Constant Bugging... (Updated)

If you ask me, gyrating to a piece of sensual hip-hop music is not exactly my idea of impacting the world...

+Wyclef Jean Produces Sun AKA Geisha’s “China Wine”+

What's more, being referred to as a "geisha"... Hmmm...

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The video had me dumb-founded.

I saw a split-second scene in the video where a couple are supposedly "dancing" in a posture in what I can only identify as similar to having an sexual intercourse.

Obviously, the producer of the music video know sex sells and what his (mainly hormone-charged) viewers like to see. Our China Wine girl seems to have a very "heavenly" body, so much so that her fellow dancers adore it have their fingers all over her at one point. And I know many men like to see women touch their own kind.

Singing "China Wine" over and over again in a Japanese accent seemed to be the way to go for our made-in-Singapore geisha.

Oh, if you are as kaypo as I am, you would see more things...

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My comments are honest, I write what I saw.

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Wait a min. Did they really pray for this (kind of thing to happen, or what they refer as ministry) so that the world will know Jesus?

Ah... I forgot... She's a counsellor. Not a pastor.

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I was really happy for her when she broke into the secular scene and testified her role and ministry with that fame. I could still tahan the Armani (or was it DKNY) gown she wore to some awards some years back.

But this... I am not prepared to mix this all together and call this witnessing.

Wake up.

Skeptical

I visit my once-a-while-normally-for-spams email today.

And she is sent another email again (fortunately, through that email, heh!). There is this secondary school friend of mine who recently turned internet marketer. She has been at it for sometime, and in her latest email, she told us that she is doing an email blast and many in Singapore will see her in video, and because we are her dear friends she want to share it with us first (very sales-talk).

So out of curiosity, I clicked on the link she gave.

After watching the video, I was more confused then before. The video spoke nothing about what she does (2 children, obviously pre-empted by her, shouting in "joy" before they go into the pool, and the scene changes to show her sitting by the pool), and was all about spending 2 hours each time a day at the computer.

That's what these internet marketing companies does, dangling a carrot in front of you and luring you into their business. I am skeptical, because... It's simply not convincing enough for me.

For the whole time, she repeated the question "do you want to" but not clearing the air what will happen. It may be confidentiality that she has sworn, but... It's really as superficial as the way she staged the video.

So yeah, unless I see something convincing enough, I am not in a hurry to fill up that form to find out more.

Shall We Dance?

I don't quite remember adding the movie +"Shall We Dance"+ in my videoezy DVD rental queue. I've watched it before. Nevertheless when it arrived in the mail, I thought, "Why not? Afterall, it's quite a nice movie." So today, I took some time to watch the movie. I never regretted that decision. The movie is worth it.

It's a simple story, but tells alot about some common stories that happens in city dwellers. It's the only show where I truly enjoy the impeccable performance of Jennifer Lopez. Richard Gere and Susan Sarandon are very convincing in their roles too. So are the rest of the actors and actresses. Everyone just had chemistry with one another and their roles. And there were some scenes that makes a girl go "Awwww...".

I suggest guys watch this movie to learn a little bit of what goes on in a girl's mind. In fact, I think it's impossible that anyone could watch this show and not be touched by it.

I think I will get the DVD and Soundtrack and keep it as a perk-me-up movie. :)

Extreme Hunger

Today is the 2nd episode of Joyce is Always Hungry!

I guess it's one of the pre-menstrual symptoms (let me reiterate again: this is biological and there is nothing shameful or disgusting about mentioning it). Thankfully, I have only one Pre-MS, ie. hunger pangs. (Not to mention the Post-MS... Disgusting things I have to endure in the 1st 2 days...)

My menu for yesterday (Friday):
Breakfast: 2 curry puffs + 1 cup of milo

It's cold: 1 cup of coffee

Lunch: Minced meat porridge with an egg added

Tea:
Tea with Dutch Waffle (Yummy waffle taken off my colleague's table [Haha!].
When it's microwaved... Mmmm.... NICE!)

1 hour later: 1 cup of milo

15 mins later: a chicken bao + a siew mai

Dinner: Barbeque grilled chicken rice with an egg omlette and vegetables. Cleared the plate.

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My menu for today (Saturday):
Breakfast: 1 muffin + 1 coffee

Break during seminar: 1 coffee

Lunch after seminar (SUPER HUNGRY!): KFC Zinger Meal

Flexible Tea breaks while teaching nieces: quadrants of +Chewy Junior+ I bought on Thursday

1 hour later: 1 cup of coffee

Another hour later: more quadrants of Chewy Junior (I bought 12, heheh!)

Dinner:
small portion of rice, a small bowl of tom yam soup, kai lan, some duck meat, some Kou Lou Yoke

Half hour later:
Stomach felt a little empty. Took the remaining bowl of tom yam soup, threw some rice in it and finished the soup

2 hours plus later:
Trying to savour the 2 pieces of Sara Lee Chocolate Pound Cake I had before I typed this post.

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I am still hungry. :(

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I'll validate the saying "A Hungry Man is A Angry Man". For I am one Hungry Woman. When I reached home with my KFC take away today, I was pretty flustered already (plan to eat at the restaurant, it's packed; waited a whole 20 mins for my turn - For goodness already, I AM HUNGRY; it HAD to rained as I head for home)

The first thing I announced to everyone at home was this: Do not talk to me and make me mad before I have my lunch, otherwise, I will flare anyone who cross my path.

Yeah, I was THAT hungry.

My eldest niece knew I meant business and even told her sister to lower her volume when they are talking in front of me.

I didn't cool off till the food reached my stomach. Literally. I was too hungry to take any nonsense from anyone.

Finally the stomach sent a signal to tell me it has been fed and I was ready go back my normal temperaments.

Bet I have scared you guys off your socks huh?

Heh.

I Love To Go To Work Everyday

(I apologise if the post below sounds bimbotic. This is by no way an advertorial. I am just reviewing something I used and like.)

Because nothing excites me more than looking forward to the now-daily ritual of curling my eyelashes, lengthening them and see them curl, making my eyes pixie-like.

You'd remember my post the other time about my boring +single eyelid eyes+.

I have tried many products and mascaras previously, and none of them does any justice to those eyelashes hidden under those droopy eyes. And I end up with panda eyes, the droopy eyes mixed my natural tears into the lashes and caused them to smudge.

However, thanks to P, who works in a beauty and hair magazine. She gave me a set of samples from one of their advertisers, +Tsuya Tsuya+. It's a pair of +magic wand+ that extend lashes and another that thicken lashes.

And the product really works. My lashes are longer after application and they can be removed with normal eye makeup remover.

So yeah, this is now the only thing that motiviates me to wake up for work everyday.

Church Stuffs

I want to do whatever I can to help them regain their self-confidence in society. I've always believe that this group of people should be treated fairly like a normal person.

But I know that there is always a line I should be wary of. And I always remember that while I get friendly with them.

I do not hold anything against them. They have to go through reformation for the foolish things they have done to themselves in the past. But I do not want to be misunderstood either - especially as a rare member of the opposite gender - thats why I join them for after-service lunches, or when I hang out or talk to them, who are mostly male.

I guess I will leave the more friendly stuffs to them to my brothers in Christ.

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I think when I mentioned that I felt that I was called out of the PC, it wasn't a hunch. Things are become clearer to me now, after I went into the classes a couple of times to teach and also to observe. I saw, I heard, I sensed.

Some things have to change, and God has spoken to me.

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I think a sit down and listen video sermon is a great way to learn God's word. With adults, that is.

So when I saw (can I say "to my horror"?) that the kids that I will be teaching next month singing and learning their bible lessons from a video CD, I was stunned. Prayers and application questions are also taught off a CD.

Let's not care about the praises the other teachers gave to the materials. My class will not hear the Bible from a taped video. Nor will they pray with a video.

I am a teacher, not someone who is there to press the PLAY button and let the machine do the work.

'Well, get ready for this Joyce. If you choose that route,
think about all the free time you will lose.'

Yeeeaaaa God... That's why I need you to see me through. Let's begin with August first. As for the rest of the days, I ask of your portion of patience, discipline, and perseverance.

Amen!

It Came To Pass

A secret wish came to pass last night.

Ever since I knew what worship is, I've had this secret dream that someday, someone from the/any worship team (I was at PC then) would hear me sing (and of course, acknowledge my ability). Maybe it's the pride thingy. I just want to hear someone publicly acknowledge that I am good enough.

However, I wasn't actively pursuing that acknowledgement. A part of me know that I am not called into that ministry of service, and hence, there is no need for me to "show off" this ability. I still sing, nonetheless, in karaoke lounges. Heh :)

Yes, I love to sing. Come to think of it, I like the exhileration singing brings. I find it very therapeutic. I can lose myself in the midst of a song, just like the way I lose myself when I am in a movie.

So, I still sing. And yesterday, it was a very impromptu thing that we did. We went singing after supper, which was after cell group (Yay! Praise God! I have found myself a group to belong to!).

Somewhere in between songs, one of the guys (who does worship backup singing) was asking me why am I not in the worship team, and that he would mention my name to the worship pastor, that I felt a little flighty and floaty. . .* . .. :D (In case you wonder otherwise, he is the boyfriend of the cell group leader. Out of bounds :) The other guy is a superb electric guitar player (he is a part of a 3-pc secular band) who kept nodding his head whenever I sing (he's married :D).

I was in the company of people who actually know the craft and acknowledge - not just briefly mentioned - that I can sing. Of course, I like the attention. But to leave things as they are (before we step into the KTV), I simply did a "Huh? No lah..." and didn't allow any further discussion on that.

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Yeah, the whole thing sounded as if I am doing all that to puff up my pride. And I do not deny that was one of, and probably is, the main reason/s.

But today, it came to my realisation today that God had used yesterday to respond to this secret little desire of mine.

Finally, He responded. It took a long time, but I got my answer.

I am grateful. Another answer made known to a secret wish.

Thank you God.

Conversation Pieces

My recent conversation pieces with others largely consists of our career.

Many of us are raring to go. The lure is just too great. The job market is flourishing now.

I hear 6 reports of people leaving their jobs for greener pastures for the past 2 weeks.

It's depressing yet motivating at the same time.

Depressing because I've got to serve my loan, so I am kinda tied for the time being. Motivating because I know my value is there and opportunities for me abound.

Patience is such a difficult virtue to cultivate.

The Amazing Mouse Pointer

How does the small arrow on your computer monitor work when we move the mouse?
Haven't you ever wondered how it works?
Now, through the miracle of high technology, we can see how it is done.
With the aid of a screen-magnifying lens, the mechanism becomes apparent.
Click on the link below and you will find out.

The image may take a minute or two to download and when it appears,

slowly move your mouse over the light-gray circle, and you will see how the magic works.

http://www.1-click.jp/

街角的祝福 (The Street Corner Blessing)

词:戴佩妮 曲:戴佩妮 歌手：戴佩妮 专辑：爱过

多少个秋多少个冬
After so many autumns and winters

我几乎快要被治愈好
I'd be completely healed

但还是会只因为一个重覆的话题
But there is always a recurring conversation topic

就无心自扰
that would stir up the heart



也曾想过
It crossed my mind

若真遇见我们应该如何是好
If we run into each other, what do we do

我想我还是会站在某一个街角
I guess I would stand at a corner of the street

不让你看到
You won't see me



只因为我不想打扰
Because I do not want to interrupt

只因为怕你解释不了
Because I am afraid you can't give a reason

只因为现在你的眼睛里
Because in this moment, in your eyes

她比我还重要
She is more important than me



我只好假装我看不到
I can only pretend that I did not see

看不到你和她在对街拥抱
that the two of you are in embrace across the street

你的快乐我可以感受得到
You are happy, I can feel it

这样的见面方式对谁都好
It's the best way for the both of us to meet



我只好假装我听不到
I pretended not to hear

听不到别人口中的她好不好
From the mouths of those who spoke about her

再不想问也不想被通知到
I do not want to know, and I do not want to hear

反正你的世界我管不了
Afterall, I am not taking care of your world anymore



若不想问若不想被通知到
Since I do not want to know, and I do not want to hear

就把祝福留在街角
I'll leave my blessings at the corner of the street

It's 7.31pm

I want MP3 of Martina Mcbride's "I love you" and "A broken wing".

My colleague just sms-ed me to say that he would leaving the company this end August.

Both of us are gonna matchmake his friend with a guy from the office next door. We'd probably link them up soon.

I am in the office waiting for the delivery guys to come over to pick up some stuffs for a client's seminar tomorrow. Alone.

I am listening to Class 95 over the internet.

I have missed my aerobics class.

I don't know what else to blog about.

不吐不快

That is a phrase that is used to describe that someone is "not able to keep silent about some disturbing thing or issue".

Go to this Chinese link on Channel News Asia:

http://www.cnachinese.com/stories/singapore/view/51766/1/gb/.html

then go to the English version of the news here:

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/288192...

When I heard the Chinese newsreader referred the Nalanda University as 那烂陀大学, I felt the name was wrongly translated, and was an insulted to a university, or any university, for that matter.

I mean, in direct Chinese back translation, those words mean "That Wretched Hill University". Went to google for the name, and found out, indeed, in the China websites, it was translated in that manner. I guess the Chinese are not familiar with the pronounciation with Indian names, hence the wrong translation.

I thought it could have a better name, such as 纳岚达 or something. But anyway, it is already a translated text... Nothing we can do.

Just sharing my thoughts :P

Paris, je t'aime

Oh, I love this movie!

It's like a little bittersweet coated peppermint candy.

The movie is beautiful, beautiful, beautiful... Each little story takes an identity on it's own (of course, they were all done by different directors). I like the approach - each director weave their own version of life in Paris and put them together into a platter of delightful desserts.

Well, I guess the one month delay to watch this rented video is worth it :D

I am gonna go look for it's soundtrack :D

+IMDB+

+Official Website+

Food Post!

The Saturday wedding couple invited me to join them for a dinner to send off a friend from South Africa, as well as to thank me and another guy for helping them during the wedding. We went to a Korean BBQ place at Dempsey road.



I have forgotten the exact name of the restaurant, probably something-charcoal grill. Nice food, but spicy. I am not a big fan of Korean stuffs, so it's a first for me to try the above food (in order, left to right: stewed beef with pumpkin, glutinous rice, cold noodle) There were other stuffs, but I reckoned that they do not look good on the camera, so I missed them.

I'd rate them 3 1/2 out of 5, because I am not THAT into Korean stuffs basically :P

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Next, I am going to announce my new sweet fetish... +Chewy Junior!+



The shop is located at Tanjoing Pagar Plaza, just next to Chocolate 'N Spice (who, by the way, sells delicious muffins. Really delicious ones!). They share a same unit number, ie. #01-18.

I think at the moment they have about 12 or more flavours to choose from. We ordered apple, blueberry, original, cheese, coffee, chocolate and peanut today. We've asked for kaya flavour too, but the girl at the counter didn't include that into the box :S




So what exactly are these? Well, they are not doughnuts, though they look very similar to those from The Doughnut Factory or Vinco. It's kinda difficult to describe it, but it taste like it sounded, chewy. It's nice :D At the moment, the apple flavour is my favourite. We have saved some for tomorrow, so I'd report more about it :) For the moment, I'd rate them 3 1/2 too, cos I haven't tasted the others :D

Finding nice food always brings me joy :) Nice and unique food.

Ok, that's it for now. I need to get to bed to get enough rest for my cough and sore throat to subside.

Miss Universe

That was a joke I made up when I heard "Miss You" over the weekend during a particular wedding at PC. I heard a few "we miss you", and to avoid getting emotional, I turned the phrase around and say "I am Miss Universe? Thank you!"

I saw many old faces. And whenever we stopped to chat, I'd always have to answer the standard questions:
"How are you?" - almost default
"Where are you now?" - that would be the question to find out the church where I attend
"When are you coming back?" - Smile, "Aiyah, don't ask me this kind of question lah!"

They like my new hairstyle; They noticed I looked different, but not many can pin point the difference.

Then, there was the first-time ever sharing I have with a pair of couple on my honest views about some the things that I was concern about. And it's heartening to know that they actually understood what I was trying to say and agree with my sharing. And told me to return to PC, but to their congregation.

To all the requests for me to return, I gently return a "no". As much as a part of me wanted to do so, I know it's not going to happen. CC will be the place I will grow, and serve again. I believe it's a calling, and it's shame that I had to just drop everything in PC and move on. It has not been an easy road for me.

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There were alot of work to be done for the wedding, last minute work in fact. Many exasperations, many miscommunication.

Please, if you want to get married, let someone else do the coordinating work. Don't be your own wedding coordinator. No, NEVER be your own wedding coordinator. You should be the happily ever couple on your big day.

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Funny thing, we tend to be bothered by things that are not a result of our fault.

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Took today off to recuperate. And good thing I did. Otherwise, I'd be too flat-out to go to work today.

Being out in Sentosa, taking in the cool sea breeze and doing idle chatting is one of the best way to relax. Then followed by a Hong Kong style lunch at 4pm, and "Die Hard 4.0" thereafter. The show, btw, is a good one. Pretty action-packed, and I got to admit, Mr Bruce Willis still got his moves.

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It's funny. And strange.

In the midst of all the explosions, car crashes, gun shots and more explosions in the movie, I got a message,

"He is near."

Which technically speaking, this is the second time that I get an impression like that within the same month.

He is near.

As in, that special one is near.

I have no clue. I only have an impression that he is near.

Well, if that is from you, God... I hope he will arrive soon.

Since When

If I am ever getting married, I'd try my best not to trouble my friends and loved ones to be involved in the wedding preparation.

If the occasion (parents especially) calls for an elaborate wedding, they (friends, relatives, anyone who is informed) should be guests, and not fret about the preparations days before, even on the day itself.

This means I will need to pay all the necessary services (in Singaporean context - photography, videograpy, invite card design, decorations, etc etc) to the professionals.

Which means I need to have alot of money to engage those services.

Which means my fiance will need to be pretty ok financially to share this burden.

That is, if this day ever come.

Since when have weddings become so complicated?

More Than Meets The Eye

While watching +Transformers+ last night, I can't help but smile to myself in the cinema.

Even though the story is ridiculously-outrageously silly (various transportation vehicles evolving from micro-organism descended from outer space, with the good ones protecting our earth from the bad ones), seeing our childhood "heroes" in action on the big screen brings back the memories of childhood - when we believe that such robots exists and they fight fiercely against one another. That these robots can react to humans the same way we do to one another.

My heart skips a beat whenever I see our heroic Autobots risking their "lives" to protect the humans. Even more so when the machines come alive. And of course, that familiar transforming sound. At one point, I thought I was falling in love with the voice of Optimus Prime :)

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Even though our childhood heroes and favourite cartoon characters are pretty uncool, weird, and even silly in their ways (Smurfs, He-man Masters of the Universe...), they are still very close to our hearts. I mean the 80s kid heart. Somehow seeing them on the big screen is so... comforting. I think you'd know what I mean if you are an 80s kid like me and have some favourite cartoon characters you followed religiously when you were young.

Anyway, I just want to say that I feel good when the good guys from the 80s are still saving the world in this day and age :)

Oh, and you should watch Transformers. Most defnitely.

Nevermind the silly irrelevent storyline. The CGI graphics are impeccable.

"More than meets the eye"

Going Round And Round My Head

"How can anyone marry someone who has never said "I Love You"?!?!"

It was a shocking information I receive recently about a wedding couple. He has never say these three words to her.

"Did she make the right decision to marry him?"

One nagging thought kept recurring. In fact, there are alot of alerts flashing above the relationship as I get to know more about it.

"Did she get married because she wanted to be married?"

"Was it a hasty decision because the wedding date is the perfect date? Because the nos are supposedly 'her number'?"

"Are they ready for this?"


Getting married is a scary thing.

The Way It Is Now

I got an email sent from a "mate" from AmericanGreetings.com. Tried to go to the URL in the office and home. It didn't work. It looks ambiguous (reply-address is not associated with AmericanGreetings.com), you are suppose to download some .exe file.

Anyway, I kept the email and wandered to actual AmericanGreetings.com website. They've got neat screensavers and wallpapers. My previous one was a Snoopy when I was having the Snoopy fever. Clicked a few pages of the wallpaper, and decided on this picture.

For a moment, the picture reminded me of the vast opportunities out there. It's out there, and I will be there soon.

In another moment, I felt as empty as the horizon. Empty. Alone. All by myself.

Amazing how a picture does paint a thousand words.

update: The Americengreetings.com email is a hoax. I got another email sent from my "neighbour" from 123greetings.com, and the reply-address looks suspicious too. Contents look identical. Definitely spam.

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I was walking to work today, and a thought came to mind.

"You can want it, but you can't have it."

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I was watching a current affairs programme on tv last Saturday. The psychologist was advising parents to be positive when teaching their children. To not put them down when they make a mistake, but use the moment to affirm their abilities.

I remembered my recent few tuition sessions with my nieces. Realised I've been getting really uptight and frustrated with them. Behaving like the perfectionist parent. And I recalled the times when I would help them learn as they play and mistake before they started primary school. I seemed to have lost that touch.

Maybe having left the children ministry for a while was part of the reason. With lesser interaction with children who challenge my patience and EQ, I have forgotten how to handle the delicate heart of a child. I am also guilty of transferring my own negativities onto my nieces.

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The boss is getting on my nerves. It's difficult to respect someone who does not walk the talk.

I so look forward to the year to end.

Or for this week to end.