Slices of Life

Age Increases, Confidence Decreases?

2007-12-02T19:43:00.000+08:00

I went for my diving refresher course this morning, in preparation for my Cebu trip. It has been five years since my last dive, which by the way was my one and only diving trip...

I have also considered myself to be pretty confident in the water and have always being involved in water sports, swimming, canoeing, dragonboating till I graduated and sports sadly became a holiday activity. I was the water-babe. Anyway, back to this morning, I was in the swimming pool going through all the necessary drills and procedures needed to save my life in diving emergencies, I realised that I cannot smoothly execute some of the basic drills needed. All the stuff I had difficulty in doing now, were stuff which I had no problem doing five years ago...Beside the fact that I was ten times fitter five years ago, the main issue here is confidence.
Task One: Flooding my mask and clearing the water out....took me ten minutes to find the courage to let water into my mask and of course another ten minutes to let the water out, which by the time, I had already breathed in noseful of water and nearly caused myself to choke..glurp...
Task Two: Oral Inflation of my BCD (the vest thing which divers wear, somewhat like a life jacket). Almost drowned the first time I tried (cannot understand why) It is a simple matter of keeping my head above the water while I blow air into the BCD to inflate it. Couldn't do it because I just kept thinking that the tank is too heavy so almost drowned myself in the swimming pool.

As we get older, we start to get "wiser". We consider, we ponder, we think and we think too much. When we do that we get afraid. Afraid of the unknown, maybe bad things will happen if we do this or that. Maybe...I wonder where the fearlessness of my youth went. I went on a round-Ubin cycling trip 2 days after I learnt how to ride a bike, bearing in mind that Pulau Ubin twelve years ago has only 1 paved road, so the trip was all-out all-terrain cycling . At 18, a group of 5 or 6 of us led a group of twenty 17-year olds fairly new climbers up the slipperly and steep slopes of Kota Tinggi and stayed overnight on the lightning-proned summit. We also decided that 2 girls and a boy climbing Kota Tinggi and spending a night at the summit with no weapon more impressive than a sharp ended comb was a great idea (Tin must be laughing when she is reading this because she knows exactly what I am talking about, haha)

What was I thinking about then? Or maybe I should ask myself, what am I thinking of NOW? Why am I thinking so much, why am I afraid?

This tells you I am bored again...another meme

2007-11-28T11:16:00.000+08:00

I give you money and send you into the grocery store to pick up 6 items. You can only pick one thing from the following departments... what is it?
1. Produce: Potatoes
2. Bakery: Fried Sausage Donut
3. Meat: Minced Pork
4. Frozen: Frozen Roti Prata
5. Dry goods: Instant Noodles
6. Dairy: Cheddar Cheese

Let's say we're heading out for a weekend getaway. You're only allowed to bring 3 articles of clothing with you. So, what's in your bag?
1. White Sundress
2. Slippers
3.Bikini

If I was to listen in on one of your conversations throughout the day, what 5 phrases or words would I be most likely to hear?
1. Lalalala
2. oh my goodness!
3. Wah Lau!
4. Arhhh!
5. Errrr....

So, what 3 things do you find yourself doing every single day, and if you didn't get to do, you probably wouldn't be in the best mood?
1. My NINE hours of beauty sleep
2. Drink my daily cuppa- tea
3. Kiss my hubby

Sweet, you just scored a whole afternoon to yourself. We're talking a 3 hour block with nobody around. What 5 activities might we find you doing?
1. Read a book
2. Have a wonderful soak in my bathtub
3. Lie on my bed and mindlessly channel-surf
4. Go gocery shoppnig
5. Iron my never-gonna diminish pile of clothes

We're going to the zoo. But, it looks like it could start storming, so it'll have to be a quick visit. What 3 exhibits do we have to get to?
1. Pymg Hippo
2. Zebras
3. Elephants

You just scored tickets to the taping of any show that comes on t.v. of your choice. You can pick between 4, so what are you deciding between?
1. Grey's Anatomy
2. CSI
3. Maimi Ink (need to check if they are really fake)
4. Any foodie shows provided that I get to eat the food

You're hungry for ice cream. I'll give you a triple dipper ice cream cone.
What 3 flavors can I pile on for ya?
1. Peppermint
2. Sweetcorn
3. Wasabi

Somebody stole your purse/wallet…in order to get it back, you have to name 5 things you know are inside to claim it. So, what's in there?
1. IC (I lost my IC FOUR times so I guess they might decide to revoke my citzenship if I lose it again)
2. Credit Cards/ Atm Cards
3. Driving License
4. Money usually not more than 50 bucks
5. Old ATM receipts, other evidence of my recent extravagence

You are at a job fair, and asked what areas you are interested in pursuing a career in. Let's pretend you have every talent and ability to be whatever you wanted, so what 4 careers would be fun for you?
1. Nat Geo Journalist
2. War photographer
3. Marine Biologist
4. Someone who studies plants in forests (what do you call them?)

If you could go back and talk to the old you, when you were in high school, and inform yourself of 4 things, what would you say?
1. Make more friends!
2. Don't be afraid, you are only 18 once!
3. Girl, you need to have a better fashion sense!!
4. Be nicer to people around you!!

Sad

2007-11-20T18:56:00.000+08:00

I feel sad!!!!!!!!!! ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

I hate it when people makes me feel inadequete, irresponsible and incapable.

I hate it when others get a 45-minute tougue lashing for my silly mistakes.

I hate it when I am accused of not putting in my best because I am leaving the company.

Damned the bird...totally hate her for making me feel like that.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!

Lust Caution

2007-11-16T12:22:00.000+08:00

Lust Caution must be the most sexually explicit mass market movie to be shown in Singapore so far. I am surprised that the uncut version is shown in Singapore (our repressed little island state, boobs, cut, sex, cut, rape, CUT CUT CUT!!!).

All the sex scenes were totally uninhibited, in-your-face completed with a rape-like sequence together with all the body parts neccessary to make it happen. All 15 minutes of it. It is almost reaching porn status, totally unlike the usually blink and you will miss it or the romp in the dark/ under blankets love making scene which we are quite used to unless of course,you watch porn on a regular basis. If so, these sex scenes will be quite mild.

But somehow, I don't feel that the show was in any way sensual or sexy. It is like watching two repressed persons having sex. It totally adds to what the film was all about. You can feel the bound-up energy and emotions of these two characters (Tony Leung and Tang Wei) which begs to be released but they are tied down by their circumstances.

I love the way so many languages are used in the film besides Mandarin. Adds a lot of flavour to the cosmopolitan feel of Shanghai in that era. Overall, the film is good except the pace is super slow in the first 30 minutes. Lee-Hom is so totally out of place in a 1940s film. Too modern for such a vintage film. His acting leaves much to be desired.

Grasp! Tony Leung has aged so much! I can see the age spots on his hands and face! I was hoping to see more of his delicious naked body but of course, the young and beautiful always wins. They chose to focus more on Tang Wei instead...sign..

I must be getting pretty old myself. Dark rings, puffy eyes, ahhhhhhhhh, horror of horrors! That is why I mangaged to drop $82.00 on some Biotherm eyecream yesterday. This is like the largest single amount of money I have ever spent on any facecare product. No choice...for the sake of my face. Think of it in a good way...you will save on plastic surgery later in life...I hope...

Cute questions about us

2007-11-06T13:00:00.000+08:00

So I am doing nothing in the office again...I found this questions from my friend's blog and decided that this will starve off some boredom and add some highlights to my day. I am pathetic, I know...

1. Who eats more?
Obviously, it is him. If it is me, I will be the size of Mt Fuji by now. It is no wonder that his stomach is taking on the likes of a knoll. It used to be a plain.
2. Who said "I love you" first?
I am sure that it was him!
3. Who is the morning person?
He is definately the morning person! I am the 'I need to wake up at exactly 8:05am, not one second-earlier' person.
4. Who sings better?
Neither. We can cause the collaspe of UOB plaza if we sing together. Wahahaha...
5. Who's older?
He is. I am from Generation Y. He is from Generation X.
6. Who's smarter?
Hehe...I dun know. I guess we are smart in our own ways. We complement each other!
7. Whose temper is worse?
It really depends.
8. Who does the laundry?
Sometimes me sometimes him. Of course I would like to add that I do it MORE OFTEN since I have more clothes and I change all the time!
9. Who does the dishes?
Usually him...hehe
10. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed?
I am a direction moron so which side is right?
11. Whose feet are bigger?
His..he has feet of a giant
12. Whose hair is longer?
Hair, mine, he has this complusive habit to cut his hair every three weeks
13. Who's better with the computer?
I refuse to try to meddle with the com...
14. Do you have pets?
No...I am against pets because I think that we will not be able to take care of the pets properly. We are only home at night...imagine the loneliness of the poor animal...JM is dying to have a dog...
15. Who pays the bills?
I would like to say we share. But of course the proportion of sharing can differ vastly.
16. Who cooks dinner?
I cook by following the recipe. He cooks on a whim. I will carefully plan the meals and buy all the neccessary ingredients while he likes to throw whatever is available in the fridge into the pot. Thankfully, it turns out edible most of the time.
17. Who drives when you are together?
Him. I have coordination problems. In order to enjoy 80 more years together, it is best that I have as little time at the wheel as possible.
18. Who pays when you go out to dinner?
Him.
19. Who's the most stubborn?
It really depends but I think it is ME!
20. Who is the first one to admit when they're wrong?
Him. I am the Princess who is never wrong...wahaha
21. Whose family do you see more?
errr...think it is my since, i need to visit my parents, my aunties, my uncles all the time...BIG family
22. Who named your pet?
NO pets
23. Who kissed who first?
Must be him!
24. Who asked who out?
Of course it is him.. I am the princess!
26. Who's more sensitive?
Think should be him. I am an insensitive brute! I am trying to be nicer...
27. Who's taller?
JM
28. Who has more friends?
Me simply because I put in more effort in showering tender love and care in keeping in touch with all my friends.
29. Who has more siblings?
We have the same number of siblings. He has an elder sis and a younger bro. I have two younger bros.
30. Who wears the pants in the relationship?
I guess we share one pair of pants. We are on a tight budget.

8 wonderful years and hopefully 80 more to go

2007-11-02T22:47:00.000+08:00

We have been dating for 8 years.

Eight years ago, we went on our first date at Jurong Point...that was the closest to civilazation when you were hostelites in NTU. I can only remember the 199 bus ride out to Jurong Point. I reembered that it was exam time and we were cooped up in hall "studying". Apparently, books were not on the top of my mind at that time. My results for my first semster, all Cs, can testify to that. Not that I improved much over the next 4 years.

It is such a pity that JM is not around today to celebrate this wonderful day. Hopefully, we will be able to spend many more future Nov 2nds together. I am sure that on that Nov 2nd evening eight years ago, none of us would have thought that our date will go so far and blossom into a lifetime together. I am glad that it did.

Super Pissed Off!

2007-10-23T16:46:00.000+08:00

Argh! I was so pissed off at work today! I thought that I would beable to leave the company happily without any serious misgivings of my boss. Of course, there has been the usual complains and grumblngs but she has yet to personally pissed me off so far. So far so good. Of course, I am destined not to be spared from her ridiculous nonsense. Lack of EQ, extreme stingyness, inability to treat her staff as human being, all these can still be tolerated thus far. What really broke the camel's back today is that she tried to twist her words and make blind accursations.
It is not very often that you see me fly off the hook (I am sure my husband will disagree, but he is different since he promised to be with me for better or worse and in sickness and health). I am usually a amicable and peace-loving person. (No point wasting my life right?) However, once you get me pissed off, you will see a side of Jasmin you have not seen before (JM will totally agree with this). Definitely not someone who keeps quiet when I am angry.
Well anyway, I was going to submit my resignation tommorrow (this is pre-decided, not bought on by this incident).
It will be sad, colleagues have been great! It is really an office without office politics. I guess we all mind our own projects so the chances of stepping on each other toes are not that igh but still it is extremely rare in a place with more than 3 employees. Guess I have always have good fortune with colleagues!

Bored out of my mind!

2007-10-18T13:02:00.000+08:00

Help, I am bored out of my mind at work! That is why I am writing this blog during office hours using my office computer. My project is sort of stalled due to some inconsiderate human beings who cannot give me proper answers. The most irritating thing is that these people are paid maybe 10 times more than me and they cannot answer a simple email. All this time, my boss is breathing fire down my neck and staring daggers into my back. I am going to be murdered for a 10-day overdue project.

Anyway, I guess I am restless because I need to submit my resignation letter next week and I can't wait to leave. It is always difficult to submit resignations no matter how long or how short you have been with the company. Next week is the week and I need all the luck!

Then I am going to be on my way to win the Teacher of the Year Award! Haha... Teaching is like my childhood ambition, I just never got around to doing it. I wanted to try other jobs before settling down into teaching. So enough of experimenting. It has been great working in the tourism and events sector. Totally eye-opening and will definitely help in my teaching career. I really enjoyed it while it lasted and I have been unusually lucky to encounter great colleagues, some of whom have become good friends. Of course I would like to say the same of my bosses but unfortunately, you can't be so lucky all the time. That will be too much to ask! I have had good and bad bosses. Good bosses nurture, bad bosses make you clever.

I am going teach English and Geography. Geography is my favourite subject! I am so inspired by my JC Geo teacher. The first thing he told us was " Geography is about everything under the sun including the sun." Not exactly thought-provoking but all my classmates remember this. I also believe that everyone should be given a chance to do some Geography. It tells you about the world in which we live. Most importantly, it pushes you to explore the world beyond your own.

Another very compelling reason for switching to teaching is family planning. We will proberly want to start haing kids in 2 or 3 years (This is specially bolded for all the aunties out there so stop asking!) so this is now is a good time to start a stable career and stop experimenting. I want to be able to spend time with my children. I don't want to see them for 5 minutes in the morning and for 30 minutes at night or worse see them once a week!

Teaching is not the most lucrative business although the pay is decent. I am not so naive to think that money is not important. It is. But I hate working for money, for profits for the bottom-line. Quality of life wins hands down over money. I will be more motivated if I know that I am working for a cause. I need a focus in my career, something to believe in. Money just does nothing to push me to go that extra mile.

1 month apart

2007-10-02T05:59:00.000+08:00

It has been a month since JM left for his trip. An angonizing one month. It is not that this is the first time we have been apart. In fact, we have been in different countries for about half of our 1.5 years of wedded life. His work is not the only contributing factor, I go for long work trips too. I guess that this time, it is more difficult because 4 months at a stretch is a long time and time seems to crawl by.

It is more trying and painful when you are married because you share a life together. When one party is not around, a huge part of your life is lacking. No fun sleeping a a double bed alone.

Alright, I will stop whining and continue to wait patiently for my daily dose of Voice of JM. The phone is now stuck to me. I even bring it to the shower...

In memory of the original 5

2007-09-28T20:03:00.000+08:00

It is amazing how much and how fast things can change in six months. My former colleague from SDC just messaged me to tell me that today is her 2nd day in SDC. Of the five original execs, she has been there the longest and now there is only one of the originals left. The entire team is gone, even our AM has left for greener pastures. Well all I can say is that SDC suck at retaining talents. I must say that we were a great team. We fit and complement each other really well and the synergy among us was just quite amazing. I really feel supported and happy when we worked. There were many trying moments, stressful times, we were re-starting the entire Ops department and the centre was being re-lauched but someone is always there to share the burden. We never walked alone. Most importantly, there was always laughter in the Ops office, we had fun, loads of fun. It was an amazing time and sometimes I wonder if anyone in SDC will remember us.

Food! Glorious Food!

2007-09-21T07:46:00.000+08:00

I think it must be the effect of running the conference for the whole of last week. I see plateloads of food all the time. My daily feeding routine (feeding both myself and the conference delegates) goes like this

Morning break: 10:30am

International buffet lunch: 12:30pm

Afternoon break 3:30pm.

Do I need so much food? Does anyone in the world need so much food? And the worst thing is that much of these food is being wasted. Trays full of foods are being thrown away, most of the time, without a tinge if guilt and sometimes without any thought that all these food took effort, resources and time to be produced. Being urbanites, many of us sometimes forget or fail to connect to the fact that food comes from somewhere and that there are people out there who would kill for the food we threw away. In our very affluent and plentiful society today, I am apalled at the education some parents are giving their kids "Oh it is ok, just eat the chicken, leave the rice if you cannot finish" or worse " never mind, cannot finish, leave it" They have forgotten about the value of food and I am sad to realise that their kids will grow up not knowing how precious food is.

My parents will jump if there is any food left on my plate or on the table for that matter. They have always insisted that we only order or cook whatever we can eat. There should be no food left at the end of the meal. If there is, it will be kept for the next meal. Throw away food? Not going to happen in my family. That is why I always finish my food even if I am full. That uncomfortable over-stuffed stomach will remind me not to order or buy so much in the future!

Many people have this mentality " I paid for the food so why should you care what I do with it?" Well it is not the money, it is the fact that you throw away food which could have kept many food deprived human beings alive! If you don't need the food, don't order or buy it. Leave it for some other more needy people!

My new Hair style

2007-09-05T15:31:00.000+08:00

Check out my new hair style!! I absolutely Love it...nice..

David (hmmm, my hairdresser is David..) said that the rest of my hair was too damaged to be saved so off it all went in one decisive snip. Yes, one snip, hair from shoulder below all gone..I think Maggie and Angie were more surprised than I was. I could hear their loud gasp as the scissors clamped shut. Haha...

But I love it!! Save shampoo, save time, save gel...save hair treatment..how economical!

Sailing Away

2007-09-04T16:56:00.000+08:00

Sob..sob..hubby is gone for the next 4 months till Christmas...forgive me,I need to whine because I cannot whine in front of him...waaaahhhhh..A few weeks before he went off, he started to ask me stuff like "so will you miss me when I am gone?" I will reply "but we don't have a choice" Well, actually we all had choices. He was asked to go on this trip and he could have not go but he choose to go because of his sense of duty. And me, I had a choice, I choose to marry this duty-bound man. So we choose to be away from each other for 4 months with sporadic access to phone and emails. This silly method of rationalizing makes me feel better. At least I can say that I bought this upon myself. Haha..

Well, to console myself, I can tell myself that at least, I am not alone juggling 2 kids while my husband is gone for the next 4 months or that I am not pregnant with a baby waiting to be born while daddy is away. Going to the sending off ceremony puts a lot of things in prespective, there are many other brave souls out there so I should not be whining. Well, there were mummies among those who went as well and their kids are so young.

Hopefully, everything will go fine and he will be back safe and sound by Christmas! Have hope and have lots of faith in the systems which our government spends tons of $$ on.

National Day Parade Combined Rehearsal

2007-07-02T12:18:00.000+08:00

I was at the National Day Combined Rehearsal last Saturday...it was a parade which promised the audience 20% of the real thing. And surprise surprise! the turnout was 90% of the Marina Bay Parade Ground.

A word about the Marina Bay Parade Ground which boasts the largest floating platform in the world (well this is Singapore, it has to boost some "firsts" in everything". It is truely quite spectacular which the city skyline as the background. And of course, this being the first combined rehearsal with audience, we were the first people to use the place...brand new...haha..

After the years of experience, SAF has crowd control down to a pat. At no time do I feel fustrated or irritated by the crowd.They started channeling people into the different coloured zones starting from the Marina Square staircase so there was no bottleneck anywhere.

Settling down onto our seats, we spent almost 2 hours from 4-6pm in the scorching sun, watching half-baked performances. Surprise again, no complains from the audience. Everyone just sat there watching and gamely played along with the hosts and at some point, there was even a great sense of humour on the audience's part when the performers were replaced by "simulated performers holding placards" At the "president's entrance", the "president" stimulated waving to the audience and of course, everyone happily waved back.One of the large video screen was not working, the sound system screwed up half-way and still no one complained, everyone seemed to be having a good time...Singaporeans are known for our complaining tendencies, are we not?

The last time I was at the NPD was ten years ago in 1997 when I was a cheerleader. It still fills me with a sense of awe and admiration to see so many thousands of people spending their 6 months worth of weekends training and working hard to make it all happen. It must be awesome to be able to organise something as big as as the NDP. It must be exciting to be the puppet master pulling all the strings to make it come together.

I went home with a feeling of happiness and fulfilment even though all I did the whole afternoon was to sit and watch.

My First Facial

2007-06-15T19:25:00.000+08:00

AT the grand old age of 27, I decided to go for my first facial...hmm...quite an event.

It all started when I came back from Laos and noticed that my skin is starting to look dead...well i am 27 and my skin is not repairing and regenerating itself fast enough anymore so I decided to give it additional help. I booked an appointment with my neighbourhood facial salon. (just in case, you decide to shriek in horror, it is a pretty decent place.)

I have delayed going for a facial till now because of all the horror stories I have heard, pain, pimple outbreak facial, unending demands by the beauticians to sign up for packages, etc...

It all started pretty well with the beautician massaging some cooling lotion onto my face followed by a scrub. I was falling into dreamland when the beautician said in Mandarin" I am going to start squeezing now, will be a bit painful..." High alert immediately! squeeze what...painful?? Being a facial virgin, I had no idea what she was talking about...she had to explain step-by-step what she was doing to do before I allowed her to touch my face again. It was painful! i was tempted to box her face at some point...

well, after this torturous process, the rest of the facial was mercifully relaxing with a face and shoulder massage and some collegen and ultrasound thingy....

My face did feel great after the facial but I guess i am not going to turn into Snow White after 1 Facial....

My busy weeks of relaxation

2007-06-07T07:35:00.000+08:00

I thought i will take the opportunity to do the following things during my two weeks of leisurely unemployment...
1) clean out my wardrobe
2) pay my taxes
3) take the carpets out for dry cleaning
4) kick start my exercise regime by waking up at 7am everyday to exercise
5) decorate my bedroom wall

Well it turns out that the two weeks has been choc a bloc full of activites and I did not complete any of the above tasks.

Monday- last day at job. Had long lunch with colleagues.
Tuesday- Spent time with JM. Had lunch with mother-in-law. Second interview for job.
Thursday- Major marketing day for all the dinners coming up!
Friday- Hall friends coming over. Cooked dinner for them
Saturday- Extended family coming over. Cooked dinner for them. Big menu to cook because kids wanna have pasta while the older folks wants rice and curry.
Sunday- Rest day
Monday- Meet my new boss for appointment letter signing
Tuesday- Yellowstone girls coming over. Cooked dinner for them.
Wednesday- Pack for Laos trip.
Thursday- Get tickets for Laos trip. Meet witches in the evening for dinner.
Friday- Collect dress for Raine's wedding. Meet Limin and Ruyi for dinner.
Saturday to Friday- Laos Trip
Saturday- Raine's wedding day
Sunday to Wednesday- Penang trip for grandma's birthday
Thursday- first day of new job!

Whew..why am I doing this to myself? Haha but it is nice to see all my friends and not having to worry about staying out too late, having to wake early to go to work. It is nice to take time to cook for them and hopefully they enjoy what I cooked.

busy busy...

Taking things slowly

2007-06-04T08:04:00.000+08:00

I have been unemployed for the past 1 week and guess what? I am enjoying it! Busy cookig up a storm for my friends and family. It is great to be able to take time to do this for everybody I love. Hope that no one got food poisoning. So far the reviews have been encouraging. Haha...

It is also good to spend some quality time with JM. We have been busy working and working. He had some off days last week so we got to spend days together, walking around, cooking and enjoying each other. Wonderful! And we are going to Laos and Penang next week, really looking forward to that. I love travelling FOR LEISURE. It is precious time off for us. I will be putting my nose back to the grinding stone when we are back. Determined to enjoy my precious freedom to the maximum, We will only reach Singapore on the day when I start work! Reach Woodland checkpoint at 7am and eport to my brandnew job at 9am...hopefully the bus doesn't break down.

On 21 June, I will be starting my new job as a conference producer. It is big challenge for me because it is a totally different job scope from what I have been doing so far. I I have to produce conferences from scatch. Given possible topics, I have to research, look for good speakers, write sales copies. Basically it is a research and sales job as opposed to coordination and logistics which i have always been doing. Hopefully, it turns to be good. So far so good, the people who interviewed me and the people whom I met in the office seem quite nice. Of couse they are kind enough to let to start work only on 21st June. More time to prepare myself mentally.

I am quitting my job again!

2007-05-18T20:40:00.000+08:00

I have decided to quit my job...it must be quite a feat to quit 2 jobs in 3 months.It is not the job, I like what I am doing, it is the people.
I figured out that I am spending at least 8 hours of my precious day at work, I better be happy!
I have beem struggling for the last three weeks. Should I give up so easily? Maybe I can learn to live with it? Perhaps it will get better with time? It is my dream job!!! So why am I thinking of quitting after a mere three months?

I decided that I want to be happy. I am certainly not happy now. Each day I go to work feeling lie a prisoner, I leave work feeling bad. In short, this workplace environment, is eating away at me, chipping off my happiness and my smiles. I realised it one day in Monte Carlo when I discovered that I had not smiled once in the last 24 hours. It was shocking. I have always been proud of the fact that I can smile in all situations. Where has my smiles gone?

I am quitting without a job now. Big risk but I guess I need a break. Meanwhile, I am on the hunt for MICE companies again.

Simply Divine Cuppy Cakes

2007-04-28T08:55:00.000+08:00

I stumbled across the beautiful cup cakes for sale. They look absolutely heavanly. I can spent hours just staring at the web pages...drooling simultaneously. I cannot believe that someone in Singapore can actually make such beautitiful cupcakes and she has a whole collection to suit your every need, baby's first month, weddings, birthdays, CNY or just any other day you feel down and needs cheering up. Oh! Simply divine! Just $2.00 each!
Check out the website

www.cupcake-momma.net

They look so delicious that I wonder if they are real. I couldn't bear to eat them. I must learn how to make them!

Earth Day

2007-04-23T19:33:00.000+08:00

Me and Hub visited Sungei Buloh in celebration of Earth Day yesterday. It was a nice slow walk, surrounded by nature. You can actually get to see many things if you bother to slow down and listen. We saw 3-meter long monitor lizards, squirrels, large spiders, many diiferent varieties of birds and fishes.

Everyone should clebrate Earth Day. It is the most important day on earth! I am not a hardcore tree hugger greenie but I believe that everyone can contribute to conserve the Earth's resources and make it a better place. An individual's effort might seem minute but it makes a difference. Every piece of paper, every plastic bag we save helps.

So please remember to bring your own bag when you go shopping. Every time you want to crush a piece of paper, please check
that you have fully utilize the piece of paper.

Way to Go, Ikea!!

2007-04-11T23:37:00.000+08:00

I am so happy that one major retailer has finally decided to take the big step of charging for plastic bags! Ikea, way to go! Singaporeans simply uses too many plastic bags. On the average, each Singaporean uses 600++ plastic bags a year! Shoppers have made it a habit to ask for extra plastic bags. The cashiers and packers at the checkout counters have make it a habit to give additional bags. A typical NTUC checkout experience goes like this;

Usually I will bring the huge Ikea reusable bag when I go grocery shopping, I will ask the NTUC auntie to put everything I buy into the reusable bag. She will proceed to pack the items into plastic bags and then put the bags into the big bag. When I protest, she will rebut with "Aiyah, you don't put plastic bags, the bag will be wet."Duh...

On the ocassions when I forget to bring the Ikea bag, heavy items like, canned food, rice, etc..., will be put into double bags. As usual, I will protest . "Auntie, one bag is enough, I live in the next block. I will reach home soon." Our friendly NTUC auntie will give me the friendliest smile and say "Never mind, never mind, two plastic bags stronger." and proceed to double-bag everything.

Plastic bags are non-biodegradable, they take up so many precious space in our landfills. When they finally decompose, they release harmful gases into the environment. Plastic bags also choke up our waterways, our rivers and our oceans. So I will continue to minimise my plastic bag usage until they invent a biodegradable bag. One person might not make a huge difference but it helps. 600 less plastic bags to choke up the ocean this year!!

爱美不要命

2007-04-10T17:05:00.000+08:00

Sometimes I wonder whether if my brains go to sleep when I start to shop. Recently, I bought a pair of boots, knee-high boots to be more specific. They cost $70, not a lot for boots but I live in Singapore, sunny tropical Singapore.. Why on earth would I need knee-high boots? The most absurb thing is that they are size 36, one size too small for me. All because I think that they look gorgeous when I put them on and the clever shopkeeper insisted that " ya, don't worry, this type of boots look better when tight. tighter better!" Ok, so I bought them. They look wonderful sitting in the corner of my living room, waiting for snow to come to Singapore and my feet to shrink. Why do I insist on wearing 3-inch heels to work? Why do I insist on contorting my feet into un-natural shapes? If I am my feet, I would hate me. Am I more beautiful when I am in heels? Do I look better with a $200 hairstyle in comparison to a $20 one? Do people care? Can they tell the difference? I feel bad spending so much money on material things. All these stuff are "wants". I am not an indiscrimate spender but all these little things add up... These $20, $30 could have been given to charity, put into investment accounts, left to grow in a fixed deposit account, etc... I have to admit that spending money makes me feel happy or wearing my purchase makes me feel good! The additional sense of well-being helps a lot when you are meeting a client, when your boss is giving you hell or when the world looks grey and sad. I need the dash of colour to brighten up my day or the additional height to boost my confidence level. Hell, why do I work so hard if not for life's little pleasures, so shopping here i come!!

I accepted the fact that I have a toxic boss

2007-04-10T17:04:00.000+08:00

It makes things much easier to accept that my boss, Miss North Korea, is toxic. She is a b****h through and through. When you have accepted the fact, you will start to treat her like one. You will be less upset when she starts to be nasty or acts like a B***H. Just like North Korea, you are less surprised when North Korea starts to test out nuclear weapons or when it abducts some innocent Japs or South Koreans. You might even start to provide humanitarian aid to North Korea since the people are such poor things.
Exactly the scenerio in my workplace right now, whenever, Miss NK sends a nasty email or starts one of her tirade, I will shut myself off mentally. I will try to be nicer to the people around me, my colleagues, the cleaning auntie, the suppliers just to brighten up thier day. Otherwise, there is always a toxic cloud hanging over them, miserable people...
This is not an excuse to condone miss NK's behaviour. This is what I am doing to make myself happier, blocking out all the negative stuff, just like what all the countries around the world are doing.

McDonalds Junk or Comfort?

2007-04-10T09:45:00.000+08:00

Me and Hub went to McDonalds to try the new egg bagel breakfast. Considering that I am not a bagel fan, the MacBagel actually taste quite good. It is not as dense as the real bagels you get in the Sates. The filling of eggs, tomatoes, onions and ham increases the yummy quotient tremendously! Proberly adapted to local taste. McDonald is great at doing that. Subtlely changing the flavours to adapt to local taste yet retaining the essence to make it feel original.
McDonalds is my all-time favourite food..not only fast food, it falls under the same category of comfort food like Chicken Rice aand Maggi Mee. Something I will want to eat when I am sick, when I am unhappy. Whenever I am overseas for long or alone, it s some food I will look out for, just to taste something familiar.
No doubt that it is something imported, it is something which I grew up with. The fillet o fish today taste the same as the one as the one I tasted as a six-year-old. It definately makes me happy whenever I eat it. It is a junk food I love! I am loving it!

Bosses-people who can make or ruin your day

2007-04-10T09:43:00.000+08:00

New workplace, new colleagues, new bosses. Maybe I have always been lucky, sheltered again the real big bad world. Maybe by tiny stroke of luck or fate, I have always had nice or at least amicable bosses. Maybe it is time I wake up and learn to stand up for myself. Maybe I am just too sensitive, scoldings or should i say, tanturms by bosses are just too common for others to feel anything.
The whole incident goes like this. I asked Miss North Korea a question over email regarding some project which we are working on. She scolded me for not consolidating all the questions which i need to ask her. I should ask her in a consolidated email since she is very very busy and does not have time to read all my emails. Prior to this, she did chide us in front of the entire company that we are not updating her enough. We should take the initiative to update her. Previously when I sent her the updates, they were ignored! For just one email which I innocently sent to her. Hrmmmm...
I don't understand why is her EQ so low? We are all colleagues! We see each other for so many hours everyday. It doesn't take too much effort to be nice, polite and civil to each other. Am I mistaken? The workplace is for war? I hope I am not. I shall have hope that I can change things.

welcome me to the world of blogging

2007-04-10T09:38:00.000+08:00

I know i am a late starter in the fascinating world of blogging. I never felt the need nor the want until recently. I thought i should start blogging just to try out the new experience.
The whole new experience thingy came about with my decision to leave SDC. It is time for Jasmin to step in the big bad world.
To me, SDC is a very comfortable world. Everything is manageble, most people are nice. It is like a cocoon, warm, gentle and nurturing. I know that no matter what happens in SDC, I have people whom I can fall back on, I know how to get myself out of tight or unpleasant situations. So the decision to leave is also a decision to step out of my comfort zone.
Well, here i am now, sitting at a new work desk, trying to blend in with the not so friendly culture in this brand new environment. As always, the very optimistic angel in me will tell me that no no, they are not unfriendly, they are just too busy. they like you, they just need some time to get use to you. Well, I just have to supress the pessimistic devil and make do with whatever. I am going to succeed in the MICE industry!!