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. :-)