Weekly MDD Night, Max Payne, Thai, IndoChine

Was feeling creative last night, so I made this little pic right here. Had a great fun with G last weekend in another movie/dinner/drinks non-date-equivalent. Previously I always forgot to bring my camera on a night out with him, so this time around I made good use of the bimbotic camera even though there wasn't much to shoot but ourselves.

Promised him I would treat him a round of drinks after my pay day, so I'm a woman of my word! The live band started to bore me out, though, not because I have a problem with accoustic performance, in fact I don't, it's just they sounded too rock-y for my taste and they spent too much time showing off their guitar/bass skills, that majority of the song 'Zombie' became just instrument rather than the singing.

But we sticked around until they cleared up all the tables and chairs and the only EPL showing on the TV was between the non-famous teams [way past the primetime].

A little update on today, I am officially a bum. Having had a long holiday 'til Tuesday, I am so not in the mood for working, I need time to re-adjust my spirit again to standard eastern time. This visa application thing needs more time than I thought, but hopefully everything will be settled soon, I just wanna get the hassle over and done with immediately.

Looking forward to weekend already!

Happy Birthday, dearest

I was on the train this evening when I realized the date.

Happy birthday. I love you.

BBQ Collages

Big Bum

I'm excited for the long holiday. Excited might not be the right word, I have tons to do and I'm not good with thinking like I have tons to do. I'm a short-attention-spanned planner, notice the irony?

This weekend is a great one, Monday is the Deepavali public holiday and my company is going away on Tuesday, making it a company holiday; I like this holiday word. I thought on Friday at work that I would do so much within this weekend to finish whatever stuffs I'm supposed to finish, like my Visa application, school assignment, work project, planning the US trip..4 days seemed excessive, glorious excessive! I feel like by Sunday, at least I would have done plenty.

News flash? Today is Sunday. And I feel like a big failure.

Literally too. I'm huge now.

Friday night we went for dinner and movie, but I managed to flip through some travel books so well, I've done something, see? This afternoon I woke up past mid day, and my left eye was blasting red, my body was aching, and I realized I slept almost 12 hours. There goes half of my day already. Nobody gets drunk after just some China Blue and beer, surely?

Right now is so not the time to think about assignment and work, and that's the worst part of it. Tomorrow and Tuesday I really need to get started. I'll drink ten galons of coffee if I have to, even if it kills me.

Rain

Today it rained like never before. It was so hard it created pool of water along the street after just a few minutes. I was shivering as I walked home, protected by umbrella but not from the cold. My shirt and pants were wet but I didn't care, the only thing I wanted was to be safely tucked inside my warm, comfy place.

Maybe it's the rain, maybe it was me pacing fast in the rain, maybe it was being soaked and drenched in cold, but it felt just like that time.

We were coming home, her from another round of radiation. The two of us were already in the apartment complex, but there was still quite a distance to walk to the tower. Suddenly it started to rain, it just rained like mad. It was the crazy kind of rain which each drop was like this bucketful of hard water.

We were definitely stucked, I didn't bring umbrella, and so we waited, but there wasn't any sign it was going to stop soon, and we started shivering just being there and doing nothing. The wind was blowing like nobody's business, I have never been in the rain that hard. So she said we should just run.

And run we did. As fast as our tiny little legs could allow us to run. I arrived in front of the lift first, naturally, and when I looked back, my heart gave a loud pang. She was running, her body was soaked wet, and she has never looked so small before.

Both of us were dripping water, we might as well have just plunged ourselves into the pool. "Go take a bath now, or you'll catch a cold," was the first thing she said.

How could she have been so strong, I wonder.

We're no girlscouts

Had so many pictures to upload! Been neglecting my Multiply site for a while here, I actually feel kinda bad.

I caught up with some great friends over the weekend, and for the first time, hosted a BBQ party at my apartment. Well, how did it go, you ask?

It could have been improved, like, the fire could have been stubborn enough to last; but it didn't. We tried everything to putting the whole grill-thing down and just setting the charcoal on fire, desperate attempt that was. The chicken wing didn't change even one shade of color despite being there for over an hour. Okay, that sounds bad.

Although, in the end we all had our fair share of food. Besides, most important thing is that we got to see each other and had fun. Who cares if we're all starving, right?

So, I will write more and post the pictures up soon, hopefully. Tomorrow I'm going to be very busy at work, so now all I can think of is my comfy bed. 'Nuff said.

Songs that remind me of...

In more cases than one, a song is not just a song. It has an attachment to it, an association. When you face a certain situation, sometimes a particular song will come to mind. Or the other way around; hearing a song when you’re in a certain situation will trigger that memory when you hear the same song again in the future.

Not too sound too cheesy or anything, I love it. I love the fact that with a simple tune you can trigger so much emotions. Okay, well, that might have come out a little too cheesy. Anyway, here are a few,...

Maroon 5 – Makes Me Wonder
I started listening to this song religiously when I was in Perth. I had this song stored up in my MP3 which obviously, is portable and thus, enabled me to listen to it wherever I like. When I was out there, there wasn’t much to do and I had a little too much time on my hands, so I experimented.

With a waxing cream, to be exact. Don’t ask, and before you have whatever ideas (I don’t want to know), it’s for my legs. Now every time I hear this song, I feel like I’m transferred back to that spacey bathroom in a huge house in Leeming, spreading up waxing cream to my legs and waiting for it to work its magic.

Westlife – Obvious
I was in my first year of high school, so that probably makes me…what, 15 or 16 years old. During the time of being obsessed with this song, I was close with a guy. That meaning, we talked everyday and went out often, but nothing was official yet. The lyrics probably reflected on how I was feeling at that period of time. It reminds me of him now everytime the song comes on air.

It reminds me of home, my room, and how I used to just lay there, listen to this song, and giggle on my own just because I was a hormonal adolescence.

Michael Buble – Home
Jes, Drew, wonder if you guys remember this. We were in Jes’ car, we were talking about how we were going to be away for college, each of us taking separate path. This song was on the radio, and we screamed and our eyes were teary. Well, okay, maybe not. But we did scream due to the irony of the song just when we were talking about going away and possibly being homesick.

Look at us now, though. I barely talk to you guys anymore, and if pictures on facebook were any indication, I’d say you two are having much fun over there in the States. ‘I’m lucky, I know, but I wanna go home…..' maybe isn’t as accurate as we initially thought.

Marvin Gaye – Sexual Healing
This one is a lot more recent, actually. I knew I must have heard this song anyway before, but only in this time was I starting to really like it. Again, this song simply reminds me of someone. He used to sing and dance along to this song through webcam. Okay, it sounds silly in words, but it was a good memory.

These things – memories – really are priceless. What’s better is that it’s truly personal.

Anyway, in a totally unrelated topic, Paul Krugman has recently won the Nobel Prize! Been following his blog on New York Times since I had to read his book for the previous politics class. I don’t know about the other candidates, but he surely deserves it.

"We all want power, we all want success, but the ultimate reward is the simple joy of understanding.” Well put. Congrats!

Home?

Something got me thinking.

One of my favorite blogger just moved to LA and he has been writing about hating every minute of it.

A friend of mine, too, just recently moved to the west coast and he admitted of missing Boston tremendously, thus coming up with a decision to be a celibate and focusing on his work for the time being.

Another friend is just so sick of being where he is right now, that he's just counting down the days 'til he can get the fuck outta there.

Even a random person whom I talked to recently said that despite enjoying his life here in Singapore, he still considered his earlier years back home to be one of his best times.

And I've been hearing too many songs about home I can make a list out of it.

It's funny, but I can never quite paint a picture of me living back home again.

I mean, it's still home, of course, and as people say, there's no place like home. I would always miss home as a place of my childhood, a symbol of simpler and younger years, and a place filled with memories. I'm always looking forward to every chance I can fly back and meet everyone. When you're back home, you're home. It's like, ceasing your worries and pausing life for a moment.

But, I can't see myself living back home again for pausing one's life can only go so far and worries will just catch up eventually. I love going home, but I know it's only for temporary.

I wonder why that is, and I wonder whether this resolution somehow makes me seem like a bad person.

Living here has been too comfortable, too convenient. I almost feel as if I'm spoilt. I can't imagine being some place where I'm unable to just go out and stroll along the street on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

“I think we all want either, home, or a place like home. Because we are raised in our home, we become like home, as home is like us.”

Yes, a place like home. What's home anyway? Somewhere where you feel most comfortable in? A place where all your loved ones are in? Your childhood playground? Where you were born? What about, somewhere you wanna be?

Can one person have many homes?

It used to be cows...

I will let you in a secret, when I was small I used to live with a cow. I had a cow in the house, of course it didn't sleep in the same bed as me because that would be sick, but I did have a cow, and I did milk it every other day. Not everyday, though, because even cows need time to uhm, stock it up. In this case, to produce the milk. Maybe it's a lazy cow, but it certainly didn't have enough stamina to be milked everyday, I remember that after a while, it would make a moaning noise as if to tell me that he's had enough, that he couldn't get it going any futher. I had a special bond with this cow, I felt like it spoke to me. You might find me crazy, but it's true.

It was such a long time ago, and the cow has long been dead. I feel like a piece of me died together with it too on that day. Just a piece, though. It's such a loyal cow, everytime I felt sad I would just go over to the farm and talked, it really listened. Sometimes it appeared like it nodded too. Maybe it's just my imagination, I can't be sure.

I found a picture of the old cow in my old computer, gosh, I haven't looked at it in such a long time. Look at that, isn't it a beauty? People should really go back to having cows as companions and pets. Cow makes a much better friend.

Yes, I was once a farm, little-house-on-the-prairie-kind-of-girl. I used to sing to the birds and wear suspenders over my clothes.

Note (added after a few ridiculous comments) -> If you hadn't realized, I did NOT ever own a cow! Goodness, I can't believe some people actually took this seriously! Hmph, maybe I have a talent of persuasion. Me? Little-house-on-the-prairie? Hello, have we met?

Another Eventful Week

What a week!!

Am so glad it's weekend, but I know it's going to be over way too soon! Been such a busy and hectic week with all its roller-coaster ride, I was happy, I was down, I was angry, I was giddy, I was shy, I was chirpy, I met new people, I was sick and I didn't care!

Last Friday I woke up with an aching burning throat that hurt everytime I swallow. Now this isn't such an unusual phenomenon, normally it would go away after I drink lots of water and take my meal. Yesterday I expected the same thing and went to work. All day I was sneezing and my nose was running unattractively like mad. One of my colleague was nice enough to look at me and say, "You don't look so well.." Oh gee, thanks! Of course yesterday had to be one of the busiest day and I had to do different things all at once and in the middle of those sneezing and those peeing (because I kept drinking water), the work wasn't getting much easier. I didn't even have time to have a relaxing lunch, instead I ran to the nearest restaurant, ate my food like my life depended on it, and rushed back to the office. Everything only took less than half an hour, and for someone who usually eats in a slo-mo, I consider that quite an achievement.

Against my better judgment, even after the lunch and the water, I wasn't feeling better. But taking a half day off wasn't an option and finally I got through it, thinking that I would just go home and bloody sleep. Maybe it was just all fatigue and all I needed was rest. But of course a friend had to IM me and ask if I felt like going out. Well, yes, I do, I thought. My sister was working OT last night and if I went home, I would just...be there on my own. Anyway he and I ended up catching a movie, taking a walk and drinking at a bar.

Of course I didn't drink beer, I was such a good girl I ordered hot coffee. Oh, heavenly.

But yesterday was one of the most fun night I've had recently. I still couldn't stop sneezing, it's amazing how my friend still had the gut to be within 5 feet away from me, but just for that reason, bless him.

The live music was great, and people were dancing salsa down on the floor, I felt so charged I wanted to join in but I knew zero salsa step and I just wasn't high enough. Ha! Oh, and everybody must watch Burn After Reading, that's what we saw last night and it was so hilarious! Everyone, and I mean, everyone, just performed so great in it! Seeing George Clooney and Brad Pitt in slightly different roles were so amazing and they're damn good. John Malkovich too, was perfect for that role. I couldn't stop laughing seeing Brad Pitt and his 'SHIT!', 'Osbourne Cocks' line! Well, it's actually COX, but hey, it's pronounced the same!

Anyway I feel like I'm in a set of those 'Serendipity' type film. The story was actually kinda funny, I met a guy in the elevator of my apartment a few days ago in the morning when I went out for work. He chatted me up and we ended up walking to the tube together and talking the entire journey, his office happened to be in just one train stop after mine. It may sound cheesy, but I enjoyed talking to the guy and he surprised me by having this perfect english accent. Well, you know how in movies people keep meeting by accident and shit? Come to think of it, I think I did meet this guy once before too, but it was a long time ago and we only exchanged a few words. So, to the man, nice talking to you dude!

So, to a less exciting news, I'm so utterly, completely broke right now. Like, really. I can't believe how much I have spent just going out and taking cabs, even just for daily transportation. You know, bus and shit. Food and drinks and shit. My god, I'm so staying home today, in fact, I'm going to just eat instant noodles for the entire weekend! Hmpfh!

Back to everything random

Fine, so the last post titled 'funny thing' wasn't funny-ha-ha-ha, but more like funny-huh, what, I should have been more specific, you mean? Well, funny doesn't always necessarily translate to Tom and Jerry, mind you. There is such thing as subtle-funny. Ehem.

Anyway. Why am I getting defensive? Gosh, today is tiring! This is actually the first time in dayssss that I go home directly after work, and man, isn't it nice. I could take a long hot shower, sit here typing with my laptop while waiting for my hair to dry, and the time still shows 10 pm. EH? 10 pm already? WTF.

Well, 10 pm is considered early seeing my previous sleeping pattern so far! I haven't been sleeping much lately, last night bunch of us went singing and I only got home at 1. Excuse moi, it may not seem like such a big deal, but I sleep a lot! I sleep like a hibernating bear. So to me, sleeping at 1 and waking up at 6 is simply unacceptable! I turn into a zombie by mid day and I start hallucinating salmon flying around in the air. Really not a pretty picture. Me, I mean, not the salmon.

Although the days before I didn't go home quite as late as 1 am, but I went out a lot after work and I just got so tired after getting home and I couldn't really do much besides sleeping. I still wanted to knit, but by the time I arrived home, all I wanna do is just lay my head on this heavenly pillow and drool.

Okay la, the 'knitting' reference is just a metaphor. It could easily be...browsing the internet, cutting my nails, washing my hair, or anything, geez.

Today is a bit more tiring than usual because I've been running errands for work all afternoon. Would be great if the weather was coorperative. You know, just raining when I was inside the building so by the time I went out, the air was crisp and it smelt like rain which I totally love!

But unfortunately, we had quite a fight there, me and the weather, and so I decided to break up with it. It was scorching hot when I had to do lots of walking around but at 3 when I got back to the office, it started raining! What a girl to do?

Not like I'm known for my luck. Rephrase. I should have said:

OF COURSE It was scorching hot when I had to do lots of walking around, and OF COURSE that by the time I got back to the office, it started raining.

Goddamn luck.

Okay, this works for these things too.

Of course I had to fall down on the street like an idiot a few days ago.
Of course a man had to physically pick me up because I was squatting and I couldn't get up.
Of course today I slipped when I walked in front of a group of business men.
Of course my sister had to do OT when we thought we would go karaoke in town after work.

I can make a really long list out of this, actually.

Why me????? WHY ME?!!!

Self-centered much?


Gluttonous dinner recently at Makan Sutra.

Well, I'm gonna scoot scoot to bed soon. Here's to many more relaxed nights like this! ;)

Funny Thing

My relationship with my big man has been evolving, even now as we speak. One thing I can say is that it hasn't always been easy. My dad is one particular man, although not known for his patience or his negotiating skills because he's almost certain he's always right just as much as I've been trying to convince him that I'm not always wrong, there are a whole lot to admire from him.

For one, he does have the track record of keeping me alive, so he surely knows what he's doing. He's a protective father, the kind who would always think of his daughters as 15 year-old-kids who can't tell black from white, even though the daughters are now already in their twenties. Maybe by the time we're 40 and married, only then will he start treating us like adults.

Of course, his intention is noble, he wants to shelter us from the axes of evil as much as humanly possible. One way he ensures that we grow up to be nice and healthy kids is by subjecting us to such things as curvews and conducting thorough investigation of our male companions we brought home during school days.

So this is the same man, the same man who wouldn't even let me go to fetch a guy friend of mine from the airport, the same man who wouldn't let me be in the same hotel room with a guy friend for one second, who suddenly leaped happily of the idea of me going travelling overseas with a guy friend.

Huh?

I feel like he's been planning a wedding behind my back. It was so funny when I proposed the idea and he replied saying, "that's great! But Hong Kong? Not much going on there, why don't you ask him to bring you to Thailand or Vietnam?"

I needed to blink and see the screen once again to make sure I wasn't imagining things. Should I change the prescription of my glasses already?

As for now, I'm just excited. I meant to write excited, but I accidentally typed sexited. Ha! Ehem. Well. Honest mistake.

'S All Good

I love the bustling of telephone being put down on its socket.
I love the sound of keyboards tapping throughout the day.
I love the soft radio sound which accompanies me as I'm thinking and typing, no matter how hectic and quiet it gets.
I love the fact that I could see the sky everytime I look ahead.
I love clicking on 'sending and receiving' button on my work email just for the kick of it.

Everything's good right now, I'm enjoying it.

Still Here!

Feels like it has been ages since I wrote here last. Things have been moving along in a bullet speed! Work, for one, occupies most of my time and some friends from Indo are here so it's been such a fun packed days spent with them and as a result, I go home too late, sleep too little, spend too much money and all that it entitles; go figure.

I'm still waiting for the time I would start feeling guilty about it. Any moment now. Any second I'm sure.

Not that I'm complaining! It's always fun to meet hometown friends, rekindle with the old one and make new ones. These things can surprise you. It's funny how some of your old ones can dissapoint you while the people you hardly know can cheer you up tremendously. I guess that comes with the territory. The better you know someone, the more you know of their flaws as well. But, that's for another story.

I've been enjoying work so far, and although I do ocassionally still whine especially when I almost fall asleep in the office, it beats staying home all day and wandering around randomly. This week feels somewhat easy too due to the public holiday on Wednesday! I wish we could have more holidays, we only have one day off for the Hari Raya while our friends back home have ten! But well, I guess, Singapore is not one of the biggest Muslim country in the world...

The rest of the weeks in October seems long and evil from the looks of it!

Was talking to my dad earlier and he mentioned he might wanna go to Thailand for christmas holiday and I was like, 'why!!!' Okay la, to be fair I would be over in States and it's no comparison which one I would rather go to, but it's been ages since we had family vacation and the only time we finally will get the chance to do it, is when I won't be around! Seems like a cruel coincidence to me, but of course.

Today is the only time I can really relax and just browse the net like I normally do during my piggy days. It's good to stay at home occasionally. Yesterday I had the most wonderful time experiencing the Singapore Flyer!

I was so excited the entire day, we agreed that we would go at night so we hung out from the afternoon in anticipation.

More pics coming up in my Multiply later on!

Speaking of Multiply, that site has been rather abandoned as well [just like this one..], I feel so out of touch with the blogs I usually follow, the videos on youtube I normally always check out, and new songs on the chart!

At work I can listen to Class 95fm, though, and I can say in pride that Daniel Powter is their 'artist of the month' or sort! His song keeps being played over and over again, I love it! He actually wrote that song for his daughter, of course if you see the video clip, you would know!

Gosh, I seriously feel like I've lost my ability to write! I can't believe I'm running out of things to say! It might have something to do with the rain, yeah yeah. Sounds like an excuse to me.

So, hope you all have a good weekend as well! Once I charge my brain, I'll write more stuffs.