Shhh! Secret Life of a Princess

Why Wedding Gowns are White

2011-05-25T18:41:00.008+08:00

I always thought it was because it is the symbol of purity, thus better suited to be worn in a church. Today, I found out it is used for political and practical reasons:

The marriage of Queen Victoria to her cousin Albert of Saxe- Coburg in 1840 has had more influence on weddings than any other. Queen Victoria put the wheels in motion by marrying in white. Queen Victoria chose white not because it symbolized purity, but because she wanted to show her people that she would run the country in an economical way. White was a much less expensive color to make than the colors typically popular for wedding dresses at the time (red, black, and purple). Plus, it gave her the option of using some lace that she already owned, rather than having something specially made.

So basically, the white dress was originally a political move.

Though brides continued to wed in gowns of different colors, white was now set as the color of choice for weddings and has continued ever since. In Godey’s Lady’s Book, 1849, this statement was printed: “Custom has decided, from the earliest ages, that white is the most fitting hue, whatever may be the material. It is an emblem of the purity and innocence of girlhood, and the unsullied heart she now yields to the chosen one.” There have not been a royal wedding without a white wedding dress since then.

Below are some of my favorite white wedding gowns:

And gorgeous potraits of white wedding gowns:

And mine:

Greatest Proposal Ever Made

2011-05-24T17:51:00.004+08:00

I could have a tough exterior but inside, I am truly a softie. When I saw one of the greatest proposal ever made, I did not only melt but tears welled in my eyes. The best part is the protagonist used the song that I would use if I am to propose to someone - Marry Me by Train ;) I know I did not have a good proposal at all but my wedding and honeymoon was better than perfect! So here is why I recreated some of the moments when my husband and I are together and why we remain still in love after so many years.

Dedicated to that Extra-ordinary Someone

2011-03-13T16:51:00.001+08:00

I'm just an ordinary girl. An ordinary girl who pours her emotion through words. Who probably unrealistically think she can change the world. Who sometimes due to uncontrollable forces of nature finds herself trapped and thus could only express herself through her words. Who could not sleep due to incessant thoughts in her mind and thus tires herself by writing.

It is nice to have someone to come out of nowhere to suddenly appreciate what matters to me. Someone who can tell who I am through my writing. Someone who sees more depth in me than what I potrayed on my blog. Someone who feels me through my unwritten words. Someone who makes me feel special just by reading me. Thanks for being that someone. Someone who is extraordinary to me since you know me despite never meeting before. :)

What Are You Doing to Save the World?

2011-03-13T13:28:00.008+08:00

I saw this Korean movie called "A Man Who Was Superman" that talks about a man who thought that he is Superman because he hear things in his mind. As a result, he went around saving the world like he is a superhero, from helping ladies when they are robbed, pushing the world so that it does not get hit by asteroid and pushing wheelchairs of disabled people so that they can move faster. He kept referring to himself as the Korean Superman and said that he has something in his head that can only be destroyed by Kryptonite. One day, he saved a beautiful journalist from a speeding lorry and after finding out what this guy is doing, she wanted to use his story as a piece to go up in her journalism career.

As she went around stalking him and talking to the people around him, she found out the reason why he has a humming sound in his head. He had a growing tumour in his brain. She kept pushing him to do his surgery but he insisted that he has no time and need to do his duties. One day, when a lady was standing on the roof of a burning building screaming for help, without hesitation, he rushed into the burning building to save the lady. When he realised that there is no way out than to jump from the roof, he held on to the lady, telling her that he can fly because he is Superman. I love the ending of the movie that displayed how he actually flew and perfectly landed on the ground to save the lady, but in reality he didn't albeit he managed to save the lady but not himself. The world would remember a man who saved and touched the lives of so many lives despite not being a real Superman.

The past few months, I read news of so many disasters in the world from hurricanes to typhoons to earthquakes to floods to tsunamis and though it is hard, one has to acknowledge the fact that all these disasters might not be that natural anymore. The Earth is gravely ill and people are still doing what they do everyday to destroy the Earth. Call it ignorance but when you are mourning the death of the people in the disaster hit countries like United States, China, Taiwan, Pakistan, Indonesia, Philippines, New Zealand, Australia and most recently Japan, you are still going about doing things which might create the next disaster in other countries! Donating money to those victims are noble but how sure are you that you are not contributing to the disasters which could have been prevented in the first place?

I make it a point to do as much as I can to help reduce or prevent this. And even though I am just one person on the planet Earth, I hope that whatever I do, will contribute a little to save the world. Imagine is a million more people does the same little things, the world might just stay alive a little longer. Just like a sick child, every sickness we hope to cure. If we can prevent it in the first place, all the better.

Below are some things I consciously tell myself to do to be as eco-friendly as possible. Hope you guys can try it out too:
1. Bring a grocery bag on whenever I can when I buy groceries. In Korea, customers are charged $0.50 everytime they use the plastic bags resulting in minimal consumption of plastic.
2. Reject the use of plastic bags when I can insert my purchases into my own handbag. The Body Shop makes it a practice to ask their customers if they need a bag with their purchases so that the purchaser is given a chance to 'think' about putting those items into their own bag.
3. Using as little electricity and Styrofoam as possible. It is not about spending less money on electricity but about reducing the consumption of items that might thin the ozone layer.
4. Do not dispose of boxes, papers, glasses and thin cans as rubbish but put them into recycle bins or better, pass them to old ladies who will collect these items and recycle them to collect some pocket money.
5. I do not consume meat that are about to be extinct on this planet especially shark fin as they are murdered so violently for their fin. Even though I know that the shark has been killed, I seriously think that if I as a person eat one less shark fin, and a million more people do the same, one day, shark fin soup will not need to be a compulsory on every wedding dinner since there will be no demand for it anymore.

I am sure there are lots more we can do to save the Earth. A little contribution goes a long way. Just like the man who calls himself Superman, he does so much even though he was alone, but he became a figure of inspiration.

Happy Valentine's Day 2011

2011-02-17T18:50:00.011+08:00

This is a classic love song that will be forever etched in my memory. Sung by a Taiwanese singer, Show Luo. The lyrics translated in English below.

Love You A Little More Each Day
I ain't hoping, i ain't finding,
Breakthrough heaven and earth, til late nights
Journey's end, hoping to see you
Do you ever know?

As ordinary, as simple it can be,
when the sun rises, in the morning hours,
if only i can see you
That's all i ever hope for

Whenever things are getting harsh, it's you that helps me find my answers
I would never leave, would only stay, my love for you will never ever wither

Chorus: Each passing day passes, as devoted i can be,
loving you a little more, a little more, til it spills
Together, as a part of my life,
Fear neither tomorrow, nor storm or steep paths

What is fame, what is wealth?
As long as being alive, it feels good
Nightly and daily, to see you
it's all that i ever wanted

Whenever things are getting harsh, it's you that helps me find my answers
I would never leave, would only stay, my love for you will never ever wither

Chorus: Each passing day passes, as devoted i can be,
loving you a little more, a little more, til it spills
I'd always love to create every tomorrows' deepest nights

Each passing day passes, as devoted i can be,
loving you a little more, a little more, til it spills (give it some even more)
Together, as a part of my life,
Fear neither tomorrow, nor storm or steep paths

And of course the song sung by the original singer, the talented Jacky Cheung.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY EVERYONE!

Filial Chinese New Year 2011!

2011-02-08T19:45:00.002+08:00

Being away from Malaysia for so long, there are years when I missed watching Malaysia ads and one of those being Petronas Chinese New Year ads. This year's Petronas ad actually brought tears to my eyes, mainly because of what I went through last year. For Malaysians to come up with such ad, I can respectfully claim Malaysians to be a warm and compassionate country. There is no theme more important in a Chinese family than filial piety.

Below are some blurbs on my parents:
A soft-spoken diminutive figure, he speaks little, listens more. When I found out from my cousin that my father ran into a burning building to save my cousins when their house were on fire, I was bowled over. Had it not been for his brave and quick actions, I would not know if I can see my cousins this Chinese New Year. He did not even speak of this until the story was brought up by my cousin.

On my mother's birthday, even after living together for more than 30 years, he would tease my mom of expecting a birthday celebration and silently buys her favorite chocolate to suprise her.

Being the extrovert person in the family, my mother has incredible social skills. She befriends all my friends as well as my siblings' friends and even remembers their birthday. After giving birth to 3 kids, she stayed home to tend to us. I remember one time when my mother was cooking and I was worried about my examinations, I brought my textbook to the kitchen and asked if she could teach me. Without hesitating, she puts down her wok and held on to my book and patiently thought me. Had it not been her, I would not have done so well in school.

Recently, she paid so much attention to me after I went through a misfortune and I have never felt more blessed. Not only did she cooked the most delicious meals for me when I went home but she also bought new recipes to find ways to cure me back to health.

Parents are the easiest to be taken for granted 'cos they are always there and they do everything for us. But they are the ones you must appreciate most as the day will come when you will regret if you did not spend more time with them. This Chinese New Year, give your parents the best gift: your presence.

A Little Thank Yous

2011-01-15T15:55:00.006+08:00

Inline with my motto to be happy, grateful and alive, I dedicate this blog to those I am thankful for being there for me during my trying times.

My Christmas Gifts

Thanks Veron for the little box of happiness - I treat myself to a chocolate a day, just to make everyday a little happier. :)

Thanks Sei Inn, Maggie and Priscilla for the warmth - Thanks for knowing that I am always cold and never bothered to buy myself these lovely shawls and jackets.

Thanks Mom and Dad. You don't know how much I appreciate what you did for me. Please know that even though I am always busy, my thoughts will always be with you. I dedicate this song to you.

Review of ToGetHer aka. Superstar Express

2011-01-08T22:50:00.004+08:00

Sometimes it comes a time when a call for inspiration is heeded. It was on the comforts of a hospital bed that I discovered this captivating Taiwanese series. Had I been given the choice, I would not have picked it up from the VCD shelves as the cover photo gives me the impression that it will be a ridiculous show. After one episode, I was hooked. A series that I thought would have been superficial and silly turned out to be a full of depth and very moving. So meaningful and full of heart. It came to me when I needed it most, at the time when I was most emotional and melancholy. Watching this allowed me to escape momentarily, to have some hope in the moment of darkness and to enjoy a fleeting moment of happiness.

The plot was simple but the elements that make the whole show were very addictive and emotional. It is the story of an agoraphobic homebody whom have never got much attention from anyone being changed from the arrival of a dimming superstar. The story revolves around how both fell in love by being there for each other in times of trial and tribulations. This show is called "Superstar Express" or "ToGetHer". This is the synopsis:

Mars is a superstar whose popularity went downhill after a series of negative publicity. His finances went into red alert and he had to find a place to live. He ended up renting a place from Mo Mo, his agoraphobic homebody landlord. He befriended her and her childhood friend Jia Sen, a swimming captain with the intelligence of an 8-year-old.

There are a few moments that truly touched me so much I had to hold a box of tissue.

1. When he searched for her all around the playground when she was homeless (due to her sister's debts) in the rain and found her hiding under a drain. She was so relieved to have been found that she hugged him and slowly he hugged her back. After that, he scolded her "Why must you do so many things to piss me off?" and even though it was rough, she knows he only said it cos he cared for her. After that, he let her stay in his place and they both peeked glances at each other and smiled :)

2. When he called his mom to tell her that he loves her and how much he wanted to see her when his mom was on the train home. When he went home, there was a bowl of his favorite dumpling noodles prepared by his mother. As he relish the noodles, tears kept dripping.

3. When she was at the cemetery of her parents and told her parents how come she feels so alone even though she has someone whom she loves and he loves her back. Then she asked for her parents to take good care of Mars cos he is working really hard. Actually Mars was a good person and treated her well. (Yes, I cried like there is no tomorrow)

4. When she spoke to the soft toy 'Mumu' given by Mars after he left and told Mumu that they both miss Mars and that she will accompany Mumu to forget Mars. She was still wearing the band that Mars gave her on her wrist so that she can always feel Mars presence.

5. After Mar's mother passed away, Mars said he has never felt so alone in his life. MoMo comforted him by saying 'Remember you told me that I will no longer be alone? Mars, you are also no longer alone.' Then, they just fell asleep on the same bed without touching one another.

6. When Mars sang on stage after he recovered from his leg injury, he said that even among a huge audience, he will be able to locate her. True enough, he did find her trying to escape from his concert and when she opened the exit door, he was standing right in front of her dedicating the song that he specially wrote for her.

What I also likes about this series is, it has one of the best and sweetest and believable ending among other Taiwanese series I watched. I loved how they tie quotes and actions from previous episodes so that they made more meaning when spoken the 2nd time. I particularly loved the ending where she quoted, "Prince Kashaba, I finally found my own Prince Kashaba. Thank you. I feel very blessed.". And another fairy tale ends.....

Love the feedback from other fans as well:
Thanks for subbing! Wow, it's nice to finally finish a drama, haven't felt this in a while. lol. but this drama was really good, I cried in almost all the eps, it was too sweet, I mean so many sweet moments with MM and Mars and omg, they're so cute and adorable. the ending reminded me of you're beautiful a little...haha, but this drama was amazing, I'm glad I decided to finish this drama. and I finished it in 2 days...well half of it at least lol. but can't wait for the next drama with Rainie

I think this might be one of the first asian drama I've seen where the other guy chasing the? leading lady gives up in a respectable way (in my opinion that is). I actually enjoyed this ending.

Like everyone else I thought the drama was weird at first but I fell in love with all the characters and learned a good lesson out of it? That the heart can go beyond what we don't expect, we can't judge everyone just because they look a certain way but it's where the heart is that matters. Good drama thumbs up!

The sentence that I will always remember from ToGetHer is .. When Jiro said: "Be careful, if you gaze at me like that, you'll fall for me". This is one of the best shows Jiro has every been in. = )

Absolutely right!!!! I think this is the most sweet and lovely drama I've ever seen!!! So gentle and touching, so cute and adorable, so simple and flowing! This drama is going to give me diabetes from it being so sweet! :P

Resolutions for Year 2011

2010-12-31T04:24:00.003+08:00

Yes, I know year 2010 is ending and I can't wait with a little trepidation for year 2011 to arrive. And I hope it will arrive with merriment and splendor.

So, what does this mean, yes, you guessed it right! Resolution time. If year after year in Singapore, I have not made many resolutions, next year should be different. Not that I am more disciplined to make resolutions but I have a different perspective in life after what I went through in 2010. So, I have briefly summarised my resolutions to 3 points so that it will be easier for me to achieve.

1. Be grateful. People who are grateful are humble and contented. When you are truly grateful, your focus is on the good. You begin to focus on the good in other people, thus you will not be comfortable gossiping about other people since you do not want to compare yourself with others. When you think of something you do not have or own, you will think about what you DO own and be appreciative of it. Finally, grateful people are encouraging. They see the positive side of things and makes others feel good about themselves. There are so many things I can be grateful for thus I shall remain in my happy thoughts which brings me to my 2nd resolution.

2. Be happy. Life is short, so why waste it on sad moments. After watching so many funny Taiwanese series, I have resolved to enjoy humor and to see the funny side of life. So, when things are down, no matter how hard, I will try to see the lighter side of things. So on contrary to others, I shall not push myself too hard since that has always been what I have been doing for as long as I have lived. I am going to go easy on my exercise, haha, I might even gain some weight. I will not push myself too hard if I do not achieve enough at my career cos I have been working way too hard since I started working. I will continue helping others cos giving makes everyone happy. And many many more :)

3. Be alive! I have not really lived since I have been too worried to do so. So, this year, I will start living. For example, I have booked 2 trips in January 2011 after not being on any holidays in the whole of 2010. I have made a resolution to EAT healthily, and I realised a lot of my favorite food falls into the category of healthy food that is good for me (as long as I eat moderately), eg. peanut butter, butter, cereals, muesli, fish and many more. Finally, I will definitely balance work and life. I now know the most important thing in life is health and there is no point sacrificing your health for rewards at work. I definitely will take care of my health and hope I will emerge stronger and fitter next year!

So stay tuned while I update you on my trips and adventures in 2011!

Quote of the Day:
Fear does not stop me from trying...
Hardship does not stop me from giving up!
- quoted from one of my idols in the Taiwan entertainment scene whom I am too 'haisioh' to tell ('haisioh' means shy in Mandarin)

My Eat, Pray, Love Moments (24 Oct - 7 Nov 2010)

2010-12-24T14:17:00.005+08:00

Never did I think I will have my own version of Eat, Pray, Love. After watching the Julia Robert's show, I thought I would need to go back to work (which I truly enjoy) and my daily chores until a need hit me that I had to be hospitalised and be given 2-weeks MC. Never in my entire 8 years of working had I had more than a 3-days MC and all of a sudden I have 2 whole weeks! I have always thought of myself as invincible due to the fact that I rarely get sick despite all my colleagues falling sick and the unpromising weather conditions. I didn't eat very healthily but I felt that if I exercised more and remain excited and busy with life, I will be healthy.

This year (2010) proved different. I met doctors all over Singapore from dentists, to gynaes to general practitioners. I guess it all accumulated this year. At my lowest point, I was hospitalised for 4 days followed by 2 weeks of rest at home. Thus, I chose to rest in Malaysia where I am in the confines and comfort of my family with home-cooked food and familiar family voices. Yes, I am grateful I have a really warm and close-knit family. So, this is how I finally get to experience my own version of Eat, Pray, Love (and I added 'Laugh' for good measure).

Eat

As I lost a lot of weight one month before I was hospitalised (7 kg in 3 weeks!), I had to gain them back and get my health back on track. When I went for my pilgrimage home, I devoured so much home-cooked food and lovely snacks up to 5 meals a day. There is always an abundance of food and I ate as punctually as possible. What I love is I get hungry quite punctually too :). I even learnt to cook a feat neat dishes like ginger wine chicken that I felt so happily domesticated. I ate healthy as well, eg. I got my daily calcium through a full glass of milk (which I have not took for the last few years as I thought I was lactose intolerant) in the morning, a cup of milo in the evening and bread with cheese every day! I savoured my fair share of protein through healthily steamed fish, ginger chicken and flavorsome pork. Of course, vegetables was on my daily consumption list for vitamin and minerals. I feel so blessed to have a full stomach throughout the whole 2 weeks. I was so hungry I even enjoyed hospital food during my 4 days stay! Above is a picture of a vegetarian dish from my all-time favorite vegetarian stall in Suntec City Food Court.

Pray
As a Buddhist, I prayed in temples, burnt incense and made my wishes. I spoke to God everyday, like a friend. It felt like I had to compensate for all the times that I had been too busy and gave myself excuses from going to the temple. And it felt good. It fulfills my soul, lifts me to a higher ground and gives all of us hope to continue to be strong. Sometimes, you feel you are at one with God and that you can really have a conversation. Whenever I feel that God is listening, it gives me comfort. Maybe it is self-believe, but it works :)

Love
I had not spent more than 2 days with my family since I started working in Singapore, slogging day in and day out to put food on my family's table and to pay off loans. With this 2-weeks medical leave, I could enjoy the luxury of just being home and spending precious time with my family even though it means just doing nothing without feeling guilty about work. I chatted with my mom for more than 4 hours and she revealed some secrets we never shared before as she knew that that telling it then would make me and herself feel better. I hugged her when I realised how depressed she had been and was glad I could finally comfort her. I went for a long deserved lunch with my family and just chat. There was not a single quiet moment and we all sacrifised precious time for a well-worth family outing. When together time is rare, we felt the family bond from just one simple lunch, that is the beauty of food. It brings people together.

Laugh
I made it a point to be happy, thus watched and streamed tv shows that were so funny it made me laughed whole-heartedly. I also caught up with my galpals and chatted merrily and didn't expect that by revealing what was troubling me to them, they would make me feel so much better. I truly laughing and even crying from the bottom of my heart. That is what living is.

Never had I imagined that I would enjoy a 2 whole weeks of doing nothing but rest. I reconnected with my soul and bonded with my emotions. I went to work after that refreshed and ready to take charge of the world! With so much more passion and energy that my husband was shocked I woke up earlier than him to go to work! I really think everyone deserves a short "Eat, Pray, Love" moment be it out of necessity or just to reward yourself :)

Year 2010 in Review

2010-12-24T13:55:00.005+08:00

It's a tough year, wait let me correct that, a VERY tough year. In fact if I have a choice, I would choose not to live this year. All the sweetness and bitterness, all the glory and pain is just not worth it. The ups and downs just keep coming like a storm coming in and out. Every time there is a good news, it will be followed by a more significant bad news. Trepidations after trepidations, it does not seem to stop.

Bad news after bad news, it just keeps coming like the pouring rain. I can't even keep up with it anymore. Reading good news is just a temporary thing. Hearing bad news seems imminent. Every time I read bad news, I could relate to it more. Since I read a lot of celebrity news, I feel my tears dripping when I read news like Selina's 3rd degree burn while filming in Shanghai and Lily Allen's stillbirth that happened after her miscarriage. It makes me feel a little better to know someone out there is facing difficulties like mine and it gives me some strength that if they can be strong, I can too.

This is the year I learnt my lesson (big time!). After years of invincibility, my health came crashing down. My body gave up on me. Years of not eating (literally NOT eating), overworking and excessive exercise has burdened my body immensely and it decided to show it's ugly face all at one shot. The first half of the year, I kept going back to the hospital to be tested if I am diagnosed with a medical condition. It made me realized life MIGHT be short and I do not have much time to do what I wanted to do! Even though it is better now, I still need to be tested to ensure it will not get more critical.

The 2nd half of the year, it got even worse, I was hospitalized (and I was never hospitalized before!) and I had to be fed through a drip. This experience gave me a whole new light about nutrition and health. It was a huge blow for me and you should not be seeing me skip any meals anymore. After that, I heard some incredibly bad news from my best friend in Malaysia who experienced something similar but in a higher intensity. At that point, I thought my tears have dried but my tear ducts worked overtime again. I questioned why did bad things have to happen to good people. I do not think we are bad people but we just have to experience what is bestowed upon us on the same year. I know time heals all pain but why is some pain so incredibly unbearable?

This is also the year that I found my role model. He is my source of inspiration at a time that I am most vulnerable and down. He lost his father when he was 17 and after that, his family went into a downward spiral of debts. He worked 2 jobs (day and night) and had to stop studying to earn money for his family. But he never gave up his dreams and ambitions to be a celebrity. He continued playing his guitar, riding his low-end motorbike and traveling from place to place on low budget with his bandmates. Today, he is a very famous celebrity with a huge fan base and he managed to pay of his family's NTD 7Million debts. He can finally fulfill his dreams to buy a better motorbike and car but yet when he heard about the floods in Taiwan, he willingly gave up those money he saved to save the lives of those people.

Why do I make him my role model? Because despite all the trials and tribulations he went through, he still remain happy-go-lucky and does not seem to have any temper. He is a very emotional person but yet he can control them to only display positive emotions. As he said, whenever he is down, he will think happy thoughts; and whenever others are down, he will humor them. Despite how famous he is today, he remains selfless and loves to serve others. He worked hard to get where he is today and remains diligent and appreciative.

I am truly appreciative to have found a role model albeit not being able to see him in flesh. It gives me the motivation to remain positive and to continue to work hard. And hope that the next years will bring better news. Thus, I end this year with a valuable quote:

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.

Rainbow

2010-12-01T23:49:00.003+08:00

As the rain falls on the window sill, so did my tears
This unavoidable wound keeps hurting
My heart is now reeking with fears
Where there was once hope, now there is nothing

I used to question if the pain was worth it
I should have pondered the happiness beyond
Regardless of how hard I try, I have no power to change it
But to slowly accept what transcends every second

The path to heaven is loaded with endurance
Just like a winding road towards a scenic mountain
As the rain stops, a rainbow shows its appearance
Maybe I can regain the glimmer of hope again.

Happy Thanksgiving 2010

2010-12-01T23:43:00.002+08:00

Everyone is blessed. This is a year of adversities for me. Predicaments after predicaments befell me and whenever I thought it will end, it did not. It got so bad that I cried so often and crawled into a dark hole thinking that by not facing the world, things might not turn out so bad.

Last weekend was Thanksgiving Day (26 Nov 2010) and after being melancholy for so long, I was in a great mood. I was blessed with food from the company and was surrounded by people who cared about me. That is why in times like this, it helps to think of all the blessings I have this year.

1. I am blessed to have a husband who thinks for me more than for himself and who has sacrifised so much for me. Despite coming home late from work all the time, he still takes the time to visit me in hospital when I was hospitalised for 4 nights, sleep deprived and all.

2. I am blessed to have a bunch of friends who readily gives me encouragement and words of wisdom that gives me so much strength and helps me get up whenever I am down. You know who you are. I have never felt like I belonged so much when I am with you all.

3. I am blessed to be working with a great team who appreciates my contribution and most importantly understands each and every personal needs. When I was down and out for 2 whole weeks, even though my boss has lot a team member, he did not allow me to work and took over all duties on his own.

4. I am blessed to have a family who supported me through thick and thin and was there for me when I needed them the most. Even though I did not tell my parents when I was in the hospital, my mother did not fail to cook me the best food to nurse me to health. Thanks Mommy.

5. I am blessed to wake up feeling grateful that I am still alive and to have the passion to live contentedly every day.

So, just to perk you up, esp those of you who encountered as much difficulties as I had this year, read this.

The quickest way to living a life you love is through learning to love the life you live.

You’re waiting for something to change in your life before you can be happy. You might think if only you had a different partner (or one at all), a better job, or kids that did their homework then surely you’d be happy. Surely then you’d wake each morning with the glow of one living a life worth loving. Enough! Here are 5 ways to get started:

1. Be present – You must be aware of your current existence and that you have control over your perspective. Whether you’re willing away early morning grouchiness or seeing a messy house as a chance to teach teamwork, your choice of perspective will make all the difference between just living and loving.

2. Practice gratefulness – Every day, no excuses. Pretend to be grateful if you must. It’s one of those things that catches up to you quickly as life reciprocates your emotional generosity. Seeing the good in your life will allow you to keep your heart fed while you work to change the more unsavory parts. Try it. Live it. You’ll love it.

3. Pursue balance - As a person given to extremes this has always been a tough one for me. I’ll go from taking great care of myself and communicating well to abandonment and silence as I let work consume me. The pursuit of balance requires constant adjustment as your life shifts but every time I really try for the middle I end up happier about my life. And that’s truly the point.

4. Nurture friendships – You know the people who for some reason or other welcome you into their lives? Treasure them. Make time to spend with them. It is those relationships that you’ll look back on with satisfaction when you get old and begin to wonder what your life was worth. Many of us spend far too much time thinking about how some material possession will improve our lives. An iMac would be nice. A good friend is worth just about everything though!

5. Embrace simplicity – You don’t need to have all your gold-plated ducks in a row in order to love the life you’re living. You don’t need lots of stuff and relationships so driven by drama that you often wish just to be left alone in silence. Instead you might try for a simpler approach and enjoy things because they are useful and not because they are expensive. You might join a friend just to talk and not worry about all the expensive trappings we so often heap on get-together’s. Try for simplicity and if complexity sneaks up on you, so be it. In learning to love the basics you’ll find a wondrous appreciation for the nicer things that come along.

What have you found helps bring you back to the moment you’re in and really start to enjoy the life you’re living right now?

Rewind

2010-11-05T02:46:00.007+08:00

10 years passed but nothing changed
Beneath your smile, you hide an uncanny misery
A facade you put on for the longest time
I have no right to ask if you are really happy

Where did the twinkle in you eyes go
When we were both walking towards the door of happiness
When suddenly the door closed on us
While we are both not on the same side

Where is the promised happiness
And the plans we both made
Where did it evaporate to
Can we find it back once more

Decade passed without a closure
When can we both find happiness
While we both pretend we are contented
Yet deeper inside we both know
Can we rewind time to 10 years back?

**A song by Jay Chou composed for Jolin Tsai with the same title 'Rewind'

**Below is the actual lyrics from the song:
Rewind

I’ve had enough waiting for your so-called arrangement
The future that you spoke of, just how long will it take
Always have to wait till it’s too late to realize that I’m lovable
I want to depend on you, but you’re not there

The places that are supposed to be happy
All that you gave was nothing
Staring off into space by myself on holidays
Can’t find someone to accompany me to watch the sea
I’m standing outside the door of happiness
But haven’t been able to enter inside
The pain that you have cumulatively inflicted
It’s really hard for me to be released from it

* I finally realized that love cannot return
And you are always understanding too late
Only in the end do you speak your mind
Crying and begging me to stay
I finally realized that love cannot return
There are too many obstacles in front of us
But your hand cannot let go
You’d rather be shameless, begging me not to leave

You always want me to be obedient, slowly planning the future
But my tears were constantly streaming down
In the past how have you displayed the trust that you were supposed to give
I’ve been slowly pushed off a cliff directly by you

From the paleness of my face
Can see the memories slowing down
The sweetness of the past is rewinding
But the feelings are already not present
And the hopes that I have placed in you
Have been shattered by you time and again
It’s already broken into too many pieces
How can they be put back together and resumed again

He Never Complained

2010-08-24T01:37:00.001+08:00

A poor little rich kid. That's what I called him. He stays in the poshest area in Malaysia close to the mansions of doctors and corporals. His bungalow has the garden the size of a basketball field. His father drove an old Volvo and his mother a brand new Honda. However, all these belonged to his family.

He however did not have a car. He did not even own a watch and used a small Teddy bear with a digital clock to watch the time. It must have been a toy given to him when he was young. He wore shoes older than your house cos it has so many holes in them and barely any soles. Yet he still proudly declared he has wearable shoes. I should have gotten him those as presents while I still could. He carried a knapsack so old it could have been used when he was still schooling. Yet he never failed to acknowledge that he can still carry his books to college. He never complained when my cooking sucks cos he knew I took a lot of effort to cook for him. He didn't say anything when he could not find anything on his table after I organized the mess on his table. He did not say a word when he found out I had an affair with one of his friend when we endeavored a long distance relationship. He just wanted me to be back by his side. He didn't complain even though he could. Instead he found blessings in what he has. He knew that he loves me and cherished me for that. That is just who he is.

I'm sorry I complained so much about you that I had to end the relationship. I'm full of regret that I didn't cherish you when I had the chance to. Now I left you wandering alone without a chance for me to apologize.

Please Give Me a Duration of Music by Jay Chou

2010-08-15T23:49:00.005+08:00

This music is an inspiration for me to write a poem below:

Do you remember the times when you wrote me notes at the back of the class
It resonates the sounds of love between the both of us
Lyrics of love songs that we both enjoy

Do you remember the times when we both blast loud music from the car
And sing like there is no tomorrow
'Cos we both sang to the same tune of love

Do you remember the times when you went out of your comfort zone to wrap me a present
It was the most horrible present wrapping I had ever seen
But I appreciated the wrapping more than what was inside

Do you remember the times when I baked you a birthday cake for the first time
It was so hard that people thought it was a pizza
Yet you still ate it like it was the best cake you ever tasted

Do you remember when we celebrated our Valentine in a slide under a rain cos I didn't want to go to a restaurant
Yet you didn't whine and told me something I will never forget
It is not how you celebrate it, it is who you celebrate it with

Do you remember all the qualms and arguments we went through
'Cos we both stopped accepting each others' flaws
And it just went from bad to worse
That was went we both know it had to end
But why are you still in my dreams every night

And here is the lyrics to the song, beautifully written and composed as usual by my fav, Jay Chou

Please Give Me a Duration of Music
The rain soaked the blue, in a thorough way
YOu said you dont understand, why we are together now
My stillness died out, the impulse of regret
I prefer a mistake over nothing
Together is dream, severance is pain
Does this suggest, endless dream will cause the most pain
To lose one's way, that I cant take
This last door out would show if love comes upon

Chorus
Please give me a duration of music
And turn that into embrace into eternality
With my embrace there is no imsomnia
Ifd you want to forget I would do that with you too
Pls give me a durationof jusic
Listen to my story before you say Goodbye
The tears with me let them stay with the rain
Through the stroke you made, I established my end of courage

Repeat from top

Please don't say you love me in a time like this
How can it be proven that I don't have the strength to lie
Please anyone, tell me now, is a pause the same as giving up
I only possess a day of recall

Repeat chorus

Down With Love (Taiwan Drama) - My Review

2010-05-31T23:56:00.008+08:00

It has been a long time since I fell in love with a Taiwanese TV series since Meteor Garden (wow! that was like 8 years ago!) and finally I found one that gave me that same feeling all over again. It is called 'Down With Love'. It is the kind of movie that my mind and soul continue reeling over long after the show is over. You can't help but start to love the main character of the show played by Ella from S.H.E. as even though not as pretty and rather boyish looking, she has the greatest soul and kindest heart anyone in any TV show ever has. Her motto is “Only by being true-spirited, only can you find true happiness.” Simple, down-to-earth and easily contented, she is everything I ever wish I can be but never can due to my intrinsic nature to worry and be responsible for everyone.

This TV show gave every girl the hope that by having a good heart and soul, a guy will look beneath the exterior and love you for who you are. It is indeed an escape for a lot of gals out there and the same recipe used by Meteor Garden that shot it to fame: Hope. And the eye candies played by Jerry Yen and XXXX as the 2 main male characters did not hurt either. Besides, the 2 of them are the kind of guys any girls want as a boyfriend not only because they are good-looking but because they are inherently good-natured, rational and caring.

Last but not least, Ella really shone in this character as she looked the part and acted the part excellently. One can see her as being exactly the same in real life. She is so endearing that one can't help but grow to love her more and more as the show progresses. Plus, she really did make the whole show a lot funnier with her antics and crazy expressions. I really like the blatant, in-your-face jokes which are characteristics of a lot of funny Taiwanese series.

The greatest lesson that this TV series gave me is: Life does not need to be full of material pleasures to feel contented. True happiness comes from within, and maybe with some help from a magic marble ;)

The best and most memorable moments of Down With Love:

The casts are referred by their real names: Jerry as Xiang Yu Ping, Ella as Yang Guo and Michael as Ke Zhong.

1. When Jerry Yen ran out of the house to drive his car to look for Ella when he got the call to say that she is chased out of her house. Seeing his concern, I was so touched as only a guy who really cares about a girl will sacrifice so much for her.

2. When Jerry Yen is so happy that she called when she was in Hangzhou with Michael and stepped away from the lunch with his ex-girlfriend to talk to her. He said that overseas call is very expensive and called her back. That was soooo thoughtful of him and guys usually do that only to someone they care. The call ended with the two of them leaning on walls thinking of how each care for one another. Awww, I was about to melt when I see that.

3. Under the moonlight in Hangzhou when when both of them beat around the bush to find out if they like each other. The conversation was so adorable like "Had I known that you are not a lesbian, would I have been afraid that you would fall in love with me?" When Ella nodded, he cheekily asked, "So, did you?" I was already screaming in my heart, saying, "Tell him!" but as most Taiwanese shows go, this did not happen and the story just prolongs. I happily obliged. He also told her that she is not an ugly duckling but a girl who is so beautiful inside no other girl can come close. Awwww….

4. When Jerry Yen found out that Ella is now in a relationship with his good friend, Michael and was so heart-broken that he got into his gastric problem. When Michael was away getting medicine for him, he grabbed hold of Ella's hand and asked, "Do you really love him"? And Ella was tongue tied.

5. When Jerry Yen slept on the chairs in the airport waiting for his flight to Hangzhou to look for Ella to confess his feelings, he filled his spare time by practicing how to give the sweets he bought for her. At the same time, Ella was having problem with Michael’s mother and was crying as she was insulted so terribly. The camera panned to the two of them being in trouble at the exact same time in different locations and you soooo wish they are both together so that one can comfort the other.

6. When Jerry Yen peeks at Ella who is buying ice-cream for the 2 kids while enjoying it so much as though she is a little kid herself. When he realized that Ella was peeking back at him, he looked back, embarrassed that his action had been revealed.

7. When Jerry was teaching Ella to dance in her high heels after he taught her how to wear her stilettos. Through Jerry’s encouragement, Ella felt confident and could stride comfortably in shoes higher than Taipei 101. While they were dancing, Ella was hoping that she will never wake up from this moment which she felt was a wonderful “one-sided” love affair. Little did she know that he was also falling in love with her at the same time.

8. When Jerry was angry that Ella wants to pretend to be in a relationship with her ex-boyfriend, he immediately looked for her to explain that the right way to be in a relationship is by holding onto your boyfriend’s hands only. And when he managed to cheat her into holding her hands, he turned around and laughed to himself. It was such a cheeky laugh ;)

9. When Ella found the cabinet full of sweets that Jerry hidden from her only to be revealed when Jerry came running downstairs to see what she has found. When she was trying to move away from Jerry as he was questioning if she felt the same way about him, she accidentally tripped on the sweets and fell onto Jerry’s embrace. Jerry then smiled cheekily and said “Guess I have to thank the sweets for helping me”. He then bent forward to kiss her on the lips when her phone rang…..

10. When Ella was angry at Jerry for stalking her when pretending to be in a relationship with her ex-boyfriend, Jerry realized his possessiveness and apologized. While Ella was still reeling with anger, Jerry grabbed Ella and kissed her so passionately. It was those words between the kisses that melted Ella and my heart:

“Do you know that when I saw him (referring to her ex-boyfriend) trying to kiss you by the lake, I almost die of jealousy.”

He kissed her again.

“And do you know that when I heard you say that when I was teaching you magic tricks and found out that Ke Zhong had only held your hands, I almost die of happiness?”

And they kissed again, before she kissed him back and they hugged.

When in Rome - My Review

2010-04-18T23:49:00.009+08:00

I have been taking my virtual trips to a few countries recently like Kyoto and Rome while still being in Singapore. I was excited to see the view of Rome from a large cinema screen when the movie 'When In Rome' came into the cinemas. Plus seeing the sweet and affable Kristen Bell and the tall and dashing Josh Duhamel zoomed on a large screen doesn't hurt either.

In every movie, the part I liked the best is the beginning, how they captured the essence of the movie through a short introduction that will give you a prelude to the entire movie. The beginning of a movie sometimes is really important as it sets the tone and mood for the next 2 hours. It is like hearing the beginning of a song and knowing that I will or will not like it. And definitely the background music makes a huge impact to enhance the introduction.

The beginning of When In Rome did not disappoint, in fact showing Rome and Italy followed by New York in a bunch of revolving postcards set the tone of the places the viewers will see in this movie. And when the scene juxtapose to scenes of the face of the President on a Romanian coin being tossed into water and finally we see the statue in the Fountain of Love which leads you to the main protagonist of the movie. Yes, the intro of this movie is enchanting, unlike the typical girl running on treadmill and choosing her work attire before going to work. Finally, the intro pans to the scenes of illuminating lights on skyscrapers of New York where the movie begins.....

We are then brought into the Guggenheim Museum with its eccentric but impressive artifacts like flying wolfs on ceilings and luxury cars being hung from the top of the museum to the ground floor which is the location in which almost the whole movie is filmed. As this movie revolves around an art curator who loves her work more than falling in love, I am reminded of myself as the protagonist again. (Why are all love comedies now based on female leads who are strong and workaholic nowadays? There must be a fascination for these type of women.)

And in the movie, she finally fell in love with someone who made her loved him more than her work, the exact kind of guy she was aiming for. Josh Duhamel acted quite convincingly as a goofy and careless guy who gets into accidents wherever he goes. Even though in real life he must be the exact opposite, he was pretty endearing in the movie. And who wouldn't love a man who looks like this? ;)

This is definitely a movie worth watching for its canniness, its magic and the beautiful cast. The other 4 guys whom Kristen Bell puts spells on by taking away their coins from the fountain of love contributes the comic relief. Among all the guys, Danny Devito is the only one worth loving, even though the rest did help her make it to be with the man she loves. Another light-hearted movie for the hopefuls in love.

Mortality and Living Life

2010-04-18T23:26:00.005+08:00

Being aware of mortality makes us ask ourselves what is important in life - from Buddhism

Last few months, I have been seeing the doctors and dentists more than I see my own husband. This because I do not live with my husband and from the beginning of this year, I have been falling sick more often than so many years put together. Maybe my body is finally telling me that it is time for me to take better care of myself. That I have been torturing my body too much through rigorous work and exercise with very little sleep and food. Yes, work and achievements were my priorities for a really long time. The reason work is so important in my life is because it brings in the dough to feed my family, pay for mortgage and car. Achievement is the fuel that keeps me going everyday and makes everyday worth living.

Recently, I have been inundated with some sort of a bad news after I saw a doctor and it is only then that it dawned on me that the life I have been envisioning with money stashed up so that I can buy a nice home and start going for travels might not turn out after all. It is with the view of mortality that made me ask myself what is important in life. And I immediately knew. I will not be here. I will be in a country which I have always wanted to go but never had the opportunity to. I will start living life again. I will not live my life for others as this is what I am doing now. I can finally let go of my responsibilities and be free! I can now think for the present and not worry too much about the future. I will enhance my spiritual well-being by going to Tibet. I will climb more mountains as I know it gives me a natural high. I will not devour as much dessert as I can esp ice-cream and chocolate cakes which I have been controlling myself from doing so. I will speak to those in pain and tell them not to be afraid. Cos I am not afraid. In fact, I will live everyday like it is my last. Yet, it may really be.

Then, I think, what is stopping me from doing it now. Now, enjoy a song that speaks to everyone's heart.

Japan's Sakura Flowers in Singapore

2010-04-18T00:14:00.007+08:00

Japan does not give you the impression of a laid-back, easygoing and leisure-seeking society. In fact everything in Japan is about commercialization and monetization that it has one of the most fastest going transactions and economy in the world. You could find the most workaholic and egotistical people in Japan as compared to other countries. So, it is with wonder that every once in a year, people from all over Japan would let go of their inhibitions to participate in the most beautiful season in their country called hanami. Hamani, or cherry blossom viewing party held in Kyoto's Maruyama Park sees thousands of people throng the park just to sit under a canopy of sakura trees. In Kyoto, the cherry trees reach mankai or peak blossom sometime in late March or early April and once they do, their moment of glory is brief, lasting only a few days. And it is with these moment of glory that travel agencies around the world monetize this event to turn it into a tourist attraction. The ritual of hanami sees men from all walks of life clutching a large blue tarpaulin, a bento lunch box and a bottle of sake, most also with a pack of cigarettes. Each uses their tarp to stake their claim, defending their turf while they slowly get intoxicated under the blooms of the sakura.

I was not as lucky as my friend who made a trip to Japan recently to witness this beautiful event. However, I was partly lucky to get a feel of the event when The Central in Clarke Quay, Singapore decorated their river with fake but quite believable Sakura trees to attract passer-bys to their Japan inspired theme party. There was even a Sakura flavored gelato (with a pastel pink color) sold at Azabu Sabo which is located next to the Sakura trees deco. Families, relatives and couples flocked to the booth to get a taste of Japan and I find it fun to pretend for a while that I was actually immersed in the fragrant aroma of Sakura flowers in Japan. There was a couple of mixed race, a family of Chinese and Caucasian and a typical Singaporean couple taking photos using their camera phone which added to the colors of the place. The colors of Singapore. And the best part is my friend who just came back from Japan's hanami narrated the whole story to me, delighted me in her wonderful adventures. This is what I call travel on a budget. :)

My Honeymoon in Eastern Europe

2010-03-24T01:58:00.015+08:00

This is a blog I have been procrastinating to write for a long time. But here it is finally. My honeymoon in end 2009, the end of a beautiful string of events that led to the wedding and the beginning of a life together as husband and wife. And we chose Europe simply for the fact that we both love to see sceneries and beautiful architecture rather than lounging by the beach getting a tan or going to crowded cities to shop which we already do every other weekend anyway.

So, Eastern Europe we decided and the countries we chose are Germany (Munich, Nuremberg, Rotternburg), Austria (Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck), Prague in Chech Republic and Budapest in Hungary. Quite simply, we were awed by the mesmerizing words depicting how postcard perfect the sceneries in those countries are and the wonderfully lighted Christmas markets that don all parts of the countries we visited. So, we braved ourselves to go through the snow and below zero degree temperature just to spend 14 days without any work, relatives or friends around us in a relatively foreign land. And boy, were we not disappointed by our choices. So, to make things simple, below are the elements that made our honeymoon. As they say, pictures paint a thousand words.

Snow-capped mountains in Innsbruck

All varieties of breads you can ever imagine and never thought could have existed

Gothic, barouque and gorgeous churches that all looked the same after 10 churches

Decadent palaces full of histories of their inhabitants

Amazingly gorgeous and grandeur palaces

The real story of The Sound of Music in Salzburg

The must see classical music by Mozart and Bach in Salzburg

Beautifully, endless lighted streets in Vienna

The magical Crystal World of Swarovski in Innsbruck

Quirky statues that line the streets and people in Bratisclava

Christmas carols on Christmas Eve performed from the Golden Roof in Innsbruck

Christmas markets with all varieties of bratswurtz, wooden decos and chocolate coated everything!

Snow, snow and more snow!

Photo Moments from Europe Trip

2010-03-18T05:55:00.007+08:00

I haven't have the time to blog about my honeymoon in Europe which still remains my best and longest holiday to date. But stay tuned as it is coming soon. However, I am uploading some beautiful photos that are symbolic of the trip. One in Prague and the other in Venice. The best part is one of the best photographer in Singapore called Willy Foo created similar photo moments as what my husband took. Proves that my husband has a keen eye for photography. See the comparison here:

This is Willy Foo's version of the train station in Prague

We were not that fortunate to capture the photo of a kissing couple against this beautiful backdrop but the photo of a speeding train seems not too bad also.

This is Willy Foo's version of the reflection of the Basilica in Hungary against someone's sunglasses.

This is our version when we were in Venice.

I like this one better cos it has the reflection of the photographer and his camera, none other than my hubby. We did not see Willy's photos before we capture these, thus it is a surprise to see photographers having the same type of eye for details.

You Are What You Choose

2010-01-27T01:27:00.002+08:00

Here is a question for you:

When you go for a meal that you know will be paid for by your company, which is the food you will select?
A) The most expensive dish on the menu
B) The dish that is not expensive but have been the one you always wanted to try
C) The same dish your boss ordered
D) Dessert or appertiser as you are already full

Your answer might reflect who you are. So, if you have chosen, read your personalities below:
(A) Greed - someone who does things big and mighty
(B) Modest - someone who cares for others
(C) Lazy - follower as food is not that important to you
(D) Individualistic - you are not afraid to have your own opinions

I tend to be a (B). I feel as though I do not need luxuries as long as I have something to fulfill myself. For example, I do not have the palate for abalone, sharks fin and oysters, in fact I hate them. I feel more comfortable in a small, comfy diner over a fancy, elegant restaurant anytime. At home, I sleep on a hard sofa-bed layered with quilt which I could sleep more soundly than the hotel beds or super thick and soft mattresses. I rather sacrifice a diamond if it means I can travel to somewhere far and exotic. But the only luxury I can't live without is real good ice-cream which means I will choose a Ben & Jerry over a Magnolia anytime. :)

Just like my father, in any Western restaurants, even when they have the most exotic menu to choose from to fill his palate, he will still settle for the traditional Fish & Chips. Tell him why don't you try the Cajun Chicken with Avocado and Duck composte, and he will say "What for?"

So, here, live in modesty but again, that is my style.

Year 2009 in Review

2010-01-10T17:37:00.003+08:00

"Change, we don't like it. We fear it. But we can't stop it from coming. We either adapt to change or we get left behind. It hurts to grow. Anybody who tells you it doesn't is lying. But here is the truth, the more things change, the more they stay the same. And sometimes, change is good. Sometimes, change is everything." - taken from Grey's Anatomy, Episode 1, Season 4.

And I like the fact that in this episode, they used change in coins as an analogy to the theme of the show. How they comforted each other at the end of the episode by just passing on the change (coins) as a symbol of hope.

I definitely can't deny that year 2009 has had to be one of my most exciting year to-date! And the central theme of it all is change. Just like Obama preached. The main reasons are due to changes in 2 things in my life: Personal and Professional.

Year 2009 is the year I returned to Malaysia to be with my husband, got officially registered, then thrown back to Singapore again due to a better offer. In Q1 2009, I was prepared to leave Singapore and start anew in Malaysia with good career prospects and a good family-in-law. Until another offer threw a curveball in my direction. I was pensive about moving back to Singapore again, but I missed Singapore. The convenience of moving around, the ease of making friends and the ability to feel safe wherever I go. Plus with a better job offer and prospects, thus better spending power, I just knew I had to listen to my heart.

So, I moved back to Singapore in May 2009 after 2 months of working in Malaysia and I have never regretted it since. All my fears were removed when I got more opportunities for work xposure in the same industry I loved, where I am in a work environment where everyone seems to be nice to each other and where I feel like I belonged again. I changed countries so often I sometimes forget which country I am at, on certain weeks I was trying Nasi Uduk in Jakarta to the delicious Crispy Pata in Manila to the fantastic dim sum in Hong Kong. Even though I go there for business, I make it a point to enjoy myself and see new things as well.

It is also a year that I changed my title from Miss to Mrs. Mrs Tan to be exact as I registered my marriage to my long-time boyfriend (7 years) and best friend (9 years) on 28 Feb 2009 and then held my dream wedding to a group of almost 500 people on 27 Sept 2009. I have never felt anything like it, to be among my friends who helped me so much throughout the wedding and to come out of it successful and better than I expected. And finally to look forward to being husband and wife.

This is the year that I can finally achieve my dream of being financially capable of going for a holiday (aka honeymoon) in Europe for as long as 2 weeks. I did go to Europe previously on work assigment but to be able to afford it on my own is a different achievement. This was an idea that I have thought almost impossible 4 years ago but now, I am proud to say I can! - Yes, quoting Obama again.

This has been a great change for me as I have never been one who don't plan. But things actually turn out better when I do not plan. That I let life happen and embrace every moment of it. I am now agile to changes and am proud to say that sometimes, change IS good.

A Beautiful Bride

2009-11-30T00:58:00.005+08:00

As the bride walks away from the wedding ballroom, there is a sense of excitement that envelopes the air. The anticipation of starting a new life together is imminent in both the bride and groom's expressions. The excitement of going on a honeymoon after all the preparation towards this big day in their life just to escape from it all and be in a world of their own. There is a certain rush of emotion after the biggest event in your life.

Yesterday, I attended the wedding of one of the most beautiful girl among my friends. She really has the kind of girl-next-door look that any male would brood over and would like to treat as girlfriend. And to see her in her glory in her wedding gown heightens the sensation. She might not be the most beautiful girl in the world or even in Malaysia but to me, she is beautiful inside and out. It takes a certain amount of charisma, confidence and courage; strength and selflessness that makes a girl beautiful in my eyes.

Externally, she has the most flawless fair skin any girl can have and a body so statuesque she can wear anything and still look good in it. She might not be a model material as she still has the girl-next-door innocence, not the smoldering type of looks but she could fairly be the dream girlfriend of every guy. As she told me abouther upcoming honeymoon in Maldives, I shared her excitement as I will be going on one myself.

And why is she beautiful internally? She displays a certain confidence to look like the sweetest girl on Earth yet not afraid to show her tomboyish side as her gait is not one that enhances her feminity. When there are problems with the event, she took charge from the get-go, sputtering instructions so fast only a bullet train can catch up with her. At the end of the dinner, the poor husband was drunk and was sleeping on the chair. She took no offence in laughing about it and drove him home despite the hectic schedule. She took control of the situation to make sure everything is in order. And at the end of the event, admitted what a relief it has been. Tinge of vulnerability.

Inspirations for my Wedding Gowns

2009-11-08T16:14:00.007+08:00

Did anyone notice the similarity between my wedding gown and evening gown with the wedding gown worn by Taylor Swift in the music video 'Love Story'? I adored this gown when she donned it in the music video. And I found out, I am not the only one! Many people were asking who designed the gown. Proves my taste is not that bad.

I truly adored the off-shoulder type of designs (makes me feel like a princess ;), symbol of elegance and innocence. Kudos to one of my chi mui, Reese Yeo who specially selected the gown for me during my dressing. As for my evening gown, the moment I put on the blue gown, it fitted me so well I felt like it was designed for me! I did not notice how similar the corseted waist of Taylor Swift's wedding gown was to the one I wore until I opened the photo after the wedding. And the best part was, it clung on to my body so well, I could run and jump in it. Well, as they said, dreams do come true. ;)

**Wedding gowns courtesy of Couture Wedding Gown in Cheras

Taste Like Home - Buttered Bread

2009-11-04T22:06:00.002+08:00

I was reading an article on The Star about how most people use Maggi Mee as a food that reminds them of home. That their parents used to cook Maggi Mee for them whenever they are hungry. Thus, their inclination to wipe up a bowl of Maggi Mee whenever they feel homesick.

My homesick food would be a plain simple Buttered Bread. Why? Cos I am sucker for bread. Everytime I walk past a bakery when I was in Australia, I would soak up the aromatic smell of the dough from the bread being heated in the microwave. And I still miss those dearly. In Singapore, the closest I can get to that is from BreadTalk which has fantastic bread by the way. But the best has to be the simple butter bread my dad buys from the bakery and puts onto the table for my breakfast every morning. All I do is spread more butter or condensed milk onto the bread and dip the bread piece by piece into a hot cup of Milo before savoring it. Hehe, do I make the bread sound so appetizing? My mom is good at picking this little details out and has since buy butter bread every time I go home to Malaysia during the weekend. The power of mother's love.

I also remember how I used to eat bread only for lunch as I was trying to budget my expenses while studying overseas and will always look forward to buying my long loaf of bread. (The loaves in Australia is generally longer as the cold weather allows you to keep the bread longer). I would toast the large slice of bread for 1.5 mins and immediately spread generous amounts of salted butter on it while it is still hot so that the butter melts into the bread, making it soft and delicious. Till today, I still miss the incredibly better tasting bread and milk in Australia.

So, whenever someone says they had buttered bread for breakfast, don't think it is due to lack of choice. A lot of people associate bread and butter with the lack of economic standing. I for one actually choose bread over rice if I can help it. I love my dough! And Paris will always have the best chocolate croissants. I know ;)

So, what is the food that reminds you of home?

The Most Beautiful Wedding

2009-10-14T01:17:00.003+08:00

I just witnessed the most beautiful wedding tonight. It was not the most beautiful church, nor was it the most beautiful wedding gown. It was a wedding between a cancer patient and her beloved who both are doctors in Seattle Grace Hospital. The best part is she didn't even knew it was her wedding until the gown was handed to her from the bride herself. And she just fitted into the role perfectly. A day before she dies....

Do you know when is the biggest day in your life? The biggest day in your life usually starts as any normal day. It could be the day of your wedding. It could be the day of your break-up. It could be the day you receive your well-deserved trophy. It could be the day you met your soulmate. You will not know when is the biggest day in your life till it happens.

The Story of the Outcasts

2009-10-14T00:18:00.003+08:00

Maybe it was because noone stood up for them. Maybe because noone accepted them. Maybe because noone loved them.

Is it their fault they are the way they are? Is it their fault that they are not treated fairly? Why is the blame on them when nature made them so? Yes, they will not be able to procreate and add to the number of population in this world. But truly, is it their fault at all? Have you been in their shoes before you fault them?

One died in Spain today even though he has openly declared he is gay and even married another man. Another self-decalred gay, Adam Lambert lost his mantle in American Idol to a less talented singer, Kris Allen. A Chinese multi-talented actor and singer lost his life as he felt suffocated not being accepted for who he is. Gays are the most creative and talented being in the world. Their sensitivity to what's around them makes them artistic and special. So, before you fault them, look at what they have contributed to the society.

It is rare that I watch a show that leaves a tingling feeling in my body even till the next day. Hence, I have to thank Shonda Rhimes for potraying that even screwed ups deserves the right to live normally.

The Meaning of a Wedding

2009-10-04T12:11:00.010+08:00

Days after the event is over, my mind is still reeling with every little details of my wedding like a broken recorder. Anyone who tells you that one should not waste an exorbitant amount of money on an event that last only for one day should be advised to reconsider. It really is the pinnacle of one's life, a ceremony to mark the depth of love you have for one another.

Ever since I was a child, I dreamt of a huge wedding with thousands of guests in the most gorgeous ballroom with elaborate designs accompanied by a shocking entrance. As I grow up, my dream dwindled to a smaller scale wedding with a simple entry as the reality of how much trouble it will be and how much money I would have to spend hit me. Little did I know that my dream as a little child will come true after all. And I got all that and more: a gorgeous ballroom with 48 tables at the towering Hotel Istana, a vintage and romantic theme magnified by the presence of red, white and champagne roses on every pedestals and tables as well as a vintage car as a stage backdrop, a suave groom sweeping me off the stage through an astounding entrance and the presence of my family and friends to make my wedding so much more meaningful and memorable.

After organizing an event as grand as this, I now know the meaning of a wedding in 5 points:
a) Highest level of disappointments: I was disappointed to know that a few of my friends whom I consider as my closest pals in my previous company do not really treasure our friendship as much. A wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime thing and to not have them be there to witness my big day was a sheer disappointment to me. I was saddened by the fact that one was using the fact that her wedding is 2 months down the road and will not be religiously advisable for her to attend when I have thought she could even be my sister and was looking forward to attend HER wedding. Seems not to be now. Another disappointed me by informing me 2 days before my wedding that he could not make it when he flew all the way from Indonesia to attend my hen's night. All this when I flew from Singapore to attend his wedding to witness his happiness and he could not do the same for me. Well, I have to let sleeping dogs lie but I have to admit, the disappointments crushed me so bad that I could not sleep the night before my wedding.

b) You can separate true friends from not so true ones: On the contrary, I am immensely touched by the selfless acts of all my closest galfrens: at least 7 of them who made the effort to help me throughout the process of my wedding. Not only did they help me with selecting my wedding gown but they helped me plan the wedding, reminded me of menial things which I have not taken note of and comforted me when I had my wedding jitters. Had it not been them, I would not have been able to see such comical acts by my husband and his heng dais which all tasks planned to the very details. I also cherish those who took the trouble to drive all the way from Singapore to be there to see me in my glory, esp one who bonded with me weeks before the wedding when I had my jitters. I was truly comforted after confiding my fears to the married man. Lastly my friends who came together to put the wedding in place including his sister, his sister's best friends who contributed to be MC, photographers, technical support and heng dais and even the band performers are all my close friends.

c) Family clashes are inevitable: When you have 2 families planning a wedding with the advise of friends and relatives, disagreements and arguments are bound to happen. From details like the seating position of the relatives to the decoration of the ballrooms to the arduous tasks of determining the invite lists after multiple cancellations and additions, noone can agree on everything. Both my husband and I have to take a backseat by giving way and agreeing to their demands even if it means we have to fork out more cash or displease some of our own friends. After the wedding, we have to divide our time to see all the friends and relatives who flew from other countries to attend our wedding, resulting in packed schedules and speeding car to get from one place to another.

d) You realise how much more your husband loves you: Days before the wedding, I noticed that my hubby did things he rarely do on regular days. He was singing and dancing to weird music ALL the time. Yes, we were stressed but he was happy all the time! The best part is to see him sing at the front door before I let him in to take me as his bride, something he rarely do in public. He did not sleep one night as he had to complete the wedding video, photo montages and table seatings and send the vintage car to be decorated. He was supportive of me when I had to divide my time between work and organizing the wedding while he had a whole week off to organize the wedding. Yes, I now know how deep his love is.

e) You will not know the real meaning of exhaustion until after a wedding: For someone who had to work till the very last day before her wedding and do not have a honeymoon, I was truly exhausted after the wedding. Also, managing the wedding remotely from Singapore was not easy as all the logistics is done in Malaysia and I had to travel back and forth for a few weekends to get things done. I was looking forward to sleeping in but there are 101 things to do after the wedding. But all was all worth it as after the wedding, you will reminisce about every little detail and your life will never be the same again.

Photos courtesy of Kok Pooi Hoe, the backup photographer. Great photos from my friend's blog here.

Career Life Balance

2009-09-17T00:38:00.004+08:00

I'm a Virgo born in the year of horse. This is the equation:

Virgo + Horse = Workaholic, Ambitious, Career-minded, Driven, Perfectionist, Dynamic, Demanding of others

When I read the profiles of my bosses, the Head of Global Mobile, David Ko and CEO of Yahoo! Carol Bartz, who both are also Virgo with their birthdays a few days apart from me, I realise the similarities we have. Even the quotes she lives by is the same as mine. Read the article here:

"It's not because I wanted to be a martyr. It's because I had a job to do, and my family knew I'd be much happier if I was back in the saddle. I love to work. I love to run companies. I love to help people I work with. And I don't let anything get in the way of doing what I love.

Coming to Silicon Valley was a blessing for me. I realized soon after arriving here that most people didn't take a lot of time to ponder, or analyze a decision to death. There just isn't time.

This fit my nature of "doing" very well. I like change. Frankly, it's hard for me to understand why more people don't embrace it. I'm impatient with people and teams who don't move forward. "

- Carol Batz, CEO of Yahoo! whom I respect for taking the time and effort to write emails to the whole of more than 10K people in Yahoo! all over the world every Friday!

I never believe in work-life balance. Once you think about that, you already will not be putting as much attention and time into your career, thus making your personal life take over . However, there are times in my life that I just needed to take a break and have a bit of diversion on my personal life again. And the time is now. One and a half week towards my wedding, I am still unable to take leave to manage my wedding in Malaysia but still have to do it remotely from Singapore. When I requested to work from home, I am told that I need to be in Singapore for a meeting, which I thought, hmmm, can't someone sit in for me?

I am such a workaholic that I already have plans on things I need to achieve after this wedding is over. I gain satisfaction through results and achievements. Unlike other brides who looks into every details of the wedding, I have been outsourcing this to everyone else due to my location, travel and work commitments. Now, I just hope that I can be part of the process that will be the once-in-a-lifetime event for me.

The Proposal

2009-09-10T00:58:00.005+08:00

Coming out from the movie, The Proposal, entertained by Sandra Bullock's funny antiques and Ryan Reynold's witty remarks and touched by yet another cliche romcom, I came by one of the most beautiful wedding proposal ever. And it was spoken by a female, the Bachelorette, Trista Nicole Rehn proposing to her final bachelor on the show. I could relate to it very much and tears lingered in my eyes hearing the words she uttered. Maybe it's because I did the same; I proposed to my boyfriend of 6 years after his 1 and a half failed attempts of proposing to me. But nevertheless, the words were music to my ears:

Today is the day I have dreamt about my entire life. Ever since I was a little girl, I have visions of a man who I can see my future with. But whose face is always blurred. Until now.

Now, I not only see his face but I see a future of dreams come true. I see smiles and laughter. I see babies and vanities.I see comfort and safety. I see a white dress and I see it with you.

I want to thank you for standing by my side when I could not give you any confirmations of my feelings. But my walls have finally crumbled and I can now tell you without any reservations that I am in love with you. I hope with all my heart that you feel the same and that you want to spend the rest of your life with me as I want with you.

So, how did I propose? In light with his interets in Treasure Hunting, I placed the ring box on top of his luggage bag while we are vacationing in Dubai. He opened the box to see a paper with a clue on how to find the ring. It was a small poem written by yours truly. True to his Sherlock Holmes style of hunting, he set out solving the clue and found the ring. Sure enough, he said Yes! Hmmm...sounds like I'm the guy here.

So, regardless of who propose to whom, what's important is that the love remains strong and the couple works hard towards maintaining the romance. And that is the simple formula why Trista's love with her favorite bachelor remained till now despite the failures of all the other Bachelors and Bachelorettes.

Pillow Talk

2009-09-10T00:52:00.002+08:00

He doesn't know it but I appreciate it everytime we have pillow talk before we go to sleep about our favorite TV show. Despite his eccentricities, he is to me the rainbow through the rain, the laughter through the pain at this current time. Even though I can't expect him to do the same every night, at least for that night, I feel less lonely.

Butterfly Fly Away - Being A Single Parent

2009-07-20T00:12:00.005+08:00

I just watched Hannah Montana The Movie on a plane on the way to Manila. Watching a movie like this on the way to a journey just intensifies the emotions. Most importantly, this movie not only touched me to tears, it left an indelible mark in me towards single parents. One should watch it for the beautiful, idyllic sceneries that was potrayed in the serene hometown of Miley Cyrus, such a contrast from Los Angeles where she comes from.

There is no power stronger than the love of a father. In one scene when Miley Cyrus was changing between her two personas just to go out on a date with the guy she likes, this action irked her future stepmom. As the stepmom ordered her to stop, her father, Billy Cyrus defended Miley and found himself being left by his new lover but it was all worth it. That is the sacrifise he is willing to put himself through for his own daughter so much so that noone else comes first.

It amazes me how a kids movie like that has such a meaningful and deep message and evoked such strong emotions in me. He single-handedly raised 2 intelligent hyperactive children who are now willing to do anything for their father.

I found myself being in the same scenario as I was being pursued by a single father in Singapore two years ago. He was fair to me by being honest about his status very early on and I was fair by telling him that I have a long distance relationship. When he mentioned that he has 2 children at home and that he is going through a messy divorce, that didn't stop us from being friends. What I did not know was that he treated me more than a friend. It is only later that I realised the impact I had on him, his children and his ex-wife. It breaks my heart to hear his daughter calling him on his cellphone asking where he is and when he will be back while I am nicely having a sumptuous dinner or jungle trekking (our fav activity) with him. He did not rush home to be by his children and comforted them through his cellphone. When I asked why he did not go home to his children, he told me he needed a break from his kids as well as the complicated divorce procedures. It was then that I felt I was the only escape he had.

Being a single parent is never easy. I admire those who could do it, not out of their own willingness though. What I am afraid is I am this close to being one myself too.

2 Beautiful Girls, 2 Different Life

2009-07-05T21:53:00.005+08:00

She came out of the car like an angel welcoming the Earth. It was no ordinary car, it was the latest BMW E series with its rim modified if I am not mistaken. I would have taken note of that car had I seen it whizzing past me on the road. Now, however, I took note of the angel that just got out of it. Like an angel sent from above, she wore a white dress that shows off her slim shoulders. She was pretty, sweet looking with a fair porcelain complexion, unlike others in her profession who look aged and haggard. She has a slim build and was not trashy looking at all. She looked at me as I got down on a motorbike probably wondering if I am in the same profession as her, considering I was also stepping into an area frequented by people of her stature.

The man who got out of the car next to her meanwhile looked almost like he can be her father. However, considering he was fetching her to a place like this, one would think twice. He was not bad looking, just old, garbed in working attire, probably just after work, seeking for some form of relaxation from the daily grit of life. They headed towards the hotel next door and whatever happens after that is beyond my imagination.

On the other side of the world, another pretty lady emerged in front of me. I met her in the dressing room of the gym while I was changing after my daily workout. This one however did not look like an angel, she was garbed in a worn down dark blue T-shirt. She was devoid of make-up but despite that, one could see that she has a pretty face, fair skinned with spots of pigmentation. This girl however might be earning only one tenth of what the angelic girl earned. While this girl could be working longer hours and putting in more effort in cleaning toilets and mopping the huge floors in the gym and feeling tired after hard days work, the other girl could be earning 10 times the salary with just one to two hours of coercing and pumping work. While it might seem easy and lucrative, she had given up a lot more to be where she is, losing her pride and dignity. Both of them came from the same country called China, migrated to a new country called Singapore, seeking for more money and glory. Noone better than the other. Just different lifes, different luck.

Enjoy Steven Sodenberg's adaptation of life as an escort who provides men with real 'fake relationships' in New York called 'The Girlfriend Experience'.

My Radio Interview on BFM

2009-07-05T21:45:00.002+08:00

This is the first time I appeared on a radio interview with Business FM (BFM for short), in fact this is the first time I appeared on any live interviews. I was glad to be given the opportunity by the CEO of DraftFCB to be interviewed alongside him representing DraftFCB as the Associate Director of Strategic Planning for Interactive. The topic of the conversation is 'How to Advertise Using New Media during the Downturn'. I also thank my ex-colleague, Malek Ali for making the interview come true.

The experience was great, having to put the microphone in front of your lips and speak live to your audience. The topic resonates in me as I am a true believer of Digital and New Media esp how much more effective the online and mobile medium in spreading news and information in this generation. Being in the advertising industry was fun and glamorous for me. I am glad I dipped my toes in it even for a while.

Tune in to BFM more as it truly resemble a Malaysian company taking a new way of broadcasting, not for entertainment but for useful nuggets of information for business and professionals like me.

Wedding Photography in Taiwan

2009-05-24T12:17:00.004+08:00

I have always been a cynic when it comes to wedding photography. I never get the notion of why brides and grooms to be would go through the arduous tasks of posing in a fake manner in their elaborate gowns when you could have just worn a simple shorts to the beach. However, going through these tasks in a foreign country has taken out the skeptic in me. In fact, wedding photography has become a process that I will always remember fondly as part and parcel of the wedding.

Stepping into the scenic country of Taiwan has made this experience all the more memorable. I had to wake up at 5am to arrive at the make-up place at 6am as we were supposed to travel for hours to one of the recommended place for photography with a beautiful infinity pool against the scenery of a lake called Miaoli. However, as the national flowers which we were supposed to use as backdrop did not bloom, we changed our destination to other magnificent places like Yami Mountains with a really beautiful line of flowers and trees, Shen Ling forest where I can see flowers blooming among the trees and Yeh Liu with multiple colored rocks lining the green sea forming a formidable sight.

I donned what was supposed to be the million dollar wedding gown promoted by the bridal centre, Elegance Wedding to take my indoor photos. It was incredibly heavy with diamonds and precious stones enveloping the top of the gown. Did it make me feel like a million dollars? Maybe not, as it was too heavy for me to even walk around.

I particularly enjoyed the sights of other brides and grooms dressed in the wedding attires of their choice taking photos in the same spots as us. Some came with incredibly beautiful and pictureques gowns in pastel and bright colors, I wished I could wear them too. I liked it when a gown goes well with the settings one is in like a flowy, billowy dress for the beach where the tail can be blown against the wind or a naturally pastel with green ribbons for the scenes in the jungle. I truly admire the selection of gowns by a few of the brides while I was busy posing for my photos.

Never have I expected that I would wait in anticipation to view and select the photos. When the day finally arrives, I smiled in joy seeing how good the photos turned out to be. Both I and my husband were radiating with joy in almost all the photos which makes it hard to finalise 20 photos out of the hundreds. One of the best photos I thought was taken when we were at our natural self, including one photo in which he was whispering to me while we were playing water by the beach. I felt really good when I heard the comment from the store assistant that I looked very happy in each of the photos. Maybe it is my smile (hehe, perasan!).

Moving on, I was also introduced to a very good wedding photographer who took wedding photos in a more artistic way which I am more fond of than these commercial ones. He is called Patrick . I really like the uniqueness of the subjects and the colors he used as it really felt classic to me.

All in all, I admitted it was a tiring but memorable experience. Would I do it again? Anytime!

Weddings Worth Tearing Up Over

2009-05-14T11:29:00.003+08:00

Amidst the doom and gloom that has been happening in the world, the appearance of good news even snippets of them makes up for what has been one of the worst downturn since I am born. Affected negatively as well as positively by this downturn, I was pleased to see a photo of smiling faces in the front page of the newspaper today. It didn't made the headline but was a welcoming sight in light of the other more serious news like the drop and rise of the stock market and the increase in unemployment.

The news was about the imminent wedding of one of Singapore's most famous celebrity couple, the gorgeous and shapely, Michelle Chia and the boyish and charming Shaun Chen. I rarely tear up and thus it is with suprise that occasions like these that made me do the unpredictable. I actually teared up twice this week alone and both happened during wedding ceremonies. One is when I was listening to my friend, Shirrene Koh the bride, relating how she appreciates her parents for giving all they can despite being poor and retrenched from their job so much so that even when he only has RM2 left in his pocket, he buys noodles and milk for his 2 children when they complained that they were hungry even if it means no food for him. To me, there is no greater sacrifice than the sacrifice of a parent for their own children. Thus, it is without a doubt that I will do all I can to repay and appreciate them now that I make my own living and stand on my own two feet.

The second wedding that touched me was the wedding of this celebrity couple, Shaun and Michelle merely by watching a video of their speech on the stage of the glitzy Ritz-Carlton Hotel. When the groom was asked to speak, he could not hold back his tears and thus the bride took over the microphone to tell the audience on what made her choose to marry Shaun Chen. "My family and friends are the most important things to me. So, when I found someone who not only loves me but loves and takes care of my family and friends, I know I have found the one." This was followed by the groom's speech who thanked not only his own parents but his in-laws for accepting him into the family and his friends who travelled all the way from Malaysia in a bus to attend his wedding. I don't know which part touched me but without realising it, I felt tears streaming down my cheeks and maybe it is because I could feel the warmth and love from their relationship which is so tightly knit with their extended families and something I do not have now as I am living alone in a different countries from all my families.

No matter what, love forms a foundation of my life. Reason why I would choose love comedies over action movies and watch chick flicks over McGyvers of Knight Riders. I feel alive when I am loved and can love someone. A lot of actions I take are due to love, not money, not fame. It might look like I am chasing money and status on the surface but if you do not see what is deeper, I guess you do not know me at all. Regardless, I am glad I attended and saw 2 beautiful weddings that merged two opposites into one. One day, it will be mine :)

Travails of a Career-Obsessed Married Woman

2009-05-13T16:56:00.002+08:00

As I walk ceaselessly across the tarred roads as I have walked past the bus stop to catch the bus to my next appointment, I watched aimlessly as the buses I was meant to take passed me by right in front of my eyes. I could not board them as I have not arrived at the bus stop yet. The last 2 weeks has been like this for me. 'Missed opportunities'. Some missed opportunities will affect me for the rest of my life. Call it luck, call it timing, when it happens it sucks.

Recently, I have taken the step to release myself from singlehood and stepped into the married altar. However, the actions I am taking now contradicts the expectations of a married woman. In this society, a married man can still take up a job opportunities overseas if the offer is good enough. This might not be true of a married woman. What happens if it is the woman who becomes the breadwinner of the family? What happens if the female is the go-getter and have goals and dreams in life while the male lives in comfort zone? Should the female let go of everything? I do not know the answer but I have summed up my problems in this quadrant:

How will You Contribute to Earth Hour?

2009-03-16T17:29:00.006+08:00

It happens on 28 March 2009. For one hour, 8.30pm - 9.30pm. How will you participate in the event called Earth Hour? It is supposed to be an event to raise awareness towards the impacts of climate change. It is supposed to tell the government to do something about the rising effects of global warming by reducing the use of energy.

I have been to countries like France that sees the sale of green cars that do not use petrol. The car is not sold in Malaysia yet as it will cost a bomb as it could either use solar or electricty which either one will increase your cost of consumption per km. What are we to do when we run out of fuel if we do not take action now? Live in the dark without tv and Internet? Go back to the dark ages where people hunt animals for food and procreate for entertainment? We should think about the effects before it gets too late. Before all of us survive on hunted deers and have no tv to enjoy or Internet to use (the horror of all horrors!), let us take a preventive measure.

So what can we do on that day dedicated to Earth? A few ideas below:
1. For those who use air-cond at home, stay away from your air-cond for at least a day. Hey, I am sure you can live a day without air-cond right, it might make your skin less dry by the way.
2. Do not switch on lights until after 9.30pm. Wouldn't it be nice to have a romantic candle-light dinner at least for a night?
3. Do not switch on the fan between 8.30pm - 9.30pm. Avoid exercising during this time also, cos you will be craving for a fan if you do.
4. Constraint yourself from watching tv and perhaps you will discover the new family gossip that you never had the time to find out while you were busy playing computer game or watching the latest Heroes on tv.
5. No emails and work on the Internet between 8.30pm - 9.30pm. For those who are desperate, there is always the Blackberry, ooopppss, even Blackberry is banned.

6. Have a picnic with your family or friends where you only use candles and mosquito coils to have a bit of lights. Eat non-messy food like chips and chocolates. Hehe, best time to plan things you never thought of doing.
7. Drink any beer or alcohol between 8.30pm - 9.30pm. You do not need lights as you do not need to know what you drink anyway! When the lights are turned on at 9.30pm, you will find your friends drunk and puke all over you. Tough luck but you will be drunk anyway!
8. Have a gathering with friends and pray for the Earth. After 9.30pm, watch 'An Inconvenient Truth' presented by Al Gore, very educational but wish he reduce the talking and have more celebrities show what they do to save the Earth. Often times, whatever celebrities like washing their own clothes instead of using washing machine will be condoned by the public.
9. For those lovey dovey couples, switch off the lights, download a copy of Karma Sutra and have some massive action without the lights under the bedcovers. Hehe, I'm sure you know what I mean. You never know you might discover so new positions you never had the time to explore.

In support of this day, so many countries are joining in this call for climate change. In Sydney, all the ferries in the harbour will sound their horns at precisely 8.30pm to herald the occasion while in Melbourne, a people-pedal-powered concert will be held at Federation Square. People in Lisbon will sit down to an evening of outdoor candle-lit dining as they watch the skyline go dark while in Oslo, members of the public will take up the challenge of pedal-powered light bulbs. In Malaysia, corporates like YTL has agreed to participate and some TV networks are stopping the airing of shows during that hour. So, no excuse of not catching your show.

So, there, while billions in the rest of the world turn off their lights in support of Earth Hour, do your part by doing the same and more. It is not only on that day and that hour but reducing consumption of electricity like turning off the lights whenever you do not need, eat from a plate instead of paper and plastic and turning off your PC and mobile whenever you do not need it, reducing the temperature of your air-con and refridgerator and sleeping earlier everyday and less time with the lights switched on will go a long way in saving Earth. So, join the pledge and join the Facebook group now.

He's Just Not That Into You

2009-03-11T08:33:00.004+08:00

Funny how these four amazingly gorgeous ladies will get guys who are just not that much into them in the coming-soon movie 'He's Just Not That Into You'. I mean, which male with the sane mind will reject these gals and then prefer not to commit, hoping to find someone better? Scarlett Johanssen, harlow? Anyway, I am a believer that if a guy is really not that much into you, they will not do things they do not normally do for a girl. This is one of my litmus test before I start any relationship. If he is too lazy to pick up that phone to call, he is just not worth the trouble. And if he did call but cancels or postpones the appointment, yep, put on your red or yellow lights. If he does date you but sends you home early just to hang out and watch soccer with his guy pals without prior notice, yes, the guy can be dismissed to no second dates list.

So, yes, I am bracing to watch this movie with my gal pals just to see if the movie really gives 4 real life scenarios of how to avoid committing to guys who are just not that much into me. Even though I have been there and done that, it is fun to relive my childhood adventures all over again. As they all said, it is always better for the guy to love you just 1 - 2% more than you do.

Now, when I do produce another movie entitled 'She's Just Not That Into You', these will be the traits the female protagonists should look out for:

1. He Knows What He Wants - having someone who knows what he wants begets respect and allows you to discuss with him your goals individually and collectively. At least you both have a guideline of how you can help each other achieve your goals which makes an important part of life.

2. He is Positive and has a Sunny Outlook - this makes the relationship much easier in times when things are down as he will be able to make the best of it. A shared sense of humour is so crucial in a relationship.

3. He is open to change for you - Be with a guy that will change for the better of the relationship, not changing his whole self and values that he does not feel like himself anymore. He must have the capacity to transform and grow with you.

4. He Introduces You to His Friends - A relationship does not revolve around the couple only, thus by having him feeling proud of showing you off to his friends shows that he will be able to take you down the aisle and feel proud about it.

5. He is Responsible with Money - Very important to me as money is the biggest reasons of arguments and disagreements between couples. If he is willing to put aside a stash for family and for tough times, you found yourself a keeper(all of us need to have some sense of security), not someone who spends all his money drinking and gambling.

So, there, the movie review coming up next.

My Weding Registration - The First Day

2009-03-05T11:20:00.008+08:00

It's the first day to the rest of my life, and I have never been happier. It's funny how I spent so many years of my life determining if he is my Mr. Right only to be so sure on this day.

Just a few days ago, someone congratulated me and asked me this question: How did you know that he is the right one for you? I just knew. But it isn't a smooth journey. All the trials and tribulations strengthens our relationship and makes me realise that he is the one I can't live without. Everyone who knows our relationship knows that we have gone through everything from parents' disagreements to long distance relationship to third parti(es). Besides, it is not who is right for you, it is who makes it right for you.

The day of our registration was incredibly smooth with all our friends, families and relatives arriving punctually for the 9.30am solemnization in Thean Hou temple. I was ecstatic to see all my friends being so supportive and to have so many photographers snapping photos of us and the guests. The dashing groom in white shirt and bronze tie arrived with a charming bouquet of orange colored roses (one of my favorite colors which I did not tell him) and kneeled when handing the roses to me :) 28th February 2009 witnessed the gathering of 98 couples in total in this temple. The couples and relatives crowded the registration hall creating a collage of white dresses and black ties. After the registration that took our oath to be together through sickness and health, poverty and wealth, etc (which I could not understand as it was read in Mandarin, haha), we proceeded to the temple for a photography session. As I was walking out, I heard a raging bride shouting into the phone waiting for her groom. As she put down the phone, she said "He is not coming" and stormed off with her bridesmaids in tow, just lkie the scene out of 'Sex and the City'. I never expected real life to imitate reel life.

The day was memorable and fun and it was made so much more significant to have friends and relatives who initially could not make it turning up for the event anyway, like my brother from Australia and my sister from Hong Kong. Everyone descended for lunch and then his house for more entertainment. You can see the photos here.

Below is one of my favorite wedding photograph of Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle. It captured the essence of what a wedding is all about, the last part where both the couple are just too exhausted after the whole ceremony to care about anything in the world but themselves. A day well spent!

A Fact on Love

2009-02-19T22:00:00.002+08:00

Quote taken from 'Addicted to Love' on NTV7

In life, you meet 3 types of people:
1. The person whom you love
2. The person whom loves you
3. The person who can live with you for the rest of your life.

The unfortune thing is, most of the time, these 3 types of people are different people. Some people meet No. 1 and moved on to No.3, some meet No. 2 and moved to No.3. Some people does not even reach No.3 at all.

Fortunate or unfortunate, I met all 3 throughout my relationships. Three different people who made a significant impact in my life. I am only glad that I now have a No.3 and looking forward to it!

My Favorite Valentine TV Series

2009-02-18T15:24:00.004+08:00

To commemorate Valentines Day on 14 February, I digged out an old but memorable romantic TV series that I used to enjoy watching not only for its eye-candy casts but also terrific scripts: Jack & Jill. I love the tension between Jack (the female lead - stands for Jacqueline "Jack" Barrett played by Amanda Peet) and Jill (the male lead - stands for David "Jill" Jillefsky played by Ivan Sergei) before they fell in love to the episodes when they got together but still had tensions and fiery off-and-on relationship just to realise that they were meant to be together. It is a story about the lives of 6 singles living frugally under one roof, falling in love with one another and living out their big city dreams.

The love story between Jack & Jill is about how 2 opposites attract: Jill being the laid-back, spontaneous, not organised but fun guy who got attracted to Jack: the meticulous, perfectionist, I-like-my-life-the-way-I-want-it but emotionally vulnerable female who unexpectedly finds herself falling for Jill as well. It was fun to watch the antics of these 2 casts arguing over the smallest things and then realise how silly they are when they got back together again due to the power of their love for each other. To me, the series were pretty realistic based on their themes and love affairs. And it never hurts to gaze into the piercing eyes of Simon Rex who played Mikey, the playboy and admire the tall and amazing physique of Ivan Sergei who played Jill.

Things I Will Miss About Singapore

2009-02-14T11:34:00.004+08:00

I tread my way to this 'kiasu' country not knowing what to expect, leaving my family and boyfriend to start a new life in a country foreign to me but not too far from home. What I didn't expect was that I will leave the country two and a half years later with such a heavy heart. But go I must as my calling here has ended.

Amongst the things unique to Singapore that will always be dear to my heart are below:
1. The thick foliage lining the streets after leaving Changi airport. It is such a welcoming view when I have just got back from certain countries on business trips.
2. The sweet aromatic smell of buns wafting from Bread Story when I walk past the store early morning before going to work.
3. Helpful pedestrians giving directions to me when I looked lost even when I didn't ask them first. Their directions are so precise it is as though they are afraid you will get lost.
4. The colorful neverending lights along Orchard Road months before Christmas.
5. Irisdescent lights reflected on Singapore River from bars to restaurants nearby. I was enjoying this view from Boat Quay.
6. Reading free newspaper distributed every morning and noon at the MRT stations.
7. Watching Mobile TV when taking journey on the bus.
8. How fast it is to get my legal documents like EP from the government organizations.
9. Shopping at 1am in the morning in Mustafa, the 24 hour supermarket that you can practically find anything in the world!
10. The never ending supply of soya milk and fruit juice everywhere I go, and they are cheap too.
11. The countless numbers of beautiful restaurants and cafes on the top of buildings with great views. People are spoilt for choice here.
12. Mentality of people who puts their country or company first instead of their personal benefit. Givers gain!

So, Singapore, thanks for the adventure and for giving me the chance to meet these amazing people who will now be part of my memories and now shape my future. I will not be who I am now if I had not gained these encounters. It's now time to go home. Watch this blind contestant call Scott McIntyre singing 'Home' (originally sung by Chris Daughtry) in his performance in American Idol. :)

Slumdog Millionaire - The Book vs Movie

2009-02-10T00:33:00.005+08:00

I am so glad I read the book 'Slumdog Millionaire' or the original title being 'Q&A' before I watched the movie. It was one of those books that I could not put down. I was trapped from the first sentence: 'I won a Billion Rupee from a game show and got captured because of that'. I have always been impressed with Indian writers and movie producers in their ability to come up with stories with the most magnificent twists like M. Night Syamalan's 'The Sixth Sense' which then introduced the same concept of twists in a lot of other movies. 'Slumdog Millionaire' did the same amazing unexpected twist and I am so utterly dissapointed that they did not include that same twist in that movie! In fact the movie was so far from the book that I feel like I am watching a whole different story altogether! All Danny Boyle, the producer did was take the concept of the story of a boy living in the slums of Mumbai winning 1 Billion rupees from a game show and did a movie with the same concept of reiterating his life story through each and every answers he gave.

So, here, I will give a blow by blow comparison between the book and the movie without giving out too many spoilers! Go read the book! Even though I wonder if I will feel the same if I had watched the movie first. Yes, I will still remain: The book is BETTER!

The book

The movie

Has 12 chapters which consist of a blow by blow story or encounter that contributed to the answer to each question.

Showed less than 12 questions which is actually a shortened version of the 'Who wants to be a billionaire game!

Each chapter started with his life story that led to him knowing the answer to the question and you will be compelled to guess which question will be formed from the life story while you are reading it. I actually guessed one question right and so proud of it!

The story and question mingled among one another leading to me being confused if the story actually contributed to the answer only to find out that some are meant to be only a story.

The name of the protagonist is Ram Mohamad Thomas and there is a chapter that entails how his name which consist of three races was given.

The name has been changed to Jamal Malik which is an easier to remember name but less significant with no background to the origins of the name.

Ram was an orphan from the start with his life story being how he was transferred from one orphan home to a priest to a begger agent, etc.

Jamal has a mother who was killed during a protest and he is led to run away to the house of a beggar agent.

Ram and Salim are best of friends.

Jamal and Salim are brothers.

There are so many more female characters in the book adding to the colors of the stories.

There is just 1 female character who is very very pretty and suitable for the character potrayed (IMHO).

No mockery of Indian slang. The book is written by an Indian after all!

Consist of the mockery of an Indian slang: "Maybe it is written, no?" The movie is directed by a foreigner after all!

Despite all the differences, fortunately there is one similarity between the book and the movie which I feel was the most important part of the movie: the ending. Will the male and female protagonists end up togther? You have to read the book AND/OR watch the movie to know. Now, let's laugh at Eyeris' funny version of the movie not-review.

My favorite spot in Singapore

2009-02-03T00:12:00.002+08:00

There is one spot in Singapore that I would count as my favorite spot to sit and ponder. Because the breeze billows my hair into a tangled mess while I lay my eyes on the colorful, irridescent lights illuminated from the hotels and restaurants nearby reflected on the waters of the Singapore river. It gives me the tranquility to think and the inspiration to write. I would love to bring a book and read it by the river or have a notepad and just write a novel, whatever comes to mind. I also remember sitting on the bench eating my ta paued dinner (my first meal of the day) while enjoying the scenery with my friend. I am glad at least I have these memories. Simple pleasures of life.

Can you be a non-hedonistic?

2009-02-02T14:48:00.002+08:00

I was about to practise a non hedonistic lifestyle for a while until a package of goodies arrived at my office today. Compared to many, I am capable of refraining myself from hedonistic pursuits like eating, sleeping and socializing but thanks to my friend, I can enjoy one thing that means a lot to me while being non hedonistic - watching the excitings twists in The Bachelor Series 13! Thanks to you. You know who you are.

How Do You Escape?

2009-02-02T02:38:00.004+08:00

How do you escape? I watched an episode of Grey's Anatomy in which one of the patient who has been diagnosed with cancer and knew about it early on told Meredith 'I garden. I take care of my garden so well that you can't find a single pest and my sunflowers bloom so beautifully.' The victim was in so much pain and suffering, yet so nonchalant. He filled his void by a simple activity of gardening. When life treats you bad, there is no other way but to succumb and deal with it but by escaping.

How do I escape? Writing, that is what I do. There is an unfathomable pleasure in writing that I can't explain. There was once I was so pressured with work and so fed up with the person I am with but the moment I put pen to paper (in this case, fingers to keyboard), I felt like a burden lifted off me. It transforms me to a different world. I can write anything, but it has to be something from the bottom of my heart.

There were times when I argued with my ex-boyfriend, and as I had to cry so loud, I hid myself in the toilet and cried. I remember sitting on the toilet bowl and crying my heart out. I could actually sit in the toilet for more than 3 hours with a newspaper and reading it to make myself sleepy once my tears subside. That is the reason I am so compulsive about clean toilets. I remember spending so much time in the toilet that I looked at every corner of the toilet and it was indeed clean! Starting from that day, I need to have clean toilets, as to me the toilet was my place of solace and my impression of a clean toilet was fixed.

I also escape by listening to music. Music that touches my heart. I listen to a song that I can relate to over and over and over again and I write the lyrics down, putting my heart into listening to every single words uttered in the music.

I also escape by seeking friends. People say friends are the best thing one can have besides a family. And I couldn't agree more. I remembered how my friend attempted to cheer me up when they found out I was having problems and I felt so lifted.

Sometimes, I use wine, but not so much as I know that alcohol only makes you feel better only for that day. But at least for that day, I am happy and all my problems seem lifted away. Sometimes, short term escape is better than none at all. :)

People escape. It is a need. Be it by drinking, smoking, going to the waterfalls or watching a feel-good-movie, it helps. It fills the void at least for a while. We are only human after all.

My favorite scene in The Wedding Game

2009-01-29T01:16:00.007+08:00

This is my favorite scene from the movie 'The Wedding Game'. In the movie, she was spinning around in her wedding gown, surrounded with rose petals which were lifted up from the ground due to her spinning. It resonates the essence of the female lead being carefree and uplifted, as if she has no worries in the world being next to her husband-to-be who was ready to pull her into his arms once she is ready. It reflected the groom's ever-readiness to protect the bride while allowing her to soak in the moment when she wants to. The director directed and the photographer captured the perfect moment through this photo, it says so much yet the protagonists did so little. The miraculous part is the couple was still bickering with each other when this photo was shot but there were no signs of resentment in this photo at all. This shows how pure the simplest act of wearing a bridal gown can enact the most joyouus feeling of all be it from the bride as well as the groom.

I count my blessings everyday as my relationship with my fiance is like that. He lets me be yet is always there for me when I need him. Without being too egoistic, he has a strong protective nature hidden beneath his sentiments and kind heart. I am truly fortunate to have met someone like him who could give me our own Wedding of the Year. :)

Movie Premiere of Wedding Game

2009-01-28T00:51:00.004+08:00

Walking down the aisle towards the gold class cinema in GSC Pavillion KL was like a dream come true for me, especially since I have yet to watch any movies in this cinema before. I arrived at the VIP lounge, mingling with the press and crowds who are waiting for the arrival of the two lead actor and actress of the movie 'The Wedding Game' - Christopher Lee (a Malacaa born actor who made made it big in Singapore) and Fann Wong (who wouldn't know her!) while sipping champagne and wine. The stars of the show were almost star-struck when they were interviewed beside one another. Christopher Lee was very energetic and was jooking at every questions while his on-screen off-screen partner was a little more reserved, fielding the interview questions gently. However, I liked their humbleness and down-to-earth attitude which was displayed when they greeted and thanked each and every participants who took photos with them. Guess they appreciate their fans which is real important for any celebrity.

The movie however fell below my expectations. So much hype and fanfare before the movie probably lifted everyone's expectations of the movie. There was not much character development except for the part where Fann (Vicki) stalked Chris (Jack) just to find out that he secretly buys food for the old folks every morning when he goes jogging.

A big part of the movie focused on their bickering which was quite funny at some parts while others just fell flat. Pardon me, but most parts, both the bickering and falling in love with each other was not as believable as I hoped it to be. Well, they both make a cute couple both on and off-screen but I can't help but think how similar the theme of the movie is to real life where the directors (in the case of the movieis their assistants) are just banking on the popularity of the stars of the show who are getting married this year as well to rake in as much moolah as possible before the actual wedding takes place. I would say it is indeed a smart move as in the world of entertainment, anyone would do the same.

I have to say though that they did such a good job shooting scenes of Malacca along with the traditional harmonious scene of a multi racial community dancing together speaking different languages. I am so proud to hear smatterings of Malay and Cantonese in the movie potraying how multi lingual we are. I particularly liked the scene at the beach during sunset and the observation tower overlooking the straits of Malacca. I could relate to the act of wanting to be with someone because you want to be part of a warm family and to recreate the same family with the one you love. Reason why I have never stayed long with a partner who is not close to his family or comes from a cold family. I really think your family moulds you, makes you who you are. The closer you are to your family, the more responsible and respectful you become. And I have to particularly rave about her wedding gowns, so beautiful and one of a kind.

So, watch this is you fancy a wedding and to see a cute couple bickering non-stop and to listen to its beautiful locally made soundtrack. And if you are eager for your own dream wedding, it is worth a visit to the cinema.

What Makes Singapore

2009-01-11T23:36:00.008+08:00

A straight, good-looking male friend of mine (who came to Singapore as a student exchange) said today 'The only reason I go to a gay bar is because everyone here is so cold and robotic that a gay bar is the only place I could find a little bit of warmth, passion and emotion.'

Man, to know that one had to go to the extent of going to a gay bar just to get a squeeze of emotion from this cold heartless country. Makes me think did all those bitches in Singapore made the male population in Singapore gay? And how do we retort to that. 'We have been conditioned to be like that by our dear Mr Lee.'

It is undeniable that Singapore is a country that has people without a lot of heart and emotion. Every nuggets of emotion has been replaced with practicality to make a living, esp when the people here stress on having a good life. I find females here tougher than males, even stronger and more outspoken, competitive and independent. The reason being they came out of university much earlier than the male and thus started working and earning a lot more moeny before the male who just got out of National Service 2 years later could catch up. Some of the males even lost their concentration to study and end up not continuing their degree and just started working or bumming around right after their national duty. By not having a degree, I feel that males will lose out a lot more as no career nowadays accept anyone without a degree. Of course they can start their own business but with success rates of 1 out of 10 businesses, they either make it really big or not at all. I am not suprised why marriages between 2 Singaporeans usually end up in divorce, sorry to say that.

When I chat with my Singapore girlfriend, I could actually tell her everything but there are no emotions involved, lack of compassion, almost factual. I like it that way cos I am like that too. Tell your problems, get it out of the way and move on with your life! Don't let these emotional bullshit block you from what is more important and productive. work needs to be done, the clock ticks and bread still needs to be on the table. Maybe that is why I feel I fit into Singapore. But when you do get to know a good Singaporean friend, they will be really thoughtful and nice, meaning they know how to be a good person and friend which is what I can't find in a Malaysian sometimes. Malaysians tend to have a lot of heart but unable to do the right thing sometimes.

So, what exactly is Singapore? A country with its own drink called the Singapore Sling (btw, Singapoore even introduced their own shawl called the Singapore Shawl which to me looks like batik), a country that has a myriad of people from all over the world congregating in one small island creating a multicultural kids of sorts and a country that you can find people queuing for food even though it takes more than 20 minutes to get your food during the rush hour. I love Singapore for its variety of food which some are pretty tasty. But what a lot of people agree makes Singapore unique is how the city and nature co-exist so closely together. Due to its lack of space, city planning is extremely careful to include greenery in every urban development creating a modern city co-existing with nature. It is not suprising to find parks and trees in between marble floors and cement bridges in between forest and jungles. Going into Singapore from the Changi airport is indeed beautiful due to the pine trees lining both side of the streets when one travels along the road out of the airport. It just welcomes everyone into the country and sets the ambience of the country. If you have watched 'The Leap Years', you should agree that the director did a good job highlighting the most amazing and scenic parts of Singapore seen from places you don't think of going. I loved the scene where the 2 forlorn lovebirds sat on the rooftop watching the stars with the backdrop of OCBC Bank and the lights at Boat Quay. Also beautiful is how the bride ran across the bridge with the Esplanade in the background in the middle of pouring rain. I really think that movie personified Singapore at its best.

This is what Singapore is about to me. Not the coldness, not the drinks or food, not the people but the great planning of the place to make it safe and comfortable for everyone to live in. Most important of all, how beautiful such a small island can be with such scarce land.

Some Things Never Change

2009-01-07T02:52:00.005+08:00

When you yearn for someone so bad and could not get it, all you can do sometimes is to go back to places that bring back those memories. with that special person One of the place that I returned to during my trip back to Malaysia was a mamak in one corner of Paramount that serves the best Milo Ais I have tasted in the whole of Malaysia. And it is with this memory that I ventured to Petaling Jaya one fine day to salvage those memories again. 7 or more years have passed since I last stepped into that mamak and I rounded a big part of Petaling Jaya to remember where it was. In my mind, I was expecting to find an empty plot of land where the mamak used to sit with its tables jutting out into the streets of Paramount. I was half expecting to see a new Chinese restaurant or Chinese association taking the place that used to be the hang out place of many PJ-ers and Cybercafe visitors nearby. And I was expecting to get dissapointed over the loss of one mamak that hold so many of my precious memories and laughters as well as serving my all-time favorite and chocolatey Milo Ais.

Imagine my suprise and happiness when I saw the same mamak that I used to frequent standing there with the same number of tables lining the roads and the same aroma of Milo and fried chicken wafting into the air. 7 years and yet here is the same mamak operating day after day for the last 7 years or more even without I and my friends going. Wow! And I have changed so many jobs and partners already while this mamak stood strong against the test of time. The best part was when I ordered the Milo Ais, expecting the quality to have deteriorated over time (it is only normal), imagine my suprise when I found that the Milo Ais taste exactly the same, just as tasty, as chocolatey with the right amount of density one could ask for from a Milo. I slurped the Milo Ais enthusiastically, taking in the familiarity of it all, the aroma of the drinks, the noise of the crowd, the crispiness of the fried chicken served with the Nasi Lemak Ayam and the mysterious ways of how the guys here tend to be a bit more outspoken and observant that most guys in other mamaks. Even the VCD shop that I frequent 7 years ago after having drinks in that mamak is still there, its lights as brightly lit as ever. I can't believe my eyes when I see how nothing has changed over the years and even the consistency of the Milo powder and condensed milk in the Milo Ais was just as good.

That night, my questions were answered. Even though I have left so many wonderful memories in that mamak alone, I have so many more good memories after leaving that mamak which was different and just as exciting. All my pasts made me who I am and I wonder what would have happened had I not left that mamak sometimes. However, I have to be thankful that I did and now I am frequenting new mamak, cafes and bars that has given me new perspectives in life. I am thankful for my special one who was willing to drive me almost across half of the country to get to a place which he knows does not have any inkling whatsoever with the memories of him. And no matter how much I miss those old memories, it is the new experiences with my special one that I am looking forward to and excited about. And as he said, the past made us who we are today but it is the future that make it much more exciting. Some things never change but when it does, people will adapt and look forward to the change.

However, some things like the Milo Ais just never change ;)

"It's not about who's right for you, it's about who makes it right with you. "- from a contestant of Cornetto Love Perhaps on NTV7

How to Get Good Endorphins

2009-01-07T02:28:00.004+08:00

When it happens to others, I would never expect it to happen to myself, especially when I hear those news on TV from my comfortable 5-star hotel room during my previous business trip to Shanghai. At times like these, I can't help but think of ways of how I can get good endorphins and remain positive so that I do not consume myself with negative and detrimental feelings. Well, as people say, there is always worse to happen right?

So I have listed below ways to get those good endorphins:
1. Working out at the gym always does it. I always make it a point to attend those gym classes with 'smiley' instructors. I exceptionally like this instructor of 'Body Attack' and 'Body Pump' in my True Fitness gym who has an unerasable smile on his face and never ending stamina to push the most out of everyone in the class. Seeing his fair and sunbeamed face already make me happy, moreover with his witty and cheerful remarks.
2. Watching Rachael Ray - yes, this affable lady always make my day not only with her fantastic and delicious recipes from Honey Chicken Mustard to the loveliest pastas but her cheery cherubic face makes it easier for me to lay my eyes on her. She has the cheekiest smile and her pleasantry emanates all over when she interviews celebrities.
3. Surround yourself with people in the same predicament or at least people who are positive minded. The former will understand what you are going through and will be able to say things that you can relate to. The latter will not understand completely but will be able to make situations less bleak so that you can see the silver lining. Either way works :)
4. Listen to good music - It is without a doubt the music heals the soul and by listening to happy music that give one hope, esp the fast ones they play in my gym class never cease to create the happy endorphins in me. It is as though the whole world turned bright by listening to the right songs. One of my feel-good song is above: Matchbox 20 - Let's See How Far We've Come
5. Blog/write a diary - the effects of pouring your heart out on a piece of paper helps as you can talk about your problem/crush/frustration without hiding anything. The end of the blog/diary always end with positive reinforcements which makes things positive and better. Having friends comment on the blog posts makes it even better as every now and then, I receive some comforting words which really make my day. Thanks friends! :)

So, in times like these, it helps to continuously have hope and faith that things will be better.

I Gotta Find You

2008-12-17T15:56:00.002+08:00

For years I have lived with being content, to use my head to fall in love, telling myself that if someone treats me right and well, he will be the one for me. And I need to be secured and stable in the relationship knowing that the guy I am with is the reliable one. However, I forgot that sometimes it is nice, extremely fantastic if I can just 'FALL'.

To be the one who wants to do things for the other guy, to wonder where he is whenever he is not with me. To miss him the moment he is not around. To have my heart beat harder every moment I see him. To wonder if he will always find me attractive. To do foolish things for him like learning how to cook even though the food gets burnt the moment I start, to make silly love cards for him until the wee hours in the morning. To scribble his name on my book unconsciously when I am daydreaming. To drive far and near to see him even though I have not called and not knowing if he is free. To want to know so much about his past and to purposely tell myself to not let it affect me. To have butterflies in my stomach and to have my heart flutter with any sweet words from him. To sing happy songs unconsciously as I am continuously in a happy mode.

He is the voice inside my head, the reason I am singing. I gotta find him. For once, I want to 'FALL'. And when I do, please be happy that I do.

My Top 3 Hottest Orient Chicks (For Now)

2008-12-07T02:27:00.008+08:00

I can't help but post photos of these pretty Orient actresses before everyone forgets of their existence. After acting in 200 Pounds Beauty, how can someone forget the luminious and angelic beauty of the sultry singer who went through plastic surgery in order to become famous? The character was played with Kim Ah Joong.

Also, after watching Deadly Delicious played by Francis Ng about the story of a married men who fiddles with a stewardess only to be poisoned by his wife through the food cooked by the his love affair. The stewardess played by "Jiang Ji Yian" was rather cute but she is gorgeous in these photoshoots.

Last but not least, one model-cum-actress in Singapore caught my attention for her sexy sultry looks complemented by her long limbs and leggy build - Sheila Sim. Reminds me of Malaysia's Amber Chia.

What I've Done?

2008-12-07T02:10:00.005+08:00

I never set out on a relationship with the intention to hurt anyone. I treat everyone equal regardless of age, religion and even gender. So much so that I was naive enough to think that I could take males as my 'friends' and I actually trusted them when they said they treat me only as friends. Imagine the horror when I was asked the inevitable question "So, the last time we said we will be friends. And after so long we are still friends...." and I know where this conversation is going to. The problem is I never wanted it to evolve into anything more than friends! For me, it was friends, full stop! I didn't know it was a coma or dot dot dot for the other party. And when someone said something like that, I knew that the friendship would end.

I also befriended someone who I thought could be a very close friend of mine, so much so that I asked him out for dinners, to friends' outings and when he sends me back, I was naive enough to think that he was just doing it merely as friends. I didnt know there was something I need to return for the favors.

I am fortunate to always be the one to dump or leave someone. I have left guys in the lurch in the most horrendous ways. They say "You have to be cruel to be kind" right? I do admit that sometimes I do lead them on, unconsciously. So when the actions they take shows that they are pursuing me, I have to take drastic measures. Have you threw someone's large bouquet of roses into the drain before? Have you threw someone chocolates into then dustbin right in front of his face?

With all these in my past, I didn't realise the immensity of the hurt and grief I could cause to some people I thought I loved. And recently, my actions led to such immense grief and torture to the other party that I myself could not believe how much I have done to him unconsciously. I have sinned without knowing it. After the breakups, I do put myself into their shoes and feel their torment but it will never be as bad as experiencing it on your own. I am sorry to those I have hurt as I didn't know I could hurt anyone so bad from actions that I thought was to make the other party happy. Instead I cause so much torments.

With this, I read this book about a quest for retribution, about how bad can become good again. It is called 'The Kite Runner'. I do know that everyone sins in their own way and there will be no way we can remove our sins. Trust me, it is not as simple as praying in the room every night and all your sins will be taken away. I do regret some actions I took but what's done done and all I can do is do whatever good that I can to make the bad feels better. Reason why I continue donating and contributing as much as possible to the needy and find peace within myself. I now know that if I do not do anything wrong, I will be at peace with myself. And that is what I am set at doing now. And it really helps to have friends next to you while you are at it. :)

Bomb Blast in Mumbai's Terror Attacks

2008-11-27T13:29:00.007+08:00

Wow life is fragile! I was only in Mumbai at the same location talking about how beautiful the Taj Mahal Hotel is and look what happened exactly one week later. More than 100 dead and hostages are still in the hotel. Man, I can't imagine if I was there one week later.

More news here.

Trip to the Land of Spice

2008-11-24T06:19:00.005+08:00

Welcomed by a smorgasboard of spices and a culinary of delights, I stepped into the land of the many spices seeing for my own eyes how the country is. The word 'chaos' must have been invented here as roads wind in no particular order and people drive with no manners. If one was to complain about the traffic situation in Singapore, they will be devastated to learn on how often they would have cursed if they drove in India. Using the horn as frequently as the accelerator, the drivers whizzed past one another, missing pedestrians by just a few centimetres, driving as though there is no tomorrow.

If one is to feel pitiful to see a beggar by the streets in the land of Singapore, you will have to multiply that symphaty a thousand million fold as beggars are a constant existence all over India from naked children sleeping by the roadside to the adults with no limbs or legs. The scene of a whole family sleeping out in the open with only a piece of rugged cloth as their bed is eminent. Covered with dust from top to toe, they are oblivious to the passersby and vehicles.

On the contrary, the rich lived in abundance. Houses as big as castles are not suprising sights as the gap between the rich and the poor is immense. I was thankful to be housed in a beautiful hotel called Ramada Powai, boasting itself as the first "Zero Trans-Fat" hotel in India. I have seen hotels like that in travel magazines but never in my mind imagine that I will one day be staying in one for free! What it means is the food and drinks served here has zero trans-fat to cultivate a healthy lifestyle. Nope, I do not see a lot of fat woman residing here but mostly businessman in their suits and ties.

It was indeed a pleasant and healthy experience with its menu comprising of the healthiest variety of fruit blends, an excellent gym facility with the latest gym equipments as well as a complimentary yoga session to refresh those early risers like me ;) I never know how it is to enjoy healthily till now.

I also squeezed a trip to to\wards the city and the south of India where I headed to the Gateway of India where the Queen of Elizabeth crossed when she first stepped into India. It looked almost like the Arc de Triumphe in Paris which is not a suprise since it was built years after the Paris arc. It was under construction when I arrived and was flanked by the omnipresent Taj Mahal Hotel which everyone claims to be one of the best hotel in India. I also visited Dhobi Ghaut, the laundry place for most Indians in Mumbai, Dome Palace, Haji Ali (the floating mosque) and the residence of Mahatma Gandhi.

I was flabbergasted after my trip in India hoping to return to see the Taj Mahal in Delhi one day. And yes, it is an experience one should not miss.

Why Do People Cry?

2008-11-16T23:00:00.003+08:00

I remember a few times when I cried from the bottom of my heart and when I mean bottom, it means down to the core.
1. When I finally got an incredible recognition from all the hard work I put into my work. After years of toiling in office after office hours and getting shit from others for not being quick enough to follow up, I can't believe how relieved the statement from my boss that "I Will Be Promoted earlier" made me feel.
2. When I felt the pain of someone I care about tremendously suffering in life while others are taking a good meal for granted. When I respected him for taking all these hardships in his stride with so much hope that things will be better one day. And I cried as I cared about him so much that I wanted the best for him, especially when he has done so much for me.
3. When I broke up with my first love whom I have totally and fully gave my heart to. I still remember that it was the night before my final exams in college and I had to concentrate to study while getting over the break-up. It was not easy having to wipe away my tears which was pouring profusely while trying to do the mathematical equations but I had to as I know I have a future to hold on to even tho he will not be in it. After that break-up, I don't think I have ever opened my heart to anyone anymore for a long long time.

But what I am pleased is I have also cried tears of joy due to having my heart touched by the actions of my loved one. And it is when he did all the little things that surprised me, amazing me with little wonders of how much he knew me without telling me and presenting them all in his actions. Little signs on my birthday present and the thought that he tolerated all my quirkiness all these years moved me even more. I am glad to have shed these tears of joy.

And all I am hoping for now is for the tears of joy when I see my little own flesh and blood one day.

The Woman Who Can't Be Moved

2008-11-16T22:50:00.003+08:00

Have you ever fallen? Fallen so hard that you could never get up? One friend once told me that she can forget but can never forgive. As for me, it is easier for me to forgive than forget. I could forgive someone who took my love for granted or someone whom did not treat me as wekk as I hoped. But I could never forget the existence of the emotions. The problem is if you never forget, I could never move on. Every sight of the person stirs an emotion and strikes a chord. A thread of hope emanates from your core as long as the both of you are not happy with each other's partners yet. You always wonder if that could mean we could only be happy 'together'?

Every once in a while, a new song comes out at the right time when you could relate to it tremendously. And this would be just the right song. Beautiful one called 'The Man Who Can't Be Moved' from 'The Script'.

Malaysia's 'Sex and the City'

2008-11-10T00:03:00.003+08:00

Following the sucess of 'Sex and the City', it is not suprising to have another version of the show in different countries. But to have Malaysia as one of the first country to come up with a series following the same theme suprised me. What suprised me even more is that the quality of the production is of a standard higher than my expectations. Being sketical of Malaysia TVproduction, I was amazed that even the castings of the characters were incredbly good with the girls actually Malaysian and are very fashionably stylish and elegantly beautiful. Thus, I was glad that NTV7 did not dissapoint.

The show is about 4 successful career women who have failed in their past relationships and now sees relationships in different lenses from one another. One uses men just as a way to get material gains and jumps from one relationship to another, as easy as changing clothes. Another is so intellectual and sucessful that she has always been waiting for a man more successful than her and who can challenge her intellectually. Another has goWne through a bad first love and has given up on love and thus puts up a big barrier in her heart. And the last character is naive and idealist, waiting for the perfect man and unfortunately found him in the form of her married manager. With smatterings of relationship anecdotes and love parables, one would not be mistaken to rewatch the show just to absord the love lessons being communicated by the casts throughout their conversations and banterings. It is funny yet touching at times. Even admirable of the production to create some lead men who are honourable enough and deserving of the ladies' love.

This is the first Malaysian Chinese tv show that has converted me into an enthusiastic follower, waiting for the show at 10pm every weeknights. There was a scene that touched me when the girls accompanied Ong Ai Leng when she broke up with her boyfriend whom she found out lied about his family background and wealth just to win her love. When she finally cried her heart out, the girls consoled her to no end only to relate to her current state of emotions. She would have been more depressed had it not been her friends by her side no matter how hard.

Last but not least, I noticed the same co-branding was incorporated into the series through sponsorship from products like TOTO slimming machine and Nintendo Wii in which presence of the products was emphasized in countless ways through direct use of the product in the TV show and was even scripted into the casts' conversations. Unlike 'Sex and the City' where the product placements were more subtly implied, the casts actually showed how the products were used from talking about how they love the slimming machine to creating their own Nintendo Mii characters on the Wii.

All in all, I am proud that Malaysia has a great Chinese TV series we are proud to call our own. And I will be hugging my pillow following the trials and tribulations of each pretty casts. Thanks NTV7. :)

A Historical American Dream - Barrack Obama

2008-11-06T00:10:00.003+08:00

5 November 2008 - Today will be marked as one of the greatest history of mankind. And I am proud to be alive to witness it. It is indeed a revolutionary celebration as we welcome Barrack Obama, the first African-American to step up onto the President podium of the United States, replacing President George Bush as the 44th President of the United States.

Speaking like a true blue American whose dream has just came true, Barrack Obama personify the return of the "American Dream", that anything is possible! Only in a country like United States that something like this can happen. I doubt it will ever happen to Malaysia that one day a Chinese or Indian will be elected as the Prime Minister of Malaysia. If that is to happen, hell might turn over!

Barrack Obama spoke with so much sincerity and optimism one could cry. It represented the rise of the middle class and that if he could do it, anyone can. He stepped up to the plate, fully aware of all the promises he made and challenges ahead, knowing that it will not be a bed of roses. Hence, he pledged help from everyone to help him achieve everything he said he will achieve and to know that "Anything is Possible". Chants of "Yes, we can!" were heard throughout his speech emphasizing that the impossible can indeed happen. And I am proud to be sitting here witnessing it in front of my eyes.

So, why would I vote for Barrack Obama if I had the chance to vote? He represented what everyone ordinary wants to be. To be extraordinary in the face of extreme challenges. Also, he made me feel that everyone can achieve their dream if they try hard enough. He gives people the feel-good factor (like a male version of Oprah) and that the power is in your hands. That you can dream and achieve your dreams again. So while I'm basking in the high (or hype) of my nominated President being elected, let's work together to bring meaning to war and hope that this great man will be able to make this "change". :)

Shanghai and her Sister - Hangzhou

2008-10-19T23:05:00.005+08:00

As a sister of Shanghai, located just one and a half hour above Shanghai by train ride, I ventured to Hangzhou one idyllic Saturday evening, accompanied by my effervercent mother. With a population of 6.7 million (bigger than the whole of Singapore!), the city has not let me down on it's tagline as one of the most beautiful paradise in the world, as quoted by Marco Polo. Walking along the west lake (pronounced 'Xi hu' in Mandarin) was one of the most tranquil experience I have ever had. Despite the huge number of visitors who also vists this lake every weekend, I could embrace the serenity and peace 'ambivated' by the lakeside, almost dreamlike. Hordes of people sit by the lake to sip tea, the most famous past-time here due the famous merchandise sold in this city. Visitors could also opt to sit on little boats that bring you across the huge lake while sipping tea along the wide lake, fogs almost enveloping you creating a dreamlike ambience.

A second tier city wll-known for its entrepreneurs, the city could be a cash-cow for the nation has it not been in such close proximity to Shanghai which is already overshadowing it. Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba, the biggest online tading portal in China was also conceieved here. Yahoo bought a 24% share into Alibaba and despite its expansion, it is still operating in Hangzhou, giving employment to more than 6,000 people in Hangzhou. It is also well-known for its universities and schools due to the interest of people to be hired in the same city.

It was a pity I did not have the time to visit the famous pagoda as I was in a hurry to get back to work (yes, on a Saturday! I am here on business anyway), but I promised to return to touch the tip of the clouds from the pagoda situated on the high mountains and to climb the famous Yellow Mountains located not too far from Huangzhou (pronounced 'Huang Shan'). Hangzhou, the best place to unwind. I could almost feel my stress seeping away.

Another idyllic place in Shanghai which has now become very commercialised is Yu Garden. I could not believe my eyes when I saw a whole town of old wooden shophouses being refurbished to create a new town filled with these wooden structures. This is one of my most recommended to place to visit in Shanghai. It's no wonder I have heard so much about this place.

And finally, I got to savour my favorite Hershey's very chocolate ice-cream. Milk tragedy or not, I am still getting my ice-cream, plus this brand is from United States, so I should not be so worried, right? Hmmmm. It tastes so chocolatey, it is almost like drinking dark chocolate with crunchiness coming from the very delicious Hershey's Kisses in multitudes of color. Yum yum!

Beautiful Pearl Jewellery

2008-10-15T10:32:00.005+08:00

I had to adorn these beautiful pair of grey freshwater pearl earrings before I pen this article. It came in a beautiful wooden colored plastic box compliments from the creator of this website. I had to know how it feels like to wear special earrings like these before I pen anything about it. The studs were made of 14K Gold and the pearls are of size 7 - 7.5mm.

I was fortunate as I had a few outings which I wore my beautiful black and navy dresses just to match these earrings and found myself feeling classy and elegant. When I saw another beautiful lady donning a similar colored pair of black pearl earrings, I was convinced that my level of style has risen up a few notches. Wearring gold and silver dangling earrings are loud and fake even but donning a pair of classy pearl earrings is a symbol of classic simplicity. Elegant and poised, I donned a bun to ensure my earrings are visible and found people noticing them immediately. Not only is the make of the earrings of high calibre, the high quality shines through, making one feel so much more classy and feminine.

Sold at a wholesale price, all items here are sold with free delivery. Items like black pearl necklace, akoya pearl necklace, freshwater pearl necklace are their hottest selling items. It also has pearl bracelets and earrings to match. The pearls come from Japan

I am now tempted to get their bracelets as it is made of the same high quality pearls. Thanks for the earrings and this pair will be my good friend for a very long time.

Co-Branding - Fashion & Tech

2008-09-28T15:17:00.004+08:00

I just recently came across a new HP Mini Notebook designed by a famous Chinese fashion designer, Vivienne Tam in collaboration with Fashion Week across Asia which sports a really lovely multi-petaled peonies to symbolise the many layers of a woman's life. Her goal was to design a system that would encourage the feeling of peace and tranquility you get from being in a garden (a "Zen" moment).
Adding to the mood, the enter key on the notebook includes the Chinese symbol for double happiness. Labelled the Digital Clutch (such a catchy name), it has to be one of the most beautiful designed laptop one can buy. However, it might end up to be only a looker rather than something practical what with its smal 8.9" screen and weaker processor compared to a larger laptop. Well, this will suit a lot of superficial females who are not fussy on the functionality of the laptop but the look of the laptop they carry with them wherever they go. Small and light, it is indeed made to be carried and seen around. Great form of getting eyeballs for HP I would say.

It is fashion statement at its best. The combination of the geeky and the mechanical world with fashion and art has made the former cool again. It started with Mercedes-Benz trying to revive their oldish brand in the light of the more sporty, trendy luxury automobile brands like BMW and Audi. One would never have expected an automobile company to be associated with a fashion event, maybe more of a sports event like the Olympics but they chose fashion. Thus with the launch of Fashion Weeks in Milan, Paris, Italy, Singapore and many countries all over the world, the word Mercedez-Benz was mentioned widely among fashion enthusiasts. Was it a tactic to target female car buyers who has the wallet capacity to buy high end fashion like Vivenne Westwood, Escada, Gucci and Celine to also think of Mercedez-Benz as their car of choice? One has always seen Mercedes-Benz as a car that reflects status symbol, a symbol of success and power, thus only favor by men of high calibre. Now with the entrance of Mercedez-Benz in the fashion industry, it becomes a car of choice for high end fashion enthusiasts too.

This brings me to the concept of co-branding in female movies. 'Sex and the City' has to be the most sponsored movie by brands compared to any other movies ever made on cinema. Positioned as 'the Super Bowl for women', this movie received sponsorship from multiple brands like Skyy Spirits (part of Gruppo Campari), Bag Borrow or Steal, which rents handbags and jewelry online; Coty fragrances; Glacéau Vitaminwater, sold by the Coca-Cola Company; the Mercedes-Benz USA division of Daimler; and the jeweler H. Stern. These brands are mentioned or placed strategically in the movie and I like the part which an iPhone was handed to Carrie when she wanted to contact Mr. Big as he was missing from the wedding and she responded "I don't know how to work these things! Give me another one." It was subtle enough for viewers to see the complicated interface of an iPhone which is deemed unsuitable for those who are not technologically inclined. Thereafter, you see Carrie using an iMac all throughout the show to respond to her emails and write her articles. As a return, these brands will help publicise the movie with commercials, posters, sweepstakes, viewing partoes, events in-stores, contests tickets giveaways and even product lables inspired by "Sex and the City". For example, Skyy Spirits has released tie-in drinks named after characters like Carrie, Samantha and Mr. Big. It was an obvious partnership when 'Sex and the City' tie up with Mercedes-Benz to potray the ladies attending Fashion Week as it would be a natural thing to do for their outings, plus it increases the glam factor of the movie. I was feeling excited for them when they walked up the platform to see the various fashion presented with the big Mercedez-Benz logo potrayed everywhere in the film. I was also entertained when a lady poured paint on Samatha's fur coat to resemble how the movie does not condone such cruelty to animals. So, why does she wear it in the first place?!!! With the success of the movie all over the world, not only with the female population, these brands have indeed been entrencthed positively in the mind of people all over the world. One can't help mentioning the beautiful gown by Carolina Herrera, Vivienne Westwood, Dior and many more worn by Carrie during her photoshoot which jus upped the brand in the minds of future brides!

Putting brand sponsorships in TVs and movies might not necessarily bring returns to the brand or even put positive value to the brands. For example, the racism and bullying of Shilpa Shetty that marked last year's Celebrity Big Brother led to its sponsor, The Carphone Warehouse, severing its relationship with the C4 show. Having walked out of the Big Brother house, the mobile phone firm signed up as the new sponsor of ITV’s The X Factor in the summer – and found itself embroiled in another row when finalist Emily Nakanda was forced to quit after being caught on video assaulting another girl. In future, perhaps it should avoid reality shows.

Having said that, I am excited to watch just how movie sponsorships will remain in the hearts of advertisers, reducing market share of TV advertisements placed in between the movies which will depreciated with the use of TiVo. People get more kick out of drinking Coke when it has been drank by Tom Cruise or Motorola when it has been used by James Bond in his magnificent escapades. Meanwhile, allow me to indulge in looking up the brands of gorgeous attires and handbags donned by the girls in "Sex and the City".

My Sex and the City Moments

2008-09-26T01:53:00.005+08:00

It's ironic that for a movie that is so controversial, replete with sex and nudity that it's central theme is not steamy at all in fact the theme centers around something that touches the heart so deep it moves every soul that watches it. I have been told to watch this movie by so many dear friends of mine including guy friends and when I finally get down to watch it had I understand what the fuss is all about. 'Sex and the City' could well be one of the best chick flicks I have ever watched, its plot so beautifully written and the characters so well told, noone was left out or overtook the limelight. For someone who grows up with doses of 'Sex and the City' when facing life's trials and tribulations during adolescence (that is when you need it most), one could understand why I could relate to it so much so that when the movie is out, I planned a girl's night out to watch the movie only that it did not happen. But watching it on the plane was just as well.

The moment I shed tears which I found happened to a lot of girls I know was when Carrie (played by the effervercent Sarah Jessica Parker) was jilted at the altar when she found out from a phone call that her soon to be husband, Mr Big got the jitters and decided to not go ahead with the wedding. It was disheartening to see a love affair that held everyone so endearingly to the TV series season after season got ended so abruptly. Carrie had her friends to thank when they protected her from being hurt by Mr. Big, brought her for a vacation only to have her slept through it, fed her emanciated body and made her laugh at the most unpredicatable moment. I was touched when she did the same thing I would have done when I found my girlfriend alone and depressed. On New Year's eve, when Charlotte was going through a separation and had to spend it alone, Carrie got up from her bed after receiving her call and ran all the way to her house, arriving just before midnight to wish her 'Happy New's Year!'

Sometimes people belittle the little actions a friend can do that will make a huge difference. I have been jilted, dumped and ridiculed before. I have cried till my eyeballs almost popped out. Most often than not, it is my girlfriends who came to my rescue, lent me a shoulder to cry on and lent me ears for my problems and most importantly related to my crisis since they have been there before. Among my 'Sex and the City' moments are:

1. After I broke up with my first serious boyfriend of two years (yes, I had a few of 'un'serious ones before), I had not much girlfriends as I had distanced myself from them. However, when I contacted an ex-classmate whom I have lost touch with, she did not hesitate to drive over to my house to chat. She gave me the power to trash my ex, called him a jerk and make me feel confident about myself again while she said the same thing about her own break-up. It was one of the best chat I have ever had since having a relationship. Since then, I told myself never to lose your friends even when you are blissfully in a relationship. You need your girlfriends to put you back on ground.

2. When I was going through my clubbing phase, I remembered getting drunk once and a few guys tried to take advantage of the situation by pretending to comfort me. I was so glad that my girlfriends were there and protected me by pulling me away from the guys. When I passed out, I was thankful that I still found myself back on my bed safely even though I was still in my clubbing attire. To my horror, my wallet was nowhere to be found so I had to call one of my trusted galpal ad found that she kept my wallet and drove over to pass it back to me. I had never been more relieved and promise never to get drunk again esp without galpals :P

3. On the year when I was overseas and had to celebrate Valentines Day alone, I found myself getting very depressed. At that time, I was having a tough patch with my long distance boyfriend and felt like I had to do something to get my mind off negative things. I booked two movie tickets just to be turn down by another guyfriend. Fortunately, I had a housemate who also happened to be alone as she also has a long distance relationship. She agreed to go to the movies with me to watch "PS I Love You". Even though the whole cinema was full of couples who are hugging each other, I had more fun laughing with my friend over some of the scenes and oggling at the gorgeous guys in the movie. I would never have been able to do this with my partner. It was one of my funnest valentines Day and I didn't even celebrate it with a guy!

As quoted by 'Sex and the City', the crucial relationship is the one you have with yourself. Next is with your friends. Without them, life would never be the same. So, tell me, what are your 'Sex and the City' moment?

My Date with Paris

2008-09-21T18:00:00.005+08:00

It is the land where perfume is created. The land where wine is consumed like water. It is the land where graffiti covers every walls visible in the cities and subways for the sheer celebration of art. It could also be the land where the word "I Love You" or "Je t'aime" (in French) is created. Five years ago, I was promised a honeymoon to Paris. Fast forward five years later and I found mysel standing on this land only that not with my fiance but here due to work, which makes it better as it is an all-expense paid trip with a nice comfy hotel to boot.

When you watch movies like "Before Sunset", "Before Sunrise" (both starring Julie Delphy and Ethan Hawke), "French Kiss" (starring Meg Ryan and Kevin Kline) and "Two Days in Paris" (starring Julie Delpy and Adam Goldberg) where all the movies were filmed in location of Paris overlooking the Eiffel Tower and River Siene, you will always think, nah, the place looks only that nice as it was filmed that way. Boy, was I wrong! Paris actually looked exactly like how it was filmed! Impeccable and artistic. The ambience creates an aura of romance, where one can easily fall in love with a stranger after only seconds of meeting, as it was potrayed in countless movies filmed here.

As I walked along the clear crisp autumn air, smell of freshly baked croissants and baguettes filled with cheese insinuated into my nostrils. This spells my first encounter with the original French baguette with choices of ham, cheese, chicken, tomato, tuna and lettucve in the original country that created it. The crispy freshly toasted baguette blended well with its fresh fillings. Also enticing is the tasty crepes filled with nutella, carael, banana and many other flavors.

If you only have one monument to see, you will want to choose Eiffel Tower. The most famous icon in Paris built in 1889 illuminates with a glowing blue light come night time. Every 15-30 minutes, there are sparkling lights that twinkles all around the tower. Stepping onto the podium that overlooks the tower, I was in awe when I set my eyes on the magnificent 325 meter of a tower. Right under the tower where a dinner cruise passed by, I witnessed a proposal where one of the male diner pulled out a ring from his jacket, creating tears of joy in her eyes followed by passionate kisses. It was one of the best moments for a proposal.

The churches in Paris was one of the most magnificent structures in the world. Every pillars have a sculpture on top of them, each and every one so intricately made. In the Lourve, the paintings of Mona Lisa was not the one that captivated me. It was the painting opposite mona Lisa that beguilled us. It potrayed a commotion of people enjoying wine and chatting bewildingly and if you notice carefully, you might almost miss the picture of 2 men sitting in the middle in pure serenity with halos on their head, so at peace in the midst of all the hive and buzz of the people surrounding.

On the last day I was in Paris, I took the privilege to jog along the River Siene in the cold 12 degree Celcius weather where the views of Notre Dame Church, Palais Royale and Eiffel Tower can be seen. The structures were incredibly built with its immense size and intricate details boggling the minds of normal human beings. Walking along the Lourve at night, I saw little passageways and staircases at the basement of the house, piqueing my curiosity of what the passageways are used for. Hmmmm, time to read Da Vinci code?

For those seeking a more commercial satisfaction, there are 2 or more places to go: Champs-Elysees for those who wants to get a fix of the latest brands in the world from the all encapsulating Louis Vutton to the posh shops of Gucci, Prada, Dior and Chanel that resides along that road that spells opulence with a capital 'O'. It was a street dripping of gold and people paying gold just to get a hand on the latest designer labels. Another location is MontMarte which is more humble and down-to-earth with little outlets selling souvenir, clothes and fresh fruits along the cobblestoned streets. On the top pf Champs-Elysees lies the Arc de Triomphe, an arc that honours those who fought for France, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. On the inside and the top of the arc there are all of the names of generals and wars fought.I was dumb-founded to know that the whole arc was a hiding place for the soldiers during the wars.

As I jogged along the Siene River on the last day of my trip, I can't help but feel wistful that I will leave a place that boosts romance and class, where modernization did not seem to have affected the country one bit. I left "Before Sunset" but hope to come back to see it "Before Sunrise" again.

Emily and the Beanstalk in Beijiing

2008-09-21T17:36:00.004+08:00

Beijing will dwarf anyone who enters the place. From its overwhelming buildings to its tall entrances, I felt like an ant when walking around the place. Compared to Shanghai, Beijing has maintained its culture which has gone far way back. With a vast amount of land to spare and a smaller population than Shanghai, Beijing prides itself in large and magnificent architectures. Being a tourist-friendly country, people come from far and near to visit of the greatest Wonders of the World, the Great Wall of China and the towring Forbidden City.

As I was there on business for only 2 days, I did not get to visit those two well-known places. I only got to see the world's largest LED screen illuminated onto a very long ceiling located in front of a shopping centre called 'The Place'. On its surface, brands like Coke. Adidas and other sponsors of the Beijing Olympic Games pays hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of advertising space just to get eyeballs for their brands. I have never seen such a huge ceiling that could earn so much money but it works well as people from all over Beijing flocks to this area not only to shop but also to view this magnificent ceiling, thus increasing the revenue of this centre. Here is the country which advertising budget will eventually surpass that of the United States due to higher consumption power and the sheer quantity of the people in the country. And I am here to keep track of the rise of this superpower.

As it was such a rushed visit, I left promising to see a lot more of the province esp the Great Wall of China where people are still living on daily income of less than USD1 a day.

Lost in Translation in Shanghai

2008-09-21T16:37:00.000+08:00

Just like the movie "Lost in Translation", I wandered alone aimlessly along the streets of Shanghai called Huai Hai Road, one of the poshest streets of Shanhgai, the equivalent of the Champs-Elysees of Paris where brands like Gucci, Rolex, Cartier and CK line the beautifully lit street. They even have a H&M outlet here which does not even exist in Hong Kong or Singapore. I was suprised to see the evolution of Shanghai from a busy port to a metropolitan city that leeks of brands advertising on billboards, neon lights arching the streets and people garbed in the trendiest of clothes. I feel so underdressed among them even though I was supposed to be from a more developed city. Amongst the large number of passerbys that speak in perfect Mandarin or even the local Shanghai dialect, I was delighted to hear fluent, accented English when I entered the branded stores like Adidas and H&M. Signs of a new China. It was eminent that Westernization has taken over the country more than I expected with Haagen-Dazs, Starbucks and McDonalds visible almost 500m from one another.

As I walked past food shops, fragrant smells of pastry wafted into my nostrils tempting me to purchase at least one egg tart to savor. This is the land where Chinese pastry originate after all. Biting into the crispy flakes that surrounds the milkist egg I have ever tasted was one sumptious experience. I have never tasted any egg tart this good! There were a variety of food stalls from night dim sum to japanese food to buffett pizza and even Latin food.

From the posh, Champs-Elysees de Paris, Fifth Avenue in New York and Ginza of Tokyo like streets of HuaiHai Road, I ventured further into the famous shopping area called Nanjing Road beginning with a walk around the famous The Bund that overlooks the glorious lights of Pearl TV Tower and Shanghai Financial District. The lights on all the skyscrapers were fascinating and my eyes were wide open when I saw the biggest advertisements on the ships that go around the Huang Pu river with neon lights all around the ship making them such a wonderful sight. While walking along the extremely long tourist shopping road, I found a very Singaporean shopping centre right in the heart of the place called Raffles City built on a Capitaland building. It was gigantic with more tham 8 floors to boast.

Imagine my suprise when I saw the biggest Hershey's lighted signage in the world and I immediately walked towards the 'light' (pardon the pun). Inside I found the largest chocolate machine I have ever seen in my entire life. I felt like a kid given her treasure as I fully adore Hersheys due to its consistent quality of chocolates. There were mechandise like soft toys, t-shirts, mugs and not to be missed chocolate milk shake and ice-cream plus boards on the history of Hershey's across the 2 floors store. The best part is the ice-cream can be purchased to be brought into the iMax cinemas that is next to it. Yum Yum!

I walked past the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center (quite a nicely built structure ) to get the subway back to the hotel called Jin Jiang Towers, a very beautiful 5-star hotel with a revolving restaurant on the top floor. It was not hard taking the subway as the lines were labeled clearly and there are English names. The subway here is also a cheap form of transportation, beats rushing and pushing the local folks here to take taxi anytime.

I left Shanghai for Beijing with a sense of knowing how much Westernization has invaded the place and how much people here are consumed with brands and labels that they have lost their own tradition and culture. Beijing on the other hand is a different story, to be continued on my next blog.

Happy Mooncake Festival 2008

2008-09-19T22:56:00.007+08:00

Not much time to write but just wanna wish all my readers Happy Mooncake Festival 2008! To celebrate this occasion, I will make you salivate by displaying the various types of my favorite mooncake, Ice-Cream Mooncake from all over the world.

Swensen's Bandung Ice-cream Mooncake in Singapore - there are a variety of Chewy Chocolate, Chendol, Strawberry Cheesecake, Apple Cinnamon and Durian mooncakes also.

Haagen-Dazs mooncake found in Shanghai. Such inricate details and great amalgation of colors

Julius Orange Ice-cream Mooncake found in Beijing

Have an icy but romantic moonacke festival!

How Does It Feels like to Turn 30?

2008-09-06T14:11:00.009+08:00

Some say it is 'the' important year. The year where the word twenties does not ring a bell anymore. The year where you are not allowed to make mistakes and get away with it. The year where you are supposed to take responsibilities for all your actions. The year where you have reached a threshold in your life and that you should re-examine what happened and what you have achieved in your life.

So, how did I feel? I feel like I'm Made of Honor, open to all possibilities in life, able to accept what is thrown at me gracefully and adapt to situations no matter how hard or easy :). Cos that was exactly how I felt, pampered as a princess going into Hotel Mariott from winning the sms contest from Made of Honor movie. Right after being escorted to the front door of the reception where I was told that I will be placed in their fantastic Junior Suite complete with a living room and a huge bathroom, I was asked to choose the type of spa I want and the time for dinner in the room, I was exhilarated. To be pampered and to have everything brought to you at your whim and fancy is by far the best feeling to have after the satisfaction of achieving miracles, hehe. I felt I was reliving the episode of The Bachelor S12 where one of the bachelorette was invited to the red carpet of this movie with the Bachelor and had a magical time with him.

The view from the hotel room was of the highly decadent new "it" shopping centre of Kuala Lumpur, the Pavillion. There was 2 tv sets, one in the living room and one in the bedroom. I was enjoying switching on both tvs and hearing 2 different languages on tv at the same time. Haha, so jacoon. After that, I went for my spa in which I had one of the most relaxing 1 hour massage. This was followed by a moderate spread of buffet tea at their lounge at the 24th floor which can only be accesed by people residing in the Executive, Junior and President Suites. The staff at Hotel Mariott made sure everything was taken care of from serving us wine at the lounge to greeting us at the lifts as well as even washing our car at the carpark. Imagine our suprise when we saw the card saying that our car has been washed for the enjoyment of the hotel patrons!

I enjoyed my birthday celebration for the fact that I celebrated it with my best galpals in the world. Nothing beats having your truest friends around you and asking you, "Hey! So what are you going to do about turning 30?" My answer: Live life! I have finally grown to accept live and to let it happen. To embrace every second than to live my life so planned out. Plus, I am at my prime age. Hehe! My friends will never know what goes on in my mind with so many new things and challenges to look forward to. Even though I do wish that I could actually have a kid and marriage before this age, I guess it was not my choice to take. Thus, I am embracing the benefits of not having those and not tying myself down. My time will come, I am sure :)

I ended the night watching what else but the movie that won me this fantastic experience: Made of Honor! Even though cliche, the movie touched my heart in parts that no matter how unstable and how much enjoyment you can have as a single person, with a good heart and a good friend, one day you will find your one and only love. The one person who filled the void you never knew existed and who made a difference once he/she is not in your life. Thank you for the special person in my life who won me this gift!

So in short, how does it feel to be 30? On top of the world! I feel like I can relive my dreams again. The excitement of looking forward to new opportunities and my dreams coming true. And I can be who I wanna be! Here enjoy my theme song :)

Singtel and Its iPhone Craze

2008-08-27T01:08:00.004+08:00

What is the hype with iPhone? When Singtel announces it's launch of iPhone this 22 August (the first operator to bring this phone into Singapore), I least expected that people would line up to get the phone just to be the first few to lay their hands on an iPhone. There was a queue to get the phone hours before the 12am launch time and finally one boy became the first person to get it at the stroke of midnight for his girlfriend.

Least that I expect that I will be one of them in the queue to get the phone too since I am not a Singtel subscriber. So, today, I found myself joining the crowd and became a proud owner of the 'I Got iPhone' handbag as I signed up a Singtel line (iOne Plus) just to get the phone at SGD848 for a friend in Malaysia who found out that Singtel is the only operator that did not sim locked the device. A bit pricier than United States but Singapore is the closest place to get this phone.

After toying it with the phone for a while, I realised why I for one will not consider buying this phone. One is the inability to switch sim cards easily as one has to poke a hole at the top before opening the sim container. Without the needle, my sim card is as good as stuck on the phone, reason why it made sense for US and Australia operators to sim lock the device. Singtel meanwhile did not take the trouble to do so thus making the device usable on any numbers, encouraging even non-Singtel numbers to get the phone. The battery is non-removable making the task of replacing batteries one that can only be done by sending the phone to a service centres.

The phone is only 2 mega-pixels and the photo quality seem to be quite blurry especially when comparing with Sony Ericsson's 5 megapixel phones. Videos cannot be recorded using this phone and MMS cannot be sent. Not of high priority but will be good to have on a phone.

However, the phone does win my approval in terms of the incredible touch screen that allows websites to be browsed fully across it's large screen and zoomed easily using the touch of fingers. This means loads of YouTube that can be easily viewed clearly through this screen. The GPS features are also good allowing its users to search for location and be pinpointed it's location when they are lost. Last but not least is the phones easy integration to iTunes allowing one to download as many songs as they want into the 8GB or 16GB memory. I also liked the phones' repository of applications that allows users to read iBooks, play games and install productivity softwares.

I am still not convinced to buy an iPhone but owning one for a short while today made me hip and happening especially when I can show off the sleek interface and thin structure of the phone. The buyers are buying its brand, not its functions as I am sure a lot of its functions can be improved. An iMac or iPod owner will most likely get it due to brand loyalty, something Apple has successfully done to the people of the world. Those who did not own iMac wil get this as a status symbol and to make themselves look good. All in all, Apple has done a good job branding their products with quality to boot. A good move by Apple is to open it's API for the development of more applications to be downloaded onto iPhone making it one of the phones where designers and programmers will grow to like and there will be more things for consumers to try on their iPhone. I for one would enjoy free applications on my phone. It is no wonder the line to get this phone has not stopped since day one.

China - The 'Perfect' Land Or So It Seems

2008-08-25T03:00:00.003+08:00

Is perfection so crucial that you are willing to create a fake persona to cover up what seems imperfect? That seems to be the case for China during this Beijing Olympics so much so that the singer of the Olympics song who is deemed not adorable enough to appear on international tv has been sneaked backstage only to be using her voice on the face of a better looking and more adorable young girl. When the press found out that that was not the actual voice of the girl, the press went into a media frenzy. Yes, no dout the opening ceremony was all beautiful and grand but can't they accept a small girl with chipped tooth and slanting eyes who possess one of the most beautiful and powerful voice for a 6-year old? Even the fireworks during the opening ceremony are fake just in case the actual fireworks didn't turn out as beautiful as they wanted.

In the Chinese community, 'face' or what we normally call it as status symbol is of extreme importance. It is better to lie and hide than to look poor and imperfect. Which explains why everything has to be done in such grandeur fashion befitting the purpose of certain events. Marriage is one where so much money is spent in organizing one dinner banquet and everything that goes along with it like the rental of wedding attires, cars, make-up assistants, fashion stylists, tables and food for relatives and friends and the beautiful hotel suite that the lovely wedded couple will stay in. Even more outrageous is the practice of eating sharks fin where it becomes customary to serve on every wedding dinner despite how costly, distateful and cruel it is to kill sharks just to eat its fin. Chinese are willing to harm others at the cost of looking good for themselves.

Is having the Olympics in Beijing too early to allow a country like China to shine too soon only for the detriment of the country once the Olympics is over? I am not so sure but talks of how the economy in China and some parts of the world will spiral down after the Olympics is strife. I will know more about China when I am there but will have to reserve that for my future posts. But it certainly is the land of promises for now. But it will definitely be more beneficial if the media does not get filtered by the whole nation just to display what is deemed 'perfect' by the government, depriving the people of real news and emotions. As we all clearly know, nothing is too perfect!

Fortis Heroes Search 2008

2008-08-23T01:31:00.008+08:00

What makes a hero? According to Fortis Watch, the world reknowned watch which has launched astronauts into space and divers into the deepest sea waters any human has ever gone, a hero is someone who scaled great heights, someone who is courageous, authentic, inspirational and go beyond their boundaries for the benefit of others. These selfless acts have garnered five Singaporeans from five different professions and industries to win the Fortis Heroes Award 2008. The award event was held in Helipad, a new bar on the top of Central Shopping Centre. There really is a helipad on the top where people can sit and wine in the open air overlooking Clarke Quay.

The winners consist of a serial entrepreneur who contribute immensely to the advancement of the enterprise in Singapore as a means to lift people out from poverty - Nicholas Chan , a lecturer who raised up to his plates to help victims of Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar, - A/Prof Ng Yee Kong a photographer who used his impeccable photography skills to capture photos that is used for donations and to showcase plights to the world - Stefen Chow, a lady who built a now well-known retail empire in Singapore called 77th Street which has expanded to China - Elim Chew and last but not least a phelephegic who conquered his disabilities to run a marathon on his wheelchair across 7 continents to raise donations for the needy - Dr William Tan. These figures were monumental beyond words and has indeed become an inspiration to everyone in the award ceremony and soon the world. It was heartening to hear stories of how the photographer, Stefen Chow, while climbing Mount Everest took a photo of an avalanche seconds before he could have been covered by it. It was even more touching to hear the story of Dr William Tan who participated in the marathon across 7 continents and pushed himself so far to complete the race that the skins on his hands and fingers peeled and bled durnig the race.

Nominating my hero as a Fortis hero has given me my award. Hearing his name announced as a hero and seeing the sparkle in his eyes when the prestigious B-42 Flieger Chronograph watch was handed to him was jubilation enough for me. At least I now know that my hero is now a world-reknowned hero and that his contributions will be made known to the society.

Fortis watch has started a fund to support people in the aviation and aerospace who will make a difference in society in collaboration with National Technology University (NTU) of Singapore. With these kind of awards, Fortis has proven itself as being committed to contribute back to the society.

My most memorable quotes from the Fortis Heroes:

"Mountains bring out the best and worst in people. By scaling a mountain this high and going through all the obstacles so unimaginable including an avalance that almost drown me and to come out alive is indeed a humbling experience." - Stefen Chow

"I do not consider myself a hero. I am MAD - Make A Difference" - Dr William Tan

"The secret of my success is my people. Everyone is given the same opportunities. The only difference with me is I make great use of it." - Elim Chew

Traffic Jam at Chris Daughtry Concert

2008-08-20T01:15:00.005+08:00

The exhilaration of waiting for a star in the making to arrive was almost overwhelming. Girls in trendy short skirt and short pants arrived in droves with their funky boyfriends in tow. The whole event was made to look exactly like a street party with human entering the street through a huge car wash (more like human wash since humans walked through them) followed by a bus stop complete with a bus stop signages being the only place with seats in the whole street party. They do not call it street party for nothing. Booths with food and drinks was in an array before the clubbers arrived at the front of the stage where a big tent for VIPs was set up to allow VIPs to grace the occasion complemented with food and drinks.

There was lots of room for standing and when I found a place, I actually felt how breezy the place was. Singapore being Singapore placed large coolers around the standing area to avoid poor standing souls like us from sweating too much hence creating a stench in the area. I like it so I stood there patiently waiting for the runner up of American Idol 2, beaten by the sacharrine sweet Carrie Underwood to appear.

A few hours later, approximately 9.30pm, when the stage lights was dimmed and the soft beats of music start turning louder and when the drums were beaten, all hell broke lose and the crowd screamed and shrieked to their heart's content. The wait is finally over and the bald Chris Daughtry appeared on stage dressed in a casual checked shirt and jeans, rocking to the tunes from his recent album. Famous for his hiht song "Over You", he sang his songs to the loud hums from the audience who were crazy to his charm and style. He also sang a few of his new songs which were responded favorably by the crowd.

The street party called Traffic Jam (even though there was none on a blocked-off road) was sponsored by Singtel, Sony Ericsson, Stuff magazine and Red Bull. The only way to get the free tickets is by winning them from one of the sponsors or by looking pretty enough to be one of the celebrities or radio DJ in Singapore. The main sponsor Sony Ericsson could be commended for doing a good job in setting up such fantastic props along Armenian Street which is condoned off for the event. The branding was quite good with a subdomain called sonyericsson.com/trafficjam being created to drive traffic into their website to find out more about the latest walkman phones and promotions. Since Sony Ericsson is coming up with so many models of walkman phones where the user can shake their phone to change the selection of music, it does make sense for Sony Ericsson to sponsor a mini concert like this.

What they should have done better is they could have used this event as a platform or avenue to create bigger awareness to their Walkman phones. Just like how Nokia promoted the use of their latest phone models to take videos and mms of the New Years event they sponsored where the best videos and photos stand a chance to win more Nokia phones, SE could have done something along those lines. I was even spying to see if anyone was using SonyEricsson's phone to take video of the concert but everywhere I only see Nokia phones being used from N82 to N95 to Nokia Communicator. Finally I found someone using a SE phone to record the concert and found the quality commendable.

They could even organize a sing- a Chris Daughtry song using SE Walkman phone recorded and upload to the website to win free tickets to the concert. They can also offer a post-concert contest like uploading of photos and videos of the events taken using a SE phone and send the photos via mms to the website. This will increase the use of GPRS data which benefits Singtel as well. This could also encourage the purchase of better models of Sony Ericsson for the die-hard fans to win the contests.

Well, I was unable to catch the ending of the show as I had to rush off somewhere but the exhilaration of hearing him sing live did not rub off till much later. With Sony Ercisson sponsoring this concert all over the world creating a good music branding strategy for themselves, I am left wondering if they will be a phone sponsor for the upcoming Beijing Olympics 2008 and how an international sports event will benefit handset manufacturers.

Mayhem at MTV Asia Awards

2008-08-07T02:00:00.006+08:00

It's the most anticipated awards show to be held in Malaysia for year 2008. I have attended a few awards show this year like Frost & Sullivan IT Awards and Malaysia's IT Industry Award (see how geeky I am?) but my dream came true when I got the invite to attend the glamorous MTV Asia Awards to be held for the first time in Malaysia at the beautiful Arena of Stars, Genting Highlands. And my dream came truer when I found out that the host of the event will be none other than the yummy looking lead singer from 30 Second from Mars, Jared Leto more famously known for his potrayal as a wild jock in "My So-Called Life". I still remember the days when I and my sis drool over him whenever Claire Danes expressed her undying crush on him. Well, who wouldn't?

So when the weekend finally arrived, I grabbed my bags and packed for an exciting weekend at Genting. Unlike other award shows, this one started right on time, in fact 1 minute earlier than scheduled: 6.59pm. The show was opened by the dedlicious looking girl band who dressed to fulfill all men's fantasies, Pussy-Cat Dolls. When the names of the hosts were announced, the first being Jared Leto, hell broke lose again. The girls chanted his name like he was a god of music or something like that. And fortunately, he did not dissapoint. He was calm, cool even entertaining throughout the show interspersing his words with some comic reliefs and together with the effevercent Karen Mok, they made a great duet host.

I was lucky to get to go into the mosh pit even though I got tickets for seats as they needed lively vibrant people like I to fill up the pit. I and my friend shouted till our throats are sore. It was amazing to watch Jared Leto so close and to have him hear me scream. Haha.

The show was graced by in ternational bands like Click Five who won the Knockout Award, the pretty boys band from Korea who did amazing dance moves for groups of screaming teenage Koreans who flew all the way to Malaysia to see them perform and picked up the waward for best Korean artiste, the extremely talented British singer, the winner of X-Factor, Leona Lewis who picked up the award for best breakout artiste and the alternative band from Singapore, Eletrico which gave a stunning performance with the talented Stefanie Sun who then picked up the award for best Singapore artiste. There were alos local artistes like Projevct E.A.R which did a great job with their rendition of alternative rock music. The winner of best artiste from Malaysia was won by (suprise, suprise) not the ever award taking Datuk Siti Nurhaliza but our very own Chinese performaer Nicholas Teo who I think deserved an award after all the good music from his albums have been hitting No. 1 in Malaysia's music charts. It's a pity he did not perform during the show.

The best performance in my humble opinion is when Click Five combined their music "Stop and Stare" with the sounds of kompang from a group of kompang players. And the best showmanship of the night has to go to one of the most famous bands of today "Panic at the Disco" who ended the show with a bang with colorful acrobats adorning the stage while they play their famous songs from human pyramids to dancers in trppical attires and acrobats jumping around the stage. The show ended punctually at 9.30pm but you can see that the guests were still starving for more actions. However, as this is not a concert but meant for live TV, no encore was played.

All-in-all, it was a fantastic, fantabulous (if there is such word in the vocabulary) experience, the high one feels from having close brushes with the celebrities and seeing them so close was unimaginable. I was so happy to be part of the in-crowd of music for the 2 and a half hour. Some of Malaysians cyber celebrities who were there are Kenny Sia who did a live blogging for the show despite not being able to enter the event but got into the After-Party, Miss Malaysia Universe 2008, Levy Li (I call her Leggy Li, well, will she not get invited to any event? ;) and KinkyBlue Fairy who all got a fair share of my experience and excitement.

Portal to Another World

2008-07-21T19:07:00.004+08:00

Have you seen those movies like Narnia, Never Ending Story and Jumanji where the kids goes into another world by walking through a wardrobe, reading a never ending story book or playing a magical game? All these kids discovered a portal to another world where no man has thread and end up with such magical and amazing adventures, their lives endangered but saved in the nick of time while saving that new world! What would we pay for a life like that instead of leading such boring lifes of homeworks, tuitions and school.

As for me, I miss those days when I experience my out of world adventures by reading story books like Enid Blyton's The Enchanted Tree and many more! Today, as life gets harder with more responsibilities and decisions to make, every once in a while, I treasure those times when I can get away and escape from the harsh realities of life for a while. And that is why my column here talks about the few things that is a portal to a didfferent world for me:

1. Reading - reading magical books like Harry Potter does it for me and for so many kids all over the world. The story brings you to a different land and you feel like you are part of the charactcers, experiencing all the magical things that happens in the school of witchry. Reading story books from Enid Blyton flies me to a world I have never knew existed and I remembered the anticipation I felt when I felt the same suspense the characters in the book felt when they were climbing up the enchanted tree not knowing which land they will land on and if they will meet good or bad characters. They were truly characters I laughed and cried with.

2. Water - Water is an element of escape for me. Whenever I am in water, I feel like my whole body loosens and I feel energised. I just went to Kota Tinggi waterfalls last Sat and found for the first time the ability to feel like I am in a different dimension of the world when I am right under the waterfalls, running water splashing onto my body, my arms held upright like an eagle, getting hit by the strong torrents of the waters. I felt almost godlike, like I was flying even though I was right under some waters. No wonder people like going to waterfalls.

3. TV Series - For that one hour, I felt connected with the characters and felt like I live their life and spoke their words. TV Series like Grey's Anatomy, Sex and the City, Cashmere Mafia does it for me that sometimes I forgot that I have a different life as I connected with the characters and stories so much. I sometimes wish I could rewind the show and relive the show over and over again, avoiding my real life. It’s amazing how they know what I wanted to hear after going through a rough day especially with quotes spoken so meticulously it touched my heart and soul.

4. Movies - Movies as I mentioned above from Never Ending Story to Narnia to Harry Potter and even Stardust never fail to transport me to a different world. You have to watch these movies in the cinema to get the full effect of being teleported to a different dimension where the surround sound envelopes you giving you the same ambience as the movie. I still remember when I was young, when I watched Never Ending Story, I remember flying across the skies on the huge dog, is it called Urgl together with the protagonist and I didn’t even realise it until the dog landed on ground.

5. Comics - There is a reason comics sell so well from kiddy comics like Calvin and Hobbes to superheros like Superman, Batman, Fantastic Four and countless more. Reason why the remake of these comics into movies sell so well to as they bring u into a world where u will never imagine going and interacting with characters u will never see in real life. It will be funny to see a human dressed like Penguin or the Joker in real life and not laugh or say anything about it. Now, I am waiting for my ever favorite comic,Calvin and Hobbes to appear on movie screens and be reminded of how young and guilable I can be again ;)

What Sells in Singapore

2008-07-04T02:38:00.008+08:00

What else but sex?!! From racy photographs of skimpily clad females donning the covers of magazines from Maxim to FHM to PCZone (yes, even technology and sports magazine now with one magazine last month featuring a naked model holding only a soccer ball to cover her breasts) to females wearing the shortest of shorts or skirts parading around the latest hip and happening shopping malls around Singapore. Yours truly became a victim and bought the shortest denim skirt I have ever bought in my entire life just to not feel too out of place when I wear my casual attire when going out. Sex is truly the one weapon everyone uses to get around from getting what they want to making sure they look like they belong. Models of Maxim in Singapore are photographed in the skimpiest of bikinis while in Malaysia, they are dressed from top to toe and when a bit more of the cleavage is shown, some texts will be superimposed on them. Sex also became a parade in kids outlets like Ben's & Jerry's where all their waitresses are dressed in short shorts completed with a very nice blue colored t-shirt. Seeing the svelthe body and long legs of the waitresses, one would be tricked to believe that by eating those calories-laden ice-cream, one would not grow fat as proven by those slim waitresses who can be the shop's role models. Another apparel shops called New Urban Male uses sexy looking, muscular and built men dressed in sleeves singlet and colorful fancy bernuda pants to promote their goods, making their customers think that by buying goods from that shop, one would be as built and good-looking as those promoters too. This shop has attracted a lot of metrosexuals, a growing niche in Singapore, spending exorbitat amounts of money just for slippers, bermudas and singlets. Even one of the most popular game show in Singapore is based on selling sex, or at least selling the gorgeous bodies of girls who looked like they just walked out of a female magazine covers. See how one blogger from STOMP posted about how females are now selling their bodies in return for fast cash through the Internet.

Second is health. Food with an element of health benefits attracts a lot of Singaporeans who are adopting the healthy eating habits and lifestyle attitude by buying only items with ingredients good for their health. I am guilty of choosing soya milk with added ingredients like oatmeal (for addtional fibre), almond (for vitamin E), black sesame (good for the heart), green tea (for detoxification - not very nice by the way) and promegranate (for additional nutrition). There are so many more and if you come to the shelves of supermarkets of Singapore, you will be bombarded with a smorgasboard of food products with additional ingredients. People just don't go for plain bread anymore but if you have a choice of having banana walnut, wholegrains, raisin and berry, pandan and corn bread, which would you choose? Recently, there is a launch of a new product called 'SoyJoy' that combines the goodness of soy milk and the nutrition of berry. The advertisement of the product reflects the romance and intimacy between a soy-head male character and a hawthorn berry-head female character. This combines the first and 2nd item in my blog today. Even sex is used to sell products with health benefits now but these kind of advertising elicits curiosity which will increase eyeballs to their ad campaign and hopefully additional traffic.

Third is creativity. Selling item is no more just selling items. Every outlet needs to be creative and think of new ways to entice their customers to come back. Just like people gets bored of drinking soy milk alone, manufacturers have added chocolate, papaya, watermelon, almond, promegranate, gree tea, oatmeal and even black sesame into soy milk. All shops needs to be constantly upgraded to entice returning customers who are never satisfied and craves for a change. Well, you can't blame them. They come from a small country in which they cant just drive up to Genting or Cameron Highlands without their passports thus what is already available on their limited land has to continuously undergo changes to keep up with the growing taste of the society. Even a simple ice kacang has been made into a variety of flavours from chocolate to red bean to green bean, etc with some of the best ice kacang I have tasted in Singapore and not in Malaysia, suprise, suprise. And prata comes with chocolate, milk and a variety of ingredients too with the stall elling the most variety of prata usually frequented by people compared to those simple ones. One new food item I have heard which is a first in Singapore is called 'fortune muffin' in a shop called Bliss Haven Muffins where a piece of paper with your fortune is slit underneath the paper containing the muffin. This is the first time I have heard of something like that and I feel this owner deserves a mention for his creativity to be different from any other muffin sellers. His muffin would also appeal to those who wants to buy 4-D numbers as some of the papers has digits and not fortunes. You can see that by putting a little creativity into a business, the saleability grows higher and people line up just to buy some good luck.

Another creative creation to come out of Singapore is Milo Dinosaur which evolved to Horlicks Dinosaur and the likes. When I first stepped into this country, I was asking what old age century drink is that and why hasn’t it penetrated Malaysia given the more mamak going lifestyle of Malaysians? When I saw the mountains of milo powder bobbling on top of a very thick milo ais, I was captured. My all-time favorite drink has never been the same especially when Singaporeans got more creative and invented Milo Godzilla, a milo ais with ice-cream and milo powder on top. One of the outlet that carries these drinks and more and turned a simple milo ais and teh tarik into abranded franchise is Mr The Tarik with its long covered transparent cups ala Starbucks and a nice stamp of their name on eery cup. One winning formula for this brand, great packaging and no scrimping on quality as well as quantity. Seeing the tall glass of every cup and the colorful variety of drinks that fills the cup to the brims, it is no wonder the branded mamak is packed with crowds all hours of the day. Imagine how a little creativity and spending on quality contributed to much higher sales and gave them a competitive edge over the rest of the mama and papa mamaks.

7 Secrets to Happiness - the Female Version

2008-07-03T02:44:00.005+08:00

1. Have a group of friends you can bond with
Think Sex and the City and Cashmere Mafia. When you are down, you can't entirely depend on your boyfriend or husband to say things that will make you feel better (they rarely do) and eating tubs of ice-cream or chocolate is far too fattening, thus we usually turn to our gal pals who have grown up with us, people who knows us deep down inside and will comfort us with the best and most comforting words since they will know how you feel. I liked it when in one episode of Cashmere Mafia, Lucy Liu got dumped by her fiance who was aboout to marry her as she beat him to a company promotion and when her gal friends were there to comfort her and screw the hell out of the ex-fiance, she mentions 'I dont know what I will do without you girls'....Awww... don't we love moments like these.

2. Live simply
When there are too many choices and options, things gets tough. I have been in Malaysia for so long and I rarely hear about divorce cases but stepping into Singapore with a myraid of opportunities and people congregating from all over the world, cases of affairs and infidelity becomes more rampant. I am surrounded with people who are divorced with kids at work and among my friends and they easily admit to getting divorce as it is so easy to meet other more suitable people, or so they thought. In countries where you are trapped to live with person you marry, these options are not so available and thus, they make things work among themselves which again leads to less trauma and unhappiness.

3. You only live once
Yes, you gotta have adventures! It is those exhilirating moments in life that you will find makes life much more worth living. It is those moments that will remain cherished memories for the rest of your life. You will not remember work and how much tasks you have completed or accomplished. What you will remember is the exhilaration you feel when you speed down a roller coaster, the beautiful sights when you scuba dive, the glorious stars when you stare into the skies from the highlands and the adorabe smile on your first born baby's face. In one episode of Grey's Anatomy, before one of the patient dies, he quoted 'Isn't life's most memorable and precious moments those that were made without following the rules?'
“If everything you did in life was safe, you’d never have any exhilarating moments or crazy experiences to recall, both of which give you the sense that you’re truly living,” explains Brian Luke Seaward, PhD, author of Quiet Mind, Fearless Heart.

4. Give in to temptations
When your daily life is such a routine and all you do is take orders and execute them, you need to break the monotony to induce that little bit of heightened sense of emotion. Be it eat that high-calories, milky ice-cream, buy that beautiful red car you have always been eyeing on or purchasing a nice yellow dress that will make you feel like a princess, by doing things out of the norm and slef-gratifying to yourself or even people around you, you will feel happier and more contented. Life is not one straight road. Some people's vice is food, while others are travel, shopping, jewellery or tv. No matter what, do something that you will not do daily every once so that you will remain sane in the demanding world.

5. Happiness comes from within
A lot of people think money is the source of happiness. One could not be more wrong. I was trapped in the circle once too where the more I climb the ladder and get higher salary and recognition, the more I will feel happy. No matter how high I climb, it never felt enoough. Every time I get a salary increment which could be higher than average, I still feel like I could have gotten more. It never stopped until one day, I was working happily not thinking about the money I am earning but the company I am working for. I wanted the best for my company and I gained meaning from doing something I love and enjoy and have a team that fully supports me and I can respect. I don't even think about the money anymore and any bonus and increment was a great booster. I also used to think that once I found the right guy, I will be happy. Boy, was I wrong. When I think about how I was angry at my previous relationships as I thought the guy did not make me happy, I found that I was not controlling my own happiness. Now that I have grown, I make my happiness no matter who I am with. Happiness is not about what you have. It is what you make of it.

“When you have limitless funds, you tend to be hellbent on accumulating more,” says New York clinical psychiatrist Janet Taylor. “In the process, you lose the ability to appreciate what you do own and have difficulty feeling fulfilled.”

6. Balance of Busy and Dead time is good
I used to think how great life will be if noone needs to work and everyone can sit and drink wine, watch tv, listen to music and chat with friends all the time? However, after spending too many days doing non-work items, I found myself feeling useless about myself as I have not contributed to the community in a productive way. When you put in your all to ensure a good job done, you will find the resting period is much more appreciated and worth it. It is with bitterness comes sweetness. Just like desserts, a lot of people like it but an overdose of sweet food will create an adverse effect to the tastebuds and body well-being. Thus, everything should be taken in moderation and while you can enjoy the good times, remember that human are created with an aim to create a better world.

7. You Must Love Yourself
Someone who loves themselves radiates with confidence and genuine smile. As long as you accept yourself the way you are, you will not have problems with self-esteem and can make your life happy. I remember one day when I was with a friend who has just gotten out of debts, got cheated by his business partber and he is not even accepted by his family and yet when I speak to him I did not sense any agony. He was so bright and positive about life and could even joke about my words. That impressed me as I would have mourned and screamed "Why the world is unfair to me?" had I been in the same situations. Says he "No matter happy or sad, I still have to live my life, so why live sadly?" Yet, again, it is a choice.

So what are the benefits of being happy?

“Happy people are more likely (than unhappy people) to get married, are more likely to stay married, are more likely to think their marriage is good,” Diener said. “They’re more likely to volunteer. They’re more likely to be rated highly by their supervisor and they’re more likely to make more money.”

"Happy people are also, on average, healthier than unhappy people and they live longer", Diener said.

So, what are you waiting for?

Mostly taken from this article.

Woman Empowerment in a TV Box

2008-06-29T03:33:00.002+08:00

Call it Sex and the City, the successful female version, no such characters as a damsel in distress hoping for a life of perfection (aka Charlotte) and a struggling writer who falls for bad, unavailable boys over and over again (aka Carrie) even when they turn 40. It is women empowerment at its best and it has been presented through a TV show called 'Cashmere Mafia'. It was fun watching those characters going through the same dilemmas that I would, considering these ladies are more successful than their partners, holding bigger positions, higher salaries and more important responsibilities than their spouse or fiances. And to see how they thread through life in the most impossible ways being the woman in charged and yet trying their very best to maintain a sane relationship.

One moment that touched me was how the fiance of Lucy Liu broke up with her after she won the promotion over him by saying that he just wants to go back to someone who he can escape to, takes care of his kids and laugh with. And because Lucy Liu (aka Mia in the show) is always putting her work first and trying to compete with him, he gets tired. How can one blame one for knowing what one wants. Is it wrong? Maybe it is wrong when you do not compromise for the one you love. But I do think that some women are made stronger than others, less dependent and more career-minded. I most likely fall easily into this category and yes, some people do admit it gets tiring at times, cos I have such high expectations on my partner since I have high expectations on myself as well. The message was as though a woman can't have it all, a good career and a good marriage. Sometimes it gets pretty lonely to be at the top and yet you still have so much responsibilities to take, but guess that's how it is sometimes.

On the other side of the coin, the spouse who is married to a workalcoholic or someone driven and ambitious can get pretty lonely for having to take dinner alone when their partner is having late meetings and dissapointed at times when they see their partner getting more recognition and opportunities than they do. However, it touches me to see an episode when the husband of one of the successful lady went for dinner with another lady as his wife is late due to work an when the lady said how bad it must be for his wife to be leaving him like that, he denied and said that it is good that he is there to balance her out. Awwww....and when she suggested that they should sleep together as they are both in the same position, being neglected by their over-worked partners, he was shocked as it had never occured in his mind that he would. Anyway, we have to wait for the next few episodes to see if he will. And then, we will know if a woman can indeed have it all.

I could never imagine a tv series I could relate to more. I am a Mafia! :)

Dedicated to My Hero

2008-06-29T02:09:00.004+08:00

I dedicate this to someone who has touched my soul so deep it changed the core within me. This person deserved more than the world could give him. This person has a belief so strong it held him firm no matter what he does. He truly is my hero despite how he is a bit weird in a lot of people's eyes.

I am glad he came into my life. I am glad he was there even for a brief moment. I am glad he gave me life's most precious lessons no amount of money could buy. And it made me realise that the best things in life is indeed free. He made me appreciate life no way anyone can. He introduced me to a life less ordinary and make me come out of it strong and motivated. He made me create a mission and vision within myself, encouraged me to be better without even speaking the words. He brought me to eat cheap but delicious food and made the experience so exhilarating. He made me realise life is not a bed of roses and as long as I appreciate and embrace what is has to offer, life will be good. He made me live life spontaneously which is what I usually don't do as I used to plan every step I take yet when I did not plan, I felt so free and uninhibited! He made me a selfless person. And the worst part is: I never uttered a single word of appreciation to him.

And yet he hung on. He cared for me when I am sick. I still remembered the times when I fell sick and still had to go to work as there was too much to do. And when he kept asking if I am ok, even offered to bring me to a midnight doctor but all I said was I needed an escape. He brought me to a high area surrounded by beautiful night lights with views of large ships (not sure why but the sight of ships gives me a sense of comfort). And that made all the difference. I immediately felt better the next day and much more refreshed than any other days.

He doesn't tell me the things he do for me. Like paying a higher plane ticket to go to the same country I am in during my business travel or having to go through a much longer route just to fetch me from where I was to my home. He doesn't tell me he kept that last piece of bread for me cos he knows I like bread even though his dad made it for him. He doesn't tell me how sleepy he is when he had to fetch me to the bus early in the morning even though I know he had slept so late the day before. He doesn't tell me that he had an early meeting when he knew I needed transport at certain times. But I knew. I just forgot to say thank you.

Sometimes he sees me cry and I can see the helplessness in his face. Yet he made some funny faces to make me laugh. Even though I didn't laugh at first, I did later. The effort counts :) And sometimes when I'm down, I just needed to pent out my frustration and even though he doesn't know what to say, he listened intently without uttering a word as though he is learning a lot from me. And all I want to say is thanks so much for being there. I know that sweetness only comes after bitterness. And he has made me know how important it is to treasure life's greatest moments as it does not come easy. And I again I thank him for that. Even though in the eyes of others, he might be weird for not conforming to the world's ideals and for being extremely different and difficult at times, I would like to tell him that he will forever be my hero.

I guess I have to count myself lucky for having met someone like him and for having him treat me so well. Some girls would never had the chance to feel anything near this even with their own partner. Selflessness, being true to oneself, bringing meaning to one's life, bringing the best out of each other and knowing you are there for one another. But I also feel sad that we will never be together. And if you know who you are and you are reading this, I would once again like to say "THANK YOU FOR BEING MY HERO and for being someone I truly respect!" Even though I don't say it, I appreciate every little thing you do and will cherish it for the rest of my life. So here, I dedicate the song by Elvis Presley to you - "You Were Always On My Mind".

7 Ways to Destress

2008-06-23T02:20:00.005+08:00

Always on the go, always busy, relishing in the act of managing others and always thinking of others above oneself, I could be one of the most uptight, stressed person in the world. The tightness in my neck and shoulders could be a mainstay no matter how much I try to massage it away. The gastric in my tummy due to irregular meals and inability to eat when I am stressed will get worse and affect my later in life years.

It is with this that I am glad I found an article on how I can relax and reduce stress which I found rather effective:
1. Do a productive activity besides work so that you can reward yourself after the activity, be it cleaning the bathroom, clearing out unwanted items in your room or going for that high-intensity aerobics class. Performing an activity that will give you a visible, tangible results with clear goal in sight leaves you tired but happy as removes the thoughts away from your work for that few minutes or hours. For some, clearing out the physical clutter makes one feel like they are cleaning up the clutter in the rest of their life.
2. Get Mad: A bar in Japan called The Rising Sun Anger Release Bar allows patrons to scream, break glasses and beat up any of their beefy male employees for $10 to $50 per session. Suprisingly, a weird concept like this has a growing list of customers due to the amount of stress experienced by the workers in that country. Pent-up angers will create an unspoken amount of stress that once accumulated too much will create undesirable results. Thus, this restaurant provides a release that noj other place can. If you do not have a place like this in your country, scream into a pillow, go for kickboxing or scream into a music roaring car. You never know how much it will help to let the stress out.
3. Anticipate Laughter: Everyone knows that laughter is the best medicine but by anticipating laughter, it creates a positive mood that will help reduce stress. If you are anticipating meeting a close friend over a nice drinks tonight, watching a feel-good romantic comedy or going for that nice piece of cake you have been longing for after work, you most likely will not get stressed in most situations and knows how to prevent negative emotions from building up. When you are anticipating laughter, you're placing yourself in a state where your brain thinks you are happy and activates the chemicals or hormone(cortisol) to provide a positive outcome. It is true that doing something spontaneous that will make you happy works too but in situations where you can't, the next best thing is to anticipate it and think on the bright side.
4. Stop worrying about Money: Most people think money will make them happy as they can own whatever they want but usually that is not the case. The more money you have, the more you want it. It is ironic how people used to be happier when life was simpler many years ago. Thus, it is not a matter of how much money you have but how you put your money into perspective. You must be able to prioritise your goals so that you know what to do with your money. At the end of the day, it's not how much you earn; it's how much you save that matters.
5. Get Intimate: Having a close friend, couple or husband/wife that you can talk to and be intimate with will reduce your stress levels by a lot. Intimacy provide a sense of bonding and reassurance of being supported. In you do not have a second half, try seeking empathy and support from a close friend or book an appointment with a masseuse. You never know how much refreshed you feel after the session.
6. Shutdown for a While: No matter how much you can multi-task at work, everyone breaks down and requires rest. It makes wonders to turn off your mobile phones, laptops or pcs for a while just to relax your mind. On weekend, spend at least half or a full day not turning the laptop on and live on ordinary form of entertainment like sports and tv. It will surprise you how much you can get a different perspective or a new idea just by not being productive for a while.
7. Indulge in your Senses: Be it candles or aromatherapy, experiencing different sights, sounds and smells do wonders to your body. Having a nice warm bath (feeling) surrounded by bubbles (sight) and aromatic candles (smell) will help you forget about worries. Jogging round a new park, watching the sun rising (sight) and the birds chirping around you (hearing) also makes you see how beautiful life is. These moments can definitely wile the stress away.

Thus, it is with these tips that I am now going to light some aromatic candles around my queen-size bed in my nice silky pajamas before I lull myself to sleep while thinking of how happy it will be to bond with one of my close girlfriend whom I have not met for the past 2 months. How wonderful :)

Bloggers Unite in Malaysia

2008-06-20T03:55:00.004+08:00

When a foreign newspaper has a front-page article of another country, the news gotta be big! And this time, Singapore reported about the power of bloggers in Malaysia who has led to better insights on why the Barisan Nasional lost so many states in the last General Election. Thus, it is reported that a study by four academics from Universiti Teknologi Mara’s Communications and Media Studies Faculty, showed that 80 per cent of respondents were aware of blogs, which were popular with the middle class and below. However, the high percentage of these bloggers or readers of blogs are not those who consisted of the majority who voted for the opposition.

“After making the cross matching, we found that there was no strong evidence that supports the notion that the Internet content had moved people to vote for the opposition,” Professor Madya Baharuddin Aziz told Bernama. Instead, the study showed that the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, which were thrashed at the election, failed to adequately address issues raised online, resulted in their loss.

It with this that I take pride in announcing how blogs are now becoming a medium and gethering of information so that people can make informed decisions. Keeping mum about something or a policy do not make it anymore. I am also glad that Malaysian bloggers are not penalised for sounding out their opinions including about politics even though I foresee this might happen in the near future, just not as bad as the level of filtering as done by the China government. It with this that blogs like MalaysiaKini and many others that are brave enough to report the truth and bring freedom of speech to the table.

I am glad to say I am still proud to be Malaysian especially a Malaysian blogger. If only, the petrol price will go down.

Am I an Imsomniac? Yikes!

2008-06-14T01:02:00.005+08:00

What causes insomnia? I didn't want to admit it but after 2 years of lack of sleep or unrested sleep, I have some answers:
1. Thinking too much - Yes, I have a hyperactive mind which makes me think a lot not only when I am active but also before I go to sleep. Are you one of those who writes down your to-do list for tomorrow before sleeping. I am one of them. Not that I am a control freak but it helps that I put it down on paper so that I can sleep peacefully without worrying if I will forget about it the next day.
2. Insufficient personal time - When one spends too much time at work, in order to balance oneself and go back to work the next day, one has to make it up by spending some personal time by doing things that are brainless - watching tv, porn, etc and this eats into sleeping time. Guilty as charged!
3. Too excited or nervous about something - I can't sleep before I travel or before I am supposed to give a presentation. The excitement disallows me to calm down before I can sleep.
4. Inconsistent sleeping hours - well, what can I do when I watch movie till 3,4 or even 5am on weekends and then can't sleep at 1am when weekdays come? It's not as simple as 'Woi! Go to sleep la!' and I can sleep. No, doesn't work for me.
5. Loneliness - Yes, I admit it. I sleep better with someone next to me. Be it friends, family or boyfriend. It's nice sometimes to have someone to chat with about your deepest fears and dreams before you sleep and end up sleeping only for 3 hours, but waking up much fresher the next day. Now that I have none of the above, I just have to hug my pillow/bolster as tight as possible so that I can sleep.
6. Rooms with too bright colors - yes, by having bright colors for bedsheets, curtains and wall affects most people. These colors creates a chaotic feeling in oneself making him/her unable to feel at ease. My friend recently changed her room color to pastel and white and says she sleeps better after that. Maybe I shld try, color all black!
7. And the most important and reason where one can't sleep is due to unresolved issues, unsettled thoughts, unfulfilled desires. This I don't know how to solve except by perhaps talking to someone and releasing a little of your burden. Sometimes, music helps too.

So, here, I know that I can never sleep too much and even when I am tired, I still can't sleep but I am using my restless hours by doing productive things, like writing this blog. Haha! Well, all I can say is that I have the passion, drive and determination to use all my waking hours to fight for what I believe in and to make a greater impact in the lifes of others. So, let's see what I can get out of a little more hours than most people, besides my black eye bags. :)

So the last day my mom was with me in Singapore and I could not sleep, even though she has told me umpteenth time to sleep early for work, I just told her, "I really do wish I could sleep, cos if I could, I will." She just noded her head in understanding and said "I understand, you are not at peace". Only a Mom understands best.

Inspirational Women around the World

2008-06-02T04:01:00.006+08:00

Yes, Jennifer Garner got nominated into Glamour's list of Women of the Year 2007, upping the glamour factor of the list of female philantrophists and inspirational women to admire even though I would have vouched for Lucy Liu due to her effort as ambassador for Unicef and her relentless effort to help the unfortunate in unnder developed countries. Other notable celebrities include Angelina Jolie for adopting children and visiting war torn countries, Madonna for adopting a Cambodian son, Sandra Bullock for donating generously to tsunami victims and Sheryl Crow for helping and inspiring cancer patients. Nominating Jennifer Garner would sell more magazines though. ;) So what good did she do besides marrying one of the most best-looking actor in Hollywood, Ben Affleck and having an adorable daughter, Violet that was so inspirational? She is actively involved in Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) and the American Lung Association (ALA) to encourage flu vaccination.

Reading that article filled me with inspiration and I was awed by the things the female activiticts said and fought for. I have always been an ardent fan of celebrities using their cult status to influence the society for the better and lauded them in all their efforts hoping that one day I can do something as inspirational. Among the quotes that touched me:

Life is rarely what we expect it might be but we need to look for lilies. We need to do what brings us joy and what gives us a sense of purpose - Elizabeth Edwards, Mother, Cancer Patient
She sees the beauty in messy, complicated characters. She celebrates the imperfections that make life so interesting, which makes great TV, so says Shonda Rhimes the writer, producer of the hit-series, Grey's Anatomy that inspired everyone all over the world with its sometimes cheesy but very real and believable human experiences.
A bundle of energy who gets by on "three to four hours of sleep a night" (hmmm...that sounds familiar... ;) Snickers and Red Bull, Logan is fuelled by one urgent mission: to tell it like it is. Lara shoots video herself when she doesn't want to put the crew at risk. - Lara Logan, war correspondent. IMHO, she also gave one of the best thank you speech ever during the award presentation, reminded me of why I am so different from the other females who lives by female magazines.

I was also inspired by an initiative from Uganda called Empowering Hands to bring life back to ex-child soldiers to teach them skills even though they have gone through situations like bearing the kids of enemies that raped them and killing their own families just because the soldiers told them to. It shows that someone out tthere can help them to get back on their feet again.

I am also glad that Singapore had their own version of awards for inspirational female organized by Vanilla magazine and one of the winner is a cancer patient who wrote about how female can be great through her blog called WeAreWonderWomen.com for women who are fighting cancer, Ms Molly Lee. Unfortunately, she lost the fight against cancer on 29 May 2008 and the site had to be brought down. The blog allowed her to gather support from the public and to help those who are having the same disease as her. She was a fighter till the end, so says her husband, Josef Lee.

Finally, I am impressed that Malaysia has their own version of award for social entrepreneurs called AyaAwards to honour the same people who has done a lot of charity and inspired the nation.

It won't be long until we get long lists of green entrepreneurs, social entrepreneurs and philantrophists who will do whatever it takes to make this world a better place. As they say, the world is hurting, let's not hurt it more.

My Personality and Career Profile

2008-05-31T20:00:00.008+08:00

From PeopleMaps, the description of me is quite accurate, esp at this stage of my life:

The Last Lecture - Living Life

2008-05-31T19:02:00.004+08:00

This is worth 10 minutes of your life. Inspirational talk by Dr. Randy Pausch, a cancer patient about how to live your life. In short, life is how you live it. Two important quotes:

Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted.
Brickwalls are there for a reason: They let us prove how badly we want something.

And the best part is this talk has allowed him to leave a legacy not only to the audience who can watch it now but to his three sons in the future when he is not around anymore. If you are interested to watch a movie with the same theme, watch 'My Life Without Me'

Funny how people live life with more passion and chase after their dreams only when they are about to lose their life.

I Survived Shutdown Saturday!

2008-05-04T01:36:00.007+08:00

Shutdown Day or Shutdown Saturday! That is what they called 3 May 2008 where people all over the world are encouraged to shut their computer and not use Internet for at least 24 hours to remind people that there exists a world outside your monitor screen. Some applauded this initiative claiming that it will increase face-to-face communication and allow for greater bonding among family members. Some cited it as a silly activity that deters one from growing, working and living. I was hesitant to participate in this preposterous activity, thinking that despite it not being a working day, I still had to monitor my weekendly English Premiere League matches and be online to make sure my programmers are able to reach me when problem happens. Besides, one day without Internet is like taking away my breathe especially in this country with ubiquituos broadband and wireless access.

Thus, it was suprising and refreshing to think that despite not wanting to participate initially, I ended up supporting this initiative as I inadvertently joined by not having my laptop on for more than 24 hours. The last time this happened was when I was on vacation, never in Singapore. I am indeed proud of myself.

A few things I found out without the Internet are:

1. I actually have a life.
2. I walk at a slower pace.
3. I could see what I am eating and even thought of taking second rounds.
4. I had a long heart-to-heart talk with someone who actually responds.
5. I talked to a stranger on the MRT.

Below is the chronology of event on Shutdown Day and why I end up not using Internet anyway:
12am - 12.30am: Wanted to check online the TV schedule of the say but found that Internet was down. After meddling around for a few minutes, I found that my landlord has disconnected the Internet as they were renovating their house earlier.
12.30am - 1.30am: Since there was nothing I can do, I shut down my laptop and proceeded to sleep beside my mom who started talking about friends, foes and fortune. It was a great bonding session with my mom which I have not done for months already.

10am - 1pm: Woke up in time to go to the BloodMobile Organisers Talk where I was invited to attend as I organised Blood Donation Drive under Project:Senso previously. Amazing how I can learn more so much from a simple 1 hour talk on blood types and the disease called Thalassaemia compared to what I could have found out if I was to stay in front of my connected PC. I would never have typed the word 'Thalassaemia' into Google or any search engine for that matter but by being our and about, I learnt that there is a society of people all over the world who has this disease and requires regular blood transfusion and bone marrow just to stay normal and for some to even survive. It has given me a new enlightenment to look at someone with pale skin and bone disfiguration and ask if that person actually suffers Thallaseamia. It gives new meaning to donate blood now knowing that 1 out of every 20 people requires regular blood transfusion monthly.
2pm - 5pm: Went to view the first show unit of a condo in Singapore called Rafflesia only to find out how much the property price of Singapore has escalated. Followed by shopping in Junction 8 where I found new movies to watch and books to read.
6pm - 7.30pm: Walked around Ikea and finally found the container I had been looking for so long. Somne good can come out of walking aimlessly after all.
8pm - 10pm: Met a friend for dinner with my mom and has delicious seafood by Singapore's old turf club called 'Turf City'.
10pm - 11.30pm: Went to Jurong Hills that overlooks the beautiful lights of Jurong Island where the oil refineries burst with fire and cranes and tall chimneys abound.

11.30am - 12am: Arrived home and showered, looking forward to open my laptop just to brag about how I actually achieved 24 hours or more without Internet and of course to check EPL scores. I survived "Shutdown Saturday'!

A Hero's Adventure

2008-04-29T00:05:00.006+08:00

Barack Obama, the current contesting Democratic as the President of the United States to me was a male version of Oprah Winfrey. And I could not be more right especially after I read a fantastic book called 'Exporing Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey in Contemporary American Society' which highlighted the journey of four Heros: Lance Armstrong, Rudy Guiliani, Barrack Obama and Oprah Winfrey. When these heros speak, they speak from the heart and it is by pulling the heart strings of the common people that makes people relate to them. Reason why Barrack Obama could rise so fast to the top of the election ladder despite being black and having the least campaigning budget to begin with.

This book begun by highlighting that every hero has their own journey which usually contain a call to adventure. This call to adventure is the stepping out of these heros from their comfort zone into an element that they need to carve a name for themselves, realising that they are part of something much bigger than themselves. For Lance Armstrong who was one of the best cyclists and became egoistic, having a head too big for himself got a turn of this life when cancer hits him. Instead of pulling himself down, he went on to be the best cyclist in the world and after winning the fight of cancer, started a movement where people buy a yellow band called 'Livestrong' to donate towards the research to cure cancer. He was so strong he even remarked "Cancer was the best thing that ever happened to me'. For Oprah Winfrey, it is a life changing event when she was 9 where she was raped that made her felt she had to do more than what she can and set foot out of her hometown to be a newscaster which brought the opportunity to host her own show. I will be able to talk about Barrak Obama more after I read this book 'The Audacity of Hope' which I attempt to do soon. Thus, explaning how he like Oprah uses the same weapon of human heart to lead and inspire and to make a difference.

All heros mentioned have followed their bliss, their own intuitive creative life force that burns in them. I too was tremendously inspired and reading this book become one of the most meaningful 3 hours of my life even though I had to do it during my sleepless night. No matter what befalls us in life, we always may keep moving towards the life that is waiting to be ours if we just have the courage to take it. Heed your call to adventure! We live in a perfect world that is only made imperfect through our own self-defeating ideas and emotions. Read more here.