Happy Birthday to Sis and Me

For the two of us:

Ghez, we both look tired by the time we got home after spending a long day outside. But it was fun :)

281105: A Special Day for Sis
Every year, we’d normally have our cake-cutting on the birthday night around 10+, but sis had plans on Monday. So we had it brought forward.. and played with the timing to make it a lil’ more special than usual, something we haven’t tried before in the past – midnight cake cutting! ;P

The clock in the dining room struck 12…

Papa quickly switched off the lights, lit the candles and we sang a hearty birthday song for sis. Make a wish. Phoooo..blow out the candles, and *applause!!* yAy! Happy Birthday, my dear sis! =)

This year, we ordered a small Tiramisu cake from ‘Tiramisutra’ – an online store - for sis’s bdae. Papa tried their cakes before after his colleague recommended it to him last time, and he thought the cakes were really good. We decided to get one too so all of us can try it.

The cake certainly lived up to our expectations..taste was excellent! We could taste the alcohol in every bite, but it wasn’t overly strong. The cake was so smooth and soft, every bite just feels like it’s melting in the mouth. It’s indeed one of the best cakes I’ve tried so far. A tad bit ex, but it’s worth a try. Tiramisutra - highly recommended! ;)

The only thing that bothered me was I didn’t manage to get a birthday present for sis. No surprise this year..nothing. I felt really bad :( I know she was looking for a bag..a bigger one, but she hasn’t found any that fits her bill. I have to admit I neglected her big day..kinda. I guess I didn’t try hard enough to think/find what else I can get for her. But I’ll make it up somehow..say a big Christmas-cum-super-belated-bdae-gift? Yea, something that she likes :)

291105: A Special Day for Me
This is an official ‘Lee’ holiday for us. Papa, sis and me took one day off from work, and mummy had her roster planned in advance so she was off from work on Tuesday too. Perfect attendance! yAy!

We didn’t have any activities planned specially beforehand. I was craving for some KTV initially but turned out it didn’t fit our schedule unfortunately, So we decided to enjoy some family shopping instead – hmm..shoe shopping to be exact ;p

We went C&K, coz members have special discount on birthdays. I got myself a pair of silver low heels which I had laid my eyes on earlier, and mummy paid for it! Papa also got himself 2 pairs of new shoes from Everbest. Rare chance for him to come out shopping and we were lucky to find suitable ones for him, and I paid for them
! Giving and taking does feel good! ;D

Evening time, we headed to a cosy homely restaurant opp Bugis junction for Mongolian steamboat dinner. Food was not too bad.. but the desserts were the special highlights. tou4 sha1 jian1 bing3 – my all-time favourite, and zha4 xian1 nai3 (“fried milk”) was the ultimate. The outer layer is fried and crispy, but the inner custard-like filling was cold! Very unique!

After dinner, we collected the cake and..home-sweet-home.

Aunt gave me this little lovely puppy..I so adore it!

That’s my birthday cake, which I picked from the various chocolate selections they had at Four Leaves. Chocolate is sweet, and chocolate makes you happy. Don’t you love chocolate?

And this is my surprise birthday gift from sis and gor. Sis popped it in front of me 1st thing at 12am. There was a lovely little pink card inside the box with a pig on the cover (Pigs are my favourites too!) I couldn’t believe it myself too but I was crying while reading the card..how silly can I be?? I am happy and I know I should be smiling and giggling away, but I just couldn’t control my emotions. I was too touched, I guess.. :) And I’m already wearing the chain now..I love it. The earrrings I will leave it for some other nice occasion for its “premiere”. ;D

Finally, a few words from the bottom of my heart. I want to say my heartfelt thanks to papa, mummy, sis, simon, and my friends. I really had the best time during this short 13 hours of my birthday.

Waking up to receive messages filled wth cheery birthday wishes popping into my phone one after the other is the best present I can ever wish for on this day. It is so thoughtful of you girls to drop me an sms early in the morning while rushing to go to work..it really warms my heart so. Thank you, Driz. Thank you, to all my fishes – bell, weili, ting, mich & joyce. Each and every message is special to me, and I’ll keep them in my phone for a good long time. Hugs!!

Thank you to my family for taking time to accompany me on this important occasion and made me feel like this was really MY day.

Thank you for EVERYthing, for making me a truly happy birthday girl!

I’m contented.
And I’m blessed.

Here We Come-a Caroling~

I have been caroling for six years now, with VJ and VC. Wow… six years it is. It truly is a great way to indulge in the joy of Christmas season – to enjoy spreading the cheer to all who listens, and take pleasure in singing to celebrate this wonderful time of the year. It is an experience I’ll always remember and I’m thankful to two people for making it happen.

First to mention is Sau Yee. If not for her, I wouldn’t even dream about going VJ (it just seemed too far-fetched for me then), let alone becoming a member of the prestigious choir, which set me off on this amazing caroling journey.

If not for Joyce’s encouragement, I wouldn’t have managed to muster all my guts to join VC. I was too timid to join alone so I would have dropped the idea long ago, trust me on that. But I’m glad Joyce was there, if not I would not have gave myself a second chance to further my “caroling career”..haha. So, here’s a big thank you to you gals, cuz Christmas would not have been the same for me if not for the two of you :)

This year, caroling started really early. I attended my first session yesterday, and it was at Changi Airport. Well, Christmas is still a month away and the mood hasn’t exactly set in yet, but singing was all we were looking forward to after the long post-concert break!

Unfortunately, things didn’t kick off quite well for us yesterday. Joyce had problems with her access pass into the transit area, along with Mike and Yann too. Darn. So which meant Joyce could not be sing with us yesterday AND today, and needless to say, I was totally disappointed. There was nothing we could do about it until Monday, so we were down to only 12 singers.

Wet blankets aside, the rest of the Saturday evening was generally smooth-sailing, and fun! Guys in suits walking around the transit area was still ok, but the girls invited quite a couple of curious stares from staff and travellers. After all it isn’t a common sight to have people dressed in “e-mei2 pai4”-like costumes wandering around in the airport. LOL. We sure look like some ulu-pandan budget airline stewardess that they have never seen before..hahaha.

Our session ended around 9+ and the whole bunch of us headed down to Swensens for some supper! I ordered the super chocolatey ice-cream (which I forgot what it’s called)..ultimately sweet, and also incredibly sinful with this big chunk of chocolate fudge at the bottom..oh GHEZ! We had some nice chit-chat there, and boy, I love Yokie’s ipod nano!! I’ve long been planning to get an MP3 player and now I’m seriously thinking about getting that..heehee.

We had another session at the airport today. Though I ended up taking a cab down which costs me $10..*heart pain* (because I was running late and there was a heavy downpour), I guess the singing made up for it. For some reason, I seemed to enjoy today’s performance alil’ more than I did yesterday. Joke of the day: 10 singers and no conductor, and we still can sing..waaah we’re the best choir around man! Haha. It was my first time singing with such a small group, and it’s really a different kind of “fun” ;) Looking forward to next weekend now..yieeee!

Relax, brudder!

I have been wanting to blog about this amusing incident that happened last weekend, but haven’t got the time to do it. So here it is, one week later and still fresh in my mind. It’s an account (a long one) of my true personal experience. No kiddin’.

Last Sunday was Papa’s birthday, and we had invited Simon over to join us for our celebration at Crystal Jade Bugis. After a filling “hearty-cum-meaty” lunch, the 3 of us made our way down to Orchard to collect Pa’s birthday cake. We took a train down, and somehow the train at Bugis always takes very long to come. Besides it was a weekend, so the station was already packed with lots of people waiting eagerly to hop on by the time the train arrived.

(Doors opened…)

*CHAAARGE!!!*…. Everybody started dashing and squeezing hurriedly into the train, inching forward by any tiny bit of space they could find in front of them. I had barely stepped into the train and the people behind started pushing me in. Simon was in front of me, so by logic of the “sardine domino effect”, he wasn’t spared from it as well. Simon then blurted out casually, “I hate Singaporeans..always push….” (Ya, that’s about the gist of it.)

You know, the funny thing was simon was actually talking to me, but apparently it was loud enough for the man standing in front of him to hear what he had said (let’s call this man ‘Mr KP’). Well maybe Mr KP thought Simon meant it as open criticism – if not I can only say he is being plain kay-poh – he actually responded, “If you don’t like Singapore, then don’t come next time”, ending off his speech with a super ya-ya look on his face.

Frankly speaking, I was in shock when I first heard those words shot out from his mouth. I was like, are you talking to us?? Simon was shocked by his reaction too, so he turned back and looked at Sis & I, yelling as softly as he could, “hey I’m SINGAPOREAN!!”.. *lol*. Within the next few seconds, the 3 of us then managed to find a spot to stand, and it was coincidentally right behind Mr KP.

The show has just begun…

Sis wasn’t very happy with the remark that Mr KP fired at Simon - or us - to be exact, cuz we are a group! So we decided to play a lil’ game. =p Sis told Simon to ignore Mr KP and just let him talk whatever he wants, intentionally speaking alil’ louder so that Mr KP could hear - if he had meant to eavesdrop on our conversation. Sis and Simon then went on making some sarcastic remarks here and there, and laughed the matter off like it was but a joke. Two people adding some sparks to the fire was enough, so the best thing I could do then was to act as the rational one - be quiet and just observe first.

Apparently Mr KP was not satisfied by just one mere sentence he fired at us, and true enough he was listening in to our conversation all the while! (here comes the climax) I think he couldn’t stand it any longer after hearing our “jokes”, so he carried his lil’ daughter up in his arms and “educated” his daughter. Let me quote his words, ” 以后你长大了不要像人家一样乱讲话, 有读书的人不是这样的”

Btw his daughter looked like she was barely 3 years old and was still googoo-gaga-ing away when her father carried her up, how on earth would she understand what the father is talking about? YIKES!!!! I can’t imagine a man behaving like that, that makes him worse than a 3-8 woman lor! Obviously he was referring to us! And insulting us altogether! Crap. He could well turn his back around and tell us that in our faces. I bet he didn’t dare, but used his daughter as a means to get back at us. I’ve never seen such a ridiculously petty man before. Totally incorrigible and disgusting to the max!!!!!

Well ok, I shall be fair. To a certain extent Mr KP does deserve some credit for being such a patriotic citizen, who loves our country and has the courage to speak up for her. But besides this, everything else he did was WRONG!!

I admit Simon’s personal comment wasn’t exactly 100% politically correct if you look at it objectively, but he absolutely didn’t mean it in an insulting sense. I mean, a mature adult should be able to understand that a youngster’s careless comment need not be taken too seriously, and also see that there is really no need to get so upset and worked up over it. But it appears that Mr KP actually got quite personal about it, for whatever reason.

Moreover, Simon’s 18 and he’s serving the country now lo, hello? What makes you think that he would mean a comment that would mean slaping himself in the face? Then again, I guess Mr KP’s eyes were tak-stamp, he couldn’t see that Simon had this typical army-boy hairstyle, let’s forgive him.

Never had I engaged in an open conflict with a fellow Singaporean like this before. But frankly speaking, I got a kick out of teaching Mr KP a lesson and showing him that we weren’t afraid of him..haha. It was quite shiok ;P But I was seriously offended by the last comment he made, for some strange unknown reason. You know, I really had this urge then to pull out my degree and slap it in his face..hahahaha…

Maybe this Mr KP is some big shot or what, I don’t care. The way he behaved and handled the situation, the way he judged people and the rude comments he made says a lot about what kind of a person he is…CMI. Fail fail fail!!!

What A Week!

How often does a Monday feel like a Friday? And a Tuesday that feels almost like a Sunday? How about a Wednesday that feels like a second Friday of the week?

1st week of November was a highly anticipated week - for me at least - having been deprived of holidays for more than 2 months since the last public holiday, and having 2 public holidays in 1 single week, how rare is that!! You know..it’s such a blessing to not have to pull myself up so early in the morning, and I can cuddle under the blanket, hug my pillows, and spend a few more hours wandering in dreamland..*umm* So how can I not look forward to this week?

Well..despite all anticipation and excitement, I think I felt more “motion sickness” than anything else after the real ride. The feeling was just – NOT good? One working day followed by one holiday. Repeat this in 3 consecutive sets and I found it wasn’t as easy as I thought - one moment in holiday mood, and the next moment I havta switch back to a more serious working mood. Switching back&forth seemed more like a chore than fun.

If a holiday were to fall right smack in the middle of a particular week in PH, likely it’ll get shifted to the Monday or Friday of that same week..so people can all enjoy a good long weekend. So nice!! When can we have that in SG? Then I will enjoy my holidays much much more! *Dream on* Ohh well..

Good and bad things for this stirring week - literally. Some highlights.

Monday started out well. Cuz what else can I complain about a Monday that doesn’t seem at all like one? WHICH means..I don’t have to worry about ending up like a panda the next working day! Wahaha.. So I went with Joyce to bugis V after work. Must thank her for introducing me to such a cool place, and for being such a good guide. Never knew there were SO many lil’ pretty shops hidden inside! Bugis V is really a shopping paradise~ Must arm myself with sufficient $$ before I go there the next time! *wink*

Deepavali was intended to be a lazy day at home..to get some good rest and do my own things. But that only lasted till lunchtime, cuz for the rest of the afternoon I ended up spending the whole time typing in front of my computer. Why? Because I realised I had gotten myself into some hot soup for what I had said (online), or rather something that I shouldn’t have said.

I wouldn’t deny that from a certain point of view and interest, what I said wasn’t strictly appropriate - this I try to compromise. But after thinking it through hard enough, I know I had followed my heart and I believe what I said had to be said. In the first place, my real intentions of saying what I had said were not what others perceived to be, but I can’t blame them if they do not understand. At the end of the day my conscience is clear and I have nothing to fear. Though there’s a part of me that is still angry, I just want to solve problems and not create new ones. Most importantly, I do not wish that this will affect something else that is of greater importantance to me.

All right..unpleasant things hit and I get dragged down. But I’m glad I spent a wonderful Thursday with Sis and Simon, and helped throw things to the back of my mind. We watched a great movie - Legend of Zorro (couldn’t get my eyes off Catherine Zeta Zones everytime she’s onscreen..she’s so beautiful!), and we had a great afternoon shopping, learning 5-mins French @ PS (now I only remember like 10% of what I learnt..*oops*), and a nice dinner @ Manhattan Fish Market (you should try it if you haven’t!). Shiokk :)
It’s the time of the year again to be singing carols again! VC practice resumed today as we’re preparing for our 1st caroling session this year, which will be at Changi Airport in 2 weeks time! It’s going to be my first time singing there, so hope it’s gonna be fun!

The Stories Behind

We have all been taught many lessons in life. Some are quite “commonsensical”, and thus relatively easy for us to “digest” and accept. Others may appear to be straightforward, yet there seems more to it that we can understand more about to truly appreciate its value. Well, if you’re the kind of person like me who likes to ask whys and more whys..then this is just for you!

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Why we fall…...

Remember the latest Batman movie?
Why do we fall?
We fall so that we can learn to pick ourselves up.
We are already so familiar with this, if you think there is an even deeper meaning to it, just read on.

The Adversity Principle

There is, in the world of nature, a phenomenon known as the “Adversity Principle” which means that difficulties and hard times can actually be more beneficial to plants and animals than continual easy living. As strange as it seems, habitual well-being can be disadvantageous to a species. Think about the big male lion lying in a cage at the zoo. All his needs are met, and his hunting skills are useless. His muscles become flab as he yawns his way through the day. Meanwhile, the lion roaming free on the plains of Africa, stalking and competing for his next meal, remains fit and strong by the challenges and dangers he faces. This principle is seen throughout nature, where the necessity to adapt and struggle, if it doesn’t result in death and extinction, tends to product a tougher species with a better hold on life.

Could it also be that adversity is beneficial to human beings, as well? Within limits, that seems to be the case. Although we complain and squirm when it comes out way, our first response to trouble is to say, “Why me?” as though some injustice had befallen us. Could it be that we (and our children) need the disappointment, the inconvenience, the stresses, and the discomfort in our lives? I believe we do, and that character and strength are often the by-products not of pleasure, but of pain.

- Adopted from Today, 31st October, Dr James Dobson

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Is it always about you and yourself?

I dislike selfish people because I think it’s just right for people to learn to spare a thought for others. But I never really knew how to express myself when it comes to answering the question of why people can’t be selfish. But this story taught me something new…

The story of a farmer who grew award-winning corn.

Each year he entered his corn in the state fair it won a blue ribbon.
One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned something interesting about how he grew it. The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors.

"How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering in competition with yours each year?" the reporter asked.
"Why sir," said the farmer, "didn't you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior corn, cross pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn."

He is much aware of the connectedness of life. His corn cannot improve unless his neighbor's corn also improves.

So it is with our lives. Those who choose to live in peace must help their neighbors to live in peace. Those who choose to live well must help others to live well, for the value of life is measured by the lives it touches. And those who chose to be happy must help others to find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all.

So if you have something good, don't keep it to yourself but share it.
It is when we give that we receive...and much more.

- From an email I received [James Bender, in his book How To Talk Well (New York: Mcgraw-Hill Book Co. Inc.1994)]