the week summed up

this week had mostly been mundane and uninteresting save for a business lunch on a stormy afternoon at a bistro-restaurant near villa bali. the food was nice and the service exceptional.

i'd think im very used to bad service and though im always nice when properly spoken to, i hardly lose my cool with bad service people. once, i had a run in with an atrocious sales woman outside bugis junction. she was downright rude and demeaning. i almost wanted to punch her motor mouth because she was so arrogant. thinking back, i think i did the right thing by reporting against her to the company which was right above the site she was poaching customers from. i did feel bad for possibly making her lose her job. but only slightly. i later found out she was a mental case. unbelievable.

anyway, i have not experience such good service in a long while and that lunch brought back memories of my hey-day in the service industry (the long defunct liquidroom). i wouldnt exactly say i was the most outstanding service person around but i did however enjoy my job back then.

well, back to reality. i had prawn and arugula linguine which looks like this...

...al dente style

so, the guys in my office are crazy about golf and i just gotta share this two hilarious clips with you guys.

this is just a teaser

this is the funny one!
it made me go hahahahahahahaha in one shot

this week's been rather low key. im definitely in dire need of a recharge. if wakeboarding dont materialize this sat, i better start arranging something sporty soon.

a dreamer

i've often dreamed of places i could be at. where the weak-minded will find peace while the strong will meet their nemesis. it's a place where the spirituals are drawn to and where their destinies will unfold.

it's the place where one finds her/himself. where the answer lies in the heart and not the mind.

could i, would i...?

im but a dreamer tonight.

solemn

today was an okay day. i was quite beside myself. if words could describe how i feel, it'd have to resonate between being numbed and trapped.

a simple hug, the presence of a friend, or just hearing the familiar voice of a close friend sounds welcoming. i hesitate. guess it's just mad rush hour and like many cookie cutter executives, im rushing back to my pad...to solace.

gosh please dont remind me it's only tuesday.

im so into it

every year, there is bound to be a movie that makes me cry.

this time, it's happened again with He's Just Not That Into You.

i am soo glad i caught it with the right people =). the company makes all the difference. having said that, i actually think it's a great date movie besides being a chick flick.

also, there were moments we could all relate to in the movie. such as breaking up and moving on, obviously.

(spoilers ahead)

quotes like "A man who wants to make a relationship work will move mountains to keep the woman he loves" and "I need you to stop being nice to me unless you're gonna marry me" are keepers.

there were a few funny moments too, such as one...

African Woman #1: I'm sure he just forgot your hut number!
African Woman #2: Or was eaten by a lion.
African Woman #3: You guys are awesome!

overall, the acting was awesome, plot well written. there's nothing i dont love about the movie. and im into justin long who played Alex the love guru. the movie certainly utilized him well.

movie mania

im going to catch the flick, He's Just Not That Into You, with the girls tomorrow.

but what i really wanna catch next is Let The Right One In. it's a frightening swedish dark film about mortal-vampire tween romance. sounds really boring but wait till you see this...


i havent seen a good horror movie in a long time. a very coming-of-age movie this one.

so the girls and i ended up economizing the weekend with wallet-friendly activities on friday night.


tgif with the girls


my pink souvenir from hk


cat's shimmery face powder


it's a dark shade of pink that i like


a perching cat

just got back from a productive day of chilling by the pool, at dynasty the sleazy ktv and rocher for the beancurd (for the third time within 2 weeks, not to mention my first three times).

good to meet up with katt, row and bx today.

sidetrack, i heard a story today. it made me so upset i almost teared. it wasnt because of a sob story. it was much more than that. what could be more horrible than a simple request that's not granted to go terribly wrong? i could visualize the pain and horror of being misunderstood, accused, mistreated and worse, alone and defenseless all at the same time. it was heartbreaking for me to hear but im glad it was resolved. to the girl who will read this eventually, you're every bit as loved. here's a BIG hug! =) *rubs bruises*

a lil happy

about today.

my plans.

and goals.

the future, though unknown.

about TGIF.

about myself.

and more importantly, my discipline paid off.

and im at my happy weight.

sometimes i operate from a lot of positivity.

time flies

its gonna be my 1 year anniversary at the workpad mid march. through a conversation with aaron, the ex-intern, i was reminded of how time just disappears.

currently in my ipod is part of a song by Clay Aiken (On My Way Here) which i really like:

On my way here
Where I am now
I've learned to fly
I have to want to leave the ground
I've fallen hard
But I've been loved
And in the end it all works out
My faith has conquered fear
On my way here

really really apt song for how im feeling tonight.

caught 3 movies within a month. not a bad count going by my standard.

just to recap, benjamin button has witty humour and dialogues but disappointingly predictable in its ending. brad and cate was quite the pulling factor. at least they made it less painful to watch.

slumdog millionnaire has really good storyline but lacks depth. i also feel like im watching a live who wants to be a millionnaire "thug" version. people actually applauded when the credits rolled. i was so stunned i had to verify with cat.

marley and me is very much a family flick. not to sound cheesy, it does make me want a marley for myself. it's a happy movie. definitely not for the restless. pretty darn draggy.

i've been having dry cough. thought it might be some virus circulating till i realized i've been offered chocolates of the dark variety by my coworker a little too often. obviously i accepted with glee. =P

time for bed! im bushed.

you were always on my mind

thought i'd like to pen this down while it's still fresh in my mind.

how does sentimental women fare in the sea of love? given the baggage they carry over to the next relationship, would they be less in demand and undesirable?

say to say, i do think so. if i were a man seeking a relationship, i wouldnt be attracted to women with too much baggage. its too much work. but when is a baggage in excess? i guess it depends. either way, we are better off being upfront about it.

the only good that came out of it is that we're more sensitive towards the feelings of others. perhaps more empathy, and less critical.

i think i speak for alot of us. and this entry didnt come out of nowhere.

virtuous circle of habits

this week was spent mostly in an incredibly good mood. despite receiving a little heavy flak for misgivings about myself, it's liberating to know that people i dont even know have such strong faith in me.

the conclusion is simple.

remember this, i do not claim to be anybody but who i am. everything else you make up in your mind.

say, if you dont like me. just brush me off and move on. simple. or, if you've to say something. be a man and say it with your true identity. though im glad to know your world revolved around me for that short span of time.

i am actually nice so please dont rub me the wrong way.

issue aside, i've been inundated with sports lately. a very good sign im headed for the slimville. no matter, im getting my tan back. i think i like it. fair skin or not, i'll still be caring plenty for my skin. you could perhaps say it's my single-minded pursuit. it would be psychologically unbearable if my skin problem rebound as a result of my sports scheme.

at the workpad, things are improving in terms of camaraderie and workload.

selective working pictures for your viewing pleasure.

the interviews first.

interviewing the russian

the partner

the stroke patient i spoke about in an earlier entry

the director

the press

sharing a humourous moment

our charismatic emcee and program director, Mitch

the event

seeing green?

the healthy refreshment

the chef taking a breather

the MP

the personal trainers

more coworkers

the chirpy lady in charge of operation



the "up for anything" funny ladies

the platter that's mostly picked off

that was almost 2 weeks ago but it felt longer than that.

yesterday, i was showing off some screen saver picture of mine to bx and he told me he have more of those familiar shots in his camera. never thought these pictures still exist. gosh those were the finest memories of 2007. my skinnier moments with row...

at blu jaz enjoying a peaceful dinner


i miss the bonding


and i miss the youth

about many days back, i sent a few text messages to the faithful beach crew. at the same time, i roped in a couple more new ones. lo and behold, i ended up with more than i bargained for.

the earliest to arrive
a first i think


taking a dig at the drenched ones
(myself included)

we got about 3-4 hours of gorgeous sun and the sky started pouring mercilessly afterwards. the funniest thing happened when we decided to board a 10 minutes tram ride to head back for a shower and ended up without a shelter over my heads. we had to huddle together and pit ourselves against the cranky elements with a picnic-sized straw mat as our "group umbrella". it was the most hilarious moment.

with half-soaked qi


solo


bx attempting a funny


yong an


new friend, jeffrey aka the frisbee dude


me trying to look my best


but not really feeling my best
haha!


our belongings all drenched


the sky cleared
trudging to bathe


uniquely qi


grooming pantry


his fashion glasses


pulling a holier-than-thou look
me: your glasses are reflecting light
him: even better! can up my nerd factor!


she: i need a hairdryer


before


after
me: you look so pleased! hahaha.
him: again!


the official "after"


all prim and ready to scoot


the docile nerd
with cheeky sightings behind


the fashionable nerd

the "hsiao jing teng" look

the weekend is coming to another closure. looking forward with glee to more of such weekends. the guys had lots of fun too and have been booked way in advance for another get together session like yesterday. i feel fine and fully recharged already with a great week behind me.

gah. im not sleepy yet. was hoping to catch up more on my sleep today but i spent the bulk of my time reading the papers. what a dorky sunday.