Friday, January 30, 2009

The path is clear now...

I look forward to gems class every wk. Bcoz of the Q&A segment where I really can ask anything and everything (regarding relationships in non-sexual terms) and also bcoz of movie screening. Somehow through all these, and frm qns asked by other classmates, I find the answers to my own problems.

Not tt it is good to keep things bottled. But nothing really good comes out if you blab - unless the purpose is to make others feel sorry for you. Which speaking frm experience, doesn't work in the long term. Not tt I'm trying to sound like a relationship guru here but I hv come to realise, the healing process only starts when I solve my own problems. When I reflect on what we both did wrong (it always takes two hands to clap) and when I force positive thoughts upon myself.

Today in sch, something dramatic happened between a friend and her now EX-boyfriend. It was ugly it was huge. So to some credit, I was grateful that I was nv embroiled in such a situation. I asked Serkee if it was possible to ever smile at an ex, a once familiar person and regard him as a friend. She said it wld be hard perhaps even a little naive. But nevertheless, yes.

In When Harry met Sally, Harry Burns said: "I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible."

Someday, somewhere, someone will care. He will hold me. He will whisper the whole dictionary of endearments and never stop bcoz he knows how much I like to hear how my eyes resemble the twinkling of the night sky. Haha.. It sounds outrageous, but when spoken frm the heart, you will just know its true. :P

At a dinner just a couple of hrs ago, I tried to convince an aunt tt although her "honeymoon" period is over and she is bored, having someone to go hm to at the end of a day makes everything worthwhile. He may not say or do much. But by being there, you know tt if you suddenly disappear, at least someone will notice.

So despite everything I said abt us being unsuitable, what A just did in his usual, typical, unromantic way made me feel slightly loved tonight. Somehow he is like the older brother I nv had?


:) :) :) :) :) :)



When you say it's the end
I'll hand you a line
I'll smile and say
Don't you worry it's fine
And you'll never know darling
After you kiss me goodbye
How I'll break down and cry.

I miss you. I do.
But because I love you, I am gonna do whatever it takes to let you go. My only wish is tt we do not become familiar strangers or even hi-bye friends. Because I will never forget the thousand and one things tt make you special to me. Someday, when I am strong enough, I promise to call. To ask you how you are doing and hopefully to help you along in life. Not because I want you back but because you matter as a dear friend. Someday I will. This I promise you. *hook pinkies*

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Who needs brands?

In the season of pigging out and saying nice-to-hear stuff, a cousin made me really pleased by looking at my $39.90 DMK heels and excitedly exclaiming, "OMG! Is tt the Chanel two-tone?!"

Haha.. No, I don't own thousand dollar heels much as I want to. :P



But speaking of branded look-alikes, I was reminded of a couple of days back where Cher, Loti and I thronged Far East gushing over Chanel and Burberry-INSPIRED goods. Inspired bcoz they are not fakes with no mis-spelled brand whatsoever. They just merely look alike.

And tt to me is the closest one shld get to "fakes" bcoz aft bringing back many many LV and Tod wallets frm China, I discovered tt real fans can easily differentiate the genuine frm the imitation and I rather they see me carry a brandless wallet then to scorn behind my back bcoz I am trying to mimick a lifestyle I cannot afford to lead. :(

Btw, I hv thrown away all the fake wallets. The glue was really bad anyway. :P



Lana Chocolate Cake frm the neighbour!!!!!!!

Seriously, I expected something out-of-this-world, since Lana Cake Shop is like totally renowned and only sell this 1 type of cake with super long long waiting list?! But sadly, I didn't think it lived up to its brand. :(



DIY manicure! :D

Yalah, I know got gap and the gem abit big.. But this yr must cut back expenses so I did this with my own shaky hands.



Day 1 attire with Alisa..

The grey pullover is Giodano $69.90 before 40% lunchtime discount and the inner white shirt is a Bugis street $5 bargin bin find. :) :) :)



With my tall little brother!



And Trixie acting cute. :P



Day 2 is an old top with a $15 XS cotton on skirt. Hehehehe!

I dunno if I am more pleased abt my v budget new year wardrobe (I AM CAPABLE OF SAVING!!) or bcoz I fitted into an XS. Lets just say both?

GONG XI GONG XI!
*Joy prances off to count her angbaos*

Monday, January 26, 2009

Light the firecrackers!! Its the new year!



HAPPY NIU YEAR PEOPLE!!!

Bcoz recently I upgraded my Singtel plan to the free unlimited sms student promo, I decided to make full use of the service and mass send everyone in my phonebook a lovely greeting frm yours truely! :)

However, sotong as I am, I sent an MMS instead of an SMS!

WAHHHH!!!!! Which means,
1) some ppl without gps-enabled phones (or the army lau pok pok type. Hee!) will not be able to receive my well wishes?!
2) I will get billed MMS rates instead of it being supposedly free! :'(

Shhh.. But I really am more concerned abt the 2nd pt. :( Sigh bigtime.. I guess I can only blame myself for being such a bloody cheapskate. Sobs.

Friday, January 23, 2009

A walk down memory lane...

Today is Friday again. Which means it is the BSG result release day again. I suppose to a large probability, BD is the cause for my lack of enthusiasm for the coming Chinese New Year (though public holidays are always welcomed).

To some extent, today was an emo day... So I took a walk down memory lane. Back to the good old days where smiles were aplenty and carefree days seemed nearly endless.



Down came the photo albums...



Big big big outdoor picnics with the cousins and Nicholas and Geraldine's family were our regular wkend staples. :)



Where it took more effort not to lick off my lipstick then to actually graduate. LOL!



Where presentations didn't scare me, much less being an emcee on my own graduation day.



Dreams of stardom - even if it means acting pregnant... :P



In a LOL moment, I was a fat baby.



So fat my own mother had to put me on a diet before the age of 1. (I bet you guys are rolling about with laughter now..)



If the stories were true, I loved food so much I would give up my pacifier for some Honey Stars. That was apparently how mama got me to quit relying on my tutu (by throwing it down the bin in exchange for cornflakes) and when I cried for it later that night, she took me downstairs to the garbage bin and I was so turned off by the smell, I didn't need a tutu anymore. :P



The diet must hv worked coz I daresay I was pretty small a yr afterward.



Still not thin but small lah. Heee!



But I got rounder as I grew up. Too many Macdonalds?

A calls me yuan yuan now too. He probably meant it in a friendly way but I really v yuan meh? Urgh! :(



From a tender age, I developed the ability to spot a camera in action. :P



The fondness for men in uniform must hv started somewhere then too!



And so did my fascination with balloons~



Vainness needs to be slowly groomed which accounts for the narcissist me today. Eeek!



Rough and tumble!



Playtime means go all out!



Family time exist more than just grocery shopping and night suppers, unlike now. We used to deck out in our Sunday best and hit town till carparks charges and ERP made it silly to "bond" in such a way anymore. Poo!



Much as I like to complain abt having to share stuff and attn with the younger ones, having a big family has always been a blessing to me. The relentless company and fun times can nv be replaced with all the toys in the world but no one to play with.



Daddy's lil girl always.



Happiness like this is not easily replicated. :D



Youth also allows us to 'over-dress' and still get adoring cuddles.



Such as matching pouffy dresses! OMG~



Some of our attire is admittedly sorta chic.



But jailbait?!



Mis-matched?!?!?!?



And hmmm... No comments.



But I suppose kids get away with everything. And we can somehow still look cute despite being all sweaty and shagged frm playing too much.



Soon, Alisa hit the age to partake in our dresscode. :) Trix and me then turned frm matching duo to matching trio. HAHAHA! Sisters are just the best aren't they?



Before raging hormones got in the way and I went frm crushes to failed relationships, I had a very good friend.



So good, even the adults couldn't help teasing...



So good, we went on holidays tgt.



More than one holiday in fact...



Boyfriends try so hard to please the friends, please the parents but a kid waaaaay back could even charm the grandparents. Please do ignore my pants. I don't know what my mother was thinking then. o_0"



But somehow, meeting him meant tuition and swimming lessons which I hated. So oops!



Though for some time through my sec sch days, I supposed we qualified to be friends. But I let time just pass. So aft everything shared, today, he is just another person on my MSN list. A phone no. in my handphone which probably isn't even the latest.

Maybe over CNY when we meet (if we do meet) we could attempt to be more than mere acquaintances? But then again, I suppose there isn't much to say except "hi".



Another fond memory were birthdays... Which were plain at times...



But the cake always made up for it! *greedy*



On certain yrs, parties were held.



And me being me, could act cute my way to 2 cakes bcoz "but mommy, I can't decide........." :P



Unfortunately, I doubt I can ever find back this sort of happy. Ever.

Laughing when I feel like laughing, feeling so safe and secured in my little world. Sigh, I don't wanna grow up. :(



She'll dance away just like a child
She drives me crazy
Drives me wild
But I'm helpless when she smiles

Inspired

Director of the National Neuroscience Institute, Lee Kuan Yew's daughter wrote to all staff:

"Whilst boom time in the public sector is never as booming as in the private sector, let us not forget that boom time is eventually followed by slump time. Slump time in the public sector is always less painful compared to the private sector.

Slump time has arrived with a bang. While I worry about the poorer Singaporeans who will be hit hard, perhaps this recession has come at an opportune time for many of us. It will give us an incentive to reconsider our priorities in life. Decade of the good life have made us soft. The wealthy especially, but also the middle class in Singapore, have had it so good for so long, what they once considered luxuries, they now think of as necessities.

A mobile phone, for instance, is now a statement about who you are, not just a piece of equipment for communication. Hence many people buy the latest model though their existing mobile phones are still in perfect working order.

A Mercedes-Benz is no longer adequate as a status symbol. For millionaires who wish to show the world they have taste, a Ferrari or a Porsche is deemed more appropriate. The same attitude influences the choice of attire and accessories. I still find it hard to believe that there are people carrying handbags that cost more than thrice the monthly income of a bus driver, and many more times that of the foreign worker labouring in the hot sun, risking his life to construct luxury condominiums he will never have a chance to live in.

The media encourages and amplifies this ostentatious consumption. Perhaps it is good to encourage people to spend more because this will prevent the recession from getting worse. I am not an economist, but wasn't that the root cause of the current crisis - Americans spending more than they could afford to? I am not a particularly spiritual person. I don't believe in the supernatural beings and I don't think I have a soul that will survive me after death.

But as I view the crass materialism around me, I am reminded of what my mother once told me: 'Suffering and deprivation is good for the soul.' My family is not poor, but we have been brought up to be frugal. My parents and I live in the same house that my paternal grandparents and their children moved into after World War II in 1945. It is a big house by today's standards, but it is simple - in fact, almost to the point of being shabby. Those who see it for the first time are astonished that Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew's home is so humble.

But it is a comfortable house, a home we have got used to. Though it does look shabby compared to the new mansions on our street, we are not bothered by the comparison. Most of the world and much of Singapore will lament the economic downturn. We have been told to tighten our belts. There will undoubtedly be suffering, which we must try our best to ameliorate. But I personally think the hard times will hold a timely lesson for many Singaporeans, especially those born after 1970 who have never lived through difficult times.

No matter how poor you are in Singapore, the authorities and social groups do try to ensure you have shelter and food. Nobody starves in Singapore. Many of those who are currently living in mansions and enjoying a luxurious lifestyle will probably still be able to do so, even if they might have to downgrade from wines costing $20,000 a bottle to $10,000 a bottle. They would hardly notice the difference. Being wealthy is not a sin. It cannot be in a capitalist market economy.

Enjoying the fruits of one's own labour is one's prerogative and I have no right to chastise those who choose to live luxuriously. But if one is blinded by materialism, there would be no end to wanting and hankering. After the Ferrari, what next? An Aston Martin? After the Hermes Birkin handbag, what can one upgrade to? Neither an Aston Martin nor a Hermes Birkin can make us truly happy or contented. They are like dust, a fog obscuring the true meaning of life,and can be blown away in the twinkling of an eye.

When the end approaches and we look back on our lives, will we regret the latest mobile phone or luxury car that we did not acquire? Or would we prefer to die at peace with ourselves, knowing that we have lived lives filled with love, friendship and goodwill, that we have helped some of our fellow voyagers along the way and that we have tried our best to leave this world a slightly better place than how we found it?

We know which is the correct choice - and it is within our power to make that choice. In this new year, burdened as it is with the problems of the year that has just ended, let us again try to choose wisely. To a considerable degree, our happiness is within our own control, and we should not follow the herd blindly."

- Lee Wei Ling



Okay.. I'm done feeling all "inspired" and hungry Joy is now filled up with pork porridge and fried oysters! Plus, of all places, I pigged out at Bedok Blk 85. Heee!! At this rate, I sure am gonna gain weight. Argh!

Anyway, it was nice to be indulged in and for bothering to clarify certain "issues", I must give A some credit. :) But to concerned friends, really I know what I mean when I say "I'm not ready" and even if it appears to be my pathetic excuse to not move on, I am pretty content where I am right now.


Serious. :D

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

"hi-bye" friends i hope we will never be.

Finally!!! All the photos up... :) I really shld get started on BD the test and the report. Sighs...



But wkends are meant for play and prawning is a "play" I most definitely wanna experience again! ^^

But nxt time, I shall attempt to locate the Pasir Ris one coz Ang Mo Kio is too freaking faraway. :P




Lots of laughter!



Slimey chicken heart as bait.



The first prawn I caught caused me to scream and fling the rod so hard, it got stuck on the tentage. Notice the nylon string Sengwang is holding?? Oops, my bad...



Had to get the lady boss to come cut it down. :(



With Sengwang's help, I secured my first successful prawn. Pretty obvious I don't dare to hold it yeah?



Cheeleng got hers!



And so did Jessica and Melvin!



Sengwang's puny first catch of the day...



One of the many larger ones caught by him later...



Greedy prawn got its throat all torn out.. Quite poor thing actually.



Some ppl even worse, pluck off the prawn pincers while they were alive. :(



It sorta got draggy when we failed to secure catches subsequently and Melvin had to resort to the PSP for entertainment.



At least I brought FMRP. :P



A jie jie later taught us to use LIVE earthworms as bait..



Very happy prawner-men!!!! :D



3 hrs and 16 prawns later... :)



Melvin: Spit on me hor?! Now I poke you!!!



Poor mama prawn. :(



Charcoal + salt = yummy prawns!!!



Chefs of the day! :)
[frm left: Melvin, Sengwang, Jessica, Cheeleng, Me]



Poor prawns not only being cooked alive, hv to watch their peers slowly turn a delicious shade of orange! :P



YAYNESS~



Girls love food!



Revenge of the BBQed prawn!



Jessica the animal lover....



.... just decapitated a prawn. Irony. :P



Prawning is thirsty business!

Because the bus stop was really hidden, we ended up missing buses making me really late for my dinner appt...



... with the elusive celebrity (part-timing as an NSmen), Johnathan Lim.



And Khang Jing dearie at Paste de Waraku, Marina Sq!



Squid ink risotto... The other food photo didn't turn out good so I shall refrain frm posting them. Heh!



Sundae for dessert! :)



DO RE MI!



Hahahaha!



Pretty fountain!



7 yrs of friendship and still going strong! :)

And cause we can't get enough of each other, it was Cafe Cartel breakfast at Tampines the nxt morning! Lol.




My eggs looked boring so I shall tempt you with what the others had. Haha.



We were joined by navy i-dunno-what-rank, Kian Yan.

It great to know tt army didn't change John and Kian Yan AT ALL! Sorta reassuring.... :) And although we talked schemed alot alot alot but kind me chose not to adopt Project Wicked Witch blah blah blah. :P



Love you guys and may our nxt meet-up be sooner than 2 yrs. :)

All the best!