simply new...

After two years, I thought I change the template on this blog. It is not like I have not thought about this before. I have been for a while. It is just that I could not find anything that is nice and suits my personality until I found this one. It is simple and the girl on the banner represents yours truly - music always keeps me company. Thanks to Isnaini.com – the designer of this template.

Today being new year’s eve, some of us may be getting ready to party and welcome a brand new year. Perhaps the following mashed-up tracks would put you in a party mood. These tracks are simply brilliant! They are basically two songs which are mixed with music from one song and with a capella from another. Typically, the music and vocals comes from a completely different genres. The other defintion of these mash-up tracks is bastard pop, which I find quite amusing. The discovery of bastard pop was made after a friend sent me a mashed-up video of Justin Timberlake vs 2 Unlimited called Sexy Twlight Back. Now, we are both hooked and have been on the hunt for such mashed-up tracks on the Internet since. The playlist I have put together are a few of my favourite and they would be something that you would want to dance the night away to and usher in the New Year with a bang! Party on!

Mashed-Up Playlist

Madonna vs Black Eyed Peas – Humps Up

Justin Timberlake vs 2 Unlimited – Sexy Twilight Back
Franz Ferdinand vs Kelis – Take Me Out (for a Milkshake)

Destiny’s Child vs Britney Spears – Lose My Toxic Breath

cannot resist...

Yesterday, I caved and bought this red coat from Dorothy Perkins. Okay, okay, I know - why on earth do I need a coat in tropical Singapore, where the lowest temperature we ever have here is 22 degree celcius? Well, I have my reasons!

First of all, the coat was on sale. The price was slashed 50% for the end of season sale. The original price was SGD186. I have been eyeing this coat since October when it first hit the racks. I was still contemplating on splurging that much money for something which I may not have a chance to put on every so often. Each time I come back to the store, the coat is there with my size. The store manager was nice. She promised to let me know when the coat goes on sale, which she did - she rang me a few days ago to let me know and would put it aside if I want it. I think the coat was meant to be mine - it has my name written all over it. If it is not, it wouldn't still be there up till yesterday!

The other reason - I have been looking for a red coat for years now. Few years ago, I had to go for a last minute business trip to Paris in winter and I scrambled to get a winter coat. Alas, when you are looking for a right coat at the last minute, chances are, you will not find one. So, I ended up settling for a dark blue coat where I looked rather dull and unglam in all my photos taken while I was in the fashion capital of the world.

Last year, I was in England during late spring. I froze my butt off when we spent a cold Saturday at the seaside town of Brighton and all the way back to London that night with my dark denim jacket. In summary, not only did I not keep warm but I also looked so unstylish.

So now, I am not taking any chances. You will never know when I have to get my butt back to a place during the cold months and this time, I am going to look my best. I am looking forward to it already and I don't even know where and when that will happen. I guess, a girl can't help herself when it comes down to being a slave to fashion and wanting to look good. Doesn't anyone?

we are on our way to gorgeousness!

When you were in your teens, you were in such a hurry to grow older. You want to be in your twenties and you want to start working, have a career, get married, and start a family, blah, blah. Then, as you get to your twenties and then, most of us get terrified of the thought of turning thirty. And then, you actually get to your thirties. So, how does that feel?

Well, yours truly has turned thirty this millennium and had another birthday in my thirties this month. Looking back, I am not the least bit terrified of being in my thirties and going on to my forties. Why should I be? I think I am looking my best after I turned thirty. I am more confident, not afraid to face the challenges in this world. I have the freedom in the world to do anything I want and actually being able to afford to do what I want to do.

So yes, life is a little bit complicated at this age too. There are more responsibilities with the family (parents, siblings) and at work. Most of your single friends are now married and have children. You don’t get to see them that much and when you do, sometimes they want to fix you up. And when you go to clubs and other drinking joints, you feel like you are the chaperon.

However, I am not the least bit concerned about the downside of being in my thirties and single. I am happy being the way I am. I still go on doing what I truly enjoy - go on holidays, going out at a moment’s notice, watching an entire game of football (soccer for the Yankees) with no interruptions and have a long lie-in over the weekend. Some may beg to differ and say that I am getting too comfortable with being single but hey, I don’t give a hoot. This is my choice! Why fix something that is not broken?

What summed up my feeling of being good at this age are the well wishes I received from a couple of my friends:

Have a Gorgeous Birthday!
You are on your way to Gorgeousness!

Now, doesn’t that tell you something? It is not a bad thing being a thirty-something and I’m loving it!

it is about time!!!

I cannot believe that it took me 4 months to get my China holiday photos uploaded on my Yahoo Photo Album! I finally did it last Saturday. Not only did I upload photos from my trip to China, I have also uploaded other photos from my holidays in recent years. It was quite a productive few hours as far as yours truly is concerned and I was quite pleased that I got this task sorted. I am just bad at this – getting worse from before. I need to improve on this.

To view photos from my China trip, click on the following links:

Beijing

Hangzhou & Shanghai

I have put a permanent link of my Yahoo Album at the sidebar – so do check in once in a while for new photos. In the meantime, enjoy the other photos which I have uploaded.

Enjoy!

34939 - the stats..

So, the results/stats are out. It seems like yours truly is an average 10km runner – finishing 2721st place of 4448 female runners. I was a bit disappointed and started making “if only” statements. Then, I chatted with a friend, who is a seasoned marathon runner (he ran 42km in 3 hours and 12 mins. Wow!). He said that I did pretty well for a first time runner & considering the fact I only started training a couple of weeks before. He felt that I could only improve the next time I run and gave me some tips for training up for these races. Perhaps I was being too hard on myself – like I always do when I felt that I could have done something better but never put in enough effort. However, I have received some encouragements from other runner friends and even some proposals of running other races together. I remain motivated.

34939...

That was my race number for the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon. So, yes, I took part – I ran the 10km yesterday and this was my first time running in a marathon… even though it was only for the 10km run.

I registered for the run in late August but only seriously trained about 2 weeks before the marathon – thanks to procrastination. I completed the run in 1 hour, 29 minutes and 39 seconds to be exact (I think - will verify this on the website after they publish the results in the next 24 hours or so) but I gladly round it up to an hour and 30 minutes. ;-) I feel that it is not bad for someone who was running the 10km for the first time – although I have to admit that at some point, I was brisk walking.

Post marathon was celebrated with a nice brunch, good conversations over a cup of much needed coffee with some good company and later, a good night’s sleep after being up and about since 4.30am (The run for 10k was at 7.30am).

After that run, yours truly is motivated. Once the aches around the thighs are gone (hopefully soon), regular running is in order. I am determined to complete the next 10km run (wherever and whenever that will be) in an hour. Crossing that finishing line was a good feeling and I gladly run another marathon to get that feeling again.

new attitude...

Up to a month ago, I was not too optimistic about going to work or even doing my job. I was dragging myself to the office every morning and was being negative about every single thing. Hell, I even began putting myself back into the job market, hoping that something better would come along. When asked how I am getting on with my new job, my responses were all but positive.

That was until I realized that I have upset a few friends with my whining and complaining – they didn’t say it to my face but I could sense it. I felt really bad and that was the turning point. I have since taken a new attitude – no more whining or complaining. At the end of the day, it is just a job – it pays the bills, the holidays and the shopping.

Also, I find music helps to soothe the mind and changes your mood. I would listen to my iPod while working at my desk, when I am not busy attending meetings or on the phone. Since I sit near the window, I tend to walk up to it once in a while to look at the view. It is not a nice one but at least it is a view and it helps to de-stress for a bit. Sometimes, when you look out the window when it rains, it gives you that nice feeling. I can’t explain it but it is just a good feeling.

I have also stopped letting any negative remarks from other people about work get to me. Yes, we have problems to solve at work. Yes, there is always discrimination at work. Yes, there are days when things don’t always go your way. But that doesn’t mean it is the end of the world. The day will still end. Tomorrow will still come. Life still goes on. I have learnt to switch off my work brain as soon as I stepped out of the office. I sleep better at night this way.

So far, I have done a good job at maintaining a healthy attitude about work. I am beginning to enjoy my work – accomplishing more then when I was being negative about everything. I hope to keep it going, even during PMS. It has done wonders to my daily life – it is like I am a different person. Why didn’t I adopt this earlier on? It took a few hurt feelings to make me realize that my negativity have affected other people too. No fret, a new me has dawned, to spread joy all around. Cheers!

good enough to eat...

I was not big on body scrubs until I started using The Body Shop’s body scrub and I was sold. Not only does it do good to smoothen and moisturizes your skin and the fragrant is fabulous but it is also looks good enough to eat. When you open a tub, it looks a pre-packed cookie dough or ice-cream. With names like Brazil Nut and Cocoa Buttter (these are my favourites), they can be mistaken for dessert if it is not sold in a beauty shop. They look yummy but alas, you can only use them on your body. When you walk out from your bathroom after a scrub session, you will probably smell good enough to eat too! The Body Shop range – I just love them all!

Liz demonstrating that the scrub is good enough to eat.















My favourite scrubs from The Body Shop

a.s.s.u.m.e.

It bothers the shit out of me when people uses acronyms and not tell you what it means and make an assumption that you know what it stands for or what it means. As the saying goes, don’t assume – u make an ASS out of U & ME.

I usually make a habit to tell new people around me the meaning of the acronyms which I was using. The rule of a thumb is that you must assume that your audience is a new and not well aware of the background of the topic.

However, lately, I have been getting quite a lot of people using acronyms with me and not bother to explain what it means. When I asked them what it means, they seem to be annoyed and explaining reluctantly or whatever they explain makes no sense. I have a hard time telling them that they need to understand that this is a basic rule of a conversation. You use an acronym, you explain what it means. But no, I was not getting any of that, which drives me up the wall.

An annoying example would be this morning when I received an e-mail and it goes something like this (you must note, that the acronyms here have been modified and also that I am still completely clueless over what was being said in the e-mai):

“In order for you to process this, it will have to be ABCD before the status can be changed to DEF. However, I find that XYZ would be the best option but QRS it will be okay for now. Please advise and if I don’t hear from you by so and so date, I will change the status to TUV.”

I went, “What the @#$%^???”.

happy 20th...

.....to Sir Alex for being in charge at Old Trafford, the theatre of Dreams of the greatest club in the world, as far as I am concerned. What a way to celebrate your anniversary:

A good start to the season
A good win against Portsmouth on Saturday
A couple of your closest rivals losing their Premiership match against their city rivals

Things went wrong in London on Sunday when first, Arsenal were defeated by West Ham with a late, late goal, which has caused Arsene Wenger (my favourite French man – him speaking English with the French accent just turns me on and he looks good for a mature man) to be very angry. Then, Chelsea was defeated by Tottenham Spurs 2-1 breaking a 19-year spell of never winning against Chelsea. I was thrilled! You should have seen Jose Mourinho, the Chelsea manager rambling away during the interview with Sky Sports – the interviewer only asked him one question but he practically provided an analysis of the entire game in a good five-minutes. Despite the defeats by Man U’s London’s rivals, the matches were hearts stopper with demonstration of brilliant skills and goals scored – I truly enjoyed watching them.

So, I think Sir Alex has a huge smile on his face this week. All positive results but it is still early in the season to conclude anything.

Remarkable 20 years for Sir Alex. It seems like only yesterday when I read about him leading Aberdeen, a Scottish Club, to win the European Cup Winners Cup in 1983, defeating the Spanish giants, Real Madrid. I thought that if he could do this with a Scottish Club, can you imagine what he could do with a big club like Man U, who was hungry to win the League and other trophies. The managers after Sir Matt Busby were all rubbish. Then 20 years ago today, he took over Man U, to my delight. It took him a few years before Man U won the league but it was worth the wait. There was no looking back since.

I have read this autobiography and I am very impressed with what he has done for the club. His management skills were tough, yet effective. He has also created legends in players like Giggs, the Neville brothers, Scholes and Beckham through developing the youth at the club.

At this moment, I cannot see any prospective replacement that can carry on his legacy when he retires and I cannot imagine having to go through another decade of verbal abuse from other clubs’ supporters (those Liverpool fans in the 80’s were just brutal! It was torturous!). I am sure Sir Alex will have a part to play in naming his replacement. In the meantime, I shall just enjoy the great start to the season by Man U. I just have a strong feeling that Man U will end this season with a high – I just do! Sir Alex, you’re the best there is!!

gone vintage..

I am not so much into vintage but lately, I have been checking out a few shops around town. The best thing about going vintage is that you get to own something which is unique and not walk out of your house one day and see ten other people carrying or wearing the same thing. A good example would be Mango – it is becoming like a factory outlet that place.

The thought of owning something unique just appeals to me and I have made some purchases recently of a few things that I love i.e. accessories to go with my love for clothes and shoes.

I bought the following red clutch and a couple of rings from Granny’s Day Out at Peninsula Plaza:

Then, I fell in love with this Nicole bag from Swirl at Stamford House and I just got to have it.

I also bought me this brooch from Swirl. Cute eh?



Looking at all these vintage items, it reminded me of those days when I was growing up and my mom would be carrying some of these handbags and clutches as well as wearing those pointy shoes, which off course then it was not vintage yet. I wished she had kept them - in mint condition off course. I would have sold it at a good price. Nah! I'd keep it for myself especially those handbags and clutches. But alas... I vividly remember this black clutch which she had that I would model it around, wishing it was mine. She would say, "Well, this is too big for you. When you are older, I'll let you have it." I wonder where that clutch is now because I want it. :-)

how do you mend a broken friendship?

Before I met Mister D’s mom in the year blah blah and became the best of friends since, I had another best of friend, M. I met her when I started at a new school. We were in the same class and we just hit it off with our love for certain pop star and the drooling over young and upcoming Hollywood actors. We were inseparable for the next two years until we were separated by the school system in our third year. That was when it turned sour.

M and I stopped talking to each other and honestly, the details were just too childish to discuss. I wondered what I have done to deserve her cold shoulder and had received some cruel treatments from her and her newfound friends, for which I have never retaliated. Things have not been the same since as I went on the next couple of years till graduation from that school. Sure, I hung out with some new friends but nothing came close to a best buddy. Even though M existed, I have never acknowledged her. I accepted the fact that our friendship was over and I moved on.

However, a year ago, she re-surfaced – in cyber-world at least. She wrote me after seeking help from another former schoolmate to get my e-mail. In her e-mail, she asked me to forgive her for what she had done to me back when we were teenagers. She felt that our friendship was so pure and innocent but she had tainted it. I could sense remorse in her e-mail and that she is now a completely different person. I replied her to say that this happened a long time ago and that I have forgiven her when I realized that I could never have her back as a friend and I moved on since. She thanked me for my forgiveness and to me that was probably closure for her but I never replied to her e-mail after that. I didn’t know how I should move on from there.

Then, this year, I sent her an email on her birthday (not sure if it is gift or a curse but I tend to remember birthdays but not necessarily that I will act on that). After she thanked me, again, I stepped back and not respond. Yesterday, I received a message on this site called Where Are you Now (WAYN.com), which I rarely visit. I logged on to find that M has sent a request to add me as friend found out that she was in this part of the world (she has moved to the States a while back from what I understand). I dropped her an e-mail, proposing that we meet up if she is going to be back in Singapore. Almost a few minutes later, she replied to say that she had left Asia a couple weeks back.

I guess it was a blessing in disguise for now because I am not ready to see her and still not sure how I would handle it if we had met. I know she will be back to these parts again but for now, I think I will continue to write her every once in a while. Those two years when we were inseparable were special. We had drifted apart since and I don’t know if the chemistry will still be the same. I guess I will find out from our correspondences here on and I deal with seeing her face to face when the time comes. Baby steps, baby steps.

take a mickey out of the yankees..

I came across this video while surfing through youtube.com over the weekend. This guy, Craig Ferguson, was a cast in the Drew Carey show, where he played Drew's British's boss. He is Scottish and boy, do I love his accent. There is one part of this video which really cracked me up and those who know me will understand why. If not, enjoy the video anyway. I find it hillarious!

my favourite little people...

Mister D and his little brother, Ray of Sunshine.



Alexandre & Juliette



They are so cute! And no, my biological clock is not ticking!

lost in pollution...

It has been weeks now since the haze invaded our skyline. Thanks to the farmers of our friendly neighbouring country. They just have to set small fires to clear their land, which is some kind of irrigation process. It can be utterly depressing with this haze clouding our skies. It appears like the sky is just right above our heads. This is probably the worst since 1997, with PSI index peaking at dangerous levels in some parts in South East Asia.

It is funny how we referred to this smoke in our skies as haze. In other parts of the world, it would have been referred to as pollution. We have not seen the sun in weeks but this thing called haze has generated enough heat, not to just make us perspire like crazy but also made us feel like walking burning joss-sticks.

So, not only have I lost myself in pollution. I have lost myself in the blogging world too. What can I say? October has been a slow month. The holiday season is drawing close. It seems like only yesterday when I said Happy 2006 and look at where we are now? Plague with pollution and what nots. But hey, life goes on.

call the fashion police...

I caught this with the camera on my mobile phone while waiting for the bus this morning. (Okay, so I need to get a life but I just could not help it with this one.) Now, I am no fashionista but what is going on here? The combination is just not right, don't you think? That bootie would have looked good with a pair of jeans. Or perhaps it should have been a shoeboot with heels with that skirt. The entire outfit was just wrong from my point of view. Ladies who are reading this, tell me that I am not the only one who is seeing this wardrobe malfunction.... please.

a woman’s right to shoes – part I...

During the final season of Sex & The City, there was an episode called “A Woman’s Right to Shoes”. In this episode, Carrie Bradshaw had to remove her new Manolo Blahniks shoes at her friend’s baby shower, which went missing at the end of the night. I fell in love with the shoes since I saw it but bloody hell, I can’t afford to own a pair of Manolos – well, maybe I can but if I pay that much for a pair of shoes, I might as well be using that money to go on a holiday. Opportunity cost, people, opportunity cost!

So, I would be watching that episode of the show every now and then and still wonder if there could be a similar design, which would not burn a hole in my pocket. I think God answered by prayers through a salesperson named Michelle at Aldo. I was browsing through the accessories, trying on some shades. When I asked if I could be given a new piece of the shades which I wanted to buy, she said that while she went to get it, she suggested that I go through the shoes on display as they had a 15% discount storewide if you pay with one of the credit cards. I think it was fate – there it was! The exact design by Manolos in Aldo but in a different colour and probably more afforable. Normally, I am unable to get a shoe with my size at Aldo (yes, I have giant feet) but Michelle told me that the shoes are new arrivals and she has the size for me. Since I had to rush for a lunch appointment, she has agreed to keep aside the shoes in black and brown for me and I can come and try it later. She was just so nice!

After work, escorted by Zoe, I went back to Aldo. I was not sure if I want to get the black or the brown. If it were the same color like the ones from Sex & The City, that would have been ideal. Zoe and I were weighing between the black and the brown – you could wear the brown with jeans…. If you have a lot of black items, the black one would be good…. The brown is dark enough to pass of as black, etc, etc. Women! Just to buy a pair of shoes, we had to weigh all the options.

In the end, I decided to go with the brown. I went home a happy woman, probably how would have Carrie felt when she received a new pair of Manolos at the end of that episode of Sex & The City. It may not be a Manolos but hey, beggars can’t be choosers.


The Manolos Shoes from Sex & The City

The Similar Design From Aldo Shoes

instant sistahood..

It is not often that you meet an individual and hit it off instantly, especially for men. But for women, it can be quite easy. Once, I hit it off with this girl who was queuing in front of me while checking in a Heathrow airport. We ended up checking in together and we were busy chatting away throughout our journey. Even the stewardess thought we were like the best of friends.

Last week, it happened again. We had someone from the UK in town for a week and was advised that she could sit at the desk beside me because the lady who sits there was on holiday. I introduced myself to her the next morning. It was an ordinary conversation that one would have with someone from out of town – how long are you going to be here? Is this the first time that you are here in Singapore? Are you going to do the touristy things? Etc, etc. Then, what made us hit it off was when Zoe (that’s her name) asked me where I bought the slippers, which I wear at the office (I don’t wear those 3-inch heels at the office ALL day, you know?). And the rest as they say is history.

Each morning, we would be complimenting each other on what we were wearing or what we were carrying and would spent at least 15 minutes talking before we start working. She has good taste and everything she had one or carry were very nice and trendy. On Friday, her last day in Singapore, I asked her if she had done any shopping and she said no. I told her that she should since it will be like freaking cheap for her considering the exchange rate between the pounds and our dollar. We had planned to go down in the afternoon for a short break so that I can show her the shops around the area. However, I had a meeting, which lasted till 4pm, and by the time I got back to my desk, Zoe had come back with shopping bags. She told me that when she could not find me after lunch, she went to venture on her own and started showing me the things, which she had bought. We were like having a mini slumber party at the office and got all excited.

I absolutely adore her and her posh accent. The one thing that she said about my shopping habits will stick in my head for a while is this:

Zoe : “Do you shop everyday?”

But before I could response, she said as if it was me who responded to that question:

“Oh how rude! I don’t shop every day! I only shop from Monday to Thursday.”

I cracked up. Not only is she pretty, friendly and stylish, she’s funny too. I wish she would sit next to me for a while but I am sure I will see her back in these parts again, if not sooner, later.


Zoe & Me

tales from the mainland...

Well, this is not much of a tale but more of the high and low lights of the journey through the cities of China by Mr Kevin Chan, Mr Gerard Wong-Wong & yours truly, Ms Wu-Hoo*.

Hi-Lites (of which, there are many)

Beijing – where we did the touristy things

A couple of good Yanjing Beer at Hou Hai Lake District on our first evening
Hou Hai Lake district is becoming a more happening area in Beijing, especially in the evenings over the popular Sanlitun Entertainment Area, which we didn’t go. Hou Hai Lake district was good enough for us.

Being on top of the Great Wall
We went to Badaling, which was very touristy. There are other parts of the Great Wall which would be more interesting and perhaps not too crowded with tourists. Hence, the Great Wall will not be off my list yet.

Riding on rickshaw in and around Hutong
This was after a failed attempt to maneuver a tri-cycle between the three of us. We discovered many things along the way. It was interesting to see how people lived there. Also, our rickshaw rider was such a joker. He kept us well entertained with his wierd sense of humour.

Enjoying a good Acrobatic Show by Chinese Youth at the Theatre
We were definitely impressed by the performance. A group of young girls were able to flip metal bowls to each other while balancing themselves on their cycle while we failed to even balance a tri-cycle.

Walking around the Summer Palace
It is no Chateau de Versailles or Leeds Castle but it was nice nonetheless.

Having the best Peking Duck in town in Beijing
It was well worth the journey to the other part of the city (we were stuck in traffic for a bit) because we had a very good meal.

Being at Tiananmen Square at night
Had to be done. The atmosphere around the square was good. Plus, good photo opportunity.

Kevin & Ger flying a kite at Tiananmen Square
Re-living their childhood I suppose.

Hangzhou – where we did the recreational things

The West Lake
We rode on bicycles around the lake and made stops along the way for visit to a temple, climb up a pagoda and photo stops. Racing Kevin & John (Ger’s brother) was a lost cause since I never seem to be able to get ahead of them anyway. We had a boat ride in the evening and ending it with a delicious dinner & a good cold Siwo beer at this posh restaurant by the Lake

Nature trail at Bamboo garden
How often does a person like me get on these nature trails in Singapore anyway? Hence, it is a highlight for me.

Shanghai – where we did the cool things

The walk down the Bund & River Cruise on the Hangpu River
Failed to do these during my last two visits to Shanghai, so this had to be done. It was a nice way to enjoy the view of the city.

Enjoying the view of the Bund from Mark’s (Kevin’s friend) apartment
Fantastic view, good wine and great company. What more could you ask for?

Drinks at a bar called Face in the French Quarter
It felt like we were in a villa away from the city but this bar is situated in the middle of the city. Met some new people. Good atmosphere.

Yunnan Mian at Super Brand Mall
The noodles were delish. I am longing for it now. The side dishes that John & Feng Yi (John’s fiancée) ordered were excellent too!

Meals at Xintiandi (Kevin’s favourite spot in Shanghai)
Kevin and I went back there a couple of times after Mark brought us there for a Chinese dinner a couple of evenings before. We had fabulous dinner & cocktail (Shanghai Fling) at Luna on Saturday night and a very nice brunch at Kabb on Sunday afternoon.

Cocktails at Cloud 9 on the 87th floor of the Jin Mao Tower
We were there on our final evening in China. It was a good way to end the holiday – enjoying some nice cocktails and the view from up the clouds.

Lo-Lites (of which, there are few… thank god!)

Kevin’s luggage went missing in action. It showed up 3 days after he arrived in Beijing.

Yours truly fell sick on the night before going to the Great Wall. It was such a struggle to get through the day when you can’t consume anything but water because your body just refused to take anything else in.

The other low-light for yours truly would be forgetting to apply sun block and bring my hat on the last day in Shanghai. Now, I am burned!

Ger lose his wallet in Beijing – credit cards, bankcard and some cash were lost. It may have dropped in the taxi. He spent the evening and the following morning sorting out the cancellation and the getting some financial assistance.

Little things that mattered (to some of us)

Starbucks Coffee
Call us crazy but one needs a real good cup of coffee to start off the day.

Ice Cream at Haagen Daaz
Ok, I know that this is too much but we needed the sugar fix. The outlet is just there right in front of us. It is not like we went looking for it. I am in love with dulce de leche.

Having a good piece of steak
After a load of Chinese food all week, a good piece of steak is definitely in order.

In conclusion ladies and jellyspoons, as far as I am concerned, this has been a very good holiday. Already planning the next holiday now.

Photos from this holiday are being sorted out as we speak. Watch this space!

* - We adopted Chinese names for ourselves while in Hangzhou. Wong-wong is the chinese version of a dog barking i.e. woof-woof, if anyone was wondering.

high..

I am high on the happy side… despite being tired still, had a bad sun burn on my face and shoulders, my luggage went missing in action while in transit and having to go to work today after only landing in Singapore only the day before.

The last ten days has been the longest ten days but in a good way. I’ve spent ten days in the good company of Kevin and Ger in good ol’ China on a holiday. It started off with a stumble but there was no letup after that. Good times were had.

I’ve been to China before but only to Shanghai and it was for work. This time around, it was for a holiday. I left that country with a different impression – a good one. China has its setbacks but if you look beyond that, this country has much potential. There are still much to be developed but from what I’ve seen, they are getting there. Hong Kong! Singapore ! Watch out !!

There will be more details of the holiday in the next few days. I am trying to get back to the hang of things – that is the one thing I don’t like about holidays… the end of it. I used to get awfully depressed when returning from holidays but this holiday has ended with a high. So, I am happy despite it being a somewhat short holiday. I hope to maintain this feeling for a while.

let me entertain you...

Being the music junkie that I am, I cannot go about my day without music. Ok, so my taste my music may not be impeccable but who does? Taste in music is very subjective. What could be music to my ears may be noise to another. (This also applies to what you think is beautiful. I think Hugh Grant is gorgeous but other girls may beg to differ.)

The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is turn on the music. I listen to music while I am in the shower (off course, volume will have to be turned on real loud for me to hear anything behind the closed doors). I listen to music while I get dressed and put on my face. I listened to music while travelling on the bus, the train, the plane.

If there is no music, there is a void in my day. I don't seem to know how much time have passed without music - average song is about 4 mins each. If I have listened to 5 songs, I know that approximately 20 minutes have passed. Crazy, yes but it works for me.

However, during my travels, those times in my hotel room without music just drives me up the wall. Yes, I can listen using my earphones but I can't possibly be using the earphones with my iPod when I am in the shower. There has been occasion where I wanted to bring small speakers but apparently they are not small enough to fit in my damn luggage. So, yesterday, I invested a small fund in a small speaker.

Edifier MP220

Features:
Dual powered USB, AC/DC, all in one Portable Stereo System for amazing bass performance. (USB power cord Included)
3.5mm line input, connect to all types of Portable PC, MP3 Players, CD Players, PDA and etc
High performance neodynium micro driver
Worldwide 100-240V AC/DC power adaptor
Power output 2 X 3W RMS

Specifications:
Input Impendence: 15K Ohm
RMS 3Wx2 (THD=10%, fo=1KHz)

Slick!! It is so tiny (approx 19 cm x 6cm x 2cm & weighs approx. 550 grams) compared to the other speakers that I have purchased before. It may not have the ultimate sound you would love to have, with sub-woofers and what nots but you get by with what you have when you are away from home.

So now, those time spent in hotel room during my travels will no longer be quiet - there is my iPod with over 3000 songs and my Edifier speakers to keep me entertained. I just hope the power convertor works in the hotel room.

Oh, I think the ultimate would be an iPod video which will provide some visual entertainment where needed. That is currently in my new toys wish list... the never ending wish list.

everything changes...

Lately, I have been feeling rather nostalgic. Signs of aging, I suppose, where you can't help but think about what you have gone through... the people you meet, the places you went, the music you listened to. Which brings me to this. I was watching a documentary last night about a British pop group which hit the world (well almost) by storm in the 90's. And you have probably guessed it by looking at the album cover on this page... yes... Take That. Do any of you actually remember them???



It was not like I was such a big fan considering that I only discovered them after Robbie Williams left the group in 1995. I bought their greatest hits CD in 1997 and like their music so much that I bought the compilation of their videos. Off course, I was devastated when I left their CD in the player of Susan's car when visiting her in Holland a few months after I bought the CD. However, Sal was nice to actually gave me her copy (apparently, she didn't want to be known that she owned a Take That CD but the truth is out now... sorry missy). Okay, so having said all that, yes, I am quite a fan.

It was interesting to see where the members of Take That are now. They had a reunion but Robbie Williams was a no-show - apparently still sore after 10 years. You know, some people have difficulty letting go... I know this because I am one of those people. But I admire them to actually retreat from the pop world while they were still at the top. Not a lot of groups do that. Take Rollling Stones for example. For heaven's sake, they are a bunch of grandpas and they are still rocking away like they are a bunch of teenagers. Oh, grow up, please!!

So today, I have been listening to the tracks from Take That's greatest hits CD. Their music ain't that bad, if you prefer music with little or the absence of heavy guitar sounds stringing to your ears, like those from those American rock groups. Most of them puts you in a good mood.

The video which I owned on VHS has now gone mouldy (what with the humidity in this country) - I am considering buying their DVDs actually. So yes, I am a loser. I need to get a life.

Come on, come on, take that and party!!!

information overload...

This first week at my new job has been quite the roller coaster ride. The first few days have been slow and all of a sudden, at the end of the week…… BOOM! There were meetings, teleconferences and training to attend.

On Friday, I had too much information coming to me that by 5pm, my brain was tired. It seems my ‘processor’ speed, ‘RAM’ (Random Access Memory, for those who are wondering) and my ‘disk’ space require either upgrading or replacement, considering that this ‘machine’ was built in 19 blah blah. I am sure you know what it is like when you are mentally tired – it is worse than being physically tired. When you are physically tired, you can just hit the bed and sleep. When you are mentally tired, sleeping at night can be a problem. Your subconscious would continue to work while you sleep and leaves you more tired when you wake up. I hate that. I pretty much spent much of Saturday resting my brain i.e. not doing much, that is. There were minimal conversations and nothing that requires any thinking. I guess it is time to admit that my parts are wearing out and this is part and parcel of aging. Oh lordy!

it is a small, small world...

Since I’ve been in this new organisation, not only have I met some nice people but some of those people are familiar faces from the past. You know the saying that goes, "the past may come back to haunt you." But not in this case. I am glad to have met these people again.

So, on top of those people who came from the organization I have left (there are quite a bit of them here), there is J. We attended the same course in the early nineties. Then, there is Fifi. We worked with the same American MNC back in the late nineties. Perhaps there could be others who I may have known but this moment, only the above which I have mentioned. I am so glad to have met both of them again, especially Fifi because I saw some old photos with her in it recently from when we worked for the same firm.

It is a small world after all.

caffeine city....

That sleep last night must have been good because yours truly is in a seriously good mood today, despite not having any work to do. Mind you, this is the calm before the storm. I have been told that the project will only kick off end of August. But hey, I am up for the challenge! Give it to me, baby!

I had my new boss came up to me late this morning and said to me, “Go for lunch now and come back at 2. You might as well enjoy it now.” And on that green light, I went for lunch and ventured around. That was when I discovered that the area around my office is a coffee haven. Gasp. Saliva dripping. Well, I am, after all, a caffeine addict.

There are varieties of coffee establishments here:

Starbucks
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
Spinelli’s
Pacific Coffee
San Francisco Coffee
The Coffee Connoisseur (TCC)

Man, I am spoilt for choice. However, I have told myself that I am going to allow myself only a cup of caramel or Irish cream latte once a week. And that is what I am going to stick to. At least now, I can rotate from one coffee establishment to another. I am excited already.

Oh my, this is my second post in one day and I have not even had more than one dosage of caffeine today. What is going on??? :-)

new beginning...

So, on the 17th day of the 7th month (7th month? Based on the Chinese calendar, it is not a good month, innit? Oh god!!!) was my first day at this new organization. It was marred by lack of sleep and hormonal issues. Yesterday, I began to wonder if I have made the right decision to move to this new job. But after a good night’s sleep, I am different person today and my perspective on things has been different – more positive I would say. I guess when you make a new start, there is a tendency of not knowing what to expect.

However, working in the heart of the financial district is something which I am going to have to get used to. I have never worked in the financial district before – downtown yes but not here in crampy Raffles Place. I don’t fancy the crowd, the train ride or the lunch hours. It is a total nightmare! Sigh, what did I get myself into??

Anyway, I will have to make the best of it. Things are pretty slow at the moment. Perhaps that is why I got the time to think about all the things that I should not be sweating about. I better enjoy this honeymoon period before the going gets tough. And the other thing I need to do is try as much as I can to ignore the politics here, if there are any going on. So yeah, it’s time for a new beginning and I am ready for anything coming my way!!

au revoir...

I've made up my mind
It's time for a new beginning
I'm living my life, yeah
It's time for a new beginning

There's a new day coming
I'm getting ready for a change
Yes, I am
Yes, I am
Gotta keep on running
Gotta be a better way
Yes, there is
Yes, there is

(words from Stephen Gately’s (formerly of Boyzone fame) song, New Beginning)

So yes, after almost six years at my current job (yes, a job and not a career. Who has a career these days anyway?), I am moving on. It was at the end of November last year when after moving from the office downtown with a spanking glamorous address to a business park in the suburban east, I had a feeling that I was not going to be there for long. (My friend, Moh, felt that I was just bragging about this but it is true! I did feel it!) I had a feeling that 2006 will be the year that I land myself a new job – and I did!

And so, last Friday was my very last day at the company where I have spent almost half a decade (according to my friend, Noridah, six years is not long. If you are talking about ten or twenty years ago, yes it is not long. These days, people don’t stay in their job for long). I didn’t do any work that day. Well, considering that it has been crazy the last few weeks, not doing any work for one day is not going to matter. Also, the other thing was I forgot to bring my laptop to work – never had this happened in my working years. By noon, I was rushed for lunch and a so-called off-site team activity with my teammates all afternoon. I didn’t even have the chance to say farewell to some of the other people from other departments who I know.

As I begin my new journey tomorrow at the new organization, I begin to think about the good times (and bad but try not to think about that too much), which were had. As with every story, there has got to be an ending. As I’ve told some of the people before I left, this is not goodbye – it is see you again soon!

no, the italians didn't do it better!

Here is the text, which my friend, Moh sent on my mobile this morning:

“I shall not drink Italian wine for a month. What? Penalty to take the cup?”

Well the penalty shootout was a last resort but for a team who has been spending most of the second half and extra-time playing in their own half, defending, they totally don’t deserve to win the World Cup. I would have given the same strategy too if I were a team manager - just hang on till penalty shootout!

The French were unlucky. They were great but Buffon was standing in the way of them getting a goal. And when it had to come down to penalties to determine the winner, I just knew that Barthez could not make one save – it was a gut feeling. No offence to the Italians – they have good players but they were not playing like champions of the world would be playing last night.

No point dwelling about this because the champions have been crowned. I am joining Moh on a strike – no Italian wine and also Italian food for at least a month!

40 years on...

Heads hanging low were not only observed in Gelsenkirchen but also all over the world when England failed to win on penalties yet again. The England fans, yours truly included, set ourselves up for disappointment every four years and not to mention, the European Championships. Last night’s match was like the 2002 World Cup Quarter Final’s match between Brazil & England all over again. Heads hung low that day too. Getting over this disappointment will take a while. It has been almost 8 hours since the match ended and I still could not believe that it is over for England. The Portuguese were controversial! The match against Holland got me all nervy, what with all the yellow and red cards and I was rooting for Holland for that match.

Did you see Beckham cry after he was substituted? I feel sorry for him (I feel sorry for him for having such a bitchy wife too!). He is a great player and deserves to win something at this level. However, a team cannot win with a talent of one player. They are other talents in the England squad but I guess maybe their talents alone are not enough to win this tournament.

On the bright side, England’s closest rival across the Channel managed to get one over Brazil! No offence… Brazil is a good team with the likes of Kaka and Ronaldinho but I think I just have enough of the samba team dominating this major tournament. At least this World Cup, for once, we are not seeing a Latin country in the final! It is a nice change.

So, while all of us were cheering for the likes of Brazil, Argentina, England, Portugal and what have you, some of us in Singapore were cheering for the Singaporean referee! He is our only representation at this international stage, so we have to give him our support. I don’t mean to be unpatriotic but I don’t think we will ever see our Singapore team reached the World Cup finals. Hence, cheering on our Singaporean referee is the closest thing we got to cheer for our country at this event.

Four more matches to go before the end of this tournament. We were so used to having 2 to 3 matches in one night since 10 June 2006. Those nights without matches after Round 16, we were at lost at what to do. After 10 July, it is going to be worse! We have to wait till at least end of August to see any LIVE actions when the club league starts. Well, it is better than having to wait 3 months after the end of the club season during a non-World Cup or the European Championships year! For now, we just have to wait for the World Champions to be crowned on 9 July 2006. Let's just hope it is not Portugal!

ccd – can or cannot do...

In 2003, I converted to digital imaging when I bought me a Canon Powershot A70. It is 2006 now and off course, it is considered a dinosaur. Well, it has already looked like a dino in 2004 when Ger and I held both our cameras against Kevin’s spanking new Sony Cybershot, which was inches thinner and lighter with a much bigger display. I was not going to let my piece of dino shit (like most people would say when they look at my camera) get in the way of my pursuit of beautiful digital imaging. I have always believed that it is not the equipment; it is the talent and the eye of the owner of the piece of machine. It is like owning a spanking new high speed computer with a whopping memory capacity and a gazillion gigabyte of hard disk space but all you work on the computer is surf the internet and check e-mails.

Despite my love of my dino camera and some of the nice photos that I have taken since I bought it, the Charge Coupled Devices (CCD) have been giving me issues. First, it was in 2005. Warranty had expired, so I had to pay for the part change. Then, a couple of months ago, it went kaput again. I must say I was quite frustrated. I was not ready to fork out the money to repair the camera and at the same time, I am certainly not ready to invest in a new camera. However, I think the determination in believing that this dino can still be fixed and the perseverance paid off. This week, Pierre told me about an article he read about CCD issues on Canon cameras. Apparently, it was a manufacturing defect, where under high temperature or humidity environment, the internal wiring may become undone in some places. This was made public – well, not public enough because yours truly didn’t know about it until now! The article was published in October 2005.

The very next morning after having that conversation with Pierre, I made my way to the Canon service centre. I made sure that the senior member of the service staff was attending me. I told her about the article and her response was, “Oh? So, you knew about that? We normally don’t highlight this to our customers.” Honestly, I was not very impressed with this comment but who cares when I get the following:

1. The CCD will be replaced at no charge.
2. I will be refunded for the previous part replacement – approximately SGD$140.
3. They will deliver the camera to me after the repair

Moh remarked that I must have been a pain at the service centre to get this sort of service but no. I was such a good customer and the above was offered to all owners of camera that has been manufactured with this defective part.

A co-worker remarked that Canon was just giving me an outstanding customer experience so that my next camera will still be a Canon. Hell! Regardless. My first and only SLR camera is a Canon. What makes you think that I will switch? Well, I have to admit that I was eyeing on the Panasonic LX1 but now that my dino camera is going to be dino-mite again, I can put off my consideration for a new camera for at least a year.

Question : Who are all those people mentioned in this post? (Well, if you are wondering, that is.)
Kevin: friend
Ger: Kevin’s friend
Pierre: an avid photographer friend and team member from work
Moh: another avid photographer friend, who always treats me like one of the guys. Only because I told him that I am a man trapped in a woman’s body.

me and the married man..

I bet you all think that this is going to be my confessions of an affair I had with a married man. Well, you are so wrong!! Some of my closest friends are happily married men. There is nothing wrong with that. And some of my closest friends are also men who have been spoken for. And they are nice men. Now I know why I am still single.... all the good men are married, spoken for or gay. Well, at least if you have a good gay male friend, he could be your gay best friend. I am still in search of one by the way.

Anyway, the point of this post is about how my feeling for a married man was rekindled recently. We used to work in the same corporation a few years ago. I never really took notice of him. Mind you, I don't go around gawking at men in the office like most of my colleagues think and besides; he wasn't exactly the type of man I am fond of. However, my perception changed. As I continued having conversations with him, I found him attractive... the whole works... the physics, the personality, etc. Then, I found out that he is married, happily married.

The rule of MY thumb is never cross the line with a married man. It is so morally wrong. Also, there is no way in hell is he going to leave his wife for you. He may say that he will but he will keep you hanging without a string. And if you pursue it, don’t you feel guilty? You are living in a relationship, which is a lie. And what does that say about that married man? You are married and you still want to have part-time relationship? I’d rather be relationship-less than go through this. Some of you may beg to differ and I understand. Like I have stressed, it is the rule of MY thumb.

So, despite my recent re-encounter with this married man (he still looks good, I tell you and still charming as ever) and I had all these funny feelings in me when I was talking with him. I could feel the butterflies in my stomach, the blood rushing all over my body and my heart was racing. But I am going to leave all those feelings the way they are – that funny feeling.

un, deux, trois... aller, aller, aller..

It will not be a long summer this year because there is the World Cup!! Yay! I am looking forward it. It was 4 years ago when the World Cup was held in Korea/Japan. At the end of it, I realised that my social life came to a stand still for a month because I would be rushing home from anywhere, to watch LIVE matches on the tele. I will not be surprised if this June, it will be the same. I am excited and I can't wait for the days when I would be watching 2 matches if not 3 in a day. Right now, I am in withdrawl as there are no LIVE matches to watch on the weekends. In twenty days, the withdrawl will be healed for at least a month! Aller, aller, aller!

dilbert visits other corporations...

One of my co-worker forwarded me the following:

A magazine in the US was looking for readers to submit quotes from their real life Dilbert-type managers. Here are the finalists:

1. "As of tomorrow, employees will only be able to access the building using individual security cards. Pictures will be taken next Wednesday and employees will receive their cards in two weeks."

2. "What I need is a list of specific unknown problems we will encounter."

3. "E-mail is not to be used to pass on information or data. It should be used only for company business."

4. "This project is so important, we can't let things that are more important interfere with it."

5. "Doing it right is no excuse for not meeting the schedule."

6. "No one will believe you solved this problem in one day! We've been working on it for months. Now, go act busy for a few weeks and I'll let you know when it's time to tell them."

7. "My Boss spent the entire weekend retyping a 25-page proposal that only needed corrections. She claims the disk I gave her was damaged and she couldn't edit it. The disk I gave her was write-protected."

8. Quote from the Boss: "Teamwork is a lot of people doing what I say."

9. My sister passed away and her funeral was scheduled for Monday. When I told my Boss, he said she died on purpose so that I would have to miss work on the busiest day of the year. He then asked if we couldchange her burial to Friday. He said, "That would be better for me."

10. "We know that communication is a problem, but the company is not going to discuss it with the employees."

11. We recently received a memo from senior management saying: "This is to inform you that a memo will be issued today regarding the memo mentioned above."

12. One day my Boss asked me to submit a status report to him concerning a project I was working on. I asked him if tomorrow would be soon enough. He said, "If I wanted it tomorrow, I would have waited until tomorrow to ask for it!"

My co-worker suggested that we came up with a few from our lifetime of work experience. So, here are a few of mine:

1. When asked what the management is going to do about a generic support issue affecting most of our customers, the response was "Please prepare a Service Improvement Plan for your customer and I will bring this up with Customer Support Team." Right, like my customer is the only one with who is facing this issue.

2. "I want you to give me all the REVELANT information." Are you Dyslexic? You didn’t get any help for that?

3. "Are you sure you don't have any questions?" when the same question was raised a few seconds before resulted with a 'No' response from the team. Which part of the word 'No' didn't you understand?

4. "I will not go into details of the slides in this presentation. You can read it yourself later." So, why are we wasting our time in this presentation in the first place?

5. "With the re-branding, you will all get new namecards." Duh! Isn’t that a no-brainer?

6. "Can you please help me to talk to your colleague and ask him to do what I want him to do? I can't seem to get him to do it." Hello?

Believe me when I said that there will be more of these to come.

live feed...

From Dubai, that is. Chatted with Mister D's mom and had an opportunity to see how Rayyan has changed now that is 2 months old. He is beginning to look like Mister D. They may end up looking like twins when Rayyan gets older.


First Glimpse of Rayyan. Oh, what big eyes you have!


One more of Rayyan. Did we just spot a mole there?


Not forgetting Big Brother B, taking a peak at the screen.

annual scheduled maintenance...

It has been difficult to read football news after Man U lost to Chelsea on Saturday. I finally went to the football page today - still painful but I need to move on.

It is a day of rest for most of the working people of the world today - except for a few nations who seems to want to be different and have their labour day holidays in the later part of the year. I could feel the quietness today - it was like nothing happened today, everybody in Asia was just chilling. It was like a scheduled maintenance of a plant where everything is shutdown for the day. There will still be some standstill where work is concerned in the next 12 hours as other time zones celebrate this scheduled maintenance day for the humans!

bad day...

Yes, it is over and in the most unbearable way. Yes, Man United was defeated by Chelsea and watch them lift the title. Upset. Can't write anymore.

it's not over till it's over..

It was nerve-wrecking! It was nail-biting! It was heart-stopping! The clock ticked ever so slowly as Manchester United/Tottenham Hotspurs ended with United bringing home 3 points. So, no tears were flooded in front of the television this evening. United may still be 9 points behind Chelsea by the end of today but this season's title race may end down to the wire. I have not felt this nervous since 1999 when United won the treble. But this adrenalin rush is fantastic - keeping work stress at bay as football dominates the head. Mathematically, United may not even win the tittle this season but it has been an exciting start to the year with United creeping up on Chelsea. Here's to this season ending with a bang, as I continue the nailbiting until the League is won - may the best team wins!

the unbearable lightness of pain...

Despite what I have said in my last blog post, I will be watching the Easter Day matches especially Man U versus Spurs this evening. If Man U draw or lost, there will be flood of tears in front of my television tonight...

painful...

I can't watch English Premier League matches anymore after Man U was held at home by Sunderland on Friday night. Hopes of catching up to Chelsea has been dashed unless a miracle happens. Nuff said. Let me mourn in silence this season and hope for the better next season.

walking tall...

Apparently, I have been told that I am tall… for a woman. Now, what is that supposed to mean? A woman or a girl can’t be tall? Okay, I have to admit generally Asian women in my generation are not tall. I stand at 1.74metres tall (about 5 feet 7½ inches) while the average height of Asian women in my generation are about 1.65metres. You know, when I visited the Netherlands, I was like a midget. Most women there are about 1.8metres tall.

I like the fact that I am tall. I would like to grow taller than my current height. However, I stopped growing (like most women do) at 18. But there are always the high-heeled shoes and I love wearing them whenever I can – and it makes me taller off course.

However, I don’t like it when I get remarks about the fact that I am tall and I still put on high-heeled shoes. Now, what is wrong with being tall and putting on heels? These remarks didn’t bother me that much in the beginning but now, it is starting to bother me. It is my prerogative whether I want to put on high-heeled shoes or flat shoes. It is a free country, a free world – I can put on WHATEVER & WHENEVER I want and I can be tall if I want to, even if it means putting on 4-inch heeled shoes. So what if I suffer from aches and pains at the end the day after wearing those heels? So what if I am taller than most people when I am wearing those heels? It doesn’t bother me, so why should it bother other people? There is no right or wrong. It is all about preferences. If anyone has a problem with another’s preference, well, tough. You just got to live with it. I know I have and if I am not happy with it, I guess I just have to move on. So there!

je rêve d'un palais...

It seems like I have upset some comrades from the French quarters with all my talk about English palaces, castles and what have you. Well, I have visited Chateau de Versailles in France in 1997 and I was impressed. I have also visited Chateau de Vaux le Vicomte – inspired by Versailles in 2002. I have yet to discover another French palace since Chateau de Vaux le Vicomte. My fear is that these other French palaces may not be on par with the beauty of Versailles - it has been my benchmark. I guess it is just a matter of time before I discover another French palace. In the meantime, 2007 – Blenheim Palace and who knows, maybe un chateau en France in the same year as Blenheim. We shall see.

i dream of a palace..

My quest to visit another castle/palace/chateau continues.

The next target is Blenheim Palace, hopefully in summer of 2007. How could one resist this?

This year, not sure if there will be a holiday involving a visit to any palaces/chateau/castle. Anyway, I waited 3 years to visit Leeds Castle. So another year and a bit of waiting will not hurt.

a first glimpse of a ray of sunshine

Welcome to the world, Mr Ray of Sunshine! Peace!















Big Brother D & his hommie.
Come on bro, I have fiddy cents. Let's go to the Candy Shop.















(I have been listening to much of 50 Cents lately)

a ray of sunshine...

This morning, I woke up feeling better than I have been since a month ago (hence the zero postings on this blog). I started singing the chorus of this Wham song as follows;

Sometimes,

You wake up in the morning with the bass line,

A Ray of Sunshine,

Sometimes,

You know today you're gonna have a good time,

And you're ready to go.

I guess it was a sign because at the later part of this morning, a RAY of sunshine came into our lives… Sal sent me a text to announce the early arrival of Mister D’s little brother, named Rayyan. He is not due till 20 March but I guess he could not wait. He arrived this morning at 0650 Singapore Time. I can’t wait to see how this little person looks like – I am waiting anxiously for that e-mail to arrive in my mailbox with a photo and off course, looking forward to see this little person in person too. Well, looks like Mister D has some company now. Congrats to Sal and Kaz on the arrival of baby Ray.

This has been a day with a ray of sunshine – received good news and good day at work. I am ready to go - there is a double meaning in that sentence but I will tell you what it is one day.

D is for Mister D....

So, I flew all the way to Dubai at the end of January just to see one of my favourite people - Mister D, that is. He is still cute as ever and is such an entertainer. I truly enjoyed his “performances”. Action speaks louder than words – so I am going to let you see it for yourselves. Trust you all will enjoy the “performances” as much as I have!

Mister D's Videos

Mister D's Photos

I have also put these two URLs as permanent link on the sidebar for future 'references'.

another day in paradise...

So now I am back, from outer space…… alright, so I haven’t really but it sure feels like it. For a while now, it has been difficult to get into the rhythm of things. At the beginning of the year, I felt mentally tired and that things were starting to get monotonous. Then, I went away for a while during the Chinese New Year holidays. I came back last week and still felt shitty. My mind was in the clouds, got confused easily, feeling sleepy all the time and my memory, which I must say is very good, failed me. However, today, I have started to feel like I am going back on top of the world. I got very productive at work and still could squeeze in a lunch appointment in town. I just hope I can sustain this momentum.

if music be the food of ....

My definition of a good album: I can listen it over and over and over again and not get tired of it.

Early in 2005, U2’s How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb became my first favorite album of the year. I was not a big on U2 during their early years but after listening to some of their music and found their lyrics meant something, I became hooked to their music. Vertigo is my favourite track from this album – something that makes me run faster when I am on the treadmill.

Craig David’s The Story Goes is another favourite of 2005. His cool R&B tracks just put you at ease and in a good mood. Forget jazz – it just puts you straight to sleep. I love all the tracks on this album with much likings to All The Way, Don’t Love You No More, Hypnotic and Just Chilling.

The Emancipation of Mimi by Mariah Carey has to be the best album of 2005, according to yours truly. I have always been a big fan of her since the release of Vision of Love in 1990 (another album which I can listen to over and over again) – so I am biased towards her then. Hence, it is no surprise if I say that I have been listening to this album almost everyday. Her music are timeless classic.

Based on my iTunes play count, in 2005, my Top 5 most listen to tracks (and they came from the albums mentioned above) are:

5. U2 – Vertigo – 94 times
4. Craig David – Don’t Love you No More – 96 times
3. Mariah Carey – Mine Again – 108 times
2. Craig David – All The Way – 144 times
1. Mariah Carey – We Belong Together – 990 times

I guess we can conclude that We Belong Together gets my vote for the song of 2005. ;-)