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!