Aspire to Inspire

Blessings for a friend.

2008-10-29T00:35:00.000-07:00

This post is dedicated to Lingfang who has been a dear friend to me for the past year. Thanks to 동방 and Dionne, we have gotten closer, even more closer than during our secondary school days.

Happy 23rd birthday to you buddy!

May all your dreams come true and our friendship strengthen with each new day. 윤호 loves you and 준수 loves me. HAHAHA!!!

Save the babies!

2008-09-25T20:47:00.000-07:00

The recent news headlines have been revolving around Formula One first night race in Singapore, bombings still taking place in certain parts of the world, political crisis happening in some countries, the flood in India, etc. However I believe majority of us are more concerned about China's tainted milk incident which has already led to the deaths of 4 infants and illnesses of 54,000 babies.

Melamine, a chemical used to make plastics and fertiliser, when consumed excessively, can cause kidney stones and result in kidney failure. Babies are especially vulnerable. Melamine has been found in infant formula and other milk products from 22 Chinese dairy companies. Due to the selfish acts of businessmen who tried to cut costs by adding the chemical to watered-down milk, innocent lives were lost. Countries that have been importing milk products from China are now worried about their people's health.

I understand that this issue was discovered months ago (probably during the Olympics) but no action was taken until thousands of infants were rushed to the hospital. How could the businessmen continue to sell these tainted products when they found out that they were hazardous to human lives? Where is their conscience? If it was their own children who consumed the milk products and died, how would they feel? Would they allow the products to remain on the supermarkets' shelves?

"Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate."
(Psalms 127:3-5 ESV)

Friendship A to Z.

2008-09-20T23:52:00.000-07:00

Happened to chance upon a webpage and wanted to share these beautiful words with all of you.

A friend:
(A)ccepts you as you are
(B)elieves in "you"
(C)alls you just to say "HI"
(D)oesn't give up on you
(E)nvisions the whole of you (even the unfinished parts)
(F)orgives your mistakes
(G)ives unconditionally
(H)elps you
(I)nvites you over
(J)ust "be" with you
(K)eeps you close at heart
(L)oves you for who you are
(M)akes a difference in your life
(N)ever judges
(O)ffers support
(P)icks you up
(Q)uiets your fears
(R)aises your spirits
(S)ays nice things about you
(T)ells you the truth when you need to hear it
(U)nderstands you
(V)alues you
(W)alks beside you
(X)-plains thing you don't understand
(Y)ells when you won't listen and
(Z)aps you back to reality

To all my friends, I love you. Even when I do not call, it does not mean that you are forgotten.

TVXQ Comeback.

2008-09-18T21:22:00.000-07:00

After a long 2-year wait, the boys are finally going to release their much-anticipated 4th album titled "Mirotic" (totally have no idea what it means) on 24 Sep! Their comeback performance is scheduled on 21 Sep...just 3 more days!

I met Lingfang at the airport for dinner yesterday. This girl is so busy nowadays that I had to make appointment with her at least a week earlier. Lol. Anyway, we started talking about the comeback. She was mentioning about how hilarious Yoochun was in the mv. In case you are wondering, here is a screencap. This is really funny. :D

Sorry for the unclear and still pic. It's supposed to move.

Joe's I Wanna Know. I love this song and was surprised that Junsu recommended it on Bigeastation. *Nod nod* We have the same taste. Hahaha!

I am an idiot.

2008-09-16T23:56:00.000-07:00

Spent hours last night and tonight trying to configure my blog skin. Total idiot when it comes to editing html. I desperately need a book for dummies. In the end, I messed up all the links and the layout turned out to be a complete disaster.

A big thank you to Edeline for helping me solve the problem. I owe you a big favour gal.

Ladies and gentlemen, I shall now present to you my new blog. ~Lame~

Me and myself.

2008-09-06T23:17:00.000-07:00

School reopened today. This is my last semester...finally. There are only 6 words in my mind: 拼拼拼, 冲冲冲. Pray that I will be able to graduate by end of the year. Wish me all the best pals!

Class finished at 4pm and I was supposed to meet Meiqi to watch Hana Yori Dango Final together but in the end, she stood me up. Usually when my initial plan is disrupted, I will change my plan. In this case, I was thinking of going home since there was no one to accompany me to the cinema. However my classmates asked me "Why can't you watch the movie by yourself? It can be a very different and interesting experience." Those words struck me. Indeed I have never been to a cinema alone. This can be a 'once in a lifetime' experience for me.

For the first time in my life, I bought only one movie ticket and sat with strangers in the cinema. The theatre was fully packed and there were some Caucasians as well (wonder if they could understand because there were some flashback scenes from the drama). The movie lasted for about 2 hrs. Expected plot but everybody loves Cinderella story, who doesn't? I thought Matsujun was charming in the movie. Sorry, Ohno. Lol!

24hr TV feat Arashi.

2008-09-02T20:14:00.000-07:00

24hr Television is a charitable programme held yearly in Japan, where funds are raised for the needy and celebrities are involved in helping the handicapped to fulfill their dreams. This year's 24hr Television took place on 30-31 August. This is the second time Arashi is invited to be the main personality (the first time was in 2004).

I am so proud of the boys. Although you could see how tired they were (24hrs without sleep), they tried their best to do as much as they could by attempting challenges and entertaining the audience. Nino's letter, to the rest of Arashi and fans, was the highlight. 感動しました. 最高です!

Of course, I will also like to give props to Edo Harumi-san who completed the 113km marathon (1st woman to challenge this long distance in the programme's history) despite the fact that she is a celebrity, not an athlete.

P.S. Aiba did the letter reading 4 years ago. I have posted the link here.

Day out.

2008-08-31T16:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was CAAS family day. Since my mum is not in town now, I invited Liying to be my company. Given the previous years, I might give family day a miss but because the committee had arranged this year's event to be held at Singapore Flyer, I was keen.

Do we look like sisters? LOL

Showgirl Liying promoting her camera.

Snapped this cos I thought the little boy was cute.

A bird's eye view of Singapore. Though the scenery was beautiful, both of us became bored eventually.

After we left the Flyer, we went to Chinatown for KTV. 4 hours of continuous singing/screaming with just the 2 of us = sore throat. Lol. At about 7pm, we met up with Meiqi and Jim for dinner at Vivocity. No matter where we decided to eat, the queue was dreadful. In the end, we settled down at Sushi Tei after nearly half an hour's wait. By the time, I reached home, it was close to midnight. Completely shagged out.

I need a break!

2008-08-29T09:04:00.000-07:00

Looking back, this is probably the worst and busiest month for me in 2008. Meeting assignment deadlines, studying for exams, preparing and running training courses, blah blah blah...

Somebody save me please!!!

There are many times when I feel extremely exhausted and have the urge to give up. But thoughts like "My colleagues could juggle between their studies and work, why can't I?" will fill up my head and I do not want to admit defeat so easily, especially since I am completing my studies soon (just 4 more months to go).

Finally my exams are over for this semester. YaHoo~!!! I am now on a one-week term break before school starts again on first week of September. Need to recuperate for the last dash. Regina Go Go!!! 加油!!! 화이팅!!! 頑張って!!!

Stand up for big bang.

2008-08-10T08:54:00.000-07:00

Korean hip hop group Big Bang is back with their 3rd mini album "Stand Up". I really like their title track 하루 하루(haru haru) which means day by day. The mv is quite cool too.

Reminiscence.

2008-07-27T01:36:00.000-07:00

Dinner gathering with Yiling, Ruyin, Edeline and Adeline (my ex-korean class friends) at Awon Korean Restaurant, Excelsior Hotel yesterday. Anyway, we had buffet there for nearly 2 hours! Food was quite good. At least we all agreed that the side condiments are delicious because we kept asking for second servings. ^^ Throughout the dinner, besides updating one another on our lives, we were also busy 'fangirling'. Ahem. (心知肚明) Haha! Some photos we took that evening:

1.2.3. Say Cheese!!!

Omona!

All smiles!

Cycling and japanese dramas.

2008-07-06T12:14:00.000-07:00

It's been nearly a month since I last blogged and the reason's mainly laziness. Haha!!!*_* Another contributing factor is I stayed home almost everyday. There wasn't much to mention about.

29 June
Jess and I went cycling at East Coast. I ended up with muscle ache and ass pain for the next 2 days. That was how pathetic I was. After cycling, Jess suggested having dinner at Ichiban but without knowing that there is an outlet at Parkway, we decided to have western food at Astons (opposite Katong Mall) instead. The queue was long. We had to wait for about 20 mins till we had a table. Though Jess recommended the food there, we both agreed that our food served was not fantastic that day. Food prepared hastily usually do not meet expectations.

Feeling unsatisfied, we stopped at Ice Cream Chefs for dessert. Something special about the ice cream at this place was how it was mixed with condiments. I ordered mocha ice cream with Loackers and Jess had honeydew ice cream mixed with Famous Amos.

Sorry for the 'unglam' photo

Ice Cream Chefs should pay me for the publicity LOL

5 July
Arashi's riida Ohno finally plays the lead role in a drama series!!! I have just finished watching episode 1 of Maou(魔王) and I was really captivated by the wit portrayed in the murder and the chemistry between Ohno and Ikuta Toma. Thumbs up for riida! Another new drama that I am also currently catching is Code Blue, starring Yamashita Tomohisa and Aragaki Yui. This drama talks about 4 young trainee doctors working for DoctorHeli, saving lives and coping with pressure and their own individual problems. Japanese viewership actually reached 21% for the first episode. Amazing!

Philosophy of life.

2008-06-12T21:56:00.000-07:00

我不能决定生命的长度，但我可以增加它的深度；
can't decide the length of my life, but I can increase its depth

我不能左右天气，但我可以掌握心情；
I can't control the weather, but I can manage my feelings

我不能改变容貌，但我可以展露笑容；
I can't change my appearance, but I can put on a smile

我不能控制别人，但我可以主管自己；
I can't control others, but I can take charge of myself

我不能预知明天，但我可以把握今天；
I can't predict my tomorrow, but I can fully utilise my today

我不能样样第一，但我可以事事尽力。
I can't be number 1 in all things, but I can try my best in everything

Highs and Lows.

2008-06-03T11:52:00.000-07:00

I should be in bed but instead I am blogging now. Been down with a fever since yesterday and sleeping non-stop. I felt so 'sian' from all the napping so decided to come online. Anyway, here's a little backtrack of some stuff I did over the weekend.

Last Saturday (3 days ago), I met up with Di, Sharon, Shixin and Allyssa for ktv at Peace Centre. It was then that we realised that I have not seen Sharon and Shixin for half a year! *Gals, we should catch up more often!* Ktv was fun. We spent 6 hours singing and dancing/acting along with the songs. Classic scenes: Shixin's "Money Money Money" and all of us doing Singapore Workout in slow motion when I was singing S.H.E's 我爱你.

After ktv, Shixin and Ally left whereas the 3 of us went to meet Jess for dinner at TCC. Jess had just come back from holiday at L.A. and Macau. Our conversation that evening basically revolved around her trip, Di's trip to HK and other nonsense. Haha!

I had a sleepover at Di's place. Initially, we planned to make a gift for each other. Well, that plan was postponed and we ended up watching 我猜 and American Idol 7 clips together. Di and I were very impressed with David Archuleta's voice (plus his smile) and searched for his competition clips on youtube. I wanna adopt him too!!! Lol.

Both of us went to bed at around 1.30am and got up at 12.30pm the following day. You can't blame me for that as I was feeling really tired and stressed from the week's work. I continued to stay till dinner time as Di's mom had already prepared a feast for us. Meanwhile, we spent the entire afternoon rotting and watching TVXQ's Star Show, EHB, music videos and other random stuff. We also tried to sing and record our voices for a korean song. It was amusing as we messed up our lyrics and laughed into the mic. Dinner was fantastic. Di's mom cooked pork ribs soup (without using pork ribs but chicken wings), steamed fish, otak and veg. Simple yet delicious. Yummy!

I was enjoying myself one day and the next, I fell sick. I felt horrible and the medicine made me drowsy and restless. ZzzZzz

My ambition.

2008-05-24T00:20:00.000-07:00

I had just finished watching 5 episodes of the HK drama, Forensic Heroes 2. This drama is similar to the CSI series. It is really impressive knowing how the investigators use Science to solve cases. Watching this drama somehow made me recall my ambitions.

When I was younger and more naive, I was easily influenced by 'heroes' and desired to be like them. At the age of 12, I started to read detective comics and dream of becoming one when I grew up. I thought that it is cool being a detective as you assist and work alongside the police. However, when my mum told me that this job is not practical because I have to be extremely smart and observant to be a detective and the pay is not necessarily good, I gave up.

During secondary school days, I decided to change my ambition to crime scene investigator or pathologist, not considering how tough it will be to study forensics or whether I am the 'material' for it. Of course, you can expect that this dream of mine only lasted a year.

Besides the above mentioned, I had some other 'non-heroic' ambitions too. While I was in kindergarden, my neighbour's daughter was a flight attendant and she always brought stuff from overseas. I remembered being envious and aspired to become an air stewardess so that I can travel to other countries and bring souvenirs back. A typical 'wanting to show-off' spirit. That dream died off pretty soon as our family moved house and we lost contact with our neighbour and her daughter.

I studied 3 years hospitality management in TP and obviously, my ambition then was to work in a hotel. At least that dream lasted till internship. The glamorous image that I had in mind was totally erased after serving 6 months in a hotel and seeing how operations at the back office were like. Although I liked the job, it was tiring dealing with difficult requests/demands, difficult people and difficult expectations.

Well...perhaps you will find me a fickle person after reading this post but I believe that everybody will have different ambitions or dreams at different stages of their lives.

What's yours?

Flashback and flu attack.

2008-05-18T19:22:00.000-07:00

Wednesday. OB gathering to celebrate Mabelline's (Eeediort) birthday. Birthday girl could not make it last minute due to fever. The rest of us went ahead and had dinner at Sushi Tei @ Orchard. It was great meeting and catching up with one another after a long long time.

Thursday. Di departed for Hong Kong. Reminded her about my present. Haha!

Friday. I reached office at about 7.15am to prepare for a training. My best buddy, Jess, left for LA. Bon voyage pal and don't forget about my gift. Lol. Started to sneeze nonstop for hours till I could not take it anymore and went to see a doctor in the afternoon. Diagnosis: throat infection. The medicine made me drowsy. I felt better after a nap and met Fang. Together, we headed to Qi's place for a sleepover. Totally ignored the doc's advice to rest at home (oops!). We did not do much at Qi's house except watching anime and videos and sleeping.

Saturday. Fang and I left Qi's house in the morning. Fang had a date with a guy friend (sincerely hope that things work out between her and RK) while I went home to do my laundry and rest before meeting Qi, Suxin and Jayce for ktv at Cash Studio. Cash Studio was introduced to us by Fang and it has lots of foreign language songs available. Price is reasonable and outside foods and drinks are allowed. Throughout the entire 3-hour session, we were practically singing TVXQ's songs. Typical fangirls.

Disturbed.

2008-05-13T19:36:00.000-07:00

The end of days is drawing near. Acts of God are happening everywhere.

Though I am aware, I could not help but cry when I saw the news yesterday. Earthquake in China, tornadoes in US, cyclone in Myanmar and global food crisis. Every minute while I am typing this, someone may be dying. Death toll in Sichuan province has already reached 12,000 (after only 2 days) and more deaths are expected as aftershocks continue to pummel the region. Rescue works are not smooth due to the bad weather conditions.

This piece of news was not what really saddened my heart. At least, we see that the Chinese are trying to do the best they can to help with the support from other countries. What truly upset me is the Myanmar government for not accepting external aid to save their people.

Today has been the 11th day since the cyclone hit the country and the government was slow to respond. According to a local broadcasting station, 32,000 deaths were reported and it is believed that more than 100,000 are likely to be dead. Relief efforts are floundering and so far, only one-third of the hundreds of thousands of people affected by the storm are helped. Outbreaks of diseases and hunger are feared because the government is taking a long time to approve visas for the relief helpers.

This is not the time for the country to be concerned about politics or other issues. What is important right now is to save as many lives as possible, isn't it? I sincerely hope that the Myanmar government will speed up relief efforts. Otherwise, consequence will be severe.

Note: Sorry for the melancholic blog entry

To the heroines of our lives.

2008-05-11T23:16:00.000-07:00

Happy Mommy's Day!

I had the celebration planned 2 weeks ago. Since my mum has not been to T3, I brought her there for lunch. We had Thai food at Lerk Thai. Food was pretty good and not very pricy. After lunch, we walked around T3 and went to Eu Yan Sang as I wanted to get her bird nest as a gift but she refused. We ended up at Candy Empire where she bought chocolates and biscuits. My mum has a sweet tooth so it was no surprise that she prefers chocolates to bird nest. :)

Initially we wanted to catch Nim's Island at 2.45pm so we hurried to Tampines Central. However, my mum changed her mind and we bought tickets for Iron Man instead. We enjoyed the movie which showcased lots of technology and cool gadgets. After the movie, we had prata before heading home.

Anger management.

2008-05-06T20:35:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, I quarrelled with my mum over a nitty-gritty matter (come to think about it now, I think it's quite silly). Though it was not a heated argument, both of us were emotionally hurt. My mum felt that I was not being considerate towards her and I felt that my mum did not understand me at all.

Parents always say that their children take them for granted but don't they sometimes take their kids for granted too? I talked to Jess and Di about it and that was what Di mentioned. Compared to a lot of youngsters nowadays, I consider myself a pretty filial daughter. I will accompany my mum out for shopping or movies and think of what to give her on special occasions. Since young, I don't cause her much worries over my studies nor work, except for my spendthrift/poor financial management and stubborn character.

I know that my mum nags because she cares, however I get impatient at times and will answer back. That is when she becomes infuriated over my attitude and starts raising her voice. Being strong-headed and equally hot-tempered, I will raise my voice too and then...COLLISION. After cooling down, I will always be the one to apologise (of course since I am the daughter). There is no overnight grudge between family members and we usually 'patch up' when I say sorry.

Arguments are bad for health as both parties need to exert strength to quarrel. They can also lead to relationships being severed. I know this but often fail to exercise control over my words and tone and allow an argument to happen. As the saying goes "It takes 2 hands to clap". I may not be the one to initiate a quarrel but I am certainly the one encouraging it.

"In every dispute between parent and child, both cannot be right, but they may be, and usually are, both wrong. It is this situation which gives family life it peculiar hysterical charm."
- Isaac Rosenfeld

Wanted.

2008-05-03T19:51:00.000-07:00

Hooray! Exams are finally over! 1 month break from today.

My cousin's (or rather, his friend Desmond's) dog named Bobby. This was taken last December when I went to KL for the year end countdown. Now, Bobby has gone missing. Wandered out of the house and did not know his way home. What a foolish dog. Though I don't get to see him often, he knows me as a friend for 6-7 years and will always wags his tail to welcome me.

Bobby, I miss you. Come home.

Wishlist #1 getto!

2008-04-27T13:28:00.000-07:00

My inaugural post on the new notebook I bought yesterday. Lol.

Although it was mentioned in my previous post that I wish to get a Fujitsu Lifebook, in the end, I changed my mind to buying an Acer Aspire. After my ICM exam (1 down and 1 more to go), I met my mum and together, we went to Funan IT Mall. At the 1st floor atrium, there was an Acer exhibition going on and one of the deals caught my eye. The Acer Aspire 4920-812G25Mn offers the same specifications as the Lifebook but of course, at a lower price, which is brilliant considering my budget.

I did not purchase the notebook immediately but went to other shops to check out more brands and models. It was only after a few comparisons that I finally decided on this notebook. It is not the best yet good enough for my home use.

Learn from mistakes.

2008-04-24T06:08:00.000-07:00

Sharing 2 quotes that I stumble upon today.

Some of the best lessons we ever learn are learned from past mistakes. The error of the past is the wisdom and success of the future.--Dale TurnerYou must learn from your past mistakes, but not lean on your past successes.--Denis Waitley

Do you find that you are repeating the same mistakes twice sometimes? Well, at least that's what I feel about myself. Despite being told off the first time, I will still commit the same mistake again. I wonder if it's because of my obstinate character or my absent-mindedness, I will only learn and remember not to repeat my mistakes after making them a few times.

My new year resolution for this year (sorry I know it's very late): make an extra effort to be more aware and mindful of my mistakes, learn from them and never repeat them. *Fingers crossed*

Ways to eat hitsumabushi.

2008-04-16T22:52:00.000-07:00

It's been ages since I last saw Jayce. To be exact, it's since TVXQ Malaysia concert last November. Jayce and Suxin have just gotten back from Japan - they went to Osaka for TVXQ's T concert. Wish I could go too. Click here to read their fan accounts of the entire Japan trip and the 2 concerts they went to.

Together with Shiqi who found this place, we went to Clarke Quay for hitsumabushi(櫃まぶし), which is a variety of unadon(barbecued eel on rice with sweet soy sauce). The 4 of us were so high when we found out about this restaurant that serves the one and only hitsumabushi in Singapore. This dish is a Nagoya specialty. Thanks to my dear Junsu's publicity, it's a must for all TVXQ's fans to try out hitsumabushi. We ordered tebasaki(手羽先) as a side dish. Tebasaki, also a Nagoya-meshi, is actually chicken wings.

Picture credits: The WWW

How do you enjoy your hitsumabushi? Basically, there are 3 ways:

1. Take some of the eel & rice, put it in a rice bowl, mix and eat it plain.

2. Add condiments and wasabi to it for the second serving.

3. Pour some hot dashi over the eel & rice, eat it ochazuke-style.

I preferred the 2nd way because I like it with wasabi. Though the hitsumabushi we ate was not authentic (Jayce and Suxin tried it in Nagoya, at the restaurant that Junsu recommended, so they could compare), I felt really satisfied with the meal. I am not an eel person but hitsumabushi was great. Rating: 4.5/5 It's worth trying and you won't regret it. I could not remember the restaurant's name. It's somewhere on the 2nd or 3rd level of Central, Clarke Quay. It's priced at $18 for a normal bowl and $27 for a larger portion. In Nagoya, it costs $40!

After dinner, due to Jayce's unfulfilled appetite, we went to Azabu Sabo for desserts. I had machazen (green tea ice cream with azuki and dumplings) and the rest had ice cream parfaits. Overall, last night's meal was sumptuous. Oishii demo takai!

My wishlist.

2008-04-07T23:48:00.000-07:00

My Dell desktop has been with me for nearly 7 years. Though it's still faithful (after 2 repairs), I am already experiencing 七年之痒. Together with Yvonne, we went to Funan IT Mall last Saturday to check out some 'good and cheap' notebooks. Initially, I wanted a pink Sony Vaio. Well, you can't blame me. The colour and sleek design really appealed to me. However after taking the other considerations into mind, I decided to go for Lenovo Y410.

The product specifications were pretty good: operating on Intel Core 2 Duo T8100 Processor, Windows Vista Home Premium, 3GB RAM and 250GB HDD. I only had to top up $229 for additional 2-years onsite warranty. At least that was what I wanted until I saw the Fujitsu Lifebook A6210. Yvonne and I were immediately attracted to its pearly white conservative look.

The specifications are similar to that of Lenovo Y410, except that the screen is 15.4" wide. I prefer a bigger screen where I can watch videos and type without squirting my eyes. This notebook is definitely the number 1 item on my wishlist.

The Sony Ericsson W890i mobile phone is up next on my list. My Singtel plan is expiring next month and I can't wait to get this phone. My current handphone has been giving me problems - automatically switches off though it is fully charged and tends to hang sometimes when I am messaging. I have played with the W890i and found it user-friendly and cool!

Number 3 will be the Plantidote™ Mega-Mushroom Face Lotion from Origins. I love Origins skin care products cause they are made from organic ingredients and will not damage one's skin. I am using their facial wash and find it suitable for my combination skin. Although I am recommending their products, they are slightly on the high end for me. The face lotion costs $195 for a 100ml bottle in the airport. Can you imagine the price in a retail counter at the shopping mall? It will certainly cost much more.

Anime, manga and games.

2008-04-02T19:27:00.000-07:00

Recently, I am hooked to Prince of Tennis(PoT) anime series again. "Again" means that I have watched it once before, about 2 years ago. I am currently catching the ova - national championship on crunchyroll. I read the comics before watching the anime. Heard that the manga is coming to an end soon. Can't wait. Though the tennis moves tend to be exaggerated, PoT is a cool manga and anime series that should not be missed. P.S. I adore Echizen Ryoma and Fuji Syusuke. Hahaha!!!

Another recommended anime/manga is Fruits Basket. The complete comic set is available but the anime only shows half of the manga. Being a detective story lover(even dreamt of becoming a detective when I was younger), be it Kindaichi no shounen jikenbo, Meitantei Conan or Tantei Gakuen Q, I have read the manga and watched the anime+drama. I have been collecting Meitantei Conan comics since I was 12. There are now 60 of them lying in my book shelf. Sad to say, the mangaka has no intention to finish the series soon. ~Sigh~

As part of my leisure, once in a while, I will play online games. Treasure hunting or action games are my favourite. If I go to the arcade, Time Crisis is my number 1 choice. I am not really an expert but I enjoy this game. My classmate, Wendy, has a PS3 and is planning to buy the Time Crisis game and gun set at the end of the year. I will definitely visit her house often to play. Hope her husband does not mind though. Lol.

Backtrack of events.

2008-03-31T10:45:00.000-07:00

22 March
Happy 25th Birthday to dear Yvonne!
My wish for you this year: Be confident! Believe in yourself! Lets meet up soon!

26 March
I finally plucked up my courage to let the dentist operate on my gum. After finishing all my previous medicine, my gum infection has relapsed. Although he injected anaesthetic, I was practically shivering in fear and pain when he cut out my top gum. Bleeding stopped after 2 hours but the uncomfortable sensation did not go away till a few days later. My mouth swelled badly. The medicine and oral aid did not really help to ease the pain. The first 2 days were a torture. I could only eat soft/liquid food and avoid brushing my wound or opening my mouth too wide. Even swallowing of saliva is a chore. I could not imagine going for a wisdom tooth extraction. That would be much worse than this.

30 March
Hooray!!! I submitted all 3 ICM assignments and did a group presentation in class today. That means I am only left with one last GM group project due for submission this coming Friday. To think I managed to endure my toothache and complete the assignments, that's definitely an achievement. Hehe~

TGIF.

2008-03-21T22:22:00.000-07:00

"My joy is in the Lord!" Today's a day where all Christians give thanks for our redemption through our saviour's death.

I would like to share a few of my favourite bible verses here in my blog. The verses are extracted from Ecclesiastes 5:1-7. "Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God...As a dream comes when there are many cares, so the speech of a fool when there are many words. It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfil it. Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore stand in awe of God".

Have I been quick with my mouth before thinking through the message? Have I made promises and broken them? Sad to say, I am not a very faithful Christian. There were many times when I tend to be stubborn and rely on myself rather than turning to the Lord for advice and leaving my woes in His hands. We, being the children of God, should constantly do some soul searching and reflect on our ways and words. Remember to ask for wisdom whenever you pray to the Father. Amen. :)

August rush.

2008-03-09T00:34:00.000-08:00

Have you watched this movie? You can and should catch it in the cinemas now. I spent my Saturday afternoon watching it online. (Oops!) It left me with goosebumps after I have finished the movie as I was so touched by the main character's faith and love towards music.

A brief synopsis of the movie: Evan is an 11-year-old who has been raised in an orphanage. He believes that the music that he can hear in everything from the wind in wheat fields to the buzzing of electrical lines, is some kind of message from his parents, whom he wants desperately to find. One day, he embarked on a journey to search for his parents. He met 'Wizard' who taught him music but also at the same time, making use of his talent to earn money. By chance, he attended Julliard and was able to perform in a concert...Ok, I shall stop here. Curious? Go to the cinema! :)

The journey all started out of the little boy's faith. He believed that his parents love him and had no intention to abandon him. He believed that everything he heard was like a lighthouse guiding him towards them. He believed that if he keeps playing music, he will be reunited with them some day. This made me ponder. How many of us actually do have faith like Evan? Faith in our Lord, faith in our loved ones or faith in our friends.

Freddie Highmore (he is Charlie in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, remember?) is a great actor and of course, the other cast members are fabulous too. I will definitely be heading to the cinema for The Spiderwick Chronicles which he starred in as well. Lol. Becoming like a fangirl. *Squeals*

Wisdom teeth = trouble?

2008-03-05T19:42:00.000-08:00

Wisdom teeth are generally thought to be called wisdom teeth because they appear so late—much later than the other teeth, at an age where people are wiser than as a child, when the other teeth erupt. Do you agree with this? I seriously doubt it cause they have been causing me some troubles. They should be known as "problematic teeth". So far, I have 2 wisdom teeth developed at my lower jaw. Usually, they are obedient but occasionally, they misbehave.

I went to the dentist today, after enduring the pain for 3 days. The gum, near to my wisdom tooth at the left side of my mouth, has been infected...again. It was 5 months since the last infection. It seemed that my tooth is growing well but my gum does not allow it space to grow. Hence, the dentist told me to try operating on my gum the next time an infection occurs. Jess advised that it's safer to go for a scan first. Well, I shall wait and see if my condition gets better or worse. Pray hard that I need not operate on my gum or teeth *fingers crossed*.

Breathing within spaces.

2008-02-23T06:38:00.000-08:00

It's been a week since I last blogged. The past week has been a hectic one for me. Meeting my school assignments deadlines, helping out at the Singapore Airshow (SA) Summit Dinner/Summit/Exhibition, preparing a course that will be starting in March and blah blah blah...HELP!!!

Despite the 'busy-ness', I was glad to be involved in the inagural SA. I did not have the chance to catch a glimpse of MM Lee nor Mr Raymond Lim nor PM Lee but I saw PM Lee's wife and the Black Knights real life. In case you have no idea who the Black Knights are, allow me to explain. They are fighter pilots from the Republic of Singapore Air Force and one of them is Zoe Tay's (you should know if you are Singaporean) husband. Lol.

My responsibility at SA was to man SAA's booth and answer enquiries concerning our training programmes. At times when there were no 'customers' at all, I would either help my colleagues pack goodie bags or visit other exhibitors' booths to collect their goodies. I also managed to watch the flying display ( I love the performance by the RAAF Roulettes) and even get the Black Knights' autographs :P . Thought the overall SA working experience was fun because I got to build new relationships with some of the HQ colleagues.

If you miss the SA this year, be sure to catch the next one 2 years later! (SA should pay me for helping them advertise...hahaha!!!)

Toast to saint valentine.

2008-02-15T16:58:00.000-08:00

14 Feb. Went to work as usual. Later the morning, XX asked either Joyce or myself to join in a Singapore Airshow recee cum meeting at Raffles City. In the end, both of us went(as Joyce did not wish to go with the bosses alone). We were forced to sit through an uncomfortable meeting with the other involving parties at Introbar for nearly 2 hours or so. It was a torture as we were not in the loop of what was being discussed in the first place. Well...on a brighter note, at least we had a free drink each before Joyce and I left.

I left Raffles City to meet Fang, Qi and Rain at Central, Clarke Quay. Rain gave me a pink rose. Thanks! It has been some time since I last received a rose from someone(Oops!). After the 'vigorous' shopping, we headed to Lau Pa Sat to meet Di. It was a hard time trying to settle ourselves down at Lau Pa Sat due to the 'overwhelmed amiability' displayed by the various store attendants. We ordered satay, la la, mussels, stingray, bee hoon, fried kailan n fried dough fritters. It was a disappointing meal. The satay and bee hoon were not too bad but all the rest were below satisfactory as they were served cold to us. *Cheat our $*

We decided to 续摊 at the Coffee Club. Had lots of fun chatting...about anything and everything, including terrorists, fear factor and making fun of the melted chocolates that Fang bought. Hahaha! After dessert and coffee, we did not want to end the night yet so we found a quiet and nice spot at the MRT station and started to take photos. With the 5 cam whores around, you can expect this 'photography session' to last for at least an hour. It was hilarious posing and taking the photos and equally amusing looking through the pictures now. :P All thanks to L'Yuris & Stayovers, I enjoyed my 14 Feb.

Gobi chocolates(though melted) - Courtesy of Fang aka Jung Yuri

Aren't they pretty? Pink roses - symbolise elegance & refinement

Left-Right: Qi, Di, Rain, Me and Fang :)

Dear friends, so long.

2008-02-15T13:25:00.000-08:00

For the umpteenth time, my nose bled again yesterday. After a few scans, the doctor assured me that the bleeding was caused by my vigorous rubbing against my fragile vessels(sigh~blame it on my sensitive nose and rough fingers). Result: I took medical leave and rested at home.

Initially, I thought of 'bang-saying' my secondary school friends in the evening as I was too lethagic to get out of the house. [Note: We had planned to meet for dinner at KimGary in Vivo after nearly 3-4 months of not seeing one another.] In the end, I gave this thought a miss and turned up at the gathering. Thank goodness I went. I really missed them. Everyone was either busy with work or school or relationships that we did not manage to meet up often since the cambridge dinner years ago.

Despite the absentees and short hours spent together, we just had so much to share with one another. I was indeed fortunate to meet all of you - Jess, Di, Sharon, Shixin, Allyssa, Tong Jee, Clara and Jingzhi. You gals definitely light up my life! Promise that such gatherings will be more regular so that I won't have a chance to miss you all too much(seriously dislike that feeling).

"Though our communication wanes at times of absence, I'm aware of a strength that emanates in the background."-Claudette Renner

Home for CNY.

2008-02-10T12:33:00.000-08:00

3 years since the last time I stepped into Penang, my home town. Many changes have taken place, so many that I could not even recognise my place of birth.

The Chinese enjoyed a long CNY holiday this year. My mum and I were back in Penang 2 days before the lunar new year. It felt good to be with my relatives(especially the new additions in our family - my nephews and niece). Adorable as they can be, it was not easy getting them to talk or play with me in the beginning. Fortunately, they accepted me on the 3rd day I was home.

There was not much to be done - no shopping and no eating out as shops were closed. I merely spent my vacation catching up with my 'long time no see' family members, watching tv and working on my essays(Urghhh...why did the lecturers give so much assignments over the festive season???).

Before I left, I made a pact with my relatives that I would visit Penang at least once a year. Otherwise, my nephews and niece* might have forgotten their aunt. I took the night coach back S'pore alone as my mum will be going to Bangkok with my cousins the next weekend(ENVY).

* I forgot my camera!!! Should have brought it and taken some shots of my cute little ones.

Be strong, my friend.

2008-01-25T01:45:00.000-08:00

Shocked. Just 2 days ago, I received a text that Eeediort's father was admitted to the hospital due to heart attack. Just when we thought of visiting her dad after work, he passed away.

Upon hearing the news, my mind blanked out and the next moment, I was suddenly thinking my own father. Wanting so much to comfort my dear friend but I was struggling with the right words to sms her. Never had I gone through such an experience before. My grandparents passed away when I was a little kid and I did not attend any of their funerals before. In the end, I merely text “节哀顺变”.

OB went for the wake last night. It was a relief to see Eeediort talking about her dad and crying. We went to take a look at uncle's face. When I saw how peaceful he looked, I knew that he must be safe with the Lord right now. "Don't worry, uncle, about your family. RIP."

To Eeediort, OB is always here for you. Although there is a limit to how much we can help, you can still rely on us when you are feeling weary. It's ok to be sad, furious or disappointed but treat all trials in your life as part of growing up. Growing up to be a stronger person. You can do it! We love and support you.

Hail to the queen.

2008-01-17T23:48:00.000-08:00

Happy birthday to me!

Happy birthday to Regina aka Gwong Dai aka the Retard!

Happy birthday to me!

Hahahahaha!!! Please pardon me for being 'high'.

My special thanks to the Stayovers(founded in Dec 07 and officially announced on my birthday): You gals have certainly made my day. Thank you for the cushion massager though I actually desired for a new wallet. We should go out more often. I guess the next stayover will be @ the Lost Alien's place? :)

My special thanks to OB: I cannot imagine life without the 6 of you. We have created many beautiful memories together - ktv sessions, shopping, dinner @ sushi tei, cycling and I believe there will be lots more to come. Jim - thank you for your song dedication though I didn't have a chance to listen to it.

My special thanks to Jess, Mandy, HJ and Lem: Thank you for remembering my birthday since the first time we celebrated it 10 years ago(oh no!). Catch up soon k? Jess - thank you for being my best bud for the past 8 years.

My special thanks to Yvonne: Girl, you are just too good to be true. Always listening to my grumbles and sharing my joy. Think I have over-depended on you but I know you wouldn't mind. :) Your “贺小美” will appear in your life soon. I will definitely help you to keep a lookout.

My special thanks to 엄마: 您是全世界最棒的妈妈。虽然您对我的管教非常严肃，我知道这都是为我好。谢谢您始终都没有放弃我。我爱您！要健健康康的喔~