It's raining again. Or should I say it's been raining since yesterday noon, and it didnt even halt for a bit since then. I've not seen the sun for two days now. Its 2am and I'm still wide awake. Perhaps its the rain dripping thru my ceiling just right above my room's wooden door or maybe it's just the 1 hour nap i took at 10pm earlier. Either way...i guess it matters not now, as i intend to write something which I've wrote the very same day, last year.
So here's what I have done/achieved/screwed up/etc during this year of the 2006.
1. Last year - it was the 'new' JOB. This year, there is no new job. Though I'm beginning to get bored of my now, not-so-new job. Maybe next year, it would be the no.1 thing again. Then again, for this year...i suppose the most drastic change would be myself. I noticed, I've grown much more matured now.
2. Last year's weight problem, no longer haunts me. This year, at least - till now...I'm 5kgs or more lighter. I'm more agile than the fatter, younger me, and i certainly do feel better. Most of it probably due to my 'ohmmm' lessons are finally kicking in (...I think).
3. Coincidentally, just like what i wrote last year - "My longer hair is now shorter and neat. Grown bored and weary of the old style, so I changed it recently to a much cleaner cut. Luv it since." I didnt noticed that I've grown my hair long again and then cut it short yet again, during this time of the year. Something which I should observe, maybe its a pattern.
4. The close relative that was diagnosed with cancer last year- she is no longer around this year. Though I still felt rather sad for her departure, I guess life is ever so fragile...I suppose we just have to appreciate what or who we have around us. For who knows, perhaps next year...things might not be like it used to be anymore.
5. I dont play WoW that much these days. The patch they introduced three weeks back did it to me. Maybe its good that I finally get some life back. I'm still paying for the subscription though, would be nice too if i can get my money back. Maybe I can auction my account at E*bay and make some cash. Or who knows, maybe when the expansion comes out...I might be a walking dead again.
6. "Europe. Yeah." This year I went back again. This time - I went ALONE. Though it's for a slightly shorter span of time, still...when you're alone...its not that easy to endure. But I survived. I guess now, I can survive anything that's gonna be thrown at me. At least, on the 'being alone' part.
7. Yet more friends got married this year. And there are few more lining up for next too. A friend told me recently, he is READY. I asked him 'How can you tell?'. He just replied, 'You can't, you just DO IT'. I guess in more precise words, he is just "ready to do it".
8. Last year, I picked up books. If 5 is the number of books I finished reading last year, this year...its half of that + my monthly subscription of reader's digest.
9. The contact lens I bought is still 375. Though I suspected that it would probably increase a few 15s by now, I have yet gone for any checkups. I'm just afraid that I might lose the 'balance of power'. Would hate to have to buy 2 boxes of different power just because both my eyes decided to gave up on sync-ing with each other.
10. ...and I'm still bloggin, am I not? Though the frequency has deteriorated since...hmmm...WoW came into my life. But I've picked up the pace a lil after I got myself the new phone-it takes really nice pics and I can blog directly from there. I cant help bragging about it to friends and co-workers. Taking pics and showing it off to them and have them drool all over. Saying things like 'Wow, the pic's so clear...' or... 'Wow, thats so nice...look at the quality'...and everyday, it just made me feel better that I've made the right choice I got this nifty new toy.
All in all...this has been a good year. I don't remember exactly how I felt last year, but I think I felt alot better this time around. At least, with 5kgs or more lighter - even the steps are faster; it certainly brings some confidence back in life.
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Monday, December 18, 2006
Not quite the Vienna
The last time I went for a buffet was probably the disasterous Jagoya. And that was a few months back.
Last weekend I was at this place named Vienna- didnt really expect much this round as I have been told that its cheap and the food is just 'not bad'. It turned out-I was, and still am...pretty much 'alrite' by this place. Perhaps its because my expectations are so much lower this round, that is why its easy. Well, at least...its a dozen times better than the crappy and not to mention; expensive Jagoya. I guess...my disappointment with Jagoya is still burning strong till now.
Anyway, this place is not bad...for SGD42 per pax inclusive of tax and the variety that they have...i think its considered pretty good. Though, I suspect that most of their stuff are really just 'for the show'. E.g. ABALONE fried rice, CRAB MEAT Meehoon - these are just fanciful labels. Nevertheless, the taste wasn't that bad. A place ideal for parents or aunties/uncles who like such HIGH-profiled food. For me, its an evening well spent.
Shark Fins' Soup, Grilled Buttered Crayfish.
Chocolate Cake and Fondue - Strawberries and Grape.
Last weekend I was at this place named Vienna- didnt really expect much this round as I have been told that its cheap and the food is just 'not bad'. It turned out-I was, and still am...pretty much 'alrite' by this place. Perhaps its because my expectations are so much lower this round, that is why its easy. Well, at least...its a dozen times better than the crappy and not to mention; expensive Jagoya. I guess...my disappointment with Jagoya is still burning strong till now.
Anyway, this place is not bad...for SGD42 per pax inclusive of tax and the variety that they have...i think its considered pretty good. Though, I suspect that most of their stuff are really just 'for the show'. E.g. ABALONE fried rice, CRAB MEAT Meehoon - these are just fanciful labels. Nevertheless, the taste wasn't that bad. A place ideal for parents or aunties/uncles who like such HIGH-profiled food. For me, its an evening well spent.
Buddha Jumping Over the Wall , Oat Prawn, Inari and Salmon.
Grilled Buttered Prawn, Lobster Salad, Chicken Satay and Garlic Sauce Scallop.
Teppanyaki Chicken - not as good as it looks.
Crab Meat Meehoon, Abalone Fried Rice and Peking Duck Wrap.
Shark Fins' Soup, Grilled Buttered Crayfish.
Chocolate Cake and Fondue - Strawberries and Grape.
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Mobile bloggin'
Took this tree at orchard the other night, sending it thru the phone. Hope it works!
Thursday, December 14, 2006
DSC00001
An SE K-800i. This is the very first pic taken by my colleague with my new 3.2Megapixel. =)
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Turbulent Times
I have been back from my break for a week now. The past one week was rather...'messy' for me. From shifting out of the stinky old Jurong office to the now, all new, good and well office at OUB Center...and from looking for my diver's watch, up and down for months to no avail and having it found just opposite my new office during my lunch break...AND from a lazy evening stroll down Orchard...to have commited myself to a 15years contract which involves a huge amount of money. My past one week, could have been the best week of my year.
The new office is like seventh-heaven. The cubicles are really spacious, the furnitures are brand new...heck, the whole office was newly renovated...and to the back of me...the view of Singapore river, which overlooks the back of the Merlion. The days in hellish Jurong-the constant drilling, the poo at the stairs, the smell of urine...all that is now gone...for good.
The diver's watch I've been wanting to get; I have been to at least 5 big retails here...even the authorized dealer said they dont have such a model in the market here. I tried to order that off the net, but was rejected by the dealer. The reason being, they dont ship to Singapore! But the dealer is singapore-based! Strange. I had to give it up or have it shipped elsewhere but before I could do that; ironically, I found it just right opposite my new office...in a small watch shop's display window during my lunch break. Just where and when I least expect it to be. And...the price-compared to the one i found on the internet, its cheaper by 20dollars. Life...can be so interesting sometimes.
A fine Saturday evening, I was just walking along Orchard...hunting for a good phone contract when I got approached by a girl in her early 20s. She wanted me to help her do a survey. I took a glimpse at the paper- it was just a small list of questions...probably about 5 or so. Since I've got nothing better to do, I thought its fine to just waste a couple of minutes. I answered all the questions and I get a chance to draw for a scratch card. The card said I won a 30dollars shopping voucher and she was jumping with joy...she showed me a card saying she could get 10dollars as commission since i won that prize. Next question-if i own a credit card. I answered - Yes. So I can have another card. Cool! The next card - Wow! I won a 7nites accomodation to one of the countries listed in a leaflet. FIJI being one of them. I dont remember the rest. She was already jumping with joy. Kept shaking me hand saying thanks and all. She showed me her commission card again, I won the 1st PRIZE - and she can get 150dollars commission for that! Cool! I just made her day a great one...and my own too. A manager nearby came over to congratulate me. In order for me to CLAIM my prize, I gotta head to their office (which is nearby) to sit for a 1.5 hours presentation. No obligation, i was assured. Nice...since i've got the rest of the evening, I decided to PLAY along. Get my prize and walk out.
And...thats what I thought!
I was taken to their office, sat down and asked to show my credit card (there is another chance to WIN something at the counter), if the last 4 digits of my credit card matches the numbers listed on their counter. I won something again! But too bad...i dont think i'm that lucky either. My card doesnt match those numbers. But its fine...I have got a 30dollars voucher and a 7Nites Paid accommodation to any resort in the destination list. I'm still feeling VERY lucky. There is another indian couple with a kid, apparently they have won something too. But i was thinking..."well, they probably just won a microwave or something." B-)
I got a seat, the girl was still jumping with joy...shook my hand again for the 5th or 6th times...and i told her, that she was over reacting. She said Sorry, its 150dollars...its alot to a part-timer like her. She's only 21. So i suppose, it is a big amount. The 'consultant' finally appeared, a 26 years old lady. The small girl excuses herself...and the lady now asked me to switch off my handphone before entering the 'room'. No SILENT, please off it out of respect to the others inside - she insisted. I smelt fish. But fine - its off. I reminded myself that I was just there for the vouchers and the free nites. I can endure 1.5 hours and leave without buying anything.
That 1.5 hours turned out to be 3...or almost 4 hours. Somehow, somewhere in between the conversation...I got interested by what they were offering me. A lifetime (or at least 15 years - as per contract) of vacation to limitless 4-5stars resorts/hotels around the world. The final deal they made me were too good to be true. I paid an amount with my credit card, and the remaining...i will have to pay for the next 4 years by installment every month. And i left with just the 30dollars voucher and NO 7 nites accommodation which i was there for in the first place. Why? Because they used that to minus off 500 from the contract price i signup. Reason: It wasnt a great resort - so we write that off for you, in return u get 500 off your contract. NICE! And I wasnt thinking much at that time...so i did not argue, my mind was full with the nice pictures they have shown me during presentation.
I walked out of that building, still feeling high...the pictures still fresh in my mind. But as I walked further, the pics began to fade...and $$$ sign began to appear...replacing the pics. The amount is not a small time fee. Thats when I started calling some of my friends up. Telling them what I have done *again* on a boring day. The rest of Saturday, Sunday and Monday - I have talked to at least a dozen friends, all giving me very encouraging and constructive feedbacks.
And this evening, I went up to their office to cancel my contract. Excercising my right for the Fair Trading Act set up by the good singaporean government. Any contract that has been signed must have a 3 WORKING DAYS of cooling period before it can take effect. Of course, the cancellation wasnt a breeze...I had to endure some sarcasm from the manager. But at least, the cancellation form was signed...and I was promised to have my credit card transaction reversed in 2-4weeks time. All I can do now, is to just sit back and monitor my statement. Oh...and the 30dollars voucher-I didnt give them back (like they said, i can get that AND the 7nites accommodation wihout any purchase...but i figured the 7nites - thats probably not easy to redeem, Im sure there are * everywhere, so I did not and wouldnt wanna ask). I spent it on something more worthy. I topped about 50dollars for this.
Well, at least...i gained something in the end...and hopefully...the reversal would be as it was promised.
I spinned off a whole mess all by myself, got my emotions stirring like a whirlwind and now I am so glad that everything is calm and cool. I cant help but to ask myself...Now, why the heck did I do all that for?! x(
The new office is like seventh-heaven. The cubicles are really spacious, the furnitures are brand new...heck, the whole office was newly renovated...and to the back of me...the view of Singapore river, which overlooks the back of the Merlion. The days in hellish Jurong-the constant drilling, the poo at the stairs, the smell of urine...all that is now gone...for good.
The diver's watch I've been wanting to get; I have been to at least 5 big retails here...even the authorized dealer said they dont have such a model in the market here. I tried to order that off the net, but was rejected by the dealer. The reason being, they dont ship to Singapore! But the dealer is singapore-based! Strange. I had to give it up or have it shipped elsewhere but before I could do that; ironically, I found it just right opposite my new office...in a small watch shop's display window during my lunch break. Just where and when I least expect it to be. And...the price-compared to the one i found on the internet, its cheaper by 20dollars. Life...can be so interesting sometimes.
A fine Saturday evening, I was just walking along Orchard...hunting for a good phone contract when I got approached by a girl in her early 20s. She wanted me to help her do a survey. I took a glimpse at the paper- it was just a small list of questions...probably about 5 or so. Since I've got nothing better to do, I thought its fine to just waste a couple of minutes. I answered all the questions and I get a chance to draw for a scratch card. The card said I won a 30dollars shopping voucher and she was jumping with joy...she showed me a card saying she could get 10dollars as commission since i won that prize. Next question-if i own a credit card. I answered - Yes. So I can have another card. Cool! The next card - Wow! I won a 7nites accomodation to one of the countries listed in a leaflet. FIJI being one of them. I dont remember the rest. She was already jumping with joy. Kept shaking me hand saying thanks and all. She showed me her commission card again, I won the 1st PRIZE - and she can get 150dollars commission for that! Cool! I just made her day a great one...and my own too. A manager nearby came over to congratulate me. In order for me to CLAIM my prize, I gotta head to their office (which is nearby) to sit for a 1.5 hours presentation. No obligation, i was assured. Nice...since i've got the rest of the evening, I decided to PLAY along. Get my prize and walk out.
And...thats what I thought!
I was taken to their office, sat down and asked to show my credit card (there is another chance to WIN something at the counter), if the last 4 digits of my credit card matches the numbers listed on their counter. I won something again! But too bad...i dont think i'm that lucky either. My card doesnt match those numbers. But its fine...I have got a 30dollars voucher and a 7Nites Paid accommodation to any resort in the destination list. I'm still feeling VERY lucky. There is another indian couple with a kid, apparently they have won something too. But i was thinking..."well, they probably just won a microwave or something." B-)
I got a seat, the girl was still jumping with joy...shook my hand again for the 5th or 6th times...and i told her, that she was over reacting. She said Sorry, its 150dollars...its alot to a part-timer like her. She's only 21. So i suppose, it is a big amount. The 'consultant' finally appeared, a 26 years old lady. The small girl excuses herself...and the lady now asked me to switch off my handphone before entering the 'room'. No SILENT, please off it out of respect to the others inside - she insisted. I smelt fish. But fine - its off. I reminded myself that I was just there for the vouchers and the free nites. I can endure 1.5 hours and leave without buying anything.
That 1.5 hours turned out to be 3...or almost 4 hours. Somehow, somewhere in between the conversation...I got interested by what they were offering me. A lifetime (or at least 15 years - as per contract) of vacation to limitless 4-5stars resorts/hotels around the world. The final deal they made me were too good to be true. I paid an amount with my credit card, and the remaining...i will have to pay for the next 4 years by installment every month. And i left with just the 30dollars voucher and NO 7 nites accommodation which i was there for in the first place. Why? Because they used that to minus off 500 from the contract price i signup. Reason: It wasnt a great resort - so we write that off for you, in return u get 500 off your contract. NICE! And I wasnt thinking much at that time...so i did not argue, my mind was full with the nice pictures they have shown me during presentation.
I walked out of that building, still feeling high...the pictures still fresh in my mind. But as I walked further, the pics began to fade...and $$$ sign began to appear...replacing the pics. The amount is not a small time fee. Thats when I started calling some of my friends up. Telling them what I have done *again* on a boring day. The rest of Saturday, Sunday and Monday - I have talked to at least a dozen friends, all giving me very encouraging and constructive feedbacks.
And this evening, I went up to their office to cancel my contract. Excercising my right for the Fair Trading Act set up by the good singaporean government. Any contract that has been signed must have a 3 WORKING DAYS of cooling period before it can take effect. Of course, the cancellation wasnt a breeze...I had to endure some sarcasm from the manager. But at least, the cancellation form was signed...and I was promised to have my credit card transaction reversed in 2-4weeks time. All I can do now, is to just sit back and monitor my statement. Oh...and the 30dollars voucher-I didnt give them back (like they said, i can get that AND the 7nites accommodation wihout any purchase...but i figured the 7nites - thats probably not easy to redeem, Im sure there are * everywhere, so I did not and wouldnt wanna ask). I spent it on something more worthy. I topped about 50dollars for this.
Well, at least...i gained something in the end...and hopefully...the reversal would be as it was promised.
I spinned off a whole mess all by myself, got my emotions stirring like a whirlwind and now I am so glad that everything is calm and cool. I cant help but to ask myself...Now, why the heck did I do all that for?! x(
Thursday, November 23, 2006
The BREAK
Its been a while since I get any break...any break from work and here, to be precise. After this Friday, I'm off. Like the past few times, I would always wish that this is gonna be a start that never has an end. This break would have gotten here sooner but due to some clashes and stuff...i had to push everything back till now.
Wish i'll have a good one...and an uneventful Friday.
Wish i'll have a good one...and an uneventful Friday.
Friday, November 17, 2006
Patterns
The street lights always changes or would start blinking when I get close.
The tinted glass window which I would pass by every morning, most people would turn their heads to look at themselves in the reflection, trying to adjust their shirt or tidy up their hair. Sometimes...i cant help to look as well.
Chunky peanut butter and bread. Bread with Peanut butter Jelly. White Bread. Wheatgerm. Bran. It's the same every morning. Still enjoying every bit of it though.
Support. Work. The UAT has ended last week. This week there's this new PAT. Another cycle. Another round of testing. Like a snake biting its own tail.
WoW. Getting bored again. Expansion out next Jan. Hopefully there would be something new to do. I've been getting on and off this thing. Alot.
The tinted glass window which I would pass by every morning, most people would turn their heads to look at themselves in the reflection, trying to adjust their shirt or tidy up their hair. Sometimes...i cant help to look as well.
Chunky peanut butter and bread. Bread with Peanut butter Jelly. White Bread. Wheatgerm. Bran. It's the same every morning. Still enjoying every bit of it though.
Support. Work. The UAT has ended last week. This week there's this new PAT. Another cycle. Another round of testing. Like a snake biting its own tail.
WoW. Getting bored again. Expansion out next Jan. Hopefully there would be something new to do. I've been getting on and off this thing. Alot.
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