Wednesday, December 31, 2008
light at the end of the tunnel | 8:01 PM
3SA, Manila Trip (3-9 Nov)
St. Andrew's Secondary
As the year draws to a close, are you feeling blue
because of the bleak circumstances around you?
Do you feel caged up in your hopeless situation?
Are your days filled with long shadows that never seem to go away?
Is there light at the end of the tunnel?
Allow me to ask you this :
Have you met a person who is born with no sight?
Given a massage by a blind person who makes the best of life
with the other senses he still possesses?
Heard the most joyest and soulful heart-song crooned by one who cannot see?
Shake hands with children who live in slums with the barest minimum?
Smile at a dog sleeping blissfully despite its dire surroundings?
So what if you may be living with a crippling disease?
You are not yet a dead fossil.
So go ahead, play hard.
If you have a job, work at it passionately.
Take a break to do a song
and dance once in a while.
(It's best with the company of great friends!)
Eat well.
But don't forget to exercise to burn those excesses.
Share a burden.
Share your time and resources with those in need.
Live life to the fullest.
Labels: CIP, Phillippines, work
Spiralling | 10:20 AM
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
but there is no mistake!!! | 4:53 PM
He insisted that he had not made any mistakes on draft 4. Yes, we are talking about draft 4 of a piece of composition. The truth is, carelessness ruled the day often for this poor kid who was bargaining for sweets in return for his work. But I stood firm - no sweets until his work was completed properly. Yes, if you ask me, I was truly enjoying that session. Haha! Okay, he did get his Fruit Plus Blackcurrent flavoured sweet at the end of the day. I gave him 2 instead of the 1 we agreed on. I am not evil, right. That's my new tea/coffee maker on the right with plunger from Starbucks, KL. I managed to sweet talk this salesgirl behind the counter for a 10% discount off the item and my favourite Chai tea. :)
Labels: work
Carry You Home | 6:54 AM
Monday, December 29, 2008
KL2 | 11:43 AM
Drive Trip #2.1
26-28 Dec 2008
My friend invited me to join him on a drive trip up to Kuala Lumpur. Like him, I could use the trip to momentarily escape the drugery of Singapore life. So why not?
Yes, this was my second KL trip in less than 2 weeks.
We arrived at the capital near midnight. Thereafter, we began our search for our accomodation. One after another, we were told that the rooms were full because it was afterall, the weekend right after Christmas when most people would be on extended leave from work.
They attracted quite a crowd, a few times bigger than the above when we walked back the same way.
Poor chap. His car broke down at the same junction where the buskers were. Well, at least he gets some ready entertainment while waiting for the mechanic to arrive.
This is a rather futuristic looking public toilet with metallic and glass finishings.
How can anyone let their vehicle deteriote to such a state I wonder?
This is THE local makan paradise at the heart of Bintan. Unfortunately, my friend and I settled down at this seemingly packed outlet amongst many along the later part of the same stretch and if looks could be deceiving, this was the perfect illustration. The ala carte dishes were not fantastic at all (thus you do not get any pictures of the okay-only meal).
We arrived at the capital near midnight. Thereafter, we began our search for our accomodation. One after another, we were told that the rooms were full because it was afterall, the weekend right after Christmas when most people would be on extended leave from work.
After settling into a hotel, we headed to Jalan Bintang on foot. We came across a group of buskers at a corner of a big traffic junction.
They attracted quite a crowd, a few times bigger than the above when we walked back the same way.
Poor chap. His car broke down at the same junction where the buskers were. Well, at least he gets some ready entertainment while waiting for the mechanic to arrive.
This is a rather futuristic looking public toilet with metallic and glass finishings.
How can anyone let their vehicle deteriote to such a state I wonder? 
This is THE local makan paradise at the heart of Bintan. Unfortunately, my friend and I settled down at this seemingly packed outlet amongst many along the later part of the same stretch and if looks could be deceiving, this was the perfect illustration. The ala carte dishes were not fantastic at all (thus you do not get any pictures of the okay-only meal). Sunday, December 28, 2008
corrupt | 5:36 PM
They say Malaysian Polis (I have to spell it the way they do across the Causeway) is corrupt! I've heard of stories of Singaporean motorists being stopped for speeding on the N-S highway and the authorities accepting monetray bribes to avoid traffic fines. Sure, they are those guilty speed demons who deserve to be ticked off. It was not until my first encounter with one that I truly realise how corrupt some of them are!
I was not behind the wheels. My friend and I had approached a toll booth at near midnight. After just a few metres past the booth, we were signalled over by a traffic warden to pull over. An officer told us in a nervous voice that the speed limit is 120km/hr and that we were travelling at 124 km/hr - these were the exact figures mentioned by him! Anyone who has driven on the highway knows that the speed limit on the highway is 110km/hr!!! And how on earth are they able to detect a car travelling at 124km/hr when there was no speed camera nor any polis car at all before the booth??!!
Immediately, he offered for us to settle now and then "no more talk okay?"
The bumi putra policy is obviously NOT helping these 2 officers whom I understand are not very well paid. But they are KEEPERS of the LAW!! Their facts were dubious and intent corrupt right from the beginning.
So did my friend pay up? He's a regular in and out of Malaysia. Like many had told me before, just pay up and avoid the troublesome fine.
I had reported a corrupt establishment in Singapore before I left for the drive trip yesterday. Who do we report corrupt polis in Malaysia to after having heard and now personally experienced one, to??
Labels: corrupt, ramble, travel
Friday, December 26, 2008
first cooked meal | 12:05 PM
This is my first cooked meal over my hob (or is it the hub?) since I'd moved in in October. Actually, because I had been so busy preparing my kids for examinations, moving in and the whole packing n unpacking hoola boola (still ongoing) and then camps and 2 trips (and still counting), I've only turned on the gas at the mains with Singapore Power some 2 weeks ago. In the meantime, I have been relying on my free dependable mircowave (it came with my fridge) all the while whenever I have to whip up a quick meal or so. Thus you can see why today's breakfast is a breakthrough, even though it is a simple meal of Nissin maggee mee with fresh Chye Sim and frozen prawn dumplings. I realised I had forgotten to add an egg only after I started ravishing it.So much for the procrastination when it comes to preparing a proper meal.
Some more ramblings,
For the first time ever, I had slept til about 10am.
From Ellen, I learn that David Cook is a leftie, like me. Smart and talented in every sense. Haha. Okay, only females who are lefties can line up for autographs.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
beyond the bright lights | 11:25 PM
Christmas is more than just this tree made from numerous coke cans as spotted outside a mall in Bangkok.
No matter how bright the decorative lights are,
no matter how big the illuminated snow flakes are to simulate the winter atmosphere.Christmas is never the same when we do not spend it with loved ones.
My best parties were those gatherings I had with childhood friends. I just got back from one.
How was your Christmas?
Labels: christmas
Boo Boo Lockdown | 11:08 PM
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
curtains up | 9:58 AM
My living room is almost complete.
Last week, I had the curtain lady from Johor Bahru come by with her samples. I settled on this grey and black wavy motif to go with the colour theme of the living room.
The crew dropped by yesterday with their supplies and tools and began their work.
Drilling and rigging up the curtain rails.
That's Madam Ng supervising the hanging of the day and night curtains.
The living room with curtains at last.
The same view with curtains drawn and living rooms switched on.
Thanks to my childhood friends who gave me this gothic looking Jewish minorah which blended very well with the modern theme of my living room. The wooden display piece and the clock are my recent purchases from Bangkok.
There is still 2 more outstanding jobs for the living room before it is truly completed. Stay tuned!
Labels: home, wordless wednesday
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
she drifted like an angel of the night... | 6:16 PM
on a horse drawn carriage
she drifted in
like an angel of the night
it wasn't a Disney burst of animals into songs
nonetheless
this your special day
20.12.08
Joanna
got hitched
Labels: marriage, wordless wednesday
Monday, December 22, 2008
The economy is so bad... | 8:05 AM
Thanks to Z, I learnt that The Jay Leno Late Night Show is available on ch.15!!!
Here's one funny one I heard.
The economy is rough. The economy is in bad shape.
People are standing behind George Bush to get free shoes!
The economy is so bad I was in Beverly Hills, saw a chiwawa eating dog food!
The economy is so bad the hookers in Vegas are taking jobs as snow blowers!
Labels: humour
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Million Blog List | 10:56 PM
Saturday, December 20, 2008
wide hips and coffin-like cabins | 9:51 AM
In the past, it was said that men would look for a mate with wide hips which was associated with a woman's fertility. Last weekend, I came across this mannequin at Central Mall in Bangkok. The addition of the very wide horns on the mannequin's head does make her more appealing, don't you think? 
On another matter, I was told to handcarry 6 paintings by the counter staff onboard my return Tiger Airways flight. I got a tad worried because I found out then that budget airlines like Tiger Airways do not give preferential treatment to fragile items. Would there be space on the aircraft to dock my paintings safely? What if the air stewardesses on the plane tell me to check them in instead because I was definitely carrying excess of the permitted 7kg for that 1 piece of handcarry? My friends assured me the staff onboard would have to handle that and I need not fret over my precious paintings. Well, I found out that my 6 paintings could fit into the very wide and deep overhead cabins! A steward shared that he had actually climbed into it (being very bored one day and to amuse his female colleagues) and lay down with his limbs all stretched out! Now we all know how much handcarry items we can actually bring up onto the plane!Labels: photo hunter, Thailand, travel
Friday, December 19, 2008
flaky | 4:50 PM
My hands started flaking 2 days after I washed the toilets. It has never happened before. I supposed it has to be the 2 detergents I'd mixed to mask the strong smell of bleach. I'm probably allegic to whatever concoction that was the aftermath on the floors. I think the gaps between my last 2 toes on both feet have also met the same fate. Anyone knows any quick remedy?
Labels: home
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Be With Me | 11:31 PM
Last Sunday, I found this ORIGINAL (I just have to emphasise that) DVD in a media store at Central World for 99Bht! That's like just over S$4! Rated M18 (I believe I remembered correctly) here, Be With Me is best remembered by many as the lesbian love movie. Truly, I had expected Eric Khoo to do better than cave in and sell his very poignant film on that one slice of a sexual subplot. The film thrives on more meatier stuff! Themes of isolation and longing to be with one's loved one hold the various subplots together. I have just finished watching it and man, the subplot based on real-life dumb and deaf Theresa is bound to be a slap on anyone who complains about every molehill in life. Although the action is real slow, it is not boring at all - unless you are a totally calloused ass or assette!
In my opinion, every one, young and old, should watch this film. That is also why I chose not to say much about the content of the film. Rest assure, Be With Me is not a Taiwanese weeper!
Check out the other reviews below :
Labels: movie
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
BearBEAR | 7:54 PM
I've stumbled upon a uber (man, I'm beginning to sound like the rottie!) dlog, that is, a dog blog!
I've been reading the archives on and off the whole day because it is so addictive! Call this coincidence or some higher doggie being edging me closer to the enlightened path of pet adoption. After January passed away last year, I am still unsure if I will open up my life again to another dog. Besides, bringing any 4-legged animal requires tons of patience and time. I am not sure if I can commit myself to that task again. Incidentally, I've been reading "The Healing Power Of Pets" by Dr. Marty Becker since my Bangkok trip. The signs up all around me. Or did I chase after them to begin with?
where in the world is.... | 10:04 AM
Long Way Up
Driving up North Part 2
where in the world is Bidor???
where in the world is Bidor???
What I enjoy best about driving up North is being able to stop wherever you like and whenever you like.
Our plan was to walk into a coffee shop and order any food that look sumptuous.
Well, I forgot to take picture of the yong tao foo dish. Nonetheless, the place is pretty quiet and the only patrons are retirees sitting around reading the papers or chatting. Next, the provision shop right across the road was too tempting to resist.
Apart from coming across some tidbits we used to have in our teens, I spotted this coffee mix that contains the Tongkat Ali root! For the uninformed, it's the Viagra equivalent used by the Malays.
Apart from coming across some tidbits we used to have in our teens, I spotted this coffee mix that contains the Tongkat Ali root! For the uninformed, it's the Viagra equivalent used by the Malays.
Strolling down a few shophouses, we came across a coffeeshop selling the supposedly famous chicken biscuits. According to Joe, our KL friend, this venue is where the biscuits originate. 
I'm not a biscuits person but I rather like the fragrant and cripsy bites.
How many fruits and vegetables can you name in the picture? Click on it to have a closer look. 
I call this the old and the new - the abascus and the felt-tip pen.
We should un-ban chewing gum in Singapore!
Again, something you don't see in Singapore due to our clinical efficiency. The sight of creepers or plants growing in the sewers and pushing against the grate is quite appealing, don't you think?
Back to the Swift to explore another part of the town!
