The World At My Fingertips!

I proudly admit that I cannot survive without my phone. I don't like to feel like I am unreachable nor do I like to feel like I am out of touch with the people I love.

Be it through an actual phone conversation, texting, MSN, e-mail, twitter, blogging or even Facebook.. I am very in-sync with all the forms of communication available to me. other than Facebook and MSN, I check the rest of my communications on a daily basis, some on an hourly basis.

As I got older, I realised I became more dependent on e-mail. it gets work done faster and allows me to transmit more information on a single platform of communication.

Ironically, I do not own a functional notebook. When I am out of office, (ie. weekends), on a holiday or at some remote place without internet access, i feel completely lost. Not being able to check my emails, Facebook or blog.. is like cutting me off from the outside world. feeling out of no choice, i rely greatly on my phone on days like these. for the only other forms of communication available to me - calling and texting.

I tried to perform the above-mentioned functions on my humble nokia phone whom runs on the good ol' traditional java platform.. well if i am willing to compromise, it does work fine. until i realised the money that racked up on my monthly bill. then yea, that is NOT fine.

3 days ago, I went and got myself a Nokia E71.. just 3 days of owning it, I dare say my life has changed. IT HAS BECOME PERFECT. My life has been black and white until the E71 came along! it is like finding the missing piece of puzzle in my life! I am certain I absolutely cannot live without my E71.. it can do everything! i can call, i can text, i can check emails (so conveniently, may i add, as it is push-mail), i can blog, i can twitter, i can access FB.. oh god.. how did i ever manage to live my 27 years of life without such an amazing gadget like this!!

Everything is within my fingertips, literally!

I am such a happy bunny now.. as it feels as tho i can carry my whole world around with me.. to work, outside of work, in the bathroom, in the lift, etc, etc.

when i travel for leisure now, i can conveniently check my work email and realli holiday with a peace of mind. it is a wondrous feeling, i tell u.

so i was wrong abt myself not being smart enough for a smart phone..

I just hadn't met E71 yet. :)

A Queen, I Am!

Been a good coupla days of late. Have been very lucky on Tuesday to be blessed with good weather. So good that my shoulders are a shade darker now. But can't complain, good weather like the one on Tuesday is hard to come by for a day of photoshoot.. the skies were a brilliant blue with big, puffy, white clouds dancing in them. :)

had an impromptu idea to go to BKK over the National Day long weekend next week. cuz i am honestly pretty bored of married life on weekends.. a song comes to mind:

"Just sitting here with you
Holding your hand I'm in paradise
Lost in your wonderland"

Wonderland there seems a lil misleading. Anyway. My point is, I am bored of married life in a good way. like having bird's nest everyday can be boring, you know? :p

so ya, off we go to the land of smiles next Thursday, together with our good couple-friends, Agus and Sally. It's gonna be such great fun - a double date time-extension!

we were very lucky to find a good deal on Jetstar (or being able to get any tickets at all this late) and being such an impromptu idea, some of us had to compromise with work, timing etc. The flight times offered by Jetstar were perfect for us and all of us were able to take time off to go together!

I know a lot of ppl go to BKK for the cheap shopping but the 4 of us are not there for the shopping (anyway, i nv did like shopping in BKK), we are gg there for the cheap and good massages, and to spend like kings at nice restaurants! not gonna miss out on Vertigo this time!

Vertigo

having said that, we had not intended to stay in budget/boutique hotel or at the backpackers. we wanted a 5-star hotel like Dusit Thani. When I did a quick check on its rates, it turned out to be too good a deal to not book it! for SGD120 a night, who could resist the calling of a 5-star hotel who boasts of guests like Tiger Woods, Andy Roddick, Black Eyed Peas, Jay Chou and Enrique Iglesias?? Not me!!

and so, booked for Dusit Thani, we are!

Looking forward to living like a Queen come Aug 6! :)

Small Talk of Another Kind

I know I've permed my hair for a while now.. Since March, I think? You'd think I'd have the winning formula by now, having the exact products and perfect touches to my hair so my head ends up covered in those fabulous, big, luscious curls.

Well, not really. And not always! I swear, my hair has a live of its own, sometimes. :(

On some days, if I manage to put in the correct amount/combination of leave-on conditioner (for, well, conditioning), hair oil (for shine) and anti-frizz serum (for more manageable hair), I have no doubt it will look perfect throughout the day.

But on those days where things just dun gel, I will either end up with a head of hair that looks like cotton candy, or hair that looks limp and lifeless.

With that, you have to know that even though I am happy with my curls so far, I am constantly on the lookout for better products/tips that can improve the look of my lovely-but-not-quite curls. When it comes to finding beauty products that work, a lot of times it is trial and error for me.

So I have heard so much about TIGI's Bedhead Small Talk and I was doing my beauty products shopping over the weekend and chanced upon a very good deal for it. It retails at about SGD30 plus if I am not wrong, I got it for almost 40% off the retail price. So I bought my very 1st bottle of Small Talk and rubbed it into my hair this morning. So far, it is turning out well, I can see that the usual suspects of unruly curls are not so unruly today and they seem to be drying up really pretty. (My hair normally looks very different when it's wet and when it's dry.)


Today is the 1st day I am trying it out after all so I will monitor it's efficiency for this week (at least) before I go ahead to give my verdict on this wonderfully-acclaimed hair product.

You can find out more about TIGI's Bedhead Small Talk here.

Meanwhile, take care and have a good hair day, all! :)

The Time Traveler's Wife Movie

I've re-read the book to prepare myself for the movie. It's finally coming.. (Yahoo! Movies says September 17 in Singapore.)

If you've read the book, then watch the trailer here, it is surprisingly good. very well cut. even if it's just a trailer.. it made me tear a little.. (i'm quite useless, yea.)

I love how the official site of movies these days embed the trailer into the flash player. so even if my office bans streaming media, i can still watch it. :)

I am simply thrilled that Rachel McAdams is playing Clare. She has done a wonderful job in The Notebook playing Ally and I have no doubt she will be just as splendid in The Time Traveler's Wife. Amazingly, Eric Bana looks exactly how I would imagine Henry to look! I am loving it more now!

a lot of nice movies are coming up this year-end. it's going to be a lovely treat for me!

Not until October?!

According to this website, 500 Days of Summer won't be out until October 15 this year.

VERY SAD! :( I hope they are wrong cuz Yahoo! Movies said August 20!

I guess I will have no choice but to disappear for a few hours on my wedding day donning my wedding dress and run off to the nearest theatre to catch it.

REALLY!

So anyway, I finally couldn't resist the temptation.. and watched the trailer.



Can't say I am not disappointed. But I learnt not to trust trailers too much. :) The styling for the cast was lovely tho, don't you think?

If he were an American..

They've somehow managed to American-ize him. Not my cup of tea. I like him better oozing his English bloke sex appeal.

But well, at least it's better than his Cedric Diggory get-up.

Music Makes A Movie Come Alive

Trust me when I say I am obsessed.

I have been reading nuggets of info on "500 Days of Summer" online, without reading anything that gives the plot away, of course. (It has already started to air in theatres July 17 in the US.)

Most of the things I've read so far, never failed to mention the amazing soundtrack that comes with the film. Google "500 days of summer OST" and you'll see. I never bluff you.

I especially like what this website said:

"At Sundance every year, there are at least a few films released with killer soundtracks. 500 Days of Summer is one of this year’s musically talked about films."

So, me being me, I headed down to HMV yesterday to very hopefully get myself a copy. Cuz u kno, some soundtracks never make their way down to tiny lil Singapore at all, not to mention a new release such as this.

I am so very lucky. Not only do they have it, they've got the one and only copy in the store.

Could I be the only on in Singapore to own it now? Silly me.

For most of the movies I love, I own the soundtracks to them. Each time I listen to it, it brings me back to the mood and feel of the film and reminds me of why I loved it at that time. Some of my all-time favourite soundtracks are "My Best Friend's Wedding", "Notting Hill", "Jerry Maguire", "10 Things I Hate About You" (the representation of my glorious youth, I've gotta love it), "The Notebook" (the piano pieces in this one is really the killer), think you get the drift.

A good movie will almost always come with a good soundtrack. And the soundtrack is a good gauge of how the film will turn out, if you, like me, am listening to one without watching the actual film yet.

The 500 Days of Summer soundtrack is amazingly, extremely lovely. So indie and so insightful. The song choices are very interesting, it as almost telling a story within its soundtrack itself. I listen to each song, and try to imagine how it may fit into a scene in the film based on the movie stills I've seen so far.. it gives me goosebumps! The music is really good.

I like how the soundtrack starts with the 1st song called "A Story of Boy meets Girl", a very inspirational piece of music plays in the background of a short narration:

"This is a story of boy meets girl. The boy, Tom Hanson of New Jersey, grew up believing that he'd never truly be happy, until the day he met the one. The belief stemmed from early exposure to sad British pop music and reading from movie, 'The Graduate'.

The Girl, Summer Finn of Michigan, did not share this belief. Since the disintegration of her parents' marriage, she'd only loved 2 things. The 1st was her long dark hair, the 2nd was how easily she could cut it off, and feel nothing.

Tom meets Summer on January 8th, he knows almost immediately, she's who he has been searching for.

This is a story of boy meets girl. You should know upfront: This is not a love story."

I notice in the music in the soundtrack are mostly light-hearted and cheery, apart of the exceptional few slow numbers, relatively melancholic. If that is the way the movie is going to be, I think it is going to be great.

I like not knowing what to expect, but knowing it will end in tears worth crying. Bittersweet endings are my absolute fave. The masochistic part of me is very very roused right now.

Top 5 - Wedding Don'ts

Don't wear white, unless you are also getting married that day. Then you shouldn't be showing up at another's wedding!

5. Don't be loud. (it is inconsiderate and it would turn the beautiful day into a circus show)
4. Don't be late. (cuz it says that you don't care)
3. Don't play host. (even if you know everyone, it is not your party after all)
2. Don't overdress such that you upstage the bride/groom. (leave your red-carpet dresses for, well, red-carpets)
1. Don't wear white! (unless you have specifically been told to)

Interview With The Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles

I dunno how many people actually seen this show shot in 1994 but I haven't, up until last night.

I decided to find out for myself what all the hype about this vampire show leads to. it is apparently the mother of all vampire movies and if you haven't seen this, you haven't seen nothing.

so well, i began watching it with a lot of expectations. especially since i have not read the Anne Rice novel before, the movie would normally turn out better in this case.

the 1st thing that left me in awe.. was the vampire make-up. considering it was a show in the 90s, the make-up was really impressive. hell, it was so much better than Twilight!

the 2nd thing that struck me was how different tom cruise looked back then. i almost could not recognise him.. he looked more regular, like a typical angmoh. but then again, it could be the long hair that really altered his look in the show, cuz he looked really good in "Mission Impossible", which was shot only 2 years after "Interview".

i will do my best to cut the film some slack, since it was shot in the early 90s and it really wouldn't be fair to compare it to one of today's movies. but i do think that it would not have survived today's harsh movie critics.

the storyline was probably the best part of it, the main reason why it got picked up for a movie, I guess. it follows the transformation of a vampire (Louis) right from the beginning to the so-called end and the struggles and events that Louis went through as a new vampire.

Kirsten Dunst did an amazing job in the film and made the biggest impression on me. she is almost up there with Linda Blair in "The Exorcist". DAMN GOOD. Sad to say this is her best performance in a movie I've seen, so far.

Tom Cruise, in the show, was very much like his scientology-self today. A bit obsessed. The jumping on the sofa kind of obsessed. With trying to maintain his covent and preying on civilians in the show, I mean.

Brad Pitt was at his best in the film when he showed rage, his facial expressions were truly terrifying. The last part where the interviewer asked to be made, that was the best part of the show for me.


And ooh.. Antonio Banderas.. who would have thought he looked so good as a vampire? but alas, he turned out to be the same like Lestat (Tome Cruise's character), wanting only companionship from Louis and turning him into a heartless walking dead.

on the whole, the feeling I got was a very dark and gory one. it would be easy to fall asleep halfway through the show had you been very tired, prior to watching it. not because it was boring but because of the way the movie is being presented. It had a bit of Tim Burton feel to it.

after i finished the movie, it felt like there was something lacking. i thot maybe the movie was poorly edited as some parts felt really incomplete to me. like the scenes back to back, didn't glue. i couldn't understand why Lestat had chosen Louis to make him his companion (ok i know it is because he saw that he was a passionate man, but they should have done more build-up on that), why Louis was "forced" to prey on Claudia (again, not enough build-up) and or how Claudia came to figure that Louis was going to leave her. everything just felt so abrupt. It was like the director/screenplay writer wanted the main points to stand out in the limited amount of time, so much so that he's forgotten to put in minor details to accentuate and "garnish" the story line.

i think that is the always the main problem for novels-turn-movie. some details would have to go, else turning it into a drama.

i also felt that there hadn't been enough details about the origins or lifestyle of a vampire. but that could be because I am reviewing it 15 years later, where movies today are more strategised, more organised. and new movies have to be bigger and better in order to continue to impress us, the audience. perhaps the people who watched it 15 years ago would have thot it a wonderful film and that they've never seen anything like it before.

however, i have to admit that the impression of vampires that society have today, have been mainly influenced by this film, that it makes up a big piece of the puzzle in goth culture. the show has depicted vampires in the way i totally imagined them to be (not like those in Twilight, they have been totally romanticised). they are dark, mysterious, almost emotionless and dangerous.

there has never been another movie tag line more visual than this, "Drink from me and live forever". It truly summarizes the movie in one line.

the story, i have no doubt, would have been better presented in the novel. but even after watching the movie, it doesn't make me want to go and read the book like some movies did. and there's a lingering thought in my mind - why had they not shot a sequel to it? i am sure it would have made a great epic movie.

and unlike Twilight, after the show ended, I had not wished I knew any vampires.

Spirit Wings

I attended an all-girls' catholic school from primary to secondary school, despite being a non-catholic. altho i nv converted, i strongly believe in the goodness of the religion and it nv ceased to surprise me, how close the teachings of Catholicism is to Buddhism. I guess a good religion will all teach the same goodness of humanity. :)

being convent sch girls, we are all required to attend mass in school. there would be at least one mass per month: Easter Day Mass, Good Friday Mass, New Year's Day Mass, Teacher's Day Mass, Children's Day Mass etc etc. I had loved going to mass for 2 reasons. 1stly, it eats into our lesson time. hence, can skip class. :p 2ndly, during mass, we get to sing boring, but very beautiful hymns. some of those i remember until this day. especially those that gives me a calming effect each time after i sing it.

I attended a friend's church wedding some months back.. as well as her wedding mass, of cuz. it had been more than 10 years since i last attended a mass. and i was appalled at the number of new hymns that were available now.. most of them i could not sing along to.

however, one hymn did come up towards the end and it brought back so many memories.. of me and my classmates sitting on the wooden floor of the school gym, holding each other's hand and singing along with the choir. as i looked around me in that church, it was the same faces around me. And i saw the same look on their faces when they looked up. Some of them their faces I've seen since I was 7, others, more than 10 years I have known them. Except they are more grown up now, and wiser than when we sat on the wooden floors in sch. it was truly a magical moment and a realisation of how many years we have stood by each other and managed to remain true to ourselves and our friendship. i couldn't help myself when a tear fell from my eye, a single tear of joy.

I sung the hymn out loud, praying for happiness, good health and for the eternal bond of our friendship.

Today, the tune has found its way back to me and I am singing the hymn in my head and crying the tears in my heart as I remember a dear colleague who passed away on Saturday.

Spirit Wings
"Some birds live in cages
They never learn to fly
And like those birds, I never found my wings
But Lord, your love released me
So I could see the sky
And now my heart rejoices as I sing

Spirit Wings,
You lift me over all the earth bound things
And like a bird, my heart is flying free
I'm soaring on the song your spirit brings
O Lord of all, You let me see
A vision of, your majesty
You lift me up
And carry me on your spirit wings

Now when I'm feeling lonely
I just look at You
And soon my heart is soaring high above
Everything is clearer
From Your point of view
Lifted up on spirit wings of love"

Dear Anthony,

We have been colleagues for almost a year and I know we never talked as much as we should have, but you were always a joy to have around. I hope that wherever you are now, you are reunited with your loved ones and smiling down from above. May God bless your family during this difficult time.

You will always be in our hearts and we will always miss you. RIP.

Love,
Kelly

Top 5 - Underrated Hollywood Actors (that I love!)

Jay Mohr: Did anyone see him in "Jerry Maguire"? He was a brilliant villian! What about in "Pay It Forward", as the very passionate reporter who was determined to find the start of the "Pay it forward" chain. My utmost favourite was his role in "Picture Perfect" with Jen Aniston. He was so charming! Most recently seen in "Ghost Whisperer" with Jennifer Love Hewitt.

5. Joseph Gordon-Levitt - It could be due to his preference for independent movies that kept him low-profile all these years. But once you watch one of his indie films, u will be hooked, I am sure. I recommend "Brick" and "The Lookout". I 1st noticed him in 3rd Rock From The Sun from the 90s. Will soon be seen in a worldwide release feature film, "500 Days With Summer".

4. James Marsden - He has had quite a few breakthrough roles (X-Men, Enchanted, 27 Dresses etc) but somehow, it did not catapult him into the superstardom by Hollywood's standards. He has a sure-win package, combination of talent + good looks. So i seriously do not know what went wrong here. I 1st noticed him in "Disturbing Behaviour" in 1998. Last seen in "Sex Drive" as an asshole, narcissistic older brother.

3. Josh Harnett - He is probably the most popular actor here on this list. But somehow he has faded away from the limelight and gradually going down slope of recent years. I only have one question - WHY? Surely he is capable of achieving what Brad and Tom has achieved.. so why? I 1st noticed him in "The Faculty" in 1998 but the most memorable performance was his role in "40 Days and 40 Nights". It was hilarious! I last saw him in a film with Scarlett Johansson called "The Black Dahlia".

2. John Cusack - This man HAS ALREADY ACHIEVED what Brad and Tom achieved, sometmies I think he is on par with Tom Hanks in a way. With outstanding performances in films like "Being John Malkovich" and "High Fidelity" under his belt, I really don't see why he is not as widely recognised as I feel he should be. And his movies don't sell as well as the other 2 Toms. And come on, don't tell me he doesn't have looks.. look at Tom Hanks! So what is the problem here? I 1st noticed him in "Con Air" in 1997 but the most memorable one is his role in "Serendipity". Last seen in a horror film "1408".

1. Jay Mohr - He has got to be the most versatile actor I've seen to date. He can do the bad guy, the good guy, the depressed guy, the funny guy. I have no doubt the world would be a different place if he had not existed. HAHA. I love him!

It is a total coincidence that all of their 1st names begin with "J"!

Top 5 - TV Shows

Gossip Girl: They are like the new "Friends", except they'd have to rename the show to "Frenemies".

5. Jon & Kate Plus 8
4. The Ellen Degeneres Show
3. Friends
2. Sex & The City
1. Gossip Girl

Of Celebrity Sightings And More..

This uncle/auntie is really paying attention to her surroundings man. I don't think I would have recognised him if it were me crossing the road! Read the story here.

Anyway, would you really believe it if you saw someone who looked like Brad Pitt/Tom Cruise/whoever walking on the streets of Singapore?

I wouldn't if I had never "run into" a celebrity myself! So you could walking amongst a superstar and not know it!

I have some strange luck of running into celebrities. The biggest superstar I've "run" into, I think is Jay Chou.

It was in 2001 I think. After sch one day, i was walking around Heeren, the then-Annex, waiting for a friend.

Then I saw a guy and a girl in a shop. The guy caught my attention cuz he was decked in sweat-pants and hoodie, with a cap over his bandanna-covered head - very NBAish. his sweat-pants and hoodie were not the tak-glam type. In fact, it was black with gold trimmings at the seams. SUPER attracting attention! and he had his black cap pulled low, covering almost half his face. it was his purposeful disguise and exaggerated dressing that caught my attention. the lady accompanying him was a regular jeans and t-shirt chick. something made me walk close to take a look at the odd couple and as I walked within a one-meter radius of the guy, he turned around and looked up at me. It was JAY!!! I am sure my surprise showed on my face but I swear I tried my best to keep it mellow.. cuz i didn't want to cause a commotion. and i immediately established the fact that the lady with him must be a celebrity nanny of sorts.

so i curbed my excitement and walked up to the lady and whispered in her ear, "我可以跟他拍张照吗？"

"对不起，他不是来工作的."

with that, she tugged at the bottom of his hoodie and said something to him. he tilted his head to look at me again. i gave him a pleading look, hoping he would give in to my simple request.

but no, he dropped his stuff and almost instantly made his way out of the shop.

i whipped out my mobile and called my sister, as she was working in the area and I just had to tell someone!

while on the phone, i kept following them.. cuz my sister said she was gonna rush down to see Jay.. so i could not lose track of him! Haha!

maybe i was following a bit too close or i was getting too excited on the phone with my sis, i realised a mob started to form behind me.. they were all following Jay now! (I did feel bad at that instant for ruining his shopping escapade. :p) and soon after, my sister reached just in a time to catch a glimpse of Jay just before he got into a car at the carpark and sped away.

Another celebrity sighting was at Zouk.. I saw Jerry Yan at the dancefloor but it was not very close.. and he didn't stay very long.

Maybe I would run into RPatz next. One can wish, can't one? :p

There was another very significant celebrity sighting that .J would know and that I have written about it before. You can read it here even though it sounds kinda silly to me now for reasons undisclosed. :)

500 Days Of Summer

"The film tells a story of the relationship between a woman, Summer (Deschanel), who doesn't believe in true love and a man, Tom (Gordon-Levitt), described as a hopeless romantic, who falls in love with her. When Tom is blindsided after his girlfriend Summer dumps him, he shifts back and forth through various periods of their 500 days 'together' to try to figure out where things went wrong. His reflections ultimately lead him to finally rediscover his true passions in life." From Yahoo! Movies

This movie won't be out until August.. but i really can't wait to see it. I am very captivated by its tagline:

"This is not a love story, it is a story about love."





I am a sucker for romance flicks such as this and it is definitely a bonus for me - this is Joseph Gordon-Levitt's big comeback to the screen!

I am absolutely stoked and very confident that it will be worth the wait! :)

Isn't She Lovely..

I'm sure this wasn't what Stevie Wonder had in mind when he wrote that song.. but if he could see how lovely this gadget is.. he would!

Ladies & Gentlemen.. presenting Nokia's N97!


I have to resist the temptation.. I mean, I HAVE TO. Cuz I can't afford it anyway. :p

夏日恋爱 - 很开心!

If you haven't seen my posts about a year or so ago, you should have seen my post a few days ago and realised that - YES.. I LIKE 棒棒堂. :p

They had just released their new album last month and I haven't been catching up on 模范棒棒堂 so am a wee bit lost as to their 最新的动向.

But I heard a very catchy tune on 933 the other day and I knew it was them instantly. haven't been able to stop listening to the song since. it is so happy and cute! it's been some time since a song can perk me up like that! (the last one was 五月天's 终结孤单!)

Baby I Want To Love You Hold..You
想和你一起躺在沙..滩　
静静地靠在我的肩..膀
有什么突破就在Summer Time
一起冲浪 一起看月..亮　
一起在海边散布鲜花
这个夏天 我只想要你陪在我身旁

i like the way they drag the words like "沙..滩". is so cute! i know their music has a lot of engineering done to it but still, it doesn't alter their voice so much that i can't recognise them. i can hear 阿伟 exceptionally well and it really cracks me up whenever i think of his "superb" singing skills! :p

this is definitely my anthem of happiness this year. what about you guys? does any particular song cheer you up recently? that makes you bop in your chair or leaves a silly grin on your face??

do SHARE! :)

The best accessory is a SMILE.

Enough said.

No Lollipop, No Frankenstein

Looks like even asking for Frankenstein was too much. :S

Who the hell was Nathan forgot-his-surname? He sure is one lucky fella!

But If I Cry..

I wish Stef's 特别来宾 was LOLLIPOP.

But no.. it is the Frankenstein lookalike. Boo.

Going to the Stef's concert and have been doing my homework, "revising" all her songs to sing along to at concert. it's just more fun for me that way. :)

And it's not that i don't listen to her on a regular basis, I do. I listen to her every weekday, in fact. (When I am plugged in to my iPod on the way to and fro work.) But it is normally the same old songs on repeat mode, my favourite tunes - 同類, 夢不落, 天黑黑, 奔, 我不難過, 我懷念的, 漩涡, 神奇, 逃亡, 任性, 难得一见 (I always imagine myself singing this song at competitions, I dunno why) aiya, got a lot more la. :p

But there are some songs that I normally don't listen to but that doesn't mean I like them less - 了解, 不能和你一起, 和平, 很好, 我不愛, 我想, 直來直往, 相信, 風箏. Some because the mood is too "heavy" for a bus ride, others cuz it might make me sleepy cuz it is too soothing, not that it is boring! One of them, I love so much.. has so much meaning to me.. I try not to listen to it.

Cuz it brings back some memories. It brings back some emotions. It makes me sad.

But since I was doing my homework, I put all of her songs on my playlist today without any filtering. so eventually, it got to the song and yea.. It still made me sad, after all these years.

I don't recall hearing it at her last concert so I doubt I will hear it this time either. It might be ridiculous but I'm afraid that if I do, it might make me cry. :(

So to the person who is going with me, if you see me crying in the middle of a song, just pretend you never see ok? :)

Other than that.. I AM SO EXCITED AND SUPER HAPPY THIS FRIDAY! :D

Pushy French are world's worst tourists

Something about this news article makes me trigger happy.

Maybe it's time the "chao ang mohs" know they are not superior to Asians in EVERYTHING!

At least our parents taught us better. *head held high* :)

You know what I heard?

If this rumour (statements made without supporting evidence) is purely a rumour and nothing more, then it has got to be the most goofy one I've heard in years.

The kind of things gossip magazines would make up to boost their sales is pretty ridiculous. (Yea, somehow I don't believe Twilight turning from reel to real, Kristen looks smarter than that.)

天公不作美

Feeling disconnected from the world, not being able to access the cyber space for the past 4 days! Lotsa reading to catch up on Channels News Asia and Asia One!

I am looking out of the window from my office right now and am absolutely MAD that the weather is so fine today. I had my photoshoot yesterday and just as we wrapped up the studio bit, it started to drizzle outside. In the 1st place, I didn't have my hopes up as it was already dark and gloomy in the morning. But I thought it would rain out in the morning and be nice and clear in the afternoon by the time we were done with the studio shoot when I head out for the outdoor shoot.

But NO... the skies frowned and gloomed until I was ready to step out.. it rains! I was really angry cuz I am not too keen on coming back on another day to finish up the shoot. that means having to pay for another round of make-up, hand bouquet, mani/pedi and having to take one more day off work. it sucks to the max.

on a brighter note (i am just trying to console myself), at least we get to rest in between the studio shoot and the outdoor shoot cuz photoshoots are tiring. smiling for 3 hours straight is really no joke, not to mention 6 hours straight - the smile will probably look like a madam tussauds by the end of the day.

but i guess i have no choice, if it rains, it rains right. the weather is not something anybody can control.

but seeing today's fine weather is making me very very sour! :|

四点金 - Curse in disguise?

I was reading a forum thread on Singapore Brides about future mothers-in-law (MIL) buying (or not buying) 四点金 for their future daughters-in-law (DIL).. and I am shocked that so many people actually find this VERY important, so much so that when they find out their future MILs are not buying the 四点金 for them, they feel that the wedding is all "screwed up".

the most ironic part abt it is, some of them claim to be "very traditional" people, hence requesting for 四点金. Then when questioned if either the bride or groom is teochew, they say, "No, but these days 四点金 are given to non-teochews also". So much for being traditional!

Seriously, that is a bit too much, isn't it. A marriage isn't about fleecing from each other's family, it is about the UNION! it is pretty ridiculous, the reasons these brides-to-be conjure up, as to why their future MILs are not buying 四点金 for them/why they feel it is a NECESSITY:

1. they don't dote on their future DIL so don't want to waste money on 四点金
2. brides don't feel accepted as part of the family without 四点金
3. relatives will talk because no 四点金
4. bride's parents feel insulted
5. bride lose face cuz no 四点金

I am sure there are more but the above 5 kinda sums up the bulk of it.

I really find this ridiculous. Did I miss something? Since when did Singaporean girls become so materialistic? Does the existence of 四点金 matter so much? I wonder what kind of foundation is the relationship of the soon-to-be wedded couple based on? It irks me even more when I read on to see other people commenting, "I understand how you feel". Sorry but I don't understand how you feel! Or even what you are thinking, for that matter!

One of them even said, "The market rate for 四点金 is around 10k". Is there really a market rate for this? 10k is really an unreasonable amount for an average-income family and 10K means nothing to well-to-do families. I wonder what she based her "market research findings" on?

to me, the 四点金 is just a symbol of tradition, which has to alter itself slightly in order to continue to exist in today's modern world. if you can afford it, then good for you. but if you can't, how can you expect to receive 四点金? that would be utter unreasonableness.

I know of some MILs who buy a simple gold chain or bracelet to give their DIL during the tea ceremony. It may not be 四点金 but it is a symbol of it. Others, simply just give you an angpao. This is an excellent example of keeping up with the times (and keeping up with your personal financial books).

Some brides called their MIL "stingy" or felt the "budget" was too little even though their MILs offered to buy them 四点金 and gave them the freedom to pick out what they wanted, based on the budget. If this is not being greedy, I don't know what it is.

it didn't even cross their minds that maybe their MIL cannot afford it or perhaps just the good ol' saying "it's the thought that counts".

Other brides on the forum mentioned their future MILs want to give them hand-me-downs as 四点金, and the brides are not happy. One of them even said, "so sian". Do they even know the value of gold is not based on the age of the piece of jewellery? or do the words "family heirlooms" mean anything to them?

what does it matter if you have the 四点金, but your MIL treats you like shit? Does that mean that she "dotes" on you a lot? I would rather have a good MIL then her 四点金! And the 四点金 means truly nothing to me if it doesn't come with good intentions and a good heart.

If you have to haggle and fight with your MIL in order to receive this 四点金.. what is the point?

I personally have a less than fantastic relationship with my MIL but in this case, I am left with no choice but to be on the side of the MILs.

honestly, if my future daughter-in-law had a such a mentality, I would think twice about gifting her with 四点金 too. It is definitely not a question of whether I can afford it, but a question of her character and her intention to marry.

Sorry.

I chickened out in the end.

:S

WORST pick-up line

"I like every bone in your body, including mine."

UGH!

Homeless student heads to Harvard - Very Inspirational

All the very best to her and I hope this won't be the last time we see her name in the news.

http://www.gnn.com/article/homeless-student-heads-to-harvard/539624?icid=main|main|dl2|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gnn.com%2Farticle%2Fhomeless-student-heads-to-harvard%2F539624

Am feeling jittery..

Cuz I kinda wrote a short story (amongst many others, in fact).. definitely chick lit.. but this is one of those I feel strongly for. And as I have mentioned to .J before.. I am contemplating publishing them here, on my blog, for ppl to read.

But I am still lacking.. courage. I am not confident that it will be good enough to be published so publicly! Cuz everyone will get to read it once I put it up here.. I dunno if i am up to it when it comes to criticisms.

But then again, I am looking forward to getting some honest opinions, to see what ppl think of my writing. (Or the reverse, not getting any kind of response at all!)

Maybe cuz this is quite a big deal for me.. I have always secretly wanted to be a writer. With my kind of imagination, ppl who know me should not be surprised.

So yea.. I am pretty close to finishing the story so I am seriously thinking this through.

Maybe once I have set my mind to it, my next post will be the beginning of my short story. I will break it up in parts and publish them.. cuz all in one post will simply be too much, even for a short story.

Just MAYBE, ok?

"All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go.."

I wish I were going off on a jetplane but I disappoint myself.

I am packing to move to my in-laws place, in a small effort to save some money for the new house coming up.

well some of you know what happened the last time I stayed with my then-future-in-laws. hopefully the recent change of status will make things a little bit different (and better) for us, in the good way for sure.

i have been moving ard a lot in the past years.. and honestly speaking, it's tiring. in the beginning, it was hard.. i had to get used to the change of environment, ppl and accessibility (or rather the lack of it) of the new places that I stayed in. but as i moved from one place to the next.. it kinda grew on me. I was an adaptable person to begin with.. so now i am just.. spent. I really hope this will be the last place i stay in before i get my own place.. cuz packing (and unpacking) can be hard work overtime.

So this week is gonna be packing week for me. the coming weekend will mark the beginning of yet another new home-stay for me.

i try to be positive and tell myself that at least i will get to see hubby everyday.. cuz that always makes everything better.

it's still working now, at least! :)

Hanson are POETS.

Hanson is an amazing band with unsurpassed talent, be it in songwriting or lyrical competence. And I won't hear of it any other way. They are musicians, so don't judge them by their appearance nor beliefs, judge them by their music.

THEIR MUSIC IS INCREDIBLE. Every time i listen to it, I fall right back in love with their music.

If they has been born during Shakespeare's era.. I'm pretty sure they would have made better poets than Sir William himself.

Here are some of my favourite lyric snippets from their music - judge for yourself..

"'Cause when the minutes seem like hours and the hours seem like days
Then a week goes by you know it takes my breath away
All the minutes in the world could never take your place
There's one-thousand-four-hundred-forty hours in my day"
From: A Minute Without You (Middle Of Nowhere)

"I'm looking for a song to sing
Looking for a friend to borrow
I'm looking for my radio
So I might find a heart to follow"
From: A Song To Sing (This Time Around)

"The wind it blows
Through the trees
Claiming those
Innocent leaves
And the thunder rolls
These crashing seas
Like a tender kiss
Holds it's heart in me"
From: Love Song (This Time Around)

"She counts the time 'til her heart breaks
Just waiting for her next mistake"
From: Watch Over Me (The Walk)

"From a distance I watched the flowers brush your cheek
As you read the words I wrote I couldn't speak
But now I lay here broken heart and blistered feet
As you're spinning 'round my mind"
From: Runaway Run (This Time Around)

"Cigars in the summertime under the sky by the light
I can feel you read my mind
I can see it in your eyes under the moon as it plays
Like music every line
There's a rug with bleeding dye under the fan in the room
Where the passions burning high
By the chair with the leopard skin under the light
It's always Penny and me tonight"
From: Penny And Me (Underneath)

"Been running through my mind today
Scenarios to add to your hypocrisy
No one ever takes the blame
But everyone is searching for a cure to the pain
Nothing ever seems to change
Oh, nothing ever seems to change
We just play like broken records in a deaf man's charade"
From: Strong Enough To Break (Underneath)

"One more for the night
One more for the pain and
One more, long goodbye
And one shot to the brain
And one more takes the knife
And one more takes the train
Who do I name today
Who do I blame today"
From: One More (The Walk)

"I find hope and it gives me rest
I find hope in a beating chest
I find hope in what eyes don't see
I find hope in your hate for me
Have no fear when the waters rise
We can conquer this great divide"
From: The Great Divide (The Walk)

And the best one of them all...

"Mmmbop ba duba dop ba du bop
ba duba dop ba du bop
ba duba dop ba du"
From: Mmmbop (Middle Of Nowhere)

Cuz seriously, who can make up a whole chorus only with sounds??

HANSON CAN!

Michelle Trachtenberg

Some ppl know her as Dawn Summers from Buffy.


Others know her as Georgina Sparks from Gossip Girl.


For me, I know her as Michelle Trachtenberg. There is something about her.. that spells danger in the air, like evil is always lurking around her somewhere.. it's captivating.. and slightly electrifying.. keeps the men interested and makes women fascinated.. and for me.. it makes me wanna look at her and not look away.


There is something mysterious about her eyes.. and yet when you look a little longer, they appear innocent at the same time.. kinda like a cross between Angelina Jolie and Lindsay Lohan. her gaze is effortless, all she has to do is look at you.. and everything around her becomes black and white and all sounds fall silent.. it's like the world is looking at her.. and only her..


She also reminds me of Vivian Hsu.. that if Vivian were a caucasian, Michelle Trachtenberg would be what she looks like. And on some occasions, Audrey Hepburn comes to mind too.


Her look is unique yet classic.. her face like a fashion brand.. her style is impeccable.. the best thing about her is that she is not another hollywood blonde. (God knows we have had enough of those.)


I would so turn lesbian for her.

When A Friend Goes Bad, Dump It.

i have a really good friend whom i've known for 18 years of my life now. i can safely say that we've gone thru a lot throughout our friendship from primary sch, to secondary sch, to our different career paths and now that we are both abt start our own families.

as a pri sch kid, she was a wild child. she would lock our classmates inside the toilet cubicles and laugh mercilessly outside or throw a ball of wet tissue at you for no reason. some would call her hyperactive, others naughty. i had always been the one friend who was able to control her wild way ways in sch, strange to speak.

in sec sch, she became a different person. it was like she had enough of her playful nature (or maybe she just grew up). she became this sweet and considerate friend, who would look out for me in sch and speak up for me against other frenemies. we knew each other inside out and were inseparable.

after we graduated from sec sch, we kinda went on to have other friends from all walks of life, her wild character surfaced from time to time with them.. but she was a young adult now so was able to draw the line between good, clean fun and outrageous fun on her own. sometimes i would check in with her when i felt she was getting a little bit out of hand and she would listen to me with no questions asked and returned to be being my sweet and considerate friend.

but as the years gone by.. her wild side surfaced more and more. perhaps due to the nature of our work being so different yet so intertwined with our lives, i am less able to relate with her these days. she works long hours while i hold a stable 9 - 6 job. she bosses ppl ard while i listen to my bosses. she has to be bitchy and demanding to make sure her work gets done while i have to refrain from being too aggressive at work lest colleagues ostracize me from the circle of trust.

one thing abt her that has remained constant from the time i knew her, is her time management - which is zilch. she is NEVER on time, and never had to wait for anyone since she is always the latest even though her watch is set to 15 minutes faster than the actual time. so she doesn't know the feeling of having to wait for someone.

the record time i have waited for her so far, is 3 hours. and that was probably wat set off my irritation since.

i've tried to get it across to her many times, using ALL ways. it is rude. it is inconsiderate. and it is tiring. if you know you are gonna be late or not gonna be able to make it at all.. say so earlier. dun let ppl wait. if your time is precious, then so is ours. let's not waste anyone's time, right?

she would always just smile and try to change the topic. like it means nothing to her.

and when for the umpteenth time she was 1 and a half hour late, i kinda resigned to fate that God had sent a friend such as her to test my patience. (which is as good as a sitting duck's by now.)

After 1 and a half hours when Friend finally shows up:
Friend - "I'm sorry."
Me - "You should be."
Friend rolls eyes.

WTF was that?? You say sorry then you roll your eyes?! I waited 1 and a half hours, FRIEND! And that rolling-eyes act was not testing my patience, it was testing my TEMPER!

I complained to Hubby abt this later that day and he commented: "Maybe you are just not important enough for her to be punctual."

I never thought about it that way, i just thot it was her wild side resurfacing, more aggressive than ever. after all a leopard would never change its stripes. she was just being her, the way she was back in primary school.. and instead of standing behind her pulling her back like i used to, i am now on the receiving end this time.

and maybe.. perhaps.. possibly.. hubby is right.

I am never meeting her again. NEVER EVER.

'We might need to see you without your bra, he told me. I was 14. I didn't even have breasts yet.'

It's a sad story, perhaps I would not be so judgmental next time I see a stick-thin model on the runway.

Read the article here.

MORPH MORPH MORPH!

It is such a slow Monday today.. I think I might just sit in my chair in office and die of.. die of the Monday blues. BORED is an understatement. :(

I was looking for something online (i can't rem wat now) and came across this website that enables you to upload photos of random ppl and morph their faces together to see what their kid would look like. HAHA. I had a blast! it was so fun and so simple to do!

I started out with, of cuz, hubbs and me!

i dunno why our kid turns out looking like she's from Cambodia..? but i think it is a girl! ! :) what do you think?

I later morphed myself with Britney.. i thot we ended up looking a lot like Jessica Alba, dun you think??? :p


Scarlet Johannson and I turned out quite an exoctic babe, eh??


and this, is not hard to guess who i morphed myself with!

Scary shit if you ask me!!

but the scarier shit is yet to come!

I reckon it is all my fault that I made Audrey Hepburn look like this! :(

then i decided to have a bit of fun.. i uploaded a photo of R Patz! HAHA! And this is what our "baby" looked like!

Not bad la hor.. got a bit "pak-zeng" look. Hahah! Can tell is a boy, right? :p

And one more Englishman.. my charming Ed Westwick!


And this is what our "baby" looked like!

So sweet! I am sure this is a girl!!

This is not easy to tell.. but this is my baby with Rowan Atkinson. HAHA! Something about her eyes is kinda comical, dun you think? :p

And so with this, i have decided I will marry Ed Westwick to produce beautiful children!!

I AM REALLY BORED, OK!

Archie Andrews

I have been a fan since I was in primary school (primary 4 or 5, i think). I don't remember who got me into it but i was quite obsessed. I would save for at least 2 new comic books each month and finish them in the same day i bought them. My good friends, till this day, know that I loved Jughead to bits!

After I went to secondary school, i stopped the routine of buying 2 new comic books each month. i spent my money on going out with friends and at the movies. so i re-read my existing collection over and over.. i must have read each comic more than 10 times each. my favourite ones easily 20 times each!

the last time i counted, i was in possession of 60 Archie comic books.

so i came across an article online today, saying Archie was finally gonna propose to one of the girls with which he has kinda been having a love-triangle with for the longest time. Archie fans would be very familiar with the characters of Veronica Lodge and Betty Cooper, the latter being the hot fave. and the catch now is, who is Archie gonna propose to?

The upcoming 600th cover of Archie Comic. Read article here.

Very misleading, dun you think?? i dun believe he will propose to Veronica!

I am so gonna get my hands on this copy when it comes on sale in September. My 1st copy after almost 20 years!

The 5th Teletubby?

So we all know that Posh did an ad campaign for Marc Jacobs some time back. but for me, i nv realli got to see any of the pictures cuz Marc Jacobs is not exactly commonly seen here in Singapore, unlike the Miu Miu ad campaign Katie Holmes did. (She looks amazing in it, btw! Check it out at the Miu Miu store in Paragon!)

so when i saw this picture online, i realli laughed out loud!!


Read the full article here, the comparison is hilarious!

Happy Friday, all! :)

And The American Idol is..

i have NEVER been a fan of American Idol.. i dun even know who is the 1st person to win the title.. (issit Kelly Clarkson?) but lately there has been an Idol craze all because of one person. ADAM LAMBERT.

so i was chilling at home last weekend.. channel surfing and came across Star World repeating whole of season 8, which leads up to its final showdown this week. so i caught a few people singing.. one of them Adam Lambert.

so yea, he was screaming and honestly, i couldn't take it. not that it didn't sound nice.. it did. but it also sounded a bit too futuristic. not something i wud expect to hear out of a singing competition. his singing is, indeed, theatrical more than anything.

but somehow.. there is something abt him standing on that stage.. belting out his number and looking totally in touch with his feminine side. some call it stage presence (or gay). i mus admit, he did attract more of my attention compared to his fellow contestants.

and last night, for the 1st time, i tuned in to the repeat of last weeks finale.

and when he sang Mad World.. I was won over. just how did he do that?? the right word to describe the performance, would be "haunting". so much so that i cud not get the song out of my head up until this morning.

and for the 1st time, i saw Kris Allen perform on Idol. he's actually the generic type of Idol contestant. nothing flashy.. jus a regular person with a great voice and out there doing his thing the best he can.

but the feeling he gives is very different from Adam's. Listening to Kris makes me feel very comfortable.. something i would put on on a long ride home on a bus. it soothes me in a way.

Adam's singing sounds like the soundtrack of his life.

so realli.. i cudn't quite decide whose side i was on. they both had their appeals.. but none had something that cud realli win me over.

but when i heard this morning that Kris Allen had won, i was glad! in fact, i was slightly more than glad.

cuz with this title, Kris is bound to go far.

as for Adam.. i felt he didn't need the title to prove anything. he was oredi quite a revolution and has created a legion of following. he wud go far, with or without the title.

to me, it is a win-win situation and i am happy with how this season's turned out. :)

so congratulations to Kris, and to Adam - We'll be seeing you ard. ;)

When You're Gone - Avril Lavigne

i'm probably kinda slow but i've only started to listen to Avril Lavigne's "When You're Gone" recently and found it realli addictive. what is realli addicting me is not the tune of the song or the lyrics or anything. In fact, the lyrics are very plain and simple, kinda like a typical sad love song. and the tune is jus very Avril too, her usual style of songwriting. but it is the way Avril sings in the song, so desperate, so intense and in pain that realli haunts me.

whenever i listen to it, i am instantly brought back to the lowest point in my life so far.. some of you wud be able to guess when. it is a very painful memory for me and listening to it realli jus refreshes the whole experience for me - the whole 3 months that i went thru in such agony, and made me such a different person then.

but it also makes me realli cherish my life now.. and the feeling that returns every once in a while serves as a constant reminder to not take things for granted.

i can't share the song with you here but if you have the chance, find a corner, sit down comfortably, close your eyes and listen to the song - with your heart. and tell me if you can feel the pain too?

I always needed time on my own
I never thought I'd need you there when I cry
And the days feel like years when I'm alone
And the bed where you lie is made up on your side

When you walk away I count the steps that you take
Do you see how much I need you right now

When you're gone
The pieces of my heart are missing you
When you're gone
The face I came to know is missing too
When you're gone
The words I need to hear to always get me through the day and make it ok
I miss you

I've never felt this way before
Everything that I do reminds me of you
And the clothes you left, they lie on the floor
And they smell just like you, I love the things that you do

When you walk away I count the steps that you take
Do you see how much I need you right now

When you're gone
The pieces of my heart are missing you
When you're gone
The face I came to know is missing too
When you're gone
The words I need to hear to always get me through the day and make it ok
I miss you

We were made for each other
Out here forever
I know we were, yeah
All I ever wanted was for you to know
Everything I'd do, I'd give my heart and soul
I can hardly breathe I need to feel you here with me, yeah

When you're gone
The pieces of my heart are missing you
When you're gone
The face I came to know is missing too
When you're gone
The words I need to hear to always get me through the day and make it ok
I miss you

Guy-next-door!

i thot i had spoken abt this before, but i had gone thru my past posts briefly and realised I actually had not.

my office is on the 13th level and on my level, there are 3 offices. we dominate the most part of the level and the 2 other smaller offices are taken up by, well, 2 other companies.

so for the longest time, i've observed this angmoh guy at our lift lobby from time to time, who strikes an uncanny resemblance to "Aidan" from Sex & The City. and most of u know i am from the Aidan Camp, not the Mr. Big Camp. So needless to say, everytime i see "Aidan" at the lift lobby.. my heart does little somersaults in my humble chest. i can sometimes hear the "swoosh" of the flips. HAHA.

so anywae, i surprised myself a little by showing interest in him cuz I have nv been someone who's attracted to races other than chinese. aside from celebrities, this is the 1st time i have been captivated by an angmoh!

"Aidan" is very charming.. he oozes sex appeal jus by being there, melts every cell in my body when he looks my way, even if it's for one second. i have colleagues who will readily second my comments!

a few times i have taken the same lift as "Aidan" and they are the most intense lift rides ever. HAHA. Maybe it is all on my side cuz I am so conscious that he is there in the lift with me but I just dunno how he does it.. it is that smouldering thing he does when he looks at u from underneath his eyelashes.. he's got this very 忧郁 look on his face most of the time. my colleague likes to think he ALWAES is having a bad day. hahah. but it sure is a very sexy look!

i've contemplated a few times to tell him that he looks like Aidan Shaw from Sex & The City but somehow i nv did it cuz 1. i am too stumped by his mere presence and get tongue-tied and 2. it seems as if i am trying to pick him up???

so well.. i end my "Aidan" entry with a picture of the real Aidan Shaw, of cuz! It is really the splitting image of MY Aidan next door! :p and i apologise for this super random post! HAPPY FRIDAY! :)

Lipstick Jungle

Season 2 finale of Lipstick Jungle was perfect.. it was romantic, it was cozy, it was beautiful.. it totally tugged my heartstrings and i haven't felt this way about a season finale in a looong time! (coincidentally the last time i felt this way abt a season finale was also a series based on Candace Bushnell's book.. Sex And The City.)

The sad thing abt the finale is that, they shot it as tho it's not coming back. no season 3. :( like the finale to season 6 of Sex And The City, it was a satisfying and perfect ending, leaving viewers with absolutely nothing else to ask for. i didn't like that.. i love Lipstick Jungle! i don't want it to end!

i love the friendship the 3 women share. that no matter how family-oriented or career-minded each woman were, they wud gladly and instantly drop everything to be a friend to one another.

also i love how they alwaes look impeccably dressed even when they jus got up in the morning. i kno that only happens on tv but still, i like looking at beautiful women (Lindsay Price is really pretty)!

not to mention their gorgeous locks, designer wardrobe and handsome "accessories" (men).. what's not to like abt the show?

i hope i find a good series to watch after this.. True Blood is just not holding up to its promise and absolutely not working its charm on me, if there is any to begin with.

Anyone has any good series to recommend?

Kelly feels like TRASH lately.