bastard didn't even turn it off and it went on for about 45 minutes before another alarm went off from god knows where. it is not exactly the way i want to start my sunday..... EARLY.

since i was already up, i took the advantage of the time to call my friend, Kevin, who is the UK to wish him a happy birthday - a day early... well, where he is, it is a day early.

then, i found out that Pope John Paul II has died three hours earlier. told Kevin that i was concerned that the Pope may die on his birthday because we surely don't want to remember Kevin's birthday together with the Pope's death because it will depressing. To that, he laughed. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KEVIN!!

this afternoon, i heard from sal in dubai. mister D has been very lonely without any friends and has been seeking the attention of strangers for companion. poor mister D. i talked to him on the phone - it was a one way conversation because he was only listening, not saying anything and wondering where did the voice from the phone came from.

also, i managed to fix noridah's computer today. at last!!! she has been dying to get it sorted for her to get her assignment done. sorry, i took so long friend.

the day is not over yet ... thank god! ... it has been a while since i started my sunday this early. hope this would not repeat next sunday.

unfair employment terms...

i think it is no secret to some of my fellow friends of my desire to work overseas for a few years. i have worked in singapore for most of my working life and i think i am somewhat ready to work in another continent... well, specifically, france... perhaps because yours truly would like to be able to practice her french on a daily basis - je veux parler en francais tous les jours - i speak a bit of french - not very well - here with some of my customers and my parisian colleagues almost everyday but if i could be based there, it would mean i am forced to speak the language all the time.

i asked about a job in a french establishment a few months back but was told that the human resource department were reluctant to hire non-french nationals. and a few months before that, i was asked to research my way through to get an employment pass in france by a french organisation and if i could get an employment pass, they would only then consider hiring me - key word here is consider. then, recently, i asked again and was told that they would only accept european citizens only.

honestly, i was very upset to hear about all these and the last one really made me angry. i just felt that it is so unfair that people like me are unable to get a job in a foreign country while our government are allowing the hiring of foreign nationals and local companies are quick to resort to hiring foreign nationals like there is no tomorrow. local companies here turn to foreigners to fill in positions because they felt that singaporeans are choosy and always asking for more money while if they hire foreigners, especially for jobs which singaporeans don't want to do, they are able to get more value for money - cheap and good.

so, singaporeans not only have to try very hard to get a job overseas because foreign governments imposed strict rules that local employers give priority to locals rather than foreign nationals for positions opened in their position, but also we have to compete with foreign talents in getting a job in our own country. employers here will be quick to hire foreign nationals because foreign nationals from countries around asia especially, would work for a much less salary than a typical singaporeans would ask for. as far as i can see, there are no rules or laws in place that protect singapore citizens in getting employment in our own country without having to compete with foreign talent. i think it is pathetic and i am depressed just thinking about it. it is just not fair.

tremors were felt...

indonesia suffered another earthquake earlier this morning, hitting a couple of islands close to the last earthquake which led to the indian ocean tsunamis last year, 26 December 2004. it measured 8.5 on the ricther scale i think and the tremors were felt in thailand, malaysia and singapore.

most of us were sleeping when the earthquake hit. my sleep during that morning was somewhat uneasy. i was having wierd dreams and all. i usually sleep facing north but this morning, when i woke up this morning, i was facing west. i didn't know about the earthquake when i left for work this morning but now that i knew about the earthquake, do you think my facing west when i woke up this morning could have been caused by the tremors of the indonesian earthquake?? huh.

see you again soon, mister D!

this evening, i said 'goodbye' to my favourite little friend, mister D, who was moving to Dubai in the UAE, where his dad will be working for his new job. even though i said goodbye to them at the airport just over an hour ago, it still has not sunk in yet that they are not in singapore anymore. it still feels like they have just left for two weeks holiday and will be back with lots of stories from their holidays soon. frankly, sal and kaz were feeling the same way even after checking in the airport.

i know i will be seeing mister D again in the very near future but i am going to miss him terribly. it is amazing to see a child grow up and the remarkable developments he made through the past 15 months since he first arrived into our lives like his first smile, his first laugh, his first few steps, his first birthday, the kisses he gave away, his telling-people-off and his likings for blondes little girls... (yes, seems like they start early these days).

since he was born, i have been taking photos of him every time i see him and that was like every month. i think he associated me to the camera and it acts as a bait for him to come to me each time i see him. in recent months, he would be happy to be posing for the camera each time i hold it up to him and he would then come to me just so he could see the results on the display panel. kids these days, they are so smart. after this evening, those monthly folders that i have of him in my computer will no longer grow. looks like i have to resort to other subjects...

here is how i remember him ... from the last weekend that mister D and his parents were here...



but through the last 15 months, i think this is how he would see and remember me...



i am going to miss you much, mister D but i know that i will see you again soon!

the love of a woman for...

.... her mobile phone, that is. have you ever known anyone or seen anyone who is like so in love with their mobile phone? i saw one this morning when i sat beside her on the bus, while travelling to work. singaporeans are obsessed with mobile technology and this woman is one of them.

throughout the journey, she was hanging on to her pink siemens mobile phone and caressing the edges with her tiny fingers by the way, her pink phone matches the pink top she was wearing. she was constantly sending text messages and at some point, she received a couple of calls. she seemed to be very into the phonecall - i think it must have been a male caller.

that is not all. the ultimate would be when she used the camera function on her mobile as her mirror. she was doing that at least a few times during the journey. a couple of times to check her hair and a couple of times to check her eyes. how vain is that?? i wanted to laugh but was controlling it. not only she love her mobile herself but she loves herself too much not to check into her reflection to see if she is still there and if she is still beautiful.

it amazes me at how she filled her travelling time with doing all of the above all because of her love of her cute little pink communication device. however, it is situation like this that sometimes makes your journey somewhat an amusement for yourself.

father's day...

no, it is not the official father's day.... but i spent some quality time with my dad yesterday. we were out running errands and then decided to have some coffee together. i had a nice conversation with him - a very rare moment because i don't talk to him that much but it was good to catch up with the man who is my early influence into football, a sport which in i enjoyed playing as a kid at school and watching in my adult years. :-)

it is raining man!!!

as much as i want the subject to literally mean it is raining man (good looking man, mind you) but no. i am talking about the weather. singapore has been going through a dry spell since 26 January 2005. it was hot and humid, with temperature at a maximum of 34 degree celcius. it is rare for this early part of the year, where it should be a little cooler - well, if you can call 29 to 30 deg celcius a cool temperature - . temperature usually rises between 33 to 35 degree celcius come may and june. anyway, with the hole in the ozone layer and global warming, you just don't know what to expect anymore when it comes down to the weather.

over the weekend, there were a few downfalls but it was only today that it began pouring, almost the whole day and it began at 5 in the morning. it cool things down a bit and the plants, trees, etc must be sighing with relief. singaporeans, who are not only sleep deprived but also deprived of extreme cold weather - what being in the equator all their lives and all - started putting on sweaters and all today. singaporeans long for the day when they can put on a winter jacket or fur coat or any form of winter clothing to keep them warm. i guess they don't know what it is like to live in regions where warm weather only comes 3 months or so in a year. i think we are very lucky. we don't have to worry about changing our wardrobe every three months to suit the weather. we wear t-shirt most of the time. we get a tan just by walking out in the sun for 5 minutes. we don't need heaters (although most singaporeans will have water heater at home for what a hot shower on what they call a cold morning). we don't have to shovel the snow away from our driveways. in europe, it must have been one of the coldest winter ever in history that they are experiencing now. how lucky are we?? but as you know, the grass is always greener on the other side. however, in europe, i don't think we can see green, or grass for that matter, now.

to my friends in europe, hope the weather will improve soon. unless, this is what you like. ;-)

sleep deprived??

are singaporeans sleep deprived?? the question crossed my mind this morning while travelling to work on a bus. there were at least 5 people who were sleeping. one of them was a couple... aawww.... how sweet... travel to work together and sleep on the bus together.

there was also this familiar face this morning... i know her because she always gets on the bus a stop after me and she would get off at the same stop as me. she would sleep her way through our 40 minutes journey downtown. and mind you, she gets herself comfortable too. she would slouch to make sure that her head is well rested on the seat and she even put on her cardigan if the air-con in the bus is getting too cold for her. there was a time when she sat beside me and she almost had her head resting on my shoulder. i hate that... it makes me uncomfortable. it is like the very little space i have on my seat is being invaded.

now, with all these people sleeping on their journeys to work either via bus or the train, i just wonder what they did last night that they need to catch up on sleep during their journey to work?? eight hours of sleep is not enough?? okay, maybe i don't have a life so much that sleep deprivation is not an issue for me. i get at least a minimum of 6 hours of sleep. yes, i get sleepy sometimes but i use my journey to work to be with my own thoughts. i put the headset on and listen to my favourite music on my iPod , while my thoughts travelled all over the world during the 40 minutes journey. what impresses me is that this people can sleep while sitting. i certainly can't do that. they must be really tired. poor them. well, they can sleep all they want but as long as they don't rest their heads on my shoulder, thinking it is their pillow, it doesn't bother me. but still, one can't help but wonder the activities that has engaged these sleepy souls the night before. hhmmm...

.....and they lived happily ever after..

this week also saw prince of wales announcing his upcoming marriage to camilla parker-bowles. despite the need for the royal family to get approval from the public and to have camilla to be well-liked, iss that really necessary? perhaps because they're royalty. at the end of the day, they are meant to be together. charles marrying diana, bearing two heirs to the throne, separation and divorce as welll as camilla's marriage, two children and divorce were just obstacles really. from the very beginning, charles knew that camilla is the one.

i am sure those of you who are married knew for sure when you first met your spouse that that is the person is you are going to spend the rest of your life is. i know i would feel the same way when i met the one but i don't know what the feeling is like because i have not yet to meet the one. but my being single is not the point here.

camilla not being the best looking person in the world(by the way, charles isn't exactly the handsome prince either) but they both have a lot of things in common like the country, horseback riding, etc. they hit off very well and getting along is what really matters, doesn't it? looks are not important... it's a bonus, yes but when you know you are not good looking and you are with someone who is drop dead gorgeous, at some point, you'll become insecure. not a good feeling, i must say. i can state examples but i shall not. ;-)

i attended a wedding of a friend last year and the priest said during the ceremony that it is important that couples are friends too. at the end of the day, when physical attraction are gone i.e. gray hair or no hair, wrinkles, losing teeth, etc.... your friendship is going to keep the relationship going. he has a point there and i feel it is important that you have a friendship with your other half. you don't want to be married to someone and then down the road, when the kids are out of your lives, you don't have anything to talk about anymore. by then, it's too late.

so, i think that is what charles and camilla have - the friendship - and even though they had to go through some rough patches getting to where they are now, i believe that they are going to be happy spending the remaning of their lives together, doing and sharing what they have in common. heck what the media or anybody else has to say about this. i know they are happy - you can see it in their eyes. and as a citizen of the world, i am happy for them. happy valentine's day.

it is not about gender, mind you?

this week, one of the key woman figure in top management resigned... i am referring to the resignation of Carly Fiorina as the CEO of HP. even though i have not followed her career much during her tenure at HP, i must say that for a woman to lead one of the biggest companies in the world has much to be admired and an inspiration for all women.

what's upsetting is that after her resignation, questions about whether she was capable of running the company, what being a female in a male-dominated role!

women has always been taking a back seat since the dawn of time and traditionally, it has been men who would go out and 'save' the world. but let's face it, time has changed. women has played a significant role in this world. during world war II, while men went out there to fight the war (totally unnecessary in my opinion - men were just living out their fantasies when they were boys to play with the toy guns and tanks), women has stayed behind and helped revived the economy. we may be slow in getting our presence felt - slowly but surely. there are not many women holding top management positions but when we do, i believe woman makes a significant impact - just as good as men.

perhaps carly's high profiled rise to the top has made her contributions and what seems to be failures to integrate the merger between HP and Compaq to be over analysed and over publicised. there are other CEOs of other large companies who has failed to turn things around just like Carly did but we don't see much of that being publicised now, do we? why is that? is it because they're men? and men are allowed to make mistakes but not women? did all of you ever considered that the failures to deliver may be due to other reasons like political, culture?

i feel that with women trying to achieve as much as men can, at the end of the day, every little thing that we do are being scrutinised. we are in constantly in perpetual limelight to prove to everyone that we can do it and we fail, it is not because we failed to deliver but because we are a woman. there is no end to this, now is there? i don't know what it takes to get us out of this vicious circle..... may be a matter of decades (it has been decades now) and perhaps centuries before man, woman, gay, lesbians and what nots will be treated equal. i don't think i will live to see that happen.

as for carly, i wish her all the best. deep inside i know that she will succeed elsewhere and make another impact on woman-kind. she has already made an impact on yours truly.

i love sunday mornings...

...but not sunday nights. it is amazing how a day can set apart your moods in two. i like waking up on sunday mornings (even saturday mornings for that matter) because i know i don't have to go to work. it is sunday night that i dread. why? i have trouble falling asleep. and when i do sleep, i get all this dreams about work. i guess my sub-conscience is planning what i need to do at work tomorrow and i get all stressed out when i sleep. that horrible, innit? i get enough stress when i am awake, i don't need them when i am asleep. i may have a problem which needs a doctor's diagnosis or perhaps just a holiday. i think i'll opt for the holiday...hmmm... now, where can i go for a week of relaxing?

it was uneventful... NOT!!

it was 3 in the afternoon when i said to myself, "finally! a day with no phone calls to distract me from my paperwork which is overdue to be sorted out." i spoke too soon!

3.30pm
first call : "we have a problem. please help to sort it out quickly!"

4.30pm
second call : "i think we have a problem on this connection. can you assist to check what is going and sort it out?"

two calls that was enough to make me 'run' like a headless chicken. not that i was panicky but that two phonecalls led to a few more phonecalls.

left the office after getting some of the stuffs being taken care of by the appropriate parties. thought that the rush towards the end of the day would be over the moment i walked out the building. wrong!!!

6.15pm
third call. while on the phone, i was almost hit by a car when crossing the zebra crossing. i stared at the driver and he didn't even signalled that he was sorry. BASTARD!! don't you think that i, as the pedestrian, have the right of way since it is a zebra crossing? then, while still on the phone, some guy who was walking behind me was trying to over take me. he could have just quickly walked on my left and overtake me but noooooo.... he raised his voice and rudely said, "EXCUSE ME!!!" bloody hell... am i suppose to give way to him just because he said 'excuse me' rudely?? THAT BASTARD!!! i was so freaking upset over this. i don't see that i am wrong in any of this situation. what? just because i am on my mobile, i get to be treated that way?? and this is like the very few occasion that i was ever on a mobile while walking and i get punished??

after all that, i called liz, who happened to have a stressed day at work and we went for dinner to let off some steam. we spoilt ourselves with a nice dessert after that.

i feel better now after a few laughs with liz. but those bastards that ruin the end of my day will receive their retribution. yes! i am putting a curse on them. - evil laugh - no one messes with me.... EVER!!!