Two.:.Four.:.Six

Just that some are more able to stay grounded and to respect others even when they are not on the same path as you are. I've seen so many changes in people around me and at times, it scares me.  Did I become like them? Will I become like them? Can I become like them? I, too have changed.  A work acquaintance turned friend commented I've matured and look more like an executive.  I call it the look of tiredness, ha. And ageing.  But I thought it's a positive comment. After all, I did move up the corporate ladder and if I still look or behave like I did years ago, I have not improved much I think. I want more changes in the new year. My personal life & time will be my priority, not work.  I want to be less affected by competition - imitation is the best form of flattery so I shall let it be.  I want to shop more wisely - I doubt I'd ever quit shopping so this is a more realistic change :) I hope to still travel more.  I al...

5 days. Endless laughter & fun. Miles away but always close at heart.  We didn't take a lot of photos but sometimes we don't really need them to remember the beautiful moments. We managed to get on an earlier flight and made the Okauchis rush like mad because they planned to surprise us at the airport (which I kinda guessed so, haha). The shock came when I realised Porter is a propellor plane! FML really. Of course, we still reached Toronto in one piece & met up with the lovely couple. Chatterbox mode went on immediately and a man in the shuttle bus stared at us for we guessed, being too noisy :) We 'checked in' to their lovely apartment, had Chipotle at the rooftop club house, unpacked & chatted more while Fats took a nap & our host went back to work.  Here's us checking out the neighbourhood and as you can tell, the sun has set cos we basically chatted for hours in their apartment. We were very happy to chance upon a Korean s...

I don't even know where to start. Without sounding too dramatic, this trip was not easy, ha. First, it took me about two years to pester convince Fats to go as it has always been Europe first. Then, after 3 trips, he finally said yes but my savings/miles weren't ready to say yes. Initially, we wanted January as I was going to quit & could go during my break. But that didn't happen. Then it was April as it wasn't too cold but we didn't have enough miles and air tickets are ridiculously expensive. Then it was nothing but busy at work and we finally settled for October. I can't tell you how happy I was when I finally booked the tickets. Until I looked at the accommodation options. Eventually, I settled for a S$300+/night hotel at the Upper East through Hotwire. (From L-R) 1. Bentley Hotel - decent but small room, 10mins walk to subway. Rooms are not soundproof and we were waken by the noisy neighbours (just talking very loudly kinda noise, not the ki...

So Fats was to attend an all-expense paid graduation trip in London around mid July and like almost all his previous work trips, I asked to tag along. To my surprise, he agreed.  I also thought I was getting my promotion & pay increment then so could afford the 'loose change' but nothing happened since, WTF! But that is a separate story.  Because it was quite a last minute trip and there's a delay in the confirmation, I missed a better deal by SQ and had to settle for more with Qatar. And because I didn't look at the dates carefully and miscalculated the time, we ended up having a really short trip and paying more for new train tickets. Another WTF.   It was my first, solo & longest flight. And just before I headed to the airport, I learned about MH17 on FB. It was tragic and scary. When I was mid-air, I couldn't help but feel how vulnerable we all are and no one can imagine the moment the plane was taken down.  I was very thankful to arrive saf...

It's ironic. I'm thankful there are 5 weeks in August yet I can't wait for September to be here and gone. Before we get to the finishing line, we always have to go through the race. A tough one it seems most of the time. It's never easy. 6 years in the company and one morning in August, I had that dreadful feeling as soon as I stepped into the office building. That evening, I almost broke down and wanted to call it quits. I spoke to fat and had his support. I spoke to the boss and had some great advices. And I went to bed feeling much better that night.  I concluded it's probably the hormones but the thought of leaving lingers... Let's see how it goes. I need to stay focused now, clear this campaign and look forward to the upcoming trips! Last week of August and September awaits - the final dash. I can do it.

London, Paris & Chanel checked in July.  Looking forward to New York, Toronto, San Francisco in October.  Taiwan with the parents in Dec.  Beijing to end the year & to celebrate our 5th year wedding anniversary. I have no complaints, really. Flying's a bitch but life is such.

And so yesterday I did my first purchase on Hotwire. Only to book a hotel that is not that great. To be fair, it's a 4 stars hotel, we have some savings and it's within our budget BUT the room looks rather old and it's not exactly near the metro station. I was disappointed of course and I am now hoping it's not going to be that bad. Otherwise, Mr Grumpy is gonna nag for 3 nights! Oh well, there's always a first, yes? So what do you look out for when you book your vacation and what are your travelling peeves? Here's my list. 1) Airline I hate flying. I feel uncomfortable when the plane takes off, worse when there's turbulence and now landing adds to the list. I always thought landing is the best part and the safest so it was a nightmare to me when I learned from the MH incident that it is not. It's a good thing that I get to fly with SQ for work trips but the reality is I can't afford SQ for all my personal trips. So my next best bet is Em...

See you (again) next month, London & Paris.  Happiness comes with a price and we all deserve to be happy don't we? :)

Can't believe my favourite month is here again. Happy 3rd birthday to our favourite nephew Coen! It feels like yesterday we saw the newborn at the hospital and he's been such a joy. Smart, obedient, cute. May you be healthy and grow up to be a fine man. Several more birthdays to celebrate - my mom, my mother in law, my other nephew, mine. And there's the sort of underrated Father's Day. Time is flying by. Last month we received news of 3 deaths and they are not old and passed on because of old age. Such is life. When you think nothing is going your way, think again. When you grumble about life's unfair, think again.

Be positive. Focus on the happy stuff, not the unhappy ones. And so, I'm happy the ex gets hitched today. Am happy a good friend is getting hitched on the day I'm back from U.S. Never mind that I land at 12pm and it's a lunch wedding.... I'd probably most likely look like crap, jet lagged, tired and whatnot but am very happy for him regardless and will pray for no flight delay. Am happy the tour went well and I've been heading home before 8pm. Actually I had a fucked up morning but I'm not letting that ruin my mood. I'll deal with that my way.

We don't talk about our darkest secrets. We don't talk about our losses. We don't talk about our shame. We just don't talk. It takes a lot of courage to talk. And it's an art to know when to say what. A lot has happened the last few months and I feel like everyone is just cruising along. Maybe no one wants to pause and talk. No one wants to be reminded of the pain. Cos after all, talking or sharing doesn't solve anything isn't it? Whatever it is, I hope that the difficult times will be gone soon. May all be well.

I've finally booked the tickets. It's a long wait but see you in Oct! The only thing that's motivating me now...

March isn't any better. Lies, disappointment, anger, the list goes on... Doesn't look like it's a good year. WTF!

Bad news. Bad attitude. I hope the negativity stays and ends in Feb and that Mar brings us everything awesome. I have faith it will be great.

Dear little angel,   may you watch over them and give them the strength to smile, to be happy, to love and be loved and to find peace within.   XOXO.

Life is full of ups and downs. The ups don't delight you that much until they come to you. The downs don't hit you that hard until they do hit you. At this point, I hate how cruel life is.

Spring cleaned. What I hate most has to be the blinds! Scratched my gel nails. It goes to show I was working hard. Cleared 5 bags of clothes. What should I do with them? Still have piles of clothes in the wardrobe. Still want to shop more. Sorted the bags. Missing a Chanel and my dream birkin :) Tidied the make up + watches + jewellery compartment. Look so much better now. Only if it lasts. For the first time, we are off on CNY's eve. Monday too so it's 5 days of CNY break. The work schedule after these 5 days is beyond crazy. But for now, I'm going to celebrate. Chinese New Year. My favourite festival. Gong Hei Fatt Choy!

Sometimes, I'll be listening to sad songs alone, thinking about the not so happy stuff and letting myself have a good cry. And then I realize knowing the truth is not the worst. Having to deal with it is.

Being old is not an option but what about being poor then? The other day, I helped an old man, probably in his 70s and was in a I assume, a cleaner's uniform, withdraw money. He wanted only $20 and together with a bus driver, we guided him. I accidentally saw his account balance and it was a heartbreaking sight. He had only $3.50 in his account. Now, what can you do with $3.50? My poorest was when I was in Poly year 2 with less than $10 left in my account. But my transportation fee and meals were taken care of by my parents and I had myself to blame as I spent too much on shopping. Still, it was never $3.50. I don't know. He may be a gambler, womanizer, smoker or spends his money unwisely but he's also likely not. He just spends his money on food, a shelter or home, transportation and the necessities. As we indulge on branded bags or even just a simple scoop of ice-cream; or complain about the rise in taxi fare, we really need to remind ourselves that there are lo...

I love Chinese New Year. When I was young, it was about getting new clothes, red packets of course, having reunion dinner with my grandparents, the goodies and soft drinks and putting on the gold accessories on the eve. My mom used to hide these gold jewellery in the kitchen cabinets - very old school and a little strange I know - and she would take them out on the eve and put them on for us. Now that I'm older and married, I still like the festival. And for the first time this year, my company is giving a full day off on the eve! Monday is also officially a non working day. 5 full days of celebration and then the crazy year starts... How's your preparation coming along? My clothes are nothing but bright, cheerful colours. Red, orange, green, I have them all. Next is the dreadful spring cleaning. Manicure and pedicure. The preparation of ang pows. And more importantly, the 'careful feasting'. Looking forward.

It's rather ironic or should I say coincidental. Before the new year started and after the feasting since god knows when, I've told myself to stay away from junk food for a month and go to the gym twice a week. Well, I'm trying to get a little fitter for CNY too. You see, I've been snacking on too much potato chips and it's not just about the weight gain, it's simply too unhealthy. Also, the gym membership expires in Feb and I hardly go. Anyway, the healthier eating didn't start off well as the first day we had a heavy lunch and then it was the buffet dinner to celebrate our anniversary. The 'good' thing was I started coughing on Thursday. Yes, first day of work. My last cough lasted a month and I really feared history repeats itself. So I started to stay away from fried and spicy stuff but on Friday, I was feeling feverish. Not wanting to dampen the celebratory mood, we went for the buffet dinner anyway. Food was disappointing and that day, I sn...

Yesterday's stay home Saturday movie was Lee Daniels' The Butler, starring  Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, John Cusack. The story's about the blacks (or coloured as they were referred to in those days) - how they were treated in America, how they earned lesser than the whites in the White House and basically the inequality of rights back then.  How ironic that years later, such inequality and discrimination never quite go away. A lot of us here in Singapore dislike the Chinese and even despise the Indian workers. Because of a Little India riot, many made unnecessary comments and make it sound like all Indian foreign workers are ready to do the same. Yes, some of them did start the riot. But there are a lot who work hard at the construction sites, building our BTO flats and offices. Yes, a lot of Chinese are rude, don't queue up and have disgusting habits. But there are nice ones around. And let's not forget our forefathers...

don't know who said this but it was said that whoever you counted down to the new year with, will be with you '1314' which in Mandarin sounds like forever. and so I did with some of the people I love. it was a simple affair with family and over pasta, hokkien mee, durian ice-cream and lots of laughter. and then we were into 2014. first day of the new year was spent with the in-laws followed by some shopping at Westgate Mall and Jem. The west is becoming rather hip now but no, I do not miss it at all :) second day was our 4th anniversary and third day was our 5th solemnization anniversary. I was surprised with flowers, a balloon and a bear. Not a fan of stuff toys but am very touched by the gesture. and today, on the fourth day of the new year, I'm down with flu...wtf. I went to the gym twice in the last two weeks and who says exercising keeps you healthy? Well, it must be the junk food I have been eating. Good time to go on a healthier diet since I have put ...