Oh vanity!

That drives one to walk relentlessly through the throngs of people amassing in the ubiquitous malls in Singapore.

All because of one frivolous idea - I got no shoes to wear (the same frivolous idea that flitted every morning when I open the crowded wardrobe in that one life defining moment before I decide what I will wear to face the world for the rest of the day)(which will probably be something that I don't need to iron and look decently presentable in).

Sometime back I was starring at the shoes I had got and decided that I really have nothing to wear for a wedding dinner. Other than the shoes for work (which on their own aren't those sensible ones anyway..not if you intend to walk in 3 inch heels constantly). And in the end I hurriedly chose one pair and decided that heck..it's not my wedding anyway. And during the dinner, an unkindly friend passed an unkindly comment about my shoes (hmm..I should have trusted my ex-boyfriend's assessment of her.Sometimes guys can't be bothered with fronts and hence can see through one easily. )

Of course, any feeling of frivolity went out of the window. Though I was not mad at that person..I decided that I should at least go shopping, which was something that I hadn't really been doing for..hmm..long..I cannot remember when was the last time I went shopping along Orchard Road. And I decided that I might as well go to the extreme..and get something that is more bling.

I swear that in my younger days, I would never own anything that even resembles bling and risk my reputation. But I guess priorities change as one age.

So spent two afternoons there cutting through post christmas crowds. And whoever thought bling shoes were so hard to find? Most of them are OTT loud, or bridal-ey lacy type. On the later, I think I probably get enough ideas for anybody who plans to buy bridal shoes (my top recommendation is this which I found during a pre-shopping research. But the 114 others were also all too yummy..).

On the second day, even landed more collateral damages (all thanks for friend who showed me her horse-riding pants and sharing her store discount card :p) and not finding shoes. But I eventually did find something, thanks to patient friend who help me vet shoe after shoe after shoe..and eventually down to the last two pairs, even helped me model the two different colours (always bring a good friend shopping!)

Are they bling enough?? Yes, my reputation is now ruined..but I am a partially blinded by the blings that I can't be bothered too much :)

Merry Christmas! ;)

Death by Email

I wonder if there is ever this thing call "unnecessary data traffic".

A good person - what is that?

What is considered a good person?

I had a good thought exercise today. So good that my brain is suffering from chronic fatigue and probably going in to cramping mode soon.

I used to have a boss who said, "You should keep asking 'why' until you can't ask anymore. That is when you will get your answer." The same probably applies to deciphering that question , but instead of "Why", it was "What do you mean"?

When you say someone is a good person - what do you mean? Good in what sense? What has he done or doing to make you think that he is good?

The same when you say a person is honest. What do you mean? How do you know he is honest? Did you ever see him pick up $10 on the road and stood there for a whole day waiting for a person who dropped it to come back? Someone who never cheated once in his life? Who doesn't ever cheat - stealing half an hour grace period when tearing the parking coupon would actually be considered cheating..but do you consider that person as dishonest?

When you say someone is not a good person. What do you mean? Where had he failed to achieve the social norm of what is considered good? What is the social norm anyway??

Character traits that are so taken for granted a good person/ bad person sound so senseless when confronted with all these what-do-you-mean-s..

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Btw while googling for an image, I found this cool list - Top 10 Common Faults in Human Thought

One thing I hate most about this time of the year...

Singapore has always been know to have two kinds of weather - sunny and rainy.

There is always this that everybody knows but forget - wintry too. Almost a daily occurrence at many areas, running during the golden hours of productivity, freezing the brains out of many tropical sons and daughters.

I am talking about the air conditioning in the many offices that drives the Singapore economy every day.

Hailed as the greatest invention for Singapore economy by the Lee senior himself, these great machines spills out cold air to cool the hot-headedness of men and women hard at work, keeping the environment cool and chilly optimal for the only resources that Singapore has.

Crap. The key word is optimal. Not the hypothermia inducing freeze??

Especially during this time of the year, when temperature drops one or two degs, and it would have been nicely chilly, if not for the fact that the central air conditioning in the office building seem to be powered up even more by the drop in in temperature.

In the office I have a jacket and a piece of shawl that I have been wearing alternatively depending on the mood..I have been contemplating for a while if I should be wearing both but I thought it was a bit OTT.

Today was the last straw when I got a feeling that I cant feel my fingers any more. So I wore both the jacket and the shawl, and totally felt so phoney that it felt like something that I would do if I am in like 10 degrees in London, not Alexandra Road Singapore. But I dont care..my fingers are more important.

Yeah maybe it's to boost up the christmas wintry mood a bit more - induce people to really believe that they are in some winter wonderland and hence should ring up more in the cash register department to share the christmasy joy. Damn will be the day that you receive christmas cards of people suntanning on the beach when they should be smashing one another's faces in a snow fight.

Tomorrow onwards I am seriously considering bringing some of my previous winter clothing to standby in the office should it get too cold again.

A walk through a toy store

Was at a store that day with mum, cos mum wants to buy christmas presents for two kids, while I need to look for a birthday present for a friend's kid and vouchers for another friend's baby shower.

You know how those toy stores always put the latest, hottest, most popular toys at the front of the store so they catches the eyes of the kids - and hence the parents' attention (through the kid's screams I assume - IwantthatIwantthatIwantthat!!!) - as soon as they walk in.

I realised that I dont now how half of those toys operate. There was this shelf fully decked out with this toy got blade-something..that looks like round disc UFO thingey, apparently split up in 3 layers (it was hard deciphering the japanese instructions and totally incomprehensible illustration) but and comes with a launcher with the box.

There are so many different choices for this UFO thingey, in addition to having fanciful names like the "Pheonix" (I think it's called that because..erm..the toy came in the colour orange?) which after 15 minutes of looking, my mum and I couldn't figure out why one box cost 7 bucks more than the other box. There are accessories, e.g. the launcher (which is this plastic thing that looked like a beer bottle opener to me), some round plastic rings, light bulbs.

At least I heard of Ben Ten, who he and his friends (plus whatever pet/enemy/toy/whatever! ) had fully lined up the opposite shelf. (Hey I pride myself for knowing Ben Ten ok..for someone who doesn't even know that tv is showing the cartoon to know that this character exist. Seriously my last known famous cartoon-turned-merchandise was Pikachu. I don't even know what Ben Ten does that makes him so popular with kids).

Anyway my mum and I ended up with big headaches..cos we really have no idea what kids nowadays play with. Playacting seems to be not so fashionable now..given that toys like Transformers were banished to those shelves at the back. What happened to playdoh, lego and the likes?

I was kinda going to give up but my mum saw this remote car which she bought for the two kids last year Christmas. Apparently, she had bought some other toys for these two kids, until she saw someone in the toy store playing around with this car. Very colourful and the kids at the store then love it! So I bought them this toy car instead and the two kids were very happy and kept playing with them, she said.

Disco lights remote control car? I was reading the box and kinda hesitating when suddenly this korean lady who was with her toddler at the side chirped in English, "Yes, my boy love it!I highly recommend it!"

Oohh..ok..for a stranger to say that..says a lot. So I took the box to the cashier to pay, while my mum supervised the store staff testing out the remote control car. After I paid, I walked to my mother's side who was wildly gesticulating to me cos the staff had put in the battery and running the car.

OMG. Disco lights and music,turning front wheels... I had half a mind to ask for a refund immediately if not for the fact that my mother would be offended by the insinuation that her taste was bad..

I just hope that those would be what really enthrall kids after all.

Travel Buddies..or not..

Sometimes, when you travel with someone, you know if you can be friends for life.

Was thinking much about nothing..when I recollected the time when I travelled with a friend, which led to me remembering travelling with THAT friend and another one.

1. Travelling with that the first friend

In this case, I seriously doubt that I can rely on that person if ever my life depends on it.

Gosh, it was tiring to be the one who makes all the arrangements, deciding the itinerary when it was supposed to be a 2 persons trip. Even for a non-important question like "Do I look better with long or short hair?" drew a non-commital answer.

At one certain point in the trip, it was crystal clear that if ever anything happens, I probably have to look out for myself, IN ADDITION to fending for that person.

Right....

2. Travelling with THAT friend and another

I realised that I will forever hate the word "Anything".

Where to go? "Anything"

What to eat? "Anything"

This one good? "Anything"

Sometimes I wonder why I even bother....

And thereafter, it start to dawn on me that there were always those little things, though there all along, but has started to irk me a bit..seems like these are fair weather friends who probably expect you to be there when they are down, but no where to be found when you needed some boost.

Right...

小人的废话

有些人，讲话不付责任。

说一套，做一套 （一点信任度也没有）

口是心非 （小人也）

油腔滑调（小心连自己的舌头也吞进肚子）

满口将人鄙视的一文不值 （听进去，会给这人正中下怀）

听了真想刮这人一个巴掌，叫他反省反省一下。