Tuesday, December 28, 2010

2010 - The Recap

So... 2010 has ended.

That was another 365 days of I-don't-know-what-happened. This year passed by rather quickly, I'd say. Maybe because every week was work, weekend, work, weekend, work, weekend. When routine kicks in, you don't know how quickly time is flying past. I'd say 2010 wasn't as interesting as 2009 (cos 2009 was simply too brilliant); but this year had its own share of ups, highs, spoils and downs.

Some major activities/events that took place that were worth mentioning. In chronological order:

1) CNY Walkabout cum Lunch





















A success. Kudos to the Comm for putting in so much time and effort to prep for the actual day. All of us MTs had opportunities (or were there arrows?) to do something on stage. I was one of the emcees for an auction segment. We auctioned off several beautiful flower paintings and calligraphy done up by the elderly themselves from Geylang East Home for the Aged! Even though it was my first time being an auction emcee, it turned out to be fine, thanks to the great support from the generous souls, we collected more donations than expected for the needy :)

2) Circle Line Stage 1-2 Train Ride

















Okay, it wasn't really a "train" ride cos it was rather more of a locomotive. Prior to the commercial opening of the tracks, QC works have had to be done to ensure that all systems, mechanical or electrical, are functioning properly. So I followed the rail guys onto a yellow locomotive into the CCL stage 1-2 tunnels and stopped by every now and then to inspect the walk-throughs, tracks, water seepages and signages. Eye-opener to see it, walk it and smell it before all does.



3) NUS Career Fair



















Ah, this was where I submitted my resume last year! Haha. That so fortunately landed me where I am now. Anyway, so I was there on one of the days to promote the MT Programme. It was heartening to be back in NUS... I also dropped by my FYP lab and said hello to all my friends there. The lab is as messy as I last saw it.


4) Opening of POEMS

Yes, I finally did something productive and dragged myself to apply for a POEMS online trading account! Yay! Can buy and sell stocks and earn some side income! Haha... but no leh, I do not belong to the active / keen eye type; plus I am risk averse - so I deal with little in stocks investment. But well, having a platform is the first step to everything else! Haha.


5) CCL Stage 1-2 Guest Opening!



















Held at Stadium station, it was a day for specially invited guests, with dances, performances and sneak peek of the train operations. Ooo yeah, it was also the FIRST TIME we were allowed to EAT ON THE TRAIN! haha! It was so cool - we could not believe our eyes when two trains carrying loads of heavenly food docked into the station and opened the doors for all to enter!


6) R/s ended.

























I prefer not to talk about r/s matters openly. So let's just say that we flew a kite for close to 5 years, then the winds stopped blowing and the kite landed softly. That was early in the year but yes, I do reminisce those times - happy and sad memories. I still miss her occasionally. Who wouldn't? I mean, we had spent our lives closely for more than 4 years. Anyway, don't worry about me, I think we're both happier this way. =)


7) Hong Kong family trip!

My dad has a Nikon D90 to play with and we took toooooooons of pictures!



















The last time my entire family went overseas together was... erm. In 2005! That was so long ago! So I thought we should do something again soon and pushed for the idea to go back Hong Kong together and ta-da, my dad checked and he still had reward points from a certain airline, and off we flew! 7-12 June.

It couldn't have come at a better time - I so needed a break from work.


















Hong Kong means a special place to us because my dad worked there for a few years and we did go over a couple of times during holidays and would stay for a few weeks. My last time there was I think before the millenium ended, but HK to me was all still familiar. =) Though I still can't speak Cantonese enough to save my ass...



















Of course, a visit to HK wouldn't be complete without visiting the touristy places like Ladies Market, taking the tram to The Peak, famous egg tarts place, longest escalator place, oh, we even saw Kenny 'A-Bee' with his daughter! Oh, we spent a day at Macau too. The wet weather spoilt the day as we couldn't assess the other casinos, but we had a decent Portugese lunch and some portugese egg tarts, and visited the church ruins. We spent the rest of the time at Venetian and another casino trying our luck... Haha...

We didn't visit Disneyland cos my parents had been there before and came out disappointed, while we frequented Ocean Park last time. Not to add that all of us have outgrown roller coaster rides...

We had close to 6 full days in total and am glad for that too, because we could afford to sparsely occupy our itinerary and enjoyed flexibility when say, a rainy day meant we had to stay indoors. We also called up and had a dim sum lunch with my dad's aunt who is residing in HK. It was nice to see her again.


And what's Hong Kong without all the GLORIOUS FOOD??!



















Haha, see that suckling pig right there? We feasted on half a pig on our last day before departure. Throughout our 6 days we never went a single minute feeling hungry! It was restaurant after restaurant, finger food after finger food. Every single shop that we patronised seemed to serve excellent roast duck/geese! And super tantalizingly fresh HK-styled steamed fish! *salivates*

=D

Hong Kong to me is also about taking the electric tram, affectionally called the 'ding dong car'. It runs on overhead electric cables. The whirl of its old differentials and all-so-familiar 'ding dong' that its horn emits seem to protrude a sense of calm and stability amidst the hustle and bustle of the streets in busy Hong Kong.



















Interestingly, we didn't do much shopping at Hong Kong. The prices didn't seem quite bargainable. I did buy a few shirts (G2000, lol) and souvenirs and HAHA, I spent most of my money on Dragonball figurine collectibles. I went crazy over them because there were shopping malls dedicated to just selling toys and I had to visit EVERY SINGLE shop. And the figurines are all very cheap and I've never seen them before in Singapore, too.


On our last night, we were back in our rooms resting our tired legs when we saw huge flames emerging from the base of our building! FIRE!!! We immediately grabbed our valuables (though during a fire, you're not advised to do that) and alerted the neighbours. There were already an anxious few who had gathered at the corridors pondering what to do. We used the stairs down but came to a dead end at Lvl 2 whose metal gates were locked after 11pm. WTF? We alerted the guard stationed at Lvl 1 who didn't quite believe us that there was a fire and told us the only way out was via another staircase. Double WTF?? Fortunately the fire turned out to have started at the dump and the fire department had already extinguished it pretty soon.


All in all, Hong Kong was fun. Albeit not quite the crazy kind of fun you'd have if you travel with your friends, if you know what I mean, but it was a different kind of heartwarming fun being there with my family. Again. =)


8) Genting with RSGT

My last time to Genting was... before 2000.



















The peaks of Genting in 2010 felt warmer. I think it's due to global warming. Or maybe cos it was summer? But Genting was still relatively cooler than sunny Sg! And cool weather makes it more fun because it feels more like a holiday!

We spent a weekend there, visited the casino and the theme park. Haha, the theme parks brings back lots of childhood memories! Like the elephant and spaceships turn-round-&-round thingy! I also succumbed to peer pressure and took the free fall thingy - TWICE! Haha, but it was definitely worth all the butterflies in the stomach and dry mouth symptoms when you're strapped into the seat and can't do anything but watch as the shuttle brings you higher and higher into the clouds! The suspension at the paramount, not knowing when the thing would fall was akin to a revolver pointed to your head, not knowing when it'd fire at you! Suddenly it gives way and the laws of physics were never gonna be defied - gravity pulled at your racing heart arteries and the rocketing down was nothing but gone in less than 5 seconds but it was sheer ecstasy!!! MUST TRY!!!

Tried my hands at the casino too and returned with >100% profit! Haha. Lucky lucky me. I fortify my strategy on two elements: patience and simple statistics. Most of my friends won too - others base it on 'gut feel', 'rule of 3' and 'trend setter'. Of course there is the 'beginner's luck'. HAHA.


9) Dad turns 60






















We had talked excitedly all year about an awesome celebratory grand dinner feast but in the end settled for a cosy seafood dinner at a Chinese restaurant. To top it up, my mom baked my dad's favourite durian cake. =)

Wishing you many, many healthy and happy decades ahead!


10) Bangkok FTW!

My 1st time holidaying in Bangkok!



















Technically not my first time IN Bkk cos I transited here last year.

I had been soooo excited about Bkk since months ago cos needed a break from work and I had withheld all my shopping urges JUST FOR THIS TRIP!!! Shoes! T-shirts! Bags! Accessories! Tailored shirts! Roadside food! Haha. It helps to go Bkk with friends who'd been there before - cos they know all the places to shop and you have a feel of the bargainable % on the market prices before deciding to put your money on that cute top!

When I visit other countries, I always loved their Chinatown; Bkk's isn't an exception. We had fun riding a tuk-tuk and zipped in and out of the packed traffic. Must trys are the chinese restaurants, cheap bird's nest and awesome sharks fin soup!

4D3N sure wasn't enough! There weren't enough time nor meals to shop more / savour roadside stall food! Will definitely go back again! And I fell in love with authentic Thai tom yum soup! Just cannot find the real thing back here...

Oh, and you know why should NEVER travel without travel insurance? Because you NEED to get it! You could be 100% careful with your life and limbs but you could never say the same to your belongings! The inefficient baggage ppl at Bkk misplaced my friend's luggage and she returned home thinking the worst - that all her new purchases have gone down the drain... That's where ur insurance protection comes in! My friend's luggage was found after 12 hours - that was about $200 compensation and it could more than enough buy you another plane ticket.


11) Batam with JC frens

My 1st time to Batam! Haha. Ditto Bkk, technically not my 1st time at Batam.



















I fell in love with Alpokat (avocado milk shake)!!! Super rich and fresh and creamy, full of vitamins and thirst-quenching! MANY MANY thanks to X-tine for organising and arranging sooooo much for this trip! Her awesome parents ferried us around for all 2 days and brought us to the shpping malls and the best seafood restaurant place. AWESOMENESS!

I had yearned to do some sea sports but we didn't cos the rest wanted to relac - spa, shopping and slack. Haha. I found downtown Batam like Johor Bahru. Cos it is a mix of Malaysia and Singapore - throngs of Sgreans packed the JB-resembling streets, malls and price tags. Haha. And it was during the National Day weekend, hello!

Everything was dirt cheap! Anything under the sun, everything! I bought a chiong OMEGA watch, lol. But doubt I'd go to Batam anytime soon... like my friend's mom who commented, "Why do you want to pay money to see what Sg was like 30 years ago?"


12) Food Hunt

Had participated in the annual Food Hunt organised by Downtown East in 2007 (3rd) and 2008 (2nd) but gave 2009's a miss. Decided to join again this year cos need an injection of adrenaline to monotonous work life, haha. Being an experienced participant, count on me for strategy and tips! Haha!

Our strategy paid much dividends cos we topped the group easily! The rest of the groups looked neither strong nor experienced... in fact we were the ONLY group to successfully pass the mid-point obstacle!






















Came in 1st in 2010! Wootz! Haha. Disappointedly, the prizes have SHRUNK SO MUCH over the years. Back in 2007 the top 3 prizes included 1 year's free entry to their theme parks + a chalet stay + cash. Guess what we found inside our champion's bag this year?

For each:
- $150 Downtown East vouchers
- 1 foldable NTUC pouch
- 1 bottle of Cordial
- 1 can of Ayam brand sardines
- 1 can of Ayam brand beans/curry chicken/? (too insignificant I didn't bother to take a 2nd look)

Seriously OMGOSH - CANNED FOODS??? Budget cut, cut, cut. Haha. Sponsorships cut, cut cut. Although disappointed with our prizes, both of us were thrilled by the adrenaline-packed race!


13) Netball Corporate Carnival



















Contrary to most, netball is in actual fact a VERY DIFFICULT SPORT TO PICK UP! Especially for guys, whom may think it's similar to basketball. But no, at netball you will be whistled for the most minimalistic of body contact and travelling (taking more steps than allowable with the ball) occurs frequently even to the more experienced players. I warmed the bench for most matches but our team came in 3rd at the PWC Corporate Carnival 2010, our career's best ranking!


14) Jingx's Hen's night

Wasn't really a "hen's night" per se, cos the chalet stay was devoid of all the pranks and nonsensical forfeits to be played on the hen! Awww, haha. Rather, it was more of a social gathering during which we had bbq, played games and... all of us got to know ourselves abit better, from the eyes of another. Right, cute butt? *winks*

















15) Jiahui's hen's night

More fitting to the occasion, we prepared a shirt written with random guys' names and the hen's mission was to don the shirt, search Clarke Quay for guys with these names and have them sign on the shirt! Haha. In order to raise funds in support of the cause, we even rehearsed dance steps to 'Love in the first degree' a 100 times, but failed miserably in our bid to get ppl interested at Clarke Quay, haha.

The rest of the night, as how some might say, "What happens in Novotel, stays in Novotel".
























Awesome 24 hours spent together.


16) QPS class gathering
























Very sadly, the class gathering was called for only after the demise of our beloved bubbly Bing Bing... :( however it was also so that we managed to track down our beloved form teacher!! Haha! And how? Google, lol.

The meet up would have been more successful if not for a handful who couldn't make it at the last minute. Nevertheless it was great to catch up and also share what jobs one another was indulging in... more paths laid for a career switch?


17) MT Graduation dinner

An awesome buffet dinner at Zen to commemorate the ending of our 18-mth long MT Programme. Our Mamas graced the occasion. I know that even if next year see us split ways, our knitted friendship will never.


















18) Me and Myself turns 26

Had awesome friends who celebrated for me.

Auto Svcs ASYE.
























RSGT.
























And of course, Jx and Busy Roys! =)))



















19) Bukit Timah Hill on New Year's Eve

Haha. A minor accomplishment to scale Singapore's highest peak on the last day of the year! It was my first time there, and oh man, the slopes were steep! Kinda swayed my motivation to climb Mt. KK in 2011, but I'm still gonna do it!!!

__


2011 beckons. It will be year of surprises. Because not even myself has any idea of what is going to be welcomed... But here's wishing everyone a youthful and happy 365 days ahead! =) May things be smooth sailing and hope you will realise what you want to do in life! That was my friend's birthday wish and I thought it was real meaningful. We all need that. At least for myself, I hope to be enlightened where I'll be standing 5, 10, 30 years down the road.

I want to spend my 2011 the way I want it - adventurous, and a learning journey with flexibility and freedom and making lots of friends along the way, and finding my direction.

A rose would be a bonus. =)

Friday, December 24, 2010

The end of it all...



Thank you Training Room 3. You had been most accomodating.

Thank you guys for the company too. It wouldn't have been enjoyable without you. =)

And, what a way to end off the ceremonial big day with a BANG! Haha, and I really mean A BANG!!!



Clashing cymbals and shakers accompanied by self-high roars, rowdy shouting and rocking heads. HAHA! I say we would have won My$MRT Talent (Group) no sweat at all!!!

Sunday, December 19, 2010

The Mom and her Magic


That's my mom with her prized catch.

It was a freaking huge life seabass, caught live, straight from the sea!!!

HOW AWESOME IS THAT??! See that transparent 炯炯有神 eye, and the reflective shiny scales?? That's how you know whether a fish is fresh or not! (Sec 2 Home-Economic classes, phew)

And the fish was so huge, no wok or pot in our house could have accomodated it. In the end we had to split that fish into 3 portions to be cooked in 3 different recipes to be eaten as 3 different meals. HAHA. And have I mentioned how fresh it tasted?! The meat was sooooo tender and QQ to the bite, it was almost sashimi-ish. No kidding.

Oh, my mom is into e-learning lately - from blogging to streaming HK drama serials to uploading her pictures onto her FB. You are most welcome to visit her blog (all about her recipes and food) here! =)

The good thing about keeping such a blog is that all the prized recipes that cook up only awesome dishes are stored up safe, forever! Including hand-me-down family dishes, or dishes you only eat once a year during festive occasions, everything! Haha. My mom has always been a greattttttt cook, no doubts about that. I'm glad that she has found a place to ink down her awesome magic works, cos it has been keeping her life enriching and mind active!





P/S: I have not worried about breakfast since she discovered her new-found passion.
-

Friday, December 17, 2010

Happy 26th!

Ok so I am finally 26!!!




That sucks big time. Gahhhhhhhh. Edging towards the big 3. =(

I was reading my blog archives and realised that every year during my birthday I'll be like, "OH NO I'm turning (insert age)!!!" Haha, already at 23 I was dreading how fast I was ageing!


Heh so anyway I officially started my birthday at 12pm when I reluctantly rolled myself off my cosy bed.

Ate 2 red eggs my mom prepared for my birthday. Thanks for being da best! <3



After that followed my parents to sample chicken rice at Toa Payoh Lor 1 as recommended in the newspapers (another item off my checklist). Then we returned to nua at home, surfed net (including checking my work email, sianz haha).

Invited my buddies Busy Roys and Jx over for dinner! Had a cosy family dinner together at the round table, very 温馨 and heartwarming, special thanks to my mom for going to the market early morning and spending the whole afternoon preparing the dishes, and not forgetting my favourite chicken wings. My dad especially enjoyed himself cos the whole night he was passionately sharing with Busy Roys his stories about wine... -_-"

After a ceremonial cake cutting, we got dressed and adjourned to.........................................
















MAMBO NIGHT @ ZOUK!!!!!!!!!!!

Man, it has been YEARS since I last stepped into that hip place! So this year I decided to spend my birthday wonderfully and memorably with the best company and best music!

We reached there at about 10-ish, which was a good time cos there was only a short queue, plus happy hour was on till 12am, which means there was just enough time to drink abit before the real mambo music comes in!!!

So in we stepped and the few of us shared:

1) Vodka green tea - Bad. Real bad. Both vodka and green tea are siap-siap (means very dry tasting) liquids, and it was a potent addition of a bad dehydrating after-taste. Had to resort to finger guessing so as to finish the two jugs.

2) Jägerbomb - WOW. It is a very easy to drink cocktail that is mixed by dropping a shot of Jägermeister into a glass of Red Bull. Loves how sweet tasting it is.

3) Vodka lime - easy to drink too, cos the lime juice masks the dry vodka. Someone said it is used to 骗女孩子, because girls aren't aware they're taking in much alcohol than they really are. Haha.

4) Flaming Lamborghini - a birthday must have drink! Only the 2nd time I drank this, the previous time being the last time I stepped into Zouk and that was Busy Roys 22nd/23rd birthday. Admittedly this time it wasn't as nice probably due to the loss of novelty, but the burning sensation from drinking amidst flames was still quite shiok!


Soon, shortly after midnight we stepped into the dancefloor and the mambo party was kicking in, with favourite hits such as Square Room, world cup song, caught in a bad romance, mambo no. 5... I don't quite remember song titles but 80% of the songs were awesome mambo songs to dance to!

Time passed really quickly when you're having lotsa fun jumping and singing along on the dancefloor with great song coming after YET another great song. But I was just waiting for THAT SONG! The song we learnt for Jiahui's hen party - Love in the First Degree. It finally came on at 3am!!! WOO! Hahahahahaha. It was like the only song that I could do all the corny hand actions along to the song? It was damn cool.

Ok only then I was alright to leave the fun-filled place... haha. Though I felt like I could still do another hour, the rest of them were rather tired already so I walked out rather reluctantly haha.

______

The next day I snoozed all the way till 2pm, SHIOKANATHAN!!!!!!!!! Then met the 2 of them for lunch at KFC, SHIOKANATHAN x 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HAHAHA.

Checked my fb and realised I received sooooooooooooo many birthday wishes from my family and friends!!! Thank you everyone!!! In appreciation, I went on to 'like' every single wish =)

But my favourite has to be this...



Happy Birthday delivered by my bubbly nieces! Haha!

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Halfway through Dec....

Yes, December is really the season of giving - I've been giving alot of $$$ from my wallet it's depressing. Haha. Just kidding. The money I've spent has been put to good use =)

Today is 15th December, halfway through the month. Going through my to-do-checklists:


This December, I want to:
  • Get a new pair of spectacles. This will be my birthday/xmas present for myself. Haha. The red framed one I'm donning now is cui-ed. The paint is chipping off and the rubber deteriotated. It is the most I've forked out for a pair of spectacles; but it has lasted me close to 4 years!
  • Depending on the $ forked out for the above, I might buy myself a casual bag too. But it'd depend on whether I find a nice one!
  • Renunce my Citizenship and take new oath... optimistically on the 8th if admin procedures allow, if not it'd be in January.
  • Go for a massage session. A few weeks ago I purchased a 1-hour session at Adeva Spa for $38/=. They claim to be 5-star spa; and you can even drop by earlier to enjoy a free sauna and jacuzzi!
  • Eat Red Mango at Esplanade Xchange. I still have a $5 voucher that expires on 31st December 2010 - and anyway I love Red Mango! It's really tasty!
  • If possible, I'd do a facial! Heh. Been quite a long time since I went for one... want to remove some blackheads and smoothen pores.
  • If I'm in the crazy mood, I might visit BrowHaus! Haha omgosh. I haven't plucked my eyebrows before, but I think I should try that at least once! Haha! Might find a guy friend to accompany me, at least not so paiseh ahaha.
  • Will be partying at Zouk Mambo Nite on 15 December! =D
  • RSGT Christmas party! (If I had a wish, I would wish that all 10 can make it. And be happy.)
  • A MT Graduation Dinner to celebrate our 18 months' programme coming to an end. Zen, to 18 months of priceless life lessons, maturity, social skills, a taste of working life... and byebye to honeymoon.
  • A Christmas cum December babies' party!
  • Go food hunting with my parents.. you know, like drive around and sample some recommended hawker stalls
  • Go KTV!
  • Fly my kite
  • Spend a day at Sentosa
  • Write a recap of 2010, following the tradition of what I have done for the past couple of years. It sure goes to remind how this year had gone by...

I think I also should include some "no drive to do but good to do" activities:

- Pack/organise/arrange/tidy up my table
- Drop by LF. High time to return my friend's CD and attend a session eh?

____________

Yes, December is passing by even faster than November. Hello, I'm not prepared to end the year.

A template change... finally.

My old blog template (the green one) has stayed with me for as long as the lifespan of this blog.

For years I was reluctant to change the template because I love the colour green and the appearance of the overall layout.

I think it needs a revamp. And here it is =)

Easier on the eye with a wider text column and bigger fonts.

And I especially like the background picture because it is one that a wide smooth road lined by greens, blanketed by a heavenly blue sky. Like a road trip. Like the one we had in the States.




My pictures taken at Blue Ridge Moutains, Virginia.



Tuesday, December 14, 2010

I AM 25 YEARS OLD!

I AM 25!!!

ONLY 25 YEARS OLD!!!


25 SILVER JUBILEE! GOLDEN YEAR!

















Okay. Only 1 more day to claim that.
Save me the reminders!

Monday, December 13, 2010

Final attachment

Today we had our final attachment of the programme.

It didn't feel kinda sad maybe cos we were all looking forward to the splendid dinner. Or maybe cos all of us were so used to attending lecture-style kinda attachments. Or maybe it was December, and everyone was just in a slack mood.

It all but ended in 3 hours. And that was it.

So after that, all 15 of us (yay!) happily, gracefully and joyfully adjourned to our self-organised Graduation Dinner at Zen! To celebrate our successful survival of the 18 month programme. And to complete the big reunion, our two lovely beautiful mamas were present to grace the occasion! =)=)

We took a group photo together. It's our first picture together. (LSA one doesn't count)




Emo now. Makes me wanna recap how the 18 months have gone by...

Saturday, December 04, 2010

26. How do I want it?

So that day, I had a rare free weekday night so I dropped by LFI to attend one of their lessons.

They recently moved to a bigger location at Ubi and yes, the bigger building is more furbished and looks more established. They now have more (and bigger) rooms to hold lessons, a "ballroom" (which is in actual fact an auditorium la), and a more spacious holding area.

After another charismatic and inspirational lesson, I sat down with two friends and we shared more about NM, and LFI's products. I still hold this psychological barrier and stigma towards NM - that it is all but a scam and all you have to do is nothing but leverage on your downlines' efforts. However, I must say that their range of products do interest me quite abit. Looks like even if I do not go into NM proper, I could use the products to promote better health.

Actually people do NM all the time, all of us! Like sharing with your friends about the latest movie you've watched, or which dept store is having store wide sales, or which coffee joint is having 1 for 1 promotion... we are all doing NM everyday!

Believers in the company advocate earning more during their prime years so as to accumulate more cash to fuel their short/mid/long term wants/needs. Yes, most of us do carry this mindset. Fresh grads, young working adults, who doesn't want to have the luxury of having more money to spend? To travel overseas? To buy yourself an iPhone 4? To... treat your family to meals?

We all want that. The question is - how many of us are actually determined to do that, to put in more effort and seek other ways to earn more income on top of your full time job (thro legal means of course)?

Many success stories in the company began because they knew what they wanted right from the start and had developed an indifferent mindset. One that is unorthodox, swayed from the "correct", "proven" and "safe" path that Singaporean kids go through. Study, score, go on to the next top school, further your studies, obtain your paper qualification, seek a job, slog hard. No, the ones who are earning big bucks now in the company believe in an entirely different thing. They put their time and effort into what they believe in, and they have worked out something. In fact, I admire them for their courage of trodding the path less travelled.

However, I still have my skeptical views of doing NM full time. I mean, I thought about the worse case scenario of NM, take for example the recent bust of Sunshine Enterprise. What would be your next step if overnight, your employer just collapsed? What are the transferrable skills that you could bring? Maybe marketing and selling... go into sales?

Probably that is why most are doing it part time. After work kind. I guess most of us still want the security of a fixed pay from a full time job.


Anyway, I joined a few of them for supper at Midnight Curry at Upper Serangoon. I finally got to try it! It was not bad, tastes like a very decent home cooked meal. We shared jokes. It was fun, just pure hanging out as friends too.

________________________

Yeah, sometimes I do feel I wanna make more out of my free time. But other times, I just want to nua and not think about anything... haha... sighz...


Sunday, November 28, 2010

This December...

I have not fully recovered from a blocked nose! Been more than a week! It started off from flu that put me at home for an ENTIRE WEEKEND!!! That was really a new... luckily it went away on Monday but since then I have had this blocked nose that didn't affect my work but it is super irritating cos I sound so nasal when I speak. And sometimes I cannot even hear myself clearly! Haha. I wanna go ktv!

I thought November passed by in a flash. I think it could be due to 2 public holidays and a rather manageable work load, so my mood was easy going, and time flies when you're having fun, doesn't it??? But I think I had a very enjoyable November...

In a few days' time we warmly welcome December, my favourite month and favourite time of the year! It is during which everyone's in a holiday /partying mood, friends are going overseas, clearing leaves, the weather's more cooling... last but not least, accompanying jingles on the FM is an awesome Christmasy mood when you step into shopping centres and such!

Other than the year end sales, December is also a time when most would be receiving bonuses... and that means spending power to supply your spending needs! haha...

This December, I want to:
  • Get a new pair of spectacles. This will be my birthday/xmas present for myself. Haha. The red framed one I'm donning now is cui-ed. The paint is chipping off and the rubber deteriotated. It is the most I've forked out for a pair of spectacles; but it has lasted me close to 4 years!
  • Depending on the $ forked out for the above, I might buy myself a casual bag too. But it'd depend on whether I find a nice one!
  • Renunce my Citizenship and take new oath... optimistically on the 8th if admin procedures allow, if not it'd be in January.
  • Go for a massage session. A few weeks ago I purchased a 1-hour session at Adeva Spa for $38/=. They claim to be 5-star spa; and you can even drop by earlier to enjoy a free sauna and jacuzzi!
  • Eat Red Mango at Esplanade Xchange. I still have a $5 voucher that expires on 31st December 2010 - and anyway I love Red Mango! It's really tasty!
  • If possible, I'd do a facial! Heh. Been quite a long time since I went for one... want to remove some blackheads and smoothen pores.
  • If I'm in the crazy mood, I might visit BrowHaus! Haha omgosh. I haven't plucked my eyebrows before, but I think I should try that at least once! Haha! Might find a guy friend to accompany me, at least not so paiseh ahaha.
  • Will be partying at Zouk Mambo Nite on 15 December! =D
  • RSGT Christmas party! (If I had a wish, I would wish that all 10 can make it. And be happy.)
  • A MT Graduation Dinner to celebrate our 18 months' programme coming to an end. Zen, to 18 months of priceless life lessons, maturity, social skills, a taste of working life... and byebye to honeymoon.
  • A Christmas cum December babies' party!
  • Go food hunting with my parents.. you know, like drive around and sample some recommended hawker stalls
  • Go KTV!
  • Fly my kite
  • Spend a day at Sentosa
  • Write a recap of 2010, following the tradition of what I have done for the past couple of years. It sure goes to remind how this year had gone by...

I think I also should include some "no drive to do but good to do" activities:

- Pack/organise/arrange/tidy up my table
- Drop by LF. High time to return my friend's CD and attend a session eh?

Now, I'm sure December will pass by even faster even November.

_____________________

Luckily, my blocked nose did not affect my running! Hehe. Having failed my IPPT last month and Busy Roys and Jx also unhappy with their performance (DAMN, my 1st time! WTH. Anyway not that I didn't train for it, I did! But something happened during my shuttle-run that day so I took it twice - ended up that my leg muscles tired out and did not recover... and I finished 2.4km with an unbelievable timing!), we took a retry at Maju Camp yesterday (local guys who did NS should know why) and I passed with a Silver! WOOT!!! =D Actually I was damn nervous yesterday? Cos I only had 2 weekends left to the end of my window period. Haha. If anything had happened... choy! =X

Anyway let's hope I maintain this standard for the rest of my Cat-Y IPPTs. Seriously, I do feel that I'm getting less fit. Age catching up on me??! I must exercise more often!

Saturday, November 27, 2010

eye pee pee tee

Never have I had to take it twice.... But anyway today is the day!

Huff puff huff puff!
Go Brooks!

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

tea egg

HA!




















I bought a tea egg for 80c, and got back $25.00 in return!

Haha... Well done to myself!

Speaking of tea eggs...

It reminds me of my trip to KL back in Dec 2008 to visit our cousins...

L_fe

Dear Fiona,

I'm sure the rest of your friends were as shocked as I was to hear about it. We will definitely miss having your bubbly laughter and boisterous aura around. Rest in peace.

Love,
Min Hui

_________________________

Life is so fragile. Are you living your life the way you want to?

Sunday, November 21, 2010

plain plane

(Post edit: I had taken the plane to Hong Kong this year too, haha.)

Was just reading my previous posts and came across this, posted last December.

"Next year, I swear I'm taking the plane to somewhere nice."

HAHA. I only flew once this year, and it was to short flight to Bangkok. Well, not bad, I really had an awesome time there!






Next year the plane is gonna take me to ...



















PHUKET!!!

And hopefully,



















KOTA KINABALU!

And... China Silk Road!

Epoch - a point of time distinguished by a particular event or state of affairs; a memorable date

I did 1. Memorable.

Was in for 2. Emceed.

Involved in 3. Coordinator.

Played for Speech Day. Had fun.

Am preparing for 4. Tough.

My friend told me, "Move on."

Just counted and realised 10 years has passed... I think this could very well be the last time I'm picking it up. Again.

















I think I can at least die a peaceful death... contented to see the meaningful musical tradition being passed on from batch to batch... haven't I all along been yearning for this day, since day 1? =)

I hope to end it off with a blast!

Sunday, November 14, 2010

BKK On Nut - Dinner and massage!!!

Located at downtown BKK, take the MRT to the last train station On Nut, exit from the left and find yourself tantalizing at this really awesome night makan place that offers many varieties of food, ranging from your favourite fried chicken wings to clams to beef noodles to local delights - for e.g. this fried fish which local ppl eat by wrapping the meat in a piece of lettuce, throw in some other alien leaves and their specially concocted sauce - heavenly!




Walk a few streets down towards Carrefour and indulge in the CHEAPEST massage you will ever find - just 100-150 Baht for a full 1 hour's traditional Thai massage that leaves you refreshed and rejuvenated.

I wanna go back again!

Tuesday, November 09, 2010

PINK IC

Received a letter from ICA today, like after 8 months!

They approved my application to become a Singapore Citizen!

WOOHOO! Now to settle all the tedious procedures...

I'm gonna miss my blue IC...

Sunday, November 07, 2010

The sharpest criticisms are more often than not the best advice you can listen to to improve yourself.

One year on and still active!



One great day that was only successful due to the hard work and preparation prior! =D
I was asked yesterday what my hobbies were.

One of them, I said, was reminiscing past memories.

Surprisingly, that was the first time I said that.

_________________

This was were we stood.



When we spent a day doing things together for the first time.

Profile Tests

I have attempted a few profile tests and here are my results:

1) The "what bird are you" test

I'm a dove.

2) DISC

I'm high I and high C.

3) MBIT

ENTJ:
For ENTJs the driving force in their lives is their need to analyze and bring into logical order the outer world of events, people, and things. ENTJs are natural leaders who build conceptual models that serve as plans for strategic action. Intuition orients their thinking to the future, and gives their thinking an abstract quality. ENTJs will actively pursue and direct others in the pursuit of goals they have set, and they prefer a world that is structured and organized.

_________________________________________________

Though profiling tests might not be 100% accurate or realistic, I believe they do relate something about your character, your perspective and your moral values.

At the same time they allow you to be more self aware and understand your strengths and weaknesses.

(Do you want to try the MBTI test? PM me, I got a soft copy!)

Thursday, November 04, 2010

CBT

Today I chilled. Big time.
Felt damn shiok!

Only woke up when postman rang the bell.

And took shelter from the menacing afternoon sun rays at a air conditioned cafe, on a comfy sofa eating donut and drinking iced ALPOKAT CUPPACINO, while reading newspapers and sharing a chat!

OTOT, nothing on my mind, super shiok!!!

好久没有这种感觉了!!! =D

Monday, November 01, 2010

our KFC meal in USA

Barely a week after we touched down in USA, we were weirdly craving for KFC! On a rest day we gathered manpower and embarked on our holy search for a KFC!

I posed for this pic when we finally found one after like an hour's walk? And kept asking for directions along the way. haha.

Roar of ecstacy!























I put the above pic as my msn dp and apparently it garnered some curious questions. Haha.

And of course, our prized rewards!



Verdict: their chickens are bigger but Singapore KFC still tastier, haha!

Hungry now =X

Monday, October 18, 2010

stirring up familiar memories

On Friday I happened to be around the area of my old house one fine afternoon, and since had the time, I cycled, tracing back the routes that I always took.

It seemed almost like I haven't moved at all - the feelings and same scenes flew past all so familiar.

The same experience occured when I went back to my sec sch (like after 1.5 years) for CO practice. Was rather surprised that my fingers were not as rusty and numb as I had pessimistically thought? Though the turn out was not great, but seeing same old happy faces and hearing nice music was good enough compensation to wake up at 9am in the morning.

It was good to relive some nice old memories... life is so fragile yet so beautiful, when we know how to appreciate it and live it.

I had a really enjoyable (long) weekend.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Il bel far niente

Il bel far niente - the sweetness of doing nothing.

It means just lying down on the floor in the room on a lazy afternoon, gazing at the heavens and letting your mind wander freely.

Or it could be hanging out with your dear buddies, catching up and crapping about every lame thing.

Or sun-bathing on a sunny beach.

Or sending your kite high flying and enjoying the breeze.

It could also be sipping coffee and watching the bustling crowd at the market.

How would you want your weekend to be?

random pic



We had tried, hadn't we?

Saturday, September 18, 2010

that lady

Bumped into that begging lady just now at the same traffic junction. She went even convincing - she was holding onto this girl's arm, put on that same poor thing grimace, and was KNEELING down! After that she saw me looking at her, approached me but I warned her away.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

random pic



Briefcase I bought in Wuxi, China. When bargaining, the shopkeeper even claimed it was real cow leather! HA! Looking at the deteriorated exterior, u know it isn't.

Thank you briefcase for accompanying me through many interviews and networking sessions. Thanks for the help, appreciate it! =)

Capturing this moment about life

It's 2+am, I'm lounging on the sofa watching Netflix (because Tottenham is getting badly thrashed by Liv is not worth wa...