Night Festival 2009

We went the year before, and so we decided to have a look again this year. Time again for the museum doors to open till late for the Night Festival to showcase more artistic talents. Adi and I managed to get our shifts on the 2nd day of the festival with enough time to visit some of our friends at the Bras Basah outlet before heading to catch the night's opening number.

Just as they were starting up the 3rd performance, the sky decided to bless the event with a downpour that had the crew scrambling to save their equipment, while everyone was told to seek shelter. Enter lightning, and things started to get a little bit disappointing until we started getting interesting shots in the rain. Then Adi's ears perked up as she heard fireworks going off, and I thought she was going mad until we realised that it was the display for the National Day Parade rehearsal. Probably would have been nice to catch that on the camera, but then standing at the bottom of tall buildings just don't help when you need a good view. Getting rather bored with nothing to do, we joined the crowd to check out what was on offer at the stalls set up for the event.

Hardy Amies Meets Adi Hamir

Once the rain started to ease up, we decided it was better to seek shelter at one of the museums rather than wait for some of Adi's friends having nothing much to look at. Spotting the giant, blue spring across the road, we were sucked in by it's mesmerizing glow, with Adi even walking right into its core.

Once we got Adi out of that loop, another glowing art installation caught our attention. This time it was this boxy, tree-like sculpture that had lighting activated by the sounds around it.

It started showing signs of another heavy downpour and we thought it best if we got ourselves into the National Museum before we really got soaked, but still stopped for one last photo opportunity before entering into our shelter for the next hour.

First thing we saw once we got in (other than the crowd) was a tower of tanks all painted in a light shade of pink, with flower and heart motifs. Well it was something to do with love and war, but me being me, I wasn't one to stand there and really read into every art piece. I just rather move about and try to get pictures of things I find interesting in someway... or maybe have someone make it more strange?

Sometimes I Don't Understand Her?

Wish I Had My Fisheye Here.

The next thing we came upon was fun. A camera (or maybe a few) were focussed on the floor of the museum, and the images picked up were displayed on the wall. Not everyone actually understood where the camera was. While some couldn't be bothered, others just failed trying to get a shot of themselves not realising that all the person with the camera saw on the projected image was the top of their heads. Thank goodness my model wasn't too stupid. :p

Can You Spot Adi?

I'm Like A Bird....

Other than a few more things that caught my attention as we walked through the museum, the wait to get into the rooms that held more insight into the country's past was just too long as we were supposed to meet with Adi's friends (Martina & sis) any time soon. So a few more shots around the museum and we were heading back to SMU.

And I Thought Mom Had A Large Glass Collection

Adi's Signature Happy Pose.

I See You ...

Finally meeting up with Martina & her sister, we decided to head to the Singapore Arts Museum since we had more than an hour to waste before the final act was to start. Well there was some interesting things there, but photography wasn't allowed in most places. Boooo!

For Sale? Not Worth It?

Enjoying The Scratch...

Fast forward through milkshakes and catching a good location to watch the final act, we were treated to the final act about 20 minutes later than scheduled. After standing in the crowd watching the performers strapping themselves into position, the lights went out and someone started singing.

Drummer & Hero

Once the singing stopped and everyone behind us began clapping, we waited for the performers in front of us to start their act but it seems something happened to the singer, and one of the drummers started getting himself freed from his contraption and ran to help his friend. Oh well... isn't that just lovely?

The announcement then came through to say that the performance will continue with just the 3 on the wheel. I guess they didn't want to waste the effort of setting all the pyrotechnics up.

What a night.

Quackers!

Mom and I were directed to somewhere nears Amy's place today to have some roasted duck, char siew and roasted pork belly. Apparently this place sells out very early everyday, and it's best to make a reservation. I don't know how my aunt and uncle got to know about this place, but they told me that the owners here once worked in some hotel, and they've put the hotel-standard of cooking into their current stall.

Well after having the meal, there were only two points to note. First one is that there is the obvious difference in flavour of the sauce they've poured over the meats. The other thing, which I did like, was that all the meats were still moist compared to most other places. Now unless I was staying over at Amy's, I won't really be that mad to travel all the way there for a plate of duck noodles. However, I wouldn't mind travelling there to buy a whole duck, or 2, for a party, or bring my sis & the food monster there.

Later on in the day, we were off to Tampines to check out Lot 1. My aunt wanted to check out what UniQlo was all about, and so did my mom and I. Walking out of Tampines Mall, we were greeted by a giant crab trying to attack the shoppers travelling down the escalator! Ok... drama aside, it was just part of the Hokkaido fair that was being held in the atrium. So after squeezing through the crowd to have a look at what was on offer, we got to UniQlo. My mom was a bit shocked at the amount of tank tops I got from there, but in the end, she started wearing them.

Learn about something everyday!

Not Good, Not Bad... But Interesting.

Got on to read the news and this article caught my eye. It's not so much the title, which obviously got my attention, but it was the bit about being skinny and having a shorter life-span.

I just wonder what the anorexics and bulimics have to say about it. Then again, if they're in denial about their lives, they'll probably be in denial about the issues brought up in the article.

The article does mention that if you're overly overweight, or obese, you're also in for trouble. That is already a well-known fact. But to say people who are a little on the chubby side can actually live longer than most normal-sized, or skinny people, is actually refreshing news. Now this is one excuse for normal-sized people to have their cake and enjoy it without having to think about trying to lose that little extra weight it would put on you.

So for you girls who have a nice light padding on ur bones, with a little something to cushion you in a fall, stop complaining that you need to lose weight after enjoying a slice of cake with your friend. Be comfortable and happy with what you have because it's probably prolonging your life!

Dog's Day Out @ The Park

I was reading a pets' magazine and found an advertisement for an event called "Dogs' Day Out At The Park", and since I didn't have anything to do that day, I got everyone out to West Coast Park to enjoy a day with the doggies.

It wasn't as big as I had expected, but everyone attending the event were quite enthusiastic about everything, and participating in as much things as their dogs could handle. As it was just after noon, the sun was out in full force and some dogs were in the tiny cooling tent to help them with the heat. There were repeated warnings to keep the dogs and ourselves cool in the heat and the tents weren't really helping as the air was still too warm to cool anything off.

I signed Barkley up for the 'Happy Tails' competition which was to see which dog could wag the longest and the strongest. While collecting the free goodie bag, we were called up for the contest and by that time, Barkley was already too tired to even meet and greet other dogs. Finally when the contest began, he was so bored until he realised that the dog next to him was a Dushund puppy, about a quarter his size, and that's when he got all excited to meet another dog that was so cute!

Well if it wasn't for one judge who decided that he didn't deserve a prize, Barkley would have been in the top 5. I guess the contest was also partly a giveaway. Imagine the little puppy winning a large bag of kibbles meant for big dogs. So the big dog won the big prize, and the little ones got the little prizes. It was all good in the end as all participants got a participation goodie bag, which just added to my day's haul.

Going around after the contest, I managed to bag a few more goodies, some that were just too big for Barkley, and so it went to the neighbour who has a big dog. Barkley also got a new portable, collapsible bowl and a new name tag. Once Barkley was too tired to even move to look at other dogs, we went off, at the same time realising I also got a new idiot tan.

Making Friends

Tired Contestants

Big Bag Of Food For The Happiest Tail

Hauling My Collection Of Goodie Bags

Predicting Someone's Future?

Seems recently that every time I wasn't feeling too good, Amy would get the same problems a few days later. It could have started earlier, but when you see each other every week, you would tend to blame the contact for how the illness got passed. The recent cases are really noticeable as we haven't met up with each other for quite some time. It started out with one really bad headache that I got, that was so bad that any light would start making me wince in pain. I guess some might call it a Migraine. I just slept it off with the help of a lot of Panadol and Tiger Balm. Finally getting enough control of the pain to go online, I find that Amy seems to have been struck with the same issue.

Next was a something that went wrong with my stomach. Ok, so I won't go into details but it included dashes to the toilet, and this issue lasted about a week. Problem was, I had to start work the day after the problem showed up and in the end, I ended up taking a day off work to get things settled by my best doctor. While waiting to see my doc, I received a few text messages from Amy, one of which told me she got a similar stomach problem. Hmm... strike 2?

The last one was the strangest. For most of the other common problems, I've sort of mentioned it to Amy one way or another. So I thought maybe it was some form of sympathetic/empathetic illness - where u get the same (possibly) illness out of the empathy/sympathy you feel for the other person. However, this one was very different in that Amy told me her problem before I told her that I had the same thing a few days ahead. I had requested a day off work to go for my regular diabetic check, and during this check, my doc asked if I was feeling giddy and all because I had a low blood pressure reading. I guess it didn't affect me as much as it would my mom or my sis. Or maybe I'm so used to strange things happening to me that I've learnt to compensate? Well whatever it is, Amy sent me a message while I was at work a few days after the check to tell me that she was pissed off with the doctor not believing her, and that she was feeling giddy. Then she told me the doc told her she has low blood pressure, probably accounting for her other problems (the doc obviously can't be bothered to give her a thorough check). That's when she realised why her world was spinning, and I realised that this was getting a bit weird.

At first thinking that the bugs were more mighty, and Singapore being much smaller, than we realised, would be the reason why we were 'sharing' the same problems. Then I thought maybe we were just so close that we were starting to feel each other's problems (like what my mom and me sometimes encounter). The low-blood pressure is just a bit of a shocker, making me think if there is a possibility that I'm feeling what Amy might get before it hits her? Predicting her illnesses?

Now I wonder, if I were to die. Would she end up following me a few days later? Oh My....

A Bit Of Empathy Perhaps?

I thought I would fall asleep after taking pills for the crazy nose situation I'm having but it doesn't seem to be the case. My stomach is also queasy and the heat doesn't help either. So I thought I would blog, but I got stuck at looking at updates on the blogs written by some friends. As you can see, reading them hasn't put me to sleep. Instead, I've sat up and decided to blog.

So the few blogs I've read either haven't updated for quite some time, or I've already read the latest posts and commented on them. The one that got me thinking was actually the blog by Shirley. Recently she's been going through a bit of a rough time and it's a bit hurting to read the things some people throw at her in this trying time. Maybe it's the fact that we're of the same age, and aren't married, that I can relate to how she feels. The issue, in her case, is about trying to change her lifestyle, to learn to care for others, instead of just caring for her own self.

I guess for people who have been married, and have children, have a different mindset and style in living their lives. They've already made up their minds, and at least psyched themselves, to take care of someone other than themselves. With the addition of kids, their priorities change once again. The difference, in this case, is that people who have chosen to get married, or have had children, have already prepared themselves. They've taken the time during dating, the time in preparation for a wedding, and the time in preparation for the birth of a child, or more, to get used to idea of taking care of someone else. In Shirley's case, she had to change her mindset in an instant. People like her, who are just trying to make a life of their own, to try and take care of themselves would get overwhelmed with the idea that they suddenly had to think of someone else's life above their own. Furthermore, with people who don't understand her situation insisting she be the perfect caregiver in an instant, it WILL definitely take a toll on her. Seriously, even the maids that people can hire have received training before they're even put up as one of the choices.

So what if the person is your parent. Unless you've discussed the issue about taking care of your parents (setting mindset to care for others), you won't be able to just go into caretaker-mode with the singale clap. We're human after all, and we have to adapt to change. In my case, I've talked (well mostly joked) to my sis about what will happen when my dad decides to retire. We can talk about it and plan everything, but I know, when the time comes, we would still have to change our lifestyles to suit the changes around us. It WILL take time and it WILL take patience.

It reminds me of the time when my parents were involved in an accident and my sis and I heard about it only after we returned home from school. The first question was if they were alive. After finding out that the most serious injury was that my dad dislocated his knee, I was quite relieved. The second time was when I heard that my dad was admitted to hospital because he had multiple strokes. One of the most worrying times was when mom was admitted into hospital for some unknown problem, but I got a feeling it was exhaustion. The amount of worry that goes through your mind during these times are already enough to get you feeling depressed. Making you think day and night about what to do if that dreaded day comes when your parents are gone.

When you have your own family to take care of, you don't feel as though it's a big deal. Taking care of others is already part and parcel of your life. It's like how my mom takes it in her stride to take care of my paternal grandfather when she first got married, to help take care of her mother when she had her strokes, to take care of her own father when my grandmother died. It seemed like second nature to her, to just be able to take care of her own family, and her parents as well. For us, we had to change and adhere to certain curfews, to do our part to ease trying situation. However, when you're still in a place where you're trying to make a name for yourself, trying to stand on your own two feet, and then have the weight of someone else's world crashing down on yours, it will be very trying.

At the point when my grandmother passed on, I was sort of lucky to still be in school. During this time in my life, school was a priority and I was old enough to go out after without having to bother my mom. It didn't bother the family so much that until it came to going out together. It came to the point where my dad, sis and myself were quite pissed off with the rest of mom's siblings for not even offering to help in caring for my grandfather. As even Shirley put it, maids need a day of rest too. If my uncle and his family weren't free, we would only be able to leave the house after 12 (given grandpa his lunch), and then we would have to return by 6 (so she could make dinner for grandpa). The bad feelings came whenever my grandpa would somehow get himself into some predicament, falling and not be able to get up. The mouthy doctors would say that there needs to be someone with him every hour of the day and no one would say anything but turn to my mom. Somehow mom wasn't as bothered by it as we were, but I guess it's because it's in her nature/mindset.

Basically, this whole thing is about thinking before you speak. You can ask someone to think of others before themselves, but have you thought of them before you opened your mouth? Doctors do it all the time, they talk like people are machines and do things at a touch of a button. Talking is easy. Try putting yourself in the same situation and see how well you fare. Sympathy is not the same as Empathy. People who have not had anyone close in their family die won't understand the hurt that comes with death.

Showcase Your Character, Play A Game.

I had been wanting to blog about this for a while when I realised one of my friend's character seems so different (from what I thought) when he started playing an online game. From what I know through the years, he's a bit of a workaholic and stayed away from his emails and any other means of contact through the computer platform. Recently, we had a class gathering and everyone was asking if one or the other had an account with a certain networking site. He obviously didn't even hear of such a site, let alone have an account, and so asked if I could start one for him, which I did.

A while later, there was a game where the person takes care of a pet, where the pet can be fed, washed, and played with. Once he got started playing the game, he got hooked and became a little obsessive about it. First shock to me was when he actually told me that he had spend money to buy stuff for this virtual pet. Honestly, I don't think anyone who had bills to pay would actually buy credits in a virtual game that didn't reap any rewards. But he did, and as he put it, "Since I can't keep a real pet and spend money on it, I'm spending money on my virtual pet." Sometimes I wonder if he's being stupid paying to play this game, but if you look at the money he spends in real life, you'd realise that this might be a better investment than some of the things he's paying for.

The other day, he sent a message asking if I would recommend him to some of my friends so that he could show his pet off, as well as his pet's home. Well this isn't much of a surprise coming from someone who was status-conscious. He loves his branded goods and would most likely buy something if it's associated with some brand. What got to me was the fact that he wanted to show off the pet's house which, to me, looks like a warehouse. So he had almost everything made available in the game. Just as in real life, not everything in the world can be put into one place and look good. There's moderation to everything, even in the virtual world. I'm wondering if there should be a group therapy session for obsessive players like him. However, I can imagine these people just going into therapy with their laptops, playing the game till their computers are confiscated.

Then there was the time he asked if he could get somethings from me, or if any of my friends had the things he wanted for his virtual pet. In the end, he got somethings and promised to trade somethings back, which never happened. I'm left wondering if this was the kind of person he was in actual fact. Just that in real life, I don't have anything he wants. But if I did have something, then would I end up not getting my things back in the end?

Other than this friend, I noted something else about another friend who played a different game. In this case, the person seems to give out derogatory comments about the other player while playing. At the same time, I noticed that this person would also try to put other people down with name-calling and comments even when not playing any games.

So if the way that one plays games can tell what kind of person you are? Or is it what the game essentially is about?
Personally, I like the Sims games. What it essentially is is a game in which you are in control, playing God. Though not all situations in the game in entirely in your hands. So does that mean I like to be in control? Well, thinking about it, I do prefer being in control, but in life, just like in the game, you can't control everything. What does it mean if someone gets easily bored with games? Are the games not entertaining, or is it that the person needs more stimulation in their life to keep them interested in something? Or is it just that the person hasn't found the right game for themselves?

Fudders

Happy Fathers' Day

Congratulations Candie & Boon Peng

Tonight was spent at the Mandarin Oriental hotel, celebrating with the rest of the ballroom to the marriage between Candie & Boon Peng. Candie had been talking about her wedding plans and preparations since last year, and finally the invitations were sent out.

The Happy Couple

The wedding reception was one of the best I've been to, with the added pleasure of catching up with some friends I've not seen for almost 10 years.

Other than the dessert, the whole menu was really enjoyable and tasty. Presentation of most dishes were really interesting and creative.

Braised Duck Dish

Although as u can see above, the portion sizes were really different.

Adorable Yam Ball In The Shape Of A Tiny Apple.

I never liked, and probably never will like, the yam part of this dish.

Cod Fish Dish

I really found this dish presented rather cute. Instead of having the head and tail of the real cod, which would look rather ugly, (plus the big eyes staring back might make you lose your appetite) the re-created them with fried tofu instead. Creative, and it's an added bonus to those who might be more hungry.

Chilli Crab Dish

Sometimes making it easier to eat doesn't mean that it will be good. Taste-wise it was quite nice, but I think there was just too much starch in the whole thing. It just felt like a spicy shark's fin soup going down instead of chilli crabs. But I think it was the bun that saved it for me. I'm such a sucker for fried bread.

But I think the best thing I got out of the whole night was the little gift of heart-shaped measuring spoons with really cute love-related inscriptions. It will probably be one of the few gifts I'll actually treasure.

Photos courtesy of Angie Ong's camera cos mine died.

Love Your Work, Not The Company....

I got back to working again, but I've got a change in location. Well, a new outlet means I've got new people (other than my best work buddy who brought me there in the first place) to work with. After the info I got about what some people were doing in the other outlet, I guess learning to work with a new group of people would be less challenging, stressful and frustrating, until I worked with a certain slowpoke in the group.

So this outlet is a lot tinier than most outlets and has only 4 permanent staff on the floor, 2 in the kitchen, and 2 part-timers with a possibility of more coming along. So with all the leave entitlements and compulsory days off, there are days where I'm bound to work with at least one of the 4 permanent floor staff. While the pace of the people at this outlet seems to be really laid back compared to the previous outlet, Slowpoke takes it to another level, hence the nickname.

Slowpoke is the kind of person that is a waste of your time and energy to have to work with. Not only can you not count on this person to help you run the show, you have to actually double-up your efforts to end the shift right. The very first time I worked with Slowpoke was on a saturday afternoon and noticed that Slowpoke didn't seem to pull their weight and also disappear somewhere for long periods of time, too long to just send orders in.

Then I had the opportunity to work with Slowpoke one night to close the outlet. At first I just went about doing what was required on my part and then I realised that I seemed to be doing all the work while Slowpoke just had the cheek to sit in the corner and have a plate of pasta. To top it off, Slowpoke started nagging and telling me to clip receipts to one corner. How anal is that? The second day came along and this time I slowed down my pace to suit Slowpoke's so that Slowpoke had to cater to all the tables. Well... I didn't start working in this line just a week ago if you actually know my history.

After grumbling about Slowpoke to my buddy, I found out that Slowpoke's attitude might be because of the promotion that didn't happen. Instead of getting promoted (after 10 years with the company), Slowpoke was left with the same title, and to top that off, my buddy (a rank above Slowpoke) was brought to the outlet to help run the show. So maybe it explains why Slowpoke has such a bad laid-back attitude. However, I got a feeling that Slowpoke didn't get the promotion because of the crap attitude and the slower-than-a-snail's pace. Working with any other permanent floor staff would see us sending out the last order at 9.30pm, start closing procedures, and finally leaving the place about 10 minutes after closing (unless some idiots stay beyond closing). Working with Slowpoke, you will notice that there will be no one around by 9pm, where the cashier is closed, leaving me to clean up what's left while Slowpoke takes the whole hour to count the money and do paperwork. Most times, I never stay long enough to know when Slowpoke actually finishes the work, I just leave at 10pm.

I don't know how old Slowpoke is, but it doesn't look like Slowpoke is in the 50s range yet. What I'm getting at is the question of how some people seem so passionate and dedicated to the company they work for. The thing that brought up this issue was actually an email that I got the very same night I found out about Slowpoke's issue. In the email, the first of many slides stated "To love your job but don't love your Company, because you may not know when your company stops loving you". Unless it's a company that you founded, I don't see the point in staying in the company till you die. There are companies which are fun to work for that you would like to stay with as long as you can, but there comes a time when you either have to leave to find greener pastures or just realise that there is no future within the company for you.

Personally I love my job. I love what I do, and I've done it with different companies. The reason I came back to this company wasn't that I liked the company. No... in fact, I find the company can be a bit fickle-minded, and needs to be a bit more protective of their staff. Plus all the trouble they had me go through just for a simple letter to state that I've worked with them had me thinking they aren't really as nice as they portray themselves while right in front of you. The main reason I came back was that I missed the smells and equipment. The second reason was the people at the old outlet. They were fun to work with right until the end of last year when all hell broke loose. Now, at least I know who I can trust, and who I can work with, a bunch of people I know I can actually hire if I ever started my own place. Well maybe it would be better to have these people invest themselves in the new place so that they would love the company as it's partly theirs as well?

So anyone wants a Company to love?

Whatcha Think About That...

Read this article in the papers today and thought that it was interesting enough to blog about. It's not so much that a woman has written a book about sex, nor the fact that Ms. Lootah is a Muslim woman in an Arab country, or that the book about sex is also related to Islamic teachings. It's actually the fact that she went about having her book approved by the Mufti (religious leader) before getting it published. Yet after all that, she still gets death threats. Not surprising that the threats are from conservatives though, they're just living up to their name.

“People have said I was crazy, that I was straying from Islam, that I should be killed,” Ms. Lootah said.

Somehow I think these people are just judging the book by it's cover. Now if the book did quote the Koran ("One of the themes of her book is the danger of anal sex and homosexuality generally, not because of AIDS but because they are banned by the Koran.") then how can she be straying from Islam? Yet it's the men who seem to break the rules - "In Saudi Arabia and other countries where the genders are rigorously separated, many men have their first sexual experiences with other men".

I, personally, think it's time people started accepting change in this world. That women aren't just going to stand behind in the shadows, or hide under their niqabs, and let their lives just past them by. That women are more valuable than some people make them out to be. If everyone wanted sons, sooner or later there won't be anymore women to give you the next generation. Most times, the best advice is from the very first woman you know, your mom!

I'm Back

Off To Penang

Details here...

Barkley's On Holiday

Barkley will be on holiday for a week, returning on the 2nd of June. He will be enjoying a week with the wind in his face, protected only by a pair of goggles. If in case of emergency, he'll be staying at the Paws & Furs hotel @ Jalan Kilang.

*Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!*

Thinking About Renovations For The Blog

Sort of started blogging like crazy again recently and wondered if it was time for a change. Please don't go on about Obama and his campaign. He's a cool dude, but I'm not interested in politics. Anyway... Change of style, change of topics, change of blogskins. 

I've already made changes to the blog by shifting all my travel stories to another blog. One reason was to give better access to the stories than try to sift through a ton of greetings and rants here just to read them. Secondly, it took a toll off the blog as the travel stories had a lot of pictures to load, therefore it would do better with a much simpler blogskin.

Now I'm thinking if I should scrap all this birthday greetings. I mean seriously... who reads my blog other than the handful of people I know? With everyone just a text message away, I think it's much easier to send out birthday wishes through the phone. It is cheaper on this though. Anyway... unless I know u read my blog, or I know your birthday by heart, you're probably not gonna see a birthday greeting for you here next year. Well lets be fair.... it's already halfway through the year, why stop the greetings mid-year and leave the rest of the babies without a birthday wish?

Ok, so a change of topics isn't really realistic. What else can I blog about that hasn't been mentioned? Politics is a big NO for me. Other than the fact that you might get in trouble, I'm really not interested in the whole issue. I don't even have to vote because I live in an uncontested area. Then I don't think I would go around blogging about sex. Seriously what is there to blog about? Take naked pictures and post it up here? Once again... probably end up in trouble. Now what is it that I don't blog about that I should? Suggestions are very welcome. 

Now I'm also thinking if I should change the blogskin. Yeah I did work on this one on my own and all... but I'm thinking maybe I should have a cleaner look to it. Maybe grow up?

Oh goodness... all these thoughts swimming in my head. 

Another Year Has Passed

Apple Pie Diana

Another year older & (hopefully) another year wiser.

5 years old. I think I need to make some changes!

Baby's Got A Temper...

Got a glimpse of how Barkley reacts to being rejected just now.

When I woke up, I decided I wanted to got get some seafood for dinner and told him that we're gonna go out. So we showered him, let him dry out, brushed out his fur, and put on a new t-shirt. What was left was to put on his harness and let him out the door. At this point, he's all dressed and following mom every step of the way, thinking that she'll put the harness on.

I'm not ready and so mom leaves, without him, to the car to get it warmed up. Next thing I know, I see Barkley trying to bite off his t-shirt in anger. I ask him what he was trying to do and he start whining like a little kid throwing a temper tantrum, blaming someone for his anger. He stopped whining when I said just wait a while more, I'll be ready and we can go. He then continues to whine like he was grumbling that I was taking too long. All this time facing his favourite chair, basically showing his butt to me.

If I knew it was going to happen I would've taken a video. All this while I thought he was just an emotional blackmailer. Now I know he's got an attitude too! Hahahaha....

I Won't Lie That I Don't Tell Lies

I lie a lot. Mostly at work. Sometimes to keep certain secrets safe. Sometimes because I just can't be bothered with you and the rest of the world. Now if someone says "I've never told a lie", then I think that the person has never communicated.

Anyway... back to telling lies. Part of my job scope is basically to lie through my teeth and make people believe that certain things are worth purchasing. As I tell a lot of people, "I lie for a living." - which isn't far from the truth. It's not the entire job, but when somethings have to be sold, the lies come straight out like they're the truth.

Lying, I think, does have a special art to it. When you can actually believe your lie, somehow it slips past the other person much more easily. I wonder if that's the secret behind actors/actresses receiving those nominations? Could it be that they believed that they were actually the person they were supposed to portray? But then again, Hollywood can be rather soft-hearted and give awards away out of sympathy.

Associating acting with lying does bring up a thought. Other than actors/actresses and people who are undercover spies (basically a person who has to pretend to be some other person to get the job done), how sick are the people who actually live two different lives. I'm not talking about someone who has multiple personality disorder*. I'm thinking about someone who lives a lie so much that they believe their own lies to actually live it through, and start doing things they can't afford to do just to show/prove that their lie is true. Confused? Nevermind.

Well what got me on this topic was not a thought about some sicko, but more about lying and thinking that your friend will be stupid enough to fall for it. For some odd reason, some people think I'm gullible enough to believe everything they say. Too bad for them I've learnt to do a lot of info digging, and with the accessibility of the Internet, it's a bit hard to try and fool people, especially for personal gain.

I realised, while I was shopping with some friends, that one of them was a bit full of shit. This person acted like they knew everything and seems like the info given was mainly wrong. I'm not sure if the reason for the info was because this person didn't know better or was just trying to get us to get something that they preferred (personal gain). Somehow I got a warning about this person a long time ago, and I've been keeping my eyes and ears open ever since. I think I've come to a point where this person's opinions don't matter anymore, and careful consideration has to be put in when it comes to releasing any information.

A few months down the road, when this person got something that needed to be put together, I realised maybe this person really didn't know better. But something in the back of my mind kept bugging me about it and made me wonder if it was again for some sort of personal gain. The whole incident wouldn't have allowed for any personal gain however, and this got me feeling insulted. So maybe girls don't usually put things together, but that doesn't mean they can't. What irritated me most was that this person lied and thought that I would believe it like some bimbo.

I think people have to realise that I don't go around telling the whole world what I know. I mean realistically, everyone knows their fair share of information, and have a certain set of skills. Not everyone goes around bragging what they know, and I think people have to realise that they should start assuming that people know what to do. Or rather ask if the person knows how to get something done, rather than assume that they don't and insult the person by treating them like an idiot.

There are other issues with this person, sort of linking lies with personal gain. The thing that really caught my attention was comments on food. So food is subjective, but I'd say that someone would realise that something is a bit too salty/sweet/tart/bitter or just plain strange if they're not out to butter up the cook. The apparently 'great cook' had put too much wine in a pie filling that just didn't go well with it's crust. So how is this for personal gain? Well, flatter the chef and they would probably cook for you, no charge to you, again in the near future. Now if this person has known you for a while and every time they cook for you, you polish up the plate and sing praises, I'm sure you've got free food coming your way for a long time to come. Somehow I believe in giving more honest replies than exclaiming that "THIS IS THE BOMB!" for something that tastes like a molotov cocktail going into your stomach.

A big contrast is like what one friend said about the pie that was served during Christmas, "I wished I wasn't so thin-skinned cos I wanted to take more of the second pie but was afraid there wasn't enough. The second pie was much better than the first." Does that honesty keep her from being invited to the next Christmas party? NO... in fact, if we're going to test out pie recipes, she'll get the call to be in the survey group.

I guess the biggest issue I have with this person is the 'high and mighty' attitude that seems to exude with everything this person says. I'm not sure if it's because this person thinks I'm some naive little girl, that they know a lot, or that fact that they realise that I'm actually smarter than them and is trying to put me down. Whatever the reason is, I'm not liking it.

*Multiple personality is easiest to explain from the clinical viewpoint. Every person has various sides to her nature. She can become aware of her sides if she pays close attention to her moods. Sometimes she is happy, at other times she is sad. Sometimes she is reasonable, at other times she is demanding. Sometimes she is confident, at other times she does not know what to do. Depending on the particular environmental stimuli, one of her moods happens to be dominant in a given situation. All the moods are in mutual contact, influence each other, and perceive themselves as one mind. This is totally normal, but when something causes these neuropsychological entities to become mutually isolated, multiple personality is produced.

Multiple personality disorder (MPD), also known as dissociative identity disorder (DID), is a relatively permanent state of mind; the mind is split into partially or completely isolated neuropsychological modules. Each module has its own memories, emotions, and preferences, and behaves as a unique person. Some modules (called personalities or alters) are aware of the existence of other modules, whereas some personalities believe that they are the only mind in the body.

Mudders!

Happy Mothers' Day!!

Another Year Has Passed

Mei Mei Fat Fat

Another year older & (hopefully) another year wiser.

Another Year Has Passed

Desak

Another year older & (hopefully) another year wiser.

Another Year Has Passed

Shane & Chloe

Another year older & (hopefully) another year wiser.

I'm Just Not That Into You

There are times in life when I get so fed up with some people that I really just can't be bothered with them. It gets to the point where I've to question why I even thought to be nice to these people, to become their friend, and especially, why I even kept in contact with them.

What does it take for you to be a friend? Do I have to keep doing you favours (without expecting any in return)? Do I have to keep going 90% so you can stick to doing your 10%? How long does it take to learn a name (unless you decide to change it with the seasons of fashion)?

How is it, that after more than 5 years of knowing someone, the person still can't get your name spelled right? While you can easily use the new name they decided to call themselves in the last 2 years?

How is it that after telling someone you live in a certain place, over and over again, that this person still thinks that u live somewhere else?

As a great friend once said, "A person who treats u as a friend would at least show a bit of concern for your life and remember certain milestones." Backing this up with the question, "If I invited you to my graduation and we met up 2 years later, I'm sure you won't be asking me how is school would you?" So you might think that maybe this person is at the top of my 'friends list', and so I would definitely remember such things. But the point is, 2 years is not a long time to forget that someone has finished school, but some of us might. However, I don't think that you would forget your friend's name in 2 years - if you do, you weren't friends to start with. And if someone has been working at the same place since you met them, will you forget where they worked if you tell them again and again?

The whole thing that's pissing me off is the fact that things haven't really changed with me.

1. I've been working with the same company for almost 2 years, changed jobs for a while, bummed, and then went back to the same company till now, at the very same location.
2. My name, and address, hasn't changed since birth.
3. My phone number hasn't changed since 2002.

So why is it so bloody hard to remember these things when I tell you these facts without being vague? Unlike you who insist on telling me your work location but not your actual workplace.

All these things just make me wonder if I should even waste my time taking your calls or reading your text messages. Sometimes I feel guilty about ignoring messages left on MSN, but now I think I'll just ignore you and just not read the crap you even type. Never have I ever detested someone over such a trivial matter, but I think getting someone's name right is just something you should do out of respect.

Do remember that a BLOCK button is always nearby!

Another Year Has Passed

Charlotte

Another year older & (hopefully) another year wiser.

Finally People Who Actually Get It!

As I previously wrote in the post "You Don't Know Me", I didn't see what the big deal was regarding the video taken from an episode of Britain's Got Talent. Even posting on my facebook status got a reply that didn't seem to know how Paul Potts got his origins from (see quote in red). The same bloody thing happened then, and it's happening now. Even their biggest competitors seem to be the same - a cute little kid that can sing rather well. Finally, I read that I'm not the only one who thinks it's all over-hyped.

"Another TV performance that made the news this week was that of Britain's Got Talent spinster-turned-superstar Susan Boyle, of whom we here at That's Really Week are already sick after the current media overload. (Susan is this week's Octo-Mom.) The dowdy Scottish singer became an unlikely Interweb sensation thanks to a viral video of her allegedly Simon Cowell-shocking reality-television performance. Apparently the idea of a somewhat unattractive person having vocal talent blew many people's minds! But part of the 47-year-old's TV underdog appeal was also her sympathetic back story that she'd "never been kissed.""

Thank you people @ That's Really Week.

Contemplating A Photoshoot

I've been recently thinking about a project that I wanted to do about a year ago but didn't know what I actually wanted to do. The basic idea was that I would take old photos of me and my friends and put it all in one giant frame to focus on the people I truly love for strange reasons.

Now thinking deeper about it, I got this strange idea to take pictures of them in black and white. Something about B&W photos somehow make them all look good in a frame, no matter how strange the frame is.

Then since the engine started running, I thought about it some more and decided that I wanted to get them in poses that brings out my idea of what they mean to me. All because of this thought, it has got me analysing all my friends once again. Now I wonder if they realise what they actually mean to me or will they only know until I give them the idea the day I want to take their picture.

Another Year Has Passed

Denise

Another year older & (hopefully) another year wiser.

To Fadillah & Rudy

Congratulations!

Another Year Has Passed

Joanne

Another year older & (hopefully) another year wiser.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T!

How can people expect anyone to show them respect when they don't even give others a little bit of respect?

So maybe when you're higher up on the ladder, people tend to give you that bit of respect that comes with the position. However, earning or losing respect for yourself depends highly on your decisions and the actions you take.

One way to lose it is to simply not respect the people you work with. Backstabbing, holding back important information, or just stupid office politics should do the job. And best of all... try messing with other people's rice bowl.

Remember,

KARMA is a BITCH

Another Year Has Passed

Kuna

Another year older & (hopefully) another year wiser.

You Don't Know Me

It came clear after someone I know told me to watch this video, and that after watching the video, it would change the way I think.

Once u click on the link to the video, you will notice the write-up on the contents of the video. At this point, I ask that someone how it would change my way of thinking and the answer was: "It'll teach you not to judge people by the way they look".

Now if you look back at the video, you realise that the lady under scrutiny looks a little on the nutty side, but who ever said nutty people had no talent? And to think that it was on Britain's Got Talent, the same place that opened the door to stardom for Paul Potts, shouldn't the people already learn not to judge people by their looks? The very reason such shows were made were for people like them, for people that talent scouts would not take a second look at because they can't see past the facade that will be a marketing nightmare.

So I'm not irritated or pissed off that this person thinks I judge books by their covers - which is something I actually do... literally... with books. But I realised how much this person knows me, and yet the person calls me a friend. So I'm not an angel and will not say that I will NEVER judge people by their looks... but I do have a good sense of the type of person is from the first look. I would give people a 2nd chance (maybe another day, maybe the day itself), but if that holds true to the first impression then I guess the person has a lot of work to do to change my mind. Just like how I kinda have to put my foot down on not clubbing with certain people because they've not only pissed me off twice with their stupid idea of fun, they've actually pissed other friends off as well.

But back to this person not knowing me. This isn't the first time that this sorta thing has happened. No.... the last time was insulting me by thinking that my wardrobe needed to be updated or restyled. So I was wearing some of my worse-looking clothes that day...but seriously, a tank top and track pants aren't any better. What makes you think that just because I've come out to meet up with someone I haven't seen in a while, that I'd dress up in my Sunday best? How does catching up with someone in a shopping centre require me to wear something I'd wear to the office? And let me just say again... a tank top and track pants and you're interested to change my wardrobe?

Another thing is I also didn't know catching up required me to literally play catch up with you around the shopping centre... just because you've decided to walk briskly around the place, almost like a headless chicken, visiting the same place over and over again. Now I'm not sure if it was because you were trying to get the attention of some guy you saw earlier, or was it the fact that you needed to take a shit but can't do it out of your own home and was trying to hold your shit in.

I guess next time, keep your shit in, including the one in your head that is about to spew out of your mouth.

Another Year Has Passed

Kelly Umpleby

Another year older & (hopefully) another year wiser.

Great Freebies With My New PS3

So I had this deal with Syndyk (when he moved to his new place with his sis) that if he bought a flat screen lcd tv, I'll get the PS3, and we'll share the fun. Then after all the rental agreements were settled, Syndyk was finally happy on the discount he was getting on the tv and put his money where is mouth is. After we got the tv (soyes... 1/6 of it is mine), it was time I got the PS3.

When we got to Funan to check out a really sweet deal, we found out that they had sold the last console, and won't be bringing in anymore. So off we went to find a better deal and nearly got conned into one that seemed quite good, but I just didn't like the games I HAD to purchase to get the discount off the console. Good thing they said cash purchases would get a discount and it was an instant escape from the clutches of an evil saleman who tried to be all "legal" showing magazine endorsements. PHOOOEY!

Anyhoo... we checked out a store just opposite, actually looking at the games and realised they had a really good deal going on. It was almost the same as the shop before, but the choices of games was limited to everything they had on the shelf, offered a further discount on the cables we needed for the hdmi tv, and it was actually cheaper. Furthermore, the stuff there was cheaper. So we chose all the games we wanted, got the extra accesories and because of the bill we racked up, got a membership to the store. The store didn't stop pleasing us... on top of our discounted purchase, they threw in loads of freebies... although it probably came as a package... but useful freebies nonetheless.

Take a look at some really cute stuff:

Another Year Has Passed

Nor Ain

Another year older & (hopefully) another year wiser.

Another Year Has Passed

Criszean

Another year older & (hopefully) another year wiser.

Confessions Of Someone Under The Influence

Ok... if this post seems inappropriate or has too many spelling errors, please not that it is written when I was highly intoxicated with alcohol. Though it seems from the first sentence I am to be able to correct myself as I go, I shall not be responsible for anything else that follows.

Honestly, being intoxicated isn't a very fun feeling for someone who values control in her life. Although, control obviously is lacking at the moment, but somehow I managed. My eyes can't seem to focus on any one particular thing, but I'm sorta typing blind at the moment, correcting as I go.

Being back home and in the comfort of my bed seems to be pleasant and good. OH MY GOD! I can't seem to make a simple sentence sound good to my head. But at least they sort of make sense. I know someone is definitely laughing now... and no I'm not going to edit this when I'm totally sober.

I think this should be a lesson for me if it actually turns out horrible... or a nice insight to how I am when my brain only registers half of what I'm thinking.

I thank Syndyk for being such a great sport... and I hate Eddie, but I love him all the same, for making me reach this point of oblivion.

And for those who help me get up.. thanks... but I really needed u all to just let go of my arms... I just tripped, and everyone made it a big deal. Oh well... and yes... I really just tripped. It happens to the best of us. Even those that have never touched a drop of alcohol. Gawd.... I'm not that delicate and I can take a fall... and I think the ice thrown by Diana to my forehead hurts more than anything right now. Gee... Thanks Diana... if I get a bump on my head later ... I know who to blame.

Another Year Has Passed

Mandy & Lewin

Another year older & (hopefully) another year wiser.

Travel Buddies

6After travelling with a few of my friends, I was wondering who could really travel the way I like. Then it hit me to take a look at the Travel Buddies quiz I did on Facebook, and from there I made a comparison.

The Travel Buddies Compatibility lists 'Best buddies', 'Good match', 'You'll survice' (I think it's mean to be survive), 'Compromise is key', 'Take your chances', and 'Better not do it' as it's categories. The majority of friends who did take the quiz ended up in either the 'you'll survive' or 'compromise is key'. There's yet to be one friend, who doesn't want to sign up for facebook because he's happy with his current networking website, that I would like to have taken this quiz to see exactly how like-minded we are. There is also one friend that's a good match, and one that I've to take my chances on.

Seeing that I have travelled with people from both majority groups, it makes me wonder what it will be like travelling with my good match. From my experience with people that I'll survive with, it does really feel like the song: "First I was afraid... I was petrified.... I will survive... I will survive! HEY HEY!" (yeah skip the nitty gritty cos it doesn't apply anyway) I guess knowing them well enough does give you an advantage, especially if you know what role you have to take on when it comes to travelling with them. For example, there are 2 that I have travelled with in this group, both whom I've gone on multiple trips with. Sometimes I ask myself, "Why do I keep travelling with them?", especially at times when they make me roll my eyes with their insecurities. But it's insecurities that can easily be soothed and after all the assurance you have to give, the whole trip actually turns out really fun. These 2 people sure know how to enjoy their time in a different country. In my opinion, that is the whole point of travelling for leisure.

Then there's a few of them in the 'compromise is key' category that have almost ruined some trips for me. As the category suggests, compromise plays a big part. And if you're the type that can't give in or bend to suit these people's needs, then it's better not to travel with them. But no matter how flexible you are, there are people who will bring you right to the edge, and people in this group have proven that they can do this to me. So if this group can bring me to the point where I almost kill them, I think it's best not to travel with anyone I've to take my chances with.