The Mojito Life - RUM for the soul, A sprig of fresh MINT for newness, A dash of sour LIME that puckles up your face, & Sweet SUGAR to keep Life going.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Tahan one more day!
I donno why the last week has been all haywire. It seemed like every now and then, there would be some turbulence, of sort, that turned my life tipsy turvy. I was getting frustrated at some of the things done, some of the things not done, and generally the inequalities and unfairness of life. Sometimes I think I am going through an early mid-life crisis.
I think someone out there heard all my unspoken thoughts. I got an invitation out of the blue to go Bintan, the nearest beach and sand place good to go to (East Coast doesn't count. Anyway I was harbouring the thought sometimes to drop everything and just drive to EC park just to sit and watch the sea. That was how desparate I was).
I cant wait to get away. I dont care that I only know my friend amongst the group I was going with. I dont care that there was nothing much to do in Bintan (that's precisely the point!). I dont care that it was only going to be 3 days.
I am already thinking what to pack for the 45 min island away from Singapore - a good book, my ipod, in addition to the usual t shirts, shorts and slippers (my favourite back to basic gears).
I am going to get my sanity back. Just one more day to go.
I think someone out there heard all my unspoken thoughts. I got an invitation out of the blue to go Bintan, the nearest beach and sand place good to go to (East Coast doesn't count. Anyway I was harbouring the thought sometimes to drop everything and just drive to EC park just to sit and watch the sea. That was how desparate I was).
I cant wait to get away. I dont care that I only know my friend amongst the group I was going with. I dont care that there was nothing much to do in Bintan (that's precisely the point!). I dont care that it was only going to be 3 days.
I am already thinking what to pack for the 45 min island away from Singapore - a good book, my ipod, in addition to the usual t shirts, shorts and slippers (my favourite back to basic gears).
I am going to get my sanity back. Just one more day to go.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Anger management
My nasty temper reared its ugly head again today. I thought I could survive this season as the last, thought I had been through the angsty period and whatever on the pitch should have been a been-there-done-that, so I wouldn't be less non-plussed than I would be a few years back.
But its especially frustrating, and the emotions erupted today.
I had plan all my personal stuff around when the hockey schedules cos missing one player was going to make so much difference in this new building-up team. I had such a small window period in May when I could go visit Fenny in London, after the hockey season ends before she had to fly back to Indonesia end May. I was comtemplating to rush to Bintan to join my friends after my game next Sat, for that short getaway before I start tearing my hairs out, and if the game was to be Sunday, I would give up the trip totally.
When the meeting time is one hour before the game, I am there one hour before the game.
When the coach calls for briefing, I am there with my shin guards and awaits his instuction, not taking your own sweet time to walk down, chat among yourselves and totally ignoring his presence.
The young ones are not up to par, that only means that you run up to give that extra support, and not stand there when they get the ball, looking on and giving instructions where they should pass the ball.
And for the young ones, being not up to par doesn't that you don't make effort to chase down the ball that you mis-trap or turn over to the other side, never mind that you run down wrongly or you threw your stick down the wrong way.
Maybe it was the PMS. Maybe it was the flu-ey headache. Maybe it was the first two goals that came in on the left side.
But I scolded someone on the pitch, snapped when they were still chatting when the coach was calling for attention during the short briefing, and passed a snide remark when someone gave comment during debriefing when no one asked her, when she obviously wasn't there for trainings to give the advice that she was advocating.
Yes, benefit of doubt, trying to understand the circumstances for not being around. But I feel like the fool for making the effort, for insisting that I should be around for the games during the weekends, for trying to make it for training whenever I could. I can understand busy, I can understand work commitment, I can understand preparing for exams, I can understand non-attendance at trainings so long as you dont screw up. I am not great too - I can really feel this season I was slower, missed more tackles, finds it harder to swing left fast enough for tackles, or chase players down the lines. But I cannot stand care-less attitudes and self-centered intents.
The alternative was not to care too much. But then when you care about something, going that way is not going to help anyway. I was just thinking about it on the way back home, if such a thing would have happened in the workplace, I definitely wouldn't had acted the same way, except if it had been an outright disregard or disrecpect, then it would had become personal. Work will never be personal, but passion for a game is. Though I am sure I should had been more diplomatic I guess, like :-
"Hey..I haven't seen you being punctual before leh..next time come earlier lah"
"Wah..you long time never come down training already la... Come for training la."
But as usual, when I am angry, all diplomacy is thrown to the wind, and I know I am left to pick up the pieces and do damage control.
I know some of you read my blogs - I am angry cos I am disappointed and I dont find the same joy playing in the same team anymore, cos I sense that different people are going different directions, doing their own things, minding their own business. Then it makes playing as a team less meaningful. And it drives the rest of us trying to find the meaning in going for training every twice a week, coming down every weekend to play a game, only to suffer from aches for the next few days.
I had thought it was worth it. I am not sure anymore.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Home on a Friday night
On homeground after a hectic week. With booze and good food since Tuesday, last night I was at ICB, and drank coke (!!) (my friend was jokingly disgusted at the fact that someone would order coke while at ICB)
But I was feeling really tired with liver overworking. While talking to joyce, both of us were gushing that we were quite looking forward to staying in on Friday night cos it feels just right to nua at home after a busy week.
But even while at home, I had not just slump into oblivion in front of the tv. I cleared work email (mistake! now my weekend is ruined thinking about how to craft the presentation slides), I updated my iTune with 陈绮贞 latest album (thanks for someone who works near a shop with all the parallel import CDs. Now I NEED to find that Rachel Yamagata's one, which I had been telling myself to get since a month ago), and all at the same time, mulling over events which happened this week - some disappointing, some uplifting, some amusing, some just plain disgusting.
And then very soon, I am going to pop into bed and read my book while falling asleep gradually.
好“宅”啊．．
But I was feeling really tired with liver overworking. While talking to joyce, both of us were gushing that we were quite looking forward to staying in on Friday night cos it feels just right to nua at home after a busy week.
But even while at home, I had not just slump into oblivion in front of the tv. I cleared work email (mistake! now my weekend is ruined thinking about how to craft the presentation slides), I updated my iTune with 陈绮贞 latest album (thanks for someone who works near a shop with all the parallel import CDs. Now I NEED to find that Rachel Yamagata's one, which I had been telling myself to get since a month ago), and all at the same time, mulling over events which happened this week - some disappointing, some uplifting, some amusing, some just plain disgusting.
And then very soon, I am going to pop into bed and read my book while falling asleep gradually.
好“宅”啊．．
Something for this very 宅 Friday night.
Of hole punchers and 方块字; and a Cantonese who cannot speak Cantonese
In this world today, being bilingual is not enough already.
This is after an afternoon of trying to understand a workshop conducted in Catonese. It's right that you cannot assume that everybody in the world knows or should speak English and Mandarin only. Just being able to speak the other person's language crosses so much interpersonal barrier. I only wished that I had continued speaking cantonese after when I was four years old, coming back to Singapore after one year in Hong Kong.
Effectively, I am only bilingual - English and Mandarin, though I can understand hokkien, teochew and cantonese. But ask me to speak...I spare your ears from the torture. And myself from the brain twisting trying to find the right words and forcing my tongue to pronounce deformed dialects. I was trying to say 木薯 in Cantonese- mok3 xu3 - during a work dinner to a foreign guest, and my colleauge subtly prodded me and whispered to changed my intonation so that it made sense to the guest, that what he was about to put into his mouth isn't some "wooden mouse".
Till today, I hear my mum's side speaks the lithling Teochew, my dad's side speaks the melodious Cantonese. I am always stumped when someone ask which dialect group I am. My standard answer would always be, "I'm cantonese. but I cant speak for nuts." Sometimes I wish I am able to at least be conversant a bit in both of them, though I am able to understand somewhat. I wonder if it's ever too late to pick up dialect..but then it should be like French or German that a lot of people are taking up nowadays. Just that nobody conducts classes for dialects I guess.
This is after an afternoon of trying to understand a workshop conducted in Catonese. It's right that you cannot assume that everybody in the world knows or should speak English and Mandarin only. Just being able to speak the other person's language crosses so much interpersonal barrier. I only wished that I had continued speaking cantonese after when I was four years old, coming back to Singapore after one year in Hong Kong.
Effectively, I am only bilingual - English and Mandarin, though I can understand hokkien, teochew and cantonese. But ask me to speak...I spare your ears from the torture. And myself from the brain twisting trying to find the right words and forcing my tongue to pronounce deformed dialects. I was trying to say 木薯 in Cantonese- mok3 xu3 - during a work dinner to a foreign guest, and my colleauge subtly prodded me and whispered to changed my intonation so that it made sense to the guest, that what he was about to put into his mouth isn't some "wooden mouse".
Till today, I hear my mum's side speaks the lithling Teochew, my dad's side speaks the melodious Cantonese. I am always stumped when someone ask which dialect group I am. My standard answer would always be, "I'm cantonese. but I cant speak for nuts." Sometimes I wish I am able to at least be conversant a bit in both of them, though I am able to understand somewhat. I wonder if it's ever too late to pick up dialect..but then it should be like French or German that a lot of people are taking up nowadays. Just that nobody conducts classes for dialects I guess.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Of hole punchers and 方块字
Had another gathering with some of the HTAC group of cronies. The location was decided by someone working in the eastern corner of Singapore, so naturally we ended up at Changi Village. The order of the day was SEAFOOD! (to be exact it was one pepper crab, one chilli crab, one plate of gong gong, one plate of numerous chicken wings, one plate of cereal prawns, one plate of kang kong.Yummy~) I am getting rusty at gathering...I should have taken a photo to show the feasting that we did :D I am still full as I am typing now..
Anyway this topic came up during post dinner drinks (most of the peeps decided to refrain from alcoholic stuff since most drove), cos someone had to host Chinese delegates at her work place. She had to speak in Mandarin, and in the middle of it, 她讲的辛苦，对方也听得辛苦。In the end, the other party asked if 她是不是华籍。 At this juncture, our course coordinator added that her friend working in Beijing, had also a hard time trying to even communicate the daily stuff to her Chinese colleauges. "给我那个...er...hole puncher" only drew stares of incomprehension.
And thereafter we tried our mandarin prowess (or the lack thereof..)
stapler = 订书机
paper clip = ? 夹纸的？
water hydrant = 消防栓 or 喷水柱？？
处长= ？
I recall there was an article in the straits times today (18 Mar 09 that is), that MM mentioned that Singaporeans should continue to be bilingual, followed by a small column which talked about the upcoming Speak Mandarin Campaign. This year, they are going to target at two groups to encourage them to speak more of the 方块字- one group who are weak in the first place, and the other group which had lost the mastery of the language over time.
With the multitude of information we have to process everyday, I wonder if it is efficient to try to be bilingual. It could be the frequency of usage, since it is rare that we will need to touch on the use of Mandarin, other than for special ocassions such as the one above. But more often than not, we lapse into what is our most comfortable lingo, which probably runs more in sync with the speed of our train of thoughts. Imagine during the same visit which my friend hosted, she would have to memorise all the nouns, try to embellish the delivery with 成语(and appropriate/correct ones some more!) to make it more interesting for the half a day visit, and then revert back to the use of English as her main mode of conversation for the rest of the 364 days.
I guess we are just not built to be bilingual in our workplace. Not that I dont like Mandarin. In fact, I find that as a language, 华语还是比较内敛的。But by the time I manage to think of what is mandarin for the hole puncher I might as well go grab it on my own and save myself from some hair tearing.
Anyway this topic came up during post dinner drinks (most of the peeps decided to refrain from alcoholic stuff since most drove), cos someone had to host Chinese delegates at her work place. She had to speak in Mandarin, and in the middle of it, 她讲的辛苦，对方也听得辛苦。In the end, the other party asked if 她是不是华籍。 At this juncture, our course coordinator added that her friend working in Beijing, had also a hard time trying to even communicate the daily stuff to her Chinese colleauges. "给我那个...er...hole puncher" only drew stares of incomprehension.
And thereafter we tried our mandarin prowess (or the lack thereof..)
stapler = 订书机
paper clip = ? 夹纸的？
water hydrant = 消防栓 or 喷水柱？？
处长= ？
I recall there was an article in the straits times today (18 Mar 09 that is), that MM mentioned that Singaporeans should continue to be bilingual, followed by a small column which talked about the upcoming Speak Mandarin Campaign. This year, they are going to target at two groups to encourage them to speak more of the 方块字- one group who are weak in the first place, and the other group which had lost the mastery of the language over time.
With the multitude of information we have to process everyday, I wonder if it is efficient to try to be bilingual. It could be the frequency of usage, since it is rare that we will need to touch on the use of Mandarin, other than for special ocassions such as the one above. But more often than not, we lapse into what is our most comfortable lingo, which probably runs more in sync with the speed of our train of thoughts. Imagine during the same visit which my friend hosted, she would have to memorise all the nouns, try to embellish the delivery with 成语(and appropriate/correct ones some more!) to make it more interesting for the half a day visit, and then revert back to the use of English as her main mode of conversation for the rest of the 364 days.
I guess we are just not built to be bilingual in our workplace. Not that I dont like Mandarin. In fact, I find that as a language, 华语还是比较内敛的。But by the time I manage to think of what is mandarin for the hole puncher I might as well go grab it on my own and save myself from some hair tearing.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
A few turns of serendipity
On wed, I was having a headache. I wanted to look for an ex-colleague but realised I lost her number. Questions with no answers and the meeting was going to be next day morning. Went home log on facebook and saw one message from another ex-colleauge asking about life after resignation. A few exchanges later, I realised that I could ask him the same question and then received the perfect answer cos someone from his squad was doing the actual process before.
During the same day, a friend cancelled dinner appointment, which means it was going to another 宅女day - work,go home. Just that, another friend sms to have dinner. Good! So where exactly to eat at Vivo City would be confirmed. I was craving for beer and sausages, but not sure if she wanted to go Brozeit. Well, will see then. Then at night, she called and said that she wanted to go to the place we went the other time - which was Brozeit! Woohoo~ Beer!
Today while driving to work, I was pondering - to park at the free carpark and walk the 7 mins to office, or to save the trouble by spending money and just park at the multi-story carpark, since I was going to be on PM leave anyway. Hmm..the stinginess seeped in and I decided that 7 mins of walking will help to burn off some stuff in view of the wedding dinner tonight..not to say that I still get to save the parking charges. At 10.30am, I was despairing at the downpour while looking out from the window, thinking that I will be one drenched person by the time I walk to my car later. A colleauge offered her "Disney Princess" umbrella for the walk before we went out for lunch. So lunch we went, in the same building, and just as I left the building, the sky cleared with not much of a sign of an ealier downpour. So I returned the umbrella and walked off lunch by the time I reach the car.
Tonight, I was the Mandarin emcee for a friend's wedding dinner. I had never emcee-d for wedding dinners, not to mention in Mandarin. My counterpart, though a bit..er..well..(he didn't turn up for the rehearsal), but was gaming enough, making small talks, easing the pre-stage jitters that I seems to be having nowdays. And the whole process went well.
I'm grateful.
During the same day, a friend cancelled dinner appointment, which means it was going to another 宅女day - work,go home. Just that, another friend sms to have dinner. Good! So where exactly to eat at Vivo City would be confirmed. I was craving for beer and sausages, but not sure if she wanted to go Brozeit. Well, will see then. Then at night, she called and said that she wanted to go to the place we went the other time - which was Brozeit! Woohoo~ Beer!
Today while driving to work, I was pondering - to park at the free carpark and walk the 7 mins to office, or to save the trouble by spending money and just park at the multi-story carpark, since I was going to be on PM leave anyway. Hmm..the stinginess seeped in and I decided that 7 mins of walking will help to burn off some stuff in view of the wedding dinner tonight..not to say that I still get to save the parking charges. At 10.30am, I was despairing at the downpour while looking out from the window, thinking that I will be one drenched person by the time I walk to my car later. A colleauge offered her "Disney Princess" umbrella for the walk before we went out for lunch. So lunch we went, in the same building, and just as I left the building, the sky cleared with not much of a sign of an ealier downpour. So I returned the umbrella and walked off lunch by the time I reach the car.
Tonight, I was the Mandarin emcee for a friend's wedding dinner. I had never emcee-d for wedding dinners, not to mention in Mandarin. My counterpart, though a bit..er..well..(he didn't turn up for the rehearsal), but was gaming enough, making small talks, easing the pre-stage jitters that I seems to be having nowdays. And the whole process went well.
I'm grateful.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Farewell and moving on..
Went for a farewell lunch with my ex dept. Was quite glad to meet up with the rest of the ex-colleauges. It just felt different talking to people from the force. I dont think I can talk the same way to those who came from the big 4 in my new work place.
Anyway, after the whole ritual of speech and plaques, one of the boys was asking to take a together. After the quick snap, I asked him, "Eh, what happened to you and your girlfriend?" (This being his FB status was updated as being "single" a few weeks back; and I remember he was one damn sweet guy to his girl).
"oh..we broke up", he replied "I even saw the guy before at Sentosa with her, before we officially broke up.. She (the gf) was going out with him even before she broke up with me"
"Aiyo..you ok or not" (On hindsight, this was a stupid question to ask. What is he say not ok?? Then what am I going to say??)
"Ok la" He said, "Anyway it has already been one month already. So I got over it la."
What? One month?! Youngsters nowadays take just one month to get over their relationships? And I thought the boy was serious about the girl!
And I caught myself in time. What the hell..at least he is smart enough to do that. Might as well get over it and move on.
Yes, I've been telling myself for years already. One of the ex just msn-ed me before he left for Seoul, asking to meet up after he's back from his work trip. Instinctively, I was like.."What the f&^% would I want to meet u for? After all the f&^%$^&* thing you have done behind my back".
But then, the-ever-feigning-gracious-me (in relation to this b&^%&* e.g. he is one of my "friend" in FB..Sometimes I am just so tempted to delete him. But no, must learn to be gracious.) say, "ok, cfm again".
And then I whined to a friend the next day - how can people be friends with their ex-es? When breaking up had been painful/messy/ downright unpleasant. The friend just said, "Aiya, you just need to move on lor, then it wont be so difficult already". I ungratefully retorted, "You never kena cheated before right.."
But the friend's right. I should take a page from the 20 year old boy and move on.
Anyway, after the whole ritual of speech and plaques, one of the boys was asking to take a together. After the quick snap, I asked him, "Eh, what happened to you and your girlfriend?" (This being his FB status was updated as being "single" a few weeks back; and I remember he was one damn sweet guy to his girl).
"oh..we broke up", he replied "I even saw the guy before at Sentosa with her, before we officially broke up.. She (the gf) was going out with him even before she broke up with me"
"Aiyo..you ok or not" (On hindsight, this was a stupid question to ask. What is he say not ok?? Then what am I going to say??)
"Ok la" He said, "Anyway it has already been one month already. So I got over it la."
What? One month?! Youngsters nowadays take just one month to get over their relationships? And I thought the boy was serious about the girl!
And I caught myself in time. What the hell..at least he is smart enough to do that. Might as well get over it and move on.
Yes, I've been telling myself for years already. One of the ex just msn-ed me before he left for Seoul, asking to meet up after he's back from his work trip. Instinctively, I was like.."What the f&^% would I want to meet u for? After all the f&^%$^&* thing you have done behind my back".
But then, the-ever-feigning-gracious-me (in relation to this b&^%&* e.g. he is one of my "friend" in FB..Sometimes I am just so tempted to delete him. But no, must learn to be gracious.) say, "ok, cfm again".
And then I whined to a friend the next day - how can people be friends with their ex-es? When breaking up had been painful/messy/ downright unpleasant. The friend just said, "Aiya, you just need to move on lor, then it wont be so difficult already". I ungratefully retorted, "You never kena cheated before right.."
But the friend's right. I should take a page from the 20 year old boy and move on.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
五月天 出头天
This is not the official MV, but I still prefer this version. I cant wait for their concert. Aug is too long away!!!
Saturday, March 7, 2009
I am having brain freeze...
...icing my nose. Bridge to be exact.
The practical side of me is screaming, "C'mon! It's just a damn small bum!!Get over it already!"
The vain side retaliated, " You promised that you going to be the emcee for the weddng dinner this Friday lor..You want the people below the stage to wonder what was that black black thing on your nose is it.."
Practical side, " Wah lau..not your wedding also lor..why you worry.."
Vain side, "But...but..."
Conclusion is..I am still icing, so that tomorrow I am going to use the egg thingey. AGAIN. I just hope that there wont be much discolouration by the time work starts on Monday.
The practical side of me is screaming, "C'mon! It's just a damn small bum!!Get over it already!"
The vain side retaliated, " You promised that you going to be the emcee for the weddng dinner this Friday lor..You want the people below the stage to wonder what was that black black thing on your nose is it.."
Practical side, " Wah lau..not your wedding also lor..why you worry.."
Vain side, "But...but..."
Conclusion is..I am still icing, so that tomorrow I am going to use the egg thingey. AGAIN. I just hope that there wont be much discolouration by the time work starts on Monday.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
I am quitting coffee!
Those who know me know it's best not to talk to me in the morning.
And those who know me knows the mood gets better when I have my cup of coffee.
But after reading today's Mind Your Body section of the straits times, I wonder if coffee was the cause for my sleep state.
For reasons I can't still fathom, I haven't been sleeping well recently. Well, I haven't had a good sleep since god knows when (think it was prob before JC) - it's probably the dreams and I always wake up feeling unrested. But nonetheless, this state has lasted me through uni and work with no mishap thus far.
But for the past few weeks, I have extremely tiring mornings from the lack of good sleep and I wonder if there was something wrong with me. Work was a drag as the mind struggles from lethargy. Not to say, the dark eye circle situation is at its worst yet.
Being an O+, according to D'Adamo( ok, this is the link to D'Adamo's website, the exact article in MYB, go read the papers) some food stuff add to certain negative functioning of the body. And one of the stuff to AVOID ...is....COFFEE!
Sigh..maybe if I cut down on coffee I may sleep better...so for the sake of that, I have decided to stop drinking coffee (for the next 1 week as a test run). (I am having withdrawal symptoms just thinking abt this)
Just dont talk to me in the morning..
And those who know me knows the mood gets better when I have my cup of coffee.
But after reading today's Mind Your Body section of the straits times, I wonder if coffee was the cause for my sleep state.
For reasons I can't still fathom, I haven't been sleeping well recently. Well, I haven't had a good sleep since god knows when (think it was prob before JC) - it's probably the dreams and I always wake up feeling unrested. But nonetheless, this state has lasted me through uni and work with no mishap thus far.
But for the past few weeks, I have extremely tiring mornings from the lack of good sleep and I wonder if there was something wrong with me. Work was a drag as the mind struggles from lethargy. Not to say, the dark eye circle situation is at its worst yet.
Being an O+, according to D'Adamo( ok, this is the link to D'Adamo's website, the exact article in MYB, go read the papers) some food stuff add to certain negative functioning of the body. And one of the stuff to AVOID ...is....COFFEE!
Sigh..maybe if I cut down on coffee I may sleep better...so for the sake of that, I have decided to stop drinking coffee (for the next 1 week as a test run). (I am having withdrawal symptoms just thinking abt this)
Just dont talk to me in the morning..
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Jai Ho!
Yes, I have just caught the show. Now I understand why the soundtrack flew off the shelves in the stores. The songs were so catchy!
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