Back to school

It's a humbling experience to go back to school.

I woke up at 9am, despite having slept at 3am, to get ready to head to hkust for the MBA program introduction.

The hkust campus is 75min away from Kennedy town, near Sai Kung. Since I was early, I decided to take the mini bus to the campus instead of jumping into a cab after reaching the nearest mtr station.

The line was full of students. You can distinguish them from the jeans and sneakers attire, with laptop and notes in hand. I felt old.

The introduction to the program started with the question of why take an MBA, followed by a list of quantifiable reasons of why choose hkust, and a sharing session of personal experience from recent graduates. I am inspired.

It's a good feeling. :)

(Before I left home this morning, I sprayed some perfume as I always do. And j asks, why are you spraying that, you are just going to school.)

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Happy thanksgiving!

It's not a tradition of mine to celebrate Thanksgiving.

But since j had spent more than enough time in Toronto to consider himself somewhat Canadian / American, he suggested that we throw a Thanksgiving dinner at home - just so we can order the 12 lbs Turkey, and he gets to slice it.

I get to play host and bought some lilies to cheer up the place. Along. With these funky cups! Pick your nose.

And we practically sanitized our entire place, with dettol and bleach - clean up before the party.

We're having his friends over tonight - this group is the equivalent of my sweeties in sg - who identify themselves as in some kind of fellowship.

I wish I can have my sweeties all at my place sometime too.

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I had no trouble sleeping last night. I went to bed first while j was still studying; I didn't even know when he climbed in bed.

Perhaps I wasn't sleeping well the night before- when I browsed the websites of 2 uni in hk to check out their MBA program. I signed myself up for an admission seminar this sat, a sort of meet and find out more from the school and its alumni.

My brief discussion over dinner with j on this matter kinda concluded with this statement: I think its good, and I would like to do it myself, but I don't want to be your classmate. Plus, it only costs 11k a month (over a period of 2years).

He has a point there.

I've been paying the same amount for the past 2 years on rent. Mich says this the price for freedom. Now I think I'm ready to pay for wisdom and I want to get down to exploring it.

Lets see how this sat goes. :)

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Shock of my life

I had the shock of my life this morning.

You see, we don't have a power socket in the bathroom (for safety reasons) and whenever I need to blow dry my hair, I plug in the dryer from the room across the bathroom and do it since the wire is long enough.

I do this every morning.

This morning, I saw in the mirror a hand reaching from behind me. I FREAKING YELLED MY LUNGS OUT! And jumped out of the bathroom, still screaming AHHHHHH! and saw jason with this equally shocked look on his face - somewhat trembling.

I don't know if I should be relieved or angry or what! I broke into tears, trembling myself. We hugged, he explained that he had called out to me to tell me he needed to use the bathroom, but I obviously couldn't hear him with a blower next to my ears.

The image of the hand reaching out to me from the mirror is chilling. It's exactly how horror movies are. No body, just the hand that wants to reach you from behind and touch your head or strangle you.

I had thought j was still sleeping since he's going to take a SSL today.

Geez. The dangers of staying together. I told j this is not funny. But the look on his face (why is she so crazy?!?! + im really scared kinda look) is priceless indeed.

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I forgot the strawberries

J called: hey. Did you take the strawberries from the fridge?

Pc: omg. I forgot about it!
(Just getting on bus at 915, after waiting for 25mins)

J: I KNEW IT!

That's very helpful really. Reminding me after I've left the house. I have to take the strawberries because I washed the whole basket of it last night and j says I have to finish it else they go bad. :(

The last time I reminded him to take something from the fridge (in the morning before he left house), he took it out of the fridge, left it on table and went out.

Now whos the bigger scatterbrain?

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Early Xmas present for myself. Cos it's all pink and girly. :)

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My desire to travel is so strong now... it's an understatement

My horoscope always amazes me.

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Tastee of toast box in hk

Afternoon tea (or ha um cha) is not uncommon in hk. Hong kong people used to having toast for tea in the tea canteen (cha chan tank).

Its just a matter of time before the singapore toasts appear in Hong kong, and with a premium price tag too.

So this morning's yum cha session with j and parents wasn't exactly filling and my stomach started to sound at 3+ in the afternoon. I thought about getting MacDonald's fries, Starbucks or Pacific coffee, but I ended up at toast box.

The set cost me 32hkd (~5sgd now given the atrocious exchange rate). The toast portion is smaller, the half boiled eggs are cold. The ice Milo is the only thing that's somewhat kept to its original flavour, or the flavour I remember.

Its odd hearing the staff shout 'kopi c! Kopi kosong! Teh o! Milo dinosaur'. The half boiled eggs can be switched to fried eggs to cater to local tastes - which I think I should have ordered instead since they really don't know how to make half boiled eggs.

The pandan cake is 13hkd per slice! 20hkd if u buy 2. One whole cake has probably 8-10 slices.... so that makes 80-100hkd for a whole cake! And people still buy them. I wouldn't.

But I'd still visit toast box in hk to get my Milo fix. And hopefully for those who want the real taste, they would go to singapore and try it themselves.

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Home cooked

I've started cooking at home (finally! after 2 years in hk). These are not the instant noodles, Campbell soup type - they are actually proper dishes.

It makes more sense to cook now since there are the 2 of us. It's always more fun like that. And when the dish goes wrong, someone will have to finish it, not waste food.

Cooking is not easy k, especially when you have a Cantonese bf with a super fine taste for food.
He can tell if the soup is pork/chicken/beef based; if the veggies taste a wee bit green (and should be cooked for 10 seconds more), if fish is not fresh, or just something taste bad when they all taste fine to me.

I suppose my 2011 resolution is learn and master cooking then!

Pictures: Porridge, with pork floss from Taipei. veggies. Pasta (j made the tomato puree)

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Blogging revived

Now I can blog anytime. Any where. And this shall continue....

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P plate pohpoh

I forgot to mention in previous post that I can drive now too!!

Finally got my drivers license after much wait (or procrastination). So my 27th birthday gift to myself is to learn driving. And I passed the exam!

For 6 months I have been going for classes every other weekend. The school I registered with is known for its 'one take pass!' - high success rates. It's because the test route is around the school and much road conditions (if there are any) is very much controlled. You don't get the occasional pedestrian jay walking, and certainly no impatient drivers honking at you. Most vehicles around the driving area are driven by learners, so it's 40km/h Max.

Hence, even though I've got my license, I still freak out on the roads. I suppose I'm not very alert to begin with and driving is no easy feat. I'm the careless sort, and can't tell my left from right.

The last 2 times (and only 2 times) I drove Jason's car, he had a mild heart attack and I simply broke out in cold sweat and tears- almost ran over a granpa and spiralled out of the roundabout, scratching side of car with a Benz.

So I signed up for more driving lessons. And hopefully I'd be able to drive with confidence and start cruising and stop crying. :)

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6 months later...

It's been 6 months since I've updated anything. The pace of living in Hong kong remains as hectic as ever. I wonder if I can find more time if I were back in singapore.

And as always, my life has been full of changes - twists and turns at the most unpredictable moments. I embrace changes and most often am excited about them. The only complaint I have is that I lose the time to sit down and think, write. And I forget.

So to recap the moments in the past 6 months....

1. I went on my first holiday with the wong family to Malaysia (penang and kl):

Dennis is back from Toronto for holiday and the family decided to go away for a short trip. It was mostly eating and rooting at the hotel. I had a moment with Jason's mum - when she said she's very happy to have me on the same trip with them. I was very happy too.

2. I quit:
Well, it had all been in my brain plan all along - 2 years in Hong kong and move on. The time was up for me to try something else. Shanghai presented itself as an opportunity, but I made the decision to stay.

3. I moved! And we moved in together: Moving takes a lot of effort and, needless to say, time. Our new neighborhood is on the western tip of hong kong island and so we get some seaview, and there's also a park in front of our estate. Definitely beats traffic (automobile and human) in wanchai/causeway bay. I need to take a bus to work and give up those mornings when I can wake up at 9am, but I'm reading more.

Moving in is a big step - as most people told me. For me, I only feel that it is a natural progression.

4. I'm cooking!
Or at least attempting to. I made dinner one time - some pork omelette and j asked me what that was. He didn't even finish half the food. Practice makes perfect - I will continue to cook so long as there is someone to eat.

5. I travelled:
First month into my new job and I was sent to Shanghai for training. Been making trips to Guangzhou too (less exciting). Taipei is so much more exciting and I met up with huankun and spent a good evening together.

6. I find out we will be moving again. And that's a different story to tell another time. :)

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blogging revived

Now I can blog anytime. Any where. And this shall continue....

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Taiwan 2010

Just returned from road trip in Taiwan - a full 10 days.

Coupled with my bronchitis medical leave, I haven't been to work for 2 weeks.

Zee sent out an email she wrote but didn't send out a long time ago.

It reminded me of how I need to take control of my time, and also reminded me of this blog.

Updating my space online was therapeutic for me, growing up.

I need to continue to do that. :)

My Sister's keeper

it's been a damn long while since i had any updates here.

As I've mentioned before, fb is eroding my space here. I thought about setting a new site, you know. Start anew. But this is me. ME! Something that shouts ME!

Haha.

So some quick updates of what's been happening:

- Was kinda preoccupied with Ris low, watching all her clips on youtube. She's quite a character really. And in this world where everything can be mass produced, isn't it great that you find an uncut stone, which you never know.... may turn out to be a gem instead ;)

- And, I do have a leopard print scarf, which I did pair with Khaki once. :D

- Weddings: Patsy/Victor's and Angela/Ricky's. Every wedding has its own build up story. Boy meets girl, girl meets boy. All the stuff they've been through. Getting used to each other's idiosyncracies. Making a pact to remain faithful and loving to each other.

Sometimes i get frustrated when I don't know where all these is going for myself. But I suppose I can't push fate.

And watching 500 days of Summer reminded me of that, again. :)

- Movies: which brings me to the entire list of movies I've watched lately. 500 days of summer tops the list and the soundtrack is so cool. If I'm gay, I'd have zooey's pictures all over my wall, and on top of my ceiling, so she'd be the last thing I see before I go to bed, and when I wake up in the mornings :)
I watched The ugly truth too.... and truth be told... it's ugly. The leads are pretty, but the story kinda didn't gel that well with me.
My sister's keeper - the movie that made me cry and cry and cry throughout. And when I retold the story to j, i cried and cried and cried. Even as i'm typing this, i'm sniffing. Death is scary - I don't know if i'd be able to handle it.

- Oktober: Month of drinking and decadence, and farewells, and welcoming. Happy that Grace joined the HK pack. :)

- November.... one more month before we say goodbye to 2009. Have you looked at your resolution list again, and tick off all that you've planned out to do?
I definitely made some effort to do some of them..... and others which I had not planned to do. the 10km unicef run, for example. It's causing me back aches. Let's see how I fare.

2010 - are we there yet?

There are songs that make us want to dance

songs that want to make us want to sing along

but the best songs are the ones that bring you back to the moment you first heard them

and once again, break your heart

ZPOD

I gave a friend a flower calendar during xmas last year.

There are 12 stalks of paper daisies (for each month) and each stalk has enough petals for the days in the month.

Behind each petal, there is note - which is something like what you'd get in a fortune cookie.

And so started this trend of FPODs - Flower Prohecy of the Day.

It feels nice to receive a FPOD at the start of each morning. Words like "Kiss somebody", "Tell someone you love him", "Don't go grocery shopping when you're hungry", "just dance".... all touches a part of me that may be buried over time.

It gives you that minute to think about what you really want to do, or feel.

And for some FPODs, it made an impact.

This morning's FPOD, was actually ZPOD - something made up by zj. And it is as good as any FPODs, or even better! So i'll share it with all you dear ones out there.

"ZPOD - inspiration from my phone
TRANSFER the work

CONFERENCE your friends

REDIAL the happy memories

RELEASE the pains

HOLD on to your happiness "

I'll be back in Singapore next week! For my wisdom teeth surgery... which I'm getting goose bumps over!

Hit me!

What kinda cyclone path is this?!?!

Hope it still strikes HK though... We need some typhoon action on a weekday!

insecurity

Whenever we have something planned in the near future to be completed together, i feel a wash of happiness over myself.

I wonder if it's cos I never thought we'd go this far, and any planning ahead meant a couple of additional months together...

Did I use to think this way?

You said you don't want your heart to be brokened by a girl again, you're too old for that.

I worry I'd suffer your fate instead.

Perhaps the only way forward is to look ahead, in the same direction, hand in hand.

Wondergirls!

I'm a wondergirls wannabe!



I want nobardy nobardy but choo!!!

Facebook is eroding my time to blog :(

The speed of which I upload pictures of my activities in HK is not catching up the activities I do.

and I have not really had time to sit down, breathe, watch the seconds tick by, and reflect.

So one minute of reflection I shall do now.

My special wedding request

What is your special wedding request?

I want a real wedding cake.

rip mj

"Consciousness expresses itself through creation.

This world we live in is the dance of the creator.

Dancers come and go in the twinkling of an eye but the dance lives on.

On many an occasion, when I am dancing, I have felt touched by something sacred. In those moments, I felt my spirit soar and become one with everything that exists.

I become the stars and the moon.

I become the lover and the beloved.

I become the victor and the vanquished.

I become the master and the slave.

I become the singer and the song.

I become the knower and the known.

I keep on dancing and then, it is the eternal dance of creation.

The creator and the creation merge into one wholeness of joy.

I keep on dancing. . . until there is only. . .the dance."
—Michael Jackson, in Dangerous

Just like the pieces of jigsaw,

everything falls back into place

when you are back.

:D

you are the best.

I am really upset tonight. All the good laughs aren't able to cover one prick.

Why can't people see the good in other people?
Or is it human nature to assume the worst in people?

You name it

A close friend recently got a new English name. It wasn't until everyone on his facebook starting calling him by it that I noticed. So I teased him about it, and he told me to give him a break. Haha. Strange that after 20+ yrs you start adopting a new name.

But given his circumstances, it is indeed more convenient to have an English name.
Angmohs can't tell Chinese names from their first, middle and last name.

I used to get clients calling me, Loh, Poh or Chin. (Mister too).
It is really frustrating.

I thought of getting myself an English name too. Long time ago.

In clubs, whenever strangers come by and ask for my name, I'd tell them names like, Lydia, Mary or Pauline. True that these names are much easier to remember. But I think pohchin sticks with me better. :)

And it has its benefits too - like a unique facebook link that I don't have to fight with anyone else in the world.

http://www.facebook.com/pohchin.loh

My singaporean group is shrinking in hk.... :(

first gone xm...

then now my 2 ktv kakis, and clubbing g - all at the same time.

It makes me wonder if HK is losing its magic on me too?

K says I shouldn't worry too much,

as long as j is not losing his magic on me.

I suppose that is one of the few beacons of light at night.

It's times like this that I really want to come home to somebody - anybody.

五月天-如烟

我坐在床前
望着窗外回忆满天
生命是华丽错觉
时间是贼偷走一切

七岁的那一年
抓住那只蝉
以为能抓住夏天
十七岁的那年
吻过他的脸
就以为和他能永远

有没有那麽一种永远
永远不改变
拥抱过的美丽
都再也不破碎
让险峻岁月不能
在脸上撒野
让生离和死别都遥远
有谁能听见

我坐在床前
转过头看谁在沉睡
那一张苍老的脸
好像是我紧闭双眼
曾经是爱我的
和我深爱的
都围绕在我身边
带不走的那些
遗憾和眷恋
就化成最后一滴眼泪

有没有那麽一滴眼泪
能洗掉后悔
化成大雨降落在
回不去的街
再给我一次机会
将故事改写
还欠了他一生的
一句抱歉

有没有那麽一个世界
永远不天黑
星星太阳万物都
听我的指挥
月亮不忙着圆缺
春天不走远
树梢紧紧拥抱着树叶
有谁能听见

耳际眼前此生重演
是我来自漆黑
而又回归漆黑
人间瞬间天地之间
下次我又是谁

有没有那麽一朵玫瑰
永远不凋谢
永远骄傲和完美
永远不妥协
为何人生最后会像
一张纸屑
还不如一片花瓣
曾经鲜艳

有没有那麽一张书签
停止那一天
最单纯的笑脸和
最美那一年
书包里面装满了
蛋糕和汽水
双眼只有无猜和无邪
让我们无法无天

有没有那麽一首诗篇
找不到句点
青春永远定居在
我们的岁月
男孩和女孩都有
吉他和舞鞋
笑忘人间的苦痛
只有甜美

有没有那麽一个明天
重头活一遍
让我再次感受
曾挥霍的昨天
无论生存或生活
我都不浪费
不让故事这麽的后悔
有谁能听见
我不要告别

我坐在床前
看着指尖已经如烟

The concert was a blast!

When they got to this song, i got teary eyed.

i'm a diehard csi fan

I'm a diehard csi las vegas fan, truly.

I have completed seasons 6-9 - while doing so, I realised some cases are brought over to the next season. It would make better sense if I start where it all begins - back at 1.

And so I did. Grissom looked much younger. Warrick had a betting habit. Catherine's Lindsay is just a baby girl. Nick is still as cute. Sarah hadn't had any feelings for Grissom yet.

These characters are like family to me, when I'm confined to the 4 walls of my apartment.

I laugh with them, I cry with them, I want to catch the bad guys with them.

There had been some debate over the show... that it 'educates' criminals; that to break the law, you have to learn the law and pray that you get away scot free. But I don't think it's all that easy in reality.

Sometimes I do imagine how I'd be like, to be one of these criminals; to callously take someone's life away and it gives me the shudders. There is no 'kick' to see life draining from someone's eyes. I want to see life in someone's eyes - a sparkle.

I get nightmares sometimes. Dreams of myself being a victim; of losing someone dear. It's terrible.

I'm so addicted to csi that I wish to be a forensics scientist too. People lie, but the evidence doesn't. It's all about putting the jigsaw puzzle together to find the truth.

In one of the episodes, Grissom spoke about this Harvard philosophy lecturer he met on a plane, who told him this observation:

"Every day after his 3-hour lecture, he would go to take a leak.

And as he flushed, he noticed a spider struggling against the flush on the side of the bowl.

The next day he'd go back again, and the same spider would still be there.

After a couple of days, he decided to put the spider out of misery, took a napkin, and scooped the spider out to place it at a corner.

The next day he went back, the spider is dead."

Get the morale of this story?

Human's actions have an effect. You don't impose your will on others.

Sometimes, the csi are caught between their beliefs and the evidence but that doesn't mean they should impose their will to make the evidence tell the story they want. The evidence should tell the tale.

Same applies to life - if only it's all that uncomplicated.

Heavy thoughts on a Saturday morning.

Two more weeks to HOME!

"What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you're speaking."

I read an article today that made me rethink about my own schedule

and the many often times which I've failed to keep to it.

Basically, the article spoke about keeping your primary values as your core

so much so that it is IN your schedule.

For myself, my primary value seems to be only satisfying my own needs and whims.

How noble right.

See, I can't say I place my family first because they are not in my schedule.

I am not even by their side.

I can't say I place my health as a top priority since I don't keep to my workout schedule.

Work takes up most of my schedule - but is it the most valuable to me now?

The writer writes:

"Show me your schedule and I'll discover the truth.

Because your schedule doesn't lie.

There can be no authentic success and lasting happiness if your daily schedule is misaligned with your deepest values. If there is a gap between what you do and who you are, you are out of integrity.

You are not walking your talk.

Your schedule is the best barometer for what you truly value and believe to be important.

Too many people talk a good talk. But talk is cheap. Show me your schedule and I'll show you what your priorities are."

Mine? Just surviving life.

But I need to be living it.

Watched Xmen over the weekend and it didn't disappoint. :)

I enjoyed the opening scene when the guys were battling in various wars. I liked the story told to Wolverine about the lady in the moon (whom I thought her name should be Chang Er). I actually liked Victor. And I wish I can turn my body into diamonds as and when I wish.

Where this mutant idea came about, it certainly has its basis, though super powered mutants who try to kill one another and conquer the world may be far-fetched. Mutation is definitely ongoing - we see it in plants, in animals in somewhat unfortunate states, and these most often don't survive long enough.

Whatever does not kill you, makes you stronger.

The mozzies calling my place their feeding ground can definitely prove so. They have become immuned to the repellent and to the spray and will attack every inch of my body. They are fearless and I'm extremely helpless.

I do not know the effect of the repellent on myself since I inhale that every night. Perhaps I'm slowly mutating too.

A little sunshine will do you good ;)

We can feel summer on our skin!

and it's HOT!!!!

A bouquet of pink lilies and forget me nots at the door is just another way to start a perfect Sunday.

"Do you know how difficult it is to buy flowers that are not Carnations today?!" he said, wanting to claim however much credit for a supposed simple gesture.

And we drove along Repulse bay, with wind toussled hair and old country rock playing. I love this stretch of road - bending winding through the mountains.... until this certain point, when the sea suddenly appears right in front of you, embracing you with its vastness.

While I do wish winter would stretch on a little bit more, summer is actually quite pleasing. With summer approaching, you really feel differently. You're more ready to toss your scarfs and hoods and down jackets and opt for cottons and shorts and hats.

It's known that seasons affect moods - some in a good way, some .. not as perfect.

For me, the heat is not a good thing. I become more temperamental and would keep whining about how hot it is, as if a degree difference makes my skin burn. Definitely short of patience, cos by the time we got to Stanley, all the parking lots were full. It is always so difficult to find a parking lot in HK! Desperate, we parked some distance from Stanley and took a mini bus to the main plaza.

But I'm happy again since I got my fish-and-chips fix. :D Though shortly after, I have to pay for the calories.

I cannot remember when I last swam in the open sea. Must have been last summer. I don't like the feeling of my feet in mid water, not knowing how deep the water is. And I hate swimming without goggles. But I do it because I know you'll always swim by and let me hang on to you and just float. I guess I want to be dependent sometimes.

And you need to let me be. :)

pig careful

Last year around this time,

I was just back from Mexico -

which was a really nice city,

with loads of friendly people,

beautiful churches and museums,

food that makes you fart like a canon,

and cactuses as tall (or even taller) as I am.

I couldn't help but wonder

how things could be very different for me

if these events take an alternative turn.

Plans can only be made certain in retrospect.

Shakespeare Sonnet 47

Betwixt mine eye and heart a league is took,
And each doth good turns now unto the other:
When that mine eye is famish'd for a look,
Or heart in love with sighs himself doth smother,
With my love's picture then my eye doth feast
And to the painted banquet bids my heart;
Another time mine eye is my heart's guest
And in his thoughts of love doth share a part:
So, either by thy picture or my love,
Thyself away art resent still with me;
For thou not farther than my thoughts canst move,
And I am still with them and they with thee;
Or, if they sleep, thy picture in my sight
Awakes my heart to heart's and eye's delight.

it's been a long time since the girls went clubbing - full force.

I was trying to fight an iminent cold bug.

Going in to a crowded club and ingesting myself with toxic is not exactly the brightest idea.

It's another rainy weekend -

and i'm just home alone, staring out of the window,

with a thousand thoughts running through my head

I wonder if people believe that Bollywood dance taught by an Indian would be more authentic, or Yoga, for that matter

I just went back to gym after 3 months of inactivity.

Had wanted to join the class,

but the instructor was dressed in leopard prints and looked like she's just escaped from the wild.

She had tiger striped hair to match.

I'm usually not this critical....

but this dance class is something I cannot bear to watch.

I miss naila and julian.

some nightmares, you never seem to be able to get rid of.

Ever since I missed the damn flight

I've been having recurring nightmares of missing flights in different manner:

I missed the boarding time cos I went to grab something to eat

I missed the boarding time cos I was stuck in traffic

I missed the boarding time, even when it's a ferry and we're at the terminal.

It got even more ridiculous last night.

Me and bro were heading out somewhere.

We checked in luggages, went through security,

were told there was a flight delay...

and instead of staying put at the waiting area,

we went home!

all the while thinking that we will have enough time in between.

What were we thinking?!?!?

It's not even possible to leave the airport and just hop into a cab after we've gone through immigration.

I woke up feeling damn lost and angry at myself

and took a damn long and hot shower

and then a few things dawned upon me:

dreams hardly become reality

and if you missed the right flight,

you may never find another one.

go for the kill

The temperatures are rising

I suppose winter is really coming to an end.

It's raining again, pretty heavily...

Makes me very reluctant to go back to work when I should.

This week had been extremely taxing - physically and emotionally

I could not bring myself to work past 8 pm and I start to lose focus by 5

Also losing sleep cos of the uninvited visitors at night.

I'd get up at 4,5am in the morning, stay up for an hour or so

all the while bugged by the buzzing in my ear, and the stings on my arms and legs.

I finally bought a spray yesterday and it came in handy.

I killed visitor of the night, who attacked my palm and my cheeks,

and finally got a good night's sleep.

The announcement made on Tuesday morning was depressing, as well as shocking.

All along we were assured and reassured that we will brave the weather together, but this is apparently not the case.

I probably love my colleagues more than the work I do - good relationships make working more bearable.

Being at work on tuesday was not as pleasant. All the textbook cases of how layoffs affect staff morale, it's all true. I couldn't make myself focus at work, and didn't want to stay up to finish up the work.

It's good that jason asked me out to grab a bite and drinks. Beirut at lkf had this middle eastern mystery feel to it, with lotsa gwailos drinking and smoking shishas, and looking so happy.

My thoughts kept running back to the scenes this morning. Even in such a relaxed atmosphere, I couldn't let go. It hurt to see them leave - the ones who are truly kind to me.

I asked jason if it's bad, unprofessional of me to let my emotions run haywire in the office, and he said it's fine, i just need to let it out of my system.

And that, i did,

coupled with goldfish eyes to work this morning.

rainy monday blues

As I looked out of my window,

part of the peak is covered with mist.

the swimming pool opposite sounds its announcement to get people of out the pool before it closes.

I have just done a pore minimising mask, and the sk2 treatment mask and watched 3 episodes of csi.

how's that for a lazy monday? ;)

Friday was equally lazy - I stayed home and cleaned up my apt.

This place gets neglected most of the time

since I spend more hours in the office than I do at home.

It's great to be 'home' (if i can call this home)

and get some me-tim, do some thinking through, or not thinking through.

Caught 'he's just not that into you' on thursday night - a good chick flick - just what I needed.

The same thoughts on love and relationship circled.

I finally wrote back

and I know we have the same emotions running whenever 突然好想你 plays.

The skies have finally cleared up,

but why don't I see any rainbows?

vices

We are the vices team.

Just done with one alcohol report,

and right onto a cigarette proposal.

And I thought I finally have some days to breathe....

March - in a post

I did not manage to keep up to my resolution of updating this space as and when i like.

But i've been missing in action, not without good reasons.

Work is just never ending. I guess I shouldn't be worried that I'll be the next to be axed. heh. The thought leaders are ever thinking of ways to give clients the edge. the buzz word is V A L U E. Same research methodology, same quality control, same data output? Ours provide more VALUE. This qtr is all about winning.

Life wise, march is a month of birthdays. mine, and a special few others. :)

Eileen was in HK to visit! Eating around, and shopping were realllllly good! I'm now a proud Giordano ladies member. More discount is more savings! and.. according to Dr. poon, i have a space suit at home. Later when asked jason if the jersey jacket looked like a spacesuit, he pointed out that my down jacket looked more like one :(

I got a new pair of Agnes B shades - the red matches my hair colour!

Mum and bro spent 9 days in HK too. I fed them full, and my bro gained 3kg. His bungy jump scared me legs weak. When jason saw me, he asked why i was trembling. To think i had actually wanted to do the jump with my crazy ass bro! We had such a packed schedule that after they left, i slept for 15 hours.

It was really nice to have my mum here on holiday. She's always so happy when she's here, but gets teary eyed when she's about to leave. The unit is empty without the two of them with me. I definitely need to get a new place once the lease ends. the landlady is simply too irresponsible.

The past few days have been raining. It gets cold, and my nose always starts to drip.

rain rain pls go away. Don't ruin my disney weekend.

Hong Kong skyline

I read the perfect description of the HK skyline:

"The helicopter flew straight up ... amid the skyline of Hong Kong, not looking at it but hanging in it, hovering like some giant insect by the steel-and-glass cliff face of the Bank of China, with the serried ranks of tower blocks marching up mid-levels to Victoria Peak, a green summit jabbing out of a drifting necklace of pearly mist, the eagles circling above.



There was nothing corny about the Hong Kong skyline. It was not like Shanghai where you always knew that the grand old buildings on the Bund were really just the beautiful leftovers of a colonial dream. This was a place that had been untouched by any ideology, a city that had never worshipped any god by money. Even now, reclaimed by the motherland, Hong Kong was all that the great cities of the mainland aspired to be." - Tony Parsons

photos -amazingly taken by Hina.

What's the possibility of ....

Dining in a restaurant and the people sitting at other tables around you order exactly the same stuff as you?

Picking up a 500 dollar note on the floor?

Working past midnight on consecutive nights?

Being within 500 m of your home, and it suddenly pours?

Simple joys

The pink fluffs this week:

- Coming back to a quiet room after hearing an entire day of noise, and waking up to your voice

- Knowing you remembered the words I most casually spoke when I've forgotten them myself

- Having something in mind, but someone else voice the exact same words out (what's the probability of that?)

- You, satisfying my every whim and fancy and agreeing to share my fats

- Catching up on each other's life, and never feeling the distance

- Laughing myself silly :D

This is what you shall do

This is what you shall do

Love the earth and the sun and the animals

Despise riches

Give alms to everyone that asks

Stand up for the stupid and crazy

Devote your income and labour to others

Hate tyrants

Argue not concerning god

Have patience and indulgence toward the people

Take off your hat to nothing known or unknown

Or to any man or number of men.

- Walt Whitman

If only we can define and live a life like that.

MIA

I know... I've gone MIA, again...

but not without a good reason,

or many good reasons.

Had to catch up on work after the CNY break.

Finally went to watch Zaia - but it didn't live up to my expectations

The Venetian bed was sooooo comfy -

too bad I caught a cold that weekend.

I always fall sick when I return to HK - not good.

And.. i've been addicted to gossip girl. :)

time to catch another episode before i go to bed.

xoxo.

Making way back ... home?

It's almost 3 and I can't sleep.

The week has passed so quickly, and oddly. It's not even half a year since I'm gone to HK to work but already I feel the distance and the not meeting of minds.

CNY is a great time for me to come home because of the public holidays and weekends, which give me more time at home instead of a mad rush to do everything over a weekend

but it's a bad time to meet up with friends. Understandably... since cny = family time and visiting and weekdays are working days.

I'm not pushing my will on people to meet up with me. I was happy to have time on my own, not working, just shopping and people watching or even just lazing at home, falling asleep on the couch.

And I do not wish to have situations where people feel obliged. It shouldn't be that way.

Friends whom i've not managed to meet and catch up, i'm sorry... but you guys will be part of the reason for me to come back home the next time i do. :)

The ones whom I did meet and we had such a great time - thanks. It was really good seeing all of you and sharing the comfort that while the world is spinning ever so quickly, there is always one hour (or more) to spare to build our special moment. ^ ^

A profile pic

I never knew how much pain a profile pic can cause

I had wanted to cry with you and say that everything is gonna be alright

but you do know that no one can help you walk out of it besides yourself.

And remember this

it's not just all sunshine and smiles -

Whatever is not posted, is the grey which is best kept secret.

The full story

Here I am
finally back home.

I had to call up jetstar to enquire for available tickets. Their system showed all tickets being sold out. I had a good 5 min chat with the operator, complaining about how ridiculous it is that I missed my flight, even when I checked in well ahead of 40 min!

So this time round, Jason made sure there's ample time to get to the airport, check in, go through immigration, and called to make sure I stay put at the boarding gate.

I felt like it was de javu all over again.

So in case I haven't told you, here's the full story... of how I missed my flight on that fateful thursday night.

I had arrived at the airport perfectly - remembering all the stuff I had to take home. Checked in my luggage, gone through immigration, and even walked past the boarding gate.

But for some reason, I thought I had sufficient time to go and buy some stuff.

See, my flight is at 815pm. From all my previous late-for-flight experiences, I had always managed to board the plane even when it's time for the plane to take off. My manila flight is the best case in point (I even had to throw away my skincare lotion, cos I was late for check in too).

But no... not with this flight.

I arrived at the boarding gate at 800pm. Another 15 min before the plane takes off. But 5 min too late - the ground staff told me the coach to the plane had already left.

What?!?! Coach to the plane??? How can I forget that this budget does that???

I tried to argue my way through, in hope of getting a buggy to take me to the plane, but NO.... unfriendly and unhelpful ground staff refused to budge.

"Go to Airline services counter."

And so I did, and so obviously the plane would have taken off.

And so I found out there are no other flights that evening, nor the following day. SQ, CX, UA... all fully booked -- Are there that many people going back to sg from hk?!?! Apparently.

And so I panicked, the thought of being stranded in hk, and missing CNY at home was terrible. Worse, my phone batt was going flat.

I made my one phone call and I ended up bawling my eyes out. Jason asked if I was kidding him. I wished it was all a nightmare and I'd wake up and everything would be alright.

The line was cut off before any solutions were offered. Phones at the airline services counter are just for internal use. And I have just a couple of coins (at times like this, I know i should have carried the damn heavy hk coins with me).

I reached for the payphone and I made the most difficult call that night - back home, to my mum. The first thing she asked me, "So soon reach sg already?" And I bawled once more. And before we could end the call properly, i ran out of coins.

It's great that there's free wifi at the airport and a bf who checks his bberry religiously. "He can pacify my mum", I thought.

So, no flights to sg, no other available ticket (and I don't want to pay and be waitlisted and having to wait at the airport), I made my way back to my hk home, WITH my checked-in luggage. Can you believe it?!?! They didn't even load my luggage on the plane!

This is indeed a series of unfortunate events which could have been prevented if:
1. the ground staff had been more proactive and helpful and assist me with calling the airline staff right away (the travelling time from gate to plane is only 3 minutes ... yes, I timed it this time)
2. the airline had identified passenger who had checked in luggage, went through immigration, so surely she must be loitering (or lost) in the airport somewhere AND make a final call for her throught the public announcement system OR her mobile -- why the hell do airlines get our contact details for??? so they can send direct emailers to junk up our mailbox????
3. the passenger had been advised that there will be a coach to the plane during check in and that would take time.

And of cos, I admit that I made the mistake of being late (but not THAT late).

Later during the night, after jason calmed my nerves and went through a list of solutions... he asked if there's anything I had learnt from this ordeal.

Yeah - never take freaking budget jet and be more demanding when you need immediate assistence.

Sigh, everyone is amazed that I can miss my flight - and in such a silly fashion too.

I guess I have run out of luck.

All the previous close-to-missing-my-flight encounters have finally drained me away of any luck.

I missed my flight back to Singapore.

It sucks. BIG TIME.

I don't even want to think about it now.

Living on a rush

Rush

Rush in

Rush hour

Rush out

Rush

I'm constantly living (or leaving) in a rush.

Yesterday was a complete rush.

No toilet visits,

no lunch,

no time to waste.

Surprisingly gives me a high.

I get a high typing furiously and watching alphabets and words appear just as I think them.

I got a high packing up and cleaning up my place last night, knowing I'd be on the flight home tonight.

Rush.

A mad airport rush in 4 hours' time. :)

Is winter gone already?

Is winter gone already?

I woke up this morning and didn't feel the shivers.

Stepped out of my apartment and I could feel the heat building up.

My overcoat was redundant.

Is winter gone already?

Please don't let it be gone so soon.

my tooth dream

It is either the lack of discipline to put my retainers on faithfully, all the time except when I'm eating...

or the feeling that something is really amiss.

my teeth started to misalign a little...

and in my efforts to 'straighten' them and forcing the retainers back on,

one tooth fell out.

The gap was unmistakable.

I let out a horrifying scream

and gladly found myself waking up from this nightmare.

I did a quick search on 'tooth dreams' and this may probably be the closest interpretation I found:

"The next time you dream about losing teeth, before trying to figure out what it means, ask yourself how the dream made you feel. Oftentimes, it is not the dream of the teeth falling out that creates the disturbance to the psyche but the feelings that accompany the dream.

There is often a feeling of helplessness, of powerlessness--the teeth are coming out and there is nothing the dreamer can do to stop the process. Sometimes teeth fall out, sometimes they are simply missing, sometimes they crumble away. Whichever way they make their exit, the dreamer is left with not only a gap in her smile, but a hole in her heart when she awakens.

Tooth loss dreams may also symbolize a fear of abandonment, of being left behind with no recourse. Look at your relationships and see if any of them are leaving you with feelings of insecurity.

Another interesting way of translating tooth loss dreams may be a fear of giving away too much information, a spilling of secrets, or a fear of being lied to."

I don't want to have another tooth losing dream.

Ignorance is bliss?

Ignorance is bliss?

Is it really?

What happens at the point when you're unexpectedly transported out of the state of ignorance?

you'll feel pain multiplied

and you'd wish you aren't so stupid to believe

and that ignorance is not bliss.

The winter freeze

HK observatory has issued a COLD warning, even indicating danger of Frost in the New territories area and up on the hills.

I'm very glad I managed to get enough warm clothing over the weekend, and SALE is everywhere. Now I just have to figure out where to put away all these coats and jackets once winter is over.

I can see wrinkles on my neck. How scary is that?!?! It is not just wrinkles... I would call them deep grooves - I've never had them when I was in Singapore. This winter freeze is drying up my skin like never before. The skin on my hands and shin crack like the surface of any drought.

I hope it's not too late to slap up on moisturisers.

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!

my player went haywire today and just kept on playing a buzzing sound just when I was about to leave the office to hit the gym -
so I decided to skip gym since I don't think I will be able to survive the treadmill for 45 min without any music.

I wonder if my body was the one resisting the workout instead of my player.

Had been reading a friend's blog for the past couple of days and he spoke about the differences between music and noise. To quote him, "The difference between them is that, while noise can only fill space—banish it—music can both fill and create space. Or, I should say, music can do either. Depending on the sensibility of the listener, that is."

Interesting thought, I've never looked at music/noise like that. Our primary school education would have taught us that matter is anything that occupies space and has a mass.

Sound would not be classified as matter, similarly for shadows and light. But creating space is something entirely different yea?

It adds a whole new dimension to our living life. :D

Time on my hands

I finally got some time to cut my fingernails today. And it's only because one of it cracked. I hadn't cut it in months?

It made me wonder how I manage my time to do everything else, but neglect some others - which can be really important.

Nail - cutting is important - the time you take for personal grooming is therapeutic.
The little seconds / minutes you sneak in to do mindless stuff - things which are technically not productive.

On the other hand, I had a productive day at work today - almost crazy. I didn't even have much time to go to the loo. Friday please hurry come.

I read two chapters of Tony Parsons' My Favourite Wife (which mich left behind). My aim is to finish reading this before I head back to SG. 16 more days to go. :)

Salsa me away

When Becky said Salsa is a mix of everything put together
I had the strangest thought of 'Rojak'.

So the first Salsa class didn't end too badly :)New York style.

I've done other types of dance - Hip hop and cheerleading are not such contact sport/dance and you actually can count the beats. With Salsa, it brings a whole new world of beats - drums - music to the ears.

J said he's tone deaf, but he actually did pretty well - at least we weren't stepping on each other's feet.

Though I realise I have a problem doing partnering. The guy takes the lead in Salsa dancing, but I have a hard time following the cues.

Towards the end of the night, J thanked me for taking him along - saying he enjoyed the class and dancing, I thanked him for agreeing to come along, not everyone agrees to my whims. There were only 5 guys in a class of 20+!

Back home, when I closed my eyes, I feel the beat in my heart, hear it in my ears, and I want to dance it with my feet and I can't wait for more Salsa steps to learn next week :)

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.