Sunday, February 26, 2006

My grandma kicks ass

Over a lovely home-cooked dinner of steamed fish/yam/Giam Chye soup, fried bee hoon and Chee Kueh (finally, proper fd after wks of trashy International Plaza packed dinners!)....my funky grandma regaled me with happening stories from her young-working adult days.

As some of you know, my grandma (Peggy) used to sell luxury cars. She was quite an impressive and successful salesperson....and she managed to gain respect in a male-dominated environment too.

One day, over lunch with the powerful Chairman of her company, this conversation took place:

Chairman: Peggy ah....I must say, you have the most beautiful legs! *hum sup expression*
Peggy: *shudders* What?!? Bloody hell! You got nothing else better to look at ah?

My grandma rocks!haha!

Saturday, February 25, 2006

Discovering me....

Hi frens! Help me know myself better by contributing to my JOHARI WINDOW. It only takes 2 mins. :)
Thanks y'all!

(to view updates/ progress on my Johari Window, go to JOHARI WINDOW- VIEW)

Friday, February 24, 2006

Escapism

"Come Visit Australia, Dammit" (TODAY Newspaper, 24 Feb 2006)
==============================================================
The Australian government yesterday launched a multi-million dollar international advertising campaign that asks foreigners: "Where the bloody hell are you?"

The tourism promotion campaign will cost A$180 million and play in Germany, Japan, the United States, Britain and India.

Tourism Minister Fran Bailey said the tagline was "friendly" rather thatn offensive

--------------------------------------------------------------------

I was quite tickled by that article. Bless those Australians for having a sense of humour. haha! The article came at the right time too....just as Pammy was telling me abt "soaking up Oz culture" (my sweet love is so far away), and as I've been day-dreaming about Sydney again.

I wanna get away from S'pore
Fly myself to Aussie land...
Re-visit my cozy cottage in the Blue Mts
Wake up to chilly, misty mornings,
hot steaming coffee and scrambled eggs,
and a fluffy white cat on my porch!
I wanna go horse-riding and get lost
in a forest with wild kangaroos,
Stroll through beautiful gardens and
quaint antique shops.

I don't wanna deal with my work,
my mountain of 'stuff',
my separation anxiety from loved ones,
my struggles with 'growing up',
my own inertia...
This city is stifling
Take me away to a kinder place....

Australia beckons: "Where the bloody hell are you?"

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Reality Bites

22 Feb midnite, an MSN conversation that went roughly like this:

Audrey: Happy birthday to MEEEEEEEEEE!!!!! :)
Mich: haha! Yes, happy birthday to you! You're so cute...wishing yourself n all that.
Audrey: Happy mah! *grinz*
Mich: How old are you? 27?
Audrey: HEY!!!!! Nehneh! Don't remind me!
Mich: But you said you're happy!
Audrey: Yeah...well, until you reminded me of my age!
Mich: Oops.

23 Feb, another MSN conversation:

Mich: It was Shirley and Audrey's bday yesterday. They both turned 27!
Des: Wow...we're getting old.
Mich: Tell me about it. How come so fast?? 27!! And we're still thinking/ behaving like kids.
Des: Some of our friends are HAVING kids.
Mich: erm...yeah. Hey, but on 'Friends', the characters were also ard 28! And they were like us!
Des: There are no good single gals left out there.
Mich: WHAT?!?!? *fumes*

Skylark

"A bird doesn't sing because it has the answers,
it sings because it has a song" - Maya Angelou

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

"To Him who is able to keep you from falling..."

I love this Doxology. :)Sang it in ARPC a few times...and the beauty and power of the words caused Audrey n I to *gasp* at the end of svce.

"Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling,
and to present you faultless before the presence of
His glory with exceeding joy.

To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty,
dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen."
- Jude 1:24-25

"This Aslan.....is he safe?"

My boss made me do a little reading on "Song of Songs" in preparation for some syllabus planning...and this was part of a chpter i had to read. It took me by surprise...with the simplicity of its point and the impact it made.

It really reveals to us, that in spite of all our glossy, impressive veneers, there are some basic fears and insecurities that haunt us all. At the core of our humanity, we are just like little children who need to know that we are loved, and will be kept safe.

And there is only ONE...who can fulfil those needs unfailingly.

p/s: i love the "Chronicles of Narnia" parallel!:)

====================================================================
(Taken from "Bridal Intercession- Authority in Prayer through Intimacy with Jesus" by Gary Wiens)

In the life of every believer comes a time that is often very disconcerting. It is the time when the Holy Spirit chooses to reveal to us that the Lover of our souls and the King of the universe are one and the same Person. We are gripped by a sense of awe and wonder that it is pleasant and exhilarating on one hand yet terrifying on the other, because we begin to see the implications of intimacy with this Man, Christ Jesus.

In C.S Lewis' "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe", there is a delightful section in which one of the citizens of Narnia, Mr. Beaver, is leading the newcomers (children from England, who will one day rule in the Kingdom of Narnia) to meet Aslan the Lion, the Christ-figure in the story. As they approach the place where they will meet him, the children begin to experience feelings of holy dread and numinous, which cause them to tremble with appropriate fear. One of the children asks Mr Beaver a question that capsulates the fears that well up in any human soul when confronted by that which transcends us: "This Aslan--is he safe?"

That's the question, isn't it? Part of us wants to experience an exhilarating love, but at the same time we want to know that it's safe to go there, especially in an era when adventuresome romance is so frequently unsafe.

Mr Beaver's answer shines with the wisdom of the ages, the understanding of one who has walked with the Lord for long years:
"Safe? No one has said anything abt safe. But he's good! He's the king, I tell you!" It is because of the reality of God's goodness that we can have confidence as we approach Him, knowing that wherever He may lead us, we are ultimately safe. We begin to be confident about ultimate things, that no matter what we may encounter, our eternal well-being is a settled issue.

Monday, February 20, 2006

BLUE again!!

Looks like I'm hardcore blue. haha! This is another test that Andrea sent me. She happened to do it simulataneously when i was trying the previous test (she's Brown and Reggie's Black btw). I think this one is more reliable....its got more colours than just RED and BLUE. :p

http://web.tickle.com/invite?test=1108&type=t

You're blue — the most soothing shade of the spectrum. The color of a clear summer sky or a deep, reflective ocean, blue has traditionally symbolized trust, solitude, and loyalty. Most likely a thoughtful person who values spending some time on your own, you'd rather connect deeply with a few people than have a bunch of slight acquaintances. Luckily, making close friends isn't that hard, since people are naturally attracted to you — they're soothed by your calming presence. Cool and collected, you rarely overreact. Instead, you think things through before coming to a decision. That level-headed, thoughtful approach to life is patently blue — and patently you!

Thursday, February 16, 2006

Note to self....

The pple/ things tt I feel strongly abt, and hold dear to my heart, are NOT NECCESSARILY the pple/things that OTHER PPLE feel strongly abt, or hold dear to THEIR heart.

[Yes, what a rude wake-up call to the dreamer/ idealist.]

Hence, I cannot force pple to act against their convictions....and I should not be so quick as to label them as 'heartless', even when I feel they are.

Hmmph...go figure.

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Blue

A bit paiseh to post this...cos I normally don't do such quizzes. But I guess i was kinda curious. Hey Rie!I'm the same colour as u. :)

BLUE
BLUES are motivated by INTIMACY, seek opportunities

to genuinely connect with others, and need to

be appreciated. They do everything with

quality and are devoted and loyal friends and

employers/employees. Whatever or whomever

they commit to are their sole (and soul)

focus. They love to serve and will give

freely of themselves in order to nurture

others lives.

BLUES, however, do need to be understood. They have

distinct preferences and occasionally the

somewhat controlling (but always fair)

personality of a confident leader. Their code

of ethics is remarkably strong and they

expect others to live honest, committed lives

as well. They enjoy sharing meaningful

moments in conversation as well as

remembering special life events (i.e.,

birthdays and anniversaries). BLUES are

dependable, thoughtful, nurturing, and can

also be self-righteous, a bit worry-prone,

and emotionally intense. They are like

sainted pit-bulls who never let go of

something once they are committed. When you

deal with a BLUE, be sincere, make an effort

to truly understand them, and truly

appreciate them.


What Color Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Hannon Le

if u didn't understand tt...too bad.:P

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Shelter

(by Corrinne May)

During her concert, Corrinne May dedicated this song to all the
'Ee-yores' out there. ie. pple who are always melancholic...'nobody loves me, everybody hates me, i'm gonna eat some worms' types. haha!
Anyway, I really love the song...so beautiful. We all need to have a shelter. :)

Chorus:
Just call my name
Let me be your answer
It hurts me to see you this way
I wanna ease your pain
Let me understand
Let me be your shelter my friend

Pam's farewell Supper

We had Pam's farewell supper last nite, in the office. We ordered Macs, and had a real blast jamming together (i've not heard Corrinne May songs sung SO loudly, by SO many pple before. haha!), drinking wine,cracking jokes,and swopping stories. At one point, it really felt like a camp-fire sing-a-long session. Very cozy n heart-warming! :) WE WILL MISS U PAMMY!!!!!!


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we made Pam sing "I'm leaving on a jet plane". heh! Daniel Wilson played guitar for her.

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Pam cracking up cos a lot of us were trying to video her/ take pics of her....and i think Jo threatened to upload it onto our BMI website.

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My attempt to take a personal pic with Pam was being sabotaged by these 2 jokers behind.

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Pam, Aaron and myself. 'nuff said.

Oh sweet puppy!!!!

Just before Corrinne May's concert at UCC, Pam, Bernice and I had dinner at Holland V. We passed by this pet shop, and I spotted the sweetest puppy!!! Its a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Blenheim colouring...exactly what I would love to hv.

Here are the pics. Didn't manage to take a gd one of its face, cos it was too interested in its dinner. hehe! But believe me....it had the sweetest, cutest face with choc coloured eyes. *MELTZ*

(its MY blog..i can post as many pointless doggie pics as I wish.:p)

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Saturday, February 11, 2006

Beer Survey Phone Call

This is hilarious!! :p (Taken from http://mrbrown.com/blog/)
===================================================================
My youngest brother gets a phone call from some lady to prescreen candidates for a beer market survey. Shortlisted candidates get paid to attend a focus group and view some commercials.

Telemarketer: So have you heard of the beer brand, Hoegaaden?
Brother: Yes.
Telemarketer: What about Corona?
Brother: Yes.
Telemarketer: What about Tiger, Anchor and Kilkenny?
Brother: Yes, I've heard of them.
Telemarketer: Ok. Then have you heard of Stella Ah Tui?
Brother: ?!!

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

You're leaving on a jet plane...

This really seems like the song of the moment. Blame it on Ngak...he keeps singing it wk after wk at Timbre, now its so stuck in my head.

Anyway, this goes out to my sweet love Pammy (leaving for Sydney on 16th Feb) and dear Audrey (leaving for Brisbane on 23rd Feb). *BOOHOO!!!!!* *SNIFFLES* WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WITHOUT YOU??????

====================================================================
"I'm leaving on a jet plane"
=============================

All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go
I'm standing here outside your door, I hate to wake you up to say good-bye
But the dawn is breaking, it's early morn
The taxi's waiting, he's blowing his horn
Already I'm so lonesome I could die

Chorus:
So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go
I'm leaving on a jet plane
I don't know when I'll be back again
Oh Babe, I hate to go

There's so many times I've let you down
So many times I've played around
And I tell you now, they don't mean a thing
Every place I go I'll think of you
Every song I sing I'll sing for you
When I come back I'll wear your wedding ring

(chorus)

Now the time has come to leave you
One more time, oh, let me kiss you
And close your eyes and I'll be on my way
Dream about the days to come
When I won't have to leave alone
About the times that I won't have to say

Oh, kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go
I'm leaving on a jet plane
I don't know when I'll be back again
Oh Babe, I hate to go

I'm leaving on a jet plane
I don't know when I'll be back again
Oh Babe, I hate to go

Monday, February 06, 2006

Can the child within my heart rise above?

I've discovered the Dixie Chicks!!:) And I'm so thrilled abt their music now! Who wld have thought that i'd be into country music eh?

[Well, I never thought I'd buy the Sheryl Crow Greatest Hits album either....but I did, much to May's amusement. Haha! And Sheryl Crow has worked with the Dixie Chicks, who have been featured in Lilith Fair as well....so perhaps it a really natural musical progression for me?]

The Dixie Chicks have really awesome vocals (Natalie Maine who is on lead has a remarkably clear, powerful and charismatic voice) and exquisite, tight harmonies! I love how they've recorded in a traditional, acoustic style...and its interesting to hear the sounds of the banjo, mandolin, fiddle, tin whistles etc.

[ to listen to the Dixie Chicks mp3s...go to my Multiply website at
http://jazzymoo.multiply.com/music ]

Finally, I'm quite impressed by the reflective, heartfelt lyrics with beautiful, sublime images interwoven in the story-telling.
*contented sigh*
A lot of their songs speak about growing up, finding one's identity, handling changes and the diff. seasons of life, relationships, love etc. Very ez to relate to. (Makes their CD a great one to play during road trips)

I dunno about you, but in the midst of all this growing up...I still feel like a little girl at heart...a little girl who longs for life to be simpler, for a safe place to call 'home', for comfort, laughter and love.....and this is a little girl who has to be jolted into the realities of adulthood. I'm 25, going on 26!!

Well, I know I'm not alone in this sentiment. :)
"Can the child within my heart rise above" indeed.


"Landslide"
=============

I took my love and I took it down
I climbed a mountain and I turned around
And I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills
Well the landslide brought me down

Oh, mirror in the sky
What is love
Can the child within my heart rise above
Can I sail thru the changing ocean tides
Can I handle the seasons of my life

Chorus:
Well, I've been afraid of changing
'cause I built my life around you
But time makes you bolder
Children get older
I'm getting older too

So, take this love and take it down
Yeah and if you climb a mountain and ya turn around
And if you see my reflection in the snow-covered hills
Well the landslide brought me down
And if you see my reflection in the snow-covered hills
Well maybe
Well maybe
Well maybe the landslide will bring you down

==================================================================

"Godspeed (Sweet Dreams)"
===========================

Dragon tales and the "water is wide"
Pirate's sail and lost boys fly
Fish bite moonbeams every night
And I love you

Chorus:
Godspeed, little man
Sweet dreams, little man
Oh my love will fly to you each night on angels wings
Godspeed
Sweet dreams

The rocket racer's all tuckered out
Superman's in pajamas on the couch
Goodnight moon, we'll find the mouse
And I love you

God bless mommy and match box cars
God bless dad and thanks for the stars
God heard amen, wherever you are
And I love you

==================================================================

"Wide Open Spaces"
===================

Who doesn't know what I'm talking about
Who's never left home, who's never struck out
To find a dream and a life of their own
A place in the clouds, a foundation of stone

Many precede and many will follow
A young girl's dream no longer hollow
It takes the shape of a place out west
But what it holds for her, she hasn't yet guessed

[Chorus:]
She needs wide open spaces
Room to make her big mistakes
She needs new faces
She knows the high stakes

She travelled this road as a child
Wide eyed and grinning, she never tired
But now she won't be coming back with the rest
If these are life's lessons, she'll take this test

[Repeat Chorus]
She knows the high stakes

As her folks drive away, her dad yells, 'Check the oil!'
Mom stares out the window and says, 'I'm leaving my girl'
She says, It didn't seem like that long ago
When she stood there and let her own folks know

Friday, February 03, 2006

A Night of Faith

"Pain narrows vision. The most private of sensations, it forces us to think of ourselves and little else."- Philip Yancey

I'm most guilty of that...
I'm still learning to pray,
to get down on my knees,
to face Him...
When my path is shrouded in fog,
When my heart has gone cold,
When I'm wrestling with my demons

Job's friends chided him:
"Don't forget in the darkness
what you learned in the light"
But as Yancey has observed,
no mere memory,
nor inspirational slogans
will remove the problem of pain
or loneliness.

And it can certainly get so lonely
in a crowd, or even in the company
of loved ones.

I need rest...
A safe harbour

But for now, I'll have to wait
till the curtain of night
is lifted

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

"Own Me"

(by Ginny Owens)

Own me
Take all that I am,
And heal me!
With the blood of the lamb.
Mould me with Your gracious hand;
Break me till I’m only Yours-
Own me!

CNY

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1)I joined Jo and Shirley at Marina Sq, after slipping away from the first day of CNY visitation. We made a sweet sight in pinks n lilacs...i think. haha! This was taken at Swensen's.

2)On the 3rd day, I met Lishan for a long, lazy lunch at Siem Reap Cafe at Indochine, Empress Place. It's a lovely place for Al Fresco dining as it faces the river...of course if you hate basking in the sun, then go there at night instead, when its much cooler. We were feeling so relaxed, I forgot to take the pics I wanted to. Haiz!

Anyway, the fd there was surprisingly gd. We got iced mocha lattes, fried vegetarian spring rolls for starters, and for mains we had the Duck Noodle Soup (EXCELLENT! The duck was tender and the broth was fragrant n thick enuff), the House Salad (which came with an interesting egg/ mango dressing). Laotian/ Cambodian/ Viet cuisine can be very refreshing and fragrant indeed.

The mains are actually quite affordable btw...won't blow your wallet. Abt $10-12. Drinks are kinda pricey tho'.Ard $6/7. Anyway, if anyone wants to chill out there with me, let me know. i lurve tt place. :)

3) In the evening, I met up with Steph and her mini-schnauzer Gin...whom I suspect is starting to recognise me. I HOPE! hee! It's always enjoyable walking her, holding her in the car (and she's so sweet, she will rest her head in the nook of my arm, and place her paw in my hands. Awwwww...) I SO NEED A DOG OF MY OWN LAH!!!!!

But as I was telling Steph at Casuarina Curry....I think I'm quite fixed on the breed that I want. A Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, female, Blenheim colouring (that's a mixture of white and brown). You can check out this website to take at it. http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/cavalierkingcharlesspanielphotos3.htm
Anyone who knows someone who is giving away or breeding Cavaliers, pls let me know. :)

4)Ngak is playing at Timbre on tues (and Fri) nites...but I had to refrain myself from going this wk. Sekali he think i stalker groupie. Haha!

5) Today (4th day of CNY), some of the BMI gals (Berno, Jo and Pam) came down to my place. My sweet grandma made us a lunch of Fried Bee Hoon, Chicken Curry, and Kueh Pie Tee. Poor Aaron was stuck in sch with mountain-loads of projects and a stuffed sinusy nose, so he cldn't join us for mahjong afterall. Quite a waste..cos i think he wld hv really enjoyed the fd, and tokking to my 'happening grandma' who used to sell luxury cars.

Well, since the 'mahjong master/sifu' wasn't ard to teach us ignorant gals the rules of the game...we cldn't play, and ended up heading to town to play pool and to PIERCE BERNICE'S EARS!! haha! Silly gal, she was joking when she made tt suggestion to me last nite, but we all agreed that it wld be fun, and that it was abt time she did it! Besides, we wld be there to give her support! haha! So, Bernice was dragged down to "B.dazzled" at Wisma Atria to get the deed done.

Here are the pics! Apparently the salesgal cld tell that we came for ear piercing, just from observing Bernice's worried expression from afar.

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Bernice before the piercing....getting her ears 'marked'. She said her heart was beating faster by then.

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In goes the earring! It all happened in 2 secs. They don't use the 'stapler-gun' thingy anymore...so no more horrid sounds...and this disposable catridge thingy is real fast too.

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Close-up of her pierced ears

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All done! Wasn't that painful afterall rite my gal? And doesn't she look all pretty and sparkly now. :)