back in the rat race..

before you guys think i'd partied too much, fell into the Andaman sea and was stranded on a secluded (exotic) isle.. tot i'd better just check in. (well, my deepest regret the above didnt happen.

didnt managed to rest and savour our awesome trip before i'm back at work.. sheesh. Second day at work.. survived the first day. My workarea is big and private (with a harbour view!) The workload is equally big (and private, pun intended) Anticipating a tough 2 months (at least).. running a one-man show and feel like i've been thrown in the sea and left to swim.. sigh.. Well, welcome to the working world.. haha

let's talk about something more cheerful... our MINI honeymoon! zack is adamant to include the 'mini', he kept re-enforcing that that is NOT our actual honeymoon.. just a mini one.. haha.. whatever makes him happy :P For our ACTUAL honeymoon, we've something in the pipeline.. but for now, we are keeping our lips zipped! :D

soooo.... OUR TRIP WAS FAB! one of those holidays that managed to be fully utilized and somewhat restful. Plenty of pics coming up soon.. i'd better get those up while it's still fresh in my head..

stay tune~

PARTY TIME!!!!!!

in 10 hours.. we'll land on the Land of Smiles!
packed the 2 gals off to zack's parent's
missing them tons..
packing our stuff now and heading to bed early
cos our flight is at 7am!!!

awright.. here's a song for our mini honeymoon!
whenever i put this song on..
i think of balmy beaches
tall coconut trees (and shells on certain anatomy)
cool lemonade
short fat guys ogling at bikini clad babes
bonfires.. hot steamy nights
and booze aplenty!

c'mon, blast your stereo.. and rawk with Peter Andre!
reggae reggae.. and ze ruuuumba! woooohooooo...!

happy birthday mummy
i love you..

this song makes me sad

i'm down to reading my old books
and listening to my old mp3
looking at my long list.. i'm such a junkie
surrounded by my books.. music.. friends
and the usual nonsense in my life..
i feel somewhat upset.. flummox..
or maybe i'm just plain bored..

i dun understand a word of the song thats playing in my blog player..
sung by this guy who has more makeup on his face than i ever did
well... doesnt really matter.. its on repeat mode
somehow it makes me sad
and i'm liking it.. tonight

the past, the present, and the future

This topic had been bouncing ard in my head for awhile.. actually since our last gals night out last week. Twas only tonight when i actually summoned the energy to pen it out, and also bcos we finally got a nice comfy chair for our computer table, i can sit long hours infront of the com w/out getting a backache.. Yayyy! so anticipate a long writeup...

The last pieces fell into place.. though its the past and its garbage that had already been thrown away but it still galls me knowing what i knew.. the final pieces fit. I knew it all along but not the deets.. now the full picture gets thrown in my face once again.. the indecency of someone who used to be close to me. Actually.. bewilderment was the word. How can someone turned out this way? Perhaps he had always been this way but i just dun see it. But, how can i not see it?! To give credit when its due.. he was actually a good bf.. he treated me well but he just wasnt a good ex-bf. With reference to that fateful incident 2 over years ago (where he played both sides and ended up with nothing) and the recent saga, he turned out to be quite a jerk.. oh well *shrug*

My close friends told me.. "can u imagine if you ended up marrying him?!" and a close gf recently said to me.. "actually.. i didnt really like him.." and she cited incidents to point out why (valid ones at that).. yeah, and she told me that like after i've broken up with him eons ago and am now happily married.. hahahaaa.. my darling friends.. i love them tons but they exasperate me..

Looking back.. i wouldnt have done anything different. Every decision i made back then (yes, even those stupid 6 mths) led me to where i am today and i'm extremely happy with this snug fit. It suits me perfectly *smile*.. I attribute it to God's angels whispers of guidance.. and thank goodness i listened! Cos my darling friends only tell me after it happened! (ok ok.. i still love you ya! *muaks* haha) Then again, i was prob too blinded with love to heed their advice so i can understand their hesitations. But peeps.. if your friend out there is heading for disaster, please send out red hot warning flags.. its the least we could do.. the rest is up to him.. but at least we did our part.

It's heart wrenching to watch a dear friend make one of the gravest mistake of his life but what can you do but listen when he pours out his problems.. and you know there's nothing much anyone can do but pray. You feel like shaking him and say.. "why didnt you listen? why put yourself thru all these?" and you feel anger and disgust that he was made to go thru all that crap.. but really.. what can anyone do when everything's been said and done? of crse there are alternatives.. no mistake is irrevocable, it takes guts and courage to right any wrong.. to bite the bullet and cut your losses.. but sometimes, more often than not.. they refuse to believe they made a bad choice and hope against hope that things will get better. For their sake, you hope so too.

Contentment, or the lack of, is prob one of the major pitfalls in many r/s. I learnt this from zack, he makes alot of sense most of the time.. haha. You always want the BBD (bigger better deal), never contented with what you have. You're always looking for something / someone you perceived to be better and fail to see perhaps what's best for you is just right before you. There is no peace in you coz you are always looking for more. Sometimes you hit the jackpot but sometimes, you get something that looks pretty good on the outside but in actual fact, rotten inside. So when do you pull the stakes and enjoy the ride? I dunno.. hahaha.. Do everything at your own risk and prepare to bear the consequences. You only have 1 life, live it right and be decent!

Honestly, love aint everything. What leaves you when there's no longer spontanous combustion? A smart person in my opinion is one who makes decision with an eye for the future. It's gonna be a long journey ahead.. so its imperative to make the wise choice. Then again, you have to make sure you are the wise choice too.. i suppose it works both ways. So what's at the core of that person you wanna love with all your heart? For that, we go back to the bible.. the word of God (you can never go wrong).. "... the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self- control." (Galatians 5:22). But before we go looking for the perfect someone, perhaps its wiser to look inward and be that perfect person first. I'm learning and still have a long way to go.

Be it the past, the present or the future.. as what zack always says, "you must always have God in your heart".

if you're still with me and not nodding off infront of the com
kudos to you!
i'm in one of those moods again
so thanks for bearing with me

the spoils were good!

so i did managed to drag my ass to town yesterday.. despite much procrastination.. humming and hawing.. only covered 1 area though.. FAR EAST! still needed to check out Heeren for 1 item..

1) shoes
2) a book
2) top (from Artiris)
3) capri (from Artiris)
Total damage: dont ask ya

i just love the stuff at Artiris.. the clothings were all individually handpainted and the artwork lovely.. not forgetting the earthy colors were just my colors! the top i bought ydae can be worn as a toga / halter / tube.. cool ya! perhaps i'd bring my jeans over to get it handpainted.. cost is like $20 onwards. Come to think of it, i dun exactly have a particular style of dressing. I pretty much wear whatever i like, despite the current fashion. Anything but balloon skirts/tops.. i absolutely abhor them! tall gals short gals fat gals slim gals.. its doesnt flatter one bit. Well, to me at least *shrug*

we're going to ikea today! zack wants to check out the latest Liverpool Adidas jersey at Queensway too.. he's been going at it for days.. *shake head* Today's friday so ikea's having the fish and chips on their menu! oh, we just dig those...!

Blueberry Morning~
been more than a week since my break started. Pretty much bumming at home.. hanging out with zack.. cleaning up the house.. Today is his last day shift til we leave for our mini honeymoon so it would be the last day i got the entire day to myself and i intend to spend it shopping! thinking of bringing imp senior (pappe) along.. just like the good ole days.. imp junior (chile) would need to stay home. It'll be a nightmare taking 2 dogs to Orchard.. and smuggling them into the train..

we're only 7 days away to our mini honeymoon!!! all the excitement and anticipation boiling up inside.. been awhile since i'd been this excited about a trip.. and we're gonna have such a great time! wooohooooo.....! *just hope it doesnt rain*

sheesh.. the weather is so hot... i'm feeling a tad lazy... and sleepy.. and i just remembered i've yet to wash the toilet.. lady of leisure? haha.. think again!

i found myself on the other side of the breakfast counter

so zack decided to try his hand at cooking chicken curry! We picked up some spices when he sent me to Little India to thread my brows some days back. Come sat night, he rolled up his sleeves and got to work! Me? i just sat in the living room and pretended to watch telly (watta nice change!) And cos we got an open kitchen, i could see his every move. It was definitely more entertaining than wat was going on on the black box. Couldnt resist popping into the kitchen and check out what he was doing, and also check him out, a man in the kitchen was just so sexy~

well, he didnt like the few comments i helpfully dished out on what he was doing to the chicken and he chased me out of 'his kitchen'! hahahaa... so i went off to take a cool shower. The scent that greeted me when i came out was magnifique!

wow.. my man can cook sia! We had it with french loaf and it was good! spicy, not oily, the gravy was a tad thick though. In all, it was a very good first attempt. He was reciting the steps on preparing the dish (so easy) and i was about to sing his praises when he went.. "ok, so you can cook for me the next time" *blank stare* humph! you really spoil the moment u noe!

well, i really could get used to this side of the breakfast counter *wink* With all these talk about food.. jeez, i suddenly feel like thomson prata! seems like ages since we last went there... maybe tonight???

monday morning..

~ no work, no blues!
~ 9.30am: breakfast with hubby
~ rain
~ 10.45am: back to bed for some snuggling

so watcha doing? at work?
oh jeez... poor things..
dont be envious k
*evil laughter*

on a lazy friday afternoon...

25 years later...

You know how when you were a kid, bdays were really big celebrations.. you do countdowns to your big day, anticipating all the presents you will receive.. what kinda bday cake you will get..

i guess when you hit 20.. bdays take on a less flamboyant form.. and when you hit 25, you start getting panic attacks and began fighting off the years.. haha

so i'm officially a mid-twenty.. feels good.. like a real woman yeah! hahaa.. who wants to be an 18 or 21 year old ya?! little gals who are still wet behind their ears.. 25 is purrfect.. (i say that every year, i just change the no.)

Had my perfect day.. plenty of smses, calls from my sweet dear friends.. thanks dearies! then going for a nice dinner with my most loved one.. and i got a really nice turquoise dress! its also a perfect excuse for me to buy some new clothes, primp myself up.. *winks*

here're some shots! NOTE: all pics were taken from my new toy!

Venue: BLACK ANGUS (Orchard Parade Hotel)


food looks good?

1) we chewed our steak til our jaws almost broke
2) the double dip chicken strip was good though
3) seriously over-priced!
4) our verdict: "this is the first and last time we're coming here"

should have gone to Outback Steakhouse instead..

but its all good! :)

we had such fun trying out this new function in my new toy.. BEST PIC!

the cam will take 4 shots the minute your finger touches the button, right before the camera key is pressed and 4 more shots thereafter.. and you get to pick the best shot. So you end up having a series of pics.. the best part, you get to save all 9 shots! its sooooo cool!!!! This cam is even better than my powershot.. i had never been able to get such nice night shots.

and we picked this!

of course no night is complete without a pic of us!

i had an awesome time.. cos you're right there beside me

it's a.....

SONY ERICSSON

K800i!!!!!!!!!!

*SCREAMS*

*poke*

what can this be???
zack said i'd surely like it
and he puts it on the table to tempt me
so terrible..
but i've not touched it yet :D
watever it may be... i love it already!
sometimes its not the gift.. but the person the gift is from..
that makes it so special.. *muaksss*

if i aint got you

some people live for the fortune
some people live just for the fame
some people live for the power yeah
some people live just to play the game
some people think that the physical things
define what's within and
i've been there before
but that life's a bore
so full of the superficial

some people want it all
but i don't want nothing at all
if it ain't you baby
if i ain't got you baby

some people want diamond rings
some just want everything
but everything means nothing
if i ain't got you

some people search for a fountain
promises forever young
some people need three dozen roses
and that's the only way to prove you love them

hand me the world on a silver platter
and what good would it be
no one to share, no one who truly cares for me

some people want it all
but i don't want nothing at all
if it ain't you baby
if i ain't got you baby

some people want diamond rings
some just want everything
but everything means nothing
if i ain't got you
some people want it all
but i don't want nothing at all
if it ain't you baby
if i ain't got you baby

some people want diamond rings
some just want everything
but everything means nothing
if i ain't got you

if i ain't got you with me baby
said nothing in this whole world don't mean a thing
if i ain't got you with me baby

- Alicia Keys

"will you miss me?"

"but of crse!"

said my goodbyes.. made promises to keep in touch.. exchanged phone nos..no teary farewell.. just plenty of grins..
hints that they wanna leave the blasted place too *raise brows*
while i promised to keep them in mind if i got lobang *wag brows*
in the midst of goodbyes.. packed my remaining stuff
shred tons of paper.. liberating!
my table had never looked tidier.. haha
brought bulk of my stuff home when zack came to pick me on Mon
and my plant too!

(yes i've got a plant in my office and im so gonna take good care of it! though it was someone who had been taking care of it for me in the office.. heh)
wasnt til 7pm when i finally sat down and get my clearance form filled up

met Sy and made our way to town to meet YY, Jo and Jane.. walked somemore (in my 3" heels!) cos our dear Ms Pan wants to buy a "big white tote bag" so of crse its far east we went! i ended up buying a top from Artemis and a pair of earrings *tsk tsk*

chilled out at the airport.. got some comfy couches at BK.. gosh, Jo lost quite abit of weight.. she looks good! Jane might be going into the insurance industry.. cool! and last night was prob the first time im face to face with the wonders of caffeine! it was about 2am and everyone's senses were a little dulled.. conversation slowed.. then someone began yakking away like a chipmunck.. and that someone was seated next to me (see pic below).. was rudely jarred awake from my sleepy stupor.. imagine my angst.. then we realised it was the coffee she drank!

a not so flattering pic of YY and me.. we were very tired mah..
i'm sure you can pick out that caffeine-induced chipmunck
see that crazed gleam in her eye

pwetty sleepy jane..

someone demanded that i post this pic
to showcase that 'pretty' watch
Jo definitely looks prettier than the UGLY watch.. bleh!

check out my eyebags! arrrghhhhh......

wasnt til almost 4am when i got home.. was bone tired but had an absolute great time bitching with my darling gals! and guess what's waiting for me on the dining table???

MY BDAY PRESENTS!!!!!!!!!!!! *huge grin*

"come back soon ok? Muaks! your presents are on e dining table.. But no touchy touchy! :)"

zack was already asleep when i got home but he got up and said i can open one present.. the top one.. he wrapped them up so nicely.. awww my baby! *muakss* and guess wat? it was my VS order!!!!! it arrived!!!! ordered 2 bikinis for our mini honeymoon... and it arrived earlier than expected! they looked as lovely as the pics and fits well.. and one of the 'barely there' top, is really barely there.. heh.. i'm so motivated to whip my bod in shape now! 2 weeks to work those flabs!

now.. there's one left on the table... i'm keeping my word.. no touching! *grin* i just sit there and stare at it.. hoping i'd develop x-ray eyes if i look hard enough..

oh how i love this anticipation! *EXCITED*

i think zack is up to something..
hmmm... i wonder what can that be..
think i'm gonna have a surprise! *grins*

just had a cool shower and a DIY hair treatment..
my hair is turning to straw so had to get those done regularly
3am in the morning.. i'm feeling a tad hungry
oh oh! guess what i cooked for dinner???
PON TEH!!!!!!!!!!!!
its a peranakan dish and my absolute favourite during my growing up years
mum used to cook it during occasions and of crse.. on my bdays..
so for a long while, i've been deprived of this dish..

lo and behold.. the organic cafe in my office building has this dish on their menu (every tuesday!) so i chatted up the boss and he very kindly gave me the recipe *grins*

tried it tonight and was a little disappointed at the beginning when the smell of the gravy didnt seemed right but when i added the chicken in.. hey presto! it turned out well.. though it was too salty.. (should have seen zack's face when he took a mouthful.. ahahaha!) ok, i'll adjust it the next time.. and i need a blender to blend all the ingredients.. then e'thing will be so perfect!
cant help grinning away as we had our dinner
its like i've found a long lost treasure *beams*
i cant explain it.. it brought back memories.. good ones
ok, enough about food

so my last day at work had been bumped up to the 8th, next tuesday (instead of the 23rd). All hell broke loose in the office on thursday when my CEO found out i was going over to Willis (Marsh's fiercest competitor).. finally i can say it out. So i had to go on gardening leave! (gardening leave = serving out your notice period AT HOME) This usually applies to senior management staff though of crse i'm no where near there. The naure of my job is sensitive and i'm privy to all confidential stuff so "they have to do the right thing" and get me to leave early.. good ya?! so i got 3 days to clear my stuff and do the handover then its sayonara~ imagine.. 2 extra weeks of holiday! and i still get paid up to the 23rd! there were 4 other resignations apart from me (3 of us are jumping ship) and they were grumbling about having to serve out their full notice period and poking at me.. ahahaaha.. i was cocky :P

mixed feelings the past few days at work.. a lil' sad to leave Marsh but when news broke of my upcoming employer, i was eyed with suspicion.. (situation between Marsh and Willis is really bad at the moment) it kinda brought things into perspective. I was at tanjong pagar last friday and saw Aruno, Geraldine and Ronak (the first Marsh ppl who went over to Willis, Aruno brought her entire team over).. Aruno gave me a hug and said they cant wait for me to start work.. awwww.. imagine being treated like a traitor on one side and the other side waiting with open arms for u.. Marsh is stupid on the way they treat their employees.. ppl are leaving right and left and they dun give a damn, i pointed it out to my HR boss and her reply was disappointing.. all they are doing now is poaching stuff from Willis.. just for revenge sake.. its getting personal.. the current management sucks big time (i shant name names ya).. oh yes, i can finally say it out. I'm glad i'm leaving and even more thankful i dun have to stay on til the end of my notice.. the tension in the office is so thick you can cut it with a pair of pruning shears..

i'm getting tired and disgusted.. playing the dirty corporate game is just not my cup of tea. All i want is a simple life.. a satisfying job with a good pay.. At the end of it all, what's more important to me is my family.. my lovely hubby.. a good solid marriage.. i dun hanker for condos or big houses.. luxury cars.. expensive blings blings.. an uptown status.. i've known ppl who thinks that owning luxury goods up their social status.. well, i firmly believe that money can never buy style.. i'm blessed to have a hubby who shares the same values in life and of life.. we want a comfortable life.. but we're not having our pants all tied up over getting it..

the movie zack and i watched friday night aptly re-enforces my point.. CLICK.. go catch it! its a remarkably good film.. thought it was just a comedy (its Adam Sandler) but i was pleasantly surprised to find it very meaningful, injected with humour

"He's always chasing the pot of gold, but when he gets there, at the end of the day, it's just corn flakes"

i'm off on my tangent again..

need i say more?

Sony Ericsson K800i : Cyber-shot™ digital still camera. And mobile phone

think i'd wait out til Christmas
perhaps the price will drop by then
as for now, its $798 without line *ouch*