The Story Of My Life

I thought the clear blue skies I saw this morning on my way to work was really cheery to look at and admire as I start off the day. No haze, clear sunny skies...

Workwise things have been a little hectic because of a client who had to deal with a difficult client but had to work with us to appease the difficult client. But thankfully the troublesome deal is over.

But I never expect that my day would end up the way it did tonight...

At about 8 plus, I received a call from the lady who is the coordinator at the school where I go for my translation class. She told me that she has yet to receive the SDF notification letter about the subsidy of my course fees, and she sounds worried. I on the other hand, as usual, told her in my cheery tone that I remembered my office did the registration for me and that I will check tomorrow.

I later sms-ed to my colleague who is normally handling these kinda administrative stuffs. She called back an hour later and told me that she remember doing registrations for our office and pass the system's registration login and pw to boss. The whole time, she did not mention anything about the name of my school. Then I recalled that one of my colleague also went for a course recently and had registered for subsidy for his course as well. So I asked her did she see a similar form submission screen when she registered for my course. She told me she has never seen that form, the registration she did for my colleague was the first time she has seen such form.

Which means, very likely, I was never registered to receive subsidy for my course. Which also means that I will have to bear the entire course fees, which is $5000. I had requested that the company apply the subsidy for me, so that I can pay back the company at a lower course fee, which is about 40% lesser than the official fee. Without my particulars (it is a requirement that students registered with the organisation before the course commence), my name is not listed as one of the students to receive subsidy, hence, I am considered a self-pay student.

The truth didn't sank into me immediately. I remained cheerful and told my colleague, "at most I pay the whole sum lor!" She said she will check with the details in the office tomorrow.

Now that the truth has settled in, and after I have reviewed my monthly budget and such, my heart began to sink.

$5000. Five Thousand Dollars.

Forget about Nanjing.

How am I going to pay back $5000 dollars?

There a few modes of payment that are circling in my mind right now as I type this. At some point, I feel like going into my room to cry. I have no mood to do any translation assignment right now. I hope it doesn't affect my exam this Saturday.

Why, of all things, did this happen to me?

My colleague called again and apologised for the matter. Again, I told her, nevermind lor, just sell my life to my office. Forget about watching Jack and the Beansprout lor. Tomorrow go to office to check again lor... Nearing to the end of the conversation, I nearly choked. Fortunately, she didn't hear it.

I can only hope that something, maybe my full attendance and results, can be used to get the organisation to rethink my subsidy. Colleague said that she will get some folks in the office to help.

I think I will probably cry myself dry tonight. I don't want to cry in the office tomorrow.

Imagine

Imagine having such good relations with the auntie who sells you fruit juice everyday, so much so that you ordered a drink, sat in front of her stall, chatted with her and your colleagues (who are also avid supporters to her concoctions) while waiting for the rain to stop, and then left the stall happily, waving goodbye to the auntie and her helper.

Without paying for your drink!

Haha! :D

This is how blur and forgetful I can be! :D

I'll be the office joke of the day for sure! :D

BTW, auntie's stall at Amoy Food Centre and the name of the stall is called Juice Plus. I can't remember the unit number. It's on the ground floor of the food centre, next to a Japanese stall. Her mix of fruit juices are impeccable. They are always pulpy and thick. A look at the glass door in her fridge and you will be convinced that she selects good fruits for the juices.

She classifies her fruit juices according to their different effects on the body, such as DETOX, BEAUTY, IMMUNITY. You can even ask her to concoct a juice mix for you, just tell her what needs to be done to fix your body :) (indigestion, flatulence, energy...) And the best thing is, both auntie and her helper at the store are super-duper friendly! :) I'll try to take some pictures the next time I go visit...

My colleagues and I have been converted, and we have been drinking the juice she made almost everyday.

Mmmmm....!! I recommend avocado milk and avocado honey. Her other selections are almost always tangy because she adds lemon to them, and sometimes honey.

Mmmmmm!!!

Of Human Concentric Rings...

These days, before I do my makeup, I will sit in front of the mirror and stare at the layers of "tyres" that I have acquired.

"Since when have things begin to look like this?!" I asked myself this question every morning...

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The people who commented things such as "You do aerobics? But I heard they say when you stop going for classes, you will become fatter leh!"

They forgot that the truth is, the moment you stop ANY form of exercise, you WILL become fatter.

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Anyway, the reason for me writing about the above is because guilt has reminded me that I have not been going to my step aerobics classes consistently for the past month or so.

I had no choice!

I've got classes and I was not feeling well.

Finally the classes are over and I can return to the class tonight.

FLABS, BE GONE!

Deck The Halls!

Caught these baubles at Takashimaya Shopping Centre last Tuesday when I was going to the Library. Awesome! Aren't they oh-so-pretty? :)



My camera didn't get the entire height of the tree... So please forgive me if it's "chopped".

It's the Most Wonderful Time Of The Year! :) Most definitely!

Nothing To Write About, Really

I reckon it's because this is the time of the year where everything is URGENT or RUSH or FINAL. Hence, the mind has no room for thoughts and reflections.

Really.

I am not even like going out for movies or watch DVDs or whatever. Too many things to do, in short period of time. Furthermore, with the year drawing to a close and a new year ahead of us, the mad wave of events is looking to sweep us like a tsunami (such a popular term now! haha! ;).

I am just writing the above just to "blog-blog" abit. I missed writing :)

Till I get my thoughts and reflections back... Here's Joyce signing off! :D

Stomach Problems

Been having lao sai and diarrhoea for the entire day. Actually, my stomach has not been feeling right ever since the lavish Japanese dinner I had a couple of weeks ago. :( Bloated, constantly churning as well as having the funny feeling of hungry at times, yet feels terrible when even a little food is sent to the stomach :(

Have ran to the toilet 3 times tonight. Wonder will it continue tomorrow...

It can't continue tomorrow. I am suppose to check out the new IKEA tomorrow afternoon!

I hope for the best...

Working Girl

I had to stay back at work today, which is not very common in our office. Most of us gets off work at 6pm (Yep, lucky us! :)

So I was strolling to the station and saw a familiar face from a distance at the train station. I had to make sure and walked closer. Yep, she is the wife of a friend whom I go to mission trips to Sarawak with in PC. She was making gestures with another person, frowning at some point, and then goes back to talking again.

So I went over to tap her on the shoulder and both of them turned. As usual it's "Aaayyy!!" followed by exchanges of smiles. The other lady is also from PC. So the first thing we did was to check out how each other has been doing and such. It was a short reunion as we have to part ways because of the different train directions that we are taking, but it was nonetheless a nice "bump", which was followed by me smiling away and feeling all happy on the way home. And, a song was ringing in my head the whole time when I walked home...



This is the theme song for the movie "Working Girl", starring Meredith Griffin. I am not going to offer spoilers, so if you are interested, go read up the movie at imdb.com, and wikipedia.

I am so surprise to be able to find the music video off Youtube.com, as I was only thinking of downloading the song for radio.blog. It's one of those songs that draw tears to my eye (I am not asking you to cry, so don't worry :).

I remember when this song was played, Tess has just stepped into her new role in the corporate world and feeling all confident, that she has finally broken out of her mould/background and moved up the social ladder. She was strutting in her new office suit, and enjoying her new achievement. I'll always remember that scene, it reminded me that the opportunities are out there, just don't give up. :) I love the tagline pulled out in Wikipedia:

For anyone who's ever won. For anyone who's ever lost. And for everyone who's still in there trying.

Hmm... maybe I will go look for the movie and rent it :)

By the way, while looking for "Let the River Flow", I found this web page, that documents the winners of the movie soundtracks in the Oscars. Pretty interesting, you'd never know that those movies were made THAT long time ago... :)

I have moved!

To Blogger beta that is :)

Well, it looks kinda cool, and I am so glad that my original skin/layout is not replaced by some generic blogskin...

And I have to apologise to the following individuals who have left a comment at my blog, but didn't get to see them. I was shocked to see 4 comments to be moderated upon logging into the new interface and even more shocked to see you guys leaving nice comments on my blog and me not publishing them! What audacity! I believe they were "blocked" off by blogger when they were having their rounds of "upgrades" during September... :(

So please, please, pleaaaasssseee, accept my sincere apologies:

serendipity - comment posted on 31st August 2006
elye tirvare - comment posted on 10th September 2006
Shirlz - comment posted on 17th September 2006
eddie - comment posted on 18th September 2006

Click on the links to read them now!

(Again, very very sorry that they aren't as "fresh" as they were... I will ensure that it will not happen again!)

I Feel So Full Of Crab Now...

Yep, to Melben I went. This time round Y and I are better at gauging our capacity. So we only ordered 1 Crab Bee Hoon and 1 Butter Crab.

Arrrhhh... My craving for crab bee hoon is finally fulfilled. It tastes heavenly... But very oily (the oil from the butter, i suppose, covers the entire claypot when it arrived). We ordered the Man Tou too, and thank God they didn't came. We were very much filled up after the two crabs.

Satisfied :)

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As I took the train home, I realised that there are very few passengers on board, from South-bound train or from West-bound one. It was about an hr after 11 when I walk home from the station. It was very quiet all around the neighbourhood.

Suddenly I had a thought. What if something had happen to Singapore, so thats why everyone's staying at home? Another thought came up and say, "Can't be. If something had happened, I would be informed by someone."

Yeah, it's me being paranoid :P

But it set me thinking... What if one day, some official announce on TV or Radio that "Something has happen to Singapore..." Imagine the kind of situation it would be.

I wonder if Singaporeans then will react the same way the citizens of NY reacted during the 911.

By the time I had that thought, I have reached my house. The lights were off.

Nothing's happened to Singapore. It just so happened that it's late, and it had rained, and TV programmes are boring, and so people are turning in early.

Yeah, me and my super "bo liao" thoughts. Me and my super-paranoid brain.

An Assortment of Thoughts

[ That's The End?! ]

Tonight was the final lesson for the entire course.

Maybe it's because all of us have been veterens to courses and classes, so much so that taking photos at the last class was not one of the things we were "prepared" to do. That is not until our facilitator request for a group photo to be taken for the school's record (actually, it has never been a school. It's an accounting company that saw the need for translation and started the course).

There were more laughter during this module compared to the others. Up till the last lesson, we were still having fun during classes. That's the thing about languages. When used at the right time, some words can generate so much laughter though in a different context.

Everybody parted with a happy note, and reminded each other that the next time we meet will be during the next 2 exams. Those reminders were not spoken with much reluctance (not enough time for assignment and practice), and I think, with a tinge of pensiveness. That's it, there will be no more fun time such as the one we have had for the past 5 days.

It has come to an end.

I'll miss the lessons. I'll miss the "shots" of funny moments when someone who shout out a Chinese phrase teasingly out of context, but with hidden meaning.

I'll miss.

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[ Busyness ]

Last Friday and Today were the busiest time of my entire life... At my current office. No kidding. My boss was away last Friday, and I had to oversee some of the things that we work together. Not that I have been a slacker... She is actually quite an efficient boss, and did alot of the work most of the time (another reason is because she is someone who wish to see everything work in an efficient manner and effectively. Ie. Work Done Fast, Payments Come in Faster).

So while she was not around, I fetched quotations, talked with the designers for projects that were ready to start, as well as liasing with clients. That was last Friday. I was so busy, I actually felt that I had never been this efficient for the past 20 months :) It felt good that I am useful AND efficient at the same time at my post. in fact, I totally enjoyed it. I felt for once, I am doing what I should be doing.

And today, there were follow-up calls to be made, quotations to be chased, job brief to write up, discussions, more follow-ups... My entire day was busy calling, emailing, talking, calling, typing, etc... It's good :)

Out of the busyness, I had a somewhat-theory. When I am put to work (for real), I work better and more efficiently. When I work in an idle environment, I tend to slack and make careless mistakes.

I know some of you out there will be frowning "Silly girl... The lesser work, the better!" But seriously, I would rather get my hands dirty than to sit around and idle my time away. I guess that's probably the way my body operates. The Chinese call it "劳碌命", ie, a hard labour and chore-filled life. Well, I do hope one day, it would be activity-filled :)

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[ More Time More Money ]

During class, I had a thought (as always). One of my classmate came to the classroom today. It's not unusual, but he had missed the lessons in between, only attend the first lesson and the one tonight. Another classmate is a staff of the "school", and was still having a meeting session while we were having class. They were colleagues before the guy left for another company. They have another common colleague too.

So... These three persons are always seen working hard at their office. Sometimes, they could even stay back till the wee hours of the days to finish their work. Given the nature of their job (they help to put companies on IPO), I guess they have no choice but to work THAT hard.

But the returns are good. One of them drives a car (I hear her mentioning about "picking up" the other yesterday), and the other shared during our first lesson that she loves to travel, one different country each time.

I draw the conclusion that the more time they work (hard) at their job, the more money they earn (although theorectically speaking, they hold a fix salary. But I'm sure their company pays them good bonuses...) Or maybe it's the size of the company.

I've worked in small companies (2-8 now) all my life (except for once when I worked for the Yellow Pages back then, maybe 60 ppl?). It wasn't an option really, but somewhat, I ended up working in small communities. And in small communities, the margins are lower than middle size firms, and there are seldom "fat" bonus occurences.

Which is one of the reason why I am still a poor churchmouse.

The thought of "How to Make More Money" has been circling my mind for the past few days. I don't believe in earning without hard work, so MLM or pyramid selling is out for me. I guess the only thing I could do now, with my skills acquired and those I've already acquired for a long time, is to go out there and get supplementary jobs.

I don't want to be rich. I just want to be able to have a comfortable income so that I will not have to go to bed thinking about the things I could do if I have the money.

And then, back to the earlier thought.

Am I willing to put in more time to work for the money, and sacrifice the time when I can laze around and enjoy a time of leisure?

I am willing to work for the money, because from my experiences, most of my time of leisure were unproductive and sometimes, even sheer waste of God's extra hours to me.

Ok. Set.

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[ The Future ]

Now that the course has draw to a close. I will need to work on other projects, namely:

1) Complete assignments
2) Do my best in the exams
3) Save money for trip to Nanjing
4) Pay off course fees (that was applied to SDF via the company)
5) Polish my translation skills for greater things ahead - PROJECT 2007
6) Visit the United States! :D

All The Best To You, Joyce!

:) :) :)

Tired...

Classes have been interesting. Not to mention the lessons were conducted by a very good lecturer.

It does zaps off a whole chunk of mental energy. However, I feel that this is one of the rare modules that I actually pay attention throughout the entire class, and feel that I've learnt something, ie. picked up something useful during learning time. Imagine scouring through legal terms or scientific terminology, or social sciences jargons that we are hardly familiar with... And making them understandable to a third person...

All that in a full-day class (8 hour lesson!) on a Saturday AND a Sunday.

Time to rest my mind as lessons continues tomorrow...

. . .

BTW... Yours truly bought *ANOTHER* pair of shoes :P

The sum:

Heavy lesson + Busybody to find out where classmate's regular shopping haunt is + Bad eyesight (ie. wandering eyes *lol*) + Friendly shopkeeper with feet as big as mine + "Try and see lah!" + "You can't find this size and this design elsewhere, and they make your feet look smaller" beckons classmate + "Do you have NETS?", ME

= New Pair of wedges!

Haha! :P

Haiz... Jialat...

Thank God It's Friday, ALREADY! :D

Arrhhh....

I wanted to blog about alot of things.

But alot of other things have kept me busy so much so that I am kinda drained of any "juice" to blog at all. Hence, the personality blog, just to fill in space here...

Hehe...

NOT! :)

I wanted to blog about "Little Shop of Horrors" that I watched last evening with my colleagues. I have always liked local humour in drama and musicals, but somehow, I think LSH - Singapore version doesn't seem to blend in well with local humour. Save for the Dim Sum Dollies who played pivotal cameos in various scenes, the musical was kinda bland.

(Disclaimer: The original movie musical was never one of my must-see shows, hence, the expectation that the musical will prove me wrong was pretty high. Also, I am speaking from my view, ok... Don't want to anyhow offend people... Later I kena rotten eggs/tomatoes/giam chai from local drama supporters :P)

So... there is not alot of the play to talk about :P

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Yet another new module, and last one, has begun.

The new professor has travelled extensively and taught in many major universities. And what a great difference it make! I find that the Chinese professors who have been to the western countries are more likely to be better lecturers than those who have been in China most of the time. These professors are more open to suggestions and opinions, and are more willing to share their knowledge to the class. The China-based ones are pretty much the I-talk-u-listen kind... It's hard to learn much from them.

Well, I guess, it's rather typical Chinese man mentality...

I think I will enjoy this final module the most. Even though it's about Law, Social Science, and some-other-subject :)

I am thankful that this professor has been selected to end the course with us. :)

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Arrrhh...

Sometimes I wonder if I am really that dependable person I appear to be. I do notice that people are very comfortable to open up their lives to me... Like sharing their problems, and specifically, when they feel depressed.

Well, I suppose, you get what you ask for. I used to desire that I be an Encourage, and have asked God more than once (in the past) that I want to be one. But it has been difficult for me to keep desiring for it after many times of being let down.

But I guess... Eventually, it is the road for me to take :)

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I am not a group-of-friends-person, I noticed. Somehow, my friends do not mix-and-match, like what PA's friends do. All of my friends are very different individuals, and they don't seem to match in personalities, at all. I don't see them mixing around with me. As in... I know A. I know B. I know C. I know D. But they will never be found hanging out with me together. Like Joyce and ABCDs. I find that I meet up with individuals more often than I hang out in groups.

Or maybe this is just old age.

Haha! :)

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There you go! Enough things for your reading pleasure for weekend reading.

TGIF!

And They Say Opposite Attracts! :)

But I find it strange... You'd see why...

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So with regards to the previous post, I am a INFJ.

I scored:

45% I to E, ie more introverted or extroverted I vs E

47% N to S, ie. more concerned with reality and facts or ideas and intuitions N vs S

23% F to T, ie. more logic based or feelings based F versus T

and 42% J to P, ie. more go with the flow or someone who likes to have a plan J vs P!

So I guess it's true. I am very pragmatic and practical and rational.

No wonder my status now is still "as free as can be" :) Oh well. :)

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ESFP - The Performer You scored 75 I versus E, 60 N versus S, 40 F versus T, and 40 J versus P! Your ideal partner is known as the Performer. As a romantic partner, this type is fun and affectionate, leading an active life full of friends. They are naturually happy-go-lucky and supportive of their partners. They dislike confrontation, and will avoid conflict discussion at all costs. They tend to let things go, hoping they go away on their own. They feel most appreciated when their partner is affectionate and acknowledges the good deeds they do, but doesn't make a particularly big deal out of them. The group summary: Experiencers (sp)ESFP My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 99% on I versus E You scored higher than 99% on N versus S You scored higher than 99% on F versus T You scored higher than 99% on J versus P

Link: The Best Personality Type for You Test written by unpretentious2 on
OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test

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Hmmm.....

I Am An Idealist, And A Counselor! :)

INFJ - the counselor You scored 45% I to E, 47% N to S, 23% F to T, and 42% J to P! Your type is best summed up by the word "counselor", which belongs to the larger group of idealists. Only 2% of the population share your type. You are so empathic that you often know what others need before they know themselves. You are a complex person who can deal with complicated issues and people, almost prefer to, as you love problem solving. You can be something of an idealist or perfectionist, and should try to take yourself a little less seriously. You are a supportive and insightful romantic partner, encouraging your mate to have dreams and work hard to make those dreams come true. Because you are so creative, you have a wealth of ideas to help them toward those goals. You need harmony so much that you are driven to resolve conflict quickly, as long as the terms don't violate your ethics. You feel the most appreciated when your partner admires your creativity, trusts your inspirations, and respects your values. It is also vitally important that your partner be open and emotionally available - in other words, that they be willing to share themselves completely. Your group summary: idealists (NF) Your type summary: INFJ

My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 43% on I to E You scored higher than 57% on N to S You scored higher than 27% on F to T You scored higher than 47% on J to P

Link: The LONG Scientific Personality Test written by unpretentious2 on OkCupid, home of the The Dating Persona Test

Indigestion While Fluttering NATO Plans

The Japanese dinner on Sunday night did me in :(

I have been having indigestion for the past 2 days, and I think the shabu-shabu beef is the main culprit :( Haiz... I skipped breakfast yesterday and then lunch today. Decided to pop charcoal pills today. It managed to burped out the excessive gas and though the stomach churns occasionally, I am feeling much much better...

Greedy lor...

Oh well... I thank God I am ok now.

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There were a couple of fluttering thoughts I had today, which were quite thought-provoking (at least when I had them in my mind), but then, they fluttered away... So...

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Tonight, the desire for me to go venture overseas is rather strong. Of course one of the main point is that many people around me have already done that, and I have yet to do so.

Also, I kinda have a map/plan roughly planned out in my brain at the moment, at how and what I am gonna do in the new year to move myself towards that goal. Somehow, I have a very strong feeling that something will happen. But in order for that to happen, I must stick close to the plan, and be disciplined.

Which, I am not really right now lor... :(

That is so sad... I mean on one hand, I am so excited about what God has for me in the future, but on the other hand, I am so slacking in the effort department...

I really need a reminder to myself every now and then about my dream for the future. I don't want to end up being the NATO person - No Action Talk Only.

The plan needs to work.

The plan HAS to work.

Argh! I Am So Full!

Yeap, it's another eating extravaganza for yours truly again! :) This time, it was a treat by a pair of friends who wanted to thank me for helping to design the birthday card of his mother's 70th birthday. They wanted to treat me to a sumptuous Japanese dinner, knowing how much I love Japanese Food. So we went to Keyaki at Pan Pacific Hotel.



- The interior of the restaurant is quite Japanese looking, mostly of white and dark wood.
- The menu informs the customer that this restaurant has won a couple of notable awards.
- Nice looking set of culterly for toothpicks, soysauce and I've-forgotten-what.



Their choice of yakitori set with lotsa meat... chicken, salmon belly, lobster, prawn in bacon, sotong, shisamo. There were also barberqued mushroom, garlic, pistachio, some unknown bean.

My selection of beef shabu-shabu (They can't serve the KOBE beef as indicated on the menu because "our singapore government bans because, cos scared of mad cow disease" said the waiter. So I settled for Australian beef. Just as good! :) And of course, what trip to a Japanese does not include fresh sashimi? Of course they were good. They charged a premium price for them!

I didn't look at the bill, cos I did not have to pick up the tab. After that, one of them was still hungry, so we went to Robertson walk for a smaller Japanese outfit. Some place call Shunju or something.


Eggplant; some unknown-to-me sausages; more yikitori. There were a couple other dishes, but I was too tired to take pictures of them. Same reason why I only talked about the food names :P Just too full and tired. In fact I am burping as I type this...

Oh yeah, the Chocolate Factory and the Butter Factory are located at Robertson walk! One day must go there and try... Especially the Chocolate Factory... Mmmm.....

So anyway, I went home, kinda satisfied :) Full but satisfied. Mentally reminded myself to watch my food intake for the coming week.

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I had signed up with the church for a meet the Senior Pastor day today, at their residence. Those who attended the gathering were an interesting lot. Australians, Americans, English, locals, Sri Lankans... I left the place feeling really relieved that I've decided to settle in this church.

Day by day, I am getting more and more indication that this is the church that I should settle in. I am completely comfortable attending the service, even though at this point in time, I am sitting by myself during the entire service. But I get to know more and more people as I get more frequent. Getting to know the senior pastor is one of the first step for me to do more than attending service. Which I hope would happen when my current course draws to a close.

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As for the event yesterday. I think, part of it happens due to misunderstanding and miscommunication of message earlier on. However, I still do agree with the fact that she uses such curt words on me. I'll just have to learn to be less involved in her matters. And to not take her unpolish words to heart.

I will not let her comments affect me.

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Well, that's all from me for ya'all today. I am going to pen and email and heading off to bed. Taaa!

Was It Me, Or Was It Her?

She is at it again.

Last week, she had promised our nieces that she will bring them to a bbq event tonight. This morning, my mother told me that she has called it off, because she thought the distance and timing were not appropriate, according to what my eldest sister related to my mother.

I was rather disturbed by the fact that she could actually plan out everything without considering the logistics. All this could be done so that she would not end up giving false promises to the girls. My mother and brother told me that if I so feel so strongly about the issue, I should let her know.

After some deliberation, I've decided to sms her how I feel, that I think she owe the girls and explanation when she call off the BBQ outing. That the girls were disappointed, and I am surprise that never consider the logistics when she made that promise.

And the reply came. "It's between them, their mother & me. It has nothing to do with you. U don't have to tell me what I shld or shldn't do."

So this is what family is about. I find it such a contradictory, recalling an article she forward about family.

The mother of the two girls later called me and asked me what did I tell her. She said that there's an misunderstanding, and that she (the mother) was the one who suggested that it be called off. I told the mother what she replied to me, and nearly cried when I read to her what she sms-ed me. But not to make things worse, I didn't go beyond Ok.

I mean, even if there was a misunderstanding.... She could have use better terms or explain the situation to me. Why must her words be so crude and piercing?

I am sad. I was going to blog about something wonderful today. But this... and the stormy rain today drenches everything.

:(

Flying Over Continents And Curiousity

I've heard about Googleearth for the longest time, but never got around to explore this software. I was given a link to the programme, and was really in awe of the things that it can do. More like in awe, and thoroughly amazed at HOW BIG a planet we are living. It's a really big plot of land we living :) Really.

I am amazed how BIG the United States is (well, I've never been good in Geography, so... :). Many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many (and many many more) times bigger that lil' ol' Singapore. Totally amazed.

Ok, I'll stop...

Anyways, I think it's nifty programme, though it's a scary thought to know that you can found exactly where you are located, randomly. :S But it's a good experience to be able to "fly" from one part of the world to another, viewing the top view of famous landmarks such as the Effiel Tower or The London Bridge, Statue of Liberty (have yet to figure out where are the egyptian pyramids :)

So there. That's the discovery of the month! :)

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The same friend was writing excitedly about the movie "The Lake House". I know I've written earlier that I've long given up on watching shows like that, still I was curious why a guy like him likes the movie movie so much. So, bugged by the curiosity cat, I borrowed the show from my colleague when I happened to see the DVD at his desk.

I've just finished watching the movie and my feeling about the movie is: Really fluffy. :)

It's not a negative review really.

Maybe it's because I've grown really pragmatic through the years, especially this year, that I have shorn away the passion and fantasy I used to have about love. The movie is nice, really. Sweet, romantic, anything a girl would go goo-goo-gaa-gaa about. Lovelorn guy waiting for a girl. Unmoved faithfulness to the relationship. A rarity nowadays in our instant-cook-society. And finally both of them met and it was a happily ever after ending.

I used to have my self-esteem boosted and my hopes shot up high whenever I watch this kinda movie. But I don't nowadays. I'm just being practical after my experiences/brushes with relationships. Seriously, love does not happen that way. At least I believe, it will never happen to me in that manner.

At one part, Kate wrote to Alex after their failed date. And below was what she felt:

"What if there is no one?

What if you live your whole life and no one is waiting?"

Though the story attempts to "advise" it's audience that that statement may not be true at the end of the story, a part of me could identify with her question.

And of course, the practical side of me always reminded myself, "then you'd have waited for nothing! Think about the things you could do if you have not waited! And you'd be alone in the end!"

Anyways, I am not into this waiting thing for the time being. I will anticipate, but I am not going to WAIT-wait.

I'm sorry, I am not into this fantasy-fairytale ending. Really, I am not. I used to fantasise and dream, but it was painful to realise that reality is harsh. I am not going to give that anymore.

I'd just be me. No frills, no gimmicks, no fantasy - Me.

Giraffe For Dinner

I met up with LL for a post-birthday dinner tonight. The original plan was to go to a Japanese Restaurant. We nearly ended in a salsa club, if not for the hefty price tag that goes with it. LL told me that they charge $90 for a 4-course dinner. Now THAT immediately sets us back many times, as I do not think LL (with 3 kids) would want to spend her money in this way. So we settled for the Giraffe Restaurant instead.



The restaurant is situated at the Istana Park, just opposite Istana + Plaza Singapura. I would say the internal setting of the restaurant is superb. If you would not notice the cars passing by, you may be tricked to think that you are actually dining in a rainforest or resort or something.



Starter-dish: Crumbed Mushrooms - Mmmmmmm...... The picture next to it is a pot with cubes of sugar. You hardly find them presented in this manner anymore. So this was a rare sight, compared to the packet sugar u see in Starbucks or Coffeebean...



LEFT: Baby Pork Ribs (sorry, my hand shook :P) and RIGHT: LL's pasta MMMmmm....



Dessert (forgotten their names :P) Check out the pretty edges of the cakes:



I'll give the restaurant 4 stars for the food. Staffs were friendly, but they nearly charge us extra for food we did not order. So, do check your bill before you pay.

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I thought it was a great time that LL and I could spend a night like that. It's been so long since we could talk and yak girlie stuffs and catchup on gossips. I had noticed earlier that we have been having awkward silence when we meet up recently, probably due to the unfamiliarity build up over the years of not staying in touch. But we've been doing catch-ups recently, and tonight, there was absence of silence :) We talk and had a lot of fun making fun of each other and others :)

After we parted, we sms-ed each other, thanking one another for the company. And I confessed to her that I was happy that we do not have awkward silence anymore, and that we will should meet up again.

I am looking forward to the next fun time! :)

Beginning the double-3

I was going to start this blog by writing about how many sms-es and birthday cards and msn and even friendster messages I got today.

But nah, I think that's just silly. Because it doesn't matter, the quantity. It matters that they remember it, that is good enough.

But I gotta mention that my Malay colleague got me muffins from Amoy Street early in the morning. So sweet of him! :)

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I realised this is the age where Jesus started his ministry (as studied by the biblical scholars).

This next year will be a year that Joyce will begin to do great things in her life. Whatever they are, I am not too sure, but I do know that exciting things awaits me, for this coming year and beyond. So much that could happen did not happen in the past years, because of my ignorance, procrastination, lack of self confidence and/or laziness.

I am determine not to slack. I am excited of what awaits me in this new year.

As my MSN suggests... I can do it! :)

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On my birthday last year, I went to have my ears pierced (you can imagine how I was a little delusional about myself during then). The plan for this year was to get a English/Chinese bible for myself as a gift, after work. I figured it's time that I get myself familiar with the WORD in 2 languages. However, my previous children's pastor sms-ed me and asked if we could meet up for a dinner get-together. I said yes. It's time that I re-connect with PC.

So we sat at the Japanese Restaurant and did our catch-up on stuffs. My life, her life, church life. I was much more composed when talking to her this time, compared to then 9 months ago. There were no tension, no more pretense. Just a good time of chatting. After dinner, we went to look for my present at the Christian bookshop at the basement. Duh, they didn't have it. She offered to give hers to me, as she has an extra copy.

I am grateful :) My brother will get it from her. Whoopee! A birthday gift for myself without having to pay for it.

God is good! :)

We then walked to Takashimaya for ice-cream. I introduced her to Venezia ice-cream. Yummy! A pity they didn't have peanut butter tonight. But hazelnut's good too, it was my choice, together with pink grapefruit. Pastor chose Italian Coffee and Rum & Raisin. We talked a bit before parting ways. I was able to share with her about my hope and plans after the translation classes. Again, no pretense, just sharing with nothing held back.

I like it. And I like the beginning of this restoration.

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Isn't it funny that two goods do not make one right? It's funny how two good intentions do not end up in a right conclusion, but end up in misundertanding and miscommunication clashes.

At the end of it, as long as both parties are willing to hear each other out, things can be done. And will be done, someday.

Well, I am glad that that was the outcome after the dust settled.

And I will go! >>>>>>>>>>

Last Friday And Saturday

There was a little hiccup during the wedding (which wedding doesn't :) but all went well. I'm sorry I didn't have much to show, because I was running around, getting things done, announcements, making sure friends are not ignored, and also one of the people who send the drunken bridegroom to his room. He was hilarious when drunk.

It was funny. I had completely forgotten about my birthday, not until the makeup artist for the bride had a slip of tongue and told me the cake was in the fridge, and told me to please pretend to be surprise ;P The groom later on blurted out (in a drunken manner) that friends are gonna celebrate my birthday the same night as the wedding.

By the time the intention was announced, I tried to pretend to be surprised, but I guess the tiredness weakened my ability to do so. Nevertheless, it was a nice surprise. What was even more surprising was the gift, a Swarozski crystal necklace! Dainty and nice! :) We then went to sing karaoke till 4am and return (some of us) to the hotel.

The next day, another surprise awaits me. After the lunch, I returned home, totally drained. There were a few letters placed on my bed. I could recognise some of which are bills, but then one envelope stood out among the others. The address on the top left hand corner brighten that moment, drew a big smile on my face, and sent a tingly feeling deep down. It was the US friend that I've lost-thru-the-years-and-found-on-myspace :) Though it's a simple card, the on-and-on list of prayers on that card was just amazing. I know he prayed for me alot, and to have the prayers (well not the exact ones, but similiar lines) travelling all the way from him to me warms my heart :)

Such moments reminded me that I am not forgotten afterall :) I shouldn't complain about being ignored and left out. I am in their hearts! ;)

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So yeah, My 32nd year on this earth will come to a closure soon.

I am glad that I am no longer having pre-birthday jitters or stresses or moods like I used to have in previous years ('04, 'o5). I guess being able to come out of my own self pity and rising above it all helped.

I can tell you, at this moment, I am truly happy for me being me. I am loved, I am cherished, and that does not necessary come with a companion.

And that's the birthday gift I ever need.

Food List

I reckon it is useful that I compile a list of the blogs of my favourite food and food haunts just so that I can find the contacts easily and to relive yummy memories. It will be included as one of the permanent links on your right ---->

So here goes...

Local Food
Melben Seafood Restaurant --- link1, link 2
Ponggol Nasi Lemak stall at Tanjong Katong --- link
Unknown Food Centre at Zion Road, next to BB Headquarters --- link
Sliced Fish Soup --- link, first mention
Durians --- link

Chinese Food (Restaurants)
Dian Xiao Er 店小二 at Marina Square --- link
Peach Garden --- link
Xin Wang Hongkong Cafe at Marina Square --- link
Happy Valley Hongkong Cafe at Tiong Bahru --- link
Traditional food served in funerals --- link
Crystal Jade Xiao Long Bao and Ramen Restaurant --- link
The Soup Restaurant, Suntec City --- link

Japanese Food
Hanabi Restaurant ---
link 2
link 1
first mention
Honjin Restaurant --- link
Waraku Restaurant --- link
Keyaki at Pan Pacific Hotel + Some place call Shunju at Robertson Walk --- link
Japanese Collagen Noodle Shop at Marina Sq --- link

Sweet Nothings...
Carnival & Co. Cupcakes --- link 1, link 2, link 3
Jellyhearts --- link
Venezia Ice Cream --- link
New Zealand Ice Cream at Harbour Front --- link
The Perfect Fairy Cupcakes --- link
Chewy Junior --- link

Others
Miramar Hotel Buffet --- link
Korean Barbeque at Dempsey Road --- link
Food in Johor Bahru --- link

Western Food
Swensens
IKEA Restaurant
Giraffe Restaurant
Brewerkz

Chewy, Yummy, Fairy, Nearly, Marry, Happy , Fairy

I had a pre-wedding dinner with PA tonight. Just normal hangout stuffs, eating and window shopping. With me end up buying something (despite the fact that I had made some financial planning resolutions.. :S)

Dinner was at Swensens, Parco Bugis Junction. I felt like having some western fare, felt like I have not had western fare for ages. And besides, PA felt like eating some ice-cream, and Swensens have them too. So... It was a natural "progressive" choice.




Oh, it's just simple fish & chips with tartar sauce, for the both of us. And the ice-cream for dessert.



She had Coit Tower and I had Chewy Chocolate (no prize for guessing why :) I was glad I chose a small glass, cos I reckon I couldn't take in more food after the fish & chios. PA couldn't finish her ice-cream, haha! ;)

Before that (sorry for the reverse chronological order of this post), we were window shopping (I am looking for a replacement for my purse) and we strolled into an accessories shop. I wasn't awestruck by the accessories there (something I normally do). I was in love with the first thing I saw in the store, a stand with lots and lots of christmas ornaments. Beautiful Christmas ornaments. One of them had me standing at the stand for a long time, and I finally parted $6.50 for it.

Meet the mascot for Fluffy and Floaty Thots of Fumblebee, Ms Fig Fairy!
It's the perfect decoration to hang on my door, all year round!

Watching Ms Fig Fairy jump can be so much fun!

1, 2, 3.... Weeeeeeeeeeeeee..............................

I will take a better picture of the mascot and use it to update the look of this blog. Watch this space...

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Actually, I did have western meal recently. I was at IKEA last Tuesday with my colleague to purchase something for the office, and this are what we ate there:



Left to right: Restaurant at IKEA, "Sweeedeesh" Meatballs *YUMMY!* and Smoked Salmon *Yummy!*

Reasonable price for good food. No wonder the restaurant is packed over the weekends! I hope IKEA Tampines will open soon. So that us people in the west and central can enjoy IKEA Alexandra with lesser crowds *hehe, selfish thought!*

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So in conclusion, today was a happy day for me :) The highlight of it being the discovery of my mascot, haha! ;) I may go back there and buy the others, but $9.90 for the others (that are not jumpy like Ms Fig Fairy, ie. no strings) is something that I have to consider now that I have a tight budget.

I mean, when PA bought me across the street to ICON at Bugis Point opposit Parco, there were temptations and temptations. I settled for a brown leather belt I had been looking for to match one of blouses and had to respond to the responsible signals in my head when I was egged on by PA to buy a black blouse at the same store. The owner was even ready to drop the price down by $10 just to get me to be her last customer of the day. Fortunately(for me, but not for the owner :P), I didn't have much feeling for the dress, though it is quite trendy, otherwise, I would buy it :P

Thanks for the reminder, God :)

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Tomorrow, two of my closest friends will be getting married to one another. I think I will cry at the solemnisation ceremony :) They are lovely people, a wonderful pair and truly deserve one another. All the things I have done for them for this wedding is worth every bit.

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I will be away for the entire day tomorrow. Hopefully I will have enough stamina to write on Saturday. Till the next blog...

This has been Fig Fairy, signing off.