Counting down to CNY

Ikan buddy is back in town!! And my US uncle will touch down in a couple of days too!! Wonderful! =) And CNY is just 1.5 wks away. I can't wait for it to swing by. What a super legitimate excuse to rest, play and really not think of work for a while. Play some rounds of stimulating mahjong, feast on rich glorious yummies, nibble on bak kwa, slurp fizzy sugared drinks, stay up late and count ang bao $. Dear Ikan, aren't u glad u are back?! =)

Korean Grill

Tried Korean Grill tonight. At a place called 'Ju Shin Jung' opposite Haw Par Villa. What a spread of side dishes they serve!





I mean, the main meats are decent-tasting, but I'm not sure they are really worth the price. 2 pork chops with 5 side dishes costs ~$22+++.



Now, what really captured my attention are these 2 weird-looking, white pellets. Try guessing what they are!



Hint: pour water into the dish and the white pellets will be 'transformed' into...



Ans: wet tissues!!!!! Amazing Korea.

chance meeting

And it is true. Absence somehow has the ability to make the heart grow fonder. You start to remember the person as being much nicer/attractive/desirable/must-have-able than really is true?? But when you finally get to meet - whoosh... the feeling wasn't that intense afterall. The higher the expectation, the more mundane the whole thing is going to turn out..? *Bleh*

J (the 'long disappeared' J), appeared at institution for a briefing today. I mean, it was great to finally see him in the flesh. But somehow, the feeling wasn't as exhilarating as imagined would be. Perhaps, it's all the recent weeks of work complexities clouding my senses, blocking out the neurons, shutting down the brain.

Hmmm..... but I'm still very glad to see him. Guess that'd do for now.

Will you marry thee?

Hmmm... just finished drafting up the emcee script for an upcoming wedding luncheon of a long-time pal. He's getting hitched to his uni galfren of 3+yrs this saturday. No yum sengs, no cake-cutting, no champagne bottle-popping. Just good ole fashioned homemade videos, good food, (great emcees - haha), casual-comfy wear, lots of love and laughter. In natural (or as natural as it can get in concrete spore), lush surroundings, not some claustrophobic high-rise hotels. Cool.

This will be my 3rd time on stage. And I am beginning to become consciously aware that, once again, I'm playing the 'supporting actress' role. I mean, no doubt, it's a hugely important and honourable role, for one has the power to subject the guests to 2-3hrs of terrible voice quality, poor pacing, muffled mumblings, miscues and etc etc (don't worry, I won't do this to you). But this time, as I look through their programmes and plan the script, I begin to really ponder over my own fate. Will I end up being only capable of doing this for my good friends for the rest of my life??! To be at everyone else's wedding but my own??! Nightmare!

Spare me the cruel twists of fate, please.

Hub of all Hubs

I think I may be developing an allergy for that 3 letter H word.

We want to be a H** for this, a H** for that. And not to forget a H** for that, and that, and that, and that, and oh that too! Ahhhhhhhhhh....

There's a Chinese saying that goes 'A sparrow may be small, but it has got all its organs and limbs intact'. Used in a favorable manner to mean that one's small size does not make one handicapped. Take it further, it can be used to motivate one into striving to achieve its best potential, despite physical limitations.

We are like the sparrow, small in size but with all pertinent organs and limbs intact for survival and excellence. We have been thriving and excelling. But are we becoming so ambitious that we see ourselves as Ostriches - the largest living bird on Planet Earth? Must we be the King of Hubs to survive? Must we be a multi-hyphenate? A jack of all trades AND a master of all too??

One more annoucement to be another H**, and I think I'd need an oxygen tank.

I'm one for progress and excellence. But I'm also a realist. And I worry for native folks who find themselves out-paced in this increasingly multi-hyphenated homeland.

Exasperation

Written on Wed afternoon. From me to...

It's exasperating how you seem to create your own problems.

Many things can actually be done/solved much more simply (or so I feel). As long as you have thought through the situation thoroughly and based your final decision on logic and feasibility, there shouldn't be too much defending and/or back-pedaling to do.

Get your buy-in, and work on the stay-in. If things are not happening, pls ask the right people why, and listen with a real intent of accepting constructive feedback, if any. No (or at least minimal) judgement, pls.

And pls do not stubbornly hold on to failed strategies just for the sake of doing so. That frustrates a lot of people (but actually, do you care?)

Finally, it also helps if you are prepared to build in structure when and where is needed. We definitely value autonomy and creativity, but unguided freedom yields chaos and are counter-productive. A balance is what we ask for.

Brain-drilling does not work. To most of the living souls out there, it has never worked.

Love Actually

Entry written on Tue, during an MRT ride

If you need some inspiration for finding love, tune in to Channel U every weekday night, 10 to 11pm.

The korean drama being screened (Coffee Prince or smthg) is hilariously heart-warming! Full of laughs and love, the antics make one feel like jumping right into the throes of puppy passion. Never mind the possibility of rejection, for the sweet rewards of reciprocration are worth a million times more. Surrender to your inner desires and heed thy heart. Coz according to the korean drama, it (almost) always pays to confess true love. =P

Guess life will never be as fluffy sweet as these dramas, but it probably wouldn't kill to give it a good shot when it matters, or would it? Afterall, life shouldn't be like a decaying bittergourd.

Escapade

Haha, what a satisfying feeling. The blissfulness of having your sudden urge timely fulfilled is pure greatness.

Just 2 hrs ago, was flipping thru' the Urban section of Straits Time and came across this foodie recommendation on the newly opened Crystal Jade Hong Kong Cafe along Liang Seah Street. The write-up on 'deep fried pig trotters with garlic', 'instant noodles with fried egg & pork chop', 'red bean jelly dessert' etc was so tempting.. I felt hungry almost immediately. And thank Buddha that dad's around, so off we zipped to Liang Seah Street! Perhaps, this is what they call 'instant gratification'. It's almost sinful. =P But shiok.

Anyways, got to show you some pics on this wonderful hideout (since it's a hideout, I can't reveal its location here, but watch the news on 19 Jan and that will be THE place). A great haven, all the more so for the uber-rich. But for us 'passer-bys', it's still a real nice chill-out place, before the crowd swarms in of coz.









My IE pal brought the few of us there, coz her hubby's one of the priviledged few who snagged an enviable job at that corporation. Had an enlightening, private tour, through the zones of restricted access, right up to the door-steps of those luxurious structures (each of which has a price tag of 6 to 7-digit figures). Such a charming and eloquent man, with quick wits and a great physique to boot. My pal's definitely a super lucky woman. I wonder if he's got brothers. =)

TGIF tomorrow! It's been an exciting start. Sure hope the rest of this year goes well. Stay challenging, but smooth.

?

Downtime.. no real mood to scribble, hence the rather long absence. Maybe the energy's all been spent in work zone. Am not complaining though, this new portfolio has brought along fresh challenges - tough but stimulating. At least, it's something different from what I've done over the past 2 yrs. And got a new class to nanny too. Been clocking 12hr days in institution for the past half wk. But balancing it out with gym visits and zzz over the weekend. Feels like an okay start still. Sure hope the rest of the days will be as fine, if not better.

After this, the next target will be to (finally) get my driving license. I need to beat the taxi fare increases, and to spare my ears of the many well-meaning 'naggings' of my dear pals and family. They are right, I am way overdue.. :P

Happy New (ang moh) Year

Call it desperate but I made an over-the-weekend getaway to KL (yes, again) to look for dad + savor some last moments of R&R. Aunt & cousin tagged along too.

Sungei Wang, The Curve, One Utama - 3 shopping malls in 3 days. And the best buy? Definitely the REAL O2 Zn leather case that had gone extinct in Spore. I got it at the Digital Mall at a cheaper price too! You can imagine that ear-to-ear grin plastered on my face. =)

Returned to island in time for countdown @ Habourfront bus terminal. Goodbye 2007, and Hello 2008. A busy year of changes and challenges, of learning and growth, of performance-pegged recognition, and of greater inflation (?). May there also be room for more love, joy, magnanimity, and inner peace for all.

Happy New Year.