Life, Death and Matrimony

Lately I have been having many experiences that cross the 3 main events in a human being's life, so when a friend mentioned today that I haven't blogged in a long time, I thought I would like to talk about this.

This week alone, I attended one funeral, one wedding and 2 of my friends had babies. Quite a few of them are also pregnant, due "anytime now!" as they like to inform me.

The wedding was that of a friend from polytechnic, a happygolucky "take it easy policy" guy. As I watched the ceremony and the shy surreptitious smiles he was exchanging with his bride, I wondered how as a species we adapt to the 180 degree change in lifestyle which comes with marriage and children.

In today's world, change is the only constant. I remember thinking "wa lau, so cliche!" the first time I read that. But it is so true.

The funeral was of this colleague who worked at the Bowling Alley at the Club. He was 61, one year short of his retirement and rest. At his funeral, I found out he had a terminally ill wife, who was in ICU and didn't know he was dead. He was also sole custodian of his 2 grandchildren.

I wonder what his dreams must have been like when he got married, and his kids were born. The dreams he had. The ambition to be the best dad, husband, lover, colleague, friend. The things that I get to be at different times every day and never give a thought to. (well, except dad, cos I am a mum, but you get the picture.)

Then I think about Jesus speaking to his disciples and saying, I will be with you, even unto the ends of the earth. And that comforts me, knowing that in all my failures and planning and triumphs, I have Someone who will be constant. Does not change. Always the same.

Free Night

It's my first free night in a long while and I have no idea what to do. Otrie has a gig, Hanan is away at a chalet, I got nothing pressing at work to do.

Movie?
Dinner for one?
Shopping?
Drinks with a friend?

Or should I just go home and curl up and watch TV?

Gosh, I spend days wishing for a free evening and when it happens, I have no idea what to do.

As Hanan would say, this is so lame.

requiem for a neglected blogspace

Ah poor beloved page, where once I had run my thoughts across, without prejudice or pain. How I have missed you!

I am caught in a blogging dliemma, where if I penned down everything that has taken place, I would not have enough hours in a day to write, and yet, if I gloss over the past few weeks, I might as well not say anything.

It helps to have a blog where one is focused, like food bloggers, book bloggers or movie bloggers. Unfortunately, I am none of these, concentrated souls, who can speak their hearts, in short succint, well constructed posts.

Alas me, who tend to ramble, have little of predominant importance and have no reason to log in on a daily basis.

Maybe I should try to get focused. Write about things that have value, shelf life, substance.
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.
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Or I could give you 10 random facts abouy my life.

1) My new colleague gets eyelash extensions every 4 weeks, which make her look unnaturally camel-like. Its worse when they start falling out and she has "bald" patches in between

2) I can now say I am a published writer. The publication is my club magazine and the things I write about are society columns and event reports. But still!!

3) I was recently saddened by a best friend's decision to not have children. I don't know why it pains me so. Maybe it's because I want more and I can't, and she can, but doesn't want more.

4) I went to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang!!! It was fabulous!

5) I think the Dark Devotion dessert at TCC is awesome! It's a perfect chocolate cake with a molten centre, served with natural vanilla ice cream and some kind of fruit croulis. Heaven!

6) I miss church :( I haven't been in weeks and I am thirsty.

7) Going home from work the other day, I met the most interesting cab driver. He used to be a computer engineer, but decided that the stress wasn't worth it, and decided to drive a cab instead. That's so cool. I want to come to that place one day.

8) Happiness is irrelevant. Only joy remains.

9) I hate the fact that I am apparently the only one who knows how to google for information at work. Every body asks me stuff like I am some kind of walking encyclopedia, when all it takes is 15 secs on the computer. You have a computer. use it people! Its not a typewriter!

10) 5 months have passed at this place and I have done enough work for 2 years at my old company. Am still trying to decide if that's a good thing.

Goodbye Geraldine

Geraldine Lee was not the prettiest, nor the smartest, nor the wittiest girl around. She was merely kind, thoughtful, meek and happy. Not exactly award-winning characteristics in anybody's book. With characteristics like that, she would never have been a heroine in a Jane Austen novel, or star beside Johnny Depp in any pirate movie.

But Geraldine was a dreamer, and one of her dreams was to rise up out of her mediocre trade school beginnings and be counted among the foreign educated academics in society. And she was only 2 months away from her goal when her body was found in her room in faraway Brisbane, 3 days after her heart stopped beating its song of love and compassion.

My path crossed with Geraldine's when I auditioned for the Short Film Competition that she was entering 3 years ago. She finally selected me to be the evil witch in the film, and gave me her carefully drafted script like she was handing over the Holy Grail. Geraldine had the confidence to enter a competition with just a script and a dream, and the humility to allow her actors to tell her how to shoot it.
We didn't win. Maybe if we stopped micromanging, we might have.

Geraldine is a heroine alright. She had courage, determination, tenacity and an incredible force of will. All the traits that take us beyond existence to living.

Goodbye, Geradline. You spent your last days doing what you wanted most, and that makes your death a happy one. For you, at least. I hope at some point, we realise it as well.

The Confirmation Appraisal

It has been three months since I started this new job, and the time has come for the all important confirmation appraisal. That basically means that my boss and I have a chat about what I can and cannot do within my job scope, and whether its worthwhile for both of us to have me hang around to learn how to do the things i can't.

At least, that's how I always saw it. But this place does things a little differently. For one, I have to write things down, to go on record, in my file for all my time here.

Things like, what have I done that I am happy about, what keeps me from doing my best and how my boss can help me "accomplish those goals". (Aside: HR people should be banned from using words like goal, accomplish, target and develop. They throw it around like it was so much confetti.)

So I have to fill this thing in by the 9th. And apparently my boss has one to do too. Sigh

A couple of updates for you who have read other posts.
Remember Mr So-early? The one who gave me a hard time about leaving past 7? He resigned. Within 2 months, couldn't take the pressure. I should ask him, "Why you leave so early?" Ha ha.

My tough boss - I think I found her marshmallow centre. She wants what all human beings want, empathy for doing a tough job and doing it well, and friendship. QED.

Have any of you been here?

This post is a cop out, cos i am not really writing, but I thought I may have sympathisers out there.

A alternative headline for this post would be :"Interview with a vampire sympathiser". Nal is me, and Teemo is the VS.

[10:34] + . naL . +: u know X from ABC company?
[10:35] Teemo: of course i know him
[10:35] Teemo: Y?
[10:35] Teemo: he left there already
[10:35] + . naL . +: yeah, he left
[10:35] + . naL . +: then he keep calling me to sell me insurance
[10:35] + . naL . +: i buay tahan liao
[10:35] Teemo: give him a chance to share with u his services
[10:36] Teemo: no harm right?
[10:36] + . naL . +: i am already covered lah
[10:36] + . naL . +: dont want to waste my time or his, because I am not a prospect
[10:36] + . naL . +: u know what i mean
[10:36] + . naL . +: why bother? training ah?
[10:36] Teemo: ok then maybe u would like tell him the truth ,that will be good
[10:37] + . naL . +: i did lor
[10:37] Teemo: but i wanna share with u, the market sentiment is real good
[10:37] + . naL . +: yes, but i dont have any more money
[10:37] Teemo: good time to invest
[10:37] + . naL . +: my funds are tied up
[10:37] Teemo: i think he is referring to CPF
[10:37] + . naL . +: yes, i have 2 policies using CPF already
[10:38] + . naL . +: unless u think I should borrow money to invest
[10:38] Teemo: did u review whether the return is giving back u good rate?
[10:38] Teemo: thats where he comes in to help u
[10:38] + . naL . +: yep
[10:38] + . naL . +: just met my advisor 2 months ago
[10:39] + . naL . +: besides, why would I go to someone new?
[10:39] + . naL . +: makes more sense to go back to the same advisor right, since i already trust her?
[10:39] Teemo: he is sincere and shrewd in investment, monitor prices daily for clients
[10:39] Teemo: i mean thats wat he tells me
[10:39] + . naL . +: i am sure he is, but i really have no desire for the services he provides lah
[10:40] + . naL . +: if he ran a part time maid agency, i will need his help
[10:40] Teemo: btw did he share with u about estate planning?
[10:40] Teemo: haha
[10:40] + . naL . +: nope
[10:40] + . naL . +: i blew his off
[10:40] + . naL . +: him*
[10:40] + . naL . +: told him to stop spammin gme
[10:41] Teemo: ok lah give him some, he is just doing his job
[10:41] + . naL . +: sigh, its just annoying lah
[10:42] + . naL . +: anytime one of my frens goes into insurance or real estate, i stop being their friend, and start being a prospect
[10:42] + . naL . +: and then when i turn them down, they dont want to be frens anymore
[10:42] + . naL . +: i dont know how many more frens i will lose to this 2 industries
[10:43] + . naL . +: if i really bought from everyone, I will have all my salary paying premiums by now
[10:44] Teemo: i fully understand your feelings
[10:44] + . naL . +: thanks, i was hoping u would
[10:44] Teemo: probabaly is the way u reply them
[10:45] Teemo: or maybe they have their own agenda
[10:45] + . naL . +: ha ha, to say "stop spamming me" is too direct huh
[10:45] Teemo: maybe
[10:45] + . naL . +: point taken
[10:46] + . naL . +: i just didnt want to read about death and accidents everyday, first thing in the morning
[10:46] Teemo: u never know 1 day i may come to u too
[10:46] Teemo: haha
[10:46] + . naL . +: dont you dare man

Working for a tough boss

The last month or so has been an adventure into the world of the average Singaporean office worker - late nights, ridiculous deadlines and high stress.

Throw in the other elements that are unique to my situation, i.e. committees, unsatisfied members and a tough boss, and you will know why I haven't blogged in a while.

This may sound like a preamble to a long bitch session on how horrible my work life is, but its not. I actually learned quite a few things over the last month. I will call it:

Lessons on Learning

1) Learners cannot be egotistical. :) Nuff said, i think we all know what that means.

2) Learning from a tough teacher teaches a whole oter bunch of lessons that are not on the curriculum.

3) People feel sorry for you when you are learning, but that's ok!

4) You feel sorry for yourself while you are learning, but you have to keep reminding yourself what your goal is.

5) Learners who quit halfway have nothing to show for it. Sticking with it is hard, but anyone who has dropped ot of anything halfway knows that you lose something at the end.

I am also learning that most people, not matter how tough they are on the outside, have a marshmallow core - something that they will bend to. Find it, and you find the human within the iron lady.

Bourne Ultimatum - Movie Review

In the midst of what was a armrest gripping, teeth clenching, extreme excitement finale to the Bourne trilogy, I had a headache.

It was that darn handheld camera technique, which is what Director Paul Greengrass was selected for anyway. It broke every rule that film students were taught never to break - change in direction in the midst of continuity, extreme close up followed by extreme closeup, short edits, over-the-shoulder shots that were tight to the point of you wanting to physically move the person away so you can see Jason Bourne's tormented face.

And he looked like he had a headache too. All the amnesia, loss of love, injuries and paranoia really got to the man and he didn't crack a smile once in this movie, his forehead permanently crinkled.

And it was brillant, that juxtaposition of character and camera action. It really helped me relate to the character and all his confusion. So maybe all the problems that the movie had with continuity and jump shots were deliberate as well. (I won't get into them, but you can read them here.)

But what a ride, eh? All the globe trotting, car chasing, rooftop chase moments were in true represetation of Ludlum's genius of tension in the midst of action. And I love the fact that the women in this movie, Nikke Parson and Pamela Landy were portrayed as honest,loyal and righteous women who were neither femme fatale nor the weaker sex stereotype that generally women in this genre tend to carry, like so much baggage.

Worth every cent and definitely an apt ending to a wonderful story. I couldn't have cared more about what happens to Jason Bourne if I tried. And when your audience cares of the characters, that, my friends, is good cinematic story telling.

Early? But it's past 7!

It really bothers me that people equate working late to working hard.

Yesterday evening, I decided I had it. My eyes hurt, my brain was drained and not a single thought was running through my head. I didn't see the point in continuing to stare at my computer, so I started packing my things to leave.

"You are leaving? So early?"

I looked the the time. It was 7:40pm. I get off work (technically) at 6.

"It's not early. Its 7:40. What do you mean by early?"

Without waiting for a reply, I walked out of the office.

This morning, I was the first one in. And Mr So-early strolls in at 9:30 and says, "You know the rest of us were here till 9 yesterday."

I was tempted to say, if you spent less time chit chatting at the secretary's desk and taking coffee breaks, maybe you can finish your work quicker and go home "early" too.

But I will bide my time. Does anyone else have this problem with going home "early"?

Yes, its been a while...

Hi everyone, yes I know I have been missing for a while, but since I just started this job and all, I haven't really have had time to get online long enough to write something.

But today is Saturday and it's fairly quiet, so I thought I would take the opportunity to do a quick update.

I have been here 4 weeks now, and considering the amount of work I am doing, it feels like I have been here forever. They work like crazy here, the MarCom department and my boss is a stickler for perfection, so not only is there a lot of work to do, there is a high quality to do.

Just to make things more exciting, I have also joined for the half of the year where there are the most things happening, National Day, AGM, the groundbreaking for a new building, Christmas, New Year's , and the list goes on.

As with any large organisation, half the problems here are based on human error, especially communication errors. So I have to step quite carefully, especially when it comes to handling the members. Not that I am a particularly badly behaved individual, but Club etiquette is a whole other ball game.
People who come here are used to giving orders and treated like VIPS and somehow they feel justified to do it here as well.

I am sure I will have stories on this as time goes by :)

My only grouse with working here right now is the crazy hours. My boss practically lives here, going home only to shower and sleep. Everyone else is around at least till 9pm. I feel a little guilty leaving at 7 (!). But I think they will get used to it, especially if I still deliver. At least I hope so.

I realise this has been more a letter than a post, but hey, you didn't have to read it all.

See you all in a bit.

Plug for Miss?ed? - a radical play about marriage in the Yindian Community

The play ‘Miss?ed?’ mainly highlights the importance of marriage and marrying the right person. At present, in the Indian community, a high divorce rate is more worrying than high single rate and yet, too often our society has a negative view of single-hood. The society sees single-hood like a state that cannot be changed - an immortal condition destined to bring unfulfillment. The play questions whether an individual’s happiness in life is based on their marital status.

The play examines if single women are given the time to make the right choice in their life when it concerns marriage or are they conformed by social conditions. With wit, the play explores how singles are stereotyped, stigmatized, and pressurized to get married and the many reasons for their singlehood.

Miss?ed?, a thought provoking play, looks into issues such as financial security, an individual’s potential for growth, relationships, trust, betrayal, autonomy, power and also the price an individual has to pay because of some selfish and inquisitive people in our society.


When: 3rd to 5th August 2007
Time: 8pm
Venue: The Arts House (Old Parliament House)
Cost: $21 (adults) $16 (Students)
For tickets: 9475 3392 / 9229 9649

Work Opportunity

Hi all,

My ex-boss , Joyce, is looking for promoters for Trendmicro Anti-Virus Software. If any of you need a part time job or quick cash or both, please email me.

When: Sat and Sun from 12 - 9 pm for 4 weeks

Where: 4 different locations in Singapore

How Much: $50 a day (before commission)

How many: 4-5 promoters

So if you are interested and have a small amount of knowledge about IT, please contact her, ok?

When

When is it ok to say enough is enough, I want this to stop

When will I be able to hold what I had loved and wanted so long ago

When will I have the courage to say, no more of me, now it's all You

And when will the answer be "I am done with it, it's fixed. Now back to you."

John 14:27
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

How I know I no longer work in an IT company

1) I only have 10MB email space

2) Noone knows how to use the Q drive

3) I don't have a calculator on my desk

4) I have not used excel in a whole week

5) The radio is playing English music

6) People understand and respond to my one-liners

7) I haven't had to hear anyone say "Like that, hah?" all week

8) I receive no junk mail from anyone offering to sell me cheap Microsoft Suites

9) Noone knows how to change the toner in the laser printer

and the last indication that I no longer in IT

10) NO MORE DAMN PRICE LISTS TO DO!!!!!

New Beginnings

I started my new job on Monday and it's been good. It is a totally different ball game though, because it is so different from working for a family-run SME, but I think I will be learning alot of new things here.

As usual, working in marketing means there will be a lot of people who love you and a lot of people who hate you. In this organisation, there also seems to be a lot of politics - inter-section, inter-department and interpersonal. I think I am going to stay out of it as much as I can. Gossip is just a devious double-edged sword, one that I want no part of.

My team seems to be a very talented lot. Alot of the people here are new, so I think we will all have to adjust to each other. There are a couple of old timers (meaning been here 10 years), but they seem to be nice and friendly people. One of them looks like a neater version of Jeff Goldblum, which provides nice eye candy. :)And he sits right in front of me :) :)

I love my new work environment. So green and luscious, everywhere you look, trees, trees and more trees, which is a lovely change from the dry dusty industrial park I worked in before. Getting to work also takes a lot less time. Thank God for bus lanes, where I travel and happily watch all the cars stuck in the selfish, arrogant desires of one another.

The IT here leaves much to be desired though. My mailbox can only hold 10MB of space (!), and Outlook keeps hanging. And every thing is still paper based, from member records to staff leave application.

Well, that's my first report. I go on my first journalistic assignment today, so I will have more to say later in the week, I am sure.

Cheerio!

It’s a fact, but is it truth?

It's a fact

We like to talk about facts in our culture.

“Face the facts”
“As a matter of fact”
“The facts of life”

They all seem to indicate that if something is a fact, it must be true.

But that’s not true, and scientific fact finders will be the first to tell us that. A fact needs to be linked with other indicators that are real, i.e. exist, before it can be verified as truth.

But most of the time, we seem to think that if something is a fact, then it must be the truth.

Does the sun rise?

For example, it’s a fact that the sun rises every morning, right?

But that’s only what we perceive with our eyes. It is only partial knowledge, that which is witnessed by our position as a being standing on earth at dawn, and watching the brilliant colours change in the sky as we slowly see the sun peeking over the horizon.

The truth is that the earth rotates, and in its rotation, part of it is illuminated by the sun, and part of it is in shadow. The interim period where the earth’s rotation takes a section of the earth from shadow into the light is what we call the “sun rising”.

So is it a fact that the sun rises? Yes
But is it the truth?

But what is truth?

Sometimes, we can speak a fact into being the truth. As a mother with a small son, I see that almost every time I talk to my son. The words I speak influence him into believing that what I am saying is true, even though there is no evidence for it yet.

Let me illustrate this. Even before Hanan started taking guitar lessons, we told him about what a musical genius he was. His dad encouraged him to listen to and sing all kinds of music and I kept telling him what a great musician he could be.

When Hanan picked up the guitar for the first time, it never crossed his mind that he wouldn’t be able to master it. Within weeks, he learned chords that took me, in my teens, weeks to get even the fingering right. Even his guitar teacher was amazed at how quickly he picked it up.

Now here are the facts:
- Hanan has heard music before and can sing
- He may have musical genes he inherited from the father


But nothing there says that he is a good intuitive musician. It’s what we wanted for him, and we spoke it to him till he believed it enough and it came to pass.

***
Why are we sick?

The reason for this sermonette on fact and truth is this – my mother just started medication for diabetes last week. And when did she decide she had diabetes? Some time in March.

In March, she started complaining about how she is getting old (fact) and is not going to be as healthy as she used to.

Me: Why do you say that?

Mum: I feel tired after work, lethargic, don’t feel like doing anything after that (fact).

Me (laughing): Ma, I feel like that after work too. Maybe your body is just telling you to take it easy, that you aren't as new as you used to be.

Mum: No lah, I think I need to get tested for diabetes.

Me: Why do you think you have diabetes?

Mum: My mother had diabetes what, very strong family history (fact). Anyway this is the age lah, where all these things happen.

Me: ……

Her facts may have been correct, but do they mean that she should also have the disease because of all those reasons?

Every month after that, my mother went to test her blood sugar. All the time confessing how she is getting old, and has a history of the disease, and its time for something like that to happen. For 3 months, the doctors told her that she had a normal reading.

But my mother was adamant something was wrong. She went to different doctors and finally found one that could tell her that her blood sugar was high (although the reading was the same as it was with the other doctors). And finally it got high enough, and she was put on medication for diabetes.

Now reading this account, do you get a sense that she almost wanted to get the illness? That she went out of her way to procure the diagnosis and succumb to the odds? That’s how I felt, watching her go through this thing.

Now when she whines about not being able to eat chocolate anymore, or how much she loves bread and jam, and can’t have it, I don’t know how to react. I know she wants my sympathy, but I can’t give it because I saw how she sought the sickness in the first place.

The Healer

And I am angry. That I know that she doesn’t need to be sick, and I know she doesn’t have to accept the symptoms, but she wants to be sick. And I am frustrated because I know Who can heal her, but she doesn’t want to know Him.

And I understand why Jesus, toward the end of His life, looked at the city of Jerusalem and said, with tears in his eyes and pain in his heart,

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!

Matthew 23:37

There is a Healer, who does not want us to be sick. He said He is the Way, the TRUTH and the life. And He wants to gather you to Himself, Ma.

Are you willing?

Love Thy Brother

It's hard to be half-sister sometimes.

I have 2 brothers, one from my mother and father and the other from my dad and step-mother. The second one, I never really got to see growing up, because my visits to my dad's place were sporadic at best and non-existent at times. The reason: my stepmother and I didn't quite get along. She thought I was a lazy, spoilt rich girl who did not deserve the incredibly good father I had. I, of course, resented her for taking my dad away from us. Caught in this cold war was the innocent little Brother No 2.

So Brother 2 pretty much grew up as an only child. Sure he had an elder sister and brother in name, but for the most part he was by himself.

So I guess I shouldn't be surprised that he feels some resentment now.

Yesterday was my birthday celebration with my dad, and both my brothers were supposed to come along. But at the last minute, my second one told my dad he wasn't coming. When asked why, he lashed out at my dad, "Why should I come to my sister's birthday, who wasn't even there for me half my life?"

Ouch. When my dad told me, that stung. It stung all the more because it's true, that my mindshare for this brother is minimal - only birthdays and Deepavali. I think about him if there is occasion to, but not otherwise.

So his comment is not false. It still hurts though. I am sorry that I wasn't there for you more, but I hope you will one day understand the circumstances that led to that.

Meanwhile, your resentment is justified. And I still have love for you.

The Cold Freeze

A strange vibe came over the office once everyone knew through the grapevine that I am leaving. They are not supposed to know, because the official email has not been sent out yet, but everyone knows it all the same.

So there are weird happenings, like:

1) People smile meaningfully at you, without saying a word.

2) Conversations stop when you walk into the vicinity (always pleasant, that)

3) Colleagues who feel they should have been told start giving you the cold shoulder.

4) You stop getting cc’ed on emails. Your spam mail exceeds company email.

5) People watch what you are printing, photocopying surreptitiously. “Oh I am just here to get my stuff” and then walk away with nothing. Yeah, right.

6) Your desk gets cleaner and cleaner. No one dumps stuff into your in tray and you can have a good old fashioned paper throw. Also, you are handing work out left, right and centre, which will help with the cleanup.

7) People who are in the know slip up, and then look as guilty as heck about putting their foot in their mouth. It’s cute to watch.

8) Suddenly people come up to you and start talking about how they should spread their wings and try something new and what did I think. I see right through it, man. I should just come out and say, “Are you fishing for information? Cos I am a vault, baby, locked down!”

9) The IT department gets really busy around you. Things are being deleted, access is being denied. Our IT guys is really nice. He gave me a heads up on where some of my “weak spots” are. Like deleting all my MSN archives for example. Duh, I didn’t even think of that.

10) And finally, people who hate you suddenly look happier and smile a lot more. Well, I am glad I am leaving too, buddy.

It’s gonna be a rough week and a half. Hang in there with me.

The wait is over!

Ok everyone, the moment you have been waiting all June for is almost here!

I will be on TV, Vasantham Central at 9 p.m. on my very own episode of Mudhal Payanam (First Journey) on the 30th of June 2007.

All you people who will be in Australia, England, US or somewhere similarly far away will be made to watch a repeat telecast when you come back.

Thanks to all those who kept hounding me with the question, "When ah?" , I feel so celebritied!

So once again:

When: 30th June 2007 at 9 p.m.

Where: Vasantham Central (That's the same as Arts and Kids Central for you "I don't do local TV" la di da people)

Who: Lil' ol' moi!

What: Mudhal Payanam

Starring: Nalinee Barrett, Muthukrishnan Pillai and various other very puzzled people in Sirkazhi.

Why: Because you love me, of course!

Excited much!

Another Year

I apologise for the long blog absence, but really, so much has been going on, that I havent had time to stop and record stuff.

For one thing, I just had a birthday *blush*. Yep, I turned 34 on Wednesday, and spent it with Otrie and Hanan in Downtown East, in one of the chalets. It was good to take the time off to relax with my family and just enjoy each other (as far as that is possible!)

A few things that hit me while I was there:
1) I will never been this young again.
2) This will by far be the most challenging year of my life, as my friend said "the most mountain tops"
3) This will be year where more things happen, career and finances-wise, faster than they have happened in the past.

Hmm, on that note, I decided to not worry about how I look in my yellow swimsuit (like Big Bird), and have fun. So i went on every ride at Wild Wild Wet and Escape Theme Park! Now pple who know me, know that I am not usually a thrill ride person, so this was quite a stretch for me.

In the evening, we went to Mumtaz Mahal at Downeast for dinner. Firstly, an Indian fine dining restaurant in a place where flip flips and sarongs are de rigeur is an anomaly in itself. Then, we were the first customers and the only ones there for about 20 mins. So we had a good chat with our waiter, who has had the most fascinating career. Worked in India, Middle East, US and now Singapore, managing the most high end restaurants. He said he took this job because he wanted to slow down and have more time for his family (!) Which, you know, is as it should be.

I was supposed to go to work the next day, but the pool water set off my earache again, so I happily went to the doctor, and then happily went home. And slept all afternoon. It was the perfect way to end a great birthday celebration.

Here are some pictures
Waiting for our turn


How high is 15 m again?


Go Karting

Pool Fun.

The rest of the pictures are here.