An attempt to revive my blog..

Let's take it easy..lift an article from the newspaper..

Hanging On For Dear Life(Lifestyle, 9 Dec 07)

'..What's hit me is how precious life is and grossly we waste it fretting over shallow things like money and recognition.

Can you call what most of us do really living? Or are we squandering what's essentially a priceless nanosecond of sentient existence obsessing over things that don't, or shouldn't, matter?

At the heart of modern-day existence is the warped belief that if you don't have a highfaluting career and the showy trappings to match(in other words, if you're just ordinary) then you're a failure. But what about those who lack the pre-requisite skills for glory or who simply don't want it? Are we to be filed under 'washouts'?

It happened at a dinner party one night in 1987 when the conversation drifted to the latest thing in hot(forgive the pun) kitchen appliances, microwaves. This wasn't your typical chinwag about household helpers, mind you, but an absurd boasting session of the kind one might expect about Ferraris. Incidentally, our host drove one but he'd bragged about that already.

Something snapped when I was asked 'Does your microwave oven rotate?' 'Well, not exactly, but you should see its balance beam routine'

Truth be told, i didn't own a microwave oven and didn't care to. Moreover it appalled me that the only thing my status-conscious dinner companions could think of to talk about was bloody ovens, even if it took all night.

Whatever happened to the great gab fests over beer in student pubs when people used to talk about real things, i wondered. Apparently, my peers had lost the plot and now believed that life boiled down to their branded microwaves.

To my mind, all of this equated with not living. So after seeking a dear friend's sagely advice, I decided to change my life, ditch my jon and supported myself by freelance writing, teaching and whatever odd-jobbing i could find.

That's what i've been doing ever since. Now i'm free to tag along on my husband's abundant vacations(he teaches in an international school) and i've gotten to see the world, something you can't put a price tag on.

But this lifestyle has nonetheless come at a cost, although it's a cost i don't care about. I'm not a bigwig. I'll certainly never be rich. And sometimes, at parties when people ask me what i do and then walk away, it's painful.

Why bother clawing our way up meaningless ladders when no one will ever remember, much less care about, the job or prestigious address we had after we're gone?

For certain, there really is a whole lot more to life than microwave, don't you think?'

-

Just woken up from a 2 hours nap..i haven napped in the longest time..as nuah as i am, i seldom nap in the afternoon..which means i was really tired..

Just like wat i mentioned in my previous entry, my stuff comes 4, 5 items together in a few days..and i would be be struggling to finish all of them..work, cca, personal stuff..or maybe i'm getting old..either that or i've simply gotten too used to a slower lifestyle..or both..

Was just talking to CAL over the past few days(poor thing got 'abused' by me on 2 occasions, but hey, wat're 'i've-known-you-for-more-than-half-my-life' friends for right?) It happened that she met a long-time-no-see fren while i also met a long-time-no-see classmate during one of the event..and both of us commented how different our frens were from last time..

People from the same school as you..people who once attended the same class as you..we all started on the same path..but 10, 15 years on, look at where everyone is now..The top student back then..is she/he now the high-flyer that you imagined her/him to be? Or ever thought the 'pai kia' in your class would turn out to the be globe-trotting expatriate? Have u seen the sports girl/boy recently? Is she/he still in good shape or has grown to double their original size? Or maybe the 'plump one' back then has a 6pack to show off these days..

Life..

Finally..

I have a few spare hours now..all thanks to the rain..had woken up at 715am for a 830am lesson..but the skies opened up just as i was walking to my lao kok van and so here i am, sitting in front of my pc typing away..

For the past 10 days or so I feel like i was sucked into some vaccum..3 busy days of work followed by some 5 days of extremely-busy-but-can't-pinpoint-exactly-why..and took me 2 full days to recover from all of these..just thinking about it makes me exhausted..

Oh did i mention my birthday was smacked right in between all the ruckus? Though it wasn't much of a celebration, special mention to 0.5 who had to contend with my ever-changing schedule while trying to arrange for a 'surprise' dinner with the rest..thank you everyone who had to accomodate to my timing and all those who remembered and sent your wishes through smses/msn/email(see the wonders of technologies - nobody sends cards anymore)

The only tangible thing i have to show for these 10 blackhole days is my new mobile(yes, i've finally gotten myself a new phone)And you know what's the most amazing function? It can predict your chances of pregnancy based on your menstrual cycle..no kidding!

29 Sep 07 - One Glorious Summer Night

In the end, i did not go for Cheer Chen's concert - A Piece of Summer..but judging from the review in Life yesterday, it must have been a good one..

'..Cheer Chen's fans took a while to warm, but once they did they were happy just to let her songs do the talking..It was difficult not to surrender to her soft-spoken, tentative banter and vulnerability of her vocals and lyrics..'

So how did I spend the summer night of 29 Sep?

Well, i spent it with 12(more or less) other people..erm jumping around and posing about in our beloved national stadium..

Between us, i think we spent no less than 60 years working under the seats of the grandstand..and have gone thru the whole spectrum of emotions..from depression(no joking) to fustration to indifference to joy to pure wat-was-i-thinking craziness(yes, tat day was a perfect example)..

One last time for everybody to be in the same office where we first became colleagues and now..friends..

And what would a gathering be without some food? Dinner was at the nearby Jumbo..guess everybody was too engrossed in the food..so no photos are available..

Dinner topic for the night was 'If you could turn into another female, who would you choose? Answers ranged from a 'really nice and pretty 'colleague(sorry 0.5 :Þ) to the beeeeaaauuutifuuuul Kate Beckinsale to the retro Cherie Chung..

I might have missed the concert but i guess it wasn't tat bad a way to spend a glorious summer night..

Update on my ear..

Guess i must give a 'jiao dai' to my readers out there who were concerned enough to drop me msges asking about my ear..

It's getting better now..i would say hearing is back to about 80%..and the good thing is, it managed to get so far even without syringing(while not an exactly painful process, but nevertheless not something i look forward to)

It's about time too..been almost a month since the problem started..

Fingers remained crossed..

More on ENT..

(This is gonna be a dry, technical, boring entry on..well..ears..so if u're not interested, feel free to skip this)

Just when i brought up this ENT thingy..there's an article on hearing and ENT in Life today..

The article focuses mainly on tinnitus, which is defined as a perception of a sound in one or both ears or in the head when no external sound is present; it is often described as the persistent ringing in the ears..whereas my doc diagnosed my case as otitis media which is infection or inflammation of the middle ear..so technically they are not the same..but i do get the 'ringing' in my ears too..

In the article, it is mentioned tinnitus can sometimes be caused by muscle spasms in the middle ear or eustachian tube, which connects the middle ear and the back of the nose, or may be due to abnormalities in the blood vessels surrounding the ear.

According to a ENT consultant, most of the time, the cause cannot be determined(maybe tat's also why my doc never seemed to be able to give me a logical explanation of why my ear always kena) There are however, many potential catalysts which are known to trigger or worsen the condition, including the accumluation of earwax, exposure to loud sounds, head or neck injuries, problem with blood circulation and jaw misalignment(dun think i am subjected to any, other than the earwax part)

The majority of people who suffer from tinnitus also have hearing loss, but the condition itself does not cause hearing loss(not much of a consolation..)

Another consultant(they interviewed quite a few docs for the article) says that people with an obstructed eustachian tube can experience hearing loss, pain or tinnitus especially during landing(while air travelling). Tell me about it..I can still vividly remember the pain i felt while flying to Stockholm some 2 years ago..the inside of my head felt like it was all being squeezed soooo tightly..it was really horrible and the pain took quite a while to subside even after i landed..

Yet another consultant says that 'there is no cure for tinnitus, but it can be managed such that it no longer disturbs'

'Although tinnitus is a symptom and not a disease, many people are very bothered by it' quoted another doc..

I totally agree with one of the doc's saying that 'it is often the annoyance and not the actual loudness of the tinnitus that affects the individual, and that over 95% of the untreatable patients will eventually adapt to their condition'

Hope i never get to that stage..

ENT

Ear, Nose and Throat..ever wondered why they're always a hospital ward called ENT? Well..they're all connected..

So..my ear is blocked..but wat i didn't reckon is my nose getting all blocked up too..tried to go for a jog the other day..ears felt blocked...nose felt blocked..couldn't really breathe thru mouth either..and i could hear myself panting real loudly in my head..for a while it seems like my whole head is gonna explode..

Anyway, i went to see the doc couple of days ago..and he showed my the diagram of the whole ENT system and how they're all linked..and telling me 'so you might experience nasal congestion too'..yes i know..

According to him, my ear condition has 'progressed' to media otitis aka infection of the middle ear(there's outer ear, middle ear and inner ear) Was given another kind of ear drops and oral antibiotics(this is bad, even when i had to go to the hospital in UK, i never had to take oral medication)

Another 3 days..and i'm due for the next checkup..keeping my fingers crossed..

Reason to Cheer

Cheer Chan - 陈绮真

喜欢她的声音， 很清纯， 带有点孩子气。喜欢她的形像， 才女型，不商业化。我曾因为她而去看舞台剧<地下铁>。剧里的她没让我失望， 歌声清晰无比， 她的现场功力也坚定了她在我心目中的确是个实力派歌手的位置。

前一阵子听说她要来新开唱。。有点小心奋。。

开始我还很认真的考虑要不要去看她的演唱会， 因为虽然说我很欣赏她， 我其实不是很熟悉她的歌曲。。也说不出几首，不就那两首<让我想一想>和<还是会寂寞>。。是它们让我认识陈绮真的。。那时下载了它们的MP3。。所以到现在还会偶尔听一听。。有时跟朋友去KTV， 也会点来唱(放心， 不是我唱啦) 而她的专辑，说来有点惭愧。。因为我也只不过买了一张， 而且是精选(虽然我听了没几次就借了出去， 也是只到现在才想起我有她的CD)

那天就随口问了问YS。。有没有兴趣去她的演唱会。。YS也说对她的歌不是太熟悉， 而且她不喜欢去Max观看演唱会， 因为她觉得音响效果不是很理想。。加上门票比想像中来的贵。。YS 说不如等她出演唱会CD。。所以我暂时把这念头给打消了。。

后来看到她的演唱会宣传广告， 记起了我还有听过<告诉我>和<和你在一起>。。

就在今天下午。我突然听到熟悉的旋律。。我记得我有听过这首歌而且相当喜欢。。只是好久没听到了。。‘说不出爱我的原因。。说不出旅行的意义。。’呃！ 这不是陈绮真的<旅行的意义>吗。。好听。。好听。。

突然又萌起了去看演唱会的冲动。。

旅行的意义

你看过了许多美景

你看过了许多美女

你迷失在地图上每一道短暂的光阴

你品尝了夜的巴黎

你踏过下雪的北京

你熟记书本里每一句你最爱的真理

却说不出你爱我的原因

却说不出你欣赏我哪一种表情

却说不出在什么场合我曾让你动心

说不出离开的原因

你累计了许多飞行

你用心挑选纪念品

你收集了地图上每一次的风和日丽

你拥抱热情的岛屿

你埋葬记忆的土耳其

你流连电影里美丽的不真实的场景

却说不出你爱我的原因(你勉强说出你爱我的原因)

却说不出你欣赏我哪一种表情

却说不出在什么场合我曾让你分心(动心)

说不出旅行的意义

勉强说出你为我寄出的每一封信

都是你离开的原因

你离开我就是旅行的意义

Wat's wrong with my ear?

Feeling a bit xian recently..think it might be due to my ear problems again..

This is like the 7th or 8th time(minus the many times within 1 incident) that i had to seek medical help for my ear..i seriously dunno wat's the cause or the prevention..

My local doc says it's 'nothing to worry about' and the ear is generally 'self-cleaning' and doesn't need external help(like ear candling - something i've always been tempted to try..but resisted for fear of my ultra-sensitive ears. The few doctors i saw in UK says ear problems are more common among swimmers(i'm not!) and people who use cotton buds - this i''ve cut down drastically ever since i started having ear problems a couple of years ago..so i'm really quite helpless everytime it occurs..

Granted, it's not life-threatening(though hearing might be affected in serious cases)..but it's bloody uncomfortable..besides muffled hearing..i tend to speak softer than usual..cos the sounds will be louder than normal in my head..as most people know, i already have the on-off habit of mumbling..imagine i mumble softly..people are just gonna hear 'shhh..ttbbb...cchh..'

For now, i can only try out the prescribed ear drops and hope for the best..

Something blog-worthy happened at last!

Met ah meng for dinner the other day and she was only 15(not 50!) mins late! And it was cos she went home to put down her stuff before meeting me..if not she'd be on time wor(or so she claimed)

Coming from a person who makes me wait no less than 1 hour everytime i meet her..it's a BIG improvement..no doubt this is due to her new job which requires her to take a ferry out from workplace..she even boasts that after all the training by the ferry timings, these days she can make it for 7pm dinner appts without any problem..we no longer need to save food for her(we used to keep her portions for her cos she'll only arrive when we've moved on to desserts..)

But to be safe..i think i will stick to meeting her after work..ha..

August

Again I'm doing the transfer thing..copying and pasting my posts from my previous blog to this one..realised i was really more 'on' last time..i've had 13 entries last Aug..seems like i average about 4/mth this year..hmm..

Anyway, i came across this particular entry which i posted last aug, which coincidentally was the same thing i told twink just last nite :

5 Birthdays in 10 days
Mama..YS..Ms P..somebody's angel..somebody's sister..
I concluded..Nov/Dec is peak season for mating..tis the season to be jolly..falalalala...

Erm, can someone remind who 'somebody's sister' is..??

Sleep is good and Mushrooms bad for you..

The less sleep you get, the higher your BMI tends to be. The likely explanation is that people who sleep five hours a bight were found to have 15% more ghrelin(a hormone that boosts hunger) in their bodies and 15% less leptin(which suppresses it) than those sleeping eight hours.

In case you think i'm making this up, this is according to a research in Virginia. Anyway this is also backed by OSM who claims all those whom she knows sleep early are skinny people..and perhaps this also explains why i've lost weight recently..

And according to another research(from Fliners University and the University of Toronto), the study squashed the long-held belief that taste is what turns people off food. The strongest component to bring on the 'yuck' reaction is the texture. After presenting people with unfamiliar foods that were labelled with fake name, the researchers asked them what they wouldn't eat and why. In the majority of cases, the reasoning was that they didn't like the way the food 'felt in their mouth'.

And guess what, apparently, mushrooms, tomatoes and onions were the most regularly rejected foods.

I rest my case..

2 Weddings And A New Baby - Part 2

Almost forgot this sequel until i ran thru my blogs today..was cutting & pasting my old blog entries again just now..

Yep..within the time frame of a certain week in July, i attended 2 weddings..this is unheard of in my 28yrs of my existence! Not too much mention a big hole in my pocket(osim - i can fully emphatise with your 1 mth-1 wedding blues now)

The second wedding of cos was tat of J Lo and his Wonderland..where everybody and everybody who's anybody in the sports industry attended the wedding..

At the same time, a fren also broke the news tat she was expecting a baby..not tat i haven't had friends pregnant before..but it's the first time a fren actually filled me in on the whole process of 'getting suspicious' to 'taking the test' to 'confirming the results' (refer to earlier para ; i dun have a lot of married frens). I could actually trace her emotions from being little worried, a little hesistant and a little 'expectant'(pun intended) and being, in her own words 'elated'..

Due date's sometime mid-feb next year..and i helpfully suggested 14th..easy to remember mah..at least for me..haha..

What a happening month July is..weddings..baby..and of cos, birthday of my 0.5 :)

Do U Agree?

Demolition of National Stadium - Losing a slice of history (ST, Fri, 13th Jul)

Flash back to 1973, when the National Stadium was first opened. Then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew declared: "From time to time, we shall throw up the exceptional sportsman or sportswoman. But that is not the aim of our sporting activities. I would rather see this stadium regularly used - morning, afternoon and night - by our students and adults from all over Singapore than to have it filled because of famous world-class teams.

How times have changed. The promotion of sports is no longer for the purpose of building a healthy and robust society; it is not but one of many profitable leisure industries.

One blink of an eye..

and half the year is gone..

Dun worry, i'm not about to launch into one of those philosophical blogs about checking your goals for this year whether you're on track to achieving them..

All i wanna say is..i've finally copied & paste all my 2007 blog entries from my previous blog over to here! Haha..Have a total of 33 blogs so far..averagin 1.26 blogs/week..not too bad..though could be better..heh..

ZXL jia you!

Opps..

I realised i forgot to report on the Adventure Race which happened on the 16th last month?

Since it's no longer 'fresh news', i shall not devote too much blog space to it(as if i've got many other things waiting to be blogged..haha)

From a race-spirator's point of view, i think the race is very..err..tiring? Cos i see them running..and running..and running somemore..our running experience(ok, maybe not mine but everyone else's) told us tat the teams ran about half a marathon, ie. 21km on the race..and i dunno if it's to be considered a blessing in disguise but during the later half of the race, it started pouring..yes, the i-can't-see-clearly-in-front-of-me kind of rain..which also sorta explains why my pictures stopped after the kayaking leg(when the skies opened up)

From the where's-the-traverse-section to do-not-stack-my-bikes-this-way(this is a occupational hazard i admit)I think enough has been said about the organisation of the whole event..even 0.5 and MsK got the new-found energy to complain, opps, i mean feedback to Ms P the moment they crossed the finish line(or wat seems like a finish line)

Hmm..seems like my attempt to swim last year was more exciting than this year's non-stop-running-action..

Oh well, enjoy the photos! http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=tthjh81.9v8gx76p&x=0&y=k7vzuu

2 Weddings and A New Baby - Part 1

Just came back from a wedding..JM' s wedding(refer to http://zxltimes.blog-city.com/catchup_blog.htm and http://zxltimes.blog-city.com/nz_jm.htm, sorry, hasn't cut & paste over yet..)

Which is why i'm still up at this hour(i've long given up the late hours, am usually in bed by 11+ nowadays)..how to sleep when i've just had a 10-course dinner barely 1.5 hrs ago? Maybe this will help me in gaining some weight(yes, finally i've decided to put on some weight..since i seemed to have lost some weight over the past 2 months)

It's one of those weddings where i can count the people i know on 1 hand(i dun even attend tat many weddings in the first place). In fact, the first query i had for JM when she invited me was 'Who else i know will be going?' Got the affirmation that 2 other ex-classmates will be there as well..so decided to 'give face' and appear..consoling myself tat it's a 'gathering dinner' with them..albeit a rather expensive one..

The first thing i heard(not saw)just now as i went up to the ballroom was JM's voice..somethings never change..sigh..

Anyway, we found out that we're being seated in the 'NY' table..only tat there's only 1 other girl and 2 guys(?!), so it's 6 of us eating 10 pax portion..so full so full *.*

Till the next cold dish and efu noodles..

ZXL's Happiness Index

Ask yourself this question honestly..on a scale of 1 to 10, what is your current happiness level? Average, on a daily basis..for eg, some people are a 5 from 0900 - 1700 hrs, and a 8 after 1700hrs, which works out to be about 6.5. Of cos there're people who might have a consistent index 24/7..which can be good(when it's high) or bad(when it's not)

Well, according to the very-not-scientific ZXL index, this is what your level means :

0 - 3 : You're obviously rather unhappy ; Something needs to be done to your life soon. Chances are you'll be better off with most changes(i mean, how much lower can u go right?)

4 - 5 : Hmm, there are probably a few unhappy factors and some redeeming ones in your life. Try and identify which are which and eliminate the unhappy ones, if possible. If not, just try to spend more time on the positive ones to boost the overall level.

5 - 6 : (I suspect a lot of people fall into this category)You are OK with your life. Life is not fantastic, but you can live with it. Chances are you're in a comfort zone. Occasionally, you think of seeking something to make yourself happier but at the same time you're worried that if it doesn't work out, it'll leave u worse off. My advice is to do a risk assessment before you make any drastic changes.

7 - 8 : Life is good for you. Maintain. Do not try and aim for a 10 all the time(refer to below). Accept that life has ups and downs.

9 - 10 : A high usually only reserved for special occasions, such as eating tat divine eclair, getting tat pair of shoes at a bargain price, receiving tat Coach bag for your birthday, bonus time, etc. Enjoy the moment!

Disclaimer : The author accepts no liability for any consequences as a result of following the above advice.

Finally!

I finally created my new blog..!

I guess it's not surprising tat i settled on blogspot in the end..given that quite a handful of frens are on blogspot too..most imptly, my blog buddy wei uses blogger..where wei goes, zxl follows..in blogosphere..tat is..haha..

Now gimme some time to create 'the look'..haha..

Finding the bearings..

One of the tasks in last Saturday's Adventure Race required teams to do some navigation using a compass to find the correct bearings..but..more of the race in the next few days..gimme some time to recover first..no i didn't take part but yes, it's tat tiring being a race-spirator..haha..

It's been quite a while since i found a newspaper article tat i really liked(which is another reason for my less-than-frequent-blogging)..finally came across one tat made me go 'i must blog about this', so here goes..

Finding My Bearings In Maze Of Life (ST 16 Jun 2007)

..She says, 'I've made up my mind to enjoy my life to the hilt'.

She laughs, a little self-conscious. 'Though I can't think beyond a year ahead.'

But perhaps more important than knowing where you're going is knowing where you're at.'

To live consciously, to live the way you want, is to hold a compass that you check from time to time. And, checking it, say 'Right - I know where i am.'

When you can say that, there will be no more mazes left in the world, only unexpected corners

Of cos this is only a very brief abstract of the entire article, which gives the background and explain why ths said character will feel this way. But i think it's a rather accurate reflection of my mentality..which is why i seldom ask people 'What are your plans for the future?' Cos i know if i get asked this question, i'll have no answer..and just like the character, i dun usually see beyond a year(some pple call it commitment phobia)

Maybe next time i'll just answer 'I'll check my bearings first' :)

It's tat time of the year again..

Adventure Singapore is here again!

Remember our team last year - Team SA? I still remembered vividly how i went down to register for the inaugural race last year..having walked in and out of the office 3x(1st time, no money ; 2nd time, forgot the receipt, 3rd time, finally)

This year..Team SA will be participating again..though the members have changed from 0.5 + 10 + instructor to Ms K and the other 0.5! The race format has changed slightly too..most obviously from a 3-member team to a 2-member team..more disciplines are also involved this year..which kinda explained why yours truly have wisely chose to stay as a spectator this time round..besides, i think our team has provided enough entertainment(and amusement, esp during the water leg) to last everyone for a lifetime.. *.*


And though i'm not in the race this year, it still feels like i'm involved..from attending the briefing to depositing the bikes to hunting for equipment..hmm..Team SA, u owe me one..


Stay tuned for the race report..haha..

Getting old..or am i?

Hmm..i think i should slowly get back into my blogging mode..so i shall blog..something..or nothing..

Well, the fact is nothing really exciting happened(a sign of slowing down?) in my life these 2 weeks..other than the fact tat i confirmed i'm 'no longer young'(but tat's not very exciting is it?!)

Played badminton yest..and feeling the effects everywhere today..from my back to shoulders to bum(esp bum). I dun rem feeling so sore in the past(or maybe i hadn't played for a while liao), recovery seems to be take tat bit longer nowadays..and my reflexes..always seemed to be half a second slow in retrieving the cock..being a tt player, i used to pride myself as 'quick-reflexed' :Þ

I figure late 20s is really 'not young anymore' in terms of athletic years..read before that athletic performance peaks in the early to mid 20s..and from there, it's a struggle to maintain at tat level..at the recent championships tat i attended..it's not surprising to see even 17, 18 years old overtaking 25, 26 years old players..Also, i was quite surprised to learn tat a lot of the national coaches are not much older than me, perhaps by 2 or 3 years? But rem i mentioned that performance dips after the mid-20s..so i guess that's when a lot of players move on from playing to coaching..

Buuutt....in life, late 20s can still be considered young right?? Though not as fresh-faced as 'just graduated', still not 'over the hill' yet mah..hor?

Maybe it's time to contemplate about life..again..? Sigh..

OMG!

I've actually neglected my blog for more than a month! I dun remember staying away from blogging for so long ever since i joined the blogosphere..

Well well..besides the same ole 'cuse tat i've been busy(yeah right..), the other reason being i'm supposed to move my blog to a non-charging one(since i dun foresee tat i'll be moving out of my LI status anytime soon) and I dun wan to blog add anymore entries tat i might have to 'abandon' in the future..

Anyway, in the past week or so, I actually have some free time which i could have used to blog(or hunt for a new site)..but to blog, i need not only #1 - time but also #2 - internet connection and #3 - power supply(for laptop). Which unfortunately i always end up with only 2 of the 3 requirements in some far-flung corner of the world where i was for tat 8 or 9 days..either i have power supply and time in my hotel room but no connection or i have time and connection but no power supply in the sports hall..or no time and..u get wat i mean..

Okok..pictures paint a thousand words..so here's wat i've been up to recently..www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=tthjh81.74sl8b3d&x=0&y=5ltex6

Till the next blog entry or new blog site..au revior!

Haven't been blogging much these days..

It's not tat i'm still feeling down..i would like to think i'm over all that had happened already..it's the fact that this blog is going to be a paid blog and there's no way sour olive me is gonna pay for it..so the only alternative is to shift to another blog site..

Which means the more i blog on this site now..the more i need to 'shift' over to my new site..if i do intend to 'cut & paste'..i've almost some 2 years' worth of entries here..i rem one of the first few entries is on MsK's bd dinner (flashback : http://zxltimes.blog-city.com/happy_birthday_amigos.htm) and wat do u know? It's time for her bd again.. 2 years later! Happy Birthday amigos!

Friday the 13th

Din really notice it was Friday the 13th today..

Nothing drastic happened today..though i did receive a piece of bad news..which somewhat negated a positive news i got..

Friday the 13th..sigh..

Finally..something more positive :)

The past 2 entries were rather negative..if not downright depressing..had wei commenting it's quite unusual to hear about me grousing about life - tat's her specialty u see :Þ

To show how grateful i am for ur concern..i'm gonna dedicate this entire entry to u and ur biscuit shop..enuf fren right(gou peng you ba)?

Yes, my long time pal wei has opened a biscuit shop so imaginatively named...'The Biscuit Shop'..which to me is a bit of a misnomer..cos the shop sells not only biscuits..but also sweets and those preserved titbits..and i thot 'The Titbit Shop' might be more appropriate..anyways...presenting 'The Biscuit Shop'!

To give a more 'upmarket' look, instead of displaying the metal 'gong', biscuits have been prepacked into $2 bags..so depending on which type of biscuit, it might be a slightly bigger or smaller pack.. and guess wat i bought? my contribution to her monthly sales quota :)

The packet on the left is the usual suspect - my all-time fave hup toh soh..with the familiar cashew nut on it...as for the packet on the right..'err..i think it's some almond biscuit, maybe got some almond essence..?!' (advice to wei : please know your products well..and for biscuits sake! it's almond, not pistachio!)

So for the 20 pple or so out there reading this..you know where to go for biscuits next time :)

The Biscuit Shop is located at #01-33, Tiong Bahru Market(yes, the chwee kueh market)

It's been a while..

..since i logged in to my blog..can't remember the last time i had such a big gap between entries..

A few things, major things, happened over the last couple of weeks..and as a result..had me feeling the pits..the realisation of things took a few days to really sink in..and while i'm pretty much to my normal self these days..there're still some decisions waiting to be made..

Meanwhile..life goes on..

-

This blog is shut till further notice.

Blog owner is feeling lousy these days.

I will not entertain any questions.

it's been revived!

Heh..my pc is alive again..just in time for my monday entry tomorrow..

It's sunday..

In case there are people out there waiting for my monday blog..my pc is down..

It literally got burnt..i saw sparks flying out from the modem..accompanied by a burning smell and smoke appearing from the cpu..together with a loud 'pop', my pc was dead..

Sigh...

TGIM!

Thank God It's Monday! Which means it's TAR again today..

And cos US is switching to summer time 1 month ahead of the usual April..i gotta wake up earlier at 8am to catch the simulcast on tv..

And as usual..i can't reveal too much of the race cos some of you might have have watched the episode yet..but aiya!! this leg is so exciting..so much to bitch about!! Trust me..if i say there're things to bitch about..it means there ARE things to bitch about..

Go watch..go go go!

!!!

Finally managed to log in to my blog..couldn't do so for the past few days..

Not that i have anything groundbreaking to blog about..until the first thing i saw when logged in was the notice that the blogsite is no longer going to be free! Which means i either have to pay to continue keeping this blog..or this blog will be gone forever..gasp!

I always fear the day when this site will crash/close/disappear..and in the earlier days when i was in UK..i attempted to make some backup copies of my entries..after a while, it got a bit tedious..esp when i was using public terminals most of the time..and then it was down to plain laziness..

Oh no oh no..now the day has finally arrived..wat should i do wat should i do??

NZ JM

Oh yes, i did mention about the NZ JM in my blog before..just got reminded..

In case u're wondering..she's the one who was 'experimenting' with the toilet flush in a restaurant and caused the water jet to spray out 5 metres away..

Ah..she's really quite good at creating 'headlines'..haha..

catch-up blog

The past few days have been rather eventful..

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For 2 days in a row, i've been to the hospital..not tat there's anything wrong with me..both times were because friends got involved in accident..

The first was a cyclist who got knocked by a car and flew off his bike and hit his head..the second was a motorcyclist who swerved to avoid a pedestrian..similarly she flew off her bike and broke her arm..but thankfully both of them are alright and are recovering well from their injuries..

In both cases, it seems that none of them are at fault..one was just cycling along on the road on a quiet sunday morning when the car just banged him from behind..while the other was riding along when a pedestrian suddenly dashed onto the road(apparently he's drunk) Which is why accidents are well..accidents..there ain't much logical explanation behind the occurrence..why did it happened? it just did!

So be safe my frens..

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Met up with some sec sch frens last nite..with the 2 JMs..i think i have introduced them before? There's the JM in London..and the JM from NZ..

Talking about the NZ JM..she never fails to spring some surprises on us everything we meet..maybe this time, the news wasn't much of a surprise since i don't really see her tat often..twice a year maybe? Anyway, she casually announced she's getting married..it's quite sweet as her husband-to-be is also her first love i believe..unless she has one before the age of 15(hope she doesn't mind me telling half the world about her love story)

They met thru a school production..and all seemed well until she had to leave for NZ for her studies after her Os..i remembered it was a heartbreaking farewell at the airport(for them, not me lah)

Fast forward to 10 years later, she was back in Sin for a holiday..still undecided whether to return for good or stay on in NZ..and somehow, boy meets girl and decided they're still meant for each other and got back ever since..All this while, the girl has had her fair share of boyfrens and the guy did go out with other girls too..But apparently when they met, they decided they're THE ONE for each other..

Sooo lohmantic hor..

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Somebody forwarded a website to me..it was the blog of an ex-classmate..

The blog depicts her life(obviously since it's a blog) and apparently she's based in Shanghai now..

Judging from the entries, the lifestyle she's leading now is wat most people would call glamourous(although somone just commented tat it's kinda boring..talks on shoes and clothes and nothing else).

Of cos, i'm not jealous or anything..i'm just glad she seems happy doing watever she's doing(i'm not sure) and yes, she does seem to be quite 'happening'..well, she's already very happening back in sch days so it's not much of a surprise....i think if we were to compare, she's on one extreme end of the glam continum and i'll be like at the other extreme end..haha..but it's not like i'm coveting for such a kind of life..just rather amused how different our lives turned ou though we were in the same class for several years..

Like i said, the girl's happy with her Prada..and me..well, i'm happy with my Panda :)

TARAS - Episode 2

Caught TAR All Stars in the afternoon just now..in case u have yet to watch it as u are reading this blog..i shall not give the game away..

I'm just a little disappointed with the way the team got eliminated this leg..though he did say in the post-interview 'i didn't quit'..thot his attitude was a little wanting..he even left the mat before Phil finished his usual 'i'm sorry to tell you that u've been eliminated from the race' thingy..was disappointed cos his attiude was so different from the original's season's..it's not like this leg's roadblock/detour wsa much tougher(it didn't seem like it..esp the roadblock..a little fustratiing maybe but definitely not exhausting mentally or physically)..besides they were on the race before, they should know what to expect..

Oh well..as for the winners of this leg..it's not much of a surprise..faithful followers of TAR would be able to guess which team was it..

TAR All Stars Edition!

Just finished watching the season premiere..dragged myself up at 8.55am to catch it..even though they're showing it again at 8.30pm..

And it's well worth the effort! So many familiar and yet not-so-familiar faces..Team Guido, The Frat Boys, The Midget team, are-they-or-they-not-a-gay-couple Oswald & Danny and of cos everyone's favourite villians Rob & Amber..i'm talking as if they're my old frens..heh..except for 1 or 2 teams like the coalminer and the blondes which i'm not really familiar with..i've seen the rest of the teams in action in their original season...yes, i'm a TAR fanatic...right from the very first season..actually my all-time fave team is Rob(not tat Rob) and Brennan..winners of the premiere season..a pity they weren't invited back for this All Stars edition..

It was a relatively short leg in this first episode..a flight to Ecuador and a detour, with all teams opting for the same detour..it was really a matter of speed & road navigation. The first team to get ousted this time round is Jon Vito & Jill..din really recognise them until i saw the names..and why is their relationship 'formerly dating'?? I thought they were quite the perfect couple back then..they were so sweet to each other and not bitchy at all..& if i remember correctly, they got eliminated in Singapore..?

Ahh..i can't wait for the next episode..

p.s. So if u happen to date me out on the coming monday nights and i reject u, u know why.. :Þ

Before it happens..

'It' refers to my pc crashing..it's showing symptoms liao..and 'It' already happened to my co's web server..it crashed and everything on it is gone..and gone with it is a database of >500 names & emails..sigh..

Anyway, this is supposed to be a happy blog..supposed to wish everyone happy new year..so here goes..

HAPPY PIG YEAR! ^oo^

Pink Underwear

Chinatown is the place to be these days..it's so happening that i'm unable to get parking lots near my place(twink u see, i'm a victim too)

Owing to the strategic geographic location of my dwelling(sounds like some ad for Singapore hor..think i've been hanging round STB pple too much), i've always been to the CNY bazaar every year without fail..from as little as 2 or 3 times to as many as 7 or 8 times each year(u know how when u're 'staying nearby', frens tend to call u up when they're down at the bazaar : 'hey, we're at chinatown, wanna come down?')

Stalls are pretty much the same this year..from the pot-bellied uncle selling lup cheong to the ang moh hawking sausages..the only new feature(at least to me) is the puppet show..u know those mini stage with the strings-drawn puppets...quite cool..

Anyway wat really stood out this year(again, to me) was the decor..dunno how many of u have seen the 'original' decor - the pink buntings(to put it nicely) or the pink underwear(to put it the way the public saw it) hung at South Bridge Road. In fact, it was so LC that pple wrote in to the Straits Times to complain about them..'an eyesore more than anything'..STB's response was that the pink cloth(to put it in a neutral tone) was merely 'works in progress' and more was to come..

But when it came to the official lightup some 2 weeks ago..the pink thing was gone and some other more CNY-looking decor was up in their place instead..

Even when i went down last week, the section where the original pink cloth was, the decor there wasn't lit up..whereas the rest of the street had lights on..it prompted my engineering fren rq to remark 'they probably haven't wired up the place yet'..to which the business student in me replied 'it's more likely they overshot their budget redoing their decor and can't afford the lights anymore'

So, u folks at STB..which is it? The wiring or the money? and wat happened to the pink underwear?? in the office somewhere??

TARA

The season finale of The Amazing Race Asia was shown last nite..& history was made..the race was won by an all-female team, never in TAR history was there an all-female winner..dun rem one in the top 3..was there?

Caught the show at 0.5's house(i have no cable tv mah)..think she was even more gan cheong than i was during it..even showing me her goose pimples when the 2 teams were racing to the finish line..And at the end of the programme, she turned to me and said 'i finally understand why u all were so crazy about TAR last time'..haha..

It used to be several of us like eggy, MsK, OSIM would refuse all dinner appts on Wed nites and talked non-stop about TAR..esp on Thursdays mornings..we were such TAR fans such tat MsK and i had even attempted to audition for the TARA.. & all this while, 0.5 would never understand what the fuss is all about..now we have a new convert!

Just as well..the TAR All-Stars edition is coming soon in 2 weeks..and i need a place to watch :Þ

Blogging mood..

The weekend is almost over..felt like i haven't had such a lazy weekend in a long while..

Except for a couple of hours spent settling some work stuff, most of saturday was spent nuahing..was flipping thru the papers when i chanced upon that 'Down With Love' starring Ewan McGregor was showing on Ch5 at nite..

So there i was, all ready to veg out in front of the tv..tuned in to Ch5 and realised tat they(whoever they are) decided to show the Sin vs Msia soccer match instead..not tat i'm anti-soccer(in fact i was quite on during the msia cup days) but when u r expecting Ewan McGregor to appear on ur screen, but instead all u get is some sweaty guys running on a field..it just don't quite cut it(btw, i think the yellow and black jersey reminds me of bees..B is for bumble bee..opps! *.*)

Channel-surfed a bit..not tat i have a lot of choices since i dun have cable tv..ended up on CNA..Japan hour..and guess wat's on? Some food programme..featuring MUSHROOMS! by this time, i was so into my nuah mood, i just continue staring at the screen..@.@

Then this morning, for the first time in a long while, i had the luxury of reading The Sunday Times all at one go..even had the time to cook a decent lunch for myself..garlic flower..yes, sounds strange but it's one of my fave veg..

Afternoon was spent doing work..yes, the good thing about working from home is that you can work anytime..& the bad thing about working from home? yes, tat's right..you can work anytime..including lazy sunday afternoons..but it was a cool breezy afternoon and it didn't feel so bad cooped up in my computer room..

Since i'm in a blogging mood..shall continue a bit more..heh..

I went Malacca from 24-25th..brought a company there for cycling..not too bad..cycled thru some kampungs and had lunch by a lake..even had durians for fruits! And i even brought back some 'souvenirs' too..

the culprit behind my 'souvenirs'

How true..

'It is my experience that the phrase "best intentions" is a red flag for all manner of misunderstandings..'
- Reflect(Lifestyle), 21 January 2007

PJs..

This is gonna sound weird..but tonight i have 2 people reporting to me what PJs they're wearing..and i'm quite happy with their choices..haha..

MsK in twinkle stars and 0.5 is da bao..wahaha..

c is for cookie

Somebody said she sings 'C is for cookie..and cookie is for me..' as a warmup for her vocals..Apparently it helps to 'open' the mouth..u know when u pronounce 'C'..

It was during a casual conversation the other nite over fried prorridge(it's really an item on the menu, not something u burnt in the kitchen) tat i realised..i'm always surrounded by people who likes to sing..and i dun mean just singing in the bathroom..

Take my secondary sch days for eg..my group of frens included many from the choir..and mind u, they're not just ordinarily choir members but people who actually sang the lead roles in the school's musical production..and i think mama's still taking singing classes till today? (tat's coincentally how she became 'mama' - from the musical)

Then there's my good pal from all the way back in sch, Wei..who took part in the school's singing contest..'you really know where to start..fixing a broken heart..' Nope, dun think she won though..ha..u didn't think i'll actually forget tat did ya? :Þ

YS, also a singing person..took part in her co's singing contest recently..

And of cos..my ssc folks..who will just burst into a song from the word 'go' (or any other word actually)..from high up in the mountains to down all the way in some ulu caves..just throw them any sentence and they'll sing a related song..and dun pray pray ah..we actually have a karaoke champion among us - 0.5!

So everybody..on the count of 3..
1..2..3!
C is for cookie..and cookie is for me..(and B is for bumble bee..and bumble bee stings me! - lyrics proudly written by yours truly)

Zzz..

Tat's the state i'm in these 3 days..Zzz..no thanks to the cough mixture, i'm perpetually feeling groggy..

I dun like this feeling..all wolly in the head..a bit like getting drunk but without the 'high'..

And i dun like the fact i can't indulge in 2 of my fave activities - eating and exercising..(note: singing is not included here..it's not my fave activity, it's my must-do activity)

I'm only eating at 50% of my usual appetite..imagine..half a bun for dinner..tat's not even enuf for my appetizer on a good day for me..

Planned to walk to the supermarket which is about 7mins walk away..but decided i was too weak for it..unlike some occasions even when i can't run or do vigorous exercise, i can still lift a few weights here & there..this time is whole system shut down..

Zzzzzxl..

Wat is it?

Is it the weather? Been really hot lately after the cats and dogs season..

Is it cos i stayed up late the other nite? Am i turning into a wimp? One late nite out can knock me out so bad..

Is it cos of the wasabi chips? Throat was feeling a bit dry then but was hungry..besides there was nothing to do at the pub except to listen to some guy talk about his waxing fetish..waxing cars that is..

Is it simply cos my immune system is too weak?

Tat's right, me is down..with a nasty cough and flu..

Dunno how come an innocent sore throat can deteriorate into a full blown cough and blocked nose in a matter of a few hours..it was so bad i fell asleep for 4 straight hours..in someone else's house..but u know wat? i aroused from a semi-unconscious state and found a home-cooked ai xin meal waiting..tat healing effect is something tat no medicine can offer..thanks 0.5 :)

Take care ah..zxl..

Post Entries

Supposed to blog post-xmas..now it's post-new year too..ha :Þ

Actually i think some of you were waiting for my post-xmas blog..particularly a 26 Dec blog..truth is, i prepared an entry for 26 Dec loooong ago..so long ago tat i'd forgotten about it..thot about publishing it on some other random day but think it's quite irrelevant if i did so..also, i had second thots about publishing cos it happened 2 years ago liao..yes, it's about my 2nd anniversary or should it be my 2nd birthday(since i was given a new lease of life from tat fateful day).

Actually i din take much note of the date until an earthquake struck taiwan..seems like 26 dec is really not an auspicious date..sigh..

Seems like we have to wait till this 26 dec 07 for tat one blog entry..

-

ST, 31 Dec 2006

Today, with affluence, comes new expectations. Sports For All has given way to Sports Excellence. The focus has shifted from mass jogs, swims and cycling to the South-east Asia, Commonwealth and Asian Games.