An ordinary truck?
Dispensing yummy Old Chang Kee at an RC event at West Coast!
Cannot buy, ahhhh!
Today, I jogged while Sito swam. We could see each other through the gym window - quite fun =D Had a good dinner - that was when we saw the OCK truck - and then fruits and then chocolate cookies. And he fed me a pineapple tart while I was ironing.
I've been snacking a lot since we moved in together. There's the never-diminishing stock of ice cream, and plenty of chocolatey yummies from Christmas. If Sito were not with me, I would have snacked more, cos I controlled my intake (somewhat) when he was not in a snacking mood :p
I figure I'll stop snacking when the snacks run out. Especially the chocolates cos I have better control over ice cream intake.
And yesterday, I found that our weighing machine is highly unreliable. It gave me two readings that differed by 1.5kg within two minutes. (Don't ask me why I weighed twice in a quick row!)
My moment of truth will come 6 February when I have access to another weighing machine at the spa. And M's eyes - she has no qualms telling me if I'm fat or otherwise :p
You know, there are days when a piece of dark chocolate is all you need to recharge. Then there are days when you may need a scoop of really yummy chocolate chip cookie dough. And then there are days when you must have nothing short of a ton of chocolate and icecream. Each.
Today, I felt like nothing could help.
Haven't sunk this deep for a while. Last I recall was about 2004 or 2005? And yes, it's always related to work. Nothing too specific; just..work! *you have to imagine me spitting the word out like a poison*
This time, I diagnose myself with professional depression. Nothing clinical about this one.
For some time now, I have this card stuck to my CPU in the office. It reads "I don't hate my life". I think "don't" is underlined.
I have been playing a lot of puzzle games on my Pinky II to keep myself from dwelling on negative thoughts about work, about my working life. But it hit me that I was escaping. I should not escape! I must do something about it.
So, because of this negative energy in me, I don't feel too cute these days. In fact, I was rather afraid that something fundamental had changed in me. I mean, I always encourage people to be positive right?
I must remember that I sometimes need to encourage myself too :)
Must find time to go play sackboy... Be happy, mf!
We are taking fewer cab rides since moving here. Save money! But more important, it saves me a lot of grief over waiting for cab..
I absolutely hate waiting for cabs at night outside office cos:
a) there are no empty cabs. Some cabbies told me cos the cabs were hiding somewhere waiting for a call to come in;
b) but calling a cab may also result in nothing. No enough cabs in Singapore! Yet some cabbies complained to me that they had little business. One cabbie offered that some old cabbies chose to hang around residential areas instead of town cos of language barriers; better to ferry aunties carrying the week's groceries;
c) there are empty cabs but they refuse to take me! Do I look like I'm a cabbie killer??
Now, I'm very particular about (c). A couple of times, I wrote down the licence number on my Pinky and reported the incidence to LTA. So far, one was not valid cos he put "busy"; another was only warned as it was his first offence.
Then, I met with this incident that REALLY got me. I was waving madly at this cab which whizzed by me. I jolted down his number; he must have seen me cos I was out on the road, not the pavement!
Being tired, I decided to call for a cab. And guess what? I got that idiotic driver who ignored me!!
I was going to wait for him to arrive, scold him and NOT take his cab. But after a while, he did not appear. When an empty cab came along, I hopped on. As I was calling to cancel my booking, I realised I used speed booking so he must have been waiting at the carpark instead of the pavement of the same building. And after that, I realised I should not have cancelled and should have just let him wait!
Man, I was pissed! But I forgot to lodge the complaint and my Pinky died. So I vent here :p
I wonder if people lodge such complaints as I do.. I mean, I often hear and read about complaints of the government but what of everyday service? Got a related thing to talk about - later..
Anyway, another cabbie story to share but it's a good one.
We were on the way to XY's place and were chatting with uncle cabbie. Somehow, we talked about songs or something and he said he composed a song about cabbies!! In fact, he had the lyrics with him and showed us. Then we got him to sing :p
Sung to the tune of 南屏晚钟:
And then some cabbies are downright scary. A few times, I found myself having to belt up in the middle of a ride. Once, this cabbie was kind of in a car chase with an idiot in a fancy car! That guy was an idiot cos he almost missed his expressway exit while competing with uncle cabbie, middle finger flashing and all! Come on, how many miles does the typical driver clock compared to a cabbie?!
But now, I prefer my favourite bus 106 to cab. Lucky, we are :)
Not yet la :p
At LH's farewell dinner, they were telling me to move to a room along the "fertile aisle" of the office where every occupant (who wanted to) got pregnant! True enough, in the past couple of years, we had four babies and a fifth is on his way!
And more recently, we were saying how people might shun getting married and having children in the coming lunar year - Tiger Year! 生一只母老虎怎么办呢? :p
Anyway, digressing...
So, I was thinking about this question the other day - when is a person ready to be a parent?
I think, mentally, there is no ready time. I mean, who would know without experiencing what parenting is like? I think when people say that they're not ready, it's more like they're not ready to spend time with child. Or is sacrificing that part of being ready?
I remember LH once said that you just had to plunge into it; if you had waited to be ready, you would never do it!
Guess in the end, it boils down to whether you want kids - that's the fundamental question.
Nowadays, people think a lot before having children. Including university expenses. Ok, so all parents think their kids will go to university but isn't that a bit far?
But wait, last time, people thought even further - must have children to 传宗接代 and even 送终! That means boys and the more the merrier! Example: Mother had me then MZ, then a miscarriage before finally getting YQ. Three children and a monthly household income of about $1,000 but she received only $300 a month to manage the household and feed FIVE persons for about 20 years. Inflation? Never heard of it!
Be it last time or now, I think there should be some pre-requisites before having children:
1) Marriage is stable. Read about people who think that having children can help stabilise a marriage.. 不要害人害己!
2) Job is kind of stable but it doesn't have to pay $5,000 a month before considering children!
3) You've thought through how to adjust life to suit the addition of a member to the family - very important cos if both parents work, there must be alternative care arrangements; if one parent stay at home, have facials monthly instead of weekly? (I wish but no, I don't do facials weekly now)
I think we are almost there except (3) where we are facing some uncertainties. Well, that should sort itself out within the next few months. And, I'm proudly resistant to the consultants trying to sell me more sessions cos my remaining SIXTEEN sessions are running out :p
有点儿迟了，但还是要对老友 CY 说：生日快乐，长大啦! :)
记得那天在餐馆我们聊了很多，不知不觉就是几个小时。其实，我们 meet up 时都很尽兴的。我总想把每一刻快乐的时光都用文字或是照片记下，可总也没有时间。“翻看” mf-ism 就知道了 － 近年来的 entries 已比以往的少。
别说纪录了，就连聚会的时间也蛮难碰到。就过去一个月来，有两个朋友家里传来恶讯。因为礼俗，因为时间，至今一直还没有机会 meet up。你们还好吗？
婚礼上，我（记得好象！）说道，我很高兴能和在场的朋友一直保持联络，甚至追溯到小学。是的，我很庆幸。唯一遗憾的，应该是没有更经常联络。好久没有 la kopi (or teh) with prata，好久没有 K 歌，好久没有好好坐下来聊些有的没的。
今年参加了许多婚礼。其中就有牧师说，男女朋友做了夫妻更要努力维持这段感情，更要有 commitment。我在想，在忙碌的生活中，要好好维持友谊，也是需要努力的。
现在开始了生命里的另一个阶段，我需要好好安排时间，让自己有足够的时间和精力来把工作及功课做好，把家里理好，把老公管好继续和老公约会，再和朋友聚会。我想，这一段话可要耗上好一段时间来做调试⋯⋯让我加油吧！:)
突然想起这首歌，唱出今晚的心情⋯⋯ Enjoy ~
歌词：朋友最近好吗？
歌手：欧得洋
词 : 陈静楠
曲 : 方文良
编曲 : 方文良
一样的月光照在我们掌心 何时小叮当改名哆啦A梦
春风少年兄唱着浪人情歌 红红青春敲呀敲变成men's talk
美丽花蝴蝶飞出青苹果乐园 飞向未来风真透还有爱相随
朋友最近好么 今晚出来走走 新歌会了哪几首
KTV里唱着 当时我们拿手 林强张宇张学友
朋友最近好么 啤酒再来一手 谁会在乎谁出糗
唱破我们歌喉 唱完一起拍手 天王天后也点头
谁说过其实你不懂我的心 谁约定不会忘了你忘了我
无情的情书太傻执迷不悔 转眼恋爱症候群换新恋情
说好天空不要为我们掉眼泪 认错之后向前行未来不是梦
唱到时光倒流 那年我们十九 梦在心里加满油
啦⋯⋯啦⋯⋯啦⋯⋯啦⋯⋯
It's a rather surreal feeling, to wake up on a weekday morning at 7-ish and realise that there's no need to jump up to get ready for work. It's even more so when this is repeated for more than a few days at a stretch, albeit at 8-ish, 10-ish, and even 11-ish.
We spend time washing, cleaning and hoovering - now our place is more like a home. We laze in front of the TV, often with some food to share. We also cook some meals and boil a lot of water.
This morning, I was staring out of the study window. It looked pretty quaint down there. Low buildings. Old. The new flats could be seen just a little further.
Now, it's raining. I'm snacking on cashew nuts, typing this and listening to the radio. He's a few steps and a door away, in the comfort of aircon even in this pouring rain.
I know I have things to do, like drawing up a shopping list for the Isetan private sale this Friday - we desperately need some plastic ware. And I need to figure out how to work the high-tech rice cooker. Heck, I can't even manage the TV or the aircon controller!
But I'm feeling light-headed, in part due to my flu and also this feeling of being on leave, being carefree for a while finally.
I find it hard to believe that three weeks are coming to an end.
I'm dreading next Monday.
Just back from dinner and drinks. LH gave a treat at Absinthe as she would be leaving for postgrad studies. Food was good but the company beat it hands down. I'm so blessed to be working with these people!
We had a lot of fun and laughter at the dining table and later at Majestic Bar where a few of us adjourned to. LH packed her son off with the dad so she could join us :p Amid the chatter, I forgot to take photos =/
I have been wanting to talk to LH since mid-year retreat, where what she said resonated with me. No chance thus far and now she's leaving! Was planning to get a card for her after wedding but had no time to sit down to write properly before meeting her just now. Made a note to get it done to pass to her next week. (after-note: done)
With LH gone, I feel like a chapter in the history of NPS has closed. She has been there since the beginning and helped to shape NPS into what it is today. Among the seven pioneers of NPS, only three are left now. Personally, she has also guided and mentored me to where I am today, for which I'm grateful. So, 有一点伤感吧... 因为我不喜欢别离，因为人事已非，也因为我晓得有一天我也会离开这里... Too much for a late Friday night, hur? :)
Well, at this stage, I would say that we are done with the preparations for our wedding celebration tomorrow. If anything is not done, well, I say too bad! :p
I'll probably post details at some point but now, I just want to write about what I'm feeling, or not.
In the past few weeks, we have been busy with packing, moving, unpacking.. As I packed my stuff, I have taken loads of pictures of things I was dumping - no point hoarding. I even took pictures of the market area, where I spent many happy Sunday mornings. And just now when I was packing dinner at AMK Hub, I realised that I probably wouldn't be there as often after today.
Then when I got back, I found that I did not have the same affinity to this flat. Sure, I've lived here since I was a baby. But too many unhappy things have happened here. I only took photos of my room which I did up nicely two years ago.
And with Mother nagging at me and wanting me to do this and that and not do this and that, I was so yearning for tomorrow so that I could be officially out of this place!
Rather negative thoughts for today but they are my thoughts nonetheless.
On a happier note, tomorrow marks the start of our life together!! Can't wait :)
Five hours after a huge chocolate muffin (and cafe mocha), I realised that I might need to loosen my wedding gown.
Barely a minute later, I realised the other gown could not be loosened.
Should I be stressed? Then I need more comfort food *.*
Didn't make any effort in keeping trim. Didn't even go to the gym for three weeks cos of nose. I think I'm going to suffer aches when I go again - maybe Thursday.. Or next week *twiddle*
Six years ago, on 3 Nov 2003, I put on a new dress that was rather formal and 大人样, and walked into my nice cosy cubicle in my first workplace, feeling apprehensive yet excited. I remember I had a window behind or in front of me. But that was soon gone when the office retrofitted the space to accommodate more staff.
I sat at a smaller cubicle outside my boss's room for the longest time, during which I was seconded but remained a squatter in the same office :p That is, until the office had to undergo massive renovation. We shifted into the next building and I found a more open cubicle awaiting me.
I barely warmed the seat; after some three months, we moved into our own "home" at the current location where again, I sat outside my boss's room - I planned it so :)
But I didn't stop changing cubicles. We got more staff, and the office underwent its first retrofitting after a year to yield more cubicles and I moved to a cosy corner - plenty of space for my barang.
Then we grew again and I moved into my current room only a few months ago.
And suddenly, amid all this moving (and a whole lot of work!), I found myself wearing the same 大人样 dress going to work this morning. Everything else, however, seemed to have changed.
It was a hectic Monday and I was as usual feeling hassled all the time. But at the end of the day, as I switched off the lights, I was keenly aware that six years had passed by - gone, together with those lights.
Strangely, I didn't feel lighter as I had earlier expected. Perhaps cos the weight was psychological to begin with. Perhaps cos I'm not going anywhere anyway, just carrying on the current trajectory.
But I think I shall not think too much, and just be happy for surviving these years :)
I mourn the passing of Pinky..
She left me last Wednesday, 14 Oct 2009, more than three years after I first held her in my hands around National Day 2006, and a few hours after being cleaned with quite a bit of water..! Yes, blame me =(
She had been showing signs of ageing, restarting many times a day on her own, general slowness.. And the speaker had died earlier within the first year.. But I didn't want to give her up as there were so many memories.. I should be able to retrieve the calendars and notes etc from the last time I sync-ed with my work desktop.. But the many sms, precious sms, they are all gone now... =(
Since she left me, I realised how much I had depended on her.. For the past week, I had to use an old phone without my contacts, calendar and precious sms.. The whole of last weekend, I had no idea what I was doing or where I was supposed to be..
So today, when I got my iPhone, I name her Pinky II in remembrance of Pinky.
Goodbye, Pinky. You have been an important part of my life, and I thank you for being so :)
Oh no, I'm obsessed with learning dance moves from the Nobody But Chu You MV by Wonder Girls...
But the MV is always too fast for me.. HOW???!
One last go at the chorus before I turn in :p
It didn't hit me until 1am today as I read SW's note on Facebook, that yesterday marked the 10th anniversary of the start of my four wonderful years in Oxford..
4 Oct 1999. A crisp sunny morning. We - me with LS, SX and Jon - arrived in at LHR and took X70 to Oxford. Where I promptly lost the envelop containing my X-ray. Which I found in Mother's cabinet four years later - a porter at Queen's College picked it up and sent home but she never told me!
But I digress..
Despite going back just last year, I miss Oxford. I miss my time there.
