The saddening headlines this morning

I gasped when I flipped over the paper over coffee this morning and saw the headlines - " Singaporean hostage killed in Mumbai". The first Singaporean victim fallen to terrorism.

Even if I dont know Lo Hoei Yen, nor her family, I cant help but feel a sense of sadness at the loss of a life, who totally had not relation to the terror wielded by this bunch of supposedly young men, in a country not ours and woes not in any way caused by of our doings. It could have been me, my family or friends who happen to be at the wrong place, wrong time...

What we take for granted..travelling safely on the roads, being able to catch up with friends now and then in town, going about our daily lives. How much of these can we still enjoy should there be a chance that someone will sabotage our MRT lines and buses, for eg, or if a bunch of renegades storm a downtown spot?

Looking at our neighbours in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, I appreciate the fact that our little red dot is stable, like in the eye of the storm. But then, should the storm shift, I cannot imagine what we have to give up.

I treasure what I have now, and I pray that terrors in such forms will never reach our shores.

First day back at work

It felt kinda weird going back to work after being almost 4 weeks away, almost like as if I am going to a new place. Of course, the ultimate jam on PIE didn't help to lift the mood, which also resulted in me ended up in the same lift as my Director (well, this was better than the last incident, cos I asked him immediately "Sir, you also caught in the jam on PIE issit?"..heh~ )

Not that it would help if I had reached office earlier. I locked myself out of the system cos I forgot my computer security password, and had to wait for the IT people to come rescue me =.=" By the time I opened up my email inbox, the cronies (those who didn't take leave) from the course have already semi-flooded the inbox :p

The mood in the office was pretty sombre. A few people were not around, but somehow that didn't seemed to be the reason for heavy atmosphere hanging in the air.

It must have been too much negativities. Coming in from both left and right of my cube. At least the front of the cube was still opened, and a few colleagues did dropped by to catch up.

It was a good break. At least to see that there are more stuff to life, work and colleagues than papers, agendas and politiking :))

Back to School! 完结篇

Defining moments for some of us

(i) Pre course briefing

A : "Can we bring our laptops to Bintan? Cos may not have enough time to finish assignment after coming back"

B : "Got washing machine where we stay?"

C : "Do we need to buy extra insurance?"

D: "Do we need to travel around one? Can we can use those kind of trolley luggage huh?"

(A, B, C, D + E, F, G's thought bubbles.. "Wah lau eh..what kind of people am I on course with???")

(ii) 1st week of course

• (wah lau..that guy need to be so chao bin or not..)


• weak coffee and fried snacks for tea breaks


• "Who is that Gary huh?" "Donno leh.." "That guy sitting at the corner one la..always i-lang one"

(iii) Bintan

• Heart and Soul
• Chivas Regal
• Draft beer (but of course)
• Eggs. 10 of them. Plus some branches and leaves and what other poor plants we pulled from their original spots.
• of bells and sirens
• Care bear - shine? stare??
• "I dont think we should be talking about this here" . Wide opened eyes and jaws dropping.
• Packed lunches
• Day 1- Rain. Day 2 - Rain. Day 3 - Rain. Day 4 - Rain. Day 5 and Home Sweet Home - Sunny. Just great..
  

(iv) 3rd week

• flooding of FB with all the pics!
• Hot and whiltering weather
• Painful paper to write (for most..)
• Fish head curry dinner
• Songs and 青蛙跳

(v) 4th Week

• Mugging of handouts which didn't make sense
• More recces
• Revelation of someone's sensitive new age guy's side - luncheon meat sandwiches!
• Handshakes, promises to keep in touch and heartfelt blessings

HTAC SO 2/2008

It has been great knowing you guys!

My horoscope reading for Wed..

"You get some deeply weird news early on that leaves you feeling kind of funky for most of the day -- but it's not all bad! You know deep down that things are right where they're supposed to be."


I was just having a "thought" conversation with myself (er..you mean you dont?) earlier today, and was wondering if I had been right in choosing what I had wanted to do, which dictated how I had wanted to behave, or had I been sabotaging myself all these while? The devil/angel dialogues had been ongoing for a while..and very soon I was confused as to which is which..

"Come on..you know you wanted to do it.."

"What for? You know what your purpose was, right?"

Yet, it's true that deep down in my heart I know how things are going to be, and it's not going to matter how the recent events turned out. As of it is, things had taken its own course and in fact, turned out in a pretty nice way.

So let it be so :)

which leaves me only with this question..what is the meaning of funky??

夜深人静时

每当夜深人静时，总会不经意的，满头思绪。

经济萧条， 我的计划会被影响吗？

不久前的那一只签，好像都没被显灵？

前面的路途，是不是只有经一步，才现下一步？


冥冥中自有安排。再怎么抵也抵不了。

是剪头发的时候了。

Busy Sunday

I hate it when the weekend came and went. Just like that.

Especially Sunday, was out by 2pm, but practically wasting my time at the hockey pitch cos of some people who dont keep to time (I am beginning to hate people who dont respect the value of time. I could have done so much stuff for the duration of time I waited!), with practically nothing accomplished at the end of it.

Then it was rushing off to rehearse for long time friend Kel's wedding as the sword party. Both my partner in the sword party and I agreed on the point that it was always better to dress up nicely and wait with the rest of the dinner guests for the arrival of the groom and bride, instead of having to herald their arrival in number 1. But oh well..for long time friend.

Then it was dinner and it's great that the table with my uni mates had seats available. I didn't realise that it had been a year ago that we met up! What happened in between?! It was yakking and photo taking all the way throughout the dinner (even while the groom and bride were pouring out their gratitudes to their parents, guests etc.. we were entertaining ourselves taking photos :p)

And just as it came, the day ended. And now it's mugging time again. Sigh..Mondays somehow are just so dreary.

My new ride come Dec 08

Provided that the $2 COE fiasco doesn't drive the bidding price up!

The irritating bruise Part 2

I realised that my entries have sequels nowadays :/

In this case, it is a continuation, or more appropriately the spreading of that irritating bruise that is leading to a lot of whispers...

"Eh..what happened? She fell down issit?"
"她被boyfriend打huh?"

Since Wed, the bruise had became a glorious shade of dark purple yesterday and today it had became quite a sight.




It looked sinisterly like a afternoon shadow, and even half a goatee if viewed from a certain angle - one coursemate had unceremoniously said that it looked like a beard, while another one offered a shaver. =.="

One thing for sure, it had really started to looked quite bad. Not in the painful sort of bad, but bad cos it's like so obvious. People started to offer solutions, like apply some whitening cream, use hard boiled egg, rub some Zambut.

This already being Friday, I only had like tomorrow to let the patch dissipate. So after dinner I threw in 4 eggs to cook, and now I'm onto my second hard boiled egg, with an application of my night cream in between, which had Q10, which I hope will help somewhat. The bruise looked kinda became reddish purple, which I seriously hoped that it meant the pooled blood are moving away.


I dont want people to think my friend has a bearded lady-friend come the wedding dinner this Sun... but one thing for sure, I know that the egg-y smell from the hard boiled eggs is making me hungry :p

迷惑的纯真

为什么
每一次听到这首歌
就想起你

That irritating bruise

I was given a welcome present for the first training after a hiatus of 5 months (2 prezzies, if you include the warmup routine - it was a shocker to my legs). Went in for a tackle, think the bouncing ball came off my stick..got a knock from the ball on the chin. It brought a bit of tears on at that instance, but the pain subsided after a few sec. Didn't want to rub it cos was worried that the colouration will spread, and hey, it's not like when younger, when any injuries will come across as very "gungho"...

But the patch somehow got distinctively darker when I looked into the mirror just now. So after wrapping up my assignment, I had wanted to see how bad the bruise was, cos cant really see in the mirror.

TO MY HORROR....

And this is when the spot is still tender, meaning the colouration hasn't really start to spread.

Gosh.. I'm torn between vanity (how to conceal??!!!Got photo to take and wedding dinner to attend this Sun!! ) and practicality (whatever..wont die if people see the bruise).

Right now, I'm more inclined towards "whatever..". Wait till Sun..

I wonder..

- if I should cut my hair. I miss having short hair that dries within 1 hour.

- if my sense and intuition are throwing me off guard. I swear I thought...

- if I should have even bother.

- why I feel squemish when I think about what is going to happen come Jan 09.

- my mind is still running so actively, despite having ran constantly for at least 1 hour on the hockey pitch, and having verbal diarrhoea since 11pm. Must be the wet hair.

A note to myself

平常心，ok?

Back to School! Part 2

All of us are counting down the words needed to complete the assignment.
"How?"
"Only 1000 leh..still got at least another 1000 more"
"I donno..I ended up uploading photos on my facebook"
"I only need another 500 to meet the quota..jialat.."
"I completed already."
And everybody suddenly turned very quiet..
.
.
.
.
.
.
(god..how come the slides and the handout totally not coherent?)
"Er..sorry to interrupt, but before you go further, are the slides you are presenting, or the handouts more updated?"
"The slides are more updated"
(*&^%&*..it has only been 2 weeks ago when they gave us the consolidated handouts lor, can't they update the slides, then print the handouts?)
.
.
.
.
.

(What..HC what?? NC what?So many acronyms! What the hell is he talking about?)
.
.
.
.
.
.
"...The hazmat...sophisticated equipment.....there are...."
(I am really...really.....really....sleepy......)
.
.
.
.
.
(*FB tab blinking*)
Pauline "wei wei..doing essay assigment?"
XXX "I have been sitting infront of the laptop since 730 pm but havent accomplished much le.. u done with it?"
Pauline "no..i watching tv.muahahahah!"
(stop showing off..you know you are going to kick yourself later for procrastinating again)
.
.
.
.
.
On FB...
XXXX is "desparately trying to finish up his assignment"
XXX "cannot be more distracted"
XXXX "wonders if she can even finish half her assigment tonight"
Pauline is "speechless once again :x"
.
.
.
.
.

okok..better start working on it.
Tomorrow night going training, Wed gotto drop by Delta to settle the travelling t-shirts at the federation.
I better remember to order ice tmr too..

Musing beside the pitch

I was at the pitch this afternoon cos the U21 team was having a training match with the U-16 boys. While waiting for the Tuck Lee Ice man to arrive with the ordered packets of ice, was talking to the sports trainer, GM.

GM asked me how long I had played, I replied about 10 years before I stopped training a few years back. Then we started talking about scars, operations, allowances and professional athlethes.

After that, I watched the girls as they battled the guys, and as usual I itched to play. Sometimes I wonder, other than passion, I really dont know what else kept us going - beyond stitches, broken bones, sprains, juggling studies/work, lack of sleep.. Sometimes I wonder if I hadn't pick up hockey on a whim during Sec 1, would I be what I'm like today?


p/s Limin, wishing you a speedy recovery after your ops tmr!

Back from Bintan! -updates

Am uploading the pics taken onto picasa web as I am updating, which wasn't a lot given that I had only taken pics on the first day and the last. All those in between? Too busy with climbing mountain trails, contorting branches and leaves, getting gloriously drenched in between getting muddy and sweaty. And oh..getting indoctrinated by our 60 year old mentor on "Respect, Trust and Care".

Personally, it was amazing how the trip turned out. I was kinda dreading the course cos I remember the last time when I was on overseas experiential learning course (that's a nice way of putting it - the real deal was unexpectedly harsher than what we had been prepared for then). I guess as you get too comfortable over time in the urban setting, the outdoors seems a bit ..like..wild?? Moreover, I was a bit sceptical if I can survive the group dynamics..again..getting too comfortable with people already known and worked with.. bleh. On another front, I knew my own objectives for this course as well as the trip (as shared during our very first facilitated discussion in Bintan), given how situation was turning out back at work prior to the start of the course.

But anyway, it was better to do that, than to sit in class and go through lectures after lectures on leadership (hey...that sounded kinda familiar, heck, it happened in bintan as well.Haha~), I thought, and it's good to get those limbs working.

So..I cant say that my moral was very high on the first day cos it was damn early waking up and getting out of the house by 645am, and it was pouring cats and dogs when we reached our destination (which continued its form for the next 3 days as well, until the day when we left when it decided to turn bright and sunny =.="). Thereafter, things took its own course, and somehow it got way much better, especially with the post-activities gatherings at night - that was when the real bonding started :p Almost everybody shedded their "work" fronts and laughed, joked, teased, chatted, shared experiences and thoughts. It was encouraging especially when after a few days, a colleague was comfortable enough to share his thoughts on me, asking me why I was holding back during this trip, knowing that I'm out of character. It was insightful of what he told me, which I think would not had happened if it wasn't that we had been hanging out for the past few nights.

My group was somewhat the super (under-)achiever in all the planned activities front, but it just turned out that our group was prob the only one that was laughing most of the time - despite being chidded for not putting "heart and soul" in our work, lectures on leadership, malfunctioning contraption..I was just telling someone that there seemed to be a lot of "alphas" in my group, but during the 5 days, I discovered that instead of being "alphas", we were more like individuals knew when to hold back and support the designated leader in his/her learning processes, whether if the decisions made were right or wrong. Well, I dont know it was the right attitude towards what we were supposed to go through, but somehow I felt that that had helped foster a sense of trust and respect, which was evident in the last day when instead of writing comments on one another's possible area of improvment and slipping the notes to the respective persons, my group decided to go against the norm (again) to just share and tell how they feel, to one another's face.

The super-underachieving Group 3

Looking back, in my heart, I thank whoever is up there, who had probably understood what I needed, and the trip had really perked me up since a long time I remembered, beyond my expectations. Now..there is still something left unsettled..cross fingers!

Back from Bintan!

Will update more soon...

and waiting for email..crossing fingers!!

The rudest driver I have ever came across

I had the most unpleasant encounter which was the nearest that I wished I could just walk up to the car and let my creativity flow with the car key.

Location : Suntec Carpark B1 (the Carrefour block)

Time : 11.30am

I hadn't expect it to be easy to find a parking lot. So it was a cursory round before I ended up at the entrance where I had came in. Decided to try my luck at the other corner, ie, if I had entered the carpark, I would have turned left immediately.

It was a tight corner as there were designated parallel lots on the left, with the usual reverse lots on the right. As I turned the corner, a couple was just getting into their car parked on the right, 4th from the start of the row. So I moved slightly front, and switched on my hazard light, cos there was no way to wait at the corner, which I would probably blocked the whole traffic. At least where I was waiting from, oncoming cars could still be able to drive past before I get the chance to park.

The car took a while to move off, which is about like 30 seconds, but no other oncoming car. After 30 seconds, the car inched forward turning out of its lot cos remember -it was really quite tight with the row of parallel parked vehicles in front of it. So I waited.

Just as the car made its way clear out of the lot, to my utter disgust I saw a yellow Honda jazz turned the corner and without any hesitation drove head-in into the lot! I horned but the driver was clearly oblivious. I was deliberating whether to confront the driver or to just leave, but I just cant stand the fact that it was damn obvious that I was waiting for the lot and the driver was damn rude to have done what he did. So I reversed to the Honda, where this 50-plus man stepped out of the car with his teenage son.

"Hey, I was waiting for this lot!" I said.

"No what, I thought u were waiting for other lots in front"

Hello???!!! If I had would my car had been stationary with hazard light on?

"No, it was obvious that I was waiting for this lot!" I replied

"If you are you should have waited before the lot what". Then he used his index finger and tapped his temple 3 times, and walked off nonchanlantly.

"F&^%&* idiot! " I shouted after him and drove off.

ARGHHGHGHHGHGHG! WTF! He had the audacity to behave so smugly about the fact that he outwitted another person for a parking lot!

Freaking hell. I wouldn't been as angry if he

(i) had really didn't see me waiting (which, it was obvious he did. Come on, if I can see his audacious act of driving into my lot through my rear view mirror, he would been able to see me waiting in front, and in seeing me waiting, went in head first so I had no chance to contest for the lot)

(ii) apologised

No, I did not deploy my creativity streak cos no point commiting crime for an idiot like this. But I did take a photo of his car and car plate. Was toying with the idea of sending it STOMP and whatever other forums of ungracious and totally rude idiot. But then again, no point in flaming this idiot by mindless netizen mob.

Fine example he set for his son. I pity the son for having a father like that cos he wouldn't have any chance of learning civility from the main role model he has in his life.

I hope there is no need to reach the stage, where we need to erect this sign warning people of potential area of road rage, if only all of us practise a little bit of grace and common sense.

ps. Yes, I still think in general men are worse drivers.

Women drivers are in general unsure cos they seldom drive; so yes, some of them do take more time in parking, some of the time they are slow on the roads. You too if you only drive like once a week.

Men drivers - they switch lane without signalling, they squeeze in front of you, forcing you to brake, they tailgate you, they dont ever let you get the chance to cut in from the filter lane -they would even accelerate to cut you off even though you are already running out of road and probably heading to the barrier in about one more nanosecond. Oh yes, some men drivers do also take more time inparking their super big vehicle, sometimes cutting in the lot next to it (which lead me to think that they really should limit their car size to the level of skill they have)and some also do travel at 50km in the middle lane of the expressway for god-knows-what-reason.

How to know? Next time you think the driver in front or beside you is horrible, turn and look. It is more likely to be a man than a woman. I know, cos I have done it. And read the newspaper - how many of the accidents fatalities are male drivers? Nuff said.

Back to School!

(oh god..so early...my mind havent wake up yet...)
.
.
.

"Av view ewer done a dreat azzesment befwour?"

"Huh?!" (at least 5 goondus who were not sensitive enough in controlling their first reactions) (the goondus included me)

First line repeated.

"Oh..threat assessment..no, never do before"
.
.
.

He asked, "Are you ok?"

*turn around, GC (sitting in the row behind me) pointing back at me, turn back and look at the lecturer*

"Eh Sir, you looking at me?"

Darn. Kena punk'd.

.
.
.

(wah...jialat..want to fall asleep liao..cannot leh.. Very 'luck say' if sekali I start nodding)
*pinch pinch poke poke*
(wah lau eh..if this carries on my arm blue black liao)

.
.
.

(hmmm..nice weather..shit..what did the lecturer just say??)

.
.
.

(wah...how come she scribble so many things on her handout. Got so much thing to write meh?)
*look at own handout which was as clean as it came*
(hmmmm......)

.
.
.

"Ok class, any questions?"

Silence.

You can even hear the coconut tree leaf drop across the parade square.

.
.
.

(Ok, better start finish up the readings....oh..file forget to bring back?....... Yay! Dont have to read already! hahahahahah :D)


p.s. The above moments are not fictional, but depict perhaps only 5% of the true happenings of the whole course so far :p

By and large, the lessons were insightful, thought provoking, and essentially an eye opener, by the few experts in their area of work. Thank goodness also the participants are participative and threw some really snazzy questions that kept the class atmosphere alive.

Going to a semi-wilderness next week (I felt a deja vu of HuaHin, which I didn't even knew was a resort town going by the rough stuff we had to go through. We should have bunked into one of the 5 star resorts any of the 3 nights we had to kayak)

Halloween! Part 2

It was a bad evening, but wasn't going to let that affect my night out.





It was scary-galore (not to mentioned meat packed crowdedness) at outside Zouk.

Other than the usual devils, Death of god, there were a lot of

• angels
• the Joker
• bunny girls

Some interesting ones

• A ERP Gantry (oohh,,that's scary..)


• a group of PAP MPs (who were waving around and got themselves into velvet without queueing..darn!)


• a Ronald Mcdonald

Aaaww...I realised how lame it was without the pics. But I was too lazy to bring my cam from the car, my phone cam sucks and I am totally regretting it now! :/

What was I? haha~ wait for the pics. Next year I want to go as something scarier.

(this is till named part 2 cos I deleted part 1 and part 3 - going to stay low profile under the radar.)