Hyper!

No I didn't OD on Panadol leh.. (Kiv next post!)

I know it's late - I have a breakfast at 730am tomorrow - um, today - and a possible shopping trip before catching a flight back, but I don't feel like sleeping..or blogging about current working trip - the working part is over now..

Read a few blogs.. Na did this test, and mf is a sucker for personality tests ~.~

Your view on yourself: You are intelligent, honest and sweet. You are friendly to everybody and don't like conflict. Because you're so cheerful and fun people are naturally attracted to you and like to talk to you. mf: Really? :)

The type of girlfriend/boyfriend you are looking for: You are a true romantic. When you are in love, you will do anything and everything to keep your love true.

Your readiness to commit to a relationship: You are ready to commit as soon as you meet the right person. And you believe you will pretty much know as soon as you might that person.

The seriousness of your love: Your have very sensible tactics when approaching the opposite sex. In many ways people find your straightforwardness attractive, so you will find yourself with plenty of dates. mf: Eh, what dates?? *.*

Your views on education: Education is less important than the real world out there, away from the classroom. Deep inside you want to start working, earning money and living on your own. mf: More on my independance later..

The right job for you: You're a practical person and will choose a secure job with a steady income. Knowing what you like to do is important. Find a regular job doing just that and you'll be set for life.

How do you view success: You are afraid of failure and scared to have a go at the career you would like to have in case you don't succeed. Don't give up when you haven't yet even started! Be courageous. mf: I will try!

What are you most afraid of: You are afraid of things that you cannot control. Sometimes you show your anger to cover up how you feel. mf: Do find myself an engry person at times..

Who is your true self: You are mature, reasonable, honest and give good advice. People ask for your comments on all sorts of different issues. Sometimes you might find yourself in a dilemma when trapped with a problem, which your heart rather than your head needs to solve. mf: I thought it's my head that solves problems..

Rating: fairly accurate.. Try?
http://www.quizbox.com/personality/test82.aspx

Tell me, should I laugh or cry??

CY alerted me to JK's post on mf..

WA LIAO!!

*.*

Mothers!

One evening in dance class, I happened to hear of a classmate's 20-year-old daughter.. But she looked like she was in her late 30s! I sat down with her and two other ladies, and learnt that she had a son one year my senior! Man, she kept really well! I mean, look at Mother! Ok, she's 60 this year but I don't recall her looking so young when she was 52! I'm so convinced of the miracle of consistent exercise and an active mind at work..

Ok la, to be fair, Mother was the fleur de la kampong ok! Don't play play.. I'm pretty now (detractors, hush!) so need to make sure I age prettily :p

The three ladies were all in their 50s, and somehow one of them said they could be my mums! Da Ma, Xiao Ma and Wang Lao Ma! Three new mums for me, yeah! :)

These are "fun mums who dance". There are nice mums too, like Grams. She doesn't meddle in her children's affairs. She trusts them to do the right thing. At 80s, she's still so buddy with Aunt. I like her :)

The other day, I heard WY on the phone with her daughter. When she was done:

mf: Could you be my mum pls?
WY: Haha! I love you too!

She is the kind of mum I want to be, and also the kind I would love to have. Reason, not the cane, is the way to go. I don't want my kids to harbour the same unpleasant thoughts I used to have against the folks who held the cane. And Mother never gave me any acknowledgement of affirmation or parental affection. Telling me "this is for your own good" was just telling me what she wanted, not what I wanted.

Alright, this is degenerating into a grudgy post. And I'm not stopping myself.

I hated it when she assumed the worst about me. Why would a parent not trust her kid to do good? Borrowing a line from TV:

"I don't smoke, I don't do drugs, I don't come home pregnant.. Why are you doing this to me?!"

I don't talk much in the house but sometimes I have interesting things to share and "don't tell me cos I'm watching TV!"

Fine, maybe she was kind like Grams many years ago, I couldn't discount that. Maybe, life has hardened her as it did so many...

Hmmm, that's so dark.. I shall not scare myself. I'll go back to living in my world of mf-ism..

Three happening mums!

Da Ma slapped my bum bum yesterday and went, "You've got a big butt!" *.*

I enjoy being the youngest at work and among the youngest in dance class. It's tiring to always be the big sister.. I just want to be a little girl, really..

Exciting!

This week is very exciting again!

Siok is back from her month-long break and it looks like she'll still be with us :) I was just thinking this morning as I chewed my wholemeal peanut butter bread that my division - actually my previous division, just that I'm still physically located with them - wouldn't be the same without her, Dor, and very soon, FK and others. Maybe cos they were here when I first came in, except Siok, who came in about the same time as I did..

Settling well into new office now. Prefer the layout here to the old place. Just that my desk is a bit cluttered with unpacked stuff that should have been filed.. I'll do it when I finish fighting bush fires.

Actually, I sort of miss the old place on 15th floor in the next block.. Especially the lovely pantry where so many games of Scrabble were won and lost and so much gossip and fun stuff exchanged, and of course our very nice Inspired room - I remember we put the Ikea chairs together ourselves! *proud*



Anyway, I'm off to Shanghai tomorrow night for an event. Going back to pack my pretty suitcase now!

mf likes sheep!

Omg! These are too cute!

http://nacente.net/?p=907

Coincidentally, I was thinking of keeping a hamster this morning. Well, you can't keep a sheep in Singapore (nor do I want such a big pet!) and hamsters look like miniature sheep. From afar. Um, very far.. I'm just afraid it may die on me =/

mf the OL

Definition: OL - office lady :p

I must confess: I haven't been reading blogs. No time to log my life as well - actually only a week :p Wrote most of below over a few bus rides, with my Dopod of course, henceforth known as my pink friend.

The OL works
I think people who read my blog - in fact, those who read blogs at all - could at most imagine the old days of assigning and receiving work through the physical in-tray and out-tray. Things now move way faster via emails. But the other day, I realised that mobile technology was one mark above!

In the past few months, I have been using phonecalls and sms a lot - both for receiving work and even getting approval for minor stuff. I'm going to get a bluetooth headset to facilitate working events. Can I claim? :p

Anyway, a busy and exciting period just went by. I'm now feeling the down after an adrenaline high..

Had some media thing this week. Almost fainted when I realised I forgot the slides! Luckily it was settled after my heart rate hit a new high..

The twitch of my nose
That - as in the heightened heart rate - might have helped what happened next: it took only two tries to get blood out of me this time; six months ago, it was three. Also improved on the 5-min nose test; started sneezing more than 30s after inhaling the allergent and only seven mild ones, compared to 20+ consecutive violent sneezes upon contact six months back. Next appointment is 14 Feb. They kindly asked if I would have any problem making the appointment - "you know, it's V Day." Well, life goes on! *.*

Test day
Oh, I also passed my final theory test in the past week! Congratulate me! Thought it was easier than the basic one.. Aim to pass practical on first try too! :)

The day of final theory test was also the day CY became her own boss! No, she didn't quit but she set up a stall in the Youth Park flea market selling slippers and necklaces and bags. Sito and I went down to support after dancing. I wanted a pretty pair of slippers but sob sob - I'm a toa cah soh! =(

Didn't want to join CY et al for fireworks - went to watch fireworks two years ago with Yan and it was too crowded and I had to stand far too long waiting for three minutes of explosion! - so went to meet with Z et al. Besides Z, I haven't seen them for two years! Learnt from earlier email chain that one of the girls had just given birth to her first baby, how exciting!

Yesterday
Cancelled dance lesson yesterday as Sito was rushing for a flight (he's in Korea now) but since we were already there, we practised. Shifu's son gave us some advice on posture. So did the foreign couple - I don't know where they are from. I thought I would wake with a backache today but my calves were the one killing me. Went jogging nonetheless.

Back to dancing, the guy placed a drum stick horizontally under my bum, and up! I was immediately one inch taller, tail bone tucked in and connected to him. The lady taught me to connect my arm and neck positions, must remember.. But my body weight wasn't moving correctly =( I must practise!

The big move #1
In office now. We're using the weekend to shift to the next building to facilitate renovation of the current one. Packed most of my stuff into two huge boxes by 9pm Thurs night. Those were dead wood that we got professionals to help move.

Reminded me of term break in Oxford. All that moving! But it was quite fun actually cos a group of us would usually meet at one place to help someone move boxes and suitcases, before moving on to the next college to help another person. Sweaty and tired, we would end with lunch or dinner at our favourite eatery, which varied from Friends (which became Wok 22, then Wok 23; I don't know what it is now :p) to Cafe Orient to Liaison or whatever. Ahh, those were the days!

Anyway, yesterday, I moved my rubbish bin (!!) and other objects of awkward shapes and sizes into this new place. Today, I was supposed to unpack after checking that my boxes were in and internet etc connections were working fine but once I started up Lotus Notes, it was work!

Ok, I shall start unpacking now... Not everything, cos as the sub-heading suggests, there is a #2..

Envy

Recently heard of a baby's birthday celebration at a nice hotel. I became envious of a one-year-old.

I had birthday celebrations when I was very young. I don't remember much of course but I have photos of me and a cake with few candles during the short happier days of my childhood. The first I could actually remember was in kindergarten, when Mother brought a cake to class during tea break. The teacher gave me the flower biscuit on the sponge cake.

I would always get a cake for my birthdays before Oxford, sans the candles and singing as I grew up. And Mother would make my favourite spring rolls. So my birth was celebrated, very simple but I was happy.

There was only one fancy celebration, with friends and candles and singing. That was in primary 6, when Mother had the bright idea of "just say it's to celebrate end of school* else people bring you presents, waste money." That's just so typical of her, to feel bad when people are nice instead of accepting graciously..

* Mother went by the lunar calendar; my lunar birthday is usually end of year.

But I was very happy to be able to invite a few friends over for fried bee hoon and spring rolls etc so I was ok with no present. Of course the closest of friends knew about my birthday and brought presents anyway. So I couldn't help but felt I might have embarrassed those who didn't get any; this girl came by to pass me something a couple of days later..

But it was just a kid's thing, birthday celebrations. I don't really care for it anymore since it's the same every year. Would rather take a day off from work and enjoy me time..

Anyway, I was thinking about how lucky kids are these days, handphones, theme parties etc. I think birthday parties for babies are really a chance for a family get-together, since they won't remember a thing when they grow up. Birthday parties for demanding little princes and princesses and/or from doting parents may be a necessary indulgence for a happy childhood or maybe some sort of a compensation for busy parents who don't spend enough time with their kids.

But then I thought of the other kids, kids like me whose family could not afford such fancy stuff; how will they feel when they go to friends' lovely parties with the Snow White cakes? Oh, that's my time; it should be Nemo or some purple dinosaur of the 1990s/2000s that I'm not as familiar with. How will they feel if they're wearing plain white canvas shoes while their friends are walking around in Nikes? I remember going to a classmate's party in McDonald and wishing very hard that I could have one too, all the time knowing it was impossible. And I'm also the one with white canvas shoes, at half a size too small after a while. (Me wearing shoes half a size too small NOW has nothing to do with my family and everything to do with vanity! :p)

Think it could be worse these days.. I mean, it's no longer a case of the prettiest pencil case but the fanciest handphone! Birthday parties in McDonald are not as cool as a poolside party, all the better if the birthday boy or girl appears in the latest Superman suit or some princess gown.

Less well off kids must be feeling lousier these days. I hope they don't do anything drastic. I hope they turn out well in the end, like me. Ok, I'm a tad weird but overall, still ok.

Envy. There must be a reason why it is one of the Seven Sins, but when utilised as a motivation, it is also a very useful emotion.

PS: This could be the start of a series - my take on the Seven Sins.. But I may be guilty of sloth.. Kiv!

Happy National Day!

Was at Istana for the National Day Observance Ceremony (a civil service thing) on Tues. My second trip there, first was during May Day open house last year. The staff was giving the performing kids a tour of the Istana, to places normally closed even during open house, so LY, TO and I grabbed the chance to look around! :p Unfortunately the chandeliers were too bright and the photos didn't turn out very well..

During the Anthem, realised that the big shots standing in front were all quite tall, with SM seeing the top of everyone's head, followed by a close tie between PM and my (big) boss..

Also realised that I forgot some of the lyrics :p

Then it was National Day, which was a very happy one cos I was lucky enough to get tickets to NDP!! This was the last NDP to be held at the National Stadium; it's going to be torn down to make way for new one:

http://www.ssc.gov.sg/SportsWeb/sw_mc_details.jsp?artid=5118&catname=Features

Tickets said "to be seated by 4.45pm" but since it was showing on TV from 6pm, we met at Kallang MRT at 430pm to walk to the stadium. And of course some of us were late (including me and it was all Sito's fault for wanting a sit-down snack after dance!) and we were all strolling leisurely. Even when we reached the stadium, we were lingering outside, drinking free milk, taking photos, going to the bathroom etc. So we ended up sitting at the top.. My second time at NDP, my second time at the top!

First time in 2001:


Second time, behind us were umbrellas to shelter us from the ashes and ambers from the fireworks later:


...

Well, if Hup is my male twin (Episode 19 of link), then Kel must be my evil twin! This shot was like my Bugs Bunny days.. He kept attacking me with the air clubs or clappers; mf was badly abused =(

Introducing the rest of the party..

We have the milkmen Tok, JD, Kel and YX..


Kel, again cos he looks like our flag here..


Sito the clown..


Hup and CW (Kel is the ghost of the photo)


Ok, enough of the men! Now we have Na and mf!


(Na would rather not be exposed to the WWW)

And you notice we're all wearing red except Hup! (Sito barely passed with a bit of red print on his shirt..) My sms to them read:

"Wear red! Underwear also can, but you must show us all!"

And so he did!


So did Na who painted her nails red too!


My goodie bag is still sitting on the sofa, untouched since Wed. It was so heavy but lucky for mf and Na, YX and Kel were doing the carrying - thank you! :)

The bag contained tattoo stickers which we used. I had a flag on my arm but that didn't stick too well - the most temporary tattoo I ever had, as Hup said - so Hup helped put the global city logo on instead and another flag on my cheek. I took off the flag that night but saved the arm one to show off in office yesterday :p



Now some shots of the NDP itself etc..

The parade awaiting inspection:


Speaking of men in uniform, we bumped into Moh on the way into the stadium; he was on duty..

It was beautiful when the sun was setting; this photo didn't do it justice..


We could only hear the cannon thing from far far away but I zoomed all the way to the big screen for this:


Finally the fireworks!!


That was so pretty right? But the smell, yucks.. And some ambers fell gently from the skies, slipped in between umbrellas and landed just next to my exposed feet. Kel had a wondrous idea to touch the ambers and OUCH! *.*

We sang the Anthem (and I forgot some lyrics again!) before the NDP ended with a medley of national songs. You know, I like watching NDP at the stadium instead of on TV cos of the atmosphere, the Kallang wave, and the chance to sing these songs. I mean, how odd is it to sing them at KTV?! :p

If you read comments, you would have seen one by Lim Su Chong, who wrote Five Stars Arising. He asked why I liked that song. I paste my reply here:

"It's subtle and yet invokes a sense of pride - it doesn't say 'Singapore' out right but any good Singaporean would know that it IS describing this country and what the flag stands for. It speaks fondly of a new nation - we were so young in 1969 (the year the song was written)! It helps that the tune is sticky; a colleague started humming it when I did :p"

There's always something in national songs, be it the lyrics or the tune or both, which never fails to stir up thiis emotion in me. Patriotism? Or perhaps I am too imaginative sometimes? *shrug*

Think sometimes we just get so cynical about things or life just piles so much on us that we fail to appreciate the better or more significant stuff. I mean, price hikes should not affect my affection for the place I grew up in, right? Just like I may not care much for my immediate family but I love my Grams.. Ahhh, I'm glad to be born here! :)

Look up and smile

It was a beautiful weekend. I didn't venture far. Only met Insp for lunch in Tomato Town.

Wasn't hungry at dinner time but thought some vegetables would be good for me. Also thought the oyako soup would be good too - good meaning healthy.. Only, I didn't have the soup in the end; jus the oyako drained dry of soup.

I stood at the window with my bowl of vegetables and oyako. The walls of the flats in front were drenched in the setting sun. It had a calming effect.

Ended my dinner with a few spoonfuls of my blueberry yogurt, also at the window, marvelling at how much my precinct had changed with all the construction.

From not hungry, I became very full. Sighed out loud that I went into auto-pilot during dinner time..and returned to bed with my book and the oolong tea from earlier..

Sunday was again sunny and breezy. Walked to J8 for lunch with my primary school classmates before walking to find Grams, all the way happy cos the weather was fabulous!

Strange that at night on the way back, Mother told me she happened to glance up at the sky in the day and found it very pretty..

Yes, it was a beautiful weekend indeed :)

PS: Found the playground closed when I got to my Grams's place. I used to play there with my cousins some ten years ago, and now, it had been deemed too old..

Learnt this when I was a fresher:

Being good-looking and being attractive are two different things.

And I curled up in bed last night thinking about this until I fell asleep..

Five Stars Arising!

Since I heard this on the radio a couple of days ago, I've been humming it.. My fave national song! Just learnt that it was from 1988, music and lyrics by Lim Su Chong:

There's a new moon arising, out of the stormy sea
Youthful and bright and bearing hope, and tranquil as can be
Reach out for the moon above, savour freedom, truth and love
There's a new moon arising, out of the stormy sea

There are five stars arising, out of the stormy sea
Each is a lamp to guide our way; a lamp for all to see
Reach out for the stars above, savour freedom, truth and love
There are five stars arising, out of the stormy sea

There's a new flag arising, out of the stormy sea
Crimson as the blood of all mankind, yet white and pure and free
Reach out for the flag above, savour freedom, truth and love
There's a new flag arising, happy and proud are we

Credits: Sing Singapore

You can download the song (legally) here:
http://www.ndp.org.sg/index.php?id=16

Very disturbed

1) Shifu beckoned us to him..

Shifu: Eh, you have been putting on weight!
mf, Sito: o_O

It's one thing admitting to myself that I've put on weight and another when someone else says it =(

2) Trying to do some basics with our palms facing. Dan adjusted Sito's arms so that the elbows were facing down instead of outwards and both arms were directly in front of the shoulders.

Sito: Eh, very uncomfortable; I have chest muscles!

Dan grabbed Sito's chest from behind..

Dan: No, it's ok.

And he walked away..

mf: I'm very disturbed. Did you just grope Sito?!
Dan: No, grope is like this *demo only: hands lower*
Sito: I feel violated..

3) I haven't talked to Meh for two weeks..

He who must not be named

Jo: See the small arrow pointing to the "he who must not be named"..



Baby is a boy!

Most astonishing for me was the next shot showing the unmistakable silhouette of baby's head and a hand..



mf was touched and in awe..

Thanks, Jo, for your kind permission to share your joy here :)