Blur Boss

When my neighbouring colleague stepped into office, the first words that she exclaimed was "Don't worry, I have already found out." I was perplexed. Found out about what? How to derive the post-elimination budgeted expenses? How to explain for the abnormal trends in the budgets? She carried on. She found out that we got half-day off for both Christmas and New Year's eves.

We have to rewind back to about a week ago.

On Christmas eve, we were getting ready to pack so that we could leave after the Christmas lunch. Our boss walked past us and told us that there was no half-day for Christmas eve. We stopped and thought he was joking. He solemnly and seriously explained that he was not joking. There was no HR email to officially declare the eve as a half-day. He added that people have been going off on half-day unofficially. He commented that as a boss, he would also grant us unofficial half days.

We were dismayed. Huh? No half-days. Although we left after the Christmas lunch, it was with some guilt as it was a 'benefit' that my boss had extended to us unofficially.

During the week I was on leave, she had browsed the intranet and found that both Christmas and New Year's eves were official half-days. They were so standard that no emails had to be sent out.

So, it turned out that I was not the only blur person. My boss who had been with the company for so many years were more blurred than me. LOL

Inconsiderate Couple

I have not been so indignant at a stranger for a long time. Even thinking about it still made me fumed at the lack of chivalry and selfishness of the couple. This disheartened me when it seemed that the more educated Singaporeans had become, our behaviour and ettiquette seemed to regress.

It was a crowded Sunday afternoon at the department store where kiasu Singaporeans (including myself) were hoping to grab some Post-Christmas bargains. As usual, the dearth of fitting rooms and cashiers led to long visible queues. Some of the fitting cubicles were not manned by any shop assistants. Hence, despite the instruction of "Maximum 3 pieces" pasted bold and large at the doors, many customers did not pay heed to it.

I was standing one such unmanned cubicle. The customer inside the cubicle was taking a long time. I waited patiently thinking that it could again be a customer who had tried on more items than the stipulated. However, a lady soon approached the cubicle door with many items on her hands. The door opened with her boyfriend / husband coming out through the door and she going in. I was stunned by what I had witnessed and could not react in time. Soon, it was anger and fustration as the couple's behaviour.

• Getting your companion to queue for you while you search for your items is common. However, getting your companion to hog the fitting room while you are searching for the items is not. If you are really running THAT short of time, you could still allow the next person in queue to go into the fitting room and try first. From the time you go ahead and search for the items and back, the next person in queue can try her items and go off, instead of wasting others' time.
• Getting a MAN to stay in the fitting room meant for ladies is ill-mannered behaviour. I am sure many signs outside ladies fitting room has indicated that it is STRICTLY meant for ladies and male companions should stay OUTSIDE.

After I recovered from my initial shock, my sister and I started complaining about such behaviour in Chinese among ourselves (with no deliberate intention of hiding from the couple who are non-Chinese but more because Chinese has been the daily language that we normally converse in). Throughout our entire dialogue, I stood backfacing him because he had irked me so much that I could not stand the sight of him. When the lady finally emerged from the fitting room, he started speaking angrily at the top of his lungs "It's good you are out. She (meaning me) thinks I don't understand Chinese."

OMG. You are in the wrong and you still want to have the last word. If you behave atrociously, you could not blame others for wagging their fingers at your inconsideration. Again, I was stupendously stunned into a non-reaction. His behaviour drew out the aggression in me. I nearly wanted to rebuke that "Oh well, it is better that you understand Chinese and save me the trouble of translating for you. To think such a well-read and educated person like you should behave in such an uncivilisd manner."

Given that it was a departmental store in town, I wondered what sort of adverse impression this couple would leave for Singapore if I were a tourist instead. Much as Singapore progressed and made a mark globally with our state-of-the-art insfrastructure, the inculcation of a civic behaviour of Singaporeans should not be forgotten especially when Singapore has always seemed to lag behind in terms of service level. Service level would not be restricted to the front-liners but also the general public.

Witch Yoo Hee

Like Princess's Hours, Witch Yoo Hee was another hilarious Korean Drama series. Yoo Hee was a witch where no one liked - she was brusque in dishing out criticisms of others and never considering the hurt to others' feelings. Despite her success at work, she was still someone who was innocent at heart. She carried the torch for her senior for many years. Just as they were getting engaged, she realised that she loved Woo Leong - her house servant. On the other hand, her senior wanted to be engage to her because of money instead of love.

It was a typical sweet and romantic commedy. With the good looking cast, it was tough not to stay tuned to it.

Personally, I preferred the initial part with all the hilarious scenes than those towards the end.

The Secret of Life – Commonsense Advice for Uncommon Women

The author –Elizabeth Wurtzel is a sarcastic advisor. If you are looking for a grandmotherly, motivational and encouraging self-help book, this will NOT be the book for you. The advices captured are delivered in a satirical, condescending and even bitchy manner. On first read, it was a humourous and witty page turner, but if you take a step back, the book contains insightful, cold-hard commonsense.

Personally, I prefer the advices that are dished out in the first part of the book relative to those in the last few sections. To be happy, Elizabeth Wurtzel recommends that we should:

1) Always Ask
If you never ask, you will never find out if you can have a great career opportunity, find a soulmate, enjoy great food, etc. Inquisitive people are not always happy but they will never be bored.

2) Eat Dessert and See Lots of Movie
We should enjoy ourselves instead of striving for a slimmer and slimmer body. After working so hard, women deserve to have desserts to reward themselves. Movies allow us to understand different cultures and relax ourselves. Movies are great ice-breakers when meeting new people.

3) Save Yourself and Have a Job, Have Your Own Money, Support Yourself
Scrap that idea of damsels in distress. Instead of depending on your friends to solve the problems for you or a prince charming to provide a fairytale life, we should depend on ourselves.
4) Be Gorgeous
Elizabeth Wurtzel defines being gorgeous to be different from being pretty and beautiful. Pretty and beautiful refers more to the exterior. Being gorgeous refers more to grooming. The stark message that is conveyed is that we owe the rest of the world a presentable presence. In the course of getting ourselves taken care of, we will also find ourselves getting better looking.

5) Do Nothing
One way to relax ourselves is to do nothing. It is a great way to unwind but surprising or should I say pathetically one of the hardest to achieve. Time is short and there are always competitive uses of time. We are constantly rushing around and hoping to get the most things done within the shortest period of time. The more we do, the more time we save, the most we seem to need to do. It is a vicious cycle indeed.

6) Always Keep Your Mind on How You Feel rather than How He Feels
A lot of us wonder through life self-consciously constantly wondering what other people think of us. How often do we witness girl-friends losing themselves when they become engaged with constant worries about what he feels. As soon as we start to focus on how We feel, everything else will fall into place.

7) Don’t Try to be Friends with Your Exes
We always harbour the notion of being friends with Exes. To save both parties any awkwardness and any remaining secret hope in future, it is better to cut off any contact.

8) Think Productively
Positive thinking is important to spur us on in depressing moments. Sometimes believing that we can do it will lead us to achieve.

The above 8 tips are a subset of the book. For the girls who are feeling in need of a boost, this may be a quick read – a very thin and small book with big fonts. But again, a lot of it is commonsense which we have already been overexposed to and can fully recite from the back of our hands. The book serves to a jot out of our comfort zone and self-denial and a painful reminder of what we know and we should be doing. This is perhaps an effective way to close the year or to start a new year.

Craving for Seafood Platter

I have seen it many times. I have smelt it many times. I have craved for it many times. I have hinted about eating it many times. Finally, I decided it was the time to taste it. Ok, quit the drama. It was just a seafood platter.

After craving for so long, I found finally found someone and sometime to eat it. It was time to relish satisfaction of seeing the congregation of seafood and the sweetness of their tastes.

A picture paints a thousand words. Let’s say no more and just look at the picture.

Child's Play

I must have missed my childhood.

I met my neighbour's boy on my way home. He was playing with bubbles at the playground. Being a generous young boy, he invited me to play with him. Despite several trials, I still did not manage to blow out any bubbles while the young boy could effortlessly blow out several bubbles.

Being his helpful self, he kept thinking that my inability to blow out bubbles was a result of not enough soapy water (whatever that solution was that caused bubbles to be blown). He kept putting the little net into the solution bottle every time I failed and asked me to do it again. After more trials, I finally managed it when I was on the verge of surrendering.

Guess I need to learn more from him to master the art of bubble blowing. Who says this is child's play?

Christmas Celebration: Musketeers at the Museum

It was one of the earliest gatherings for the musketeers – 10 am, so that we could beat the crowd at the museum and go for long lunch. Great minds think alike because when we arrived at the National Museum at 10-ish, there was already a short queue at the entrance.

The first place which we ‘charged’ to was the “Greek Masterpieces from the Louvre. It was a roving exhibition as Musee de Louvre was undergoing some renovation. Hence, we were eager to look at these exhibits which we would not be able to see unless we could travel to France in future.

There were about 130 pieces in all. Most of the exhibits were statutes of the Greek gods or wares that were used. The statutes and sculptures were mainly made of marble while the wares were made of terracotta. There were many statutes of Greek Gods Athena, Aphrodite and Apollo and Greek Philosophers such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. Athena had been well-known role figure since secondary school days where her wisdom and courage designated her as a role model. Aphrodite was the goddess for love and beauty and one of the most beautiful goddess. I did not have domain knowledge of Greek God. One of the statutes that depicted Aphrodite in her youth with a bow and arrow reminded me of Cupid which was believed to the angel for love. I wondered how modern beliefs could have spun from the Greek mythology.

Through the statutes, we were offered a glimpse into the culture, arts and lifestyle of the Greek mythology. For instance, just like Asian culture, the females were of a lower standing. They were not allowed to venture out of their quarters in the house. Even when facing their husbands in public, they had to hide behind a veil. Different sculptors could depict the various gods differently. Unless there were engravings on the sculptures to clearly indicate the models of the sculptures, many sculptures were subsequently identified via the symbols that were often associated with the gods. For instance, Athena was often depicted wearing a helmet and wearing an Aegis while Dementer, the goddess for harvest was portrayed with a beanstalk in her hand. Much of our understanding was also derived from the funeral steles. Funeral steles were plaques which were erected at the tomb and were often symbolic in nature to give background on the deceased.

There were also interesting facts that discovered in this Greek mythology journey. For instance, there seemed to be debates on who were the original Gods in the twelve Olympian deities. Many of the athletes trained nakedly. One of the main contributors to mortality was child-birth. Mortality among children less than 3 years old was very high so only children above 3 years old were brought out to meet others. The statutes which we saw today were mostly replicas by Romans instead of the original Greek statutes.

It was both a journey of the Greek mythology as well as arts. While we travelled through time to understand the culture and the history, we marveled at the intricacy of the sculptures. Many sculptures were in smooth marble with defined features. Many statutes had alluring deep set eyes with aquiline nose – typical of aristocrats and their handsomeness resplendent. One could nearly fall in love with those statutes. It was a pity that some of the sculptures could not withstand wear and tear of time and were chipped off.

Other than concentrating and admiring on the artifacts, the fun part, the musketeers also had field of a day dressing up the parts of Greek Gods. The robes were on free loan to visitors who wanted to picture themselves as figures of the Greek mythology. It was strange that many men preferred the female robes while the ladies preferred the unisex robes. Was this a sign of the growing metro-sexuality of the men and the increasing masculinity of the ladies in Singapore?

(Ah Peng and Ms Chan's robes were unisex while mine was that of the female).

Next, we moved on to the Singapore History Gallery. It was as if we had been transported back to the past. We were each issued with a companion – like a mini hand-held PC which provided narration on the various exhibits. We were having problems with the companion – Ms Chan was running short of batteries while mine kept hanging. It was a compressed version of our history textbook or more. Hence, for the following 2 hours, we were overloaded with information and more information till we decided to call it a day and went for lunch.

Lunch was a simple affair at the Swensen’s where we spent 2 hours laughing and eating – a more typical way of how we normally spend our time together. :-)

(Our decadent lunch at Swensen's with baked rice)

Polar Express

It was a train bringing children who are either in their transition year (transition between believing and disbelieving the existence of Santa Claus) or who are in need of learning something to the north pole. The children started off on Christmas Eve with apprehension, excitement and adventure. With each hurdle, they help each other and become inspired. At the end of the journey is Santa with his gifts for the gifts.

When they wake up on Christmas, they wonder if it had been a dream until they receive the gifts from Santa. Then they knew, it was not a dream at all.

Another heartwarming show. Another inspiring show. For those who want to believe the existence of miracles, magic and hope. A perfect show to bring us through Christmas Eve.

Merry Christmas.

Cosy Christmas Gathering at Hui’s House

This was the second year that Hui was hosting a Christmas gathering at her house. The crowd this year was bigger so instead of whipping up a meal for us, Hui had instead requested for a potluck session. For someone with limited culinary skills like me, it was tough for me to decide what to bring which was suitable for the festive occasion and which could still stay fresh several hours after preparation (to travel from my house to hers). In the end, I chose fruits.

Once we gathered at Hui’s house, we started helping SM with her yaki bacon and cherry tomatoes (grilled bacon, mushroom, cherry tomatoes, asparagus on skewers). We were inexperienced when it came determining if the bacon was cooked, so we opened and closed the doors of the toaster several times. After the first batch of skewers, we were more confident and decided to allow the meat to be more thoroughly cooked even if it were burnt. It was better to cut off the burnt part than to consumer something that was uncooked.

After an hour of battle with the toaster, we were finally done and ready for lunch. Hui bought 2 grilled chickens while Jess bought one, so we had 3 grilled chickens to substitute for a turkey. Then Hui had also fried bee hoon while Jen had prepared salad and log cake (bought). There were 4 bottles of sparkling juices (from Hui), agar agar, and red wine (from Sharon). What a feast for a total of 8 people. We could not finish the food even when each of us attempted to finish a quarter of the chicken each. Although we did not have so much space for the food, we had a lot of spares for the dessert and drinks. We finished 4 bottles of sparkling juices (2 grapes and 2 apple), 1.5 tupperware of agar agar and the log cake.

After food, it was time for Sharon and Randall to share their recent honeymoon trip to Hokkaido. The scenery was simply picturesque. Each photo resembled a professionally taken postcard. Sharon was also very enthusiastic in sharing the background of each photo. Hence, when we glanced at each picture, it was as if we had entered the mountains and lakes of Hokkaido.

After photo and food sharing, next on the agenda was of course the sharing of gifts. We were very excited about which gift we would be getting. The rest of them were commenting on the restrictions which I had imposed on the gifts – practical, excluded ornaments, mugs, etc. I had my reasons for doing this as it would be more meaningful to get something that someone else could use than just a mere display items especially when the space we had seemed to be shrinking. Ornaments and other display items were often relegated to a space in the store room instead.

Merry time flew. Before we realized, we had spent a good 7 hours in Hui’s house. It was time to bid goodbye to Hui. Thank you, Hui, for hosting such a wonderful time. It was one of the happiest party I had been to.

Merry Christmas to all and hope that you had managed to spend time with your loved ones as well.

Blur. Lost. Searching for a Bus.

Despite the popularity of Harbourfront and Vivocity being the latest “It” shopping areas, my visits to these areas for shopping are often once-in-a-blue-moon affair. I am also not a frequent visitor of Sentosa. Hence, to get to Rasa Sentosa requires some prior research.

According to the website, there is shuttle bus from Harbourfront but the specific location is not mentioned. When I called Rasa Sentosa, I was told it would be at the Cable Car Station. Cable Car Station? Apparently, the directions would be clear once I reached Harbourfront. The last time I took a cable car was perhaps sometime in primary school. The cable station was probably not the cable station today.

It did not help that it was drizzling as I was trying to locate the Cable Car Station. It was after a long walk and in sweats that I reached the Station. There was no apparent sign on where the shuttle bus would be parked. I headed to the Station and asked. The ticket seller brusquely told me “just” wait outside. I waited for a while without seeing any vehicle. Not knowing how the shuttle bus looked like, I was clueless to what I should be expecting.

When I saw a minivan turning into a parking space, I decided to approach the driver and asked if that was the “shuttle bus” to Rasa Sentosa. Fortunately, the bus driver was helpful and told me that the Rasa Sentosa shuttle bus was a big green and yellow bus. In addition, the bus was likely to park at the other end of the Cable Car Station. If I had continued to wait for the bus as my original location, I would certainly have missed the bus.

Singapore was meant to be a very accessible and small country. Yet, there were so many places that we did not visit often or have a concrete idea of how to get there. Perhaps if it were me a couple of years ago, I would have felt very lost and opted for the easiest option – take a cab. Yet, after getting lost and figuring out my way overseas, figuring out the way in Singapore became an easier feat. I became more adventurous in exploring new places or routes of getting to places. Although I might still be blur and have gotten lost, I still reached my destination in one-piece.

Dear’s Wedding

Dear had a typical Teochew Wedding Day where the bride had to be married out of the house early morning. All the sisters had to reach her house by 7.30am. Once we reached her house, it was a frenzy to get everything ready before the arrival of the groom.

The first hurdle for the groom was the negotiation of a satisfactory open-door-fee. The other sisters were very lady-like and gentle, so such haggling could only be left to the more tom-boyish me and “Son”. Both of us were literally throwing our images away with our rather bossy and mercenary haggling. This was so that we could secure a good ‘price’ for giving the bride away and for rewarding the hard work of all sisters. Unfortunately, the entire process was captured on video and shown to all the guests during the wedding dinner. Oh dear, my professional image has just been washed down the drains. Note, this was all done in good jest and only for one of my best friends.

Then it was a series of other games for the groom such as doing hula hoops, guessing the lip stick marks of his mother-in-law and wife, eating muffins containing balaccan (spicy chilli), bitter-gourd and wasabi and singing an original song to proclaim his love for dear. Finally, it was time for the bride and groom to go to the groom’s house for the tea ceremony before coming back to the bride’s house again.

The Wedding Dinner was at Rasa Sentosa with a solemnization ceremony before the dinner. The original venue of the solemnization was at the lawn with the back facing the seafront. Unfortunately, the inclement weather required a change of plans. Under the detailed briefing by the Registrar of the significance of the wedding vows and the rituals, both the bride and the groom pledged their promises to be true and faithful to each other in sickness and health.

I was again a helper at the reception table. At the rate I was going, I could soon crown myself a permanent fixture at the reception table for my friends’ weddings. Anyway, with so many past experiences with me (this was the 4th time I was at the reception table), I could more or less expect what I needed to do without any prior briefing. Receptionists often had to stay outside even after the wedding couple had marched in to assist some of the latecomers, so we often missed part of the food and the ceremony.

(With Dear at the reception table before her march-in)

Fortunately, I had not missed much this time round, especially the singing by some friends and the wedding couple. It was also a good time catching up with my secondary school friends on the latest developments in their lives. For instance, “Son” would be holding her wedding ceremony next May, while PM had changed her job.

May Dear and her husband live happily ever after… …

Civic Mindedness

Recently, I suddenly feel a sense of righteousness to fight for our rights as a consumer or as a member of the public.

I have always been rather laid-back when my rights are being infringed. I may be setthing with anger but will just channel all my grumbles informally to my friends. I harbour the secret hope that someone who has also suffered the injustice as me will help address the 'wrongs'. This blase attitude may be prevalent and reflective of a large group of people. Singaporeans, or maybe Asians, generally are more passive and less likely to volunteer than be volunteered.

Recently, I became tired of waiting and wishing that a service which is far from satisfactory will miraculously improve by itself. Being a consumer and a member of the public, I believe I have the responsibility of making known to the service provider that there is room for improvement. We cannot blame the service provider for their errors until they are made aware of the preferences of the receipients. In addition, once the service level is improved, it will benefit many other people. In an indirect way, we are also helping Singapore taking a tiny step towards greater service.

I am also inspired by a neighbour whom I have never spoken to. I may be over presumptous of what I observe on numerous occasions. He is an uncle probably around the age of 50. He is always armed with a camera. When he spots a dying tree or a damaged roof of the bus-stop, he will stop by and take photos. He may just be taking photos. However, after a day or two, there will be engineers from LTA who visit the bus-stop to repair the roof. I have linked one to one and believed that this could be due to his sending the damaged roof photos to LTA. It does not take a lot but possibly only about 15 minutes of our time to inform the relevant parties.

Hence, I think it is time I start doing something for my environment and the service I receive. I have a responsibility towards making the place I live in better instead of just complaining without any constructive action. Instead waiting for someone else to inform the relevant authorities or the service providers, I should also do my part. Are you with me?

Famous Soba Eatery

It was not just one, but two of my colleagues who had commended on the superb soba of Shokado. Despite passing the eatery many times en-route to other eateries and watching the adept skills of the Soba chefs kneading the flour dough, I have never once stepped into the restauran.

So I dragged Ah Peng to try the soba with me. I filled with anticipation on how good the soba would be. We ordered one of the chef’s recommended sets which consisted of a warm soba, teriyaki chicken, salmon sashimi and fish cutlets. It certainly looked appetising. As I took a bite of the soba, it was springy but too thin for one to taste the buckwheat. Moreover, the soya-based soup was too salty for my preference. The honeyed-chicken was too sticky and sweet. The teriyaki sauce on the fish cutlet was also too salty. The only item which was good was the fresh salmon which whetted my palette for more but unfortunately, it led to disappointment with the soba, chicken and fish cutlet.

For the price of the set, it is not attractive enough for me to want to pay a second visit to the restaurant.

Maybe because I have often been more of a ramen or udon person than soba, and not quite taken to the taste of buckwheat, I cannot exactly recall which other place serves good soba. The udon which I like best is Sushi Tei’s Nabeyaki Udon. Waraku’s udon is also good.

What about you? Have you tasted any good udon, ramen or soba recently? Perhaps you can share with us your favourites so that we have some alternatives the next time we crave for some Japanese noodles.

Escape from Fire-Drill

We had climbed that dim-lighted and clammy staircase down during fire-drills many times. There were at least 2 fire-drills a year. We decided to give ourselves break this time round by escaping the fire-drill totally.

Before the start of the fire-drill, we all gathered and went to the coffee shop to chit chat and have brunch. The strategic location of the coffee shop also allowed us to have a good view of when the fire-drill had started and ended. Our grapevine told us that the fire-drill was slated to start at 10am, but it was not activated until around 1030 am. We stayed at the coffee shop for a full one-hour, drinking soyabean, eating hard-boiled eggs, mee siam and kaya toast.
Apparently, we were not alone because almost the entire coffee shop was filled with colleagues from various departments, all pretending to have off-site meetings. The crowd only dissipated with the ending of the fire-drills.

Don’t worry. We are not always this playful and very often, we participate actively in fire-drills as we are fully aware of the importance being crisis-prepared. However, on this day when many of us had burnt mid-night oil the night before to get the budget pack done, we were not certain if we would be able to make the long climb to ground floor in one piece.

Just forgive our truancy for once, ok?

2007 Christmas Party

We, accountants, had been planning the Christmas party for a few weeks. From the booking of the venue, the ordering of the food, the setting aside and contribution to the budget to the purchases of the gifts, we had numerous discussions for a few weeks. Despite our hectic schedules from budget, the planning of the Christmas party sort of took our minds off the routine work for a while and added some excitement to the late nights and excel spreadsheets.

There were about 12 of us planning for the party within our division. The food was decided quite early. Then, it was deciding on the presents to buy for our subordinates and bosses. We had even elected a procurement committee to help us accomplish the task. Although subsequently, a couple of the more kay-poh (busybodies) tagged along to give ideas for the gifts. We bought the toiletries set from Bodyshop for our subordinates and self-sustaining potted plants for our bosses.

To add more excitement, the accountants decided also to buy a gift of exchange for ourselves. We balloted to determine who should buy for who. Then we had to go about buying the gift for the person whom we drew lots on without the person knowing. I have picked my neighbour to buy gifts for. On no, how could I go about finding out what she liked without drawing suspicion? In addition, there were anticipation and speculation of who will be buying gifts for who and ourselves and what we would be getting.

The party started with a sumptuous local fare consisting of nasi lemak, mee siam and popiah from Qiji. We all gave the thumbs up for its mee siam with a sourly sweet gravy and springy bee hoon. The popiah was a DIY. After my nasi lemak and mee siam, I was quite full already, so I shared the popiah with another colleague. She took care of the wrapping while I took care of the eating. Many of us were not skilled in wrapping popiah and the popiah turned up rather square-ish looking or disintegrated when we picked them up. Perhaps my colleague had put too much garlic in the popiah, so I ended up smelling garlic in my mouth for the whole day despite brushing for a long time after lunch.

After lunch, it was time to pass the gifts to everyone. We handed out our bosses and the subordinates’ gifts first. Then, we would our gift on-by-one to our colleagues. I have gotten a Bodyshop shower set in a nice purple pouch. Some of the others had shoe bag, sports T-shirt, laptop traveller carrier, hand-lotion, bag, etc.

The only spoilsport to a perfectly enjoyable party was that our dessert arrived late. It was only delivered at 4pm, so we gathered again at 5 pm to enjoy your honey-baked ham, log cake and gingerbread man before we ended our day on a cheerful and festive note.

(The Christmas gifts which I received)

With the Christmas party, the footsteps of Santa seemed to be approaching very rapidly. How was your Christmas party?

Mango Sale

Mango no longer connotes a fruit. It is also a Spanish brand whose twice-a-year sales often draw queues and crowds. I am not exaggerating because I have tried to fight these crowds or contribute to the queues on many occasions.

Sssshhh, I have even taken leave before so that I could go to their sales on the first day. Actually, this is not much of a secret because my colleagues are my ‘partners-in-crime’. Some of them do not take the day off but take 2-hours time off. This is possible because there are already numerous outlets within walking distance from our office and the outlets open its doors to the public at 830am on the first day of the sales.

In the current ongoing sale, I do not know the sale date prior to the sale. It is a coincidence that I have taken half day leave for another matter on its first day of sale. Surprisingly, the crowd is not as overwhelming as before. Have most of its regulars already made their purchases and went off? Or is this sale so discreet that many of the regulars have not known of the sale? Regardless, the lesser the crowd, the more fruitful will be the shopping with easier view of the items, more of the items in the correct colour and sizes and less daunting queues to the fitting rooms and cashiers.

Perhaps you wonder what is there to be so excited about a sale when in Singapore, sales happen almost every other month? To a ‘not-so-novice-yet-still-cannot-qualify-as-a-veteran’ shopper like me, there are some sales which are genuine and some which are simply an occasion for the shrewd businessmen to clear their obsolete stocks. Mango sales belong to the former. Items on sales are indeed retail items during the non-sale period. For those sales which are not genuine, the sale items are items which you have not seen during the non-sale period and are often of a lower quality than the non-sale items.

For the regulars, mango-hop is not uncommon, ie going from one outlet to another, especially if one outlet does not carry your size or colour, there may be better luck at another outlet. Sometimes, many regulars will go on different days because sometimes there will be new stocks that get replenished. Spending a couple of hours in a single Mango outlet is not uncommon because time flies while searching through the racks, waiting in the queue to get into the fitting room, trying on and deciding which items to buy and finally doing a thorough QC check to ensure that there are no defects.

Over the years, Mango sales have almost become the sale of the year just as the techies look forward to Sitex and Comex. Over the years, I have also gained some experience in triumphing in a Mango sale. Here are some tips which I hope will be helpful for your next Mango sale trip:

1) Wear Capri, tank tops and comfortable shoes.
a. When there is a shortage of fitting rooms, one can have a preliminary trying out by pulling over those tops and skirts.
b. This is first round of filtering to sift out those worthy items which you can bring to the fitting room for final trials.
c. Such clothes are easy to change in and out of, so that you do not need to take too much time in the fitting rooms.
d. Comfortable shoes are important as there are hardly any places for you to sit down and long-hour of walking and standing are inevitable.

2) Equip with a sling medium-sized bag
a. The bag can carry water bottles and a cardigan in case you feel thirsty or it gets cold.
b. Too big a bag may mean that there is a hassle of getting the bag bound in plastic bag before you enter the shop and getting it unbound before you leave.
c. A sling bag will leave both hands free to look through the items and to carry those you want to buy.

3) Go with 1 or 2 close friends
a. It is difficult to move in big crowds and Mango sales are hardly the right venue and time for chit chats.
b. Avoid bringing your boyfriends as they will feel bored and can lead to more conflicts because I have witnessed more than one quarrels outside Mango outlets when the boyfriends grow impatient of waiting
c. Avoid bringing your babies along too because with the flurry air, the heat and the pushy crowd, Mango sale is hardly the ideal place for a baby.

4) Carry more cash
a. Sometimes there is a shorter queue for shoppers who can pay with cash than NETS or credit cards.

Beauty and Brains

It is a perennial question. In the recent Miss USA Pageant which is broadcast on Channel 5, it is again a question posted to one of the candidates.

If you are given a choice between beauty and brains, which will you choose?

If you think the choice is obvious, think again. Please do not attempt to be smart and say you will want both. If the choice is mutually exclusive, which will you choose?

When I was younger, it was a no-brainer. I chose brains over beauty. Intelligence is an internal trait which can last for a life-time, unlike beauty which is often short-lived and subjective. An intelligent person is believed to be able to contribute more than someone who is merely a pretty face.

As one ages, the choice becomes increasingly a dilemma. With advancement of dermatology, is beauty still short-lived? Will an intelligent person be more successful than a pretty person? The answers to both questions are becoming a stronger and stronger “No”.

With many off-the-shelf products which promise to present miracles to wipe off wrinkles and laugh-lines. With the proliferation of Botox and other lunch-time treatments, maintaining a youthful look and retaining beauty is no longer mission impossible. This means that if beauty has enhanced a person’s life, its lifespan as a magic wand has extended.

The belief that an intelligent person will eventually be spotted and be rewarded seems to be gradually cast aside as an incredible fairy tale. Being appearance-disadvantaged, one will need to work doubly hard to gain visibility. For those who have made it with their intelligence often needs to start enhancing their beauty in order to maintain their competitiveness and to sustain their success.

The yardstick of the professionalism and capability of a person are no longer measured by IQ of a person but also EQ. However, in some ways, the prettier persons will already have a head start in the development of EQ as they often form a better impression with others. Being able to draw more people to them, they are given first opportunities to learn how to work with people and for others to find out more about them.

Although many still swear by intelligence over beauty, yet how many of us are willing to spend our last dollar on a book than a bottle of moisturiser? How many of us are more bothered about our sagging skins than our more and more short-term memory? The intelligence of a person cannot be easily seen while the beauty of a person is apparent to the whole world. If intelligence is such a valued trait, why is there never a competition for Miss Universe Intelligent alongside the much celebrated Miss Universe Beautiful?

The more I write, the more I seem to be steering away from intelligence towards beauty. I may be perceived as becoming more shallow and superficial with such a choice. Yet, beauty may be skin-deep but so is intelligence (beneath our skull).

All-time Classic

When you mention classical movie, some of the names that come to mind will be Gone with the Wind, Sound of the Music and even ET. The classical movie of the 90s should be Titanic.

Titanic was one of the most expensive movies being made and on one of the most tragic calamity of the sea. It The characters – Jack and Rose’s famous line of “You jump, I jump” and the flying pose have been emulated by many couples around the world. When the movie was first shown, many ferries have to bar couples who wanted to venture to the cordoned-off areas to relive the most memorable scenes in the movie.

Titanic was also one of those movies that have touched many people who had watched the movie many times. Some had even teared when Rose sent Jack down the deep cold sea so that she could fulfil the promise to Jack. My sister was one of those. For her case, she was more of accompanying me to watch after she has watched it with her friends.

This year marked the 10th year anniversary of Titanic. It was only when snippets of the show were used in one of the Mio TV advertisements that I realised that time flew.

10 years ago, I was still wearing school uniform. What were you doing then? 10 years ago, the most happening gadget one could have was a discman. Now, the latest gadget could be a PDA or even an iPod. 10 years ago, we were still using transitlink to commute via the bus and train. Now, transitlink has been replaced by easylink. The past 10 years have been plagued with economic crisis, epidemics, natural disasters. Let’s hope the next 10 years will be one that is filled with economic buoyancy, good health and stability for everyone.

Kushin Bo

My sisters’ colleagues who have tried the restaurant have given thumbs up for the food. It was supposed to be one of the few Japanese buffets around. Hence, we decided to give it a try during my sister’s birthday.

Well, I have passed the age where I can gobble down lots of food at high speed without feeling full easily. Now, even if it’s normal meal, I will feel full easily and start worrying about the calories.

There was a long queue outside the restaurant even before 530. At 530 pm sharp, the restaurant opened its doors and quickly sent the patrons to their seats. People then rushed to the food section and filled their plates to sashimi, tempura, kaminabe, teppanyaki, etc. There was so much selection. My favourite was the sashimi section – fresh and tender salmon and yellowfin. The cold seafood section was also very appetisizing with the snow crab, prawns and scallops. For those who preferred warm food, there was the all-time-favourite of chawanmushi, tempura, unagi, teppanyaki and kaminabe.

Moreover, there may be special session when the kushinbo jingle was sounded to signal the serving of special delicacies. During our session, it was teppanyaki lobsters.

For those with a sweet tooth, the dessert section also has a wide selection consisting of a chocolate fondue, sorbet and ice-cream counter. There were also white and dark chocolates, fruits, cheesecakes and tarts.

At the end of 2-hours, we were all bloated and full. It has been a long time since we have eaten so much. Sigh! We have certainly passed the age of getting the best value out of buffet. Buffet has also ceased to be a good choice for a meal as it could be quite damaging on the weighing scale. I guess it will be for a long while before I dare to challenge a buffet again.

Cool Weather

I like the weather at this time of the year best. It is cooling. Somehow hot weather always makes me lose my appetite and makes me lethargic. Too bad, such good weather is often short-lived.

Gift-buying Phobia

To tell the truth, I have never been a creative person when it comes to buying gifts. Moreover, I am not exactly the most observant person in the world, so I often know next to nothing about the needs or taste of friends and colleagues. Buying birthday or Christmas gifts often cause me lots of headache, so I often resort to the lazy way of just getting vouchers - the most practical gift.

Many friends often disapprove of this suggestion as vouchers imply insincerity and lack of imagination, while I have always been a strong advocate of this gift. Frankly speaking, I welcome the receipt of vouchers. In fact, I believe the advent of vouchers is one of the greatest saviour for gift buying. It is easy to carry, nearly as flexible and valuable as money.

Unfortunately, despite its ubiquity, there are still situations where vouchers will be shunned against - our upcoming Christmas parties being one of such situations. All of us are supposed to buy a gift for another colleague. To help the colleague getting the gift for us, we are supposed to write on a piece of paper a list of 5 things that we do NOT want to receive. For the person buying the gift, it is even harder to fathom a good guess of what he/she wants than if he/she has written out specifically what he/she wants. Out of the infinite things we can get for a gift, only 5 have been eliminated as a choice. The remaining range is still nearly infinite. On dear, I can feel my head throbbing again.

What is practical, yet not too personal (like facial wash, clothes or shoes) and fall within our proposed budget? Walking along the crowd-packed malls, I am swarmed with choices and yet THE choice is not apparent. Things that come into my heads are still the traditional towel set, toiletries, etc, especially when photo frames, ornaments, glassware, CDs have all been 'eliminated' from her list. My creative juices have run dry from thinking of what else is appropriate.

As the date of the Christmas party approeaches, so is my panic at still not having found a gift. I better run out to the malls again this weekend.

Changi Airport Terminal 3

I have wanted to go to Changi Airport Terminal 3 for weeks as it will be a rare chance to enter the restricted area during this open house period. Let's face it, unless you are one of those privileged few who get to fly around the globe for your job assignments or who can afford to travel by the better airlines during your vacations, it will not be easy to travel beyond the check-in gates.

(5-storey green wall)

Apparently, I am not the only one with the thoughts. The place is filled with many people - both locals and foreigners. The high ceiling creates a very spacious area. The most unique part has to be its modern-looking ceiling. The 5-storey high green wall introduces a breath of fresh air into the building. This is complemented by the many flora and fauna which is placed at various corners of the terminal.

(The spacious, modern looking and bright ceiling which provides the 'light' of the Terminal.)

The water feature at the centre of the lounge greets the visitors once they enter the department gates. The flow of water immediately calms all senses and seems to transport the visitors to a grand spa instead of a bustling airport. This water feature is also the centre of the attraction as one stands on the corridors of the forth level of the airport. Hence, even if one is not a traveler, one can still admire the water feature.

(Water feature which forms the centre of attention in the departure lounge.)

The slightly Roman looking wall at the bottom of the green wall and at the start of the luggage belt definitely draws many clicks from the shutter bugs.

(Roman wall with the engravings of dolphins.)

It also has many eateries and shops both in the general and restricted areas. There are also discounts given to visitors during the open house period for many of the eateries. All the well-known local eateries and international fast food restaurants and coffee joints, such as Ah Kun Kaya Toast, McDonald’s, Burger King, TCC, Coffee Club, etc, concentrate here.

(Lush and comfortable lounge for travelers ease the waiting experience before boarding the planes.)


Changi Airport seems to evolve from a place of purely for taking flights to one which combines function and entertainment within the same roof. With state-of-the-art design, it certainly wows both local and overseas visitors.



Good luck on your official opening in Jan 08, T3!

Losing My Cool ... Again

It was at one of the most critical moments. We needed to keep constantly updated on the latest budget numbers as numbers were changing by the minute with different moderations and stretches. He, being the coordinator of the business for total product, was someone I need to work closely with.

As numbers were changing by the seconds, I could understand that everyone is busy with his own updates, reports and coordinating. Yet, the means of contact could not be lost so that information was not miscommunicated nor stalled.

He and I shared the same working file. He kept sending me emails to tell me there was a difference in the template nos. Yet, he was hogging the file, so I could not enter the file for update. When I tried to reach him, so that he could exit the file for a short while to allow me for an update, he cut off all contacts. He refused to reply email. He switched off his mobile. On the few occasions when he switched on his mobile, he would cut-off the phone calls. He did not reply SMS. He did not pick up his deskphone. He was not at his desk. He seemed to have disappeared into thin air.

When I managed to locate his colleague who happened to be with him, I could not help but rant and rave at his colleague for his 'MIA' behaviour for the next 5 minutes. When I stopped myself to take a breath, his colleague coldly told me not to scream at her. I suddenly stopped and immediately felt guilty. I should not be shouting at his colleague who had done nothing wrong. I quickly apologised to her and asked her to relay the message to his colleage to pick up the call. I was also slightly guilty of losing my cool and temper again.

Even after putting down the phone, I was still simmering from the anger I felt. With all the tight deadlines, we often would want to get things done in the fastest way possible. The pressure that were mounting up from the being chased to update all the numbers quickly transformed to fustrations with the inability to enter the file he hogged on to. Was I also perceived so inconsiderate that if he were to pick up my call and tell me that he was in a meeting, I would continue to hog the phone? I felt betrayed as well because when he called me to help him update things, I would do so without thinking. Yet, when he did not require my help, he could not even pick up my call.

Nevertheless, he did get my message because within the same day, he became responsive to emails and SMSes. He also sent an email to apologise. Let's hope that it was a standalone situation which would not be repeated. I would attribute this hiccup to a mere unfamiliarity with each other's working style. Hopefully, we would continue to adjust to each other's working style as we progressed along the budget exercise.

Sweaty Palms and Feet in the Way

I used to have sweaty palms and feet. I have nearly forgotten about their existence as they have ceased to interfere with my daily lifestyle. It used to bother me slightly when I was in school when there was heavy duty writing from all the notes-taking. However, with yoga, the inconvenience of sweaty palms and feet plagued me once again.

Many yoga poses aim to train one’s strength and concentration. This often requires the practioner to stay in a particular pose for at least a couple of minutes to fully stretch muscles that are often neglected. Maintaining balance in some poses is already difficult. Moreover, while enduring the stretches in those muscles, sweating is inevitable. With more well-developed sweat glands than the average person, it makes steadying myself in such positions an uphill task. Sometimes, after gaining balance in a certain pose, I will start to sweat mere seconds later. My arms and legs will become slippery and start pulling me in outward direction. While trying to prevent myself from slipping further, I will start to lose my concentration and fidget and sway.

Greater strength has to be exerted to steady myself in a particular position. Hence, this makes it more tiring. Hence, I need to use 9-ounce of strength for a 3-ounce-strength position. Thus, even for very simple poses, I will be breathing hard as if I have jogged for miles.

I wonder if I will ever outgrow sweaty palms and feet?

Felicia Chin

When I heard Felicia Chin was at the AMK Hub promoting Vitagen, I was very excited. I rushed down after lunch to take a look at her. Wow, she was very pretty. Alot of people were crowding around to look at her and to take photos of her. Although I was not exactly a fan, I also busy taking photos with my camera. I heaved a sigh of relief that I have now a camera phone or such photo-taking opportunities would be wasted when I never brought my digital camera out. I found her to be prettier in person than on TV. What do you think?

Sonata

It is not a song, but it is the brand of a car. I have been eyeing it for a while. I often lament that whenever I call a cab, I end up taking the more normal cabs, ie the Toyota Corona. I have only taken the Mercedes cab once.

Hence, when I got a Citycab Sonata, I wondered what it was. When I saw the car stopping in front of me, I was very excited, even though it was close to 12 at night and the second consecutive night that I left the office after 10. The seats were more comfortable than the normal cabs, but Mercedes still the best as this was less spacious.

Even after a few days, I was still pretty excited about my Sonata ride.

TV & Tissue Box

I always think I am one of the few who are relatively 'tearless'. There are few drama serials or movies that I have ever shed tears for. Perhaps my tear glands are abit retarded or I am more heartless. Erm, ok, I prefer not to do a more detailed dissecting of this characteristic. The few shows that I have cried while following the various plights of the protagonists are "My Stubborn Father" (Japanese) and a Japanese show on a little girl and her dog (which the name of the show has escaped me).

When I was watching a repeat of the "Stairs to Heaven" (Korean), my eyes suddenly teared when Chengjun looked at Jingshu sadly as Jingshu was oblivious to their past and the feelings that they had shared with each other. To Chengjun, his love was so near and yet so untouchable. on one hand, he was filled with relief that Jingshu was still alive. However, although Jingshu was alive, it was almost she has died when she has no recollection of they undying love they had for each other.

Alot more tears have already been shed for this drama when it was first aired. It was aired during week day nights previously. However, I have failed to catch it previously and now watching the repeats.

Perhaps when I watch it from now on, I should get ready my tissue box......

Set Lunch at Jack's Place

The Jack's Place restaurant near my house has just been renovated. It has already been crowded at lunch and dinner before renovation. After it has been renovated, all the more we want to go and try out the new decor, ambience and food. Set lunch is more value-for-money than dinner which is acompanied by a soup, a dessert and coffee. In addition to the traditional western food, it has 'diversified' to incorporate some local flavours to its menu.

We ordered its signature steak and the promotional set lunch of grilled fish. It was yummy but somehow I still preferred the western food at the nearby coffeeshop instead.

(The Cream of Mushroom Soup)

(Grilled Fish with spicy sauce)

(The signature ribeye steak)

Proliferating Crowd

Recently, the crowd is getting to me.

When some members of the public commented that Singapore was getting too crowded, mixed feelings were drawn from others. Some concurred that Singapore was indeed too crowded, but some mentioned that Singapore's degree of crowdedness was a far cry from cities like Manila or Jakarta. I have not been to either place. Thus, it is hard for me to imagine the crowd there. Some socialists commented that one way to indicate that a city was getting too crowded was when the residents became rude and impatient.

Hmm, perhaps most of the Singaporeans are still generally polite and cordial. Yet, I am beginning to feel that I have less and less patience. In a crowded train, I also tend to push my way ahead more and more. Yes, such behaviour will definitely draw more than one raised eyebrow. However, let's face it. It is either you 'fight' your way through or risk seeing several trains zoom past you without being able to board onto any. I also tend to put out my elbows and inevitably poking people than risk being step on. I have been stepped on numerous times despite being in heels. The last time I was stepped on, I ended up having a big patch of blue-black on my foot for one week.

I cannot help wondering if by the time Singaporeans start to behave less cordially, the city may have already become too crowded for our own comfort. Moreover, it takes decades to change the culture for the better, but it can only take years to retard civility. If we only attempt to alleviate the crowd problem when we observe that Singaporeans are getting impatient, rough and pushy, then such symptoms may be permanent and irreversible.

Isn't there the saying that prevention is better than cure? Instead of spending resources and time on campaigns of politeness and consideration subsequently, perhaps we should nip the problem in the bud now? Should there be closer attention paid to the degree of crowdedness in Singapore and the nuances of Singaporeans' behavioural change? Food for thought... ...

Date with Teddy Bears

The Arts House hosted a Teddy Bears Exhibition. The sales of the Teddy Bears will go towards adopted charities. Partly inspired by the Teddy Bear Museum featured in the Palace: The Princess' Hours and partly driven by the curosity of how the Old Parliament House looked like, I went to the exhbition.

If you pictured a huge room filled with Teddy Bears of different images, then you might be hugely disappointed to find that it is only a classroom size with less variety of bears than expected. Many of the bears are from Japan.

There were more things to be seen along the corridors as there were exhibits relating to the old Parliament and the members of the Parliament.

If only there was a similar Teddy Bear Museum in Singapore like Korea...

Christmas Mood Is Seeping In

One of the events that I look forward to each year is seeing the Christmas Tree at Ngee Ann City. It is almost like a ritual or a tradition. The brightly-lit Christmas Tree catches the attention of the shoppers. Shhh... do you hear it? The footsteps of Santa Claus is coming nearer. :-)

Princess, Happily Ever After…

17 Nov 07 – The once-in-a-life-time day of our dearest princess. It was also the day she walked down the aisle with her boy-friend of 10 years.

She has always been like a little princess to us with her warm and sweet nature. If a princess, to many people, now connotes a willful and vain girl, it is time to sweep away this thought. A princess, to me, is still associated with a kind-hearted, caring and beautiful girl and who is epitomized by Snow White and Cinderella.

Her wedding dinner was hosted at Meritius Mandarin with a grand turn-out of 700 guests. As a receptionist, it was a frantic to try to get the guests to be seated soonest possible. Now, I am becoming more and more like a reception queen. This was my third time I had been made the receptionist. There were also a few embarrassing moments when we could not locate the names of the guests on the table list despite there being 8 of us on the reception tables. In the end, the family members had to help allocate them seats.

As there was massive jams along Orchard Road, many guests were late. Hence, we were sitting outside even when the dinner had started. The receptionists had our first 2 courses of the dinner at our reception desks. Fortunately, it was soon time to pack up our ‘barangs’ and enjoy our dinner in peace.

When I joined the other sisters in the table, another series of fun awaited me. The other sisters were busy taking out their cameras taking photos since we rarely dressed so nicely. A few of us were trying to position ourselves in nice angles so that the pictures looked pretty enough to be loaded onto Facebook.

Soon, it was time for the second march-in of our Princess. She looked resplendent in a flowing gown of orange and green. She walked into the room singing a duet with her husband. This started the entertainment of the night with the family members going on stage to present many touching ballads. The climax of the evening was when our Princess and her husband gave a thank-you speech. When our secondary school pictures were shown on pictures, we could not stop laughing our past nerdy looks.

From that day onwards, she would move into another phase of her life with a greater responsibility towards her new family.

Street Sights

Who says Singapore is small?


If you think it is small, you will be surprised that there are many hidden corners and sights which we may not be aware of.


As I was on my way for my spa treatment at Hotel Rendevous, it was my first time at this Hotel. Hmm, it was nice to discover that it has a nice yard.



On the way back to Cityhall, I was again mesmerised by the tall Christmas Tree which has been erected in front of Raffles City.



Instead of taking the car, the bus or the train, perhaps you can try walking sometimes and who knows what sights await you in the next turn?

Love-Hate Relationship with Massage

The last time I went for a massage was with Dear as part of my birthday treat about 2 to 3 years ago. I often look forward to a massage to remove the exhaustion from my body especially with my not-too-short working hours. On the other hand, there are slightly uncomfortable feelings I have for massage - the vulnerability of being exposed and the ticklishness.

For the body massage, you have to strip to almost nothing. I often have the fleeting thought of what happens if there is a sudden fire break-out, will I be able to escape in time? On a less direct sense, the vulnerability also stems from exposing your far-from-perfect body to a third party who can see and feel every inch of your sagging skin, cellulite and any other blemish. My self-esteem was bruised beyond repair when she asked how many kids I had. Uh-oh, was I really in such a bad form?

The criticisms did not stop there. She went on to lament about all the stiff knots on all parts of the body, especially my calf muscles, my bum and shoulder. Her diagnosis? I walked too much, especially in my high heels which led to stiff calf muscles. My defence to myself (I dare not say out loud when I am entirely at her mercy in such a precarious situation)? I need to walk at least 15 minutes each to and fro my home to the MRT station. My tight bum was due to sitting too long which was one of the hazards of a desk-bound job. Secretly, I was thinking that her second diagnosis seemed to be in conflicts of her first. Moving on to my shoulder and neck, there were numerous stiff knots around the lymph nodes, in particular my vocal cords. She commented such swollen vocal cords were often associated with people who needed to talk a lot. Well, she was not wrong as I needed to work with and discuss with my business people often.

Well, with so many stiff knots, it was inevitable that I felt agony and pain as she rubbed over the sore spots. Coupled with the ticklishness as she moved over some of the more sensitive spots, I was torn between laughing and taking deep breaths to relieve the pain.

After half an hour of pain, it was the luxuriating moment of the face massage. With the double cleanse, the massage and the moisturiser, it was heavenly. The exposure of my flaws had not ceased. The bad blood circulation had led to enlarged pores and pigmentation on my skin. The lack of sleep had led to dark circles under my eyes. Hmm, she made me sounds like my body system was plagued with problems.

When the entire spa treatment was completed, my whole body was sore from the rubbing. However, it should lead to relief subsequently. Despite the pain, it was certainly tempting to go for spa more frequently (also to correct more of my flaws)…

‘Oasis’ in a ‘Break-Desert’

It is the last day I have to utilised my off-in-lieu for Hari Raya as the company policy is the off-in-lieu is only valid for one-month. Before the budget ‘flood’ comes along, I should my break soon. Moreover, the last time I took leave is more than 3 months ago for my Hong Kong trip.

There are so many things I plan to do.
I want to spring clean my room because have not cleaned my room for a long time and cob webs are gathering at the corners.
I want to go for spa as it is easier to get an appointment on weekdays then weekends.
I want to go shopping to avoid the weekend crowds which often impede rather than help shopping.
I want to go exercising to build up my stamina.
I want …
I want …
I want…
Oh dear, the list is never ending.

Time is often the scarce resource. Thus, it is necessary to prioritise, so I can only cramp room cleaning and spa together. I spend the morning throwing, wiping and rearranging my things. Then, it is for a long shower and lunch before going to the banks to get some errands done. Soon, it is time for the massage where I spend about an hour on back massage and face massage to end off the day with a self-pamper.

Then, it will be back to reality and hard work until my next break.

Sharon's Hen Party

If you think we have painted the town red for Sharon's party, you will be extremely disappointed. We have opted for something tamer - high tea at Chihuly Lounge, Ritz Carlton. The ambience was relaxed with sofas and light live music performance.

The crockery used explicitly represented the theme of English tea with the fine China and cotton napkins. However, I found the variety of tea offered less wide as expected because there was no fruit or flora tea offered. The food section was divided into two main sections of cooked food and dessert section. The specialty seemed to be on the sweet sourly taste with grapefruit, orange, lemon and calamansi. For those who did not have a penchant for sour food might need to brave themselves for the electrifying sensation that shoots through to your hair-root when you took a sip of the calamansi jelly.

With food, warm service, relaxing music and plush sofa, hours rushed by without our knowledge. We sat there and talked about the moon and the stars for a good whole 6 hours. The buffet spread ended at around 6 pm but we continued to sit there till the skies grew dark. The crew was friendly and warm. They have even offered us complimentary vodka and cocktails which we did not dare to take.

We loved the happy times so much that we wanted to have more of such high tea gatherings. For once and for a short time, we felt like we were living the lives of tai-tais.

Long Forgotten Tonic

For those of us who grew up in the eighties, we certainly have heard or eaten pig’s brains before. It was die-die-must-eat tonic for the brains especially during the exams period, stamping from the Chinese tradition of eating the animals’ parts to improve the body parts we want to improve (以形补形).

With growing health consciousness, pig’s brains were deemed to be a food high in cholesterol. Moreover, there was increasing awareness of using health supplements such as ginko seeds and omega-3 to improve our brain powers. Gradually, we steered away from the pig’s brains and the same time, this well-known tonic also moved out of our lifestyle. Nowadays, it was difficult to source for this tonic in the market or hawker centres.

Hence, you could imagine my surprise when I saw it being sold as a tonic soup in a nearby coffee shop. For the faint-hearted or those with an aversion to eating animals’ parts, please immediately abandon this journal.

Throwing all the cholesterol caution to the wind, I decided to try this tonic and relive the memories of the old school days. For those who never tasted pig’s brains before, it was softer than toufu but harder than beancurd. The preparation work was also difficult because the cleaning process was very time consuming especially the removal of the veins in the brains.

Time seemed to rewind when we stared at the pig’s brains soup. Nevertheless, having so much exposure to the undesirable health impact of high cholesterol, I believed I would still continue to avoid this in future.

Coaching

It is never easy to coach someone. I always find this job a challenge which fuels my increasing respect and admiration for teachers.

Everyone learns differently. What works well for one person may not work for another. Yet, as a coacher, we often fall back on the method that works for us when we coach rather than coach in a way suitable for the person. For all of us who need to give on-the-job training to another, we are often pressured by time, especially during handover. We face with the stress of transferring our knowledge as soon as possible for the other person to be able to run on their own. At the same time, coaching is often an ECA which is to be performed on top of our normal job scope. Pressed for time, we do not have sufficient time to understand the learning needs of the recipient. Hence, we coach as we deem fit and which is often the way that works for us. Unless the other person learns in the same manner as us, we end up being frustrated by the outcome.

The next most difficult area is the determination of what is important and what is not. There is so much information that needs to be shared on the subject matter. What is critical for the coachee to know immediately and what can wait for the coachee to discover on his own. For the coacher who has been on the job for some times, it is difficult to know as all the information and knowledge complement one another.

Yet coaching is definitely an important skill to acquire because as passing on the baton is required both at work and at home and from supervisor to subordinates and peers and from parents to children. As the coacher expend effort to pass on the information, the least the coachee can do is to pay attention and do their part in the learning.

The Givenchy Code

This is not a story about fashion or brands. It is however a story about code breaking.

Fans of Dan Brown perhaps have already started wondering at this point in time if this has anything to do with The Da Vinci Code. Well, the plot is similar except that the code has less to do with the history and religion; the protagonist is less well-versed in history but more on fashion brands. The codes to be broken are also less literary and historic but more laymen such as anagrams and pighen codes. For those who are hooked on The Da Vinci Code will find this less thought-provoking but will find this certainly equally entertaining.

The protagonist was an expert in code and clue solving. She played well in one of the online games which specialized in code breaking. Soon, she found herself playing this online game in real life. The stake of the game was her life. To win the game, she, as a target, needed to outwit the hunter with the help of her protector.

Of course, she eventually won the game.

If you have read The Da Vinci Code prior to this, there was no doubt that you would be making references to it as you flipped the pages of The Givenchy Code. In terms of the complexities of the codes, The Givenchy Code would be a ‘diluted’ version and the codes to be broken could be better understood. Most of us would have played anagrams – different words that can be created from a word by rearranging the alphabets in the word, in our primary school. For example, the word ‘pear’ can be rearranged to form ‘pare’, ‘reap’ and ‘rape’.

On the other hand, the notion of online games pervading our real lives is also dangerous and scary. With the increasing blurring of lines between online and offline lives, there may come a point in time when the two will start merging and it may become impossible to separately distinguish the two. Who knows if the online persona will lead the offline persona where our offline lives are relegated to a secondary position?

Languid Weekend

How long ago have you spent a weekend practically doing nothing?

Such a question is likely to invite incredulity and even loathe from the increasingly busy Singaporeans where no minute or second can be wasted. Many have their weekends long planned out with commitments back-to-back. If you do not have any plans at the start of Saturday morning, you will be branded as a boring or a lazy person.

Weekends are meant for rest. It is definitely not a sin to spend two whole days resting and doing nothing or meeting no one. This is especially when the past work week is as if you are fighting a war on the battle field. Even if the activities are not planned, a little spontaneity may even lead to surprises.

This is what I have done this weekend. Doing nothing in particular and chilling at home. Before you get the wrong idea that I have been sleeping my 2 precious days away, allow me to clarify. What I have done was with nothing planned and just followed the mood of the hour.

I spent a few hours reorganizing my MP3 files. To me, ‘tidying up’ is often a form of therapy. Cleaning up mess gives me a sense of satisfaction and happiness. It is not as if I have many MP3 files but typing out the titles and artistes names takes more time that I anticipate, especially when some of them are in Chinese.

The other thing which I have pampered myself with is to sit on the swing and swing the time away. Wow, it was a high feeling with the breeze blowing and admiring the sky. Any stress was evaporated at that instance.

Actually, when it seems like I have been doing, I think I have done a lot because I have allowed my body, mind and soul to take a break…

Hong Kong Noodles (车仔面）

When I saw the new stall at Marina Square foodcourt, I was very excited. I never really had the chance to try out the noodles when I was in Hong Kong despite hearing so much about it. Now, it was right at our doorsteps without having to travel far and beyond to taste it. It was a 'die-die, must-try' food.

The metallic thermal flask mug reminded me of the cafe (茶餐厅） in Hong Kong where such mugs were prevalent. The coffee-tea mix （鸳鸯）here had a higher tea content than the version in Hong Kong. The noodles were slightly spicy. I liked the radish best as it was succulent but not too soggy. The cuttlefish was a tad too hard. The fishball was softer than the local fishball.

Hmm... it definitely brought back fond memories of Hong Kong.

Teambuilding at Pulau Ubin

Since secondary school days, I have not been to Ubin for many years. I heard that the place had changed significantly. When one of the teambuilding organisers showed us some photos of what we would be doing, we were slightly concerned because of the 'high element' theme. Thus, it was both with anticipation and apprehension that we arrived at the jetty to begin our Ubin trip.

The jetty was certainly upgraded from the stone pavement with a hut version. Now, it was concrete with equipped with the latest security gantries and souvenir shops. The bumboats which could only sit a maximum of 12 passengers still brought back memories of the past. It did not feel like a working day at all with the sun, the sea and the trees.

(The new jetty at Pulau Ubin)

On arriving at Ubin, we were greeted by the kampong-like chalet and the white sand. Hey, if you were under the impression that we were there for a carefree holiday, relaxing in the chalet and jacuzzi, you could not be more wrong. After the short introduction, we were brought to the Challenger Pyramid (TCP). We were itaught how to wear our safety belt and helmet. Both the safety belt and helmet were essential safety measures to protect us during our ascent to the top of TCP for our flying fox.

(Nice little huts which are chalets)

When we were brought to the bottom of the ladder for the climb to the first level, I almost wanted to back out. It was only a one-way direction. Once you started on the challenge, there was no way of retreating but to brave through it. My legs were already shaking while I climbed the ladder to the first level. The trainer joked that although we never brought our phones with us, we were vibrating with fear. Then, it was a few steps to the first cage for a temporary rest. From then on, it was walking on log, wooden planks, rope climbing before reaching the second cage for a respite with water.

(The Challenger Pyramid)

(Our Team standing on the log)

After the second rest, it was rock climbing, jumping across 2 hanging planks, rope climbing up to the last platform before flying fox down. When we first jumped off the platform for flying fox, it was slightly scary but soon it was replaced with exhilaration of flying above ground. The view was simply breathtaking.

(The flying fox)

When the whole team completed the flying fox, it was already 2 pm. We quickly headed off for lunch before the start of the afternoon session. Relative to the morning session, the afternoon session was simply a breeze. It was walking on steel ropes and balancing. It still not easily achievable but it was certainly less scary as before.


At the end of the session, when I looked at my limbs, there were many blue-blacks and rope burns from the physical session just now.

Baking Cookies

I longed to try some baking for a long time. Of course, I was never a culinary expert. I took a shortcut by buying the pre-mixed materials from the supermarket. All I needed to do was to add in the butter and egg to complete the entire mixture.

(Dough after mixing the flour, the egg and butter and ready for mixing into smaller droplets)


First, I mixed the flour, chips, walnut, sugar, egg and butter to form a dough. Then I had to take little droplets of the dough and lay them on the baking tray lined with cookie sheet.

(Before baking)

Ok, time to send the cookies dough into the oven for their 'sauna'. According to the instruction, I had to bake for 8 to 10 minutes in a 190 deg celsius oven. My sister helped me monitor the cookies in the oven while I continued to mould my little cookies. After 7 minutes, my sister told me the cookies looked cooked. I told her to wait a little while more as the instructions was to bake for at least 8 minutes. I was worried that the outside might look cooked while the inside was still raw.


When she took them out after 8 minutes, the cookies were already burnt black. Oh no! how inaccurate the instructions were. What a waste to the first batch of effort. Fortunately, we had not put everything into the oven the first time round.

(The first trial which are badly burnt)

The second time round, we took a more cautious monitoring of the cookies and we took them out after 7 minutes. Hmm, the cookies looked better. How cute they looked.

(The subsequent trials which are successful. Phew!)

It was also very fun making them. I would be more adventurous in future and tried on cakes and other pastries. :-)

Peranakan Joo Chiat

Joo Chiat is very well-known for its food. Many well-known food places are concentrated in the Katong - Joo Chiat area, such as Katong Laksa, Awfully Chocz, Chilli Padi, etc. Yet, what captivated me most was the Peranankan shophouses with the elaborate carvings of the flowers and leaves that framed the facade. The bright colours reflect the rich culture.


At the end of Tembeling Road (near Haig Girls), I spotted two houses with one painted red and another painted white side-by-side. It was a striking contrast. At the same time, it bore a familiar resemblance to the postcard distributed by STB recently for their project postcard. When I came home and did a comparison, I realised they were not of the same scene.


Here's the picture of Tembeling Road for your comparison.

Yoga Philosophy

This was the second lesson and the instructor did not only go more indepth to the different postures, he also applied the philosophy of yoga to that of life. Attending yoga lessons was not only a cleansing of the body but also that of the soul and mind.

Breathing and Stress Management
A simple breathing exercise could help us focus our minds and release pent-up emotions so that we could maintain our calm and be more effective. How often do we allow our emotions to override our rationality and make a wrong decision? How often do we allow our emotions to disrupt our days? If we can manage our emotions better, we will be able to minimise the damages that we do unto others and ourselves.

Getting the Postures Right
In our focus on getting the postures, we often compromise our breathing or our muscles stretches. While deceiving others, we are also deceiving ourselves. If we cannot attain a certain posture this week, it does not mean that we will not be able to attain it next week or the week after. The most important lesson was to maintain our inner wellness through our controlled breathing. The purpose of yoga will be defeated if we do not take care of our breathing in an attempt to perform a certain posture. This can be extended to our daily lives. Sometimes, we attempt to show others how capable or successful we are but we forget that our personal development and happiness are more important.

According to the instructor, if we practise yoga on a prolonged basis, we would be able to apply the principles of yoga to our daily lives.