The last breathe of 2008

I caught up with a secondary school friend last evening. We generally kept in touch via MSN and there were always occasional updates of how each of us is getting along with our lives. While he returns to Singapore every year, this' also the first time i met up with him in the last 6 yrs. There were bouts of the conversation that drifted to how other ex-classmates are getting along, who's who is the mum of 3 kids, who's who married so & so etc.

The month of December never fail to inject a dose of nostalgia. It was thru my conversation with him that struck me that hey, i know this guy for a good 10+ years yet, distance and time didn't seem to drift us apart. I have absolute admiration for his bloke. His application to NUS Chem Engineering failed becoz of a dull GP grade. Yet, he persisted and got into 1 of the top Engineering schools in the UK. Hailing from a less-than-average family, his mum slogged to put him thru undergrad studies & our friend topped the class to be awarded a research scholarship to pursue his PHD studies. At a grand old age of 28, he has already obtained his doctorate.

Sometimes in life, while we constantly wonder how we'll be 5 years, 10 years later, in a blink of an eye, that day is here. U think about how u have spent all these time since they simply slip by u so easily. When i was 18, i thought how will my life be when i am 28. When u head to interviews, u receive questions such as "how do u forsee yourself in 5 years". Sometimes, life is simply beyond what u expected. While i tend to agree that u are the master of your own fate, i also can't deny that there are junctions and twists in life that are beyond our expectations. Looking back, i can't recall how i'd forsee my life when i was tender 18. Now, i also ask myself how i'd be when i am 38. I suppose we'll know when that day comes.

Tommorrow is the last day of 2008. Let's wonder how will 2009 be.

Man in mask!

Need i say more? This was absolutely hilarious!

Xmas eve at Jacks' Place, West Coast Recreation Centre

This was probably the only place on earth that we thought we had a chance to grab dinner. We didn't make any plans on Xmas eve since KL's schedule is unpredicable. In this tiny enclave, we paid $38/pax for an Xmas dinner with Xmas carols and a party pack. The food was so-so but we did have fun anyway.

Working in ghost town

The office is so quiet since the past week. A couple of heads pop up here & there from the different workstations and there seems to be no one walking around. It's the Xmas week and well, needless to say, everyone is on leave.

This is the 1st time i am working thru Xmas. In the past, this'll be the period where i maximise my leave & head off to somewhere. Afterall, i only had June & December to zip off since i had classes. I love to bid adios to my colleagues & hail "cya next yr!" when i zip outta office. Now in the new department & team, i am staying put. Well, there are certainly benefits working in a quiet office. U got the time to clear backlog & give some particular task greater attention. I also tend to head off before 7pm since no one is around.

Today is the eve of Xmas eve. I bet tmr there'll be even lesser people and this syndrome will last all the way till end 2008.

A practical Xmas gift

An unconventional xmas present but indeed, an extremely useful one. I was in need to a handheld vacuum cleaner for the house and car and my mum bought this Black and Decker handheld cleaner for me. I am impressed by it's design... The nozzle can turn 200degrees and even allows u to reach those hard-to-reach corners of the car. Best of all, it's compact when stored! Yay! I no longer have to pickup hairs on the rug and sofa. Just zap!!!

With Xmas just around the corner, Orchard Rd was packed yesterday. I was @ Marks and Spencer trying to get some food as gifts for my colleagues and just went i thought i could get the girls to giftwrapped it for me, the store implemented a new rule - per gift gotta cost a min. of $20 before u can send them off for giftwrapping. Smart strategy coz with the tightening of belts, everyone is buying less costly gifts for the folks around them. Food items are practical, yet cost effective. Since i couldn't get them wrapped, i lugged home the wrappers & spend the evening wrapping them myself.

Hohoho, Xmas is coming in 4 days!

What a fun weekend

There was a therapeutic baking session, with loads of screams, question marks and reading of recipe books & a fun gathering at Parc Vista, where games and yelps lead to the downing of the balance food. Check out the pics!

I feel back in Primary 4

I went for a brazillian wax today and coochie honchie, it's 1 of the most painful i ever had! This' my 4th to be exact and maybe i chose the wrong timing - just 3 days after "aunt's visit" and 3mths since my last visit so phew, it was pain or to be exact, more painful than my virgin attempt. & now that i am all cleaned up down there, i feel back in my Primary 4 days :)

My 1st attempt was really outta curiousity and since i have heard stories from 2 sides of the coin, i thought to give it a try, for hygiene purposes too. The therapist urged me to try their new wax today and from the pot, it looked like melting chocolate... Aside from the fact that my experience today was a painful one, the wax actually gave out a nice scent, mimicking chocolate. The pain usually comes when they "strip" the hair off and well, some people actually yell becoz of the pain but i dare say my threshold of pain is quite high so well, i yelped today...

I'll recommend anyone to try it, coz really, nothing beats the feeling of emptiness down there... Feels all refreshed and once u get over the initial embaressment (coz well, u remove and show), it's really ok and the clean & fresh feeling makes it all worth it.

Overequipped or underequipped?

I read a post on Facebook this morning and it has been at the back of my mind since. The post speaks about sensitivity of others and that how the overequipment of this ability can become a burden; while the underequipment of this ability might indirectly result in unintentional "hurt".

I can't help but look back at my life after reading this post. Did the author make out human behaviour to be a mere black or white or that humans are just an insensitive bunch? The debate goes on as to whether women are more sensitive creatives than their male counterparts, or that a thread of insensitivity exists in both?

As i progress with age, i have begun to lose the ability to grasp sensitivity. I realise that humans are so varied and that even with friends whom u think are close, a wrong move can result in one being upset when quite frankly, i always thought that friends can say anything under the sun and not hold a grudge against one another. It's beginning to get stressful to always think of what/ how to position statements, when so every often that's what's happening at work (or rather, at my work). I also begin to realise that I have gradually lost the ability to open up and confide. I tend to take deep breathes and psychologically condition myself to manage tough issues when the road gets bumpy. I also begin to learn not to rely on anyone in life to solve problems/ issues but do-it-yourself. I don't know since when i began to evolve to such a nature but really, i just wanna be myself - to have a good laugh and enjoy freedom of speech without worrying that things that i say will turn around and bite me in the butt. This to me, is the simplest pleasure.

All said, i am glad that i have a very close bunch of friends who we are able to say anything under the sun to one another and that we are sure no grudges will be kept. I am looking forward to the therapeutic baking session i am gonna have this weekend.

Never judge food by its cover

Another attempt at cooking. This time, it's pasta with minced meat + bacon rolls wrapped with enoki mushrooms. The result, heavenly! While the outlook of the dish really isn't quite "there" but the taste was lovely, especially with the bacon rolls simmered in pasta sauce.

It's quite a no-brainer dish except that i was inspired by the bacon rolls i tried in Japanese restaurants and decided to try it on my own. The enoki mushrooms were stuffed in the bacon and panfried and i was pretty amazed that the rolls actually "stick" ie. it didn't roll open despite that i didn't secure it with a toothpick. Here are some photos of the moment...

Thoughts after another wedding

I was at Intercontinental Hotel last evening to attend another wedding dinner - the union of teachers. Apart from the fact that i was seated with professionals in the education arena, the wedding was a beautiful affair. The ballroom excluded grandeur and the most impressive was the "MTV". The couple had their story featured ala MTV style, with stock clips included. In my opinion, what was really lacking to have the video played on Channel V is Jay Chou crooning in the background. While the MTV was done professionally and i was pretty sure it's a bundle from the bridal studio, I am juz amazed that nowadays with the bridal business becoming extremely competitive, almost anyone can have their love story created into scenes of memories and creating the many "oohs" and "awws" in the background.

I suppose the only wedding that's memorable is none other than your own. KL asked me how was the wedding when i got home and we started talking about ours. I suppose to anyone, only their wedding was the memorable one. U can remember every single detail that went by and still laugh over whatever that happened. Well, at least so far, i am still impressed by the fact that i have so many different gowns on my wedding day.

The next one is on Friday. I wonder if there'll be a dance since i heard the venue has a dance floor...

2 days of beer

The past 2 nights have been chill out evenings over beer. Yes, i know it's not quite a ladies drink (trust me, i think cocktails are more glam) but well, long live the cheapo, i can't resist the cheap beer & free flow food every 1st Thursday of the month at Brewerkz. This alumni event is heavily subsidized by NTU & offers $7 for 2 beers & free flow calamari, chix wings & chips! NTU alumni head there for a good time to bitch, drink & basically catch up with friends. Even the lecturers are no exception. The event is constantly packed & u gotta go early to grab a seat. While i am no beer fan but hey, it's really a cheap way to catch up with friends & seriously, the price is even cheaper than going to a hawker centre!

On Friday, KL bought me a drink for the first time in our days together. We headed to Timbre @ Substation to meet some of his friends and besides the fact that i find the place overrated - there are tonnes of kids from SMU and the music was deafening, the food was pretty alright. 1 cocktail & a half pint later, i am passing my car keys to him to drive me home.

Never been a fan of beer but i can't deny that it's really a gathering drink. Haha, & 1 of the cheapest on the menu. This reminds me, i need to get a wine opener for the Xmas gathering next week... Wines are a must for the festive!