~my fairy tale~

Forever 21 :)

2008-12-01T23:33:00.004+08:00

I haven't been this happy for a very long time despite crossing over to the wrong side of 20s :) I've decided to declare that i'm forever 21 to whoever who asks for my age from today onwards!!!

Been pretty burdened for some time & in a lot of stress. It's all gone away today! Can't help grinning from ear to ear the entire day. Hopefully it's gone for gd but i doubt so...well i'll just enjoy it while it lasts! Not very much time to midnight! Why does 1 Dec come only once a year!!! Anyhow, i love Decembers, it's a month of celebrations, love, gifts, colours, food, drinks & gatherings :)

This year's celebrations were pretty low key & quiet... miles from what I would prefer but very sweet & heatwarming. Stayed at a place with the most comfortable bed, amazing views, the best company ever, an interesting dinner, a surprise birthday cake & to top it off, an amazing gift that I know loads of love & effort went into it.

I just can't help repeating myself: Feeling extremely happy & very loved today!

Thanks to all who've made it special! Your phone calls, smses, msgs on fb made my day :)

I'm already looking 4ward to the rest of this month... gathering with my fav KKN, KTV sessions in the making, friends coming over 2 visit, zoukout, 2 weddings, xmas & new year! This is totally random, but it feels like London all over again...the best feeling ever :) :) :)

Gift to self: Kate Spade Vote Tote!

newspapers & magazines

2008-11-20T16:06:00.002+08:00

nothing seems to be going right in the world now.

it seems like these days, if u want to be depressed, u read the newspapers, if u want emotional uplifts, u flip magazines...

i'm still holding out for a merry xmas this year, despite 2008 being a year of misery & undue stress.

Adrian Tan's Life and How to Survive It

2008-08-12T23:59:00.006+08:00

The author of "The Teenage Textbook" Adrian Tan was the guest-of-honour at an NTU convocation ceremony recently and his speech on life and how to survive it was widely circulated across the internet ever since.

I've met adrian tan once in a court room a couple of months back and spoken to him on the phone briefly twice, never expected anything like this from him though I should have guessed from his book (The Teenage Textbook happened to be my fav book back in sec sch & my fav movie in JC).

Well, i suppose if you have no expectations, everything can surprise u on the upside :)

Anyhow, this speech has touched me in many ways and I took away many lessons from it...posting it here as a note/reminder to self...

Life and How to Survive It
by Adrian Tan

I must say thank you to the faculty and staff of the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information for inviting me to give your convocation address. It’s a wonderful honour and a privilege for me to speak here for ten minutes without fear of contradiction, defamation or retaliation. I say this as a Singaporean and more so as a husband.

My wife is a wonderful person and perfect in every way except one. She is the editor of a magazine. She corrects people for a living. She has honed her expert skills over a quarter of a century, mostly by practising at home during conversations between her and me.

On the other hand, I am a litigator. Essentially, I spend my day telling people how wrong they are. I make my living being disagreeable.

Nevertheless, there is perfect harmony in our matrimonial home. That is because when an editor and a litigator have an argument, the one who triumphs is always the wife.

And so I want to start by giving one piece of advice to the men: when you’ve already won her heart, you don’t need to win every argument.

Marriage is considered one milestone of life. Some of you may already be married. Some of you may never be married. Some of you will be married. Some of you will enjoy the experience so much, you will be married many, many times. Good for you.

The next big milestone in your life is today: your graduation. The end of education. You’re done learning.

You’ve probably been told the big lie that “Learning is a lifelong process” and that therefore you will continue studying and taking masters’ degrees and doctorates and professorships and so on. You know the sort of people who tell you that? Teachers. Don’t you think there is some measure of conflict of interest? They are in the business of learning, after all. Where would they be without you? They need you to be repeat customers.

The good news is that they’re wrong.

The bad news is that you don’t need further education because your entire life is over. It is gone. That may come as a shock to some of you. You’re in your teens or early twenties. People may tell you that you will live to be 70, 80, 90 years old. That is your life expectancy.

I love that term: life expectancy. We all understand the term to mean the average life span of a group of people. But I’m here to talk about a bigger idea, which is what you expect from your life.

You may be very happy to know that Singapore is currently ranked as the country with the third highest life expectancy. We are behind Andorra and Japan, and tied with San Marino. It seems quite clear why people in those countries, and ours, live so long. We share one thing in common: our football teams are all hopeless. There’s very little danger of any of our citizens having their pulses raised by watching us play in the World Cup. Spectators are more likely to be lulled into a gentle and restful nap.

Singaporeans have a life expectancy of 81.8 years. Singapore men live to an average of 79.21 years, while Singapore women live more than five years longer, probably to take into account the additional time they need to spend in the bathroom.

So here you are, in your twenties, thinking that you’ll have another 40 years to go. Four decades in which to live long and prosper.

Bad news. Read the papers. There are people dropping dead when they’re 50, 40, 30 years old. Or quite possibly just after finishing their convocation. They would be very disappointed that they didn’t meet their life expectancy.

I’m here to tell you this. Forget about your life expectancy.

After all, it’s calculated based on an average. And you never, ever want to expect being average.

Revisit those expectations. You might be looking forward to working, falling in love, marrying, raising a family. You are told that, as graduates, you should expect to find a job paying so much, where your hours are so much, where your responsibilities are so much.

That is what is expected of you. And if you live up to it, it will be an awful waste.

If you expect that, you will be limiting yourself. You will be living your life according to boundaries set by average people. I have nothing against average people. But no one should aspire to be them. And you don’t need years of education by the best minds in Singapore to prepare you to be average.

What you should prepare for is mess. Life’s a mess. You are not entitled to expect anything from it. Life is not fair. Everything does not balance out in the end. Life happens, and you have no control over it. Good and bad things happen to you day by day, hour by hour, moment by moment. Your degree is a poor armour against fate.

Don’t expect anything. Erase all life expectancies. Just live. Your life is over as of today. At this point in time, you have grown as tall as you will ever be, you are physically the fittest you will ever be in your entire life and you are probably looking the best that you will ever look. This is as good as it gets. It is all downhill from here. Or up. No one knows.

What does this mean for you? It is good that your life is over.

Since your life is over, you are free. Let me tell you the many wonderful things that you can do when you are free.

The most important is this: do not work.

Work is anything that you are compelled to do. By its very nature, it is undesirable.

Work kills. The Japanese have a term “Karoshi”, which means death from overwork. That’s the most dramatic form of how work can kill. But it can also kill you in more subtle ways. If you work, then day by day, bit by bit, your soul is chipped away, disintegrating until there’s nothing left. A rock has been ground into sand and dust.

There’s a common misconception that work is necessary. You will meet people working at miserable jobs. They tell you they are “making a living”. No, they’re not. They’re dying, frittering away their fast-extinguishing lives doing things which are, at best, meaningless and, at worst, harmful.

People will tell you that work ennobles you, that work lends you a certain dignity. Work makes you free. The slogan "Arbeit macht frei" was placed at the entrances to a number of Nazi concentration camps. Utter nonsense.

Do not waste the vast majority of your life doing something you hate so that you can spend the small remainder sliver of your life in modest comfort. You may never reach that end anyway.

Resist the temptation to get a job. Instead, play. Find something you enjoy doing. Do it. Over and over again. You will become good at it for two reasons: you like it, and you do it often. Soon, that will have value in itself.

I like arguing, and I love language. So, I became a litigator. I enjoy it and I would do it for free. If I didn’t do that, I would’ve been in some other type of work that still involved writing fiction – probably a sports journalist.

So what should you do? You will find your own niche. I don’t imagine you will need to look very hard. By this time in your life, you will have a very good idea of what you will want to do. In fact, I’ll go further and say the ideal situation would be that you will not be able to stop yourself pursuing your passions. By this time you should know what your obsessions are. If you enjoy showing off your knowledge and feeling superior, you might become a teacher.

Find that pursuit that will energise you, consume you, become an obsession. Each day, you must rise with a restless enthusiasm. If you don’t, you are working.

Most of you will end up in activities which involve communication. To those of you I have a second message: be wary of the truth. I’m not asking you to speak it, or write it, for there are times when it is dangerous or impossible to do those things. The truth has a great capacity to offend and injure, and you will find that the closer you are to someone, the more care you must take to disguise or even conceal the truth. Often, there is great virtue in being evasive, or equivocating. There is also great skill. Any child can blurt out the truth, without thought to the consequences. It takes great maturity to appreciate the value of silence.

In order to be wary of the truth, you must first know it. That requires great frankness to yourself. Never fool the person in the mirror.

I have told you that your life is over, that you should not work, and that you should avoid telling the truth. I now say this to you: be hated.

It’s not as easy as it sounds. Do you know anyone who hates you? Yet every great figure who has contributed to the human race has been hated, not just by one person, but often by a great many. That hatred is so strong it has caused those great figures to be shunned, abused, murdered and in one famous instance, nailed to a cross.

One does not have to be evil to be hated. In fact, it’s often the case that one is hated precisely because one is trying to do right by one’s own convictions. It is far too easy to be liked, one merely has to be accommodating and hold no strong convictions. Then one will gravitate towards the centre and settle into the average. That cannot be your role. There are a great many bad people in the world, and if you are not offending them, you must be bad yourself. Popularity is a sure sign that you are doing something wrong.

The other side of the coin is this: fall in love.

I didn’t say “be loved”. That requires too much compromise. If one changes one’s looks, personality and values, one can be loved by anyone.

Rather, I exhort you to love another human being. It may seem odd for me to tell you this. You may expect it to happen naturally, without deliberation. That is false. Modern society is anti-love. We’ve taken a microscope to everyone to bring out their flaws and shortcomings. It far easier to find a reason not to love someone, than otherwise. Rejection requires only one reason. Love requires complete acceptance. It is hard work – the only kind of work that I find palatable.

Loving someone has great benefits. There is admiration, learning, attraction and something which, for the want of a better word, we call happiness. In loving someone, we become inspired to better ourselves in every way. We learn the truth worthlessness of material things. We celebrate being human. Loving is good for the soul.

Loving someone is therefore very important, and it is also important to choose the right person. Despite popular culture, love doesn’t happen by chance, at first sight, across a crowded dance floor. It grows slowly, sinking roots first before branching and blossoming. It is not a silly weed, but a mighty tree that weathers every storm.

You will find, that when you have someone to love, that the face is less important than the brain, and the body is less important than the heart.
You will also find that it is no great tragedy if your love is not reciprocated. You are not doing it to be loved back. Its value is to inspire you.

Finally, you will find that there is no half-measure when it comes to loving someone. You either don’t, or you do with every cell in your body, completely and utterly, without reservation or apology. It consumes you, and you are reborn, all the better for it.

Don’t work. Avoid telling the truth. Be hated. Love someone.

You’re going to have a busy life. Thank goodness there’s no life expectancy.

Till death do us part?

2008-08-11T21:05:00.002+08:00

Attended another wedding over the weekend.

This wedding of a church friend whom I have known since primary school was different from the others I've attended. No rowdy "stealing the bride" antics, no forced drinking at the dinner, only touching songs sung by the groom. All in all, a very peaceful & blissful wedding.

While sitting through the church service, a thought ran throught my mind. At weddings, people say "till death do us part", but to me, if it's true love, even death is not an end point. There's no end to true love.

I remember a funeral director talking about love:
"I can tell whether a couple's love is true, just by looking. And it's not from the crying. It's how much attention they pay to the details of the funeral, the colour of
this, the position of that...It's like they are loving the person as if he or she is still there. And this is what true love is: When you can still love someone without his or her physical presence. "

Relationships are so fragile these days but I remain hopeful that I'll be able to find such true love one day...

Human Diamonds

2008-07-10T18:58:00.001+08:00

I want to be a human diamond... a yellow one.

我要快乐

2008-07-09T22:48:00.002+08:00

I haven't been in the best of moods lately with all these mayhem at home & at work...which resulted in me having a shouting match with one of my bosses a couple of days back...totally unpleasant.

Retail therapy with Xi on Sunday was good and helped, however, fleeting. I woke up the next day feeling extremely guilty and even more miserable than before.

I need a holiday.

我要快乐
张惠妹

又被爱伤了一遍
无所谓当作成长
刚刚走开的人
烟还点着味道却淡了

我并不是天生爱寂寞
却比任何人都多
就算把世界给我
我还是一无所有

我要快乐
我要能睡的安稳
有些人不抱了才温暖
离开了才不恨我早应该割舍

我要快乐
哪怕笑的再大声
心不是热的全都是假的
只有眼泪是真的

把从前想了一遍
谢谢了伤我的人
想做乐观的人
每种雨声听了都不冷

我并不是天生爱寂寞
却比任何人都多
就算把世界给我
我还是一无所有

我要快乐
我要能睡的安稳
有些人不抱了才温暖
离开了才不恨我早应该割舍

我要快乐
哪怕笑的再大声
心不是热的全都是假的
只有眼泪是真的

我要快乐
我要能睡的安稳
有些人不抱了才温暖
离开了才不恨我早应该割舍

我要快乐
哪怕笑的再大声
心不是热的全都是假的
我的决定是对的

Reading

2008-06-27T01:05:00.003+08:00

I've just rediscovered the joys of reading fiction after not picking up a novel for at least 6 years...been reading magazines or non-fiction books and have decided that i haven't got the patience for long stories... it's probably the Da Vinci Code that killed my interest for reading...i've only read the first chapter & last chapter of novels ever since i finished my A levels...

Anyway...been trying to get my mind off some things lately and thought of reading to occupy my restless self on long train rides or on nights when insomnia visits me...

Went to kino one lunch time last week and pondered really hard what to get...ended up with P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern... i've always wanted to watch the film but never got the chance to, and besides i've been watching films inspired by novels like Narnia, LOTR, Harry Potter, i thought i mite try reading the book first b4 watching the movie this time...

I was expecting it to be one of those soppy romance novels that I hungrily devoured book after book back in sec sch...it wasn't a bad choice afterall...perhaps it's the style of writing, very personal, i can vividly imagine the sights, sounds, smells, emotions...very engaging.

I ought to go to bed... 2moro is gonna be another long day....

Can't wait to further discover the story of Holly & Gerry tomorrow, 6 more letters to go...

人质

2008-06-26T20:44:00.001+08:00

think i'm overworked & under a lot of stress...4 consecutive days of 830am jobs is plain torture considering i only knock off at midnite...

i had a really strange dream last nite...

i was driving to vivocity when i saw a plane flip over and crashed into st james's carpark. my first rxn was to whip out my N95 and start filming. After tt i interviewed ppl at the scene etc. By the time i was done it was night and all I could think of was to rush back to office to file my story... i forgot tt i drove and was desperately trying to hail a cab. somehow a lot of ppl jumped in front of me and all the empty cabs seem to be heading for jurong...i only managed to call a cab an hour later. My dream got interrupted when my mum screamed at me to wake up for work on my way back to the office...

geez...this is truly insane.

人质
张惠妹

我和你啊存在一种危险关系
彼此挟持这另一部份的自己
本以为这完整了爱的定义
那就乖乖的守护着你
相爱变成猜忌怀疑的烂游戏
规则是要憋着呼吸越靠越近
但你的温柔是我唯一沉溺
你是爱我的就不怕有缝隙

在我心上用力的开一枪
让一切归零在这声巨响
如果爱是说什么都不能放
我不挣扎反正我也没差

人质在这一刻得到释放
相爱的纯粹落得如此下场
你满意吗我们都别说谎

他,到底在哪里?

2008-06-23T18:12:00.001+08:00

真爱是没有条件的，世俗所看到的一切，远不如心灵真正所见；也许真爱难寻，但在世界的某一个角落，一定有一个人也在找寻您，只要打开心房，你就会遇见他。

他,到底在哪里?

leave me alone

2008-06-17T23:21:00.003+08:00

just when i thought i could let go & move on......

leave me alone.

Rainbow Connection
The Carpenters

Why are there so many
Songs about rainbows
And what's on the other side
Rainbow's are visions
They're only illusions
And rainbows have nothing to hide
So we've been told and some chose to
Believe it
But i know they're wrong wait and see

Someday we'll find it
The rainbow connection
The lovers, the dreamers and me

Who said that every wish
Would be heard and answered
When wished on the morning star
Somebody thought of that
And someone believed it
And look what it's done so far
What's so amazing
That keeps us star gazing
What so we think we might see

Someday we'll find it
That rainbow connection
The lovers the dreamers and me

All of us under it's spell
We know that it's probably magic

GSS

2008-06-16T17:27:00.002+08:00

unbelievable... i actually haven't bought anything this GSS or shopped for the last month or more...

no wonder i'm moody & depressed...

不值得

2008-06-14T12:52:00.000+08:00

不值得
梦飞船

除了想你,除了爱你
我什么什么都愿意
翻开日记,整理心情(打开心情)
我真的真的想放弃
你始终没有爱过,你在敷衍我
一次一次忽略我的感受
我真的感到力不从心,无力继续
这感情
不值得我犹豫不值得我考虑
不值得我爱过你
这种回忆
不值得我提起不值得想起不值得哭泣
这段感情早就应该放弃
早就不该让我浪费时间找奇迹
这样的你不值得我恨你
不值得我为你而坏了心情
我决定不为你而灰了心
放弃爱你
不为你而放弃爱情
不为你而灰了心
我决定不为你而灰了心
放弃爱你

2008-06-13T18:30:00.002+08:00

i want a Wii with Wii Fit...

managed to run & go for life drawing so far... shall attempt to watch SATC this weekend if poss...

actually what i really need is a gd cry. maybe i shud dig up the notebook again...

2008-06-12T17:47:00.002+08:00

Without me, the world would be a better place...

2008-06-11T17:21:00.001+08:00

disappointed.disgusted.depressed.

我的梦想很简单...但往往最简单的梦想最难实现

i need a holiday.

done

2008-06-09T17:27:00.003+08:00

finally done.

think i'm too old for studying. the three words that describe me best now are "fat, stupid and ugly". Perhaps the someone who said this about me some years ago wasn't too far from the truth.

back to the rat race once again feeling more drained than ever...

i need a good run, but left my shoes at home... perhaps i'll jog when i get home 2nite...

男人女人-多么希望你是对的人

2008-06-06T18:23:00.001+08:00

a very nice song i heard over the radio today...男人女人,多么希望你是对的人...

男人女人
许茹云.阿穆隆

爱爱爱爱了几回
也明白其中滋味
付出的从来不会等于收回
我却还在等待着谁能出现

伤伤伤伤了几回
也曾经为爱憔悴
爱情里好人总比坏人狼狈
我却还是学不会狠心对谁

男人男人多希望你是好人
多希望用你的真让我不必再心疼
女人女人我答应做个好人
我答应用我一生来换你的快乐一生

爱爱爱爱了几回
也明白其中滋味
付出的从来不会等于收回
我却还在等待着谁能出现

伤伤伤伤了几回
也曾经为爱憔悴
爱情好人总比坏人狼狈
我却还是学不会狠心对谁

男人男人多希望你是好人
多希望用你的真让我不必再心疼
女人女人我答应做个好人
我答应用我一生来换你的快乐一生

男人男人多希望你是好人
多希望用你的真让我不必再心疼
女人女人我答应做个好人
不会再让我(你)心疼一等再等
你就是我等的那个人

男人男人
女人女人
多么希望你是对的人

2008-06-04T22:50:00.003+08:00

it seems no amount of studying, life skills & work experience can prevent unpleasant situations.

feel like kicking myself big time for walking into a trap with eyes wide opened. i should have seen that it's all planned from the start. who was i trying to kid.

i shall never let my emotions rule over rationality aqain. i'm still a long way from growing up and fitting into this adult world it seems.

2008-05-31T01:49:00.002+08:00

why do most korean shows have tragic plots?

i had a good bawl. i needed it.

2008-05-30T19:41:00.003+08:00

耶稣说：“我的女儿，你不要害怕，我自有安排的，保佑你的心灵。奉行我的意旨”。

凡事不要奢望渴求，主自有安排。

耶稣知我心

主耶稣知我心安慰我给我生命
赐我平安赐我喜乐走过风雨路
祂会明白祂会了解
除去我的眼泪给我真实在

摇啊! 摇啊! 风雨吹不倒
牵我疼我永远的照顾
祂是我的信心是我的帮助
坚强我的心灵耶稣真正好!

Bad Day

2008-05-28T16:28:00.002+08:00

Nothing but bad news from the time I woke up today...in fact the dream wasn't too pleasant either...

mum's liver is said to be hardening and needs a CT scan to see if it's cancerous, have to redo some work when i really need the time to study, rushed out for a contact lunch, and back to find that whatever i did in the morning was redundant...

but nothing beats the bad news abt mum... it's the only thing tt has occupied my mind for the entire day... what should i do...

for starters i'll finish my work and resume revision i guess...

the fear of losing someone is so overpowering that the prospects of gaining another can't match up at all...

anything but my books...

2008-05-27T14:45:00.003+08:00

havent been here in awhile...

been extremely bz with work this year, there were ups n downs, but I'm thankful that all's good thus far...

once again i'm studying for THE EXAM, and everything else seem much more interesting than my books, even work...yes i'm crazy.

perhaps if i write down a list of tings i'll like to do, i'll be able to get on with studying proper... i'm losing my stamina for cramming...argh.

let's see:
1. wakeboarding
2. play tennis properly
3. life drawing
4. reading
5. go away on holiday
6. watch SATC
7. tidy up my room & desk @ work
8. go shopping
9. gym
10. Visit the Southern Ridges tree top walk

ok so far so good, i'm outta here.

no strings attached...

2008-03-05T17:34:00.003+08:00

The greatest lie in the world anyone can give is probably "no strings attached".

In the course of my job, we're always asked to attend this & that and meet this & that person along with this defacto clause. But it seems like this clause, like most promises, are meant to be broken. Something i'm working on today, just aptly demonstrates the fact that "there's no free lunch in this world".

Work aside, how many times have all of us been conned by this in our daily lives?

I guess when one party has more to lose, they're more likely to dangle the "no strings attached" carrot to another, hoping that they'll chew first.

Let's look at it in another way: If something is so attractive or if i'm a willing party and is prepared to bear the consequences, who cares whether or not something comes with strings attached?

It's really not as good as it sounds. Think twice.

some wise words from a very wise man

2008-03-04T10:18:00.002+08:00

i had the fortune to listen to a very wise man yesterday... some quotable quotes but alas off record...

"The Americans always want us to be transparent. But what they actually mean is that they want to see you naked so that they can screw you."

"Investing is like watching the tides. When the tides are low, the gems will sink to the bottom. When tides are high, even rubbish floats to the top. So buy when the tide is out. Even if you bought rubbish, you'll still be able to make some money when the tide comes up again."

When it rains, it pours

2008-01-25T19:51:00.000+08:00

When it rains, it pours.

This line cannot be more true for me this week. Been buried with bad news after bad news from Monday onwards. Bad things sure don't stop at 3. Doesn't help that i'm coughing my lungs out. Going for a haircut didn't seem to do much good either.

Coincidentally, a friend of mine who sends his interpretation of the Daily Bread to me every morning, has this to say of "The Most Depressing Day":

Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid. - Matthew 14 : 27

When we are faced with a situation that is both demanding and hopeless, we can break down and lose the faith which we have in good times. Jesus wants us to know that He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Our Lord do not forsake us nor ignore us. Instead, He is always by our side.

"Come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke and put it on you, and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit, and you will find rest, For the yoke I will give you is easy, and the load I will put on you is light" - Matthew 11:28 - 30

When you feel hopeless, look to the God of Hope.

---------

I feel much better now but still not great...Perhaps I should watch The Notebook again and have a good cry.

Not till I finish with Phoenix Court hearing & URA full year stats....sighz...

In times like this, how i wish there's a shoulder for me to cry on...

I'm 25 today :)

2007-12-01T09:39:00.000+08:00

I think this will prob be the last year that i'll be publicly declaring my age... i never used to understand why women are so hesistant with their age but now i totally feel for them & joining the gang....

I have a feeling today will be a great day despite me being cooped up at home with my books.

My sisters sprung a surprise for me early this morning at 1am with a cake at my house... thanks R & AT, love u guys much much! So sweet of both of u & i miss the both of u so so much!!! Cuz of work & studying, anti-social me haven't meet them for more than a month...

As I'm typing this, mum's making a carrot birthday cake for me (incl. fresh cream & sugar carrots)! Yum yum...

Not forgetting the msgs from all my really sweet friends, thanks for remembering my bdae & the well wishes :)

Kiez enough of time wasting here... as my bro said, i need to get back to my 3000 dolllars paper preparation... fingers x....

Don't be too choosy?!

2007-11-28T22:49:00.001+08:00

I know i'm supposed to keep off the comp but I can't help but to have to say something about this: National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan had this advice for newly-weds and first-time homebuyers today - 'Don't be too choosy'.

I find this statement extremely laughable. Excuse me, we are talking about a big investment here of at least 200k, not supermarket shopping for an item which costs $2. If you don't choose to be picky at this time, when do you? Besides, there's inertia costs to be considered. Once you've move into a place it's very time consuming,tiring & costly to uproot yourself to another place plus all the hardwork you've to put in to find a new home. For quite a handful of ppl, upgrading is prob least on their minds, they just hope to get it right the first time, find a place they like and live happily after.

what have been said recently in the public arena hasn't been too palatable... i'm sure ppl haven't forgotten what was said by Lim Hng Kiang a couple of weeks ago about inflation: going for alternative choices if your usual items are rising in price.... that's equivalent to lowering standards of living. The economy is doing well and yet ppl will have to settle for less... if i remember correctly, a politician in another country said something along the same lines and was forced to resign...

disclaimer: just my 2 cents worth... no politicial views or opinions intended.

2007-11-27T11:05:00.000+08:00

Sheesh...I'm going to be on the wrong side of 25 in 4 days... yikes...n there i'm "wasting" precious time dating my books...bah...

Things to do...

2007-11-26T21:50:00.000+08:00

Itchy butt me can't focus on something for too long...been tinking of doing a load of other tings while trying to study... shall get it out of my system once n for all so i can focus focus focus!!!

(not in order)

1. Tidy up my room & redecorate!!! (i want a victorian theme with brocade wallpapers but i like my yellow room...)
2. Tidy up my work table b4 the stack of newspapers, printouts, research papers, press releases engulf me
3. Book tickets for Beauty World & perhaps Jacky Cheung
4. Plan New Year getaway with R & AT
5. Plan Post Bdae BBQ (if it happens....)
6. Plan London & New York holiday
7. Organise KKN Xmas & New Year gathering
8. SHOPPING!!!! (Been deprived....)
9. Watch uncut version of Lust, Caution (if it's still showing) & Enchanted
10. Exercise more

i desperately need to concentrate on my remaining books...shall return to my 2h-sleep-a-day routine back in my thesis writing & pre-A levels days...not sure if i've the stamina or not... getting old already...

A Perfect Day

2007-11-25T11:07:00.000+08:00

Read this column entitled "A Perfect Day" in the Straits Times today. I had a thought of what would be my perfect day, and the first thing that came to my mind was this:

A Perfect Sunday:
-Attend 830am service at All Souls London
-Dim Sum at Chinatown / Lunch at Misato
-Shopping at Spitalfields, Liverpool Street & Brick Lane street market
-Bagels at Brick Lane then Crepes at Hampstead
-Grocery shopping at giant Tesco or Sainsbury or Oriental City
-Dinner at Oriental City
-A pint at the neighbourhood family pub with friends
OR
-Dinner at a pub followed by a musical/standup comedy/ballet

I miss London. Studying makes me miss it even more.

Stollen cake

2007-11-18T18:50:00.000+08:00

Xmas & CNY are my fav festive holidays cuz i not only have a reason to buy new clothes and dress up, it's also the time for good food & gatherings!

On festive food, besides snow skin mooncakes, my fav is Stollen Cake, a traditional German Christmas cake.

The best i've eaten so far were the ones I got from marks & spencers in London about 2 years back. M&S home brand... it was moist, not so sweet and full of texture. Even better if taken in Germany, in the middle of a Christmas Market with a cup of Gluhwein....

Haven't been able to find Stollen cake ever since coming back here. If anyone knows of a place tt sells good stollen cake in sg, drop me a msg. will be very very grateful :)

n.b. stollen cakes are NOT the same as English fruit cakes. They r filled with marzipan... please do not suggest fruit cakes cuz i find them absolutely revolting... too dry n sweet for my liking.

Birthday wish list

2007-11-16T19:20:00.000+08:00

I'm turning 25 in 2 weeks...so old!!! I even have wrinkles forming already :(

Well, everyone's entitled to a wish list on their special day i suppose...here's mine...inspired by Xi equal *winks*:

1. Divine intervention to help me pass my exam the next day
2. A new job
3. A Nintendo Wii
4. A Shih Tzu or a Maltese or a Scottish Terrier..white one pls cuz I wish to name it Snowy
5. Air ticket to London
6. Non-chocolate Birthday cake (maybe i shall convince my mum to bake one specially for me...haven't had a proper one all to myself ever since London)
7. Dinner/drinks with friends & family (after Dec 1 that is...have been a recluse for the last couple of months... time to get out n get some fresh air)
8. A Chloe Kerala Bag
9. Marc Jacobs Daisy perfume
10. Marc Jacobs Aline Bag or Marc Jacobs Stam Bag
11. Dior Christmas Limited Edition lip gloss pendant

i guess that's prob it for now...

The ocbc proposed subordinated notes release has found it's way to me...gotta get back to work...

2 years...

2007-11-11T17:16:00.000+08:00

Finally, it's been 2 years since I joined SPH. One third way to the light at the end of the tunnel. Honestly, it felt like 20 years.

Didn't manage to blog on the actual day itself (7/11) as I was stuck at City Hall covering the Horizon Towers case. I hope it ends soon... the mess is torturous... i pity the lawyers involved...ok maybe not, considering they are paid tons to try to straighten out the mess...

My neighbour at work did a gd job describing how i feel at the hearings: out of place. some of the owners are so rich, they can sit in everyday and not go to work. the lawyers are being paid 100+k a day in total. In contrast, i'm paid peanuts and not only have to sit through the painful hearing, I have to go back to reorganise the points into a story and then translate at the end of the day.

Enough on Horizon Towers...my second year has been less exciting despite a heavier work load.

On top of my daily articles, I planned 3 executive series supplements & workshops and did the supplement & marketing for 2 of them at my paper.

Moved on to Zaobao after my paper's first anniversary in June this year. Let's put it this way, the grass is not always greener on the other side. Been feeling like a human typewriter for the last 5 months churning out property stories after property stories... i miss writing my banking n finance articles which have reduced to a rare occurrence given the never ending URA/SLA/HDB press releases and announcements + Horizon Towers. Hopefully things will change for the better with HM back on the team.

The best word to sum up how I feel now will probably be numb.

Perhaps i've been in journalism for too long. 2007 also marks my 10th year with SPH. I became a student sports correspondent for Zaobao in 1997 and then a student reporter with Friday weekly & Zaobao Fukan in 1998. Interned for half a year in 2001 before LSE and then every summer at the various papers. Besides wanbao, zaobao online & the magazines, I've experienced working for all the various departments under the chinese news division.

Perhaps, it's really time for a change.

Reunion week

2007-10-19T11:39:00.000+08:00

Last week was reunion week...

met up first with a fren tt i met randomly over irc a decade or so ago... funnily enough we ended up in the same industry when neither of us thought of doing so (ok, maybe for me, consider less seriously ... was alwiz more into archi)...

the same night, i met up with 2 frens from jc that i havent seen ever since graduation. despite losing touch for the last 7 years, we hit it off right away and it felt like the year 2000 again. i miss u guys. we went a little overboard with catching up though, started at 9ish at gloria jean's at raffles city & when that closed, we moved on to timber and then to esplanade...didn't realise it was already 4am when we last saw our watches. can't wait for our next meeting some time mid nov... we have plans of camping at ecp/changi one fri or sat nite... would be nice...

onto sat, met up finally with kkn (-1)... my bestest pals ever... we had so much fun chatting over cheese and chocolate fondue @ Swiss Culture... laughed till i had a headache...chuan, come back soon!!!(but not b4 i visit NY heh heh)

sunday, had lunch with my bro (first time in half a year!) & childhood church friends. really nice just catching up with ppl and spending some time with my bro without it ending with a quarrel. got a new fone on sunday too... a n95... my bro's right... a bimbo like me shudn't have gotten such a high tech fone... i'm still messing ard with it & trying hard to sms without my grubby fingers jabbing too many buttons at a go... must say the best ting bout it is the camera! 5 mega pixels n adjusts for colour n lighting on it's own. impressed.

reunion week wouldn't have been possible - ok maybe not impossible, but definitely less likely - without facebook. it's a really powerful tool... got in touch with a few frens way back from sec sch n even pri sch! ppl i havent seen or been in touch for years!!!

however, along with the gd memories came bad ones too. a monster from the past found me on it...adding on to the super bad day i had today. i'm pretty sure the person has prob already looked up my profile and somehow ended up here. what should i do...

i shall go have a shower first...

sleepy...

2007-10-11T13:33:00.000+08:00

insomnia has returned to haunt me. been running on 2 hours of sleep n adrenaline.

1 more day to the weekend... i just want to sleep for a long long long time...

stress reliever

2007-10-03T21:11:00.000+08:00

been pretty stressed & unhappy lately... funnily enough, the first thing I thought of was to go for a haircut. And that was what I did today after courts.

I used to dread going to the hairdressers as most of the time I end up hating my new hair cut. However, over the last 4 months, I've been to the hairdressers numerous times, even at lunch. Going to the hairdressers gives me some breathing space, time to digest the morning's events & to escape from the slew of phone calls.

Guess one can probably gauge my stress levels from the length of my hair. I've had long hair ever since my first year at university but after joining Zaobao in June, I've seen my hair shrink to shoulder length first, and then to a shorter bob.

Believe it or not, in my first month, I actually went to the hairdresser's three times, coming out each time with a shorter cut...

To be honest, i'm not a fan of short hair, but after each cut, my head seems to feel lighter and liberated me can finally think again. It's all in the mind I know, but it's one of the things that can make me happy besides binging on chocolates that make me fat.

oh yes n blogging n procrastinating when i'm stressed. need to get back to work... shall finish this some other time when i feel like having a go at escapism...

things tt keep me awake at night

2007-09-18T16:31:00.001+08:00

1.overactive brain from overworking in the day
2.the dark
3.memories of grandma & missing her
4.the guilt of not being by her bedside when she died and when she was laid to rest in the coffin
5.fear of not being able to finish studying
6.fear of not waking up in time and not at all
7.work and the thought of it

i can't keep staring at my ceiling or into space till the wee hours of the morning. i need sleeping pills.

Psychological test

2007-09-16T11:49:00.000+08:00

Wows sent me this really creepy website yesterday... i must say it's about 90% accurate for me. Freaky tt an online test can read me like a book...brrr....

Give it a try: http://www.paulgoldin.com/colorgenics.htm

What it said about me:

Your mind is never at rest.You are continually striving to influence all those about you. You have some excellent ideas but you persist in trying to persuade others just how great your ideas really are. Maybe you are trying too hard. Take it easy - remember, 'Everything comes to those who wait'.

You are a very warm and emotional individual but unfortunately in the past too many people have taken advantage of this sensitive trait. You need aesthetic surroundings, or an equally sensitive and understanding partner with whom to share a warm understanding.

You are prepared to establish a particular relationship that is being made available to you at this time. It could be a satisfactory liaison but there could be a certain amount of conflict involved -try to avoid direct confrontation at all costs.

Unacceptable restrictions have been forced upon you and this is resulting in severe frustration and stress. You are looking for independence and consequently you shy away from any restriction and avoid obligations of anything which might prove hampering. You are being subjected to considerable pressure and want to escape from it so that you can obtain what you need, but unfortunately at this particular moment in time you lack the necessary strength of purpose to succeed in this.

The tensions induced by trying to cope with conditions are really beyond your capabilities. This has resulted in experiencing considerable anxiety and stress. You are looking for confirmation from your nearest and dearest that you have the ability and strength to fulfil all of your needs and to be completely self-sufficient.When matters don't go right for you - you tend to become inhibited and blame others for your inadequacy. You feel that there must be a way out from all the trials and tribulations that you have been experiencing of late and you are right - there is a solution - so don't give in, keep searching.

我的梦中情人庐山真面目！

2007-09-13T19:54:00.000+08:00

My Paper & our new media team had a paintballing session cum interview with JJ Lin. I've liked him ever since I heard his version of 记得 on 933 in my Bankside Room back in 2001. He was just a voice that I liked back then...Was over the moon when I got the chance to meet him. Will help you gals out again any time as long as there's JJ! hee hee...

supermarket therapy

2007-09-12T23:18:00.000+08:00

got off work today for class at 6pm... earliest i've been out of the office since my shin min days...which is about 1.5 years ago...

anyhow, i rushed from work to class so i din get to have dinner. Finished class at about 940pm n was starving so I dropped by PS on my way home. Was planning to get Mac's or KFC cuz I didn't expect the other places to be opened at tt hour. Very surprised & elated to find carrefour still opened for business so I grabbed a basket and went crazy.

It definitely felt like London all over again. After work, tired & hungry and browsing through the shelves for instant gratification. Funnily enough, the stuff I got were about the same as what i used to get. Got sushi & 3 legs of honey chicken wings from the deli, all for the price of 1 cuz they were closing, cranberry & red ruby juice (love red ruby! havent had that for 1.5 years!!!!), cheese cubes, biscuits n soup. Spent nearly an hour walking around.

Midweek is usually bad and esp so this week as I've been starting work at 8am and reaching home at 1am... felt so much better after my supermarket retreat...gosh i hope i'm not turning into an auntie but supermarket therapy sure works! Try it next time if u need some unwinding.

Paintballing with JJ Lin

2007-09-11T22:58:00.000+08:00

我的梦中情人:)

welcome home!

2007-09-09T14:55:00.000+08:00

my "favouritest" person is back in my life again :) Back to loads of catching up, shopping, eating, listening 2 mat rockers n nuaing!!!!

welcome home babe...wished i had gone to HK with ya (k u have a pt...it was a gd thing we didn't or else we'll both end up dead broke) n happy belated bdae since u din get my sms!

love ya! MUAKZ!!!! we should get down to planning our weekend beach getaway soon b4 i lose my sanity forever...

sighz i miss my long hair... maybe i really shud go for hair extensions... n no more going to the hairdressers when i'm stressed!

side note: shan't drive anymore if i plan to stay out late... pretty suicidal...was trying so hard to stay awake driving home at 4am on the cte yest ...kept going beyond the speed limit n had to try really hard to avoid kissing mad taxis who keep trying to cut in front of me...

梦中情人

2007-09-07T19:37:00.001+08:00

met my 梦中情人 today & had the chance to play paintball with him... heh heh...perks of being a reporter...haha :p

had to try very very hard to behave myself. don't know him on a personal basis although i wished i had the chance to, but from the few times i've interacted with him, he's perfect: christian, funny, sporting, talented but too bad, he'll forever just be someone in my dreams.

pictures later when CTY decides to send them to me...

----

Onto other things... saw this blurb on STI earlier on... can't agree more that scholars shouldn't just be from the elite schools... they're many many more talented and farsighted individuals with better leadership skills out there. They also bring different perspectives having experienced a different lifestyle. Glad that in my robotics days back in sec sch, i had the chance to interact with peers from neighbourhood schools. Learnt quite a few lessons about life from them.

Having said that, I don't quite agree with the "guile" part...probably more tactical and drivem but definitely not cunning... even if they are, ppl who are chinese educated are more compassionate and loyal i feel. A look at the SME tow kays, even the scheming crafty ones have a heart.

Spread scholars across schools: Ngiam Tong Dow
PRIMARY school pupils who shine should be spread across a range of secondary schools, rather than the two or three elite institutions usually reserved for scholars.
This would ensure Singapore's brightest are equipped with a wider range of thinking skills to tackle today's complex issues, former top civil servant Ngiam Tong Dow said on Friday.

He suggested, for example, that those educated at Chinese schools here in earlier years, tended to have more 'guile' as a result.

Most education is in English nowadays, but in previous decades, a number of schools taught classes largely in Chinese. That led to a distinction.

Speaking at a Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI) lunch, Mr Ngiam said Chinese-educated Singaporeans generally have more guile and cunning than their English-educated counterparts.

They also tend to be more 'doers' than just 'thinkers', which is an important trait that Singapore's scholar-dominated civil service needs to cultivate, said Mr Ngiam, chairman of Surbana Corp.

He was speaking to 150 attendees at SCCCI's biannual Distinguished Speakers Lecture series at the Ritz-Carlton Millenia hotel.

In his half-hour speech, Mr Ngiam discussed how Singapore can maintain a First World 'state of mind' by being a society with equal access to education and 'driven by passion'.

He also raised the question of whether there was a divide between the English-educated and Chinese-educated in Singapore.

Mr Ngiam, who attended an English medium school, recalled 'a famous speech in the 1960's' made by Mr Lee Kuan Yew, then Prime Minister, now Minister Mentor.

Mr Lee had described English school students 'as gold fish swimming in an ornamental bowl'. In contrast, Chinese-educated students were likened to 'piranhas in the wild'.

Blast from the past...

2007-09-06T19:45:00.000+08:00

was googling for something and found my sec sch chinese project by chance.... funky...

Wedding Customs:
http://chinese.sngs.sch.edu.sg/other%20folders/meizai/fengshu/1/COVER.HTML

Singapore Female Authors: http://chinese.sngs.sch.edu.sg/other%20folders/aoyou/bentu234/index.html

Teletubbies turn 10!!!

2007-09-04T17:09:00.000+08:00

(Source: Pink is the new blog)

Teletubbies 天线宝宝 turn 10 today! Gosh... it seems like yesterday when I first watched the hyper repetitive show with a baby face sun in sec sch (again! again! k... i was bored)

Lala, the yellow one's my fav... my brother bought me one for my birthday then. Still have it sitting pretty in my cabinet along with Tinky Winky that we got from mcdonalds.

Despite talks of them being satanic and found with rosary beads in them, nothing devious has happened to me in the last 10 years. Hmm...on second thots, maybe my insomnia n moodiness have something to do with them....

Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Lala, Po!

Teletubbies in Singapore @ Raffles Hotel in August 2007

Awww... so sweet...my fav lala with po!

2007-09-03T13:25:00.000+08:00

i don't feel well. something's not right.

perhaps i've been working too hard n too long. i'm totally gutted out.

when i finally have a day to myself, i sit down and start crying.

maybe it's a bad idea to study and work at the same time.

feeling fat and ugly too. i binge when i'm stressed n i've been stuffing too many chocolates down my throat in the last 3 weeks. i no longer fit into my jeans. n my hair is way too short, dry n discoloured.

i hate myself.

investor sentiments

2007-08-26T17:29:00.000+08:00

touched on the topic of investor sentiments in my sunday column today...for the benefit of those who don't buy zaobao i've pasted it below

for those who don't read chinese, in summary (i shud have put this into my column, but the feel will prob be lost in translation...case of babel confusion): the problem with the markets at the moment is ppl's gut feel. If your gut feeling is so great, your gut would be your brain.)

　　全球股市近来又坐了一轮过山车，被指扰乱人心的罪魁祸首为美国次优信贷（subprime）以及所延伸出的债务担保凭证（CDO）和信贷紧缩问题。
　　环球经济，尤其是本区域经济，依然呈现前所未见的强劲增长，为何在面对隔岸火时那么不堪一击呢？
　　如果仔细解剖这次的大地震，上述的只是催化剂，投资者情绪（investor sentiment）才是“真凶”。
　　“投资者情绪”的“行凶”手段是操纵投资者的思绪和行为，导致它们在过于乐观或悲观的情况下，采取偏激且非理性行为，使得市场价格处于高估或低估情况。大市好时就蜂拥而上，一有什么风吹草动，就惊慌失措，仓皇逃离。
　　每名投资者的投资预期和风险偏好都不同，而反映在投资情绪上也是千差万别。如果投资者自控能力较弱，受市场和环境的影响就会较大，更易产生情绪上的波动，从而直接影响回报。
　　投资最主要的情绪是“怕”，只要一看盘，涨也好，跌也好，心里的平衡点马上被打乱。众观近期的股市的大调整，恐慌情绪的蔓延是抛盘涌出的主要原因。
　　“怕”主导人的方式是使人追涨杀跌，在跌的时候使人觉得深不可测，涨的时候则觉得就要回调。许多投资者心想落袋为安，所以在涨的时候过早卖出，以致错过后头的好戏。跌的时候，不管是熊市中的下跌，还是牛市中的回调，只要出现流泻，心里就慌，觉得下来肯定是无底的深渊。心一软，好不容易选中的筹码，就这样被抛到海底去了。
　　还有新加坡人的“怕”输心态，由于担心落人后，许多投资者到处打听消息，却没有能力分辨市场“噪声”，以致被一堆的市场消息搞得团团转，容易陷入“从众心态”（herd mentality）的陷阱，而搞不好会把传言推波助澜成一种自我应验预言（self-fulfilling prophecy）。
　　在科技发达的现时今日，“怕”的威力更难抵抗。随着越来越多人选择自行上网交易，这样一来，思考和反悔的时间减少了。在情绪化的影响下，只要按个按钮，几秒钟之内就可能否定了一个月的投资决定。
　　人是情感的动物，要求在进行投资时决情非易事。但要成功，就必需下定决心战胜“怕”这个情绪化操盘的天敌。
　　在面对“怕”时，不妨深呼吸，给自己多一点时间冷静思考，再把明确的计划和投资目标化为胆识，加上坚定的意志，心理战术是可以征服市场。

random ramblings

2007-08-21T17:06:00.001+08:00

work & studies have abducted me for the time being... b back when released...

never felt like coming home so bad while I was in India... but uploading my HK photos makes me wanna return there soon... shopping is never quite the same here... n been drinking too much lately... need to go slow b4 my non-speaking terms liver decides to pack it's bag n leave me for gd...

HK & Macau 2007

2007-08-14T12:01:00.000+08:00

Pix from HK & Macau + Marie's trip back to sg...India pix coming up!

HK & Macau 2007

2007-08-02T17:19:00.001+08:00

每多打一行字，就觉得大脑被挖空一点，现在已经在崩溃的边缘上挣扎了。

身为文字工作者，从未意识到过，写文章是这么痛苦的一个过程，准确地说：思维+表达是个很折磨人的组合。

one day more...

2007-08-02T12:47:00.000+08:00

leaving for india in 28 hours time. b4 i leave i need to finish up: 1)my Views from the top for this Sun; 2) my sunday column; 3) my feature story for next Sunday.

pretty apprehensive about this trip after my experience at the embassy n hearing horror stories from frens...oh well... no time to worry just yet, have to stop procrastinating and finish up or i'll be grounded.

i'm out.

hi from hk

2007-07-25T03:30:00.000+08:00

aloha! greetings from hk :)

due to return home 2nite... dun wanna... the longer i stay here the more i'm falling in love with this place...i can totally live n work here... rite shall work harder n try for hk correspondent... tt means brushing up on my pathetic canto.

aside from the fantastic shopping n food as well as having ayl's cosy apt all to myself after maddie n nicole went home from their whirlwind shopping weekend....i love:

- trudging along on the tram even in this unbearable heat...it's fun watching the world pass by
- ppl here r so gd looking...ok mayb tt's not true but they bother to dress up, both gals n guys
- neon lights n flashing bill boards n chamelon buildings
- shops tt open till midnite
- never ending menus tt don't try to be pretentious... the names of the dishes just describe the exact ingredients to u
- trips on star ferries... yes cheap thrill i noe...pun intended
- yummy dessert shops
- the crowds n the hustle n bustle
- u r a train or tram or bus or ferry ride away from a different world
- funky nitelife...the bars n eateries @ LKF r swanky! clarke quay is no where close
- lots of interesting newspapers n magazines
- bargaining / haggling challenge

i could go on n on...just not advisable @ 345am in the morning...

been out to macau too n i must say it's an amazing place with lots of potential. if our IR is anything like Cotai Strip it's gonna b an instant hit. The Venetian looks amazing... due for opening partly in august all the way till 1Q next year.

k i'm out... tchuss

HK

2007-07-20T09:13:00.001+08:00

off to HK with maddie on a shopping trip 2moro morning... can't wait... i desperately need a break...been a human typewriter ever since i joined zb... i need uplifting n rejuvenation, esp after being sent hate mails whenever i have a byline article.

& to mr s.t.w. (if u happen to be a reader of my blog): if u don't see my byline, doesn't mean i'm not at work. i'm at work and writing non-byline articles. if u tink i'm so bad, pick out the non-byline articles written by me as well. even when i have bylines, i have other articles as well in the other pages tt r not bylined. criticise all of it if u must target me.

b back wed. ciao.

India

2007-07-17T01:21:00.000+08:00

going to india from 3-10 aug. backpacking with a fren from uni. can't wait. delhi, lek n ladakh.

i need this break.

i hate nit picking readers who can't even get their facts right. stop sending me (ok not me, my bosses) hate mails until u learn how to read properly. i'm trying my best and working my ass off here...

Trust me, I'm a journalist

2007-07-15T13:41:00.000+08:00

Was randomly surfing facebook...procrastinating as usual....supposed to be finishing up my article for 2moro...

a fren had this group on her facebook: "Trust me, I'm a journalist" n it came with this pretty apt description:

"For those who barely make the deadlines, always need to be in-the-know, work crazy hours covering hurricanes, have seen their fair share of car accidents and knocked on more than enough doors of criminals and grieving families -- all for a byline or 1:30 of airtime."

kinda sums up wat i do... just tt i haven't covered any major natural disasters b4... car accidents, criminals, grieving families, men in white, alternative voices, pimps, fashionistas, men who live for their rides, motor mouths, mutes, geeks, freaks, nutters... been there, done that. spent half a year spending my mornings at the mortuary... glad tt i got out of it sooner than most.

now i spend my days canoodling with economists, property agents, bankers, analysts and anyone tt has or handle money...prob one of the most painful ting to do...seeing lost opportunities n the rich getting richer n the poor getting poorer...

oh well, i need to scoot...or i'm never gonna make the deadline for 2moro's paper. ciao

2007-07-13T19:29:00.001+08:00

i wanna go home... my head is splitting down the middle, my nose is stuck n my whole body is aching all over...2 more articles to go... both long...need to finish them in 2.5 hours...deep deep breath. at least it's sat 2moro... n there's harry potter, mat rockers n the lse ppl to look forward to...

CONCENTRATE!!!!!

情人看表

2007-07-13T13:03:00.000+08:00

以下张小娴的散文觉得有意思，和大家分享。
早报这个星期天的《星星月亮太阳》专栏由我负责，谈婚姻的合约与盟约，希望大家能捧场。

情人看表　　　张小娴

　　爱情的盟约必然要跟时间拉上关系。天长地久、一生不变、永远爱你、地老天荒，总之越长久越好，以比对方的寿命更长为佳。所以情话也离不开时间，其中一句动人的情话是：

　　「我可以跟你一起而忘记了时间存在。」

　　爱情足以令任何人失去时间观念。所以当男人追求你时，你迟到两小时，他仍然说：「你只是迟了一会儿。」

　　一天不见，如隔三秋。

　　天天见面，仍然觉得时间过得太快。

　　谈了七小时电话，仍然不觉得累。

　　餐厅关门了，两个人还依依不舍地说：「时间还早呢。」

　　本来很忙碌的人，一定可以拿出时间谈恋爱，至于其他事情却没有时间去办。

　　恋人唯一需要意识时间存在的时刻，是收到对方所送出的手表。约会的时候，则千万不要看表，除非你们买了门票看电影。

　　可是，情变也由意识时间存在开始。假使有一天，你发现对方跟你约会时竟然偷偷看表，甚至频频看表，表示从前的盟约已经变得很遥远了，他跟你一起，却无法忘记时间存在，他无心听你说话，只想快点离开。

　　男人看表，比较婉转，他会在台底下偷看。但女人一旦看表，便很决绝，她会在你面前看，表示不耐烦。

london

2007-07-12T22:33:00.000+08:00

i've got 12 days of leave to clear by end aug.
London...should i or should i not? tempting.

just to:
-catch up with friends over a pint
-visit sainsbury's, tesco, M&S supermkt
-eat kebabs, fish n chips with vinegar n salt, fish roe cake, hempstead crepes
-go bricklane for curry, salmon bagels
-visit markets: esp Borough Market, Spitalfields & Petticoat Lane
-watch a midnite movie @ Angel
-have misato & dim sum @ chinatown
-shopping along oxford st, bond st, regent st, covent garden
-grab a coffee & sit by the thames
-read a book @ regent's park or green park
-watch Channel 4, ITV 1 & BBC 2 the whole day
-visit the museums
-return to LSE for cheap sandwiches n pints @ three tuns
-watch musicals, plays & ballets
-visit scotland (i've only been to edinburgh... real loser)
-visit ireland
-take a short european holiday

seems like 12 days aren't enough...

My Visual DNA

2007-07-12T20:19:00.001+08:00

I've done this b4 some time back...but things seem to have changed within a couple of months... tink I was something else den....doesn't matter... in the name of fun n bo liaoness... more of procrastination from finishing my work n going home n get the rest i need to recover from flu. bleargh

http://friends.imagini.net/@776161-fe96

the calm b4 the storm?

2007-07-12T19:39:00.000+08:00

uXa has been pretty quiet in the last couple of days...no press releases n no news...not tt i'm complaining cuz i'm swamped with collective sales from the private sector...

it's a little worrying...or am i worrying too much...prob the case...

男人会敬重一个他永远无法征服的女人?

2007-07-11T17:12:00.000+08:00

最近失眠问题越来越严重，数绵羊、喝温奶、看电视、听催眠曲等都没有见效。为了不浪费时间尝试睡觉，我开始看一些短篇小说。
　　昨晚翻了张小娴的《禁果之味》散文集，里头其中一篇散文，给我的感觉是人真的很犯贱。不受伤害就不懂得珍惜和争取，受伤了则不希望别人好过，而为了保护自己不受伤去伤害人。己所不欲，勿施于人的精神到底去了哪里呢？真的要做坏女人才能找到好男人吗？

你是我胸口永远的痛　　张小娴

　　对一个女人来说，如果她从来没有遇过一个伤害她至深的男人，她便不会珍惜一个爱她的男人，也不会明白爱情。

　　一个令你伤痛的男人，在当时来说也许令你生不如死，但在你整个生命中，他不过是一个令你成长的考验，这个考验早来好过迟来。早来的话，女人可以找一个为她抚平创伤的男人，迟来的话，女人能够找到这样一个男人的机会自然减少。

　　因为曾经被伤害，被背叛，被离弃，女人遇到好男人时，会好好珍惜，且会更懂得去爱别人。一个爱她的男人能够令她逐渐忘记那个令她受伤的男人。即使他回来，她也不会回到他身边。她会明白，那个男人如果能够那样伤害她，他并不是真正爱她，即使有爱，也爱得太少。她当时肝肠寸断，也不是因为爱他，而是突然被自己信任的人出卖，无法接受。

　　男人不同，男人天生犯贱。如果曾经有一个女人令他受伤至深，即使已经是很久以前的事，而他也有一个对他很好的女人，他是依然无法忘记那个伤害过他的女人。

　　女人以为遇上坏男人是无可避免的事，男人却没有想过他竟然会败在一个坏女人手上。她是他胸口永远的痛，是他永远的心灵缺憾。如果有机会，他仍然会再次追求她，再次把她追到手，证明他是最终胜利者，没有人可以抛弃他。

　　女人因此明白，要留住一个男人，不是寸步不离，而是忽冷忽热。要得到一个男人的心，不是全心全意爱他，而是尽情伤害他，成为他胸口永远的痛。

　　男人会敬重一个他永远无法征服的女人。

Facebook

2007-07-10T03:40:00.001+08:00

After much elbowing from Marie & Xi, I've decided to sign up for facebook after trying very hard to go to sleep for the last 3 hours...

Never had friendster, facebook or myspace... so let's see how this goes...it's definitely not doing any good for my severe sleep deprivation n complexion...

1 day down... 4 more to go

2007-07-10T00:13:00.000+08:00

even without the harassment by a certain govt agency, i still feel ultra shitty ...perhaps it's the nagging feeling @ the back of my head tt the peace won't last long... n i'm still bombarded with loads of tenders & releases up down left right center, or perhaps, i worry and bother too much...

4 more days.... deep deep breaths...at least there's Harry Potter, Rach & matt rockers to look forward to this weekend...

HT pls come back soon & in one piece...

to do list

2007-07-08T23:50:00.001+08:00

happy happy weekend :) :) :)

FRI: NO releases from URA...thank God. Got off on time too for the very first time. Dim Sum Dollies was fantastic! wonder how they managed to get past the censorship board... we saw jonathan leong on our way out... had dinner @ Thai Express & cab uncle was super duper funny...found out tt rach's boss went to all the same schs as me except jc... rosyth, st nix & lse. how cool is tt?

SAT: had the car for the day n it made my life so much ezier. went for the lumos launch in the morning, drove down to joo chiat to meet colleagues n ex colleagues for lunch... had lots to eat & loads of fun toking rubbish...dropped colleagues off along the way... went to S's place n coached chinese in return for cfa coaching. went back to office to work for a bit. picked J up n we had a fab girly evening @ Dempsey Rd... went to PS Cafe for dinner...sitting out in the open, listening to the chicadas n eating really sinful stuff can be quite therapeutic...den we walked ard the place & had Cherry Garcia icecream at B&J...yummy...havent had it for so long...i remember having B&J in the dead of winter with maddie & marie at Leicester Square cuz we were freezing...(yi du gong du..it works i tell u!)

SUN: met up with kkn-2 finally...it's been months since we last met...my bestest buddies from jc...i miss u all...xi getting prettier by the day, wows more stylo mylo (ok lah n more shuai ok :) ) n winston...let's hope u can marry qingmin on 9/9/9 so tt chuan will have no excuse of not coming back to sg on OUR DAY! book cafe is pretty cool...cosy place to catch up over juice/coffee on a lazy sunday afternoon... the apple pie rocks...walked to central after tt n had fun checking out the food places in the basement...i wanted my pastries from Provence & Winston wanted his cheesy curry chicken from British Takeaways...

chuan, come back soon so we can do the holiday ting tt we originally planned for this year... it'll be fun...or we could do sentosa & the ghim moh trail again too...i wanna do wakeboarding again soon!!!!

on the subject of doing things....hopefully i'll be able to do the following soon:
1. go on holiday, preferably a beach one or just the beach.
2. go back to london
3. go wakeboarding
4. sleep more
5. read/study
6. meet frens tt i havent seen in a long long time
7. go to the gym (my knee injury has forbidden me to go jogging...growing really fat n becoming restless & depressed...)
8. tidy up my room

mum's back from china today... happy... i missed her. although i've been a latchkey kid but i've become really sticky to my mum ever since i returned from the uk...

rite i need to go sleep... next 5 days will b tough... i will survive.

ura, keep away from me if u can.... u have released enough sites in the last month. stock check time.

2007-07-07T01:52:00.000+08:00

能牵着我走完漫漫人生的人你究竟是谁？何时你才会出现在我面前？

也许我应该问的是，你是否会出现？

在这个夜黑无风的失眠夜里，容许我胡思乱想，允许我自怜。

TGIF

2007-07-06T13:01:00.000+08:00

hopefully no more URA press releases for today...i need to get off early...gonna catch Dim Sum Dollies with Rach & her colleagues..can't wait!

next week is gonna be real tough with me helming the fort alone ... i am SCARED.

b4 tackling the oncoming storm head on, i shall try to have a good time this weekend. having lunch with colleagues & ex-colleagues 2moro, followed by coaching session for S. sunday hopefully our long overdue kkn gathering(minus chuan - come back soon dude) will materialise, I miss u guys, esp u Xi! (book cafe sounds like a nice chill place, let's hope things work out this time, if not we can always go on a 'date' there 2gether...haha) n den dinner with WZ (sorry i don't mean to keep postponing dinner but I really am stretched!)

i need a break. a beach holiday or a trip back to london. must plan how to clear my 12 days of leave before end August.

Maddie (so tough to get u!), r we still going HK to visit Ayl & Marie at the end of the month?

2007-07-05T20:55:00.000+08:00

now i'm freaking mad with URA...

the press release yesterday had lots of repetition of past govt land releases in the last month...called the person in charge to specifically clarify which are new areas as i'm totally clueless being new to the property beat.

She told me yes it's the one that was launched last month on the 18th at Anson Road. Today she called up and said it's not the anson rd & enggor st site and wants a correction to just anson road?!?! when i told her she told me it's tt site (come on... if i got the location wrong but have the plot ratio, gfa n everything else correct...den wat?) she simply said, "oh, in that case i shall get back to my boss and see if she still wants a correction."

next ting i noe, the correction request went straight to my big boss.

argh, i'm fuming mad.

office space

2007-07-05T17:33:00.000+08:00

been handling ura announcements daily for the last week or so... at this rate i'm gonna be ura correspondent...

one thing i don't quite understand after scrutinising the no.s given to me: why is it tt the amount of office space tendered or listed in the last month or so is actually 5 times of the supply in 2004-2006 combined?

i was told tt the supply was low then cuz the authorities were worried tt there'll be an oversupply given the economy was in the duldrums...ok one mite say tt it's just economic theory...but isn't it supposed to be the case where the govt should release more land to be sold for infrastructure creation so as to help boost the economy? coming into the cycle so late, the current mad rush to release land might just create an oversupply come 2009 n beyond...早知今日，何必当初？

vodcasting...

2007-07-04T00:58:00.001+08:00

been off the small online screen for the last month...must say the withdrawal symptoms are getting pretty bad...

i miss getting a car n planning a quirky storyline for it, n den proceed to bringing the storyboard to life...filming it in record time n getting my ptc lines right in the fewest no. of takes possible (usually more than 30... poor shangde)...n last but not least working with amazing video eds who never fail to perfect my storyline even beyond my imagination...

it's one of the things that the process is just as enjoyable if not more enjoyable than the end result...the result is just a closure to a happy chapter and the start to the next...

been wanting to do the 2 new peugeots for the last 3 weeks but somehow it doesn't quite fit into my schedule...hopefully it'll materialise this sunday or next...shall also wait till then to unveil my new cropped hair if i can help it! ha...

rite i need to sleep...totally brain dead...so glad huiting will b back 2moro... the race to keep up with the established property teams of st n bt alone is really tough... i really have no idea what is impt n tt promises of exclusives are always broken... learnt these the hard way... nvm...soon i'll get the grip of things... deep breaths for now...

2007-07-03T13:25:00.000+08:00

i hope the property mkt takes a breather... at least for my sanity sake... other papers r working on a team of at least 2 reporters while I'm running a one man show... this can't go on for long... don't forget i'm new... i'm not making excuses for myself but i need time to learn..

1800 words cover story + 1500 industrial property money cover + 1500 word response to ura release + 500 collective sale, all in one day is over the top.

it's for real....

2007-07-02T00:27:00.001+08:00

rite... tink i was too early to conclude in my last posting...i'm taking it back...

tings r getting bad in my paradise it seems, definitely a situation where kiasuism is justified... stupid evil terrorist, dun destroy london or the uk... i still wanna go back there some day!

poor brown...he looked really tired on tv... unlike Blair after the july 7 attacks...need to up the charisma & confidence factor dude... trying to keep calm is not enough to unite ppl against a bunch of screwloose losers

------

i chopped my hair further... shortest it has ever been since JC...just below my ear...now i look like a kid...n got picked up by the kid salesman who sold me my new Olympus voice recorder @ sim lim yesterday...din believe me tt i'm way older than he is... tempted to whip out my IC if not for my yucky sec sch pix on it (i lost my IC in sec 2...so i got the P6 pix which was worse out of the way)

watched transformers too. too much metal flying around... makes me dizzy... wat was worse was romance n metals combined...although i'm a sucker for romantic flicks but this didn't quite do it for me.... perhaps i'm not willing to let adult world stuff mix with memories of my childhood still...the notebook still wins handsdown...total romance... not cheesy either.

having said tt, all in all not a bad show...much more decent than shrek or pirates...i quite enjoyed myself...love bumblebee! but somehow parts of the movie seemed to similar to past michael bay & spielberg masterpieces... for eg. the robot toking to boy at window scene...deja vu of jurassic park or was it lost world?

n now we wait for the simpsons.....rach & my fav cartoon... we could watch each episode 4-5 times min. over lunch @ Baker Street...those were the days when we ate in front of the computer willingly unlike now...

scotland yard overreacting

2007-06-30T00:45:00.000+08:00

finally completed 3800 words for my sunday feature...bad idea to cramp interviews & writing all in one day....too heavy duty... hopefully it's good enough stuff that ppl would wanna read... i'm totally zonked out. waiting for my colleague to give me a lift home...

was just watching cnn while waiting... scotland yard seriously overreacts every time they have a scare...bomb scare found in haymarket but the whole of leicester square, fleet street, park lane... everything is closed off, oh n not forgetting the tubes as well....reminds me of the July 7 attack n the false alarm 2 weeks later... guess Singapore prob inherited kiasuism from our colonial masters way way back...

oh wow... haven't realised tt it's been 2 years since the fateful July 7...still remember interviewing ppl and logging tons of quotes that day and then taking a long walk home cuz the entire transport system was down....

anyhow, all i can say is, poor Brown. trying to shed off the Blair sidekick image is tough enough...ok...i must confess i'm bias. i'm a big fan of Blair... he definitely made Britain more cool... alwiz enjoyed watching his speeches n parliamentary debates on tv...fine i'm a geek.

on to random stuff...

this song made me cry last nite... i dunno why....

Pussycat Dolls
You Don't See Me

This is the place where I sit
This is the part where I love you too much
This is his heart as it kids
'Cause I'm getting tired or pretending I'm tough
And here if you want me
I'm yours you can hold me
I'm empty and taking and tumbling and braking

[Chorus]
'Cause you don't see me
And you don't need me
And you don't love me
The way I wish you would
The way I know you could

I dream a world where you understand
That I dream a million sleepless nights
But I dream a fire when you're touching my hand
But it twists into smoke when I turn on the lights
I'm speechless and faded
It's too complicated
Is this how the book ends?
Nothing but good friends

[Chorus]
'Cause you don't see me
And you don't need me
And you don't love me
The way I wish you would

This is the place in my heart
This is the place where I'm falling apart
Isn't this just where we met?
And is this the last just that I'll ever get?
I wish I was lonely
Instead of just only
Crystal and see through and not enough to you

[Chorus]
'Cause you don't see me
And you don't need me
And you don't love me
The way I wish you would

'Cause you don't see me
And you don't need me
And you don't love me
The way I wish you would
The way I know you could

1000 more words to go...

2007-06-29T21:48:00.001+08:00

this is gonna mark my 3rd straight day of camping out in office after midnight... n it's all the property market's fault...at least it's the weekend 2moro...suffering from serious lack of sleep, i'm gonna sleep in...

even the intern sitting behind me says that my dark eye rings are comparable to pandas....

brain dead

2007-06-28T23:42:00.000+08:00

1 banking industry piece n 1 major enbloc article later i'm officially pronounced brain dead.

bz bz bz

2007-06-27T23:22:00.000+08:00

have been a human typewriter for the last 3 days...it's been boring conferences in the day followed by mad rounds of typing throughout the night...tink i've been filing 3 articles a day since the middle of last week n they're were all pretty long ones...wonder if anyone bothers to read them....high brow economics stuff... ok lah at least 2moro's exclusive is on REITs...maybe someone will give the header a glance...

think for the next few nites i'll have to work from home at nite...i'm still not done with one of my gst article, this sunday's property feature and 2moro's exclusive!!!!

okie i better get out of here so i can go home n continue working on my article...

the grass is definitely not greener on the other side... no wonder i was told good luck by one of the big bosses on my last day at my paper...

london. london. london.

oh btw, my mum gave Dolly away cuz she n my dad couldn't put up with it's incessant howling throughout the nite for 3 nites in a row and it shat all over the house as well despite being toilet trained. Mum's friend's aunt wanted it, so my mum gave it to her within hours!

i've also chopped off my hair...shoulder length... now it looks like a mop...pong n messy... argh...mayb i shud go for extensions... vain me...but no matter how vain I am, I'll never be as vain as u AT! (this is for all the uncalled for insults...)

new family member

2007-06-24T02:46:00.000+08:00

one of my worst nitemares has turned into reality...there's a dog in my house!!!!!!

i have a phobia of dogs cuz the ones i've encountered have left me very sick...my neighbour's dog licked me when i was in secondary 1 n i had rashes for about a month... i eventually got over my fear in uni but the sheep dog tt marie, ben n i played with on our horse-riding trip resulted in our viral infection tt lasted for 2 weeks...was vomitting n having diarrhea for tt whole period...from den on i vowed never to get near a dog

anyhow, my bro's fren is leaving for an overseas posting n his mum absolutely hates the dog, so he brought it to the spca to be put down. being the animal lover tt my bro is, he took pity on the dog and brought it home from the spca.

oh, the dog's name is Dolly... yes wat a name...it's a 6 year old jack russell

my first encounter with it was when i returned home from st james at 4am n yesterday... the moment i stepped into the house it barked non-stop n woke my entire family up. today when i got home from watching fantastic four, as soon as i stuck the key into the keyhole Dolly howled at me and scratched the front door...i was terrified n din barge till my dad held on to it n i dashed straight into my room...

i noe i can't play hide-and-seek with dolly forever... mum even said i have a new baby sister to take care of (cuz i'm born in the year of the dog)...seems like it's gonna b a permanent fixture at my house.

although i feel for Dolly's situation, i'm still trying to come to terms with it being a part of my family...havent been successful though...been avoiding it like the plague n will make sure my mum or dad is tending to it b4 i dash out to the toilet n back to my room...

sighz...

psychiatric couch syndrome

2007-06-22T01:47:00.000+08:00

if i fall asleep at the morning briefing or fall asleep at dinner or can't make it for our weekly date with the mat rockers 2moro i'm so gonna kill u AT...

in our extremely long phone conversation we had that stretched from the time i was still at office to my bus ride home and den back at home, the topic of psychiatric couch syndrome was brought up a couple of times...

AT mentioned that it's really painful to go out with someone that you can't click with and have nothing to talk about...u'll end up with a sore throat and having to check if the other person is still awake and alive periodically.

tink that has never been a problem for me... i have this tendency to go on n on n on about myself all the time, pouring out my life story and giving a detailed account of my daily life as if i'm on a psychiatrist couch, esp so with ppl i'm close to...mite b a side effect from work... i listen to ppl from mon-fri so come weekends it's my turn to ramble...my blog is definitely another avenue for my verbal diarrhea...

having said tt, i guess tt's prob my natural rxn to any awkward silence...that's something i'm definitely not used to and will find things to say to fill up any voids...prob another occupational habit/hazzard picked up from work aside from my lack of patience...not too comfortable if i'm unable to keep the conversation going when i'm interviewing someone... but it's also bcuz of this tt my interviews go on forever. i usually do end up enjoying toking to the other person... not sure if the feeling is mutual... at least i hope so...i need to exercise more self control whether with frens or with interviewees....

rite it's 230am...time for me to zip n go to bed....

note 2 self

2007-06-19T23:14:00.000+08:00

note to self...
this weekend i need to:
- get a new lamp for my work desk
- get a new recorder
- finish my gst articles...

...

2007-06-18T19:20:00.000+08:00

horrid horrid day....i wanna go home...

- got stuck in traffic for over an hour in the morning. Fortunately i was in time for Tharman's speech
- recorder died on me in the middle of Tharman's speech
- having to sit through a very boring full day academic conference with painful accents...i'm seriously reconsidering my intention of doing my phd...(academics should really think about improving their presentation skills other than getting their researches done or they'll never get the msg across n will put the person on the receiving end in extreme torture...)
- needed to do my first ever correction in my career...hopefully the last...i've checked it again n again b4 submitting the article last friday....don't know why i still managed to make so many mistakes in such a simple article....arghhhh...(although the work at my current desk is much much lighter than before but i'm losing more sleep...been having insomnia cuz i'm constantly afraid of writing something wrong... think the more I worry, the more likely I'll make a mistake....will taking it ez help? i have no confidence...)

A couple of ppl said this to me in the past year: i'm a mistake.

perhaps they are right.

Taiwan photos

2007-06-14T11:27:00.000+08:00

Me & my wrist tattoo!

Uploaded some photos from Taiwan...more coming up but don't expect too much...didn't take many gd shots this time round...hopefully the rest have better ones!

Check out my flickr or picasa: http://www.flickr.com/photos/yunfairy/
http://picasaweb.google.com/liyunlin

Shopping is good for you - it's official!

2007-06-14T01:16:00.000+08:00

Great news from one of my fav sites catwalkqueen :

It's a question that has troubled the shopper since the dawn of shops - am I buying this fabulous new pair of shoes because I need them, or because I've had a lousy day and they'll cheer me up?

Well, according to a new survey into UK's shopping habits by the Retail Trust (the charity for people in the retail industry) a staggering 40% of 18-24 year olds spank their plastic for the sole purpose of alleviating stress. Other age groups aren't far behind with 25 % of people making unnecessary purchases to feel better, and surprisingly it's the worrying Welsh folk who are more likely to turn to the comforting arms of fashion than Londoners. Just don't get stressed over what to buy or you'll be there forever!

I should stay away from shopping for awhile n try other stuff...taiwan was extremely fun cuz i stayed away from shopping... should do more test drives during the weekends, look for less ventured areas in singapore or bring back my uk habit... staying home to drink and paint/ play the piano / read my stuff or watch dvds...

procrastination...

2007-06-13T17:44:00.000+08:00

i find that I procrastinate a lot when i'm stressed which only serves to waste precious time and make me more stressed...vicious cycle....that explains why i'm here now when I have 3 articles (1 big, 2 small) to file before 8pm...think i'll skip dinner tonight...

taiwan was wonderful...most enjoyable trip I've had in a long long time despite the incessant rain & having 3 big blue blacks from my cycling accident...clumsy me..., gone for the most touching wedding I've been thusfar(so happy for u jen...brian u better cherish this wonderful lady!), met a bunch of really fun people (thanks for allowing me to join the group & for hosting me, special thanks to Betty & Kent :) Thanks guys, do let me know if any of u decide to drop by singapore), tried & ate loads of stuff (incl. fireworks!)...some what of a mini adventure which I love love love...got 2 tattoos (fake ones of cuz) on my wrist & back (Thanks Junhan for getting one with me!)...shall fill this place or my flickr with pictures soon...

rite...work beckons...later...

off to taiwan

2007-06-06T21:58:00.001+08:00

off to taiwan for Jen's (my study group mate @ LSE) wedding 2moro! so happy for her & brian...有情人终成眷属...can't wait to see her too.. it's been a year since I last saw her n brian!

sorry haven't been updating this place... been pretty bz clearing stuff n adapting to a new environment...havent managed to put my emotions into words, so brothers n sisters at my paper... give me some time...the last 1 year and 2 months have been pretty intensive and I haven't found a way to put it all down in writing. Will have a tink about it on my trip.

rite gotta go back to rushing my article or else i'll be stuck here...

Opel Astra TwinTop

2007-06-01T18:00:00.000+08:00

Opel Astra TwinTop is definitely something that more than meets the eye... check out my last motoring review for my paper...hopefully it's not gonna be the last vodcast though...

http://www.mypaper.sg/myvodcast/20070601car_a/20070601car_main.html

Toyota Vios

2007-05-29T10:44:00.000+08:00

The new Vios is definitely a car that more than meets the eye....

Didn't manage to capture it's full potential on film, but do give our experimental vodcast a chance... totally done by amateurs (except the video editing)...

http://www.mypaper.sg/myvodcast/20070525car_a/20070525car_main.html

天堂的杂货店

2007-05-28T13:35:00.000+08:00

昨天我妈的传道与他们分享了一篇很有意思的文章，在这里转贴。即使不是信徒也能共勉之。

天堂的杂货店

　　我沿着人生的公路走着。

一天我看到一块写着「天堂杂货店」的招牌。

当我靠得更近一些，店门大开，然后，我发现自己正站在店里。

　　我看到一群天使，店里随处都有他们的身影，一位交给我一个篮子，便说，“孩子，小心采购。”

每一个人所需要的东西，这间杂货店里都有，如果你没有办法带走全部的东西，可以改天再回来买更多。

首先，我先取了些“忍耐”，“仁爱”也在同一排货架上，更远处放的是“体谅”，无论你往何处去，你都会需要它。

之后，我又拿了一两盒“智慧”和一两袋“信心”，当然我还需要一些“善良”，我也没忘记“圣灵”，他到处都在。

　　为了跑这生命的竞赛，我拿了些“力量”和“勇气”。

　　我的篮子快满了，可我想起还需要“恩典”，我又选了“救恩”，因为那是免费的，我心想多拿一点足够你和我用。

　　然后，走向柜台准备付钱，心想我拿到了遵行主的旨意所需要的一切货物。

　　在另一个货架上，我看见“祷告”，所以就拿了点儿，因为我知道一走到外面就会碰到“罪恶”。

　　“平安”和“喜乐”供货充足，摆在架子最后面，“诗歌”和“赞美”就在旁边，所以我也顺手拿了些。

　　然后，我就对天使说：“我要付多少？”

　　他笑著说：“只要你无论去哪里都带著就行了。”

　　我又问：“说实话，我欠你多少？”

　　他说：“孩子，耶稣在很久以前就为你付了账。”

Daihatsu Materia

2007-05-24T23:59:00.000+08:00

In the midst of struggling with my Car Watch for this Sat, I suddenly realised that I've forgotten to post my last motoring review here.

Introducing the new Daihatsu Materia!!!!

http://www.mypaper.sg/myvodcast/20070511car_a/20070511car_main.html

This car had me at hello... it's super unique looking & drives pretty well too, love the huge backseat space & the super beng interior blue neon lights. Just that it's a little pricey and insurance for it will set me back $2800 a year... ouch...

Think i'll probably have to stick to cabs for a considerable while judging by the way COE is heading north....

in the meantime, i better concentrate on my review since i didn't manage to win the $6.2m toto (first time i bought toto on my own! but of cuz全军覆没...)

mortician-to-be

2007-05-22T21:37:00.000+08:00

I think i really can consider becoming a mortician if I ever get sick of journalism...

Usually if I don't have to go out on assignments I don't bother with make up, esp on gym days like today... a colleague couldn't recognise me until I came up close and she said i looked plain. Guess i must have done a good job with my paintworks when I do it.

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't offended at all... but it set me off thinking why many women can't leave without makeup...probably cuz it works like a mask, shielding away all imperfections and to some extent hide emotions (puffy swollen eyes)...

Coinicidentally, one of my fav blogs, All Men Are Liars, touched on this topic as well...pretty gd read, check it out:
http://blogs.smh.com.au/lifestyle/allmenareliars/archives/2007/05/makeup_and_the_veil_same_diffe.html

Disclaimer: going by the title of the blog, i must set the record straight tt i'm no feminist and the writer is actually a guy...

excerpt:
"Women have a fascinating relationship with makeup, with many viewing it as a godsend, others an imposition and some, an unhealthy obsession.

We've all heard stories about (or dated) the insecure woman who couldn't go down the shops without first applying her lipstick and foundation, but what does it say about the world we live in that even female teens with flawless skin feel they're not complete without their Bonne Bell?

Keep in mind, up until last century makeup was known as "paint" and associated with either prostitution or the theatre. Respectable women did not wear it.

"Reddened cheeks and darkened eyelids were signs of female vice, and the 'painted woman' provoked disgust and censure from the virtuous," says historian Kathy Peiss.

In 1964, sexologists Harry Benjamin and R.E.L. Masters claimed that lipstick wearing had its origins with prostitutes in the Middle East as it was "supposed to make the mouth resemble the vulva and it was first worn by those females who specialised in oral stimulation of the penis."

There seems little doubt that women, at least in part, wear makeup to increase their sexual desirability to men and also to avoid the aspersions of "leso" and "old maid" associated with not wearing it....."

The comments are pretty interesting as well...totally agree with the first one, "I don't really care what anyone else thinks. It is my shield against the world."

more on dresses...

2007-05-17T21:57:00.000+08:00

i've gotten back to the habit of checking out asos everyday...bad bad bad...it's all your fault Rach, den again...it's asos's fault...they simply have too many gorgeous stuff for me to resist...

Just in case this piece doesn't make it down here...MADDIE!!!! if you're reading this & if it's not too much of a trouble, issit poss to pop by FCUK to help me buy this in size 10? THANKS A MIL!!! Next KTV is on me!

http://www.asos.com/French-Connection-Weave-Blossom-Print-Dress/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=136921&cid=2623

cheeky ;p

2007-05-16T21:21:00.000+08:00

note that the following is for restricted viewing...hiak hiak.....
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finally found a cheapo way to increase readership of this blog :p (kiddin)
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:p

Saw this while online shopping on one of my fav websites Asos.com...wonder who will buy this duvet & use it!
Check out the description on the website (* Cut off heads to replace with your own )...totally hilarious!!!!
http://www.asos.com/Tv-Show-Skins/Cheeky-Bed-Spread/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=166414&cid=2629

:) :) :)

Ted Baker

2007-05-15T12:59:00.000+08:00

Been in a super foul mood lately and did a hell lot of damage to my wallet on Saturday... retail therapy works & I felt really good at the end of the day but i'm craving for more now... tink i'm spiralling beyond control....

Loving these from one of my fav stores in London, Ted Baker:

Anatola

Latifa
Love this esp...saw it in the SG Ted Baker store @ Vivocity but none in my size though i'm willing to pay for it!!!

Having super huge withdrawal syndroms of London... to the point that I've started dreaming of my life there in my sleep... this is bad...

2007-05-11T01:17:00.000+08:00

i miss u real bad...

i miss London & my life there even more...

gonna have to survive another 3 hour sleep day...

at least this week will be over very soon...take deep breaths & hang...

i can do it...

i hope i do...

Chevrolet Captiva

2007-05-09T14:10:00.000+08:00

was asked why I haven't been test driving any cars lately and realised that I've forgotten to post my Chevrolet Captiva test drive here.

so here it is:
http://www.mypaper.sg/myvodcast/20070427captiva_a/20070427captiva_main.html

http://www.mypaper.sg/myvodcast/20070427captiva_b/20070427captiva_b.html

brought a reader & his family along for the test drive as well... the son's really funny...check it out:
http://www.mypaper.sg/myvodcast/20070427captiva_a/20070427captiva_a.html

Currently test driving the Daihatsu Materia, one of the few cars I have an urge to buy and within my budget too...look out for it in this Sat's My Paper!

BBC's Alan Johnston

2007-05-08T20:36:00.000+08:00

Haven't been religiously visiting the BBC website as much as I used to while I was in London. Happened to come across this blog by BBC World News editor Jon Williams, urging people to include this Alan Johnston's button to their blog as a sign of support as well as to get people to sign a petition for his release.

In case you have no clue who Alan Johnston is, here's an excerpt from BBC's website:
"BBC correspondent Alan Johnston disappeared on his way home from his Gaza City office on 12 March. He is feared kidnapped in the lawless territory, where he is thought to have been the only international correspondent still working. Intensive efforts have been made to secure his release."

I had the privilege to watch some of his reports on BBC 1. He's a courageous man and my thoughts are with him and his family, and also with other journalists and media practioners who risk their lives everyday to bring the truth to the world.

In comparison, some might say we are very fortunate being journalists in Singapore. I beg to differ.

We are the unfortunate ones. Sheltered from the hardship and harsh realities, don't think many of us will survive, let even go voluntarily if we were put on the line out there in the field.

Ravel to close :(

2007-05-08T14:04:00.000+08:00

B4 i get the chance to head back to London to shop the city down, one of my fav shoe shops Ravel will be drawing its shutters for ever...

Read the news this morning on one of my fav websites Shoewawa:

"If you're fan of high street shoe store Ravel, you better gather up your money, bank cards, or anything else you think you can trade for shoes, as they are soon to disappear from the high street after 30 years of trading.

Clarks, the company who own Ravel, have blamed increased competition within the fashion footwear sector for the closures. However, if you are a fan of comfy shoe maestros Clarks, you will be glad to know that many of the Ravel stores will become Clarks stores. In the meantime, Ravel will continue to trade as it clears its stock (ding ding bargains!)."

Even though I've been back for a year and a half, I've hardly bought shoes in Singapore. Call me atas, but I can't find many to my liking...same for bags...Ravel has really quirky shoes in loud colours but a tad pricey though...

check this out b4 it's gone forever: http://www.ravel.co.uk
RIP Ravel...

Saw the following shoe on Shoewawa as well and it was love at first sight (somehow I'm instantly attracted to silver shoes, and anything with ribbons n angel wings or butterfly motifs)...sucks that it's 70 quid though... miss ASOS.com (i'm sure u do too Rach)

To buy or not to buy...tough call...bleargh...

make up

2007-04-27T11:08:00.000+08:00

having gone sans make-up for the last week or so, I find myself looking like a lifeless ghost, didn't help that I was down with bronchitis.

with make-up on today even though my hands r still shaking from the medication and my chest feels like it's on a noose, I feel better when I look at myself in the mirror. At least I don't look like as if I have a foot in the grave.

“女人，三分靠姿色，七分靠打扮”，这句话一点也不假。

since i have no natural beauty to boast of, will try to make it a point to put on some make up everyday.

灯火阑珊处

2007-04-26T10:10:00.000+08:00

有些男生，会令女生动心，但不动情，所以成为好朋友。

很多女生都会为情所困，谈来谈去总是心有千千结，痴痴缠，别人管也管不完。女生聚在一起，感觉黏稠稠的，像一团糯米饭，虽然温暖在胸，但一下子吃太多会腻会撑。不过，一眨眼又会饿，不至于空虚，却好像缺少些什么的。

奇怪的是，当女生需要人安慰的时候，一些身边友好的男生总是能够很客观，单刀直入地把眼前事物一字排开，开解能力远远超过女生。跟一些男生相处，就像“温一壶月光的酒”一样，是给彼此的心灵加养料，让彼此潜在的才能发酵，挥发灵魂的芳香。这些男生所散发出来的生命活力，深深感动着我们。

然而，感动日久后难免会生情。即使一开始把界线化清，女生是感情物的名字，要摆脱，可能要比戴在孙悟空头上的金箍儿还要难。

在众里寻他的时候，也许假以时日，当一方还在千百度里寻寻觅觅，另一方可能在回首时，已在灯火阑珊处见到对方。

你问我：他，究竟是谁。
我说：偏不让你知道。

那是因为，
我没勇气。

曾经在网上看到这么样一句对白：
鱼说：你看不见我的泪水，因为我在水中...
水说：我能感觉到你的泪，只因你在我心中...

在灯火阑珊处的你，我不想失去我们目前所拥有的。虽然也有他人，但至少我知道我心中有你，而你心中也有我，我们现在这样不是很好吗？

喜欢，就是淡淡的爱；爱，则是深深的喜欢。

人不会因为获得很多爱而觉得人生有意义，却会因为付出许多爱而越肯定生命的价值。

The Long Goodbye

2007-04-20T01:09:00.000+08:00

Today, the call that marks the start of the long goodbye came through.

Although I've been waiting for this day before I even started, but strangely enough, I didn't feel as elated. In fact, my first response was "so fast?" and was at best emotionless throughout. With things set in stone, I walked out feeling even more lost and confused than before.

Breaking news is critical of my job and something I take pride in, but for the first time in my life, I find myself at a loss for words and don't look forward to articulating the inevitable to people I've spent a significant part of my life with. Can't help thinking how this is synonymous with "The Long Goodbye" associated with the final phase of Alzheimer’s disease, where the painful and prolong farewell process starts with the confirmation of loss of speech and communication by the doctor.

The Long Goodbye can be a time of great emotional turmoil and grief when one sees their love ones whither away as the clock ticks. With each passing minute, knowing that our days together are numbered, the more I want to hang onto the good times and not breathe a word, even to the extent of having second thoughts. Emotional baggage it seems is weighing me down. I must admit letting go and moving on was never something I could handle well.

However, reality is that no one is indispensible and the world will still go round. I've reached the point of no return. It was good while it lasted.

Parting words before I completely lose the ability to articulate myself: The road I've travelled thus far has been a fulfilling and enjoyable one and it's all thanks to each and everyone of you. Please forgive me for not being able to continue with all of you on this journey.

As I inch closer to the end of the road, I can only hope that my destiny will be as clear as my faith in God, heading for eternal life, where hopefully I'll be able to be together with some of you again one day.

Your heart will lead you home

2007-04-12T20:38:00.000+08:00

I don't usually pay much attention to what's playing on my ipod cuz it's purpose is to cut out surrounding noise...but the following song caught my ear at the gym today, apparently it's from the Tigger movie soundtrack... nice... love winnie the pooh stuff esp piglet...

comforting stuff to perk me up...been having insomnia again & sprained my ankle somehow on the treadmill this morning :(

Your heart will lead you home
Kenny Loggins

sunny days and starry nights
lazy afternoons
you count the castles in the clouds
and hum little tunes

but somehow right before your eyes
the sun fades away
everything is different
and everything has change

if you feel lost and on your own
and far from home
you never alone, you know

just think of your friends
the ones who care
they all will be waiting there
with love to share
and your heart will lead you home

funny how a photograph can take you back in time
to places and embraces
that you thought you left behind

they're trying to remind you
that you're not the only one
that no one is an island
when all has said and done

there'll come a day when you're losing your way
and you won't know where you belong
they say that home is where your heart is
so follow your heart know that you can't go wrong

2007-04-11T20:25:00.001+08:00

brain dead...

~*my fairy tale*~

Forever 21 :)

newspapers & magazines

Adrian Tan's Life and How to Survive It

Till death do us part?

Human Diamonds

我要快乐

Reading

人质

他,到底在哪里?

leave me alone

GSS

不值得

done

男人女人-多么希望你是对的人

Bad Day

anything but my books...

no strings attached...

some wise words from a very wise man

When it rains, it pours

I'm 25 today :)

Don't be too choosy?!

Things to do...

A Perfect Day

Stollen cake

Birthday wish list

2 years...

Reunion week

sleepy...

stress reliever

things tt keep me awake at night

Psychological test

我的梦中情人庐山真面目！

supermarket therapy

Paintballing with JJ Lin

welcome home!

梦中情人

Blast from the past...

Teletubbies turn 10!!!

investor sentiments

random ramblings

HK & Macau 2007

one day more...

hi from hk

HK

India

Trust me, I'm a journalist

情人看表

london

My Visual DNA

the calm b4 the storm?

男人会敬重一个他永远无法征服的女人?

Facebook

1 day down... 4 more to go

to do list

TGIF

office space

vodcasting...

it's for real....

scotland yard overreacting

1000 more words to go...

brain dead

bz bz bz

new family member

psychiatric couch syndrome

note 2 self

...

Taiwan photos

Shopping is good for you - it's official!

procrastination...

off to taiwan

Opel Astra TwinTop

Toyota Vios

天堂的杂货店

Daihatsu Materia

mortician-to-be

more on dresses...

cheeky ;p

Ted Baker

Chevrolet Captiva

~my fairy tale~