My mum is the best…

Just had dinner with my mum and it just hit me once again that I probably have the best mother in the world.

I did not have an easy childhood; my father was missing from my life most of the time and even when he was around. He was more of a terror than a father.

I still have 2 younger brothers and yet, my mum brought us up single-handedly. All these while, I knew that I have to work very hard, so that my mum will have an easier life in future.

Despite the hard times, my mum never let me felt that I am poor. She gave me what ever she could, scrimping on herself and gave her children the world.

When I graduated, my dream was to travel Europe. Although my mum thought that it was a total waste of money (she had never traveled by plane), she “loaned” me additional 2K when I most needed the money (for my frivolous want!) And of course, she never asked for repayment for the “loan”.

When one of my brothers secretly bought a motorbike, my mum got so freaked out that she bought a small car for my brother to zip around. She paid for the car in full.

Now that all 3 of us have grown up, and especially that I have already started working, I told her to take a break and not work so hard anymore. She refuses to listen, stating that my two younger brothers are starting on their universities soon and she needs the money to pay for our education. She is even trying to save up for my Masters.

Upon hearing that, I wanted to cry.

A mother’s love is so selfless. Without my mother, I will not be who I am today. (Not saying that I am anyone great now…)

But I could have easily been led astray during my teen years. Yet, my mother was also there for me and my brothers, playing the roles of a mother, a father and a breadwinner.

Just have this urge to tell everyone how great my mother is.

Mum, I love you.

I’m tired…

The time is now 10 pm and I am still in office. Worked till 2 am last night. Worked till 930 pm the night before. I foresee working till 10 pm tomorrow and the day after as well.

I do not think my brain is working anymore. Ever single brain cell is either on strike or has already crashed and burnt.

At times like this… I really ask myself why am I working so hard for?

I do not know…

All I know is that I am fucking tired now, and I need to sleep. Yet, I can’t finish my work and the deadline is tomorrow.

You know what…

Fuck it.

That’s it. I am going home NOW.

Salsa Performance School

Although I have failed my driving test, I got into my salsa school performance team instead! Yeah! Which means that I will get to perform and might even make my way to L.A for the Salsa Congress in May!

Really excited about this since it has been quite a few years since I last performed for any actitives. F.Y.I: I used to dance for my college's Modern Jazz team. (Can't tell huh?)

Can't wait to start dancing again!

Today is a sad day for me…

I failed my driving test this morning… (Sob)

Now I really feel stupid because everyone around me passed on the first attempt. My 2 YOUNGER brothers passed, beloved passed, brother’s girlfriend passed, my mousy girlfriend passed… and to think that I took my driving lessons from the school.

I am so disappointed with myself.

Sigh… now I have to wait for another 2 and a half months before I can take the test again. Not only that, I also have to pay for another 3 revision lessons and that will cost me altogether 350 bucks. Just because I failed the damned test today!

And I did not even make any major mistakes! And there was this STUPID SILVER CAR that suddenly stopped in front of me and caused me 8 demerit points! I hate all silver cars now… especially Mitsubishi silver cars…

The stupid tester is inhuman. He has scarred me emotionally for the rest of my life.

I hate him.

Back to reality

Back to Singapore. Back to work. And back to reality…

Holidays always have this surreal quality that allows people to be ridiculously happy, relax and somehow spend a lot of money, especially on shopping! Haha.. At least for me!
Now… it’s back to slogging in office. Sigh…

Anyway, the Taipei trip was great and I truly enjoyed myself. Despite the fact that I traveled alone! Highly recommend one to travel alone… at least once in your lifetime. Where you can walk around at your own pace, enjoy your own independence and basically chill… …

I was really happy to see my friend (Taiwanese) again after two years. I first got to know her in New York and somehow we really clicked and had so much fun hanging out together. She was so nice to let me crash at her place (free accommodation! Woohoo!) And that freed me loads of money to shop! And all the girls’ talk that we engaged during this period brought us even closer. I really appreciate her friendship…

Next, Taiwan has really great food and shopping that my daily itinerary was “eat, shop, eat even more and shop even more”. That was basically how I spent my days in Taipei… Furthermore, the cool weather (It is now winter) means that make-up stays and you do not perspire when you are out shopping. Ahhh… heaven!

More about food, the Stinky toufu really tastes FANTASTIC! Ok… I know it really stinks like garbage mixed with someone’s fart. BUT IT TASTES GOOD. Pinch your nose and put it into your mouth… and the stink will be miraculously replaced by a sweet aroma and taste. Viola! You are now hooked to Stinky Toufu.

And for the very first time, I soaked in a hot spring! A.k.a Onsen (in Japan). Taiwan has many great hot springs and I was brought to one in Wu-Lai. The spring water was so silky that it made my skin baby smooth for 2 days! Not only that, I had the view of a mountain with a little waterfall, gushing daintily down the rocks. One of the highlights of my trip.

Ahhh… will definitely want to return to Taiwan. But I will like to explore other parts of Taiwan… that’s if I can tear myself away from the shopping and eating in the city!

At the airport now....

I am now using the free internet at Changi airport... and I only have the last 3 minutes to write this message.

Ok... I will be in Taiwan from today, 27th Dec till 2 Jan. Meanwhile, everyone has a great New Year!

Happy 2006!

Xmas is here again…

I’ll like to wish all of you guys and girls, especially those who have been reading my blog, a SUPER MERRY XMAS and A GREAT 2006!

I have been really busy with my work lately and haven’t got the time to post any entries at all. Nonetheless, one of my New Year resolutions is to keep my blog alive…

Thankfully, I will be taking a break from 27th Dec to 2 Jan 2006… and I will be going to Taiwan!!! Yeah!

Really looking forward to the trip, since I am travelling alone (excited!) and will be visiting 2 friends in Taipei as well.

Hmmm… can’t wait to taste the yummy food!

Will definitely keep you guys updated again!

The big switchzeroo

Ok, I am still alive and that is because I did not run 21 km last Sunday.

I did not chicken out. I repeat, I did not chicken out!!! ;p

Well… I was still coughing rather badly on Saturday night and Boyfriend suggested that we should exchange our running bibs instead. Boyfriend did not sign up for the run initially, but managed to hitch one bib at the very last minute because one of his colleagues decided not to take part in the 10 km run.

After a long though of 3 mins… I decided that he was right after all. In my condition, I could not pull off the half-marathon at all. So on Sunday, Boyfriend was running as “Lee XXX XX” (my name) and I was running as “Henry XXX” (His colleague).

We woke up at 430 am, each wolfed down 2 bananas and put on our running gear and we were all set. The full marathon started at 6 am, but by 520 am, the area (Esplanade) was already flooded with runners. It was like a carnival, with the music blasting and all the fanfare. Finally, it was 6 am and the marathoners set off from their starting point with the music blasting “Who let the dogs out, woof woof woof woof!!!”

After an hour, it was time for the quarter marathoners to set off! The run was pretty relaxing in the beginning, but as I hit my 6 km, my nose began to run faster than my legs… yeek… Not a very pretty sight! And with no tissues… I snorted and sniffed for the remaining 4 km.

Finally after 1 hour and 8 minutes, I completed the 10 km run! With sweat, snorts, mucus and all! Yeah!

It was a good run and I was pretty proud of myself. Heh heh… Now, I am extremely motivated to sign up for the run next year and will continue to train for the next one year!

My bip number: 12226, running shoes, running singlet (sponsored by HP) and the goodie-shoe bag given by the organizer of the marathon, StandardChartered Bank.

My BIG run: 4 Dec 2005

In 3 days time, I will be facing my greatest physical challenge ever – a half marathon of 21 km.

As you may know, I have been training for this run for 2 and a half months. In fact, up to last week, I ran at least 3 times a week, each run I will clock at least 10 km.

And guess what… … I am now down with a slight flu!!! Not the full blown flu with running nose, fever and cough, but the itchy sore throat, the half-blocked nose and slight body ache.

I have never been more frustrated!!! All these months of training and my stupid body has to fall ill at this time of the year!!??!! A-R-G-H… ….

Nonetheless, I have decided to participate in the run. I may not be in my top form, but I believe I can still make it. Well… at least I hope that only one part of my body will be running, and that’s my legs. (NOT nose!)

Mind over body. Mind over body. Mind over body. *chant*

With this half marathon, I am looking forward to train for the next year for the full marathon in December 2006. Hrm… that’s if I am still alive after this Sunday!

Ok, my dear friends please wish me all the luck and may I complete the run in less than 3 hours! For those who are in Singapore, you are more than welcome to wait for me at the finishing line with a bottle of champagne!

My run will start at 6.30 am and hopefully, I should be done between 9 am to 9.30 am.

For those who cannot make it, there’s always next year!

p/s: don't worry... at any time during the run if I feel unwell, I will stop. As I've mentioned earlier, there's always next year.

Last Stop: Hanoi

Finally, we have reached the “last episode” of my Vietnam Travel Tales where the last pit stop: Hanoi ended it all.

Hanoi is the 2nd largest city in Vietnam and some said it has more charm than Saigon. Hmmm, I kinda agree with that because Hanoi’s main tourist attraction, “The Old Quarters” is definitely a colorful and fun area to visit. In fact, our hotel is situated right in the heart of the Old Quarters.

As for our hotel, Hoa Linh Hotel is a family-run enterprise and so, it gives a homely kind of feel. Everyone in the family helps out in the hotel, be it cleaning, cooking or basically lazing around in the reception area.

I only paid 30 USD for 2 nights’ stay for a moderately size room, huge toilet but unfortunately, with a view to a garbage site! Nonetheless, I still found it to be good value for money ALTHOUGH I encountered 2 blackouts in 2 days??!! The 1st blackout only lasted for about 30 minutes in the evening, so that wasn’t so bad. However, the 2nd blacked out happened at 2 am while I was still watching TV, and suddenly ZAP! No TV, No lights and NO AIR-CON!

Thinking that the black-out would only last for 30 minutes or so, I decided to just join my snoring Boyfriend… … and sleep. But I woke up again at around 4.30 am to a stuffy room and electricity was yet restored. Feeling irritated from both the heat and having my sleep disturbed, I woke my boyfriend up and was getting dressed to stomp down to the reception area and scream at whoever was on duty.

And guess what, after spending 10 minutes dressing up and combing my hair and was just about to open the door, ZAP! Electricity was up and running again! (Did they have a hidden camera or what??!) ARGH!!!!!!!! PISSED… … so, I woke up for nothing. Boyfriend gave me a goofy grin and hopped right back to sleep and began snoring in less than 2 seconds!

Besides the Big Black-Out, which happened while I was in New York, this twilight black-out episode in Vietnam was the next most eventful. An experience worth describing because in Singapore, black-outs seldom happen!

Another enjoyable experience in Hanoi: eating out. And I mean that literally where you will go to road-side stalls and sit along the roads (while the motor-bikes are honking away), on those little stools and tables (stolen from the near-by kindergartens?) and order wanton mee or Vietnamese pancakes (called Banh Xiao). Never mind that the food did not look very clean but they were absolutely delicious!

The next day, we joined a day tour to visit Halong Bay, a beautiful bay with many little islands. It was like the Guilin in China, but of course, of a smaller scale. You can even choose to stay overnight on one of those Junk boats for a “complete” Halong Bay experience.

That concluded my trip to Vietnam. It was fun and extremely cheap, especially with such cheap fares from Tiger Airlines.

Guess what…? I will be going to Taiwan for 6 days during the last week of December! Yoo Woo! More travel tales to update!

There is a temple in Hue
Next to the Perfume river
People from far and away
Stood before the candles and pray

I came to a temple in Hue
To come and see for myself
Rays of light upon my face
I felt the sun's warmth and life was good again

3rd Stop: Hue

Hue is the ancient capital of Vietnam, and it is at Hue where you will see the “mini” version of the Forbidden City. I have not been to the one in Beijing, so I cannot draw any comparison. However, I believe the palace in Beijing must definitely be grander and better preserved. It is sad to say that the government of Vietnam did not put in much funds or effort to preserve Hue’s Forbidden City nor its ancient tombs of the dead emperors.

The highlight of Hue was the Motorcycle tour that we took. Each of us hopped on the backseat of the motorcycle where our guides zipped us through the city and into the villages in the near-by countryside. Along with the villages, we also visited the ancient tombs, as well as some war bunks.

It was a lot of fun! Although during the 1st few minutes on the bike, I was wondering whether I would make it back alive. Our guides were driving like Michael Schumacher in a F1 race… Haha, what an experience!

I definitely highly recommend the motorcycle tours instead of the boat tours along the Perfume River. (You will need a strong heart though!)

Hue was not as charming as Hoi An, in fact, the city had nothing much to offer. So, after two nights in Hue, we packed our bags and flew to Hanoi, our last destination of our trip.

Cyclos anyone? Personally, I'll rather walk. Hoi An is simply too charming and a slow stroll in the old town will definitely brighten your day!

2nd stop: Hoi An

Today I am on MC… with the usual signs of being overworked: sore throat, running nose and headache. Time to take a break and rest at home…

(Yeah right… I will be working from home. Attending a con-call with India in 15 mins time and another con-call with Australia at 2 pm later.)

Anyway, back to my original intention of blogging about my Vietnam trip. I’ll like to share with you, my favourite town of Vietnam: Hoi An.

Hoi An is a sleepy, little town yet full of charm. There isn’t much traffic and it is full of quaint little houses. I enjoyed its idleness and felt like I can finally relax after the hustle and bustle in Saigon.

So, if you are intending to visit Vietnam, please do not miss Hoi An. Although it is situated in the middle of Vietnam, it is certainly a stop you wouldn’t want to miss if you are travelling northbound or southbound.

Boyfriend and I only stayed for 2 nights in Hoi An, and we easily covered the whole town in half a day. However, one can walk through the old town again and again, and marvelled at each new discovery, be it a new shop, a charming café or noisy children by the side of the road.

During our stay in Hoi An, we also made a half day trip to My Son, a historical site in Vietnam where it is also known as “mini Ang Kor Wat”. Sad to say, most of the ruins were not well preserved and some were heavily bombed during the war. Nonetheless, it was still an enjoyable trip and I feel it serves as a “preview” to Ang Kor Wat.

Hoi An is also the place to tailor-make suits, dresses or even the traditional Vietnamese Ao Dai for ladies. You can get high quality silk at a fraction of the price in Singapore. But please, bargain! Or else, you will join the long list of tourists who were being ripped off. Personally, I did not buy any garments or tailor make anything as I was simply too lazy to shop!

After 2 lazy days in Hoi An, we packed our bags again and made our way to another city, Hue, the ancient capital of Vietnam.

Why Stinky, Itchy Feet?

Someone asked me why did I change the name of my blog from “Pink is the new black!” to “Stinky, Itchy Feet!”?

Well… firstly, it’s time that I revamp my blog… especially since pink is no longer the new black. Purple is more “in” nowadays. ;) So, gotta get those fashion police off my back!

Secondly, I feel that I should always update and reflect my true self via my blog. So, currently, I am going through a phase: having stinky and itchy feet!

Itchy feet since I have a constant urge to travel… and stinky because… my feet really stink anyway! ;P

There are many shops selling paintings and portraits in Saigon, and I found one near my hotel. The artist looks so young... seems to be in his late teens or early 20s. I like the painting that he is working on... a beautiful woman who has red skin. Or maybe... it's just her make-up. ;)

A breakfast stand just outside our hotel in Saigon. There are many food stalls just like this one. Selling cheap yet delicious food. Try it!

1st stop: Ho chin Minh city a.k.a Saigon

What ever you want to know about Vietnam, you can get that easily from the internet or from any decent guidebook. Personally, I recommend LonelyPlanet as the number 1 guidebook for budget travel to anywhere in the world.

Therefore, I am not going to drill too much about travel tips or places of interest in Vietnam, but I will share my travel hiccups and adventures instead!

Saigon, reminds me of how Singapore would have been during the 1960s to 1970s. Everything had a very retro feel. The shopping malls, shop houses and residential houses looked very much like the old photos of Singapore! That was the 1st impression that I had as I cruised along the highway, from the airport to the heart of Saigon, where our hotel was.

The next thing that hit me: the traffic. Specifically, the honking of the drivers and motor cyclists. These drivers did not seem to use their side mirrors at all?! Everyone horned and bonked every 2 mins on the road because they were either hitting a bend or just wanted to warn the pedestrians who were crossing the roads as if they were strolling in a garden.

After checking in into our tiny room, which we paid 15 USD per night, we set off exploring our neighbourhood. F.Y.I, we stayed in Le Le Hotel, the location was great, service and the staff were warm, however, our room was really, really tiny! For the same price or a little bit more, I believe you can something more value for money.

We had a wonderful dinner at a pricey French restaurant, which I have forgotten the name, but it was recommended in the LonelyPlanet. The food was really good and I had one of the very best foie gras and steak (done in the French style, of course). The restaurant had a colonial setting and everywhere was lighted by candles. Very romantic, indeed.

After the sumptuous (but very expensive) dinner, we decided to walk back to our hotel, which was a good 25 mins away. So, there we were, enjoying our romantic walk when suddenly, a woman, most probably in her 30s, ran towards the wall of the walk way, took off her pants, peed noisily and bared her bottom for the whole world (actually, just the two of us) to see!

I was shocked and disgusted. How could any girl pee in public?! Guys, I can understand since they can get away by peeing standing up. Girls…??!! Hello??!! So, there she was, peeing happily and noisily (she must had a lot to drink).

That is Saigon for you.

The next day, we visited Cu Chi tunnels, the area that was a stronghold for the North Vietnamese, the communists during the Vietnam War. This area was heavily bombed and countless of people died, both Vietnamese and Americans.

Crawling through the tunnels was rather creepy because I knew that just only 30 years ago, young girls and guys crawled through the very same tunnels, with their AK47s and grenades. Some were killed, while some killed others to stay alive.

Our very own guide, a man in his 60s, was a co-pilot during the war! He was fighting against the communists, together with the Americans and had lived and seen the horror of war. Having a war veteran and survivor to guide us through the tunnels, was indeed an experience of a lifetime.

Cu Chi tunnels, the place where thousands of Vietnamese died to fight for their country. It is the symbol of South Vietnam; so do NOT miss it when you visit Saigon!

After exploring Saigon for 2 and a half days, we took a domestic plane to our next destination: Hoi An, my favourite town in Vietnam.

Back from Vietnam

Yup… It has been 13 days since I am back from Vietnam and things have been busy, busy and busy. So swamped with work that I do not have time to blog at all.

Now that I have a breather, I can share with you the 9-days trip in Vietnam. My boyfriend and I traveled from the south of Vietnam, to the north. The order of the cities:

1) Ho Chin Minh City (Saigon)
2) Hoi An
3) Hue
4) Hanoi
5) Ha Long Bay

Haha… if you realized, all the cities start with the letter, H. I will pay tribute to each city in time to come because each city definitely deserves a post of its own.

As an overview, I did enjoy my trip tremendously. It was a backpacking trip, so no luxury hotels, spas or much shopping. The only aspect we did splurge on was FOOD. Yummy Vietnamese and French cuisine! From the roadside stalls to high end restaurants, we tried every local delight we could, and boy, were we delighted!

The Vietnamese are so warm and take so much pride in their country. For instance, one of our local guides sang a song for us during the bus trip, and it was a song about their love for their country, their hero: Mr Ho Chin Minh and about their road to independence. How many Singaporeans would want to sing “Count on me, Singapore” when you have foreign friends around? I’ll reckon not even one, even on our National Day!

Vietnam was once a country torn by war but now, it’s an up-and-coming economic power house. Buildings are budding everywhere and traffic is getting crazy, yet the people are just so friendly… and strong.

Hmmm, will tell you guys more about each city and my trip in details. So, till next time then. ;P

Just back from Vietnam

I was on a 9-day trip to Vietnam from 23 September 2005 to 1 October 2005, and had a blast!

So many travel tales to tell, but I do not have the time to blog! Currently, I am in the midst of the financial close (argh!!!), and at the same time, I am still clearing some of the accumulated paperwork while I was away.

Nonetheless, just want to drop a note that I am still well and kicking and will continue to blog and share what ever I have to offer. ;P

I got to know that quite a number of my friends are also visiting Vietnam in November… a better time to visit as the weather will be much cooler!

Will definitely blog more about my Vietnam trip and post some photos once I get the chance!

Vietnam! Here I come!

Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! I will be spending 9 days in Vietnam in TWO days time! Woohoo!

Simply cannot wait… Been working too hard, so I am really looking forward to this trip. It has been a while since I last visited a developing country. It had been 7 years since I last backpacked Thailand, which I covered north and central Thailand in two weeks.

This time round, I will be backpacking Vietnam from south to north in only 9 days. Yup… I know it sounds kinda tight but 9 days are all I can afford to take. Nonetheless, I will make the best out of it. ;)

Have you ever watched the movie, The Lover? It was directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, with Tony Leong and Jane March as the lead actor and actress respectively. It was set in Vietnam, in the late 1950s, about a 15 year-old french girl having a scandalous affair with a wealthy 30-something businessman. The relationship was tragic, yet romantic. Erotic, yet ugly. Manipulative, yet heart-breaking. Innocent yet complicated.

And that was my impression of Vietnam too…

But I think that is about to change.

Spiritual versus Material

Met up with 3 friends for dinner yesterday since one of them is leaving for further studies in a few days’ time. As usual, I had fun chatting with them as the 3 of them are very different from my usual circle of friends.

Firstly, they are musicians. And very fine ones. No other friends of mine are as into music as the 3 of them. They can go on and on about guitars, B-flats and Gs…

Secondly, they read books. Fictions. Some of my other friends do not even read the papers!

Thirdly, they think and reflect about life. Although sometimes a bit too much! ;p

All in all, I always feel that I learn quite a lot from these 3 guys. Be it about music, politics or philosophy.

Our conversations differ from the usual bitching of unreasonable colleagues or bosses, comparing of year-end bonus or bragging of one’s long working hours.

I feel that I always see another aspect of life whenever I spend some time with those 3 guys. And it hits me again that life is not always about money, money and more money.

Yup… will miss our coffee sessions. Although one will be away for a while, I will always still look forward to meeting up again! But this time, there will only be 3 of us! (with me included!)

Monkeying around…

I went down to Union last night for my weekly dosage of salsa action and had a good time catching up with some friends, as well as some bootie shaking.

The best thing about hanging out at Union is, of course dancing salsa (duh…) and to people watch. Well, you may say that you can people watch everywhere. Be it shopping centers, on the streets, bars, pubs and even the ah peks at coffee shops can be rather interesting to watch at times.

However, the crème de la crème of all people-watching venues must be a salsa bar. This is because you will get to see all kinds of actions and expressions on the dance floor.

You will get the beautiful and hot dancers who sizzle the dance floor with their hot, hot, hot moves.

You will get the beginners who are really clumsy yet oh-so-eager to get their moves right that your heart just go out to them.

But the most amusing of all, are the dancers who think they are doing all the right moves, swaying their bodies here and there, with a I-am-such-a-hot-dancer-and-everyone-is-watching-me look plastered all over their faces.

Well, they are right on one thing… everyone is indeed looking at them, not because they look great when they dance. But it’s because they look so damn funny!

Last night, I saw this girl dancing in a really weird fashion. Her dance steps are technically correct but her weight transfer is a little out of rhythm and best of all… she was flicking her hair and moving her hands on her hip in a oh-im-so-sexy gesture, but it turned out all so wrong.

She reminded me of a monkey.

Somehow, it just looked really bad on the dance floor. Not the kind of bad where the beginners usually display – stepping on toes, unsure of what to do, stressed and constipated look on their face.

It was the kind of bad where intermediate dancers who thought they are experts… and I was just so amused with that.

Yup… I am being a bitch here again… laughing at the way others dance. However, I do want to stress a point:

PLEASE LOOK INTO THE MIRROR WHEN YOU DANCE.

You may think that you are dancing like Shakira but in reality, you are looking more like Shaggy.

Everyone wants to look good on the dance floor. So the “looking at mirror” rule applies to all who are really into dancing. Be it salsa, tango, ballet or jazz. To be AWARE of how you look when you are executing your moves is the most fundamental thing.

I am no dancing expert but I am sharing a tip here. I just want girls to look glamorous and good on the dance floor. Guys can look like gorillas for all I care. But GIRLS… please. We have to look good at all times. Walking, standing, sitting and most importantly, dancing.

These little fellows remind me of a friend... and his mega watt smile. I just had to take a shot. ;)

Too Tight!

OK… for the next few months, my blog will be dedicated to my current love-hate obsession, running.

Yup… I have started on my training and have been running about 6 km per training. Although my last run at MacRitchie nearly killed me because I could not breathe.

At the beginning of the run, I was just wondering why was I feeling breathless when I barely ran more than 200 meters? However, I ignored my discomfort and continued my run.

Mistake.

By the time, I hit 4 km, I was feeling dizzy and began to see stars… and it was then I realized something was really wrong with me since I was jogging at a very comfortable pace. WHY COULDN’T I BREATHE???

Then it hit me.

My bra.

It was too damn tight! I was wearing a new sports bra, which I just bought recently in a sale. It was a size too small but I bought it anyway, thinking that sports bra is meant to be tight right?

Wrong. Tight clothing will definitely affect one’s ability to breathe. Especially when one is exercising! No wonder women in the Victorian Era were fainting like nobody’s business! How can anyone breathe wearing those corsets ???

Anyway, I had to walk the remaining 2 km or so till I reached the toilet to change out of my “corset”.

Served me right for being a cheapskate. Now… what am I supposed to do with that small sports bra of mine?

Guess I will donate to any fellow runner who’s able to squeeze into it! Guys are welcome!

~94 days to marathon!

Greatest Personal Challenge: Half – Marathon 2005

I have been running recently.

Huffing, puffing and sweating… … not very glamorous.

And boy! To my astonishment (or horror!) I have discovered that I actually enjoy running!

It all started around a few months ago when I wanted to lose some weight, and so, I started a regime: run twice a week and each session to cover 2.4 km. The first few weeks were hard and a lot of will power was needed to push myself just to put on the running shoes.

But after a while, my body became accustomed to the huffing and puffing that, I actually stopped huffing and puffing whenever I run. And so, I started to increase my distance from 2.4 km to 3.6 km and eventually 5 km. The physical and mental strength to push myself to accomplish the designated distance can be extremely addictive.

And to push myself even more, I have accepted the ultimate challenge: Half – Marathon of 21 km.

I have signed up for the Standchart Marathon in Singapore, taking place on 4 December 2005. I have never taken part in any marathon in my life and this time, I will be training for a 21 km run. Kinda excited but also a little apprehensive, because I have never pushed my body so hard before…

Nonetheless, I am looking very forward to this run and have decided to train hard for it. My goal is to complete the run within 2 and 1/2 hours, with no walking breaks in between.

Anybody wana join me? Here is the link:

http://www.singaporemarathon.com/2005/index.asp

Bintan Trip 2005

Went to Bintan last weekend for a short get-away with a bunch of crazy friends. The company was good but I can’t say the same for the resort we were staying…

Although we had a villa with a private pool, the pool was breaking apart. Tiles were falling off, the filter broke down on Day 2 and a big, bad cockroach was found swimming in one of the bathtubs. Bintan Lagoon Resort is certainly not a resort I would wish to return.

Nonetheless, it was great to hang out with my college friends again. Some are as crazy as ever, some are as irritating as ever and some are as fat as ever… seems that nobody changed. We were reduced to a bunch of kids again, played stupid games in the pool, played with our food and had tons and tons of alcohol.

But I did realized that I have changed… Yes, it was fun but I thought we were so… …frivolous. I thought that with the same amount of time and money spent, we could have done something more meaningful? I was not that self-indulgent anymore… seeing the amount of food wasted and the amount of alcohol and cigarettes bought and consumed, made me a little sick.

I knew that there were many kids in other parts of Indonesia, who are starving… but there, we were… living in excess.

I am neither a saint nor a Mother Theresa wannabe. I don’t think I can go to India or Africa for missionary trips but I do believe in saving resources and using only what we need.

I guess I’ve been watching too much National Geographic and Discovery Channel.

I am learning driving!

I am finally learning how to drive! Yeah!

In fact, I am already in my 3rd lesson (only!) and currently taking classes from Singapore Safety Driving Centre at Yio Chu Kang. Looking around, I think I am one of the oldest hags learning how to drive… sigh. Even my instructor is as old as I am! We are both 25 but he is my INSTRUCTOR and bossing me around… …

Nonetheless, I am having quite a lot of fun zipping around in the little white Honda (the classic car from Singapore driving schools). Finally, I have a powerful engine within my control to unleash the “Michelle Schumacher” in me! My instructor (poor guy) is always screaming at me “slower! SLOWER! Why are you in fifth gear? Go down to the 3rd!”

Well… if you were in his shoes, you most probably would have insisted to take over the wheels and drive instead! That’s because I have “eyes-hands-and-feet” coordination problem. Yet, I was still zooming around in 5th gear! (3rd lesson… 5th gear… wahahaha)

But not to worry, I am a very kia-see (afraid to die) driver and will never compromise on my safety or any road users’ safety. This is especially so after my near-death accident in California last year… … Even just thinking about it, gives me the shudder and the urge to pray and give my thanks to whatever god or fairy godmother who had to work OT just to keep me alive.

Now, I have a new resolution:

1) Pass my practical driving test within the first attempt!

Wish me luck!!! ;p

O yah, Happy 40th Birthday, Singapore!

Tomorrow, 9 Aug will be our National Day. Time to wear red and white and sing “We’r Singapore, We’r Singapore, We’ll stand together and hear the lion roar…”

Singapore, although you are a real prude, with no sense of adventure or what ever humor… I still love you nonetheless!

Too many complaints

A friend sent me an email with a little quote:

“You don't have to have everything.
If you have everything, what's left for the others?
Also recognise that life has flaws,
that I will not compare myself with others,
instead cherish what you already have.

Shel Silverstein, The Missing Piece - A story about "imperfectness" and "satisfaction"



He said that I complained all the time and that I do not cherish what I have.

I admit that I do complain a lot. That’s mainly because I am a vocal person and whenever I am unhappy with something, I will voice it out instead of keeping it to myself.

I sincerely believe in letting it out. Be it emotions, thoughts or complaints.

And thus, I am now the complaint queen.

Nonetheless, I do want to point out something. If one only complains all the time but do not actively seek ways and means to improve the situation, one is a failure and will indeed be miserable.

However, if one complains and proactively engage in activities to improve one’s situation, one is striving to be a better person or to be in a better position.

I believe that I belong to the latter.

I was once pudgy but now I exercise at least twice a week, lost weight, felt better and look better.

I was once unhappy with my working life and so I explored ways to export myself to the States to gain the overseas experience I have always longed for.

Of course, one should always cherish one’s belongings, but we must always draw a line.

If you are forever happy with what you have, it will be difficult for you to get out of your comfort zone to engage in challenges.

So, I came up with my very own quote:

“I don't need to have everything.
But I want to have enough to say it’s enough.
I recognise that life has flaws and I accept the flaws in my life,
But that doesn’t mean I will put up with shit.
I believe in cherishing what I have and not taking goodness for granted.
I will not resign to fate but will fight and work towards my dream."

Da Bitch, The Pissing Part - A story about "hits" and "misses"

Encounter with the 3rd kind

I don’t know about you but I dread the moments when I would somehow bump into any of my ex-boyfriends. By the way, believe it or not, I only have TWO ex-boyfriends. So, what is the goddamn probability of bumping into one of them?

Disgustingly high! Especially if you live in Singapore where all Singaporeans hang out at the same places during the weekends!

So, unfortunately, I had the honor to bump into my very first boyfriend last week. Actually, he was such a sweetheart, and he still is… during our relationship, he treated me really nicely and I still have sweet memories of us together.

However, after 10 months into the relationship, it dawned upon me that I did not love him. I was in love with the idea of being in love. I was da bitch in the relationship and suggested the breakup. At that time, I was a silly 19-year-old and being very immature, I handled the breakup in an extremely brutal manner and totally broke his heart.

It had been at least 3 or 4 years since I last saw him, and so, the first emotion I felt when we literally bumped into each other was… guilt.

There was so much to say but I can’t bring myself to say much except a “How are you?” and a cold shrug. I quickly fled from the awkward encounter but now, looking back, I wish that I had handled it otherwise.

“I am sorry… I am sorry for what I said years ago. And I hope both of us have learnt something from our past relationship. I do not think we can be friends ever again but you were someone once close to my heart before. Please remember that.”

If only I could say that to him… but I can’t.

“And yah, please also lose some weight. Where’s the hunk I used to hang out with??!! How can you let yourself go like that? Join a gym and get into shape! For Christ’s sake!”

If only I could say that to him too… but I can’t.

And yes, I am still da bitch.

Boring Life

I was just reading some of my favorite blogs and it hits me that I am such a boring person, and thus, writing boring blogs…

I am not sexually active like SarongPartyGirl, so I cannot share with you any juicy, sexy details. Nor do I have a child who has a medical condition, so I cannot bring any awareness to any diseases via blogging. Nor am I a journalist, who goes to fashion shows or movie premieres to share any insider jokes/stories about models and celebrities. Nor am I a waitress in a restaurant, serving cranky customers and have tons of tales/comments about customers’ behaviors. Nor am I a long-suffering musician full of angst, who has no where to express herself except through music and blogs.

I am just a boring person, who holds a boring job in a boring MNC, leading a boring life.

Fuah…. How exciting can my blog be?

The only consolation here is that I have a constant urge to travel… and with that, I can also share a little of my travel tales. However, the last time I traveled was in May (diving trip in Malaysia)… a mere 3 months ago but felt like 3 years.

Another option is to share the places and restaurants, which I have visited before. Although I always either forget to take the name cards of the restaurants, or I will forget the names of the dishes that I have tried. Not much of a food critic huh?

I missed being in a foreign land and sharing all my foreign thoughts… Unfortunately, I am now in my comfort zone and I cannot find any zest to blog.

Should I just end it now?

Hmmm… I will think about it.

Monday Blues

Symptoms:

1) Unstable emotions, usually a general feeling of sadness or gloom.
2) Excessive yawning, usually due to lack of sleep or simply lack of interest in daily activities. (Esp if activities include looking at tons of Excel spreadsheets)
3) Stare into space.
4) Increase appetite and frequency of snacking.
5) Refuse to face up to reality by ignoring assignments, emails and deadlines.

Cures
Currently there aren’t any cures for Monday Blues, but the following activities can alleviate the pain:

1) Surf the web excessively.
2) Write your blog (encourage since you are giving the impression that you are working)
3) 2 hours lunch
4) Leave the office punctually at 5.30pm.
5) Take Urgent Leave or MC

Taking urgent leave or MC, is, by far the most effective method to combat Monday Blues. However, if used frequently, possible side effects includes:

1) Getting weird stares from colleagues and Boss
2) Work overtime due to piling up of deadlines
3) Losing your job

Thankfully, I am only suffering from a mild form of Monday Blues… Although it is mild, unfortunately, it’s chronic.

Yes… I will be strong…

Sarong Party Girl

Occasionally, I will read her blog and have recently increased the frequency due to her newfound “fame” in Singapore for showing her nipples on her blog. (She has removed the picture, but there are still many sexy but well-taken shots of her)

I find her to be very interesting… she is like Samantha from Sex and The City, totally comfortable with her sexuality. She doesn’t give a hoot about what others thought of her and did what she did because she really want to express herself, full stop.

In Asia, sex is still deems as “dirty” and a kind of taboo. Girls are supposed to be pure and pristine, we are not supposed to like sex. Girls, who enjoy sex, are sluts or whores. Even in Singapore, a rather westernize country; still frown upon at girls who just want to be true to themselves.

And the saddest part is that men do not suffer from the same disapproval. Men with “experience”, are deem as playboys, flirts or as a guy-friend said, “men with confidence” (MY ASS!!). But, what about women with “experience”? They are either in the “sluts”, “playthings” or “girls-to-have-fun-with-but-not-wife-material” categories.

And after marriage, these stupid men complain that their wives do not satisfy them sexually and engage in affairs with sexually aggressive females, who have no qualms to enjoy sex or, sadly, to break up marriages.

Ok, not ALL MEN are as such and I admit that I am generalizing. What I am trying to say here is that, women have needs too… and each of us have different levels of wants and needs. Why frown upon women who are comfortable with their needs? As long as, she is single, not a third party in any situations and practice safe sex.

I am happy to see that we have our very own Samantha. And it is about time that she appears.

You can check out her blog at: http://sarongpartygirl.blogspot.com/

Desmond's Birthday Cake! It's a rabbit because Desmond's Chinese Horoscope is ... Yup, Rabbit!

Desmond’s 30th Party

Last Saturday was Desmond’s 30th birthday and we (the Hall 6 Gang) threw a huge party for him at West Coast MacDonald’s!

This party took us 4 weeks to plan and boy! It definitely kept us busy… Firstly, we custom-made M&M chocolates from the U.S and shipped it to Singapore. On the M&M, instead of “M&M”, we had “Are you thirty yet?” and “Sweet Thirties”. These M&Ms were then packed in cute little tin cans and presented to everyone as door gifts.

Secondly, it was a theme party, which was “Cartoon”. Everyone had to crack their brains as to which cartoon characters to be! Some even went to rent costumes! We had Woody from The Toy Story, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Strawberry Shortcake, Little red riding hood, Speedy Gonzalaz, My Sweet Melody, Slamdunk, Batman, Superman and… many more!

Hrm… As for me, I dressed up as the Hello Kitty! ;p We even had a best dressed award and that award went to the Flintstones couple, Barney and Betty!

Lastly, it was a surprise party and all were planned without the birthday’s boy knowledge. That was pretty tough since Desmond was such a busybody! Nonetheless, when we all jumped up and shouted “Surprise!” as he walked in the Party room; he was so touched that he couldn’t help but to shed a few tears!

I really had great fun, seeing all of us dressed up and horsing around, just like the good, old days when we are still in college. Times like these, I am so glad to be home and share these magical moments with my dear friends.

Cost of my costume:
Cat-ears Hair band – 12 dollars
Cat whiskers – 2 dollars
Party cover charge – 20 dollars

Desmond’s expression – PRICELESS!

London

Happy, and then despair
Anticipation, and then desperation
Tears of joy become tears of sadness
Her pride became her sorrow

A glorious fight, won far and away
Yet a battle was lost at home
A precious trophy, won far and away
Yet people were dead and broken at home

But she is not defeated
Her brilliance will shine again
Her spirits will be elevated
So will her people’s strength

KM8

I went down to KM8 at Sentosa Island (still within Singapore’s premise, I do not need a passport to enter Sentosa) and I had a blast!

KM8 is a beach bar, similar to Sunset Bay, which is THE original beach bar in Sentosa and it’s still one of the best places to hang out on a sunny day. But beware, Sunset Bay! KM8 is now attracting all the beautiful people in town and I must say it a great crowd to hang out with!

Besides the beautiful people, great music and delicious cocktails, another key attraction of KM8 is that it has a pool. Yup… there’s actually a pool just 3 meters away from the beach! It’s a small pool but it provides a great area for the beautiful people to dance their wet yet perfect bodies besides the pool.

There were many expats, SPGs, yummy hunks and babes prancing around in their beachwear and grooving to the blasting music. I almost thought that I was in Ibiza or Bali. With the good-looking crowd, fantastic music and the sunset at the background… I must say that I had the best Sunday afternoon last week!

Check out the link: http://www.think.cz/issue3/08/km8/

I will post some photos once I have the chance!

p/s: Unfornately, there will always be some white, flabby and extremely ugly caucasians to spoil the view, so self-censorship to block out these ugly people is definitely required. If all things fail, hrm... get drunk!

Yup... That's me. Looking good huh? ;p

Simple pleasure…

I have a new wallet! Yeah! It’s pink, pink and oh, so pink! Haha… It’s really a cute wallet, small yet roomy to contain a small coin pouch, a delicate shade of pink yet with an edgy “leafy” design imprinted on its GENUNIE leather!

And the best part: I bought it in a sale, at 50% off! Only cost me S$39 dollars…

It is such a good buy that I feel so happy whenever I fish out my wallet to pay, to take a bus or to get some coins.

Just looking at my chirpy, blossom pink wallet is enough to brighten up my day.

I miss this kind of simple pleasure… …

Every girl has a hidden cheapskate nature. To find a good bargain is equivalent of getting an orgasm.

Both are simple pleasures… haha. ;p

Ouch… I am in pain…

My upper body is so sore that the minutest movement hurts like hell… even brushing my teeth causes my forearms and triceps to hurt…

But I am not complaining! I actually welcome the pain! All these pains mean that I put my muscles to good use on last Sunday… in fact, maybe too much of a good use…

I went wall climbing last Sunday at Keppel Tower! The place is called ClimbAdventure ( http://www.climbadventure.com/index.htm )and it conducts classes for beginners as well as intermediate climbers. Basically, it’s like a studio with many walls for one to climb.

Each wall is only 7.5 meters, so it is definitely more suitable for beginners (like me!). One can either go for the Level one and two classes or chooses to pay 5 bucks and the place is yours for you to climb the whole day.

Unfortunately… I forgot to bring my digcam along and thus, no photos! ;(
But, I will definitely bring my camera the next time round and catch some live actions!

Despite of the pain and aches, I will still recommend wall/rock climbing because it is a total body workout! In fact… one session of wall climbing equates to 5 sessions of hardcore gym. It has been a long time since my body aches like that… every muscle is screaming with pain whenever I try to lift my arms…

Nonetheless, I hope to go for more climbing sessions, not only to tone up my body, but also to improve on my mental strength. This is definitely one sport where one has to conquer one’s fear or one’s many fears.

It can be fear of height, fear of falling, fear of looking like a cockroach scurrying up a wall (Ugly climbing postures!!!) or fear of not able to complete the wall… But at the end of the day, I realized that it’s all the state of my mind. If I told myself that I can do it… I can definitely do it. Wall climbing taught me NOT to doubt myself and believe in my body, as it is actually stronger than I thought.

So... anyone wana join me in wall climbing? ;p

p/s: Since the walls are indoor, so it's air conditioned! Yoo-hoo! No hot and sticky bodies with BO!

Why am I blogging?

Yesterday, I mentioned to a friend that I keep a blog... not a well-maintained one, especially when compared to other more established bloggers. Looking at my blog, it is actually quite boring, as I do not have any cool links or pop-up dancing babies. Not to mention that it is in a hideous shade of pink. (Whether you like it or not, pink happens to be one of my favorite colours)

And I have asked myself many times, “why the shit am I still blogging?” Since not many people read my blog except for a few friends.

Ahhh... that’s right. FRIENDS.

I continue to blog because I want to share with them what has been going on in my life. Although things can get pretty stale but at least there is this common platform where I can post my thoughts and share a little part of me.

This can be rather crucial since some of my friends are not in Singapore and blogs have, thus become to be a form of communicating.

Instead of frequent emailing, we can now check out each other’s blog and update each other.

So, my friends... please let me know if you’ll like to share your blog and life with me.

Oh, another thing, for those who will like to contact me via the blog, please clink on the link: “View my complete profile” and you will see “email”.

I have yet to figure out how to add a “leave a comment” link to my blog and thus, require this roundabout way.

In one way or another, I hope my blog has reached its objective, and that is to share my life with all of you, no matter where you are.

Feeling down…

I think I woke up at the wrong side of the bed this morning… I am feeling down for no rhythm or reason. And it’s not that time of the month either. (In fact, it’s nowhere even close)

I feel trapped… (again!) Is it only me who find Singapore stifling? I have this constant urge to travel, to get out of this country, to walk down unfamiliar streets, to smell exotic fumes, smile to strangers and experience the wonder of being in a strange and foreign land.

“Go to Little India on Sundays then,” said my friend. “You'll think you are really in India.””

“Yah… thanks, man” I replied drily.

Although I do not deny that there are indeed some exciting stuff to do in Singapore during weekends, such as in-door rock climbing at Keppel Towers (just got to know about that! Fancy a climb in the CBD of Singapore?), soaking in an outdoor Jacuzzi at MK-8 in Sentosa or visiting a goat farm in Lim Chu Kang.

Despite of the numerous “interesting” activities in Singapore (believe it or not!) but I simply yearn for a getaway…

I can always go for short getaway in near-by countries, such as Malaysia, Thailand or Hong Kong. But if I were to spend my hard earned money on these short getaways, I will not have much left for my long getaway…

Argh… At this point of life, I wish I am bloody loaded where money is NOT an issue and I am free to go wherever I desire…

Guess it’s time to buy toto, 4D or any form of lottery and pray that I am lucky for just once in my life. I am not greedy… just a $5000 win will make me very, very happy.

Sigh.

Back from the Sun, Sand and the Sea.

Yup… I have been back for a week now. A little more tanned, with a few more mosquito bites on my legs (what’s a few “stars” to my galaxy of bites and scars) and an addiction to adventure.

F.Y.I, the diving trip was absolutely fantastic! Saw a lot of fishes (duh…), COOL species such as the Napoleon Wrasse, porcupine fish, nurse sharks, moray eels, puffer fish… I can go on and on. To think of it, since I am such a “suaku” diver, anything with gills and stays underwater will be classified as a cool specie.

And once again, I have made some new discoveries about myself:

1) I still can’t dive for nuts.
Although I do not have a problem descending and equalizing, I definitely have a problem with my breathing, my buoyancy and fining. Guess, I will have to go for more dive trips to improve on my diving skills! But first, I will need to buy some of the personal equipments first. As mentioned by my diving master, “Cannot dive, never mind… but make sure you look good!”

2) I can’t wait to travel again
I have a problem… I am bitten by the travel bug. Antidote: Get out of Singapore at least once a quarter. This is really crucial since Singapore is soooo small. But thankfully, budget airlines in Asia are slowly (but surely!) taking off, which stands for cheaper air travel! Yoohoo!

So… I am planning a backpacking trip to Vietnam in September! I can’t wait!

Check out the nurse shark and the little red fish hiding under the rock! Picture is taken at Dive Site - Temple of the Sea, Perhentian Island. Malaysia.

Scuba!

Last night, I went for a pool session - refresher diving course, in order to brush up my diving skills before hitting the open sea in East Malaysia in the coming long weekend.

Things I have learnt about myself:

1) I am not as thin as I thought.
I borrowed some diving equipments from a close girlfriend of mine, and was trying out her equipments – wetsuit, mask, snorkel and fins. To my horror, I had such a hard time squeezing into her wetsuit that I thought her suit was going to burst. And all along, I though she is more “voluptuous” than me. ARGH…. I am dead wrong. Time to fast till Friday….

2) Diving is more stressful than I could remember.
I have not dived for 5 years ever since I got my license… and that’s a long time for a novice diver like me. So I have completely forgotten how to dive and last night I was running (or should I say splashing) around like a mad monkey. Checking of equipments, blowing of bubbles, getting equalized under water and maintaining of my buoyancy are all tough business! Did someone say diving is relaxing???!!!

3) Fair skin is NOT in vogue

I stuck out like a sore thumb last night. Among all the tanned, toned bikini babes… I looked sickly with my fair skin and sagging tummy. Argh…. Can’t wait to tone up and get a tan!

Yup… other than these discoveries about myself (more like disappointments actually), I had fun last night! I love the feeling of being underwater… I love the silence and of course, I can’t wait to see some fishes/sharks/turtles and try my luck to find Nemo. ;)

Can’t wait to dive in Perhentian this weekend!

Yup... Chio is wearing pink. And yup... I put my rainbow bag on my head. But this is not what you think it is... He is NOT gay!

Am I demanding or what?

Having a issue with my beloved: I am into Salsa but my beloved is not, so for the past 3 months or so, I have been going to my salsa classes alone, salsa bars alone and salsa parties alone.

In the beginning, I was very unhappy with him, in fact, more than unhappy. I was down right PISSED. How could that donkey (I meant my beloved) be so unsupportive of my passion? I have always been crazy about dancing, and this time round, I am very serious about mastering salsa, but he was totally oblivious to my pleas to come down to salsa bars and check out my sexy, groovy moves that I have learnt in class.

Now, I am (in a sense, in a certain pathetic sense) glad of this arrangement, I am pleased with the fact that I have widen my social circle and know many friends with the same passion for salsa. I am delighted with the fact that I can dance with cute guys without any disapproving glares and basically enjoy myself without Mr Grumpy Donkey (I meant my beloved again) buzzing around.

Previously, my salsa friends would asked me “hey, where’s your boyfriend?” and I’m like “Oh… he’s not interested in salsa” and people will then give me this sympathetic glare…. As if they were saying “Awww… the long suffering girlfriend, and the boyfriend does not even love her enough to learn salsa with her”

Yah, shut up. I do not need you to rub salt into my wound…

So, we have argued many times regarding to this matter and it has always boil down to him saying “I do not force you into doing anything you do not like, so why are you doing this to me now?”

Fine. I have been an idiot. No more tagging along to driving ranges to drive myself to boredom with golf. No more tagging along to wine classes and dinners, instead I should really have spent my money on salsa classes. No more mingling with his friends… especially those I have totally no interest in.

He has taken my presence for granted and I will not let that happen again.

Philippines Dried Mangoes… THE BEST!

Have been munching on some dried mangoes, brought to me by my dearest friend, Chio from the Philippines. They are sooooooo good, I can't stop eating. Yummy!

By the way, please do not get confused. My friend, Chio is a guy and he is not “chio”.

Chio (in Singapore context) – means pretty. It’s slang, usually used together with “bu”. So you have “Chiobu”, which means, “pretty girl”.

Chio (in AIESEC context) – he is a really cool trainee, whom I got to know when I was in New York.

Anyway… he visited Singapore for two days and basically we had fun hanging out (or at least I did!) together with another 2 Indonesian trainees.

What I have learnt about Singapore through my non-Singaporean friends:
1) Singapore is indeed f**king hot, how the hell can Singaporeans deal with the heat and humidity?
(We don’t… I seriously don’t think Singapore can function without air-con)

2) Singapore is indeed small, why the hell do Singaporeans need cars?
(I think it’s the heat… we need to sit in cars to blast our air-con. Although public transport is also air-conditioned in Singapore… but nothing beat having your very OWN air-con. That is why we need cars.)

3) Singaporeans lovvvveeee to eat and shop, what the hell do Singaporeans do besides eating and shopping?
(It’s too hot to do anything else in Singapore besides dinning in air-conditioned restaurants or food centers. As for shopping, well… you can’t expect us to just stand around in malls to enjoy the air-con and NOT shop. That’s just impossible.)

So, in conclusion, Singapore is too damn bloody frying hot.

p/s: I like the new ad by coke… a bunch of young people piling up ice (into a little slope) along the beach and “ice-board” down, eventually splashing into the sea. Cool huh?

p.p/s: Has anyone been to the Snow City in Singapore? I need a place to escape from the heat… …

p.p.p/s: Has anyone heard about the Eski Bar in Tanjong Pagar? The bar is supposed to be so cold… you can wear your mink coat, skiing hat and snow boots all at the same time. I need a nightspot to escape from the heat… …

Salsa!

Are you into salsa? No… I am not referring to salsa sauce but Salsa dancing! Yup… you might realize that more and more young people are taking up salsa. Salsa is the IN thing now! Yeah!

Latin dances like Cha Cha, Salsa and Rumba are not longer just for retirees or uncles-aunties who dance in community centers. (Nothing against uncles and aunties though)
Now, you will see really sexy, gorgeous and sensual ladies strutting their salsa moves in salsa bars and men… hrm, nice men dancing around also lah.

I was first introduced to Salsa around 2 years ago when I was in New York. Salsa dancing is pretty big in the States and that many fellow colleagues and trainees were from Latin America, so naturally hopping into salsa clubs and bars was inevitable and that was how I fell in love with Salsa.

Some of you might know that I am very into dancing. Yup… love dancing. Was doing some Hip Hop and funk, did a little of jazz, but unfortunately did not have the time and cash to continue my passion for jazz.

Anyway, back to salsa… due to limited monetary resources (I was just a poor trainee), I did not attend proper salsa classes and thus, did not pick up proper salsa till around 5 months ago.

So ever since last December 04, I attended salsa classes with “ Two Left Feet” – Dance School. The instructors are a bunch of dedicated teachers, who are ever so willing to teach and improve their students’ moves. Not forgetting to mention that the 2 female instructors are so HOT, HOT, HOT and male instructors are simply yummy… …

For some eye candy, as well as to know more about this dance school, check out this link:

http://www.two-leftfeet.com/

Boeing Boeing!

Watched this play last Friday, 22 April 2005 and had quite a good laugh! For those who are unfamiliar, Boeing Boeing is a drama from Wild Rice Production and already had its original run about 2 years ago. So, this was actually its second run and the very last show was on last Saturday.

Plot - About a man who has 3 girlfriends, who are air stewardesses. Miss SIA, Miss Cathay Pacific and Miss JAL, and how he got out this sticky situation when all 3 of them were stuck in Singapore due to technical problems at the airport.

Miss SIA – Typical Singapore Ah Lian. She was so loud and irritating and her singlish was giving me a headache… I hate ah lians. Esp pretty ah lians.

Miss Cathay Pacific – Favourite character in the play! She is so funny (acted by Pam Oei) and her Hong Kong accent was sending me into fits of laughter. The moment she opened her mouth, I started laughing… Just like dat.

Miss JAL – very act cute… (okok… she was very cute though) Sorry, I don’t like girls who ACBC (Act Cute Buay Cute)… even if they are really very cute. But her Japanese accent was indeed very convincing.

All in all, it was an enjoyable play… nothing mind-boggling where one would reflect upon oneself, but something light and hilarious. It was a stress-reliever. Good for a Friday night.

Oh… there was a good joke in the play:

Miss SIA: Do you know what is so great about Singapore?

Robert (This suaku boy from Kuching, Malaysia, friend of Miss SIA’s boyfriend): Hrm… democracy???

Miss SIA (very worked up): Are you trying to be funny???!!!!

Haha. I hope I will not get arrested for posting that joke.

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O yah, another thing: Singapore Art Festival 2005 - The Season of Brilliance.

Ok… this deserves another blog but since I am already writing one… …

Took a look at this year’s programs, as well as the design of the pamphlet, I must say that I am pretty impressed.

Two performances caught my eye:
1) Swan Lake from the Royal Ballet (UK)
2) “Yao Jing” (which means Evil Spirits in Chinese)

Swan Lake – No introduction required. Although I have already watched Swan Lake before in New York, performed by the ABT (American Ballet Theatre). It was marvelous! As expected, everything from costumes, choreography to the props and the backdrop of each scene were super-nice and super-drama-mama. Definitely got my money’s worth. Of course, the buns-of steel AND the beautiful legs of the ballerinas definitely add some punch to the Eye Candy Factor. I can’t say the same for The Royal Ballet, but I believe it should kick-ass!

Yao Jing – This play fuses contemporary theatrical styles with the traditions of FIVE (not one, not two, but FIVE ok!!! Mai Xiao Xiao!) Chinese Opera forms. Storyline: The five infamous beauties spanning 5000 years of the Chinese history, whose tragic fates were intertwined with the destinies of fallen empires. Were the sublime beauties venomous serpents (and thus, Yao Jing) who caused the downfall of empires? Or were they mere tragedies brought about by lust, desire and foolishness?

Sounds damn cool right???!!!

But there’s one catch: All Male Cast. Which means… the 4 Chinese beauties are actually “ah gua”.

Can’t convince my beloved to watch this at all…

“What? You want me to watch 4 men pretending to be the 4 Great Beauties of China? Waste my time only… … …”

Typical man.

Need to jio jio my girlfrens on this liao.

This is the reason why I can't allow my beloved to go Japan with PA. Temptation is everywhere! And men is weak.. ...

Will you allow him to go Japan?

My beloved said that he wana go Japan… and I was like “YEAH! I wana go Japan too!”

Then he said, “I wana go with PA”

PA is his friend, an investment banker based in London, who is earning lots of money and thinks that he is some big f**k. I call him PA because PA = Pompous Ass.

My immediate reaction was “WHAT??!! With him??”

(Alarm goes off in my head)

I told him dryly, “If you go Japan with him, I will go to Spain with the wildest girlfriend I ever have and will definitely have a hell-of-a-time.”

(Don’t ask me why Spain, I don’t even think Spaniards are cute, Italians seem cuter)

Tit-for-tat. So freaking childish right?

But he fell for it. “Huh? Spain… no no no, then why don’t you come along with me to Japan?”

“Nope. Don’t like PA.”

“Ok, we’ll do without him, but you will have to get a cute Jap girl for me and we’ll have a threesome together.”

“Ok, deal. Better than to have you fool around in Japan without me.”

O yah… I forgot to mention that PA is renowned to be this slime-pig, who pays for prostitutes. Not any normal whores ok… they are either models or super models. Cost about 300 – 500 pounds a night.

That’s like 1000 to 1500 Sing Dollars. Rich bastard, I hate him.

Boring life = boring blog

I was just lamenting to another fellow friend-blogger that I am bored at work. This came across as rather surprising because I am still new on my job and there is still tons of stuff for me to read and understand. So, technically, I should NOT be bored.

But I am. Bored.

Don’t wana read anything… just wana waste my time away and wallow in self-pity.

Yup… self pity. I guess everyone wallows in self-pity once in a while and today’s my turn. So, please… indulge me.

I came to realize that I am a boring person. So, with a boring life, how to write anything interesting?

B-o-r-i-n-g. At least at this moment in my life… nothing interesting is really happening in my life but yet, I am not exactly unhappy about that either.

So I guess I am upset that I am not upset about my boring life. Am I confusing anyone here?

That’s what Singapore can do to you. Make you accept that life is about earning money (and spending that money in Singapore-built casinos), get married, have THREE babies, hire a maid (who hopefully will NOT kill you or throw your 3 babies down your HDB flat), work our ass off to prove ourselves to “foreign talents”, pay a hand & a leg for a car AND save 2 million for our retirement, all at the same time.

Woah… so with that, how can life in Singapore be boring?

I must be mistaken.

Maybe… since I am a b-o-r-i-n-g person, Singapore is too exciting for me. I need to live in places like Fiji Islands, where there’s really nothing to do but to dive & snorkel, read a book, laze in the sun, curl my toes in soft, white sand and listen to the waves.

Ahhh… I can’t wait.

Wanderlust

I am getting restless. I can’t sit still. I can’t sleep well… … I feel trapped. I think I need to travel again.

In fact, when ever I hear news from my fellow ex-trainees (from New york or Chicago), I can’t help but to feel envious of their adventures and experience. Some of them have secured positions in London, Vienna and Toronto and will continue their career overseas.

But, here I am, stuck in hot, humid and stifling Singapore…

Many times I have wondered how life would have been if I were posted to London or ideally, Vienna. Will my relationship with my beloved still work out? How will my mum and brothers feel about my constant absence? Will my career advances accordingly?

“Choices are hinges of your destiny” – my friend once mentioned. “Almost everything boils down to choice,” she said.

Does everyone really have a choice? To a certain extend, I agree with her statement. With determination, one can be proactive in life and make choices accordingly. But without luck and opportunities, it will be choosing between one shit hole to another dung pit.

Nonetheless… that will still be a choice…

I guess it's time to plan for a trip at the end of the year. Need to get out of here. At least for a while.

Happy – Are you?

Checked out this new club in Tanjong Pagar called “Happy”. It is a very interesting name since Happy is primarily a gay club. Got it? Happy? As like “gay”?

Anyway, the club is cool… with its svelte interior, sleek sound system, great party music and hot servers (all males, of course!), one can really have a great time grooving and drowning in alcohol with style!

One reminder for the ladies, it IS a gay club… so nobody really gives a hoot about your blinking eyelashes, plunging necklines or pouty lips. Well… except fellow female clubbers a.k.a judgmental fashion police-cum-bitches.

Oh, another interesting thing about the club, its unisex toilets. No big deal…you may think, until a guy pee-ed barely 5 inches from me while I was washing my hands! Too bad… he was not that cute and the toilet was too dark for any decent spying.

And of course, I saw some of the most gorgeous guys on earth (unfortunately, are gays)… woah, those bods… were to-die-for. Sigh…. If only… *wistfully*

All in all, I strongly recommended the club. For the open-minded, of course.

I don’t feel appreciated

Yup… I do NOT feel appreciated. As a friend, as a lover, as a employee, as a fellow colleague, as a daughter… as a human being.

Ok, ok… that is a bit tooooo much. But the truth is, I seriously do not feel appreciated for who I am and what I did.

My boyfriend does not appreciate the fact that I try my utmost best not to splurge on shopping. He complains that I do not dress up enough for him… or that I do not have a good dress sense (I think that MY dress sense IS FINE). So, he claims that he wants to buy clothes/bags for me, which are totally not necessary. I HAVE enough clothes and shoes… (not bags though). But the morale of the story is that: Why can’t he appreciates the fact that I wana save money for him? Why can’t he appreciates the fact that I do not want to spend silly money on pedicures and manicures? Why is he so hung up on physical beauty?

Am I really that unglamorous?

I have never felt uglier.

What is wrong with me…?

I went for an interview yesterday at 7 pm and I totally screwed it up.

Sigh… there goes another opportunity for me.

I was totally not myself during the interview… can’t believe that I did so badly… despite reading up on the technical skills required by this position, despite getting good recommendations from my friend who is currently working in the firm, despite my international working experiences in the States.

I made a total fool of myself and wasted everyone’s time.

Argh… I did not sell myself, as the way I should in an interview. I should have impressed them with the stuffs that I have read and prepared for… but I did not do that.

Worse, I could not even answer a technical question posted to me.

And my interviewers advised me that I need to be aggressive to get this job, implying that I am weak.

I have failed.

No knowledge, no confidence… how to be aggressive when I have no confidence?

I need to go back to school again… to study and gain confidence on my technical knowledge.

Study = Money

I have no money. ;(

Sexy Pictures

After checking out Xiaxue’s blog (http://xiaxue.blogspot.com/) , seems that inserting sexy pictures of yourself is getting very popular.

So in order to join in the crowd, I’ve decided to do the unspeakable:

check out my big, round and succulent … …. …. APPLES in the picture below. 5 apples somemore…

Don’t they look delicious….?

Don’t you just want to give them a bite?

Hmmmmm…. *Groan*… They are so good. Fresh from the trees, cannot get any better than that.

;P

Apples! From the apple trees in an apple farm in Indiana last Fall.

Time to update

Have not been blogging and that is mainly due to my heavy workload of my new job. I guess everyone (“everyone” here means my friends) should have known by now that I am currently working for an U.S MNC. So besides slaving my ass off… I barely have enough time to sleep, exercise and file my U.S taxes. Blogging is on my last priority.

Talking about filing of U.S taxes… and it boils my blood. I did my tax last year and F.Y.I, filing U.S tax is not as simple as Singapore. Firstly, I will have to file 2 forms for the U.S federal tax and after that, one will also file tax against the State(s) you have stayed or earned an income from in that fiscal year. So, this year, I will have to file for 2 State taxes – NY and IL, addition of a filing against Federal. In total, 6 forms to file. 6 LONG forms.

Since I left the U.S last November, I have employed a certified tax consultant, before my departure to file my tax for 2005, and paid 150 USD for her *$^%#%&* service!

She is totally irresponsible. Not only did she not reply to my emails/questions, she made many mistakes in my filing. So, out of desperation, I had to file my own taxes again. Considered that 150 USD down the drain then.

So after a few late nights of reading up and filing of 6 tax forms, I am finally done and have just sent out my tax forms via Fedex this morning.

Moral of the story: Do not trust Americans. Especially those who claim that they can file your tax. They will just suck your blood.

Me, myself and Wenai.

A friend mentioned that I have stopped writing about myself anymore. So, I sat down and thought about that comment he had made.

Nope, I do not agree with him. If one realised, I write about nothing but MYSELF!

My days in the States, my petty problems in life, my weight problem in Singapore, aren’t all these all about me? I even wrote a blog about the damn X’mas tree in my office!

p/s: The tree is gone now. I volunteered to keep the Ugliest X’mas Tree away. I can’t stand having ugly things around me.

Anyway, back to the point, I have decided not to write about myself anymore but focus on more “worldly” issues. For example, the company culture of the MNC which I am working for, and how localise it seems.

But sorry to say, I have no time to write since I have to work. Yup… at 11 pm. *excited*

Chinatown

Took this picture sometime back when I just returned to Singapore around November 2004 and I realised that Singapore’s Chinatown is rather “un-chinatown”. At least in comparison to the Chinatowns in the States.

Just want to share with you guys.

There. MY Chinatown.

Last Spring, I was there looking at the Cherry Blossoms. And I thought those blossoms were the prettiest thing I had ever seen in my life. Now... my life lacks beauty.

Catching up…

Just about two days ago, I caught up with a good friend, whom I have got to know during my stay in New York. She is a Malaysian, did her undergrad in Australia, was in New York for about 2.5 years and recently spent 3 months in Colombia. Yup… she is a hell of a cool girl!

I was really glad to catch her for lunch, even though it was for only an hour. But I can feel this affinity towards her as always. She is ever so friendly, spontaneous yet so sensible. It’s always such a joy to share a conversation with her…

I believe that she is still adjusting to her life in Malaysia, especially so after spending a good 5 years abroad. I wish her all the best and I look really forward to meeting her again. Be it in Malaysia, U.S.A or Colombia.

For you K… my best wishes.

Lonely Fairy

I’ve never felt more alone… … A sudden sense of loneliness swept across my soul just about 1 hour ago and I can still feel the Fairy’s wings fluttering in my heart. The Lonely Fairy’s wings…

Despite being back home in Singapore, despite a dinner with my Beloved, despite taking a walk together with him. He made a comment, which froze my heart.

And I looked at him, not recognising him for a moment. Is he for real?

For a second… I felt like I am on the moon. Just like the fairy, looking at the cold, hostile and lifeless moon.

Alone and naked.

New Environment!

Finally… after being a bummer for 2 months, I am now a young, energetic and productive individual in the workforce! Contributing to my country’s GDP and GNP growth rates and increasing Singapore Consumer Spending Index by 0.000143%!

So much for getting a job huh?

Currently. I am a two-day old Financial Anal-yst of a U.S MNC… … So far so good. But as usual, there are a few things that I am anal about:

1) There is a HUGE Christmas tree right outside my cube… in fact, it is BLOCKING the entrance to my cube, which I am sharing with another fellow senior analyst. Everything is fine EXCEPT for this dumb Christmas tree. Hello…? Xmas is long over, so why can’t somebody keep this tree away??? And it doesn’t help that the Xmas tree is VERY UGLY. It’s such an eye sore… …Although it seems that my senior analyst has strong feelings for this tree. He claims that it can ward off “Evil Wind” – “Sha Qi”. So, meanwhile… I will give this tree a chance and keep it under observation for its ability to ward off evil spirits.

2) Someone here claimed that there is a tradition of Newbies buying breakfast for the rest of senior staffs in the department. What a ridiculous tradition??!! Seems to be a “Te-kan” (which means bullying) tactic for the seniors to throw their weight around!

Anyway, there are 2 newcomers in my department and so two of us are supposed to buy breakfasts for the rest of the team. Well… too bad, guys. That is NOT happening since I am pretending that I am short of hearing and make a point to disappear whenever the word “breakfast” is mentioned.

Hmnp. There is no free lunch nor breakfast in this world !!!

Bali Trip 2004

LMW, that’s me.

Read an interesting article in Urban, titled “LMW or HMW”? Which means Low-Maintenance-Woman or High-Maintenance-Women? And I immediately wonder which category I belong to.

I guess the best person to answer that question will be my boyfriend, but since he is not around at the moment, I shall attempt the impossible: to judge oneself.

Of course, it will be a biased vote, but I do seriously think that I am a very LMW. For example:

1) I do not demand flowers/gifts/diamonds/celebrations on V-day because I think it’s really stupid to allow florists/gift-shops/restaurants to overcharge us by 150% on that “special” day.
2) I do not request my boyfriend to call me every night nor to report his daily tasks to me. It will be nice and sweet of him to call me and let me know of his actions, but I do not believe in setting such rules.
3) Buying expensive gifts are not necessary… the gifts should be practical, or at least things that I like. Fortunately, I seldom like expensive stuffs. ;p
4) Dinning in fine restaurants is a bonus but pigging out in hawker centres can be a joy too!

Opps, I hope I am not “spoiling market” here! ;p

As mentioned in the article, one can be high-maintenance materialistically or emotionally, but both are equally exhausting, and men can be equally high-maintenance too. Although if you are freaking loaded, having a gorgeous-model-look-alike girlfriend/boyfriend, who is HM, it might not be a problem to you at all!

Looking around me, I identify a few of my girlfriends to be rather HM, and interestingly enough, most of them are now single. Then it dawns upon me that, these girlfriends of mine are also HM in terms of friendship.

Some of them can be self-centred at times… or in other occasions, I will end up paying for their drinks and meals since they are so used to being “paid for”. Just being their friend at times can be rather tiring; I cannot imagine being their boyfriends!

O well… Nobody is perfect. Let’s hope that everyone will strive to be a better person!

M.I.T

I was just lamenting to another fellow blog-friend about how boring my blog is, and what is the whole point of writing a blog…

Basically, I am toying with the idea of discontinuing my blog. I find my blog dry, not value-adding to any readers at all and most importantly, my English sucks big time!

And so, I asked my blog-friend, “Where do you find the inspiration to write? How do you do it?”

He said, “Writing is like bitching. Some people bitch, I write”

Ahhh, now I see… … … So I sat down and pondered upon the factors that could have contributed to my lack of enthusiasm to blogging.

And it dawned on me that it all boiled down to “M.I.T”

“M” – Motivation

I must need a motivation to write. Sadly, I am not very motivated right now. Besides sharing my thoughts and views with my other blog friends, I cannot find any other source of motivation.

“I” – Inspiration

Where to find inspiration? Books? Movies? Bitching sessions with girlfriends? Instead of bitching with other human beings, it might be a good idea to bitch with my blog instead. At least, my blog will not tell me to shut up!

“T” – Time

No doubt, one must have time and discipline to write. I am aiming for at least 20 minutes a day to write a decent piece of article.

Alright! Hopefully I have the will power to hang on!!!

Money Matters…

There was a recent article in The Straits Times, featuring women and their secret saving nests, concealed from their husbands or boyfriends. So upon reading that article, my boyfriend asked me in jest, whether have I saved a million yet.

Ha… I wish!

Even my mother advises me that keeping a secret account is extremely important, especially so when I am married. To my mum, money equates to security. That makes sense, saving for a rainy day is essential since you will never know when one might get retrenched in this competitive market. Or when will an unfortunate accident/illness strike? *touch wood*

Although I do not understand why the saving account has to be a “secret”? In a relationship, shouldn’t couples be frank and true to each other? In my opinion, couples should look into their money matter together, as one. Money can easily make or break a relationship, so why complicate matters by keeping “unnecessary” secrets?

“What’s mine is mine and what’s his, is mine too”

Well, I don’t believe in that because I think everyone has the right to spend his/her hard-earned money. Of course, one should put some money aside for insurance and investing purposes. However, life is short, so enjoy the spending power while you can with responsibility.

Nonetheless, I do have my own motto:

“What’s mine is mine, what’s his, is his, but what’s ours, is mine!”

Well, somebody has to do the dirty work, isn’t it?

For those who can, Teach.

I am a relief teacher now. Teaching lower secondary English and Math.

Quite a number of my friends burst out laughing when I told them that I am a teacher for the time being.

Yup… for your information, I have once thought about going into teaching… moulding our future generation into fine young men and women, changing their lives and in return, change mine… … But after a harrowing experience with the kids, I’ll have to say “Thanks… but no thanks!”

Being a teacher is HARD WORK! Besides teaching 40 kids per class and mind you, teachers usually have about 4 classes under their belts, these saints are also bogged down by tons of admin work. Marking of papers, preparing of lessons, setting of test papers, collection of health booklets, dental care forms and other rubbish, being in charge of CCAs, scolding talkative kids, puking blood, and banging head against the wall… … All these are the daily chores of a typical teacher.

I have never appreciated my teachers more… and I am truly sorry for all the troubles I had gotten into when I was still a feisty kid.

KUDOS to the teachers!!!

Just the stress of dealing with kids is enough to drive anyone mad… the amount of energy a teacher must possess to motivate a class of 40 kids is tremendous… and most of all, one must have the patience and compassion for children who are rebellious.

After two weeks of screaming at kids… my white flag is up. I can’t wait to surrender. Miss Haj (the teacher whom I am relieving), can you please come back ASAP!!! *wail*
Meanwhile, I have to hang on for another 1.5 weeks before I can hand over those kids to their rightful form teacher, Miss Haj…

Back to more serious matters… there are a few improvements which I feel that MOE (Ministry of Education) of Singapore should really look into:

1) Teaching Assistants

In order to teach effectively, teachers should not be overloaded with other non-teaching tasks. Instead of spending more time assessing their students or improving their methods of teaching, teachers are spending previous time on non-value adding tasks such as collection of funds, organising of school events and daily admin work. If MOE can ration one teaching assistant to every 4 teachers, Im sure it will lighten the load of the teachers significantly. Remember, teacher is meant to teach and not be an event planner/class treasurer/secretary.

2) Reduce the number of students per class (Even for neighbourhood schools)

Currently, there are about 40 students per class and I just found out how impossible it is to handle 40 children at any given time. We are talking about kids between 13 to 14 years old, where they are at the transition stage between children and teenagers. Thus, a certain degree of “mothering” is still expected, yet at the same time, teachers must bear in mind to allow space for students to develop their independence. If the class size can be reduce to between 25 to 30 students per class, this will enable the teachers to shower more attention to each student, focusing on individual’s learning capacity; as well as allowing the teachers to have more control over the class.

Teaching is indeed a rewarding career; it is very amusing and enlightening when students come up with creative ideas and solutions to either school related problems or the little hiccups in daily activities.

In any case… to all difficult parents out there, give the teachers a break. If handling your own children is already giving you a headache, imagine TEACHING 40 kids. You will start vomiting blood by the end of the day.

Fish!!! - Check it out!

Saw this advertisement from Johnnie Walker. (Yes, the old man who walks around with his walking stick while trying to sell whiskey) In fact, I first watched this advert when I went for a Whisky Tasting Session (organised by Johnnie Walker, of course) at Thumper, Goodwood Park Hotel sometime before Xmas 2004.

The tasting session was interesting since I have never attended a whisky tasting before, although I have been to wine tasting, tea tasting and even honey tasting. Therefore, that was indeed a brand new experience for me. Learnt a few interesting facts about whisky, but I am NOT going to talk about these facts here, as you can easily check that out on the internet. So don’t waste my time ok?

What I was really intrigued was Johnnie Walker’s newest advert, titled “Fish”

A school of “fishes”, or should I say “dolphins” are swimming towards the camera, in a deep, open sea….

As the camera starts to zoom in, you will realised that those “dolphins” are actually MEN! NAKED MEN! A huge school of these gorgeous-looking men, swimming together like dolphins… with a very catchy tune playing in the back ground.

And finally, these hotties found land, and started walking on shore… as the label “KEEP WALKING” flashes across the screen.

And there I was, tilting my head, trying to catch a glimpse of what’s between the legs of one of the naked cuties… … …

This is one of my favourite adverts to date. Cool… and naked men always work for me. Mind you, they must be CUTE, naked men… … who know how to swim, of course! Yummy... ...*slurp*

Screamworks – The Key to Brazilian Waxing!

Sick of having unsightly hair sprouting from places where they should NOT be seen?

Then refer to the above price list for the services available from Screamworks!

Screamworks Studio

271 Bukit Timah Road
Balmoral Plaza
#02 – 14A
Singapore 259708

Tel: 6836 1660
Fax: 6836 4006

I am a regular of Screamworks and I must emphasize that Sreamworks’s rates are really competitive compared to other salons. Not only that, with Frederique’s experience (Fred is the director of Screamworks), hair removing is relatively painless and hassle free!

And yes, feel free to scream while waxing! Although Fred will definitely minimizes any pain that you will have to go through!