I have just completed a book which I relate quite closely to and for which I am aspiring towards.
It is about a an upcoming lawyer who was aiming to be made the youngest partner of a law firm. A trivial oversight of missing a filing date wrecked her career. Having an urge to escape from the world which was crashing around her, she took a train to nowhere and ended up in a picturesque village. Unintentionally, she undertook a job of a housekeeper. Although it was a menial job, she was enjoying herself. When she decided to stay on as a housekeeper after she was offered reinstatement to the partner of the law firm, she was portrayed as someone who was burnt-out or who was too distraught to make a rational decision.
For once, she knew when her work for the day would stop. For once, she had her personal time during weekends. For once, she was not an empty shell.
Last weekend, I came across an article about happiness. People are always searching for happiness. Some feel that having a job and earning their bread and butter will keep them happy. To the contrary, they are not. The writer felt that it was as if people were selling their happiness dirt-cheap when they were bound by a job in which they were not happy. The selling price of happiness hovered around $3K or $4K per month - the average salary of some people.
We are often so caught up in our work. We spend, on average, 12 to 14 hours per day, hurdle in our cubicle and in front of our PC. We hardly see the setting sun. Some of us even bring work home. Weekends may also be wasted clearing backlogs. Holiday plans are shifted and shifted to accomodate more and more pressing deadlines. We forego time with our family. We do not have a past-time. We dislike our situation.
How many of us can or have tried to put a stop to this?
How many of us are brave enough to abandon everything, including taking a huge pay-cut, to change things for the better?
We long to be wilful yet we are constantly bound by responsibilities. We thought that by advancing to a more senior position, we can get out of our current situation. However, the price for the more senior position can be longer hours and more personal sacrifices.
I hope that when the time calls for it, I will be brave to make a wise decision, just like the ex-lawyer in the book...
November 30, 2006
November 26, 2006
A Beautiful Mind
Nash Equilibrium. A familiar but distant term. We have studied this during one of my Economics class, yet the theory and concept behind this term has totally eluded me. Pity, pity.
John Nash. The man behind the idea. He has fought against schizophrenia while seeking the understanding of the different phenomenon and further advancement of knowledge.
"A Beautiful Mind". The poignant biography of John Nash. It traced the battle of the mind, the set-backs which accompany the illness and the support from family of John Nash. When Nash finally acknowledged that what he thought was real was mere figment of the mind, he had decided to overcome his schizophrenia with his own determination. When he knew he would not be able to completely shake off the hallucinations, he chose to live with it, yet clearly demarcating them from his real life.
Despite the film receiving rave reviews and winning many accolades in major film festivals, I have not seen "A Beautiful Mind" until last night. It was broadcast as one of the commercial-free movie. The film was truly inspirational and touching. It has been ages since I have been this moved by a film. The last was a film starring Robin Williams and was about a young boy whose body was aging extremely rapidly. Despite the physical constraints and the ostracism from his peers, he persevered and finished college (I cannot quite recall the title of the film). Both characters have never given up their dreams despite the set-backs and the constraints. They were brave and determined to pursue and fulfill their dreams.
Kudos to Mediacorp for introducing commercial-free movie which certainly enhances the movie-watching experience. It is no longer disruptive. Both the momentum and climax are also not broken by the 5-minute advertisement interval.
John Nash. The man behind the idea. He has fought against schizophrenia while seeking the understanding of the different phenomenon and further advancement of knowledge.
"A Beautiful Mind". The poignant biography of John Nash. It traced the battle of the mind, the set-backs which accompany the illness and the support from family of John Nash. When Nash finally acknowledged that what he thought was real was mere figment of the mind, he had decided to overcome his schizophrenia with his own determination. When he knew he would not be able to completely shake off the hallucinations, he chose to live with it, yet clearly demarcating them from his real life.
Despite the film receiving rave reviews and winning many accolades in major film festivals, I have not seen "A Beautiful Mind" until last night. It was broadcast as one of the commercial-free movie. The film was truly inspirational and touching. It has been ages since I have been this moved by a film. The last was a film starring Robin Williams and was about a young boy whose body was aging extremely rapidly. Despite the physical constraints and the ostracism from his peers, he persevered and finished college (I cannot quite recall the title of the film). Both characters have never given up their dreams despite the set-backs and the constraints. They were brave and determined to pursue and fulfill their dreams.
Kudos to Mediacorp for introducing commercial-free movie which certainly enhances the movie-watching experience. It is no longer disruptive. Both the momentum and climax are also not broken by the 5-minute advertisement interval.
Christmas Decorations
The Christmas lightings this year was touted to be the longest ever. After dinner on Friday with my friends, we have decided to take a little stroll along Orchard Road to see the lightings a little.
Before we even ventured out, the lobby of Wisma Atria has already offered some adorable Christmas decorations. There was a little hut erected and framed by 2 medium-sized Christmas trees and a decorative arc. Inside the hut, there was also a small Christmas tree. Milk angels were stacked and placed beside the hut.
Outside Paragon, there was also a huge Christmas tree with dazzling lights which would warm your heart even when you were across the road.
Before we even ventured out, the lobby of Wisma Atria has already offered some adorable Christmas decorations. There was a little hut erected and framed by 2 medium-sized Christmas trees and a decorative arc. Inside the hut, there was also a small Christmas tree. Milk angels were stacked and placed beside the hut.
Outside Paragon, there was also a huge Christmas tree with dazzling lights which would warm your heart even when you were across the road.
In Singapore, we may not be able to enjoy a white Christmas, but we will definitely experience a colourful and bright Christmas. :-)
Newton Circus
Newton Circus Hawker Centre has been upgraded for some time and I have not been there since it underwent renovation. We popped by yesterday again on the spur of the moment. Frankly speaking, we have started to run out of ideas on where to eat.
We were quite disappointed as stalls after stalls were selling barbecued seafood. This was pretty unrepresentative of local fare. In the end, I have decided to try on sliced fish bee hoon which again turned up to be a disappointed for a well-known hawker centre.
Although the food was less than "exciting", we did chance upon a rather pretty actress "da paoing" her food at the hawker centre. ;-p
We were quite disappointed as stalls after stalls were selling barbecued seafood. This was pretty unrepresentative of local fare. In the end, I have decided to try on sliced fish bee hoon which again turned up to be a disappointed for a well-known hawker centre.
Although the food was less than "exciting", we did chance upon a rather pretty actress "da paoing" her food at the hawker centre. ;-p
November 25, 2006
Morbidity
We have always known that life is unpredictable, including when it will end. Thus, there is always the saying of “Live life to the fullest” or “Live without regrets”. As life expectancy gradually increases with increasing affluence, medical advancement and emphasis on healthy lifestyle, we have again take tomorrow as granted, especially when one is in his 20s, 30s, or 40s.
There seems to be a recent spate of sudden unexpected deaths of seemingly healthy people. The reasons for their passing away are often not completely explained. The many unanswered questions to their loved ones’ passing away made it more difficult for the surviving family and friends to bring a closure to their loss and grievances.
Although we know death awaits everyone at the end of our journey, we do not know when and how we will leave this world. Many wish that they can leave with dignity, wishes fulfilled and perhaps without being plagued by prolonged sickness. Many hope that their passing away can be as painless as possible for both themselves and their loved ones. Yet, just as we cannot choose our births, we also cannot choose our deaths.
Since we do not know when it will all end for us, we should treat each day, hour, minute or even second as a gift. We should fully utilise this gift to minimize any regret. Unfortunately, when we are so preoccupied in the rat race, dreams are shelved, loved ones are neglected and happiness forgotten. We assume that there is always a tomorrow.
What if there is no next second, minute, hour or day?
There seems to be a recent spate of sudden unexpected deaths of seemingly healthy people. The reasons for their passing away are often not completely explained. The many unanswered questions to their loved ones’ passing away made it more difficult for the surviving family and friends to bring a closure to their loss and grievances.
Although we know death awaits everyone at the end of our journey, we do not know when and how we will leave this world. Many wish that they can leave with dignity, wishes fulfilled and perhaps without being plagued by prolonged sickness. Many hope that their passing away can be as painless as possible for both themselves and their loved ones. Yet, just as we cannot choose our births, we also cannot choose our deaths.
Since we do not know when it will all end for us, we should treat each day, hour, minute or even second as a gift. We should fully utilise this gift to minimize any regret. Unfortunately, when we are so preoccupied in the rat race, dreams are shelved, loved ones are neglected and happiness forgotten. We assume that there is always a tomorrow.
What if there is no next second, minute, hour or day?
November 20, 2006
50 Most Romantic Things to Do
I have recently received a forwarded mail from my friend – 50 most romantic things to do. Among the items which I can recall from the list include:
- Give her a ring
- Giver her flowers
- Take a walk along the beach
- Call her in the middle of your vacation to tell her you miss her
- Hold her hands
These may be considered typical romantic things which many can think of.
However, in our daily lives, there are some mundane and trivial things which your special someone has done for you ta should be equally, if not more, lauded for their romanticism. They are not big gestures which literally scream “ROMANTIC”, yet they warm people’s hearts and should be appreciated.
Below is my rather informal compilation, gathered mainly from the experiences and anecdotes of friends, friends’ friends, colleagues and excolleagues to share with you.
1) Send her home after a date even if you live in the east and she lives in the west.
2) Buy her a second ring if she has unintentionally misplaced the first one.
3) Try to find as much time to see her as you can, even if this involved sneaking out during lunch hour while you are having a course near her workplace.
4) Remember to call her when you are overseas, regardless of whether you are overseas for work or vacation to tell her that you are safe. Of course, call only during rest time, and not in the middle of a meeting or when you are driving (Safety and concentration during work are still more important).
5) Accompany her when she meets her girl friends even if it is a girls’ talk gathering or even when they are having a meal which involves food you do not like / have to abstain from.
6) Show support when she is going through her doldrums, be it work related (her boss is bullying her) or people related (she fell out with her best friend).
7) Be willing to share embarrassing moments with her, even if this includes lame jokes which has failed to bring a smile to the audience’s faces the last time you told them.
8) Watch out for her when both of you are crossing road.
9) Send her a SMS to ask her how her day is at the end of each day to show your concern.
10) Be sincere in praising her when she has done well or when she has made special efforts to dress up well when meeting you.
11) Eat the food that her mum has prepared for you, even if it is hum ji beng (fried flour dough with red bean paste) and when you just had a full lunch.
12) Switch to the music / radio station she likes when both of you are in the car.
Except for item (1) and (2), please remember to reciprocate the care and concern of your boyfriend / husband by doing likewise.
If you find the list above idealistic or daunting, they are not made-believe acts but are indeed real-life experiences of some of my friends. As the list is adapted from all my friends and if you happen to find some of the items vaguely familiar, perhaps it was your story which I have related above.
Do not envy them. Perhaps you should start looking around and you will realize that your boyfriend / girlfriend has already done many romantic things for you. Soon, you will have your own 50, 100, or even 1,000 most romantic things he / she has done for you. :-)
November 19, 2006
Interesting Watch on CNA
I like the weekend Channel News Asia (CNA) where there are some interesting programs to watch out for. Two such interesting programs include “What’s That About” and “Japan Hour”.
1) “What’s That About”
There is often a topic to be discussed each week. This week centred around sleep. Interesting, relatively unknown yet important facts surrounding elements and tools for sleeping were revealed. Here are some of the highlights:
· A spring bed is better to jump around in than a water bed.
· The average loudness of a snore is 93 decibels which is slightly higher that of a chain saw (90 decibels) and only slightly lower than that of a jackhammer (100 decibels).
· Cows can produce more milk when they sleep on rubber mats than straw.
· Milk contains a chemical which aids sleep which can also be found in turkey.
· The best comforter is made with goose feather. Before goose feather can be used, their static electricity has to be removed, then they are filtered, washed and desanitised.
· Dust mites will grow in all mattresses and pillows. We cannot prevent them but only minimise them. One good way to kill them is to place them in a dryer as both heat and dryness are lethal.
To find out more, tune in to CNA next week.
2) Japan Hour
My colleagues all love it. The food and sceneries will entice you to visit Japan.
Japan Hour has evolved since many years ago. During my secondary school days, it was a 0.5 hour show with 0.5 hour of entertainment news and music pop chart and 1 hour of variety show on food where celebrities were invited to participate in a food game show.
Now it is an hour show which featured visits to some of the more obscure ryokans (inns) in Japan for the food, the suburb peace and sceneries and hot springs. Sometimes, it would be city tours which introduced the best restaurants in the city.
Oishi (delicious)!
Atrium Lounge
It was really relaxing to sit down at the lounge, sipping my chamomile tea and listening to melodious singing with soothing accompaniment of the piano and violin. The high ceiling enhanced the acoustics of the live performance. Having feeling slightly lethargic, I nearly dozed off in the comfortable seat with “Over the Rainbow” and “Beauty and the Beast” in the background.
The more spacious and open environment provided a totally different ambience and feel to the lounge at Conrad International which also offers live singing in the evening.
I was referring to the Atrium Lounge at Marina Mandarin.
If you would like to give the place a try, you may want to go there a little earlier as the tables are filled up by around 9 pm.
The more spacious and open environment provided a totally different ambience and feel to the lounge at Conrad International which also offers live singing in the evening.
I was referring to the Atrium Lounge at Marina Mandarin.
If you would like to give the place a try, you may want to go there a little earlier as the tables are filled up by around 9 pm.
Singing Session with the Musketeers
We went for our long awaited Klunch yesterday. We have never gone signing together. Ms Chan and Ah Peng were extremely curious about how I sound like when I sing.
Despite my rather desperate attempts to get out of this session, I was still unsuccessful. I have assured, reassured and even warned them of the dire consequences associated with my singing, ie the possibility of glass shattering. Yes, I am THAT bad when it comes to singing. I have even tried to dissuade them when we were all complaining about the likely development of sore throats.
Once we settled down, we immediately brought out our windbreaker, cardigan and shawl. The room was freezing. Then we made ourselves at home by removing our shoes and sitting cross-legged. Of course, Ah Peng jumped straight into Jay Chou’s - her favourite artiste, songs. We have then decided to try out duets together. It was a relatively new duet which was rather unfamiliar to me. In the end, Ms Chan has to direct and orchestrate our singing (who to come in at which part) which we have tried futilely to follow. The effect? Extremely hilarious where we were more serious about our laughing than trying to sing decently. Ms Chan and Ah Peng also introduced me to some touching songs which I have some difficulty trying to make sense of the lyrics. Eventually, they have to explain which are the touching parts to me. Sigh! My Chinese has really deteriorated to a rather obscenely lousy level.
The 3 hours passed by rather quickly. Somehow we felt abit exhausted. I am uncertain if it was due to the hot weather, the emotionally filled singing, our laughter or simply a hectic week. Initially, we have wanted to do some shopping which we gave up after an hour. We decided to “retreat” to a nearby café at Pacific Plaza – Cream Bistro to drink, chit-chat and look at people.
The next outing’s organizer is me again. We have already settled on the date but not the activity. I must start thinking of where we can go and what we can do…
Despite my rather desperate attempts to get out of this session, I was still unsuccessful. I have assured, reassured and even warned them of the dire consequences associated with my singing, ie the possibility of glass shattering. Yes, I am THAT bad when it comes to singing. I have even tried to dissuade them when we were all complaining about the likely development of sore throats.
Once we settled down, we immediately brought out our windbreaker, cardigan and shawl. The room was freezing. Then we made ourselves at home by removing our shoes and sitting cross-legged. Of course, Ah Peng jumped straight into Jay Chou’s - her favourite artiste, songs. We have then decided to try out duets together. It was a relatively new duet which was rather unfamiliar to me. In the end, Ms Chan has to direct and orchestrate our singing (who to come in at which part) which we have tried futilely to follow. The effect? Extremely hilarious where we were more serious about our laughing than trying to sing decently. Ms Chan and Ah Peng also introduced me to some touching songs which I have some difficulty trying to make sense of the lyrics. Eventually, they have to explain which are the touching parts to me. Sigh! My Chinese has really deteriorated to a rather obscenely lousy level.
The 3 hours passed by rather quickly. Somehow we felt abit exhausted. I am uncertain if it was due to the hot weather, the emotionally filled singing, our laughter or simply a hectic week. Initially, we have wanted to do some shopping which we gave up after an hour. We decided to “retreat” to a nearby café at Pacific Plaza – Cream Bistro to drink, chit-chat and look at people.
The next outing’s organizer is me again. We have already settled on the date but not the activity. I must start thinking of where we can go and what we can do…
November 17, 2006
You are Caught on Camera
There is an interesting report today on My Paper (the Chinese free newspaper). By the way, I am still getting My Paper delivered together with my "main" papers, so I am still able to enjoy my daily read of My Paper without having to queue at MRT Station. Oh dear, I have digressed again.
Well, the report was about conflicts caused by aggressive "paparazzi". These "paparazzi" are not the reporters with an astute sense of newsworthiness and with their professionally-looking high-tech cameras. These "paparazzi" are ordinary people like you and me or anyone around us. Their tools range from camera phones to digital cameras. When they encounter unhappy incidents, they will take out their cameras and start shooting the antagonist who may retaliate with their own cameras as well. To some, this can constitute some form of harassment. One may get upset over the incident, but will shrug it off as an unfortunate event. To others, the heated aggression can result in physical assault.
The legal consultant opined that the people whose pictures have been taken without their consent often cannot take any legal action against the photographers.
With the prevalence and the general affordability of digital cameras, be it standalone or as a feature of mobile phones, many own and even bring along their cameras everywhere they go. To be more paranoid, one can walk along a street and has his photo being taken unknowingly. In addition, his photo may even be published in a public medium again without his knowledge. When you caught people staring at you, normally you will immediately wonder if you have dirt on your face. Now you will wonder if there is an unflattering picture of you posted somewhere in the internet.
For those who guard their privacy, this can be seen as a severe intrusion. For those who crave public attention and even stardom, this will be an avenue for gaining publicity. Regardless, to prevent the worst side of you being shown to the rest of the world, this means that one will have to ensure that he is at his best in a public place all the time. Sigh! This really sounds like we are losing more and more freedom.
Smile, you are on camera!
Well, the report was about conflicts caused by aggressive "paparazzi". These "paparazzi" are not the reporters with an astute sense of newsworthiness and with their professionally-looking high-tech cameras. These "paparazzi" are ordinary people like you and me or anyone around us. Their tools range from camera phones to digital cameras. When they encounter unhappy incidents, they will take out their cameras and start shooting the antagonist who may retaliate with their own cameras as well. To some, this can constitute some form of harassment. One may get upset over the incident, but will shrug it off as an unfortunate event. To others, the heated aggression can result in physical assault.
The legal consultant opined that the people whose pictures have been taken without their consent often cannot take any legal action against the photographers.
With the prevalence and the general affordability of digital cameras, be it standalone or as a feature of mobile phones, many own and even bring along their cameras everywhere they go. To be more paranoid, one can walk along a street and has his photo being taken unknowingly. In addition, his photo may even be published in a public medium again without his knowledge. When you caught people staring at you, normally you will immediately wonder if you have dirt on your face. Now you will wonder if there is an unflattering picture of you posted somewhere in the internet.
For those who guard their privacy, this can be seen as a severe intrusion. For those who crave public attention and even stardom, this will be an avenue for gaining publicity. Regardless, to prevent the worst side of you being shown to the rest of the world, this means that one will have to ensure that he is at his best in a public place all the time. Sigh! This really sounds like we are losing more and more freedom.
Smile, you are on camera!
Warm Gesture from My Boss
There was a sharing session today where senior management communicates the performance for the last quarter. It was meant to be a day of interaction, fun, food and even movie.
I have to give it a miss as there were 2 meetings scheduled with other Departments and big boss. They could not be rescheduled due to my big boss's extremely tight schedule. Although my boss had asked me to go for the movie if I liked, I thought it would be irresponsible to leave my boss in the lurch. It would be totally unprofessional and immature. On the selfish side, opting for the movie could perhaps jeopardise my job and land whatever career I have in dire state.
To make up for my missing the movie and the food, my boss actually brought me out for lunch. We went to Fish & Co and had quite a fun chat on holidays (again, this seems to be a common interest among our team).
I have not been to Fish & Co for ages (literally, in multiples of years, not months or weeks). There seems to be changes to the menu since the last time I was there (which vaguely could be when I was in JC). I had the black pepper stingray which was quite good, though I have found the sauce to be slightly salty.
It was really sweet of my boss to do that. After all, going for meetings and doing my job were part of my responsibilities. However, this gesture at least made me feel appreciated for the hard work I have put in and not being taken for granted. This has also motivated me to work harder and really sweat it out for my boss.
I have to give it a miss as there were 2 meetings scheduled with other Departments and big boss. They could not be rescheduled due to my big boss's extremely tight schedule. Although my boss had asked me to go for the movie if I liked, I thought it would be irresponsible to leave my boss in the lurch. It would be totally unprofessional and immature. On the selfish side, opting for the movie could perhaps jeopardise my job and land whatever career I have in dire state.
To make up for my missing the movie and the food, my boss actually brought me out for lunch. We went to Fish & Co and had quite a fun chat on holidays (again, this seems to be a common interest among our team).
I have not been to Fish & Co for ages (literally, in multiples of years, not months or weeks). There seems to be changes to the menu since the last time I was there (which vaguely could be when I was in JC). I had the black pepper stingray which was quite good, though I have found the sauce to be slightly salty.
It was really sweet of my boss to do that. After all, going for meetings and doing my job were part of my responsibilities. However, this gesture at least made me feel appreciated for the hard work I have put in and not being taken for granted. This has also motivated me to work harder and really sweat it out for my boss.
November 16, 2006
Extra Mile
More often than not, it seemed like the less than satisfactory service level was highlighted. Seldom do we hear about Singaporeans encountering excellent services in Singapore. Is this a sign that Singaporeans are more critical or even demanding on service level, or that Singapore still has a long way to go before we can attain world-class service level?
Recently, I have encountered surprisingly pleasant or even professional services. Perhaps when you hear about my experiences, you may think the service level mere mediocre and not worthy of special mention. Just as we are harsh on bad service, we should commend and encourage when there is good service, no matter how insignificant the gesture is.
The first was encountered at Taoz Restaurant a couple of weeks ago. I have mentioned in a previous post that the staffs were warm and friendly. To-date, I could still recall the friendly welcome as we stepped into the restaurant. The staffs were also knowledgeable about the food being served and was able to make suitable recommendation. The highlight was when I could not finish some of the food, one of the staff has inquired if there was something wrong with the taste. At the end of the meal, they have even offered another complimentary dessert which was on the house. After being used to more impersonal services elsewhere, this was indeed a delight.
The second was last week at Original Sins. Since it was Mediterranean vegetarian food which few of us has adequate knowledge on what was nice, we have asked the waiter to recommend. He was humourous in suggesting that everything was nice and he has to be impartial to all and not showed any favouritism for any item. It was rare to find an engaging waiter who could definitely enhance the dining experience. Eventually, he proceeded to recommend some of the food which might be suitable for the big group of 9 of us.
The third experience occurred just a couple of days ago. I was shopping at M)phosis when I spotted a nice dress. I have asked the assistance for the available colour. She informed me the choices and recommended that I try on the black instead of the beige as beige will make me look paler. She is right as I have already discovered quite sometime that pastel colours were indeed not suitable for my skin tone.
This is professionalism. Not only was she not pushy in trying to close a sale, she was able to make a professional recommendation. Many sale assistants were often more occupied in selling something and to the extent of heaping flatteries (which were often far from truth) to the customers. Although I have not bought anything eventually, this has indeed left a very flattering impression of the boutique.
Applause for such commendable services. Keep it up! There will come a day where our service staffs will be professional, helpful, sincere and world class.
Recently, I have encountered surprisingly pleasant or even professional services. Perhaps when you hear about my experiences, you may think the service level mere mediocre and not worthy of special mention. Just as we are harsh on bad service, we should commend and encourage when there is good service, no matter how insignificant the gesture is.
The first was encountered at Taoz Restaurant a couple of weeks ago. I have mentioned in a previous post that the staffs were warm and friendly. To-date, I could still recall the friendly welcome as we stepped into the restaurant. The staffs were also knowledgeable about the food being served and was able to make suitable recommendation. The highlight was when I could not finish some of the food, one of the staff has inquired if there was something wrong with the taste. At the end of the meal, they have even offered another complimentary dessert which was on the house. After being used to more impersonal services elsewhere, this was indeed a delight.
The second was last week at Original Sins. Since it was Mediterranean vegetarian food which few of us has adequate knowledge on what was nice, we have asked the waiter to recommend. He was humourous in suggesting that everything was nice and he has to be impartial to all and not showed any favouritism for any item. It was rare to find an engaging waiter who could definitely enhance the dining experience. Eventually, he proceeded to recommend some of the food which might be suitable for the big group of 9 of us.
The third experience occurred just a couple of days ago. I was shopping at M)phosis when I spotted a nice dress. I have asked the assistance for the available colour. She informed me the choices and recommended that I try on the black instead of the beige as beige will make me look paler. She is right as I have already discovered quite sometime that pastel colours were indeed not suitable for my skin tone.
This is professionalism. Not only was she not pushy in trying to close a sale, she was able to make a professional recommendation. Many sale assistants were often more occupied in selling something and to the extent of heaping flatteries (which were often far from truth) to the customers. Although I have not bought anything eventually, this has indeed left a very flattering impression of the boutique.
Applause for such commendable services. Keep it up! There will come a day where our service staffs will be professional, helpful, sincere and world class.
November 14, 2006
Change of Season?
The weather is increasingly chilly and rainy these days. Do put on a jacket if you are in aircon place. Shower with warmer water to prevent catching a chill. Remember to bring an umbrella with you when you go out to avoid being drenched... ...
I sound naggy, am I?
Uh-oh, another sign of age?
Finally, this is also a fantastic weather for hibernating. ;-p
I sound naggy, am I?
Uh-oh, another sign of age?
Finally, this is also a fantastic weather for hibernating. ;-p
Bravo for her Courage
I have just watched Channel U's 830 pm program which is a series about people professing their loves.
My initial impression towards it was not favourable. I have prematurely jumped to the conclusion that it would be mushy and superficial. Such impression was soon reversed as the few stories I have managed to catch bore sincerity and courage - the sincerity towards their better half and a courage to express their love.
In this week's episode, it is about a girl who has finally braved herself to profess her admiration for a friend. Her courage to pursue her dream and her sincerity to make known her feelings definitely command alot of respect and touched alot of people.
Although things did not work out as she intended, she has made a valiant attempt to ensure that she has not lived her life in regret. I am sure she will surely be able to find another more deserving guy.
My initial impression towards it was not favourable. I have prematurely jumped to the conclusion that it would be mushy and superficial. Such impression was soon reversed as the few stories I have managed to catch bore sincerity and courage - the sincerity towards their better half and a courage to express their love.
In this week's episode, it is about a girl who has finally braved herself to profess her admiration for a friend. Her courage to pursue her dream and her sincerity to make known her feelings definitely command alot of respect and touched alot of people.
Although things did not work out as she intended, she has made a valiant attempt to ensure that she has not lived her life in regret. I am sure she will surely be able to find another more deserving guy.
November 13, 2006
Temporary Respite from Mon Blues
No peak hour rush. No spreadsheet to look at. No meeting to rush to. No incessant phone calls. Therefore, no Monday blues. :-)
This is my first vacation leave since I started my new job 3 months ago. This is a day of unrecorded leave as we have superb financial performance for the second quarter. Hurray! (More for the leave than the performance) We have to clear this day of leave before end of the year. Better clear it before my bosses change their minds.
I have nothing specific planned. I have just wanted to spend this day leisurely. Perhaps you may think this is a big waste of leave, but sometimes laying out detailed plan for every single minute of your life can be too exhaustive and even stifling. By allowing a little chaos to run loose or going along with some impromptu arrangement, you may end up with pleasant surprises, isn’t it?
I began the day with a long breakfast. Then I took a long shower. Then it was out shopping with my mum. Shopping on a week day is really a luxury, especially for people who may be a little claustrophobic.
We had lunch at Marina Square which was packed with the office lunch crowd. The food offered at each stall looked tantalizing. It was tough deciding on what to eat, not just because of the variety but also to take into consideration the estimated queuing time required. We sat outside facing the esplanade and Shenton Way. Despite this being the second time I sat there, the view was still equally mesmerizing. When one feels good and relaxed, the food became more appetizing than usual.
Things are getting more expensive. Is this due to the festive season or is this due to the buoyant economy? In the end, we were more of window shopping than doing real shopping.
What a relaxing way to spend a Mon. This is really one of the best way to overcome Mon blues. This break is meant to be a short respite before adrenaline needs to run high and continuously for the challenge that awaits in the next 3 months.
Ready, set, go!
This is my first vacation leave since I started my new job 3 months ago. This is a day of unrecorded leave as we have superb financial performance for the second quarter. Hurray! (More for the leave than the performance) We have to clear this day of leave before end of the year. Better clear it before my bosses change their minds.
I have nothing specific planned. I have just wanted to spend this day leisurely. Perhaps you may think this is a big waste of leave, but sometimes laying out detailed plan for every single minute of your life can be too exhaustive and even stifling. By allowing a little chaos to run loose or going along with some impromptu arrangement, you may end up with pleasant surprises, isn’t it?
I began the day with a long breakfast. Then I took a long shower. Then it was out shopping with my mum. Shopping on a week day is really a luxury, especially for people who may be a little claustrophobic.
We had lunch at Marina Square which was packed with the office lunch crowd. The food offered at each stall looked tantalizing. It was tough deciding on what to eat, not just because of the variety but also to take into consideration the estimated queuing time required. We sat outside facing the esplanade and Shenton Way. Despite this being the second time I sat there, the view was still equally mesmerizing. When one feels good and relaxed, the food became more appetizing than usual.
Things are getting more expensive. Is this due to the festive season or is this due to the buoyant economy? In the end, we were more of window shopping than doing real shopping.
What a relaxing way to spend a Mon. This is really one of the best way to overcome Mon blues. This break is meant to be a short respite before adrenaline needs to run high and continuously for the challenge that awaits in the next 3 months.
Ready, set, go!
November 12, 2006
Open Door Policy
Fear not, this is not going to be a lecture about some economic policy about improving competition. This is an after-thought from Princess Hours.
What?!?! Again?!?! Even if you are getting sick of hearing that 2 words, do bear with me again. *Sheepish Grin*
Xin seemed to start loving Caijing. Just as he was about to open his heart for Caijing, Caijing has decided that she was too tired of persisting her love for Xin. At this critical juncture, she wanted to turn away.
This reminded me of "open door policy" which I vaguely recalled I was commenting on sometime ago in a friend's blog. Caijing has been waiting outside the "door" of Xin's heart for some time, but Xin refused to open the door. Now that Xin has finally made up his mind to welcome Caijing, she has already given up waiting and went into another door. Perhaps knowing that Caijing has been outside, Xin should have opened the door earlier.
Moral of the story?
1) One should open the door when there is a knock in order not to miss any opportunity. Do not wait too long because the knocker may just walk away.
2) Waiting outside the door for a long time after knocking can be a very tiring experience. When the door refuses to open, perhaps it is time to knock on another.
This applies for all opportunities that come along, be it career, interest, self-development or even relationship related. Grab it when it comes before it slips away. Move on when it is no longer within your grasp.
What?!?! Again?!?! Even if you are getting sick of hearing that 2 words, do bear with me again. *Sheepish Grin*
Xin seemed to start loving Caijing. Just as he was about to open his heart for Caijing, Caijing has decided that she was too tired of persisting her love for Xin. At this critical juncture, she wanted to turn away.
This reminded me of "open door policy" which I vaguely recalled I was commenting on sometime ago in a friend's blog. Caijing has been waiting outside the "door" of Xin's heart for some time, but Xin refused to open the door. Now that Xin has finally made up his mind to welcome Caijing, she has already given up waiting and went into another door. Perhaps knowing that Caijing has been outside, Xin should have opened the door earlier.
Moral of the story?
1) One should open the door when there is a knock in order not to miss any opportunity. Do not wait too long because the knocker may just walk away.
2) Waiting outside the door for a long time after knocking can be a very tiring experience. When the door refuses to open, perhaps it is time to knock on another.
This applies for all opportunities that come along, be it career, interest, self-development or even relationship related. Grab it when it comes before it slips away. Move on when it is no longer within your grasp.
Changi Airport
I have not been to Changi Airport since my last trip to Taiwan which was last year May.
Changes were abundant at Changi Airport especially Terminal 2. The renovated Terminal 2 was barely recognisable. The ceiling was lined with waves of lights which brightened up the place instantly. There were numerous eateries sprouting up, such as Sakae Sushi, Crystal Jade, Soup Restaurant, Swenson's, etc.
I have not been to the viewing galleries for a longer period of time. Now, it seemed to be a very popular place among the families. Many children were running freely and happily about while their parents watched the airplanes taking off and landing.
No matter how far we have gone to or how exciting was the vacation, we are always happy when the plane touches down in Singapore. No place is better than home and nothing beats coming back home.
Changes were abundant at Changi Airport especially Terminal 2. The renovated Terminal 2 was barely recognisable. The ceiling was lined with waves of lights which brightened up the place instantly. There were numerous eateries sprouting up, such as Sakae Sushi, Crystal Jade, Soup Restaurant, Swenson's, etc.
I have not been to the viewing galleries for a longer period of time. Now, it seemed to be a very popular place among the families. Many children were running freely and happily about while their parents watched the airplanes taking off and landing.
No matter how far we have gone to or how exciting was the vacation, we are always happy when the plane touches down in Singapore. No place is better than home and nothing beats coming back home.
November 11, 2006
The 3 Musketeers
You have probably seen and heard about the adventures of the 3 'Musketeers' for some time and wonder how the 3 'Musketeers' got to know each other. Well, today is THE day when I will pay a little tribute to the other 2 'Musketeers' - Ms Chan and Ah Peng, in my blog. Our relationship has evolved from colleagues to buddies.
When I first started my first job, I had quite a number of difficult tasks to resolve, some were projects while others operational. The resolution of these tasks require collaboration with the Business Group which provided numerous opportunities to interact with their officers. Ms Chan was one of the girls whom I had to work closely with, especially in terms of reconciliation of numbers and reports. Somehow, our friendship developed from the reports and numbers. As we were both candid and rather direct in nature, we were both very comfortable talking to each other. Soon, we were meeting for lunches and even for barbecue (once).
Although Ah Peng and I got to know each other from work as well, I could not recall exactly how we came close friends. Ah Peng and I shared similar interests and thinking on many issues. Then we also started having lunches, going home together and even went out shopping and dining on Fridays and weekends. She joined our Departmental dinner once while I joined she and her friend for gyms and dinners. (By the way, our first team of accountants were rather sporty and friendly and sometimes we would meet out for dinner, pool or badminton.)
When I felt fustrated over work, they would both encourage and help me think of solutions. Once, I was so upset that we had an emergency "meeting" after work at the nearby McDonald as my "complaint" session. We used to meet one another at 6 pm at the lobby to go home together. Whenever we have a bad day, we would complain to each other on our way home. If not, we will share jokes with each other and laugh all the way home - a good way to unwind after a hectic day. The way home is often the highlight of my day. I was forever looking at the clock for 6 pm.
They would also be among the first to chide me for my blurness, stupidity, pessimism or even naivete. When I shared with them I aspire to be "auntie", they would sigh and ask me NOT to work too hard towards my aspiration. They would also be very forthcoming with their criticism of my bad taste with clothes, shoes, bags and even people. Actually, we were equally forthcoming with each other on each other's taste. Whenever we went shopping together, we would always point out to each other "this is so you" or "don't you have a lot of this already?".
This is what real friends are - open to each other, supportive and yet will dish out true advice to you. Their support and true concern (including being very candid) with me are also what I have treasure and will treasure most.
When I first started my first job, I had quite a number of difficult tasks to resolve, some were projects while others operational. The resolution of these tasks require collaboration with the Business Group which provided numerous opportunities to interact with their officers. Ms Chan was one of the girls whom I had to work closely with, especially in terms of reconciliation of numbers and reports. Somehow, our friendship developed from the reports and numbers. As we were both candid and rather direct in nature, we were both very comfortable talking to each other. Soon, we were meeting for lunches and even for barbecue (once).
Although Ah Peng and I got to know each other from work as well, I could not recall exactly how we came close friends. Ah Peng and I shared similar interests and thinking on many issues. Then we also started having lunches, going home together and even went out shopping and dining on Fridays and weekends. She joined our Departmental dinner once while I joined she and her friend for gyms and dinners. (By the way, our first team of accountants were rather sporty and friendly and sometimes we would meet out for dinner, pool or badminton.)
When I felt fustrated over work, they would both encourage and help me think of solutions. Once, I was so upset that we had an emergency "meeting" after work at the nearby McDonald as my "complaint" session. We used to meet one another at 6 pm at the lobby to go home together. Whenever we have a bad day, we would complain to each other on our way home. If not, we will share jokes with each other and laugh all the way home - a good way to unwind after a hectic day. The way home is often the highlight of my day. I was forever looking at the clock for 6 pm.
They would also be among the first to chide me for my blurness, stupidity, pessimism or even naivete. When I shared with them I aspire to be "auntie", they would sigh and ask me NOT to work too hard towards my aspiration. They would also be very forthcoming with their criticism of my bad taste with clothes, shoes, bags and even people. Actually, we were equally forthcoming with each other on each other's taste. Whenever we went shopping together, we would always point out to each other "this is so you" or "don't you have a lot of this already?".
This is what real friends are - open to each other, supportive and yet will dish out true advice to you. Their support and true concern (including being very candid) with me are also what I have treasure and will treasure most.
November 10, 2006
Second Team Bonding Session
My bosses decided to call for a second team bonding session today before the 'flood' comes in. Budget has just kicked off, so we are unlikely to see the sun for the coming 2 months. Let's call for a celebration before we need to sweat it out.
We adjourned to Holland Village for our lunch. I have not been to Holland Village since the opening of the upgraded hawker cum market. We decided on 'Original Sin' at Chip Bee Gardens which served Mediterranean vegetarian food.
Frankly speaking, despite hearing about Chip Bee Gardens for ages (literally ages, about 4 years, since I first started work), this was the first time I stepped into Chip Bee Gardens. I used to hear it was a relaxing, bohemian with many al fresco outlets. Although there were some interesting shops, I heard that some of the eateries were gone. In fact, one of the shops has been vacated.
My initial reaction when I first heard we were going for vegetarian food was scepticism and apprehension. I have never tried going into a vegetarian restaurant before. Would it be just salads? Would I still feel hungry after the meal? I stepped into the restaurant with many questions.
The decor and ambience were similar to Esmirada at Orchard Hotel which also served Meditteranean food. The waiter was humorous. I could not recall most of their names (all in Spanish, I think, or was it Italian) unfortunately and neither did we attempt to pronounce, we have resorted to pointing to convey to the waiter what we wanted. We selected some mains, some starters and salads to share. Surprisingly, the food was rather refreshing and very delicious. anong them, the avocado salad, the tofu patties and magic mushrooms were among my favourites.
After lunch, we strolled to N.Y.D.C for our dessert. We selected beverages and cakes to share, just as prior. I have chosen Camomile tea as usual, deliberately avoiding coffee for fear of insomnia. I wanted something hot and soothing under the cool weather after the rain. Among the cakes, my personal preference went to the banana cake. It has the sweetness of the banana but not overwhelmingly sweet.
We ended our team bonding session at 4pm and the rest went home. Sigh! I have to rush back to office for a meeting with the big boss....
:-(
We adjourned to Holland Village for our lunch. I have not been to Holland Village since the opening of the upgraded hawker cum market. We decided on 'Original Sin' at Chip Bee Gardens which served Mediterranean vegetarian food.
Frankly speaking, despite hearing about Chip Bee Gardens for ages (literally ages, about 4 years, since I first started work), this was the first time I stepped into Chip Bee Gardens. I used to hear it was a relaxing, bohemian with many al fresco outlets. Although there were some interesting shops, I heard that some of the eateries were gone. In fact, one of the shops has been vacated.
My initial reaction when I first heard we were going for vegetarian food was scepticism and apprehension. I have never tried going into a vegetarian restaurant before. Would it be just salads? Would I still feel hungry after the meal? I stepped into the restaurant with many questions.
The decor and ambience were similar to Esmirada at Orchard Hotel which also served Meditteranean food. The waiter was humorous. I could not recall most of their names (all in Spanish, I think, or was it Italian) unfortunately and neither did we attempt to pronounce, we have resorted to pointing to convey to the waiter what we wanted. We selected some mains, some starters and salads to share. Surprisingly, the food was rather refreshing and very delicious. anong them, the avocado salad, the tofu patties and magic mushrooms were among my favourites.
After lunch, we strolled to N.Y.D.C for our dessert. We selected beverages and cakes to share, just as prior. I have chosen Camomile tea as usual, deliberately avoiding coffee for fear of insomnia. I wanted something hot and soothing under the cool weather after the rain. Among the cakes, my personal preference went to the banana cake. It has the sweetness of the banana but not overwhelmingly sweet.
We ended our team bonding session at 4pm and the rest went home. Sigh! I have to rush back to office for a meeting with the big boss....
:-(
November 09, 2006
Blur Virus Spreading
I used to think I can at least keep my blurness separate from my profession, ie my blur nature is not very apparent in my work performance. Recently, it is getting harder and harder to keep my blurness under wraps.
I made more mistakes today is some files which I have been setting up. I have not checked the formulae correctly. Fortunately, my senior actually pointed to me the correct ones of doing. My goodness, how can I overlook this?
Lucky, it is my senior and not my boss who discovered this, else my boss may not confirm me after my probation.
Is this a sign of age or am I really retarding?
I made more mistakes today is some files which I have been setting up. I have not checked the formulae correctly. Fortunately, my senior actually pointed to me the correct ones of doing. My goodness, how can I overlook this?
Lucky, it is my senior and not my boss who discovered this, else my boss may not confirm me after my probation.
Is this a sign of age or am I really retarding?
November 08, 2006
A Spooky Tale
Joan from Joan of Arcadia was seeing people who have passed away. God's explanation to her was that it was a test, while the people whom she was seeing told her that it was because of the electromagnetic waves. Joan of Arcadia was a series shown on Channel 5 on Sunday evening.
It was thundering outside with clouds gathering and looking heavy. A strong gust of wind was blowing. Everyone else in the family was napping except for me, who was hooked onto the TV.
The thunder became louder and nearer. The wind howled. The skies darkened. I rushed to close the windows. I had to close before the rain pelted down as I have quite a number of windows in the home. I hurried towards my room which was at the furthest end of the house. As I walked towards my room, I saw a flicker of colours and image in my sister's room out of the corner of my eyes. More occupied by the task at hand, I simply brushed it aside, thinking it was probably my imagination.
Finally, I have come to my sister's room. It was not my imagination. The colours and images were still there. Feeling scared, I went to wake my mum, telling her what happened. She walked into the room, while I continued to hold fort outside the room.
The colours and images were coming from her TV. It was supposed to have broken down 2 weeks ago.
We have been trying to switch on the TV to no avail for 2 weeks. Now, it came back to 'life' on its own, without anyone switching on. It cannot be a prank played by anyone in the family, because they were all napping except me. It cannot be due to timer set because we have tried to switch on the TV for 2 weeks, despite plugging in and out the wire.
Calm down. There must be a perfectly scientific explanation to this.
It could have come back to life because the transistor within the TV sort of 'tick' suddenly and it could be switched on? Or the lightning could have caused an influx of electricity which rectified whatever jam?
BUT I recalled that 2 weeks ago when I was the last one to watch the TV before it went dead, I was stopping at Channel U. Yet, now it was Channel 5 with Joan and the ghosts. *Shiver*
The rain starting pouring and the winds continued to howl outside...
It was thundering outside with clouds gathering and looking heavy. A strong gust of wind was blowing. Everyone else in the family was napping except for me, who was hooked onto the TV.
The thunder became louder and nearer. The wind howled. The skies darkened. I rushed to close the windows. I had to close before the rain pelted down as I have quite a number of windows in the home. I hurried towards my room which was at the furthest end of the house. As I walked towards my room, I saw a flicker of colours and image in my sister's room out of the corner of my eyes. More occupied by the task at hand, I simply brushed it aside, thinking it was probably my imagination.
Finally, I have come to my sister's room. It was not my imagination. The colours and images were still there. Feeling scared, I went to wake my mum, telling her what happened. She walked into the room, while I continued to hold fort outside the room.
The colours and images were coming from her TV. It was supposed to have broken down 2 weeks ago.
We have been trying to switch on the TV to no avail for 2 weeks. Now, it came back to 'life' on its own, without anyone switching on. It cannot be a prank played by anyone in the family, because they were all napping except me. It cannot be due to timer set because we have tried to switch on the TV for 2 weeks, despite plugging in and out the wire.
Calm down. There must be a perfectly scientific explanation to this.
It could have come back to life because the transistor within the TV sort of 'tick' suddenly and it could be switched on? Or the lightning could have caused an influx of electricity which rectified whatever jam?
BUT I recalled that 2 weeks ago when I was the last one to watch the TV before it went dead, I was stopping at Channel U. Yet, now it was Channel 5 with Joan and the ghosts. *Shiver*
The rain starting pouring and the winds continued to howl outside...
November 05, 2006
The Musketeers’ Excursion to Vivo City
The Musketeers met again for an excursion to Vivo City. We have decided to venture south to see for ourselves what the hype about the latest shopping mega mall was about.
The NEL line was exceptionally crowded on the early afternoon of Sat, all in the direction of Harbourfront. Despite the spacious lobby, the place was still packed with people.
Before we started our shopping expedition, we have decided to satisfy our hunger. We picked Akashi Japanese Restaurant after making a tour of the basement where most of the eateries congregated. The tea was slightly stronger than other restaurants. The Musketeers concluded that the tea was stronger than other places and was not to our liking, yet we had cups after cups. We were laughing at ourselves for the irony of this.
It is fast becoming a ritual – we started taking photos of the food that was served before eating. I hope there will not be any rumours that we are the commercial spy trio among the restaurants. It was done all in the name of fun rather than any commercial. Well, below are the pictures for sharing, are they well taken? Do you feel tempted by the photos of food?
We have also decided to take photos of ourselves to mark each gathering. Is this a sign of age? Somehow I was not as opposed to taking photos than when I was a teen. In fact, I enjoyed taking photos which I looked at with fond memories of the happy moments once in a while. We were pleasantly surprised to see that the balcony of Vivo City overlooks Sentosa. While reviewing the photos which we have taken, Ms Chan discovered that our feet look pretty cute together, so we decided to take a photo of our feet standing in a circle. 
Despite it being touted as the one of the biggest shopping area in Singapore, we combed the entire mall within 2 hours. The shops / boutiques were similar to those you would find in Orchard Road or even Suntec City. Most of the shops were also skewed towards the higher end (higher end in my definition). Although the things on the racks are nice to look at, they were beyond the budgets of the Musketeers. Window shopping consumed less time than real shopping.
We were soon bored with shopping and decided to adjourn to a dessert break. To break free from the crowd, we walked to Harbourfront – Coffee Club via the rooftop which has a man-made seaside and amphitheatre for dessert. We were disappointed that the tea time special of getting a slice of cake free for each beverage and cake ordered was now not available on weekend. WAIT! Before we can enjoy our drinks and dessert, out came the cameras again. The iced rambutan was indeed freezing. The walnut cheesecake was too sweet for our liking.
After a filling dessert, off I went again for dinner with another friend.
The NEL line was exceptionally crowded on the early afternoon of Sat, all in the direction of Harbourfront. Despite the spacious lobby, the place was still packed with people.
Before we started our shopping expedition, we have decided to satisfy our hunger. We picked Akashi Japanese Restaurant after making a tour of the basement where most of the eateries congregated. The tea was slightly stronger than other restaurants. The Musketeers concluded that the tea was stronger than other places and was not to our liking, yet we had cups after cups. We were laughing at ourselves for the irony of this.
It is fast becoming a ritual – we started taking photos of the food that was served before eating. I hope there will not be any rumours that we are the commercial spy trio among the restaurants. It was done all in the name of fun rather than any commercial. Well, below are the pictures for sharing, are they well taken? Do you feel tempted by the photos of food?
We have also decided to take photos of ourselves to mark each gathering. Is this a sign of age? Somehow I was not as opposed to taking photos than when I was a teen. In fact, I enjoyed taking photos which I looked at with fond memories of the happy moments once in a while. We were pleasantly surprised to see that the balcony of Vivo City overlooks Sentosa. While reviewing the photos which we have taken, Ms Chan discovered that our feet look pretty cute together, so we decided to take a photo of our feet standing in a circle. .1.gif)
Despite it being touted as the one of the biggest shopping area in Singapore, we combed the entire mall within 2 hours. The shops / boutiques were similar to those you would find in Orchard Road or even Suntec City. Most of the shops were also skewed towards the higher end (higher end in my definition). Although the things on the racks are nice to look at, they were beyond the budgets of the Musketeers. Window shopping consumed less time than real shopping.
We were soon bored with shopping and decided to adjourn to a dessert break. To break free from the crowd, we walked to Harbourfront – Coffee Club via the rooftop which has a man-made seaside and amphitheatre for dessert. We were disappointed that the tea time special of getting a slice of cake free for each beverage and cake ordered was now not available on weekend. WAIT! Before we can enjoy our drinks and dessert, out came the cameras again. The iced rambutan was indeed freezing. The walnut cheesecake was too sweet for our liking.
After a filling dessert, off I went again for dinner with another friend.
Guys and Cars
Are guys’ love for cars similar to girls’ love for shopping, albeit instinctive, edging towards irrational sometimes for some?
A friend was introducing me some car models when we wondered into a shop selling car models. The miniature car models were amazingly intricate where all details were taken care of, including the steering wheel, sports rims, gear, seats etc. They were almost like a shrunken version of their real counterparts, ie imagine using the machine in Honey, I shrunk the kid and shrink the real cars into these models.
Do you know that Mercedes have S-class, C-class, E-class or there is an Audi spider?
For a car-idiot like myself, looking at the car models ‘enhance’ my automobile awareness better than touring the car showrooms. However, I am still confused which model is what brand as there are simply too many for my small brain. The car models on sale include not only the current models, but also the older models which may no longer be on display in the showrooms.
The better made car models come with a hefty price tags. In girls’ equivalent, those with a scale of 1: 43 were more expensive than Mango tops; those with a scale of 1: 18 can probably buy you 5 G2000 suits.
Another guy friend was also talking about his car models a couple of months ago. Again he was equally excited about his collection. A girl friend was also sharing how a mutual acquaintance was channeling substantial financial resources to enhancing his car with state-of-the-art accessories and peripherals. The guys mentioned here all have different backgrounds, training, age, occupations, characteristics and personalities. Despite the disparity in all areas, they come united in 1 interest – cars.
Of course, the above may involve too much generalizations Just like not all girls love shopping (actually, some girls find it a chore to shop), not all guys love cars. Perhaps the love of cars among these 3 guy friends were just pure coincidence?
A friend was introducing me some car models when we wondered into a shop selling car models. The miniature car models were amazingly intricate where all details were taken care of, including the steering wheel, sports rims, gear, seats etc. They were almost like a shrunken version of their real counterparts, ie imagine using the machine in Honey, I shrunk the kid and shrink the real cars into these models.
Do you know that Mercedes have S-class, C-class, E-class or there is an Audi spider?
For a car-idiot like myself, looking at the car models ‘enhance’ my automobile awareness better than touring the car showrooms. However, I am still confused which model is what brand as there are simply too many for my small brain. The car models on sale include not only the current models, but also the older models which may no longer be on display in the showrooms.
The better made car models come with a hefty price tags. In girls’ equivalent, those with a scale of 1: 43 were more expensive than Mango tops; those with a scale of 1: 18 can probably buy you 5 G2000 suits.
Another guy friend was also talking about his car models a couple of months ago. Again he was equally excited about his collection. A girl friend was also sharing how a mutual acquaintance was channeling substantial financial resources to enhancing his car with state-of-the-art accessories and peripherals. The guys mentioned here all have different backgrounds, training, age, occupations, characteristics and personalities. Despite the disparity in all areas, they come united in 1 interest – cars.
Of course, the above may involve too much generalizations Just like not all girls love shopping (actually, some girls find it a chore to shop), not all guys love cars. Perhaps the love of cars among these 3 guy friends were just pure coincidence?
November 03, 2006
Fate
In last night's episode of Princess Hours, Xin related to Caijing that both the stars and humans have their own cycles. The cycle is 250 million years. Actually, I cannot recall if it was 25 million, 250 million or 2,500 million years. I could only recall it was starting with 25 and ending with millions. URGHH! There were simply too many zeroes in between.
Sigh! Anyway, back to Xin and Caijing. Xin added that the stars have a lifespan of 250 million years. Humans also have a cycle of 250 million years, ie in 250 million years' time, you will have the same experience as at current.
Coincidentally, I have received a SMS from my friend last week. The content was about if you have turned around and looked at each other 500 times last life, both would be able to walk past each other this life. If you have turned around and looked at each other 1,000 times last life, both would be able to acquaint with each other. To have a strong friendship with each other, you would have to turn around and look at each other for many, many times. In fact, you would have spent the whole of your last life turning around at each other.
Ok, you may think this is rather absurd. If you have turned around at each other so many times last life, both of you would have been acquainted in your last life and not wait until this life. Disregarding the incredulous statistics, the message is clear - people you are meeting now are predestined, be it from your previous life or 250 million years ago.
Do you believe in fate?
If you do, will you want to meet me in another 250 million years' time?
If you do, you have better start turning around more often now, else you will have very few friends next life.
Uh-oh, the same applies for me too. I better start turning around more often too. And before I forget, if the cycle of 250 million years is true, I will still want to meet all my friends then. :-)
Sigh! Anyway, back to Xin and Caijing. Xin added that the stars have a lifespan of 250 million years. Humans also have a cycle of 250 million years, ie in 250 million years' time, you will have the same experience as at current.
Coincidentally, I have received a SMS from my friend last week. The content was about if you have turned around and looked at each other 500 times last life, both would be able to walk past each other this life. If you have turned around and looked at each other 1,000 times last life, both would be able to acquaint with each other. To have a strong friendship with each other, you would have to turn around and look at each other for many, many times. In fact, you would have spent the whole of your last life turning around at each other.
Ok, you may think this is rather absurd. If you have turned around at each other so many times last life, both of you would have been acquainted in your last life and not wait until this life. Disregarding the incredulous statistics, the message is clear - people you are meeting now are predestined, be it from your previous life or 250 million years ago.
Do you believe in fate?
If you do, will you want to meet me in another 250 million years' time?
If you do, you have better start turning around more often now, else you will have very few friends next life.
Uh-oh, the same applies for me too. I better start turning around more often too. And before I forget, if the cycle of 250 million years is true, I will still want to meet all my friends then. :-)
November 02, 2006
Preoccupation
My newsagent now provides value-added service for loyal customers. When you subscribe to the Zaobao, they deliver "My Paper" (Wobao) too. Thus, for the past 2 days, we have enjoyed free My Paper.
There was an article which I have come across 2 days ago which was rather interesting and led me to be reflective for a while. To confess, I was first attracted to the article because the author's ID-sized photo looked cute (cute as in the good looking way and not the ugly but adorable way).
It was about how sometimes we could get so occupied with our work that after a while when we looked back, we could not recall what we have been busy with. Moreover, we do not see any achievements, ie very busy but end up doing nothing. This is so true!
How often did I hustle and bustle around and in the end did not finish any task? Then I will wonder what I have been busy with and where has all my time gone to. I wonder if this is a sign of age or is this a sign of inefficiency and poor management? To be colloquial, we are just being "gan cheong" for the sake of being "gan cheong"?
At least, now I know I am not alone suffering from this "amnesia" effect when I am busy. "Wink"
There was an article which I have come across 2 days ago which was rather interesting and led me to be reflective for a while. To confess, I was first attracted to the article because the author's ID-sized photo looked cute (cute as in the good looking way and not the ugly but adorable way).
It was about how sometimes we could get so occupied with our work that after a while when we looked back, we could not recall what we have been busy with. Moreover, we do not see any achievements, ie very busy but end up doing nothing. This is so true!
How often did I hustle and bustle around and in the end did not finish any task? Then I will wonder what I have been busy with and where has all my time gone to. I wonder if this is a sign of age or is this a sign of inefficiency and poor management? To be colloquial, we are just being "gan cheong" for the sake of being "gan cheong"?
At least, now I know I am not alone suffering from this "amnesia" effect when I am busy. "Wink"
November
It is another 2 months to the end of the year. It is time again to take stock of your achievements for the year. It is also time to reflect about what has happened in this year and to buck up if you still have a long list of new year resolutions unfulfilled.
There is only remaining 2 months.
Hurry up. Time doesn't wait for you.
There is only remaining 2 months.
Hurry up. Time doesn't wait for you.
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