Saturday, February 28, 2009
Edlyn's farewell party
Date: 8 Feb 2009 (Sunday)
Venue: Jansen Road
I am too lazy to write any captions...
1:08 PM
This is me...
Ok, minus the blond hair (and eyebrows), and wedding ring, and the fact that this fella is a guy…
And oh yeah, the table is waaaaaayyy too tidy…..and the files are too thin…
Other than that….yeah, this is how I feel sometimes at work…
Ok, don’t give me that “if you’re so busy how come you have time to blog” look….
If you want to know the truth, I actually pen my random thoughts as and when….That’s why this blog has no central topic… and that’s why I can’t be bothered to attach labels to the posts because they’re all too random!
12:59 PM
Friday, February 27, 2009
My Reading List (*updated)
"Think of me what you will, but beware of me in time, for against my will I may do you harm”
In case you were wondering, yes, this is the same Louisa May Alcott who wrote the famous “Little Women”, “Good Wives”, and “Little Men”.
If my research is correct, she wrote this book in 1866, under the pseudonym A. M. Barnard, before she released “Little Women” in 1868.
At first glance, it’s quite surprising that Louisa May Alcott would write something like this. I was a little surprised myself to see this book on the shelf. It seems to be far from the theme of “domestic affairs” that Little Women is centered upon. Yet, upon further reading, you will still find that the book does contain Louisa May Alcott’s hand in it, in good ole’ fashioned Victorian style.
Basically, the story is about a woman from the lower class who schemes and plots against an innocent family in order to squeeze into the upper class. Probably doesn’t sound very exciting coming from me, but trust me, Louisa May Alcott is a brilliant writer. The way she crafts the characters and their actions will surely captivate the reader. Well, at least it did to me. I believe Louisa May Alcott had very meticulous observations of the men and women in the Victorian era, their words, thoughts, mannerisms, etc.
I would recommend this book to anyone who desires to read a classic, written in good old-fashioned romantic style, and yet the material is not too heavy that it becomes too difficult to understand.
Same story, but different cover illustration
Update: I forgot to add that there are two very incredulous points of this story.
One is that a 19 year old girl marries a 55 year old man… Gosh!! That’s like a 36 year gap can?? How can any 19 year old tahan that?? Regardless of how much money the old man has… Ok lor, maybe I’m just an old-fashioned fuddy-duddy lor…
The second thing is even more unbelievable … Get this, the 19 year old girl is actually a 30 plus woman!!! 30 plus can actually disguise until 19 year old lor!!! Cosmetic surgery during the Victorian days must be freaking good man…..either that, or their makeup is super thick lah…wahahaha…
Post-script: To avoid anyone picking up wrong info, makeup during the Victorian days was supposed to "modest, restrained, natural".... i.e. no makeup is good. In fact, using makeup was considered to be vulgar and improper, reserved only for prostitutes, clowns, stage actors...Well...thank goodness I don't live in that era.
Labels: My Reading List
2:48 PM
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
What is this supposed to be?
Can someone please enlighten me what this is supposed to represent??
If you're thinking that this is a flag, or a broken piece of stained glass, or some part of a jigsaw puzzle..... You're wrong!!
This is a painting by the famous Dutch painter Piet Mondrian...
This painting was recently auctioned off in Paris for...........get this:
€21,569,000
I don't even want to calculate how much that is in SGD lor....
Life is unfair man.....This looks like something that I can easily create also lor... oh boy, I think anyone can come up with something like this....
How difficult can it be? All you need is drawing paper, a ruler, some random colours (magic pens, water colour, or whatever...) and probably a black marker!!!
Ok fine, you also need to have a very stable hand....cannot be shaky, otherwise if you colour outside the boxes, then fail liao....buahahahaha....
Ok ok... cannot seem so uncultured....must at least pretend that I understand the story/message behind this picture.... you know what they say "a picture is worth a thousand words"....so shhh...I'm trying to concentrate here.....I got artistic side also ok?
hmm.....I think if I squint my eyes really hard....... I can make out random bits of grey here and there..... is that the trick behind this picture...or is that just because my eyesight is fuzzy? wahahaha....
ok ok....seriously...enough of jokes..... this painting got very cool name can? It's called ...
Composition avec bleu, rouge, jaune et noir
In French somemore ok? Very classy right?
I think if translated in English, it's called "Composition with blue, red, yellow and black"
???!!!
Anyway, here's a picture of the guy himself who painted this:
He looks extremely bored....... and boring also.
He looks like someone whose table mats must run parallel to the table edges...
buahahaha....
2:59 PM
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
I’m throwing a $5,000 (per table) wedding banquet
Nah, I’m just kidding….. (relax guys!!!)
Had lunch with some friends last week, and heard that a particular acquaintance was throwing her wedding banquet at a very fancy, 5-star (or 6-star) hotel on Sunday.
For simplicity’s sake, let’s just call this particular acquaintance Miss K.
Anyway, I don’t know the exact setting at which she came to announce the “per table cost” of her wedding banquet to my friends, but it did came out as close to $1,500, with each table seating 10 people.
Of course, upon hearing the cost, my friends, being very kind-hearted souls, came to a conclusion that they had to present a $150 angbao each. Apparently, the so-called “market rate” of $100 ain’t enough…
(In case you’re wondering, yes, woe to my friends, they were all invited to the said wedding banquet…)
Let me just put it straight that my friends do not belong to the “wealthy, well-to-do, well-off” category. No, I’m not trying to put down my friends here. We are not exactly destitute, we do make enough to get by, enough to perhaps squeeze into the “middle class” category.
But still, that doesn’t give anyone the right to “siphon” money off friends this way. For goodness’ sake, you’re throwing your own wedding banquet!! Not holding a charity auction!! Why should people have to bear the consequence of your costly choice of venue!!!
I talked to dad about this, and he agrees as well… It doesn’t make sense at all!! You don’t budget for a wedding banquet, invite your friends, and expect them to cover the costs for you!!!
If that were the case, why don’t I start sending out invitations to all my friends to my wedding banquet….with the extra information that each table costs $5000??!! This means, my dear friends, you will each have to pamper me with a $500 angbao….
Of course, it’s very nice if people lavish you with big fat angbaos on your wedding…. But these are just bonuses!!! Not to be taken for granted!!! When you plan your wedding (or banquet, for that matter), you should plan according to what you can afford, out of your own pocket, before expecting any additional cash from friends or whatsoever.
Hello, this is called “Managing Your Finances”, or “Budgeting” can?
Oh, I forgot…. Miss K isn’t exactly from a business background…. So maybe that term seems tad unfamiliar to her.
Moral of the story: CUT YOUR COAT ACCORDING TO YOUR CLOTH
Of course, you will say that nobody forced my friends to give a $150 angbao… you should give what your heart tells you to….. blah blah blah blah…..
Again, for goodness’ sake!!! Do you really believe that Miss K, out of an angelic and innocent heart, would let slip of the per table cost to my friends, without any intention, none at all, of recouping back her losses from the angbao collection?
Oh wait, I seem to recall my friends saying that her husband’s family was pretty wealthy….which means she doesn’t need the pitiful angbao at all….
Ah….That explains it… the $1500 per table banquet….is more for “face” reasons.
Which, if that’s the case, then next time, don’t go around announcing your costs to people!!!
Eh, hello, we are still living in the Asian culture…. It’s too bad we have this “must match angbao money” mentality…..
Don’t tell me that you disclosed the cost of your wedding banquet with only the truest intention of providing pure, yet useless information….
Hello, many of the above-mentioned friends only recently entered the workforce… we are all still very junior-level staff here….
Some of them are even working on contract basis, with no guarantee that their contracts will be renewed after expiry.
And hello, in case you haven’t noticed, the economy is currently in a recession period now…. People are being retrenched… or even if they’re not, everybody is walking a tightrope nowadays… nobody knows what will happen tomorrow… or whether we have already hit rock bottom yet.
Or… maybe… just maybe, Miss K doesn’t know about the realities of life yet!!
Opps… did I just burst the bubble here?
Did I mention that said Miss K is a school teacher?
I always thought teachers were very “in the know” of news…. But maybe she’s a different class of teacher…. Maybe she teaches about fairytales…. And princesses… and expensive feasts….and how one day, when you wake up, you’ll find yourself surrounded by big fat angbaos all over……..
Buahahahaha….
Alright alright, I admit, I’m just being plain mean….
And yes, I know you out there, will say that I’m jealous of Miss K….
Yes, you’re right, I’m sooooo jealous……..sooooo jealous that I have to put off my wedding for another year so that I can gather sufficient funds for my $5000 per table banquet!!
Buahahahaha….
11:01 AM
Special Dedication
This post is specially dedicated to MIMOSA
To all of you who have made MIMOSA possible: I Love Ya All !!!
9:34 AM
Friday, February 20, 2009
My Reading List
<<两个永恒之一 新月格格>>
Now in the middle of reading this:
Don't judge me for the books I read.
Labels: My Reading List
9:49 AM
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Remember ...
Remember
“Remember me when I am gone away,
Gone far away into the silent land;
When you can no more hold me by the hand,
Nor I half turn to go, yet turning stay.
Remember me when no more day by day
You tell me of our future that you plann'd:
Only remember me; you understand
It will be late to counsel then or pray.
Yet if you should forget me for a while
And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
For if the darkness and corruption leave
A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
Better by far you should forget and smile
Than that you should remember and be sad.”
by Christina Rossetti
Came across this poem one day, and fell in love with it immediately.
Written by a nineteenth century English poet – Christina Rossetti.
What totally amazes me is the simplicity of the words.
Quite surprising that it was fairly simple to understand, seeing it came from a Victorian poet.
Or maybe the words are supposed to mean something deeper than what I interpret.
But then, a poem like this, though the words are simple, the interpretation and the emotions that evoke from it, really depends on the reader’s personal experiences and life circumstances, does it not?
I was pretty intrigued by this poem, so I went to Google on the author. Guess what I found… Apparently, this Christina Rossetti person is famous for another poem titled “Goblin Market”, which is supposedly about two sisters who get tricked by some goblins into eating some forbidden fruit. Before you start spinning connections to Harry Potter, Enid Blyton, Lord of the Rings, and all other fairytale writers….
Get this: This poem actually carries sexual connotations!!!
Shocking.
How can anyone who can pen down a poem as pure as “Remember” also write something so controversial, perverted even!!
The extremes that people can go to.
And I was actually contemplating of having this poem read at my funeral.
Morbid right? haha...
But now after finding about the other poem written from the same hand, I guess I'll have to find another poem.
11:39 PM
Keep your music to yourself !!
No, I’m not referring to physical harassment … (if it was that, I would be making a police report right away, not just ranting on my blog).
Harassed by music… in particular, people playing music OUT LOUD.
Now, let me just put it straight that I am NOT a music hater.
On the contrary, all my friends know I absolutely love music… good music especially. Hell, my childhood dream was to become a musician when I grew up!! (ok, I can have a lot of childhood dreams, can’t I)
But there is a place and a time for music to be played… especially when it’s played OUT LOUD…
I really don’t understand those people who simply must BLAST their stupid MP3 / ipod / handphone music out loud while on the train. I say “must”, because I suspect maybe if they don’t do so, they might accidentally lose their centre of focus and fall off the train or something..
You can be sure that their music is definitely not those classic, jazz, or anything belonging to the so-called “soulful” genre.
No, of course not. Their music is not only loud (of course, aided by being played loudly), but is guaranteed to jolt even the “dead-est” or “stone-iest” soul in the entire length of the train awake.
Ok ok, maybe entire train is too exaggerating.
Entire cabin… can?
What’s up with these people man??
Like I said, there is a place for various kinds of music…
These kind of music belongs to Mambo Night @ Zouk ok?
Did it ever occur to these goons that there are actually other people (a lot of other people, can?) travelling in the same cabin at the same time?
And I bet it never occurred to them that some other people would like to have some peace and quiet while on the train. Some people happen to lead such hectic and chaotic lives that the only time they have for themselves is while they are on the train, can? Some people would like to have the opportunity to be able to catch up on their reading, do some reflections, and all other activities that require no blasting music, while being on the train.
(Alright, I know, I say some people, but the biggest victim here is me, can?)
Honestly, it just doesn’t make any sense to me when I observe these “music-blasting train-taking” people. They appear to be carrying miniature phones in their hands….. but oh, don’t look down on these mini gadgets, the music will
Blow.You.Away.
Literally.
“oon-ch…oon-ch….oon-ch”
Some considerate ones will bother to use their earphones… but goodness me!! If I, standing like 3 arm’s length (or more) away from you, can already hear the lyrics from your wonderful song, I think the most pitiful thing to be in the entire universe is to be your ear drums man!!!
(Ok, maybe second most pitiful thing. The most pitiful thing is maybe being the toilet bowl brush).
Anyway, I think it’s not just about me.
These people are not doing justice to the music as well!!!
Imagine, if you were a piece of music…. So perfectly written, so magically composed… wouldn’t you want to contribute to mainkind in a more wonderful way? And by “contribute”, I mean sparking off positive feelings (like love, joy, happiness)…. and NOT irritation…
And don’t give me that about “it’s my right to play blasting, explosive music anywhere I want”….
It’s my right to raise a suggestion that such people should be banished to the ends of the world (by that, I mean kicked right off the train)…
Then finally, all peace and tranquility can be restored…
Again, I say this:
Keep your music to yourself!!!
We don’t need to hear what you’re hearing!!!
Post-script: Next up, “Keep your legs to yourself”
2:19 PM
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
My Movie List
And I agree, it's really a show made for the Americans.
And the baba boy =)
By the way, have you ever wondered what "Hustle" means?
(or maybe if you already know that, good for u then).
This is what I found out from dictionary.com....whoa, there are 21 definitions!!
Ok, so here's just No.1 and No. 21....I'm too lazy to write the in-between, and I'll bet u're too lazy to read as well.
1. To proceed or work rapidly or energetically: to hustle about putting a house in order.
21. A fast, lively, popular ballroom dance evolving from Latin American, swing, rock, and disco dance styles, with a strong basic rhythm and simple step pattern augmented by strenuous turns, breaks, etc.
Ok, I have no idea how the dance from No. 21 looks like, but I'm curious.
Any takers? =)
Labels: My Movie List
2:22 PM
Monday, February 16, 2009
@ client's
The view from 3Xth floor on SCB, is kinda cool...
[X= any number from 0 to 9...duh!! A bit inconvenient for me to disclose the exact digit, as it might give away my exact location now... i.e. my exact client. =)]
My window overlooks the IR construction site.
Occasionally, from the distance, the whirling and pounding sounds of heavy machinery can be heard.
Little white lights scattered here and there.
(well, obviously they are 'little', as I am a distance away).
Kinda reminds me of a huge lego set that some kid is still trying to fix up.
Would have loved to take a picture of the view, but I guess that would be futile, due to the reflections in the window.
I even had to plaster my face against the window to really take a look.
It's Monday....start of the week.... and I'm already staying back late...
It's a little weird, cos I used to refuse to work overtime on Mondays. Reason being that it would only result in me being tired the rest of the week... and thus inefficient.
But then, somehow, I don't mind working late tonight...
haha...perhaps it's the adrenaline that's still going ... don't want to waste it.
[Post-script: opps, I just realised that if I switch off the lights in the room, the reflection isn't that bad....haha]
8:45 PM
More "lawyer game"
I love u my baby !!!!!!!!!! [this being my NDS, and of cos, z as well =)]
Does that mean that I will be "away" again? Haha.... I'll try not to be.
On a separate note, was pretty irritated today at work.
Sometimes I just don't understand....
If you think you have what it takes to leave for a greener pasture, for a higher ground, then why bother to come back to this "mid-valley" ?
Oh well, I guess I shouldn't judge people too much, who knows, maybe one day I'll be doing the same thing. Though I hope not for the same reasons, or at the same "level".
Having Macs for lunch today...
Sudden craving for it...
1:01 PM
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Disappearing Act.... and Lawyers.
Disappear.
Haha… that’s just a nicer way of saying “procrastinating for the longest time ever”….
Alright, before I manage to bore myself out (plus u out there), here’s a laundry list of what has been “slightly exciting” in my life…..which yeah, I had the truest intentions of blogging until I became too darn good at my disappearing act.
- (Early) Christmas party @ Mimosa Walk
- Malacca Trip over Christmas holidays (this I really want to blog, perhaps in the future?... which is effectively never….haha)
- Chinese New Year trip to where else, but Malacca again
- Ed’s farewell party (I MISS U ALREADY GAL !!!)
- Valentine’s Day (or rather, preparations of that)
Oh well, if and when I do muster enough motivation, perhaps I’ll back-date and write some stuff regarding the above pointers….
Yeah, IF and WHEN….. haha..
Well, anyway, I have a confession to make. I have a serious addiction !!!!
Yeah, you heard me right…. This addiction is what has been distracting me lately from blogging…. Haha, don’t let your imaginations run wild, it’s definitely not an addiction to smoking, gambling, drinking, … - all of which are DISGUSTING habits, in my opinion. My addiction is to….
THIS:
AND THIS:
MORE OF THIS:
Yes, these are the NDS games which I’ve been playing non-stop … well, not exactly non-stop, because that’s humanely impossible (All you loser gamers out there, who eat, sleep, drink gaming, boo on you!! What a way to defy the rules of humanity!!) …. Only on the train / bus on my way to/from work, when I’m waiting for people, before I fall asleep at night, blah blah blah…
Anyway, in case you were wondering, this game (well, 3 games, to be exact, but I shall just use the singular from now on, since they are all similar) is what z calls “lawyer game”.
“Are you still playing your lawyer game”
“Have you completed your lawyer game”
To give a really short summary of this game – basically, I’m playing the role of a lawyer (either Phoenix Wright or Apollo Justice), and I get clients that I have to defend for in court. But before going to court, I have to go around different places, gathering evidences, talking to people, spying on people’s dark secrets blah blah… And then in court, I get to hear testimonies from witnesses, get shot down by the stupid judge and prosecution, raise objections, and then I have to choose the right evidences to present in order to expose people’s lies…
If you want to know more about this game, you can easily go Wikipedia or Yahoo or Google to find out. I shan’t bore you with more details here.
I love this game a lot. Generally, I think I prefer investigative / detective-style games more… Absolutely can’t stand those shooting / killing games …. What’s up with those kind anyway!!!?? U don’t need much brain matter to go around shooting people … totally brainless…. Ok, z loves those kind of games, and so do many of my other guy friends…. So, I guess I shouldn’t “defame” such things too much….hahaha… =)
The other kind of games that I like are the “adventure” kind… like Mario Brothers (ABSOLUTELY LOVE), Little Big Planet (on PS3)… But the irony is this, I don’t enjoy playing them myself, I’ll much rather prefer WATCHING people playing them… (Like z, he is AWFULLY good at such games too)
Yup, u heard me right…
Reason being: Unless you know what’s coming ahead (which usually you won’t, unless you’ve played it before, or cheated by reading solutions online), hey your character can “die” quite easily by being eaten up / squashed / burnt / hammered / nailed / dropped down into the deep valley below / all other kinds of horrific ways of causing death…..
And truth be told, I don’t really fancy dying so much, whether in the physical world or virtual world…. What !!! when u’re playing a game, u’re supposed to take on the identity of whichever character you’re playing, even if he is a stupid plumber or some dumb rag doll….
So yeah, anyway, I get really easily stressed up by such “easily dying” games…. Cos I’m not very good at them… What !!! Cannot meh??
But still, I really enjoy watching people play….cos they’re so cute!!! And creative!!! all the little adventure lands…. And oohh…. All the evil traps lying in store, waiting to swallow your character alive….buahahaha… now I just sound plain evil, don’t I?
Anyway, I really enjoyed playing my lawyer game..
I use “enjoyed” because I’ve completed all 3 series…
Well, if not, u wouldn’t be reading this post… I’ll be too busy trying to crack those cases.
I think this game kinda reminded me of my little ambition last time….how I wanted to study law in university, and maybe become a lawyer. But blah blah blah… as the story goes, that never happened…
But anyway, speaking of lawyers, I had lunch last Wednesday with z’s neighbour, who happens to hail from a bloodline of lawyers!!!
Ok ok, so this is a little exaggerating… but how many families you know where EVERYONE is a lawyer…
So anyway, I had a really nice chat with my lawyer friend… who shall be known as VK in my blog.
Really nice chap, very humble, very down-to-earth, none of the airs you would expect of someone who is already relatively successful in his own field, despite being only 30 (or thereabout). Hmm…. I shall arrange to have lunch with him more often… since his office is in the same building as mine. But then, lawyers…busy people eh…
Ok, end of blog post.
Yes, it’s an abrupt ending… I’m too hungry now to think of anymore worthy things to write.
12:28 PM
