Beer Survey Phone Call

This is hilarious!! :p (Taken from http://mrbrown.com/blog/)
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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: ?!!

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??????

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"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

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

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"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

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"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

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

"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

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.


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


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.


Close-up of her pierced ears


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

Collide

(by Howie Day)

a song that's been stuck in my head....

================================================================
The dawn is breaking
A light shining through
You're barely waking
And I'm tangled up in you
Yeah

I'm open, you're closed
Where I follow, you'll go
I worry I won't see your face
Light up again

Even the best fall down sometimes
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme
Out of the doubt that fills my mind
I somehow find
You and I collide

I'm quiet you know
You make a first impression
I've found I'm scared to know I'm always on your mind

Even the best fall down sometimes
Even the stars refuse to shine
Out of the back you fall in time
I somehow find
You and I collide

Even the best fall down sometimes
Even the wrong words seem to ryhme
Out of the doubt that fills your mind
You finally find
You and I collide

You finally find
You and I collide
You finally find
You and I collide

Another night at Timbre

Yes, tt's my sweet Pammy onstage at Timbre...with the very hot Ngak.
Brilliant Aaron 'sabo-ed' her to sing "I'm leaving on a jet plane", cos she's leaving for Sydney soon. I'm so proud of her for having the guts to get up on that stage! Also quite envious that she was in such close proximity to NGAK. haha!


We celebrated Bel's 21st bday too


Ngak 'arrowed' Reggie to come onstage to play bass! How cool is that? They worked together a couple of yrs bk. So sweet that Ngak remembered Reggie and Andrea. He even shared with them later that he felt nervous when he saw them in the crowd.

List of men who ought to be cloned

I'm writing this at Audrey's request. Apparently, the world would be a much better place, and all our probs will be solved if we could clone the following men, and distribute them ard.

1) Sting ('nuff said)
2) Viggo Mortensen ('Aragorn' in LOTR. So man! Plus so talented...he's a poet/ artist/ photographer/ actor etc)
3) Colin Firth (this came from Audrey)
4) Jamie Oliver (boyish charm!)
5) Rob Thomas (for his mesmerizing qualities...May will know)

and closer to home, we have...

6) Ngak (he sings at Timbre on Fridays. gorgeous voice. so cute!But his clone must NOT smoke.)
7) Chris Chia from ARPC (God-fearing, humble, perceptive and eloquent)

Ok...now i feel absolutely BIM!! Thanks Audrey. haha!

My Grandma

My Grandma is so cute lah....she's been getting lazy at making her CNY goodies this yr. So to save time and effort, she's been making everything GIANT size. Eg. GIANT pineapple tarts/ almond cookies etc. You eat one, you will be full liao.

I've never seen such a huge pineapple tart in my life. She made me try one before dinner...and I was stuffed after tt. haha!

Then after that pre-dinner appetizer...we went to the newly opened hawker centre at Hougang for dinner. She was so excited, gave me a 'tour' round the new hawker centre.heh! Then, she ordered two plates of satay beehoon (one for herself, one for my grandfather), PLUS ONE PLATE OF FISH AND CHIPS, which they both shared. Warrau! Was amazed tt old pple can eat so much, when I had trouble finishing my single plate of fish and chips.....and she still asked me "Girl, u want Chwee Kueh?"

Now she's all hyped abt cooking lunch for my BMI colleagues, who are coming over to my place during CNY for mahjong. She intends to make her fried bee hoon, Kueh Pie Tee, curry chicken.

I love my grandma. :)Hee!