Prelude: Fireworks

Know i have been lagging in posts, tried a couple of times to log in to add my pics to no avail. Luck is on my side today, and hence i hereby present these outdated pics but which no doubt, will be timeless in my memories.

p/s: lack the intiatives to crop, photoshop or remove any unsightly objects. e.g the grey area: which actually was the lampost, no place to put tripod so strictly freehand. Frankly, i'm amazed i could take these few shots. Best seats i had for this fireworks compared to the other two. YUp, i only missed team singapore cos i was out blading. Had a lovely great time with hunnywenny.

New Caledonia's Fireworks 11/aug/06

Where we were standing /sitting among.. plus my dinner:subway

Next: some pics i took with my camera phone. Seriously, this phone sucks in term of its night mode.

Attended a forum at Raffles the Plaza hotel last friday, which comes with a cocktail/poolside dinner! yippie, i sneaked two passes and got both vons up to enjoy the event after the forum.Who says engineers dont enjoy ? My colleague got a prize in the lucky draw and walked away with a dvd player! How's that?

We were the last to leave the pool, reluctant to leave, we headed down to the hotel lobby and lingered by the lounge, where the ladies made some reminders of things to do before they head off for Japan. yup, my roomie and vons are heading off to japan!!!! Sad i couldn join them, happy for them that they're travelling out.. yet again. =)

Sing a song of home

My only one decent attempt at capturing the Italy's fireworks which kicked off last saturday as part of the firework carnival.I sprinted(in my opinion) to esplanade to catch like the last 1 minute of action.

Signature drinks @ top of the m: tequila orange and margarita

After working for sometime, you realize your mind starts to empty itself of dreams and fantasy. In place of them, you find yourself setting the amount of time you have to rest for the night, planned what you had in mind for the day as you set off for work.--"Perhaps to collect the watch, go thread my eyebrows and still make it in time home for dinner to catch the 8pm serial?"


Your legs ache as you attempt to back blade at night and do some fancy moves which you've spotted at Beginner's corner. (which if you ask me.. a big irony), that place simply drives beginners to the corner as we spot the expert execute their perfectly timed moves, quick turns and criss cross their feets as though they were jellyfish tentacles.

It's good in a sense, i've gotten so tired, i went for a drink at one of the pubs and went back home, washed up and plopped myself onto bed, waking up to singapore's 41st birthday.

A public holiday to rest as we celebrate nationwide with some squeezing with 60000 people at kallang, some others cursing as they attempt to catch the fireworks actions elsewhere but prob missing it as they were still looking for parking lots, or standing space, or setting up their expensive cameras with their tripods; others take this chance to meet up with friends as they go gawking for those 41% discounts, good deals... wondering if there's 41cents meal. Some stayed tune to the TV, watching the event as it's broadcasted across all the local channels. Haha, some took extra time off and scooted off to nearby countries for a short getaway.

I've realized conciously, that i was at home blogging on national day. Both last year and this year. I din head out, cos i assume it will be crowded everywhere.

Happy birthday singapore!

click dick

went to watch click today.

Clicking your life away like a remote control. Only .. you realize you start to live remotely from others... and you eventually lose control.

Hmm.. somehow, the movie got loopholes. Doesn seem to quite work smoothly.*day dreams* Nah, doubt the remote be hiting our stores anytime.

Side note, kate beckinsale is so so so so so pretty. She's the diva.

Something about A Kite

Spent a quiet sunday reading "Kite Runner" instead of the usual kids read session. Felt guilty as i absent myself for the first time, but felt i could use a quiet day reading to myself instead.

"Kite Runner" din start out a book i will read just looking at its cover and synopsis. Here's how the book looked like:

It din quite look the usual book i will borrow from the library let alone part my cash by purchasing it along with Freakonomics. But then again, what they say about "Not judging a book by its cover"?. So, having finally finished the bulk of the book today, i thought i should do it justice by promoting it, sharing it. Yup, it's for loan. First on the list- von.w

As quoted " An epic tale of fathers and sons, of friendship and betrayal that takes us from the final days of Afghanistan's monarchy to the atrocities of the present."

This .. is one of those rare books that covers politics *which i aint much interested*, complex emotions and friendships, add in a peronal touch from first person p.o.v * which i am very interested*, and on top of it all, twisted sequences and events * which i TOTALLY dint expect and catch me gasping as i stared widely at the words, wondering how it could happen*.

You know how u see drama serials, read books, or watch movies and somehow knowing what's gonna to happen next. How you see it so predictable, applaud yourself for being so smart, thinking like the script writer, or perhaps scorning them for their lack of creativity at coming up with a plot that fails to match that of "Sixth Sense"?

This Book. Wow, just as i thought.. "okay mister, no more surprises from you. You got me there alright on this event" and then Khaled Hosseini pulls another stunner and yet another as the story unfolds, witnessing the falls and pits in my mental activity as i relate to the character.

Should i crap more about this, and whet the appetite of people who are keen in finding out for themselves? Having read qi's comments about my post on Lake House, I kinda kicked myself for blabbering so soon the moment it was screened. Din want to ruin it for people who want to enjoy the suspense and uncertainty.

So Warning: Skip this part and below if you want to experience the whole package. HOoey will take no responsibility if you din find it living up to your expectations. Ah... that's the phrase. I din want to paint a beautiful picture and spot you disappointed.

hmm.. side track a little cos i was reminded of a scene that i just caught on tv. Picture yourself handicapped, and you are given a chance to live life without it becos of an operation, but this operation does not guarantee a 100% recovery and you might end up being handicapped again... & it might be a matter of time. Qn: will you still go for it? Knowing you retrieved and yet face the risk of losing it again? WIll you be up for the disappointment that greets you if it din work out? Or will you rather lived without the disappointment and be contented with what you have, or rather have- not?

Now, that i've perhaps reluctantly drew a solmenn picture in your heads, i myself cant quite finish what i orginally started : the post review of the book. So darn my ever drifting mind. I'll leave this post as it is. Hoping all of you have food for thought, feeding for soul and a good week ahead.

P/s: Stop just reading and NOT blogging!!!!! You know how, there's no free lunch? ???? Blog more, you free-riders. Hiaks.

Stadium for the last time

It's another saturday evening, and i'm starting to note the trend of how my siblings aint around at this time to hog the comp. Alot can be attributed to the fact that they arent at home.

Anyway, had a lovely lovely time with von and her family at the ndp preview. Last time it will beheld at this National Stadium. Very blessed indeed.So, less crap and just more pictures i snapped. Rem, u saw it first at hooeyphooey.
Geez, i cant believe i'm using that tag line.

Took video of the fireworks too. Well, get it from me if you wanna see it. Too lazy to bother figuring how to load it on.

Ah yes, dont be shocked or ask questions that's obvious....like "hey you put on braces???" Yes, that's me in braces. Figured it's a matter of time you people see this, or bumped into me on the street. Put this up becos i adore the temporary tattoo we donned on. So very feeling the national day spirit. The last time i watched the NDP live, i was a tad 8 years old, when singapore celebrated her 25th Birthday.. which, sadly i'm reaching that.

Enjoy Singapore!Nights!

Some hooey moments

Altivo's sunset

Timbre's lychee martini

Watching Lake House

Back from watching "The Lake House" @ the new cathay Cineplex.

There's something about this show that makes me thump. That makes me ponder about it as i walked back home from the train station. Something about it makes me want to just filter the rest of the world's sounds as i plug into my own player looking up into the night sky, supposedly spotting the two moons which will surface tonight (27 Jul) but, of cos i saw nothing.

Fine, it's been a long time since i gush over a romantic show. Most of you, will have known me as a mega "you've got mail" fan. When it comes to movie book, "Message in a bottle" is first on my list. And yes, looking at these movies, it's not hard to figure what makes hooey ticks.

Mail. Message. Mailbox. Be it old fashioned keanu reeves' lakehouse- style mailbox, be it a bottle drifting out in the ocean, longing for someone to reveal its contents or be it the common email finding its way to New York Shopgirl. Something about a message waiting to be picked up and read simply fascinates me. Of cos, replying and communicating, the post-act of reading is what hooks me on.

And to top it all, two of my favourite stars are in it. Beautiful, charming sandra bullocks and the ever mysterious keanu reeves. The icing on the cake? What will you say to a glass house with a maple tree planted right in the middle of it? Standing in the middle of the lake with a bridge and a faithful dog for companion as you watched the sunset and its reflection from the lake.

X-factor element? I love the work of fate and destiny. I adore, perhaps more correctly said: jealous that some mysterious force actually helped these people along the way. Magic old rusty mailbox. I was in half the mind to put a note into my own mailbox when i got home. The other half was more keen in sending my thoughts out via this wide web.

2 years apart. "How do you hold on to someone you never met?"
and yet, what they share is so much more real than they touch in their everyday life.

This movie explores the theme of family, solitude, relationship, ownership and freedom and of course.. waiting.

Yes Yes, daydreaming, it's fiction. Earth to hooey. Snap out and get back to reality. But.. what if?

Just let me indulge in my own little world of fantasy. Just let me be.Hiaks.

Saturday's night mood

It's a quiet Saturday night as i blogged, with my room mates aka sibling out. Read a blog which a friend told me about and kinda find myself in a thoughtful mood.

Skip this entry if you're feeling well-defined in your life. Skip this entry if you want to be convinced your current lifestyle is right for you and you need no more questions to confuse your otherwise contented mind.

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The small word which many could hardly grasp it in its right proportions. Some feel it's overestimated, some underestimated its powers (if i'm permitted to use that). Yup, you probably guess it: LOVE

Why this word could churn out millions of songs and words of abuse, billions of tears and smiles, spot couples down the aisle and just as many ending up in law firms.

Why this word could invoke butterflies in your stomach, fuzzy warmth in your heart and yet, shatters it with hatred and jealousy.

Why many crave for it, why some play it like a whiz and why some never find it happening in their lifetime?

I've seen how many define it, how many shun it, have personally tried defining, finding myself compromising for it in order to best enjoy the goodness of it. And end of it all, i find i still dont quite know it as well as i thought i should.

At the end of it, i find myself wondering if it's love that's hard to define or Perhaps me myself that's ever changing and so never finding myself aligned with love and happiness in the same path.

Wait, does love always warrant happiness? Or maybe compromising has always been part of the package to attain long-term happiness which nobody (especially those blissful living happily ever after) reveals?

They say, you should be comfortable with yourself in a relationship and should never need to change yourself to suit the other because that will just be superficial and tiring in the long run as you're never yourself. AND YET, they also say (of cos this "they" being different from the first "they"), also mentioned that love comes in the form of giving in to each other, not being calculative about who's in it more than the others. Sometimes, one just gotta give in and relent and hence allowing the other to cherish you for what you've done, despite your wishes.

So .... ultimately, who is correct?

Could this be again, one of those many questions where there is not straight-cut direct answer (monosyllabic) ?

Could this be one of those subjected to individual values, perspectives and behaviour?Open ended answer with no right or wrong?

Well, LOVE (pun intended) to continue and just rattle more questions to those who stuck it to the end of this entry, but i'm supposed to head out double o soon and there goes my hope of having a nice quiet night to myself.

Just for entry sake:
1. Woke up to uncle's greeting rather .. exclaim that i'm still asleep when it's lunch. Mum cooked prawns and crabs.
2. Another cousin came over to my house and we spent time looking at my old photos. convo pictures. DARN it's been one year, people!!!!!
3. Went swimming with mum and bro at aunt's condo. Nice private pool.
4. Chicken chops for dinner outside and blog. Gosh, that all i've been up to till now.

Only in Hollywood

Hey, i chanced upon this interesting article while waiting for the page to load. Thought i do a cut-and-paste for all to read. Cant help but confess i fall prey to this. All these years.
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"Only In Hollywood"
It’s time for the envelopes, please. Tango hands out the Oscars for Most Dangerous Romantic Movie Myths
My friend Michelle and her on-again-off-again were off. Again. She complained that he just wasn’t going to the right lengths to win her back. “I need a big gesture,” she said. “I need roses. I need tears. I need Lloyd Dobler on the front lawn with a boom box raised over his head.”

Another friend, Laura, had not met anyone even halfway decent in months, and was starting to wonder if her best friend, Tiny Tony -- a sweetheart who is unfortunately short, bald, and bulbous -- might be the guy for her after all. “I’ve never been attracted to him or anything,” she said. “But maybe it’s a When Harry Met Sally situation. Maybe we’re meant to be and I just haven’t noticed.”

After almost 15 years as a faithful fan of romantic comedies, I’ve come to a painful conclusion: The movies we watch to supplement our love lives are actually sabotaging them. They make us wonder why our ex hasn’t appeared in our yard playing “In Your Eyes” at midnight even though, if he did so, we’d file for a restraining order, not a marriage license. They lead us to believe that an older, more sophisticated man who criticizes the way we look/talk/ dress will fall madly in love with our made-over selves -- if it was good enough for Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady, it’s good enough for us.

A lot of lip service has been paid to the idea that violence in films causes men to be violent in real life. Why isn’t anyone calling for warning labels for movies that cause otherwise reasonable women to act like emotional psychopaths? Hollywood’s take on love leaves us dissatisfied with the relationships we have, and hungry for the sort of romance that simply never occurs in nature.

I’d like to tell you that this realization has caused me to throw out all my old videotapes. Into the trash with you, Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. You’ve set me up for failure, Rock Hudson. It’s documentaries and presidential biopics from here on in. But a girl’s gotta dream.

Still, it’s helpful to at least try to separate fact from fiction. In that spirit, I’ve identified some of the most common romantic-movie traps. If you feel yourself slipping back into fantasyland, get thee to a Blockbuster and rent Annie Hall -- the only romantic movie I can think of that’s both satisfying and honest.

The Sleepless in Seattle Trap
Like Bill Pullman in the movie, your current boyfriend or fiancé may have committed some unforgivable crimes, such as having lots of allergies but no nickname. Then you hear a voice on the radio, or see a face across a crowded room. Suddenly, you know this stranger is the love of your life. OK, you already have a partner who’s perfectly stable and lovely, but I’m afraid you will have to end that relationship. After all, in the 30 seconds you’ve spent with the new man, you’ve learned everything there is to know about him. And. It. Is. Good. You use Google, gossip, mutual acquaintances, and expensive private investigators to track him down and ask him out to dinner.
See also: Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, A Walk in the Clouds.

The Real Ending: Over dinner, you realize he has bad breath, a wife, and absolutely nothing whatsoever in common with you.

The As Good As It Gets Trap
You’ve found a guy who has that certain something -- as well as a bad attitude, a fear of commitment, or just a nonspecific nasty streak. Other than that, though, what a catch. Minor personality flaws won’t stand in the way of your fate. You decide that your love can change him, because that’s what true love does.
See also: Jerry Maguire, Reality Bites.

The Real Ending: You go to great lengths to show him that you’re worth loving before ultimately deciding that he’s never going to change -- and that he’s the last thing you’d want to complete you, anyway.

The An Affair to Remember Trap
You meet the perfect man and make elaborate, romantic plans for the future right away. He takes your number (no need for you to take his) and promises to call the next day. When the phone doesn’t ring, you don’t worry -- he’s your soul mate after all, there’s just been some misunderstanding. Two days later, you start to grow concerned that something has happened to him. Is he under a bus somewhere? Has he been taken hostage? You go from concerned to all-out panicked. Despite the gentle protestations of your friends that perhaps he’s just not that into you, you remain convinced that he was hit by a cab and rendered a cripple, and is too proud to leave his apartment.
See also: The Notebook.

The Real Ending: Three months later you see him dancing in a club with some chick in a tube top.


The When Harry Met Sally Trap
You’ve never been attracted to your male best friend, but recently things in the romance department have been less than enthralling. So you start to wonder -- maybe, just maybe, The One has been staring you in the face all along. Who cares if he still lives in his mom’s basement? This is destiny, damn it.

The Real Ending: Prepare for an awkward, tequila-induced make-out session that definitely requires an “I don’t know what I was thinking” email the next day.

The Titanic Trap
You just made partner and need to focus on work, but you can’t get this new guy off your mind. His name is Bo, he never went to college, and he works at the burrito place where you sometimes grab lunch between clients. Your friends ask what exactly you hope to gain from this relationship, but luckily you’re not a snob like them, and you know that a person’s job isn’t what defines him.
See also: Sabrina, Pretty Woman, Sweet Home Alabama.

The Real Ending: At a company dinner, your boss asks Bo what he does and he replies, “I work the grill, but I’m hoping to be put on the register soon.” Face it: If Leo had made it to dry land, that relationship would never have survived.

The Stepmom Trap
None of your romantic fantasies ended with Prince Charming leaving you for his secretary. Nor did they include falling for an otherwise great man with two sizable and unavoidable flaws (i.e., his children). Don’t panic. Contrary to what you might think, this divorce stuff is a piece of cake. Your step kids hate you? All it’s going to take to turn that around are some good old fashioned sex tips from you (to make the brats more popular, duh) and the untimely death of their mother. Your ex couldn’t seem to tie his own shoelaces when you were together? Rest assured that once you’ve signed the divorce papers, he will clean up his act and become the kind of guy you meant to marry.

See also: The Philadelphia Story, High Society, The Parent Trap, Mrs. Doubtfire.

The Real Ending: You continue to hate the bastard for years to come, despite the fact that your shrink says rage won’t help you heal. And whatever side of the joint custody battle you might fall on -- be it mom or stepmom -- the kids aren’t going to make the situation any easier. If you’re a stepmom, get ready for the cry of “You can’t tell me what to do! You’re not my mother!” to take up permanent residence in your psyche. If you’re the real mom, the line will be “When we’re at Dad’s house, Bambi never makes us do our homework/eat our vegetables/stop playing with knives.”

The Pretty in Pink Trap
Your next-door neighbor just happens to be a Calvin Klein underwear model. Lucky you. You’ve brought him countless jars of jam that need loosening, and even gotten locked out of your place in your cutest dress. Yet he hasn’t asked you out. In the words of Journey, “Don’t stop believin’.”
See also: Notting Hill, Love Actually.

The Real Ending: There’s a fine line between healthy optimism and insanity. There’s also a reason the quarterback in high school always dated the head cheerleader -- their kind is biologically predetermined to go forth and make other popular kids for everyone else to envy. It might be smarter to set your sights on the guy in 2B with the sweet smile and the receding hairline.

J. Courtney Sullivan’s first book, Dating Up: The Ultimate Guide to Finding the Man You Deserve is due out from Warner Books in February 2007.
Copyright ©2006 Tango Publishing Corp

Sometimes, I find myself so mean that I don’t seem to know myself anymore.

Sometimes, I wonder if the mean streak’s an act of internal struggle among my multiple selves.

At times like this, I spot myself in a selective and exclusive mood, where I just want to spend time with me, myself and I.

Cos only when I do that, I get to explore the possibilities, indulging in the freedom and those fleeting moments in my mind. As i allow the selves to fight it out, hopefully figuring out what is it i truely want.

Laughter, cheers and sabotage!

Happy birthday roomie!!=) i cant believe we din take any group pictures, despite me hogging the camera during dinner today! It was fun with sj and jg around today as the plot thickens when we played saboteur! Haha, dinner was @ Hanabi- this pretty nice jap restaurant and games were played at Tea Party recommended by JL and JG. Lovely time=)

Enjoy ur getaway roomie!=)

No title actually

I've got half the mind to change my blog. Dont worry if u have left comments. You guys will definitely be updated on my new link. Just half the mind to change it. Wont take effect as yet. Depends on how the other half struggles.

Side note: Thanks for all the comments. Another cure to monday purples. Friends that leave comments after reading.=) Tues' cool.

Song in my head: "Friday i'm in love" by the Cure

Received a lovely post card from yc two days back.I remembered watching the last world cup with him at boat quay.. hmm, the match was between brazil and china i think. And the best part? Both of us had our identity cards checked before we were allowed to order drinks. Haha.

In a flash, 4 years have passed. And this year that lucky friend of mine actually watched a WC match live in munich!!Hmm, that reminds me, gotta remind him if he's gotten any souvenir for me. YC, if you're reading this. please dont forget my souvenir. HAHAHA.

The cure to monday purples

Right, i finally got down to blogging a post. For the past few days or so, i found myself mentally making notes about what to jot down but the computer was never available. Yes, why not the laptop some might ask, let's say... i prefer newer, faster stuffs when it comes to IT.

Anyway, now that i have the comp and the room (rare sight), i'm actually feeling sleepy when it's barely 9pm. Been attending some training courses for the past week and i guess i'm feeling physically drained and mentally strained.

So, for the sake of my future reference, i'm going to just blabber whatever thoughts that come to mind before my eyelids start drooping, before my bed starts beckoning me to my deep slumber.

I had Monday purples today. Really bad kind. Today must have been one of those rare days u hardly hear hooey speak. No hype motions, no cheery face, just a weak smile when she spots a familiar face. More often than not, she chose to avoid having to make small talk. The moment there's a break, she shuttled off to her cubicle and drown her throat with water, so as to keep herself hydrated and at the same time, avoiding having to talk to others.

To add in the incentives to those monday purples, someone farted in the train on the way to work today. Of cos, the train was fantastically packed and the smell was chokingly painful coupled with the fact, one could not even bring up the papers to fan it away due to space constraint.

Endured she did, along with the many others around her who could only wish the smell is vacuumed away. Then of cos, she had to see the morning working crowd clobbering up the escalator (she's one of those as she din want to miss the shuttle). So yup, i was doubling my pace, zigzagging whenever the space allows, until the point i got on to the front of the escalator and saw the right side of the escalator being "CHOKED" by a lady in black who's much further up and simply oblivious to the entire queue behind her, who's also probably waiting in line to jump over her or something. I mean, the right's for those who's in a hurry, for those to overtake as we all know, and there she is standing right there in the middle of the escalator with ample space in front and yet she shows no sign of advancing while those at the back can only curse and swear as they rush to see that they have to end up waiting.

Yes, i knew i prob lost quite a few of u already, for those who dont take the subway to work, u prob dont face this kinda situation. And seriously, under normal circumstances, i'll prob just shrug and let dismiss it as "different people, different pace". But, not today, not when it's monday purple day.

And hey, what do ya know? All that complaining made me more awake as i recap what happened. So, did i catch the shuttle bus? Nope. Did the public bus come immediately? Nope. Did i arrive work late? Yes. Of cos. Did my boss see me walking in? Absolutely Yes. Life is fair, you dont get No's all the time. You wish.

Well, having released all the grumblings and stuffs. I' was glad my day took a better turn after work. Got the shuttle home? Yes. Had a nice relaxing talk with diane, this young lady who's becoming a close friend of mine @ my work place. When i reached my stop, all i wanted to do was to just listen to my music as i walked back home taking in those hustle and traffic scenes, people queueing up for their dinner. Kicked off my pumps, greeted daddy to find him cooked my favourite dishes. Ate my food in silence as i surfed the channels. Asked dad casually if there's hot water, cos i wanted to make tea. And before i finished my dinner, there's a cup of lipton tea made by my sweetest dad.

Awww.... my dad's the best. And a cup of lipton tea and home-cooked dinner the best cure to monday's purples.

Now, i've got a smile on my face as i prepare to go to bed.

Something to remind myself of bread crumbs

Latest addition.

Walking back home

Imagine walking back home from the train station. You're plugged to your Samsung mp3 player listening to the tunes you've transferred a couple of days back. You walked past some working adults buying packets food back home. You saw an ever forming queue for the famous punggol nasi lemak. You glanced at the kids, teenagers lingering outside the LAN shops. You past the bridal gown shop and you see a couple trying out their wedding outfits. You walked up the path back home and as you listened to " You're beautiful" by James Blunt and then you looked up and saw this:

"i saw an angel, of that i'm sure...."

With Samsung, It's not that hard to Imagine.=p

Pampered

Back from Batam.Yes, it's time for me to load the pictures and memories while they are fresh in my mind. Well, before i start to think about work tom and then go to work and get back home, occupied with stuffs.

Verdict: 4 stars/5

Spoilt myself rotten. Relative huh. i know there are people who can shop in milan in the morning and then fly over to paris for afternoon tea.

Anyway, H's a great place to just relax and chill. AS in Really just Relax and Chill. Nothing else to do but these two. Thanks to the World Cup fever, we spent quite a bit of time in the room last night to catcth the match.Well,for most of the girls England vs Paraguay....Gambai Miss lim, and Mr Low made it past the second game.. Yup, u can watch World Cup over at Batam.

I'll let the pictures do the elaboration. But let me rave about the massage/ spa package ( abt 3hours) i had. I think it's great. A "revealing" experience alright, as i erm hmm, allowed myself to be exposed while this lady gave me a body scrub, massage and facial. Alit awkward i must say. But the massage was so good in the end, i fell asleep. Embarrased when she had to shake me from my slumber. Definitely into spa now. For a while, i tot i was fairer by a notch. took a video of the place, which i'm too lazy to load.=p

But then... sigh, this morning (Totally impromptu) after breakfast, i jioed the girls to wakeboard. Haha, totallly last minute with just enough time to wash up and pack before checking out.

So yup, i'm back to my original color, if not darker thanks to my Fantastic wakeboarding Session which i totally din regret!!! Yippie!!!!=)

Where we stayed/ camped/ slacked/ watched world cup/ zzzz

Before spa. Hanging out by the pool.
Definitely a must for those who hates sun-tanning. aka urs truely.
Taking a risk, taking pictures by the pool. Waiting for our spa to start!!!!!
The lady who seen it all.... She's darn good. And me looking all scrubbed and clean.
After spa, we sit and enjoy our tea.... Life- what a wonderful world
Something you dream of?

Anyway, after spa, we proceed to korean/japanese restaurant for our dinner. After 3 hours of work, i sure feel hungry.

Can someone tell me i'm not paranoid when i look at this. Are you thinking what i'm thinking? Haha, other than this little bit, the food's pretty decent. =0
First our body, now to pamper the stomach
Always wanted to drive one

My gambai working those waves

Posing for Wakeboarding!Oblivious to the kind driver who's waiting for us to get out.
The whole Party!!!

Ferry me home...

By far, the noisest, most egoistic, vain group of girls on board. Heng it only started pouring after we depart from Batam. Still, the weather dint get us down.=p

The Cup that took the World by storm

the WC has kicked in.

So much the fuss, that my sister is actually cheering, watching attentively as she dipped into her chips. First match. And she's All ready to roar. My sis, the girl who sleeps early, the girl who needs her aircon. Also, the same girl who's still up, in the living room watching the match... i know the updated scores in my room, just listening from her cheers.

Such is the fad. The passion for WC.

Who's gonna win tonight?

Oozing of Acid

Visited Acid Bar for some drinks after dinner yesterday, and sure enjoyed myself. A real chill out place, and Michaela's soothing vocals just make the night so much more comfortable and engaging. Do check her out on thurs and saturday nights. Happy hour ends @ 9pm.

Darn, din bring camera again, so with the help of the net, i present Acid Bar.

A place where u can tune to live band and still be able to talk to each other, enjoy the aircon, watch the sky over you as u looked up upon a glass pyramid-like roof.

Batam here i come.=)

Transition

I attribute my lack/ lag of posts due to the fact that i'm turning in earlier by the day.

No longer can i seemingly go beyond the hour of 10 ish pm.

Work's been good. Time passes fast @ work, and i'm thankful for a good mentor who's very generous with his teachings/ sharing his knowledge and at the same time, making work alot more fun and bearable with his funny antics and remarks.

Just bought two books. "Kite Runner" and "Freakonomics". No need to buy if you're keen in reading. Just borrow from me=0

Btw, will be going over to Batam this weekend for a short getway cum massage with miss lim and miss chua. WIll be bringing my books, anticipating nothing but just slacking, resting, talking, plus sleeping.=)
Hopefuly i can take some pictures, before this blog start to look all dull.

alrighty just a short update!

Ache

Thighs aching badly from two sessions of badminton in a day.
Once during lunch with colleagues, once after work with brother and mum.

Which Xmen are you?

Bugger. i cant believe it!

You Are Jean Grey

Although your fate is often unknown, you always seem to survive (even after death). Your mind is your greatest weapon, literally! Powers: telepathy and telekinesis, the ability to project thoughts into the mind of others, communication with animals

Which of the X-Men Are You?

Cartoon Heroes

For the benefit of those who hasn watched the film, i shant elaborate or add in my review for the movie.

But, do allow me to indulge myself in a bit of fantasy, my xmen fantasy, once again, after each movie of XMEN, i find myself discussing the possibility of meeting a mutant, toying with the idea of being a mutant, wondering what power i would like to have if i am one.

It's quite coincidental that my day revolves about superheros with their supernatural powers. Before i see those raised eyebrows, let me elaborate that prior to waiting for the movie, we were seated at KFC, some having our late lunch, while... for some reason or another, we started talking about our childhood heroes.

And if you are about my age, you might recall the cartoon series of Captain Planet. For the ignorant and forgetful, here's an image:


Although we cant remember bulk of the cartoon, we remembered the characters, and haha, experienced our share of role-playing certain heroes/heroines in the cartoon. For those who's still with me on this, there's 5 characters, 'WHEN COMBINED' will give you CAPTAIN PLANET, the hero with the bluish face.

Well, i think i wanted to be "water " then, cos i realized she's asian and we both sport similar hairstyles. Yah, stereotypes.

And so, munching my zinger, discussing from mutant teenage ninja turtles to captain planets and back to xmens, we made our way to the cinema after our meal. I sat abate as the story unfolds.

Have u ever thought what it's like to possess a power others dont?

As i read what i wrote above regarding my xmen fantasty, wondering what power i will like to have, i realize a point--

That is, mutants do not get to choose the powers they like. They are born this way. Like it anot, the power/the gift/the skill is here to stay. Of cos, unless they find a "cure".

For some, it's really more of a curse and hindrance to them rather than boosting their self-esteem. Made me wonder, in today's local context, do our prodigies feel alienated in certain ways? Do they find it hard fitting the crowd? After all, Xavier's school for mutants was clearly shown as a School for Gifted Children.

Perhaps, it's not handling on their own that's hard, it's facing the rest of the world, and making presumptions, or thinking how the rest of the world will set their judgement upon them that's making it horrible.

Standing between charles and eric, (professor xavier and magnet0) , both with their stand on how mutant should deal with their powers. Should they control it? or should they hone it, allowing it to expose, explode even, to its fullest potential?

Well, i wont know. i'm not a mutant. Tho i tot it's cool able to know what people are thinking, without them knowing your invading their thought. Right, mean thought. Oh add in the part, where u can control where and when to switch off that mode.

But i guess "The Last Stand" shown me not all mutant powers are cool and fantastic, i mean, i wont regard flaunting my porcupines pricks as anything cool. Or, just banging your head through columns of walls after walls...Wont ya?

MAY DAY amplified

First and forth most, HAPPY BIRTHDAY RUFFY! let's come together to wish him a happy 26th birthday.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CCL!

Called him last night when i just reached timbre. Kinda missed the exact hour when i struggled with finding the carpark. Anyway, mr chiang is sick and i hope he takes good care of himself while he've over at bangkok. Recover soon.

So many mays' birthday. MAY is the month i bid good bye to the notes in my bank account. You know, when a plane's about to crash and people starting yelling "mayday", for me, i put myself through "MAY MONTH!" as the figures in my account start crashing down.

Well, yesterday marked my virgin trip to Timbre. (picture taken off Timbre's website)

A pretty comfy chill-out place which giles had highly recommended and where i' was supposed to meet up with amy-san.

TIMMY the band was playing there, and some pretty decent tunes were belted out . As there were two drivers, me and von avoided alcohols, they dont even serve mocktails there. So, yup... was deciding between lychee martini and erm.. Softdrinks. And in the end, give way to positive peer pressure and took the latter. HAHA.

Tried the thin crust pizza, not bad. Just that with a live-band, it's quite hard to talk, so we had to pace ourselves and makan (while enjoying the music) and start talking in between breaks.

Sorry no photos, was a last minute decision to hang out at timbre after meet up the girls and my roomie's bf. Haha, overall, quite a nice experience. Marks a first for our squad.

Jeli, u know we reached timbre only at about 12 plus and left at 2 plus. We spent an hour on the roads, and a short while mingling near von's pool. Teng and i came up with a new exercise regime. Next time to try it out as squad when we have our sleep over at vont's place.

Once again, a sincere wish that CCL recovers soon and that he'll be able to head out for his birthday.

Something new

Qn: How do you know you found a piece of heaven?

My ans: You wont know until you suddenly thought of this question out of the blue, when you're thinking of finding words, phrase to describe your current predicament.

A piece of heaven, probably too much of an exaggeration but deems wise if compared to my previous working experience.

Sadly, mental blogging block, only conjuring up materials in the most unopportune time. Like while standing on the train to work, like boarding the shuttle bus to the train station back home.

There's always something new on the morning working crowd to work, if you look hard enough, bother to change train cabins, bother to board different timings of the morning train, or if you're boliao enough like yours truely.

Always something new, be it the overall dress sense, the habits one have while on the train ( doing sudoku, word puzzles, playing brick game), the different reading materials. (today i spot wall street journal).=)

Maybe human is divine

The search for a secret so great, that if told, could jeopardise the faith of millions, crashing lives, breaking centuries of stories, traditions passed.

For a power that great, i wondered if releasing the secret is indeed justified.

Some says, telling the truth will set you free, but what if frees you and cages the the rest?

What's with differentiating mortality and divinity? Is it that crucial to draw a line and not let both coexist? or even merge as one?

Maybe human is divine.

Happy birthday VONNIE!

Spent my first friday after working @ my new place with vont- my friend since primary 5.

Yup, the word "primary 5" sounds hideous now. But well, when we were a tad 11.

Today marks vont's 24th birthday. Happy birthday ol pal. we've known each other for more than half of our lives. Oh that reminds me. Gotta help her check something.

A swesen's firehouse happy birthday. A candle. A wish. Silly remarks, sharing updates. A happy evening.

Happy Birthday again von, *hugs*.

The beginning of the end

Hiya all, especially vick who requested for a post

=)
actually been itching to write even if nobody ask for it. Wanted to blog FULL Blast leading to the day i started work-- Today. But alas, hooey hasn worked for quite a while, her' biological clock got all screwed and she found herself sleeping with the dinner plate on the tummy as she laid on the bed while watching tv.

at 8ish pm. Yes. Horrifying disguisting thought. i know.

So, instead of going to the fine details of how i've passed my days, and my wonderful start today, i shall just post some pictures taken over the week.=) will come back and recap.
Home-made, self configured BBQ session to celebrate last long weekend before i end my hoilday stint and celebrate bro's birthday!

pathetic as we shifted pit to the front porch to encounter a heavy downpour. Now, when's the last time u seen a bbq pit sheltered by an umbrella, supported by two rocks?

hooey's marinated bbq with honey garlic sauce chicken wings. Any takers????

i believe, this is what they call... a FUR BALL. rugby shaped dont ya think?
14th may 06- to most of you it's mother's day. to the zhangs, it's mother's day coupled with bro's 19th birthday plus dad's one day belated birthday. That prob explains the crowded spectators on the cake. Dont say the cake small k. I purposely buy small one. Was at the club sitting at table 19.

Bro totally not sporting, I was singing "HAPPY BIRTHDAY to.. " and he just blew all the candles at one shot, leaving dad and mum bewildered. Me , sis and baby bro "speechless" or rather songless. hmmm.. i wonder if it's due to the fact that we PURPLELY sing LOUD LOUD.*shrugs*

i know this is totally irrelevant, i got myself a mp3 player to end this holiday stint just one day before i start work. Was contemplating between ipod nano and this. So badly. The internal struggle could just kill me on the spot and the salesperson explaining would never know.

okay, finally finish uploading my songs. I had a good first day at work. Told some of u all how it was like already. Hooey's tired. Share more tom=)

I'm thinking of treating my mum to a spa at batam, just a short getaway. Heard there's this really good place. However, my mum wants me to settle on my work before enjoying. So, besides pestering dear Hr lady(let's call her miss w.) on a daily basis, i've been fantasizing how i will want to mingle with the rest of my common age-the working crowd, instead of the mingling with the cat fighting over the couch. Winner gets the remote.
Playing dead: hate it when it looks so comfortable and oblivious to the surroundings.

tuesday noon

Buying roast chicken rice and traditional kopi tiam kopi for lunch, eating in the comfort of her room with the straits times for companion make hooey a contented soul for 27 mins.

I dont know how she does it

i seek the understanding of those who read my previous as well as the many posts which i wrote without double checking. Knew i lacked the excellent and fine writing, more astonished with the magnitude of my grammatical erros. Pardons requestd.

but then again, i'm just being polite by apologizing for my writing. it's my blog. =0 as long i understand can liao CO-ract?

i'v been thinking alot about writing. Came across books, movies that made me wonder why some had such an acute sense of observation when it comes to their writing. How they are able to pen down what they see, feel, encounter into words translating into scenes played in our mind( or tv), so seemingly familiar it touched a chord with us, made us nod in agreement, made us admire their wit, their sharpness, marvel at their descriptions.

Just finished a book written by A. Pearson. She's one amazing observer, and i felt as tho i wasn reading a fictional book, as tho it's really her life she's painting. Such details, (sarcasm at times) to life's daily somewhat mundane stuffs, theories about gender roles but became more livid and colorful upon her stroke of writing.

will love to rave more about this book, but not on my lappie. i got a problem typing "e". Wait till i lay my hands on that desktop.
adios.
hooey..
Movies caught on HBO: " Harriet the spy", " In good company", " Little black Book"

Post rally

The polls are finally over and results announced. And that also concludes my first rally, first voting, my first participation in the political election. Hunnywen has blogged out my first rally and that sure brought back wonderful flashbacks.

Indeed, the past week was lit with highlights, manifestos, little flags, sirens with political figures doing their rounds, new plans, promises of new lease of improvements, more pictures of your estates circulated than you actually seen in the past few years.

i had an enriching experience just going to the rally. The way to the open field was covered with trails of the young and elderly. People rallying for support, people carrying souvenirs supporting their parties. People mostly in their work attire or the bulk sporting their after dinner - berms, polo tees or plain XXL comfy cotton tees, i sported an adult who's prob sleeping early cos he was in his matching blue pyjamas with yellow motifs.

People came well- prepared with mats, make-shift chairs, umbrellas, binoculars, it's so nice to know people, true-blue singaporeans, regardless of their race, age, occupation, residential gathering for a national event, of their own accord, despite the crowd, the incessant jams, the muddy fields brought about by the ocassional showers who ALSO wanted to play a participating role. Have you had the honour of seeing mobs singaporeans wiping mud off their shoes, feets, thighs and not angry?I have. After the rally, mostly just shrugged and removing the traces of the brown sluggish stains. On my way back on the bus, i still hear people rooting for their leaders while walking back. Reminds me a funny episode hanwen and i had.

I wont comment much on the policies, my stands, my opinions and the results, i had my fair share listening, discussing, absorbing, Voting for that matter.

The secret dreamworld of two V.S crazy girls

Seeing my sister mugging through the night, i'm reminded of old days.
But this post aint about reminiscing, the sister's hungry, and i made her a cuppa milo to go with her biscuits.Not the grandest gesture, but sure made me feel good.=)

Blogstering. or Bloggoping - fusion between blogging + hopping. To realize, how simple, sometimes complex, how plain, how boring, how strange, how contented, how relatively adjusted i have turned out, churned out from those tender wee years. Still, i never got tired of reading people's lives, differences somewhat hooked me to carry on.

Hooeyphooey--Not a bimbo blog, not a witty blog, not enough pictureque scenes travel blog, not an intellect's blog, not philosphical, not an animal lover or hater blog, not a psychopath's blog, not a shopholic blog, nor is it plastered with narcissism (well, not that i have much look to flaunt). Not a suicidal blog, not a life-style celebrating-wine-fine dining-good food-clubs-pubs kinda blog, not an emotional rollercoaster blog, not a photoshopped blog, not a blog on how to cook, or remove-that-greasy-stain-useful kinda blog, .. it's alot of not___ blog.

Perhaps, it's better left with no adjectives so that it can exposed to all sort, immune to all classifications, void of generalizations and expectations.

Not that i wanted to spark off politics in this post, but cant help but feel lit hyped up with all the actions that going on in my precinct. Weee Yippie!!!! Welcome massive jams caused by rallies and loud vehicles full with flags and waving people!!!!Many a times tempted to capture the action but decided against it.

Still, me and hunnywenny been just smsing, been on phone to haolian each other's latest updates, actions going on in our respective zones. role-playing as mobile's correspondence, hearing rallies over each other's mobile.

Like to thank hunnywenny alot, been spending much much more quantity time together, and ( hey, quality is never doubted =). Be it shopping online checking tops together, we giving our two nickle worth of fashion advice (ok, more of me needing her help) on deciding what to and not purchase, hoping to chalk up the amount so that shipping is free, me just roped in the sister.

Thanks to her for bearing with me. Bearing my sometimes non-existance nature. Sharing her stuffs with me. Her Concern for me. Yoz, i'm so proud to know i'm the person she can talk(call me on her mobile) while driving from one destination till she reverse parked ( can hear her vehicle's reverse sensor) into parking lot of her desired destination.

Remember our chilling session at ur swimming club. Hiaks.

She's one girl, i'm so comfortable one-to-one even having not met for eons.

Great!...more fashion discussions and budget management with wen for now.
=)

p/s: been surfing when i chance upon this "excuse generator" . Where obviously, this machine comes up with excuses when u want to weasel out of something.

Eg. i really love to (unpleasant task here) but i cant because i have to ____my_____ ____.

Guess what i rolled out?
"Paint, sunburnt , ego"