Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone! It's been a frenzy of gifts buying and wrapping but oh boy oh boy i love this festive season. Giving and receiving presents is always so heartwarming... >_<

With the new Sarah Mclachlan's Christmas cd, Janice's huge and juicy turkey and cool, light rain, christmas eve is quite perfect. :)

Simple dinner (due partly i only had like half an hour to cook before the rest collapse from hunger), only 3 porkchops because they are exclusively for my mom. She can't eat turkey this year, hope she recover from her cough soon.

Am loving the melancholic song Wintersong by Sarah Mclachlan.

Loves her voice, so warm and clear.

Life in focus

Watching/watched
Nothing really. Don't even watch any anime now or J drama because there is nothing interesting. Am repeatedly hounding the nearby Videoezy for House md s4/s5. I am quite an oddity, unlike many of my peers, i don't watch much tv. When i do, i watch shows they dun watch.

Reading/Read
The only good English book i can recall reading lately is Ariana Frankin's City of Shadow which tells of the Romanov and World War II. Good story and writing although there were some bits that was quite far-fetched.
I used to love David Hewson 's Nic Costa's mysteries but while the storyline is always intriguing and the characters delightfully quirky the prose had been increasingly choppy and it's highly distracting. That's why i can't finish his latest book Dante's number.
Also reading Christopher Fowler's The Water Room and i absolutely love the eccentric protagonists. They are old and cranky but yet possesses a certain droll humour distinctive of the Brits. I am so going to get the other books in the series.
I love British humour. It is way more subtle and intelligent than say the American in-your-face humour.

Games
I am going to get Persona 4 next week. Most of the gameshops doesn't have it yet and those that have are so far from my place. Persona 4 is unique in the sense that it actually has sim and rpg elements in a game plus a good plot. can't wait can't wait!
Finished playing Fable 2 and i must say that the game is disappointing. It does shine in some areas such as the social interactions and moral choices but it gets very repetitive. Add on a chunky menu section and shallow plot well... i got really bored. I find myself comparing it with Oblivion quite alot and find Fable 2 wanting. Oblivion might be repetitive too but there are so much more depth to it. (etc spell casting, combat and plot.)

Anticipating
Christmas! Ah... the stress of buying presents. I will promise myself to buy all the presents (after all i've got plenty of time now) by next Fri so i can enjoy Christmas in peace. Tomorrow i will put up the trees in my (ex) office and home. Had procrastinated far too long. Lots of christmas dinners and lunch and looking forward to dolling up for a change. I'm like young only once. :D Already thought of what updos i am going to wear but they will consist of bottles of hairsprays and lots of pins. Ah well... once a yr...

Planning
Buying presents mainly. And they are huge headaches because i really hope they'll love the presents i give them. So i will take alot of time and effort to choose them.
Oh and i want to buy nice dresses. Went to Haji and Far East on Saturday but i don't see anything i like. Only bought like 3 jackets (!) and a whole load of accessories. Well, worse come to worse i just borrow them from my sister. Surreptitiously of course. hehe...
I foresee i will be baking alot this season too. Hehe... goodness, seems like i got alot of things to do.

Thinking
Been reading books (like dummy books hahah) on Buddhism and Philosophy. Had not read enough to comment on anything just as yet but they are very interesting. I always find it sad that some of my peers find Buddhism and Taoism "unfashionable", "for the old only" or "superstituous". Each religion has its own beliefs and that we should be free to believe what we want (as long as it teaches good). We should be tolerant and respectful to other religions especially if we do not know enough of it to comment on it. I am of the mind that all religions are the same (for the good of mankind) and that we are simply worshipping the same gods/god. Differences from various religions come about due to the variance of races, cultures and perceptions we have in the world. Just my humble opinion. It really bothers me when i see people fighting in the name of religions.

Ending Remarks
Am luxuriating in bumming bliss. No need to be accountable to anyone for now except myself. I am also trying to make up for the lost sleep over the busy period during exam and work and every day i wake up (late) marvelling to myself that i don't have any plans for that day! Isn't that great? Of course i feel somewhat guilty (kinda take the edge off the happiness) but i had been working and studying almost none stop since i was 21 and i really need a break.
After the holiday stress i am going to do overhaul of my home. Make everything spic and span and get ready for Chinese New Year instead of leaving everything last minute. (i used to have the excuse of work and study but now nada.) Am actually relishing it (Being a typical Virgo and a masochistic one lol) because my home had been collecting years of rubbish and dust. Can't wait to actually make it pretty. My ending remark is getting long, so till next time!

Pictures finally!

Haha, just the recollection of yesterday makes me chuckle to myself. What a tumultuous day indeed.

I started off the day by going to gym, staving off fingers-gnawing hunger and ran for 25 (yes yes i know is very little) minutes. I suppose that my stamina and speed has increased. I can now run faster and somewhat longer. But i am really really bored. Was thinking if i should drag Joseph to my gym since he needs to lose weight too. Why why why do 3/4 of my friends live so far away from me? The remaining friends refuses to acknowledge the word gym exists in their world or that they are skinny as a pencil. Ok, i shall now contradict myself by saying that i also like exercising alone. One of my revelations this year is that i simply cannot multi-task. Take studying for example. I can hardly concentrate when i study with someone else. I will talk alot. Studying sessions will become gossip or philosophizing fest. Does this mean that i have too many Y chromosomes? Shucks.

Exercising alone let me think. And my mind will wanders off to irrelevant tangents. Which i really excels in. Haha... I guess i should just download more music to the handphone, am getting quite numb to John Mayer. Another 10 mins on the stepper or something and i had to rush home so i can meet Yh at 2. Of course, the meeting at 2pm never materialized. I only realized at far east that i forgotten to bring phone. And being the klutz i am, i never took the trouble to remember her number. I tried calling home but my dearest (notice the mangling of the 2nd syllabus and the sound of gashing teeth) siblings were so deep in their sublime slumbers that they did not hear my countless calls using the taxi driver's hp. It was very nice of the man. He was quite reluctant to lend me the phone initially but i guess i managed to persuade him with my quivering lips and pleading eyes. (definitely not by my great beauty) After that he began to share my panic and we started to curse together the endless cars that waylay our frantic journey. i finally reached home after 18 levels of emotional hell and found 13 missed calls by a certain person. Instead of answering my call with a metaphoric sharpening of a saw to slit my tardy throat i got a "where are you? i was worried sick!" Forgetting the perspiration dotting my forehead, the pull-until-become-bird-nest-hair and somewhat disarrayed clothes, i was struck dumb by her kindness and goodwill. Anyone else i know will be screaming bloody murder at me but she was worried about me! Ok, at this point i will like to say she is single for the time being and i have no doubt that she will be taken very soon because she is not only kind, sweet and vivacious but she is really gorgeous as well. (Eligible males please send a msg to my phone. 1.78m above need applies.) I was really touched by her and Lucy's concern and reached Far east again sheepishly. Hiaz...

So we met Huiling and Lucy at 4 something and we went shopping for Joseph's present! (and cake) and of course we all bought something for ourselves there. Far East Plaza is THE shopping haven for girls/women. I love Haji Lane for its eclectic range of hard to find fashion and an edgy atmosphere but FEP has far more range and variety. I bought the glittery sandal i was eyeing that day at 30% off as it was the last pair (mixed feelings about this) and an adorable pink wooden deer necklace. (when am i going to grow up?!) Huiling bought a shimmering bronze dress for an important wedding function (the dress is gorgeous and fit her like a t. >_<); Lucy bought 2 pairs of shoes, also shimmery and metallic. (Very chic!) and finally YH bought a denim vest. (glad she found a pair that she likes since she didn't bought the one in Japan) For Joseph, we bought a black leather bag and a nice black forest cake and we headed to mind cafe at Purvis Street for the birthday celebration! We honestly had alot of fun. The place was quite noisy so we all talked at our loudest volume and the laughing and shouting made my throat quite hoarse. Lol. Really super funny! Some pictures (at last i know) to give ppl an idea.

Joseph still stuffing his face. Hahah! the cake must be damn good!

Really the funniest moment of the day. From this picture can you guess that she is acting out the word "protestor"? We all thought it might be "president" or something for all the hand waving she did. Hahaha... We all laugh until the place rumble.

Thurga (aka Vulture/and Bla**** non politically correct but what the heck, she calls me "doggie with sports shoes" and "dumpling" unreservedly) and Ernest (Horse hahah! and he makes the neigh~ sound very convincingly and non embarrassingly), you guys might not be there physically but your presence is definitely felt on Saturday. Our group is like a zoo. Other than the above, lucy is a tweety bird, yu han (boy) is a fish, Giant is otherwise known as a pony (christianed by horse) and Joseph is the odd one out. He is a bean. (Mr Bean. hahaha!)

I think i will add some last day pictures as well.

hahah! Most of the pictures are impromptu so this was taken when Adrian is lamenting about me going or something. He just cut his hair and it made him look even funnier. HAHAHA! He always look so funny. Can you believe he is my boss?! He explicitly (with threats of murder) asked me not to put his pictures but really... i can't help it!

My bosses (Adrian and Trivina, who is so incredibly nice to me. >_<) and Willie. Who cannot sleep unless he suan me or ask me some inane question to aggravate me. LOL... Bosses took us to Anchorpoint Cha chan tin to celebrate (ya, their word) my last day. hahah! Should have ordered more, but i wanted to save them money, ended up see my colleagues order so much!

Grabbed the gals to take a picture with them. My mouth was full. Stupid Willie!

Chen Yen on the left and Genieveve on the right. Only known G for like 1 month at the most and CY for 1 1/2 week? But can feel da connection. Lol...

Was urged by the buggers to finish my food because they ask me "not to waste food." Closed my eyes in mental concentration, my mouth is bulging with food again.

Jasper and me. The super joker of the company but also the sandwich provider. hahah!

Denny, another suanner. Sorry but i really have to put this picture! HAHHAH!! Denny with the wings i bought for Halloween.

That it! Tomorrow is another holiday! Must sleep more!!!!!!!

Insubstantial things

(Mon) The past one week passed by like a blur. There were notable events like the release of my exams (which made me ecstatically happy initially then blah the next) and that the school rejecting my appeal to take Psychology for summer on the basis that i applied too late. (And i had paid and all.) Ah well... at least i have 3 months to slack. I am still working sadly... Because i need to coach the sweet new gal taking over my position and my last day will hopefully be this Fri. I was perpetually tired last week. Must be the combination of work and exercise. I will feel energized and happy after gym then after an hour, like death itself. But i can totally understand why exercise is addictive. It really feels good after a run. Unfortunately, my appetite has increased drastically. Shucks.
Met the Monash girls Mamta, Cindy and Maha today for reunion lunch and it was very fun and nostalgic. It is also sad because Cindy will be leaving Singapore somewhat for good. Ah well, i will find someway to see her again. Beware Cindy! I might pop up in front of you one day!
After gym on Monday i saw Natalie from my sec school (whom i never saw for like 8 years?!) and boy did we talked! We stood beside the noisy road and talked for 2 whole hours. Talked? More like gossiped. hhahah! I learnt news of my old classmates that were in turn gratifying, interesting and shocking. Life is truly unpredictable. You never know what you gets really. (in the wise words of Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump.)
(Thurs) Went to the dermatologist yesterday. She was very very good. Particularly patient and understanding. I managed to zap away the small but irritating swollen blood vessel on my nose i had for years and enquire about the recent itchy scalp problem. (if anyone need her contact let me know.) Walked around Orchard for a few hours and i have to physically restrain myself from buying anything. I love far east plaza! The place is full of treasures! I saw a bag that is really chic but it costs $119. Also drooled over a glittery sandal that costs $80+. Argh... After spending so much for the treatment i know i better control my spending. Argh! Dragged myself to the gym in the evening and to counter my utter boredom i talked to the Indian guy on the treadmill who comes religiously to the gym everyday and had so far lost like 20kg! Really cool. Respect respect.
Tomorrow will be my last day! I will endeavour to take as many pictures as i can so that i can remember those zany guys.