This warrants a lot of throwing up. Ugh.

I'm positive though there're a lot more left uncovered every where else in this globe of ours.

On a separate note altogether, I watched Season 2 of "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" and loved it. :) Also, surfing through Oscar De La Renta's Fall 2005 just made my day. Ooh, I like! And 2 button tuxedos...what more can I say? :)

I'm planning for my trip to Shanghai in a month or two. Can't wait!

Haiku after-thought

Yacht, waves, autumn sea,
Heart longs; what one has not,
In love; procreate.

"words have meanings but the best words create feelings in the readers"

why do we always see when we do not wanna look

For a moment there, my heart froze. Then it skipped a beat. Slowly, it started thumping again. I halted when I saw the face I'd long forgotten. I'm human afterall. Yes, the community is so small you seemingly meet everyone in 7 links. I felt like a dead duck. For a moment there...I stopped breathing. Then the moment passed. Nonchalently, I turned away. Memories came rushing back. That shirt, that familiarity, that winkle in your eye, that smile, that hair, that Marlboro light you flickered. For a moment there...perhaps, it'll never ever go away? A year and many many building blocks, have I truly found the cure in me?

O well, we all drift along...

"When snowflakes start to fall, I wish you well..."

Been hitting the gym over the past week, way overdue! Jogged for 5km on the treadmill (doing the hamster run as Sher calls it)...golf was pretty cool. I managed to get a shot past 80 metres. I figured it was a good effort for a second time on the range. :) Ringing in my ears, "eye on the ball". Ay, got it.

All the twists and turns with the golf club. I'm aching.

Just a vent - sometimes I don't get people who keep whining about how boring their lives are and that they have nothing to do at all. Life is full of colour if people could only remove their rose-tinted glasses. I don't geddit really.

Probably things written may be wrong in this blog, but what's important here is my opinion.

More gymming...here I come...!

Quote of the week

People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered. Love them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Be good anyway.
Honesty and frankness will make you vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway.
People need help, but may attack you if you try to help them. Help them anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and your calling. It was never between you and them anyway.

I stepped into the corporate world at the age of 22 and I changed a few environments before jacking in my first job soon after only to return to the industry yet again. My profession dictated long hours alone, and that was when I woke up to the joys of solitude.

I grew more used to the idea of going abouts alone and I began a new chapter of self discovery that didn't include a single self-help book. Instead, it ran a cross-section of experiences that ranged from the erotic to the esoteric to the downright ordinary: a good read alone on the weekend is the most beautifully solitude thing I know. Looking through a window seeing a blue sky dotted with soft cotton clouds, I knew instantly I didn't need to be with anyone to appreciate that scene better. A warm body next to me wouldn't have made the difference, because at this point in my life, the moment was about me.

Women seem strangely hot-wired from birth to believe that they should caretake the entire universe, but never seem to question the mechanics of that state of mind. That they often deny themselves, making decisions by what is expected versus exploring their personal desires or needs, seems the expected hallmark of a woman's emotional set-up. That another side exists, as real and positive and committed and fulfilling, as any relationship could be, doesn't often seem to enter the regular stream of female consciousness as anything other than a temporary fix - a default position to be corrected.

A close pal and I recently concluded that we weren't living for a relationship to fix our existence. We were living for ourselves because, finally, we knew ourselves. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, "We must be our ownselves before we can know others."

School of cool

Was rattling away with MO on the phone early this morning. She'd rang from Melbourne and it was nice hearing her phone on the other end of the piece. The usual chatter from one point till it ended up on the "the cool dudes and dudettes" back in time. Someone had once asked me, "what is it with girls...why do women like "bad boy" types?" And with this, I asked MO, whom replied in jest, "well, at some point in life, who doesn't? But, we've all skiied on to bigger planes..."

I never ever thought of myself as the cool dudette in school. I reckon I was more often than not, somewhere in between. My ex-es have always turned out to be either the player in the basketball national league or the rugby / soccer league...but it didn't quite really matter to me. I think it's a person's qualities that matter way more than being "cool". A person who's honest, sincere and comfortable (read: not overly confident) in his / her own skin ranks heaps higher in my books than any "cool dude". I believe in that self-confidence should spring from embracing oneself from within and not setting out aspiring to be someone whom one is clearly not, even to every one else around the person. My suspicion is that I tend to find myself being more driven, practical and realistic with age. Who's cool and who's not. I'd say it's really old-school. I never did bother, and never will with it all. :)

Back to this, 2 days ago, I met up with an old friend whom I felt had advanced in her life. She's doing a degree in Marketing and I'm happy for her that she's moving up and away from all the bitterness she's felt previously. Myself and her, we go way back. We used to be tight in school 10 years back, but we were headed in different directions in life and drifted apart. Chatting over a drink, she reminisced why we drifted differently, to which I responded, "it was probably a phase we all went through at that age really. There's so much more to life than minor issues as such anyhows. I count my blessings for the loved ones around me every day, and we all move on." :) She kept silent for a bit, and then replied that I'd changed over the years. So did she, I'd felt. There's no right or wrong, good or bad in it all really. People change, people move, and life goes on...I'm a firm believer in that everything in life happens for a reason. So there, if you ever read this IC, I'm glad we had the friendship we shared many years back and I wish you well.

It's back to life for me :) Hehe, and I'm leaving for Banyan Tree in Phuket come august!

moon river

I looked up at the purplish sky tonight and I saw the full moon...looking at the moon always gives me a peaceful sense of calm somehow...although I really miss the stars I saw at Surfer's Paradise, and even in Perth. :) Imagine, lying on my back on the soft white sands of the vast Gold Coast beach being mesmerised by the black sky dotted with zillion shining stars staring back at me...if only life was like this, twenty-four seven. ;)

Well, been a tiring week...corporate training was informative but the topics were a tad dry really! One week down, another one to go...good thing my peers were active and we share heaps of laughs everyday!

Bought the loveliest pair of shoes earlier on in town - take a look! It's white satin with leather trimmings and base - I love it!...and so, finally managed to dig up some ideas for the evening...





Good weekend guys! Cheerios!

lil ray of light

Sometimes I think, what would I do without one of my bestest friends...GC, you're one in a million babe, and I'm glad you're happy :) All the golfing, food-tasting, travelling, bitching, shopping, laughs, smiles, tears...many more years of friendship to come!

I count my blessings for all the stars in my litted sky...

The Lil Mermaid

Ballet under the starz was amazing last night. We were lucky the slight on-off tease drizzle diminished in time for the commencement of the performance. :) This must have been my fourth trip to the ballet under the starz. I love the casual feeling of the entire "have a picnic and enjoy the arts" idea behind it...first time I went was quite a while ago from now with Steph...and I haven't been able to stop since! :) Pity Felle couldn't make it though...I'm sure she would have loved it too...

This is a local joke. Really.

Check this out.

I'm quick to add, it's true though, I quite agree with his views on the National Kidney Foundation case. I find it hard to stomach that the CEO is drawing a monthly payout of S$25k, together with an annual bonus of 12-13 months, which equates to a handsome sum of approximately S$600k a year, translating into almost US$360k an annum, and we haven't yet taken into account whatever allowances he might have pocketed in addition to all these. It's disgusting where our taxpayers' monies are being spent.

"Reputation is only a candle, of wavering and uncertain flame, and easily blown out, but it is the light by which the world looks for and finds merit."

Howdy!

Am back from wintry Perth...T'was nice. Cool weather. And was good that the occasional showers failed to dampen spirits :) Landed in wee hours of the morning and I'm exhausted now...

Well, 6 days in Perth isn't enough for sure! Did tons of shopping...bought lotsa bedlinen etc and the food there was fabulous! :) Kebabs, vietnamese cuisine, typical australian fish & chips, seafood chowders, home baked muffins and the lot! Walked around the city centre for quite a bit, hmm...headed out to the Fremantle flea markets and the jetty, Cottlesloe beach, Mill Point, Northbridge areas etc...then we drove our way down to Margaret River for the extensive range of wineries and the Chocolate Factory...also, made our way down further south to Augusta where we made a quick stop by the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse and then proceeded for 3 hours whaling out in the Southern ocean! :) I must have seen at least 30 whales in total! Brilliant!

Anyway, here are some of the pics to share...Leave me emails? I'll mail out the others...ta.

Okay so here goes, I haven't blogged in a few days which means I've been so bogged down by miscellaneous stuff that I haven't even really gotten time and space for myself but what the hey...

One good thing though, I'm leaving for Perth tomorrow. Have never ever been to Perth, but I'm really looking forward to the cool weather. It's winter down-under, and I've just been missing Melbourne soo very much, I can't wait to return to Australia again! Especially I've been in Melbourne previously for 4 years...

Well, haven't yet packed, just got back from a midnight flick. Caught the Fantastic Four. T'was good! :)

Okie doks, I'm off to bed now...Pssshh: And I'm really glad cousins in the UK are all safe and sound!

Blog more when I get back guys...have a fantastic week!

Crystal blue skies and cotton-like clouds

Early early morning...am back from HK, finally finished unpacking everything, I bought tons of stuff! And a bottle of Moet (can't wait!)...my four days in HK were amazing! I did sooo much more than I thought I would (huge thanks to Mave!) and I'm sure RC would nod in agreement. :) Just a quick re-cap:-

Day 1 -
Landed in HK. Went for a fabulous dim sum lunch on Nathan Road. Shopping at the new "pyramid-looking" mall. Dropped by hostel to drop luggage off (Yes, a total disaster! Never ever book any HK hostels, they are horribly sleazy places.) and then decided it would be wiser to stay over at Mave's Bro's place. Great. Settled in, after Harbourcity shopping (Gucci is not any cheaper, tip: buy locally), then headed out for a wonderful seafood dinner at Sai Kung. Shopped more at Ladies Market in Mongkok area.

Day 2 -
Morning breakfast at local teahouse opposite Central Park Condominium in Kowloon. Loveliest french toast and iced milk tea! Ventured out to Shenzhen, China. T'was a long drive to the Shangshui MTR station. Then we took the East KCR rail into Low Hu Station in Shenzhen. Really, we realised that we should never go into Shenzhen alone. It's really quite dangerous. Low Hu complex was quite a disappointment. Took the Shenzhen rail into Dongmen. Shoes were going for roundabouts RMB 40 each on average, which equates to SGD 8, make a quick guess now how many pairs I bought! :) After Dongmen, we headed further into Shenzhen for Mongolian Steamboad and BBQ lamb at Xiao Fei Yang. It was heavenly! Bought Dvds at some run-down government housing block. Thereafter, headed to Maya City Club Hotel for massages. Maya City is really a stop no-one should miss. I think I could have easily spent 2 days there. Headed back to HK. Dinner at Yuen Long area. Local jelly and fruits and rice rolls and mini curry fish balls (yummy!)...drove up to Golden Beach for a peek at the breath-taking HK night lights...by the time we were done with the day, it was past 2 in the morning!

Day 3 -
Brunch at Cafe Saigon (vietnamese restaurant) in Causeway Bay area (very good food!)...Drove out into Stanley Market on Hong Kong Island. Shopped at Stanley flea market, was quite intrigued by the art galleries. Went through Repulse Bay (beautiful beach!) and then to Victoria Peak! Had interesting fish sausages as snacks...drove down to HK island and popped by Lan Kwai Fong. :) Love that place...Moved back up to Golden Beach and shopped at beach flea market. Japanese dinner at Yuen Long area, then headed up to Fei He San (Mountain) for night view of HK. Pity it was extremely foggy at the peak of the mountain...

Day 4 -
Breakfast was rice rolls, mini curry fish balls and glutinous rice. Moved around Mongkok's Fa Yuen Street for local shopping. Dim Sum lunch. Bought a few boxes of the famous Lou Po Beng (Wife biscuit). Headed to shopping mall in Sha Tin area. Cheapest Hush Puppies shoes I've ever seen. Bubble tea drinks and then off to the airport.

So here I am, back in Singapore. I'm suffering from a dreaded flu caught unfortunately on the plane. I must say though that I'm truly impressed with Singapore Air's budget line, Valuair. Allocated seating and meals provided. All aside, I had a incredibly marvelous trip and yes, rushing to clear my emails and then preparing for my winter trip to Perth on Saturday morning.

Night y'all...hope everyone had a brilliant weekend! Will try to get pics up when I can... :)