JusT KaT

ban jia liao.moved house.plian ban liao.

2009-01-23T20:57:00.003+08:00

blog moved..
chinese new year approaching.. for new luck and better feng shui..time to move =)

http://kat23qi.wordpress.com

sabaai dee mak..

children cabaret show..

2009-01-20T12:09:00.004+08:00

Day 42, 43, 44, 45

Time is passing really fast.. been back at Takuapa and helping at the orphanage..

did handicrafts-sewing little cashew nut key chains.. (since when do i sew??) took a lot of patience..kept getting knots with the thread.. and the ladies in charge were so good at it! by the time i finally finished 1..they did 4.. haha. oh well. there's always a first time.
swept the floor.. tidied their stuff.. did some admin work for the english ones..

sunday was really cool.. 2 volunteers from australia were leaving.. and they actually had a surprise party for them..

we were all in for a huge treat! there was lotsa food.. a cabaret show by one of our own children!!! a lady-boy to be..definitely. 15 years old. he's very good!

more dancing by the girls.. it was hilarious and entertaining.. really sweet. the 2 volunteers were very surprised and impressed! so were the rest of us!

today.. the children were in for a treat too, 3 huge boxes of clothes were delievered from an organisation supporting the orphanage. there were both new and second hand clothes.. and each of the 60 children received an avg of 4 pc of clothings!
I was very impressed to see that there wasn't much arguing of the clothes during the hand-out by the "Mother" of the children. They sat and waited patiently for their chance, and even excitedly shouted out suggestions of who can fit the clothes!

It is really adorable to see a 4 year old folding her new clothes, and putting the neat pile into her wadrobe.. independence and responsiblity is something most children of the "modern" and well-to-do families lack of..

being here has taught me many lessons.. an experience i think everyone should go through.
last night while reading the profiles of the children.. i felt my heart ached and broke many times..
it's the 3rd time i read it since last year..but it never fails to teach me how strong they all are..

"D" was 8 years old when the tsunami hit. was swept away to the sea by the waves.. clung on to a log for 20 hours alone ..n ended up on an island with dead bodies around.. he was very lucky to survive and was finally found by the rescuers..
was brought to the orphanage (which were only tents, not a nice building as now..) and have been here since then.
some of the children victims lost their entire family..some never found their bodies.

now..i understand why he is so brave, always helping with the "dangerous" tasks such as setting up fire for cooking etc.
he is quiet but always take the intiative to help the staff and the younger ones..like a big brother.
even those left with a parent after the tsunami didn't seem like a "blessing"..
some of them were abandoned, after their parent remarried, and the new step parent didn't "want to have anything to do with them"(quoted from them).
some were abused, both physically and sexually, even at the tender age of 3.
the lucky ones were found by neighbours who called the orphanage to get help.
i am very sure there are hundreds or thousands even, out there who are still suffering in silence.

most of the children have not been to school until they came here. their families were too poor, and education is the last thing on their mind when they only have a proper meal every 3,4 days.

im helping to look for sponsors too.. cos funds are running low as more children have been coming in.. and the funds are now shared among more..
it's really affordable to sponsor a child actually, only 800 baht (S$35) for the young ones and about 2000 baht (S$100) each month to sponsor the elder one through education at a vocational college to learn working skills which is very helpful.
otherwise you can also do one time donation (even S$50 can go a long way to buy rice, cooking oil etc.)
if anyone knows ppl interested, let me know. at least im here to make sure things go smoothly and money well spent!

had a call from home last night. nice. :) miss family but im having a wonderful experience here.
been 45 days but i learnt so much already.
let's see some...
-travelling on my own (all the precautions to stay safe..),
-making decisions,
-managing budget,
-pick-pocketed,
-going to the police and discovering corruption,
-got match-maked by some lady (i only met her for 10 mins!) to her son,
-understanding what it means when the shirt says "Good men go to heaven, bad men go to Patong"
-trying to understand how the thai culture works..
-trying to understand what sustains a thai girl-ang moh man relationship...
-seeing how "powerful" females can be when men are hum sup (whine and u get A LOT OF expensive gifts..)
-not to mention the wonderful children's strength and love.. as well as the noble staff that work like mad on a very little allowance to help these children...

more to come, i m sure..just wish for health and safety to be with me.

love love,
sabaai dee...

job job..n the holy man in a turban..

2009-01-15T21:52:00.005+08:00

Day 41

chilled somemore at the beach..tried to absorb as much sunlight as possible..but a pity it was quite cloudy.. gave up after an hour..
went to the police station to try to get a statement for the theft.
was refused "indirectly" after a long "beat around the bush" lesson about the "new" law.. but it wasn't an up-front "im sorry i can't do it." but more like a ..."maybe..maybe not"
i guess i could get my way if i pay them some money.. for sure. but the whole point is "i lost my valuables and i need a report." paying them wouldn't make sense... i lose more money in that way!sheesh.
got a bit pissed off by the policeman's attitude. in fact he's quite a high rank one. gross.
guess i have to forget about the report for insurance claim.. sigh. esp. my new thumbdrive..n ALL MY MUSIC FILES. 4GB!!! the other was just full of resume shit...

Day 42

was supposed to head back to Takuapa..but got a last minute mail for an interview.. for a tour operator.. referral by another company i applied to..
quite a nice time actually. very informal.. since i had none of those formal wear with me.. had to go in shorts..with track shoes! haha.
the owner's an Asian..with family in spore too. very nice man. learnt quite some stuff about working here from him... the good and the ugly..
got to try out working for an hour plus.. since i had absolutely no idea what goes on in a tour operating company before... it was really quite an experience. learnt a lot just in that hour. the lady GM taught me so much..
a lot of paperwork, follow up and making sure everything goes smoothly so customers get to enjoy a nice holiday...
and i learnt that... some people can be very nasty.. very rude and try to take advantage of others to save money.... i got feedback that sporeans are generally quite easy and nice customers.. only that have to be careful of their "complaints" tendency.. haha. (as if we don't know....)
so you see.... please be nice to others always..esp. when you are overseas... and ESPECIALLY when you tell others what country you are from.... you are almost an ambassador..

havent accepted the job yet since ive got another to follow-up next week (2 good news last night!) for the hotel that i was interviewed last month..
but from what i can expect, there will be a lot of things for me to learn which is good, and quite safe too. growth opportunity for sure and less politics (i hope!) compared to working in a big company...
will have to weigh and decide after.. man..i hate making decisions..
small medium "family-like" company (more flexible, less politics, learn to multi-task) or big company (less responsibilities, more transparent but politics, less flexible..).. both have pros n cons.. oh i really hate making decisions.
will update soon.

after the "work" session, chilled out @ the hostel with 2 other cool sporeans and the lady who's in-charge of the hostel.. talked a lot about spore n thailand and their diving experiences.. oh..if only i don't get claustraphobic underwater..AND if i get the money....i will certainly try diving.. haha.

oh yes, i forgot to blog about the "mysterious man in a turban"..
was having lunch last month with my australian friend.. this man in a turban came up to me and tried to tell my "fortune".. said he has special psychic power.. a holy man..
played along with him just to see what he could predict. apparently by looking at me.. he saw that i was feeling happy (DUH!!!!).. better than before..have good karma (i really hope so!) and (this is the important part..) love and money will come in February 2009.... luck will apparantly be good in Feb.. haha. maybe i will meet a thai royal prince?

have always been skeptical about such "fortune-telling" but at the same time afraid to know..
don't really trust but it was quite a strange experience..
anyway..he "indirectly asked" me to do more good karma by giving him some money...haha. i expected that really.. maybe i should have given him some for the effort...

but i didn't.. he needs to really do some good karma by getting a proper job..n not conning people. in fact, if i give him money, it ll prob be bad karma cos im encouraging cons!
haha. but anyway.. whether it's true or not...im looking forward to February now!!!! :)

will be heading back to Takuapa tmr. hate to leave here always.

looking forward to be back here soon..

sabaai dee..

jellyfishy time..

2009-01-13T21:52:00.002+08:00

Day 38 (sunday)

Another children's day celebration..this time it's an excursion to Phang Nga National Park.. a 30min drive from the orphanage..
set off @ 9am..everyone was really excited. esp. the children since it's a huge thing, with games and picnic and swimming!
volunteers joined in the games too! we were separated into 6 teams.. and for the 1st game..we were blindfolded and had to walk through "obstacle courses"! imagine the little ones (only age 4,5,6) blindfolded and joining in the fun!
had to walk slowly since we couldn see anything! had to crawl too holding on to a rope.. n got really messy with the grass and little mud.. course ended with paint drawn on our faces..
oh, before we could take off the blindfolds....we had to stick our hands into a vase filled with jelly-like stuff ...gross.

then..we played lotsa fun relay games ..running with spoons in the mouth that held the eggs etc.
the children really enjoyed!

had picnic lunch after.. we brought food along and the housekeepers prepared thai papaya salad (som tum) on the spot!

then..the best part was the "swimming" time.. some of the little ones dressed in costumes were sooooo cute. (you must check out the photos in my facebook..) ..
myself and the older kids went swimming @ the waterfall.. a REALLY huge and amazing one! honestly..i felt quite suaku when i screamed at the sight of it.. i mean we don't get much of that in spore.. so i was really impressed!
we all jumped in even though the water was freezing cold! didn't bring extra clothes but i didn't care.. it will dry anyway!!
so much fun!

went back to the orphanage around 4pm..all the kids had a prezzie each.. and certainly enjoyed themselves..i felt happy too..and was really glad to see the children so happy! i like to see people here being happy with simple things... im starting to do that too.. it's something i definitely learn from my stay here..

Day 39 (monday)

decided to take a little break.. off to phuket..
visited my friends @ Patong.. finally a beach run after a week of missing it..
stayed in Phuket Town though.. the same hostel (Old Town hostel).. it's wonderful..really cheap.. only 250 baht ($12) own room with only a bed and a fan..common toilet and showers but it's clean and homely.. i like it.

Day 40 (tuesday)

decided to go Karon Beach for a change.. love the place.. a very long stretch of beach.. and even though it's crowded too, it's very different from Patong.. more of couples and families.. so none of the sleazy stuff..
white clean sand.. and very very clean water.. you can almost see everything underwater from the top...

oh yea.. i realise it's the jelly-fish season or smtg. because there are LOADS of jelly-fishes washed up the shore.. and because the water is soo clear, you can see all the jelly-fishes around.. it's quite scary..
but..i still went for a little swim, the water was just too tempting! was careful not to "offend" any of the dangerous stuff..
lying on the sand @ a beach is so simple but i really enjoyed..it's so peaceful.. and..of course i got my tan! was there only for an hour (didn't want to get skin cancer..)..but my cheeks are a little red now! so satisfied! haha.

job search is looking up. got a lobang somehow..referral from someone i applied to.. but yet to interview. hopefully it ll go smoothly. though i really wanna do some travelling first, but it's good to know i can settle down eventually. money not enough. haha.
from what the locals tell, thailand's tourism seems a little lower than usual this year.. probably cos of the airport closure thing.. plus economy's bad everywhere, so it's tougher.
so.. it's gonna be hard to find work in the hotels.. i just gotta try harder or something else perhaps..

btw have finally bought the cables i lost after much searching..(had to go to SAMSUNG service centre to buy the original for my camera..no cheap pirated ones around for that..)
have uploaded lotsa photos on facebook.. check it out yea? =)

sabaai dee..
metta..

thai dek dek (children) day..

2009-01-10T13:41:00.004+08:00

Day 36,37
harrasseed by mosquitoes.. there are just too many around here. im surprised they don't have a "Fight Dengue Fever" campaign..there are prob too many to actually control it..
ive gotten so many bites my arms and legs look disgusting! (okay..maybe a little exaggeration..)
couldn't sleep cos of that too. if only im that attractive to humans, as with the mosquitoes..

anyway...10th Jan is Children's Day here.. so....the kids had a HUGE celebration/party.. with the children coming from another centre nearby. lotsa dance performance, games and food! the children love it.
what a pity my camera's down (since i lost the wires to charge etc..) would have taken lotsa photos.

the day before the party, helped with blowing up the balloons etc. was really quite cool, mouth sore though.hah.

tomorrow's (sunday) going to be exciting too. we are going to a waterfall(an hour drive away) for ANOTHER party.. haha. little picnic and stuff. will blog bout it soon.

love
sabaai dee.

pickpocketed..drives lost..4GB of music gone..

2009-01-08T15:05:00.003+08:00

Day 33

Back to Phuket after another 13 hours on the bus.. ass hurts.
found a cheap backpackers' "old town hostel".. i know the name sounds a bit creepy, but the place is fine. clean and the owners are friendly.
just a simple room with a bed and a fan. shared showers and toilets. for just 250 baht ($12)

was tired after the long ride.. decided to pamper myself with a massage @ my fav place. (200baht)
went back to hostel and slept.

Day 34, 35

Back in Takuapa.
Missed the children.. did some painting.. for the old playground so it looks new! i actually enjoy painting..except we were under the sun..so it was a bit hot..
had paint all over myself and clothes..had a hard time trying to scrub it out after...

the children has already moved into the new building.. so now the girls sleep in the new building while the guys conquer the whole of the old building.. (they all used to sleep in the old one)
to save money, i decided not to rent a room. so i crashed in with one of the housekeeper, slept in a room in the new building..
had a rough night though.. was very hot and i was a buffet for the mosquito.. free flow of blood for them..
couldn't really sleep..

a little lost now.. trying to work out my short-term plans.. a few ideas, just have to keep working back to the budget.
should work out fine.
feb will be exciting. think i ll head to Krabi for a while. change of environment and since im here, i should explore as many places as possible. it's not too hard, since it's much cheaper than surviving in spore.. haha.
and...i have till march to worry about the job thing. now..no one's replying to me!

eating too much here. every other time, it's "kin kao"(eating time).. think i ve gained 2kg at least.
pants getting tight. sob. and..except for the runs @ the beach, i havent got much chance to work out and exercise.. this is thai life..hah

bad news.. realised ive been pickpocketed.. lost my little pouch which had my new thumbdrives(contain ALL MY MUSIC FILES!!! 4GB!!)...and my MP3 and camera connectors.. shit. now I can't upload photos nor charge my mp3 until I go buy a new one.. really sad. sigh.
it must have been the bus.. i had to leave my HUGE backpack @ the end of the bus.. and i guess someone took it.. sigh. at least it wasn't too much money i lost.. *be thankful*

sabaai dee..

Selemat Datang ke Penang..

2009-01-05T17:35:00.005+08:00

Day 30,31

There's this attraction that keeps pulling me back to Patong..it's just wierd. although it's sleazy, crowded and touristy, I kinda feel abit "at home". haha. maybe because Ive made many friends there, with the people working there.. and mainly, it's the beach. I love running on the beach there. It's not too short, and the crowd is also quite cool since I won't be alone.

A big prob there is the accomodation.. I mean the super overpriced accomodation. esp. since it's the high season now, all the prices are jacked up real high.
Had to spend 1 hour plus walking around trying to find a decent place within my budget. the average "cheapest" room was at least 1000baht ($42). and sometimes that's only a fan room, with shared shower.
thank gosh I managed to dig out a cool room to rent. it was 500 baht! with my own hot shower!

had another free ski ride from my ski-shop friend! super fun! haha. it's really cool how people are so friendly to everyone.

I think Im quite thankful I have been quite lucky so far. Made a few backpacker friends, and heard of "horror" rip-off/cut throat scams. esp. if you are a caucasian...

some of them had their money stolen from the guesthouse, when they were sleeping in the room!!! the camera caught some old lady going into each room to steal. it's quite wierd actually if you think about it.. how can she even dare to go in when it's not empty...

some were forced to pay ridiculous cover charge after drinking their ass off at the clubs.. or they couldnt leave the place.. (Im avoiding pubs and clubs since I don't drink anyway..)

some were "persuaded" to buy and tailor clothes while they were half-drunk..

lots more.. you just gotta be careful..and this time..Im lucky to be an asian here.. haha.

Day 32, 33

Set off to Penang from Patong. Had to apply for a tourist visa @ the Thai embassy in Penang, so I can stay for 2 months without leaving the Kingdom.
Mini-van set off @ 730am... it was initially a really "lok kok" van.. covered with layers of dust, and very "squeaky".. I was gonna "cry" thinking of the 10 hours trip in that thing..
half hour later... this "ang mog" man shouted at the driver to drop him and his wife off immediately. declared to the entire van that it is a "CRAPPY BUS" and " I DID NOT PAY FOR THIS!" poor driver was stunned and didnt know what to do.
I mean I know it's quite a crappy bus but you really dont have to behave like an abnoxious big shot. shouting and insulting is just NOT polite in Thailand.
Anyhow, they got off... and ten minutes later, the rest of us were transferred to a much better van. cool.
transferred bus 4 times (Phuket, Hatchai) before we finally arrived in Penang at 9.30pm... that's 12 hours of ride..my ass hurt.
and the worse thing was... I OVERSTAYED AGAIN AND PAID 500BAHT FINE!!!!
it's the 2nd time.. not a good record.
I honestly thought the visa expired on 5th Jan..but it's actually 3rd. I better watch out before they throw me to "Bangkok Hilton"-jail.

Checked into a backpackers' place in Chinatown of Penang. It's owned by a Chinese family who was surprised when I spoke Mandarin to them. costs RM 35 (S$17) per night, and I think it's considered exp. for a backpackers' place. Aircon but common shower and toilet.
Chulia street's like a backpackers' place, lotsa guesthouses, and services for tourists.

In fact, it's really easy to find a shop that does your "visa" stuff for you. Instead of going to the embassy yourself etc, they get your passports and documents necessary, get them done and return to you at the end of the day.. for that you pay a fee of Rm20-Rm50. realised i was over-charged quite a bit. Why issit that Chinese are usually the "profit-oriented' ones and tend to overcharge...
Walked around and check the place out, realised Chinatown and Little India here are just almost side by side, so it's pretty cool.
The last time I was here was almost 10 years ago.. still pretty cool. Lotsa shophouses.. and more shophouses.. very history-rich and cultural place. definitely recommended for history geeks.
nearest and probably one of the few shopping complexes is Pranglin Mall.. it's like a Sim-Lim Square mixed with Far East. Beside it, is Komtar Mall which is honestly quite wulu. Very quiet and dead.
One thing cool here is that after being in Thailand for a month, it's funny seeing signboards and words written in Mandarin, and hearing people speak in Madarin and Hokkien. With the old shop houses and kopitiams, it feels like Ive been transported back in time into the 70s.
Food is cheap here too, esp for those of you into chinese food like wantan mee and prawn mee, it's almost everywhere @ RM 2.80- RM 3.50 (avg. $1.50)
but.. thailand is still cheaper in terms of food and drinks really.

Vegetarian wise....Im glad to realise it's quite easy to find vegetarian eateries.. in fact, Penang's a veg. paradise in Malaysia. Many chinese and taoists live here, so there are lotsa veg food around.
You can get them in Little India too.
On that note.. I had quite a horrible experience.
was walking down a lane back to my inn..when I smelled smtg bad.. It was drizzling so I just kept walking.. the smell got worse. out of curiousity.. I turned to the side to see what the shops were selling... and I saw a HUGE PIG hanging down from a hook @ it's nose ... totally skinned and butchered. it was the top half of the body!! i almost threw up.
it was almost my size!

a lot of blood in the shop and i didn't dare to look somemore, so I kept walking .. then I realise... the ENTIRE LANE was filled with "BUTCHERY". More pigs hanging from hooks.. I almost fainted..
I think they need to put a warning sign on both ends of the lane.. "Not for the faint-hearted, vegetarians and muslims"
Nothing against that, since it's their work, and it's part of the process to your "Bak Kut Teh" etc.
But from some one who has a soft spot for animals (alive, not dead), and who doesn't like the idea of dead stuff.. it was a total nightmare..
honestly, I think if everyone has to hunt for their own food, more people will be vegetarians.. haha.

alright, time's up. that's RM 2 for an hour of internet.
will update when I get back to Thailand.

Selemat Jalan..

sawat dee pee mai (happy new year!)

2009-01-01T21:29:00.003+08:00

Day 26,27,28

Happy New Year to all dearies!
celebrated new year's eve-new year @ Koh Phi Phi..
was fun, lotsa fireworks (seriously, i realise thai like fireworks a lot man.. i see it almost everyday since 23rd dec..but the prob is they always come @ random.. like burst of 2-3 mins .. then another burst 15mins later...)
my friend's bar was cool, good music n crazy fun ppl. =)

been to PhiPhi island before but it was a day trip a few years ago.. it's still pretty much the same except lotsa buildings are up now (many destroyed by the tsunami..)..
really small town.. (i finished exploring the "town" area within an hour...) n everyone knows everyone...
lotsa dive shops.. restuarants n EXPENSIVE accomodation.. im not kidding.
paid 500baht for a room (cheapest i could find..the average for a decent cheap was 100baht n more) in town.. i could get an air con/private bath n tv for 500-600 baht..
but.. my room on PP was a really small "wooden attap room"..with a bed, fan n that's it. common toilet for all to share..cold shower..
the walls n floors are wooden and REALLY thin. you can practically hear people walking up and down.. AND...some things you don't really wanna hear... or "sounds" i mean.

definitely quite an interesting place..since the town is so small, you sorta keep seeing the same people after a while. i actually felt kinda claustraphobic after 2 hours on PP. haa.
and i guess i felt a little strange being one the VERY FEW asians on the island. honestly.. the population i think was prob 80% caucasians and 20 % thais/asians.

i just keep seeing caucasians everywhere i go.. the thais are mainly the working staff... and it's really touristy.. when i spoke thai to the thais, they replied in english.. ha.
honestly, i don't feel the warmth from the ppl as compared to other parts of Thailand.. it's just so geared towards making money off caucasian tourists at times..

i realised it's quite a scandalous place too. *laugh* yea. but it's not the "Patong" type of scandalous.. it's different. ppl from different countries meet here... n .. *gossips*
most of the tourists are quite young too.. the babes will prob be avg 25 years old..n the dudes.. maybe about 28. it just reminds me of the show "Temptation Island".. hah.

money's running out, so i had to leave the island as soon.. everything on PP is more exp. kinda like a PP tax you have to pay.. eg. drink are usually 15baht a can in thailand. even in 7-11. but there..it's 20 baht. even standardised stuff like a loaf of bread etc. there's an extra 5-10baht on it. man. no wonder the thais don't go there.

so.. after the good new year countdown party, im back in phuket.. @ patong again! *laugh*

might be heading to Penang soon to do the boring visa stuff. i hope it will go smoothly.

need to catch up on sleep. couldn sleep past 2 nights cos of the noise.. (everyone's almost always drunk on PP).they sell alcohol in BUCKETS...

love love.
sabaai dee.

alone is not scary.it's learning.

2008-12-29T20:47:00.002+08:00

Day 24,25

Yest was good. day trip to Patong, visited some friends @ the beach (masseurs and those running jet skis..lol), couldnt jog cos of my pathetic swollen foot, ended up walking n swimming.
man..swimming in the sea n in the pool is so darn different. i miss lapping (swimming laps @ the pool) .. it's so easy to keep lapping when the water is so calm..

in the sea.. the waves n currents.. i couldn't even swim properly. haha. so ended up floating around and waddling like dogs in the water.. but it was good. since i, being quite a sporean..am naturally quite beach-deprived..
had coffee with my Aussie friend who's leaving to bangkok..

am getting better with the bike.. rode to town (about 20 mins ride) to catch a local bus to Patong.. cause i wasnt quite sure i could ride the bike up the slopes of the hills...
about that.. man. i get a bit paranoid when im in the bus and it stops in the middle of the slope as the driver changes gear.... yes.
it's freaking scary when u look out of the bus and see the valley next to you.. u just think u are gonna tumble down any minute. *tremble*

today was quiet..a little bored.
did some "resumes sending" to some schools.kinda gave up hoping the hotel will call me.
rode to town.. "for fun"
bought a 2nd hand eng book for 3bucks to read.. i need eng books!
went for a walk @ NaiHarn beach during sun-set..

i get a feeling some ppl reading this must be pretty jealous.. this is almost ideal life..
i hope mum n dad's gonna retire here! haha. go to the beach for a walk.. enjoy the wind..ride the bike to town..visit the local markets.. way more interesting than retiring in spore i bet. don't need much money to survive here really.. so much nature stuff here to enjoy.

this might be a little early for me...but im definitely gonna retire here next time. haha.

still kinda worried over few things. my visa's running out n i m not sure what i should do about it..a few choices but the better ones are always so expensive! dammit.
i can do a run to mynmar n get a chop but that will only last 15 days..
i can go to the immigration, pay them 80bucks n get an extension for i don't know how many days..
i can take a flight to penang or kl to apply for an extension..
blah blah.

n the expiry is approaching. urgh.

ive been thinking about the things i learnt by just travelling around alone.. the "independence" thing. it's really a challenge and it's fun too. esp. in a foreign country..

let's see. i was initially afraid of riding a bike ..not to mention within phuket town where all the little roads n lanes intersect one another.. like a maze... N the cars just keep going and never stop..
the "circles" are the worst.. roundabouts with 4 lanes of traffic.. with a fountain sprouting out water in the middle....
but i did it! haha. even when i know nuts about traffic rules n whatever..
surprised i din get lost..
actually it's kinda dangerous seriously.. the traffic is so scary man! oh well, but i m cautious enough. AND i honestly think it's safer riding a bike here than in spore.. drivers actually watch out for bikes..back home...who gives a damn.
hmm. i think i might just take a bike course here in thailand!...when i start earning the money..yea.

will reflect more on this travelling-alone journey..

sabaai dee..

my foot!

2008-12-27T20:35:00.003+08:00

Day 23.

fell off the bike last night while trying to turn. too much groceries and lost my balance. so....my left foot was kinda "crushed" by the bike..
din hurt a lot actually after that.. forgot to ice it, but i did apply some medical oil to soothe it...
thought it was gonna be okay...
BUT.. the pain came during my sleep. I spent the whole night holding my foot.. couldn't sleep much. din know why but it was hurting throughout the enitre night. shit.
woke up limping. can't walk properly now. and i have to miss jogging at the beach now. damn.
hope it'll get better soon. i m lucky not to break any bones. *thankful*

since i couldnt move around much, decided i will spend today at home watching dvds. thankfully a friend came over from the orphanage. we met up nearby (NaiHarn Beach) and chatted the entire afternoon! she's so sweet.

making plans for new year's eve.. might wanna go somewhere out of phuket..
for now..have to hope my foot recovers soon..

sabaai dee.

(PS: check this MTV out.. it's so sad I cried..n cried..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbtNuxQ7eFo&feature=related
one of the band member died..the MTV is "real".. showed how the member's dad cared for him when he was sick and how his band mates miss him..the dad looked so old n sad..)

love all lots..treasure life.

tsunami 4th year memorial..

2008-12-26T20:58:00.005+08:00

Day 22

Today's the 4th year memorial anniversary for the Tsunami 2004..
im sure the children back at the orphanage will be reflecting quite a bit, and having a peaceful time at the temple tonight.

many lanterns (khoom fay) will be up tonight in memory.. (white paper lanterns lighted up and released into the sky..)

Had a lazy slow day on my own.. rode the bike around the Rawai and Naiharn beaches.. realised this place seems to be where most expats stay at.. nice villas and all.
honestly, i do seem a little "outcast".. cos wherever i go.. the beaches n all.. it's just infested with caucasians.. and being the only asian girl..i prob blend into the local Thai crowd. lol.

well, on that point..there are some plus points honestly.. let's see..
I get charged local prices a lotta times.. massages..tanning deck chairs...guest houses..free rides..lol. what better can u ask for?
then...also..i don't get as much "harrassment" as the 'ang mohs' do.. "Taxi, Tuk Tuk for you sir/madam..","How are you today? Talior for you?","Come and look, i give special prices, come!",
"Jet Ski, banana boat for you?"......

and...being alone n able to talk a little thai (enough not to get lost!), i made many thai friends...
I even got a free Jet Ski ride! =) now im starting to think i do actually have a little "mei li"(charisma)..haa.
a good bargain really..it usually costs 40 bucks for a Jet Ski ride... =)

everyone is just so nice. but being on my own and all, one cannot be more careful. after some time, you just learn to travel smart and safe.
go back to the hotel early (esp in Patong..before everyone gets drunk..), dress down, wear less jewellery, smile friendly, make many local friends so you are "known" (of course, leave a good impression) it's easier to get help if you need,,
and.. speak the local language as much as you can..even when you sound like a chicken speaking duck, they feel happy that you make the effort..

oh yes, i realise fireworks are quite common here, esp these days.. there seemed to be fireworks every night since 2days before Xmas! haa. well of course, they are mainly short ones (last about 5 mins avg) and not as fancy as the ones we get in Spore definitely.

feeling a little anxious about the job hunt thing.. havent heard from the hotel im supposed to..guess they are busy with xmas events etc.. have to keep reminding myself that im running on thai time.. will keep trying..

sabaai dee..

melly xmat

2008-12-25T22:05:00.003+08:00

Day 17,18
decided to go for a little 'getaway' in Phuket from Takuapa..
am working on getting back my money for half the month of rent, since im really kinda freaking out staying there..
anyway.. spent a night at Patong again! haa. it's just so easy to get into life there n checking out the naughty fun ppl are havin around.. scandalous stuff.
made a few friends, local and overseas.. and it's great fun seeing each other at the beach, chatting n hanging out everyday!

Day 19
met up with an expat friend here who is kind enough to let me 'rent' a room. man u should see the place. for a price like that, u prob only get a one-room flat in spore..or perhaps even less. this house is heaven. a little villa @ Rawai, 3 bedrooms and a mini pool.. gawd. i ll load up the pics in facebook soon.
will be staying @ the house for the week.. =) enjoying man!

Day 20,21
Merry Xmas! (the way some Thais say it..sounds like "Melly Xmat"!)
went for a little road trip with an Aussie friend..Surin Beach was good. Small but beautiful and peaceful.. some silly fun.. jumping into the sea from the rocks, swam in the sea, played on the slides of an offshore floating playground.. crazy stuff!
been going for jogs @ Patong.. starting to like jogging barefooted on the beach.. really nice.. just so light, carefree and the sea breeze is just wonderful! you just don't wanna stop at all. though my knees feel kinda sore after the jog. must be the sand. tough work.
had a great xmas eve dinner @ a nice restaurant with my friend. sweet.

Xmas day..
went to check out the Cable Ski here. friend had a go on it.. i din cos i m kinda tight on cash.. (reminder: I WILL do that the next time.it's so fun..esp. recalling the last time i wakeboarded..)
checked out Kathu Waterfall.. erm.. a little disappointed.. 1. it was really dry..not much water on it.. 2. the climb wasn't as great as the Tiger Cave Temple in Krabi. damn. that is so far the best climb ive had (mum,dad n bro will know what i mean. haa!) we took about 45 mins for that..but this small one only took less than 5 mins.
back to chill at Patong for the evening..then back to Rawai..

the last few days have been a good break really.. i needed one.. making so many friends and the hanging out was fun. found out quite a few good stuff like life as an expat living in thailand..and more fun stuff like about having a thai girlfriend.. lol.

gotta go. half hour is up. 20baht. talk soon. take care all love.
sabaai dee.

headache

2008-12-18T20:18:00.005+08:00

Day 14,15,16

back at Takuapa and with the lovely children.

all preparing for the new building so lots of gardening, packing and unpacking..

the little children love running so i try to bring them for jogs around the houses nearby.. the way they laugh and run.. it's how freedom and happiness look like...

my flat's kinda giving me probs. had power cut (it was scary! really. street lamps here are lacking..so it was COMPLETE DARKNESS), water cut and "light-cut" (room light bulb fused for countless times..) couldn't really sleep well lately in the room..

so... think im gonna return the room and find some other place to stay at.

having another headache.
my tourist visa is expiring early Jan, and I need to do smtg about it. found out that to extend it for another month costs 1,900Baht=80bucks! damn. else I ll do a visa run that sounds cool but im not sure how it's gonna work.. going to mynamar n get a chop.
need to work it out soon.

went for an interview yest. for a hotel. nice poshy hotel in Khao Lak, yet very warm and homely. there is a small team of expats too. don't know if i ll get a place there yet, have to wait for the next round...which will prob take another week or so.. hmm. reminder: am living on thai time..

keep having this sudden craving for a beach, just to sit on the sand and stare at the open sea. next week, i ll do that again. can't wait.

pardon my random thoughts..many things to think about. headache.

metta.

there was sun!

2008-12-16T21:32:00.004+08:00

Day 7-10
spent them @ Takuapa, helped out @ the orphanage, played with the children..
things are slowly getting back to normal after the funeral... daily activities resume and although no one really speak of it, i can feel everyone's missing Champ and wishing he was still around..

anyway my new apartment's really vacant i think.. there's only a bed, pillow n a blanket in the bedroom, with my luggage.. the small living room's totally empty.. the toilet's empty too .. im a bit lazy to do any decoration or furnishing.. haa. oh well.
think i have to think about stopping my motorbike rent (oh, i forgot to mention, i love riding on a bike WITHOUT a license! haa. now don't you love travelling in thailand! ) the rental's taking a toll on my budget.. 200 baht a day (that's about 9 bucks)

Day 11,12,13
2days 1 night at Patong.. =)
now in phuket town..
was in need of a break n a beach.. thought of heading to some wulu beach that i haven been to, but felt i could do with some crowd n life since ive been spending a week in a quiet peaceful village..
realised it's Phuket festival @ Patong for the week.. LOTSA people.. had some "chingay" thingy at night.. lotsa stalls form a "pasar malam" thingy.. and Bangla Road as usual was filled with crazy n bad fun.. (i stayed away from it after 10 since i was alone..really..men can be dangerous..)

my 4th time to Patong.. and i realised this time.. i actually came across Singaporeans! haa. seems like sporeans r abandoing bkk and moving to phuket!
how do i know they are sporeans? read my previous post.. and to add on to it..
wearing "Sundown Marathon" running tee! haa

talking about that. i was having a morning jog at the beach (damn this is life! i wish i can do this everyday..) it's really nice. the sun was coming up, sea breeze blowing with a handful of joggers lining the beach.. i was enjoying my slow jog n i saw another jogger in my direction... then i saw it... "Adidas Sundown Marathon".. his shirt.
i was quite excited, and i think i might have shocked him cause i waved vigourously, pointed at his shirt and called out "u are from Spore, aren't you? me too!!"
i don't know why but this is not the first time i get such a response when i try to acknowledge a country mate overseas.... he just stared at me and "smiled with great effort"..
there's this "over precautious n being wary of strangers" behaviour i find really annoying sometimes.. or do i frighten people?
anyhow, the next round when we passed each other jogging, he opened up and smile "with less effort n more naturally", and we chatted a little.

that is so different from the locals that i have met up with... just today.. i was walking around phuket town window-shopping.. a lady called out my name.. i turned and we ran up n hugged each other.. she was a clothing stall owner that i met during my previous trip 2 months ago.. she actually remembered me.. (kinda embarrassed that i forgot her name..)
almost everyone's so warm and full of love.. to strangers even.. it's just too nice.

today.. after a massage.. i spent an hour talking to the masseurs.. okay honestly, half the time i didn't really understand what they were saying, and i just smiled n acknowledged with my limited knowledge of thai (it's growing really!).
haa, but i never get bored of it. this tendency to start talking to a local and getting into endless "conversations" with them.. i learn alot .. n they are just very very friendly.. n sweet..

oh yes..i almost forgot.. a funny incident yest..
i was walking down Patong Beach and there were LOADS of sun-tanning benches.. so i picked an area n settled on a bench.. happily tanning away when i looked around me.. damn.
i was surrounded (and i mean totally surrounded) by couples of men...
they were all tanning and lying in couples.. then i realised ..shit. i was in the gay zone.
ridiculously funny. and lotsa "boy boy" walking around trying to do biz..
man. it was really eye-opening.. the couples were mainly foreigners.. caucasians mostly..
but it was good, for some reason i felt more comfortable tanning in a 2 piece among them.. since they couldn't be bothered with any lady.. haa.

talked to a burmese who works @ the beach.. takes care of the tanning decks.. he's HOT!! handsome, nice tan body and speaks well too. (reminder:take a photo with him the next time i return to Patong..)
he's a fav with the gay tanning customers.. duh. though he insisted he's straight.. haa. said it's a good place to work since he get good tips.(damn a lot i bet)

alright gota go, getting late. leaving phuket tmr for the orphanage (a good 3 n 1/2 hour trip.)
sabaai dee..

rest in peace dear champ..

2008-12-11T21:11:00.002+08:00

Day 4, 5, 6

arrived in Takuapa, where the orphanage is located at.
was really good to see the children and the staff again. in fact, am glad to see all the familiar faces of this town..
the orphanage's new extension is due in a week or two, so the kids will have a much bigger place to play and sleep in! the opening's in january, that will be sooo exciting!

as mentioned in my last post, Champ, a 19year old staff of the orphanage died last friday in a bike accident. I felt so heartbroken when I heard the news. He was a very sweet guy who drove the kids around, played with them and helped with the puppet shows that the orphanage do. Each time I come over, he's the one who drives me to get groceries for donation.
He was quiet but had a charming smile. I still remember he brought me and a friend to play pool just last month when I was here. but now..he's gone,and he's only 19.rest in peace my dear friend.

Everyone's been very busy with his funeral lately, which was held @ a temple. Today was the cremation.. and it's really heart breaking to see the children cry. Losing someone to death probably might not be new to some of them, since they lost their families in the tsunami. It's just sad to see them having to lose another.

Well, right after, everyone headed back to the orphanage and life is slowly getting back to normal. Everyone's trying to move on.. as much as that is happening, Champ will always be in our hearts...

Ive rented a one-room apartment near the orphanage which is really cool. it's like a one room flat in spore. and guess how much is the rent? about S$100! haa. yup. for an entire month.
figured it's much cheaper than staying in some hotel (it's rare here anyway).
gotta do some cleaning this week.

Im missing a good beach though. so think I ll drop by Phuket next week. My skin is itching for a tan! n maybe a jog @ the beach. Working out is probably one the big things I m so missing. It's hard to run here.. n defnitely no access to any pool.. haa. but still, im enjoying =)

take care all, will update soon.
sabaai dee na.

curse of the no sun no tan sky

2008-12-07T21:12:00.003+08:00

day 3..
last RnR day in Phuket b4 I head to the orphanage for the next month or so..
spent the noon @ Karon beach (about half hour bus ride from the town..)
for some reason, the curse is back. my parents used to tease me about how the sky will turn cloudy whenever i head to the pool or to get a tan.. seriously it happens A LOT.. it's ridiculous how the weather is sunny for the entire day n 5mins before i jump into the pool.. dark dark clouds will hover above me.. im not exaggerating.

it got better for the past year n now it's back. for the last few months... the sun will disappear mysteriously whenever i plan to get a tan. yes. really. the last few days were so sunny..which is why i decided to head to the beach today..
well i woke up to a cloudy sky...contispated sun i call it. decided i wasnt gonna give up..so i went to the beach as planned.
Karon beach is beautiful.. peaceful as compared to Patong. Karon reminds me of an interesting n memorable event.. where me n bro spent hours walking around the area, in the rain, trying to get to Patong (which seemes really close on the map..) haa. super funny.
The sand is really fine, and the beach was mainly littered with retired couples, families n young couples... somehow i seemed pretty out of the crowd (by that i mean both the colour n being on my own..)

n I made an interesting observation...
-Spotting a Singaporean overseas-
1) A chinese looking family at the beach.. an only child struggles with digging @ the sand n barking orders @ the maid beside to help n at the same time, whining to the parents sitting 100m away in the shade..

2)7 n 10 years old children, well-fed, spectacled, playing with their PSP on the local bus..

3)a couple @ a restn.... both take turns to grumble about how long the food is taking.. about how the staff should be walking faster.. n millions of ways the restn can improve..

4)carrying an NDP bag

5)while shopping.. a lady points to the price tag n exclaims "so expensive, go bangkok buy cheaper la. i can buy this at bugis for the same price lor, bo hua!"

yup.. these are the few real experiences of mine.. during this trip n the last..
oh yea, n let's not forget the moment we hear someone speak in a foreign country.. we know when it's sooo sporean.. sometimes i really don't know to rejoice @ seeing a "country-mate" or to be embarrased esp when it's not a very pleasant incident..
don't get me wrong, Im proud to be a Sporean.. really. we ve a great country to be proud of.. but seriously..sometimes we ought to stop being the stereo-type..

this evening, i heard a sad news when i called the orphanage to notify them of my arrival.. one of the staff died in a motorbike accident. only 20 yrs old. sigh. miss him. very sweet guy..will pay respect tmr @ the temple when i head over to Phang Nga.

sabaai dee..

hotel n what they don't tell..

2008-12-06T22:24:00.003+08:00

day 2..

took a little walk around phuket town..checked out the familiar sights of their markets n streets..
checked out of my "hotel" because it was a nightmare.. u know.. u should never trust what's on the websites..esp. the photos.. man when i reached the place yest.. i was so shocked. the pictures on the sites were so centuries back i think. n i mean seriously. it was hell of a difference.

it was a huge building with LOTS of rooms.. corridor was superbly long.. but the interior looked very "abandoned"...corridor lights werent working.. doors were really old ..n it looked like u could easily kick the doors down anytime..
entered my room.. another shock. the wall paints were seriously coming off.. the smell was musty..the staff was trying to on the lights but apparently some of the lamps weren't working (he din seem bothered so i guess it's not unusual..)
noticed the sockets were falling off the wall.. n the carpet felt very very dusty n worn out..
(im not exaggerating..).. there's more but i don't really wanna recall them..

i wasn't expecting a posh place given the price i paid.. but honestly..they need to update their website..

anyway..changed to a new guest inn.. just about 10 bucks more.. but it's definitely much better. yea the paint was a little off.. n curtains bit stained.. but damn at least they have cable! i practically jumped on the bed n laid there watching 2 movies straight (deep blue n shrek 2)..

had an interesting evening too. met a UK couple who owns a luxury hotel in Khao Lak. they were very friendly n kind people for sure. was pretty amused to see a bungalow turned office, which had a very homely n warm feeling. i was really impressed by how they have managed to build this whole organisation n yet maintain a humble attitude towards things. i certainly look forward to meeting them again soon.

wonder what i ll do tmr. today was quite cloudy n wet, poured n drizzled throughout the evening. Im hoping tomorrow'll be a sunny day so I can get a tan!

and Im looking forward to visit my dearest dek dek (children) soon!

sabaai dee..
kat..maew..

sabaai dee..

2008-12-05T21:53:00.003+08:00

sawat dee kaa,
im so glad i made it here.. finally! my much awaited trip was postponed cos of the airport chaos n damn was i disappointed!
this was what happened 5 days ago...
received an sms @ 2am that said "Urgent!!!! Flight **** frm Singapore to Phuket has been cancelled due to airport closure....for more info pls call...." no joke. i was supposed to check in @ 11am.. n was so looking forward.

that sms sounded so spam.. n i tried hours to call the "HOT-line" ..but nope, nobody picked up, i was so listening to ads n "our servers are busy, we will attend to you shortly.." right.

for the entire morning, i was put on hold n never got tru to ANYONE. bet i clocked more than 50times of calling the stupid customer service line. yes n that company happened to A.A. seriously, I think i ll stick to Tiger.

had to go down to the airport to find out wtf was happening. bad planning n crowd management. queued somemore, was told i had to wait 5 days more to depart.
next day, went to try my luck, n HAS ANYONE BEEN TO THEIR TICKETING COUNTER @ T1? I bet u suffered the same shit. queued forever (average of 45mins each time).
U try feedbacking.. there's no reply to any feedback u mail them, n there's no fax number..n please don't tell me to call their customer service number.

Yesterday night.. I was half-expecting the same sms so I kept looking @ my phone. it's really ridiculous how I m so pissed n yet worried.
oh well, thank gosh it din happen n im finally HERE in Thailand! =)

I know, Im here again..(everyone tells me that..) i don't know how to explain it, but it's an attraction.. n im so in love with this place..
each trip here is a totally different adventure n i just never got enough of it..
this time around.. it's quite a different purpose, n for a longer time..
Will keep all updated bout my new adventure!

for today...
reached Phuket @ 3pm..checked in a really old hotel.. miss the usual one i go to.. (had to save some bucks this time..)
went for MASSAGE.. bumped around n acted touristy.. =)
tmr will be an interesting day..
not too sure bout my plans yet but im bound for the orphanage in a few day's time. miss the children!

sabaai dee~
Kat..Maew

mess with me..

2008-12-04T00:05:00.006+08:00

photo shoot @ sentosa for our club.. cool huh. we kick ass! =)

phone lost.

2008-10-23T23:15:00.003+08:00

*&##*&*%$&*(&
lost my phone. urgh. i really hope whoever picks it up will return it. *crossing my fingers*
please please please.
and to all my friends.. please give me a msg in a few day's time after i get my replacement sim. all my contacts gone. urgh.

phuket baby..

2008-10-21T00:05:00.003+08:00

okay. i know i haven been very diligent in blogging lately..
just got back from phuket (yes..thailand again.chawp mak mak-love it alot)
this time was not so much of holiday..went to visit the dear lovely children at the Khao Lak orphanage..

had such a great time i really din wanna come back.. though it's my 3rd visit , this time, i could sense something different. emotionally. it felt really nice.
quite eventful stay though. went to a mini waterfall, and jumping into it even though i din go prepared (no towel,extra clothes or watever) was so 'carefree'.. rode the bike back with the wet clothes on.. damn fun.

played catching with the younger kids.. brought some older kids out for supper... so many things we did, and the happiness i felt just made me wanna stay there forever.
i wish i can do more to help them and others too.

visited my friends in the village, the market vendor, the teh tarik stall owner, the coffeeshop staff, the minimart family, the sweet meh si etc.
even went dancing too! haa. damn the disco was good!
the small disco is a place where the villagers chill n let loose after work...life is real simple over there.. well, the village has no fast food..no supermarkets.. no shopping mall.. n 7-11 is heaven.. i bet most sporeans won't like it.. since we r so used to efficiency n air-conditioned shopping malls..
but i love it.

am working on a plan.. crossing my fingers that it will go well. hopefully, i'll be on my way to a more meaningful and interesting life soon.. =)

chok dee

Krabi Krabi

2008-09-15T22:48:00.004+08:00

just got back frm a 5day hol @ Krabi with family. man, it was a packed 'break'. kinda wasted that most time was spent travelling.. cos Air Asia doesnt fly straight to Krabi, we had to take a 4-5hour long bus ride frm Phuket airport. we r seriously lucky that Spore's small..
anyway, 1st day .. by the time we got to Krabi ..was about 9pm. had dinner @ a nice restn beside the sea.. slept.

2nd day.. total climbing day..1st half....me n bro went rock climbing @ Railay Beach (15min boat ride frm Krabi Ao Nang Beach) .. a popular place for climbing..made some friends n met 2 guys frm Spore.. my first time doing rock climbing (only tried sports wall..) man, the rocks r seriously cool.. since it's 'natural' stuff, u gotta find holes n footholds on the rocks to climb.. n my hands were blistered after. my bro, the climbing enthusiast got on so easily.. though it would be ideal if we could have a few days climbing holiday.. instead of half a day..

anyway 2nd half was another climb.. this time, we went up a popular Tiger Cave-Buddha Footprint Temple.. there were 1237 steps to climb up the hill in order to see the huge Buddha statue n definitely a damn good view of Krabi. it sounds easy.. but man u wouldn say that if u climbed. 2nd time for bro n me, 1st for parents n though it was very challenging (took a lotta breaks in between...they almost gave up.. mum was pale..) , they were really cool n managed to go all the way the top! =)
the sense of satisfaction n achievement... man. nothing beats that.
was pretty shagged @ the end of the day.. total body workout man.
best thing to end it? THAI MASSAGE! a long-awaited one.. been craving for it for months..

3rd day.. an island hop-kayak-snorkel day tour thingy that me n bro tried twice in Krabi n Phuket.. decided to bring our parents for the experience.
went to Hong Island again.. kayaked to a lagoon area.. n around the island. man, i really love kayaking.. everytime we go on such trips, the kayaking part i so damn love! =)
snorkelled @ this Paradise Island (same place me n bro went 2yrs ago..)
it's actually quite amusing if i compare the photos taken then n now.
anyway kinda conclude that i get claustrophobic underwater. yup. everytime i try snorkelling, i tense up underwater n i can't breathe properly. though i love swimming, snorkelling's just not really my thing.
after dinner, had only about 1-2hours to do some quick shopping..then...
THAI MASSAGE again to end day 3! =)

4th day..
left Krabi @ 7am.. to take a bus back to Phuket... got to Phuket @ 1pm plus.. after checked into my fav budget hotel (it's my 4th time there..), chiong to Tesco Mart to do last minute 'shopping'. din buy much stuff since it's more of a hypermart.. mainly food etc.
dinner @ a good chinese kopitiam we patronised in our March trip.. they recognised us too!
then.. finally another MASSAGE to end our last night in Thailand...

5th day..
morning flight.. back here now.

overall.. good trip but super packed n quite tiring.. the travelling etc.
a new experience though..climbing @ Railay.. would definitely rather do a full force 4-5 days climb/kayak trip if i could fly to Krabi straight. (i hope Tiger Airways will start flying there again..)
it's the wet season now in Thailand, but lucky for us, the weather was pretty fine. din manage to get a tan since it was pretty cloudy too, but was glad our plans werent ruined by rain.

Gawd, I miss Thailand already.. I always do. I just feel so at home whenever I go over. everything seems so peaceful n natural.. can't wait for the next trip. *haa*

a 21km worth of high

2008-08-24T17:57:00.004+08:00

u know how i always complained bout being envious of ppl having running companions.. well today i just ran 2 -3hours of 21 km with the company of almost 50,000 boys n men! now who's complaining?

haa. maybe except for the sweaty bodies brushing against my arms at times, and the long wait @ the starting point to even start a jogging pace after flag off (the crowd was unbelievable!).. yup the Army Half Marathon..a bloody 21km.
it was a pretty good experience... n a damn good feeling after.

route was alright.. my first time running @ the esplanade area though. down raffles quay.. up sheares bridge.. down east coast.. tarik.. across marina barrage (it's apparently the first run across it!) n back to padang. din know that was a hell 21km.
the furthest i ever ran was 15k in 2003 back in KL.. man.

oh yea. i din think i would run with my injury but chiong anyway. pain came after 3 km! tahan.. tried not to exert too much..controlled the impact so it wouldn' give way. thank gosh i managed to finish it!

btw darn, i haven see SO MANY guys running before in my entire life.. my left n right, front n back.. lotsa 'ah bin ger' clanned in their ARMY, NAVY, AFS etc P.T attire.. massive clans of them seriously. n i bet they could have set the record for the highest number of ppl wearing the 1 Brooks model running shoes in a single run. lol. ya u know which one im talking about.

besides the young men.. there were also the 'old' soldiers with their never-say-die spirit! men in late 40s n 50s still running n looking good! never would have imagined so many ppl who choose to pay 50 bucks, wake up @ 5am on a sunday n get squeezy with 60,000 ppl just to RUN.
lol. then again. most of the SAF guys din have much of a choice. ha.

oh yes. kinda realised i lost a lot of phone contacts bcos of some stupid misunderstanding. so i have to start getting back ppl's numbers again. sigh. it's really pretty sad.

alright time for a good dinner treat for all that sweat!

stupid foot

2008-08-21T00:45:00.002+08:00

damn. down on luck these days.
first. injured again. old injury though. pulled the muscle @ my foot today while training. super sad now. cos i don't think it will heal fully by sunday, so i guess i might have to skip the AHM. sigh. was gonna be my first time, and was actually looking forward to it. =(
dun even wanna mention the 48bucks i paid for it. n now i won't even get to experience it. wth.

then. my phone's down. quite screwed up, cdnt receive msges n calls at times recently. super moody la. so sent for servicing, only getting it back on sunday. hafta use an old phone for the moment. have a feeling it wdn't be much a diff after servicing lor.

and..haven been doing too well these days too. things r happening and i can't seem to deal with them the right way.. man. this stuff gotta get better soon.

but on the bright side.. there r a few nice things that make everything seem better. although sometimes i have to try not to think about it, as if it would be a curse if i do. im afraid the nice things might just start turning bad. sigh. am i pessimist or what.

hiroyuki omg.

2008-08-16T22:20:00.004+08:00

aw. long time since the last post. been pretty alright. bz with work, training, chilling n more. slowly getting fitness back after the LOOOOOONG flu thing. made some fun friends @ work, learnt a hell lot of sheet (a lotta useless but interesting stuff.) scandalous stuff too. ha.
looking forward to trip to thailand. wanna see the children. i miss them loads. i just wanna hug them now. =)

olympics been quite exciting. (the spore table tennis match was just part of it..though im really proud of them.)
real cool stuff's watching the men's gymnastics! haa. super amazing sheet going on man. who says gymnastics' for sissies. check out the body! i was so glued to the tv esp. when this japanese hottie's on, Hiroyuki. alrite! (i wasn't even into jap guys before!)

felt the 'ouch' when he fell frm the ring. such a pity. but he still looked cool even when he fell. isn't that amazing! lol.
week's ending again. man, time totally just blows past. crazy man.

with metta.

pic pic

2008-08-04T23:21:00.006+08:00

2 pic frm Mizuno run @ tamp. 10k with bro.

oh the other pic was wat i saw last night. this sweet guy was apologizing to his gf i think. made of light-sticks on the floor.. i
t says "IM SORI :( " supposedly for a girl who lives @ my block.
I think she was told to look out of her window or smtg. so damn sweet right. man how come i don't get such stuff. shucks.

pain n more pain..

2008-07-30T01:00:00.003+08:00

a whole load of things happened recently.. for better n for worse.
felt pretty shitty mostly, quite an emo roller-coaster too. hopefully it's going to be over soon. though im really grateful to some sweeties who stuck around n hear me out. a shoulder to cry on is always very much appreciated in times like this.

summing up interesting stuff that i did since the last post..

went to the zoo (photos coming up soon...)
clubbed.. mos. o bar. danced my troubles away.. it really works.
ate durians @ geylang in the middle of the night.. good stuff man.
watched episodes of Friends n laughed my problems away with sweet company..
training .. box. kick. whack my ass off.
joined the Mizuno run 10k. route was lousy. but the t-shirt was nice. n most amazing part was taking part with my bro. sweet.
bought a pair of Mizuno trainers.yay! (wasn planned.. the run n the shoes brand..)

saw a sinseh. for my really bad cough condition. been down with the flu bug for almost a month. all the coughing is causing me chest pains.. now i can't even breathe properly without feeling the pain.hafta control the exertion. think it's bronchitis. hopefully nothing more serious than that.
TCM doc says its infection.. should get better soon.
i seriously hope so, because i can't train properly in this condition n im so frustrated.

tmr's a stressful day.. i can't wait for tmr n friday to be over. stressful days. some roadshow thing. im really very stressed out over it. urgh.

metta..

lately

2008-07-16T00:40:00.002+08:00

hit with full-blown flu. sux. all after too much durians. but it was quite worth it la. lol.
now's the season..durian season! n flu season i guess. lotsa pp seem to be hit by it.

up to lotsa stuff recently.
just had muay thai this evening.. n a few of us went for night run after. totally aching now.

weekend was cool. sat on mc cos of super bad flu. but managed to tahan n hung ard town with bro. had dinner with family n grace @ a jappo restn near my house. good stuff! should haf taken pics. next time!

caught some movies. Hellboy2 n Red Cliff. both r not bad. pretty cool. Tony Leung.. gorgeous. =)

oh yea went sentosa sometime last week. for some photo taking (no. not for wedding.) i realised Tanjong Beach's quite nice. quiet. n peaceful. prefer it much more to Siloso seriously. so wanna go back there soon to chill n tan!

with a sweet friend's help, finally progressed a little on me n bro's jigsaw project.. (seriously..the jigsaw had been put on hold since 2006.) i honestly dun think it will be finished anytime soon.. need to gather more manpower. jigsaw anyone?

been feeling a little off lately.. i dunno wat to do. wish i can have more time with u. maybe i need some tlc.

my apologies for blogging funnily. short random sentences. smtg 's wrong with me.

bliss...

2008-07-08T00:43:00.006+08:00

been a busy but kinda fulfilling week..started job @ a club gym.. made lotsa friends since the members were mainly regulars.

realised tai tai's lifes are damn shiok.. at least the sporty ones... they spend a few hours in the gym everyday.. besides the shopping and the coffee-ing with friends..
many 'uncles' too.. super fit 'uncles'. imagine a 60-70year old running on a treadmill for an hour plus .. (and i mean RUNNING.) n 50 year olds doing bench presses n leg presses of super heavy weights.
of course there r the young hot ones.. quite little though since it's a high end club. n i guess most young adults go for gyms like cali n fitness first etc.

job's fun.. talk to members, help them with their workout, advices n stuff. learn training tips frm colleagues etc. only hate it when it gets slow.. (little ppl in the gym).. time ends up crawling. hate that.

besides work.. life's been pretty nice.. watched 'Get Smart' n 'It's a boy girl thing'.. Get Smart was not bad, super funny, n i take my hats off that loser. he really is such a cute moron. ha.

Boy Girl Thing had quite a 'duh' kind of plot... romantic comedy .. quite sweet but think it's more worth watching it streaming online..
wanna watch Hancock n Wanted soon.

yest was nice too, celebrated mum's bday @ a Spanish Restn. @ Clarke Quay with parents, bro n grace.. ambience was nice, n the food was not bad (i can only vouch for the veg. options.. but family definitely enjoyed the others..).
but the service yest sucked big time. had to wait freaking long for some dish.. n their follow ups were crap. bro reco the place n he did mention yest was exceptionally pathetic cos it's been good the past few times. lousy luck i guess.
still, had a nice time catching up with family.. sweet.

oh ya. sux. been getting comments that i 'grew'.. fat or wat. it's such a girl thing to feel upset bout it huh. urgh. i better start eating clean..too much junk food lately.

well it prob is good that im gonna hit muay thai training more now.. im actually starting to enjoy the circuit training ..after almost 2 years of it..which is really wierd.
skipping with the weight rope is the hardest. but i love the light feeling n coordination when u go tru the motion.. it's addictive.
getting late. hit the bed soon.

unknown fear

2008-06-26T00:08:00.005+08:00

yay. startin new job this sunday. will blog more bout it then.
tryin hard to enjoy my last "super free" week, swam, tanned (i know i dun need it already), chill @ airport, gym, study my HI (have to take Health Insurance exam soon..), met up with a few friends etc.

starting to feel more confused than usual.. which seems to makes things so complicated.

never back down

2008-06-22T00:07:00.004+08:00

ah. another week's ending again. had another interview this week..seemed fine..just hope it works out..
had a nice day today..watched Never Back Down with a sweetie, and hung out @ Vivo.. so wanna do my shopping.. but budget's so tight now.. have to refrain frm spending unnecessarily.. sigh. hopefully new job starts soon.
the movie was quite cool, the fights and all. except that it's a little exaggerated i think. n i honestly prefer Chocolate though.
been sometime since i went to Vivo, man the crowd is horrendous on weekends.

parents are in KL for the weekend.. lucky lucky.. i wanna go holiday too.. but guess gotta work hard get the $, then go for a break. can't wait. =)

bet you ll be surprised

2008-06-18T23:15:00.005+08:00

something you probably don't know..

a list of famous sexy vegetarians/vegan...

let's start with the hot females...

Alanis Morissette
Alicia Silverstone
Avril Lavinge
Carrie Underwood
Claudia Schiffer
Heather Mills
India Arie
Jamie Lee Curtis
Jeniffer Connelly
Kate Winslet
Laura Bush
Leona Lewis
Lisa Kudrow (friends~)
Natalie Portman
Naomi Watts (hot hot!)
Pamela Anderson (seriously..)
Pink
Shania Twain
Tracy Chapman

now the hot hunks...

Barry White (ok..not really hunky)
Benji Madden (guitarist of band Good Charlotte)
Billy Idol
BRAD PITT (enough said.)
Bryan Adams
Casey Affleck
Chris Evans
Christian Bale
Clint Eastwood
Elijah Wood
Ian McKellan (LOTR actor too.)
James Cromwell
Jamie Kennedy
Joel (Good Charlotte)
John Lennon
Johnny Cash
Josh Hartnett (omg!)
K D Lang
Mark Twain
Mike Farrell
Moby
Nelly
Orlando Bloom
Paul McCartney (Beatles)
Richard Gere (my mum's fav sexy man!)
Robin Gibb (Bee Gees)
Ruben Studdard (Americal Idol)
Samuel L. Jackson
Tobey Maguire

and many famous atheletes like Carl Lewis is a vegan too. In fact, his sprint world record was set in the year he turned vegan. now who says sportsmen n sportswomen can't be vegan.

i think this list is totally motivating and encouraging for me to be proud of being a vegetarian.. i only picked out a few .. u can check out more of them
http://www.happycow.net/famous_vegetarians.html

i wanna be the next on that list of sexy vegetarians! =)
watch out people who think vegetarians are boring!

for the animals..for the environment.. for health.. and for your body n soul.
veganism rocks!

bruised again.

2008-06-17T23:34:00.004+08:00

all bruised again..frm training. totally crowded today, n we were training in the basement (pic). so it was like some underground illegal training for fights. can't wait for the new place to be ready.. muay thai rocks!

went tanning @ some private condo which is really cool.. though i doubt i ll find it cool if i actually live there. haa. hmm. but i would definitely fancy a sea-view poshy condo @ Marina Bay or Sentosa..

caught up with a friend last night @ East Coast n was thinking how time flies..it's been 10years plus since we knew each other. and it's nice to just chill and catch up. hopefully it wouldn be another 10 years again before we meet up. haa.
some sweeties are back from shanghai/hk trip..can't wait to hear bout the holiday.. =)

congrats bro..

2008-06-16T17:44:00.019+08:00

had an eventful weekend..
sat was brother's commission.. yea. somebody's an o fficer..check out the pics.

we reached SAFTI bout 430pm.. waited for the parade.. n when it started.. i could feel the excitement of the officers.. the day has FINALLY come! haa. i like watching military parades .. the marching and all. it takes damn a lot of effort and time to make everything smooth. n plus.. guys in number 1 s!
anyways.. really proud of brother.. he has been waiting for this day!

sunday was fun. went for thai box in the morning.. then climbed @ climbasia..
first time there.. saw alot of pro .. almost all of them are quite small sized actually.. contrary to many's belief that climbers are huge and muscular. they are small. but omg their muscles are damn defined.
watched The Incredible Hulk after.. had a nice day..
(din manage to take any photo though..)

still on lookout for jobs.. need to get one soon.. money's running out. urgh.

my deepest condolences to the family and friends of the pilot trainee who passed away during the training in Brunei.. bro knows him quite well and i can understand how sad the friends and family are. i guess when time is up.. no one can fight it...

low

2008-06-13T22:58:00.010+08:00

the best time to go for combat classes?
when u r feeling low. these few days've been rough. trying to keep sane. n that's what i like about running n muay thai classes. u can go insane. n it's perfectly accepted.

some photos from the Income dinner function yesterday @ Shangri La hotel.. amazing place.. facilities..din haf much time to check it out though. unfortunately i was super bored throughout the dinner.. anyway congrats to my daddy who's one of the high achievers.. (one of the names in that diamond)..

pls let next week be good..

i remember..

2008-06-12T16:55:00.002+08:00

the little girl gazed into the open sea.. imagining the busy port.. workers carrying sacks of spices from the boats to the pier.. supervisors yelling at the labourers.. passengers sitting around the dock waiting for their ferries..

she smiled and felt excited.. she felt a hand on her shoulder.. a familiar touch. "those were the times.. people work very hard to provide for their family. they have a lot of responsibilities. when you grow up, my dear girl, you must be hardworking too.
we must be honest and humble, no matter what we do."

the little girl turned and looked. she saw the tired weary eyes..but she felt the warmth and strength in the old man..
"is everyone nice and humble?" she asked innocently.
the old man smiled and said, "there will be people who will upset you and who will treat you bad.. but you must never lose hope because of them.. turn to those who love you and care for you.."

the girl suddenly felt afraid.. she clutched on to the old man's hand and held on tight.
"my dear girl.. you have nothing to fear. be strong, you know i will always be around." the voice of the old man was so soothing..

she opened her eyes and looked at her hand.. it was empty.. the man was gone.
she teared.

get a life

2008-06-12T00:45:00.004+08:00

finally. AIC theory exams are over. hopefully i won't need to retake. i was actually quite annoyed when i realise some of the questions weren't even covered during the classes. anyway..just tried my luck.
mentally draining day. it din help when some pp screw it up. said hurting stuff n attempts to manipulate are just so pathetic..
get a life. n leave me alone.

i miss the kids in khao lak..

2008-06-09T23:55:00.005+08:00

just found out that the work on the khao lak orphanage's extension is progressing and very soon the children will have a bigger place to run around.. more space to sleep well..
im really so glad to hear that. i miss all of them. i wanna visit them again soon.
when i saw the pics of the children... my heart just melted. they remind me of how innocent and pure life actually should be.

(photos from Matthew Charles Rickard)

passionate bout running

2008-06-08T22:50:00.003+08:00

had a long gruelling day.. woke up @ 630 for the Passion Run.. was feeling quite anxious since i haven gone for such 'event' runs since KL. thanks to my partner for this run, i kept pushing myself. finished the 10k faster than i would have alone. thanks babe! =)

was amazed how crowded it was.. do ppl really like waking up so eaarrly juz to run? omg.
also met a few friends who ran..honestly am glad i went. the feeling's so good man! it's very different frm my usual runs. the feeling of running past others.. ppl cheering.. n a pacer beside... man.. i love the high.
saw a lotta couples running tog. quite sweet i think. i wan 1 runner too! =P
n i wan a hot one.

anyway after the run, queued for this free leg massage.. damn long queue can.. waited for bout 1n half hour.. but it was worth it.. ahh. deep tissue massage. esp. after a run. damn shiok =)

since it's a sunday, had training in the aftern. was quite tired initially.. esp. during the circuit training...but after a few punches.. hell man. whack like mad! oh yes, got new gloves! Twins!
got a friend to buy for me frm bangkok.. it's actually 'tatooed' with dragon..(the white lining on top) quite ah lian la. but it's nice! =) I like!

check out the gross blue black that is still on me. beet pain though.

anyway .. im feeling quite confused bout smtg. i hate this feeling.
sigh.

metta..

dilemma

2008-06-07T22:55:00.002+08:00

i dunno what to do. follow the heart? or the head?

3Bs -big blue black

2008-06-06T01:25:00.002+08:00

lemme try to sum up the events these days. have got 5 mins to blog. n im gonna go sleep soon. my prince charming's waiting for me..in my dreams. real reason? gota wake up early tmr. =(

fun week. went gym with old friends. their first time there @ the tamp one. for some reason, it was damn crowded that day... haa. must be they brought the 'extras'.
oh yea, bought new googles. pink! haa. must post the pic tmr or smtg.

n.. got a bloody blue-black frm training today. it's really huge n gross. never kenna such ugly blue black before lo. hurts like mad. urgh. hope it wun affect my run on sunday.
training was fun. whack all out! gonna miss the boxing gym, cos we r shifting. to a new unknown location...

oh yes. went to the polyclinic today to get an MC. manz. the last time i went was 6years ago (as frm their records) n it changed a lot. got air con somemore!
anyway. i finally understand what ppl mean when they always comment that the polyclinic's doctors are quite 'challenging'. my doctor was damn attitude can. the way he talked etc. so rude. the kind of body language that says 'yah whatever, i dun really care. i will give u medicine, n u can get the hell out. NEXT.'
ATTITUDE.

okay 6 mins already. blog again.

playing games..

2008-06-02T00:06:00.004+08:00

the week flew man. but had some fun towards the end of it. hung out with some gd old frenz, chill, played games n all.
went to downtown east.. realise that place is now supposedly quite cool. the building that used to house the bowling alley, is now FULL of restaurants, FnB, a bowling alley, a Cathay cinema, a NUM n a very brightly lighted ferris wheel. haa. although i seriously wonder about the biz there.

played games @ the Mind Cafe @ Boat quay.. first time to that outlet, found it quite nice. beet cosy before it got too noisy.. the games we played were interesting, esp the last one called 'Gold Digger' which we got hooked on. difficult to explain la, u guys go try. (forgot to take pics. it would have been really cool!)

yest went to collect the bips for Passion Run @ Novena.. the running tee is damn ugly lo. bright green...colour is ok since i like bright stuff. but the side is wide n its short. so uncool can.
oh well. juz hope the run goes fine. haven joined any such big runs since my KL time..freaking 5 years ago! dunno where i had the balls to join the 15km back then. crazy.

today was muay thai stuff. fought like crazy. went for dinner with family after..post celebrate my dad's bday. @ some bedok kopitiam where my bro is somehow attracted to that botak place. not cheap lo. anyway me n mum ate frm the veg stall there. first time visit. food was tasty but quite salty n all. not good enough to go back again. miss the nice stall @ bugis. =)

n juz like that, the week is gone. sent a lotta resumes.. still yet to come across smtg i wanna do. btw im so sad i missed Contender on Thursday night. cos i went out. boohoo. heard it was a bloody fight. damn.

a song for u..

2008-05-27T00:43:00.003+08:00

wanna dedicate this song to all those who had lost their family members or friends..

when i listen to this song.. i think of a very special person whom made a huge difference to my life..esp. my childhood..
he brought me out on outings to the pier.. to city hall.. to many places.. told me stories ..war stories..stories of his coolie days.. he taught me manners... n always reassure tat he gave me 100% moral support for whatever i do...
thank u my dearest granddad. i will never forget the times we shared together, and am thankful for all that u'd taught me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCvjZvzqlHk&feature=related

with metta..

stupid fool

2008-05-26T23:26:00.004+08:00

such a depressing day. pissed off too.
all thanks to people who enjoy manipulating others.. hypocrites n all. feel so stupid. always kenna such idiots.
i dun understand why some people enjoy giving false hopes to others..n the 'others' end up being stupid enough to live on that hope...
ppl who make others look like a fool. make u do a lot of shit then turn u around..
don't these ppl have a conscience at all?
to think i actually trust them.
im tired of being used. a good friend says im too nice? i think im too stupid.
i think im gonna be a bitch. at least the bitches n bXX get their way.

disappointed fool.

chocolate kick ass!

2008-05-25T22:41:00.003+08:00

had a nice chill sunday. usual sunday routine.. went for training.. starting to get addicted to the good feeling after punching n kicking my ass out. so shiok man.

if i have a chance to experience.. i wanna grow up in thailand doing muay thai. haa. then the kicks will be super power.. guaranteed man. imagine kicking coconut trees since 5. i will be able to kick ASS! =)

btw that reminds me. watched Chocolate with bro last week. the movie bout this female muay thai fighter. Power man. take my hats off her. all the kicks n stunts done by her alone.. no double. no stunt-woman.. no wonder it took 4 freaking years to film that. like my bro said.. it was prob because of the waiting for her many injuries n bruises to recover. lol.

i think the show is pretty good. something that is so basic without those computer tricks n all. no 'matrix' style of dodging bullets. but just simple martial arts. she's freaking flexible too lo.
if u watch it. definitely must stay till the credits part. watch the 'ng' scenes. it's alotta 'OUCH' n 'WTF'.. who says females can't fight!
bro say Ong Bak's lot better. i wouldn deny, but i think for a female fighter show. it's solid. way better than the million dollar baby movie. boring show. fell asleep on it.

new week's up. need to make good use of it.

with metta.

Air Force School...bro oh bro.

2008-05-22T22:37:00.014+08:00

ok. a less emo post i promise.

attended bro's grad today. grad frm his Air Force School. was @ the Paya Lebar AFS lo.
that place certainly brought back lotsa memories for both my parents since they were ex-sign ons of RSAF.
wondering tru the Air Force museum was like going back to their 'golden years'.. with a lotta 'OH REMEMBER THIS?', and 'SEE! THE OLD TYPEWRITER!' and 'WE USED TO WEAR THIS UNIFORM!'

They even met their ex-colleagues who r still working there.. can u imagine.. working for 30-40 yrs... so loyal man.

Back to my bro.. so handsome huh.. with the neatly pressed uniform and all. with the sword's the nicest i think.
all the 'ah bin ge' around..

i think guys look fantastic in uniforms! (oh.. or maybe it's just me.. have a thing for guys in military uniforms.. lol.)

apparently quite a lotta of his mates commented that me n bro look alike.. we do? maybe the 'black face'? haa.

so proud of little bro. i honestly hope this army thing makes guys better men as it's supposed to.

check out more of the photos @ my facebook album! =)

love n unlove..to love n be loved..

2008-05-16T22:02:00.005+08:00

feeling quite sad.. many ppl around me seems to be having problems with relationships.. though im not directly involved, i dunno why i can't help feeling very disappointed in "love'..

ppl know me to be skeptical and quite a cynic when it comes to "love"... all the experiences, mine and the ones i know.. dun give much hope to 'love'...
why is it so hard to fall in love for some.. and so hard to stay in love for some.. n so hard to forget the love for others...
is it because we have too many choices now.. ? is it because we always expect the best? is it because we always rather choose the easier way out? because of that... will we end up losing the ones we truly love? the ones that we believe no one else will replace?

stories from friends who r now happily attached...yet are never as happy as they once were with their past partners... n others whom like me can never seem to meet someone who can make us feel as happy as we once did...
everyone wonders if they will meet a better one.. wonders if they will end up alone @ 70... wonders if the 'one' has passed them by..

u know i always thought being attached was one of the best things... then i thought being single was the best..
then i realised being attached to the wrong one is one of the worst things.. until i finally know that being with someone i love is really the best thing..

i truly admire and envy my parents' relationship.. acceptance for each other.. efforts in making the marriage work ....even after all these years.... still going out for their '2ppl world' time..travelling.. sharing happy n unhappy moments together...n supporting each other tru all the good n bad times.. it's been 26 years and more... no wonder they say getting married is just the start of a whole different life...
to be the one you love is a blessing..

to all suffering frm a heartache.. u aint alone.. time will heal.. if it's meant to be..it will be..
to all in love.. treasure them..

with metta..

time to stop chasing

2008-05-12T00:41:00.008+08:00

seriously...have you ever thought about what is happening to our dear Mother Earth..

I feel a pang of heartache whenever I think about the recent Cyclone Nargis that hit Myanmar..death tolls believed to hit 100,000.

I think about the victims..those who died..those who lost the entire family to the storm.. those who are left homeless n hungry.. children who have no idea where their family has gone to... left wandering around.. crying.. traumatized ..

then I think about how insignificant my worries are compared to theirs.. getting worried over finding a job.. concerned about how others judge me.. frustrated about the inconvenience during heavy rains.. totally crap.
I dun mean to say we have no right to be stressed etc. after all, the society really determines the type of stress n worries. but..i think sometimes we all get too caught up in our work, "dreams", goals n what we don't have... n forget to take a step back and just appreciate the moment we are living in. treasuring the moment we have with our family.. the simple meal.. the laps we swim.. n the miles we run...
to be honest, im totally guilty of always looking forward only to the "end' of a task.. the end of the run..the end of work.. i must make an effort to be more mindful and enjoy each moment..

i think about the children i spent a month with, in the Khao Lak orphanage in Thailand... these dearies lost their family to the tsunami.. n most of them have gone tru every kind of trauma u can think of.. n they turn out to be so strong...
i hope these survivors in Myanmar will be blessed with the strength n hopefully the good karma to make it through..

and guess what, i just found out that "A series of powerful tornadoes has swept across the central part of the United States, killing at least 11 people in Oklahoma and Missouri "..more disasters.

life is really unfair huh... how can we be so lucky to be in Spore, where we suffer from no natural disasters..n r too busy hoping the next MRT train will be "Reaching in 2 min".

if u wish to contribute to help the victims in Myanmar... here's 1 way..

Buddhist Fellowship (BF) has launched a fund collection to assist the cyclone victims in Burma. You can contribute by sending your donation to BUDDHIST FELLOWSHIP, 9 Chwee Chian Road, Singapore 117488. (tel: 6278 0900) Pls write "Aid for Burma" on the back of your cheques.
BF will work with Firefly Mission and Buddhist organisations in Yangon to deliver the needed items and to carry out reconstruction programs in Burma.

PS: BF gave me the opportunity to spent the meaningful 1 month to help out in the orphanage in Thailand, as a part of the post-tsunami re-construction project.

With metta..

thur my fav day!

2008-05-09T01:31:00.004+08:00

fwah. starting to love thursdays..get to watch the Contender (Channel 5)..missed the episode last week cos went "clubbing" with my parents n grace... =P
finally.. after a week's wait..=)

hmm..for some reason..i always feel kinda high after watching the show lo...
tonight match was Yodsaenklai (Thai) vs Bruce (Aus), saw Yod. fight @ the indoor stadium live the last time, but seeing him fight tonight again on tv seemed so different. damn he's good.
really filial too.. he mentioned fighting for his family and saying how important his family is. during my 1 month in Thailand last year, i ve also known many young Thais who work really hard to support their family. alot of them have dreams to give their family a better life. i think that's really admirable..
honestly.. u dun see many of these peepz here huh. ... culture diff i guess.. quite sad. can u imagine spore 20years later? the number of old peepz having to fend for themselves.. i ll be one of them by then. sheesh.
anywayz.. the show was really cool lo. the winning team won a dine n chill time @ Rasa Sentosa.. it is actually quite funny seeing a Spore background on such a show..i dunno how to explain that feeling. quite proud of Spore actually! hee. i hope the guys like it here though..

it's fri tmr! omg. weekend's here again. xiong part again. ah. 2 more burnt weekends to go. hee.
take care peepz.

injured. heartache too.

2008-05-05T01:10:00.007+08:00

foot still in pain.. was advised to postpone my AIC exam since I can't walk properly, let alone do any exercise movement properly.
sigh.. postponing means another 4,5 months.. n wat if i fail that exam?gotta wait another 4,5 months? sheesh.

week spent "tidying" up my life.. brushed up on insurance knowledge etc. feeling a little anxious again, not knowing what's gonna happen.. without a job at the moment means no income. almost a no-pay leave le. gotta jia you find smtg suitable soon.
oh man,why is money such an issue!

weekend was quite tiring, with the full day course etc. went for dinner with parents, bro n grace, jalan @ Carrefour .. then went to see the Flyer! first time there..din ride la.just check it out. it's 30 bucks for 20mins lo!

another week coming up.. omg.n i can't do much with my stupid injured foot. bleh.

injured.

injured..

2008-05-01T01:22:00.002+08:00

feeling real frustrated.. having some foot injury..can't tiptoe or walk properly. been a week le.. can't go for runs.. nor walk long without feeling the pain.
i really dun like being injured.. feel so handicapped! dunno how long it will take to recover fully. sigh
anywayz.. just quit the door2door sales job.. been feeling unhappy n tired with the long hours, pay etc. really needed the break. n i guess it's not what i want as a career..
so now... juz gotta concentrate on my Income insurance advising.. n keep a lookout for a new opportunity! n gotta study for my upcoming AIC exam.. so I can get a job in the fitness industry! =)

till the next post.. so injured.

25 freaking years old...

2008-04-24T23:32:00.004+08:00

feeling damn old..25 already! no shit... urgh.
had a nice bday yest though.. simple..
morning started @ clarke quay for some video shooting for muay thai stuff.. was quite funny cos there were some tourists staring wondering what we were doing.. had to run a few times across Cavengh Bridge n do some shadow boxing beside the river .. while the rest of the ppl there were in suits rushing to work.. =P
had dinner with parents @ the nice veg place behind MOM...actually we had another reason for choosin that place but din manage to do what was planned...long story..
then...we went to visit my cousin who gave birth to her 3rd baby... n guess what...she has the same birthdate as me..! bet she will be super hot! haa. lol.
thanks peepz for the kind msg..

tmr's gonna be interesting too..will post soon!
yea..with pics too~

with metta.

funky night @ J-bar

2008-04-20T20:47:00.010+08:00

tiring weekend.. whole day course for sat n sun.. few more coming weekends also burn liao. the course last till may.. sobs.
anyways had a fun fri night.. went to J-Bar @ M Hotel with mum, dad, bro n grace..sort of an advance bday celebration.. there was a live band n they were pretty good. the singer got the "Bryan Adams" type of voice though.

we just chilled out n took more photos.. see my nice prezzie frm bro n grace..a puma bag.. will post a photo of it soon...n the band sang me a "funky" bday song too! haa. n as u can see..i had a bday kiss frm my parents! who were totally funky too!

too bad it din have a dance floor..i was so into a dancing mood (my mum too!)..we decided to leave early to check out another club @ Amara Hotel...it's more of a salsa dancing club actually... anyway it was too packed for us lo.
ended up hanging out @ Clarke Quay.. wanted to take the Reverse Bungy.. but no company lo.. bro taken it before.. guess i will wait for another time!
had a really nice time..thanks loads for the great night!

another week has passed.. i need to jia you n study hard for this next exam.. it's much tougher than the prev ious. never studied bio in my whole life... so having to understand n remember all the terms n human body stuff in a month.. omg. can die. i really must pass..dun wanna repeat the test. i wan my AIC cert!

take care peepz.. metta n lots of it..

high on contender...

2008-04-18T00:47:00.008+08:00

OMG. Im so high after watching The Contender on tv. haa. have been waiting forever for the telecast on Channel 5 since I dun have AXN ...
esp. right after training, watching it was a real inspiration!
today was the first episode, and was quite proud of spore being the host...
honestly though, it was quite funny seeing the HDB flats as a background when the guys were interviewed... *grin*

i like the show, the ideas n all, am certainly quite amused how guys can be "bitchy" too man.. being nasty to others etc. smtg all so common on shows like "American Top Model"...
the mood was certainly intense truout the show.. team members selection...the race...when Zach fell down.. picking of the fighters.. n of course THE MATCH!
It was Naruepol (Thai) vs Trevor (Canadian) ..
honestly, it was Naruepol's game.. quite sweet huh when he said he was fighting for his mum!
i was "ouching" for the guys truout the match...mans.. their kicks n punches.. esp. when Naruepol kneed Trevor... (n not just a few times, mind u..ALOT...) i can almost feel the pain!
in the end, the better win. I was silently supporting Naruepol... haa. it's a thai game after all.. but of course, it helped that he was kinda cute too. =)
Trevor went home to his newly wed wife....he left her home to participate only 1 month after his wedding !

I can't wait for the next episode! =)
btw...the host Jaymee Ong's quite pretty..but i really find her voice quite *ahem* high n ..high.

oh yea.. btw I PASSED MY EXAM! haa. so happy i pass BEC!! reminds me of my sch days...which seems like eeeeons ago.... *wrinkles pop out*
next round's gonna be harder.. must really jia you!

just a note... seem to keep seeing jerks in action these days..

that day.. saw a guy (prob around 17-19yrs old) shouting at his gf... cursing n swearing in hokkien at her ... scolding her for not listening to him etc. This was at the Bugis MRT station walkway to Parco... n there were LOTS of ppl around...
the poor gal looked quite sorry n surprisingly not that embarrassed...
i was really quite disgusted with his UNgentlemanly behaviour. I felt like telling him off, but thought it won't make him feel sorry n i might get a punch or smtg.

i mean what in the world is wrong with this guy... cursing at your gf in public?
she should really just kneed him or smtg.. actually come to think of it.. he's small n skinny.. both of us could bring him down anytime. *imagines a heroine-saves-the-day scenario..*
ok.. too much fight shows. still. this guy needs a lesson.. may he meet his karma soon.

then... i keep witnessing inconsiderate behaviour... for 2 consecutive days.. the people walking in front of me, just fling their packet n can drinks carelessly away after they are done. n me being the silly one, picked up their rubbish to bin it.
i guess to most ppl, littering's not even in their dictionary..it's even normal to them *shudder* eeks. maybe i should work for the MOEnvironment. go around summoning those litterbugs. =P commission-based , alright!

getting late, tmr should be quite an interesting day. blog about it soon.

lotsa metta luv...

The Contender...n me!

2008-04-13T22:43:00.016+08:00

had a really tiring week of work..but thank gosh for sat night.. honestly, thanks to my friend who managed to get me tickets to The Contender Asia..

went with bro.. we arrived pretty early....took some crappy photos.. the whole event started with 2 "mini" matches which featured non-Contender contestants. both matches were won by the Spore side! the female who rep spore was really good la. only 17years old can!

when the Contender contestants appeared... the crowd went crazy! i went too.. almost lost it all halfway tru the event.. cheered n screamed my ass off for the ones i supported.
at least my voice i mean. the guys were hot! well..the bodies of course.. n they were good lo. anyway..the winner gets US$150,000!

When it was Zach's (the spore rep) match, the crowd was cheering like crazy for him.. he did great! powerful kicks n a cool attitude.. (for those who dunno ..he 'pop' his shoulders during the last match..so it's kinda a re-match this time)
he won the match, and the crowd went wild again! n there I went again, screaming my lungs out!

The final match was between a Thai, Yodsaenklai and an Aussie, John Wayne.
I was totally all for Yodsaenklai.. he's been doing muay thai since young and he's only 23 yrs old! he was cool n almost all his punches were freaking strong! n the funny part was that his opponent did a lot of wild punches ..which was kinda annoying.. but in the end..the clearly better fighter won! he must be really happy man.. US$150,000! that's like a million baht or smtg!

after the match..I was all inspired n motivated again.. was so looking forward to muay thai class today! haa. halfway tru training..i really take my hats off to these professional fighters.. it's honestly physically n mentally tiring.. a lot of endurance.. determination...n dedication... all for the money n fame? .... it seems quite worthwhile!

oh yes..the good news is... The Contender will be telecast on Channel5 on thursdays! finally! i can't wait!

with metta..

exam.i think i failed.

2008-04-07T01:12:00.006+08:00

come to think of it, it seems like my posts r mostly about the weekend..other than that..pretty much no life on weekdays. haa. work. work n work. =(
well.. last week was not much of a diff. though friday was quite intense. had an exam. think i failed. sobs. need a 70% mark to pass.. results will be out in a week's time. urgh. *tremble* *cross fingers*
i really really hope i pass.

after exam...for once since a LOOOONG time..i went for a movie! haa. yea.. crappy show though. vogue crocodile. not much choice mah. i din wan something too serious.. nor too much talking.. so chose that lo.
it was a simple show ...storyline typical .. simple .. movie actors n actresses simple.. crocodile freaking HUGE. ok la. since i haven watched any shows since... god-knows-when.. it was a good 2 hours out of reality. nice company too. learnt a few stuff bout crocodiles too. =P

sat.. work.. then met up with parents for a unplanned dinner @ a poshy chinese veg restaurant @ chinatown. it's called grand court veg restn. above the yum cha restn.

food was not bad la.. the pumpkin tomyum dish(right 1) was pretty good n interesting!
the yee mee (right 2) was another yummy dish..the noodles were very slim n was cooked just-nice...not overdone.
(below left 3) fried tunghoon.. not as good as my fav stall @ bugis. a little too oily.
actually to fry tunghoon needs skills lo.. most turn out too sticky..too dry..or too oily.. the one @ bugis..just nice!

the dinner was quite funny.. really can't imagine me being a tai tai (sobs)
cos we werent used to being 'served'.... think the waiter n waiteress were amused when we told them we would help ourselves just as they were about to "portion" our dishes n serve us.
i mean.. it's just the 3 of us.. family mah.. can just help ourselves n eat frm the dishes..
they looked a bit "shocked" .. haa. oh well.
i like my family.. simple n chin chai. =)

hung around chinatown for a while.. n that's the end of saturday! manz.

sunday's typical.. muay thai session was the best program of the day as usual... let out watever frustrations for the week.. haa. i mean.. what's better than punching n kicking ur ass out..
dinner with frenz @ a kopitiam.. a yummy veg sin chow bee hoon! =)
surprised it costs only 2.50.. nowadays everything's more exp. flour. noodles. rice. drinks. blah blah. so that was a really good deal! =)

new week ahead. sigh. work again. just waiting for sat for the results. I HOPE I PASS MY EXAM!

with metta...

boring sat

2008-03-30T00:55:00.007+08:00

was quite a boring sat.. most things din go as i hope to. even poor daddy's car stopped working. think the car too old..breaking down le..
nothing much today..no sales either. all i did was work..simple dinner with parents..a run.. n the day is over. sigh.

anyway, here's the pics n another review of the veg makan places i went recently..

1) left: fried tom yum bee hoon frm our fav hangout @ fortune centre (2nd floor)
very nice..i like it.. the tom yum taste is strong enough..
with the lime...n chilli padi! =)

2) right: tom yum (again!) beehoon soup.. @ Chinatown Yi Xing veg stall beside the Macs (lucky chinatown)..
a lot of ingredients.. good for ppl who dun like alot of veggies ..cos mostly are tasty mock ham, fish etc. overall pretty innovative ingredients mixture..

3) right: xin chow bee hoon frm yuan xiang veg stall near my house.. quite good. xin chow bee hoon is one of my all time fav.. since non-veg days.. and this veg version is as good. though im not a fan of mock char siew, but the whole dish is yummy!

short long weekend..

2008-03-26T01:00:00.002+08:00

tue already..the long weekend flew past! friday spent working as well as a nice chill-out dinner with parents..n then a nice walk @ east coast park...
sat n sun was 2 full-day courses... 830-6pm..really intense.. but was quite fun...made lotsa friends.. learnt lotsa stuff.. but gotta prepare for the exam next sat. eeww. i can't remember all the muscles and bones names ... urgh.
these few weeks coming up is gonna be really challenging..need to make a few big decisions.. hmm.

posh gym n me

2008-03-16T23:50:00.010+08:00

ooo, it's already 2 weeks since the phuket trip. hmm, not many stuff happened though. mainly work..more work.. and a few nice catchup sessions with family.. yup.

as requested by some friends for pics of the nice veg food for review..here u go..
these are frm Green Connection near Ministry of Manpower.. (Angus Street) was a nice dinner with parents, brother n his dearie Grace..
the "Chicken" Rice set was as the last time...very nicely presented.. mum love the rice..
dad had the tom yam fried rice.. not bad either..
my fav tom yum beehoon!

yum.. i m having a tom yum craving these days...issnt it ironic that i din get to have tom yum in thailand.. cdn find any veg. tom yum u see.. =)
there's also creamy pasta, mala noodles.n mango rojak..
i like the place..very windy n a great place to take ur time..catch up over a yummy meal...

yesterday was a quite a fun day..
second half that is...first half was just work. =I
won a complimentary first free visit to Fitness First Platinum .. n got to bring a partner.. so i thought i bring my mum!
was our first time at such "posh" gyms u see..so we were really quite excited.. haa. very "suaku" i know..
not being used to poshy places..we were quite amused by the HUGE restroom with endless high tech lockers... powerful strong showers.. thick towels.. a 'workout' attire to change into.. n needless to say.. the numerous, humongous n complicated machines to work out with. haa.
wanted to take pics of the place..but i think it's not allowed. =( i think we amused the regulars there with our "oo"s n "aa"s n "check this out!"
a great view for sure.. overlooking the flyer, sea, IR in the making etc.
free drinks @ the members lounge.. it was so shiok.. haa.
i wan a membership. i need to be rich. i wan to be rich now dammit.
=P

hmm.. talking bout makin money.. income's been pretty "volatile" lately.. doing sales jobs, aint exactly the "stablest" choice but what to do..
for those we don't know.. im doing 2 jobs which are "sales"based.. 1 which involves door-to-door.. n the other 's insurance advising for Income.
the door2door one is a really eye-opening experience for me.. though it's been months of it, i still get disturbed by the HUGE differences in ppl's attitudes..there r sooo nice ppl around.. n there are those that u just wanna throw their shoes off the building after they slam their doors on you...n these are already the best of the worst cases. =P

insurance... it's a necessity..certainly serves to benefit people and something so important that, sadly many only realise it after someone close gets very ill or die. the huge difference it makes whether u r insured or not.
i think it's a great job because u can help others get protected, u can provide help when they need it the most etc. .. but i guess the tough part is convincing people the importance of it.
some seem to think, that doing this for a living is purely for "making money" sake so i will prob get a high risk of losing friends.. as warned by some close friends...sigh.
as i tell most of them, i dun like pestering ppl on the streets, n dun enjoy forcing ppl to get smtg they aint interested in.. so i just do my best to inform my friends that im in this field, equipped with the knowledge, and if they do happen to want it anytime, i m always around.
though im told that if i dun go around chasin people n stalking people in the malls etc. i will be income-less... honestly i guess i will just give up my dream to gym membership. =)

anyhow i think i need a more stable income.. or at least 1 stable income... i still wanna do insurance advising to help ppl that wants it.. but i can't do with 2 unpredictable pay jobs. this is tough. sigh.new plans are needed.

with metta..

thai thai (2)..the beloved children...

2008-03-09T23:28:00.016+08:00

more photos..taken during my revisit to the Khao Lak orphanage i was at last year sept.
i so wanna bring them home.. =)
see the previous post for more photos of the holiday ya.

thai thai..

2008-03-09T22:32:00.026+08:00

here are the photos taken during my entire thai phuket trip.. check out the previous blog for the write-up.. =)

really miss that place already..badly.. and that english guy too..hee. bradpitt-type of hot!.... should have taken a photo..dammit.

massage..pad thai.. kaa..

2008-03-06T01:21:00.003+08:00

sawadee kaa! back.. *aww* i wanna go back already! hee.
just to quickly sum up how the 5 days had been...

1st day in phuket... arrived @ bout 4+ thai time.. by the time we reached our hotel...was bout 5plus 6! went for dinner at a nearby chinese thai kopitiam...OMG. THAI FOOD!
went on to shopping! honestly..i LOVE our hotel... within 5 mins of walking in 2 directions were 2 good shopping paradise! haa..but we din really buy much la..more of window-shop..
ended our day with THAI MASSAGE! only 200baht (8+bucks) ...i miss that already!

2nd day... left for Patong Beach... went there once with bro.. (that time was more of adventure fun)..this time more of leisure checking out the place.. nothing much as expected.. scandalous sleazy place.. all those ham sup ah peks n desperate men.. spent a night there @ a 3star new hotel.. found it too pricey though... but over @ Patong..everything's expenive! the pad thai's triple the normal price n definitely not as nice ....

3rd day.. woke up for a jog @ the beach with dad.. damn it's really tough to run on sand can.. =P
but the view was great.. the sound of the waves.. smell of the sea.. really a different running experience!
checked out to return back to phuket town~
2nd half of the day was more shopping in town! haa.. went to the huge hypermart @ Tesco.
ended the day with me n mum going for manicure~ n massage again! hee.

4th day... parents left for spore le... while i left for Phang Nga (another province) to visit the children at the orphanage where I spent the month of Sept2007. 3 hours ride...smooth ..fast n scary though.. hee.
was sooo happy to see the children all well and great.. went to the market nearby to buy groceries for the children.. there are so many things i wanna buy for them...but can only afford some.. sigh.
anyway .. had to leave at 5pm to make my way back to Phuket.. did some quick shopping (half hour!) when i reached.. was already 10pm and i was kinda tired.. went for my last massage for this trip! =) the last night was kinda tough.. i din wan it to be over.. sobs.

the whole trip was really a good break.. i LOVE the pad thai.. i LOVE the massage.. and i LOVE it that i could speak a little thai..enough to converse and chit chat with the locals... (thus..the cheap bargains i manage to get...hee)
i really like the people.. so friendly and warm.

oh yea.. unluckily..my return flight was delayed for 1+half hour! TIGER AIRWAYS..sheesh.. but.. at the end of it.. i got to know this reeealy cute guy.. an English..here in Spore for the first time.. only 2 days here though.... hope he enjoys his tour here.... i wonder if i will see him again *sigh*... haa.

tired le.. will upload pics tomorrow.. =)

with metta....

sweeties last sat n phuket next sat

2008-02-24T21:10:00.004+08:00

sunday again! seriously..do time have to pass so fast!

usual sunday..bit of work n then muay thai.. though the weather was horrendous for any exercise.. most of us were panting like mad after only a little workout. the air was bad.. hazy..humid.. totally not good for the lungs..
my run was tough. barely could breathe. skipping was even more pathetic. boxing was... hmm. just punching out frustrations. haa.
yesterday was a sweet day.. only regret was forgetting to take any photos at all!
had insurance class.. learnt some stuff that i wanna put to use.. went for dinner with parents.. at our usual place @ bugis.. yummy tang hoon,fried rice n BITTERGOURD SOUP! *slurp*

window shopping @ Mustafa.. (i was shocked to find out that many friends haven been there before! *gasps* haa. i think my family's one of the few non-Indians who frequent Little India for 'fun'...)

saturday night was great.. a group of my treasured 'old' friends came over for "CNY"... bit late ..hee. but better late than never~ still got ang pow can!
been a long time since i caught up with them cos of work...it was really nice to see all of them though. always remind me of my 'innocent' fun teenagehood. theyve been one of the nicest part of those times.. n definitely thankful they stuck by me tru the bad times..
the amusing part is how my mum was almost as excited as me... (she's always asking bout them u see.. ) esp when she intro her prized possession spa to them.. most of the sweeties tried the spa thingy though. hee. quite a funny sight..i should have taken pics. damn. *evil smile*

oo.can't wait for this week to be over.. PHUKET here i come! sawadeee kaaaaaaaa.... chan ki teng thailand (I miss thailand...) ! =) too bad bro ain't coming along...(will be waiting for our 'backpack' trip when u ORD ya)

with metta..

guys n g-strings

2008-02-18T01:13:00.002+08:00

oh man. i can't believe it. the weekend's over! urgh.

saturday was quite a typical "packed". started early with work..then workshop..then finally got to RnR a little in the evening. met up with mum for shopping n dinner.. din get to buy anything though.
dinner was at our usual veg place @ fortune centre. forgot to take pics of the yummy fried tung hoon.. n my favooooourite bittergourd soup.. yea baby. bittergourd's my family fav soup choice since the day we were a family. haa. i know lotsa pp hate it.. i think people who appreciate it are pretty cool peepz. =) i like guys who eat bittergourd.. in case u think they dun exist..my bro's the one. =)

after dinner, me n mum decided to go "squeeze" n join in the fun @ the Chingay parade.. gosh u shd have seen our reaction at the first chingay sight that greeted us.
a bunch of guys in "G-strings" lookalike 'costume' (apparently it was the japanese one...) seriously...they were wearing nothing but this little stuff. haa. honestly we werent expecting that..so we were giggling like little girls nonstop. the ah peks around us seemed amused by our reaction.. come to think of it..i guess they were jealous at the young guys' smooth non-saggy butts. haa. tried to take a pic to show my dad..but my phone cant zoom lo. damn.

nothing much following that.. cos there were LOADS of people trying to watch the parade.. we only manage to squeeze some glimpses of it.. caught the floats "crossing" the junction. got bored after an hour plus, so we went home le.

today was usual..some appmts.. muay thai.. a much-missed "feel good" sunday after muay thai.
nothing beats that feeling. =)
new week's starting.. back to work.

with metta...

happy valentine's day..hugz.

2008-02-14T00:41:00.003+08:00

yOz peepz.. Happy Valentine's Day~ =)
for those in love.. it's a "BIG" day.. with the girls wondering and guessing in excitement what their beloved had planned... and the guys having a big headache.. haa.

for those not in a relationship.. it's a fun day.. laughing at the couples doing silly things for the sake of the day... n burning a big hole in the pockets. hee. and im so glad i belong to the 2nd group.. haa. yea.. some think singles r pathetic cos they aint "wanted".. n 'unloved'.
hmm.. i think otherwise.. im pretty glad i dun need to cry over somebody elses' problems.. being happy or sad is all up to me...not someone else.. im really loved by people i treasure.. (which probably would be my parents..n brother? ) it's the best thing i can get. =)

i remember the days when i used to be "attached"... most of the time... it was hard not to feel affected when the other was making things tough. it's hard to feel happy when the other was having a bad day. u spend so much time trying to please the other.. without knowing what u exactly want. that's sad.
but of course, there are times.. (actually i think only for specific someone..) that make u smile even when i think of it now.. silly things we did .. the world seemed wonderful all the time. nothing was too tough to bear. well..that's "love" i guess.. the power of that. come to think of it now.. i wonder what love is exactly... where do u draw the line between love.. infatuation.. obsession.

when someone u love make a mistake.. u forgive them.. but how many times will you forgive until u "had enough".. and what mistakes will you never forgive them for...
they say love is unconditional.. that would be definitely true of parents' love.. they are amazing people. they always want the best for their children, always willing to sacrifice for their kids' safety n happiness. aint it amazing? would u do that for someone else?

hmm.. how do u know u love someone? to me..it's a big word. it's been a long time since i feel the "i wanna be with ... " or the high of being in love.. yet to meet the someone who gives me the "right" feeling... it's hard to explain how it feels like.. but it's not the "love" where u feel patronised.. not the "love" where u feel misunderstood... not the "love" where u feel that the person is always comparing u with others ..or always wanting u to change.. not the "love" where u feel that it's only gonna last a moment.. not the kind where u know it's gonna go to some other prettier babes anytime.. nope. call me old fashion..but i think love is something sacred. something pure n something lasting. something that makes u feel like the luckiest person on earth. not cursed. =)

happy valentine's day peepz..
with lotsa metta.

gong xi fa cai...

2008-02-07T23:18:00.002+08:00

Happy Chinese New Year to all my "cheena" friends.. haa. Xing Nian Kuai Le.. my eve was kinda cool this year.. me n bro got to washing my dad's car.. antique car seriously...it's like the first model for the Mitsubishi Lancer lo.. u wun believe it's still working. haa. decided to save my dad 25 bucks sending it to the car wash.. first time washing it. haa. quite fun though.

then...steamboat for reunion.. usual usual ... mine was lotsa mushrooms ..n veggies n tofu etc.. come to think of it.. my maintenance quite low hor..no need abalone..no need clam.. no need shark's fin.. basically..just not anything that has a mummy.
after dinner.. we went chinatown to "squeeze"... so crowded lo.. (duh. like how surprising..) watch fireworks ( not very impressive..) paid a visit to the "dua pei gong" temple @ loyang.. super crowded... was having such a bad headache..din stay long.

today was well...a kinda typical chu 1.
visit grandma..get ang paos..talk to relatives i hardly see.. (we used to meet a lot more years ago...miss the days) had lunch .. visit more relatives...
oh yea.. played the Wii @ aunt's place.. a Nintendo product.. u sorta "play sports" without much movement..tru censors etc. we tried tennis..boxing.. so funny lo..honestly.. i rather play the real sport anytime! u dun get the adrenaline rush frm Wii.. not shiok lo.

hm..think im eating too much lately..can't fit into some of my clothes anymore.. sobs. n im having a real bad sorethroat.. all after that day i ate 3 containers of CNY tarts. urgh. bad move but it was just too tempting! (thank god CNY 's only once a year). thanks to that..i can hardly swallow anything without feeling pain. (advice to all... please drink more water... dun end up like me. urgh)
3 more days of rest b4 work again.. i really must treasure it..
with metta...

green connection...

2008-02-03T01:04:00.001+08:00

had an eventful week.. time flew past..
work's the same..a little changes to our package..so had to change our pitch etc.. as usual...nice customers at times..wierd ones too. people are really different..

anyways..had a good typical sat evening.. went for dinner with parents after work.. brought them to a new place "Green Connection" @ Clarke Quay area.. heard a lot about it and wanted to try the food!

it was definitely as good as recommended~ we had the rice set..horfun.. tom yum (the soup's very good!pardon the lousy photo taking.) ..gado gado.. yum. the rice set was some veg "goose" meat. heh. overall ..thumb's up! only cost us bout 18plus altogether~ gonna go back for other stuff for sure~

little tired.. plus cny coming..like mentioned b4...im really not excited about it.and in fact..im stressed up over it. urgh. i hope it will pass smoothly... shall think about the ang pow. haa.
thinking of some changes in my life.. but i dunno if i ll be making the right decisions.. lotsa doubts.. i wish i had the "chiong" type of attitude.. just do it! damn.
alrite..u guys have a good short week.. good cny.. i can't wait for it to be over! urgh.
with metta..

more of rally..

2008-01-29T00:56:00.001+08:00

aye more photos frm the rally ... (steal frm friend's camera. thanks sharon.hee.)

1night in kl..

2008-01-27T00:10:00.001+08:00

just came back from KL..one night stay.. for company rally yesterday.
looong day though. was my first time @ the rally ..so was actually quite excited.. and besides, it was a chance to see everyone all dressed up too!
time flew past truout the whole 2 days..

we stayed over at the Zon.. an apartment-based hotel.. the hours...7-12am.. lots of speeches.. n the food took forever to com rally itself took 5e! the whole thing was motivating though..lotsa awards. n yea. i got 1 too. so surprised. nice?

was an interesting experience.. though today had to end up quite badly. some lousy incident n i can't get over it. feelin sucky.. sometimes i really can't stand myself..
tired.. i hope tomorrow will be a better day.
anyway..more photos in my facebook~lotsa babes n hunks(?) check it out!
with metta..

Contender..Contented.

2008-01-20T23:43:00.000+08:00

omg..i wan ESPN.. i wanna watch Contender Asia.. manz..the guys r HOT! haa. after muay thai class today..i can just feel the "high" watching the video on utube. manz.. i need SCV.. urgh.

anyway.. was checking out the website n the videos.. the guy that won the 1st match, Naruepol..omg. he's so damn hot. haa. *drool*.. yes ive a thing for athletic guys.. n thai guys? hot. =)

well..the sporean's not too bad too. Zig Zach (bottom left pic..).. at least he's good enough to be spore rep.
seriously i think this is a thai game..n i will vote for thais to win.. =) ...Naruepol...omg. check out his kicks n elbows.. damn power can.

hmm.. i think im gonna so find a way to watch it.. anybody knows of a video streaming site that has this? pleasssse..

maybe soon..there ll be a female contender asia.. i ll be waiting... *on guard pose*
=)

i need a life..

2008-01-19T23:18:00.001+08:00

usual sat.. had the night off to spend with family.. went for dinner.. @ the usual place.. (this time around i took pics! haa. yea. new hobby..taking pics of nice food..got inspired by some veg blogs ive seen..damn their pics make me salivate.. gotta ask permission to link them..so u guys can check it out too! ) in case u r looking out for "meat"... im sorry but this is a vegetarian blogger! =) *peace sign*

wanted to do some shoppin actually..but smtg crop up..so..ended up going for a jog.. haa. oh well. good exchange. save money. got my runner high. yay! =)

work's been ok.. tiring honestly.. little stressed... think it should be okay.
keep feeling like im missing out smtg.. this emptiness feeling which bothers me. like lack of some spiritual fulfillment or smtg. i miss the times i spend @ BF.. hee. i remember the peace and serenity i feel whenever i get inside BF.. esp. @the Eton House.. n it's the same feeling i get when i used to meditate.. haven been doing it for a long time...*guilty look*
the only time closest to this good feeling is having a loong swim.. slow ... but i guess it's the repetitive motion that somehow calms the mind... it's damn therapeutic really..
shucks..i keep talking bout swimming almost every post. urgh. paiseh. as u can see..i dun really haf much of a life these days.. manz.

oh yea.. guess wat. im going KL this friday..haa.. yup, company rally.. only for the night.. ..but better than nothing la!
n...oh ya..am going to Phuket with parents in March! yaay! haven been for a holiday with them for a long time.. the last time i went was Sept ..for the orphanage trip.. before that was with my brother...to Patong...( i know.. strange place to go with ur siblings..hee.)
this time around..im gonna SHOP!
too bad brother not joining us.. army commitment lo.

can't wait!

with metta...

appreciated night off...

2008-01-09T21:44:00.000+08:00

night off today..yay! a needed off. went for dinner with parents @ this plc call Living Greens in Lavender area.. first time there.. nice healthy food today =)
we had the mushroom spaghetti.. almond gado gado n the "ma jiang" noodles.. will try the other dishes next time!
price range bout 7-10 for main dishes.. little more than our usual budget..so considered a "treat" ba. haa.

i wanna get a new camera ..so can put up more nice pics.. hmm.must remember to take the dishes frm my fav place @ fortune centre next time. haa.

urgh. really having a tuff time understanding all the different policies.. as a newbie.. i have a loooot to learn.. and with my current full time job.. honestly it's hard to find time to sit down n absorb. really must jia you le.

oh yes...1 incident tat day.. was @ the gym.. wearin my jc netball shirt.. was havin a good workout..about to leave.. then this young guy came up to me n asked if i was frm the jc... (this dun usually happen ..so i thought i knew him.) replied that i was..yeeeears ago. he din believe.. keep asking when. (urgh. some ppl really dun get the hint. who the hell ask about a stranger's age...)
so i said almost bout 10 yrs ago.. (actually it's 7..but come to think of it...it's scary!) then he was stunned for a moment.. "u dun look... u look very young..." yeayea.. i m OLD. sheesh. anyway...so i made a very "young" friend.

god i think i need to go for a "face sag" instead of "face lift" ... *faintz*

punch it up..

2008-01-07T00:52:00.000+08:00

the week's been really trying. hmm. trying to understand the insurance policies stuff so i have better product knowledge to help others.. info overload.. n doing that while working @ the other side.. my brain's super taxed.

quite stressed up honestly.. worried that im not performing up to standards @ work ..hopefully it's alright.
got my promotion this week.. that will mean more responsibilities and of course, more opportunities as well.. i need to do this well.. this balancing thing..

muay thai was fun today.. din wanna go actually cos am still down with flu.. with all these cardiac arrest cases going up...it's really quite scary. anyway.. needed to let out frustrations n stress.. glad i went. took some pics too!

yesterday was good too.. went for dinner n some shopping with mum @ bugis.. same fav veg place. =) we each bought a pair of new shoes! yay =)
really wanna get a new phone soon..am thinking bout SE 910i or 580i.. really like it. but think 910i s little huge.hmm.

it's a new week again.. all the hols r gone...till the next... CNY. urgh. i dun like cny.. starting to feel stressed up already. can't wait to get over it..really. badly.

need to do some thinking. need a swim too. =)

with metta.

goodbye 2007..i ll miss the september part of u..

2007-12-31T22:54:00.000+08:00

2007 will end in an hour's time...

when i think about what ive done in this year.. nothing much comes to my mind honestly.. as cliche as it sounds, the year passed so fast.. the only memorable time, as i mentioned..would be my 1 month in khao lak with the children frm the orphanage. the memory's so vivid it replays on my mind everytime i wanna think of smtg nice.

resolutions for 2008... i dun really have the habit of making resolutions honestly.
i think it's too tough to say cos many things can happen in a year.. main wish is prob for my family and i to be healthy n be blessed with happiness n joy..

on a global scale...i really hope there' ll be less natural disaster n less innocent lives taken away... this year was filled with many unfortunate events.. sometimes i think about how these people live for each day instead of years.. everyday alive to them is a blessing.. we r really lucky huh.

reminds me of the talk i attended yest with my mum... Ajahn Brahm's talk on Happiness n Gratitude.. he's the angmoh monk i felt is a great living inspiration.. his talks never fail to enlighten and motivate.. only prob was the crowd... i was really surprised to see the HUGE crowd... it was so packed there wasnt space to listen comfortably... ended up in another room watching the video telecast..

i like the part he talked about how we humans tend to focus so much on the "bad" things ppl do or "bad" things that happen... we take for granted too easily when things go smoothly..
i laughed when he talked about how if we aint happy n grateful to our government, maybe we should move to other countries (he mentioned a particular country ..but i think i dun wanna offend anyone..) it's true.. we all know of countries around us that are experiencing turmoils..esp. with corrupted govt..

we don't feedback positively when trains come on time... when we get to work on time because of efficient bus services.. we complain in an instant when we have to wait 6 mins for the train (why isn't it 2min interval!!!) we write in to critisise when 1 event displease us.. how about the other 999 events that went well and that we enjoyed? do we bother to appreciate the effort done?
maybe 1 of our resolutions for 2008...can be "to be nicer to others...to appreciate a good effort...write in to acknowledge efforts done to make an event successful.."

an hour to 2008.. bet lotsa u guys are out doing the countdown... bet it's damn crowded everywhere.. want to go join the fun... but was quite turn off by the crowd... shall welcome 2008 in peace n comfort of home.
had a haircut too.. nothing drastic ..just wanted to feel a little different. haa. =)
ok.. hopefully next year's gonna be filled with more great events to look back...

with metta..

merry xmas...

2007-12-24T01:07:00.000+08:00

juz came back from company's xmas party... it's my first "office xmas party" i attended lo. haa. quite fun.. prezzies n all. alotta bodyshop's gifts around the office i realised..heh. *guilty look*

yesterday was quite fun too..
went xmas shopping for family..bought lotta stuff..nothing much for self..except an anklet (i have this soft spot for anklets.)
felt so cool...carrying loadsa bags n walking around town..haa. (i dun have the luxury of doin this often..)
oh yea..parents r back from Ipoh..glad they had a good time there.. looking forward to go thailand tog soon..

anyway..it's gettin late. better go sleep soon.. nitey..
check out moi facebook for more pics @ the party~

up n down...down n up...

2007-12-22T00:27:00.000+08:00

been a trying day @ work.. sales was not too bad last few days.. seemed to be going down. that's the thing bout commission-based job.. u get sales u get money..no sales..eat grass... precisely why i was never into such jobs.. *stressed*
well.. honestly this job is pretty interesting... get to meet interesting ppl..nice or not.. today..was almost close to ridiculous.. extremely RUDE ppl who obviously think they know everything n think they r superior to us...who knock on their doors. sheesh. *rolls eyes*
u believe in karma? i do. perhaps just my bad karma ripening.. meeting such ppl. sigh. i swear i never do that to others.guess it was my previous life then. urgh.

im tired. really. stressed too. dunno how to explain la. anyway, ate a lot of rubbish which is supposedly "comfort food" but din seem to help. *obviously* dunno how others can take "comfort" in them. just makes me feel worse .. =P
feel like i should talk to someone. but i also dunno where to start. n no one seems good to listen. dun wanna throw my troubles to someone else anyway. maybe i need a swim. it will help.

xmas's coming..which means 2007 is ending. this year flew past...all seem so fast.
let's see...many regrets this year..many things i wish din occur.. sucky decisions.
only best thing that i guess im glad i did was to my 1 month trip to Khao Lak Orphanage.. the things i did..the ppl i met.. the experiences i had (yea.including getting a burn from the Harley bike..heh.) that was such a wonderful time i ll never forget...

i really hope 2008's gonna be more memorable.. haa. yea i guess i should be telling myself that IM gonna make 2008 great.. oh well whatever it is... gonna make the best out of it. definitely ..another trip to thailand... =) *excited*

with metta...

hey jude...law.

2007-12-13T01:40:00.000+08:00

tired. did okay today. closed 5. met nice ppl. getting the hang of letting go of negative ppl. not to let them affect motivation..

anyway. will cut this short cos pretty tired.

just wanted to say. i realised Jude Law's pretty hot. *gasp*. im usually not into 'this type' of guys.. thought he looked quite faggoty.. (yea..am into more 'manish' ppl...like...Richard Gere?...i know he's old.)
but i was watching 'The Holiday'..n OMG. *drool* his eyes are like ... AMAZING.

night! with metta..

wanna go thailand..

2007-12-09T23:20:00.000+08:00

feeling quite tired.. mentally drained i guess. some things going tru my mind .. disheartened n little disappointed with myself. had expected the feelings im getting.. dunno wat to do with them now though.

went muay thai today.. felt good after the training.. muscles aching.. but i love it. =)
went out for dinner with parents yest...then went Little India (i know we r always going there...haa) gosh..the place was super crowded lo. =P

hmm. talked bout going for a holiday..with parents.. prob thailand (wee! =) ) short shopping trip i guess. i can't wait~
though..i m sorta looking forward to a backpack trip. prob in a yr's time i hope. not too sure of the place yet. i should really start planning.. going overseas's always been a very good n effective motivation for me! =)

little drained..

2007-12-05T00:41:00.000+08:00

omg. why does an off day pass by so fast... ah. yea. went for muay thai today.. it's been 3 weeks since the last training.. cannot make it. stamina gone-case le.. sigh. with the working hours now, i can't make it to classes as regularly anymore. darn.
yea.. no time for swims too.. manz. gotta work smtg out..
need my stress-relief, feel-happy channels..my runs..swims..n muay thai..

watching Music n Lyrics..yea i know..old show.. din catch it on cinema la. hmm... Hugh Grant is HoT =) not the tight pants part for sure. *eew*
got tired of Heroes..din finish it..still @ epi. 16 ...found it too draggy n too much talking.. got bored.
oh.getting late. better sleep soon.. gonna be long days coming up. wish me luck for tom field.. yest was really lousy.. a series of rude ppl n slamin doors aint exactly what i was prepared for.. *sticks out tongue*

with metta..

off.. for a few hours..

2007-12-02T00:03:00.000+08:00

after a tiring week..finally had an evening off today. dinner with parents @ our fav plc @ fortune centre...did a speed shopping after that ..desperate for new shoes.. hopefully the new one wun disfigure my poor feet further. =P oh yea, got a pair of new pants too!

the week was long... this door-to-door thing is actually quite fun at times though it's kinda tiring.. well...we get to know nice ppl.. n it's amazing how different each household can be. some aint very friendly (total understatement...) ... nasty @ times.. but i try to think of the nice ones .. =)
oh yea.. there was this family... in a 4 room flat...but with 2 damn freaking huge dogs (almost my waist-tall) can't remember the breed but they were all over me! ... the lady was too kind...she invited me in the house...din have much choice.. by the end of closing the deal.. i was almost half layered with the dogs' saliva.. bleh. luckily it was a closed deal. worthed it i guess.

money-wise..not too bad.. seems quite promising. (definitely much more than what i was getting previously...haa. so *hint hint* anyone wanna come over? =) )
it's all about working for what u want. the harder u work.. the more deals u close..the more u get.
well..passed my "probation period"..working towards being a trainer. yay! can't wait..

gosh..2007's ending! ahhhh.. this year seems to pass real fast.. im getting older.. urgh. ahh. *freak out* *wrinkles popping out*

tomorrow's gonna be a looong day of work.. shall sleep early.. nite
with metta.

knock knock..who's there,nobody's in!

2007-11-25T00:16:00.000+08:00

my evening off today (YaY!) so went out for dinner with parents n bro @ Toa Payoh.. haa. yea. faaar from home.. since town would be crowded n traffic s gonna be horrible, we decided to go the "HDB" places.
had a veg "claypot" noodles...but cos since i "ta bao"...it ended up in a plastic container instead of "claypot". haa. but it was pretty good. =)
reminded me of the veg lor mee i had last tuesday. from a veg stall near my new workplace.. only 2.50 or 2 bucks. yumm..

oh anyway..we wandered ard the TPY hub...supposed to buy stuff (new shoes since my feet is almost totally disfigured now...)..but ended up empty handed lo..sigh.

oh yea. managed to close 7 deals for the last 2 nights.. yay. not very impressive i think..but better than 0!
was telling my family about how tough the persuasion to close the deal can be when wives are around... most of the time, the "uncles" are easier to talk to n persuade... but when their wives appear...or nag at them... it will be a "no"... sigh make things hard for me le.

not too bad...knocking on doors for the past 2 nights were pretty ok.. got some really "wierd" ppl...the type u end up shaking your head while u walk away..
then some really nice ppl who even offer me a drink etc.

just a note.. the next time someone come knocking on ur door.. at least acknowledge their presence... even if u "die-die" dun wanna buy.. least tell them politely..
ive seen some real ridiculous ppl... they are OBVIOUSLY at home.. (u can hear talking... n for some, the doors are ajar...) but they REFUSE to come to the door when u ring the bell n even yell....
it's funny. cos all of a sudden, u hear silence while they probably tip-toe their way ard in the house.
more ringing and knocking.... still nobody comes to the door... n u hear voices telling children to keep quiet n not answer the bell. *rolls eyes*

tomorrow's gonna be a long day.. knocking on doors frm 10-8. *breathes in hard*
wish me luck!
n hopefully my feet wun be further destroyed...( cos they aint used to anything else other than trainers, slippers, n birkies.) ive got cinderella feet. =)
everytime i wear smtg new or not suitable...i ll get at least 2 blisters within 10mins of walking. so imagine the blisters ive got after 4 days of walking. *faintz*

goodnight. wish me luck. ANSWER THE DOORBELL!

with metta

motherly daddies.

2007-11-21T00:45:00.000+08:00

fell a little sick today, so din get to "knock on doors". =)
dropped by Cold Rock to pass some stuff to friends..missed the place n peepz.

anyhow.. was reading Time (last week edition) and found an article really interesting. It's under the Life section, about "Modern" Fathers... debating the old notions of masculinity..
(quote)
"Many dads are challenging old definitions of manliness. Masculinity has traditionally all been associated with work....competition..power, prestige, dominance over women, restrictive emotionally..... study finds that those who dont cleave to the old archetype are happier. ...basically..masculinity is bad for you... "

isn't it interesting.. i must say i agree with that.. yea it's not new to ppl who know me that im pretty much a feminist.. n someone who despise chauvinism..
but hey who really wants to live with a man who is always laughing at females who cant parallel park as well as them, making decisions for their girlfriends as if they dont have a mind of their own, moving their hands all over their girlfriends like an octopus..
girls, u like that? 'respect for the ladies' probably never exist in their dictionaries.

on the other hand... guys who respect their girlfriends, go emo when they should, dont act like they "cant be bothered" when they really are upset, expressive and not work nor money oriented...that I find appealing. sexy. attractive.
and i m pretty sure most girls will agree.

im sure if u do a little ppl-watch...u really get to see how ppl behave n it's amazing how different everyone can be... sometimes in Cold Rock... it's very sweet to see some fathers attend to their children with care n lovingness (the way it is always associated with being 'motherly') some men are really good with children.. not just in terms of fooling around, playing..but to the extent of cleaning up for them.. sweeet.

again, quoting from the article...
"it's not considered wimpy or gay to hug your daughter...that's something we can all embrace.."
n....guys who can do laundry, helps with housework n not full of his "manliness".....that's hot! =)

with metta.

still hooked on Cussler...

2007-11-20T00:10:00.000+08:00

ok..just to update.. sat was my "last" day @ cold rock...super emo.. partners @ work that day were really sweet... the hugs n warm farewell... *aww* thanks sweeties..will definitely miss u all!

n as for what the hell im gonna do now that im outta cold rock... im actually undergoing a training for a direct mktg company. part of it involving going for field sales... knocking on doors n talking to peepz.. handling rejects n "attitudes"... not easy k.
today was my first day, followed my trainer...tried a little.. it's fun but it's scary. haa. after a while.. u kinda dun feel that upset if u get doors closed on u.
hmm.. anyway, will update more once i understand better bout the career path of the new job etc. cos no, im not planning to knock on doors for the rest of my life.

see my pathetic feet? blisters (bout 8 altogether...) n all.. after a week of walking in heels n shoes that i usually don't wear... poor feet. sobz. hurts ya know.

oh yea, i mentioned bout the wonderman who got me hooked on his books right.. Clive Cussler..yea.

im so damn impressed with myself.. i actually finished 7 of his books in a month plus... (that's amazing for someone like me who never was into adventure stuff...)

currently on Vixen 03 (the orange one) about an ultra-secret flight which was lost at sea..n cos it was carrying cannisters of the most lethal substance ...when it was found 34 yrs later.. a nightmare began..
just finished Serpent (far right). damn good too. learnt some history stuff, bout Christopher Colombus etc.

i guess what got me hooked to his stuff is not just the thrill n adventure, but the fact that it involves a lot of historical events n really widens ur general knowledge.. i got to know more about guns.. airplanes.. fighters.. ships. etc.
i honestly think most guys would be interested in his works. n besides this is not a man who's merely talking pure fiction or make-believe.. but being the guy who leads expeditions to search for famous shipwrecks, he writes his stories based on a lot of true events n wide experiences.
when u read his books... u will get what i mean. THIS GUY REALLY KNOWS HIS STUFF.
honestly, go to the library. pick up one of his books. i guarantee u will enjoy it even if u dun normally read adventure stuff.
i reco. Polar Shift, Dark Watch, White Death and Serpent.
once again, to know more bout him,
check this out.
http://www.numa.net/clive_cussler.html
(no..he's not paying me to advertise for him...)

okie, gotta go sleep. nitey!
with metta

high on oatly

2007-11-16T01:37:00.000+08:00

trying to "crash-watch" Heroes .. hee. super cool lo. if only ive a special power...hmm..what will be good...

anyway. got over that stupid loser incident. hmm (I think.) smtg else 's happening. quite exciting. but progess's quite uncertain. so i shall remain mysterious till it becomes more certain ay. haa. i know. it's annoying. might as well not say anything. too bad. =)

anyway. my latest obsession. this is so good u gotta try it. DAMN GOOD.
u can get it @ NTUCs, some Guardian Pharmacy, or any organic stores.
it's nicer than chocolate milk lo. ( n I dun get stomach turbulence from this! =)

Oh yea, anyway, if u guys happen to be @ Orchard this weekend, please drop by the Orchard Library. There's an exhibition opp. the library cafe. It's by the Vegetarian Society of Singapore.
I was totally impressed by it. The content, the layout, the design, it's really worth a look. Lotsa colours, lotsa meaning, not just boring facts etc.
Im sure u will be impressed too! tell me if u don't.

oh. this sunday's the last day. so try to go ya? =)

with metta..

lost loser.

2007-11-13T01:19:00.000+08:00

had a reeeeally bad day. sigh. made me feel like a total loser. dun really wana share my loser story. so i shall just go sulk and get over it soon, hopefully.
dunno la. won't talk much cos it's just gonna be boring loser stuff. so goodnight.
till a better day.
with metta..

bruised.

2007-11-07T00:42:00.000+08:00

bruises all over my leg... got them from muay thai today.. sheesh. dun usually end up with so many nor even 1.. anyways decided the "hot house" spa thingy will take care of it. heh.

oh yea. decided to explain a little more bout our spa.
This pic shows the 'Chi Machine', it's part of our "spa". It moves side to side, thus promoting blood cirrculation.
It's relatively inexpensive compared to those health machines in the mkt, bout 600bucks.
Some users start off with only this machine, n often end up buying it for their elderly parents too cos it's really worth it!

Check out these sites for the benefits as well as testimonials from atheletes, medical professionals etc. worldwide (US, UK, Australia etc.)
http://www.chimachine4u.com/chimachine.html
http://www.chimachine4u.com/testimonials.html

The dome shaped thing is known as the "Hot House". It has different functions n is really good for backaches etc. It's sold per piece, so u can buy just 1 to try out n use for a specific area. Anyone needs a free trial? Our spa's open~ =)
Well..if u r still skeptical n wanna hear or see more, u know my number. =)

Anyway aside from this.. weather's pretty crazy these days huh. raining like mad suddenly.. then hot n humid.. gawd..
n i was just reading an article on the California fire recently.. gosh..it was mad. The fire consumed more than 400,000 acres...n bout 1million ppl were temp evacuated..(if u think about it..that's like 1/4 of our population!)... n 2000 houses were gone.
trust me...mother earth's really breaking down.

sigh.. oh yea. my eyes' pretty crazy too recently.. they dun seem to like being with contact lenses these days.. keep getting dry eyes n having to wear specs instead. geeky.

tired. shall sleep soon. goodnite peepz.
with metta.

Hot HouSe Spa @ My HousE

2007-11-05T23:29:00.000+08:00

my parents' prized possesion.. THE SPA. =)

home spa...

2007-11-02T23:22:00.000+08:00

TGIF for once. heh. evening off, so went for dinner with parents. Bendemeer mkt..cheap good food! had my veg. yee mee! yum! after tat, wanted to get a little "thai"....so we ended up @ Golden Mile..heh. was damn excited in the supermart..looking @ everything in thai, reminded me of the good times i had.. bleh. I WANNA GO THAILAND! =)

actually it's quite funny, going out with my parents is like a "multi-cultural" experience, today was Golden Mile, the last time was Mustafa, the last last was Geylang Serai to check out the Hari Raya pasar malam... damn happening right! =)

oh yea, just wanted to share smtg. If u know of anyone (maybe parents, grandparents etc) who are having some health problems, such as insomnia, backaches, knee pains, migraines, high blood pressure, depression etc. they really gotta try out these 2 machines. It's called Hot House n the Chi Machine. My parents invested in it n it's our "home spa" now..

it's damn cool n the results are amazing. They serve as a massager, promotes blood circulation, n enhance the immune system. in fact, it helped my mum alot with her knee pains n backache, n my dad with his insomnia. u can really see the difference.

my parents got their friends to try it n they were amazed too. I thought it's a great gift for parents or loved one who can benefit from it. At first I thought it to be similar to those OSIM thingy.. which I felt was quite bo liao (iGallop.....yeeehaaa).. but..no.. it's way better n it promotes overall well-being.
best thing? u dun need to sit on it n gallop.. u just lie down n sleep. imagine being able to feel good anytime at ur own convenience...like our home spa. =)
will post some photos of it soon, if u wanna know more, drop me a msg ba.

working my weekend away again...boo.hoo. nitey!
with metta...

insurance n Cussler

2007-10-29T23:00:00.001+08:00

things seem to be starting to "flatten"... plateau... even feelings. yet i still get the bulk of anxiety at times.. man..this is all confusing. im getting impatient with my life. getting impatient with myself. damn.

today's insurance course left me thinking about how most ppl underestimate the importance of it... u know about the recent death of a 23yr old guy.. PT instructor in army.. died in a traffic accident... wat was even worse's that he din buy any insurance at all..so his family couldn get any claims .. can imagine the financial impact on the parents etc. im pretty sure he was hoped to be supporting the parents in time to come... im not sure if he's the only son.. sigh.

lucky for him, his army mates did a "fund-raising" n pooled money for those he left behind.
if he'd some or even 1 insurance policy, the money can at least tide the family tru with the funeral expenses n perhaps even much longer..

life's really unpredictable huh..u think u r young n full of dreams...everyone thinks u will make it big.. we think we are still healthy.. we think there's still a tomorrow..
n who's gonna guarantee that?

what happens if we suddenly die... who's gonna feed the parents..the wife..the children.. but if there's insurance protecting, then at least the money (which can be a damn lot) to claim can help the family.. it won't bring back the person to life..but at least it doesn't make matters worse with the burden.
amazing how it affects. a hell lot of difference.

yea i know it's hard to imagine bad stuff as such..esp. when we are young without having "mouths to feed" besides our own.. but we really gotta think. plan.

anyway...been really addicted to someone's stories lately. Clive Cussler. I bet u will love it..esp. guys I think.. he founded NUMA (National Underwater n Marine Agency) ..the chairman.. n he writes novels based on experiences n the NUMA files. they do lotta searching for lost ships of historic value..

his novels are damn addictive.. it's been a long time since im hooked on adventure stories.. though i must admit i get a little lost a lotta times with the technical terms of the ships, n the undersea.
if u are up for it, try his latest "Polar Shift" ..that's the first book I read.. it's fiction..but the story hints of how the Earth's gonna be really messed up when polar shift happens.. damn good.

it's really funny how this Cussler guy got me hooked on adventure novels.
let's see..since young... im really more into horror flicks..horror books.. while my peers in primary sch were reading Roald Dahl, Enid Blyton, Sweet Valley High (eek!)... I was into R.L Stine, Fear Street, Christopher Pike..
Sec. Sch n after... well..mostly textbooks.. haah. i know..im not really a "reading" person... yea. but of course..occasionally get some good biographies of pp.. maybe some Mitch Albom or equav. when I need a little push in life. but hardly dig those non-fiction motivational books. find them "too good to be true"..

then I got addicted to chic lit.. they make me lost in dreams.. makes life seem a little less serious...seem a little sweeter.. i like that.
n just 1 month ago. this Cussler guy got me. damn he's good. =)
http://www.numa.net/clive_cussler.html
he rocks.

tired.long day tomorrow. really want it to be over. can't wait.

with metta.

justice done..?

2007-10-27T00:41:00.001+08:00

had a nice evening. was my night off today, so caught up with my parents over dinner @ Bugis =) went to check out Mustafa after that. I like that place, it always amazes me how they stock EVERYTHING in that tiny shopping centre.

Found out there are LOTS of instant stuff like dhal curry and those "Ready-to-eat" meals. damn impressed. esp. since there were LOTS of vegetarian options. =) bought a Pea n Mushroom curry thingy.. gonna try it. im not really a Pea person..but the picture looks nice le. hee.

din buy much actually, just some nice time "hanging out". talked bout the insurance thingy with them.. guess am just gonna go for the course..try it out n see how it goes. So.. anyone who's interested or should wanna buy insurance in future...u know who to look for! =) Im gonna be THE ONE.dun worry... I will make sure u make the right choice! *hiakz*

oh yea yea.. guess what! received a letter form the police today.. remember the SOB who "flashed"... or rather chose to let his stuff "displayed" in public n freak the hell out of ppl.. ?

yea yea. he was convicted in court. fined a few thousand n 2 weeks jail. im not trying to be a saddist. but i think he got what he deserved. i can't imagine if he was let off free...what if he let his "hormones" take over n attempt more horrible stuff to others the next time? omg..*shudder*

then again. honestly.. i really wonder if this punishment will change much.. what happens after the 2 weeks. tell me. if he does not get proper psychological therapy or help, it's gonna happen again, aint it?

Although Im totally disgusted @ the things these pp do..preying on the innocent.. I know they are unwell ..in need of help. I really hope they can get the help they need.. n if they do "mend their ways".. that would be wonderful. otherwise.. sigh.

oh well...but hey i had a nice evening today.. am just gonna smile n look forward to a nice weekend.. of work. =)

with metta...

passed...why!

2007-10-21T00:17:00.000+08:00

guess wat. passed the insurance exam. sigh. first time in my life feeling lost after passing an exam. ya i studied but honestly everything didn make sense to me at all..just merely memorising n forcing the info into my brains.
dunno why the heck i could pass too. i guess prob good karma happened to ripen at that time..lucky or not i really dunno.

am so lost..because i pass , i ve to go tru the training and all.. my parents seemed to be keen on me being an insurance adviser.. it's not the first time i let known my "non-interest".. am i supposed to go on with it even though the stuff makes me stressed up n sad? well..maybe like what my mum would say.. a job is a job.. not everyone will like their job.. it's about earning a living. (i reallly don't wish to be one of these ppl..)
im hoping a "decent" job will come along soon.. or more like smtg to happen so i can get out of this "career job" crisis.. it's making me sad. urgh.

hmm..other than tat.. my days were pretty cool. been back at Cold Rock.. enjoying work.. though there's lots of changes going on there now... it reminds me of how humans naturally resist change..and it takes a lot of effort to adapt and get used to "new" procedures..
changes.. hmm.. soon i guess there'll be even more changes if a new job comes along.. gawd.. i really rather be a student seriously. everythings' laid out..aint need to worry much about justifying your choices n decisions...=(

metta...

disgusted.

2007-10-10T23:48:00.000+08:00

guess what. met a flasher today. young guy. prob bout 20 yrs old. wearing army singlet somemore. sick. in case u dunno, it's not the first time. damn suay lo.
if karma works, i dunno what the hell i did wrong.

anyway. all these stuff makes me really sick. do men really become brainless when they r turned on? i dun understand how they can always attempt to justify certain ridiculous acts with their "hormones" or whatever they wanna call it. it's plain stupidity.

anyway about today. as of the last few times, i reported to da police..din wan such a SOB to get off free. nor to prey on more innocent girls. n it so happened tat the police post was just 200m away... (which smart ass would do such a thing near a NPP?)
then..was asked to wait for police on patrol. .. during tat time..saw tat guy loitering ard still... n other gross details..
anyhow...police came...detained him.. sent him to "hell" i hope. had to take statement... but quite cool cos lotsa officers came to the NPP during da statement taking. like some big thing. haa =)
ive decided. the next time i come across another one (damn hope I won't though.), i shall prob laugh it out. maybe say smtg like "That's it?" )
told my parents.. maybe shd buy toto. sure strike.

SAFTI

2007-10-07T20:57:00.000+08:00

went to SAFTI MI today..see my dearest bro lo. OC gonna-be wo.. tomorrow posting to Air Force..hm..it's funny hey, since both my parents were sign-ons of Air Force too.. heh. Im the odd one out then! =)

but seriously....turn back time a little..i mite sign on too. wanted to, just din haf enough motivation to ..

anywayz.. had to wake up @ 6am...amazing for me.. haa.picked Grace (bro's darling..) up..went for breakfast...n then to the MI. honestly...I was..n still am pretty impressed by the place. heh. I mean it's really quite nicely designed.. n the facilities etc. though I know the whole crazy thing there's the training..but still.. it's a life-time experience aint it? makes u a stronger man...(or at least it's supposed to.)

went up the tower..really nice hey. the view... din get to take much photos cos camera batt died.

recce the plc.. interesting.. =) can see the "nostalgia" my parents were experiencing too. if only I knew how it feels.. =)

after tat went for muay thai.. damn shitified. 1 month of inactivity n being out of exercise can really make a hell lot of difference! can't even jog much without gasping for air n wanting to give up. fitness level s totally pathetic now. sigh sigh. just 1 month.. i can imagine those atheletes having to be out of exercise cos of injury..some for months n even a year or so. sheesh. having to get the fitness n stamina back. wth...

haf some insurance stuff to go for next week. damn sian. i really can't wait to get over it. if i fail, then that's it. over n done with. if pass, im still not interested in it really. how do i explain it.. im really not into it and i feel very stressed up having to work smtg that i don't enjoy. it's a totally different feeling from what i get working in fnb or tours.. gawd. this is tough. life s not easy in singapore. for sure.

metta..

aww.

2007-10-06T22:53:00.000+08:00

khit teng..

2007-10-05T16:06:00.000+08:00

spent the last few days catching up with mum n dad over dinner, unpacking stuff, missing thailand etc. i dun understand how time can pass so fast..it's already friday?? damn.

anywayz, before i forget.. some photos u'll see here of the children with food.. they were making egg sandwiches last sat. yea. so cute.. even the 2-3yrs old were peeling the hardboiled eggs, mashing it, stirring.. awww.

let's see.. oh yea.. my last 2 days were kind of a havoc. my flight was on monday 11pm supposingly.. n my kind Canadian friends wanted to bring my to phuket town for a night before i return, to shop around.. so we left on sunday, after the annoying guests "played them out".
was a 4plus hour bus ride... we reached phuket town @ bout 6ish evening.

checked into the hotel..... this is the part. the moment i entered the room....OHHHH MYYY GAAAWWDD... well, it wasn like a 5 star hotel thing of course..it was like bout 30bucks Sing per nite..think bcos i was expecting just basic hotel facilities like those budget 2-3 star guest inns i usually stay in...
besides... after a month of a warm dusty room... with a handful of spider webs around.... THAT room was like LUXURY. damn these luxury things.. they shdn even exist.. makes ppl yearn for more.

n the fact that this was THE FIRST time i had a hotel room to myself! wooohooo! =) damn shiok can.
anyway.... we headed out for dinner.. window shopped a little..planning to shop the next day.
u haf no idea how amused i was with the room. just me n the room. the KING sized bed. well, yea, i watched TV...movies in thai with eng subt... the entire nite.. with the company of lots of chips.

guess wat. cdn sleep thruout the nite.. started to feel feverish.. had migraines.. by the time i hit morning. i was half a piece. cdn even walk straight. ended up stayin in bed while my friends went shopping. how shitified...
oh well. luckily i got a little better in the afternoon. did a little shopping @ Tesco..din buy much though.

then...drama in the evening.
planned to take the public airport bus frm the phuket terminal. when i reached.. was told by a taxi driver tat the last bus left @ 630pm. i was like wth? i was only 10 mins late. sheesh. he insisted taxi was the only means.. which meant his taxi.
ended up having to fork out 450baht (bout 20 Sing) for tat ride. sigh. but he was a nice guy. we ended up chatting.. in thai n eng =) i miss speaking thai.

as if tat wasn enough.. when i was juz about to get tru the customs.. the guy handling my passport declared tat i had overstayed. n i had to pay a fine of 500baht. again. i was really like wtf?
apparently, the "visa" was only valid till 30th sept. but my flight was 1st oct. so.. 500 baht PER DAY. sheesh. thank god i only overstayed 1 day. i din even thought of it.
it's kinda fishy though, bcos all the fine had to be paid in baht, cash n no visa allowed. i wonder where all the HUGE AMOUNT of money go to, cos lotsa "farangs" kenna too.

anyhow.. had to find bank ..get cash n pay them. sianz. lucky flight back was smooth. more trouble i wd haf decided to stay in thailand forever. heh. i wish.

hmm.. my brains are still working in the thai mode.. words are coming out in thai rather than english or madarin for tat matter.
n for h. sake's .. i need to have a plan. everyone's asking me what 's my plan now. what i m going to do. what 's lying ahead. urgh. i hate myself here.
i can't help think,tat i know ppl back there are more concerned bout others in different areas.
shitified.

metta... miss them.

back but wanna go back.

2007-10-02T16:21:00.000+08:00

back in Singapore.. .. .. *sigh*

just wondering what the dek-dek (children in thai) are doing now.. I miss everybody at the orhpanage... the friendly vendors in the markets..the boss of the mini mart.. the happening lady frm the coffeeshop... the owners of the harleys dav. that got me burnt... the ladies who did my first pedicure.. heh.

oh yea..the lady who does massages...at her house.. she's damn good ... n where else can u get a 2hr massage for 200baht? that's bout S$9! (the rate in Bangkok... 1hr- least 200baht...or cheapest prob 180 baht..n they suck..)

my last few days were actually kinda happening... so bear with me while I prob gonna blog bout them for another few more posts.. not to worry.. more pics of the beautiful kids coming up too!

sunday... my last day at Ban Tharn Nam Chai (the name of the orphange in case u are wondering..).. was filled with a hint of disappointment...after a huge wave of excitement..

this is why...

apparently... a group (supposingly bout 70) was gonna visit the place.. so the children n the staff spent the entire morning dressing some of the girls up for their traditional dance which was planned to be performed.

Makeshift tables were set up to display goodies to sell for fund-raising.. snacks and drinks were prepared to cater for the huge group...

it was treated as a huge thing.. even the children and people from the nearby village (ITV) came over.. well... because the time the group was coming wasnt confirmed..so they waited.. n waited... it started to rain.. (what's new..) ... then it was 2pm... n 3pm... they had the feeling it wasnt gonna happen. the guests aint coming. the girls washed up. changed from the costumes to clothes. (btw..the whole dressing up n make up took more than 2 hours.)

I was told this aint the first time..and prob not gonna be the last time. I was kinda annoyed, on behalf of them.. that the guests just didn turn up without notice. Honestly, I think most people I know here would be really pissed off, grumble n complain about it. and they prob will never forgive the guests.

But... everyone there was fine. though I could sense the disappointment and the hint of upset.. they didnt really display it. they moved on. I really admire them.. I wished more people could be like them.. not just forgiving others..but more like the kind and understanding attitude.

it prob lies in their culture. compassion.. that's smtg I respect.

till the next post bout my last 2 days in phuket town! =)

with metta.

last few days...

2007-09-26T14:54:00.000+08:00

been quite a "tough" few days..trying to accept that Im going back...sobz..leaving this place in 3 days.
gonna miss the peepz.. not just the children n staff here..but the nice vendors at the mkt.... the neighbours... the minimart owner.. the 7-11 staff.. hmm..
managed to say goodbye to some of them.. told them im leaving... it's so sweet when they ask when i ll be back.. *aww* .. im sure i would wanna come back again..just to visit them even. the people are so nice... u wun get anything close to this in spore really..

the next volunteer, Katrine arrived today... was showing her around n letting her know bout the "must-knows" n bout getting ard.. sigh. makes me sad tat im going. booohooo.

gonna try get more pics of the kids these few days. suppose i wun see most of them anymore since most will be goin home for the weekend... oh well. all good things come to an end huh.

oh yea..my wound... doesn seem to get better. or worse (hopefully!) it's just the same..red.. sore..pain at times.. think it should be fine. taking my med regularly! =)

anyhow..id better treasure the last 3 days here. =P

with metta..
qiz

hospital visit.. but.

2007-09-25T21:01:00.000+08:00

with da advice frm my parents...i went to see a doc at the hospital today.... =) yea.. my dearest mum lo...telling me bout how it will get infection..cause pain ...won't be able to walk.. n scar will be ugly etc.( she's good at scaring the shit out of me. =P but i appreciate it.).. heh. actually yea..tink it gotten an infection yest.. cos the skin tore off n i was pretty much walking around with an open wound..

anyhow.. though it wasn tat bad, i thought it would be safer to see a doc.

interesting experience at the Takuapa Hospital...

waiting..n queuein was pretty much like the polyclinic system in spore....register...wait.. collect card...move on to the another plc..queue...wait again... then get screened n brief examination by nurses....
then..move to another plc.. sit outside the doc room..n wait again... all in all, was there frm 12-3?
oh..anyway...according to doc... ive a 2nd degree burn wound on calf.. required med. n he suggested some injection thingy... i din take the injection though.. had a funny name tat sounded scary..
after consultation..proceeded to the "prescription" plc... then cashier... then to the treatment room where i got my wound dressed up..

was juz amused at the number of pp going to the hospital for minor illnesses, such as flu etc. which we usually go to our GP for.
n guess what... when i got back... i realise smtg... I FORGOT TO COLLECT MY MEDICINE! sheesh.. there were just too many counters to go to, that i din even realise i din haf any med with me. im such a goon. gotta return tom.

yup..tat was today..n bcos it's stupidly pouring non-stop AGAIN, i cdn go anywhere else to "eat air". sheesh.

oh yea..found a litter of puppies with their mum while taking a walk today..they were sleeping outside a vacant house nearby.. they r so cutee...bout 5 of them..but cd see they were sick n weak. bought some dog food to feed them in the afternoon...but by tat time, only 2 of the puppies were left...

surprisingly, i realise one of the other puppies was taken in by the peepz here. it was shivering non-stop (STUPID RAIN!).. really cold..n it cdn eat anything.. we tried using the hairdryer to warm it.. but it din seem to help. it looked like it's really sick too, some skin problem, n its ears were infected..
we prob might bring it to the vet if it doesn feel better tomorrow
will check on its family too... bring more food for them...

hmm..talkin bout dogs...i suspect the "abused" black-white dog died or smtg... haven seen him ard today.. he usually hangs ard...hopin for some food n attention even though it gets abused.. i wonder wat happened...

5 more days..sobz.

with metta,
Qiz

burn..wat's next.

2007-09-23T12:10:00.000+08:00

ok..maybe im not fated to handle motorbikes well... guess wat.. last nite.. got myself a bad burn from the exhaust pipe of a damn nice huge bike. saw it few nights ago..a row of super cool bikes (kinda like harley..) found out last night tat the owners r friends of the nice peepz who helped me when I crashed the bike last time.

so... was darn excited to take a pic.. stood next to it...n ____! damn, the exhaust pipe is huge can! din realise my leg was leaning on it till I felt the burn.

this pic.....sigh..huge sacrifice... think it's a 2nd degree burn. feels like it.. the heat nv went away till today.. n it ll a reeally ugly scar ...sob. anywayz. had to keep poking it with a needle to "deflate" the blister.. (i know..eeks)
though burning the needle etc reminded me of the tattooing. ouch.
sigh. gonna end up with ALOT shit by the time i get back. hee.

1 more week left..booohoooo..

metta...

quiet sat..dying dog..

2007-09-22T15:05:00.000+08:00

it's a sat .. most kids who still haf parents or relatives, go back to their home for the weekend.. so.. it's prob bout half of the 44 children left today. kinda quiet.. hmm..

oh,my toe stil can't wriggle much.. hurts like mad. can stil walk though.. dun tink it's so much of a prob tat i need to go to the hosp. wil juz leave it to heal =)
found out ve got lotta bruises though.. they juz appeared yest. all from the accident.. maybe i shd go for a massage..might help huh. hee. promote blood circulation right! =P

1more week here..sobz.. time really flies.. wish i cd stay longer.. im kinda stressed over going back really... cos i know then i haf to "get a decent job" or however sm ppl like to put it. going back to the stress of life.. the ridiculous pace n competition there.. it's very close to over-whelming for me..

dogs.. there's this particular dog here (the black n white one in the pic..)... tat I feel alotta sympathy for.. it's like a discriminated dog.. he's old n sick.. n we think he's close to dying.. he has been frothing lately..n looking very ill. but..unlike places where we can call up an "SPCA" or similar orgn. to take care of them..stray dogs here are often left to die if hurt.. there are just too many ..n most of them haf rabies..

this particular dog..his name is "NaPi"... i mentioned it's discriminated...cos it's often ill-treated by the peepz ard.. which i reeaaly dun feel comfortable with. it's always kicked ard..slapped or pushed off harshly.. even the kids learnt to do tat... (they really learn fast from bad examples...)
i dun exactly know why it's being treated so unfairly bcos the other 2 dogs are fed n pampered.
figured it's prob cos he's dirty n old. suddenly..it just came to me tat...alot of times, humans are treated the same way.. nobody wants u when u are old n dirty.. they find u useless.. while everyone loves young cute babies n clean children..

everytime i look at NaPi..i feel sad for him. i know he prob has rabies n it's not wise to stay near him.. but..honestly ...even if he's sick.. we dun haf the right to kick it, abuse it or bring him to death faster... sometimes unkind words used to describe these "unwelcomed" dogs can be little too harsh for me to take.. they are still lives after all.. they had their parents who love them.. they haf feelings too. (esp dogs..i dun need to say much..)

anyway.. found out smtg interesting.. was told when near death... dogs will "automatically" know..n they often wander far away from their "home" to die peacefully.. i was really amazed by how they do that... not sure why.. maybe they don't wish to be a "burden" to their owners (having to bury them or clear their carcass.) or maybe they don't wish to make them too upset... whatever the reason is..it's just amazing..
anybody here who owned a dog has such experience?? ve heard from friends whose dogs did tat....
it's really cool i tink... how sweet..

with metta,
Qi