I have found my new love after the previous Channel 8's drama serial (the one with Ivy Lee as a lawyer) ended its run. My latest love is the Channel U's 7pm Korean drama serial - Princess Hours. Following Shen Caijing through her adventures is somehow a great remedy to dispel the exhaustion and gloominess of the day.
A very informal poll among some of my friends revealed that many are also ardent fans of this serial. In fact, 2 of them have not been able to withstand the anticipation of what will happen next in the serial and have succumbed to watching the serial over VCDs. *Envy*
It is basically a story about an ordinary and cheerful girl who was betrothed to the Crown Prince. Her adventures and heartbreak started from the day she entered the Palace as the Crown Princess.
I remembered a scene where Shen Caijing was hallucinating that she spoke back to the Prince for his arrogant and aloof attitude after she spilled water onto his shoes. She was telling the Prince off for being so full of himself just because he was the Prince. She added that in her family, she was also the Princess. Applause for such an encouraging and esteem boosting speech!
Somehow, now the highlight of the day is to rush home for my 1 hour of Princess Hours dosage of laughter and energy booster. ;-p
October 30, 2006
October 28, 2006
Siglap
My friend and I went to Siglap - a place I have never ventured to, for dinner tonight. I am hardly an east side kind of person, so I am completely lost when you ask me where are the nice places in the east. I always think the east is 'far far away'. Perhaps a person staying in the east will think that the north and the west are similarly 'far far away'.
My friend was just recovering from flu, so we opted for the blander Vietnamese food. The pomelo salad was rather refreshing. I had the shredded chicken noodle which I felt was a pretty healthy choice.
Then we adjourned to a cafe which specialises in cheese cakes for beverage. No, I did not choose chamomile tea this time as it was not even on the menu. In the end, I have ordered hot milk which I thought was equally healthy.
The ambience was nice - with alot of oldies being played in the background, eg "Over the rainbow". The decor was slightly Victorian (the lighting and the sculpture) but with al fresco and some contemporary art. The sofa was comfortable and relaxing. I did not find the cheese cake extraordinary as I felt the taste was slightly heavy. Pardon me, I am not exactly a connoisseur when it comes to cheese cake.
Siglap offers a whole stretch of a variety of dining choices and eateries. It was relaxed and not as crowded as other places in town. If one prefers a quieter place to get together with friends, it may be a good alternative.
My friend was just recovering from flu, so we opted for the blander Vietnamese food. The pomelo salad was rather refreshing. I had the shredded chicken noodle which I felt was a pretty healthy choice.
Then we adjourned to a cafe which specialises in cheese cakes for beverage. No, I did not choose chamomile tea this time as it was not even on the menu. In the end, I have ordered hot milk which I thought was equally healthy.
The ambience was nice - with alot of oldies being played in the background, eg "Over the rainbow". The decor was slightly Victorian (the lighting and the sculpture) but with al fresco and some contemporary art. The sofa was comfortable and relaxing. I did not find the cheese cake extraordinary as I felt the taste was slightly heavy. Pardon me, I am not exactly a connoisseur when it comes to cheese cake.
Siglap offers a whole stretch of a variety of dining choices and eateries. It was relaxed and not as crowded as other places in town. If one prefers a quieter place to get together with friends, it may be a good alternative.
Mums
I brought my mum to the gym today to introduce her to treadmill. Not that I am an expert when it comes to dealing with machines, but perhaps I am slightly more 'knowledgeable' about a treadmill than her.
Although I grow up in an age where computers have already infiltrated our lives, I still have a nagging fear of machines - the fear that if I press a button and then see smoke or the screen goes black. When dealing with any intelligent machines (more intelligent and automated than me), I proceed with caution. Afterall, 2 PCs have crashed while under my care. Before I go on, I must stress that their dying have absolutely NO connection to me! Their 'corruption' and eventual 'passing away' are pure unfortunate events.
Anyway, back to the gym story. My mum was terribly concerned when I attempted to start the treadmill for her. She struggled with her first few steps but managed to get the hang of it after a while. Her alarm bells started ringing again when she saw me running on the treadmill.
"Don't run! You will fall!"
"No, I won't!"
I am not trying to be defiant or rude. Given my poor motor skills and coordination, her concerns were not unfounded. However, you can either walk or run on a treadmill and the main function of the treadmill is to simulate 'real running', ie allows running on the spot to train you as if you are running in a park. Her cautions fell on deaf ears and I continued with my running.
Mums are still mums. No matter how old you are or even if you are already a parent yourself, they will still care and watch out for you.
Although age has caught up with my mum and it has reached a stage where I am watching out for her more than she can for me, she is still very insistent about sheltering and taking care of me. This does not apply only to my mum. My colleagues who are already the mothers of two share the same sentiments. In addition to their daughters, their mums have extended their protection and love to their grandchildren as well. In their eyes, we are always not capable of taking care of ourselves.
Mums are still the best! :-)
Although I grow up in an age where computers have already infiltrated our lives, I still have a nagging fear of machines - the fear that if I press a button and then see smoke or the screen goes black. When dealing with any intelligent machines (more intelligent and automated than me), I proceed with caution. Afterall, 2 PCs have crashed while under my care. Before I go on, I must stress that their dying have absolutely NO connection to me! Their 'corruption' and eventual 'passing away' are pure unfortunate events.
Anyway, back to the gym story. My mum was terribly concerned when I attempted to start the treadmill for her. She struggled with her first few steps but managed to get the hang of it after a while. Her alarm bells started ringing again when she saw me running on the treadmill.
"Don't run! You will fall!"
"No, I won't!"
I am not trying to be defiant or rude. Given my poor motor skills and coordination, her concerns were not unfounded. However, you can either walk or run on a treadmill and the main function of the treadmill is to simulate 'real running', ie allows running on the spot to train you as if you are running in a park. Her cautions fell on deaf ears and I continued with my running.
Mums are still mums. No matter how old you are or even if you are already a parent yourself, they will still care and watch out for you.
Although age has caught up with my mum and it has reached a stage where I am watching out for her more than she can for me, she is still very insistent about sheltering and taking care of me. This does not apply only to my mum. My colleagues who are already the mothers of two share the same sentiments. In addition to their daughters, their mums have extended their protection and love to their grandchildren as well. In their eyes, we are always not capable of taking care of ourselves.
Mums are still the best! :-)
October 27, 2006
A Mad Rush
A word from the CEO and we scrambled for information and had to put in place a succint, analytical and insightful 'pack'.
Yesterday, we rushed out the numbers, slides and analysis in one day. When we thought the dust has settled, my boss wanted a review of the slides. A meeting was called at 6 pm. Oh no, there went my dinner with my friends...
Anyway, the whole team stayed to go through the slides with our bosses. We were crossing our fingers and hoped that it could end by 8 pm, even though there were 40 over slides to run through. As we went through each slide, our bosses probed with more pointed questions. I was so embarrassed about the analyses that I have done! They sounded superficial, wishy-washy and to some extent conflicting. My colleagues have a lot more 'substance' in their analyses.
My boss requested us to prepare speakers' notes to elaborate on our analyses. The comparatives also had to be changed. By the time, we finished running the slides, it was already 10pm. We were too tired to continue with the amendment of the slides and analyses.
This morning, we put on full steam and started our amendments. Again, everything had to be ready by 11 am. It was another mad rush with alot of multitasking, ie making amendments on excel, asking the junior officers to help with the chart, calling my business people for the business reasons for some of the numbers.
Finally, everything settled at 7 pm today.
Let's pray that the CEO will not come out with new questions or ideas on Mon, or it will be another mad rush. :-(
P.S. Although it was tough, it was a great learning experience. Pointers raised by my boss allowed me to learn more about what management review and analysis are about.
Yesterday, we rushed out the numbers, slides and analysis in one day. When we thought the dust has settled, my boss wanted a review of the slides. A meeting was called at 6 pm. Oh no, there went my dinner with my friends...
Anyway, the whole team stayed to go through the slides with our bosses. We were crossing our fingers and hoped that it could end by 8 pm, even though there were 40 over slides to run through. As we went through each slide, our bosses probed with more pointed questions. I was so embarrassed about the analyses that I have done! They sounded superficial, wishy-washy and to some extent conflicting. My colleagues have a lot more 'substance' in their analyses.
My boss requested us to prepare speakers' notes to elaborate on our analyses. The comparatives also had to be changed. By the time, we finished running the slides, it was already 10pm. We were too tired to continue with the amendment of the slides and analyses.
This morning, we put on full steam and started our amendments. Again, everything had to be ready by 11 am. It was another mad rush with alot of multitasking, ie making amendments on excel, asking the junior officers to help with the chart, calling my business people for the business reasons for some of the numbers.
Finally, everything settled at 7 pm today.
Let's pray that the CEO will not come out with new questions or ideas on Mon, or it will be another mad rush. :-(
P.S. Although it was tough, it was a great learning experience. Pointers raised by my boss allowed me to learn more about what management review and analysis are about.
October 24, 2006
Peer Pressure?
I heard a piece of rather amusing report this morning and thought of sharing with you.
There was a report that the proportion of girls who were from girls' school was 50% among all the girls who have to receive help for eating disorders. My first reaction was it seemed very high and could it be due to peer pressure. On second thoughts, a girl will either come from a girls' school or a co-ed school, so the proportion of 50-50 is just a simple probability?
Then you may have argued that the proportion of girls' school to co-ed schools is definitely not 50-50, so the number of girls who suffered from eating disorders and who studied in girls' schools is still high. Then I will counter-argue that the number of girls in a girls' school is definitely higher than the number of girls in a co-ed school, thus the 50-50 again is a simple probability?
Am I getting more and more cynical about such reports and studies or am I over-defensive over girls from girls' school?
There was a report that the proportion of girls who were from girls' school was 50% among all the girls who have to receive help for eating disorders. My first reaction was it seemed very high and could it be due to peer pressure. On second thoughts, a girl will either come from a girls' school or a co-ed school, so the proportion of 50-50 is just a simple probability?
Then you may have argued that the proportion of girls' school to co-ed schools is definitely not 50-50, so the number of girls who suffered from eating disorders and who studied in girls' schools is still high. Then I will counter-argue that the number of girls in a girls' school is definitely higher than the number of girls in a co-ed school, thus the 50-50 again is a simple probability?
Am I getting more and more cynical about such reports and studies or am I over-defensive over girls from girls' school?
October 23, 2006
Allergic to Voice?
Can one be allergic to another's voice?
Somehow hearing this colleague speak in person is not as bad as hearing her speak over the phone. Whenever I hear her over the phone, I will get extremely irritable. My patience starts to wear thin and my only hope is to end that conversation that very second.
I have reached my limit today where I can barely control my irritance. She must have sensed that I was upset. She has even asked if I was very occupied with other things. Trust me, I was really trying very hard to control myself and avoid showing any signs of fustration. I guess I must have failed miserably.
This allergy is causing a very adverse reaction in my mood and if left uncontrolled, may even put a strain on our working relationship. We will still need to work with each other frequently in future. It is currently threatening my professionalism. *Sigh*
Can I overcome this allergy to her voice? :-(
Somehow hearing this colleague speak in person is not as bad as hearing her speak over the phone. Whenever I hear her over the phone, I will get extremely irritable. My patience starts to wear thin and my only hope is to end that conversation that very second.
I have reached my limit today where I can barely control my irritance. She must have sensed that I was upset. She has even asked if I was very occupied with other things. Trust me, I was really trying very hard to control myself and avoid showing any signs of fustration. I guess I must have failed miserably.
This allergy is causing a very adverse reaction in my mood and if left uncontrolled, may even put a strain on our working relationship. We will still need to work with each other frequently in future. It is currently threatening my professionalism. *Sigh*
Can I overcome this allergy to her voice? :-(
October 22, 2006
Dear
You must be thinking I am referring to my better half. Or who else will I be addressing "Dear" to? For those who have worked closely with me at work or have seen the more 'agressive' side of me at work, you would have realised that if I start addressing a particular colleague as "Dear", the person is going to be 'in' for big time. It is almost like a precursor to my tirades of scolding. *Sheepish Grin*
The "Dear" I am referring to here is definitely not the sarcastic "Dear" reserved for the more upsetting moments. The "Dear" here is one of my best friend. We always address each other as "Dear", so the next time you hear me speaking to my "Dear" on the phone, you would know who I am talking to. *Wink*
We first met when we were in Secondary One. We always sat quite near each other during exams as her class number was often slightly before mine (because of the alphabets of our surnames). She was once my guardian angel who would shower me with frequent notes and encouragements. She was also one of my "granddaughters" as we liked to play "family" in our secondary school days.
We became closer when we went to JC since we ended up in the same class again. Moreover, we were one of the earlier arrivals everyday, so we would chit chat outside the classroom. I guess that was when we started to become closer. She used to live very near school and we often had our class barbecues at her house. Sometimes, I even dropped by her house in the afternoon after school.
Soon after graduation from JC, she went to UK for her tertiary studies while I stayed in Singapore. I cannot recall in details how we kept in contact during the period, guess it was mostly via ICQ (MSN and Yahoo messenger were not popular then).
We "rekindled" frequent contact when she came back to Singapore. We met almost weekly and often over sushi, porridge or la mian to complain about work and to shop. Sometimes, "Big Apple" (her younger brother) would gate-crash our outings. Actually, it was more like "Dear" had to bring along "Big Apple" under my incessant pleading (I always have a soft spot for "Big Apple" and somehow seeing "Big Apple" was one of the happiest moment of the week). He was quite good at cheering the 2 long-faced adults, even though it could be troublesome at times as we usually would need to make a detour to the Toys Department.
When work began to pile up for both of us, it became increasingly difficult to keep to the "once-a-week" meeting. Although we did not meet as frequently, we would still catch up via short SMS or over MSN. Through these years, she has always stands by me when I go through my ups and downs.
Soon, she will be moving to another phase in her life and I hope we can still keep our friendship (and also our shopping and eating) going strong thereafter.
The "Dear" I am referring to here is definitely not the sarcastic "Dear" reserved for the more upsetting moments. The "Dear" here is one of my best friend. We always address each other as "Dear", so the next time you hear me speaking to my "Dear" on the phone, you would know who I am talking to. *Wink*
We first met when we were in Secondary One. We always sat quite near each other during exams as her class number was often slightly before mine (because of the alphabets of our surnames). She was once my guardian angel who would shower me with frequent notes and encouragements. She was also one of my "granddaughters" as we liked to play "family" in our secondary school days.
We became closer when we went to JC since we ended up in the same class again. Moreover, we were one of the earlier arrivals everyday, so we would chit chat outside the classroom. I guess that was when we started to become closer. She used to live very near school and we often had our class barbecues at her house. Sometimes, I even dropped by her house in the afternoon after school.
Soon after graduation from JC, she went to UK for her tertiary studies while I stayed in Singapore. I cannot recall in details how we kept in contact during the period, guess it was mostly via ICQ (MSN and Yahoo messenger were not popular then).
We "rekindled" frequent contact when she came back to Singapore. We met almost weekly and often over sushi, porridge or la mian to complain about work and to shop. Sometimes, "Big Apple" (her younger brother) would gate-crash our outings. Actually, it was more like "Dear" had to bring along "Big Apple" under my incessant pleading (I always have a soft spot for "Big Apple" and somehow seeing "Big Apple" was one of the happiest moment of the week). He was quite good at cheering the 2 long-faced adults, even though it could be troublesome at times as we usually would need to make a detour to the Toys Department.
When work began to pile up for both of us, it became increasingly difficult to keep to the "once-a-week" meeting. Although we did not meet as frequently, we would still catch up via short SMS or over MSN. Through these years, she has always stands by me when I go through my ups and downs.
Soon, she will be moving to another phase in her life and I hope we can still keep our friendship (and also our shopping and eating) going strong thereafter.
October 21, 2006
Chamomile Tea
Again? You may be asking. Yes! Again, I ordered chamomile tea for my after-dinner beverage yesterday. This time, it is from Coffee Club.
Similar to other teas offered by Coffee Club, this comes in a pot. Fresh chamomile was used to brew the tea. Wow, this was the first time my friends and I have seen chamomile. Only then did we know that chamomile is a flower. Ok, I know you must now be giggling behind our backs on how ‘mountain tortoise’ we were. Well, it is never too late to find out. *Grin*
The fragrance was strong but soothing and the taste was light. The colour was pale yellow. It was fabulous. I guess this has even surpassed the one at PS Café.
It was like a small treat for myself after a long and hectic day (by the way, I finished meeting at 7pm and then rushed out the slides for my boss within half an hour). It made me feel happier instantly.
You must be thinking that I am exaggerating again or what an easily satisfied person I am. Well, I always believe in taking pleasures in little things to brighten my day, so that life is not so dreary.
Do you agree?
Similar to other teas offered by Coffee Club, this comes in a pot. Fresh chamomile was used to brew the tea. Wow, this was the first time my friends and I have seen chamomile. Only then did we know that chamomile is a flower. Ok, I know you must now be giggling behind our backs on how ‘mountain tortoise’ we were. Well, it is never too late to find out. *Grin*
The fragrance was strong but soothing and the taste was light. The colour was pale yellow. It was fabulous. I guess this has even surpassed the one at PS Café.It was like a small treat for myself after a long and hectic day (by the way, I finished meeting at 7pm and then rushed out the slides for my boss within half an hour). It made me feel happier instantly.
You must be thinking that I am exaggerating again or what an easily satisfied person I am. Well, I always believe in taking pleasures in little things to brighten my day, so that life is not so dreary.
Do you agree?
Expectations
One of my friends was suggesting that life would be simpler if everyone could master the art of having no expectations. Indeed, life can be simpler when everyone accepts whatever that comes along without prejudice and anticipation. Yet, is this desirable?
One may suggest that the notion of desire is already itself a judgment rather than science. Desire is already built on ideals. Before we plummet into another labyrinth of arguments, let us focus on expectation and assume desirability to be a state that is beneficial to the society.
Imagine if we have no expectation of ourselves, of tomorrow, of our current state, of the people around us and of everything else. Imagine that we just coast along from day to day. Yes, life is simpler because there is no conflict from expectation gap and management. There is no demoralization or disappointment associated with any shortfall of reality versus expectation. However, there will also be no improvement as one will not seek to better themselves when there is no benchmark. The society as a whole will stagnate. When there is no disappointment with shortfall in expectation, there will also be no motivation or delight in exceeding expectation. Basically, life becomes bland.
When one has ideal, dream or desire, it is impossible not to have expectation. Life loses meaning when one has no ideal, dream nor desire. Having a life does not equate living. Living brings out the meaning of life.
I am supportive of the idea of simplifying issues and even a simple life. Why complicate things unnecessarily? However, this definitely does not mean oversimplifying things. To me, having no expectation may be an example of simplifying things, perhaps it is even an escape from life.
Be brave. Dare to dream and build your expectations. Motivate yourself to meet or even exceed your expectations. If all things fail, at least you have made a chivalrous attempt and you may gain more from the process.
One may suggest that the notion of desire is already itself a judgment rather than science. Desire is already built on ideals. Before we plummet into another labyrinth of arguments, let us focus on expectation and assume desirability to be a state that is beneficial to the society.
Imagine if we have no expectation of ourselves, of tomorrow, of our current state, of the people around us and of everything else. Imagine that we just coast along from day to day. Yes, life is simpler because there is no conflict from expectation gap and management. There is no demoralization or disappointment associated with any shortfall of reality versus expectation. However, there will also be no improvement as one will not seek to better themselves when there is no benchmark. The society as a whole will stagnate. When there is no disappointment with shortfall in expectation, there will also be no motivation or delight in exceeding expectation. Basically, life becomes bland.
When one has ideal, dream or desire, it is impossible not to have expectation. Life loses meaning when one has no ideal, dream nor desire. Having a life does not equate living. Living brings out the meaning of life.
I am supportive of the idea of simplifying issues and even a simple life. Why complicate things unnecessarily? However, this definitely does not mean oversimplifying things. To me, having no expectation may be an example of simplifying things, perhaps it is even an escape from life.
Be brave. Dare to dream and build your expectations. Motivate yourself to meet or even exceed your expectations. If all things fail, at least you have made a chivalrous attempt and you may gain more from the process.
October 19, 2006
A Slightly Philosophical Series
If you like to question about the meaning of life, I would like to recommend a TV series which has injected philosophical issues to the drama. It is “Joan of Arcadia” which is showing every Sunday from 5pm to 6 pm on Channel 5.
The plot revolved around Joan who was a high school student and who was able to communicate with God. God often appeared as different strangers around Joan to pass different messages to Joan. Joan would then carry out the tasks which she has been instructed. In doing so, she helped others and helped herself.
Initially, she also asked God for miracles and answers. Gradually, she realized that she would need to work towards the outcomes, rather than wait for miracles. She would also need to seek answers herself. Things happened for a reason and one should not always see things at face value.
The theme was rather unique, and rather thought-provoking. If you happen to be at home on Sunday afternoon and have nothing else better to do, it may be worthwhile watching. Personally, I thought this series offers a break from the usual reality TV.
The plot revolved around Joan who was a high school student and who was able to communicate with God. God often appeared as different strangers around Joan to pass different messages to Joan. Joan would then carry out the tasks which she has been instructed. In doing so, she helped others and helped herself.
Initially, she also asked God for miracles and answers. Gradually, she realized that she would need to work towards the outcomes, rather than wait for miracles. She would also need to seek answers herself. Things happened for a reason and one should not always see things at face value.
The theme was rather unique, and rather thought-provoking. If you happen to be at home on Sunday afternoon and have nothing else better to do, it may be worthwhile watching. Personally, I thought this series offers a break from the usual reality TV.
October 18, 2006
Furniture Hunt
One of the upper floors would be undergoing renovation. After the renovation, it would be lower cubicles and more open concept. To accommodate this new concept, the current furniture has to be replaced. Most of the chairs and cabinets were in pretty good condition, at least in better condition than what we have.
Having heard that there were many good and well-maintained chairs up for grabs, my colleagues and I decided to take a look and reserve the better ones for our own use. In case, you have not heard, although I have a full cubicle to myself, the furniture was abit old, especially the chairs.
Too bad, we heard of such good bargains too late. By then, most of the chairs were gone. However, I have still managed to lay my hands on 2 visitors’ chairs for my cubicle. Then I have also managed to find a better chair to replace my current one which was giving my backaches. Even my boss joined in the crowd to see what sort of furniture we have managed to “chopped” and even helped us push down the chairs.
Coincidentally, they were all the same colour. Great! Now I have matching furniture for my cubicle.
P.S. We did all these in the middle of a meeting. My boss actually granted the 3 of us who wished to change our chairs 15 min to 'shop' and 'grab' our chairs. ;-p
Having heard that there were many good and well-maintained chairs up for grabs, my colleagues and I decided to take a look and reserve the better ones for our own use. In case, you have not heard, although I have a full cubicle to myself, the furniture was abit old, especially the chairs.
Too bad, we heard of such good bargains too late. By then, most of the chairs were gone. However, I have still managed to lay my hands on 2 visitors’ chairs for my cubicle. Then I have also managed to find a better chair to replace my current one which was giving my backaches. Even my boss joined in the crowd to see what sort of furniture we have managed to “chopped” and even helped us push down the chairs.
Coincidentally, they were all the same colour. Great! Now I have matching furniture for my cubicle.
P.S. We did all these in the middle of a meeting. My boss actually granted the 3 of us who wished to change our chairs 15 min to 'shop' and 'grab' our chairs. ;-p
October 16, 2006
Blog TV
I have seen trailer of a new TV program which will be launched soon. It is titled “Blog TV” which essentially will be exploring the blog culture. For those who blog, who wish to know more about the blog or who read blogs, it may be worthwhile to take a peek at the program.
One of the issues mentioned during the trailer was that of blogging encourages a ‘me’ culture. Food for thought? In fact, all blogs at one point in time will definitely be a platform for the blogger to indulge in writing about oneself. It is often a matter of degree and frequency. Regardless of your style or intention, a blog, at its minimum, captures your experience. Since experiences are always unique and personal, a blog inevitably becomes a convenient medium for a blogger to talk about himself or herself. Perhaps in some people’s opnion, this encourages a very self-centred and, at its worst, a narcissistic personality where one talks only about himself or herself.
In other times, a blog can even breach on issue of authenticity of the content where the blogger can be ‘inventing facts’, especially for someone who is gifted with a creative and imaginative mind. It can also be a case where the blogger has unintentionally translated his or her fantasy to reality. Sometimes, it is easy to mistake fantasy to reality.
However, I will urge all to not take such a serious stance.
Blogging encourages a ‘me’ attitude? In a similar light, so do diaries and journals. Blogging is commonly known as the electronic form of diaries and journals. Yet, diaries and journals are often encouraged. They are supposed to improve one’s ability to express oneself and even help one release stress. I have heard that it was often a remedy employed by psychiatrist. The only difference is that blogging is open reading for all, while diaries are secrets and journals are only read by a selected group of ‘privileged’ people.
Our thinkings and feelings are often figments of our mind. The authenticity of thinkings and feelings cannot be easily verified with facts. Moreover, does anyone actually view thinkings and feelings as genuine or not? I am afraid not.
Even if some bloggers choose to create events or happenings, readers of the blog can often take things with a pinch of salt. Blogging is not meant for reporting facts. If a blogger chooses to hide behind a pseudo identity in his or her blog, we can often indulge the blogger a little. This is perhaps the blogger’s choice to escape from the harsh reality. As long as this distortion does not cause harm to anyone else or infringe upon any law, and as long as the blogger does not lose himself or herself in this imaginative world, this may be the long-lost creativity that we are trying to encourage?
Perhaps this sounds rather controversial and may incur the wrath of many bloggers, but believe me, I am neither a regulator, nor a moralist. By now, you would have realized that I have merely presented 2 sides of the coin.
I have again chosen to sit on the fence as what I have usually done in my GP essays in the past. ;-p
Afternote: Think it is either CNA or Channel 5 and one of the hosts is Flying Dutchman, don't recognise the female host though.
One of the issues mentioned during the trailer was that of blogging encourages a ‘me’ culture. Food for thought? In fact, all blogs at one point in time will definitely be a platform for the blogger to indulge in writing about oneself. It is often a matter of degree and frequency. Regardless of your style or intention, a blog, at its minimum, captures your experience. Since experiences are always unique and personal, a blog inevitably becomes a convenient medium for a blogger to talk about himself or herself. Perhaps in some people’s opnion, this encourages a very self-centred and, at its worst, a narcissistic personality where one talks only about himself or herself.
In other times, a blog can even breach on issue of authenticity of the content where the blogger can be ‘inventing facts’, especially for someone who is gifted with a creative and imaginative mind. It can also be a case where the blogger has unintentionally translated his or her fantasy to reality. Sometimes, it is easy to mistake fantasy to reality.
However, I will urge all to not take such a serious stance.
Blogging encourages a ‘me’ attitude? In a similar light, so do diaries and journals. Blogging is commonly known as the electronic form of diaries and journals. Yet, diaries and journals are often encouraged. They are supposed to improve one’s ability to express oneself and even help one release stress. I have heard that it was often a remedy employed by psychiatrist. The only difference is that blogging is open reading for all, while diaries are secrets and journals are only read by a selected group of ‘privileged’ people.
Our thinkings and feelings are often figments of our mind. The authenticity of thinkings and feelings cannot be easily verified with facts. Moreover, does anyone actually view thinkings and feelings as genuine or not? I am afraid not.
Even if some bloggers choose to create events or happenings, readers of the blog can often take things with a pinch of salt. Blogging is not meant for reporting facts. If a blogger chooses to hide behind a pseudo identity in his or her blog, we can often indulge the blogger a little. This is perhaps the blogger’s choice to escape from the harsh reality. As long as this distortion does not cause harm to anyone else or infringe upon any law, and as long as the blogger does not lose himself or herself in this imaginative world, this may be the long-lost creativity that we are trying to encourage?
Perhaps this sounds rather controversial and may incur the wrath of many bloggers, but believe me, I am neither a regulator, nor a moralist. By now, you would have realized that I have merely presented 2 sides of the coin.
I have again chosen to sit on the fence as what I have usually done in my GP essays in the past. ;-p
Afternote: Think it is either CNA or Channel 5 and one of the hosts is Flying Dutchman, don't recognise the female host though.
October 15, 2006
Girls’ Romance with Big Bags
Despite Ms Chan’s and my lukewarm support, Ah Peng was still determined to get her big white bag yesterday. Ms Chan even jokingly asked if she has decided to go back to school as a big bag is often associated with studies. Although neither of us was doing any studies, both Ms Chan and I were also carrying big bags yesterday.
Although a small dainty bag is often more demure, we girls often ditch style in favour of convenience. Indeed, a big bag is very handy in any situation. This is especially so for the more aspiring ‘auntie’ girls like me. We are more secured only when we have our foldable umbrella, water bottle(s) (I carry 2 if I will be out for at least half a day), shawl, promotion vouchers/coupons and even camera, in addition to our wallet, card holder, and mobile phone. It is a tall task to stuff all the above into a miniscule bag and even more mission impossible to take anything out later. A big bag will be able to satisfy all our needs.
I like to carry my big bag whenever I go shopping.
1) My wallet and mobile phone are buried deep among other things. It will be less susceptible to pick pockets.
2) I can put in many bottles of water as I take a lot of water normally.
3) Some of my purchases can be dumped into my bag, leaving both my hands free to look at other things.
It is black in colour which means I do not need to take too much care in maintaining it. When one goes Mango or Isetan sale, one may need to dump your bag on the floor while you try on in front of the mirror. If your bag is light in colour, any dirt or stain may be more apparent and such ‘neglect’ for your bag is a definite no-no.
4) It can act as a protective gear, especially in crowded place, from all the shoving and jostling among the girls during sale. A big bag means the next person beside you is already separated at a ‘bag’s length’ and you will be less vulnerable to any shoving or ‘hangar-attack’ from her.
5) Finally, after a long day, the big bag is very good for hugging when you can sit down to enjoy your coffee or on the train/bus home.
No matter how lady-like a girl is, I am sure she will have her ‘secret weapon’ (her big bag) hidden somewhere in her wardrobe. We simply love big bags. ;-p
Blur Again
Everyone who has seen me for the past few days have either stolen discreet glances or stared openly at my right arm. There was a huge ugly patch of blue-black pasted right in the middle. It was again another mishap of my blur and clumsy act.
My ‘overhead’ cabinet in office has a door which has to be pulled out and up and slided in above top of the cabinet when I want to fully open the cabinet. This is also where I store my notebook. I was taking down my notebook when the slided door slided outwards and downwards while I was holding my notebook. I have not pushed in the slided door backwards enough when I opened the cabinet. The door slammed right into my right arm. Luckily, I have not dropped my notebook in pain. Before I knew it, a large patch of greenish purple developed.
Those who were more candid inquired after my ‘injury’. Some just stared and were simply too embarrassed to utter anything, for fear that there was some untold story behind it. People who knew me would then shake their heads upon hearing the background. I guess they have already gotten used to my blurness and clumsiness over time.
Over these few days, the patch has developed from greenish purple to purplish black to blacklish brown and now brownish yellow. I guess it is on its way to recovery.
Hurray! Good bye to embarrassing stares for the time-being…
My ‘overhead’ cabinet in office has a door which has to be pulled out and up and slided in above top of the cabinet when I want to fully open the cabinet. This is also where I store my notebook. I was taking down my notebook when the slided door slided outwards and downwards while I was holding my notebook. I have not pushed in the slided door backwards enough when I opened the cabinet. The door slammed right into my right arm. Luckily, I have not dropped my notebook in pain. Before I knew it, a large patch of greenish purple developed.
Those who were more candid inquired after my ‘injury’. Some just stared and were simply too embarrassed to utter anything, for fear that there was some untold story behind it. People who knew me would then shake their heads upon hearing the background. I guess they have already gotten used to my blurness and clumsiness over time.
Over these few days, the patch has developed from greenish purple to purplish black to blacklish brown and now brownish yellow. I guess it is on its way to recovery.
Hurray! Good bye to embarrassing stares for the time-being…
Hard Disk Crashed!
For those who have met me over the last 2 days would have heard my incessant complaints about my dying, or rather dead, office desktop. It has decided to declare itself holidays from Thursday onwards, even though it is not yet Deepavali or Hari Raya.
You might also have heard about my grumbles about the 'relaxed' attitude of the helpdesk in resolving the problem. ('Relaxed' is meant to be a euphemism here, in case you did not manage to catch the sarcasm).
If you have the illusion that I have skived around for the past few days since I practically could not work without my desktop, I could assure you it was indeed a mere illusion. Firstly, I have saved most files in my hard disk without backups. This implied that I have re-create some of the critical files which I require in the next few days. Secondly, I also carry a notebook at the same time (fortunately). It took me some time to get used to the notebook because it was of a different brand from what I used to have, ie HP vs Acer now.
In case you are wondering why on earth would I be using a desktop when I already have a notebook. I personally prefer working on desktop because the screen was bigger. I work with spreadsheets alot. A bigger screen will not cause as much strain to my eyes as a notebook.
Then you must be wondering why on earth would my boss be issuing me a notebook when I can work on desktop. My boss is not wasting resources. The nature of my work requires me to attend meetings frequently and for long periods of time as I support the business people. Access to a notebook means that I can work more effectively off my workstation and with my business managers.
As I get used to my notebook, I really learn to appreciate it better as it is really small and light, much lighter than the previous HP. Perhaps my hard disk crashed at an opportune time to 'force' me to really learn to use my notebook. ;-p
You might also have heard about my grumbles about the 'relaxed' attitude of the helpdesk in resolving the problem. ('Relaxed' is meant to be a euphemism here, in case you did not manage to catch the sarcasm).
If you have the illusion that I have skived around for the past few days since I practically could not work without my desktop, I could assure you it was indeed a mere illusion. Firstly, I have saved most files in my hard disk without backups. This implied that I have re-create some of the critical files which I require in the next few days. Secondly, I also carry a notebook at the same time (fortunately). It took me some time to get used to the notebook because it was of a different brand from what I used to have, ie HP vs Acer now.
In case you are wondering why on earth would I be using a desktop when I already have a notebook. I personally prefer working on desktop because the screen was bigger. I work with spreadsheets alot. A bigger screen will not cause as much strain to my eyes as a notebook.
Then you must be wondering why on earth would my boss be issuing me a notebook when I can work on desktop. My boss is not wasting resources. The nature of my work requires me to attend meetings frequently and for long periods of time as I support the business people. Access to a notebook means that I can work more effectively off my workstation and with my business managers.
As I get used to my notebook, I really learn to appreciate it better as it is really small and light, much lighter than the previous HP. Perhaps my hard disk crashed at an opportune time to 'force' me to really learn to use my notebook. ;-p
October 14, 2006
Food Trail
I have eaten alot today. I really mean ALOT, especially the dinner. Before I move on, please get tissue ready as I share with you the mouth-watering food I have eaten today.
Lunch
I met my ex-colleagues. Can I refer to ourselves as the 3 musketeers - Ah Peng, Ms Chan and me? The reason is you would have noticed by now that I met up with many ex-colleagues and not to confuse you with who I was meeting, I might need to give a name to different cliques soon.
We went to Aiwo because we decided to eat something healthier. I had Atlantic Seabass. Ms Chan had Pan-fried Salmon and Ah Peng had lemon and rosemary chicken. It was served with barley. Initially, I thought it looked decievingly small portion, but it was quite filling. The place was rather quiet and good for chi chatting. We were busy taking photos of the food for 
they had good presentation. (The waitresses and waiters must be thinking we were commercial spies.)
Personally, felt that it was not that healthy as I found the food abit salty. Or perhaps I am getting old and prefer blander food.
Dessert
We decided to go for 'Hokkaido' ice-cream - the ice-cream outlet at Marina Square. It was normally crowded on weekends with long queues.
As I was still feeling immense indigestion from the lunch, I did not share the dessert with the other musketeers. Think I must be getting old and metabolic rate has dropped drastically. I have experienced indigestion more often than noth these days.
Anyway, according to Ms Chan, the Strawberry Sundae was 'ok' - one of her normal responses. ;-p
Dinner
It was about 8 course (if I include everything I have put into my mouth) dinner which I have had. I really lost count. Let me do a mini list here.
1) raspberry sorbet (appetiser)
2) mushroom and cheese spread on bread
3) fruit salad
4) grilled mushroom
5) fish soup
6) bread crusted fish
7) sesame pudding
8) lavender tea
The staffs there were very warm. When I did not finish my raspberry sorbet, they have even asked me if I did not like the food.
It was a nice place to go to where the staffs were generally knowledgeable about the food and were warm towards the customers. However, perhaps it would be better if I have gone with an empty stomach rather than mild indigestion.
Oh no, I am growing fat. I must really go on diet and exercise.
LunchI met my ex-colleagues. Can I refer to ourselves as the 3 musketeers - Ah Peng, Ms Chan and me? The reason is you would have noticed by now that I met up with many ex-colleagues and not to confuse you with who I was meeting, I might need to give a name to different cliques soon.
We went to Aiwo because we decided to eat something healthier. I had Atlantic Seabass. Ms Chan had Pan-fried Salmon and Ah Peng had lemon and rosemary chicken. It was served with barley. Initially, I thought it looked decievingly small portion, but it was quite filling. The place was rather quiet and good for chi chatting. We were busy taking photos of the food for 
they had good presentation. (The waitresses and waiters must be thinking we were commercial spies.)Personally, felt that it was not that healthy as I found the food abit salty. Or perhaps I am getting old and prefer blander food.
Dessert
We decided to go for 'Hokkaido' ice-cream - the ice-cream outlet at Marina Square. It was normally crowded on weekends with long queues.
As I was still feeling immense indigestion from the lunch, I did not share the dessert with the other musketeers. Think I must be getting old and metabolic rate has dropped drastically. I have experienced indigestion more often than noth these days.
Anyway, according to Ms Chan, the Strawberry Sundae was 'ok' - one of her normal responses. ;-p
Dinner
It was about 8 course (if I include everything I have put into my mouth) dinner which I have had. I really lost count. Let me do a mini list here.
1) raspberry sorbet (appetiser)
2) mushroom and cheese spread on bread
3) fruit salad
4) grilled mushroom
5) fish soup
6) bread crusted fish
7) sesame pudding
8) lavender tea
The staffs there were very warm. When I did not finish my raspberry sorbet, they have even asked me if I did not like the food.
It was a nice place to go to where the staffs were generally knowledgeable about the food and were warm towards the customers. However, perhaps it would be better if I have gone with an empty stomach rather than mild indigestion.
Oh no, I am growing fat. I must really go on diet and exercise.
Bad Service?
When my excolleagues - Mich and Ah Xiong, and I went for dinner and after-dinner drinks on Fri night, we have encountered the same 'treatment' in 2 different F&B outlet.
To digress a little. You must be wondering why for someone who has been putting weight recently, I have been so indulgent in food, especially after you hear about the food I had. However, before you chide me for the lack of discipline, I must stress first that this is not the focus of what I am going to say next, so please leave your shaking of head to the last paragraph.
Back to the 'treatment' which we have been subject to. My colleagues and I have quite a good appetite on Friday. We managed to finish either our food or the drink not long after they are served. We were initially hoping that after we have satisfied our stomachs, we can then focus on catching up with one another. Afterall, we have not seen one another for some time and we missed the chats we had when we were working in the same office.
Much to our chagrin, the waitresses at the restaurant kept hovering our tables and clearing away the plates and cups - a very explicit signal for us to leave. When I asked one of the waitress to add more water, she has actually given me a blank look. I have to repeat my request several times. Is this a sign of my poor command of Chinese or does she have a hearing problem? In the end, she even attempted to take the entire glass away, until the Manager spotted that there seemed some confusion and walked over to assist. We were not unreasonable. We left soon after when we saw many people queuing outside waiting to be seated.
We adjourned to a coffee outlet again thinking that we should now be able to chit chat leisurely. It was the same kind of scenario. After we finished our drinks and cake, the waitress kept clearing away the glasses and plate, disrupting our conversations. Then she attempted to get us to order more. When we declined, she even asked us if we would like to ask for the bill. Fine. We could always pay first but stay on for our chit chat. After we have paid, she again came over to clear the last glass which my colleague has just finished drinking. Alright. We were not ignorant of the blatant 'hint', so we left soon after.
Is it this difficult to find a place where you can enjoy a quiet chit chat with your friends without constantly being 'harassed' by 'over-enthusiastic' waitresses/ waiters?
Am I asking too much to be given some peace while I am enjoying both the food and the chit chat while the restaurants can leave the clearing up to after we leave?
I thought it is commonly understood protocol that a well-trained and professional waitress / waiter will not never intrude or impose on the customers, but rather be in the background but will be more than willing to help when a customer has a request. Is this too ideal a picture to be painted for our service level? Perhaps before we look at going the extra mile for services (GEMS), we should first try to get the basics right.
Notwithstanding these 'hiccups' for the night, we still have had a pretty enjoyable chat and we parted the night with promises of more meet ups.
P.S. The brownie at the coffee outlet was indeed delicious and mouth watering.
To digress a little. You must be wondering why for someone who has been putting weight recently, I have been so indulgent in food, especially after you hear about the food I had. However, before you chide me for the lack of discipline, I must stress first that this is not the focus of what I am going to say next, so please leave your shaking of head to the last paragraph.
Back to the 'treatment' which we have been subject to. My colleagues and I have quite a good appetite on Friday. We managed to finish either our food or the drink not long after they are served. We were initially hoping that after we have satisfied our stomachs, we can then focus on catching up with one another. Afterall, we have not seen one another for some time and we missed the chats we had when we were working in the same office.
Much to our chagrin, the waitresses at the restaurant kept hovering our tables and clearing away the plates and cups - a very explicit signal for us to leave. When I asked one of the waitress to add more water, she has actually given me a blank look. I have to repeat my request several times. Is this a sign of my poor command of Chinese or does she have a hearing problem? In the end, she even attempted to take the entire glass away, until the Manager spotted that there seemed some confusion and walked over to assist. We were not unreasonable. We left soon after when we saw many people queuing outside waiting to be seated.
We adjourned to a coffee outlet again thinking that we should now be able to chit chat leisurely. It was the same kind of scenario. After we finished our drinks and cake, the waitress kept clearing away the glasses and plate, disrupting our conversations. Then she attempted to get us to order more. When we declined, she even asked us if we would like to ask for the bill. Fine. We could always pay first but stay on for our chit chat. After we have paid, she again came over to clear the last glass which my colleague has just finished drinking. Alright. We were not ignorant of the blatant 'hint', so we left soon after.
Is it this difficult to find a place where you can enjoy a quiet chit chat with your friends without constantly being 'harassed' by 'over-enthusiastic' waitresses/ waiters?
Am I asking too much to be given some peace while I am enjoying both the food and the chit chat while the restaurants can leave the clearing up to after we leave?
I thought it is commonly understood protocol that a well-trained and professional waitress / waiter will not never intrude or impose on the customers, but rather be in the background but will be more than willing to help when a customer has a request. Is this too ideal a picture to be painted for our service level? Perhaps before we look at going the extra mile for services (GEMS), we should first try to get the basics right.
Notwithstanding these 'hiccups' for the night, we still have had a pretty enjoyable chat and we parted the night with promises of more meet ups.
P.S. The brownie at the coffee outlet was indeed delicious and mouth watering.
October 10, 2006
Attractive Quality of a Guy
We have a 2-hour lunch today, so we have quite a long chat.
2 of us were 'questioning' another colleague about her boyfriend. Apparently, they got attached last year but we only heard about her attachment recently. We asked about how they met and what she found attractive in him. My other married colleague also chipped in with what she liked about her husband. We were chatting and laughing loudly in the staff cafeteria, totally oblivious to any stares coming from neighouring tables.
The single-but-attached colleague mentioned that she was attracted to the gentlemanliness of her boyfriend. When she was with him, she felt comfortable and felt taken care of. The married colleague and I were full of envy and were very happy for her.
Indeed, all of us concurred that one of the most attractive quality of guys which we observed to be missing from many nowadays is that of gentlemanliness. For instance,
2 of us were 'questioning' another colleague about her boyfriend. Apparently, they got attached last year but we only heard about her attachment recently. We asked about how they met and what she found attractive in him. My other married colleague also chipped in with what she liked about her husband. We were chatting and laughing loudly in the staff cafeteria, totally oblivious to any stares coming from neighouring tables.
The single-but-attached colleague mentioned that she was attracted to the gentlemanliness of her boyfriend. When she was with him, she felt comfortable and felt taken care of. The married colleague and I were full of envy and were very happy for her.
Indeed, all of us concurred that one of the most attractive quality of guys which we observed to be missing from many nowadays is that of gentlemanliness. For instance,
- Some guys would not hold the door for just another second for you even though we were already running quickly on our heels. The door practically slammed into our faces.
- Once, a guy saw me running towards the lift door, yet he continued to press the "close" button and refused to make any eye contact.
- The bill arrived after a meal (be it a group gathering or individual dates), the guy refused to pick up the tab. We, ladies, definitely were not trying to be free loaders. If it were an expensive meal, more often than not, most ladies would offer to go Dutch. If not, we could always pay for the drinks subsequently. The shying away from paying first by the guys disappointed us.
- When we went on dates with guys in places where self-service was required, not many have offered to order or buy the food for us.
- We are not even asking for guys to open car doors for us, and not even closing the car door for us. I must confess I have not encountered such gentleman behaviour yet. I have to admit waiting for the guy to open car door for us may be asking too much and it can be a total waste of time. Yet, it is always flattering if there is such behaviour.
Sometimes it is such small gestures that make us feel 'taken care of'. Although we are getting more independent, we still like to feel taken care of? In many ways, we may still be old-fashioned and may equate such gentlemanly behaviour to the guy's sincerity.
We are always more than happy to be pampered. :-)
Day of Waiting
We waited, and waited, and waited, and waited. Then I gave up waiting. Ctrl + Alt + Del = end task.
Conclusion: If we have to spend this amount of time waiting for the report to run each month, then it will be really counterproductive.
Isn't technology supposed to improve productivity?
The trainer said it was because we were tapping on to Development server which currently does not have alot of resources. In addition, there were about 16 PCs executing the same report or query at the same time.
Excuse me? 16 PCs is very few compared to the number of users (1 user = 1 PC) at month end while we are preparing our reports...
I thought the previous software I have used for reporting was bad, this seems worse. The only consolation so far is at least IS will be doing all the system administration.
Sigh!
Think life is much simpler when we were relying on Excel, isn't it?
Conclusion: If we have to spend this amount of time waiting for the report to run each month, then it will be really counterproductive.
Isn't technology supposed to improve productivity?
The trainer said it was because we were tapping on to Development server which currently does not have alot of resources. In addition, there were about 16 PCs executing the same report or query at the same time.
Excuse me? 16 PCs is very few compared to the number of users (1 user = 1 PC) at month end while we are preparing our reports...
I thought the previous software I have used for reporting was bad, this seems worse. The only consolation so far is at least IS will be doing all the system administration.
Sigh!
Think life is much simpler when we were relying on Excel, isn't it?
October 09, 2006
Extremely Blue Monday
Everyone around my office seems to be shrouded in an extremely blue mood today, including myself. For my case, it was more of fatigue than anything else, especially when I was looking at complicated worksheets in the late afternoon. I really have difficulty concentrating.
My boss was feeling easily irritable and was abit grouchy over a lunch meeting's arrangement.
One of my colleagues was nearly falling asleep while trying to explain his spreadsheet. Can't really blame him. I was almost falling asleep while listening to what he was saying. In the end, we both have to say the same things to each other several times before the sentence sank in.
Another of my colleague was also asking if I was feeling very blue before he decided to drop another bomb on me. Sigh! More work to do and again with a turn around time of a day. When I called him to ask about his case, he was abit short-fused and was abit grouchy over some amendments that I suggested.
Fortunately, it was over.
At least, I have a break from office tomorrow.
My boss was feeling easily irritable and was abit grouchy over a lunch meeting's arrangement.
One of my colleagues was nearly falling asleep while trying to explain his spreadsheet. Can't really blame him. I was almost falling asleep while listening to what he was saying. In the end, we both have to say the same things to each other several times before the sentence sank in.
Another of my colleague was also asking if I was feeling very blue before he decided to drop another bomb on me. Sigh! More work to do and again with a turn around time of a day. When I called him to ask about his case, he was abit short-fused and was abit grouchy over some amendments that I suggested.
Fortunately, it was over.
At least, I have a break from office tomorrow.
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