LiFe iN a ‘NuT’ SheLL

Birthday Dinner @ Ichiban

It’s my 28th birthday today.. and I am not feeling very excited about it. I went to work this morning as usual and attended a meeting with my boss’s boss. Reason is I didn’t apply for a leave because I had to attend this meeting and second, I have nothing to do at home. So it’s pointless to waste a day’s leave just because it’s my birthday.  

Now as I am blogging this very moment, it’s showering cold rain with rumbling thunders and flicking lightnings. I am feeling a little tired, sleepy and out of energy… Maybe it’s my age or maybe because I am married. Ha… (See my stoned look - photo taken at the Japanese restaurant with my hubby)

Truth is since I am officially married this year, by protocol I am celebrating my life’s milestone with my hubby. Not that I am complaining but it seems pretty predictable that friends start to kinda contact you less because they think you are busy with your married life and family. Then I contact them less because… I suppose I am.

Previously I used to ask my married friends if there’s a difference between being single and being married. Usually they don’t reveal much about it, I guess you’ve got to experience to know it. They could also be too tired to talk about it. I do really understand now.

Nowadays when I get to be questioned by my single friends/colleagues, my standard answer to them is that there’s not much difference in married life. But for those who react with much skepticism or those who managed to jack my mouth a little wider, I accidentally disclosed that marriage is like living a reversed CInderella fairytale. 

To elaborate further… In the fairytale, after marrying the prince, Cinderella transformed herself from wearing rags and being a “maid” to donning on jewelleries and being served like a princess. Whereas in reality, imagine someone who’s got to do a lot more house work than before. Yes yes, as an Asian woman, I supposed emotionally I have well-accepted the responsibilities that has to be fulfilled within a marriage. I am not taking this negatively. The matter-of-factly I have become happier after marriage. More settled and moving on - and visioning living happily every after.

To my friends…seriously I am not really that busy, just feeling a little tired all the time. But I really don’t mind meeting up if you call me. Hehe. *hint* Cheers!

Frankly, it’s been a long time I managed to complete reading 1 book within 2 days. My secret is… my husband went overseas for 5 days and I have all the time to myself!!!Yippee… Hehe… Anyway, he’s back already (time flies -_-") but I am glad that I managed to occupy myself during those days doing the things I love.

I managed to complete reading "The Trump 101, The Way to Success by Donald J. Trump (himself!)" within 2 days because his stories are short, easy to read and understand. He has illustrated his personal stories and experiences which are truly inspirational.

I am sure you might have watch him in "The Apprentice" in Channel 5. I do… and everytime I see him stirring up a lot of commotion in the boardroom and ends with "You’re fired", I really felt he’s a cruel and stuck up guy. But after I have finished reading his book, I realised "yeah, no wonder he’s got that attitude. With what he has went through, I know he’s got that attitude which made him successful." I shall explain further, he was once $9billion in debt which means the beggar on the road is $9billion richer than Mr Trump at that moment in time. But he has chosen to focus on solutions rather than problems and he managed to turnaround in a few years and the rest is history. That’s really positive thinking.

Anyway, he had lots of stories to tell in the book which offer a lot of truth in life. Here are some of the highlights:

1. Don’t waste your life on work you don’t love. Passion will help you do better.
2. Set the bar high: Make people ooh and aah
3. Think Trump scale: Bigger is better
4. Tough it out: Be persistent
5. Without knowledge, you don’t stand a chance: Gain and use information to your advantage
6. You’re fired! Words no one wants to hear - or say
7. The proof is in the doing: Learn by doing and taking risks
8. Your gut is your best advisor: Listen to your instincts
9. Personalize your pitch: Know who you’re addresssing
10. Surround yourself with beauty: Enhance every aspect of your life
11. Negotiate to win: Use diplomacy
12. Think on your feet: It’s the fast track to success
13. Work with people you like: It sure beats working with enemies
14. When there’s a will, there’s a win: Think positively
15. Swim against the tide: The comfort zone can pull you under
16. Money is not always the bottom line: It can be a scorecard, not the final score
17. Learning is exciting: Each new project is an adventure
18. See the whole picture: But be prepared for the picture to change
19. Wait for the right pitch: Business success is all about patience and timing
20. Avoid fixed patterns: Be open and flexible
21. Speed kills - The Competition: Get right to the point
22. Do more - Always do more: Constantly try to top yourself
23. Leaders set the pace: Find your working tempo
24. Results matter more than routes: Let people follow their own paths
25. Approach your work as an act form: Work brilliantly
26. Keep your mind in the game: Pay attention and stay focused
27. It takes courage to persist: Business pressures never stop
28. Join the Explorers’ Club: Learn about the mysteries of life
29. Confidence is a magnet: It will draw people to you
30. Keep your momentum roling: But never lose control
31. Is the problem a blip or catastrophe? Expect problems and keep moving forward
32. Reach within to rise above: But temper your reach with reality
33. Concentrate on the target, not on the weapon: Focus on what matters most

Find it interesting? Read his book.

Well, no shelves for me to sit on… hahah… I am taken!

Hmm… as if I am trying very hard to marry myself off… I still can’t believe I am officially married. Seems surreal everyday…

However looking at those photos keep reminding myself that I shall no longer be entitled to act like a childish girl and have to admit that I gonna set myself in the right frame of mind - a mother-to-be.

Anyway, a great thank you (never enough of TQ) to all my friends who made the effort to attend my wedding… despite the weekday… despite the heavy rain… despite the excuses…. (so touched, almost want to cry again). Every of your presence meant a great deal to me. Of course you know that already since I have been repeating myself a little too much as if I have too much to drink.

No, I am just too emotional and sensitive la… Ok, enough of me. Enjoy looking yourself in the photo! Cheers

*Crappy friendster refused to upload my photos and it says that I have already exceed the limit of disk space for my account. So back to flickr and zorpia.

How this Bukit Timah Hill has changed my life!

Yesterday morning, I had gone to Bukit Timah Hill to pass a birthday present to my colleague. She has gone to the Bukit Timah Hill to join an event organised by the company as a brisk walking outing. I didn’t sign up intially but since I wanted to give her a surprise, I was there as early as 8am to pass her her birthday present.

After that, me and my dearest started our journey to the Summit Hut. In the beginning, we were relaxed and enjoyed looking out for the insects and towering trees surrounding us… as we walked deeper into the trails, we realized that we might have missed the path to the main road. So we decided to follow the group in front of us.

We were led into a path that was less taken. There were fallen trees, slippery slopes and rocky steps. We were going up and down the hill. Before long, we were exhausted and our t-shirts and pants were soaked with perspiration. I was panting for more oxygen as my body burned from the extreme workout. Droplets of perspiration rained down on my face and my back. Strange, but I felt good.

As we slowed down our pace to catch some rest, we lost sight of the group in front of us. Though fear has striked me once in a while, I was determined to move on. We cheered each other on, when one begin to falter from the exhaustion. Alas, we made it to the Summit Hut eventually. That sense of achievement is beyond what I have expected from myself.

What I have learned from the adventure is:

1. Expect the unexpected. We didn’t bring enough water.

2. Keep your mind on the goal; be determined and persist on.

3. Take time to rest and see the flowers, the trees and the streams. Take some photos, have some memories along the way. (However, we actually drop the idea of taking photos half way through because we ran out of water and we were reallllllyyyy exhausted. Hehehe… we just felt great reaching the Summit Hut and we are determined to get back down to Visitor Centre to get our drink.)

4. Bring a great companion with you to cheer you on in the journey.

5. Never fail to ask people for directions and help. A kind couple by the name of Edwin and Lee May share their water with us when we are near dehydration and out of water. And we are only half way up the hill!

6. Make some like-minded friends along the way. We met a German lady named Rose and she was sharing with us about her interst in trekking. She was proud to show us her amazing strong big calves from all the walking she has done. She was really nice and wanted to share her apple & pear with me. But I declined.. hahha.. I didn’t have the energy to bite an apple then.

7. Come prepare for the adventure. Thank God, I wore my Timberland Trek shoes. They really helped me in getting a good grip on those slippery slopes, protect my soles from those pointy rocks (can’t imagine I actually saw one lady wore slippers!) and prevent my ankles from sprains.

8. Give respect and thanks to nature. I am glad that the trees’ roots give us footings up and down the slopes and some of their trunks and branches helped us along the way.

9. Understand that a journey is bound to have ups and downs and the in-betweens.

10. Learn and remember your journey’s lessons.

This trek has taught me a lot about life. Maybe someday I will go back there again to find my inspiration and re-discover the source of strength in me.

Happy New Year to ALL!!!!!!!

So what have you all been busying with in the past 2006?

These are my top 3 happiest moments in Year 2006:

1. I got graduated.

2. I got rid of my ex-boss.

3. I got a new job with a better pay of course.

Apart from growing sideways (a much happier person) and getting really busy & focused on my job, I guess nothing much changes for the rest of me.

Ya know, I really wanted to start the new year sharing with you a great photo. But I am not sure if I have maxed out the friendster’s photo album? It keeps giving me an error when I tried to upload just one photo. I gave up and turned to Flickr for rescue.

Please see my photos in my profile and the rest of ‘em at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/beyondlifesg/

Sorry guys, I gota disappoint ya CUZ I COULDN’T GET ANY SHOTS ON THE FIREWORKS!!!! It was a frustrating night but I learnt a great deal….

Lesson No 1: Be there at the scene REAL EARLY… Camp there overnight if you want to, cuz you are Singaporeans….and everybody thinks alike…. you get the drift..

Lesson No 2: Find the X-spot where the Fireworks are. Then navigate yourself around, looking for the best spot where

a. You ain’t get push around by prams, people or police.

b. You don’t get too close to the fireworks that they will blind your eyes.

c. You don’t get block by those tropical raintrees, palm trees, lightings, spot lights and you never know this could happen….. piggy-backed ang-mo ladies on their hunks.

d. You are in safe zone, meaning far far away from those ecstatic teens with their spray cans. They can go crazy once the foam war starts.

I have zero chances of taking photos when the fireworks started. When it’s over and the crowd starts to disperse, I am left ‘high and dry’. I refused to leave initially, but soon realised that I need to catch the train before 1.30am.

So that’s my encounter with the new year… How’s yours like?

Ding Dong… Wedding Bells are ringing in Elizabath & Qilin’s ears!!!

Please view their happily in love, blissful photos here.

I am really glad that some of the photos turned out really good… hahah… *cold sweat on that day. Not enough memory space, etc.

Due to limitations of my camera, I am really sorry that I were not able to take the family photos and the dinner photos. I would have to hand over to Siyang with his professional camera!

Thank you Siyang for your great help on that day!!!

p/s: Anybody who wants any photo, pls let me know. I will email to you.

Wow… just gone through another ’stage’ in life…. Yup, that’s right. I have finally graduated!!!! Woohoo… Now I know how it feels to don on that oversize robe and that silly hat…

Getting on that stage is frightening yet also fulfilling at the same time! Sigh, that ends another chapter in my life and I gonna go chiong on my new career!

At this moment, I wanna say thank you to my parents, my family, my love one, my friends who gave me support, blessings and well-wishes… Thank you so much!!! (hehe… sounds like some kinda award winning ya?)

Hey, now I am free so jio me for dinner, shopping whatever. It’s the holiday season!!! WOOOOOOHOOOOOOO!!!!!

Oh my my my…. Recently I got a news… a very close friend of mine got pregnant!!! I felt really excited for her, I was quite speechless and suddenly I couldn’t bring myself to accept the fact I am also old enough to be a mother myself.

Gosh, where did that come from? I ain’t married yet, but somehow the ‘baby’ news rub off a sense of urgency on me. The body clock is ticking… tick tick tick tick… Actually my own opinion, it’s best to have your child before 30. Why? So that by the time you are 50s, your child is now an adult. That means he’s responsible for his own life now, you are not legally liable. Hahaha… okok, it might sounds like I am getting rid of the responsibility but I know my parents had a hard time bringing me up for 20 over years. Hehehe…

So my friend, are you ready to a parent? *Hard thought*….

Another hard thought to myself. Recently, sob sob… I was called "Auntie" a couple of times. "Auntie, do you have change for $2?" a bunch of annoying kids approaching me and ridding off with their bicycles with my $2 change before I can get my hands on their necks. Another boy thanking me for pressing the lift door open for him, "Thank you auntie". This kid…. *tsk tsk* so ungrateful… He’s risking his life man? Something might have happen in the lift, ya know…

I guess I am enlighten now, after the news from my friend. It just hits me that ya know, these kids… they might think I am old enough to be their mother, so they grade me as "Auntie".  It is so rare now to be graded as "cher cher" (big sister in mandarin). ah…. to age gracefully……..

Quiz: A Cup, B Cup, C Cup…. etc. However, there is a cup that fits the size of anyone in any country. Anyone got the answer???!!! Of course, it’s gonna be WORLD CUP! Hahaha… okok.. You sense the world cup mood already?

You must be surprised that I am into football… Surprise, surprise? Do I need to explain how another partner can change your taste, your habits and even your dislike to being your favourites? Hmm…

Yes, I once find football a boring game. Thinking: "what’s with all these men running around for this ball for more than 1 hour? what’s even more frustating is, they can’t even get this ball into such a big gap between 2 goalpost?!!!"

But NOW I am enjoying this game.. more than just ogling at the cute guys like kaka.. beckham..etc… hahaha… *ahem, actually I still do the ogling part… but in the midst of the action, I do more on swearing at the team which I support least. I shall not declare which team, but if you must know, it’s that bl**dy team that beat Australia out with a bl**dy penalty kick. #@$#%%…

Btw I am not betting, that’s not why I get so excited. Wrong, you got it all wrong…. (shake my head in dismay *tsk tsk) I could have been broke by now if I did bet. Hahaha… I am just enjoying the thrill of the game, without having to sweat over how much to bet, who to bet, how to pay, how to run away from debtors…. nay… that will kill off the thrill of watching this game and supporting whom I like.

…..actions aside, I gotta admit after watching all these games, I am still clueless about the tactics, the skills of what football is really all about. Cuz I never play football before! That’s why, guys like to say: Contrary to what UOB Ladies card states, "Girl just don’t get it". I just got to know what is off-side that’s a great accomplishment. hahaha…

Again: what’s this fuss about football?! Ladies, isn’t it great to have the Great Singapore Sales to fall on the same month as the World cup?  Men thought: That can safely divert the complaints of our ladies to enjoy their shopping. Women thought: Time to shop! and they aint’ gonna notice the number of shopping bags we brought home. Warning: Men didn’t notice that the women had grab their credit cards and promptly turned into card-swiping machines = monsters. Muahahaha…

Have you watched ‘Da Vinci Code’ yet? If not, I seriously suggested you to watch it or better still read it. Recommended for even stanch Christians, who deem this movie heresy?

I really like controversial shows which make you think; Think beyond the ‘truth’ that is derived from dogma and theology, think beyond what you have been told and what other people strongly believe in and might have convince you of their beliefs.

If all humans were to follow through the dogma, I would wonder how technology could have progressed to the point where man can reach the moon and how people from different parts of the world can communicate all at the same time.

It is not surprising that people who have believe in a thought so firmly, sometimes they have condensed the essence of their thinking habits into “I am right – you are wrong”. This traditional thinking habit often stifles creative thinking because it creates an argument of mutually exclusive categories such as friend/enemy which one cannot exist with the other at the same time.

I notice how local schools’ have also established these ‘logic’ educational systems which chipped away the skilled exercise of creative thinking. It lacks productive, generative, and creative and design elements that are so needed to tackle problems and find our way forward.

How is thinking that is free from error, good thinking? The elements of error are essential for the progress of society. Traditional thinking system is based on ‘truth’ which is to be uncovered and checked by logic and argument. Its result is a strong tendency towards negativity and attack. Negativity is seen to be a powerful way of uncovering the truth, resisting disturbing intrusions and giving a personal sense of satisfaction to the attacker. Unfortunately, this way of ‘argument’ has form the basis of our adversarial system in science, law and politics. Notice how a high proportion of politicians are lawyers and are only accustomed to this manner of thinking? *somebody who insists a criminal is a criminal is a criminal?

Anyway, history has already proven that such thinking habits which are limited and extreme could be dangerous. Notice how our habits of conflicts are as primitive as ever even though our technology has advanced greatly. These habits were responsible for much human misery in the past, and could be in the near future if inadequate constructive steps were taken. So if individuals can learn to see, re-learn and think with an open mind. Hint: Read Edward de Bono’s books.