resolutions for 2009

i have two Must-Dos which are relatively simple to keep:

1. i wont keep thoughts of the past in my head. truth be told, 2008 had been spent wondering and reminiscing about the past (especially the second part of the year). i hadnt stopped myself from those fantasies even though i could easily. but i will not be spending useless time thinking about those things anymore in 2009, because they arent good stuff for the brain/heart. of course, i cant stop such thoughts from surfacing but i can stop myself from wandering off.

2. i wont argue with my sister incessantly anymore, like we've been for the past couple of months. i still feel like knocking sense into her obstinate head sometimes but fighting is no use. she's family and even if she gets on my nerve a million times over, i still love her. plus, she's always been giving in to my whims and warped sense of idealism so it's really payback time..and hopefully pay it forward as well. the best thing is...i have a knack for being patient with stubborn people.

seriously, they are more achievable than previous shallow new year resolutions because they will make me a better person. as always, there's a possibility i might waver but lets not go there first.

a happy post about feel-good thoughts

dearest sweetest gid had helped ferry home some of the prizes i've gotten at the company dinner (lucky me) because some were heavy and some bulky. well, at my courteous request =)

about the company dinner, it was lots of fun but i was already expecting that so most of us were pretty hyped up and threw work aside for the heck of it since it was our night to engage in proper fun time. prior to the dinner, we had a long sales meeting that lasted for hours and all of us were pretty drained out but still chirpy about the dinner and fun ahead.

let me introduce you to a couple of my co-workers. picture showed from L-R: Mel (Concierge), Myself, Dorothy (who deserve kisses because she put together the event on her own; Operation Manager), and Elfie (Marketing & Sales Exec). There's also Yat snooping about in the picture (Personal Trainer) who had incidentally been awarded the Sky Spirit trophy for his attitude and drive as a newcomer.

midway through the session, we encountered a smoke crisis and evacuated on our own accord. i didnt want to leave so i was adamant in snapping a photo in the middle of the commotion and grabbed Christi with me. hence the smoky effect.

more pictures with Dorothy's endearing photog husband. and some photos with the other co-workers. i'll try to get if i successfully remember whose camera had i taken pictures with.

lets go back to the main story.

over dinner at the Hilltop Hong Kong Cafe in yishun, gid and i reminisced about the good days in uni and that brought back plenty of nice vivid memories regardless of how short they lasted.

i remember a hoard of activities beginning with

• the freshmen orientation (which gid admitted he feared talking to some of us girls because we were leading the team and kinda outspoken)
• to carol's birthday party at gallery hotel and the charades + video of the girls dancing and prancing to some cheesy girl band in MTV on the bed (gid revealed he still has the video)
  
• to the countless of post lecture outings like lunches, chillouts (happened alot), and movies
  
• to the beach for tanning or being sporty and playing rough games with the boys (i was anyway)
  
• to the fun clothes theme (like 'Lok Kok' day and Rainbow colours) we adorn for lectures making us quite obvious that we were a group
• to the first rollerblading session + shisha + $25 durian
  
• to the ICON day + many movie marathons + potluck party + swimming session + chillouts
  
• to the school bashes with themes (Workers' party and Rock 'n' Roll)
• to the good friends and lecture mates who never complain about driving the girls around because there were SO MANY OF US =)
• to the initial clubbing nights where gid would make lots of friends when he drank too much (and one turned out to actually still recognize ericia and i [!!!] at zouk 2 weeks back; he actually managed to produce a picture he took of me and ericia 2 years ago)
• to the refreshment breaks that never seem to be enough (and the coffee and tea that always seem to run out)
  

those thoughts kept me thrilled for quite some time. you might even recognize some of your own here =)

and im still smiling at the happy memories of it all.

without an ounce of doubt, school was the time for friends, love and fun.

at present, things may have changed slightly but the memories will not. it is going to last me a lifetime of contented memories. thank you for making my uni life so psychedelic and wild.

this has been a great year (but no this is not a reflective journal entry) and i've learned plenty from everyone i met and befriended.

seriously, im looking forward to next year with much aplomb. =) this has been one of my best year and with it comes an endless opportunity for the impending year ahead.

zouking out was knee-breaking

where did all the cool people go?

zouk out was short of all the usual glory of chatting up old friends and passing out hugs.

it didnt start off well but i was draped in good company and it didnt turn out too bad.

A&B did not disappoint in his last sun rise set either.

i had remarked aloud that if the last set was shabby then zouk out was deem a flop.

some polaroids from last night.

these are all the pictures i have.

"it's like a carnival" in rowena's words.

in serenity

there are times i dont feel like talking.
or corresponding.

like today.
like now.

its not because im rude.
im just comfortable surrounded by my own silence.

its soothing to not talk and just listen to the people around me.
they make merry and sometimes commotion.

thats part of my office culture and i've grown to love it so.
the people are nice to me despite my silence and lack of enthusiasm when im busy.
i focus very hard when im thinking and my colleagues hardly disturb when i put on this sombre expression. i returned the favour by doing the same.

thats call striking a mutual understanding.
i find it nice.

i was writing a note on facebook just now and there were these friends who decided to chat with me. i responded initially but slowly realized im encouraging them so i stopped replying altogether.

i found out i needed virtual peace too.

its so quiet now it's lovely.

i'm looking forward to my company christmas dinner tomorrow night. gonna be an inaugural for me. i love the festive feel of december.

this month is gonna be great. i just feel it =)

went Ikea shopping with cat and ericia over the weekend.

cat was on a mission to get furniture and office items for her bosses while ericia was on hers to use up some vouchers from last christmas. we were pretty efficient too. i provided entertainment and help when needed.

i eyed a rug for my boss' new apartment and messaged to tell him.

i think this is dirt cheap for a decent rug.

its pretty long and just right for improvising as usage for the sofa methinks.

classic example of an economy of scale.
that explains why its so cheap.

after the shopping acquisition, we really wanted to hang out without doing anything too strenuous and initially even asked terence and joanna but the former was tired from our party the night before and the latter couldnt coordinate her plans with ours.

and bright cat suggested marina barrage so off the three of us went.

the pics are taken using my phone camera and i love this shot cos cat's spontaneity lends this photo a nice touch =)

you wont believe im only in my fbt shorts, haivanas flip flops and a tank top sheltered with ericia's cropped hoodie. im getting fairer but i think its nice. meanwhile, friends have hinted at me to get a tan. maybe i will not. just to ruffle my style up a bit.

did i also mention i didnt meet them straight from home but after a foot reflex at causeway point? i had planned to go home first and change into something more apt for a chill out sesh but somehow the sky started to pour and i had no means of getting home in due time. and yes, i was totally unprepared to meet for a chill out sesh but i was totally up for anything. and well, everything went well. except that my post massaged legs suffered a bit due to the strong wind, giving me muscle rheumatism. there were lots of strong breezes around. it's the most relaxing place around this sunny Island. sunny no more i'd think. given that the monsoon season is near.

ericia couldnt stop taking pictures and she took a few good ones though it'll take a while to load them because cat has it in her camera.

"the world lost a potential photograher because she decided to be a marketer" - quote from ericia

my dear friends doing what they do best - one love to pose, the other love to snap. perfect!

very "behind the scene" shot

i really love it. i could feel the stress and tension leaving my body as i face the strong breeze. the wind, how could i forget? they echo in my ears. and left an indelible sensation. it was a nice hang out with the girls.

this trip should be had more than once.

anyhow, its time to end this lovely post with a trip to snooze land; morning meeting tomorrow and then company party at night. let me rest up for the fun night ahead =)

happy feet

what a difference a day makes. nothing beats a worse day for me than yesterday. today saw a turn of luck!

yesterday, i had to fix something which wasnt mine to begin with. i had it fixed well but at the expense of my pending and pressing issues. the woe was all mine.

well, today was for a lack of a more meaningful word, simply wonderful. everything went as planned. right down to the pedicure therapy. it was already rather late and i had been busy the entire day only to finish work at 8ish. but i was glad i managed to get my nails done in time for..nothing actually! just thought of recharging my poor feet and keeping it happy for all that tiring (at times) but purposeful life journey i still have to trudge on for at least the next 50 years (i hope).

i love feeling so light on my feet :) i feel like i can capture and conquer anything i want. alright thats stretching a bit too far but you get the drift, huh?

so, yesterday's massage was had in JB. it was so worth it after battling the causeway jam for almost an hour. hence to compensate for the time the jam had cost us, we went for the 2 hours package. it was also the first time i fell asleep during any massage. really refreshing. heard from gid and later ericia herself that she wanted to come along. you should really dear, except that you were tired and never thought much of massages. next time please join us (if your parents allow)! would have love your company :)

as you can already tell, im all out to relax this festive season. im not needed to go back to work till tuesday so i smell long weekends with lots of rest. felt like it was what i've been working so hard for especially after my small promotion. alright, maybe not hard enough as i'd have liked but i do have a need to store all these reserve energy for next year's agenda (which is endless but lets not go there. plus i dont think i want to bore you with the details of my work).

about my nails, i have them painted french style in shiny grape jam (as i'd like to call it). its so festive and im so happy :)

im nearing home in a while. cant wait to light my vaporiser with something soothing and tuck myself into bed on this chilly night. can you believe how tired i am? i guess you could :)

cant seem to slow down

today was one of those horrible workdays. everything was so rushed and even the typically smiley me couldnt keep my smile on for long before something bad cropped up. it's been like this the entire day.

the usual smiles and chirpy acknowledgement i give people all vanished. i was even rude to the usual executive surveyors who littered the office area. i just couldnt bring myself to smile anymore. not because i dont want to but im just too tired to.

im bursting with the full-on energy from the chagrin of my busy day and im typing this as im travelling home from work. i need to pen down some thoughts. the therapeutic effect is instant.

its been a busy full day and im looking forward to a relaxing massage because sweet ol' gid suggested one. :) my feet is killing me.

for now, i will observe my thoughts and choose them wisely. nothing beats having good friends who are there for you when you need them most.

and im glad im blessed in this department.

cant wait to get home, kick off my shoes, and meet gid for a good rubdown.

mega upload - content reworked and reworded

last friday, i had my first life reading read by a prominent feng shui master. while it was really enlightening, it was to be my last visit. i do believe that fate is prefixed (therefore it was interesting to know about the things he could tell me and have me nodding in amazement) but destiny is all empowering. you cant alter fate but you can ultimately control your destiny. in other words, what you think and how you act can have a huge effect on the whole outcome. so what if you were born poor? get what i mean?

success doesnt come by chance. it comes to those who work hard.

not so long ago, one of my best girlfriend was disappointed that i no longer perceive clubbing as an interest as im aware that she had the most fun when we partied together. deep down inside, i think she has been waiting for me to return to the "scene" with her. she has always been the silent supporter in my life and the fact that i had pulled my act together under a year after going through a major setback made her so proud. i was proud of myself for making her proud of me =)

i just want to let her know that im still the same Michelle but just more focused now. clubbing was fun when i had high energy levels to burn but it's wearing me out faster these days and my health and skin shows the damage.

i still want to do it once in a while but the lifestyle isnt suitable for me anymore. but believe me, when i club, i will want to club with you =)

i just released a load of heartfelt words though i dont know where that came from but anyhow, i just want to do a backdated entry on all the events that shaped my November. that was a busy busy busy month for me!

it was the last day of October and what does that tells you? Halloween of course! what else would it be?

so here i am in the club with joy the doe. i love joy's face art, which was creatively drawn by Miles (who's a talent; she sings really well and apparently she can draw too).

now, joy gave me the best massage i've ever received and the night i went to Cosmic Gate, i had her knead away my muscle soreness and tightness. which she did. perfectly well. her strokes were quick, deep and hard. just at the right spots. but needless to say, i felt rather oily when i clubbed afterwards due to the massage oil used. so ladies (or dudes if you please), you might wanna rethink going for spa massage right before an event. consider yourself forewarned.

manda baby sent me a picture message of her get-up at zouk. yeeehar!

this was dated 1 November.

gid and i had purchased tickets to Lee Hom's performance and i preselected seats with a good view for us. this felt like a buddy date cos he had picked me up from my place and sent me back home.

me amidst the screamish fans. i felt rather claustrophobic with my surrounding people even though the stadium is pretty huge.

amongst the crowd i started spotting people like phyllis quek, stef sun, a minister, kit chan and other celebrities whose names have escaped me.

this guitar in the shape of the dragon was the major feature. sure it looks great but what do i know about guitars except that some men looks sexy when they play it.

the stadium was packed to the brim with loud halers.

the MAN descending. *cue screamish noisy people who went mad*

i was super close to the big screen and it was a big treat for me! really glad we booked early enough to get good seats without compromising on....wait actually we kinda splurge on the tickets. well....

the stage was nothing fancy. at all.

the said guitar.

which song would he be singing if not for a matchy matchy 龙的传人.

prior to his concert, i was debating his sexual preference with a few people and the conclusion i drew wasnt what i believed i knew. which was interesting.

i didnt take much photos or videos but i really enjoyed his performance though he kept forgetting his lyrics...which was forgivable because i liked his voice nonetheless. well, it was what i paid for. but someone burst that bubble with insider's knowledge that the mixer guy usually enhance the singer's voice by controlling the mixer to an optimum level. this means, the singer will project a voice so perfect through the mic and sound system that any flaws goes unscathe.

the only highlight was the dancers from US that night. they were good i suppose, in their rightful way. but it wasnt a wow performance put together. i dont doubt i would never pay to go for another concert again.

having said that, this would be my last paid 'live' concert and BTW, do enjoy the only video i took that night.

regardless, gid and i had thoroughly enjoyed ourselves =)

one last gripe though... nobody asked for encore! isnt that what fans does best? i dont get it. and then they dispersed just as quickly as the 3-hour concert had ended.

another night of booze and music with Terence (the resident trance kaki) and his obsession with coke.

the photo's rather nice as it is so you dont wanna know the "logical" reason behind this pic. okay i admit, it's my P1i's strong flash to blame..no one can look straight into my flash and not blink i swear.

shawn and KT, both guys ericia and i got to know that night.

the gay people.

shawn, timo (the guys who didnt believe me) and myself.

i had this conversation with shawn about my faux lashes and i explained how easy it is (for me) to put it on but he found it questionable. so timo injected his thoughts about something that goes like this..."you look too good to be taking such a short amount of time". well i did.

i cannot explain why the dude is clutching on to ericia's hand (for dear life?) when she's apparently interested in holding mine but here's my dainty pie ericia, yellowpages guy KT, trance kaki terence and myself.

on a separate note, it's pitter pattering quite heavily outside my windows as im typing this and while it's cooling, i havent actually showered since i got home. im not fancying the shivers i will have to endure when i bathe later.

my felicia chin.

this is too spontaneous. the yellowpages guy just went "kiss me kiss me" and well, i think he's quite hilarious though i look quite beside myself. blame the vodka.

terence, do you really have to?!?
7/10 times he like to give that look when he take pictures with ericia.

best clubbing partner =)

terence and muthu-jason.

spotted my long time friend and ex-colleague from the good ol' days of nightlife. muthu hasnt changed much. muthu is what we call jason. =)

muthulingam and myself.

ericia disturbing the photo. evidence: she's the only girl besides myself who has slim and pointy fingers. plus it's not brown so it's not terence's. hahahaha.

steamed terence who obviously cant stand my camera flash.

i couldnt recognize denny in the dark until he called out to me and this picture was taken because he couldnt stand the one i displayed as his caller id. okay so, sharper jaw checked.

that marked the end of our rendezvous. the music by Cosmic Gate was similar to their rave at Port Dickson so no comments. because Tiesto outshone them that night at PD. but like i always said, what's clubbing without good company and good music? both checked =)

we had a belated birthday celebration for peiqi earlier this month.

while qi was away, katt and i befriended this adorably gorgeous babygirl call Natalie. she's really tiny and her features are really delicate and minute. she stole my heart that day. her pop was good sport to let us snap a picture of his precious girl =) christmas beannie (and text on bib) edited for festive effect.

qi love. look at how qi's dodging my flashlight?

therefore we do without it. no point taking uncomfortable pictures. i realize when it comes to my camera, EVERYONE is flash intolerant.

everyone wants a piece of qi! i swear... hahaha.

sorry i hogged your limelight.

she's hinting: what are you waiting for? *points at lips*

fooling about.

i drank lots of tea that day. i reject sweet drinks. most of the time.

once you get her going, you cant stop her. thats what they say...

liking our lil personal session more and more (the guys went to get drinks).

this is one of the ugliest photo i've taken. (read: not idiotic ugly but uncharacteristically ugly)

YCC's drink.

while he went away to fetch us drinks, we started to gross his drink.

childish moments.

i said: "sweet photo sweet photo" and we typically drew up our shoulders. it's instinctive. haha.

sandals for me and peeptoes for her.

YCC and qi.
matchy matchy.

myself with sk. also matchy matchy. im talking about colours! what were you thinking?

qi and sk.

myself and YCC.

buddy buddy.

aside from the pictures taken at Cosmic Gate above, below are the ones taken from terence's phone.

*bling*

he definitely looks better when he's sober. or when he tries to be sober.
whichever comes first.

trio.

trio with vincent.

i remembered we took lots of photos that night so terence, i know you are selectively picking the nicest one!

alright so the nice night ended with a nice supper as usual.

on another separate note, we hung out at the Biennale this year and the things we explored were amazing (it still is).

but of course, im not talking about this. we were reminded of the cute "pigs" we fooled about with at a board games cafe one fine night. i'll leave that for another entry if i need to.

us at Biennale looking at the Cube.

wondering what the Cube is?

this!

featuring ericia with the Cube

viv and the Cube

finally, presenting the Brown One with the Cube

i took out my trusty motorola when my P1i's battery kaput on me.

people say cheek to cheek.
i say tongue to tongue.
dont eww me. i didnt literally touch it!

on the wall outside were inscribed these words of wisdom...

at the "helipad" with viet's self made war helicopter.

inside the heli.

my motorola takes overexposed pictures all the time.
i've long grown used to it.

maggot.
cute or disgusting, you decide.
(i thought it was cute though)

maggots heading in one unified direction.

the only picture i liked in the room. and she's asian too.

a girl?

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a boy. i think.

i like this best. i happened to stumble upon it and found it very apt. it's call Metamorphosis.

the descriptive note.

watch the clip to understand the Metamorphic logic behind its title.

note how each member of the family rotates clothes and position interchangeably. i like this fancy idea.

this reminds me that i havent taken a family photo yet.

anyway, i hadnt mentioned the theme for this year's Biennale. it's call 'Wonder'. as in, every piece of item makes you wonder (what is it, why so, how, when, where).

this is only a chunk of the massiveness you're going to get..

art is inexplicable. sometimes you have to feel it physically to understand.

for this piece, it speaks about perception. there are colours and life on one side of the 2D art and monotonous tones on the other side. when you look over from an angle, it lends a different meaning again. it's beautiful.

inexquisite.
sorry i meant it's exquisite.

this is actually concave art and the art appears to move with you as you trot along (like how terence is doing)

i uploaded lots of clips in this entry so do take the time to view. though not all the clips have meaning behind it.

pity i couldnt capture the 3D effect with the video function for the above clip.

below is a series of "campaign poster"

Families Ask Why
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V
but violence has been cultured through daily experience

so here's why:

You're the fearless rose that grows amidst the freezing winds.
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house and kitchen cleanser. im lost on this.

Shoot First Make Friends Later
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the war, the workplace, whatever you can think of.

ericia offered a good perspective on this: People Killing People
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the China milk scandal

terence told me what i saw above is the entire map of a blown up Singapore

i saw this on the map - ERP everywhere if you continue to vote for PAP

this is the link for the causeway, littered with sticky notes

terence's deliberate brown foot on my house!

ericia standing at her house which is a stone's throw away from me

terence lonesome figure is slightly further away in the East

viv's also pretty near my house from where she stood

who'd have thought terence would write this?

gotcha im kidding it's not our terence.

my note

viv's note

eager to find out where the maggots are heading for

so we tracked them

our momentarily excitement led us to find them running off to the toilets....
what a dismay.

nonetheless, the maggots are the first feature we noticed simply because there were so many of them and well, i cannot resist a shot with the feared one.

"im sorry if you threw up your lunch because of me", said it.

im in love

we're in the room of hope and solitare.

ericia proclaiming her hunger.
no im kidding.

the external wall view we get from inside the room.

very nice concept.
disturbing thoughts.

food used to create a drought image.
with the use of my favorite Meiji plain crackers.

wonder what this is.

view the clip to find out.
it's actually rather intriguing.

the gum display.

this is totally whacked but do you see a couple embracing? when i asked viv, she couldnt see it immediately. im not sure if she sees it cos she bumped into her friend when we were at this station. and viv being viv, got distracted.

all books are predestined ashes

viv viewing through a peephole. i cant remember who was it who didnt wanna view it alone because it was quite disturbing to view through a peephole and not knowing what lies on the other side.

it failed to capture my fickle attention for long. i gave up within seconds.

viv trying out a brain wave patch (which was later revealed by the girl attending to us that it was a procedure designed to trick our mind). in other words, its a hoax.

viv was freaked out by the sounds she heard. or the hoax of sounds she thought she heard inside her brain.

remember the Cube? the picture was taken within the Cube. everything was stacked together/against each other to form the Cube. what if i remove an item? actually, nothing happens because the Cube was formed with boxes and the crevices filled with these knick knacks. and yes, i did remove that toy but i put it back. just for curiosity's sake y'kno... terence said i shouldnt be in the Cube if i were to pose any danger to them.

this was found above the entrance/exit to the Cube.
it was merely normal to me at first but it got more disturbing as i thought of it.

i wanted to reach that toy for fun.
viv took this shot for me.

i was glad we managed to catch this year's Biennale as i missed last year's due to exams.

last year's theme for Biennale was 'Belief' if i remember correctly.

i really appreciate this year's theme though i know the serious Art Connoisseurs think this is too commercialized but hey, what's Art without creativity? but having said that, i dont condone unorthodox Art like the dog that was left to die.

talking about Art, i want to share a marketing quote with my marketer friends:

Creativity without strategy is call Art
Creativity with strategy is call Marketing.

its time to end this post. just a couple more merry making snapshots to go.

of everyone close and dear reveling in good times. =)

this is a feel good shot.

i felt good when i took it.
and i still feel it when i see it. =)

the impromptu night at Howl.

after the drinks and a few rounds of guessing games,
we went to catch Saw V.

5 drunk adults (figuratively) watching a movie.
that's a first for me.

my boss thought i look very peranakan the day i took this.

given the fact that people are confused by Peranakan culture (are they Malay-based or not), i do get my fair share of questioning, "Are you mixed/Malay?".

thanks to the chinese Nonya drama, i trust people to be a bit more enlightened by our culture.

it gets a lil complex to explain sometimes.

well well well, im beat!! i need a hot bath (it's still raining) and a nice warm tea.