圣诞节来了！！！

好快哦，圣诞节就快来临了，还有四天的时间。。。

每当到了这个时候，我和同事们就会伤痛了脑筋，不知要买什么给我们的20多个同事兼朋友们。最糟糕的是，我喜欢买自己中意的东西给朋友们，但往往最后因为爱不释手，而自己“独吞”了，呵呵。结果，得再去买别的喜欢的东西，一直这样轮回着。直到我姐姐会以旁观者的身份，告诉我那一样不适合我，叫我割爱，我才听她的。

每次那么一买，总要花上好几百块钱，的确有点心疼。不过往往到了那天，自己送礼时开心，也收到很多礼物，便又觉得是值得的。因为只有一年的这么一天，自己才会收到比生日礼物还要多的礼物，好像又回到了小时候。

当然，在购物的时候，自己也会“顺便”为自己增添衣服，靴子，首饰等，以借这个季节来让自己有借口买东西。尤其到了这个时候，也不知怎么的，会变得比较阔气，想买什么，就买什么，想吃什么，就吃什么，好像不用钱似的。等到下个月账单来时，眼睛就会跳出来，然后来个心痛的付钱。

也许就是这个时候，是欢庆一年的结束，是期望来年的开始，所以人的心境也变得有点不大一样了吧。借助送礼来为即将结束的一年，画上一个快乐的休止符。


在此也祝所有的朋友圣诞节快乐，新年快乐。(",)

一个气氛凝聚着“怨恨”气息的早晨

你们可否有遇过这样的一种情景，四周围空气中弥漫着暴躁和不悦的气氛，身旁的每个人，甚至自己，好像吃了火药般，一旦被触碰，马上引爆世界大战？

前几天前的一个早晨，在上班的途中，我就感受到了这股气息。。。

早晨起来，心情超不爽的，做什么都不顺，无不时露出不悦表情。

到了Interchange, 在一群人快步走向地铁站时，我猛然听到一阵叫喊声，回头一看，也不知声响从哪里来，便继续往前走。

地铁里拥挤得很，站的位置有限，也不能有大动作。站在我右手边有位大叔，频频摇晃声体阅读报纸，而且老爱往我这里凑过来，真惹人厌烦。我心里面什么“经”都叫出来了，只差没有向他怒视和喊叫，只是偶尔撇向他，希望他会自动点。

站在我左手边的一位上班族女士，由于我的手提袋和她的“大包”不时触碰，也看得出她的不耐烦。我一直保持定位状态，也尽量不去乱动，如果她要一直移过来，而我又没有空隙可以移向讨厌的右边，那也是我的错吗？当时，虽然耳朵是听着MP3, 不过整个头脑却是热烘烘的，什么歌都听不进去了。

忽然，地铁广播响起，原来有人按了那粒红色button，每个人竖起耳朵来听发生了什么事。原来不知哪个cabin 发生了骚扰事件，引发了“战争”。当时的我，怀疑战争早在之前所听到的喊叫声那一刻就已经展开了。或许是个别的单一事件吧也说不定。

总之，那天早晨的气氛有如被注入了一股“怨恨”气味，如果定力不够，随时会爆发口水战，甚至面临皮肉之苦。

F1 Event finally here!

Finally, F1 event is here!!!
Last Friday, I got the opportunity to go to F1 site, as we were involved in Singapore Tourism Board's organised charity event. It was really an eye-opener for me, since this was the first time I got to go onsite. To be honest, without the free pass, I believe I wouldn't want to pay to go inside there.

Reaching there is a problem. Everywhere is CONGESTED! Due to heavy traffic jam, we had to get down the car and start walking from Concourse building. It was not really that far though, maybe about 10 minutes' walk. But our weather here is really humid lor, even when it's during evening time...=( Within half an hour, all of us were already sweating and feeling sticky. Lucky the rain didn't come and join in the fun, if not lagi worse. Not to mention walking in the hot blazing sun in the afternoon time.

Luckily, the event was held in the Sky Suite, which was air-conditioned. After the charity event, we walked around and experienced the atmosphere that surrounded us. We watched the F1 racers going through 2 practice sessions, first around 6 plus in the evening, and 2nd round at 930pm. Of course, we didn't got the chance to see the racers face to face, which was a pity. There were quite a lot of people, but enough space to maneuver around. Maybe it was still early, or that most people will arrive only on Saturday.

During their practice sessions, the noise was really overwhelmingly loud, and I had to wear ear plugs to protect my ears. It was a spectacular sight though, being able to watch onsite, rather than on TV.

Around 10 plus, we decided to call it a day, as we were really tired. We walked back again to Concourse, where we got a cab (lucky us) and went back to our hotel before departing for home.

It's an experience I would remember. :)

何必为难我的手指头呢？

最近真的觉得自己是找罪受。之前因为觉得好玩所以才去学吉他，虽然知道并不容易，不过还是想要挑战一下。现在已学了第9课，我的进度还真不是普通的慢。虽然一有空就恶补，不过手指头都练到又痛又麻，还是弹得不好。是我太心急了吗？不过我的老师也说我们这班进度的确有点慢。唉。。。有时学到“贝彻”的时候，还真想放弃呢！脑海里浮现砸坏吉他的暴躁。。。。。好在我们拥有想象力的功能，不至于实践。。。哈哈

不只这样，就连指甲都要剪的短短的，就更别提做什么指甲彩绘了。就连我的同事都嘲笑我就快变成男人婆了，就专挑适合男人学的东西来做。
最近我去trim了我的头发，因为实在有够乱的，头发都翘来翘去的，像个疯婆子似的。瞧瞧我的新发型，还不错吧。后来我有再去染头发，因为是巧克力颜色，所以拍照时不是很明显。

周末看了一场戏，名为"The Time Traveller's Wife"。顾名思义，这部戏讲述一位会穿越时空的男人和一位女人的爱情故事。故事的concept通过时光穿梭来交待故事情节，的确颇有创意，而且我还发现Brad Pitt 是这部戏的Executive Producer 呢。这部戏长达110分钟，不觉得沉闷，值得推荐。况且男女主角又那么的好看，有空的话不妨去看看。

闲话家常

唉，吉他是越来越难学了。现在已上了五课，老师除了教notes以外,也开始教些chords了。真是非常有难度啊。手指的运用要非常的灵活，学的过程我的手指都起泡了。老师还说，手指越痛越麻是好事，代表我们有时常练习。我已尽量在有限的休闲时间内勤练老师给的功课，希望能有所进步，起码会觉得有满足感嘛。可千万不好半途而废。

最近通过朋友介绍，我开始浏览一些online shopping sites, 如orangebear啦，Gmarket啦等等。其实我还是比较喜欢到商场上去购买衣服，因为可以触摸，可以试穿，而网上就不能。虽然如此，还是想尝试一次，因为有些衣服即漂亮又划算，不到新币二十元耶，你说买不买的过？叫我报名入会我是懒得添啦，因为有朋友常买，所以我想通过她，试买几件，看到底质地好不好。

如果有空，不妨到以下网站瞧瞧：

http://www.orangebear.com.tw/
http://www.gmarket.com.sg/challenge/neo_sangsul/plan_display.asp?sid=84
http://wardrobe54.com/index.php
http://www.shoplah.com/New%20Arrivals/NewArrivals.htm

待我受到衣服以后，再给与评价。 :)

2-Week Free Pass at True Yoga

Recently my friend got herself a 2-week free pass at True Yoga, so she asked me along to try out some of the classes.

We went to the outlet at Ocean Towers and took up 2 Bollywood dancing lessons (beginner and regular) for the 1st week. I find it a really interesting experience. Being a beginner, I couldn't master all the steps, and thus there were a lot of awkward coordination. But overall, it was fun, as the time went by without us knowing at all, and we get to sweat while happily dancing. It's definitely much better compared to running on a treadmill alone, counting the minutes and watching boring TV shows.

The second week, we went on to try one combat class. This class was overwhelmingly popular I guess, 'cos the studio was packed full of people, estimted about 50 or so. I felt that it was too many, but the salespeople said it's more enjoyable when there are more people. Well, provided one got enough space to do all the kickboxing stunts, without hurting the surrounding participants. Nevertheless, it was a streneous exercise, and I suffered bodyache for the next few days. Probably also because I did not do warm up exercise before taking this on.

Coming to changing room, it's not fun when everybody rushed for the shower rooms after the class. It only made me wanna just change and go home.

To sum it up, I like their studios, which are big and comfy. The bollywood dancing instructor and combat trainer are quite well-trained as well. However, the changing room is a minus point for me, as I find it not big enough, and there's no frills, like transparent plastic bag to put your dirty laundry, no cotton wools, have to bring own padlock etc. Maybe that's why the membership fee is cheaper than Fitness First...:)

庆祝姐的生日

星期六是姐姐的生日，所以妈妈，姐姐和我决定到外面吃一餐庆祝，顺便去看我们拖了很久都还没看的"Transformers"。想了想决定到“店小二”去。我们点了四道菜，有芥兰炒肉松，麦片虾，鳕鱼和铁板豆腐。还不错啦，服务挺不错的，除了上第一道菜时饭迟迟不来，其他的陆续都挺快的。服务员也很友善，端饭来时也有道歉，吃完后还会问菜色如何等等。

有一点我倒是不喜欢的是，我们的座位左边是一大片玻璃，外面有让人小憩的石座，供人在那聊天或抽烟等。吃的时候，总觉得外面不时有人望进来，吃得很不是舒服。不过如果不去理会的话，是没怎样啦。

结账后我们便到处走走，因为离看戏的时间还早。逛了差不多时才漫步走到戏院去。

这部戏嘛我认为并没有第一集来的好看，也许是打斗场面太多的缘故吧。不过算是值回票价吧，毕竟两个多小时所呈现的画面都很精彩，相信制作过程艰辛万分。看完后已是接近午夜时分。

我的吉他课程越来越难了，今天开始教Chords，开始觉得有点吃力了。因为手不是很灵活，而且要记住的东西也很多。不过有哪样事情是容易的，开始的辛苦一定会有的，只是看有没有恒心持续下去。

我会继续加油的。

Guitar Learning

Recently I have an urge to take up a new hobby, and after serious considerations, I decided to take up guitar learning lessons.

And there I was, checking out the cost and schedule of a few schools that teach guitar lessons, including schools by Li Wei Song, Li Fei Hui & of course Yamaha etc. The fees are quite similar, ranging from $120 and above for a 4/month lesson. Among which, Li Fei Hui's school has the fastest response & Li Wei Song's one the slowest.

Initially I wanna go to Yamaha, as it's near my house, and the price range is quite ok too. But upon realising that students need to bring acoustic guitars, which I am holding a classical one, I had to opt this option out.

At the point where I was about to choose Li Fei Hui's school for my guitar learning, I chanced upon a banner outside a community centre nearby my house, which also provides elementary guitar learning lessons. I called up and found out that they have already started one lesson last week, but I could still register for this course.

I was still pondering whether I should go to the community centre to learn, as firstly it's so near my house, and secondly, it's half of what the other schools are charging, and for 8 lessons in total.

Had I not seen a liner on the calendar which wrote "日日待明日，万事成蹉跎”, plus my brother taking out the guitar and strumming a few notes, I might not had the determination to wake up early on a Sunday morning to go for this lesson.

Previous night, I was still pondering if I should go for the lesson, as laziness deterred me and fear of not able to master the new equipment daunted me. However, I finally plucked up the courage to go alone.

I woke up around 8 plus, cleansed and ate my breakfast, before embarking on my journey for a new experience.

I was early when I reached the community centre. I stood at the counter, waiting for someone to come out and served me, not noticing a ring bell on the table. A person besides me offered and helped pressed the button. After settled my payment, I was told that the person who helped and just left was my trainer!!! Wow, first encounter...

There were supposed to be around 14 people in the classroom, but 4 were absent. Anyway, the lesser the merrier to me, at least the trainer can concentrate on us more.. haha..

The lesson was interesting, learnt a few notes and strummed a few strings. Got homework somemore, hopefully I will still remember in a week's time...:)

It's definitely not easy learning guitar, as there are so many strings to handle, and the hands must really be nimble and fast. Not sure if I can go through the whole course, but I will try...haha

悠懒的三天两夜Langkawi Trip

上个周末与好友一块儿到Langkawi消磨度假时光。短短的三天两夜虽然短促，不过还算过的优游自得。

抵达时已是傍晚五点多。一出关卡就有友善的Westin工作人员帮我们提行李到出口处。Hotel Transfer 还真是不便宜啊，要新币$80。不过在那里乘搭德士似乎不是很方便，机场外也不见德士踪影。况且我们认为这样做也比较安全点。25分钟后抵达了Westin Langkawi Resort. 迎接我们的还真是个赏心悦目的美景。在等待办理Check in 的当儿， 我趁机把美丽景点拍摄下来，不然夜幕低垂，就什么也拍不到了。我们很幸运的，被Upgrade去了Ocean View Room。可以一起床就看到大海，真是一种享受。

我们趁天色还没变黑时，赶快环绕度假酒店一圈，看看有什么我们可以做的。有游泳池啦，gym 和spa 啦，有脚车出租啦，有DVD可以出租啦. 就这样。。。



当晚我们便去出了名的Wanderland中餐馆吃晚餐，离酒店只有十分钟路程。我们点了鱼，菜，Calamari，虾，味道还不赖。相信是店主的我们，竟然不收我们的小费，全部只收我们马币$50而已，真是划算。店主非常友善，是他介绍好吃的给我们，而且分量刚刚好。那里没什么好逛的，吃完后我们便回酒店去，便在Breeze来个小憩，喝点饮料，听着live music, 陶醉其中。我们聊着天到挺晚，便回房休息了。

星期六我们早上先在酒店周围拍照，然后搭乘免费Shuttle Bus到Langkawi Fair（据说是Langkawi最大的Shopping Mall)走走，也在那里解决我们的午餐。在那里我们待了两个钟头，没有东西好买的，便回酒店了。我的朋友由于身体有点不适，便在房间休息，而我呢，便在房间的阳台读杂志，吃零食。累了便倒头就睡。



到了四点多，好友睡了一觉好多了，我们便到泳池旁晒点太阳，游点泳，好舒服啊。泳池的末端，看似连接海洋，望着一片无际的海，什么烦恼都暂时抛到九霄云外去了。当晚，我们到酒店的Taste Restaurant吃晚餐，当晚是Seafood Buffet,不过我们点Ala Carte 来吃。餐厅气氛很好，员工也很友善，让人吃的开心，聊得也开心。吃完后我们又到Breeze听歌喝饮料，直到接近午夜才回房。



好快啊，星期天我们就回来了。虽然短暂，不过还挺写意的。

On Leave day

Today was really an "unsmooth" day for me.

Woke up at noon today. Decided to go watch a movie with my sis. Chose "Ghosts of the Girlfriends Past", but show screening time reflected only 2pm, 7pm and later. So we decided to watch the 2pm show and to buy tickets directly at the counter there.

IT TURNED OUT TO BE A BIG MISTAKE TO BUY TICKETS AT THE COUNTER. BECAUSE THE QUEUE WAS SO DAMNNNNNNNNNNNNN LONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I tried to see if I can bluff my way through at the Visa Platinum/Infinite Counter, but the staff refused to let me buy tickets at the priority queue counter. So we had to go through the long snake queue to purchase the tickets. Luckily we arrived early, if not I guess we had to take the 4pm show.

Another embarrassing moment came when we entered the wrong cinema. I went to our N row and saw there were people sitting on our allocated seats. Without realizing the cinema was screening “Night at the Museum 2”, I was telling the woman that they have taken the wrong seats. Upon realizing it was me who made the blunder, we quickly left the cinema 6 embarrassingly and proceeded to cinema 5 which is just beside it.

I was still dwelling on those awkward moments when the show started and got me entrenched to the scenes. The movie was a nice one, warming and humorous, although the ending is predictable.

After the show, we went for some shopping at Tampines Mall and the new Tampines One. I FINALLY got the chance to go into UNIQLO store and browse around. In the end, I didn’t manage to see any clothes that I fancy because they were very casual.

It was amazing that I didn’t buy anything in the end (because I always like to buy things), but my sister who usually don't buy things got a pair of sneakers. We bought some snacks and drinks before we departed for home.

日韩服饰

上个星期五放工后约了好友一块儿到Far East Plaza逛逛。发现那里吹着一股日韩凤，有越来越多店售卖着来自日本和韩国的服装。上一次，我和朋友在其中一间店看中了很多衣服，店员说是来自日韩的。由于价格比其他店来的便宜，所以我们便买了几件。后来我从另一间专卖韩国服装的店员说，那间卖的其实是从中国来的所以价格才比较便宜。

我不知是否是真的，因为衣服里的标签有些确实是以日语或汉语写的，又或者写明制造于日本或韩国。不过素质真的稍微逊色点我觉得，在穿过之后。所以我也不能确定自己是否“上当”了。

老实说，在那里，日韩的衣服售卖的真的很贵，让人买不下手。再美都好，一间绣有蕾丝在V-部和尾部的无袖日制棉织上衣就要S$49! 一件普通长袖棉织衣也要S$69 - $89,怎么看都不明白高价在那里。不过我想如果那里有常客光顾的话，应该是因为质地真的很好，穿得舒服吧，外加unique style一定有。

不过此刻还是有点望而却步，只能远远的欣赏着。若真的看见一件非得买的confirmed是日韩衣服的话，我一定会穿了后给于真实的评价。

过后我们便步行到Cineleisure的香港茶餐厅去吃“晚餐”，或者叫“提早宵夜”，因为已经是十点多了。
那里也有售卖韩国T-Shirt,不过我觉得素质没那么好，虽便宜好多，却没有想买的冲动。

Singapore's Fashion - Ganbatte 加油！

Recently weather in Singapore has been getting hotter and hotter, near to the extent of "unbearable" stage. Nowadays, air conditioning in every house is a staple item, more so a necessity than a luxury. Unfortunately, in my house, only my parent's room has it, while my sister & I still endure the growing heat with only 2 fans that constantly puking out "hot air". I guess in the near future, we really need to consider getting an aircon unit fixed in our room liao. I wonder if 10, 20 years down the road, will our "little dot" still a desirable nice place to stay in? Living in this country of constant fast pace mode, competitive, no natural resources, hot and humid weather, we tend to lose our creativity and innovativeness.

I seldom see locals making an effort to dress well, probably weather is the biggest culprit, 'cos I'm guilty of this as well. All that perspiration and stickiness appear immediately within 3 mins after you have just showered in the morning. The basic instinct is to wear as little as possible, no more "layering" concept, no more mix and matching with belts and accessories, comfy is the key.

That's why I do envy other countries like Japan, Taiwan and Korea, who experience 4 seasons, such that there's always a feast to the eyes when fashion is concerned. Every people has their dress sense and style, and takes the effort of making sure they are perfect in their makeup and clothing no matter where they go. They know the simple truth that whatever they have put on in the morning, perhaps sacrificing that 1 or 2 hours of sleep, will last them through to the end of the day with confidence.

I hope we will have our own Singaporean culture in terms of fashion, with our own unique sense of dressing and style, in a positive manner, just like how we view Japan, Taiwan and Korea.

It has to start from somewhere, somebody. Provided that he/she is not being regarded as an "alien" for their so-called "creativity".

Are we able to discard our "self-consciousness"? hmmmm

购物狂

我想最近我是患上了“购物狂”症，到了不能自拔的境界。不是夸张哦，凡是有机会逛街，必定会买衣服。单单这两个礼拜，我就买了好几件。虽然不是购买名牌货，不过在这行情不好的时候，应该能省就省嘛。况且新加坡大热卖就快来临了，要买也该忍耐等到月尾才来个“大厮杀”呀。如果我买的衣服有个什么大减价的话，我一定会心疼死的。我想现在开始，不可以乱花钱了，一定要省点才行。

最近老板叫我们把假清一清，所以我打算在六月中时，来一个悠闲的小假。今天游览了几个网站，不知该去那里，要找一个经济实惠的地方还真不容易。不出国的话，呆在家里岂不是很闷？现在的Swine Flu也不知道会如何发展，只希望这个病菌快些在全球消失掉，以免再祸害更多人。我想以我的经济状况，只能去邻里国家了。

昨天随我的母亲和姐姐到Tampines Mega Courts去兜一圈，因为那里掌上电脑有大减价。那里的车子“最大”，根本不把路人放在眼里，即使是斑马线，车子也照走不管。就有一辆Toyota白色轿车直驶而过，即使我就站在斑马线上，还得倒退让它过。 我真气不过，频频瞪着车子看，走远了我还在看。因为真受不了那个司机。

商场上人很多，根本找不到推销人帮忙，要买也不知道买哪个好。既然找不到人帮忙，我们就决定到Tampines Mall的Courts 看看，希望那里会比较好。我们的选择是对的，因为在那里我们遇到了一位很热心的Product Consultant，帮我们介绍了一部他认为不错的Acer Laptop,而且价钱也在我大姐的预算之内，所以我们便买下了它。

当然，我们也在Tampines One的Secret Recipe吃晚餐，庆祝母情节。母亲选择的Grilled Chicken with Rice 不是个好选择，因为饭又冷，配上蘑菇酱的鸡肉也不是很好吃。我的Fish & Chip和姐姐的另一道炸鸡配Cheese还不错啦，所以我们统统一块分享来吃。

毕竟外面吃的怎会比妈妈煮的好吃呢？吃完后，我们便回家去了。

倒霉的骑脚踏车天

星期五因为吃了一顿丰盛的晚餐（膀蟹大餐），所以决定昨天和朋友去东海岸骑脚车。

我们相约在早上十点半先到Parkway的Mac Donald 享用早餐，然后才启程去东海岸。吃到一半，警觉裤子拉链没拉，误以为是自己忘了，赶紧冲去厕所。没想到，原来拉链已经坏了。岂不是从我踏出家门的那瞬间，裤子拉链已经是这幅模样了？真是糊涂。好在我的衣服够长，要不是坐下来时才察觉，我想到了东海岸才知道那可就糟了。吃完早餐后，我们赶紧到Parkway Parade选购短裤。 好在那里应有尽有，很快的我便在Baleno买到了一件可爱的牛仔短裤。换上了短裤后，我们便开开心心出发去东海岸。

到了那里，人潮还不算很多。我们在一家脚车店租了脚车后，便骑着到处兜风去。由于是买一送一个钟头，我们有两个小时的时间溜达。骑了约四十分钟后，我们便来个小憩，边喝着Coke Zero，边聊着天。大约十五分钟后，我们便启程打道回府去。

没想到，不幸的事件发生了。在回去的途中，我的朋友一不小心连着脚车一起摔了下来。由于冲击力太大，她多处都有受伤，像膝盖，大腿，下巴和手臂等，不是瘀青，就是擦伤流血，真的很可怜。事发地点，刚好有一户人家目睹经过，赶紧递上Handiplast和Tissue Wipes,真是感谢。脚车的链子也跑了出来。好在可以弄得回去。我们便到最近的厕所洗干净伤口，然后放上纸巾，再骑回去归还脚车。接着便到7-Seven去买Antiseptic Cream, Handiplast, Tissue, Water 等，在附近重新清洗和包扎她的伤口。

看来我们这两个可怜人，都遇到了倒霉又尴尬的事情。当日我还跟她提到，日历说我是“凶”，没想到她是“大凶”。

不只这样，本以为当天的太阳公公并没有释放多大的能量，没想到回家后，发现手和脚都是红红的，像是龙虾壳一般又痛又痒。糟了，那么难看，星期二回去上班时不知该如何是好啊。


好在明天是我的休息日，希望到了星期二颜色会变浅一点。

Shopping spree

Last Friday I met up with one good friend for dinner-cum-shopping at Far East Plaza. I reached there about 7 plus, seeing that she has not arrived yet, I went and browse the different shops, hoping to get some good buys.

There is this level 3 that sells alot of Korean clothes & accessories, which are really pretty & unique but I would say expensive, judging from a T-shirt at $49.90 & above, and blouse at 89.90 & above. They are really pretty & of good quality, but just that I couldn't bring myself to buy them, despite I really really have the urge to splurge on that night. Don't know why, guess last week had a really stressful work schedule, and I just wanna pamper myself.

It wasn't until when my friend arrived before we saw some really nice clothes in one Korean shop. They have some new arrivals, which I took some nice ones and tried. I immediately fancy the top that I tried on. It's made of silk material, and the 2 sides of the sleeves resemble that of a butterfly when I lifted my hands up. Although it might look abit loose on me, but I still bought it on account of its uniqueness. Impulsive buy? hmm...judging from the material & the design, I think it's worth it. haha. There was another dress which looked really sweet, but the price tag of over $150 deterred me from buying it. Moreover, where got chance to wear that dress, except during cocktail party or wedding dinner?

We proceeded to another Korean-style store, which really burnt a big hole in our pockets. My friend, who usually practises self-restraint in front of pretty clothes and seldom does bulk purchase, also succumbed to the pretty designs and brought several clothes there. Not to mention myself, who is a die-hard shopaholic, and an impulsive buyer, also splurged like nobody business in that shop. In the end, both of us left that shop with our 6 "trophies" clothes, but no doubt few hundreds lesser in our bank accounts. During our late dinner, we promised to curb our spending for the next few months, and no more clothes buying that's for sure.

Nevertheless, retail therapy apparently works for me. I was happy and no longer get moody and depressed. Especially with the companion of a good friend who dine and have fun together.

Nice show to ponder about

Last Friday after work I went with my best friend and indulged in one of our favourite pastimes, that is watching movie...haha..:)

We went and watched "17 Again", by Zac Efron. This movie might seem to be a "teenager" kinda of show, but I beg to differ. It is humourous and "destressing", and attached with it a meaningful story.

This show gives me a hard knock on the head, as in I feel that we should really try to lead a more fulfilling life, in ways that we feel meaningful, so that we won't regret in time to come, and starts to blame other people. Nothing is impossible, the key is whether we want to give it a go, whether we want to go through hurdles and obstacles, and to not let other people influence our decisions.

The main lead who did not fulfull his long time wish of becoming a successful basketball star, was given a 2nd chance to live through his high school life again. But ultimately he realised that he still made the same choice when given a 2nd chance, and instead he actually went all out to help his daughter and son who are important in his life.

Back to reality, we won't have the luxury of living through our high school life the 2nd time again. Therefore it's very important that we try to accomplish whatever our heart desire, even though circumstances might forbid us to attain them, in some way or another.

Nevertheless, as long as we try our best, and don't regret our actions, then I guess it's a life well spent.

We are leading such a fast paced and hectic lifestyle, that we might not be keeping track of what is important in our life, whether are we steering towards the direction we desire, and steps we have to do if we are off track etc.

There's no better time than now to really start thinking hard about it. Time awaits no one, as we won't be able to rewind the time that has just passed us by this very minute.

一个星期内目睹两个节目制作过程

上个星期由于工作关系有机会到MediaCorp TV station 走一趟。能看到一个节目的录制过程的确让我大开眼界。一个小小的摄影棚，布景不多，只有一个厨房摆设，加上一个雪柜，一位厨师，和两个主持人，就完成了一个综艺节目。一个十分钟的片段，却用上了两个多钟头的努力，让我看见了幕后工作人员的辛苦和团结精神。主持人面前的风光和口齿伶俐的对话，也是要通过几次的NG方才完美。可想而知，在主持Live节目时，主持人的默契非常重要，因为它成就了一个节目的成功或失败，能否带动观众，提供娱乐效果，所以仁务重大。相信拍戏也一样，演员的风光背后，所承受的辛苦相信只有当事人才会懂得。

真巧的是，在同个星期内，我也有机会目睹一个综艺节目的拍摄过程，因为地点就在我所工作的酒店里。
虽然这场拍摄工作耗尽了半天，不过能看到这个过程也算是经验的累积吧。这个节目播映时间是半小时，不过整个拍摄就花费了半天时间。为了记录当天的事情，我得拿着照相机不停的拍照，真觉得自己有点像Paparazzi。不过总得交差吧。还好工作人员很友善，演员们（戚玉武和白薇秀）也很合作，所以一切还算顺利。

拍摄完毕后，我们还有机会和演员们拍照，真是高兴。

愉快的香港之行

最近忙于工作，所以在这里留言次数也逐渐变少了。

三月尾，和同事游了一趟5天4夜香港之旅。

和十年前最后去时并无很大区别，只是在交通方面进步很多，去那里都很便利，地铁巴士德士任您选，价钱也不是很贵。由于我们住在尖沙嘴地带，所以非常接近各大购物地区，街边小吃店应有尽有，也有茶餐厅，逛累了还能悠闲的喝杯鸳鸯，吃个菠萝包，再继续锻炼手和脚力，来个购物大肆杀。

这里是个不夜城，霓虹灯遍满各大街小巷，即使到了午夜，依然灯火通明，人潮汹涌，与新加坡相比，真是天渊之别。就算是个周日，当地的人还是很有精神的“把酒高歌”，或边喝着糖水，边聊着各式各样的事。我真的很佩服他们的战斗指数。 现在的我，没有足够的8小时睡眠，隔天肯定要喝咖啡解掉那瞌睡虫在我脑里钻来钻去的。

我们每天几乎9点多起身，11点多出发，不到午夜不回酒店。每天都有新发现和收获。如果是护肤产品，个个都说SASA卖的是最便宜，如果要找运动产品，可以到Tong Chung MTR station 的CityGate 绕一圈，那里有着很多Factory Outlets (NIKE, Addidas, PUMA etc)，任君挑选，必定会有所收获。（那是因为，这些运动服装或是鞋子都挺物超所值，不买点回去真是有点对不起自己。哈哈）。

这趟所买的东西，都是自己认为有素质但价钱又合理的东西。通过介绍，也很庆幸能够品尝当地著名的糖水铺（在旺角），Sweet Dynasty 享受饮茶（Central)，和茶餐厅简单但美味的食物。 可说这趟香港之旅实在是游的尽兴，收获非浅。

周末牢骚

周末时，一天二十四个小时确实不够用！

那么多东西想做
又想要趁机好好休息一下
待做完该做的事以后，又已是周日膀晚时分

想到隔日又是上班日，心里头难免会沮丧一些些。。。。

若是请假时，心里不时又惦记着工作的事情，尤其是自己负责的项目，更是让人心头一直念着。
唉，生活在这样忙碌的都市里，紧凑的步伐让人片刻都不能松懈下来。

说到忙碌生活，紧凑节奏，让我联想起最近老是看到或是听到报道，关于自杀，或是杀人事件。

在面对巨大压力或是喘不过气的时候，结束生命变成远离忧伤烦恼的捷径。做出这种决择的时候相信需要莫大的勇气和毅力，又或者已是到了脑子逻辑思考无法战胜心中冲动的情绪，选择一走了之。

离开了这里，谁也不知道将会往哪里去，会变成怎样。是好是坏，是后悔，是庆幸，当事人自己承当。
选择留下来，希望在人间，每一天面对未知的画面和一切存在的可能。

快乐或者忧愁，定在人心。

选择豁达潇洒看待人生，必定会活得快乐些。

祝愿每个人都能生活得开开心心。

One week ago - Technology Deficient Day

This was written on 8 March, which I have no chance to post it up till now..hehe...=)

It was a technology deficient day.

After I just got a replacement for my iPhone which went died on thurs, today my home computer modem suffered the same fate. Sigh, we are really at the mercy of technology. I can't surf the Internet, can't check up the latest news of my friends via facebook, can't reply emails, and neither can I google for work related news that's crucial for tomorrow's reporting. Sigh sigh sigh.

In this day and age where Internet seems to be the answer to every problems and queries, it's hard not to turn to it on a daily basis. Not hard to imagine the anguish and frustrations written on my face when the customer service Indian lady on the other end announced that there's no more stock available of our mio modem, and we had to wait till 4 days later before new replacement will arrive. How ridiculous it can be when all stock of Singtel mio modem has ran out in Singapore.

After a round of shouting and screaming, no solutions surface except to call vendor on working day and pray hopeful they will have one last stock on hand. Well well no point venting out anger on this lady who was just doing her job and reporting the truth. After repeating the same frustrations umpteen times and after hearing the same explanations back umpteen times plus moments of silence here and there, I finally gave up. It's a hard truth I have to bear and what else to do besides waiting for thurs to arrive?

Update on 14 March - Great news was that there was stock available when we called the vendor on Monday. However it turned out that it was our adapter that has died, not the modem. And so we got our internet up and running by Tuesday...cheers...=D

难得一见的好电影

It's been a long time since I have watched a nice film that took 3 hours to watch. It's called The curious case of Benjamin Button.

Synopsis:

"I was born under unusual circumstances." And so begins "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," adapted from the 1920s story by F. Scott Fitzgerald about a man who is born in his eighties and ages backwards: a man, like any of us, who is unable to stop time. We follow his story, set in New Orleans from the end of World War I in 1918, into the 21st century, following his journey that is as unusual as any man's life can be. Directed by David Fincher and starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett with Taraji P. Henson, Tilda Swinton, Jason Flemyng, Elias Koteas and Julia Ormond, "Benjamin Button," is a grand tale of a not-so-ordinary man and the people and places he discovers along the way, the loves he finds, the joys of life and the sadness of death, and what lasts beyond time.

I really admire the extraordinary imaginative mind of the director, who can come out with such a good plot. It makes me ponder about life values, what we should really care about and do, although very fast I'm gonna drown in my usual hectic working lifestyle again. The show is not boring, it's really entertaining and the casts are simply fabulous. It's definitely a time well-spent.

If given such a chance to live life backwards, I wonder what will happen. Maybe we get to experience life more, and by the time we are back to young adults or teenagers, we will get to do things in a more mature way, see things in a different perspective, and perhaps more energy to get things done.

Life can be so amazing, depending on how you view it. At the end of the road, whether it's a life journey well lived, really is up to you to decifer.

Movie - New in Town by Rene Zellweger

Synopsis:

Lucy Hill (Rene Zellweger) is an ambitious, up and coming executive living in Miami. She loves her shoes, she loves her cars and she loves climbing the corporate ladder. When she is offered a temporary assignment - in the middle of nowhere - to restructure a manufacturing plant, she jumps at the opportunity, knowing that a big promotion is close at hand. What begins as a straight forward job assignment becomes a life changing experience as Lucy discovers greater meaning in her life and most unexpectedly, the man of her dreams (Harry Connick, Jr.).

Except for her, there was no other actor or actresses that I know of. However the story plot was good, in the sense that it enables us to rethink the meaning of what's important in our life. Is it climbing the corporate ladder and with it comes the material comforts? Or finding that bigger meaning in life, and enjoying the little things in life that we might have missed in this fast paced lifestyle of ours.

The movie only took 96 minutes, but it's an enjoyable and humourous show.

Watch it if you have the time.

了不起的声音－林宥嘉

上个星期五我和朋友去观看了林宥嘉的演唱会。由于是免费的票，所以本是抱着听歌消遣的心态，没想到这是我去过继周杰伦后另一个超high的演唱会。

那晚没有超棒的道具，没有很多烟火的奔放，只有他纯粹的歌声和他的诚意。他载歌载舞了很多歌曲，也有唱其他歌手如郭富城，草蜢，陈小春等的歌。每一首歌让他翻唱了都变得有他独特的味道, 真得很了不起。老实说，他说话不是很清楚，人看起来也很普通木衲，不会表达自己。不过一开始唱歌，那种爆发力就来了，对他之前的印象完全抛到了脑后。

演唱会也来了S.H.E 和Olivia Ong来驻阵，因此让演唱会生色不少。整场high到不行，让人听得乐而忘返。第一次经历两次Encore，而且两次他都出来唱，而且还唱很多首，让我很惊叹他的体力和唱功。从八点半开始，直到接近午夜才结束。一个二十一岁的男孩，能做到这样的成绩，真的不简单。　　

总之，他拿到了冠军，真是实至名归。我庆幸去看了他的演唱会。　

A whole day out in town

Yesterday I was on leave and so I arranged to have my bi--annual medical check up and dental treatment done, and stayed in town till evening for my movie appointment.

The dreaded morning medical checkup took more than the expected 1 hour, as I waited restlessly for one whole hour before my turn was up. The female doctor who attended to me was a stern lady in her 40s I think, and has a stoned face throughout the whole "ordeal". It made going through this checkup seemed eternity and painful to me. I don't really afraid of drawing blood, but that process turned out to be painful to me, maybe it was the needle, maybe it was her. Luckily it was all over now, and I reckon I won't go back to this clinic for checkup ever again.

After that I had some time left before my lunch appointment so I went for a window shopping at Takashimaya. There weren't many shoppers around, so it was a breeze shopping without having to squeeze through the crowd or waiting at long queues to try on clothes.

After my lunch and dental appointment, I had a total of 5 hours by myself before my next movie appointment at 7pm. So I decided to shop further and see what good bargains there might have for me. Retail therapy really works! I went to CK Tang and got 2 clothes at a sale and a perfume which I really loved (and it comes with a free gift: bag).

Shopping is fun and a good retail therapy, provided you really have lots of cash to spare. I decided to stop for the day after calculating the "damage" I have made, and proceeded to Big O cafe at Wheelock place to while away the rest of the time, reading a good magazine and enjoying their Hi Tea special.

Time passed by very fast for me, as I was busy msning my friends, reading magazine and enjoying my cake and coffee all at the same time. Too bad there wasn't a good sea view in front of me, it would be heavenly and perfect.

At night, I went to watch this movie "He's just not into you", a really nice film. The movie talked about few couples who each have their own issues in relationship. It was funny and de-stressing, yet at the same time realistically pointing out a few true facts about relationship in life. It's a movie I greatly recommend.

It was a long day outside, and it made this off day really worthwhile and fulfilling I guess. Haha..:)

难得的聚会

工作越是忙碌，就更该抽出时间约至亲好友聚会以联系感情。

不久前，约了以前一块儿读书的好友一起吃个晚餐，趁机update一下彼此的近况。我想将近有半年以上没有见面了吧，真怀念以前一起读书的日子。虽然是半工半读，一星期起码有两次，不过由于有这群朋友做伴，一起做project，这为期一年的课程还过得挺愉快的。

虽然课程读完了，我还是希望这份友情会持久，就像现在这样，虽然这么久没见面了，不过我们还是有说不完的话题，一点也不陌生。其中一位可能会去澳洲居住一段时间，因为老公的关系。另外一位朋友也想快点有个宝宝，这样生活也会比较有情趣，自己也可以暂时离开工作岗位一两年，让自己透透气。

一个人的时候，做什么事情只要向自己交待便好。有了伴，一切大小事物就得考虑对方，顾及整个家庭。是幸福，是束缚，全看你怎么想。对我而言，只要得到关怀，体谅与支持，这就是幸福。再大的风浪，有个人陪着一起克服总是好的。

下一次的聚会，会是在什么时候呢？

祝您生日快乐

今天是大年初七，俗称“人日”，也就是每个人的生日。 由于今天酒店准备了一场漂亮的舞狮表演，所以我和上司同事回去了一趟。初次体验非常近距离的演出，感染那震耳欲聋的声音，真的有点不习惯。不过看着舞狮低着头，将青菜橘子拨开后抛出来的情节还挺有趣的，在场的人，无论大人小孩都看得不亦乐乎，尤其是外国人。看久了后，习惯了声音，我也渐渐的深感热闹其中。

从小就喜欢观看舞狮表演，也许是不常看到的关系吧，一年就那么一次，所以看到时异常兴奋。再加上还有大头娃娃来助阵，把场面弄得热闹好玩，顿时什么烦恼忧愁都抛到了一边。 在酒店大厅的表演结束后，我们便返回办公司等待舞狮到我们这里赐福。有些同事也有放着橘子和红包，让舞狮赐四个字，若有偏财运，可能还会中马票呢。 首次的舞狮接触，给了我一粒橘子，还有大头娃娃和我握手，让我今年的新年有了不一样的体验。希望今年可以行大运，一切一帆风顺。

也祝愿大家一样。。