the last couple of mths

last couple of mths.... only 1 word to describe it... hectic... totally crazy too... my colleague and me were practically clocking in more than 12hrs of work almost every day... i wonder how we survived... haha. with my vietnam nightmare over, i now have my sg show to "look forward" to... more OTs... more wkends burned.... dont even want to think about it -.-"

so... what have i been up to? work work and more work... been to ho chi minh city, vietnam for a week for the exhibition that i was handling... overall good show, and great exposure even though its quite an "experience" to be working with *ahem* the locals. well lets just put it as language barriers... sometimes i just wish i could speak Vietnamese in an instance so that they would be able to understand what i'm trying to put across... otherwise most of the time, i'll be wondering if they really understood me cos they have the tendency to nod their heads and reply "okok" and you could get something else that's totally not "ok"! therefore in the process, alot of patience will be required in communicating with them in order to ensure that things will be done your way. overall, the Vietnamese are really friendly people and helpful too.

the trip to Vietnam was pretty enjoyable.... our boss even graciously extended a 1-day stay for some of us... hehe... so that we can go shopping =P .... and believe me when i say tailoring in Vietnam is VERY cheap... you get the material from their local markets or one of their well known touristic place, Ben Thanh market.... and then proceed to the tailor to get the kind of tops/ dresses/ pants that you'd like tailored.... their workmanship only costs (avgly) SGD10.00. Any idea how cheap that is??? It means we can get a pair of pants tailored (including marerial & workmanship) for as low as SGD21.00!! With a pair of Mango pants that's purchased in SG, you can get 5 pairs of pants there, TAILORED to fit you. now thats cheep!!

bcos this is my first time there, well i didnt go totally crazy... but before my next trip, i'll be sure to do enough research so that i'll be able to do my shopping there... keke. totally worthwhile manz.

generally, (besides those at the exhibition halls & having to co-share the room with someone on the top of my "hate" list at the moment), life is pretty slow paced and relaxed over there. it is good to be able to enjoy good food every day, the only regret is not being able to try the delicious lobster which my colleagues were raving about.... haha.

i fell sick thou, the moment i touched down in sg... so was in pretty bad shape but slowly recuperating now and trying to get back to life here back in sg... it felt so different to be back again after this stint in Vietnam (even though it was only for a week)...

and then we had our annual D&D yesterday evening... the theme was Shanghai Night (1940s).... thanks to the wonderful support of my beloved colleagues, i managed to get the best-dressed award! hahaha... like finally, i was nominated twice in the past but never did manage to get the top prize. SO, you must be thinking what I was dressed in?? Heheh.... i took loads of pictures with all of them... even thou none of the cameras belonged to me, so will have to wait for all of them to download and forward the pictures to me... and if you're interested to know what i was dressed up in, well stay tuned until i have downloaded all the pictures yeah? promise i wont take too long... hehe, will also include the pictures of those that was taken during my Vietnam trip... many many act cute pictures, but well the owner of this blog is by nature "kawaii" eh? hahahahah~

A soulful Relationship

An African proverb states, "Before you get married, keep both eyes open, and after you marry, close one eye."

Before you get involved and make a commitment to someone, don't let lust, desperation, immaturity, ignorance, pressure from others or a low self-esteem make you blind to warning signs.

Keep your eyes open, and don't fool yourself that you can change someone or that what you see as faults aren't really important.

Once you decide to commit to someone, over time their flaws, vulnerabilities, pet pee ves, and differences will become more obvious.

If you love your mate and want the relationship to grow and evolve, you've got to learn to close one eye and not let every little thing bother you.

You and your mate have many different expectations, emotional needs, values, dreams, weaknesses, and strengths.

You are two unique individuals who have decided to share a life together. Neither of you are perfect, but are you perfect for each other?

Do you bring out the best of each other?
Do you compliment and compromise with each other, or do you compete, compare, and control? What do you bring to the relationship?
Do you bring past relationships, past hurt, past mistrust, past pain?
You can't take someone to the altar to alter him or her.
You can't make someone love you or make someone stay.
If you develop self-esteem, spiritual discernment, and "a life", you won't find yourself making someone else responsible for your happiness or responsible for your pain.
Manipulation, control, jealousy, neediness, and selfishness are not the ingredients of a thriving, healthy, loving and lasting relationship.
Seeking status, sex, wealth, and security are the wrong reasons to be in a relationship. What keeps a relationship strong?
Communication, intimacy, trust, a sense of humor, sharing household tasks, some getaway time without business or children and daily exchanges (a meal, shared activity, a hug, a call, a touch, a note).
Leave a nice message on their voicemail or send a nice email.
Sharing common goals and interests.
Growth is important.
Grow together, not away from each other, giving each other space to grow without feeling insecure.
Allow your mate to have outside interest.
You can't always be together.
Give each other a sense of belonging and assurances of commitment.
Don't try to control one another.
Learn each other's family situation.
Respect his or her parents regardless.
Don't put pressure on each other for material goods.
Remember for richer or for poorer.

If these qualities are missing, the relationship will erode as resentment, withdrawal, abuse, neglect, dishonesty, and pain replace the passion.

" Nurture your mind with great thoughts, for you will never go any higher than you think." The grass withers, the flowers fades, but the word of God stands forever.

Shall we make a new rule of life from tonight?

Always to try to be a little kinder than is necessary.

The difference between 'United' and 'Unt ied' is where you put the "i".Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

invisibility

3 October 2005: 6+ (evening time)

H asked me if I will be staying late. I replied saying mebbe, why?

And he said: In that case, can you wait for me to be back? I need you to prepare some stuff for my XX meeting tomorrow as I won't be in the whole morning.

So I waited.

At about 6+, I saw H back in the office, but he went into S room immediately to discuss some stuff. Not wanting to disturb them, I just waited. After which, I didn't realised when H came out of the room, but S said goodbye to me at 8+. That was when I noticed their discussion was over. And it struck me that H might have left too. Went to check and the empty room, with the lightings switched off, confirmed my suspicions.

I text him:
"u very nice leh. u got me to wait and haven't told me what you needed for the mtg tmr, and u just left without telling me."

He replied after a very long while:
"Celine, my most sincere apology".

Apology, my arse. Do.not.take.me.for.granted! I am really getting very frustrated with this bunch of mgt contracted with the id10t disease. ARGH!

how nice of this person. didnt even have the courtesy to let me know why they did not need the design to be printed. just one email to the other mgr, please ignore.

fine. im invisible. damn!

-----Original Message-----
From: H
Sent: Monday, October 03, 2005 10:36 AM
To: D
Cc: C; S
Subject: XXX Pav Design

David, please ignore this email.

Rdgs
Henri


-----Original Message-----
From: CEL
Sent: Monday, October 03, 2005 10:36 AM
To: D
Cc: S; H
Subject: XXX Pav Design

Hi D,

I?m not sure if you have another set of latest design for the XXX Pav apart from the set that I have (which was received in July).

Could you help me print out 2 sets of their latest design in colour please? This is for the sales meeting with XXX organisation tomorrow morning.

Thanks!
Celine

blessing in disguise

i didnt know about the bali bombing until 30 mins ago, when my uncle told me about the shocking news. i just visited bali barely a mth ago, and thinking back, one of my friends had wanted to postpone the trip. cant bring myself to imagine if we did postponed and we might have been one of the victims. *shudders*

im appalled, shocked and disgusted with these acts of the terrorists group. they can die for all we care, but why do they have to harm innocent lives like these? bali took 3 years to recover slowly, and even before their recovery is stable, these stupid fucks have to plant the bombs and claim innocent lives. do they find no meaning in life at all? is life worthless to them? do they really think they are helping to rid the world of all evils? just cannot imagine where this world is coming to. its painful to know that the balinese will yet again have to live in fear, the economy (of which tourism forms the bulk) will sink into recession, and the locals will need to rebuild their lives from scratch.

Article abstract from Yahoo:
BALI, Indonesia - Suicide bombers wearing explosive vests targeted tourist resorts on Bali with coordinated attacks that devastated three crowded restaurants on Saturday night, killing at least 25 people. Two al-Qaida-linked fugitives suspected of masterminding the 2002 nightclub bombings on the same Indonesian island may have been involved, a top anti-terrorism official said.

Saturday's near-simultaneous blasts struck two seafood cafes in the Jimbaran beach resort and a three-story noodle and steakhouse in downtown Kuta. Kuta is the bustling tourist center of Bali where two nightclubs were bombed three years ago, also on a busy Saturday night, killing 202 people.

Dozens of people, most of them Indonesian, waited in tears outside the morgue in Sanglah Hospital, near the island's capital Denpasar, for news of friends and relatives missing since the attacks.

Two Australians and a Japanese citizen were killed, along with 12 Indonesians. Hospital officials were trying to identify the 10 other corpses.

The 101 wounded included 49 Indonesians, 17 Australians, six Koreans, four Japanese and two Americans, officials said.

The bombers struck at about 8 p.m. as thousands of diners flocked to restaurants in tourist areas on the bustling, mostly Hindu island, which was just starting to recover from the 2002 blasts.

Baradita Katoppo, an Indonesian tourist from Jakarta, said one of the bombs on Jimbaran beach went off in the Nyoman Cafe, where he was eating with friends. Five minutes later, another explosion rocked a neighboring restaurant filled with diners.

"There was blood on their faces and their bodies," he said. "It was very chaotic and confusing. We didn't know what to do."

Another witness, I Wayan Kresna, told the private El Shinta radio station that he counted at least two dead near that attack, and many more were taken to the hospital.
"I helped lift up the bodies," he said. "There was blood everywhere."

At almost the same time about 18 miles away in Kuta, a bomb exploded at the three-story Raja restaurant in a bustling outdoor shopping center. The area includes a KFC fast-food restaurant, clothing stores and a tourist information center.

Smoke poured from the badly damaged building.

The bomb apparently went off on the restaurant's second floor, and an Associated Press reporter saw at least three bodies and five wounded people there.

learn as we grow...

As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let you down probably will.

You will have your heart broken probably more than once and it's harder every time.

You'll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken.

You'll fight with your best friend.

You'll blame a new love for things an old one did.

You'll cry because time is passing too fast, and you'll eventually lose someone you love.

So take too many pictures, laugh too much, and love like you've never been hurt because every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back.

~ Advice from Oprah about men ~

If a man wants you, nothing can keep him away.
If he doesn't want you, nothing can make him stay.
Stop making excuses for a man and his behaviour.
Allow your intuition (or spirit) to save you from heartache.
Stop trying to change yourself for a relationship that's not meant to be.
Slower is better.
Never live your life for a man before you find what makes you truly happy.
If a relationship ends because the man was not treating you as you deserve then heck no, you can't "be friends".
A friend wouldn't mistreat a friend.
Don't settle.If you feel like he is stringing you along, then he probably is.
Don't stay because you think "it will get better." You'll be mad at yourself a year later for staying when things are not better.
The only person you can control in a relationship is you.
Avoid men who've got a bunch of children by a bunch of different women.
He didn't marry them when he got them pregnant, why would he treat you any differently?
Always have your own set of friends separate from his.
Maintain boundaries in how a guy treats you.
If something bothers you, speak up.
Never let a man know everything.
He will use it against you later.
You cannot change a man's behaviour. Change comes from within.
Don't EVER make him feel he is more important than you are... even if he has more education or in a better job.
Do not make him into a quasi-god. He is a man, nothing more nothing less.
Never let a man define who you are.
Never borrow someone else's man. If he cheated with you, he'll cheat on you.
A man will only treat you the way you ALLOW him to treat you.
All men are NOT dogs.
You should not be the one doing all the bending...compromise is two way street.
You need time to heal between relationships...there is nothing cute about baggage... deal with your issues before pursuing a new relationship.
You should never look for someone to COMPLETE you...a relationship consists of two WHOLE individuals...look for someone complimentary...not supplementary.
Dating is fun...even if he doesn't turn out to be Mr. Right.
Make him miss you sometimes...when a man always know where you are,and you're always readily available to him - he takes it for granted.
Never move into his mother's house.
Never co-sign for a man.
Don't fully commit to a man who doesn't give you everything that you need.
Keep him in your radar but get to know others.

They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them and an entire lifetime to forget them.

Curbing the impulse to stray

Man or beast? You can choose Hubby's job to get her 'in the mood'

Letter from Boon Chin AunLetter from Terence LeongLetter from Wilson Wong Uei Shen

Men were born to stray, and independent women today no longer need men to provide for them. So, should we replace marriage with a cohabitation contract? Reader Wilson Wong's letter yesterday drew many strong reactions ? including three from other men ?

I REFER to Mr Wong's letter, "Time to replace marriage with a cohabitation contact?" and Mrs Lam's letter, "Don't blame the other woman if he strays", (Aug22).

Mrs Lam seems to suggest that women should blame themselves when a man strays.
While I understand it does take two hands to clap, the approach of saying that "I am to blame when things go wrong" is not right.

Mr Wong suggests it is inherent in males to "go forth and multiply", and that men cannot be blamed for straying as not doing so is against their nature.

In both instances, what the writers failed to recognise is that what differentiates us as human beings over animals is our ability to exercise choice, and the intelligence to accept responsibility for that choice.

We, as men, choose to get married. With that, we choose to accept the responsibilities and limitations that come with marriage.

If we choose to stray, we do so consciously accepting to break whatever vow we chose to make when we got married. To absolve a man from blame by simplistically saying that when men stray, it's the woman's fault as suggested by Mrs Lam; or that it's natural for men to stray as suggested by Wilson Wong ? is to equate men to nothing more than animals with no means to control themselves or exercise their gift of choice and intelligence.

We are a society of human beings, each governed with a brain that tells us that we should know better. We trust our partners to make the right choice. If it's not to marry, so be it. But if they choose to marry, then they must be held accountable for that choice. This after all, is what makes us human.

Cohabitation is not necessarily better

I AM sure Mr Wong meant well but I would like to point out firstly that cohabitation is not as rosy as one might think.

In the most progressive countries, where cohabitation is the norm, countless studies have shown how cohabitation reduces the quality of intimacy in relationships (for both men and women) in the long run, and deprive women of their rights and protection.

Women who cohabit may think they are holding onto their equality. Unfortunately, they find that, in the long run, men still expect their partners to fulfil traditional roles once the relationship settles in. Thus, if anything, women find themselves in more disadvantaged positions.

I do not see a need to replace the marriage institution with a cohabitation contract. Those who want to cohabit are already free to do so legally.

But those who decide to marry must be responsible enough to recognise that it is not compatible with extra-marital affairs.

People are already free to choose.

There is no need to discredit the marriage institution because some people have not been able to live up to it. Granted, social expectations might continue to become more liberal and more people may opt out of it. Still, let the marriage institution continue for those who want to live up to its ideals and enjoy its benefits.

MY NAMESAKE gave a lot of reasons why men stray, but under scrutiny, his reasons just point to the self-serving mentality that society should guard against.

He noted that women lose their sex drive after a while and focus more on the children.

Husbands, too, should plan time to be alone with their wives, away from the children.

I attribute women's lack of sexual desire to the fact that the men do not spend time alone with their wives, planning romantic dinners or strolls along the beach. If you want sexual desire, create the environment to nurture that desire.

Likewise, wives should stop giving excuses that they are tired (so are the men!).

Mr Wong argues that the law here does not help the men. But it is precisely the act of adultery by such inconsiderate men that requires the existence of such a law.

A marriage is by far the most emotionally satisfying institution that men and women could have. But for marriage to work, it will take men to dig deep into the emotional well to connect with their wives.

If one cannot even uphold the terms and conditions of a marriage, how then can I trust a person to uphold the terms and conditions of a cohabitation contract?

Time to replace marriage with a cohabitation contract?

An article published in Today! newspaper - 23 Aug 2005

Women should expect less from their man and understand that philandering is in his nature

Letter from Wilson Wong

I refer to the report, "Stay away from my husband, you hear!" (Aug 19) and the letter "Don't blame the other woman if he strays" (Aug 22) by Mrs Lam.

I am nearing middle age and all of my male friends are married ? most with children.

When we get together, we always reminisce about the days gone by and take stock of what's left of our lives. And almost inevitably we end up talking about women in general and our wives in particular.

I discovered, at first to my shock, how commonplace it was that so many of my friends cheated on their wives.

Most confessed to doing so mostly on business trips, but others also told me that they had flings nearer home ? usually with their colleagues.

These friends have no intention to file for divorce or pursue a life with the "other" woman.

Mrs Lam has correctly identified the key reason why they do this ? after marriage and especially after childbirth, wives lose their sexual drive, creating a pent-up desire in men who are used to a higher degree of physical sexual expression.

This gets worse when the children are born, as wives not only lose their shape but also spend almost all their time and energy on the kids, almost ignoring their husbands.

So, is this an excuse for men to stray?

It depends on the age-old "nature-vs-nurture" debate and whether the male of a species conditioned to "go forth and multiply" can ? by sheer exercise of discipline ? curb his natural need to keep sowing his seed.

And it seems the older a man gets, and the more he is confronted with his mortality, the more he desires to prove ? both to himself and maybe even his friends ? that he is still able to "perform".

Certainly, all men stray if not physically, at least psychologically ? by either looking at attractive women, watching porn or even fantasising about sex with others.

Traditions of love and marriage are nice. But reading all the letters and various discussions on the matter, I am tempted to say ? and I know that this will cause controversy ? that there is nothing to recommend marriage to a man.

Certainly not in law, where men always lose out in marriage, and neither in reality, where men face self-imposed restrictions on their natural tendencies.

Looking back, almost all my friends regret the act of marriage. Given a second chance, most would rather cohabit ? not least because the legal consequences are less serious.

The concept of marriage was intended to protect women: It does nothing for the man. But times have changed and with the growing affluence of women, there is no longer a need for a man to provide for a woman.

Mrs Lam's letter may have struck a cord. Is it time for women to expect less from their man? To realise and even to expect that their man cannot, by nature, only have one woman for ever and ever?

Is it time for the concept of marriage to be done away with, and be replaced with a contract where both parties negotiate the terms of their cohabitation? Even to the extent where each party may have an allowable number of affairs a year?

As times change, maybe social expectation should too.

-end-


have our values really changed with the times? perhaps this is the answer to my curiosity on faithfulness and monogamy in a marriage.

in the writer's words: Certainly, all men stray if not physically, at least psychologically ? by either looking at attractive women, watching porn or even fantasising about sex with others. honestly, i doubt guys think of the above act as straying psychologically because to them their opinion is: "i'm just looking wat, its harmless. its not as if i am cheating on u and at the end of the day, ur the woman i love and i want to be with u."

but they will never be able to see from the woman's point of view, that it might be a form of hurt inflicted on their loved ones, no matter how much reassurance is given.

if a couple cannot remain committed to the other party, i feel marriage shouldnt be on the plate and no one should wed out of society / parental pressure bcos at the end of the day, both parties will suffer n be miserable. "a cohabitation contract" will probably work for all who still remain and wish to keep their options open.

heartfelt thanks

i've just turned officially 1/4 of a century old today... hahaha! guess age is really catching up, bcos this day started off with me having the "its-jus-another-day" mentality... it has nothing special in it anymore. on saying this, i want to express my heartfelt thanks to the following special people in my life that have made a difference. this day is special + memorable because of the difference that each and everyone has made, and it means alot to me. words may never be enuf to express my gratitude, but just want to noe tt all of ur thoughts are very much appreciated, and i thank God for the blessed presence of all of you in my life.

u may have heard it a thousand times from me, so doesn't hurt to hear it again eh. i'll like to thank and show appreciation to:-

- Agnes: for sending me a message on friendster even before u have left for sydney! i noe ur enjoying ur hols there right now, so we'll catch up when u + xiaofu are back!

- Patricia: for the loving words of encouragement that you have written to me, and to prepare a gift for me despite ur heavy work schedule

- Verene: for ur sms at 23:57. i noe ur bz with ur event gal, so as promised, we'll make it up after ur NTU saga! hehe.

- Alvin: for ur sms at 07:45 and ur call later on in the afternoon. i noe u have an especially selective memory, so really "honoured" tt im at least on this day, in the selected category. =P

- Marion: for ur sms at 09:01. surprised tt u actually got to be aware of my bdae, thankful for the thoughts n efforts in sending me the well wishes.

- Stella: for ur sms at 09:43. thanks for making a point to remember this day every year. :)

- David: for ur sms at 09:53 all day way frm Dubai. much much appreciated. i noe it takes alot of effort for u to rembr + u must have stored da date somewhere to remind u. heh.

- Jim: for ur sms at 10:03. haha i noe u took big risks to message me in the day whilst stuck in camp. we miss u guyz, catch up soon.

- Edgar: for ur call in the afternoon. though it ended halfway for no apparent reason (foneline got disconnected)... haha, hope you got my message anyway.

- Wei Kiat: for ur message on friendster. thanks for taking the effort to drop me a message.

- Joanne: for ur sms at 11:23. after all these years, u still rembred!

- Kay: for ur sms at 16:02. haha, my insurance agent...

- Kaili: for ur sms at 16:10. i noe Junjie planned something, sorry it didnt work out last minute but appreciated the thoughts. really sweet.

- Irene: for ur sms at 17:51. i thought ill nv hear from u but deep down i noe u rembred. and thank u gal, for taking the time to send me a text despite having to take care of your 2 bao-beis. and thanks for being my support all these years even though we do not often have the luxury of time to meet up as much as we'd like to these days.

- Jillyn: for ur sms at 17:56. haha, ur instincts didnt fail u!

- Junjie: for ur sms n msn messages.... and for the very very sweet efforts that you had initially planned for me. i'm truly sorry that it didnt work out, due to the last minute changes, but knowing tt u had wanted to plan a special evening is more den enuf.

- Ivan, Uncle John + Aunt Cindy: for ur sms at 20:10. ur constant encouragement and support is much appreciated.

- Xinying: for ur sms at 21:36.

- Kyn: for ur msn message. thanks for taking time to do it, despite ur hectic work schedule which i noe ur being put through. hope you get back to sg soon so that we can catch up and have a good time together yeah!

- Yanting: for ur msn message.

- Caden: for ur call! haha... nice to hear from u after such a long while.

- Rachel: for ur msn message. actually no i didnt think u forgot, but i thought u didnt noe! haha, anyway i noe u did pass on this info to the boyz so tt they can send me their well wishes, so on tt note, thanks for being the informal messenger... haha.. be strong girl, u noe we'll always be there for u when u need a shoulder to lean on. the desk beside me is still empty, so feel free to come occupy it when u need it. hehe.

- Desmond: for ur msn message, even though u needed the alarm to remind u... haha but well u bothered to make a note, and that touched me.

- Helen: for ur msn message. thank u for making the effort to wait for me to be online. and im glad we have finally faced up to probs we have avoided before. thanks for cherishing our friendship the same way i do, and we'll meet up when u do come back for ur graduation soon.


My following colleagues at work who at my "request" gave me what i needed on my bdae. an external hard drive. and i really hope they did not spend too much as i noe everyone has a budget to keep to. rest aasure that this gift will be treasured and used till the end of time. =D

- Karis: for ur sms at 00:15, and for ur constant / relentless support u have given me each time i have turned to u for a listening ear.

- Jeanette + Larry: for ur sms at 01:24. i believe we will have an enjoyable bali trip!

- Eileen (my ai-ren): for ur sms at 08:22 + making the trip to prepare the cake for me.

- Leon: for accompanying ai-ren to get the cake for me. heh.

- Li Hwee: for ur sms at 09:02 and ur e-card. haha... and "tuo ni de fu", I didnt have another chocolate cake to eat at night (thankfully)... hehehe

- Megan: for ur sms at 09:55, even though ur sick and on medical leave.

- Kippy: for making the special trip down to sim lim to get the hard drive over the weekend, and offering me the tea when i was so bloated from lunch. *much appreciated*

- Delaine: for the present and the scrumptious lunch we had, and haha another reason for u to rembr my birthdae cos u've only got to rembr the month =P

- Elyn: for the present, the scrumptious lunch we had and the ecard. hehe, no kidding about ur turn coming soon, so better start wrecking ur brains to see what we can get for ya! heh.

- Debbie: for the present and the email with the well wishes.


I'll like to thank my mum + her friend who brought me and Sam for dinner. Though it was a simple affair, but I appreciate them for taking the time off and trouble to have this dinner with me.

And lastly, i'll like to thank my dearest bf Sam, for he took leave to keep me company (when i least expected it, bcos he was spposed to be on duty) and to me, this is priceless. Even though we are going through a period where sometimes even we are lost and dumbfounded as to how things can go so wrong, i still love you. and im looking forward to the bali trip to really create a memorable trip for both of us. *hugs*


Some photos taken during lunch:








the superlicious yummy nummy chocolate cake. just for me.


















striking a "cute" pose whilst they sing the birthday song for me















posing with the chocolate in hand, capturing its last moments before its being chowed down






















thats the external hard drive beneath the nicely wrapped packaging! haha, can i qualify to be a model for product promotions? i seem to be doing it quite nicely in this pic *if i say so* hahaha.

a.i.d.s.

Funny web games to try n links to view when bored

Super Mario
>> http://www.youfunny.com/images/img/f-280.swf


Back to the future
>> http://www.backtothefuture.nl/flash/squoosh.swf


Hilarious advert
>> http://www.ad-awards.com/inc/video.swf?id=116

The Shower Test

When you step into a shower, which part of the body do you wash first?

A. Chest B. Face C. Armpits D. Hair E. Private F. Shoulders G. Others


Pinkie: D. Hair


A. Chest: You are a practical person. Straightforward and do not beat around the bush. To you, convenience is of paramount importance. You hate to be distracted when concentrating and are impatient with people who do not see things your way. A good sex partner and willing to try new things. Your best partner in life will be those who choose D (Hair).



B. Face: Money is important to you and you will do anything to get it. Integrity and dignity is not important. You feel that friends are there to be used and life is one big hassle. Other people find it hard to understand you, but you are not concerned as to what they think. Very self-centered person. Average sex partner as too selfish and tend to be absorbed in self pleasure at the expense of your partner. Your best partner in life will be those who choose E (Private) and G (Others).



C. Armpits: You are a dependable and hard working person. Generally very popular person as you are very down to earth and willing to help others. Tend to get yourself into trouble as you cannot tell whether people are genuine towards you. Make very poor sex partners as you are the working type with average talent. Your best partner in life will be those who choose F (Shoulders).



D. Hair: Artistic type. Daydreaming is your hobby, but you can achieve what most other people cannot. Dedication is lacking, but you will work tirelessly towards goals which are to your liking. Money is not important. Friends are but only intellectuals and fellow artistic types. Make the best sex partners as you are most willing to explore and please ther other partner. Talent is your main strength. Your best partner in life will be those who chose A (Chest) and E (Private).



E. Private Shy type. You lack self confidence and tend to be bullied by others. You do not have lots of friends as others find you boring and unattractive. Perserverance is not your strength and you tend to give up easily and at the first opportunity. However, you make an above average sex partner. You are able to show your true emotions to very few people. Hence in sex, you find your inner strengths. Your best sex partner in life will be those who choose B (Face) and D (Hair).



F. Shoulder: A born loser. You fail in everything that you do. People dislike you and you tend to spend your time alone. Your type have been known to be heavy gamblers and drinkers. You see the world as a living hell. Money and power is also important to you. But your luck will always fail you. You make a lousy sex partner. You will find it difficult to find a partner in life. Those who choose C (Armpits) are your only chance.



G. Others: You are a very average person. Undoubtedly, you have your inner strengths, but people find it hard to see. You must learn to be a little bit more adventurous and see your potential. Deep down, you are very likeable person with very few faults. However, the key will be to make your strengts stand out and not just hide your weaknessess. You are an average sex partner. You have great fantasies about different techniques, but unfortunately are not brave enough to try them out. Your best partner in life will be those who choose B (Face).

email saga continues...

I AM TOTALLY LEFT SPEECHLESS. why dont U try to call to verify.... PIECE OF SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!! ARGH?!??!?!??!?!?!?!??!??!?!??!?!?!?!?


-----Original Message-----
From: H
Sent: Monday, August 15, 2005 5:08 PM
To: C; S; B
Cc: M
Subject: RE: MSFWSPL

Hum?. Spoken to the recep this morning still around lei!!!!!!!

Rdgs
H


-----Original Message-----
From: CEL
Sent: Monday, August 15, 2005 4:33 PM
To: H; S; B
Cc: M
Subject: RE: MSFWSPL


He went outstation. Back only Fri, 19 Aug.

shithead!! honestly wtf does he do in his office we wonder.... my tolerance level for him is diminishing to beyond zilch!!

hello?!??!?! u r a F$*#&($*#&( sales personnel... u r supposed to be in CONTROL n aware of all these potential contacts!! so wtf have u been doing??!?! asking me to find out the contact when:
1. u should have the sales card (ok granted ur sales cards r in a mess and u DONT ever bother to tidy them up & much less UPDATE them)

2. u have access to our database (alright, i take it you're too dumb / plain lazy to click a few times on the mouse for you to access the blardy folder)

3. what is the internet yellow pages for?!?!?!?!?

and as i was writing this, he had to come back with the following reply!!!! oh so now u have appts, and the ball now gets thrown back into my freaking court and becomes MY responsibility... HEY, so why dont me and M get a share of ur pay so that we can justify the amount of SHITWORK we r handling instead of u!!!!

fucking imcompetent arse. i am pissed.


-----Original Message-----
From: H
Sent: Monday, August 15, 2005 9:59 AM
To: C; T; B
Cc: M
Subject: RE: MSFWSPL

CEL

Please help me to follow up with him call him twice this morning he is either on the line now in meeting. I need to go for appt. Thanks

Rdgs
H



-----Original Message-----
From: CEL
Sent: Monday, August 15, 2005 9:41 AM
To: H; S; B
Cc: M
Subject: RE: MSFWSPL

*i replied with contact details*


-----Original Message-----
From: H
Sent: Saturday, August 13, 2005 10:23 AM
To: T; B; CEL
Cc: M
Subject: RE: MSFWSPL

S,

No I have not.

CEL -Please get me the number for MSFWSPL, I will contract them

Thanks

H


-----Original Message-----
From: S
Sent: Friday, August 12, 2005 8:23 PM
To: B; H; CEL
Cc: M
Subject: RE: MSFWSPL

Hi H

Have you already contacted them? Thanks

S

-----Original Message-----
From: B
Sent: Thursday, August 11, 2005 4:43 PM
To: S; H; CEL
Cc: M
Subject: MSFWSPL

Dear All

Can someone get in contact with the above company regarding "our show" for the SP.

I have an appointment schedule with their local marketing director Mr XXX on xx date at xx Hrs.

Sounds prospective.

Regards.
B

Adultery happens when you start looking for what you don't have.


"Wow, this girl in my office is a real looker. But it's not her Wynona

Rider features that got me. I'm crazy about her because she's also

understanding, intelligent, tender - so many things that my spouse is

not."


Somewhere along the way, you'll find a woman or a man who will be more

charming or sensitive. More alluring. More thoughtful. Richer. Have

greater sex appeal.


And you will find a woman or a man who will need you and pursue you

and go loco over you more than your spouse ever did. Because no wife or

husband is perfect. Because a spouse will only have 90% of what you're

looking for. So adultery takes place when a husband or wife looks for the missing 10%.


Let's say your wife is melancholic by nature. You may find yourself

drawn to the pretty clerk who has a cherry laugh no matter what she

says : "I broke my arm yesterday, Hahahaha......"


Or because your wife is a homebody in slippers and pyjamas, smelling

of garlic and fish oil, you may fall for a fresh-smelling young sales

representative that visits your office in a sharp black blazer, high

heels, and a red pencil-cut skirt.


Or because your husband is the quiet type, your heart may skip a beat

when you meet an old college flame who has the makings of a talk show

host.


BUT WAIT! That's only 10% of what you don't have. Don't throw away the

90% that you already have!


That represents all the years that you have been with each other.


The storms you have weathered together.

The unforgettable moments of sadness and joy as a couple.

The many adjustments you have made to love each other.

The wealth of memories that you've accumulated as lovers.

Adultery happens when you start looking for what you don't have.


But faithfulness happens when you THANK GOD for what you already have.


But I'm not just talking about marriage. I'm talking about life!

About jobs.

About your friends.

About your children.

About your lifestyles.



Are you like the economy airline passenger that perennially peeks

through the door of the first class cabin, obsessed with what he's

missing?


"They have got more leg room! Oh my, their food is served in

porcelain!

Wow, their seats recline at an 80% angle and they've got personal

videos!" I guarantee you'll be miserable for the entire trip!



Don't live your life like that. Forget about what the world says is

first class.



Do you know that there are many first class passengers who are

miserable in first class - because they're not riding in a private Lear Jet?



The main message :

If you start appreciating what you have right now, wherever you are IS

first class!

May your day be filled with blessings like the sun that lights the sky.

And may you always have the courage to spread your wings and fly!

How to make a Celine

Ingredients: 5 parts success 3 parts brilliance 3 parts empathy

Method: Add to a cocktail shaker and mix vigorously. Add emotion to taste! Do not overindulge!

Username:

Personality cocktail
From Go-Quiz.com

top reasons why ladies today are still single!!

1. The nice men are ugly.

2. The handsome men are not nice.

3. The handsome and nice men are gay.

4. The handsome, nice and heterosexual men are married.

5. The men who are not so handsome, but are nice men, have no money.

6. The men who are not so handsome, but are nice men with money think we are only after their money.

7. The handsome men without money are after our money.

8. The handsome men, who are not so nice and somewhat heterosexual, don't think we are beautiful enough.

9. The men who think we are beautiful, that are heterosexual, somewhat nice and have money,are cowards.

10. The men who are somewhat handsome, somewhat nice and have some money and thank God are heterosexual, are shy and NEVER MAKE THE FIRST MOVE!!!!

11. The men who never make the first move, automatically lose interest in us when we take the initiative.

NOW, WHO THE HELL UNDERSTANDS MEN?

"Men are like a fine wine.
They all start out like grapes, and
it's our job to stomp on them and keep
them in the dark until they mature into something
you'd like to have dinner with."

A girl asked a guy if he thought she was pretty, he said...no.

She asked him if he would want to be with her forever....and he said no.

She then asked him if she were to leave would he cry, and once again he replied with a no.

She had heard enough.

As she walked away, tears streaming down her face the boy grabbed her
arm and said....

You're not pretty you're beautiful.

I dont want to be with you forever. I NEED to be with you forever.

And I wouldnt cry if you walked away...I'd die...

*touched* by this write-up - "My Mom With One Eye"

My mom only had one eye. I hated her... she was such an
embarrassment. My mom ran a small shop at a flea market.
She collected little weeds and such to sell...
anything for the money we needed she was such an
embarrassment.

There was this one day during elementary school.
I remember that it was field day, and my mom came. I was so
embarrassed.

How could she do this to me? I threw her a hateful look and ran out.
The next day at school..."Your mom only has one eye?!" and they
taunted me. I wished that my mom would just disappear from this
world so I said to my mom, "Mom, why don't you have the other eye?!
If you're only going to make me a laughingstock, why don't you just
die?!"

My mom did not respond. I guess I felt a little bad, but at the
same time, it felt good to think that I had said what I'd wanted to say
all this time..

Maybe it was because my mom hadn't punished me, but I didn't think
that I had hurt her feelings very badly.

That night...I woke up, and went to the kitchen to get a glass of
water. My mom was crying there, so quietly, as if she was afraid that
she might wake me. I took a look at her, and then turned away.

Because of the thing I had said to her earlier, there was something
pinching at me in the corner of my heart. Even so, I hated my mother
who was crying out of her one eye. So I told myself that I would grow
up and become successful, because I hated my one-eyed mom and our
desperate poverty.

Then I studied really hard. I left my mother and came to Seoul and
studied, and got accepted in the Seoul University with all the
confidence I had.

Then, I got married. I bought a house of my own. Then I had
kids,too.

Now I'm living happily as a successful man. I like it here because
it's a place that doesn't remind me of my mom.
This happiness was getting bigger and bigger, when someone
unexpected came to see me "What?! Who's this?!"

It was my mother...Still with her one eye. It felt as if the whole
sky was falling apart on me. My little girl ran away, scared of my
mom's eye. And i asked her, "Who are you?!. I don't know you!!!" as if
trying to make that real. I screamed at her "How dare you come to my house and
scare my daughter! GET OUT OF HERE! NOW!!!"

And to this, my mother quietly answered,"oh, I'm so sorry. I may
have gotten the wrong address," and she disappeared.

Thank good ness... she doesn't recognize me. I was quite relieved. I
told myself that I wasn't going to care, or think about this for the rest
of my life. Then a wave of relief came upon me...one day, a letter
regarding a school reunion came to my house. I lied to my wife saying that I was
going on a business trip.

After the reunion, I went down to the old shack, that I used to call
a house...just out of curiosity there, I found my mother fallen on
the cold ground.

But I did not shed a single tear. She had a piece of paper in her
hand.... it was a letter to me. She wrote:
My son...think my life has been long enough now. And.. I won't visit
Seoul anymore... but would it be too much to ask if I wanted you to
come visit me once in a while?

I miss you so much. And I was so glad when I heard you were coming
for the reunion. But I decided not to go to the school.... For
you...I'm sorry that i only have one eye, and I was an embarrassment
for you. You see, when you were very little, you got into an
accident, and lost your eye. As a mother, I couldn't stand watching
you having to grow up with only one eye... so I gave you mine...
I was so proud of my son that was seeing a whole new world for me,
in my place, with that eye. I was never upset at you for anything
you did.

The couple times that you were angry with me. I thought to myself,
'it's because he loves me.' I miss the times when you were still young
around me.

I miss you so much. I love you. You mean the world to me....

very tired now. so just gonna ramble. be warned.

guess what? after i wrote the blog yesterday, dear told me he bought the harry potter book for me le. sweet. so i have it now. will start reading it the moment i get my hands on it. *laughs hysterically*

been having restless nights lately. not sleeping well. my mind is simply just not resting. my few hours of sleep basically consists of me developing dreams, and ill wake up after one dream to slip into the next once i go back to bed. what kind of rest am i having?? i do NOT want to have ANY dreams at all, makes me think too much. and this waking up issue is irritating the shit out of me, can't i just have peace?!

just when i thought my morning couldnt get any worse, i had to receive an msn from vanessa (a "friend" who have refused to contact me during the past year due to some unresolved issues), asking me to take care of ray, and to say that she's sorry for everything. when asked wat was wrong, she refused to come straight to the point but instead just went beating around the bush. asked her if she's going to end her life, she went offline. wow. nice. i freaked out.

managed to get to van's sis. and convinced ray to go down with me to her house to ensure that she's alright (n i do appreciate ray for coming down *hugs* thanks gal). we really got a shock of our lives when we saw her. but she seems to choose to live in her world now, no matter what we say doesnt seem to sink into her.

how can anyone tolerate the physical abuse of their partner? and no one is stopping you from helping the "china crow" if its within ur means, not when u have accumulated one body full of bruises n a whole lot of debts, all these for NOTHING. she only wants money, don't u see that?? if you're not going to respect and love yourself, no one will. and nobody can help u stand up and move on if u choose not to. so pls get a life! im really washing my hands off this whole saga, our "friendship", if you so choose to be devoted to a worthless piece of shit.

went for drinks at alley bar with ray after our "counselling" session with vanessa. continued to discuss about the whole issue and be disgusted by the whole affair. alley bar ran out of chips! sad. decided to hop to living room at the marriott hotel. nice chill out place. though it did evoke some unwanted memories. but well. fuck it. met ray's gf, meiping... hmm, pleasant looking girl. we repeated our whole saga again (think i can consider scripting it out for casting of a drama serial), and after couple of drinks decided to head home cos i was feeling tired already.

arrived home (hr-n-a half ago), decided i couldnt sleep so came online to check mails and stuff. realised adeline finally sent us the pics of the primary school friends gathering that we had few weeks' ago. will post it up in abit. chatted on msn for abit with larry n bro desmond. dear is out with his teammates. they apparently went to this bar/pub "bonkers" at tanjong pagar (wonder if you'd go nuts thereafter, haha!) and spposedly having his supper now.

haiz. im really feeling v tired n worn out. mebbe bcos its what my friends are going through. failed relationships. betrayal. disappointments. dont get me wrong. i want to stand by them, be there for them as i am now bcos its important to me. perhaps i need my lavender candle to help me relax and get in touch with my inner senses (i.e if i have them =P). but the shop that sells it has closed down. sigh. dont know where to get it now. and i m very particular. so well wish me luck.

enough lamenting today. the pics are posted below. going sleep now. its 2am.

Shot 1: (Order from left to right)
Adeline, Leslie, KaiHan, Bernard, Joanne, pinkie

Shot 2

Shot 3 (i'm somewhat hidden by now =P)

** did anyone even notice Leslie & KaiHan are both wearing the same spectacle frames!! Hahaha~

Harry Potter is out!! Yes I am one of those Potter fans... haha. have got a Potter quiz for ya too... sent to me by Kippy.

Harry Potter Quiz: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5068210

My results:
Thanks for taking our quiz. You answered 77% of the questions correctly.

You are a Hogwarts professor. Good work! Hop on your broomstick and take a victory lap around the block.

but i havent bought the new release "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince"... need to come to terms with the amount that i have to pay! =P


a friend just got back from his trip to Bali. he really took some awesome pics, which i have gotten his permission to share it with all of you here. those who know me well enough will know that im a "sucker" for really beautiful pictures, and these photos simply awed me. he really does have a flair/talent for photography ^_^

My personal favourites

hmm... lets talk about my weekend.

fri evening. went partying at zouk/velvet/phuture. basically me and friends were running round the club. but phuture was SO packed. we cant even breathe properly much less danced. overall had fun dancing at velvet n zouk thou... friend drank until he puked when he reached home. tsk. u shouldn't have drank so much. =P

sat. woke up feeling tired. real tired. can feel age catching up on me le. i need alot of rest to recuperate from late nights like these. dear delivered his ol tv to my house, and we went IKEA shopping... hahah... need side table or something to place tv ma, even thou im still quite cluless on where to place it. since its a non-working day, IKEA was naturally packed with couples and families. we walked around and managed to get my stuff! i bought a tv bench, and a PINK table lamp... hahaha. spent the rest of the evening sleeping at dear's place. now u noe how tired i was. keke. forgot to mention the tv bench that i bought was a whopping 16.8kg for me to lug home. thank goodness dear had those portable trolleys n i took a cab.

sun morning. i woke up feeling good. after washing up, i set on my mission to set-up the tv bench. hee, got the thing up n working in about an hr's time (even though i got one of the boards placed wrongly)... haha, but who cares?! too late to make amendments so i just left it. in any case, it still functions well! i shifted my bed frame so that i will be able to watch the tv from a distance without "affecting" my eyesight too much (cos it's already bad enuf)... after which i placed the tv on the bench and went to set-up the cables, etc. My achievement of the day: EVERYTHING WORKS! hahaha! the tv is working properly and it didnt affect my internet connection either. im just so very proud of myself! not sure what to do for the rest of the day, it's only mid-day now... keke... we'll see.


ILEN TV BENCH (blue)



















MORKER TABLELAMP (PINK)

The Mayonnaise Jar & Two Cups of Coffee

To all my friends who are always 'busy'.......

When things in your Life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.
When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty
mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the
jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas
between the golf balls.
He then asked the students again if the jar was full.

They agreed that it was. The professor next picked up a box of sand and
poured it into the jar.
Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full.
The students responded with a unanimous "yes."
The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and
poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty
space between the sand.

The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to
recognize that this jar represents your life.
The golf balls are the important things --God, your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favourite passions--and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.

The sand is everything else--the small stuff." "If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life.
If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never
have room for the things that are important to you. "Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.

Play with your children. Take time to ge t medical checkups. Take your
spouse out to dinner.
Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.

Take care of the golf balls first--the things that really matter.
Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee
represented.
The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

curious about your personality? go to:
http://noracom.net/eng/fortune/color_cheki1.php

this is me:

WOKE UP IN CRAMPS.

started the day off in office with pple asking me for report n after having submitted she can ask me the same qns (which she asked last fri EVENING), whether i have called the list of "300 names" that was given to me. quite pissed. bcos from last fri EVENING till this morning, does she think i would have done anything on it? fyi, sat is not a working day for us unless its 2 wks before our exhibition. and pls!! that list was generated by ME and not GIVEN, so pls, sometimes i wish they would just get their BLARDY facts RIGHT!

we got the shit work of clearing the ex-director's room because another senior mgr is moving in to occupy it now. notice was given last fri EVENING, and they expect it to be cleared BY THE WEEKEND. how nice. so we had to do the dirty job today. and nv in my life would i expect a GUY to have so many rubbish!! my god! we spent a total of 4hrs clearing up the cupboards, throwing out the junk, and ended up with 7 BIG boxes of trash and a handful of papercuts.

my evidence as follows:





junk!







boxes STUFFED FULL with paper documents







he even kept the ink leads that r found in ball-point pens!!



my saving grace: an email from leslie (a pri sch classmate) that he managed to locate our pri sch form teacher, ms tan. i was so happy n really appreciated the efforts that he put in!

was supposed to meet dear, but leslie called last min to say he felt like visiting ms tan as he's leaving for perth again this wed. so even though i was still having cramps, and really wanted to meet dear, i really did want to see ms tan badly, bcos its been 14 years! even though its so v last minute, i just want to say sorry dear. just hope you understand why i had to go.

so we ended up at ms tan's place, with leslie, joanne, and me. kaihan managed to make it after his movie and we really had a great time. ms tan did not change a single bit. she was still very much the jovial and loud teacher that taught us back then in 1991. we looked through the photos that she still maintained v well and had a good time laughing... at leslie's cute frame... and my RETRO specs. nice! and how Jo didnt manage to grow after pri 6! hahahaha, back then she was the tallest grl in the class, and now, her height is equivalent of mine! hehehe.

had a great time relieving good ol memories, catching up on our present lives, and before we knew it, it was close to midnight. ms tan is still having classes tmr, so we thought we'd better scoot off home. haha. well, im really really glad that we FINALLY managed to meet up after 14 years. this i believe is FATE. i will treasure it. so baan: if u happen to have the time to read this, plan the next gathering properly when sunny is back u hear!! hahaha, we want FULL attendance including Shunyuan, Shufang and Larry Yap! better still, go locate more friends that we've lost contact. all the best mate! keke. we'll wait for ur good news.

ooh, and its pictures time again... well used hp again hor, so dont complain on quality. heh!

Ms Tan

Joanne n Ms Tan

Leslie, Joanne n Ms Tan

Xiao Ma Yi (Kaihan) n Ms Tan

Lastly, ME n Ms Tan!

in dedication

As she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the
very first day of school, she told the children an untruth. Like most
teachers, she looked at her students and said that she loved them all the
same. However, that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in
his seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard.

Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he did
not play well with the other children, that his clothes were messy and that
he constantly needed a bath. In addition, Teddy could be unpleasant.

It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight in
marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and then
putting a big "F" at the top of his papers.

At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review
each child's past records and she put Teddy's off until last. However, when
she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise.

Teddy's first grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a bright child with a ready
laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners.... he is a joy to
be around.."

His second grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an excellent student, well liked
by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal
illness and life at home must be a struggle."

His third grade teacher wrote, "His mother's death has been hard on him. He
tries to do his best, but his father doesn't show much interest and his
home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken."

Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show
much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and he sometimes
sleeps in class."

By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was ashamed of herself.
She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmas presents,
wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for Teddy's. His
present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he got from
a grocery bag. Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the
other presents.

Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone
bracelet with some of the stones missing, and a bottle that was one-quarter full
of perfume.. But she stifled the children's laughter when she exclaimed
how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume
on her wrist.

Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say,
"Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my Mom used to."

After the children left, she cried for at least an hour. On that very
day, she quit teaching reading, writing and arithmetic.
Instead, she began to teach children. Mrs. Thompson paid particular
attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive.
The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded.

By the end of the year, Teddy had become one of the smartest children
in the class and, despite her lie that she would love all the children the
same, Teddy became one of her "teacher's pets."

A year later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that
she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.

Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He then wrote
that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the
best teacher he ever had in life.

Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things
had been tough at times, he'd stayed in school, had stuck with it, and
would soon graduate from college with the highest of honors.

He assured Mrs. Thompson that she was still the best and favorite teacher he
had ever had in his whole life.

Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time he
explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a
little further. The letter explained that she was still the best and favorite
teacher he ever had. But now his name was a little longer....

The letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, MD.

The story does not end there. You see, there was yet another letter that
Spring. Teddy said he had met this girl and was going to be married. He
explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was
wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit at the wedding in the
place that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom.

Of course, Mrs. Thompson did. And guess what? She wore that bracelet,
the one with several rhinestones missing. Moreover, she made sure she was
wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their
last Christmas together. They hugged each other, and Dr. Stoddard whispered
in Mrs. Thompson's ear,

"Thank you Mrs Thompson for believing in me. Thank you so much for
making me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference."

Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back.
She said, "Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me
that I could make a difference. I didn't know how to teach until I met you! ."

(For those of you who don't know, Teddy Stoddard is the Dr. at Iowa
Methodist in Des Moines that has the Stoddard Cancer Wing.)

>> i was touched as i read this article. dedicating this to my 2 teachers who have made a difference in my life and for not having ever given up on me.
Thank you Ms Rachel Tan (Form teacher of graduating class P6N4 - 1991, Tampines Pri Sch), and Mr Bernard (Form teached of Sec 1J and graduating class Sec 5B - 1996, Dunman Sec Sch).

rainy sunday...

it was raining cats and dogs in the afternoon today. been a long long while since we had such heavy rain.

was such a good day to just laze and snug in bed. but i was out. so was stuck in the rain. traffic in town was quite bad.

reason i was out: met ex-colleagues Irene and Tang Li for high-tea at Meritus Mandarin. hehe. experience of the place: atmosphere and ambience was good. it's a revolving restaurant so got a pretty good view of the whole area, always feel like im some sort of godzilla when im up there. haha, cos all the cars will appear tiny and it seems effortless to just remove them and plonk there elsewhere. but as the weather was really dark and gloomy, it'll help if the place had more lightings. pretty dark. the food selection is not very good, the service was average, and they didn't bother to top-up the desserts when it was 4pm, even though their last serving is at 4.30pm. original bill came up to about $36 per pax, but as there was a 15% discount for uob credit cards (of which the staff didnt even highlight to us), we only had to pay $30 per pax. to me, i was just paying for the ambience n maintenance of the revolving mechanism and NOT the food. ha! all in all, the company was good and thats the most important bit. we should do it more often, really fun and enjoyable just to relax, chill out, dine and of cos GOSSIP!

this is the pic that i took of the gals:








we went our separate ways after that. i went to the library to return some books and borrowed another 2; book of the moment is titled: Diary of a Mad Bride by Laura Wolf. Was attracted by the tagline that reads: Marriages are made in heaven but weddings are made in hell. funny.

thereafter, i didnt feel like going home yet. so went walking around. meant to window shop but ended up buying 2 tops from Wh (pink & purple), and a belt from HusHush. went to Zara too cos they having sale, but nothing fantastic. saw a jacket that was really worth the money but alas, its too big!! imagine that, yeah the sleeves were too long for me. i've got short arms. ha.

got a bit of toiletries from watsons before making my way home. kinda worried about dear cos nv hear from him after he told me he was at orchard with his team mates. and when we finally spoke just now, the recep was so bad, either he couldn't hear me or i couldn't hear him. "great conversation". anyway not like he can help it. just hope that he's not feeling as lousy n moody as he was this morning. think his job is stressing him out. haiz. i miss him.

Sentosa

last minute decision to go to sentosa with my sec sch classmate Alvin. cos the sun was too tempting for me to resist. ha, and anyway its been really a long while since i've been at the beach to have a tan.

some interesting events:
1. we alighted at tiong bahru, unaware that the bus service have been terminated for some time. happily we walked to the bus stop, and realised that the bus might not be in operations anymore. asked my dear for help, and thanks to him, we realised that the shuttle is only now available at HARBOURFRONT!! Hahahaha... ok... 2 mountain tortoise.. cant blame him cos he just came back from Aust... and for me, well those who know me enuf will know that im a directionless nut. keke. and when we walked back to the station, we realised there was a signage that reads something like: Passengers going to Sentosa, please alight at Harbourfront. we must have been blind!

2. when we reached harbourfront, my dear friend told me to turn left instead of turning right to walk to the bus int where the shuttle is. when i queried, he replied saying "cos the signage said so". yah the signage read "Bridge to Sentosa"... ROFLMAO! he actually missed the word BRIDGE!! imagine if we were to walk there?

3. hmm, sentosa is lacking of hunks n babes these days... so we entertained ourselves with playing frisbee. manage to hit one guy who brought his dog to the beach a couple of times. and i think there was this talent scouting agency who is on the lookout for bikini beach babes cos we saw alot of girls posing for the photographers standing by the tree and in the waters. but really, these girls aint tt hot! and there was this other couple who sat near us.. wah, the girl had really voluptous assets... think my friend's eyes almost dropped out! :P *kidding*

overall had fun. looking forward to chilling out at the beach again. (did i mention the queue at the ladies was horrible?! remind me to bring a portable shower next time -.-")

posting some of the pics below. i didnt have a digital cam, so its all taken with my hp.

the tree








reflections in sea water







sea n coast of opp island








moi footprints

he wrote this for me on 26 June 2005

I just can't simply put into words how I feel about my baby, Celine. No
matter, I'll try to do the best I can... After almost coming to 2 yrs
together, I've come to realise that I am currently incapable to live a
day without her pressence in my heart. I'm constantly thinking and
missing her in my heart, and with each and every heartbeat I take, I am
reminded of her love for me. I hope that I have lived to her
expectations as her soulmate... No one could ever, and I mean ever take
her place in my heart. I have already decided to place my life in her
hands and grow old with her. I couldn't have asked God for a better
person as He has given me the best person to share my joys and woes
with. Her constant support and care for me has deepened my love for her
each day and I sincerely hope that in every action and words I have said
to her, it does the same for her as she has done for me. I thank God...
For she has been the greatest blessing that has ever been given to me.
For all that you've done girl, Thank you and I LOVE you... From the
deepest depth of my heart (aka. Your Home).

>> I love you too. Thanks for everything because I am blessed with you in my life.

When I think, how life used to be
Always walking in the shadows
Then I look at what you've given me
I feel like dancing on my tip-toes
I must say, everyday I wake
And realize you're by my side
I know I'm truly...

Blessed for everything you've given me
Blessed for all the tenderness you show
Do my best with every breath that's in me
Blessed, to make sure you never go

There are times that I test your faith
'Til you think you might surrender
Baby I'm, I'm not ashamed to say
That my hopes were growing slender
You walked by in the nick of time
Looking like an answer prayer
You know I'm truly...

Blessed for everything you've given me
Blessed for all the tenderness you show
Do my best with every breath that's in me
Blessed, to make sure you never go

Blessed with love and understanding
Blessed when I hear you call my name
Do my best with faith that's never-ending
Blessed, to make sure you feel the same

Deep inside of me you fill me with your gentle touch
You know I'm truly...

Blessed for everything you've given me
Blessed for all the tenderness you show
Do my best with every breath that's in me
Blessed, to see you never go

memory

won't it be nice if we all have some form of comp chip memory... and it could be a supercomputer that stores huge amounts of data. we'll be able to store n preserve ALL our sweet n joyful memories (including those of the childhood ones), and perhaps even choose to playback during times when we are bored to reminisce the good ol' times. and when we go through the rough patches, well we store the lesson that we learnt but "delete" the flashbacks that keep coming back to haunt us. and having this will also allow us to store various types of information offered by close friends, lovers, partners or even our bosses. when need be, all we need to do is perform a search function, and voila! everything is at your fingers' tips. there will be no such thing as memory failure but perhaps we might be attacked by viruses!

indeed if we have such a memory in life, moving on perhaps will be a much easier task. alas, no such technology is known... therefore we have to work hard in letting go of the past, treasuring what we have in this moment, and look forward to the future. i always believe the past makes us what we are today, and life experiences (good or bad) can only make us a better and stronger person.

and u... u who is reading my blog. how da hell do i noe u wan to club without me knowing u actually do party??!! hahahaha, pls pls... inform me the next time u r back. we'll cheong till we both drop!! this i promise. =)

actually i dont know what im doing here... haha, cos my eyes were really hurting whilst watching Fantastic 4 with my baby n yes its still sore now. i didn't really fancy watching it if not for him, but guess its quite a funny show after all. bet all the guys (yes, including my dear) has their eyes glued on sexy Jessica Alba (aka Sue Storm, Invisible Woman) in the movie. For those interested to find out more, check out their website: www.fantasticfourmovie.com.

some eye candy:

Future NRIC System In SG

The multi-purpose FutureCard will be the version of our perpetually metamorphosing IC in the near future. With an embedded smart chip,
it can also be used as a passport, store our medical history, driver's license, act as an ATM card, serve as an electronic purse and even be used at the National Library...what ever you do with the card...you will be tracked! It may also be a tracking device via GPRS (Good or Bad, depending the situation) However, a recent debate has brought to light the questionable control on access, potential information abuse and privacy infringement. As the debate rages on, I can foresee a likely scenario when ordering pizzas in the near future...



Ah Beng's FutureCard ( Likely Scenerio )

Operator: "Thank you for calling Pizza Hut Geylang. May I have
your..."

Ah Beng: "Haloo, arh...can I orler huh..."

Operator: "Can I have your Future Card number first, Sir?"

Ah Beng: "It's arh..., hold on prease, arh..... S6102-0499-54610FC"

Operator: "OK... you're... Tan Ah Beng alias 'Or Kwee Tao' and
you're calling from 17-D Lorong 14, Geylang. Your home number is
6782 8828, your office 6782 8838 and your mobile is 96828848. Which
number are you calling from now Sir?

Ah Beng: "Home lah! Wah Lan...How you get all my phone lumbers,
arh?"

Operator: "We are connected to the 'FutureCard' system Sir"

Ah Beng: "OK lah, okay lah...Can I orler your Seafood Pisar..."

Operator : "That's not a good idea Sir"

Ah Beng: "Why....Cannot arh?"

Operator: "According to your latest medical records, you have high
blood pressure and even higher cholesterol level Sir"

Ah Beng: "What?...Wah Lao!....medical lecords also hab... you
lecommend lah?"

Operator: "Try our Low Fat Hokkien Mee Pizza. You'll like it"

Ah Beng: "Wah...How you know I like Hokkien mee, arh?"

Operator: "You borrowed a book entitled "Popular Hokkien Dishes"
from the National Library last week Sir"

Ah Beng: "OK...OK...Buay Ta Han... I give up... Gif me three family
sized ones then, how much arh?

Operator: "That should be enough for your family of 10, Sir. The
total is $45..."

Ah Beng: "I pay by FutureCard...Can or Not ?"

Operator: "I'm afraid you have to pay us cash, Sir. Your credit
card is over the limit and you're owing your bank $6720.55- since
October last year"

Ah Beng: "Ka Nee Nah!... Everything also know...jia lat!"

Operator: "That's not including the late payment charges on
yourhousing loan Sir.

Ah Beng: "Okay lah...I run to ATM and withdraw some cash before you
come my house lor"

Operator : "You can't Sir. Based on the records, you've reached
your daily limit on machine withdrawal today....with the latest
withdrawal of $250 for 4D and TOTO at 2.46pm"

Ah Beng: "Never mind just send the pizzas, I borrow money from my
Ah Mah. How long arh?"

Operator: "About 45 minutes Sir, but if you can't wait you can
always come and collect it on your motorcycle...it'll be ready in
15 mins and you are only 5 mins away"

Ah Beng: "Where got transport?"

Operator: "According to the details in your FutureCard", you own a
Honda Scooter, ...registration number FE 3288..."

Ah Beng: "Ka Nee Nah!"

Operator : "Better watch your language Sir. Remember on 15th July
1987 you were convicted of using abusive language on a policeman... ?"

Ah Beng: [Speechless and calms down after being reminded of the
brush with the law]

Operator: "Is there anything else Sir?"

Ah Beng: "Nothing... by the way... still got stock of that 3 free
bottles of cola as advertised or not?"

Operator: "We normally would Sir, but based on your records you're
also diabetic....... "

Ah Beng: [Heard cursing away as he slams down the phone and telling
his family he is going to the Hawker Centre to 'Tar Pow'

Progressions in my Life

Family
Chatted with my cousin Kyn online. Cos didnt really get to meet up when she was back due to her tight schedule and also my aunt gave me the wrong date where we r supposed to gather at my grandma's place. so well, I've gotta wait till the next visit, so come back soon alright! =)
I'm happy to know that her siblings r doing well, and my uncle's biz is back to normal.

To Kyn: I'm so happy n surprised that you actually do read my blog. Haha. Cos I thought nobody would anyway. And I read yours too. Just wanted to let you in on my thoughts for the sexuality bit: to me, as long as you're happy in a relationship, it doesn't matter who you are or who your partner is. Labels in this society is just another part and parcel of life that we live and grow up with. You've always impressed me with your unique individuality (and I can't imagine you're having dreadlocks now), so keep it going. Your determination and the will to fight will keep you going. And when you fall, we are always behind you. Your loved ones, your friends. In Batman Begins, there was the initial scene where Batman (as a kid fell), and as his dad carried him in his arms, he asked: Why do we fall son? and he went on to say: Because each time we fall, it makes us want to stand up stronger. So no matter how tough going it is for u right now, one day, u will be able to see the silver lining. Whatever happens, we are on each other's side to support and keep the sanity in us going! *hugs*

Couple of things though that's bothering me:
1. My aunt's biz operations failed. got cheated by her china partner (and some folks can say I'm biased against them?! I think I've seen enough of these bad sheep, so don't tell me whats right!) and i guess she's probably in alot of shit now. haiz. imagine if i had agreed to signing up for the loan initially when she needed it to start up da comp, think i'll be in more shit den i can imagine. blessing in disguise from a painful lesson that i learnt previously.

2. Something's wrong with my mum. She's acting weird. Been giving me instructions on her wills lately, and stressed that I have to remember them. The worst: she told me life is unpredictable, humans r so fragile these days, and she might not be around by the end of this year. It FREAKED me out. TOTALLY. I cried. I'm not one who expresses my love for her openly, but I do, and I'm afraid of losing her even though I complain about her naggings, and control over me. I've lost my dad (i still miss him even though I no longer constantly feel the hurt), so I cannot imagine losing her again. Talked to my aunt about it, I hope they can have a heart-to-heart chat n find out what's going on in her life at the moment.


Friends & Colleagues
One of the things that I am most grateful for in life is my friends and a few colleagues whom are very close to me. Just wanna say: You may have entered my life at different phases, but each and everyone of you have stood by me and supported me one way or another, in tears and laughter, for better or worse. So thank you for having me in your life, without all of you, I'd probably would have ended up in the Hougang chalet by now.

Today is the departure of Wyatt and soon-to-be-leaving Agnes, who are both Shatec interns in our company. Thank you both for leaving me some happy and wonderful memories, and the very delicious Chocolate cake from Hyatt. Without both of u cranky nuts, I can't imagine how pathetic my life is going to become at that miserable corner. But such is life, people come and go. Pursue your dreams and may both of you succeed in getting your goals fulfilled. Will miss ya!


Love
For those curious on how it's going on, hey don't speculate! You know you'd always get the answers straight from the horse's mouth. And yes, we're still going strong even though we had our fair share of ups and downs. I'm not saying we do not get pissed off and upset with each other, we do! But we also manage to iron issues out, though not all the time, but it doesnt stop me from loving him any less.

During the past year, I have seen quite a fair bit of friends through failed relationships. I must say it has affected me in my views of everlasting love. I guess in these modern days, the world has evolved such that this "love" is something that belongs to a fairy tale and probably unattainable.

To my friends who are/have been hurt: I know it hurts. badly. feels like your heart is being ripped apart and ur soul eaten alive. but if u have the will to move on, one day, u will wake up n think that everything is back to normal and ur life can still carry on without him/her. For everything happens for a reason. Everyone has someone out there for them, YOU only deserve the best, nothing but the best.