It is indeed interesting to try out new things. Today, with anxiety, curiosity and suspicion, I stepped into my first Costume shop. I was initially expecting the place to be nothing more than a classroom in size. No. It turned out to be about the size of a basketball court. If not bigger! Shelves stuffed with customs of different country, culture, themes, genres, movies, you name it, they will probably have it.
I got ahead of myself. My trip to the custom shop is all in preparation for my friend's wedding in June. They are having their wedding dinner in The Grand Shanghai. And as the name suggests, we are going to have a themed dinner, "Oriental" style!!
So, after 2 hours of digging, trying, laughing our heads off, I finally found (with the help of the friendly staff) the complete costume. Silk Ma-Gua, jacket, hat, pants, cloth shoes, everything! all I need now is a bird cage and a paper fan! They say I look like some 19 Century Chinese "Ah1 Xia4 Kia4". Those that frequent tea-houses. For those who don't understand this, go look up www.hokkien-ho-dictionary.com for answers... NO! this is not an actual website! Well, but it didnt come cheap. 60bucks for the whole set. Ouch!
Photos??? Hmm... maybe not yet. Might post a few of them during the wedding. It will be a smash! An eventful weekend if I do say so myself :)
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Saturday, May 24, 2008
White is the new black.
They say good things comes in pairs. I say, the more the merrier.
27inch luggage from Lojel-Japan. White.
(You must be crazy if you think I got the one in pink)
Some say it looks like something spiddy would carry. But I say, it looks cool. Cool factor 8/10!!!
27inch luggage from Lojel-Japan. White.(You must be crazy if you think I got the one in pink)
Some say it looks like something spiddy would carry. But I say, it looks cool. Cool factor 8/10!!!
Cuffs and Clip
Check out my new bling blings! The Great Sale has just begun! And being the patriotic citizen as I am, I have done my part in boosting our proud nation's GDP by spending!! Spend! Spend! Spend!!!
Heres $140bucks for the country!!!!
I've been eyeing this pair of cuffs and tie clip from Giorgio Mandelli since Jan!
A touch of class.... and loads of Vanity!
Ok! Now I just need a decent cuff-link shirt...
Oh! Vanity! Vanity!!! Shame on me! Shame!!
Heres $140bucks for the country!!!!
I've been eyeing this pair of cuffs and tie clip from Giorgio Mandelli since Jan!
A touch of class.... and loads of Vanity!Ok! Now I just need a decent cuff-link shirt...
Oh! Vanity! Vanity!!! Shame on me! Shame!!
Monday, May 19, 2008
Vesak must mean Work in greek
I must be mistaken.
I was under the impression that Vesak day is a public holiday. Apparently, it just means another day at work.
Same mistake I made with Labor day. I thought it was a public holiday. It turned out to be another day that you are required to WORK.
Silly me.
Crisis, Fire fighting, server-down, orders blocked, operation folks complains, clients nag. Stomach ulcers, hair-loss, over-eating, sleepless nights, chest-pains and breathlessness. Am I really paid enough to handle all this?
I was under the impression that Vesak day is a public holiday. Apparently, it just means another day at work.
Same mistake I made with Labor day. I thought it was a public holiday. It turned out to be another day that you are required to WORK.
Silly me.
Crisis, Fire fighting, server-down, orders blocked, operation folks complains, clients nag. Stomach ulcers, hair-loss, over-eating, sleepless nights, chest-pains and breathlessness. Am I really paid enough to handle all this?
Biology vs Destiny - Infidelity
Interesting quotes from a newspaper's Sunday column.
"Over lunch with a businessman in his 50's, who travels extensively and has a wide network of friends and associates, men and women, I asked how realistic it was for a woman to expect her husband to be faithful. Pause, and then :"Unrealistic"
Smart young man, in his 20's: "Monogamy is a social construct. Men are biologically made to stray. But the restraints of society and religion may make some faithful."
..................
A candid comment from a bachelor: "Men have millions of sperms, and women have only one egg at a time., So nature intended men to be polygamous."
Evolutionary biologist in fact support this view and make a case for a biological difference that explains why men stray more.
They say men are prone to sexual straying because men can father offspring with multiple sex partners. This way, they spread their genes far and wide, without having the responsibility to care for their offspring.
In contrast, a woman who gets pregnant, can carry only one child at a time. She also needs the mate to provide for the child. Thus biological make-up, and the pressure to keep the mate, act as constraints on female infidelity.
.....................
Many women are brought up to think that marriage means happily ever after. They may think, in the abstract, that other men may stray, but not their own darling who loves them so much.
They under-estimate the discipline and commitment required to remain monogamous in today's modern society, when sexual attraction is the undercurrent in many a relationship, the sec act has been denuded of love and commitment, and religious and moral strictures are cast adrift.
.......................
My retort to this is simple: Biology need not be destiny.
My own views is that both sexes have the capacity to be faithful - or unfaithful.
Perhaps men are biologically more primed to do so. It is certainly socially more acceptable for men to stay than for women. The male philanderer is viewed with tolerance, even respect, as a stud; the female philanderer is viewed with contempt as a slut.
Whether from biological or social imperatives, the result is that more women try harder to be faithful to their mates, and more succeed. Men try less hard, and more fail.
This should not be an excuse for either sex to give up. human beings are volitional creatures: We have the power of choice. We can choose to surrender to impulse and instinct and live at that primordial level - or we can choose to honour the tenets of a humane society and the marital vow.
In the end, the biggest constraints on infidelity have to be love and commitment and the desire to protect the sanctity of an exclusive, committed relationship.
Mature love requires self-restraint and sacrifice - values so out of vogue in today's society, yet so central to maintaining a loving relationship.
A man who strays, knowingly hurts his wife - and vice versa."
For the full article, check out page 10 : Reflect, of the Sunday's paper.
I agree to most of what the article says. Does a man, or a woman really want their marriage to fail? No, I don't think so. Ironically, instead of helping each other out, they put them to the test. Some women expect the men to please and pamper them while they do nothing, and expect the men not to stray (Note: Men not equals to dogs). Whereas some men just don't treasure what they have until they have lost them (Note: Women not equals accessories).
She: "How dare he not pamper me and treat me like a princess and do what I want him to do? And now he cheats on me?! How dare he?!!"
He: "Why cant she be less demanding and more fun to be with, like when we were dating?"
Well, it takes 2 hands to clap. Many of us forget.
"Over lunch with a businessman in his 50's, who travels extensively and has a wide network of friends and associates, men and women, I asked how realistic it was for a woman to expect her husband to be faithful. Pause, and then :"Unrealistic"
Smart young man, in his 20's: "Monogamy is a social construct. Men are biologically made to stray. But the restraints of society and religion may make some faithful."
..................
A candid comment from a bachelor: "Men have millions of sperms, and women have only one egg at a time., So nature intended men to be polygamous."
Evolutionary biologist in fact support this view and make a case for a biological difference that explains why men stray more.
They say men are prone to sexual straying because men can father offspring with multiple sex partners. This way, they spread their genes far and wide, without having the responsibility to care for their offspring.
In contrast, a woman who gets pregnant, can carry only one child at a time. She also needs the mate to provide for the child. Thus biological make-up, and the pressure to keep the mate, act as constraints on female infidelity.
.....................
Many women are brought up to think that marriage means happily ever after. They may think, in the abstract, that other men may stray, but not their own darling who loves them so much.
They under-estimate the discipline and commitment required to remain monogamous in today's modern society, when sexual attraction is the undercurrent in many a relationship, the sec act has been denuded of love and commitment, and religious and moral strictures are cast adrift.
.......................
My retort to this is simple: Biology need not be destiny.
My own views is that both sexes have the capacity to be faithful - or unfaithful.
Perhaps men are biologically more primed to do so. It is certainly socially more acceptable for men to stay than for women. The male philanderer is viewed with tolerance, even respect, as a stud; the female philanderer is viewed with contempt as a slut.
Whether from biological or social imperatives, the result is that more women try harder to be faithful to their mates, and more succeed. Men try less hard, and more fail.
This should not be an excuse for either sex to give up. human beings are volitional creatures: We have the power of choice. We can choose to surrender to impulse and instinct and live at that primordial level - or we can choose to honour the tenets of a humane society and the marital vow.
In the end, the biggest constraints on infidelity have to be love and commitment and the desire to protect the sanctity of an exclusive, committed relationship.
Mature love requires self-restraint and sacrifice - values so out of vogue in today's society, yet so central to maintaining a loving relationship.
A man who strays, knowingly hurts his wife - and vice versa."
For the full article, check out page 10 : Reflect, of the Sunday's paper.
I agree to most of what the article says. Does a man, or a woman really want their marriage to fail? No, I don't think so. Ironically, instead of helping each other out, they put them to the test. Some women expect the men to please and pamper them while they do nothing, and expect the men not to stray (Note: Men not equals to dogs). Whereas some men just don't treasure what they have until they have lost them (Note: Women not equals accessories).
She: "How dare he not pamper me and treat me like a princess and do what I want him to do? And now he cheats on me?! How dare he?!!"
He: "Why cant she be less demanding and more fun to be with, like when we were dating?"
Well, it takes 2 hands to clap. Many of us forget.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Be passionate! Be Inspirated!
Go with your passion.
Learning about people and how to be a great leader, can happen outside of the traditional business sphere. Some people get business ideas from philosophy or studying religion. It all depends on what you're passionate about.
Inspiration can come from the most unusual of sources.
Learning about people and how to be a great leader, can happen outside of the traditional business sphere. Some people get business ideas from philosophy or studying religion. It all depends on what you're passionate about.
Inspiration can come from the most unusual of sources.
Tom Glocer, the CEO of Reuters, said that the philosophical writings of Honoré de Balzac served as a guide for him in the business world:
"With Balzac, ideas don't necessarily only come from a very direct path. Often the bigger lessons in life get learned in slightly indirect or abstract ways. If you're thinking of a problem in a narrow space, often the solution lies in reorienting in the way you approach the problem, and you end up solving a general set of problems."
If you can find something that motivates you and hones your potential, that is what is most likely to help you succeed.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
25.5% Fats
Yes, thats what i am. I am made up of 25.5% fats! My birthday gift told me.
State of the art weighing machines can now not only tell you your weight, it can also tell you your fats content, Water%, Metabolic rate, Heart rate, Rate of hair loss, hours of sleep needed, whether you need to cut your nails, when to pick your nose, and cut your hair. It can do almost anything, including the washing of the kitchen sink! Nah.. but it CAn tell you your weight and fats content.
25.5%! more than 1/4 of me is made of fats! Urg!!!
Time to exercise. I've been trying to take midnight strolls for now.. considering my old bones.. and the fact that I don't get back from work till past midnight....
I leave you people with a word of wisdom, discovered through years of walking this planet....
"Audits are created to torture employees." ~Anonymous~
State of the art weighing machines can now not only tell you your weight, it can also tell you your fats content, Water%, Metabolic rate, Heart rate, Rate of hair loss, hours of sleep needed, whether you need to cut your nails, when to pick your nose, and cut your hair. It can do almost anything, including the washing of the kitchen sink! Nah.. but it CAn tell you your weight and fats content.
25.5%! more than 1/4 of me is made of fats! Urg!!!
Time to exercise. I've been trying to take midnight strolls for now.. considering my old bones.. and the fact that I don't get back from work till past midnight....
I leave you people with a word of wisdom, discovered through years of walking this planet....
"Audits are created to torture employees." ~Anonymous~
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Sunday, May 04, 2008
Cool Car
This automobile stood out from the rest of the boring cars like a sore thumb, in a nice way. I think it really looks cool, with its vertical headlights.
Any guesses what was the origin of this heavily modified car? I have a guess...
Any guesses what was the origin of this heavily modified car? I have a guess...
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Step 1: Book Ticket ...FAST!!!
In my job, I have learnt that everything should have a system to govern a person's actions to complete a task in the most efficient manner. As such, I shall hereby develop a process that should be followed to make preparation for a vacation.
Step 1: Book your tickets, FAST!!
Choose Country, City, Departure and return dates, Airline and BOOK IT!! (In Singlish)/ Make a reservation (in British)/ Hantam!!! (In Beng-ish)/ Just WHACK! (In Atas-high-klass-Beng-ish)
If the above steps are not followed religiously, closely and promptly, user might experience smoke emitting from his wallet as all the available seats/time-slots are taken up over just 1 weekend.
Life SUCKS!
Step 1: Book your tickets, FAST!!
Choose Country, City, Departure and return dates, Airline and BOOK IT!! (In Singlish)/ Make a reservation (in British)/ Hantam!!! (In Beng-ish)/ Just WHACK! (In Atas-high-klass-Beng-ish)
If the above steps are not followed religiously, closely and promptly, user might experience smoke emitting from his wallet as all the available seats/time-slots are taken up over just 1 weekend.
Life SUCKS!
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Hot Hot HOT!!!
31 Degrees my big fat FOOT!!!It must have been 35 Degrees today.
You could roasted a chicken by just leaving it under the night sky!!
Mayday rocks Singapore
Singapore Indoor Stadium
Ah Shin.
Today is the day!
A platform lowered from the skys and Mayday runs up to right in-front of our noses.
Mayday singing happy birthday for Masa, who was wearing a skirt.Today has finally came! My first Mayday concert, and also the first time i paid 168bucks for a concert! Disappointed how FAR it actually is from the stage.. fortunately there is a intermediate stage which brings them slightly nearer. Nevertheless, it was an experience to remember. Rock concerts really gets you standing and pounding your foot to the beat. Next, Jay Chou Concert!
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Sick a for a week
The only thing worse than falling sick, is to almost fall sick.
Its one of those times when you feel all the symptoms of flu, but not knocked out due to flu yet. Horrible Sore Throat, blocked nose, 97yr old backache.. makes you just want to throw yourself off the cliff. But you cant. You need to go to work. Sucks!
Been taking Vit C and trying to rest early. It works a little, but I think flu viruses has become much stronger than before.
In my teens, I use to recover from full blown flu within 1-2 days. Pop some pills, sleep, next morning, i'm as good as new. But nowadays, it seems to take a whole week to recover from flu. Is it because flu viruses has evolved to be more resistant to our medication? (thinking about it, all those typical flu medications has not changed much over the years, i.e. Decolgen) Or is it just that I am getting old?
Its one of those times when you feel all the symptoms of flu, but not knocked out due to flu yet. Horrible Sore Throat, blocked nose, 97yr old backache.. makes you just want to throw yourself off the cliff. But you cant. You need to go to work. Sucks!
Been taking Vit C and trying to rest early. It works a little, but I think flu viruses has become much stronger than before.
In my teens, I use to recover from full blown flu within 1-2 days. Pop some pills, sleep, next morning, i'm as good as new. But nowadays, it seems to take a whole week to recover from flu. Is it because flu viruses has evolved to be more resistant to our medication? (thinking about it, all those typical flu medications has not changed much over the years, i.e. Decolgen) Or is it just that I am getting old?
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Thirty-One
31 is the answer to life's question!
And Chocolate consumed too much, makes you feel bad...
And Chocolate consumed too much, makes you feel bad...
Monday, March 24, 2008
alone again, naturally.
...and climbing to the top,
to throw myself off,
in an effort to,
make it clear to who,
ever wondered what its like when you'r shattered,
left standing in a lurch,
at a church,
where people saying,
"My God thats tough,
she stood him up,
no point in us remaining,
May as well go home",
as I did on my own,
Alone again, naturally.
to throw myself off,
in an effort to,
make it clear to who,
ever wondered what its like when you'r shattered,
left standing in a lurch,
at a church,
where people saying,
"My God thats tough,
she stood him up,
no point in us remaining,
May as well go home",
as I did on my own,
Alone again, naturally.
Monday, March 17, 2008
My FIRST upload
Extract from Bamboo Blade
Oh my GOsh!!!
My first successful upload of an image in blogspot!! for the last 4 years!!!!
Must buy lottery ticket!! must buy!!
Haha, looks familiar to anyone?? ;)
Waiting...
The wait is killing me. I toss around on my bed at night, not being able to sleep. Thinking about it. Seconds seem like minutes, and minutes like hours.. until it is as though time itself, stood still...
When will it arrive!!! Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Episode 23!!!! Bamboo Blade Episode 23!!!
Its been sooo long since I followed any anime. I love it! It makes me come alive :)
When will it arrive!!! Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Episode 23!!!! Bamboo Blade Episode 23!!!
Its been sooo long since I followed any anime. I love it! It makes me come alive :)
Sunday, March 02, 2008
“What if”
A young married woman went to the doctor for help. She asked to be sterilized, as her upbringing had been so painful that she didn’t want to have her children experience the same thing.
The doctor asked her: “What would happen if you could make our children’s life better and could protect them?”
She thought about it and was stumped. She changed her mind about the operation and now has 2 beautiful girls that are the joy of her life. The right questions created space in her thinking to look at life in a new way.
Many lessons can be learnt from one story. The clear message in this story is how a simple question can change ones life. But I see another lesson in this story. And it is the power of “what if”.
“What if”s can be a form of non-constructive thinking if it is not followed by actions. Many dream of all the “what if”s in the world, but never bother or DARE to do anything about it.
Some, when making a choice, thinks of all the “what if”s. These people either becomes so fixated at finding the perfect choice, or become so fearful of all the negative points of each choice, that they either kill themselves over it, or miss the opportunity.
But in this story, it illustrates the point that “what if” we can make it good. All we need to do is to focus on the positive. Jump into a choice, and MAKE IT HAPPEN. There are negative points to this choice? SURE! Which path in life doesn’t? All it takes is a little faith in yourself, and a whole lot of determination to see it through. Make no mistakes, there are no guarantees that things will go as planned. We, with our own two hands, will just have to make it so.
Life is a journey. Even a journey of a thousand miles, start with a single step.
The doctor asked her: “What would happen if you could make our children’s life better and could protect them?”
She thought about it and was stumped. She changed her mind about the operation and now has 2 beautiful girls that are the joy of her life. The right questions created space in her thinking to look at life in a new way.
Many lessons can be learnt from one story. The clear message in this story is how a simple question can change ones life. But I see another lesson in this story. And it is the power of “what if”.
“What if”s can be a form of non-constructive thinking if it is not followed by actions. Many dream of all the “what if”s in the world, but never bother or DARE to do anything about it.
Some, when making a choice, thinks of all the “what if”s. These people either becomes so fixated at finding the perfect choice, or become so fearful of all the negative points of each choice, that they either kill themselves over it, or miss the opportunity.
But in this story, it illustrates the point that “what if” we can make it good. All we need to do is to focus on the positive. Jump into a choice, and MAKE IT HAPPEN. There are negative points to this choice? SURE! Which path in life doesn’t? All it takes is a little faith in yourself, and a whole lot of determination to see it through. Make no mistakes, there are no guarantees that things will go as planned. We, with our own two hands, will just have to make it so.
Life is a journey. Even a journey of a thousand miles, start with a single step.
To Learn
It is estimated that 161 Billion Gigabyte of digital information was generated last year alone. If translated to books, that’s 12 stacks reaching from Earth to the Sun. It is also 3 million times the information in ALL books ever written! Alright alright, they are nothing but bombastic numbers, and most of the information nothing more than rubbish blog like this one. But they are interesting facts nevertheless.
The point is simply, that our minds should not be used as data storage. If that were the case, you and I would have lost our jobs to $25 thumb-drives.
Our job is now to think. To think, to ask, to learn and to manage.
As the saying goes:
“He who asks is a fool for five minutes, but he who does not ask remains a fool forever.”
“The one real objective of education is to have a man in the condition of continually asking questions.”
The wisest use of our minds is not just to hold data, but learning how to work with the data, which requires the art of enquiry.
To do so, we must relearn how to ask questions. As with all arts, it is not an easy task to learn, and requires discipline and practice with a dose of humility.
The point is simply, that our minds should not be used as data storage. If that were the case, you and I would have lost our jobs to $25 thumb-drives.
Our job is now to think. To think, to ask, to learn and to manage.
As the saying goes:
“He who asks is a fool for five minutes, but he who does not ask remains a fool forever.”
“The one real objective of education is to have a man in the condition of continually asking questions.”
The wisest use of our minds is not just to hold data, but learning how to work with the data, which requires the art of enquiry.
To do so, we must relearn how to ask questions. As with all arts, it is not an easy task to learn, and requires discipline and practice with a dose of humility.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)