Sports Harden the Body

There is growing popularity as a CCA among primary school children. Many parents encourage their children to pick up the sports as it is supposed to build stamina and character. The trainings are arduous and likely to inflict injury for beginners. However, continuous training builds up poise and the stamina. The injuries are likely to lessen as the body hardens.

Actually, the same applies for yoga even though yoga is meant to be a milder sport relative to gymnastics. Yoga philosophy believes in understanding the body so that we build up our body strength without inflicting injuries. We should stretch but not overstretch. While staying in certain positions, we must ensure that we can continue our normal breathing instead of feeling uncomfortable. We should have buffer strengths so that we can protect ourselves should we lose our balance. So why do I say it hardens the body as well?

I have always had weaker knees perhaps due to my numerous falls which seem to hit my knees. Hence, kneeling positions are often uncomfortable, especially prolonged kneeling. I will end up having blue-blacks on my knee caps just by kneeling for about 15 minutes. In yoga, there are many positions which require kneeling. Initially, redness and blue-blacks of my knee caps were common after each yoga lesson. Now, I no longer see blue-blacks or redness even kneeling for a prolonged period.

It is usually tougher in the beginning especially for things which we are not used to. Yet, we need to overcome this initial difficulty, then we can build our strength. If the fear of injuries deters us from taking the first step, we will forever be restrained by this phobia and we will not acquire the necessary strength and skills. Only by falling can we learn how to break the fall the next time we trip. Only by sustaining the discomfort can our body get used to a certain position or training and we no longer feel the discomfort subsequently.

I am not saying now I have full flexibility to contort my body upside down or left to right. I am also not saying that I am injury-proof like Superman (except against Kryptonite) or have strength of Hercules. My improvement may be inches and so small that it may be barely noticeable. Yet, one day I hope that I can proudly tell you that my sit-and-reach result exceeds that of my school days. If you are not my schoolmate, I will let you on a secret. My sit-and-reach is really borderline, ie just meet the minimum mark to pass during NAFA test in the past. Hence, you can imagine how bad I was, especially for a girl.

Generation Gap with Babies

I remembered I used to be able to hang around with younger kids pretty well. Now, I am very hapless around babies.

Yes, they are adorable and charming. However, other than my looking at them and their looking back at me, I seriously do not know how to behave in front of them. Should I play with them? But play what, especially for the younger babies who are not enough to hold their own toys or to identify with different things. Should I talk to them? Say what? It is abit awkward to talk in baby language, but in the first place, what are baby languages? Moreover, language is only the tool, what about the content? I cannot possibly just start with “BB” and continue with “BB” forever.

I am more lost when they start to cry. I immediately freeze. What should I do? How can I pacify them? What are they trying to say? What do they want? Carrying them is clearly not an option. They are so small and soft while I am so clumsy. Handling them with TLC (tender loving care) is almost impossible with my rather retarded motor skills and reflexes. What if I hurt them while I carry them? Worse. What if I drop them? Nope, the best way to protect the babies is I don’t even attempt to carry them. Period.

Maybe, I am so foreign because they are others’ babies. That’s what some people may innocently choose to believe. Nah, if I am already feeling so hapless within the few minutes’ span, I cannot imagine facing a baby 24 by 7.

Is this because the older I become, the further away I am from the thinking and the wants of the babies so that I lose the ability to communicate with them or the comfort of ease with them? After all, I have been a baby before and have gone through what they are going through. Yet, now with babies, it is almost as if we come from two different planets. No wonder, there are so many fairy tales resolving around the fact that adults lose certain abilities of the children. I wonder if those tales are someone’s figment of imagination or is there hidden truth.

Coordinator

I have undertaken a number of coordinator roles since end of last year - from the coordinator for total corporate product revenue roll-up budget, to the coordinator for total Singapore Business staff cost and to the recent annual product costing exercise. I used to have much respect for the coordinators as they are often facing the tightest deadline and to stay back the latest. Typically, any delay in timeline by each team member will snowball and squeeze the remaining time for the coordinator because the ultimate deadline never moves. However, my respect for them increased exponentially since I have a real taste of what it is like.

To be frank, most people are not that stringent when it comes to disciplining themselve to meeting deadlines. We often have thousand and one reasons, or should I say excuses, on why we cannot submit on the deadline despite being informed of the deadlines many moons ago. Or worse. Sometimes, even after we submit on the deadline itself, our perfectionistic self may discover "areas of enhancements", be it genuine rectification of errors or pure improvements, such that our earlier submissions are as good as no submission.

Many often misinterpreted coordinators to be pretty high profile and simple jobs. After all, aren't coordinators supposed to set deadlines and chase people for their submissions on the deadlines? Aren't they have nothing to do except to consolidate submissions? Aren't they not just a mailbox since when there are queries, they will direct back to the team members? Well, maybe there are coordinating roles which are cushy, but some of them could involve high level of stress and mass amount of data.

One of the key milestones for product costing has just passed. During the day before the presentation to the head for corporate products, it was again an intense exercise of roll-up, check formula, put in presentation slides - cut and paste many excel tables. Being not exactly having a very "keen eye" on details, checking tje integrity of the numbers and aggregation can be a tad stressful especially when I am not familiar to quickly discern any irregularity. Late submissions heightens the stress level when I need to roll-up quickly to have a first-cut view.

Somehow with the experience of the previous 2 exercises, I believe I have more expectations and feel like lost and overwhelmed. I believed I can enjoy the process more because instead of being flooded in the sea of data, I can take time to think through the analysis and pick up from my boss some skills on what to look out for. Doing coordinator provides the overview which may not be visible to someone who is just supporting a segment.

Notwithstanding the stress, I hope I can benefit more from this opportunity, be it in terms of technical knowledge, working with different people and learning how to manage stress and priorities. I hope I don't make too many mistakes along the way and cause inconvenience to anyone. Yes, I will continue to work hard. Please cheer me on. :-)

Repeats

I am watching a couple of repeated programs in TV now. Some of which I have watched before while some I have missed when they were first broadcast.

Sweets for My Sweet
Jade Seah and Michelle Chong enlivened the half-an-hour program with their witty and rather upfront questions on the romances of celebrities over different desserts. Even the more reserved and low-keyed celebrities were drawn into some chatty revelation under the close scrutiny of Jade Seah and Michelle Chong.

Each week, a pair of celebrity couple would be invited on the show to introduce some of the dessert stores that they frequent. Amidst the tantalizing desserts, the hosts quizzed the couple about how they first got to know each other and interesting events surrounding their courtship.

In addition to the gourmet desserts that were constantly featured, the celebrity gossip added spice to the saccharine array cakes, pastries, ice-cream to the traditional Kuehs and Tong Shui (Chinese sweet soups, literal translation). For the “Chocoholic” and those with a sweet tooth, the program offered new suggestions on possible areas to ‘heal’ your cravings.

So Simple
I was fascinated by the D-I-Y and go-green concept. It is a different concept from the usual spate of programs which revolve around fashion and food. No doubt, food and fashion may be featured in parts of the show, but the theme was more of D-I-Y or living philosophies of the various guests who proclaimed organic food and doing things ‘healthy’ for the mind, soul, environment and body.

We do not need the most expensive gifts to show our sincerity. Making gifts using our own hands to capture the happiest memories may be the best gifts. We do not need to devour food with the most expensive ingredients, but simple vegetables and home-cooked food could be the best for our bodies.

Hanazakarino Kimitachihe (花样少年少女)
I have talked much about this serial when it was first broadcast. Hence, I would not continue my blabber here. I just wanted to reiterate once more. The show was equally good even for repeats. Few serials could compete with it.

2 words: just watch.


For the first 2 programs, there were subsequently a second series but the repeats were for the first series.

Blocked Ears

I have sometimes taken many things for granted including some of my senses. The recent flu has caused my ears to be blocked for about a week so that for that entire week, there seemed to be a filter between my ear drums and sound. I cannot hear myself very well either which accounts for the louder than the usual loudness of my voice, until one of my colleagues has to ask me to keep my voice down.

Missing my normal hearing has also caused some insecurity because hearing is also one form of tell-tale sign of potential danger. When you cannot hear very well, you miss out alot of good things as well, such as the rustling of the leaves against the wind, the melodious melody when your neighbour's child is practising on his piano...

I hope my blocked ears will go away soon.

500th Entry

This is the 500th entry in my blog.

500 - half of a thousand
500 - 500 miles, a country song which is quite popular in my primary school days
500 - covers travel, food, emotions, wishes, memories, outings, adventures, and many more.
500 - covers a period of close to 2 years
500 - thanks for listening to my grouses, my hysteria, my queer thinkings

Let's cheer to another 500, and another 500, and another 500, and another, and another... ... ... ... ...

Back to the old story. Ahem. I am still waiting for the start of your story.

Return of the Flu With Vengence

I was on MC last week. I had to take half day leave yesterday and MC today to rest. The flu has come back, albeit with a vengence this time round. Not only do I feel more exhausted and weak. The nose kept running without giving me a rest. I lost any appetite for food. My throat felt dry. My nose blocked during the night and prevented me for having a good sleep. The lack of a good night's sleep aggravated the illness.

Was this a sign of my body protesting as I did not give it a good rest the first time I was down with flu? Or was this a sign of my aging body that even the slightest virus could easily conquered my immunity and ravaged my body? Or was this an early sign of a more serious ailment brewing? Morbid thoughts started to run through my head on my apparent vulnerability to this common infection.

Even my usual doctor did not seem to be able to save me from the discomfort of the illness. TCM failed to perform miracles. Thus, I sought the help of another doctor whom my sister held high praises for in her last consultation.

The disgnosis was that I was down with an allergy that caused my nose to run incessantly. He presribed me tablets to be taken both in the morning and at night. Hopefully, with adequate rest and the medicine, I will be able to recover soon. Feeling lethargic and confining to the home are making my mind restless.

Lunch Appointment with Excolleague

I met WK online while I was working at home during my MC. When he heard that I was down with flu, he asked if he should bring chicken soup down. Being ultra-thick-skinned, I unabashedly replied in the affirmative. He might not have expected such a response from me and immediately backed off saying that he would not be able to make it. Yet, he had chivalrously suggested we meet for lunch instead the following day.

I was abit apprehensive. Although he drove, his office was not quite a stone's throw away from my office. Moreover, I worked in the city area where many would frown just thinking about the jams and the ERP gantries. Hence, even 10 minutes before lunch, I was still wondering if he was pulling a joke on me. I nearly wanted to just join my colleagues for lunch until I received his SMS.

We drove. Correction. He drove us to Newton hawker where he recommended a fish soup bee hoon which was supposed to be good comfort food for someone who was recovering from illness. Although it was refreshing to venture out of Orchard for lunch, the lunch was an enjoyable one more for the company. It was good to be eating with a familiar excolleague who could probably take my bluntness in good jest (or was this too presumptuous on my part?) . It was good catching up with the happenings to this old friend (feeling slightly guilty for his kindness while I hardly take any initiative to keep more regular contact). Despite having not seen him for more than a year, there did not seem to be any awkwardness.

Nevertheless, happy times flew past. It was time to head back to office for meeting. I was glad that he still remained as cheerful and positive as ever. Keep going, WK!

New Favourite Cheesecake

The musketeers wanted to meet at a restaurant which I found at Hungrygowhere.com. When I reached the door of the restaurant did I discover that the restaurant has in fact closed down. We had no choice but to adjourn to another eatery which we could find in Plaza Singapura. The choice? Secret Recipe.

I had heard from Ah Peng previously that the cakes at Secret Recipe were delicious. Expectations were raised even before I tasted them. This started my agony over what I should have for my main course so as to leave stomach space for dessert later. In the end, I chose a soup and salad.

We decided to choose 2 cakes to share under my strong insistence of watching out for calories (definitely tipping in a northward direction). We went for rasperry cheesecake and chocolate and banana cake. To add on, we went for the frosty fruit drinks.

I simply fell in love with the raspberry cheesecake. The miky cheese with the sweet and sour raspberry were certainly a divine combination. It was one of the best cheesecake I had ever tasted. Most of the cheesecakes I have tried previously was either too heavy, too hard or too dry. This was moist and the blend of salty cheese, with sour raspberry and sweet chocolate crumps base was appetite whetting.

The chocolate-banana cake combined two of the ingredients which were supposed to make us happy. The sweetness would please anyone with a sweet tooth. However, personally I would still prefer the raspberry cheesecake with the soury tinge.

It is indeed a wonderful and satisfying meal.

Downpour. Drenched.

I waited.

I hoped the rain would subside a little.

10 minutes have gone by. 15 minutes. 20 minutes.

After 25 minutes, the skies remained overcast and there was not sign that the rain would be easing. It was already 7.55 am. I could not wait any longer.

Braving the rain with my big umbrella, I began my longer-than-usual walk to the train station with the slight floods and puddles of water.

One-fifth of my journey later, I needed to take shelter at the nearby bus-stop while I folded up my long pants to prevent the water seeping higher up my legs with the pants as the perfect conduit. Image? Who cares?

This folding of pants continued until I reached my cubicle. Despite my furious efforts to dry my pants by dapping with dry cloth, the situation is not alleviated. I quickly pour myself a hot cup of water to prevent falling sick. I dried myself (naturally in aircon?) after one hour.

When I thought all was well, I woke up this morning with a running nose which quickly took a turn for the worse.

Walk. See. Smile.

The musketeers met at Plaza Singapura this month for our monthly gathering. Since it was a stone’s throw away from my office, I decided to walk to our meeting place.

The walk was quite a happy one since the air was crisp and slightly cool after the rain in the afternoon. En-route, I passed by the Istana and the green patch opposite Meridien Singapore. The happy cows and the colourful portraits of famous artistes such as Marilyn Monroe and Joanne Peh drew smiles to my face.

I missed those happy cows. Whenever I was surprised by their sudden appearances on green patches where I least expected them to, I always welcomed their ‘greetings’. The scene was sometimes bordering hilarity. Yet, who says life should be serious all the time.

I was glad I chose to walk instead of the lazy way of taking a train ride. The walk has definitely boosted my spirits before my meeting with the musketeers.

Hey, they should thank the cows or they would be facing a gloomy face throughout the night.

Sweet Indulgence

I used to be a big fan of durian. Yet, for health reasons, I have purposely steered away from durians. Durians are top on my list of heaty food. All my closer friends can attest to the fact that I don't take to heaty food very well. Many common maladies, such as flu,cold, sore throat, fever, will welcome me open arms when I consume to much heaty food. Hence, durians are certainly a big no-no for me.

Yet, the long queue in front of the Four Seasons counter at Ang Mo Kio Hub always fascinated me. Is it really that good such that the queues never disappear even after a year since its opening when any associated novelty should have worn off? Moreover, the queues are present regardless of whether it is a week day or weekend.

Well, I finally lay my hands on the durian puffs (even though its durian pancakes seem more popular). It is almost like eating durian with the pastry almost melting together with the durian. I don't remember its more expensive and more famous competitor being as good. The smell and the taste of durian practically explodes in my mouth. The strong aroma lingers even after the puff is swallowed. This is almost tantamouth to eating the fruit itself.

Such indulgence truly makes my day. Yet, I hope I don't have to pay a high price of it through my health...

Sweating Over Financial Planning

Let's face it. Financial planning scares or intimidates everyone of us. Although I am trained as an accountant, I am abashed to say the thought of financial management overwhelmes me. Risk vs return? Long-term investment vs short-term speculation? Equities vs fixed income? If the mere terminologies already put you off, wait till you need to drill further into their relationship.

Is it a female thing? Somehow, when I was sitting through my financial management tutorials, I had to struggle with the computation of IRR (internal rate of return), NPV (net present value), Black Scholes' model. On the other hand, my male course mates were simply thrilled with the financial concepts. Many of them literally breezed through the course. Needless to say, financial management earned me my only C for my whole undergraduate study.

Now, I have to deal with IRR, NPV and ROIC (return on invested capital) computation on a day-to-day basis as part of my work. Financial management terms are no longer black holes to me. However, translating financial management to my own assets management (though I often retort to those who advises on asset management that I hardly have any assets), the phobia continues. Hence, everytime I have to talk to my financial consultant, a.k.a insurance agent, I have to brave myself for full concentration or I will start losing the content of our conversation. Even with superficial finance knowledge, it still takes alot of brain cells to process what he is conveying, I cannot imagine those who are new to financial fundamentals.

Kudos to the finance professionals who make things more laymen and less complex for financial idiots like me. Given that financial management is an important part of everyone's life, it is essential for us to have adequate understanding to plan for our retirement, our health and our dependents. Every cent counts towards the building of our nests. Hence, we cannot afford to take too many chances with our investments and risk management. With a knowledgeable and sincere financial planner, it can definitely help financial idiots, like me, to overcome our phobia and sweat less over the complicated issues.

Streetdirectory.com

I was appalled and disappointed to find out that Virtual Maps on Streetdirectory.com would be removing the maps. Streetdirectory.com has been a good directional source for me to find out how to get to somewhere and the time taken for each alternative. It is a shame that this service is no longer available. Hmm, hopefully I can find a replacement soon to help directional idiot like me.

Up, Up, Up... ...

I am not referring to the inflation rate of Singapore. Neither am I referring to the stock exchange. I am referring to the temperature in Singapore.

In some of the temperate countries, they will be enjoying the warmth of the spring with the cool breeze blowing. In Singapore, we seem to be right smack in the middle of summer. This is the time when I long to get into office. Why? For the free aircon of course.

Heat affects appetites. Not only do I feel hungry less often, I also start to shun anything that is soupy and boiling. I long for cool and crunchy food. Hmmm...now salad is certainly on my radar screen, especially those dress in balsamic vinegar. Yum yum, cool, refreshing and slightly sour... ... Best way to cool down in the white hot heat. =p

Sudden Fascination with Documentaries

Documentaries were certainly not my cup of tea. I have often associated documentaries with boring, serious, complex programs which are not a very interesting way of spending my time. Yet, the documentaries that are featured on CNA and Arts Central and are contrary to my preconception.

Some of the documentaries to-date combine life-style and information so that information is conveyed in a more interesting manner and on topics which are less abstract to us. On Arts Central, 9pm, Mosaic Monday features some of the more extraordinary people in everyday life. On this Monday, Mosaic Monday features “Size Does Matter”. If you think this is about weight issue, you will be surprised. “Size Does Matter” looks into the life of a dwarf who lives on an island and her meeting with other dwarfs. On Friday, it will feature the struggle of a man who has to be on his own with broken legs after his plane crashed in the wild of South Africa. On other days, the programs are more life-style oriented with peeks into coffee, fashion and travels.

CNA too brings about different documentaries – the latest being about professional mourners at funerals. Not only do we get to hear about the life-stories of these professionals, we also understand more about the job itself as well as the funeral proceedings in other countries. Death is no longer a taboo for these people but a form of livelihood. Prior to these, there were a series of food science programs to generate greater awareness of the boons and banes of the different food and eating habits.

The good thing about catching these programs is that they are information conveyed in a more interactive manner than reading. It combines entertainment and learning.

Sea View

Can you guess which sea side I am at?

Belated Birthday Celebration

The Annual Staff Function Committee 2007 have not met for a long time. On this Friday evening, we gathered once more at the last year ASF site for my belated birthday (every belated indeed) celebration cum ASF2007 anniversary celebration.

We arrived at the Legends café. The café was deserted except for us. We practically have the whole restaurant to ourselves. To tell the truth, the food was mediocre but the evening was enjoyable because of the company, especially when I have not met some of them for a long time. A few of them have found greener pasture and since left the company.

Our Chairman was still as humorous as before. Jess still maintained his hearty appetite. FBI remained a strong contender for the most humorous position against our Chairman despite his newly marital status. Yen still maintained a tight control over quality. The rest of us continued to make blunders under the close scrutiny of Yen and being outtalked by FBI and Chairman.

What a nice way to gather around friends and have a good laugh with one another. Hmm… I really should join in their gathering more often, or else I am certainly marked by Chairman. Uh-oh.

Interviewing and Recruiting

We are trying to recruit contract junior executives recently to cope with the increased workload as well as to cover for one of the executives who is currently on maternity leave. During the interview, other than the direct supervising officer, another officer will sit on the panel as an independent officer, in addition to the HR officer.

Although I do not have direct reports, I would still need to work with these executives on a portfolio / project basis. Hence, sometimes I will sit in as the independent officer for the interview. Prior to this job, I hardly have the chance to interview or recruit anyone. Hence, acting as an independent interviewer is indeed an eye-opener for me.

How to tell if an interviewee has oversold himself/herself? How to tell if an interviewee is really keen of the job? How to tell if an interviewee will fit into the job or the company culture? These are important questions which we would need to ascertain in the 30-minute to an hour interview process.

Technical skill is not the most important aspect as on-the-job training can help bridge the gap. Soft skills and attitude are more important, especially in our job as we need to work with various parties. Moreover, with the right attitude, the candidate can quickly pick up the relevant skills and smoothly transit into the job.

Of course, sitting on the interviewing panel is less stressful than sitting on the interviewee chair. Some interviewees say too much. Some say too little. Regardless of who we are recruiting, offering and accepting the offer will be both a risk for the interviewer and the interviewee. If both the recruiter and the recruitee only discover that there is no job fit after commencement of the employment, it will be both disruptive for the employer and the employee.

Relaxation and Strength Building

Depending on the different poses, Yogic exercise can promote either relaxation or strength building. Some apparently simple stretches can command a lot of strength and concentration especially to maintain in the same position while continuing normal breathing.

For those having insomnia, perhaps you can try the following exercises the next time you have difficulty sleeping.

This is a Table pose. It is supposed to promote relaxation through the tensing and subsequent release of tension.

The Tension Releaser exercise will release built-up tension.

For building of strength, one can do the Sun Salutation. Doing 21 cycles (one-time of right leg first and one-time of left leg first combined is considered one cycle) is believed to have the same effect as jogging for 10 km.

Before you try these exercises, please seek your doctor’s advice. Moreover, please practice in the guidance of a qualified yoga teacher and get your breathing and position right before attempting to practise on your own.

The Truth About Food

Ladies, ladies, hear ye! How often we fret about the food we eat and their effect on the waist line. We follow blindly and faithfully some of the fad diets or myths of food. How effective are these in helping us maintain our BMI is anyone's guess.

For those with a more inquisitive mind (or perhaps cynic attitude) and would like to understand more thoroughly the effect of the fad diets or eating habits, the recent series of documentaries on Channel NewsAsia offer answers to some of our questions. It aims to tell us the truth about food, including how to be slim. "The Truth About Food" is a documentary that airs every Sunday evening on CNA. Each week, the documentary features different topics relating to food.

Colourful food is not only pleasing to sight and whets your appetite; colourful food is also more beneficial to your body. For example, red wine taken in moderation, strengthens your heart. Spinach helps to improve eye-sight. Tomatoes improves our skin's resistance towards sun burnt.
How does food play a part in maintaining our weight or in slimming down? Is how big or small we are determined by our metabolism? Is a high protein diet effective? Well, answers are revealed in the different experiments conducted.

1) Our sizes are not determined by our metabolic rate but our food intake.

2) A person who consumes a high protein diet has a more satiating meal than a person who consumes a high carbohydrate or high fat meal. Hence, this reduces the food intake of the person who consumes a high-protein meal.

3) A person who consumes a high-calcium meal passes out more fats than one who does not because calcium will bind the fat together and prevents it from being absorbed by the body.

4) A detox diet does not result in more toxins being passed out.

5) When water and solid food are taken separately compared to if they were made into soup, the latter can sustain us from hunger for a longer period of time. This is because the soup can expand our gastric for a longer period of time than water and solid food. Hence, this sends signal to our brains that we are full.

6) We tend to overeat by being served a larger portion of the food. In addition, we tend to overeat if we do not see what we have eaten.

Knowing the truth and denouncing the myth surrounding food, we can better manage our diet and work towards greater health.

Factory Outlet in Singapore

The concept of factory outlet is not new to Singapore, from the Espirit factory outlet at Yishun to the Adidas outlet at Novena. Factory outlets are definitely not unfamiliar to many Singaporeans, especially for those who travel more widely. We have often heard of woman flocking to Coach factory outlets in US to HarbourTown in Australia and Lantau Island in Hong Kong.

When I hear that Anchorpoint on Alexandra Road is to be positioned as the factory outlet wiht many well-known brands congregating under the same roof, I am both exhilarated. On a lazy afternoon, Ah Peng and I decide to travel to Anchorpoint.

Anchorpoint gathers Charles & Keith, Giodano, G2000, Citychain and Pedro factory outlets. The stores mainly retail merchandises from previous seasons. The stocks mostly have limited colours and sizes options. In addition to the factory outlet stores, there are also foodcourts and cafes. The most unique cafe is a Disney cafe near the entrance of the mall.

To tell the truth, Anchorpoint is slightly disappointing especially relative to HarbourTown and Lantau Island. Firstly, the number of brands are fewer and the size of the stores are also smaller than the Hong Kong or Australia's counterparts. Moreover, Anchorpoint is only a two-level mall with few other selections to spend time on.

Needless to say, it is another fruitless trip for me.

Hong Kong Food

Hong Kong cafes are increasingly common and popular in Singapore. The Chinese-infused Western food, the yuan yang and the toast are well-known items are the menu. Perhaps you have already tried Central Hong Kong Cafe or you have grown sick of Xing Wang Cafe?


As I was in Vivocity, I chanced upon the Kim Gary Restaurant offering the familiar Hong Kong Cafe food.


Baked Rice


Beef Noodles



French Toast




Almond Tea

Yum yum. Let's tuck in.

Annual Staff Function 2008

It has been a year. Last year, I was on the Annual Staff Function, aka, Dinner & Dance Committee. Now, the new committee has taken the baton from us and the current year event is here again.

This year, with increased budget, both the venue and the food is 'upgraded' to a hotel and with a sit=down -course dinner. The theme is to glam up. Yet, we are busy at work even way past the registration time. We barely make it to the dinner in time much less dress up to the theme. By the way, my most glamourous clothes is already my working attire. *Sheepish*

To be frank, both the food and venue are better than previous year. In terms of entertainment, it gets abit stale as some of the jokes told and the games played are similar to last year. Moreover, the jokes told are slightly more "R-rated" than last year which may be funny with some slight distaste.

Well, I am slightly disappointed when I have not won anything in the lucky draw. Well, I attend the Annual Staff Function for both the food and the lucky draw only. The food has somewhat meet my expectations but not the lucky draw though. Sigh! Let's hope for better luck next time.

Cheap Thrill

It is a girl's dream to be pampered like a queen. This contributes to the growing spa business in Singapore. However, with just an 'executive' salary, coveting after 'management' lifestyle will only spells trouble for my wallet.

Well, what can you do when you wish to seek an avenue to relax your mind and body after a tiring day or week? Hmm, since I cannot have the luxury of professional treatment, I shall opt for D-I-Y.

I have a Body Shop toilettries set from my colleague as a Christmas gift. Now, it's time for me to test out its efficacy. Passionfruit - one of the nicest smelling fruit I like - subtle yet distinctive, long lasting without intrusive. Once I open the scrub, the entire bathroom is filled with the sweet scent of passionfruit. The scrub is grainy and definitely working its wonders to remove the dead skin. After washing, the skin is smooth and well-scented.

The passionfruit scrub washes away the weariness of the week and keeps me happy throughout the weekend. For someone who is sceptic of aromatherapy, I now believe the healing power of scents. At least, the passionfruit scent has lifted my mood during the weekend.

Hmm, I cannot wait to start using the accompanying passionfruit shower gel and body butter.

Trio Playing at iShop

5050, KW and I have not met for lunch for many weeks. Recently, one of us will have one thing or another on Friday such that we cannot meet. Finally, we have to rescheduled our weekly meeting to a Thursday in order to finally meet. Sick of canteen food, we have decided to go to Cineplex for some variety.

After lunch, we loitter around Cineplex and chance upon iShop. There are many gadgets on display. We try the iBook and are captivated by the vivid colours and the friendly interfaces. Personally, I am simply swept off by the 'intelligence' of the iPod Touch. In addition to the bright and clear pictures on the small screen, the pictures can be easily viewed using the length or the width of the screen simply by rotating the screen. Moreover, to enlarge or reduce the size of the picture, you just need to use your fingers to pull and drag.

For once, I feel so much like a 'mountain tortoise' in a large and white techie playground.

Branding of Banks

Singaporeans are super savers. We have always been known as a country with the highest saving rates. From the POSB account that our parents open for us when we are born to the CPF account that we monthly contribute after we get our first job, there are other supplementary savings we may build up as we move into different phases in lives.

Hence, many Singaporeans are not unfamiliar to the banks. From the big 3 local banks to the offshore banks, we are spoilt for choices regardless of whether we are saving, investing, borrowing, or mortgaging. With increased competition from the offshore banks, our local banks are also gearing up in response.

I have always been watching closely the various promotions introduced by the local banks out of both curiosity and hope of reaping benefits as end-consumer. I have recently been rather attracted by the series of advertising campaigns that OCBC has implemented.

From my recollection, OCBC has not utilized the television advertisements as frequently. It has used more of print media – in newspaper. Currently, it has expanded to the use of more personal touch, turning its bank branches more into a mini showroom of different themes. This removes the daunting aura associated with the professionalism emphasized by various banks. In addition, the little touches that the banks put in place also warm the consumers’ hearts.

I was impressed when I saw several benches placed along the queue to the counters providing rest to the tired legs while customers wait along the queues. So far, I have only seen OCBC branches but not other banks. Such little thoughts go a long way as it helps alleviate the frustration associated with long queue at the banks. Along the queues, colourful brochures are placed for consumers to be informed of the latest promotions / programs. This is a very effective way of promoting their latest products. Most consumers prefer to buy-in to a new investment idea themselves rather than being ‘pushed’ by the bank.

The thoughtfulness of the bank can also be seen in the extended operating hours that it introduces in selected branches. Previously, many of the working adults will need to apply leave to run errands at the bank especially for those who need to work on Saturday or for those who wish to avoid the bank crowd during peak hours like lunch hour or Saturday. With the extended operating hour on weekdays and even Sundays, we can get our things done without having to waste our leave.

Depending on the ‘flavour’ of the month, the OCBC banks has also decorated or introduced different gimmicks. For instance, when it first introduces its mighty savers programs for the children, it has set up popcorn counters and given out free popcorn to customers. Magicians also graced the branch and entertained the young customers. Recently, it has targeted the ladies. On International Women’s Day, pink roses were given out to ladies. Ladies’ nights are introduced on every Wednesday with express queue at selected counters solely devoted to ladies. For those queues, pink carpets lined the floor to the counter. Cocktails are also served to ladies customers.

Such small gestures show the thoughtfulness branded by the banks. After all, we have to visit the banks often and often for important milestones in our lives, eg when we are getting our first house, when we get our first pay check, etc. Hence, a long-lasting relationship with the customers will go a long way.

Singaporeans are Getting Ruder?

Recently, I noticed Singaporeans seemed to getting more and more inconsiderate, such that going out becomes almost like a battle regardless of whether it is a working or non-working day. Many times I have witnessed inconsiderate acts on the road. This morning, another accident added to my list of inconsiderate acts.

A van was parked on a one-car street along the entrance to a housing estate carpark. The driver was absent from the van. Hence, for cars behind this van waiting to get into the car park, they had to wait. When my mum honked for the driver, the driver reluctantly came to fetch his vehicle. However, he came back without explicitly expressing his displeasure and signalling to my mum that she could have overtaken his van and illegally used the outcoming way to enter the carpark.

For one, he was not the only user of the road. If he needed to offload his goods, he could have gone into the carpark instead of illegally parking at the entrance of the carpark. Secondly, instead of being apologetic for his inconsiderate and illegal act, he made it seem as though we were the inconsiderate ones. If he wished to endanger himself and his vehicle by parking illegally, he could go ahead. He should not expect everyone else to endanger our lives as well by condoning his dangerous acts.

If we have to be constantly battling such rude acts , it is hard to remain courteous and calm. Soon, we will evolve into rude and impatient beings in order to survive such ordeals. I wonder how this will adversely affect the homeland we live in.

Look Up... ... Surprise

When we walk, we often look straight or look down. We do not usually look up while we are walking. Looking up when you are walking can be dangerous as you can miss any stumbling block in your path and trip.


As I was on the escalator up from the basement to the Borders Book Store at Wheelock Place, I was attracted by the bright light filtering down and looked up. I was suddenly blinded by the light and the intricacies of the metal frame of the roof. I might not be an architectural enthusiast. Yet, at that moment, I was filled with respect and admiration for this architect.



To think I have missed something beautiful for such a long time and for so many times that I pass by the place.

Palate Disappointment

Singaporeans are exposed to different kinds of food each day - Western or Asian, fried or steam, liquid or dry, good or bad. Other than shopping, eating is almost like another National Hobby.

If you switch on the TV, the more popular programs in Singapore can be categorised in three main themes - travel, shopping and food. We have different kinds of food programs - programs associated with gourmet writers, eg Makansutra Raw, programs introducing stalls with long queues, programs introducing eateries along certain bus routes and even programs on good food on campus. Of course, we are not forgetting the more conventional food programs which centre around certain types of food or certain areas of eating places each episode.

Inevitably, our tongues have been pampered with the myriad selection. Just as we feel heavenly after a satisfying good meal. The reverse is also true, especially when we expect to perk ourselves up with good food.

I was in Novena on a weekend evening and was looking for my dinner destination. After walking around, I decided to eat at a Thai restaurant. After having so much good Thai food for the past 2 weeks, my expectations had been raised. This was especially when I had never been disappointed by Thai food before. To our disappointment, the food was purely spicy without accompanying aroma from the spices used. For the fried rice with dried shrimps and chicken, the rice was too bland and the chicken too sweet. For the Phad Thai, it was too sweet but only generous in the rice noodle. For the seafood stir fried rice noodle, it was too spicy which overwhelmed any sweetness from the seafood. In addition, the meal was not cheap which led to double disappointment.

Strangely, after eating such disappointing food, it sort of set a disappointing tone for the remaining evening. I felt fustrated and slighted peeved at being treated to such insincere cuisine. Just as good food cheers us up, bad food casts a cloud.

Long Awaited Square 2

There was alot of publicity of the place when it first opened. Since it was only a few MRT stations away, my sister and I had talked about going to Square 2 for a long time.

Finally, we were there. The tenant mix was indeed unique from other shopping centres. It reminded me faintly of Far East's Level One or Clarke Quay's Central with quaint little boutiques distributed in a maze-like layout. The shops could not be totally seen from the centre of the mall as many could be hidden behind the other shops. The walking space between these shops was narrow.

The fourth level was entirely level devoted to Korean merchandise and F & B for Korean fans - with 2 Korean restaurants and a Korean minimart selling Korean snacks and sundries. On the last level, there was the familiar NTUC Fairprice anchoring half of the level. The rest of the shops were mainly made up of DVD shops and food-related shops such as Mmmm which sold marinated meats.

Unfortunately, the shops closed around 8pm which made the place rather quiet after 8. It was indeed a pity and again reinforced the phenomenon of a lack of night life in Singapore.

To all the Ladies, Let's Celebrate Life

Happy International Women's Day to all Ladies!

Let us continue to celebrate life with continued enthusiasm, positivism, confidence and beauty.

Shoe Shopping

The musketeers have not gone shopping for ages. The theme of the day was shoes. We practically tried from shoe boutique to boutique.

To our disappointment, none of us bought anything at the end of the day. Yet, sometimes the fun of things was not in the outcome but in the process, especially a process where exercise (restricted to only walking from shop to shop and bending down to pick up the shoes) was minimal and laughter (from the faux pas selections) was maximum.

The fun from shopping lied more in the company, especially when all of us knew what each other would like. We could also be open in our judgment towards the choices one another made. No formalities or niceties reserved. I welcomed such frank opinions. It would be better to embarrassed myself in front of the Musketeer with my often auntie-ish-selection than to make a wrong purchase and embarrass myself time and again in front of strangers.

Shopping, catching-up with friends and lots of laugher are the best ingredients for a recipe of a good evening to unwind.

Musketeers' Gathering at Shokudo Pasta

The Musketeers have not met since Christmas last year. Somehow or rather, due to work and other social commitments, we have not been able to find a common time to meet. We are really lapsing in our initial promise to meet monthly.

Nonetheless, since we are not able to meet as frequently, we should all the more treasure the time that we can meet. For this meeting, we have decided to find a cosy dining place to while our time away over delicious meal. Well, since work has slowed down a little recently, I have decided to search for new places for our get-together.

From my shortlist, we decide to head for Shokudo Pasta at Citylink. It is a newly opened Fusion (Japanese & Western) eatery. The reviews online are above average. According to Ah Peng, there is usually a queue outside the restaurant. I believe Singaporean's taste buds are pretty sharp. If there is crowd and good review, the food cannot be too inedible. The best litmus test is still one's taste bud.

Ms Chan and I order the soupy pasta while Ah Peng choose the wafu sauce pasta. Personally, I have tried Waraku Pasta which also offers Japanese pasta. Therefore, this time, the menu does not attract as much excitement as the first time I have seen Japanese pasta selection. Moreover, my fettucine in soup is quite difficult to eat with both fork and spoon. How I wish I have a pair of chopsticks to prevent the splashing of the soup when the slightly mashy fettucine falls apart from the fork.

Although the main course has not truly satisfied me, the ice-cream makes up for it. Perhaps I have a sweet tooth, I like all the flavours of the ice-cream which we order - macha (green tea), gome (black sesame) and yuzu (grapefuit). I am big on sorbet, especially after a heavy meal. The sweet sour ice always helps to lighten the palate after the richness of salt or spices. Needless to say, my favourite is the yuzu sorbet.

The musketeers want to make our gathering a food expedition. Perhaps the next time round, we can go and patron other eateries which are among my shortlist. *Wink*

Second Visit to Carousel at Royal Plaza @ Scotts

The first visit was for the farewell lunch of a colleague last year. This second visit was for our quarterly lunch with our boss. The last experience was fantastic especially the cold cut session.

This time round we made the reservation slightly late so we could not secure a single table to sit everyone. Hence, we were split into 3 tables.

We were again wowed by the sashimi and the cold cut session. The mussels, crayfish, prawns and scallops whetted our appetite. The freshly cut salmon, tuna and yellowtail fish made our mouths watered. Their succulence exploded in our mouths. We could not stop heaping our plates with more and more of the sashimi and cold cuts.

The cooked food session consisted of both Western and Asian delights. For seafood lovers, there was the Asian black pepper stir-fried prawn or the Western cream-based mussels. For soup selection, there was the Western crab cream soup or the Asian herbal mutton clear soup. My favourite was the Thai-styled steamed black grouper.

To the ladies, there must still be space in your stomachs for the dessert section – from ice-cream to pies to chocolate fondue to the exotic fruits. We are simply spoilt for choices. Admiring the colourful spread of various desserts is enough to cause a sugar rush. Sigh, how I wish I have unlimited space in our stomach.

Again, I overate and felt full the entire afternoon and decided to skip dinner.

Sticky Rice

Good things come together. I have not had Thai cuisines for a long time. Within the span of one week, I had the fortune of having my fill of Thai cuisines twice.



Sticky Rice has been in operations for about a year since the opening of AMK Hub. Although it is within walking distance from my home, I have not had the chance to eat at this restaurant. This Saturday, we decided to wait no more.


Eating food I like often gives me a sense of bliss. I shall say no more and let the pictures tell the rest of the story.


We start off with Thai fish cake,


next is Tom Yam soup

followed by stir-fried Kai Lan

then stuffed chicken wings




and finally red ruby.






My calories scale is certainly off-balance.

Doing Stupid Things Again

We were chatting during lunch.

One of us suddenly commented that she had no music sense, so she could not sing very well.

Another added that she was the same. She further elaborated that she could not dance very well too.

The third colleague asked if that meant that she would move her left arm with her left leg and her right arm with her right leg.

The second colleague replied that even moving left arm with left leg and right arm with right was not an easy task. She had tried that the night before on her way home. She was very bored, so when she noticed that there was no one behind her, she tried to walk in that manner. To her amusement, it was harder to coordinate walking that way than the usual alternate swing of the limbs, ie left arm with right leg and right arm with left leg.

We burst out laughing and agreed wholeheartedly that she was indeed very bored.

Well, the same night, I tried walking with my right arm swinging with my right leg forward and my left arm with my left leg. Despite concentrated and deliberate efforts, I could not achieve it in more than one cycle. It was truly more difficult than to do it with the alternate limbs. I nearly wanted to burst out laughing at my efforts but had to stifle it for fear of causing stunned stares from anyone who happened to see me.

Well, I was indeed very bored as well.

Hey, maybe you should also try it when you are bored.

Leap Year

A gift given to us once every 4 years - an extra day.


How have you spent this extra day?


For me, I have spent the entire evening alone. Yes! ME Time for myself. I have eaten my favourite noodles while admiring the breathtaking CBD view of Singapore. Singapore's night scene is definitely comparable to the Bund at Shanghai or Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong, don't you think?





You? Was it also a special and memorable one?

Lunch at Delifrance

I haven't been to Delifrance for a pretty long time. Although I have heard of their new menu, I have never had the chance to try it. Today, the few of us decided to try out their food during lunch.

All, except one of us, ordered pasta. We then ordered a Caesar's salad to share. The strange thing was we found no egg at all in the Caesar's salad when we were all under the impression that there should be eff in Caesar's salad. Four or us ordered Pâtes Forestière (lingune with chicken and mushroom), one of us ordered Pâtes Bolognaise (lingune with beef bolognaise and mushroom) and the last one ordered seafood chowder. Again, it was another meal which was damaging to our stomach and calories balance.

Nevertheless, there was sense of satisfaction and bliss after such a hearty meal.

Farewell Lunch with Thai Cuisine

One of the executives was resigning, so we decided to give her a treat at the nearby Thai restaurant.


I have not had Thai food for a long time. I always favour Asian cuisines more - Japanese, Indonesian, Chinese, Malay, Thai. My mouth starts to water just by the mention of these food. There were 8 of us and we ordered many well-known Thai specialties - pineapple rice, stuffed chicken wings, Thai fish cakes, barbecued squids, green beef curry, Tom Yam soup, fish maw soup and even red ruby.


There were simply too much food and we could not finish all of them. Moreover, the richness of the Thai food with its lavish use of coconut milk does not sit well on a full stomach. In the end, a couple of us actually skip dinner. Ok, I did not skip exactly. I had peanut soup with dumplings for dinner as it was not meant to be too filling.

Taking Things Slow…

Deadlines after deadlines. Multitasking is the new culture. 24-hour days are never enough. With so much to do and see, we need to spend our time more and more efficiently. We need to walk faster, talk faster, type faster and eat faster. It is a race to see who can get more things done within a minute.

Yet, this race with speed may work against us sometimes. When you talk too fast, it means that the listener may not be able to completely understand you. When you walk too fast, it means that you never notice anyone or anything along the way. The journey becomes plain dull. When you type too fast, our carpal tunnels may suffer. When you eat too fast, it is bad for digestion and we may not fully appreciate the efforts in the preparation of the food.

There is this TV program on Saturday morning on Channel 5 where the host will visit grandmothers from different countries each week. These grandmothers will share their lives stories as well as the traditional food of the family. In the last episode, the grandmother was formerly from Singapore. She was brought up in a traditional family where her father instilled strict discipline at home. She was trained to chew her food slowly. Her father would make her take a mouthful of the food and chew. She would then start lining cutleries along the table. Only upon reaching the other edge of the long table could she swallow her food. To her father, eating and chewing slowly was an essential dining etiquette.

Similarly, the benefits of chewing our food slowly before swallowing are emphasized in So Simple 2. At Brown Field farm in Japan, all the helpers are encouraged to chew their food slowly. This is believed to better release the energy from the food and to create overall wellness for our bodies.

In yoga lessons, one of the most important techniques to pick up is also breathing. There are all sorts of breathing methods – abdominal breathing, cleansing breathing, rhythmic breathing and slow breathing. One of the observations is that many young working adults have ignored their breathing when they are too caught up in work stress. Forget breathing is a prevalent trademark among the workers. Such disruptive breathing has dire effects on our health. Hence, yoga re-teaches us on breathing, especially slow breathing. Slow breathing is supposed to calm our minds and bodies.

It may be difficult to reverse our lifestyles to a slow pace. Moreover, such a reversal may have adverse impact on our economy. However, we should try to spare a few minutes a day or even an hour a day to do things slower. It is to rebalance our mind, our soul and our bodies.

Cumulation of Work-Stress

After the stress I have undergone for the past 2 months, it has finally resulted in flu outbreak. Actually, the flu virus might have already been 'hibernating' in my body for weeks. I have always tried to prevent the symptoms from reaching full-blown by swallowing Vitamin C pills.

Finally, the virus cannot be contained anymore and I have to be confined to my bed for the day.

I have not realised I was so tired until I slept the entire day away.

Travelling Alone

As one grows older, one's social circle seems to be shrinking, especially for singles like me. Much as I hate to say, but it is inevitable that you will start to grow apart from married and attached friends. Being married, they need to devote more time to their family to adapt to the new family life. The remaining time has to be spent with their parents and in-laws. While attached friends may need to spend time with their better halfs or in preparation of the impending wedding.

Recently, I am experiencing slight burnt-out from the hectic budget exercise and long for a escapade to a foreign land where the different sights and sounds will offer a haven for recharging. Yet, when I turn around to see who, among my friends, can accompany me for this vacation, there seems to very few people I can approach. For the few I approach, they are currently either not planning on any vacation or are planning vacation to destinations which I am not keen. Hence, the notion of travelling alone starts to take root in my mind.

Driven by a sudden sense of adventures, I am almost certain that I will be able to achieve alone. However, when I articulate this plan to both family and friends, many start to dissuade me. The initial excitement soon turns to infuriation for their lack of support. When the emotion cools down, I have to admit their concerns are touching and not unfounded. Indeed, travelling alone in a foreign land can be lonely and even dangerous.

Putting the vacation plans aside, the sense of loss associated with my shrinking circle of friends still leads to a cloud of gloom that cannot be waved off. Indeed, for some of my closest friends, I have not seen them after their marriage or even for months. Nowadays, meeting with these young couples or parents are difficult. I need to find a slot among their schedules of visiting parents, in-laws, household chores and other friends. I am not sure if it is transitional or it is a permanent difference drawn from the different experiences, but the topics of our conversation seem to run on parallel and mutually exclusive planes. I cannot offer any advice or inputs to the issues that they face; while the problems I encounter seem too work-related.

Despite the bleak prospect of finding anyone to go on a vacation with me for the next couple of months, I still hope I can find companions to go on vacations with. After all, a vacation with friends add more excitement and happiness to the trip when there is someone to share the beautiful scene with.

Sharing of Responses

Some of my colleagues from another department started this sharing of response form where there are some personal questions and we were supposed to send and share with one another. As usual, being really caught up with my work, I was one of the last to respond and many of them had expected that. How did I know this? One of the questions in the response form was "Who do you think will be the least likely to respond?"

Here is the response form. Maybe you can send me yours so that you give me a chance to know you better.


1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM ALOT?

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?

15. RED OR PINK?

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU?

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?

20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?

22. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?

23. FAVORITE SMELLS?

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?

27. HAIR COLOR?

28. EYE COLOR?

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?

30. FAVORITE FOOD?

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?

35. HUGS OR KISSES?

36. FAVORITE DESSERT?

37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T. V. LAST NIGHT?

42. FAVORITE SOUND?

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?

47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?

48. WHAT TIME IS IT NOW?

Final Rush for the Presentation Pack

It is the final weekend before the start of the Group CEO's budget moderation exercise. Once, this moderation exercise is completed, the budget exercise is more or less drawing to a close. We will be able to start preparing for the next phase - monthly phasing of the yearly budget and start of the new year's product costing.

Although I have been relieved of having to prepare any presentation pack, I was still the one who had been collating all the information and analysis up to the CEO (Singapore)'s moderation session. Hence, it is inevitable that I need to chip in for the last mile. Despite all the information we have gathered, there are still missing pieces or data which we have not thoroughly checked previously. This last minute scramble was to tidy up and rationalise through the numbers.

I spent the whole of Saturday and Sunday afternoon in front of my PC and on the phone running through the various simulations with my boss. Needless to say, my office phone 'died' after one-hour of talk-time even after I had fully charged the day before in anticipation of the busy weekend. Blur me. I did not realise the phone had 'died' and continued to hold it for some time, thinking that my boss seemed to take a long time to think. I was not the only blur one. In fact, my boss carried on talking even after my phone had died, not knowing that she was talking to herself. In the end, we had to continue our 'discussion' over MSN.

The next day, I had to rely on my personal phone to finish up the last bit. Again, my battery nearly went flat after 40 minutes of talk-time. Hmmm, 3G phone seemed to consume alot of battery during talk-time.

During my incidents, my ear was scorched red from the heat generated from the phone. Although I had been tempted to place my phone on speaker for both times round, I decided against it eventually to prevent creating noise pollution to my neighbours.

Finally, it was over FOR THE MOMENT and we sent out the pack in time.

P.S. It was only for the moment because there was another mad rush the following Monday when we were back in office as I had to bring my CFO through the numbers as my boss was still at home recuperating from her ankle injury. Poor boss, for the past few weeks, she had to constantly work at home to review all our budget materials.

Annual Lo Hei Lunch with Colleagues

We settled on going for our Lo Hei lunch on the 7th day of the lunar new year before the start of the budget moderations. This year we had it at Crystal Jade in Paragon. Frankly, the dishes are similar to what I have eaten on Reunion Dinner since I had my Reunion Dinner at Crystal Jade as well.


It was a very expensive lunch. Fortunately, it was a once-a-year splurge and all in the good company of my fellow colleagues.

So Simple

I have recommended So Simple in its first season. I strongly recommend you to watch it again as its second season is currently being aired on every Tuesday, 9.30 pm on Channel U.

This time round, the theme has expanded from D-I-Y in Singapore to D-I-Y practises overseas. Currently, it revolves around some of the D-I-Y gurus in Taiwan which include a group of people who set up a mosaic workshop in the Taiwan's famous Cheng Ping Book Store and Ah Yuan soap.

I have decided to add in the link to the blog of So Simple in my blog. Hopefully, you will enjoy the show and the blog as well as I do.

Halo Effect

Perhaps seeing what Nanfeng Jin enjoyed as the successor to the Huangpu Enterprise in Romantic Princess, you may wonder why he would want to abandon what he had in pursuit of beng a nonentity. His vision may sound silly. His determination and actions even more baffling. Yet, I think he is being extremely brave.

Since young, he has been groomed to be the successor. He has always lived under the expectations that one day he would hold the helm of the Huangpu Enterprise. His capability hinged on only what he had achieved for Huangpu Enterprise. As he was associated with Huangpu Enterprise, things became more smooth sailing for him. The halo effect of Huangpu Enterprise was so pervasive that he lost himself. He was no long sure if without the help of Huangpu Enterprise would he be able to survive.

Why go through a more difficult path when there was a smooth journey awaiting him?

I can perfectly empathise with such thinking.

Sometimes, when you are blessed with many opportunities, there are equally many expectations to live up to. such expectations can be extremely pressurizing and stressful. Being in such a prominent positions mean that he must watch his performances at all times. Without the predetermined expectations, you will be able to enjoy the work more instead of constantly watching over your backs and critically self-evaluate.

Of course, the next dilemma that you will be grappling with if you are in Nanfeng Jin's position is whether you will be able to succeed elsewhere when you are stripped off your privilege position. Being successful in one place may not mean that you will be able to survive elsewhere. Being young and idealistic, you will want to prove your worth without all the privileges.

Fortunately, he has managed to prove himself when he managed to secure a contract for his company. Without the help of Huangpu Enterprise, he was still able to prove himself. :-)

Romantic Princess in Poverty...

It was slightly amusing when I watched several scenes in Romantic Princess which depicted Xiao Mai in poverty or when Xiao Mai and Nanfeng Jin escaped from Huangpu family to be independent. Maybe Taiwan's lifestyle was different from Singapore's. Being raised up in a family where we did not enjoy so much financial liberty (euphemism for plain simple poor), I found some of the details in the story not quite reflective of someone short of money.

Xiao Mai was initially a poor student who had to part-time to earn her school fees, yet her fingers were perfectly groomed with French manicures. Well, in Singapore, indulging in manicures are expensive who are mostly done by Tai Tais. If one is a poor student who needs to work part time and do housework, it is very wasteful to do manicures as the colour will chip after 2 days of washing plates. Moreover, it is luxury which will normally be foregone when you are faced with limited financial resources. Even if you attempt to D-I-Y, it takes time off other activities such as doing part-time, catch-up on homework or rest.

When Xiao Mai and Jin left Huangpu family and stayed in a small rented flat together, Xiao Mai was responsible for taking care of the house. She cooked dinner daily and waited for Jin to come home. Despite being cash-strapped, Xiao Mai could afford many dishes on the dining table daily. Firstly, to cook for 2 people, one would normally not cook so many dishes as food would likely go to waste.

Did I read too much into a simple show? Or maybe the lifestyle in Taiwan is indeed different from Singapore's?

Romantic Princess (公主小妹）

My primary activity during the Chinese New Year was to watch Romantic Princess over Youtube. I finished the entire series over the 3 days, excluding the first day which I have dedicated to visiting.

Xiao Mai was the long-lost daughter of Huangpu Xiong - the weathiest man in Asia. This started her adventure of getting used to her new and elevated status and her quibbles with Nanfeng Jin - the named successor of Huangpu Enterprise. From the initial quarrels, they developed affection for each other.

It is a simple plot with a good looking cast and a fairy tale. Yet, there are few lessons that are worth mulling over.

1) Not only those who are related by blood are families. Some who are not related by blood can be your closest kins while those who are related by blood may be strangers.
This is what Xiao Mai said to her grandfather in fury when her grandfather sent her adopted parents to Brazil to prevent them for meeting her.

2) Success from your own efforts is the sweetest. After putting in your best efforts, even if you never make it big in life, at least you have put in your best.
When Xiao Mai asked Nanfeng Jin what his dreams were, he confessed that he wished to escape from Huangpu family to see if he would ever be able to stand on his own.

3) When a person is submerged in extreme materialism, his values will become distorted.
This was the central theme of the entire series. Despite Nanfeng Jin being immersed in a wealthy family since young, his personality has not been affected by extreme wealth and success from a tender age. Similarly, even when Xiao Mai became the heiress to Huangpu family, she has not become materialistic or arrogant.

Start of the Rat Year

Last year, I have spent the first day of CNY in Bangkok. Somehow, once you miss the first day of CNY, it seem as you have not celebrated the welcoming of the lunar new year properly.

This year it is back to Singapore. As usual, the first day of the new year is devoted to visiting all my relatives. My paternal uncles and aunties have the practice of everyone going to one another’s house before we can call it a day. To be fair to everyone, we will need to visit all the houses so that no one is left out.

Hmm, after a while, it gets abit tiring and confusing as I may not be able to recall whose house I am at. Anyway, I have grown past the age where I get excited over the food and ang paos. In fact, I worry about the calories that I will pile on and the indigestion I will suffer. I am sheepish about still collecting ang paos at this age. Somehow the day ended up as if I am following the motion.

The visiting ends around 9 pm in the night. By then, I am deadbeat. Visiting during CNY is certainly more exhausting than an 8-hour shift in the office. How is the first day of your new year?

New Year's Eve & Reunion Dinner

I thought it would be a R & R day at work. Who knows I was still sweating and rushing out the presentation pack for budget. To make matters worse, I was suddenly called into a meeting with CEO at the eleventh hour and totally unprepared. Needless to say, I was also not quite dressed properly - in dress-down clothes. Fortunately, my CFO was too busy talking through the budget to notice me.

I was only off work at 2 pm. I rushed home for a quick lunch and nap. Then it was time to do my last minute preparation for CNY before the reunion dinner. I also had to iron my clothes for visiting the next day. Since I was ironing, I decided to iron all the other work clothes which were washed for not ironed. It took me about more than an hour to finish ironing. Soon, it was time to go out for reunion dinner.

Dinner was at Crystal Jade. There were 7 dishes.

Lo Hei Yu Sang (raw fish and colourful vegetable salad)

This dish is 'made-in-Singapore' where it is Singaporeans tradition to consume this during CNY after tossing in the ingredients. This signifies 'scooping up' of great prosperity and ushering in the good fortune. The golden crackers bring gold and money to all places. The raw fish slices symbolise abundant supplies. The honey creates sweetness and happiness. The pepper adds spice to our lives.

Fish Maw with Shark's fins

Shark's fins are one of the most expensive delicacies among the Chinese. Together with Abalone and Sea Cucumber, they form the 'heavenly kings of the Chinese new year goodies. The fish maw looks like a bag soaking in the soup. This dish symbolises bags of safety and fortune.

Roast-meat Combination

In the past, the people are poorer. Meat and seafood can only be seen on the dining table during festive seasons. To see the 3 roast meat of chicken, duck and pork (char siew), it symbolises the wealth of the family and the importance of the occasions.

Oysters

Oysters, in Chinese, sound like "good" in Chinese. Everyone wants to begin the new year on the right note with all the well-wishes. Hence, eating oysters will mean that we are receiving all the goodies in our lives in the new year. Similarly, oysters look like bags to hold all our treasures.

Glutionous Rice

Rice is a staple in Chinese families. The stickiness of glutionous rice symbolises the stickiness of the human relationships and the bonding of the families.

Sauteed Prawns with Celery

Celery, in Chinese, is pronounced in the same way as hardwork in Chinese. Hence, eating celeries will mean that we continue to work hard to pursue our careers, our studies and maintaining our home. Chinese believes that hardwork is critical for achieving greater success and wealth. Prawns, in Cantonese read as "Ha", which in Chinese and other languages often associate with laughter and happiness.

Red Bean Dumpling with Lotus

Dumpling is often consumed during the last day of CNY and during the winter solstice. Dumpling symbolises reunion. Red bean's sweetness complements the slightly blend glutinous dumpling. The sweetness of red bean will bring sweetness to the family while the red colour is THE auspicious colour of CNY.

What did you have for your reunion dinner? Did you also eat all the typical CNY food which all have 'hidden' and well-intentioned meanings?

Fireworks at Marina Bay

I have seen fireworks close-by in Hong Kong, but never in Singapore. Finally, I get to see the fireworks in Singapore skies. It was the opening ceremony of the Ang Pao at Singapore River. I chanced upon it when Ah Peng and I were going home after our dinner. Too bad, the fireworks were too low for us to see more of it.

Oblivion to Smell

Do you find that our nose can get used to certain smells so that we can cease to find the smell stimulating or revolting? We may even cease to detect the smell. This is especially so when the smell is on us or on people close to us.

It is hard to smell the acidity of our perspiration, but it is easy to smell others. After using the perfume for some time, we often think that the fragrance has reduced in intensity, but our friends can still detect it when they are near us. Maybe this is the way nature works. The sense of smell is nature's way of equipping us with another 'tool' both for protection and bonding. Sometimes, we may not hear or see something, but an 'unfriendly' smell can warn us of imminent danger. On the other hand, we like to smell good for our friends and family and we like to hang out with people whose smells appeal to us.

There are certain jobs which are closing associated with smell, both good and bad. If our nose do not get used to the smell after a while, the job can be too unbearable. For instance, someone working in a food factory may cease to notice the intensity of the smell after a while. A fishmonger will need to tolerate the fishy smell in order to enjoy his job. If our nose always function at high alert for all smells, it may be difficult to attract people to these industries.

Oblivion to smells may not be as good in certain situations. For instance, oblivion to smell may mean that we cannot enjoy the healing aspects of aromatherapy. Oblivion to smell may result in less platable and appetising cuisines. Oblivion to smells may cause certain embarrassment - we may not detect the dank smell associated with un-thoroughly dried clothes.

If you see me the next time, do let me know if you smell undried clothes on me before I embarrass myself further by standing close to too many people. If you enjoy the whiff of perfume on me, please let me know so that I know that my perfume has not evaporated leaving only water in the bottle. Being a thin-skinned person, I would also appreciate it if you could let me know subtly and discreetly. It's a pact. *Grin*

Jingen and Sirui, It’s a Pleasure Meeting You.

Jingen is slightly older than Sirui by about a month. Having seen their photos, I was honoured to say this was the first time I met the two ladies in person.

Jingen is chubbier with her round cheeks and dark hair. Sirui has bigger and brighter eyes which follow everyone’s movement. I have never seen a few-months’-old baby so up close and personal. From the small fingers to the burps, they were simply adorable.

I might be great at admiring them, but I had little confidence of being able to handle them. When Mingshan generously asked if I wanted to hold Sirui, I reluctantly declined. I was afraid I would mishandle Sirui. I had not carried a baby before. I did not know where to place my hands, how to hold her firm and how to ensure that she was comfortable in my carry. Being a blur and clumsy person, I dared not undertake this responsibility of carrying a baby yet. I was quite happy simply looking at Sirui and cooing and wowing over her every little action. Period. To hold her, maybe after I observed more on how other people carry babies before I try.

Jingen was crying sadly – pre-napping tantrum when I first reached. Then, it was her nap. After her nap, it was time for her ‘tea-break’. After food, it was time for her burps. She was very busy throughout our visit for us to have much time to interact with her.

Hopefully, the next time we meet, we will have more interaction. So long, my ladies. Till we meet again.

Travelling Beyond the Familiar Routes

Despite NEL being in operation for many years, I have not really explored the NEL. I have only taken NEL to go to VivoCity and Chinatown. The places I am at ease with are often the central and the west – where I used to stay and studied. Hence, when Nat invited us to her house, it was a great opportunity (gives me a purpose) to travel beyond the familiar areas.

I have always equated Boon Keng to industrial area – some of the most well-known manufacturing companies in Singapore are situated here. I have never realized it is also a residential estate.

Taking NEL reminds me of the MRT when it first starts. It is filled but not overcrowded. The passengers at least have enough leg room while standing. Strangely, without the claustrophobic feeling, the train journey is a much pleasant and seemingly shorter one.

When I step out of the train station, it is amazing to see that the entrance of the station is framed by 2 blocks of flats. Most of the train stations in the north-south and east-west lines are never this close to a block of flats, partly because the train stations in the those lines are normally situated at the town centre and are above grounds. The underground train allows the residents in the area the accessibility without the noise inconvenience.

Having always stayed near a main road, I have forgotten the tranquility of the places away from the roads. Time spent in such places seem to slow down. It takes some time for me to get used to.

Singapore has always been known to a small place. Yet, for someone who has lived in Singapore for twenty odd years, I regret to confess there are still many corners in Singapore where I have not been to.

Chinese New Year's Preparation

5050, KW and I met for lunch again. It has been weeks since we last had lunch together. We have to meet before 5050 departs for Hong Kong for his CNY.

As CNY is just around the corner, the topic of the day is of course CNY related. From the celebrations overseas (Hong Kong and Malaysia) to the type of food and the preparation, we have loads to talk about.

This is also the year I feel I am most ill-prepared. I feel so lazy that I even bypass my usual spring cleaning. I still run through my things to throw away the unwanted, but I do not wipe and clean. Somehow, I just feel lethargic and cannot be bothered. Moreover, very few people hardly notice the dust inside the drawers. Cleaning them is often a way of making yourself feel good instead of to meet the scrutiny of your guests.

In terms of food, I have cut down on replenishment as well since year-in-year-out, most of the food goes to the dustbin at the end of the 15 days celebration. To promote environmentally friendly, we should not waste food, so I have just bought the minimal new year goodies.

Next week, CNY will be here. Have you completed your preparation?