The National Sprinter

there are constant reports of singapore being short of sporting talent to compete at olympics level and about how singaporeans are overly obsessed with academic and career achievements that they do not see sports as a career. on both counts, i beg to differ. firstly, singaporeans are not overly obsessed with academic and career achievements! yep, you saw that right. singaporeans are not overly obsessed with academic and career achievements! (repeated in bold just so that you would stop rubbing your eyes and rereading the previous line!) in fact, all singaporeans are guilty of, is being too obedient.

people tell us don't litter (or they will hit you with a fine of $1000, present you a nice shiny yellow bib on your first day of (corrective) work and if they are in the mood, even throw in a short jail term as a bonus), we don't litter. just like that, no questions asked. people say they help you manage your cannot profit finances (or you may end up with nothing left for your retirement or in a worst case scenario die without a coffin and either way you don't really have a choice!), we let them manage our cannot profit finances. just like that, we don't even ask what are the interest rates like or "can grow or not?"! which part of cannot profit finances don't you understand? still grow simi! go get an education! and so we go get an education which leads to a higher education which leads to a job which leads to a career which leads to retirement which leads to us finally being able to access our cannot profit finances (profits sold separately). sports? well, teacher always say "don't play so much. wait ball hit your head become stupid!".

on the other hand, our lack of "talented" sportspeople may just be down to lousy scouting. maybe they are just not looking in the right places! the common saying is that we need to develop our sportsmen and women from young. but then, aren't most singaporean kids these days sent for piano, ballet and poetry classes from young? and look how many world renown pianists, ballerinas or poets we have? the closest i can think of is vanessa mae, the famous violin player but even she is "imported"!

so i determine that it is all a matter of psychology and context. it does not matter where you are born or how young or old you pick up a sport. all you need is a certain trigger and a new sporting sensation is born. in simple terms, it's all about mindset and what tempts the mind most. based on that, you set the perfect environment.

need a national sprinter to break the world record faster than marion jones can gulp down her steroids? don't go looking in schools or stadiums or sports clubs! just take a walk to the bus stop during peak hours! there, you will see all of singapore's sprinting talents in their full glory! no matter how impossibly faraway they seem from the bus, next thing you know they are on it! like i said, all it needs is a certain trigger, in this case, the bus. the singapore sports council should collaborate with sbs for this sprint project. singapore will be so spoilt for choice we may have to send in three sprint teams to compete - singapore, temasek and raffles city!

how about hurdles? smrt will solve that one for you! how many times do we see people leaping up stairs 2 or 3 at a time, get on the platform and leap into the trains just before the doors close?

or darts? well, our singapore team can do without hands and still thrash the opponents hands down (pardon the pun). just gather a group of uncles, put the darts in their mouths and watch them spit it out! what about china you ask (that country of renown spitters)? well, they are nowhere near our uncles! singaporean uncles aim before they spit (if not kenna caught by police!), china people anyhow spit!

there are many other scouting grounds unexplored by the singapore sports council and so many untapped talents roaming the streets waiting to be picked up (if they don't get on the bus before you get to them!). who says singapore has no talent? i get uncle to spit at you ar!

ultimate compliment

today, my vendor told me that she liked the advertisement i designed so much she put it up on her office wall for display! i was like "wah!" (luckily there is this thing called gravity! :P)..but of course i did not "wah!" in front of her la..that's like so rude right?

what i actually did was say "thank you", smile and asked her if she wanted an autograph copy!

x-men: the advanced generation

the secret has been hidden for ages..not even the creators of the x-men series or for that matter, professor x are aware of it. a new breed of x-men and x-women have surfaced, surviving outside the comic strips, blending into normal human society. yes, it's true..these "mutants" have been spotted utilising their special powers to do extraordinary things! the only way to recognise them is through their powers, some of which hold certain resemblance to the original x-men's. their new hideout is hidden under the guise of a lower class bustling work area that's none other than..tanjong pagar!

while there is no possible way of identifying every single species of these mutants living among us, here are the more common and easily recognisable ones...

powers similar to:
"cyclops"
most commonly spotted:
inside lifts
(localised) code name:
"cy(ber)-cocks"

this variation of cyclops is certainly more powerful than the original..not only does cy-cocks not require that fancy looking goggle to keep "its" powers under control, "it" fires "its" rays without you even seeing the rays! "it" is usually found right at the front of the building lifts.

how do you identify it?:
wait till the lift doors are nearly closing, then rush in..when you're inside after barely escaping the closing lift doors, turn to the right or left (whichever applicable)..there "it" will be..arms folded (or sometimes by the side), intently firing "its" rays at the "open" button just so that you do not get squashed by the doors! there are times when i felt that "it" should act faster and i stare at "it" to show my displeasure but then i realise that i will never win..if "it" stares back at me, i am finished!

powers similar to:
"jean grey"
most commonly spotted:
during extremely sunny or rainy weather
(localised) code name:
"jin gray" (hokkien for really or extremely gray)

compared to the original jean grey, jin gray is definitely less powerful..not only does "it" require a weapon, "it" depends highly on seasonal weather changes to utilise "its" powers (see "most commonly spotted").

how do you identify it?:
during really sunny or rainy days, as you are walking..suddenly "it" will whip out "its" weapon (usually disguised as an umbrella) and cast a force-field around "itself" sending people scurrying out of "its" way! i am to believe "it" has trained to a certain level that "its" force-field is able to hold off an entire building should the building collapse..just look at the number of force-fields being cast indoors these days and you will know what i mean..we humans are not so easily fooled, surely a normal umbrella cannot withstand the weight of an entire building right?

powers similar to:
"gambit"
most commonly spotted:
during lunch hour
(localised) code name:
"can't beat"

this is the most common and as its localised name implies, also one powerful breed of mutant during the peak of "its" powers..possessing trades very similar to the original gambit. however, due to singapore's legislation on gambling in public and needing to keep a low profile, instead of playing cards, can't beat's weapons of choice are "its" tissue packs! just like gambit, can't beat's powers though impressive are extremely limited.

how do you identify it?:
the story behind "its" name comes from the way "it" attacks..i am sure many of us have fallen victim to "its" attacks before! during lunch hour, have you ever approached a table (with no one even remotely near you) and next thing you know..you get hit by a tissue pack thrown by can't beat! and that's why "it" is named that because "it" always seems to beat you to a table no matter how faraway "it" is..and if you think all "it" does is throw tissue packs around, try removing one of "its" tissue packs and watch "it" explode in your face! apparently, this strain is highly contagious and infects anyone who comes in contact with "its" tissue..thus explaining how even most normal humans are coming to master this skill!

now if you see any of the above mutants around, do not panic, stay calm..they are mostly harmless unless provoked! last i heard, a higher class breed of x-men and x-women have been spotted in raffles place!

squeaky clean

i happened to pass the speaker's corner at hong lim for the first time recently - well, i have probably passed it by lots of times before but only then did i notice it! - and i was thinking to myself "wah, quite a big space for a 'corner' hor!" it's true, my first impression was that it was spacious, very white (wonder what/who was the inspiration behind the colour coordination, white with more white) and really quite empty.

the initial idea was that people could just walk up to the stage, speak their minds and air their views..and everyone below the stage will nod in agreement and laugh at jokes lamer than mr bean's antics (which coincidentally, seem to happen quite a lot on broadcasts from another clean and white place somewhere near the padang). but they forgot we are singaporeans leh (aka very very very busy people), we will require the speaker's objective and agenda (in ms powerpoint, word or adobe pdf format) before we commit a slot on our very very very busy schedules to listen to a potentially time wasting speech (before we rush off to another very very very important appointment at newton hawker center)!

so in view of the lack of usage i propose we rename the speaker's corner as...

the spueaker's corner
...whereby our little furry friends can raise more pressing issues like...

1) downgrading
- with the increasing number of human activities moving underground (underground expressways, underground carparks, underground mrt lines, underground swimming pools (which may not be such a bad thing) etc.), the rodent community are forced to move further down...

2) mickey and minnie
- a discussion on the sensibility of upholding two mouse idolised by humans - who squeak in a foreign tongue and whose fashion senses have stagnated for decades - as ideal role models for the rodent youths...

3) ratatouille
- a forum to educate the rodent community on the essence of good food and discourage the consumption of garbage (accompanied by an educational video called.."ratatouille")...

however, i also do foresee that the national environment agency will violently object and throw out my idea without as much as a squeak..due to well, environmental concerns..infestation, i believe they call it.

so until any changes, the speaker's corner waits patiently for its first speaker who...
1) isn't "assisted" off-stage
2) actually have an audience
3) isn't dressed to complement its background

GERMS

in continuation from my previous post..a funny thought just occurred to me..since we have the GEMS (Go-the-Extra-Mile for Service) Service Awards to recognise and promote good service standards, why not introduce a GERMS Awards? Oh, in case you're wondering what GERMS stand for...

G arbage
E ntities with
R eally
M iserable
S ervice

someone call in the doctor! there are GERMS to be exterminated!

uncivil-lies

after talking about our country's "civilised" people, i would like to focus now on the other side - the un-civilised people! no no no..we are not talking about everyone else who is working in the private sector. rather, not sure if anyone noticed but there is a new circus in town..with a full complement of clowns, monkeys, elephants and vultures (yeah vultures, new age circus mah..). you must have heard/seen the name somewhere before..no? but surely you must have received a phone call telling you some friend (who usually chooses to remain anonymous!) has referred you to perform in the circus? no? that cannot be TRUE! ok even if you've not heard of it before, let me tell you about my experience with this circus..

first they kept calling me, asking me down for a two weeks trial..initially i was skeptical but by the second call i thought "why not? since i had always been interested to take up yoga. maybe the circus can teach me a trick or two about flexibility.." and so i went down to take a look.

when i reached there, the people were friendly enough and i was brought around the place where i was introduced to the various acts and the trainers..i was getting more and more interested..however, due to financial reasons, i didn't want to commit to it yet..so after explaining that i was just there to take a look and rejecting the offer numerous times, the head clown came to see me and tried to explain to me why even broke people should spend ridiculous amounts of money to look good (now you want to be bankrupt, better look good first! do you really want to look like crap in your bankruptcy photo?)! i was losing my patience and i just wanted to get out of there so i told the clown in a matter-of-fact way that i just was not keen. to which the head clown (this is the best part) raised his voice at me "then why are you here? don't waste my time!" now that was TRUEly great hospitality! it's like someone invites you to visit his house but when you arrive without the 42 inch, hi-definition, hi-resolution, hi-tech, hi-whatever plasma television, he asks you "then why are you here? don't waste my time! fuck off!"

i was pissed mad..but when i got home i felt much better..i was not alone!


if we thought mosquitoes are pests (at least they do not tell us to "fuck off!" or if they do, we don't understand so that's fine as well!), this circus is a different breed altogether..so since we have the "if you let them breed, you will bleed" dengue campaign..maybe we should start a new campaign with slogans like..

if you think TRUE is cool, you have no clue

or be cool, don't TRUE

or don't TRUE your money away

don't get me wrong..i have nothing against gym, yoga or fitness memberships..in fact if anyone wants to get fit/keep fit, these places are usually nice and cosy for a good workout..but what i do have a problem with is pressure selling and such hooliganism (which apparently, you will encounter with most other fitness clubs as well)..so my advice is, before you even step into a fitness club, check online and ask around your friends..decide that you want to join, then step in..you're more likely to avoid all the nastiness and the fake-niceness that way..just as long as you don't expect even economy class customer service after you have signed up!

now where's my 42 inch plasma?

civil lives

recently, there was a pay increment..and even though i wished it was mine, but alas it was not to be. rather it was for the people who have sacrificed their lives to serve the country. yes, they are our darling civil servants..without whom, we'd have no rice on our plates (i know singapore has no padi fields but if they don't approve the imported rice, we would have no rice to eat!), no roofs over our heads (we pay for it of course, but if they don't build houses, then pay and pay also no use rite?) and no one to curse at when nothing gets done. don't get me wrong, not ALL civil servants are crap, but when you're on the inside, most will just do as the rest do..basically, nothing!

just a few years back..when i was still "serving the nation", my main job scope was to maintain and repair certain equipment. remember, these are highly important and sensitive tasks upon which our country's freedom depended on!

common scenario
a fault is detected on the highly classified and hi-tech equipment (from another era)
step 1:
officer reports a fault to a specialist a (from department a)
step 2:
specialist a verifies the fault
step 3:
specialist a calls specialist d (from department d, that's my department by the way) to report the fault
step 4:
specialist d verifies the fault (you really need to verify it more than once to ascertain that there is something wrong la!)
step 5:
specialist d calls external vendor to tell them there is a fault on the highly classified and hi-tech equipment
step 6:
external vendor comes down and clears the fault
step 7:
specialist a and specialist d verifies that the fault is cleared (told you we needed to verify it more than once!) and informs officer
step 8:
officer puts down his coffee and resumes normal duties of looking out for faults and singapore is safe again...

if you thought that that sounded like a call center environment, don't even compare..the salary of course!

just a few weeks back, we were holding a charity event to raise funds for refugee children..all donations were to be done via online so no cash was to be accepted..but being the law abiding citizens we were, we thought "better check it out with the charities unit"..and so we did...

i called mcys to enquire if we actually needed a permit for the event and the guy on the other line said have to write in so that he can advise me..over the line cannot advise. and so i wrote him an email. the guy emailed back telling me that we would need a permit..then he followed up with a call (good customer service leh!)...

mcys guy:
have you received my email blah blah blah..everything can be found on the website.
me:
the problem is our event happens within 2 weeks (short of the 30 days application period needed "as stated on the website")..is there anything that can be done?
mcys guy:
sorry..everything can be found on the website. (goodness! am i on gotcha?)
me:
i have already been through the website, that's how i know about the 30 days application period..is there any way to speed up the process?
mcys guy:
in that case, you can send in an application form found on the website and i will help you escalate the case to my superior.
me:
oh, that's great! so how long do you suppose it may take with escalation?
mcys guy:
as stated on the website, it usually takes 30 days...

i seriously wanted to strangle mcys guy right there..i mean, i've heard of word-of-mouth advertising but i never knew mcys was into such an aggressive marketing campaign for its website! but..that wasn't the end...

a few days later, my manager made a call to mcys to verify that we needed a permit..this time, the girl who took the call told us (after checking with her boss apparently) that we would not need a permit from mcys but we needed one from the police..so, we went to the police and enquired..and the police department told us that for such cases, there was no permit needed (the lady even printed out some documents and pointed out the clauses which said so)..fantastic! another few days later, the police called and told us that sorry but in fact we would require a permit..but from mcys...

if you're still wondering why they are paid such high salaries, it is pretty obvious isn't it? honestly they work so hard. when even such straightforward things become so complicated, who's to say they don't deserve their pay increment?

friday, 05 october 2007

The Campaign To Confer The Public Service Star On JBJ
@ drama centre theatre with karen

essentially it is a play taking an alternative (and hilarious) look at the political situation in singapore. acted out by just pam oei (dim sum dollies) and rodney oliveiro, the duo takes on a variety of characters through ultra quick costume changes. the humour while funny at times became sort-of tiring towards the end, or probably karen and i were tiring after a long week...

one joke i remember quite fondly is when rodney played a police officer and he said "nowadays everything is so complicated. this can this cannot. this maybe can maybe cannot. last time was so much easier. everything cannot!"

so let us be grateful for all things that "can", shall we?

hello world!

no don't worry..i am still alive and well, not so kicking..but - fortunately or unfortunately for you, depending on your point of view - alive anyway! :) as for the lack of updates on my blog..it's just that i've been worn out by work..not so much that i am super stressed out..but more due to the fact that i've had to use quite a bit of brain juice to design and write stuff that when i reach home, all i have for my blog is "urm..uh huh..." which obviously is not a lot and - which even more obviously - does not warrant a blog entry on its own! i mean seriously, how many entries of "urm..uh huh..."s can anyone stand to write let alone read!

now back to what's been taking up my time..been busy planning for this major csr event (ninemillion.org) for my company which finally took place this past friday..ninemillion.org is a campaign started in aid of child refugees around the world to provide them with education and the opportunity to play (for anyone interested, you can donate via the website..if you're feeling poor, even $1 donations are accepted!)..despite the various obstacles and hiccups leading up to friday, the event went smoothly and better than we expected..after the event, all i wanted to do was take karen (she sat out the entire event and waited as we cleared the place, by herself for nearly 5 hours!) out of the damn place, go for dinner and just fall into her arms..which is what i did! :)

before that, karen and i found time to drop by timbre at the substation last saturday (8th september) to watch the goodfellas..while the music wasn't the best, the band's energy and showmanship was infectious..it was my first time at timbre and i'll definitely be back for more!

on a lousier note, spurs just got whooped by those freaking arse-nehs 3-1 at home..what the fiak are we doing!

on an even lousier note, i've been seating out on my regular footie and badminton sessions because of my right knee (which i strained a few weeks back)..due to that, i've been relying heavily on my left knee which in turn caused a recurrence of an old injury..so these days whenever i have to stand for extended periods (meaning more than 2 minutes!), you'll find me shifting from right to left like i am being bitten at the ankles by ants!

i refuse however to end on a bad note so on the brighter side of things..sheena told me the other day that i'd make a good teacher because i had a way of explaining things to people..which i kind of realised before (hey..as i always say "while humility is not my greatest value, i am thoroughly honest!")..i have a knack of putting things out of perspective so that people can inter-relate and see things properly..but being a teacher? i don't know man...maybe someday..because honestly, while i moan on and on about being underpaid, i am truly happy doing what i am doing..especially recently, when even my vendors have started praising my work, i think that is really taking appreciation to another level and i am grateful! :) so before i become a professional teacher (aka someone paid obscene amounts of money to impart to students what they usually memorise off textbooks anyway!), my lessons are free of charge..and oh, textbooks are usually not required! :)

我們

monday, 20 august 2007

881
@ gv plaza with alvin, jack and sheena

despite all the hype, this movie was not on my must-watch list..this deduction came based on the trailer, i could not find myself interested in the theme..but after several good reviews (including one from my brother who told me "should watch"!), i upgraded the movie status to "try to watch"..then by chance, i won a pair of complimentary tickets from 77th Street for 881! now if you thought i upgraded the movie status again, you are wrong..it was more more a case of "let's not waste the tickets la"! :P

the show was enjoyable enough and i think creating the movie as a musical using getai songs was a really fasinating idea! but that said, certain parts just didn't connect while others were too "artistic" for my liking..i'd say all in all, it is quite a nice movie..but as i had previously thought, it is just not my kind of theme (yes, even though i watched it for free)...

tuesday, 21 august 2007

some things are meant to be..irrational..
just like how i love you..
irrational-lee...

*^^*

saturday, 25 august 2007

womad singapore
@ fort canning park with karen

i've heard so much about womad but i've never actually found myself interested enough to attend a single one to date..for those unfamiliar with womad, it is a festival of sorts, a celebration of world music. so what brought us to fort canning park you may ask? well, you can call me a cheapo but the main reason was that karen managed to obtain a pair of complimentary passes!

but our "virgin" experience at womad was a time we will probably not forget! in fact, it was quite addictive..we danced along and we sang along..not knowing a single word we sang or heard in the songs but just hearing the melody, tapping to the beats and feeling the energy made us one with the music..it was quite magical really. if you see me there next year, don't call me a cheapo, i'd probably have paid my way in! :)

the acts we caught:
1. OKI Dub Ainu Band (Japan)
2. Etran Finatawa (Niger)
3. David D'Or (Israel)
4. Clube do Balanco (Brazil)
5. Youssou N'Dour & the Super Etoile de Dakar (Senegal)

saturday, 01 september 2007

ratatouille
@ cathay cineleisure with karen

despite my love for animated movies, i wasn't really interested in watching this..afterall, a show about a rat who cooks??? sounds downright cheesy doesn't it? i can't even remember when i started feeling like catching this to be honest..probably when karen asked "you want to watch ratatouille?"! but thankfully for me, she did..because it is great! besides the animation, the storyline and the theme all blend nicely together..the pace of the story is just nice, without overcomplicating matters despite there being two main leads, remy (the rat) and linguini (the son of a great chef who cannot cook)..i also liked that the ending was subtle rather than those overdramatic big bang finishes most movies have these days..ok sure the rat (remy) still cooks (oh and he runs the kitchen at the end as well!) but hey it's a cartoon right?

as an added bonus, there is also a short cartoon called lifted before the main course (ratatouille)..it's about this alien who is training on how to abduct a boy..with hilarious consequences..damn funny!

---

it's been an eventful 2 weeks since i last updated my blog..in there, have been extreme downs and extreme ups..there were times i questioned myself with no concrete answers and more questions bouncing back at me..there were times i just wanted to give up..

in the end, i am glad i persisted..
in the end, i'm with you..
and i hope to be with you until the end...

fireworks

was at the fireworks display with leen and ling yesterday and it was beautiful! ^^ planting ourselves in the "front row", we had a completely unobstructed view throughout the 15-plus minutes display..for the first time, the fireworks were released simultaneously from three different locations along the marina bay vicinity, creating a colourful 3D effect which was really a sight to behold...

i have constantly wondered what the fuss over fireworks is about..well, last night was well worth the fuss!

thanks ling, for "dating" me out and for cheering me up.. :)

---

寂寞 算不算也是拥有
现在的我坐在角落满间寂寞
是否 偶而你也会想我
你的笑容 你的双手 换他紧握

怎么 熟悉的声音逗留在耳朵
突然我低下了头 自己对着自己说

原来我也怕寂寞 因为不懂
温度是你给的手 回忆在彻夜守候
原来我也怕寂寞 现在才懂
闭上双眼的时候 遇见的是你留下的寂寞

原来我也怕寂寞 孤单游走
和寂寞紧紧相拥 想像你还爱着我

take my silence as your time and space..
we can make it together...

secret

secret
@ shaw century

with jay chou's disastrous outing as a prince in "the curse of the golden flower" still fresh in my mind, i was initially skeptical about watching this jay chou directed film (he wrote and acted in it as well)..after watching it though, i must say that i quite like "secret"..certain parts of the show may seem rather mtv-like and downright naive but it never really stays boring for too long..part of it probably down to the fact that i am a sucker for sappy love stories! the plot twist added a really interesting dimension to the show and anthony wong's comic moments in the show were damn amusing la! nice! :)

photo updates

while waiting for karen...
on our way to st james power station for our "virgin" cheonging night together yesterday...


for the record, while we alternated between dragonfly and movida, a bouncer stopped me and asked for my i.d.! hahaha..i am so amused! -beams- and despite not so favourable comments from friends, the live bands in both clubs were not too bad i must say..for two people who openly declare "we can't dance for nuts" (like who cares!), we sure had fun! :)

after watching the simpsons...
we just couldn't resist a few shots with the stars!



ktv session with the "battalion"...


random shots at the ndp rehearsal...

the journey of six buses

i recounted the "journey of six buses" story to sheena on sunday..and like every previous time i have told it to my friends, it brings a smile to my face. it may sound almost childlike..but as silly and tedious as it may appear to be, those were truly the happy times and i'm glad that i was part of it..such moments in life where romance is innocent and uncomplicated..how easily are they forgotten in our chase for the perfect partner...

while roses, chocolates, jewellery, cars and all things material always look impressive, they fade away with time and fashion..i cannot remember all the gifts that i have bought but what i remember is the silliest story of all..of one journey and the six buses i took to her heart...

love block...

the biggest obstacle to love is fear (of falling in love)..

"love each other or perish"

i feel myself fading...

in ten days..19 july - 29 july...

thursday, 19 july 2007
...jack's birthday celebration at the loof


saturday, 21 july 2007
...ndp rehearsal
...with karen

it is the first time that the ndp is being held at the marina bay and given the limited seating capacity, tickets were extremely rare..so it was with slight disbelief when justin told me that i was going for the rehearsal. to demonstrate the extent of my disbelief, i had dared not confirm with karen that we were going until that friday!

the day of the rehearsal arrived..from my house, i could see dark clouds forming..all throughout the journey to the venue, i willed it to rain so that it will clear up during the actual rehearsal..but it did not. i arrived earlier as i had to be inside to catch my company's ad which played only before the event..looking around at the growing crowd and the snaking queue, i dreaded how i was going to come out again to hand karen her entry tickets carrying the two complimentary ndp packs (2 bottles of water, 2 packets of drinks, a lot of pamphlets, a cd, a few toys and few packets of snack! it is the heavy la!) and my own bag..this made me anxious and the drizzle which seemed to get heavier by the minute did not make things any better..

by the time the pre-rehearsal event started, karen had safely settled in her seat (a policeman stopped the traffic for her leh!) and the weather cleared up...most of the pre-show was only so-so, but we cheered up when we saw the dimsum dollies! somehow they seemed restricted in such an environment but it was good fun as always! the actual rehearsal started and it was interesting to see the various contingents flanking into the floating stage from different entry points..the part where the "MPs", "SM" and "PM" (all simulated and thus the " ") were supposed to make their entrance was quite amusing..replacements dressed in white (what else!) holding placards with the words "First MP", "Last MP", "SM" and "PM" strode up the stairs and waved while the audience cheered and waved back! the rest of the ndp went by as per normal with various schools and associations performing routines which symbolised the different aspects and characteristics of singapore..the main difference this year were the water activities which provided a new angle to the ndp as well as a serene and unique backdrop..

at the end of the parade, it felt like we were reborn singaporeans all over again..and then..we started looking for the place to throw our rubbish so that we can qualify for the lucky draw..just like what true singaporeans would do! :P

saturday, 28 july 2007

the simpsons movie
@ gv vivomax with karen

as the number of "must watch" movies start to decrease drastically, the simpsons movie opened at just the right time..even though i had long stopped following the cartoon series, there remains a certain kind of appeal to homer, marge, bart, lisa, maggie and their fellow springfielders. from before the actual start of the movie, right up to the end (and i mean the end, i.e. after the credits!), it is one laugh-out-loud moment after another..while the movie preaches little titbits of morality and has its fair share of sad moments (doh!), it does not dwell too long on those, making it pure joy to watch..it is highly cheesy and it is delightfully fun..after a week of stress, what better way to relax and detox!

---

after one week of late night page turning, i have completed harry potter and the deathly hallows..as a story, there were too much filler, too many loopholes and some parts of the plot seemed very clumsily put together..it seemed that rowling could not really decide to cater more to the children (for whom harry potter is first and foremost intended) or to her growing adult fan base..i kind of expected the ending but the way it happened was quite a letdown..oh well, this was supposed to provide the series a closure and to that end, it fulfills its purpose...

---

my life may seem exciting..
but something is still missing..
and it's burning a deep hole in me...

somebody's me

somebody wants you
somebody needs you
somebody dreams about you every single night
somebody can't breathe
without you it's lonely
somebody hopes that one day you will see
that somebody's me
that somebody's me...

magic number 5

friday, 13 july 2007

the dim sum dollies: the history of singapore
@ esplanade with crystal and karen

karen and i have been to every single dim sum dollies since it first started in 2003 at the jubilee hall in raffles hotel..and this year was no different. despite certain "resistance", i persisted and made it to the esplanade! and boy was it worth it! from skits on the guitar playing, corner hiding sang nila utama to the cowardly japanese kamikaze pilots who "pre-ejected" to a certain "lee" (not karen!), the dollies (selena tan, emma yong and pam oei) with their chopstick sidekick (hossan leong) and lo mai guys served up an absolute-"lee" thrilling, humourous and satisfying "pieces of heart"!

and as if to let me know i made a right choice, it was announced that the play had sold out and there would be no further extension! now that..is some really priceless dim sum! ^^

the dim sum dollies in steaming!
(the very first and still the best!)

sunday, 15 july 2007

harry potter and the order of the phoenix
@ gv marina with karen

coincidentally, after our fifth dim sum dollies, karen and i went for our fifth harry potter! even below-average reviews from newspapers and friends did not stop us from wanting to catch this installment of this boy wizard. personally, i quite enjoyed the show..while others have said that it was too dark and serious, but that's the way the story is..the only disappointing part is how the portion in the ministry of magic was speeded up which made the end feel very abrupt.

now awaiting the release of the seventh (and supposedly last) harry potter book..two main characters will die in the book..somehow i do not think harry will be one of them. if i was to take a guess, i'd say snape and voldemort..i quite like snape though! hmmm..

---

just finished "tuesdays with morrie" by mitch albom and it's both inspiring and enlightening..the realisation of how shallow the world is and how we are so blinded by inconsequential material things that we forget and forsake what's really important to us..

here, i'd like to share a line from the book which i find really meaningful and i believe true..

Love each other or perish

transformers

friday, 06 july 2007

transformers
@ the cathay with alvin

i am sure i am not the only one who grew up loving these robots and awed in wonder at their ability to transform..so when the movie was first announced, naturally it became one of the must-watch movies! however, first impressions from trailers and newspapers meant that i approached this with equally as much skepticism as enthusiasm..especially after my not-so-great experience with the last cartoon recreation - the teenage mutant ninja turtles. but skeptics fear not, from the get-go, the movie grabs hold of you and never lets you go..the cgi is wonderfully done and the transforming is quite a sight to behold..the action scenes are well paced and nicely spread out..even during the non-action scenes, lots of hilarious moments are added in to keep the movie going..sure there are minor points like how bumblebee is not a sports car and megatron is not a plane and how the final fight scene gets a bit confusing and messy..even then, it does not spoil the movie as a whole..the only letdown for me is the lack of airtime for my favourite character - starscream..but if you grew up watching and loving the cartoon series as i did, this show is a surefire must-watch!

---

i am becoming so horribly absentminded, i am getting worried..did i really order mango sago? -_-"

not like me

who is that in the mirror i see?
it feels like i am not like me...

i am so distracted these days..
by what?
by nothing...
just distracted..by nothing..
isn't that so amazing?
i think so too...

it feels so right to feel so wronged...

hahaiha

"you are the most crappy person i know lor..."

"you are damn lame la..."

"only adrian can come up with this..."

"his lameness is super omg-why-the-hell-i-know-you-as-a-friend but still quite entertaining lah..."

"your corny jokes and all..."

"nonsense!"

sometimes when i think about it, i feel happy to bring joy to people..but other times, i just feel like one bladdy stupid clown. is that all i am really good for?

somehow these days, my laughter echoes meaninglessly in my ears, my smile seems surgically implanted and i feel like a downright fake..

i just don't feel so happy anymore...



nobody knows just why we're here
could it be fate or random circumstance
at the right place at the right time two roads intertwine
and if the universe conspired to meld our lives
to make us fuel and fire
then know where ever you will be
so too shall i be

close your eyes dry your tears 'coz when nothing seems clear
you'll be safe here
from the sheer weight of your doubts and fears weary heart
you'll be safe here

remember how we laughed until we cried
at the most stupid things like we were so high
but love was all that we were on, we belong
and though the world would never understand
this unlikely union and why it still stands
someday we will be set free. pray and believe

when the light disappears and when this world's insincere
you'll be safe here
when nobody hears you scream, i'll scream with you
you'll be safe here

save your eyes from your tears when everything's unclear
you'll be safe here
from the sheer weight of your doubts and fears wounded heart
when the light disappears and when this world's insincere
you'll be safe here
when nobody hears you scream i'll scream with you
you'll be safe here
in my arms through the long cold night sleep tight
you'll be safe here
when no one understands i'll believe
you'll be safe,
you'll be safe
you'll be safe here
put your heart in my hands
you'll be safe here

don't ask me for a reason..there is none..
it is just so uncomplicated..
that's the way i like things to be...

jerk!

i know it was in the past..
but i just want to thank you for never holding it against me..
and i'm sorry i ever walked away like i did..

i regret it till today..
i still do...

the reason why...

elise asked me why..

the first time i saw you
it felt like coming home
if i never told you
i just want you to know
you had me from hello...
- bon jovi

sometimes..
the reason is just so uncomplicated...



this is just sooooo sweet! (just watch till the end)

every time i look at you
baby, i see something new
that takes me higher than before
and makes me want you more
i don't wanna sleep tonight
dreamin's just a waste of time
when i look at what my life's been comin' to
i'm all about lovin' you...
- bon jovi

---

it's that faraway look which gives me away..
but that's as much as they know...

whose smile?

these days, i smile way too much..my cheeks hurt..

i hate the feeling...

ocean's 13

thursday, 14 june 2007

ocean's thirteen
@ gv marina with chris and susu

ocean's 13 suffers a little from attempting to accomplish too much in a limited amount of time..while the plot is straightforward (revenge), the sheer number of people involved and the sophistication of the plan and execution meant that audiences must keep up or catch up..to add to the complexity, new complications arise throughout and new options get thrown into the mix. the movie also moves in a consistently quick pace meaning you don't really get much of a chance to dwell on previous scenes. despite that, ocean's 13's exquisite sets and cast makes all its shortcomings secondary..i especially loved the comic moments involving brad pitt and matt damon..it's the way they appear so nonchalant even during an awkward or funny moment..damn cool! or could it be that i am easily amused? oh and it's amusing how the opening sequence of the show bears an uncanny resemblance to another brad pitt movie "mr and mrs smith" too! haha..overall, ocean's 13 achieves its purpose as a fun show so do not expect an intellectual or foolproof plot..like su told me when i remarked about how rusty (or russell as she calls brad's character..rusty is the correct name by the way!) managed to walk right into an empty slot machine in the midst of such a crowded casino, "it is a movie"..and so that is the way to watch ocean's 13..

---

i slipped and fell this morning (my ass hurts man! already not so much flesh liaoz leh!)..seem to be doing that quite a lot these days (not the hurting of my ass part i am talking about la! doh!)..

---

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 okay
i miss you...
- avril lavigne

is it so silly to feel this way?

shadow of the day

story of my weekend..

sore throat/blocked ears/blocked nose/fluish..
3 hours badminton session (despite the above)..
2 hours footie session (despite the above above)..
ball in the face/throat (from the above)..
sore cheeks (result of the above)..
back to work tomorrow (despite ALL the above!)...

taking a breath to keep breathing...

friday, 1 june 2007

pirates of the caribbean: at world's end
@ eng wah suntec with chris

it was a last minute decision to catch this and it seemed like we weren't meant to watch it..all the cinemas we checked were mostly fully booked (and i refused to sit anywhere nearer than 6 rows to the screen!)..our last resort was the cinema at suntec city and we had almost the whole cinema to choose our seats from! crazy..

for all its hype, the show was a big letdown..too long, too complicated and too boring..sure it had its lighter moments but those few seconds cannot save this two and half hours of blockbuster from being a blocked-busted..i still want to take johnny depp home though! :P

sorry elise, i pang seh-ed you..but i saved you money hor! :D

saturday, 2 june 2007

shrek 3
@ gv marina with karen

after a bad night with pirates, it was lucky that shrek 3 was much much better..given that it has not much of a storyline (it is a cartoon afterall!) and lots of funny moments were recycled (from previous shrek movies), its cute factor alone was enough to make this a really enjoyable show! nice! :)

sunday-tuesday, 3-5 june 2007
..two day conference in kuala lumpur

..wanted to do so much more
..too little time
..at least it was fun and..

..i finally satisfied my urge for dunkin' donuts! damn shuang..
even brought some back for elise and su! :)

---

"not like me"

who is that in the mirror i see?
it feels like i am not like me
a reflection i refuse to acknowledge
a smile that locks me up, like a cage
my tears, they just will not flow
my heart, it just will not glow
a fire, that has been long smothered
my laughter, it is a cold blooded traitor
happy, worriless and carefree
innocent and content, seemingly
cracks deepen beneath the surface
faith that cannot be easily replaced
time will heal, all in good time
how long more before i run out of time?
how long more before i lose sight?
how long more can i sustain this fight?
it feels so right to feel so wronged
in the meantime, the clock ticks on...

addy (07 june 2007)

defenses up

let down..
by my own naivety..

stumbling into...

heart don't lead me on..
head don't let me down..
stay on my side..
even as i start to fall..
too deep...



and when i see you then i know it will be next to me
and when i need you then i know you will be there with me
i'll never leave you..

just need to get
closer, closer
lean on me now
lean on me now...
- travis

oh no..here we go again..

malacca part 2

saturday, 19 may 2007
...one-day malacca road trip
...with elise, kenneth and susu

we found the "original" malacca chicken riceballs this time! nicer, but personally, i still prefer the non-ball version! after lunch, we headed down to try the famous chendol along jonker street..it was so nice and colourful! but then, it was also way tooooo sweet! only kenneth managed to finish his, the rest of us barely made it halfway through ours...

next, we headed for our shopping (with a pit stop at starbucks for kenneth to "recharge")..susu went shoe crazy at not one, but two vinci outlets! i managed to get some nice presents for cheryl as well! :)

dinner was at the portuguese village..supposedly renown for its seafood..and true enough, there were hardly any chicken or even vegetable dishes on the menus! when we finally settled down and ordered, the food was only so so and we nearly got ripped off! not a very good experience...

despite going up in a smaller group this time round, the trip was still fun..lots of crapping, eating, shopping and even more crapping! haha..kudos to kenneth for being our nice driver and for bearing with elise and susu's nonsense! :P so when are we going to conquer kl ar?

---

we miss you too jinxyyyyyyyy!
i promise we will keep the pratas and curries and teh pengs well-preserved for you k? :P

---

if i put one foot on the mat now..
will you step on it with me..
or will you take it out from under me?

scared-ed

why is it this way, that i get so afraid?
frightened of the possibilities that may lay ahead
when it seems like i have found someone who will set me free
i struggle to release myself from this uncertainty
what is she up to? how does she really feel?
what should i do to make this feeling real?
what can i do to win her over?
when should i give up and run for cover?
why all these doubts? what's holding me back?
is it me or is it something she lacks?
i don't know i don't know
i really really don't know la!
haiyoh!

---

addy's quote of the day:

"geraldine's sweeping (badminton) backhand"

innocence

leave me out of the games you play..
i am not paid well enough to participate!

i found a place so safe not a single tear
the first time in my life and i was so clear
feel calm i belong i'm so happy here
it's so strong and i let myself be sincere
i wouldn't change a thing about it
this is the best feeling

this innocence is brilliant
i hope that it will stay
this moment is perfect
please don't go away
i need you now
and i'll hold on to it
don't you let it pass you by...
- avril lavigne

a midsummer night's dream

that midsummer day

priceless
@ cineleisure with marie

i have always wanted to watch a french comedy for the longest time..but for various reasons, it had always been left as that - a "want". funny then when marie asked me to catch "priceless"..and even more funny that like me, this was her first despite having a liking for french shows too! audrey tautou was at her sensual best while gad elmaleh (the male lead) compliments her charmingly as the love struck jean..the script was both smart and sweet and the cast played out their parts so well that at times, i'd forgotten the show was in french! but after all the brilliant build up, the ending was kind of a letdown..that aside, this has been a quite lovely introduction to french fare! :)

that midsummer night

a midsummer night's dream
@ fort canning park with huiling and yili

The play features three interlocking plots, connected by a celebration of the wedding of Duke Theseus of Athens and the Amazonian queen Hippolyta.

In the opening scene, Hermia refuses to comply with her father Egeus's wish for her to marry his chosen man, Demetrius. In response, Egeus quotes before Theseus an ancient Athenian law whereby a daughter must marry the suitor chosen by her father, or else face death or lifelong chastity worshipping Diana as a nun. The word in this sense is an anachronism. Hermia and her lover Lysander therefore decide to elope by escaping through the forest at night. Hermia informs her best friend Helena, but Helena has recently been rejected by Demetrius and decides to win back his favor by revealing the plan to him. Demetrius, followed doggedly by Helena, chases Hermia, who, in turn, chases Lysander, from whom she becomes separated.

Meanwhile, Oberon, king of the fairies, and his queen, Titania, arrive in the same forest to attend Theseus and Hippolyta's wedding. Oberon and Titania are estranged because Titania refuses to give her Indian page-boy to Oberon for use as his "knight" or "henchman," since the child's mother was one of Titania's worshippers. Oberon seeks to punish Titania's disobedience and recruits the mischievous Puck (also called Hobgoblin and Robin Goodfellow) to help him apply a magical juice from a flower called "love-in-idleness," which makes the victim fall in love with the first living thing he sees when he awakens. Oberon applies the juice to Titania in order to distract her and force her to give up the page-boy.

Having seen Demetrius act cruelly toward Helena, Oberon orders Puck to spread some of the juice on the eyelids of the young Athenian man. Instead, Puck puts the juice on the eyes of Lysander, who then falls in love with Helena. When Oberon finds this out, he makes Puck apply the juice to Demetrius. Due to Puck's errors, Hermia's two lovers temporarily turn against her in favor of Helena. Helena, however, is convinced that her two suitors are mocking her, as neither loved her originally. The four pursue and quarrel with each other all night, losing themselves in the dark and in the maze of their romantic entanglements.

Meanwhile, a band of "rude mechanicals" (lower-class labourers) have arranged to perform a crude play about Pyramus and Thisbe for Theseus' wedding, and venture into the forest, near Titania's bower, for their rehearsal. Nick Bottom, a stage-struck weaver, is spotted by Puck, who transforms his head into that of an ass (donkey). Titania is awoken by Bottom's singing, and she immediately falls in love with him. She treats him as if he is a nobleman and lavishes attention upon him. While in this state of devotion, she encounters Oberon and casually gives him the Indian boy.

Having achieved his goals, Oberon releases Titania and orders Puck to remove the ass's head from Bottom. The magical enchantment is removed from Lysander but is allowed to remain on Demetrius, so that he may reciprocate Helena's love. The fairies then disappear, and Theseus and Hippolyta arrive on the scene, during an early morning hunt. They wake the lovers and, since Demetrius doesn't love Hermia anymore, Theseus over-rules Egeus's demands and arranges a group wedding. The lovers decide that the night's events must have been a dream. After they all exit, Bottom awakes, and he too decides that he must have experienced a dream "past the wit of man."

In Athens, Theseus, Hippolyta and the lovers watch the mechanicals perform "Pyramus and Thisbe." It is ridiculous and badly performed but gives everyone pleasure regardless, and after the mechanicals dance a Bergomask (rustic dance), everyone retires to bed. Finally, as night falls, Oberon and Titania bless the house, its occupants, and the future children of the newlyweds, and Puck delivers an epilogue to the audience asking for applause.
- synopsis of the play taken from wikipedia...

i agreed to watch this play knowing only that it was by shakespeare and that i had watched the movie version before..but i went along anyway not remembering the storyline, not knowing the time or the price! i found out later that it was a "night out" at the park sort of theme as well! interesting...

when we reached font canning park, the first thing that we noticed was the setup..there was no proper stage, a whole maze of planks and lots of pinic mats strewn all around the park..we were to find out later that the whole play was going to take place on those planks. despite our initial skeptism, we got ourselves a pretty good "front row" seat!



it was a truly unique experience having the actors and actresses stomping up and down the "stage" and playing out their roles right beside you..the concept is just so "wow!" despite it being shakespearean, local and modern themes were used at appropriate moments to liven up the play..like the instance where hermia and helena played "lom chiam pass" or where hermia used a handphone in her attempt to locate lysander! some parts were really quite amusing! towards the end, the actors and actresses pulled random members of the audience to join in the bergomask in a chain dance along sort of thingy and..i got asked to dance by emma yong! so cool! ok so i didn't exactly dance with her but i got to hold her hand (well, more of her glove!) for the slightest moment! anyway, it's still so cool la! :)

at the end of the play, i was still so starstruck that huiling kept laughing at me..oh well, this is one midsummer night that i will remember for quite some time! :))

bad day

think before you climb onto my head...you just might slip and break your neck!

spidey

spiderman 3
@ gv tampines with katherine

was supposed to watch the show with marie but she was ill (get well girl!)..spent my whole morning searching for someone to either go with or sell the tickets to..in the end, it was my meimei to the rescue! :)

back to the movie..this was one of the movies marie and i put down on our "must-watch" list..the first two installments had set the bar for the spiderman series and based on the trailer, spiderman 3 looked spot-on to maintain the high standards..however, like most hyped up shows, spiderman 3 disappoints..while the effects are still fantastic, the show does not seem to decide if it wants to focus on the drama or on the action..many characters are built up only to suffer anticlimaxes..even the final fight scene has an unfinished and abrupt feel about it..all these makes spiderman 3 a very long-winded and choppy 2 hours 20 minutes..

---

got myself a new pair of levi's 512 jeans! really nice! i don't know why but suddenly i am in this shopaholic mode and it is not just cds which are on my shopping list! there is still the oakley shades which i am eyeing, one belt for work, one for casual and i really have been in need of a new wallet for the longest time! of course there are the other cute stuff which fall under my "nice to look at, nice to have but mostly unnecessary" category! :P but then shopping is known to be therapeutic..well, until we take a look at the amounts we have spent!

catch up

two weeks have passed and too many things have happened for me to fully put down into words..so here's two weeks in a few words and a few more pictures! :)

friday, 27 april 2007
...company team-building session

---

saturday, 28 april 2007
...one-day malacca road trip
...with chris, elise, jingxian, keith and kenneth

lunch was the famous malacca chicken rice balls..
famous, nice to look at but not so nice to eat...

jonker walk is malacca's night market..
we basically ooo-ed and aah-ed from stall to stall..
oh and jinx got herself a new "friend"!

dinner was at this ulu zhi char place which chris, kenneth and jingxian stumbled into on their previous trip..
the highlight was the salted egg chicken..which keith got so addicted to he was scrapping the leaf at the bottom for the crumbs! overall, dinner was pretty good and at just 6 sing bucks per person!

we finally made our way out of malacca and onto the highway around 11.30pm..throughout the journey, chris, elise and i self-entertained and self-amused ourselves with lots of crazy talk and lousy jokes (mainly from chris)..rainy weather meant we only arrived back in singapore close to 4am...

kind of wish we had one more day though..but at least it was fun while it lasted! :) a big thank you to our two drivers, chris and kenneth without whom the trip would not be possible!

all pictures courtesy of jinxy...
for "full-er" account of malacca trip, click here...

---

sunday, 29 april 2007
...blithe spirit
this is kind of a play of firsts..

my first play of 2007..
my first at the drama centre theatre at nlb..
and my first with marie..

well, ok the last point is rather irrelevent but three makes it sound more impressive mah! while it was mostly enjoyable and i quite liked the plot twist, it didn't really connect with me fully (probably due in part to my hangover from the malacca trip!)..all said, it is always intriguing to watch pam oei and selena tan in action..they are just so good la!

for "full-er" review of play, click here...

---

tuesday, 01 may 2007
...new levi's shoes

this pair of sneakers just shouted out at me the first time i saw them at the levi's boutique in parkway parade the previous day..as luck would have it, my size was out of stock..i was so determined to own them that i made a reservation on the spot (still "the previous day")..and made my way down to the marina square levi's boutique specially just to collect them the very next morning! note: don't expect to see me in them too soon though..i am traumatised..i saw this ah beng dude wear the very same pair of sneakers on the mrt! yucks!

---

- caught up -
(more or less)

on the road to...?

wild hogs
@ gv marina with kenneth

i recommended this show to kenneth despite knowing almost nothing about it..but it was a gut feel come good..it is a really funny show la! lots of laugh-out-loud moments..just nice to close off what has been a very hectic week! :)

---

i should really get started on those dvds ginny lent me or she'll soon be hanging pig heads on my door! then again, her being "atas" (high class), i'd probably expect mei zhen xiang bak kua instead! not such a bad thought is it? bak kua on a lazy weekend watching dvds! :P

---

it feels like we are slowly nearing our destination but..i keep thinking of making a u-turn at the next junction...

fight back!

i am extremely gratified at the amount of support i have been receiving from everyone at work..but the harsh reality is that i am still very much on my own. it's just like everything has suddenly fallen onto my shoulders and even though work has been allocated..truth is, is anyone else really in full control? you'd have to bribe me with an extremely obscene sum of money for me to give a resounding "yes"! i am starting to pick up the pieces, i am starting to exert myself..and if anyone thinks that i am weak, then they are mistaken and (to quote from ginny) bladdy stupid (she usually just says "stupid" but i added in "bladdy" for good measure)! the hard part though is in having to overcome myself - my emotions, my distractions, my "zoned out" periods et cetera et cetera...

eric is right, this is the time to prove myself, to push beyond my own boundaries and to explore the possibilities..and with the willing help of so many people, i don't see why i cannot make it happen. funnily, jess and sheena both said the same thing to me - that whatever happens, wherever i am and whoever i encounter, they believe that i am someone who will always find my way to make things alright in the end..somehow..

i am thankful..for the people who constantly believe in me..to ginny for making me tough..and to everyone who has made the rough less rough..i am not ready to disappoint anybody yet..just you wait!

turtle power

teenage mutant ninja turtles
@ gv tampines mall with karen

have been wanting to catch this for the longest time..not because i expected it to be a spectacular show but rather to revisit our childhood heroes! i mean, we all once wished we were sidekicks of leonardo, donatello, raphael and michelangelo rite? while the storyline was everything we'd expect it to be, the characters have all been given updated looks (and voices)..for one, karen and i both did not remember april o'neil as a lara croft! it was kind of weird to see our green friends after so long but it was nice, even if it was just to relive the memories :)

---

jess commented how amazing it was that i have been caught in so many crossroads over the past year - whether in love or in work..you know that feeling of getting caught at consecutive traffic lights? well, that is how it feels like..every time that life seems back to normal, something else happens and i get stopped dead in my tracks again..it is tough because i cannot seem to build up any momentum or gain any inspiration. if there is one thing that i have learnt throughout this time, it is that things will always have a way of working out in the end..somehow. so while life could be better, it could also be worse..instead, i should be thankful that i constantly have the company and encouragement of friends..people whose ears must be a little tone-deaf (specific to my voice) from all my whinings!

the lights are turning green soon..and i must be ready to go..

---

you are not "the foe" la silly marie!