~*my fairy tale*~

Saturday, June 10, 2006

球场边的精彩

  终于等到星期五了。
  来到《我报》后,每逢星期五,一班同事一般会在截稿后结伴出去relax relax一下。今晚我们选择一起去看世界杯的开场赛。
  其实我们8个人当中,除了David和他的朋友外,其他人都不是真正去看球的。我们只是想去看热闹,感染气氛,当然也不忘把我们在第一份《我报》中写的World Cup Dummy's Guide put to the test!
  老实说,我们都没有做到,大部分的时间都花在聊天上。4-2的精彩球赛只有到了下半场才吸引到我们的目光。不过,最令我们印象深刻的并不是Pringes那个超棒的进球,而是球场边的精彩。
  每当其中一队进球后,camera都会pan到球场边的教练和manager。他们的animated/agitated/frustrated/happy的expressions都逗得我们哈哈大笑。对于非球迷的我们来说,感觉比整场球赛,甚至是进球来得更精彩。
  在现实生活中,也何常不是这样。
  关心和爱我们的人,尤其是长辈们,对于我们的人生,往往只能从一旁冷眼旁观,爱莫能助。我们成功,他们与我们同欢喜。我们烦恼,他们也为之心烦。我们犯stupid mistakes,他们自责没有好好引导。
虽然不愿意承认,但没有他们,我们的生活也许不会如此多姿多彩。
  不管是球场边的精彩,还是生活中的精彩,都需要有人去珍惜和欣赏才有意义。
  这个周末,设法放下手中的事,让身边这些人知道他们存在的重要吧。

Friday, June 09, 2006

自信的女人最美

自信的女人最美。
今天我终于明白这句话的意思。

一个月前为了一个副刊专题访了3个人,其中一个就是S,后来我这个长气鬼把文章写得太长,还好内容蛮有意思的,所以Glenn就要求把全部的访问分出来单独写。S的访问少了照片,所以今天特地安排在她午餐时间到她的家拍照。

之前,曾经听说有关她的一些流言蜚语。有人告诉我,听说很多女人都不喜欢她,相信她应该蛮难搞,小心一点。

老实说,今天到她的家去,确实有些战战兢兢的。一方面是之前所闻,另一方则是因为今天下午的corporate lunch我误了时,迟到了5分钟。真的有些害怕会给她吃了呢。

让我意想不到的是,在我下德士的那一刻,就看到她热情地从家里面向我招手。访问过程中,她十分配合,有问必答,我和摄影师的诸多要求她也都一一满足,让我们有些受宠若惊。她的亲切和真诚与之前我所听闻的差十万八千里。

在见到S之前,我对她的事业成就由衷钦佩。今天有缘与S见面,更被她待人处事,言语举止的魅力给深深吸引。她的成功和魅力,其实没有什么秘诀,只有自信两个字。

不管别人怎么看她说她,只要自己坐得挺,站得直,对自己满意,散发出来的自信足以让自己的actions speak for itself,堵住那些“醋罐子”的嘴巴,同时也令其他人另眼相看,甚至多看几眼。

访问结束后,我在回办公室的路上告诉摄影师,希望自己有一天也能够像S一样成为有自信的女人。


想知道S到底是谁,这里先卖个关子,留意下个星期五的《我报》吧!

Wednesday, June 07, 2006

Why I love London Part 1

Everytime I feel down or tired, I tend to seek refuge in things that I like or enjoy. Never fails to perk up my spirits.

The first "comfort pillow" that my mind always grab hold of is London, my most favourite city on this earth. I think about it all the time, about day in day out, day and night, rain or shine, & so do many others that I know(right Wedgie? ;p ).... it'll always have a special place in my heart.

Aniwaez, that's enough of digression, back to this blog... was having dinner awhile ago and surfing my favourite online shopping sites and fashion guides at the same time when I saw this beautiful jacket on Catwalk Queen.


The first thought that hit me was "darn, if only I was in London...".

Not that I'm not able to get it in Singapire but I don't have much of a use for it here. Unlike in London where I wear my coat/jackets everywhere I go (even indoors!), I only get to use them in the office or at the cinemas. Doesn't make sense for me to own one more when I already have a whole cabinet full of my collection from London.

I'm not very slim by nature so it's comforting to have a jacket to cover up all the unsightly bits. Besides, jackets chosen right will make one look slimmer!

Although you might argue that the pound is just too much handle but you can't deny that London is a shopping heaven. Jackets in all sorts of colours/designs/materials aplenty everywhere you go. This is definitely one reason why I have this neverending love affair with London.

Shopping + London, my 2 favourite things. I heart London! (Not sure when part 2 will come... but probably some time soon... stay tuned!)

I'm definitely much much happier now :)

Righty, gotta finish up my article for Saturday! Ta~
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Need some daily fashion advice? Check this out:


It's written by this amazing lady named Gemma Cartwright and she's from the UK too, which makes it all the better! Hee...

Secondhand Branded Bags Shop

Had quite a number of calls to find out the location of the secondhand branded bag shop that I wrote about in my "invest in secondhand branded bags" article in the first issue of mypaper.

So here are the details if there are still people who are interested to find out:
Interesting Shop
Icon@Bugis Point #04-01P, opposite Bugis Junction Bread Talk, 530 North Bridge Road

谢谢你

今天我的心情没有平时一样美丽。好不容易才走完这一天。

谢谢你的出现,在我最颓丧时开导我,鼓励我,让这一天没有在一片愁云惨雾中结束。

也很感谢你与我分享过去走来的路。比较起来,我的顾虑和烦恼只是小儿颗。

我现在明白,要乘风破浪,就必须先对自己有信心,不要让自己的短处成为绊脚石,而是发掘自己的长处并加以发挥。在每场大雨后,蓝天的某一边必定有一道彩虹,等待着你我。

你对我的好,我想,最好的报答方式是努力再努力,一定要保持对记者这份工作的热忱,永不言败。

即使现在或未来的风再猛,雨在大,我答应你不会被流言蜚语打倒,一定要坚持做个好人。耐心点,以德报怨,总有一天会挨出一个春天。

还有,我一定会牢记,4年前我之所以会签下这份合约的原因:只因为我享受当记者。很喜欢接触不同的人,尝试不同的东西,有机会每天都面对新挑战,有长篇大论有感而发的癖好(现在知道是致命伤,会努力改进),希望读者看了我的作品能够从中获益。

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

最近比较烦

今天有名前同事问我:《我报》出世了,开心吗?当时,我迟疑了一会儿,没有马上回答。

不是因为我不高兴。 5月31日前我迫不及待,6月1日《我报》终于面世了我确实很开心,因为与大伙儿多个星期的努力有了成果,可喜可贺。可是,那份快感也很快消失了。

近几天我一直觉得有点烦。不知何故,不懂做什么都不顺利,无论是事业、家庭、友情方面都处处碰壁。也许是日积月累的疲累与惆怅,今天我病倒了。

明天是我加入报馆满6个月,对于我这个新记者而言,加入《我报》,老实说,我觉得压力很大。请不要误解我,我不是不喜欢在《我报》工作,我其实很满意很高兴有这个福分,因为我终于有机会写自己感兴趣的财经新闻,以及新闻、时尚和汽车专题。只是觉得自己有些力不从心。

可能是因为自己是新手,而且蛮久的一段时间没有应用中文,目前在整理稿件、写稿方面等都比人慢。此外,我发现自己最近完成了文章后,会频频自问“这篇东西会有人看吗?”,“内容有用吗?”。由于求好心切,怕主任、编辑认为写得差,担心读者不看,就开始对自己多多批判,一再进行修饰更改,有时还弄巧反拙。其实,这是恶性循环的开始,因为对自己百般挑剔,只会裹足不前,而没有办法在自己设下的时间内完成任务,心里自然不好受。

我在来到《我报》时,答应过自己这是个新的开始,要把坏习惯改了。可是,这不容易做到。在这里我还必须提醒自己这也是我的成长过程,没有一个人的成长岁月是一帆风顺的,所以一定要锲而不舍,坚持到底才会对得起自己。

唯有一个小小要求,就是希望读者您会多看我的作品一眼,这样就足够了。因为只有通过这样,才能让我知道自己的努力没有白费,也将成为我坚持努力下去的推动力。

Monday, June 05, 2006

Feeling conscious

  Just got back from an interview with a cosmetic dentist. To tell the truth, I wasn't looking forward to the interview at the beginning, not that I hated going to the dentist like most people do, but I was afraid that he would see through my lips and my teeth and criticise that it's blacker than tar or has gaps bigger than the black hole.
  (I didn't have a very good brace job when I was in sec school and I'm not very consistent in wearing my retainers, so i've got small gaps and ugly braces stains on my teeth. Would really like to do laser whitening one day but it costs a bomb... perhaps if I get a promotion or a huge bonus from SPH *hint* hee hee....)
  Fortunately the dentist was an angel (and so was his patient!), even though he did point out my inperfections, he was very reassuring as well to say that it's only natural and that it can be rectified if I wanted to, if not it's perfectly fine.
  Really excited with the information I've gotten from him and can't wait to file my story. Hopefully I'll get to be his patient one day too... I want that trillion watts smile!!!!
  Can't release any details of the story here for obvious reasons, but hopefully all of you will get to read it soon.
  Till then... back to work for this Friday's article.....

Sunday, June 04, 2006

寂寞@Orchard Road

  Walked down Orchard Road with a close friend today. It's a Sunday and with the GSS going on, it's no surprise that the whole stretch was overflowing with people.
  While walking, my friend turned around suddenly and commented that if she was walking down the similarly crowded, if not, more crowded Oxford Street in London, she would feel at ease but if she was alone today, she would have felt out of place.
  What she said struck a chord in my heart.
  Before I met up with her today, I trawled down the same stretch of Orchard Road on my own and that familiar yet distant feeling of loneliness that I felt years ago has somehow found it's way into my life again and silently crept back into my heart. At that moment, how I wished she would turn up right away or I thought I would be engulfed by the crowd that was rushing by me in both directions.
  When I was in secondary school and JC, I absolutely hated shopping on my own or going to crowded places by self. I guess I hated the feeling of being alone among couples, families or groups of friends. But while living in London for the past 4 years, I've learnt to appreciate doing things on my own, especially shopping as I could shop at my own pace and go to the shops I wanted as and when I liked to.
  Over the last 4 years, I can honestly say I never once felt lonely going about on my own even though I'm miles away from family and friends. In fact I value those moments of solitude very much and crave for time out on my own now.
  But why the feeling of loneliness again today?
是我的心在寂寞?
还新加坡本来就是个容易令人觉得寂寞的地方?
又或者是伦敦已把我的心给“偷”走了?
  I miss London.

Saturday, June 03, 2006

English or Chinese

Everytime I start blogging, I can't decide whether to do it in English or Chinese or both. I use Chinese daily on my job and would very much like to keep up with my written English outside of work. Since I've stopped blogging on my other blog, I've also got to think of friends of mine who don't read Chinese at all. Besides, I do type faster in English and I don't wish to spend too much time blogging.

I face a similar problem as well when filing my stories -- whether to write some words or phrases in English or to keep it in Chinese.

I cover the money section and there are many special or technical terms like GDP, deficit, surplus, that I believe if I left them in Chinese, many of our target audience will struggle with them. However, if I do write them in English, the article might as well be in English with almost 70% of the whole article consisting of English words. But mypaper being a predominantly Chinese paper, I can't.

Over the last 2 days, we received many emails and smses to my paper. Some liked the bilingual mix, while some found it totally ridiculous as we are a chinese paper afterall. Personally, I prefer the mix as some phrases ought to be left in English or their original meaning or soul will not be as striking when translated. Being Singaporeans, we do mix English and Chinese anyway in our daily speech.

Writing a mix, on one one hand, it makes a chinese article look less intimidating. But on the otherhand, talking and writing is entirely different. It's in our subconscience to use Singlish in our speech but most of us are used to read in a single language. Reading both languages at the same time will require the reader to constantly switch their mindsets and will probably be very cumbersome and tiring.

To be honest, in the process of writing my articles, I can't help to worry for myself sometimes. If I were to leave mypaper one day, will I still be able to write in plain Chinese only and resist the temptation to use English? Similarly, when I write in English in future, will I be lost for words having been so accustomed to writing in Chinese.

Perhaps I should write in Chinese and English at work but keep my blog entries either purely in English or Chinese. What's your take on this? Would you prefer for my blog to be in English or Chinese?

Thursday, June 01, 2006

《我报》的第一天

  《我报》的庐山真面目今天曝光了!
  为了表示我们的诚意,《我报》家族今天6am就起床,来到Raffles Place Park派报,然后大部分的人就回到office为第二份《我报》继续奋斗,直到晚上11pm。
  今天是个历史性的一天,也是我生命中重要的一个里程碑。如果说我现在不累是骗人的,但我又怎么能够让它在留下脚印前就匆匆溜走呢?
  今天看到地铁上和大街上有人阅读《我报》,我和同事们都不由自主地感到自豪。回到office,《我报》的热线也一直响个不停,让我们接到手软,但也觉得很欣慰。
  对我来说,最大的强心针非来自读者们的反应和提问默属了 。在创刊号里我写了一篇有关投资二手名牌的新闻。一些朋友和读者在看到这则文后,就sms或打热线进来问我文中那间店的地址,有些还表示自己有股冲动想马上就去买。即使一些可能是奉承或安慰的话语,但也足以让我觉得自己的努力没有白费,再累也是值得的。
  其实不管别人是喜欢还是不喜欢《我报》,只要有人看就代表我们有存在的价值,而我们的辛劳也得到一定的认可。
  所以很谢谢已经开始与我们互动的你们,以后的路还远着,记得要save some steam 陪我们 last the mile,还没有start engine的读者就要加把劲,最重要的是记得每天拿《我报》,看《我报》哦!

新鲜出炉!!!

这是《我报》今早在Raffles Place Park和Caltex House的Launch Roadshow,这里就抢先让你们先睹为快!


GIANT《我报》!


SPH CEO Alan Chan和SPH执行副总裁(华文报集团/报章服务集团)胡以晨为《我报》当paperboy :p


《我》的 Models


《我报》七剑


我和《我报》


我的好neighbour@office


我、咏梅和思满


我和伟杰拥抱《我报》


我和奕婷


我和宇宁


我、奕婷、敏雯、诗慧


净友拍Glenn


我、奕婷和帅总新迪


美女编辑冠芳


咏梅


我和OCBC的公关Joyce (Thank you for coming down to see us! Get well soon =) )


Last but not least... ALL OF US @ 《我报》newsroom =)

今夜我又失眠了...

  今晚,我又失眠了。
  这次不是因为我不想睡(其实累得连坐立都有问题),但一颗心一直乱跳个不停。
  虽然明天需要6am起床把《我报》派到你们手上,然后还得坚持到晚上10pm完成隔天的报纸,可是兴奋之情让我adrenaline high到无法闭上双眼。
  这种high的感觉好久都没有了。过去有这样的感觉是等成绩的前个晚上,或是开学的前个晚上才有的。
  在过几个小时,也可以算是我和另外21名家族成员领成绩单的时候了。交上去的试卷是《我报》,打分的人是读者你们,而成绩如何只希望你们能坦诚相对,好的坏的都反应出来,让我们能够改进,作得更完美。
  早晨的报纸应该是天天阳光亮丽的,充实和照亮你的每一天。好了,该去睡觉了,不然明天不能以最阳光的姿态与你们见面了!

Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Today is THE Day

Today is THE Day. 我们的baby要出世了!
在过几个小时,我们22个人将一起创造历史,为新加坡的媒体历史写下新的一页。
希望大家今晚都能好好地睡,打起精神齐心合力一起冲线,让《我报》能够顺利产下。

《我报》的兄弟姐妹,大家加油吧!我们是行的:)

Tuesday, May 30, 2006

每一天的挣扎

  每一天,我都会经历这样的挣扎:不想睡觉,却又不想睡醒。
  你问,为何那么自相矛盾?其实我自己也说不出什么所以然。
  不想睡觉是因为需要或想做的事太多,整天都在跟时间赛跑,一天24小时不够用,总希望能有多一点时间去看、去体会、去挑战这个花花世界。睡觉对我来说是种奢侈,自然就觉得花太多时间睡觉是种浪费。
  不过,长期不想睡最后只会使得自己很疲累,一旦闭上眼就不愿意再将双眼挣开。不想醒过来,其实还有多几个原因。睡觉也是种逃避,只要睡着就能假装什么事都与我无关,可以暂时搁下把我压得喘不过气来的种种重任。此外,睡觉还可以让自己在梦寐以求的世界里追求许多不实际的梦想,不必介意别人怎么想,也不受任何人约束。
  我并非工作狂,自己的人生观是work hard, play hard。只是对我而言,梦醒是每一天所要面对的最残酷的现实。  
  古人说,休息是为了走更远的路。可是我说,睡觉休息只会让我对这个世界感到更厌倦,不想再走下去。
  也许,最适合我的是半梦半醒的生活,尽心尽力度过这短暂的一生,但过程中不需要太清醒。

满心期待

  今天上班感觉好奇怪:大家都在静静地埋头苦干,没有一般newsroom一样的喧哗吵闹。休息了一个周末,什么工事都不想,虽然眼前有堆积如山的工作,但心情也是格外地平静的。
  也许是”大风暴雨“来临之前的平静吧,心里虽然一直蹦蹦跳跳个不停,可是外表却很冷静。为了这个星期,我们20多人风雨同舟地熬过了无数个dry run和无数天地备稿,星期三要玩真的,是期待而不是周边同事和朋友们所说的紧张。
  丑媳妇也得见家翁,我们已经尽力了,星期四就看你们了。
  对自己的product有信心,是没有必要紧张的。

Sunday, May 28, 2006

Baby Idol

Check this out: http://flowgo.com/index.cfm?action=view&id=12973

Perfect way to end the weekend.......something that will surely put a smile to your face =)

酒后的胡言乱语

  不知怎么的,最近和朋友泡夜店,上前来与我们搭讪的男生年纪都比我们小得很多。
  很想直接告诉他们,“小弟,你还是不要浪费时间吧!”,却于心不忍。大家都是出来玩的,何必扫别人的兴。可是,不告诉他们又觉得好像在欺骗他们,lead them on。
  虽然我和朋友也只不过是23岁,但昨晚对着那群应该还在念高中的男生,感觉像个cradle snatcher。后来,我们彼此使了一个眼色后客气地告诉他们,我们很累,想回家休息,就这样摆脱了他们。
  之后在回家路上,我们开始反省到底为何同样的事一而再,再而三地发生在我们的身上。难道是我们的衣着太幼稚,或是我们的行为不成熟,又或者小男生比较喜欢成熟的女人,还是我们去的地方根本不适合我们?
  换个角度,我们在意的是什么,难道是因为小男生会使我们显得老一些?
  想来想去,最后的结论是,几杯下肚后,一般人什么胡言乱语,或不可思议的行为都可以豁出去(就像这则blog一样)。
  Moral of the story: 在夜店里邂逅的人,都不必太认真。

Friday, May 26, 2006

朋友,祝福你!

  今天是一个感情相当要好的同事的last day。
  她离开前给我send了个instant message。
看着她走出大门,挥手向她道别之后,我望着电脑写了几行字的小框框,久久都舍不得把它给关上。毕竟,以后要看到这个message box再次出现在我的荧光幕上,已经没有机会了。
  不过,我并没有像另外一个同事,为她的离开而难过得掉眼泪。我反而是为她高兴。
  四年前,我们俩在旧报馆结缘。那时候,她即将毕业,要加入报馆履行合约,而我则刚签下合约,准备离开到英国去念书。
四年后的今天,她完成了她的合约,而我则刚刚开始踏上她已走完的路。
  在过去的四年,她给了自己一个机会去尝试,算是完成了使命,现在也应该是她勇敢跨出去,追求自己理想和将来的时候了。
  要争取美好的将来是不能感情用事,被回忆所牵制的。未来要走的路还远着,做了决定就不能后悔或受任何人左右。人不往前走,则会向后退。
  原本想把整个conversation保存起来,但最后决定什么都不做,把message box给关上了。
未来相信还会有更多的messages,只不过messages会以email的方式等待着我和她。
  朋友,祝福你!我会很想念你的,要记得保持联络哦 :)

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

眼泪

最近在网上看到这样一句话让我印象非常深刻:
“鱼对水说:你看不见我的眼泪,因为我在水中。
水对鱼说:我能感觉到你的眼泪,因为你在我心中。”

我不是鱼,你也不是水,但你知道我流的是什么样的眼泪吗?
。
。
。
。
。
只能说:女人心,海底针。

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

@ the Beginning...

A long long time ago...... 20名有理想的年轻人决定勇敢地踏出第一步,寻找真正的自己......
到底“我”在哪里?


走啊,走啊,来到了位于Tanjong Pagar的Red Dot Traffic Museum。原来“我”就在这里!看!大家有多开心 =)

Hmmm.....找到“我”了之后又如何?

这个Fairy Tale就此今天掀开首页,想知道故事后续发展,敬请留意这个Blog哦!