Can I say....

I am really happy this week?

- I kept to my new bio clock: waking up early getting to work by 9am and getting in bed before midnight, doing a little reading just before i knock the lights out.

- It was a productive work week: lotsa time-sensitive assignments which I managed to meet. Even though I spent the whole of Saturday in the office, it was good.

- I have a new desk at work! It's at this cozy corner with a mini bird's eye view on who's walking about and much closer to the pantry too! And I did a little spruce cleaning of the new work area - sqeaky clean. Finally a new phone with screener so I'd know who's calling. :)

- Keeping up with the gym runs (though not seeing the results yet, but closely monitoring it)

- J has been the sweetest: dropped by for a surprise lunch; took me to chinese desserts just cos the night was too cold and I had asked for something nice and warm in the middle of the night.

- Friday dinner with Ernest, (and friend) and zhijin was great. Ernest looked like a burnt African chicken and zhijin nicely snugged in her cardigan and coat. It was like 10 degrees on fri night or something and I was so severely unprepared for it.

- And so happy to see zhijin happy with my xmas gift! :))

Can I say I'm very proud of myself?

YES!

First working day of 2009

Officially, today is my first working day of 2009.

Everyone was still basking in the holiday fun (hangover) last Friday

while I nursed my runny nose and sore throat.

The weekend had been an alcohol rehabilitation of sorts

and also paid off some of my sleep debts.

I was so tired,

I couldn't even make myself go for a quick dinner

with fion and co,

so I merely lugged my big bag of new winter clothing home

and hit the sack before midnight.

Had a quick chat with Guy -

it's been sometime since we touched base.

He highly recommended The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

and said I would love the movie;

I'll catch that when it starts showing in HK,

or Singapore when I make it back later this month.

He thinks I'm too driven, so a little mellowness would help me -

take slower steps, have some quiet time alone

and figure out where I'm standing.

Sound advice -

which I took.

I went for facial

and got myself running at the gym again.

Travelled a little further,

over to the Kowloon side

and Jason and I had our hands on Mario racing game at the dingy arcade.

Sunday was spent alone;

except I took some time in the morning to visit the doc again

and took a little more time to buy stuff at Sogo

and a lot more time just going through past facebook photos and old emails.

I spend a lot of time going through the past...

I wonder if that's even a good use of my time.

I thought about my new year resolutions

and then I thought about how i'm going to keep to them.

tough.

but I'll still try.

And i did make it.

Early wake up in the morn, got to work at 8am.

Good breakfast and start to a new day.

Busy day at work - productive, but not quite effective

Went to the gym and sweat it out.

And I blogged

and I read.

And I'm going for salsa tomorrow night.

Finally!

After much talk of wanting to learn it properly...

2009 is going to be fantastic.

I just have to keep the fun going.

:)

photographic memories

I have a total of 146 photo albums on facebook in a time frame of 1.5yrs... and that is not even counting the ones I posted from friend's albums.

That makes 8 albums in a month, 2 albums a week!

it's amazing how time and memories are captured, isn't it?

Happy New 2009

A happy new year, a happy new you.

It is a ritual for most people, including myself, towards the end of every year, to reflect and think upon events in 2008, but I've been too sick and busy to do that.

I had let myself get sucked into the holiday partying despite not being in the best of health.

Time for celebrations - for a fantastic 2008 passed, and a fabulous 2009 ahead.



Sometimes, I get too neurotic for my own good.
Just like tonight.
Perhaps the cold is really getting to me.

I need to curl up in bed.

the joy of giving

Yesterday, zhijin told me she received a bouquet of flowers

and it made her day.

That's when I start to think how happy I was when I received flowers

out of the blue, for no particular reason.

I get caught up with work these days that I've stopped doing those extra little something for people, the ones I care about.

I recalled those days in sec school when we'd pass the 'chocolates' - Person A writes a note to Person B, along with a bar of choc, and B will do so for C and C for D and it goes on until A receives something.

Full circle.

So I did something today

to let you know I care about you(s).

The giver of joy receives double the joy.

-for jason-
The giver of surprises feels fantastic.

-for michelle-

Post mid Autumn blues

I had mean to get to the office and clear some work this morning. really.

it's 2.30pm and I'm still at home.

the INERTIA is simply too great - even though office is less than 10 min away.

I was up til 3am tidying up my place.

Finally got my hangers (100 of them, and still not enough!) and put up the clothes.

Neighbour says my place looked like a pig's sty, worse than his bunk in army. :(

TTT: Things take time.

I'll make sure i do a little something to spruce up the place every weekend.

Weekends in HK is always incredibly packed. We should have 4 working days in HK.

Fri night used to party; sat to recuperate; sunday to go out shopping/eating; monday to stay home and prepare for another intense work week.

Why is the pace in HK so fast?

'farewell' dinner for Ernest - before he flies off to SF and NY.

Ggoh in HK: bunking with me on Wed/Thurs night; totally sleep deprived and malfunctioning at work on friday. :) But it's all good.

Mid autumn BBQ with fion's family.

I think being around children makes me happy. These kids can just jump around and laugh a lot. Kids still want to play with lanterns and candles. :)

The big kids put up the lanterns, and helped the little ones light theirs.

The chat session with fion's mum & aunts turned out to be a male bashing one.

Marriage, husbands and kids - how do you manage the relationships and your own expectations? It's depressing to hear 5 women telling the same story of how romance will give way to security. I don't want to buy that. I want my heart to flutter, and my smile to make someone's day.

So there goes the mid autumn fest- it's almost like a second CNY. The only things that were missing that night?

Mooncakes and starfruits, and you.

祝我生日快乐

Of course,
he had the cake
and ate it too

A more eventful weekend ; )

=Friday=

I cannot believe we didn't take a SINGLE picture at book cafe on fri night

mich! eileen! what happened?

it was a great meet up as usual

I really like the book cafe

:)

=Saturday=

Sharon's baby Caden is such a bundle of joy!

When I carried baby Caden, I could feel his heart beat!

I remembered the last time I carried a baby (my nephews)

- must have been 8 or 9 years ago-

I still go goo goo ga ga over babies

aye, my super motherly instincts

haha

And it's good seeing the hall peeps again.

=Sunday=

Was spent meeting Ashlyn for a drink at the Legends

my first time being driven in a Jaguar

the first time after a couple of years when I feel inspired again

but how long will this inspiration last?

=Random weekends=

waiting in line @ Boon Keng

Mariott High Tea

starts from 2.30 to 5.30

we only started at 4.30

And Mr Goh kenna scalded by the steam from one of the warmers

another lady kenna also

and Mr Goh told the waitress about it

and the waitress went to check

and kenna scalded herself too

hurr

We were treated a complimentary high tea though :)

well done mr goh

Food was not bad

Desserts were yummy

so much so that even fruit flies can't take their hands and legs off them

Before Mr Goh's sunday soccer

after helping me and mum with CNY grocery shopping

after we had to queue for half an hour to taste

the Hakka Yong Tau Foo at Clementi hawker centre

(thank goodness we're the first in line!)

Haven't been snapping pictures like crazy

I wonder why

I am HOME!

Happy birthday, Singapore =)

This must be my favourite NDP song.
Whenever I am feeling low
I look around me and I know
There's a place that will stay within me
Wherever I may choose to go
I will always recall the city
Know every street and shore
Sail down the river which brings us life
Winding through my Singapore

Chorus:
This is home truly, where I know I must be
Where my dreams wait for me, where that river always flows
This is home surely, as my senses tell me
This is where I won't be alone, for this is where I know it's home

When there are troubles to go through
We'll find a way to start anew
There is comfort in the knowledge
That home's about its people too
So we'll build our dreams together
Just like we've done before
Just like the river which brings us life
There'll always be Singapore

I want to be home

My new toy! When it's hip to be square...

I received a much belated birthday present this afternoon....

and I still cannot believe it!!



Thank YOU!

I'd be snapping pictures like mad in Hong Kong and Guangzhou and Melbourne and Sydney soon! :D

Christmas 2006

another super outdated post. A Qtr of the year is already gone!

will post this anyways <3 Since staying home on a weekday is really quite boliao.

=Christmas chalet with Hall Oners=

The part where Sharon's present got swopped-she was getting a miniature gucci perfume but got a super orbiang black waist pouch instead!
And whenever the hall people gathers, there's bound to be booze ... and silly games... and of course, watching people act silly when they are drunk....

I puked that night. =_=

=Christmas eve at Dan Ryan's & St James=
They are not kidding when they say they serve American portions. We could hardly finish our food, so we (or maybe only I) played with them instead.
then some booty action at St James

with some bootilicous babes

Even Fongseng prata shop had the xmas feel going on~

When Christmas bells are swinging above the fields of snow,
We hear sweet voices ringing from lands of long ago,
And etched on vacant places
Are half-forgotten faces
Of friends we used to cherish, and loves we used to know.

I wonder what Christmas will be like this year?

Some christmas gift ideas:
To your enemy, forgiveness.
To an opponent, tolerance.
To a friend, your heart.
To a customer, service.
To all, charity.
To every child, a good example.
To yourself, respect.

Happy Birthday Axel~

Axel's birthday is today, but we celebrated it over the weekend and went to Sakae sushi.

Boy, can these boys eat their sushi.

The moment they sat down next to the conveyor belt, there was no end to the plates of sushi! I probably should bring them to the sushi buffet sometime. I miss those times when going for sushi buffet was such a highlight of the week!

Happy Birthday Dr. Poon~!!

Happy Birthday EP~

and CONGRATULATIONS~

now we can look forward to the day when we can:

1) easily get our MCs
2) have all our medical questions answered
3) just call to find out which meds to get at the pharmacies
4) know who are the not-so-good docs to go to
5) maybe....get ourselves hooked up with a dashing doc

we may not have told you this personally (yet) but we are all so PROUD OF YOU~

You know you are capable of great things and you will make such a GREAT doc, one who truly cares for your patients, the one who really has angel wings beneath the white coat. <3

may all your dreams come true, dear.

Looking forward to the next sleepover at your place!

Pre-then-post birthday celebrations

So... I was saying that I didn't feel excited about my birthday...

but this birthday surprised me quite a bit. =D

It's true when you're least expecting something, they'll always appear as pleasant (or unpleasant) surprises.

=When the clock struck 12=


The long overdued surprise--Mr Goh unexpectedly dropped by my place with lovely cakes from Rive Guache on Thursday night! I didn't pick up the various give-aways he made that day... he told me his colleague wants to know where I got the Vday cakes for him from, asked me about the different types of cakes available, etc, asked me when I'd be home after tuition... I SHOULD have smelled something fishy, but I didn't. I guess there were too many things to do at work.

=Luncheon=

On Friday, the actual day, (which also happens to be the last day of work for m and wj), we had our own farewell/birthday lunch. Despite all the un/happiness at/about work/one another, we still managed to have a good lunch and a good laugh over AT and our postures at work. Man... I'm a hunchback! I need to make a conscious effort to keep my back straight!


And then some more decent photos. The girls and Peter got me this pair of amethyst shoulder dusters with other semi-precious stones. It's a handmade design by this Japanese lady, Yoko Yamada, who believes that "small things are beautiful". =D


It is believed that amethyst will protect its owner from drunkenness. The ancient Greeks and Romans wore amethyst and made drinking vessels of it in the belief that it would prevent intoxication.

Given my tolerance for alcohol (or the lack of it), we shall see if it's really true or not.



=Dinner Date=

so Mr Goh got confused about which date my birthday falls on... until I need to write it down in 'black and white'...

and the mystery dining venue (which is high and dark) turned out to be Altivo Bar @ The Jewel Box at Mt Faber. Nevermind that it's alfresco, the night breezes were cool AND there were no mosquitoes AND no one was smoking since decent food was served there.

But it was really dark...



and food portions were tiny, but still delicious... maybe good things come in small packages

Mr Goh says the girl on the card reminds him of me... cos of the eyes ^ ^ and the figure. =_= Jewel's peak was really yummy.

and since there was a live band there (who plays really good music)... might as well make a dedication right... <3

so there was a 'Happy Birthday' song which I uploaded earlier, followed by this...we sound like mice and I look drunk (from half a glass of mango margarita)...

and this... SATAYS! $2 per stick! But the meat was damn SUCCULENT! and the KETUPAT was WARM!

And so ends the night of the 30th, when I'm officially TWO AND FOUR.


=Sweeties and Presents=

Presenting to you... the Nike 'Shox Q-Vida' Athletic Dance Shoe! Great for fitness dance and gym workouts ;) I LOVE IT!

Description: Lightweight, synthetic leather lace-up provides responsive cushioning, articulated arch flex and support, ideal for the fitness dancer.

big THANK YOU to the sweeties! then we went shopping for GGGoh's present. ;) I realise we didn't take pics with hf!! and hf, I didn't realise you guys went kino to get the cards!
Dinner was at Thai Express (two days in a row)...craving for spicy food and their lime+watermelon juice + mango salad + four season peas. I can have Thai Express for consecutive days!

Oh, I didn't realise eileen left the Q to get the cake too! What's happening to me?! I'm losing the ability to read the signs! (or maybe cos this time zee managed to keep mum about it) So yeah, the cake was a surprise!

The strawberrilicious chocolatey cake from CHOCZ and my little wishes

Zee took a pic of me with her polaroid cam, which I later showed Mr Goh and he said it reminded him of 周慧敏 Vivian Chow.


Which part? The headband, the hair or the bushy eyebrows?

and we're off to the Mezza9! As usual, eileen ordered this special conconction called Hot and Sexy which tasted REALLLY bad... and she settled for a lesser evil - the Bloody Mary. I thought I'd be more conservative and ordered a Tiramisu martini. It wasn't that bad, in fact, all the martinis at Mezza9 are DAMN power, too strong for me liao. I think ru's the only one who finished her Sakura. The amethyst didn't work for me at all.


=Two Ts=
When I made my wishlist and told Mr Goh I would like a Tiffany, he asked me who is Tiffany...

whether he was pretending or not, I could not tell...

but we went tiffany shopping nonetheless! finally decided on the lock ring (over the beanie ring)... to which Mr Goh asked, but there's no key to the lock?

Oh my dear... YOU are the key... WHEE!


Sis got me the keyring but since my sturdy bow and heart keyring (since 2002!!) is still intact, I'm gonna be a cheat and double up the tag on the keyring as a pendant! WHEE WHEE! ;D (I checked with tiffany today and they don't sell their chain separately! wk!)

=birthday thoughts=
I still DON'T feel 24.

As I've told many of you, I think birthdays are most entertaining when you're still a child. Nothing to fret, parents will take care of the cake, food, desserts, balloons, gifts, cards, confetti and your friends... And you just sit in front of your cake and look like a princess. I probably had about ten or less of this kind of parties.

And when you're older, it becomes just a date to remind yourself that (maybe) you need to learn to be more responsible and act like an adult, etc etc.

I wish something WILL happen to me when it's my birthday, like physically overnight, so you know you are REALLY growing older. Like grow bigger boobs la, grow an inch taller la, eyes grow bigger la, butt becomes smaller la... just some sign you know (note: not ageing signs though!) ... So I can proudly say, I AM A YEAR OLDER!

Or some fairy godmother will come by my bed at night and present me with my birthday certificate, that sort of things...

Cos emotionally, mentally, what not, I don't feel that I'm growing g r o w i n g...

maybe I need to become fully aware of who I really am before I can make a fairer comment about that... :P

Thanks to all who sent me birthday wishes and love!