Witch’s Brew

A New Home

2006-05-09T12:23:00.000+08:00

Great! Before I even start announcing my shift from Blogger to elsewhere, I did a quick scan and look at what Blogger did to my paragraphs. They're all messed up, in all my posts.

Anyway, I've officially moved. Get away to www.witchsbrew.wordpress.com if you're interested.

cyaz!

First it was Dogs and now Bitches

2006-04-21T17:36:00.000+08:00

According to my sis, bitches are supposed to be tall and pretty. Anyone who is not pretty, short or shorter than her - she's slightly taller than me and that is according to her also - and bitches is not considered a bitch. I never knew there was such a requirement and wondered if I could one day ascend to the level of a bitch.

Dogs?

2006-04-21T15:55:00.000+08:00

Was reading this article in today's well...Today papers under the heading "What's proper, what's not...". The article was about how Iran is getting all strict on people with radical dressing such as tighter clothing, outlandish hairstyles etc and get this, "people walking per dogs - an activity long denounced as un-Isamic by the religious rulers". I'm not sure about others but I was rather appalled by that statement. Dogs in Iran? Are dogs even allowed on the streets of Iran and their neighbours aside from the one with the Dead Sea? Hell, are there even dogs in the middle east? Alright I know I haven't been blogging. Let me just make some major changes to it before I start getting regular again.

No No for An Answer

2006-03-23T15:23:00.000+08:00

Some of you might have heard me ranting on and on about some crazy woman who has been bugging me for action regarding some projects I've not the slightest clue on. Sorry if I'm ranting about the same stuff again but I'm seriously going nuts, stuck between a rock and a prickly place. Either way, I'm gonna get hurt, thus I've stopped moving. Completely. I ignore people who don't take my No for answers and stopped answering coz I hate myself repeating "I don't know". And of coz I stopped and pray that my friend comes back from his reservist soon. I hope he breaks a leg and come out of it immediate. I'm lazy in getting the pictures for my birthday out therefore, the post shall delay for a while more however, I would like to brag that I got a Nike Anvril watch for a present and I got myself V for Vendetta the graphic novel.

The Thanksgiving Weekend

2006-03-13T15:36:00.000+08:00

The weekend was filled with some disappointing surprises, wonderful presents, great tasting cake and stupid jokes. Ended in a drunken splendor from 7-11 drinks, singing "If you're happy and you know it" in the night and awaken to a gateless house after a nap the next day. Pictures coming up asap, in the meantime, a picture of my mum and my Famous Amos cookie.

Thanksgiving Eve

2006-03-10T14:31:00.000+08:00

The mood is 45% excited and 55% worried. I'm still disliking surprises. By the way, I cracked a surprise this morning when I accidentally saw an msn conversation between my sis and airen. Slightly disappointed at knowing what's coming up, yet amazingly phew - if that exclaimation should be used as an expression - to at least know something. I'm getting a "surprise" fruit cake tomorrow. Before I post this up, think I'll needa adjust the mood a little. 35% excited, 65% worried. 20 of the 65% is coz a male friend told me he's decided to cross the bridge and join in my lipstick shopping. Damn those broken backside mountains, movies whatsoever. I do hope he's kidding.

We All Have Some Places to Go

2006-03-08T00:52:00.000+08:00

Mr Smurfie went to Japan and back. Tashes has gone to Aussie - a place I don't like so much, so never mind. My cousin has returned from a wild spree in Bangkok despite her non-farting policy. My big sis has just left for Mauritius - shrudders at the thought her her in bikinis, sunbathing. Star is leaving for Japan AND Hong Kong in April - you promise to help bring me back some goodies and you better keep it. Airen's sister and her husband are going USA in April also. I went to Bugis and back today. Will be going Bukit Batok and back again tomorrow.

I Fear Surprises

2006-03-07T23:31:00.000+08:00

I never knew the day would come where I would sit around, stand around, walk around with strange butterflies in my stomach - or am I just desperate to take a dump? - all coz of 1 simple request I sent out. A surprise. A surprise like no other, a surprise that I'll never guessed for my birthday with present/s that is/are not obvious to me, which means no Pinky, no books, no CDs etc. This was the challenge I gave my airen on V day coz I was kinda pissed at all the either predictable or none at all "romantic" gestures. Surprises were always anticipated before hand, somehow I'll either juz know it or I'll call/sms at the exact moment to ask for it. So far, I've been asking him for his status every single day and he's not giving me hints. The nearer the day gets, the more I worry. What if it's something I don't like? What if the surprise was disappointing? What if the present/s is/are something I cannot use? What ifs? Let me help you with it, ren. Tell me about it, at least give me a slight hint. ARGHHHH!!! I'm breaking out in cold sweat from the surprise. And in case anyone is interested to know, I love quantity more than quality but of coz, if you're giving me quantity AND quality I'll accept them all with a grateful thank you and lots of hugs and kisses - this can be omitted depending on the receiver. On a last note before I end, I would like to thank my mum and 2 sisters for their presents. I'm receiving quality presents and still waiting for the quantities to come in :P

My Ambition

2006-03-01T13:48:00.000+08:00

I wonder how many of you how knows me has yet to hear about this, anyway, after a long, long, tired break from blogger, I've decided. It's time to put my life long ambition down in words. If, I say if. If I were 1 day the President of Singapore, I used to always say, 11th March would be declared a public holiday. It would be called The President's Birthday. 2 decades later, I wonder if I were wrong, perhaps I really am. The President's Birthday is not such a good name afterall, I mean what if other Presidents start wanting their very own birthdays as holidays instead? I would do them great injustice. On the verge of giving up, this 2 decade long childhood dream of mine, this came to me. Thanksgiving. It shall be called Thanksgiving. Anyhow, I've added a ticker to attach to everyday's post. See it and act on it.

It’s a Topsy Dopsy World

2006-02-15T10:53:00.000+08:00

The world is going nuts and I'm not just talking about the Danish cartoon incident where they shot themselves to fame overnight when once a upon a time all you know about the Danish were butter cookies and Peter Schmeichel, depending on your interest. Anyway, I heard on the Morning Express about an hour ago that some crazy nut bollywood director is making a movie about Mother Teresa. I didn't think anything wrong about that till I heard the name of the actress approached - I couldn't recall if she agreed though - was, get this. Paris Hilton.

His reason? Her rejecting to appear - simply appearing or appearing nude? - on Playboy magazine was a display of her chastity??!! Somebody! Give this guy a Hollywood, who's who and doing what crash course. On the hand, in the international news, some ang mo country's workers are going on strike because they're required to work an extra 18 minutes per day. I don't know, might seemed like a long time to them but I thought it works up to about the amount of time we spent chatting with our colleagues before we knock off? Maybe I’m wrong, so sue me. Finally, it doesn't matter whether you're attached or single. When you don't celebrate V day, lovely dovey people become all the more in your face than normal days. Even toothbrushes at home show their intend by kissing in front of you.

What the?

V Day Hazards

2006-02-14T12:16:00.000+08:00

I had 3 guys calling me auntie this morning and I so regretted the last spelling erroneous post. Alright back on track. It's V day today. Yah so? Quit it ok people? Quit it. Stop sending me cutesy forwarded sms messages already. I've a half sprained right middle finger and I can do without these boring deletions off from my handphone really. Mr Smurfie says tiz no biggie so why am I so bitter about it - he also mentioned that I have no soul by the way. Well, thing is I'm getting them from people I know, people I half know and people I half don't know. What's up with this forwarding thingy exactly? I thought the trend killed itself when MMS and camera phones came along? Also, this "If 5 comes back, you'll get a big surprise on VALENTINE'S DAY!" statement in the message itself just irks me further. I mean, are these people just trying to get that freaking 1 sms out of me so that they can get a big surprise? oh crap. Forget it now people, like chain letters that'll kill you off in 5 days if you don't send it off, this doesn't work. It just pisses me off, making me feel used and cheated. I'm freaking out if I get another before the end of the day. I'd rather be called auntie again.

I'm Still Not Accepting It

2006-02-13T22:12:00.000+08:00

I never thought it would happen to me. Well, not at least till I’m 40 or so, ok maybe 35, alright…32!!!! But, but, but what is exactly is wrong with the entire group of 20 over people??? At least those 5 or 6 at the area where the incident happened??? Why oh why oh why? How can they actually direct that young boy at airen’s sister’s house warming to call me an A_U_N_T_I_E?????????????????????????? -,-“ Auntie. Is age really catching up with me already? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Remarks Worth Remembering

2006-02-09T16:03:00.000+08:00

This was recorded last friday when we were having buffet lunch at River View hotel. My sis was drinking green bean soup. My Sis: What's this? Mum: Banana lah Sis: Why would they put banana into green bean soup? Me: Is it nice? Sis: Yah nice Me: That's why lah! This was during lunch just now, we were talking about this tennis joke between Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder, a joke I always tell. Airen: You know the thing about Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder playing tennis? You know ah...the everlasting love is actually that they keep getting zero, no points... Me: Yah lah then what do you think the everlasting love was? Airen: No mah I thought it was the love for tennis or something... Me: You mean it took you these few years to finally get the joke and actually tried explaining to me??? Airen: At least I only took 2 years Me: ........ And finally just in... Airen has this personal message in his msn nick, "A semi-nude photo in your resume is a no-no. Duh!" coz a certain candidate sent in a topless picture of himself - not herself, too bad - recently. It was alright actually until this guy friend of his, who I suspect is a gay messaged him the following... "Would you prefer my nude photo or video in my resume then?" Shudders.

My Sister

2006-02-09T15:37:00.000+08:00

My sister called me in the office earlier this afternoon, it was obvious she's sobbing or something like it. She had an accident at some expressway near our office, is in deep shock and has no idea the condition of her car. Suddenly, jokes we've been cracking about her "new old" car - this 2nd car her husband bought for her just days before the COE went crashing down - doesn't seem so funny anymore. Please pardon all the puns here coz we're seriously worried, really. Around 2 hours later, I receive this sms from her. "ok, no prob, now go buy 4d" And about 20 minutes later... "Got out of car n found $1" I'm convinced that the impact of the shock has already fled from her.

An Eye for a Metal Box

2006-01-23T01:24:00.000+08:00

This happened at about 3pm yesterday afternoon. I smashed the I-don't-know-what-it's-called bone next to my right eye on this metal box attached to one of the walls below my block of flats. I had no idea it was ever there before this day and accident. What was so unlucky besides the really loud knock that shocked my friend Sam's friend so much was that he was supposed to deliver 8 packets of Bah Kua to my house but he didn't have our unit number. If he had had, I wouldn't be nursing a swollen black eye now. I wonder if it would heal by Chinese New Year...

I don't think the pictures are clear enough. The one on the left side was taken almost immediately after that super hard knock. It shows my eye slightly swollen already. The one on the right was taken just hours ago from this post and the top of my eye has already shown signs and color of the bruise. It still hurts like hell - alright, I do not know, hell might not hurt at all for all it's worth.

If it's not gonna heal by Chinese New Year, I can only hope that makeup can cover it nicely.

**update as at 2.20pm

Took a photo of the "box" I smashed into yesterday. I think I smashed my eye onto the door, which for some reason was left opened.

This was what my simply idiotic friend Eric said when I msn him the picture.

Eric says: wah this box got alot of germs around it Witch says: yah Eric says: those workers after toilet never wash hand, then they start to touch & install the box Eric says: and when that box hit your face, Witch says: they somemore either forgot to lock it or the lock is spolit Witch says: *sighz* u made it sound so horrible Eric says: germs will be spread over to it Eric says: and imagine those uncle after dig nose, they will deposit the left overs on the box Eric says: so... Witch says: u'll making it really scary liao as if my face will rot soon Eric says: hey, maybe Witch says: damn u! haha Eric says: its true leh just imagine those lame uncles Eric says: i still have not consider cockroaches shitting on the box, lizards shit etc

I really wonder why I have such a friend *hmph* ok lah, for his benefit, he was rather concerned lah, those remarks above were all just 1 day in the life of being his friend.

Lip Service

2006-01-23T00:53:00.000+08:00

This was on Friday evening where I was at Watson's at Far East Plaza with airen. I was dressed up ok that night, in skirts and all. I approached first the Maybeline counter - I was in this makeup mood that evening - wanting to still try on the new foundation and noticed this promoter - not a young person mind you - with this super black face staring at us. I thought she wanted to promote her brand at first but she made no move to approach me.

We moved on to the Silky Girl counter toward the inside of the shop where I saw these lip glosses on sale and thought to get 1 for my mum. Busying myself with trying out the colors on my fingers, I was oblivious to my surroundings until Airen nudged at me. She had followed us and was standing on our left side, steps away from us, so obviously pretending to be reading instructions on a product when her real intent was to "catch me red-handed" leaving with unpaid stuff in my huge zipped up bag.

I wasn't pissed at that time though he was and took my sweet time to try and compare. Only when I was done and finally took a good look at her did I feel my blood boil. She was staring at me with some kind of dislike as if I'm a teen shop lifter or something. I worked at a retail shop before and knew how to spot shop lifters as well as how to react toward them! In no way, do I stare at them or follow them in such obvious manner!

This brings me back to the question. Why was I or rather we, singled out where there were so many shoppers and some of them teens who were in the shop? Do I look like a shop lifter or some cheapskate who couldn't afford to fork out $5.90 for a single lip gloss?

On our way out, after paying for 2, she was still staring hard at us. Oh please! What did we ever do to you? We so regretted not telling her off in the face. She does so deserve it!

My next stop was at M.A.C at Tangs. I was dying to see if the Disney Lip Conditioner collection was out. It was. They blew my mind away and I got the Daisy one on the spot. The extreme difference between the sales girls was simply glaring at this moment. The ones at M.A.C took time to speak to me, find me the sample color that wasn't there in front of me and passed me a Q-tip when I so stupidly stuck my finger in the pot - though I'm sure they laughed at my moutainess later on.

True enough, M.A.C is much more expensive and thus, I would have to expect better service anyone might think BUT I do recall this incident, my first time approaching a makeup counter - Lancome - where the 2 sales girls turned 1 to the left and the other to the right immediately on my approach. Sometimes I really do wonder what is wrong. Do I look too young to be served? Too poor to buy things or simply like a shop lifter that I should not be left alone with anything that has a price tag? Perhaps I should convert to Internet shopping instead.

Another Random Post

2006-01-22T22:26:00.000+08:00

A series of stuff has happened since the last time I blogged r-e-g-u-l-a-r-l-y. So I shall try to fill in the blanks bit by small bit each time I've the urge to do it. Sequence of events are not likely to be in order. 1. There was this day where I stupidly saved this tiny Pinky strip and did a tile on my desktop as wallpaper, thinking that it'll be extremely cute.

I wowed at the effect for ages, going Pinky eyed, only to lose my desktop shortcuts in the midst of the cuties.

2. I discovered a new brand of lappy. Durable, hardy and rather light. A little old and worn out looking though. Owner of this amazing lappy is...my second sister.

3. Then there was this other slightly rainy morning, 1 or 2 weeks ago, where airen went to the bus stop with 2 umbrellas to pick me to the office. The rain stopped just before I reached and thus instead of opening them up as shelter, I held them by the handle. One of them died on me as I was crossing the road.

4. Following the Nightmare on Jurong West St 61, we have since ordered a new sofa set and an incredibility comfy armchair - courtesy of yours truly. The 2 men in my family are seen here on last Thursday enjoying the full comforts, which unfortunately did not last long because the new dark red sofa has relegated to becoming the personal L shaped table of the Empress Dowager at home - my eldest sis.

5. I supposed this deserves a mention. My second sis bought this NEW Nokia handphone recently and has been boasting to the moon about it everyday - make that at least 10 times a day! For someone who doesn't follow handphone trends nor buy a handphone for other than its basic functions, I must admit, purging into this buy is a major feat. Therefore asses to the person who made snide remarks about her then 2 day old phone, it really is rather nice though not my type. Pity the pictures are a little too small.

That is all for now.

A Review on the National Library, 8th Floor

2006-01-09T16:32:00.000+08:00

Wrote this post mid way a long time ago and gave up half way coz I was up to chin with my project. I was there to meet my friend "eddie" at the research section of the Natioal Library - just before x'ms - in my super huge lappy bag, 2 bottles of mineral water, a kino plastic bag with my latest Sandman graphic novel and my jacket when I came face to face with the sign below. It says no bags allowed. I've to deposit mine in the lockets provided at the side. Holy crap! All I had was 20 cents to my name. What's worse, how do I work without my lappy??? I called "eddie" and he told me to just walk in and not care about the security guard sitting in front of the library door. Feeling like an extreme terrorist, I deposited my bomb - my huge bag - and carried only my lappy, hidding it benealth my jacket and walked past him without breathing. I got in. Nothing happened to me. Nobody stopped to check what I was hidding under that jacket or why I was walking so strangely. Nobody approached us either when we took out our lappies to start working. Nobody so much cared when the girls opposite us carried in their huge totes either. I was starting to feel safe till this stuffy looking librarian walked towards us, then passed us toward the guy sleeping soundly - not snoring though - on the sofa behind. She tried to wake him up and warned his compaion that no sleeping is allowed in the library. I racked my head trying to recall her signs I saw outside the library. No sleeping? I don't think it was stated there at all. Anyway, I supposed there's no need to adhere to the many signs outside, they're pretty much useless. Just stick to this rule. Libraries are for waking people, not sleeping beauties.

The person in the reflection is me lor, trying to capture the irony of it all, without capturing the attention of the security guard on the other side.

Which Part Don't You Understand?

2006-01-09T13:07:00.000+08:00

I know the pictures are a little too small, just bear with me for a while and strain your eyes abit. I'm pissed, I really am or perhaps, I'm just plain dumb coz I'm doing things that people don't understand. Anyway, I sent out a sort of guide out to this Indian IT Manager again today, knowing that he's not gonna be able to understand and know what to do about the simple instructions, I did this guide with pictures in MS Word for him.

Maybe I'm the stupid one coz he never seemed to understand my guides, neither the words nor the pictures. Anyway, he called me in kinda panic about an hour after I sent it out. Indian IT Manager: I can only see "Select * FROM..." blah blah Me: What screen are you at now? Indian IT Manager: I can only see "Select * FROM..." blah blah he is not answering my question but pressing the repeat button on himself. Me: Did you click on Query? Are you at the Query screen? Indian IT Manager: I can only see "Select * FROM..." blah blah he is so obviously in a repeat mode, anyway i supposed he is at the Query screen. Me: You just have to clear away the text there. Indian IT Manager: I don't see the insert statement. Me: You are supposed to clear away the text here and then copy the statement in. Indian IT Manager: Where is the insert statement? Me: It's in the next page. He goes on to do as I told him to, execute the statement then happily reported the message that appears after that, replied that yes it can be done and he shall repeat for the other 2 while I try to refrain from collapsing onto the floor. NOTE: if you're not understanding, please refer to the guide I've included above before the conversation. if you're still not understanding, please stop reading anymore of my stuff and go away! I refuse to communicate with anybody like you.

Math Question - Kinda

2006-01-09T11:35:00.000+08:00

If you wanna put a formula for discounts applying to 6 people and above, what is the formula that you should apply? [a] > 6 [b] >5 [c] >7 [d] <6 [e] don't know, my math plain sucks! Thanks to Mr Smurfie for answering it correctly, brought tears to my eyes really. I've people selecting all the wrong ones - except [e] of coz, coz it was not included for them. Perhaps I should so when they chose everything except the correct answer, I wouldn't be so pissed.

A Brand New Year

2006-01-01T22:49:00.000+08:00

1st day of the brand new year and my ah ma's 80th birthday. What can I say? Big celebration, relatives coming from Malaysia, from Queenstown and Yishun. Lotsa drinking, lotsa toasting, lots more drinks. My father got drunk, slept on the floor of my room, then shifted to my bed when he decided to puke a little. My 2 nieces stayed away from the crowd and accompanied their sleeping, drunken grandpa in my room, playing Maple Story. If only the story outside of my room were that peaceful...it was indescribable thus I shall not bother to describe. All I can say is, at the end of day, most of the males are fully drunk, our dog is in deep shock over my 2nd uncle's constant imitation of Ric Flair's whhhoooooooooooooo and our family sofa had to be thrown away etc. Happy New Year.

Neiling in on Insanity

2005-12-31T23:12:00.000+08:00

Last post of the year and what do I have got to say? I've finally succumbed to the dreamy side of things, real bad. I bought myself Neil Gaiman's The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes for x'mas, ensuring myself that I only bought it because I wanted to know what the hype is all about and I'll never buy a second one. Yeah right. Here I am in my fourth in no time at all after reading the first one 3 times in a row. It just grabs you, the story I meant. In fact, I got my Kino card all for that and finally got myself the graphic version of my most beloved Stardust, 170 beautiful pages of graphics and prose, lacking only his royal signature, which I held dear in my paperback copy. Once upon a 10 years ago, my literary world was Robert Jordan, Tad Williams. Today, I'm abandoning Tad Williams' Shadow March, a book airen bought me for x'mas for the Morpheus' dreamworld. On last count, I think I might have about 12 of his works of literary arts on hand - two of which are signed so give yourself a pat on the back Mr Smurfie and I dedicate his character from Sandman, Mervyn pumpkin head to you. I had a dream of Dream and of Death last night. Airen says I've been reading too much, too many. I supposed he is right. Time to take a little break from his worlds and take a little purity test in which I'm 10% more pure than the average, much better than I hope really.

Your 100 Point Purity Test Results You answered "yes" to 24 of 100 questions, making you 76.0% Gaiman pure (24.0% Gaiman corrupt); that is, you are 76.0% pure in the Gaiman domain. Your Weirdness Factor (AKA Uniqueness Factor) is 13%, based on a comparison of your test results with 13111 other submissions for this test. The average purity for this test is 66.1%. The first submission for this test was received November 2, 1999.

You are American Gods! You are mysterious, intelligent, and creative. To the rest of the world you may seem a little standoffish, but really youre just a quiet person. Youre sort of bookish and are intrigued by mythology and fairy tales. You might be Wiccan or Pagan, either that or youre unreligious. You have a sarcastic sense of humor and are the kind of person people like to talk to because youre such a good listener. *~Which Neil Gaiman book are you?~*

His books are THAT intriguing. Ask me for them if you're interested. My library is always open, as with my other books. Just follow the rules of keeping them in as is condition and returning them when you're done - it's ok if you do take a long, just don't lose them. And of coz, I'm American Gods too. Sunken deep into the Gaiman poison and waiting for the normal paperback versions of Anansi Boys. I probably need a good night's sleep.

Merry X'mas

2005-12-25T14:31:00.000+08:00

Woke up this morning from seeming the wrong side of the bed, though there can only be one side ever. I'm depressed. I'm drenched deep into jealousy. Petty little things. Matters much to me nonetheless. I guess I'll need a slightly bit more time to get back into things, especially on this sunny christmas afternoon. Merry X'mas anyway.

King Kong

2005-12-24T15:39:00.000+08:00

Went to watch King Kong yesterday. Not that I really wish to watch it but then it's x'mas and when your boyfriend has been dying to watch the oversized ape for no apparent reason and nobody's interested, you obliged. The director of King Kong, he keeps repeating, is Peter Jackson of Lord of the Rings so it had to be good. I was skeptical. After all what can one expect of a movie about an oversized ape in "love" - I filched at the word - with a blonde from where else but US of A? I recalled in the once upon a time when I was still a kid, scenes of a huge mass of black ball climbing a skyscraper, battling helicopters. That was all I knew of it. Spoilers ahead. Skip it completely if you still wanna watch it. I went in without much anticipation. In fact I was debating over watching Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit and chose the monkey instead coz it's 3 long hours of computer graphics AND human and of coz Peter Jackson - and 2 hours too long. Hey! A movie ticket costs a big bomb alright? I'll watch the Were-Rabbits on TV next time. Since it's a Peter Jackson film - notice that I kept mentioning his name? - I felt that it should have been a trilogy instead of the 3 hour long movie that King Kong was. I dislike 3 hour long movies and in my personal opinion, directors like Peter Jackson have simply no respect for the bladder - I missed the last part of Return of the King, sitting in the middle of Lido with no burgers in hand at 3am waiting for the crowd to finish it coz I had to visit the loo and this time round, in the middle of King Kong though I didn't miss much. The Trilogy Chronicles of King Kong, The Lady, The Fat Guy and The Escape, partly directed by James Cameron of the Titanic fame, would have been the first of the three. The first part of the movie focuses only on the human and how they finally embark on this terrible journey that would bring about the death of this huge monkey in a distanced land. The second would have been called, The Island - erm...name already taken? - partly directed by Steven Spielberg would bring the dinos of Jurassic Park back to life again. Complete with gigantic roaches that'll give baygone a run for their money. The final installment in the trilogy, Episode III, The Revenge of the Ape, would be partly directed by George Lucas who is helping Jackson - Peter, not Michael - planning on prequels for this trilogy, which would tell the love story of the ape's parents and his prophesized birth - or was that his dad? Finally, Naomi Watts got my award for the heroine with the most camera time and the least number of lines in a 3 hour blockbuster movie. Unless of coz ah...eh...oh...no...arg...are considered the lines she needed to memorized. Of coz, not all is lost. Watch it for the non stop action, the not so realistic background that is a 100 times less obvious than Narnia, for X'Mas and if you've got money to spare. Lastly, Merry X'Mas to all.

Big Boos Boos

2005-12-16T23:09:00.000+08:00

*SIGHS* What more can I say? I deleted my sms invite to Ministry of Sound's official opening for tonight! In the midst of clearing my old smses and messaging friends to tag along for the wild night, I marked it blindly with my W550i and there goes plans for the night! Alright, not exactly. I wasn't really planning to go. More like looking forward to a night in, drinking boiled water, listening to this credit card advertisment going on and on again about the 12 days of christmas. BUT, it's the invite to the latest and most IN club in town. What the hell was I doing???? More true life boos boos about the club. "Eddy": luckily you spelt it as MoS. I thought you meant mos at first then wonder what's the big deal about the opening of mos? Eat free burgers ah? A friend of my friend: What's MoS? A new ministry? Ministry of erm...State? Airen: I thought you meant mos burger also!

SPEW

2005-12-12T15:19:00.000+08:00

So many things to update and blog about, no time to write yet. In the meantime, read this bit of skype conversation between myself and Starusticity. [3:19:30 PM] Starusticity says: i nearly spewed my tea all over e computer! [3:19:34 PM] Witchy Witch says: y?? [3:19:36 PM] Witchy Witch says: hahahahaha [3:19:47 PM] Witchy Witch says: (dance) [3:20:48 PM] Starusticity says: e "get out of there YL!!" la -> YL is her name. [3:21:14 PM] Witchy Witch says: hahahahaha [3:21:26 PM] Witchy Witch says: glad u din erm..spew? [3:21:32 PM] Witchy Witch says: spill tea lah [3:22:43 PM] Witchy Witch says: spew is the club dat Hermione Granger is running lah [3:23:16 PM] Witchy Witch says: SPEW btw oso means Sexy Professional Exotic Wrestling got website one leh [3:23:36 PM] Witchy Witch says: www.spewwrestling.com (clap) [3:23:42 PM] Starusticity says: is it????? [3:23:46 PM] Starusticity says: oh my god [3:23:54 PM] Witchy Witch says: (party) [3:23:57 PM] Starusticity says: u r a erm "fill in e blanks" for useless info [3:23:58 PM] Starusticity says: haahhahahahahahahahahahahah I've not clicked on the URL yet so don't blame me if you see erm...extremely sexy, professional and exotic wrestling stuff.

Presenting...

2005-12-08T20:47:00.000+08:00

After calling her Taffy-beta - name from Starusiticity - for about almost a week, I've finally decided on a name, thanks to someone who left a comment in this post. And no, it's not ah neh nor muthu. *drum roll..............................* Presenting Miss Mutton. Mutton, mutton, mutton, my miss mutton - sing to Don & Drew's Uncle Mutton. Thanks to whoever that was :)

All Out Just To Prove A Point

2005-12-08T20:39:00.000+08:00

The picture on the top is my sis's Microsoft Starck Mouse, bought on the same day as mine - it was a one for one deal and the first time I've ever had a branded mouse. The one on the bottom is of coz the one I've been bitching about. Creations courtesy from my niece.

The pictures have not been photoshoped.

2005-12-08T01:52:00.000+08:00

Have been listening to May Day's compilation for the past few hours. I don't usually listen to them. In fact, I never listen to them. Just had the urge to purchase their CD and now I can't get this off my head. 我的聲音在笑淚在飆電話那頭的你可知道世界若是那麼大為何我要忘記你無處逃我的聲音在笑淚在飆電話那頭的你可知道世界若是那麼小為何我的真心你聽不到

Lessons Learnt

2005-12-06T22:58:00.000+08:00

Lessons learnt today. Number 1. Never lend your laptop to anybody for the sake of demo/training etc, especially if it's new. I felt my heart drop and every single bit of torment my baby is feeling when the gal from jobsdb borrowed it for her training this morning. Each time her fingers bang hard on the keys, I felt my heart skip an extra beat while I stared intently at her manicured fingers and praying that they'll not scar my baby's brand new layer. Airen told me the 2 things went through his mind during the training just now. 1. I must have felt the pain real bad when she slam her fingers on the keys. 2. Thank goodness, it wasn't his. Number 2. Never trust the advertisements you see on magazines where they state statistics such as 75% of the women tested felt an improvement in skin texture after n days blah blah, results from test on n number of women. I repeat. Never trust it. The reason is simple. I'm currently testing an eye product - of brand name I'm not supposed to disclose - with my sis. Today is the 7th day of our test and we're supposed to answer this online survey of theirs. First, we were so excited, we almost reminded each other each day to use it. Then, we tried all means and ways to try to feel the difference. Finally, we anyhow, anyhow answer the questions in the survey, so as to be politically correct because we simply do not know howda answer them. We didn't notice any difference, except for the foul smell and the watery texture. It's supposed to solve dark cycle problems? Oh? I hadn't known but I chose the answer that seems to imply yes. Such big liar. Just like many other product testing women I'm sure.

She Needs a Name

2005-12-01T23:58:00.000+08:00

Hi People! See this cute little lamb? She needs a name. Please find it in your heart to help this poor lamb and get her named. I'm running out of sheep names. I used to have a "Lamp Chop" and I now have a "Sheepish" who was last seen hanging out with Siong Siong. Oh yah and Tashes has a "baabaa" so that's out too. Name needed desperately. I can't be calling her nothing at all while she stares at me with those cute soulful eyes. So please, when you're feeling slight bit more creative - and hopefully not eating an sheep/lamb/goat at the moment - think about her, think of a name for her. Donations not exactly required, though could be arranged :) Thank You.

My New Baby, the Non Crying Type

2005-12-01T23:28:00.000+08:00

Sorry to friends, who had screamed "WHAT? You bought it?? Why didn't you blog about it? Why were we not told sooner?" and anyway, this is for you. Yes, after that regretful day plus night at Sitex last Sunday, I finally got myself a laptop - notebook whatever you wish to call it - from Harvey Norman on Monday. I wasn't even aware of its appearance till the next morning coz I wasn't there at its purchase. Whatever it is, I'm at last the proud owner of this 2.5KG Acer Aspire. 2.5KG isn't really THAT portable, yes of coz I'm fully aware of it but a person as clumsy as I am, I should take that weight. The tiny spot at the top left hand corner is my laptop light. I bought it for the sole purpose of putting my mum's "electrical bills are up the sky this month again!!" cries a little more quiet. The only pity thing is that my handphone's camera isn't as good as I hope it might be, judging at this picture :( Don't go all "You're so rich" thingy and such coz I am not. Seriously, am not. My handphone was a luxury , which I know went abit too far. Afterall, apart from having a good camera - maybe not - good games, walkman and a cool design to boot, I'm not really using much of the basic phone functions. I don't get that many phone calls each month. On the other hand, this 2.5KG baby hasn't even cost me a thing yet. I'm paying it by interest free installments over a period of 24 months. The best thing about this baby is that I'm finally able to make full use of my wireless network and also it does not cry nor need diapers. Wired or not, I've not really had the chance to use it since my elder niece is forever hogging it from morning till night :( She dirtied my favorite Stack Mouse, turned it from silver to mostly black and left thick traces of dirt on my keyboard leaving me mostly disgusted and not daring to use the PC :( So, humor me a little when you see me online with that little tag saying "Hi from a new laptop". I'm really saying hi in my own way from it and yes, I'm finally online!!

Sitex 2005

2005-11-28T13:55:00.000+08:00

A short update. Went to Sitex 2005, so far away in Expo and went home empty handed. The deals were only so so, nothing so out of this world. Could have spent my time better elsewhere, e.g. in bed watching TV. Will wait for another promotion at Harvey Norman before I get the long lusted after laptop of not sure what brand. By the way, those suckers at Sitex deliberately remove XP Pro from the packages and gives you XP Home instead. Hell, even my 6 year old niece doesn't want it coz she can't play Maple Story on it. And to that gal at Acer who questioned me why I need a Pro when Home is so fine enough for her to do her programming projects on coz she has no idea what an IIS is, go knock your head gal.

Belated Concern

2005-11-23T10:14:00.000+08:00

I'm sick. Has been sick since Saturday. Had a bad fever on Saturday night and am still coughing my lungs out now. Almost pulled out my hairs last night - the only reason I did not was coz I was too tired from coughing - after my very concerned mother said something when I sneezed. Mum: I think you're gonna be sick soon. Me: MUM! I AM SICK! Mum: ... This was how I looked in the office yesterday in my thick Zara jacket and a shaw tied around my neck :(

WYSIWYSTBG Keyboard

2005-11-22T14:59:00.000+08:00

I suspect there's a conspiracy to place the letter U next to I on the keyboard. It’s there simply to embarrass innocent typists. Me: Alamak! I typed job lusting instead of job listing! Heng I haven't send out the email. The room is quiet, nobody makes comment and so the blogger goes quietly back to work on the email. Oh well... After a few seconds... Airen: L-U-S-T? Me: Ya... Sis and Airen together: HAR??? Hahaha... WYSIWYSTBG: What You See Isn't What You're Supposed To Be Getting --------------------------------------------------------------- edited at 5:52pm Me: WAH LAU! After the job lusting now I'm maid lusting!!!!! Glares at keyboard. GROWLS!

2005-11-22T09:47:00.000+08:00

Finally am able to get the videos I copied into my handphone playing. YES! Next thing to do, is to find that chicken little The Numa Numa dance ditty in as well to amuse myself on days when I needed it.

From 1 Programmer to Another

2005-11-21T17:41:00.000+08:00

Mr Ang Mo Programmer from the bridge once told me this, short of pulling out the almost non existent hair on his head, "When my clients take 2 seconds to look at my program and tell me things should be done this way or that, I always tell them 'regretfully', I designed it like this for a reason. It is disgusting of them to do so because I use time to design it. TIME. Everything has a reason. You just need to think about it." Today, I finally understood the full extend of his meaning. EVERYTHING has a reason, especially things that a programmer, system analyst etc uses time to design. Think and read the pieces of documentation handed over to you before blabbering nonsense. Thus, _____(insert race) IT Manager of blah blah blah company to which I'm working for on a web project, THINK before you ask next time. Read before you blabber. Thanks. I was warned by my sis to remove the race before the words IT Manager. Better take it out, sekali you get jailed coz of him. She has a point you know? Insert the race in yourself. It doesn't kill many brain cells to get it correct.

What Goes In, Comes Out the Same

2005-11-13T13:23:00.000+08:00

Below is a rather disgusting conversation between myself and my cousin, or rather, I should say, it's mostly herself. Cousin: Guess what? Me: Huh? Cousin: I shitted twice last night. Me: Ok... Cousin: The second time, I did it, I notice some small white stuff floating on top. Me: ??? The word fungus popped up in my mind. Cousin: I stared at them for a while trying to link it with the food I ate in the day and guess what??? Me: What? Cousin: It's sesame seeds!!! You know we ate MacDonald's in the morning right? It's the seeds on top of the bun! I ate McChicken...

Way Cool

2005-11-12T13:24:00.000+08:00

I was jolted out of my sleep at about 2.30am in the morning. In case, anybody's wondering, nobody woke me up by whether accident or deliberate. It was the call of the W550i. At 2.30am, it would have completed its cycle of the first charge for 8 hours. I just had to get up to off that plug before I could sleep deep at all. First thing I woke up in the morning, was to check out my newest pal. Its bright orangey shell cheers me up immediately, letting me forget the major heart ache for a little while. I can finally listen to FM 98.7, watch videos all in 1 small package. Oh, and I just received my very first SMS on my phone. Games are getting complicated too. I actually have the game Worms in this little thingy - ok lah maybe not that little, has a nice grip though, this phone. The other way cool thing is that my wireless is finally up! Yes, I'm behind time and stuff, so what? My Internet connection is much faster now, I'm starting to wanna weep - get me that piece of nice tissue, nice one mind you and fold it up into a neat square. Oh I need now, is the icing on top of the cake and the most expensive and major event of all, a new pc and erm, monitor too and erm...keyboard? And mouse? Seriously! I'm not being vain or something. Let me take a picture of them one of these days and you'll get what I mean. By the way, remember that I mentioned I'm getting a free ipod nano and selling it to my cousin and a puke inducing low down price? She just messaged me on my handphone, telling me that she's the owner of the "i-pot". Hmm...maybe I'll be able to keep that nano to myself afterall if only I can find an "i-pot".

Bought It

2005-11-11T14:49:00.000+08:00

Bought it at IMM during lunch just now. Has decided that it's a now or never thing. Left the place feeling hollow and pretty much empty in the wallet. I'm still loving my T610 and trying to get used to the new guy, W550i.

Rubbish Updates

2005-11-10T23:41:00.000+08:00

In book number don't-know-what-except-I-know-it's-after-3 of Harry Potter, Ron was spotted mumbling "Why is everything I owned rubbish?". Boy, does he rub it in, hard. Just when I thought I could finally afford to replace my barely surviving PC, my most treasured Sony Ericsson T610 - I know it's old so what? - is collapsing as well. BLAH! How lah, like that? To replace or not to replace? Which to replace? What to replace? How much to spend? My head is cracking open and Indians are driving me half to my grave as well. I spent lunch today at IMM, stressing over phones coz my Hippo-stickered T610 only managed to wake up after a charge of more than 24 hours and when it finally did wake, I realized that I could hardly make or take any calls without it making piak piak noises in the very near to ear background. My sis was with me just now and like the first time I bought a handphone - Nokia 8250 - I was rushed here, there, everywhere to get that handphone now, as in right now! Lucky thing, I was only stressed out, my wallet and bank account remained intact. I've gotten over W800i and was lusting after the yet to arrive 3G W900i - though knowing perfectly well that I'll never afford it unless their price dropped to $400. Was browsing at Panasonic phones yesterday and almost decided on V2 or VA6 - or was it VS6? BLEH! Still undecided and a dying PC to dump. Some trivial 1. My ah ma went for laser - 1 eye, don't know which eye, I'm not filial isn't that obvious? - and at 80 years of age, she is in perfect health, passing the entire body checkup simply, easily. Shocked us later on by threading a needle by herself. In all my 26 years, she has never been successful. Heck even my mum can't do it! I suspect, I'll die sooner than her. I've more problems in 1 finger - check out my lousy right middle finger - than she has her whole life. 2. Ants invaded my home keyboard. They were climbing out by the dozens! Hell, I don't even know when they got there in the first place! My niece who has been playing maple story hours non-stop daily deserves the thick skin award. They never seemed to affect her, while I almost screamed and am still getting goose bumps as I'm typing. 3. I bought Jay's new album the day it came out and am disappointed first that CD-Rama at Jurong Point went out of stock and the one I bought at Sembawang, more expensive by about 90 cents do not come with the huge poster. 4. 2nd disappointment from the album, it was horrible. Not that it was unlistenable but I'm missing the upbeat, strange lyrics and music. Hey! Where are the orcs, vampires and ninjas? Is being in love turning him all marshmallow? All mush and mellow, all slow crying about love songs. BLEH! So lacking are his signature upbeat raps that makes u recognize them as his from afar. 5. I finally have James Blunt's You're Beautiful. Nice. 6. I've recontact my Singnet and am expecting an iPod Nano pretty soon. Selling to my cousin at a steal and how I regretted it! *BANGS HEAD* 7. No, I've not given up on blogging. A better, faster PC that does not have the words appear 10 seconds after typing would be good for me to make a come back, which brings us back to the start of the post, why is everything I own rubbish?????? *SCREAMS*

36th Month

2005-11-04T14:08:00.000+08:00

When I first started on this post, it was already overdue but I kinda had to abandon it half way coz blogger kept eating up my words for no reason whatsoever. Anyway, let's get on with it. This post is about a week overdue but then so is everything else. I'm really sleepy at the moment - yes, yes look at the time, it's PM not AM, nonetheless... - so not gonna write much, mostly pictures, we took on the night of 27th in October at The Sun With Moon restaurant. For those who do not understand the significance of the 36th month, let me just give you a tiny bit of background. It's our 3rd year together and we celebrate it each year - as with other normal boring couples like ourselves - by eating at places we were not likely to return again for food. This year, it's Sun with Moon at wheels Place and we almost didn't get to eat it. We took this picture somewhere outside the Sun with Moon, waiting for the phone calls that came but were never replied. We were there slightly too early at first, the manager I think told us to return minutes later because dinner starts at 6.30pm. Thinking it was much too early at 6.10pm and not likely to be crowded, I suggested doing some shopping first before we come back. Boy, was I so wrong. The lid of this is strange looking dish can only be opened after the pink sands in the hour glass is completely at the bottom. At 7.30pm, we went back to the Sun with Moon, totally shaken. It was filled to the brim. Full house! The gal at the reception area took down airen's handphone number and promised to call him once there's a table for 2. So what do 2 boring, hungry people dying to celebrate the day in style do? They went to a corner next to the restaurant and started taking pictures of themselves, keeping one eye at the drool worthy pictures of food on their walls. Oyster rice! Airen's handphone then started ringing. Well, ringing might not be the right word to use at this point in time because what really happened was, it rang. Rang once and gone. Rang once again then gone again. After the third time, he suspected that it might be the receptionist at the restaurant informing us of available seats. This was a little strange also really coz I've never eaten something resembling western food - it's called Salmon Steak or something like that by the way - with chopsticks. We took about 10 huge steps and walked up to the gal. She smiled brightly and informed us that she has cancelled our reservations coz we didn't pick up all 3 of her calls! HUH? This triggered an argument between her and airen though I had to admit that she managed to keep her composure pretty well, maintaining that irritating bright smile throughout. She even whipped out her cordless phone to call him to prove that his phone was engaged. These deliciously pretty drinks were the saving grace of the night's dinner. Not only do they look pretty, they taste heavenly too. Turns out airen had this free Kaypoh M1 ringtone - coz of his 3G phone - to inform the caller that M1 is connecting to the subscriber so please wait. I supposed I'm right to say that she didn't wait long enough for them to connect. Big booboo and there goes our seats. She didn't apologize by the way and he was still fuming mad, while I was only kinda hungry. We decided on this dish long before we even managed to sniff the internal air of the restaurant. And so we waited once again. This time, we stood exactly outside the restaurant with their other customers who were also in the queue. Luckily, we were ushered in, in no at all. The deco was rather nice but relatively noisy. Loud chatter was in the air and no music at all to soothe the noisy atmosphere. And it was a horrible disappointment. Notice my spoon? It’s hit the rock bottom already. The first challenge of the night was getting into the restaurant at all and the second? Ordering. Unlike most Japanese restaurants we frequent, they do not have things that we can recognize at first glance, or second and third for that matter. Kinda embarrassing actually, especially when our next table neighbors consisted of 2 young kids eating right and knowing their stuff perfectly well, thank you very much. The night almost ended lukewarm with this cold, cold plate of teriyaki chicken. I think we flipped the menus front to back, front to back for about 10 minutes before we could even form a clue of what we might be eating for the night. I even was tempted to ask the boy at the next table what his interesting wooden container with lid consisted of. By pure chance, one of us did manage to order a dish with that exact same container. It was like WAHHHH...when the waitress came with it, though of coz, the wah was kept to a quiet minimal. We were already embarrassing ourselves snapping away whenever a dish - or drink - was served. I bet the kids were laughing at us. We're such mountain turtles I know. I swear never to be tempted by mere pretty images anymore because this desert sucks. The food wasn't all that fantastic, a slight quarrel occurred, nonetheless, it was a night to remember. And as with the 2 other places we went to the last 2 times, I doubt we'll ever step in again for another meal though the over zealous waitress gave us a huge stack of vouchers for our next visits - vouchers that were to be due in 2 days' time, great! I'd rather stick to Mac - seriously! The most bothersome thing was that I realized, for some strange reason, the bills have been dipping down by the ten with each year. I'm having this nagging suspicion that if we were to last a pretty long time, we'll be celebrating with cup noodles in time to come.

MacDonalds' or Maybe Not

2005-10-28T14:31:00.000+08:00

Had Mac for lunch today, sweet old Mac, as tasty as ever. As I was munching on a skinny fry, the thought came to me. Why is everybody so hard on Mac? Why do Americans love to push their blame on it - them whatever? Why? Burger King sells burgers, lots of others sell burgers, fast food etc. And what about piazzas? Why is there a movie called SuperSized Me, targeting only at Mac? Seriously, everybody has a choice. They can eat more, eat less, eat others. The point is most people decided on Mac as their ultimate selection. You can love it, hate it, sit on the fence but you can never deny it even if you don't see the bright yellow M and red flashing in your eyes. This whole fast food bashing thing, which so obviously has its bullseye in the shape of a huge, rounded M really sickens me. Just because it's the more popular, it has to be the target board. Yesterday, Mr Smurfie messaged me on MSN to tell me that Xiaxue lost 2 of her endorsements because of some bad model boycotting campaign going on. He did his research and came up with a super long post that got me hungry coz I started before breakfast and ended only after the lunch hour, with an empty stomach - and HAD to eat Mac. Unlike him, I'm lazy and can't be bothered with most of the so called Singapore - or Malaysia - blogsphere events and thing-a-dongs. I'm not even sure if I'm getting the word right. My point is, Xiaxue and Mac are the same. Too famous and getting too much lime light, whatever you do, say or in this case blog will be the central of all bashing. I don't credit her for the nonsense she post sometimes, just like I don't praise Mac for oily, oily food. The thing is, I read her sometimes - see her link in my blog? - like I eat Mac most of the time. I choose to read her coz she's honest and I like to read gossip and stuff. The keyword, see it? CHOOSE. Don't like something? Go away, don't look at it. Don't go near it. Why make the famous go through ordeal - yes, in this case its an ordeal and the thing about SuperSized Me too - just so that you can sleep better at night? It is disgusting. Come'on people, how many of us really go out in the streets with a pure golden heart? We do the things she does, say the types of things she'll say too. The only mistake of hers was that she put them down into typed words for us all to see. Whatever it is, I'm stopping here coz I'm bored of the whole case as is I'm bored of SuperSized Me stuff. I'm still gonna read her once in a while and eat Mac real often. Bottom line: I'm still disgusted.

Something About Nothing

2005-10-18T12:28:00.000+08:00

Things have somehow come to a standstill. I'm standing - or rather sitting - very stilly, except for my fingers moving, trying to tap onto the correct keys on my keyboard, I'm in actual fact, rather still. Gone are the ups and downs of actual working life - not that I'm missing it, nor am I not, really - just the stillness of life as I hear time passing by in a swish and a swash. I hear it in my very ears, though more on the left ear coz I've held onto this semi belief that my right is a little deaf. I'm taking certain things slow - a little too slow perhaps - and reading things not really of much importance rather fast. In the last 5 days, I've finished 3.5 books. Robert Silverberg, Neil Gaiman, Daniel Keyes, Douglas Adams and his Salmon of Doubt. In the last 5 days, I've learnt that Earth being conquered by aliens can affect our lives in ways not so different from everyday life, so forget World of the Wars. I've learnt that TV can be a God of the modern times and our sacrifices to it, time. I’ve peeked into the dairy of a man who’s IQ soar from 70 to 180 then purged back to 70 and wondered if ignorance really is bliss. Last Sunday, I’ve watched a mama giraffe in the midst of giving birth with a pair of baby hind legs dangling from her ass on National Geographic and my youngest cousin humping her elder sister trying to hao lian to me a stunt her dog can do but not mine, before my very eyes. Thank goodness for that though sometimes I wonder if my dog is gay. Then again as long as it does not ~~hump~~ harm anything in its sight, it can remain gay. Everything else apart from the above, fades away from me like background noise, soon enough, it doesn’t bother me at all - it does actually, some of it, I exaggerate. just not so much. I supposed, in a certain sense, I’m bored as it is that I am tired. I open my eyes up each day to see the world in pale water colors, no longer vibrant likely because I no longer am – or rather it could be due to my eyesight, my eyes continued to give me problems from time to time. I have slowed. Perchance, I’ve never in truth been particularly fast. I should recall that I left 100 and 200 meters race behind once out of Primary School. Abandoned them for the middle distances which I excel at coz I was not enduring enough for the longer distances. If you have been reading and wondering what is the point about this whole post, well congrats, me too.

Hip Hip Hipporay

2005-10-13T14:02:00.000+08:00

I wonder if anyone still remember this little game coz I do. I sing their little ad song every once in a while and dreamt of having them in my possession, the hungry, hungry hippos. It was a simple game. Some plastic balls being released out, some young players pressing wildly on the catches on the backs of the hippos, grabbing as many plastic balls as possible. Simple as that. And yet, the memory of the game and song remained tightly in my head all these years. Sometimes I wonder if it's all because of the song. Let's sing it together, "Hungry, hungry hippos..."

The hippos are named Henry, Harry, Homer, and Happy. The names of the hippos can be found on the stickers next to each hippo on the playing field. Taken from Wikipedia Hungry, Hungry Hippos

And of coz, as always, airen has them, Henry, Harry, Homer and Happy while I was humming the song in silence all these years.

Thursday the 13th

2005-10-13T00:00:00.000+08:00

Today marks a very special moment of my life and its life of 1s and 0s. Today, is the very first birthday of this blog - not the day of its creation coz that would have been yesterday - but the day when it was nurtured with a post from its owner - me. This blog though lightly frequented has been my pride and pleasure for the past 365 days and more in counting. It contains frustrations, shares my fears, cherishes joy, celebrates hope, the hope especially to never land in jail for it. It details my bits of musings and pieces of irritating illogics, haunts me with embarrassing grammatical and spelling mistakes. Most importantly it gave me the delight in knowing that I have written and I have shared and once in a long while, produced a smile, regularly for the past 1 year. Therefore to commemorate this day, I shall end this birthday post with a new found fact about myself! I breathe using only my right nostril most of the time – the aftermath of a freak accident in my early years – making myself only half alive and most likely half the height! So, it was the nose after all. I could have been 1.76m.

A Math Question

2005-10-12T22:19:00.000+08:00

The flawed Math question during this year's PSLE Math exam caused enough concern for the public - mainly those who's someone at home had taken the paper rather than the ones who took it. For my mum, this was an outrage coz she has never heard of such. For us, students who has sat through enough papers to manufacture an entire community's supply of toilet rolls, this was merely one of a dozen times, no worries at all. Sincerely, bloopers like this especially if the paper in question was of mathematical nature never really meant much to me. Ever. In fact a normal conversation after the reporting of a mistake during the examination hours would have - and has ever - produced such a result.

Classmate A: No wonder I couldn't get the answer no matter how I calculate it, the teacher is wrong. Classmate B: Yah lor, yah lor, waste so much of my time. Classmate C: I was trying to [insert mathematical formula] but of coz couldn't do it. Classmate D: If the question were [insert mathematical question] then your formula would have been possible. Classmate A: Actually, we can calculate using [insert mathematical formula] also right? And so it goes, on and on and on and finally when they turned their heads to me... Me: Is it? I didn't even know the question is wrong heh heh, makes no difference they correct it also haha. walking away leaving a string of classmates staring at my back in disbelief.

Anyway, those who had taken but had no idea what the news was reporting about should simply pray to whatever deity nearby for the heaven sent 2 points and get on with life. So what if you didn't know what that particular news was about, so what if you didn't know that question had a problem. That was what I would have done. And if it were that fateful 'O' Levels Prelim in year 1996, I would have gladly welcome those 2 points for a total of 11 out of 100. Note: the blogger of this post - namely myself - did pass her 'O' Level Mathematics paper despite the booboo during the 1996 Prelims - see above - and recieved the results of her sweat and labour in better mood than her fellow schoolmates whose papers has seen better markings.

Coincidence

2005-10-11T17:16:00.000+08:00

You know each time when someone logs onto MSN and there'll be a tiny pop up with their display picture at the side? I've been seeing this same picture logging in and out several times a day today. This particular picture has been used by this guy friend of mine - Eric - so I've always associated it with him, till I gave my blurry eyes a good rub. Apparantly, another friend of mine, Eternal Snow - who doesn't know Eric and vice and versa - has been using this rather obscure picture from Final Fantasy - I think - as well.

A Bath

2005-10-06T10:52:00.000+08:00

Mum confessed bathing Siong Siong on the sly on countless regular occasions without my knowledge so I guess, it's my mistake. Siong Siong was never that dirty. I'm sorry Siong Siong for accusing you like that. This is Siong Siong, the hero of my many warrior dreams. In fact to demonstrate her point, mum drag both Siong Siong and Sheepish to the tubs yesterday noon. When I came back, they were out in the evening sun hanging for all to see. Siong Siong and Sheepish entwined around the bamboo stick. Refusing to sleep without Siong Siong, I rescued him from the evil crutches of the bamboo stick last night, only to wake up this morning seeing them like this... Hanging 6 storeys from the ground for all to see and birds to shit...my so very wicked mother.

The Culprit?

2005-10-05T14:44:00.000+08:00

Mosquitoes, ants? After a lifetime of blaming it all on the flying insect and a night suspecting the grounded. Seems like my sis was the one who hit the jackpot.

Me: I'm having all these mosquito bites. Face, neck, stomach, thighs, fingers, everywhere. Sis after examining the 2 bites on my stomach: Do you think it's siong siong? Me: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MAYBE!!! SIONG SIONG HAS NEVER BATHED BEFORE IN THE LAST 10 YEARS!!!!!!

Siong siong is the resident Sasha bear on my bed that accompanies me to my various warrior dreams.

Hairy Issues I

2005-10-05T14:06:00.000+08:00

First off, there are facts and there are fictions here. So don’t flame me if you pick the wrong for one for your hair loss problem. Was watching this women’s program on TV some many weeks ago about hair dressing techniques and such, when the question on female baldness – if possible – was raised. I was rolling my eyes and going duh at their question till I realized hey I know gals don’t usually get that problem unless you’re really suay but why? Get this. Balding is caused by male hormones. Yes, I know it's strange coz time and again, gals with excessive facial hair - myself included though I never understood why they term hair on the limbs as facial hair too - are told that their "condition" is due to a massive gush of male hormones. Am I confusing you? Well, they’re confusing me. Some Hairy Facts:

Hair loss has been observed and studied for ages, and some interesting discoveries were made in ancient times. It was noticed that eunuchs: * those males without genitals-never went bald * men who were castrated as a result of accidents in battle also never went bald (ouch!) This was the first sign that testosterone had something to do with hair loss. It has also been found that the more recessive the hair gene, the chances you have of becoming bald. Taken from How Excessive Testosterone Leads to Your Hair Loss

Clearing typical transsexual women's facial hair generally takes about 100 to 400 hours of treatment time (some need even more, some less). This is spread out over approximately one to four years (some need even more, some less). Many variables affect this, and these numbers are based on anecdotal data rather than survey results. Taken from Transsexual Road Map

In men, testosterone is made in the testicles and travels in the blood stream to the hair follicles. However, testosterone doesn't kill off the hair follicles directly. It is first converted, inside the follicle, to a much more powerful hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT has a great effect on the hair follicles, affecting them in different ways in different parts of the body. On the face and chest, DHT stimulates the growth of thick curly hair. This contrasts with its effect on the scalp where it makes hair thin out and eventually kills off the follicles altogether. The skin above the forehead and at the temples and crown is quick to turn testosterone into DHT and is particularly sensitive to its effects. Taken from Hair and Hormones

Ok, if you've not read the above proper, let me summarize the points. If you're female and have excessive hair at the "wrong" spots, you're spotting an overdose of male hormones. Too much yet not too much enough to go bald at the top. Don't argue yet, I'm not done. Male hormones deal with hair at the head and other parts of your body differently. They also mean to say, if you’re a guy and balding early, you must be ahem pretty manly and vice versa. On the other hand, you might simply be watching too much porn. Either way, you might wanna try this site.

Nice?

2005-10-05T10:37:00.000+08:00

A fictional conversation on a very true fact. A on the phone: He is a very nice boss, I ensure you that, so don't worry about being his Personal Assistant. blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Minutes later... B: So how nice is that guy that you mentioned is a very nice boss? A: I used to work under him. He's a very easy going person. Really. B: So what happened to his last 2 Personal Assistants? A as a matter of fact: Oh! He fired them. B: ...............................................................

What If...

2005-09-20T10:33:00.000+08:00

The movie Batman Begins, which I caught for free thanks to tickets from Nokia Starlight Cinema got me seriously wondering about the what ifs of real life - also laughing at all the wrong spots in the movie. Bruce Wayne aka Batman before he became the batman has on several occasions caught saying or thinking to himself in the lines of "I would choose a symbol of fear. I want them all to share my fear." (In case you didn't know, he was attacked by bats and had been fearful of them all his life) Yes, it sounds kinda cool - in a way. But then what if? What if what he had feared throughout his life had been something else rather than bats? I wonder if the citizens and villains alike of Gotham City would still share this fear of his. The Butterflyman stands alone as the rest of the City laughs at his expense.

Deja Vu

2005-09-19T22:01:00.000+08:00

With reference to this past post and many months of happy scrabbling. Seems like I'm not the only one who recongizes the connection between Q & U. Thanks to Mr Smurfie for finding this perfect comic. Comic taken from beaverandsteve.com

Candidates, candidates, candidates

2005-09-19T17:28:00.000+08:00

Having been a candidate sitting across the table being interviewed by recruitment consultants and people of higher authority at prospective companies, I really wonder what is the problem with candidates these days. I'm currently sitting in the eastern corner of my sis's recruitment agency at the moment, setting up my freelance work. The type of people I get to see each day is surprisingly diverse. Some of them were horrible to the sense that even the boss - my sis - was seen trying not to crack her table into pieces, some funny to the bone. Below is a list of some of the things I eavesdrop over time. Interview 1 Candidate was given time to fill up an application form regarding their personal information and previous job details. This particular candidate spent long minutes sweating over it. The reason? She stumbled over the section asking her, what her weaknesses are. The interviewer had to persuade her to forget about the section and kick start the interivew without it. Interview 2 Candidate taps pen on table in an irritated manner when interviewer is on the line. Upon noticing the tapping, interviewer turns to candidate. Interviewer: Are you done? (with filling up the application form) Candidate: yah. Interviewer: Eh? you didn't fill in the education section. Candidate: It's in my resume mah. Interview: Yes but you still have to fill it in. You can refer it from your resume mah. Candidate: But you have it right? You can print it yourself mah. Interview 3 Interviewer: My client's location is at Tuas. Candidate: Tuas ah? Aiyoh so far. I don't know how to go there. Interviewer: There's actually a company bus at Lakeside MRT so you can take the bus from there. Candidate: Aiyah but still very far. Interviewer: You live in JB right? Most candidates who lived in JB actually liked working there. Candidate: But I don't know how to go there. Take what bus? Must take how long to reach there? After minutes of explaining bus routes and such by the interviewer and "aiyoh but so far" and "I don't know how to go." from the candidate. Interviewer: Have you ever worked at any place before that doesn't have a direct bus? Candidate: No. Er....if not you don't shortlist me first lah. I don't know how to go there. If not you tell me how to go lor and how much time it takes for me to go there. A candidate that doesn't want to be shortlisted for interviews. Great. Interview 4 Candidate is interviewing for an admin job. Interviewer: So what is your weakness? Candidate: I'm very careless. Interviewer: So how careless are you? Candidate: I lost some important documents before. Interviewer: ??!!! Interview 5 Interviewer: So why did you leave your last job. Candidate: I need a change of environment because the air there was too smelly! This gives a whole new meaning to "needing a change of environment" - literally.

Just a Nano Second

2005-09-15T23:49:00.000+08:00

1 last post before I snooze. I'm not sure who up with the name first - by the way, nano is rather lame - but I think perhaps it's time Creative changed their name to something else. Afterall, it hasn't been very creative recently in its challenge with Apple - and though I love ipods, Apple is a dumb name too.

Drowning in a Sea of Drought

2005-09-14T11:22:00.000+08:00

It's been a long, long since I last visited this tiny spot. I've been turning deaf ears to those who complain of seeing "Happiness" each time they visited my blog. To which, I thought, and why not? What is so wrong about seeing "Happiness" in the title? Would readers, lukers, accidental visitors alike rather see something dreadful instead? Anyway, here I am, back in action again. So many things have happened in this month of September, one more before my blog's first birthday and I've only entered one single entry - this one. Truth is, I was suffering from some kind of blog block. So many ideas in my head, nothing solidified. In fact, I'm not too sure what else to write here either. *deep in thought* Perhaps, a short summary of incidents between Happiness and Drought would suffice. 1. I finally quitted my job at PSA building. There was really no point in it. REALLY. 2. Survived the horrible farewell lunch with those colleagues at my now axed company without slamming the table or bursting into laughter. I should really applaud myself for keeping my face so straight. 3. Got a SMS from a poly friend who I've not contacted for ages on my last day at work. He was looking for a freelancer. I of coz agreed. 4. Airen quitted his job and left it one day before I leave mine. 5. Sis decided to rent an office space for her recruitment agency - if anybody needs a job, please send your resumes to hr@sa.sg and put a reference to my name in there. if you do not know my name, stating that you've been dosing on the witch's brew will do too - and expand her business abit. 6. Airen joined sis in their quest to help the unemployed in Singapore - excluding me. 7. Sis found and rented an office space at The Spire - somewhere in Bukit Batok - and we're moving into it. Yes, we. Including me. I'm moving there to do my freelance projects. There's free aircon there afterall. 8. Sis, airen and myself spent sometime in decorating the tiny office for a warm cozy feel. I think we somehow succeeded in that. Will put up some pictures the next time. 9. Got to know 2 of Starusticity's friends who labored as mascots, Noddy and Mr Nots. Nice to know them gals, Jo and Janet. 10. Had serious problems setting up PHP and DNN in the office and was in lousy mood for ages. 11. Finally installed DNN and PHP and became a friend of WAMP! WAMP, install and voila! 12. Got an email from Starlight Cinema informing me that I've won 2 tickets. YAY! Ok, that's kind of about it. Will elaborate on the details in another post. For now, I've gotta go snooze.

Happiness

2005-08-31T13:24:00.000+08:00

Life itself is a balancing act of work, of family, of needs, of wants, of us Life's biggest irony however is that, the best juggler of it might not even be the slightest of happy Perhaps the ones not even trying, are its best disciples The deliberation of things, kills the spontaneity and happiness of what should have been I try, I try, and I try too hard sometimes How do we even define Happy? I'm not happy.

Intellects

2005-08-31T13:11:00.000+08:00

I belong to a group of intellects With the ability to perform, not enough to excel With the drive to work hard, not enough to compete With the speed to learn fast, not enough to get there Intellects, good brains and never enough Where do we go from here?

Self Realization

2005-08-31T10:16:00.000+08:00

Self realization comes at a cost The cost of wounding one's pride too deep The pain, it hurts, So much, a curse word grows quiet Quiet from pain rather than the frustration that it usually is The pain of knowing, the knowledge of inadequacies The cut in the ego The signs of surrender All because, I realized.

nex to the End

2005-08-30T16:21:00.000+08:00

What comes in place of relief is another sense of loss. A tinge of emptiness, a pocket full of dust.

When Enough is Really Enough

2005-08-28T23:10:00.000+08:00

It's again been some time since I last visited here. Reasons being, I haven't had much time or mood lately for anything to blog about. Been really, really down lately. People around me the past few weeks - if they were so unlucky to catch me at all - would know. It's a terrible feeling, unable to cozy up in a new job, especially with your colleagues. The situation has become so bad, it's kinda like a me against them battle now. Been feeling like Mr Pink lately. Been feeling so low down on confidence that I thought I might as well just give up and admit that I'm dumb. It was only yesterday that I finally sat down and straighten things out. I mean like hey? I do have the means to shine bright at work. I'm neither dumb nor stupid. On the contrary, I can be rather impressive. Why should I continue to feel that way. It's a lousy way to start a new job and to carry on my life. Jobs come and go. People come and go too. Why should I let it dampen my spirits? I'm not a person suitable for such. It's unhealthy. Tomorrow would be it. ENOUGH!

Oil

2005-08-23T01:26:00.000+08:00

Been feeling like a thin firm of oil in water. Never mixing, never can mix. Instead of dissolving, grows only thicker.

How Not to be a Project Leader

2005-08-23T01:15:00.000+08:00

1. Give your members old and/or wrong documentations. 2. Give your members old and/or wrong information regarding the project. 3. Hold on to valuable information, giving them out to your members only at the last minute with the question "I never give you meh?" 4. Sit on information/questions requested by members and answer with a "nevermind, now don't need" and question back with a "Can you do this/that yet?" at the last minute. 5. Ignore the project members, oblivious to the project status. 6. Skip testing totally and jump straight into User Acceptance Test with clients with eyes popping out, mouth making clicking sound and mouth twisting in distaste when things wouldn't work. 7. Breaking promises to project members regarding project status timings and etc. 8. Giving the client totally wrong information regarding the project done by the members because of 6. All these and more and so lucky me managed to be at the wrong end of the effects in 1 day.

Dirty Laundry

2005-08-23T01:10:00.000+08:00

Exposing your programming codes - knowing that they're still horrible from lack of time to write construct them nice - is akin to showing your dirty laundry in public and having them examined thoroughly by people on the roads. What's even worse is them telling you how you should wash them and/or should be wearing your panties. Terribly shameful. Totally pissed.

Presidential Erection

2005-08-16T22:51:00.000+08:00

I attempted to translate my blog from Singlish to Benglish after reading Kenny Sia and his Benglish Translator. This one particular sentence is extremely glaring to the eyes.

Before that I'm gonna be voting for sure - confirm! was the word I used - this time round coz there's more than 1 person running for the presidential election.

After that wa si gonna be voting for sure - conperm! was the word Limpeh used - this time round coz there's more than 1 chao kacheng running for the presidential erection.

More on the ~~erection~~ election. mr brown informs us in Singapore style Presidential elections that apparently, the voting is still going on and in fact has gone on even way before the actual date - if there were one. Thanks to him, I finally got the chance to cast my one insignificant vote. I was the 316th person who voted for the only person in the poll - no prize to guessing who it was. Yes, I voted but still, not shiok ley. Maybe coz I never queue up for it.

The Ultimate BLEH!

2005-08-16T00:11:00.000+08:00

How could I ever forget to include this in the previous list?????? This must be the ultimate bleh of my life. For the 2nd time running, I've lost the chance to cast a vote. Just last week, I was telling my mum in triumph - not in that brand of undies!!! - that I'm gonna be voting for sure - confirm! was the word I used - this time round coz there's more than 1 person running for the presidential election. My jaw dropped on Saturday evening watching the news on TV. The elections are off. You know the rest people so I shall not go on, else my heart might just bleed non stop. The first time that such a thing happened to me was a couple of years back. A lousy tale, which I might tell later on if I'm not rushing work. And a smaller bleh from sometime ago... Imagine my horror when I realized that the IRAS website, which I had bitched upon for tons of times because it's not working correctly and keeps kicking me out, is done by my poly friend!

The Good, The Bad and The Bleh!

2005-08-15T23:18:00.000+08:00

It's been a long time since I write about well...stuff, I've been dwelling on shopping, stress, work and so on and it's been boring. I've had had a topic in mind, something I've been wanting to write. Looking at the time and the work on hand - I brought work home coz I was sick of doing it at that lousy place - I suppose it has to wait another day. In order to prevent cobwebs from gathering around here before I get my butt back into writing stuff, I supposed some updates are necessary. The Good 1. I bought my pair of orange birkenstocks last Thursday and yes, I'm liking it. 2. Airen got his tank on Saturday. It burned a huge hole in his pocket but he's enjoying it. No shrimps nor fishes at the moment yet coz he's doing what's called the "cycling of the tank", bicycles not included. 3. Bought a nice green eye shadow palette from Kate with Starusticity last Saturday and finally understood the meaning and use of an eye liner - yes I'm dumb and so what? Better late than never right? 4. Finished reading New Spring by Robert Jordan some time back and feeling wonderfully good about it. Lotsa deja vu in the book. 5. Bought Prophecy by Elizabeth Haydon on Saturday from Sunny book shop at Far East. It's the 2nd book in the Symphony of Ages series. Not that great but worth a try, I'm already at my 200th - out of 600 - page on the first day. 6. Bought The Sandman Book of Dreams edited by Neil Gaiman, written by a whole load of authors including Tad Williams last, last Saturday. I'm half way through the book and still loving the strange tales. The Bad 1. Had a meeting with boss last Friday and BLEH! I'm not gonna be posted to China Square Central anymore!!! I'll be alone at this current horrible place with AH HUA!!! WHAT????????? 2. I'm stressed, seriously stressed. I wake up everyday wondering how I might get past the day safely without much damage to anything. 3. I'm not settling down with my colleagues yet. It's really tough to. Serious. 4. This dumb ass that has been harassing my airen on his mobile might never get his deserts because of certain loopholes in the law - I'll explain that sometime. Makes me feel like calling some people for some loo reminders when I'm wide awake at night now. 5. Pimples! Do I need to elaborate? 6. I'm still stuck working on something. I'm getting confused with all the "business logics" and getting the almost there and giving up symptoms again. 6 goods vs 6 bads? A tie! Gross and I was hoping that the good might somehow out weigh the bad to make myself feel happier and less stress. Hmmm....ok 1 last good, my sis bought me an orange top. Oh, that and another. Mr Smurfie treated me to a free Burger King lunch today during our bitching session. And another? He just published his post - slightly earlier than me - and mentioned me inside. Airen just MMS me a piggy bank, not in the form of a pig - what do you call those things anyway? - that I've fallen in love with sometime ago and he has 1 reserved for me *beams* Well, maybe not THAT bad afterall, until tomorrow that is, where I'm likely gonna wake up with 2 words in my head again. Yo Mr Smurfie, I'm really not there yet. Might take years and years and years. I'm still shivering to the bone each day I step into the war zone and each time I'm given a new task. The kancheong monster resurfacing in the form of the witch. Will take me some time to settle down and stop shaking. In time, we might stop shaking together and perhaps start shaking legs.

Stress

2005-08-15T00:51:00.000+08:00

Even blogging seems a waste of time. Or sleeping, so to say.

Woman Behaving Badly

2005-08-10T00:16:00.000+08:00

Have been feeding my pals and close ones with lousy emotions recently. Lousy ones ranging from depressed speeches, to anger, to deep frustration and impatience with the occasional bright, cheerful sparks. Occasional. The last occasion was last Saturday, after trying on a single sided birkenstock sandal and anticipating the fireworks at Marina later. There is no excuse for such bad behaviour. I'm soaking in my constant, hopping temperament and drenching the people all around me. All because of a change in job and the inability to settle right in. I moan, I groan, I complain, I fumed. All while taking every single person who is willing to listen for granted. I sincerely apologize. Sorry ah. Especially if the emotion directed to you was anger and impatience. In truth, I'm not sure if I didn't mean it however, I supposed given my sense of thought and logic even now, I think I should just apologize and accept everything as my own fault - not that anyone voiced out or any major breakouts, except for pimples, errupted this time. But truely, it has to be me. Everybody's really nice and supportative this time around. A major thanks. Yah, really thank you, gam siah. And for the few people reading this, give yourselves a pat on the back. You deserve it after reading through all these nonsense.

Sole Heaven

2005-08-09T17:07:00.000+08:00

All of things I'm hoping to buy right now besides books and more books - I've given up on clothes as well as accessories since I don't like my new company dress code - is a pair of lovely birkenstock sandals. I worship the sandals the moment I laid an unsuspecting foot in one of them last Saturday. The colors, the comfort, what was I doing all these while? Staring at the blisters on my feet, the only thing in my mind is I NEED! Unable to wait for next month, I think I'm likely to make my first purchase next week. My very first pair of birkenstock and maybe a nice palette of pretty eye shadow colors. All next week.

Landing Spot

2005-08-09T16:41:00.000+08:00

I'm missing out on something. Something dear, something fine, something really close to the heart. A place, a cubicle, a desk, anything at all to call my own in this new company of mine. I'm lost. In constant need of direction, desperately searching for a cozy landing spot to settle down. All I need and ask for is a desk and pray, a good pc. I'll just make do with horrid mice. ***updates*** GOOD NEWS!!! I received this wonderful piece of news - which was only hearsay last week - from my colleague that my boss has decided that the 2 of us and the attachment student - who looks waaaay too old for his current age of 19 - to be relocated back to the office at China Square Central after 2 more weeks at the current spot. Its the cosiest place ever - we went back to spring clean that place last evening to prepare for an important client visiting us tomorrow - and what's more, I've been given the best seat in the office, at the corner of the room so I can blog to my heart's content! - I wish. Oh yah and AH HUA - see her picture here - will be stationed at the current place instead of relocating back with me! HOORAY!

Ringing in The Bright Sunshine

2005-08-09T13:48:00.000+08:00

Orange is officially my favorite color now, the spot that green has taken for ages. I'm buying all things possibly orange - except for a certain brand of watch - basking in their vibrant hue. The Sony Ericsson handphone W800i I've been longing for since ages and ages ago is finally reaching our shores. If anyone of you have seen the full package, you must have understood my delight. It's B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L. I'm so wild with excitement, I can't wait for end of the year to arrive - not that its only reaching our island then but its likely gonna be much cheaper by that time of the year - so I can hold it in my hands and declare it mine - after full payment of coz! Then, there's the dilemma. I caught a glimpse of this egg-like looking Samsung E530C in Orange - on the brochure - last Saturday at Suntec and fell in cheaper love. It costs only a whooping half of W800i. Fickle, fickle minded person. They're both lovely in bright orange. Both with their own pros and cons - W800i's only con was the price and that's the biggest con ever. I've up to end of year to decide and if W800i's price were to drop drastically low - *hint hint* sponsors - my bet would it and the 512MB memory stick that comes together. *swoon*

Fruit for Thought

2005-08-05T21:49:00.000+08:00

Another one of my random thoughts. If tomatoes are fruits, why are they sold by the vege sellers?

Problematic Singaporean Aunties

2005-08-03T23:55:00.000+08:00

My 3rd day at work and I can't tahan that auntie already. For those who have heard me bitch abit about her and/or receive an MMS of her auntie back, yes, that is the auntie I'm talking about here. For those who does not know, she's my colleague. There's 3 clear reasons why I stayed clear of her. 1. She's obviously beyond my league. I've not reached that stage yet. 2. Her auntieness at work annoys me to no end. 3. She scares me shitless with her ultra auntieness. I noticed this other auntie on the train back home just now, made a mental note that she's about the same age as AH-HUA - her ultra auntiness - and the way she dressed and behave. No way am I gonna end up like that anytime at all in my life. Thus, I've set this new resolution for myself in the up and coming future. I shall strive be to a funky auntie and not an auntie auntie so that I'll not shame myself when I reach my 40s. Especially if I'm still working professionally. For those who have questions regarding the difference between the 2 categories of aunties - I'm sure some of you here will question *SIGHS* - here's the answer. Funky auntie is someone who is still funky and normal in the auntie age range. Whereas an auntie auntie is someone who is an auntie in the auntie age range. Still don't get it? Go hop on some trains or go to markets, sit down and observe as the auntie aunties bombard you with their auntieness and multiply by 5 for the effect she'll have on you if you were working professionally together - especially when she's not a clerk but in the IT line. In any case, I think Mr Smurfie is gonna write a blog post about this topic and most likely post the picture I took of her up. Wait up for it especially if I confuse you in my not explaining properly - gotta go stress him abit.

Miss Fitting Big Fish

2005-08-03T23:19:00.000+08:00

There was this line in the movie Big Fish that just hit me in the head this morning.

The ring master: You were a big fish in a small pond but this is the ocean and you find yourself drowning in it.

To which Edward Bloom replies something in the line of he'll still swim well in it, with a smile. The world outside the bridge scares me a little. No, make that pretty much alot. I'm lonely. A little scared. A bit worried. A mixture of everything. The only good thing is that I'm still trying - short of going back to beg for a job. And then it also occurred to me that I'm feeling kinda like Richard Mayhew in Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere. I seemed to have fallen between the cracks. The cracks where the misfits fit. I don't seemed to be able to function well in an normal environment because I not only do not have the normal skills for survival, I do not like them as well. At this point in time, I start to wonder. I wonder if I should do an Edward Bloom and look at trouble in the eye, laugh out loud and get my way or should I do a Richard Mayhew. Richard fell between by accident, tries hard to work his way in a strange new world, which turns to welcome him more than his own and which he in turn chose over his big new office and penthouse. In summary, Edward Bloom changed the environment to fit him in, while Richard Mayhew changed his location to find that right environment. Food for thought really. And before I figure out which I should be, I'll just stay on and keep trying.

First of August

2005-08-01T22:51:00.000+08:00

Can't say I'm all prepared for the day coz I seriously believed that I'll be still at home reading Robert Jordan and his never ending wheel for another few weeks. Turned up at the PSA building at 9am - i don't work for PSA and please don't ask me where I work here, I'm gonna be anonymous from today onwards, not even gonna mention I own a blog at work. I'm tired. Seriously tired at this time, 11:08pm. I slept at 1:30am last night, reading all about the beginning of the wheel. Blurred through work - the guys are better than the gals - and met up with Mr Smurfie for a tiny bitching session at Ikea, Burger King. It's funny how you dislike a place so much and at the end of it, you start to miss the little things that made you stayed there the first place. Mr Smurfie and myself were discussing about this during dinner just now. In fact, the moment I sat down in front of my new workstation this morning, I started to miss my old one already. All the warm fuzzy feelings gone. It is kinda strange getting all meek and unfamiliar to a whole new world again when I was calling the shots for the past 1 year and 3 months. What can I say? It's my choice and it's just another step into my future, the one that I wish I could reach. Tomorrow shall be a better day. I'm gonna work hard.

Whatever

2005-07-30T23:55:00.000+08:00

Ever had one of those times when you knew exactly what you should do, what you want to do but can't decide if you should hit the Green button to Go? Plenty, I'm sure. I was stuck between a rock and a very hard place many hours ago. Not knowing how I should hit the button, I asked for advice. And knowing very well that the advice wouldn't be easy - which is why I asked for it in the first place - I didn't get very satisfactory answers, which was just as well. Fine. What I didn't expect was the sudden outburst of internal withdrawal from the advisor. From openly giving advise, to getting me slightly agitated, then asking if I would like to talk about it again, to ignoring me totally as if I didn't breathe in the same area of air. "This reveals a profoundly philosophical bent in these dogs that were not mine, because they had worked out that I had to be there in order for them to be able to ignore me properly. You can't ignore someone who isn't there, because that's not what 'ignore' means." - Douglas Adams, The Salmon of Doubt. If there's anything I hate alot, that's ignore. People ignoring my presence to be precise. I do not understand where I've gone so wrong sometimes. And if I were to be correct in the understanding, the person in question later commented that he is somehow angry because he is unable to provide me with good advice? Given that, how was I to react? I seemed to be the instrument for the advisor's inner anger expulsion rather than object of comfort. I storm off. I later apologized for bad behaviour - though I still very much believe in my rights to anger - and was brush off by a "up to you", which roughly translates to whatever and in which I replied with a whatever too. So much for making up for bad behaviour. Seems like, I do not always have the right to anger. Perhaps it is even believed by some that I asked for it. I beg to differ. And while still begging to differ, I think I should just stop asking for advice, which translates to asking for it again. There really is no point, which again and perhaps translates to whatever.

Walking on Sunshine

2005-07-29T17:01:00.000+08:00

Woke up this morning feeling the same way as I did yesterday, all *QWERTY and out of job. To remind those who has yet updated their internal memory and such, I was officially out of job on Thursday, yesterday. The only difference is that I'm harboring a slight hope in me. Waiting for a phonecall that I might or might not receive - I went for an interview yesterday and came out of it with some good vibes. By mid noon after watching Big Fish - and weeping along with the story line for the second time - I was already beginning to lose hope. Perhaps the vibes were all wrong. Gotta start sending resumes out now. Time to get used to joblessness again. *SIGHS* At about 4pm+, I heard this very familiar ringtone. It's THAT company. I was shocked, stoned, stunned, something like all of these words combined. I'm starting work on Monday, next Monday. How do I even contain my happiness? The M1 song kept sounding in my ears, I even walked with skips inserted in between. I'm really walking on sunshine and it certainly feels good. NOTE: Due to the previous post and some happenstance, I've decided to adopt QWERTY as my new found curse word. It shall be as vulgar as I like it to be, mild as you think it should be. Whatever it is, let the QWERT word begin.

Kill Yew, Cue You, Q, U

2005-07-28T00:59:00.000+08:00

Play scrabble often enough and you'll start becoming like me. I watch out for subtitles on channel 8 programs and tries hard to remember words starting and ending with not so common letters then start dreaming about placing them correctly at night. Had a game with Mr Smurfie yesterday where I was stuck with a Q and only 1 U on the board for the entire game. I was cracking my head on where else I could place that 5 point letter Q on. Then it struck me. Where there's Q, there must be U. Think about it. QUiet, QUite, QUestion, QUeUe, eQUipment, enQuery, sQuid, sQUare, sQuard, QUarter, kUmQUat, seQUin, QUit. Is there even a Q without a U? Asked Mr Smurfie on the bus just now. He gave me this constipated look and decided that we should look it up in the dictionary later on - we were meeting Starusticity for dinner and job lost celebration. Asked Starusticity later on and the smart, smart gal came up with "QWERTY". Boys and girls, no matter what your IT vocab tells you, "QWERTY" is really not a word. Like "WYSIWYG", it's some strange short form not a word and it's something to do with computers. A decision was made at Cafe Cartel - where I lost airen's camera for a while and retrieved back again later - that we should head up to Times bookshop and check out the dictionaries. And so we did. In fact, Starusticity was so curious, she postphoned her loo trip all for it. Opened some dictionary, look up the letter Q, scanned the pages, all the OFFICIAL English words starting with the letter Q contains at least 1 U. Posted the same QUestion on my way back home to airen. Didn't get much answers either. Mr Smurfie on MSN just now "damn you" me for making him look for words for Q in them and finally says "you win" to me for posting the QUestion coz he suspects they all have Us. I'm still not convinced though "I won". Scrabble can't kil me off with a Q and only 1 U in the entire game. The search continues. Let me know if someone can think of something, just don't mention Q-Tip. I don't accept that as an OFFICIAL English word.

The Witch's Intelligence Auto Answering Machine

2005-07-26T20:34:00.000+08:00

Tomorrow at this hour, I'll be at some place - don't know where yet - with Mr Smurfie and Starusticity celebrating the next step of our lives - or rather leaving the bridge once and for all. Tomorrow, I shall stand outside the JTC office building and yell "NO MORE MR PINK" in triumph while knowing that I'll likely get a phone call from him the very next day, and the next, and the next. To counter that - I discussed with Airen sometime last week - I've decided to "record" the following scripts if I ever receive any of his calls again. Below is an imagined scenario. Something I wish might come true somehow *hysterical laughter*

Mr Pink: Eh..HALLO? Pseudo Recording: Hello, this is the Witch's Intelligence Auto Answering Machine. If your name is Mr Pink, please press 1. If your name is Oman, please press 2. If your name is PZ, please press 3. If you are neither of the above, please record your message immediately after the "dooooo" sound. Mr Pink presses 1. Mr Pink: AH *burps* HALLO ah... Pseudo Recording: The identification procedure has not completed. Please do not speak or make any undesirable sounds till it is completed. Mr Pink: Aiyah...why this like that? *burps* My name is Mr Pink. Pseudo Recording: Yes, it is like that. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. Your identity has been confirmed. Please record your message after hearing the words "F**K @FF". You have 5 seconds. "F**K @FF". Mr Pink: *burps* Eh...I'm Mr Pink ah... Pseudo Recording: F**K @FF!! Mr Pink: HAR? I... Pseudo Recording: F**K @FF!! Mr Pink: I...I...I... Pseudo Recording: F**K @FF!!! F**K @FF!! F**K @FF!!
Mr Pink: HALLO??
Pseudo Recording: Thank you for using the Witch's Intelligence Auto Answering Machine. Good Bye. *Click* dooooo............................ Mr Pink: HALLO? HALLO? *burps* aiyah cham...

Coming in Second Last

2005-07-26T12:27:00.000+08:00

The clock is ticking...one more day, a few more hours. Just a few more hours and my sentence will be up.

To Hunt for a Rubber Rice Bowl

2005-07-22T09:05:00.000+08:00

I'm scheduled for another interview today and I'm not even excited about it one bit. In fact after some thinking and a sleepless night - not exactly coz I did sleep, juz woke up slightly earlier today by myself - I've decided that it's not a job that I'm interested in. I read through the job scope about twice and it just kinda got stuck to my mind since then. Simple, simple, simple job that doesn't require much effort or brains. Mr Smurfie says I'm kinda crazy - he added in the words "no offence" - when I told him I'm looking for something that requires me to work hard and OT. Yes, I do admit that it sounds kinda nuts and I'm probably missing some bolts in my head but I think deep down inside, all I really wanna do is to work hard, a thinking job. I'm not looking for a mundane life. I'm seeking a career at age 26 and 3 months old and going home on time seemed a job more suitable for a woman tied down with kids. Gonna call the agent in about 10 minutes' time - I'm such a coward not calling him now. Even got airen to write me a script to reject the offer sincerely and ever so nicely. I feel really bad though coz I applied for the job in the first place and he really made effort to help me arrange for the interview. This part is written 10 mintues later after the phone call. I've called him up to reject the offer of interview. The agent was furious in his nice talking way - I wouldn't expect it any other way either - with more than a pinch of sacarism by his laughter. Ok, I mean I'm sorry I booboo your job but that's really not me and I had to stop myself from wasting more cab fare - borrowed money from mummy somemore. You blew a maybe only commission, I might have blown my own career away. I'm not taking chances anymore. Not gonna anyhow, anyhow hantam just to secure a ricebowl either. This time, I'll take long moments considerations before I send out my resumes. The quarter life crisis is not over yet. Not least till I find some super, steady rubber - can stretch type - rice bowl.

Much More Than Annoyance

2005-07-21T16:54:00.000+08:00

In no time at all, I'll be flying out of this place where I spent the last 1 year and 3 months in - next Wednesday in actual fact. I should be happy I think. All my friends here have left, - or at least is leaving - my work is useless and then there's the insufferable idiocy every other day - make that many times a day. I should be happy.

blah blah blah blah....

I was gonna go on about the emptiness I'm feeling now etc, about how I might in the smallest possibility miss this place and work. That is until Mr Pink opened his mouth to ask some dumb question.

ARRRRGGGGHHHHHHH...............SOMEBODY!! I need poke his eyes with something sharp and forget it if I ever mention missing this place or anything good about here. I'm leaving and good riddance to all of them.

Make that TWO questions. He just asked me another bloody stupid useless question and even had the ~~chick~~ cheek to come over to see the report from my screen. A few more days of him. Just a few more days of him. In the meantime, I do have a few small wishes. 1. I sincerely hope to never meet him again. Ever. Dua Bei Gong please bless me. 2. I hope I'll not bloody his nose or something - yes I know I can't reach it when he's standing up. whatever. 3. Let us just not communicate these last few days. Yes, that means NOT to speak to me again. No questions nothing. Use brain this time ok? Please? Ok, now let us revisit the original post. I should be happy leaving here? NO! I'm incredibly happy!! Bring in the booze on Wednesday and let us go celebrate many days without Mr Pink, the annoying pink mosquito. Good riddance to him.

Budding Musician

2005-07-18T23:24:00.000+08:00

I kaypohly accompanied airen to my once upon a time neighborhood - Queenstown - last Friday to get his er hu for his lessons starting in 2 weeks' time. Learning the er hu has always been his wish and I'm sincerely happy that it's coming true for him. Though I do admit feeling jealous coz er hu is gonna take up a bit more time of his life now, which leaves him conveniently and always unavailable for me on Mondays. See him walking so briskly and happily into the shop? I haven't really been inside a music shop - or whatever you call it -before and seriously, the number of instruments big and small really do intimidate me to no end. I felt dumb all of a sudden as if I've entered a place I'm not supposed to be and they're telling me I do not belong there. Maybe I really do not. The only thing muscial I ever played often enough is my ipod. I can't tell the difference between one big instrument from another much less the sound difference, which the kindly sales assistant was trying to explain to us. I stared at the guitar lying against the wall near the entrance while airen was still talking to the gal about prices and such, thought about the times when I've wanted to learn it and felt a prick in my heart. Seeing airen take up the time and effort to learn makes the urge to learn the guitar build up once more. The tiny urge however, was put out minutes later by money concerns, a dying PC and a sensible mind telling myself to set my priorities right. If I had money to spare right now, it would have to be on a new Pee Cee... Airen was almost floating to the air after paying 200 hundred over dollars for the stick and strings combination. He is now on the first step to being a ~~magician~~ musician as he muses while I calculated the possible career path he could take - with the er hu - if he were to be jobless one day. Despite all the grumblings and so on, I do hope that he can keep the passion for this burning bright in him and play me the first song he learns - though one must understand that the beginner's lessons do not touch on any songs, they really only teach the students to produce bearable noises.

Being Patriotic

2005-07-16T01:08:00.000+08:00

Took this picture at Queenstown just now, on the way to buy airen's er hu. It's been a long, long time since I've seen a block of flats with ALL the national flags hanging nicely out - not even a wrong sided one. This is block 162 at Stirling Road, directly opposite of where I used to stay. I've faced this block of flats a hundred thousand times in all my years living there - but never a scene like this. I've never believed it but an array of red and white lining up nicely against a colorful block of flats can really be a lovely sight. Makes me feel so patriotic all at once though I'm embarassed to admit that our family is one of those many thousands who has not hung a flag in the last few years. I'm not even sure if we still had one at home. The warm and fuzzy feeling didn't last long for a person like me though coz before long, I started to wonder the GRC has anything to do with it coz it all seemed too good to be true. Which also brings a question to mind. Do foreigners here need to hang them too?

Color Terms Commonly Used

2005-07-15T23:46:00.000+08:00

On the bus home yesterday, I did this irritating peeking over my shoulder thing coz the gal sitting next to me was holding on to a piece of paper, who's information got me interested. The title says "Color Terms Commonly Used". First thought that came to my mind, she is supposed to use her color pencils or highlighters to shade off the commonly used terms. Erm...no... The answer was displayed in the rest of the paper, in the manner of 5 main words and corresponding paragraphs of explaination. It took me a while to finally get it. Hue, Intensity, Shade, Tint and Value. She must have been an Art student.

Being Hopeful

2005-07-15T23:41:00.000+08:00

My PC is dying, everyone knows that now. The PC fund is growing very slowly, at about a few cents a day and that's really bad. Below is last night's MSN conversation with Mr Smurfie and us being hopeful about our equipments. The buck teeth person is me by the way and in case you get nightmares out of it, I'm sorry and am not liable for whatever health conditions that might result from it. Sorry if the picture is unclear and the words unreadable. Don't strain your eyes over them. My basic point is that I need a new PC soon, that is all. If you've strained them already, too bad lor.

Bad Interviews 101

2005-07-14T23:35:00.000+08:00

Although I've mentioned about not wanting to talk about my job hunting stories here, I simply had to blog this down - my very first interview this time round. This morning - actually since yesterday - started with a major "aiyah not keen" feeling towards the job. In fact I spent the entire day in the office, struggling with a bad stomach ache - coz I was nervous for an interview I wasn't even keen on - over scrabble. My appointment with the guy was 6.40pm and I as there sharp as an arrow. He came out of his office with a sian look on his face, didn't even bother to introduce himself, as if I would know the short, thin guy in pink shirt is him.

Pink guy: Aiyah, there's another guy coming at the same time as you. Aiyah. I think he's coming up now. Me: ...

He was holding this 2 resumes, one of them mine with the words 14/7 and 6.40pm written clearly on it while the other was void of any scribbles. He stood there not moving for some long whiles then asked if I saw a guy at the lift lobby. NO! A guy suddenly popped out of nowhere. I thought he was the colleague, apparently not. The pink guy repeated about the "aiyah 2 person same time thing". I wanted to ask him "so how now? how now?" but I bit my tongue. This is afterall an interview. He thought for some moments bade us to follow him into his office where he stood for awhile, stared at us and said to me.

Idiotic MCP in pink: Miss Ang, can you sit here and wait while I finish up with him?

Wait a minute! I was here first. If he's supposed to be earlier but came later, he should sit and wait. If he's supposed to be later than me then all the more he should be the one waiting right? Already I'm disliking the place. I turned to the armchair and sat down fuming mad with 3/4 a mind wanting to simply storm off. Then I thought of the $12.20 cab fare, felt a pinch and decided to stay. The interview he had with the other guy didn't take too long, only about 15 minutes which I suspect - and was correct - mine would be around the same. I approached the interview with a certain enmity since I already wasn't too happy nor keen. I made disgusted faces etc and simply left out my normal "interview" face. At the end of it all, I found out that it was just another one of those fire fighting jobs and I made it confirmed in my mind that even if they were crazy enough to shortlist me, I'm not gonna accept the shortlisting. I supposed we were both releasing out bad vibes coz he didn't bother to shake my hand and I didn't bother to thank him either - no thanks for all that and wasting my money, Sir!

Annoying MCP in Pink: You know what, you're actually better than the other guy. I think it's coz you can speak better English. Me: Oh is it? I thought he was better. Annoying MCP in Pink: He said he knew things but he couldn't answer the questions. Me: Ok... so what? you're gonna shortlist me coz my English teachers were better?

This ranked the number one seat in the lousy interviews I've attended. The second lousiest was some 2 years ago in a shipping company at Tuas. I was caught in heavy rain, drenched to the skin then left alone shivering in a meeting room far from any living organisms AND they forgot all about me till almost 2 hours later - they said so themselves. During the interview, I got so pissed off by them, I almost told them off coz they said something like "from your experiences, you seemed more like a technical person, we're not looking for someone like you. blah blah blah" Hallo? Clearly some people did not read my resume properly before calling me up - bitches. The third lousiest one wasn't all that bad except for the memorable cab ride there.

Cab uncle: Where are you going, Miss? Me: Erm...Gelyang. ER....this address, this one. Cab uncle: What you doing there? Me: Oh, I'm going for an interview. Cab uncle: ......................................................

It was an IT trainer job.

Night of Silly Misadventures AKA The WAH WAH Night

2005-07-14T22:35:00.000+08:00

The night of July 12th started out like this... (Read Starusticity's chronological account of the night's events) Mr Smurfie: How about we go for Mac? Me: Go ask her how lor. Today her last day. Starusticity: But I can't go yet!!! PZ is still inside!! blah blah blah...I needa be home by 8 (to watch TV lah) blah blah Me: Ok we go downstairs and wait for you. Minutes later... no sign of Starusticity. Minutes later... still no sign of her - wave bye bye to Mr P though. Minutes passed... after all the "wah lau! now then come down" crap, we made our ways to the bus stop supposedly to go Mac at Clementi for a chop chop meal then while Starusticity head home for TV, Mr Smurfie will needa be at Pasir Panjang to sign his employment letter - new job. this guy, so heng. At the bus stop... 3 people couldn't get on the bus not coz it was that crowded but the people in the bus wouldn't move inwards if their life depended on it - likely coz the fat, fat army guys on the bus stinks. Starusticity: What time do you need to be there? Mr Smurfie: Latest by 7.30. The time was 6.30pm, we're waiting for bus at Ulu Clementi and still going for a Mac meal. Starusticity: How are you gonna go? Mr Smurfie: Take bus lor. Take 200. It's behind the Pasir Panjang Food Centre. The other day kena from the cab driver coz I didn't know where it was. Take bus better. Starusticity: Aiyah! Tell the cab driver Pasir Panjang Food Centre lor!!! Why not we follow you there? We eat there also!!! The 3 now tries hard to flag for a cab and managed to get it after a short while, though the uncle was a bit strange. Starusticity and I were chatting happily on the cab taking pictures when someone in the front seat suddenly go "reach already, reach already". Huh? In the middle of nowhere that's full of cheese prata stores and lotsa uncle karmas. Mr Smurfie: Aiyah! Wrong lah. This is far away from where I was supposed to go. Me: Eh? Then why you ask the uncle to stop??? Mr Smurfie: I thought all shophouses look the same mah and that place also have that -> pointing to PSA containers. Then bobian lor, the 3 had to walk to the NUS bus interchange while Mr Smurfie calls the company people out to ask if bus number 10 goes to the correct place. Starusticity: YAY!! I've always wanted to take bus 10. Me: Har? Why? Starusticity: Coz it's one zero mah (her name in chinese) Sense her happiness on bus 10 Wah lau we take cab for the sake of taking bus one ~~zero~~ lor. The ultimate sotong king. Me: Wah! Can go Haw Par Villa from here leh. Can also go Sentosa. Starusticity: Wah!! I like this place got pubs! Wah! Like Ally McBeal leh! So cool! Wah! Starusticity: Eh? Your company no signboard one? Me: Hey! We're here and we're going up with you! Mr Smurfie: Erm...no. Please. Starusticity and Me: OK lor. Wah! See got Indian food leh! blah blah Wah! blah blah... No sign board but got mailbox. Mr Smurfie abandons his friends for upstairs while Starusticity and myself go survey the surroundings. "WAH! Got Cold Storage! Got Guardian!! WAH! Got Jap food but expensive ley...got desert shop!" "WAH! Got so many pubs!! Got 7-11. Aiyoh! Got church even!!" "Wah so many Ang mos!!" etc etc etc etc etc Time goes tick tick tick... Starusticity: Is he coming down? Where is he? Me: Sekali he go home liao!!! The bus stop is directly in front of his new company. Sekali he come down, see his bus and then just zoomed in, forgetting about us...maybe we should have followed him up. Ok, he wasn't so mean though he was rather late in coming down. We boarded the bus 51, deciding to go down to Queensway for our long deserved dinner, not before uploading Mr Smurfie with all sorts of information. "There got cold storage lor, then here hor, wah sia! Got foot relexology leh! Do work half way can come down. Got lotsa uncle karma food." "Got 7-11!! 7-11 leads to a back alley full of food also. There's seafood resturant on the left and, and a church!" Can get a shoulder massage halfway through programming. His ears wasn't spared even when we boarded the bus coz Starusticity and I were long time patrons of the Queenstown, Alexandra area. We lived, studied and I worked there. We were going on and on about "Hey! That's Alexandra Village good food!" "I worked here for 2 years!" "I studied opposite her workplace for 2 years too." "We were visiting the same doctor for years too!!!" "There's a T-Rex over there!" "I was born THERE!!!" Even after we alighted, we were still going on and on and on like "There's Ikea. I-KEA." "There's Queensway, where you buy cheap sports shoes." It was that hyper. The exclaimation marks were not excessive. Dinner was a fun filled event with details of weird school stories such as the flying roof, the haunted loo, the burnt down labs and of coz all sorts of unrelated crap. Lame joke of the day was the potato in the gunny sack. Be nice to me and I might just repeat it. Mr Smurfie: Earth! Me: Fire! Starusticity: Wind! Me: Water! All: HEART! All started singing the captain planet song. It's a wonder how one of the most disliked cartoons in the 90s - by me at least - has the most memorable song and phrases. Don't believe me, try the Visionaries and see how much of the phrases you can mumble out, much less the song. Mr Smurfie: The sissy guy with the HEART power should be a politician ley. Me: Why? Mr Smurfie: HEART! Ok now you all listen to me... Starusticity: I think HEART is to talk to animals only lah. Mr Smurfie: Er...is it? haha EEEK!!! The night has ended? Har? Yah I think so, kinda. End of the night, we each went off our separate ways, like it was in our still young careers. Our paths might cross again one more day, even if it did not, it is nice knowing these people at the bridge, however lousy a place it was and Starusticity managed to reached home before 11pm to catch the tv program she missed at 8.

Slightly More than a Quarter Century

2005-07-13T22:18:00.000+08:00

Was writing this post, a rather happy one, some crazy adventure we had yesterday. Couldn't carry on till the end. Didn't know why but I just simply broke down. My exteriors cracked - like a century egg, I broke down and I cried. Perhaps it's the rush of emotions gusting out at full speed, all these feelings trapped inside for ages, at least since the last month. So much has happened. Had a job, was fedup but sailing along. Woke up one day and thought "no, this is not what I wanted". Quit my job, thinking "let's just go find what I truly desire". Serving notice and feeling so so. Got another wake up call this time, saying "hey! you're really in the pits you know? you can't go anywhere actually. you're simply in a nicer term, useless". Lost my confidence, pick up my butt again and started desperately looking for jobs. Job came in - interview tomorrow - but why am I feeling lost again? These few months also saw friends and airen breezing either through their careers - perhaps breeze is not the correct word but it is to me -, their social lives or their emotional well being. I felt so left behind somehow. I've never been so full of envy, envy even of the one closest to me. Been asking myself what do I exactly want? Been wanting to also duplicate the type of lives that people around me are leading. Somehow I'm always somewhere there, yet not quite so. In fact, it would be more convenient to say I was never there. Airen got rather offended - I think - when I told him I'm jealous of him. He said I should be happy for him. His life and the way it's going. Yes, I do admit I'm wrong but everywhere I turn, I see someone going somewhere. I'm neither here nor there, I'm simply nowhere. It hurts to feel that way. It hurts to see people who are inferior to me getting there - wherever there might be. It hurts even more to have people coming up to me, showering praises and such because I'm not worth it - yet. I refused to be a cookie cutter working personnel in this government protected island. Still, I seemed to be trying hard at living the high lives of a successful, executive ginger bread man to prove my worth. I'm a conflict unto myself. Airen, there's nothing to be sorry about regarding your success, it's me who's simply sorry. I probably would need to pick myself up once more. It's only my ego that's bruised, I wonder why I even bothered competing myself against you - it's been a long, long time since he frequent this lonely place when once he was my most loyal fan. perhaps that made me felt left out too coz this was the place that made me felt important even when I'm not for the very simple reason, "the audience are listening" or rather reading. I wonder if he'll ever get to read this. Quarter life crisis, if only it were that simple. Then again, is quarter life crisis even simple?

Think Before Giving

2005-07-13T10:58:00.000+08:00

Give someone a piece of your mind, do that too often and you might just end up being a mindless idiot - give, give, give until bo liao. Give it sparingly at your own peril and don't say I didn't warn you. So lor, next time I tell you, just scold people, nag or etc, don't use chim chim words. You understand?

Fly Tampines Maybe?

2005-07-12T23:49:00.000+08:00

Heard this on the train when I was on my way home from the wonderful Pasir Panjang Adventure with Starusticity and Mr Smurfie - will blog about this tomorrow with some lame pictures. In the meantime read here.

Guy talking on his handphone: There's no domestic flights in Singapore you idiot!!!"

Live My Precious, Live!

2005-07-12T23:27:00.000+08:00

My PC finally gave in to old age last night. It simply keeps rebooting and rebooting itself till I almost give it a boot in the CPU casing. Tried to do a rollback to the last known good configuration state but guess what? Doesn't work. Tried installing Windows over etc etc, nay doesn't. Format the damn thing again, nope! Not working either. The good news is, it's up and running again - I decided to try pulling out my memory card reader's USB cable and Windows just brought it upon itself to continue installing from the failure spot late last night. Anyway, the point is - well, strictly speaking, there is no point - I need a new PC coz it died on me again just now. Handphones and all that stuff can wait. A new PC is a definite. I need a new PC!!! In the meantime before I saved that minimum amount for one, sayang sayang, my precious, please don't die on me anyhow, anyhow again hor. I'm handicap without you.

All Things Living Have Souls?

2005-07-11T16:21:00.000+08:00

According to Buddha - so said my Christian erm...friend, Mr Smurfie - all things living have souls. Thus the topic of the day in the midst of Yings and Yangs is, do sperms have souls? And if they do, it must be really hard - pun intended - on the men - not the general term but the male hormone sapiens - carrying such a huge burden with them. The next question, if all living things reincarnate, do sperms go through the same reincarnation circle as well? Now if they do, how merciful is that, if reincarnation actually meant becoming sperms again, going through the whole swimming process, in the meantime most likely getting rejected once a hundred more times? And the circle continues, you fail, you try again. Might as well, have them become real life, living, breathing professional swimmers. Oh, but then again, that would also mean sperms. In fact by means of reincarnation, does that simply mean that we're thrown back into becoming sperms, one out of billions and millions waiting for the command to go ahead? All these years of square box education where people gets reincarnated as pigs, dogs, insects and people seemed so out of logic now. I seriously do feel cheated. These movie makers really didn't know what they were doing when they were planning scripts. On the other hand, this might have given the new meaning to starting out from really small.

Franchises Still Available

2005-07-11T12:17:00.000+08:00

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Nailing Gaiman Down

2005-07-06T22:54:00.000+08:00

Finally got my butt moving to write this post and uploading the pictures taken yesterday and couple of mintues ago. As most of you know, I took leave yesterday for a reason, which some might think is totally ludicrous. I left home at 3.15pm when I should have at 2.30pm. Stupid, stupid, stupid me. Wasted time trying to dress young to blend with what I anticipated would be a rather young crowd and end up running all the way from orchard MRT to Kino coz I was SO late! Waiting for bus at 3.15pm and furiously thinking "Where got people take leave to be late one, I ask you? Me lor!" There was a queue near the entrance at the linguistic section with a security guard next to it so I thought, ok...not too long afterall luckily I managed to make it. Yah, lucky indeed, I was REALLY lucky to have asked the guard if that was the Neil Gaiman queue.

Guard rather irritated: No no no!!! The queue is THERE!!! Chinese section. Me: WHAT?

For those unfamiliar with the map of Kinokuniya Orchard, I've provided a tiny and not so accurate map of it, from I started till where I ended. There's no mark on the spot as in where the queue started though coz I never got to even smelled it, it was THAT far. The black areas are shelves, I'm not really sure how many there were but I thought it was pretty much the same. By the way, "Me at 4.15" was the end of Chinese section and start of the Japanese so when Mr Smurfie told me to grab a book from the shelves and read, I almost flipped. Starusticity chatted with me on the phone as well from time to time to get my status update, telling me how she understood my frenzy and how she would support me - like a bra? - in this. This was the book that started it all - for me at least. Also he's happily married and not gay. There was Tashes who messaged me and offered to come with me for the autograph session though I'm sure she would have killed me if she came along. By the way, just to clear something, Tashes, I thought when you said you wanted to come with me, it was you, sans your boyfriend. Ok, doubt cleared and back to story. The middle were the Japanese comics and my final landing spot where I sat for about 1.5 hours with badly numbed right leg and read Lee's American Gods, was the English comics section. This is as badly taken as many of my pictures and I doubt anyone can see the long queue from here but this was the Japanese section, near the end of the queue where I was. The people you see here, they're not browsing for books, they're all queuing up. I think I forgot to mention her, Lee was the nice student from La Salle who was standing in front of me, who chatted with me while I was furiously mad and dripping in sweat - from running. In fact, stupid, stupid me did not even introduce myself or anything in the hours we were struggling to get by there, half with anxiety, half with fear. I believe we both had that "we most likely can't make it" thoughts in our heads but having a person to chat with saved both of us - me at least - from giving up prematurely. Thanks Lee, whoever and wherever you are now :) This stupid guy jumped queue in front of Lee and myself. I took out airen's camera and snap a picture of him. Wasn't so fedup with him anymore now, coz he and his friend left at about 6pm. Naynaynaybooboo I have what you don't! In fact, I'm glad for having wonderful friends around to edge me to go along when I was having doubts coz I'm behind time in my aspx - I still am! Of coz also Mr Smurfie and his friend Illicitus. Mr Smurfie was jesting while I was on the phone with him earlier on in the noon when it was still the 4 o'clock hour that he'll offer himself to come queue for me - I had to rush home to complete some work and the 2nd session starts from 8.30pm till 10.00pm - which was later changed to 9pm SHARP - if he had not needed to go for a hair cut. I pondered over it then called him for help. He so nicely said YES! I was in shock mode for a couple of seconds. WOW! That's really what friends are for. I've yet met a person so nice before - with such a stuck up look somemore :P Neil Gaiman signing my book while Illicitus snaps a shot of Mr Smurfie's back. A moment never to be duplicated again. So I waited and waited, queued and chatted with Lee - Mr Smurfie introduced himself to her later but didn't get her full name that is why I'm Leeing here and there - sometimes with Starustcity, Mr Smurfie and finally airen - don't know where he go to until about 6pm. While the whole lot of us Gaiman fans - as Kino announces - were sitting down in queue at 6.30pm coz Neil Gaiman has gone upstairs to the Library@Orchard for a talk and more autograph signning, 2 ~~airhead~~ malay gals walked passed.

~~Airhead~~ Malay gal 1: What is this? Reading competition har?

Aiyoh! Think lor gal, if reading competition how come inside Kino itself? They wanna kill their own business is it? And just what the hell is a reading competition???? Mr Smurfie told me that Neil Gaiman said "Oh! I've got to draw a star for this" when he was signing my Stardust *floating in 7th heaven now* Anyway, back to the story in bits and pieces. Basically lots of people were there, lots of people at the back left. Some people were doing COSPlay for no good reason and parading around - didn't wanna take their photo coz I don't really like people who do that. And lots more people were determined to get their ~~boobs~~ books signed while I breathed in deeply to exhale the same air as Gaiman. Somebody told me to be contented just by being in the same building as he is. *pouts* But then yes, I am contented. This is the autograph on my Marvel 1602 comic. I think it's extremely nice of him to draw ribbons. Mr Smurfie helped his bro signed a Sandman comic but all he got was the signature alone. I guess he couldn't have drawn sand on it right? Mr Smurfie arrived at about 8pm. I was extremely delighted to see his face - for once. He was my saviour then coz he even so nicely bought me a cheese burger, a bottle of distilled water and told me it's on him - I have zero cents on me. We ate at the queue, bitched a while about Mr Pink then exchanged places. I wasn't so sure if he could make it either and was rather gulity at making him come do such a silly thing but then there's always hope and so he stayed. I heard Illicitus came later on, too bad I didn't get to meet you but you're a nice person too, afterall you read my blog :P This has no reason to be here I know but airen just bought it for me for no particular reason and so I thought to display it for all to see :D Anyway I got home at about 9.15pm, on the way chatting to airen on the phone about the day's events to the tiniest details - such as the first guy in the queue came in at 11am etc etc - and worrying about whether Mr Smurfie had managed to get them signed. In fact, I didn't dare to message nor called him for status. I'd rather not know. He did called me at about 9.50pm though. The words "I got it" didn't register till mintues later... Read Mr Smurfie's account here to get a better idea of the queue and Gaiman experience as he calls it from 8pm till 9.50pm.

Bouncing Back in Place

2005-07-06T14:02:00.000+08:00

Nothing gets me down too long especially when I'm furiously mad I supposed. Some tiny hours after the earlier blog and anger when my sis hitted a nerve, I went jobsdb and started sending out a few resumes when before I had wanted to start only next week - coz I was still rather uncomfortable at sending things off when I'm not even half way through my aspx. Heck it now. I'll just do it as I always do, modify my resume, hype things up in a big way and just click on the send button. Anger is good. So is pressure. It drives me up the wall and when I have no more place to run, I usually break down hard and start hitting back - in a good way mostly. Though I had really wanted to stand up, walk over and slap Mr Pink hard on the cheek coz he is so damn stupid - raise your hands if you know why - getting so much more pay than me, doing so much lesser work and plain dumb. Ok now...I think I'm the stupid one instead for so obvious reasons...damn. Er...not the point now I supposed. Another good thing that came out of it was that in my anger and pseudo depression, tears started to form in my eyes for a while - only a while like 2 tiny drops. Good news if you asked me coz I haven't been having real tears for a long time due to this small eye problem I'm having. Dr Soh said my eye muscles were too tensed up and eyes don't produce tears anymore. Seems like I can now :D Whatever now, back to work and Neil Gaiman still has to wait for the next post.

The Shape of Concern

2005-07-06T11:00:00.000+08:00

I supposed the post about Neil Gaiman can wait - till tonight at least. Was suffering from what I thought was an incurable depressed state of mind just now regarding my upcoming job search campaign - I'm 70% cured of it now thanks to some nice person who has low self esteem - only knew about an hour ago that it is scientifically proven that low self esteem people are nice, no wonder I'm not. I have an ego problem. I am worried about it no doubt with all the unbalanced problems in clear sight but I'm still rather confident of my chances. There really is no need for kind hearted souls (sis, I'm talking about you, yes you're appearing in my blog now in a bad time as a bad person) to lay things out so transparently and in a way so negative. Concerns come in all odd shapes and sizes and I supposed usually not all the types that we normally asked for. I mean thanks for the concern but I can handle things my own way thank you very much until I break down or ask for some, help should really stay a few steps away - which is not to say all helps are bad, I think I'm contradicting myself and confusing people, oh well. Offer me help though when I start doing this. Anyway...erm...I supposed there is no anyway here. All I wanna do now is to get my asp.net up and running and kick start my job search campaign next week. Speaking of which, I'm not too sure if I should be updating that in here coz for a person with some ego problem - ME - failures are neither meant to be READ aloud nor in PRINT. I'll update the success though. In the meantime, it'd be more ramblings, complaints and of coz Neil Gaiman - sorry man, you've got to be slightly delayed.

Quick Help Needed

2005-07-04T23:46:00.000+08:00

I'm on leave tomorrow. Actually, I'm already serving my notice and oman (guess who) is not around and about town so it shouldn't be that big a deal except that I'm taking leave for a good - I hope - reason. Neil Gaiman's in town and I want him to sign my ~~boobs~~ books. I've been excited till death on his coming and having the chance to finally own something signed by someone really famous and not some TCS actor/actress - not someone barely famous either - till like just now coz I went shopping. Yes guilty me went shopping at Far East with Starusticity and Eternal Snow - seriously, I'm not sure what to call her now, her nick keeps ever changing and I'm having a tough time keeping up - to help shop for their friend's birthday present. Why I so kaypoh, you might ask, it's coz I've been credited as having good taste - don't believe? check out the last few birthday presents I gave out - and so I tagged along. The birthday presents I helped chose. Cool right? This is what you call taste, good taste :P It was a fantastic shopping spree, something I've not had in ages coz shopping with guys is so different from being out with gals. All 3 of us contributed our latest purchases to this picture. I think Tashes is the only person worthy of the guess like which belonged to who. It's also only after this picture then we realized that we're all so different from each other - if Tashes were here, I'm sure there'll be another completely different type of item. It's hard not to take a picture of this coz it's really so cute - applicable only to gals. Anyway, the thing about this whole shopping session is that the 4 hours it took, ate into my aspx time. I've loads of aspx to catch up on, documentation to prepare for handover etc etc all way behind time. And so here I am, in the midst of all these complaints and stuff, kneeling down in front of my pc typing this post and struggling with the to go or not to go question. I'm getting so indecisive. I need some help here. Quick help.