30th September 2007

All in a days work

I feel so proud of myself. Despite starting the day late (I woke up around 2.30pm), I did a lot of domestic work in my room that I can be proud of. Hooray!

For quite some time now I've been planning and doing a little bit of Project Re-live. Project Re-live is my personal project of 'redecorating' and renovating my room, known as 'The Throne Room'. The Throne Room has been messy for quite some time now due to neglect. So now is a good time to get it into shape.

For today, I cleared the pile of rubbish that has been collecting dust on my shelves. They're not exactly rubbish. Most of it were notes from my college and uni-days. Most of it were useful last time. But since I've stopped using them, they've been gathering dust and using up space. And so today I packed them into bags to be thrown away. No, wait, to be more precise, to be thrown into a recycle bin.

That's right. I am pro-recycling. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. We came into this world that provided us with everything, so it's our damn responsibility to take care of it. And lucky for me, there is a recycle bin near my block.

So I packed the papers into plastic bags (those that you normally get from NTUC Fairprice) for recycling and other rubbish into separated bags for disposal. In total, I had 8 plastic bags of papers! That's so much that even I'm stunned. Still, I had to do the dirty work and bring all these papers to the bin. Luckily I've a trolley at home, else I would have to make many, many trips.

Besides throwing out the garbage, I did some sweeping and my laundry as well. The next best thing is the laundry, as I'm fast running out of clothes to wear (at least nice clothes). And with plenty of events coming up this week, I kind of had to the laundry. Collecting it, washing it and hanging it out to dry. Man, so much to be done!

But it's all worth it. Still, after all that I did today, I think I only removed 20% of the rubbish in my room. Oh well, little by little...

Project Re-live is on the way! I am looking forward to the result of my efforts. Even when my efforts hasn't been plenty yet. Hahaha...

The Surprise from the Seller

A few days ago I placed a purchase online for a t-shirt. Today I was going to meet the seller.

The transaction had taken place at, of all places, VR-Forum. VR-Forum is well-known as an IT Portal, where forum members who share interest in IT gather. In this forum there's a section for sales, where people buy and sell stuffs. And generally all the forumers are guys. Or so everyone believes.

So I contacted the seller, exchanged contact numbers and communicated via sms to make arrangements for the sale. Simply put, we were trying to find the best time and place to meet up and deal. Initially the seller wanted to meet yesterday night. Much earlier that night, the seller sms me to say 'Don't forget our date tonight at Punggol.' When I got that, I was a bit disturbed. I mean, which dude would call a deal a date? Anyway I was going to be out late and told the seller to deal today instead.

Eventually we agreed to meet up at AMK Hub. So I took a break from my 'work' and headed there. The seller told me to call when I reached. When I got there, I called the seller.

And was stunned when a female voice answered! I told her where I was (outside Nokia store) and she told me she'd come right over. I waited. And got stunned again when a pretty lady wearing a Nokia uniform approached me and said 'Hi, you're waiting for me?'

That's right. The 'dude' turned out to be a pretty lady. Woah! She's the first lady dealer I met from the forum so far. What a pleasant surprise.

Anyway I proceeded to check the shirt, paid for it and left after saying 'Thanks'. This was the first time I bought a shirt online. What an interesting experience it turned out to be.

If you're interested in checking out her online store, click here.

To the Surprise Lady, thanks again for the shirt! 

28th September 2007

Wedding of L&L

Today I rushed home after work to prepare myself for the wedding dinner of Lawris and Lenon. Lawris is my colleague at Timberland, Lenon is the groom. I was going to be late.

However, when I got there, it seems the wedding banquet had not even started. I met up with Jiao Hui in the lobby and we both went up and went into the ballroom with ease. Along the way I met with Seren, Lilia and other colleagues. Everyone were dressed pretty well.

I found my table and sat with 7 strangers and 2 familiar faces. Those familiar to me, well, we just did small talk and that's about it. And we waited. And waited. I arrived at 8pm. By 9pm, there's still no sign of the event starting. I was beginning to wonder if the something was up. Then around 9.15pm, the emcee made the announcement. And the event was on the way.

The wedding was a rather strange experience for me. I knew a number of people, but we were all seated separately. Hence in between dishes I would go over and chat and then head back to eat. The food was not bad. But the company at my table was rather, well, awkward.

I had to leave earlier due to an appointment that I had. And due to my early 'retirement', I didn't get to take a photo with the bride and groom. Oh well... I'll take a photo with them at my wedding instead. Hahaha...

Congratulations to Lenon and Lawris on your wedding. May you be blessed with marital bliss, enduring love and ever-lasting happiness!

In retrospective, I should have asked for a table where I know almost everyone, or at least have someone to talk to. It would have made the wedding banquet less awkward for me. Maybe in the next wedding.

Who's next?

27th September 2007

Lilia's Last Day

Today is a sad day. A sad, sad day. Simply because today is Lilia's last day at Timberland. Her contract has ended. Such a sad day, today.

As a parting gift, I volunteered my 'shooting' services and took photos for her with the rest of our colleagues.

First attempt...

Second attempt...

Third attempt. Success!

All the best to you Lilia! Take care and keep in touch!

Singaporean Men Are Chicken Shit!

Yesterday I met up with Weili and her friends. By the time I arrived they were already in the midst of discussion of a very heavy topic. That topic is relationships. Since I had missed out on most of the discussion, all I could do was to sit in and listen. I should also point out that I was feeling a bit stoned.

One statement that Weili shared with us, that a number of her friends agreed to, regarding Singaporean guys when it comes to relationships and courting, is this: Singaporean men are chicken shit.

Ouch.

To illustrate this statement, Weili shared with us that she has a friend who is beautiful and successful. And men are simply intimidated by her. They only enjoy her from afar and are not comfortable when near.

Ouch.

I can understand why a number of ladies out there would eventually come to this conclusion, or support this statement. There are a lot of pent-up frustrations, disappointments and emotional pain behind the intelligent ladies making this statement. However I can’t help but believe that these ladies have yet to listen to the men’s side of the story. One that I now offer. So ladies, please read, digest and ponder.

For a long time now I observed that most guys around the age of 23-29 tend to be shy, tight-lipped and nervous around the ladies. In addition to that, they tend to worry a lot (at times a lot more than the ladies!), have a lot of doubts in themselves and generally think too much and act too little. In other words they suffer from a low-self esteem and lack of confidence.

Yet this ‘inadequacy’ applies to only the relationship aspect of their lives. In other areas like family, friends and work, these guys do pretty well. In fact they can be rocket scientists or successful entrepreneurs, which make them quite attractive. But when they encounter the ‘girl of their dreams’, someone they like or when a lady hints some interest in them, they become the opposite of their successful self. They appear more quiet, aloof, uninteresting and cold. The weird part is they have almost no worries in befriending the ladies. It’s going on to the dating part and more is when they fumble. It made me wonder why are the guys behaving like this? Was it something in our diet? Or our genetic make up that made us feel this way? Surely there’s more to it than meets the eye. So I probed.

After various observations, I made some interesting discoveries. 

First and foremost is that these guys are not totally clueless about romance or romantic pursuits. They have pretty good ideas on how to romance a girl. They know words that can melt a girl’s heart, they know places that can spark the romantic mood, they have talents that can impress a girl and much, much more.

Secondly, if these guys approach the gal in a different setting, they won’t have cold sweat or nervousness that they usually have. For example, if these guys met the ladies in a professional manner/environment, their professional self will overpower their personal nervousness and self-doubts. Weird, huh?

In the course of my ‘research’, I came up with the following theory.

My theory is that these guys turned out that way, not by choice, but by being ‘victims’ of our ‘great’ education system and our meritocratic society. Allow me to illustrate.

These guys were born in the 80s. During that time, there was a great emphasis on educational achievements. Everything was about studying, studying and more studying. And the lessons that one pick up were basically text-book material. There wasn’t any emphasis on sports achievement, or an ‘all-round’ education. Books were the best friends for these guys. Even when they talk, it’s about studying and grades. They picked up mathematics, literature, geography, history, science, engineering and more. Day to day activities involved studying, playing some games here and there and more studying.

It came to the point that these guys end up being book-smart, but not so street-smart. They learnt to pick up concepts, but not to pick up girls. They learnt how an engine works, but failed to learn how dating works. They were taught good behaviour, but missed the lessons on social behaviour. They were given lessons on sexual reproduction, but not lessons on courting, approaching and treating a lady right. And consequently, their social lives were given a great limitation.

To me, the worst of this lack of social education is that these guys were taught so well to succeed that they arrived at a loss in handling failures. More specifically, at handling rejections. With their self-esteem already at a low point, rejections that come their way caused them grave injury. And so these guys become, as the ladies say, chicken shit. That, or they turned gay.

Another reason for guys turning out to be like this is the false reality that were taught to them. These guys were simply told this: “Study, achieve great results and you will get a great job. Once you have a great job, you will earn big bucks, and girls will come your way. Don’t worry about love now. Study and work first. Love comes later.” The underlying/hidden idea behind this statement is that success buys love, or that love can be bought. Which is ridiculous and simply not true. But that’s what these guys were taught to believe anyway. And so, when the reality of the dating and mating world hits them, it hits them hard.

So ladies, there you have it. My theory on why the guys behave like ‘chicken shit’. But don’t fret, all is not lost. Going by the recent trends, it appears people have noticed the difficulties that these guys faced and have taken actions to remedy it. Hence the rise of speed dating, dating boot camps and other socializing enterprises. Give these guys a hand by introducing them to these enterprises. It's definitely will help them a lot. ;)

26th September 2007

Apple IPhone

If you've been keeping up with technology and gadgets, then you would definitely know what I'm talking about. The Apple IPhone. Apple's first mobile phone. A mobile phone that has built in it an mp3 player, video player, Internet browser, email and possibly more. An all-in-one wonder. A chick magnet. A geek's dream toy. A yuppie's access to bragging rights. And more.

At present, this device is available in massive quantities in the US. And recently, it has found it's way here onto our shores, for the mass techies and gadget lovers (i.e guys/geeks). Thanks to entrepreneurs of course. If you want to own this toy, be prepared to pay between $800-$1200 for it (for the 8GB version). And possibly a little more to 'unlock' it for use with the local telcos. Don't worry about warranty, Apple gives international warranty on all it's products.

Take a look at it. You will see why this gadget is so delicious and delightful to one and all.

However, despite the hype and appeal, I will have to pass up on this toy. At least for now. For a few reasons of course.

First would be the battery. Like many (if not all) of Apple devices, the battery is internal. And batteries being batteries, their lifespan will decrease with time (and improper charging/use). Now let's say after my warranty expires, I find that the battery life of my Iphone to be unstable and unsatisfactory. I would have to fork out quite a hefty sum to get the battery replaced. And that haven't include the sum I have to pay to service it. Parts and labour are always mutually exclusive in terms of cost. Who knows, by then, instead of paying for a new battery, it might be more cost effective to get a new Iphone instead! So unless Apple makes the battery external and interchangeable, I'll pass.

Next would be charging. To charge this lovely gadget, you would need a computer at least. So if let's say you're in a country that doesn't have an Internet cafe, and you don't own a laptop, you're pretty much screwed the moment your Iphone battery dies off. This is because the charging is done via USB from a computer. An alternative is to buy a USB-based travel charger. But that means paying extra. And still relying on one internal battery.

Last but not least would be the support. While it's true that Apple products carry international warranty, the fact remain that the product has yet to be launched here. Means if any problem crop up on your Iphone, you have to send it to Apple Care in Singapore and wait for some time for it to be sent to US where it will be fixed and back where it will be returned to you. In that time, all you can do is use another phone and suck thumb.

Well, maybe if Apple make changes like having changeable batteries and bundling with a travel charger, I would get it. And when it's launched in Singapore, I would get it. And if the price is not so high, I would get it. Till then, Iphone will be just a 'nice to look at, no thanks for now' type of toy for me.

I do welcome it as a present though. ;)

25th September 2007

A friend of mine shared a thought-provoking quote this morning. Now I'm sharing it with you:

"A woman came out of a man's ribs, not from his feet to be walked on, not from his head to be superior over, but from his side to be his equal, under his arms to be protected and next to his heart to be loved."

Men, respect your women. ;)

THEY'RE BACK!

The message hit me the moment I got online after arriving at the comforts of my room.

"HEROES SEASON 2 IS OUT!"

I was pretty stunned at first. After all, the last I heard is that the new season would be launched in January. I guess I read wrongly. So excited! The new season of Heroes has started. Something to look forward to every week now. Yay!

For those who have not seen this show, you need to socialize more often. Haha...

22nd September 2007

The Wedding Emcee

Quite some time ago, my friend Zoe asked me if I would be interested to be an emcee for her wedding. I had never been one before and the job sounded interesting so I said 'Yes!'. Till today I'm still figuring out what made me said that. After all, I had no experience. I only thought it was fun.

However, no turning back now, the big day is finally here, for Zoe and Julian (the JZ couple, as they referred themselves as. Pretty cool, has a nice ring to it). I'm honored to be a part of it and hoped to contribute the best that I can.

In addition to being an emcee, I volunteered to sing a song for the newly-weds. The song of my choice was to be 'Forever Love'. So, besides being the Wedding Emcee, I volunteered to be the Wedding Singer as well. Or so I thought.

There wasn't much preparations to be made for this event. I didn't even get a chance to go for a rehearsal! All I was armed with was the schedule of events, a short script courtesy of the hotel, song lyrics and my guts. To help with the Mandarin part of the action, I had a co-host named Kelly. She is Zoe's cousin.

I arrived at the hotel (Grand Plaza Park Hotel), got changed, met up with my co-host and the newly-weds. Zoe looked stunning in her wedding gown. Julian looked huge. But both appeared to have a radiant glow about them and an unspeakable connection between them. Both have the look of being in love with each other. Enduring love, everlasting happiness.

Thereafter we (Kelly and I) were briefed on the cues and sequences by the hotel liaison guy named Lewis. Lewis told us all that we needed to know to make our job easier. After that, it was onto practice. By then some guests had already arrived. Nevertheless, we practiced, practiced, practiced.

Initially, Kelly and I had planned on acting out a skit based on true events that happened between Julian and Zoe. I even made a script for it. However, while trying to act it out, we realized how unfitting the skit and acting was for the event. So we dumped it. Next, we had planned to sing a duet for the couple, followed by my solo song. However, anxiety and nervousness got to the both of us. So we dropped that as well. So much for The Wedding Singer. Hahaha...

The time came. Lewis invited us on-stage. The lights dimmed. The spot-lights shone on us. And the action began. 'Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen...'

After the first round, I came back to my table and immediately asked Akiro for a review. He said I did well. I thought he was being kind until a lady from the same table said the same thing. She asked if I had done any rehearsals for the whole thing and when I told her that tonight was the first time I was doing it, she was impressed. That's when her companion informed us that the lady was an emcee as well. The lady said that I did it well and she knows how I feel about being up there. I just couldn't help but smile.

Well, with me going up and down the stage, time moved pretty fast. Soon it was time to make a moved. The night had been memorable indeed.

Picture with the newly-wed (far right)

Congratulations to the newly-wed, Julian and Zoe. May you be blessed with marital bliss, everlasting happiness and a life full of love.

20th September 2007

Servapalooza - Timberland Community Service Event

Today is not like any ordinary day at the office. Today is Servapalooza. The day when employees of Timberland do community service.

For this year's service, we were going to the flats of old folks in Redhill. Our task was to help them clean their houses and replace their furniture. Some of these old folks live in 'indescribable' conditions. Thus we were expected to get our hands dirty. Guiding us were members of Habitat For Humanity, an organization that specializes in looking after housing of those in need. They planned the project, we provided the manpower and logistic. Supporting us were our business partners and youngsters from Pertapis Home.

Each of us were split into teams. During the briefing, we were told that those in teams of 3 or less can expect to do minimal cleaning as the flats they were tasked to was quite clean. Those in teams of 5 or more have to expect the unexpected. I was in the teams of 5 or more. As you can imagine, the anxiety was immediately there.

Team A!

My team was tasked to the unit belonging to an old lady. The instructions given to us were to remove her mattress, bed frame and all other things that she don't need, followed by a thorough cleaning of her house (mopping, sweeping, wiping window sills, washing the toilet) and ending up with fixing up a new bed-frame and cupboard for her (courtesy of Ikea). Sounds easy right?

Since we were in a large group, the worst that we expected was a very messy and dirty house. When we got there, the flat was indeed messy and dirty... and reeked of urine! Everywhere had urine smell. The clothes were wet with urine and they were strewn almost all over the place! The large proportion of her clothes were in the toilet. There, the smell was so overwhelming that I felt dizzy and almost puked! I guess I'm lucky that I was fasting so had nothing to puke. Immediately I went into 'snorkel' mode and start to breath from my mouth. The world stopped spinning by then. And the work started.

Team A in action 

To ensure no fainting incident, my colleague collected her clothes into a plastic bag and we moved it outside along the corridor. Another colleague and I did the 'man' stuffs of carrying and discarding unwanted items at the dumping centre. Thereafter we helped with the sweeping and mopping and wiping of windows. Thru-out, I did my work in 'snorkel' mode.

After we were done with cleaning, I brave dangers by taking a breath thru my nose. The smell was still there!!! ARGH! But it's not as strong as before. I suppose the furniture and some parts of the house was stained with the smell. Oh well, we did our best.

The Lady of The House - Siew Moi 

While we were doing our work, the lady, Siew Moi I think, sat along the corridor on a low table that was placed there. She talked to us now and then as we moved in and out of the house. She spoke in Hokkien so I didn't really understood what she was saying. But she seemed pleased and appreciative. She even offered us water from the bottles that we had brought for her. I see as her way of showing care and wanted us to rest here and there. As she was offering the bottle of water to me and a colleague, we noticed something. Water started to drip from the table onto the floor. And the source was her pants! It was then I realized that she is incontinent. Yet despite her condition she remains chatty and happy.

While waiting for the floors to dry up from the cleaning, we proceeded to fix up the bed and cupboard that was donated by Ikea. This was my first encounter with Ikea furniture, as in the first time I'm fixing one up. All I can say is Ikea doesn't give extra parts.

As we went about to fix up the furniture near the lift lobby, Siew Moi appeared holding a pinkish plastic thing. She went from colleague to colleague to offer the thing to them. However everyone that she went to politely declined her offer.

I guess they declined because they don't know what it is and also that they worry it might be stained, as I had that in mind. However I felt moved by her gesture of offering something even though it's like she didn't have much to offer. I mean, she wanted to show her appreciation with more than just a 'thank you' by giving something in return for all the work we're doing for her.

So when she turned to me, I gladly accept the gift. Instead of putting it in my hand, she gestured for me to hold out one of my hand. When I did, she wrapped the plastic thing around my wrist and connected it at the ends. It turned out to be a bangle of sorts. I felt happy with the gift and thanked her for it.

Token of appreciation given by Siew Moi

After we had placed the new furniture in the house, we took at picture with Siew Moi.

As you can see, she is very happy with the result!

19th September 2007

Return or New?

I can't decide where to call this website a new one or just the return of deAn's Digital Domain. After all, there was a previous version hosted elsewhere. While I ponder on this, I'd like to welcome new visitors and returning ones. It's been a while. Hence there's plenty to read. Enjoy reading as I have enjoyed sharing, and contact me for anything. ;)

My First Kiss

Ryk posted the following bulletin board on Friendster. It seemed interesting enough to be shared here (picture is for illustration only!).

Pucker Guys. My First Kiss..

A kiss isn't just a kiss, or simply a precedent to sex and foreplay. Most men simply don't realize how important a first kiss is to a woman. Kissed for the first time by a new or potential lover, a woman decides right there and then whether you're in for a second, longer dive.
 
Good kissers make an unshakable impression. If you can kiss with much
sensuality and confidence that the only option for your kiss victim is to beg for more, you can expect the other party to have opinions of you higher than the roof above your head. Its bonus points for physical attraction, and it gets you very far often into the bedroom.
 
Of course, I am in no position to give you a crash course on how to kiss well, or rate the standard of your smooch on the kissing scale. It is a learned etiquette, a language of a lover, and you may have already developed a signature style of your own. Good kissers have a range of techniques and types of kisses for every occasion at their disposal.
 
A lot of (first) kisses happened in clubs, for some reason, while you're
giddy with groovy music pumping in your ears and alcohol pumping in your blood. Everyone looks cuter, don't they, in that supernatural nightlight swirling around you. But that doesn't mean abandoning all rationality and diving straight into the lusty kill hoping it might get you a sneak to the toilet for a naughty quickie, especially if its a first kiss. Regardless of the location, take note of a little helpful advice!
 
1. Check your breath.
 
Bad breath is a major turnoff. Be mint-ready, and eat something light the
meal before the special moment, if you meant it to be.
 
2. Test the waters.
 
You'll need to feel the other party out, and finding the right moment. You don't want a forced kiss and a hell lot of embarrassment. If you have trouble reading signs, make a move on him or her by getting closer and check the reaction. Make shifting glances from the lips and eyes. Response should be positive before you move on, if he/she backs out, you do that too, no matter how much you want it. Save some dignity for yourself.
 
3. Start slow.

And that does not involve your lips yet. Body language is important prior to that moment when lips touch. Reach to touch his/her arms, or the waist, or the small of the back. When both of your lips meet, don't dive the tongue in just yet. There shouldn't be too much groping wetness.
 
4. Variety, please!
 
Don't stick to one boring form of kissing! Add surprises, and not too much
tongue. Don't engulf your kisser in your mouth either. You can move from short, soft kisses to longer, deeper and more intense ones. Change the angle of your head, and remember to breathe.

5. Kissing doesn't just happen on the lips.

Body parts included. Go for small pecks and nibbles on the neck, the earlobes when the heat is turning up. After your deed, come back and tell us about your steamy first kiss!

18th September 2007

Big Braces-Off Day

Today is rather a big day for Jezreel, a friend of mine. She is taking off her braces. I'm interested to see how she look like without her braces so am awaiting updates from her. This is to answer the inevitable universal question: does she look better with or without her braces?

It all depends on one's point of view...

17th September 2007

Saboteur

The game is called 'Saboteur'.

It's a very simple card game. Easy to pick up. And it brought us (Carol, Zonghao, Ronghui, Alex and I) lots of fun. I met them at AMK S11 for dinner/break fast. Initially Zonghao resisted playing but after seeing how fun the game was, he joined in. And he emerged the ultimate winner for the night! Congrats!

How to play the game?

Wait till we meet up and I'll tell you. ;)

15th September 2007

Working@Timberland Sale

Today is the first time I work at a sale event. It would one that I won't forget in a hurry.

One of the perks for working at this event is getting a free Timberland shirt. Two actually; one for today, one for tomorrow. Another perk is that for every 'shift' of duty I took, I get one extra day off from work. And extra leave is what I need at the moment, especially for my coming trip.

Initially I was tasked to take care of apparel, but after I reported, I was told to head to the women footwear section. Soon, the doors opened to the madness called shopping frenzy.

The crowd came in fast and hard! There were so many customers, so little helpers in my section! Almost everyone wanted attention, almost every one had a request or another. As such I was kept on the move right from the beginning. There wasn't time to think or rest, mind you. At one time I was serving 5 customers at one go! Talk about multi-tasking!

And the ladies liked to ask questions, which is ok with me. The questions revolve around sizes and prices. If they liked it, they bought it. Not often do the ladies mull or did some thoughtful consideration on their purchases, which is surprising as normally ladies tend to ponder quite a bit before buying things. It was after a while that I realized why this is so. The ladies were thinking "either you buy it now or you don't get the good deal later!" This happens when someone else bought what you were contemplating to buy, or when the design you like does not have your size because you hesitated. One word for this: "kiasuism". And the offers were good on most of the shoes.

There were also customers who tested my patience. Lucky for them I was so busy and on the move constantly that I did not reach the blowing point. Else it would have turned ugly.

With so much to do, time passes by very fast. Before I knew it, it was almost time to break fast. I had been on my feet non-stop for about 8 hours! The crowd grew thinner at 6pm onwards, so it wasn't too bad by then. When the time came, I break fast. Thereafter I head back to my post, tended to some customers and left the place for a more hearty meal.

It definitely was a tiring day. And there's still tomorrow!!! =\

Tired, I am.

14th September 2007

Timberland Sale Now On!

I'll be working during the sale on Saturday and Sunday so come on down and visit me! Hehehe...

ODAC Gathering

Tonight was a much anticipated night. Tonight was when the SR ODAC Gang gather to hang out, chill and basically enjoy each other's company. We have come a long way since we knew each other (10 years!) and the bond is still strong.

For tonight, we dine in Bian's place. Her place is located in the (almost) furthest corner in the west, appropriately named Jurong West. Lucky for Ronghui, Li Ann and I, we got a lift from Yvonne and Ben to Bian's place.

When we arrived, I was stunned. There was plenty of food, especially pasta! Bian had convinced Alain (her husband) to cook more pasta specially for me, since I have the reputation of having a bottomless stomach, which she deduced would become even more bottomless since I was fasting. Unfortunately, I had ate quite a bit when I break fast prior to going to the place. And since fasting started, my stomach had reduced in capacity. Still, I didn't have the heart to tell our gracious host about this. So I just did my best to stuff it in.

Soon Elizabeth arrived with Daemian (husband) and baby Megan! Almost everyone crowded around to see baby Megan. She's just so adorable!

Baby Megan. Adorable, ain't she? 

We chit chat as we ate the pasta and pizza. Thereafter, we played the card game 'Bang'. Now that's where the fun started. This time around there were more new players, so it took a while longer to play the game. Actually we never made it to the actual game because the trial game took up a lot of time. And when we were finally done with the trial game, it was almost time to leave. But not before we...

Celebrated Bian's belated birthday! We got her cakes and donuts for the celebration.

It was a simple and enjoyable affair. Well, the best things in life are simple. ;)

13th September 2007

It has begun

The fasting month has begun! Hooray! I always look forward to the fasting month. Simply because at the end of it is a big, big celebration in the form of Hari Raya Aidilfitri. What I like about Hari Raya is the dressing up in traditional clothing, the visiting of houses of friends and families, the eating of various food and the fun in going out together with friends. I’m sure plenty share the same sentiments.

Unfortunately for me, I won’t be receiving ‘green packets’. =( I have to give them instead since I am now working. The rule of thumb for ‘green packets’ is that once you’ve started working, you have to give instead of receive. Ouch. The pain. On the pockets.

Still, as the saying goes, there is joy in giving. So I just have to find that joy.

For the fasting month, aside from the hunger pangs and thirst, I feel very, very tired and sleepy. That’s the effect for the lack of energy and for waking up early in the morning to eat. And every morning I have to remind myself to drown my stomach with water. I can handle hunger well. Not thirst.

Lunch time has taken on a new meaning now. It’s no longer a time to eat and walk around. It has become nap time instead. One solid hour of napping (provided I don’t get disturbed). Hooray!

Accidental Movie

Today I met Celestine for dinner. After that, we didn’t really have much of an idea of where to head. Hence we ended up catching the show, ‘The Invasion’, which stars Nicole Kidman. 

‘The Invasion’ Synopsis

In yet another remake of the 1956 sci-fi classic "Invasion Of The Body Snatchers", we follow the story of a mysterious epidemic which dangerously alters the behaviour in human beings. When a Washington D.C. psychiatrist (Nicole Kidman) discovers through her research that its origins are actually extraterrestrial, she must protect her son, who may strangely hold the key to stopping the marauding invaders.

‘The Invasion’ Review

This show begins by throwing you into the moment of desperation of Nicole Kidman’s character, followed by a flashback/rewind to the events that sparked off the invasion. This creates much intrigued in the audience thus one can say that the movie engages the audience well. The pace of the show is quite consistent and the build-up of the tension is awesome. There’s no ‘shocking’ scene. Instead, there are scenes that make you feel thrilled and terrified for the character at the same time. However, the ending is an anti-climax. It’s short and shown in a ‘matter-of-fact’ manner. There’s no drama, no emotion and definitely no entertainment value. It’s like reading a boring article. The ending is just boring. This is one movie that is best not seen on the big screen.

Farewell Aftermath

The farewell dinner that the climbers and I had for Devan was memorable. Now what was left was to do my page contribution to the scrapbook that we're compiling for Devan. I used the photos that I had and the photos taken yesterday as my source material. After some photo-shop editing, I ended up with the following:

Click on the image to view 'enlarged' version

Very nice?

You like?

12th September 2007

Happy Birthday Tse Bian!

Devan’s Farewell Dinner

Tonight’s farewell dinner was an event that I was looking forward to since knowing about it. Simply because I have not met up with this bunch of climbing friends for a long time. It wasn’t intentional to not meet up with them. Work had suck up my time like a vacuum cleaner sucking up dust. Not much is left.

The dinner was to be held at Timbre, near Fort Canning. That place is damn hard to find! Even it’s location on streetdirectory.com is vague. Initially I thought it was in the Sub-Station. But no, it is actually BEHIND it. And getting to the back of the Sub-Station requires a strong familiarity with the place. Alternatively a person who can direct you well would suffice. Anyway the place is kind of like an open-air restaurant/pub/bistro with a stage for ‘live’ performance. Tonight’s performers were a bunch of kids trying to make it as a rock band.

By the time I arrived almost everyone was there. It was good to see them again and I did what I could to catch up with them, especially with Devan. He is leaving for Scotland to pursue his studies and will be there for quite some time. The best part was that he got a scholarship for his studies. Maximum respect for that man. Hooray for me too, cause now I’ve someone to visit while in Scotland (as well as bunk-in while I’m there, I hope!).

We ordered some salad, finger food and lots of pizza! That’s the specialty of this place: thin-crust pizza. The pizzas are really thin, almost like ‘Kate Moss’ thin. It’s hard to believe that one can be full from eating just one pizza, so we ordered many! Variety is the spice of life.

While dinner was on-going, I went about taking pictures. Amanda helped me to take pictures as well. Here are some of captured moments.

Check out the rest of photos for this event in my gallery.

We wanted to make tonight memorable for Devan, and what better way than to buy him rounds of drinks. We also ordered for him a very special drink called ‘Waterfall’. This drink is very much renowned for its spectacle display rather than for it’s alcoholic punch. In other words, seeing it is spectacular. Try ordering one the next time you’re at a pub or club. You’ll see what I mean. ;)

We had hope of getting Devan drunk. However, he has a high tolerance level for alcohol. So, mission failed. Still, we had fun!

All the best to you Devan!

11th September 2007 

Steven Lim vs Xiaxue

Steven Lim. I think a lot of Singapore netizens know of this fellow. Be it for good or bad, for funny or distasteful and so on, he has left an impression on all. In this YouTube clip, Steven Lim rants against Xiaxue. It is pretty hilarious to me. Watch out for the ending. It's very verbally vulgar! My favourite part is "You sucks, you sucks, you sucks, sucks, sucks.."

9th September 2007

Early Morning Work

Once again, I volunteered my services for a SAFRA event. This time it’s SAFRA’s adventure race, called SAFRA Avventura: The Coastal Challenge. And I was there to be the emcee.

As the emcee, I’ve to be there before the race start. Since the first race starts at 7.00am, I’ve to be there bloody early. Six in the morning to be exact. I woke up so early that even the rooster was still sleeping! And the saddest part of it all is that the starting point is at Tampines SAFRA instead of Yishun SAFRA. Damn far…

Still, it was fun being the emcee. I just have to stand there and talk. It’s that easy. And I like it that way cause while my body is there, my mind is still in slumberland.

Deal or No Deal – Audition

However the highlight of today is the Deal or No Deal audition. My audition is at 11.00am so once the last race was started, I headed back to change and find my way to Mediacorp. There were quite a number of people there, from all age-groups. Almost all of them didn’t seem too happy about being there on a Sunday.

For the audition, I was first placed in a group of about 15 and led to a waiting room. Here, we watched reruns of US version of the game. It made me feel like migrating to US to join the game there. Why? Because the top prize is $1 million dollars! And it’s all in USD!

One by one, we were called to go for the audition. I had no idea what the audition was going to be like. So it was a bit of a surprise that it was just a one-on-one interview.

During the interview, the person (yes, only one interviewer instead of a panel of judges) asked me questions like what I do, what my friends think of me, the biggest risk that I have taken, what I think a contestant should be like and more. At the end of it, I was given a short scenario test, before being told to wait for their call. If I’m selected, they will call me. If not, suck thumb.

The waiting was about 1.5-2 hours. The interview was done in 15mins.

Wish me all the best!