It's the 31st of December 2009, and I'm sitting at my office cubicle, counting down to the end of the 'half day', that every employee is entitled to here. I have a slight headache, obviously induced by the late night I had, and I'm hoping it will disappear as the day moves along.
I think I should start reflecting on the year, just to give myself some closure, and consolidate the various things I have learned throughout 2009 (I think that will happen after all my guests leave for the night). I think I will make a list, of all the things naughty and nice, and see what happens. There's so much to be thankful for, and there's so much to be unhappy about... and yet, these things don't always matter. I wonder what will I tell myself as I move through the memories of 2009 - to make myself feel better, to make myself understand, to make myself be at peace.
Consolidating, reliving the moments, and appreciating everything/everyone that has made this year amazing, bearable, and just plain fantastic. I guess I owe myself (and them) at least that much. I must say, I am very certain that I have grown in strength and grace over the year, and that is something I have to remember to appreciate.
PS: Damn, I have so many 'backdated' blog entries that need posting! Argh! Looks like it will have to be done in the New Year! :)
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Christmas Eve Dinner Line-up
1. Chicken Pot Pie
2. Bacon Corn Chowder
3. Stewed Pears in Mulled Wine
4. White Hot Chocolate
(Damn, I need to think of a veggie dish...maybe a salad...Heh.)
2. Bacon Corn Chowder
3. Stewed Pears in Mulled Wine
4. White Hot Chocolate
(Damn, I need to think of a veggie dish...maybe a salad...Heh.)
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Last Day
Today is my last day in Copenhagen.
About 3 more hours before I fly off to the airport. I think I still need to hop over to the Tiger Shop to pick up some stuff for some people.
Dunno lah... I hate shopping, and I have no idea what to buy for people.'
It's one of those, either buy for everyone, or buy for no one, type of situations.
I think I should just shop for myself, OR shop for whatever inspires me to get something for someone i.e. I see something, and in my head I go, 'ah, I think so-and-so would appreciate this' OR 'OH! This is SOOOO so-and-so! I HAVE to get to get it for him/her.'
Yeah, I think that's what I will do. Moreover, this wasn't exactly a shopping trip/holiday, and things here are majorly expensive man... I have no idea how my aunt survives here. Even with a high-paying job, you still pay through the nose, and it ain't funny.
Well, been feeling emo about some things, but I guess, that's how I usually am anyways. I should have ample time on the plane to figure things out in my head, and then things should be alright... I THINK...
For now, farvel!
And I will see you back in that Garden City of a home.
About 3 more hours before I fly off to the airport. I think I still need to hop over to the Tiger Shop to pick up some stuff for some people.
Dunno lah... I hate shopping, and I have no idea what to buy for people.'
It's one of those, either buy for everyone, or buy for no one, type of situations.
I think I should just shop for myself, OR shop for whatever inspires me to get something for someone i.e. I see something, and in my head I go, 'ah, I think so-and-so would appreciate this' OR 'OH! This is SOOOO so-and-so! I HAVE to get to get it for him/her.'
Yeah, I think that's what I will do. Moreover, this wasn't exactly a shopping trip/holiday, and things here are majorly expensive man... I have no idea how my aunt survives here. Even with a high-paying job, you still pay through the nose, and it ain't funny.
Well, been feeling emo about some things, but I guess, that's how I usually am anyways. I should have ample time on the plane to figure things out in my head, and then things should be alright... I THINK...
For now, farvel!
And I will see you back in that Garden City of a home.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Fireplace
It's so cool to have a fireplace in the house; especially when it's snowing outside.
(Try lighting a fire inside an HDB... LOL)
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
More from Copenhagen!
Okay, I promised that I'd blog, so that's what I am doing...
Here are some fun facts about being in Copenhagen during winter, or what I've experienced about this place so far:
1. It's gray all the time...sleet gray.
2. It gets all dark by 3pm.
3. Fingers, necks and other body parts exposed to the cold wind feel like they would break off anytime, so wrap up!
4. The bakeries here are amazing... none of that rubbish you get back in Singapore (save Provence). It's the real stuff; stuff you read about in Enid Blyton books; stuff that comes from fairytales and warm hearth fires.
5. Christmas lights here are done well and proper, nothing too fanciful, but traditional.
6. They have public showers! Cool stuff.
7. Their public transport system is just as (if not more) advanced as Singapore.
8. The pace of life here is S-L-O-W.
9. Work ends on time at 5pm, and ends at 4pm on Fridays, and people get to leave before that anyways, which means as early as 3+pm on Fridays!
10. The people are GOOD LOOKING. VERY good looking. =)
11. Denmark is 7 hrs behind Singapore.
That's all I can think of at the moment...
Anyway, yesterday, I visited Jule Tivoli (pronounce you-leh tee-vo-lee), which is basically Tivoli Gardens done up for the winter i.e. Christmas time. It was pretty spectacular for the world's oldest amusement park. I loved the cold, and I loved the lights. Here are some pictures:
Here are some fun facts about being in Copenhagen during winter, or what I've experienced about this place so far:
1. It's gray all the time...sleet gray.
2. It gets all dark by 3pm.
3. Fingers, necks and other body parts exposed to the cold wind feel like they would break off anytime, so wrap up!
4. The bakeries here are amazing... none of that rubbish you get back in Singapore (save Provence). It's the real stuff; stuff you read about in Enid Blyton books; stuff that comes from fairytales and warm hearth fires.
5. Christmas lights here are done well and proper, nothing too fanciful, but traditional.
6. They have public showers! Cool stuff.
7. Their public transport system is just as (if not more) advanced as Singapore.
8. The pace of life here is S-L-O-W.
9. Work ends on time at 5pm, and ends at 4pm on Fridays, and people get to leave before that anyways, which means as early as 3+pm on Fridays!
10. The people are GOOD LOOKING. VERY good looking. =)
11. Denmark is 7 hrs behind Singapore.
That's all I can think of at the moment...
Anyway, yesterday, I visited Jule Tivoli (pronounce you-leh tee-vo-lee), which is basically Tivoli Gardens done up for the winter i.e. Christmas time. It was pretty spectacular for the world's oldest amusement park. I loved the cold, and I loved the lights. Here are some pictures:
The Main Entrance
One of many random trees littered around the entire park.
Arab/Indian styled building.
Glowing hearts on a tree. =)
Christmas tree... pretty with star on top and 'electronic snow' 'falling' from it.
UFO, spinning, thingy ride.
Chinese Pagoda.
Teddy Bear Shop!!!
Spinning-Flying Chairs Ride
A game stall.
Machine which auto-embroiders caps and others things.
I regret not making one; it would only set me back SGD$23. Ah well...
Funny Warning.
Imagine guards appearing and 'banishing' you from the 'land'.
Hilarious!
I love this snowflake. It's really pretty.
That should do for now. It's dinnertime now! Yeah, it's only 6.13pm here, just in time for dinner!
Farvel!
Friday, December 11, 2009
Emotional
I don't really know what to feel right now...I just know that it was a difficult choice, and I don't think anyone would every truly understand.
And it really sucks that I have to choose, but sometimes, it really comes down to that. There are times when I wish for so many things, and today I am just suddenly so clear about why certain things are more important than others. I just want to use this lesson to remind me of the bigger reason behind all this shit, and how it's very important for me to use whatever energy I have to drive myself to greater heights.
How to differentiate between the 'self' and everything and everyone else?
Gosh...it's just sooo tough sometimes. It really is.
Right now, I don't even know what I am really feeling, and yet at the same time, I know EXACTLY what I am feeling... not sure if anyone understands what I am talking about, but well, good if you do, and happy waiting, if you don't.
And it really sucks that I have to choose, but sometimes, it really comes down to that. There are times when I wish for so many things, and today I am just suddenly so clear about why certain things are more important than others. I just want to use this lesson to remind me of the bigger reason behind all this shit, and how it's very important for me to use whatever energy I have to drive myself to greater heights.
How to differentiate between the 'self' and everything and everyone else?
Gosh...it's just sooo tough sometimes. It really is.
Right now, I don't even know what I am really feeling, and yet at the same time, I know EXACTLY what I am feeling... not sure if anyone understands what I am talking about, but well, good if you do, and happy waiting, if you don't.
Solitude on Flight
A long flight with one transit in between is the longest I’ve ever been on a plane actually. Fortunately, British Airways is actually quite decent, and I enjoyed most of my flight from Singapore to Heathrow and then from Heathrow to Copenhagen.
The Singapore-Heathrow segment of the journey to go visit my aunt consisted of a full 12-hour flight which meant that my ass would be seated for a very long time. That aside, it also meant I would have a lot of time to kill. As expected, I managed to watch FOUR movies in between napping, going to the toilet, and eating. Strangely enough, the long flight offered me a solitude which I did not know I was longing and the movies that I picked allowed me to catch up on shows that I’ve been saying I wanted to watch, but never got around to. During this time, I reflected on many things, and remembered many things that were important to me.
I remembered the importance of good friends, and the joy of having loved (together with the pain of having lost such love), and the greatness which is family. I remembered compassion and possibility; I remembered happiness and the wonder of clarity of thought. I remembered the beauty of the world and its significance to me, and I remembered the insignificance of man and the boundless struggles we create against the forces around us.
I felt connected, once again, to these things, and was reminded of the things I have learned over the years and the people and things which have made me the person that I am today. Flying alone in a navy blue sky allowed me to truly reflect and experience (again) the wonder of the human spirit, and the things that motivate, inspire and love us.
The strongest, and part of the flight which I remembered the most, was when I was nearing the end of Up, and the protagonist was slowly flipping through a scrapbook which contained memories of his wife and their married life together. For some reason, as he was doing this, I started to cry. I saw how I needed to let go of certain things, and continue to look forward, no matter what. I saw how I was making my memories ‘wrong’ by feeling unhappy about them and longing for them. In the end, it’s really about Tennessee’s famous, “It’s is better to have loved and lost, than never to have love before.”
After crying, I looked out the plane window, and right outside were three things: the wing of the plane, the horizon between the night sky and the white sea of clouds, and the glittering silver of stars encrusted into a navy blue piece of velvet. Then I remembered, and it felt like the stars and the night sky were comforting me. Telling me to be strong and to remember that there are many things ahead and important for me to do, and not let the ‘bad’ things get me down…for those things were not truly ‘bad’, but just lessons to learn and ways to make me stronger and better than before.
It’s time to move on and enjoy my time in Copenhagen, seeing what I need to see, and doing what I need to do. And going back into myself and recreating myself all over again. =)
The Singapore-Heathrow segment of the journey to go visit my aunt consisted of a full 12-hour flight which meant that my ass would be seated for a very long time. That aside, it also meant I would have a lot of time to kill. As expected, I managed to watch FOUR movies in between napping, going to the toilet, and eating. Strangely enough, the long flight offered me a solitude which I did not know I was longing and the movies that I picked allowed me to catch up on shows that I’ve been saying I wanted to watch, but never got around to. During this time, I reflected on many things, and remembered many things that were important to me.
I remembered the importance of good friends, and the joy of having loved (together with the pain of having lost such love), and the greatness which is family. I remembered compassion and possibility; I remembered happiness and the wonder of clarity of thought. I remembered the beauty of the world and its significance to me, and I remembered the insignificance of man and the boundless struggles we create against the forces around us.
I felt connected, once again, to these things, and was reminded of the things I have learned over the years and the people and things which have made me the person that I am today. Flying alone in a navy blue sky allowed me to truly reflect and experience (again) the wonder of the human spirit, and the things that motivate, inspire and love us.
The strongest, and part of the flight which I remembered the most, was when I was nearing the end of Up, and the protagonist was slowly flipping through a scrapbook which contained memories of his wife and their married life together. For some reason, as he was doing this, I started to cry. I saw how I needed to let go of certain things, and continue to look forward, no matter what. I saw how I was making my memories ‘wrong’ by feeling unhappy about them and longing for them. In the end, it’s really about Tennessee’s famous, “It’s is better to have loved and lost, than never to have love before.”
After crying, I looked out the plane window, and right outside were three things: the wing of the plane, the horizon between the night sky and the white sea of clouds, and the glittering silver of stars encrusted into a navy blue piece of velvet. Then I remembered, and it felt like the stars and the night sky were comforting me. Telling me to be strong and to remember that there are many things ahead and important for me to do, and not let the ‘bad’ things get me down…for those things were not truly ‘bad’, but just lessons to learn and ways to make me stronger and better than before.
It’s time to move on and enjoy my time in Copenhagen, seeing what I need to see, and doing what I need to do. And going back into myself and recreating myself all over again. =)
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Flying on a Jetplane...
Am now waiting for the gate to open...then I will be on my way to Copenhagen...
Gonna be a LONG LONG flight...
Transiting in Heathrow first, then onwards to Copenhagen.
Whew...
Still don't know what to feel....sheesh.
Gonna be a LONG LONG flight...
Transiting in Heathrow first, then onwards to Copenhagen.
Whew...
Still don't know what to feel....sheesh.
Monday, December 07, 2009
Visiting Copenhagen...
but for the wrong reason.
Sighz...
Will be gone from Tuesday night to Tuesday evening.
Sighz...
Will be gone from Tuesday night to Tuesday evening.
Friday, December 04, 2009
Impressed! (with myself)
Today's a fairly slow day in the office, so I was taking the time to plan out my leave and offs for the end of the year. It's really quite exciting. Of course I need to run it by my seniors such that they are alright with it, and such that they don't suddenly panic and wonder why I am not around. Anyway, I was feeling nice and all initiative-ish, so I took the liberty to draw up a table to facilitate the viewing of my planning for my seniors.
So here's what I sent to my senior:
Nice right? LOL! My colleagues were quite impressed. Mwahahaha!
Anyway, now I need my senior to give the green light, and I'm all set for the end of the year.
It's either this, OR I continually take long weekends for myself (like Mondays and Fridays off).
Wish me luck! =)
So here's what I sent to my senior:
Nice right? LOL! My colleagues were quite impressed. Mwahahaha!
Anyway, now I need my senior to give the green light, and I'm all set for the end of the year.
It's either this, OR I continually take long weekends for myself (like Mondays and Fridays off).
Wish me luck! =)
Thursday, December 03, 2009
(Backdated) SITEX 2009 & my virgin LAN Gaming Experience
Last Thursday was great!
I took a day off, and with some of my fellow editors, we planned to head down to SITEX 2009 at EXPO to check it out and see whether there was anything worth buying there. For myself, I was looking forward to finding some good deals for the Playstation 3 that I was intending to purchase as a present to myself. So we all met up early early and made our way to the exhibition hall. There were SOOOOO many people there man. Sadly, SITEX 2009 was a disappointment! There wasn't anything that really stood out and screamed 'BUY ME NOW!'.
There was only ONE vendor selling PS3s, and even the official Sony booth wasn't carrying the console. So we ended up leaving really early after making our rounds. Slightly disappointed, but cheerful nonetheless.
Next on the agenda was lunch and LAN gaming. It was a Japanese affair on the 4th (or was it 5th) floor of Iluma. Nothing too fantastic, but still decent. We had some fun ordering using the RFID pen and RFID enabled menu.
Then the main event began. We went to the 7th floor of Iluma, and booked ourselves for 2 hours of solid LAN gaming (though I am sure in the eyes of seasoned pros that this measly amount is hardly a challenge). We booted up Left 4 Dead 2, but it turned out to be too difficult for us, with two out of the four of us being slightly noob-ish (I was of course one of them, PLUS I don't really like first-person shooters). Anyway, the game was a co-operative first-person shooter where four people need to move through a zombie infested town. We kept dying, so we quit and loaded up the original Left 4 Dead, and had a ball of a time.
There's something extremely therapeutic about blasting zombies left-right-centre, and riddling them full of bullets. My favourite weapons were the uzi and the Molotov cocktails. There's nothing more satisfying than the sound of bullets spraying at a semi-automatic rate into piles and piles of undead bodies hungry for your flesh. And watching the zombies run around like headless chickens as they ignite from the sea of flames caused by the Molotov cocktails is damn shiok (of course at this point, you continue to fill them full of bullets! *beams*)!
Unfortunately, we each had out evening appointments, so the fun had to end. But I definitely enjoyed my time out with my colleagues....I'm glad they're around sia. Helps make life in the office more enjoyable!
=)
I took a day off, and with some of my fellow editors, we planned to head down to SITEX 2009 at EXPO to check it out and see whether there was anything worth buying there. For myself, I was looking forward to finding some good deals for the Playstation 3 that I was intending to purchase as a present to myself. So we all met up early early and made our way to the exhibition hall. There were SOOOOO many people there man. Sadly, SITEX 2009 was a disappointment! There wasn't anything that really stood out and screamed 'BUY ME NOW!'.
There was only ONE vendor selling PS3s, and even the official Sony booth wasn't carrying the console. So we ended up leaving really early after making our rounds. Slightly disappointed, but cheerful nonetheless.
Next on the agenda was lunch and LAN gaming. It was a Japanese affair on the 4th (or was it 5th) floor of Iluma. Nothing too fantastic, but still decent. We had some fun ordering using the RFID pen and RFID enabled menu.
Then the main event began. We went to the 7th floor of Iluma, and booked ourselves for 2 hours of solid LAN gaming (though I am sure in the eyes of seasoned pros that this measly amount is hardly a challenge). We booted up Left 4 Dead 2, but it turned out to be too difficult for us, with two out of the four of us being slightly noob-ish (I was of course one of them, PLUS I don't really like first-person shooters). Anyway, the game was a co-operative first-person shooter where four people need to move through a zombie infested town. We kept dying, so we quit and loaded up the original Left 4 Dead, and had a ball of a time.
There's something extremely therapeutic about blasting zombies left-right-centre, and riddling them full of bullets. My favourite weapons were the uzi and the Molotov cocktails. There's nothing more satisfying than the sound of bullets spraying at a semi-automatic rate into piles and piles of undead bodies hungry for your flesh. And watching the zombies run around like headless chickens as they ignite from the sea of flames caused by the Molotov cocktails is damn shiok (of course at this point, you continue to fill them full of bullets! *beams*)!
Unfortunately, we each had out evening appointments, so the fun had to end. But I definitely enjoyed my time out with my colleagues....I'm glad they're around sia. Helps make life in the office more enjoyable!
=)
(Backdated) Of Sausage Risotto and Stewed Pears...
Now this was something that happened a while back, and I have been meaning to blog about it for the longest time. So I better do it justice now, since I've nothing to do at work today, and everything's in the 'wait-for-the-senior-to-tell-you-what-to-do-mode'.
Anyway, an unfortunate incident on a Monday led me to share it with the absolute babe from work, Jo-Ann. This amazing woman offered to come by my place on that week's Saturday to cook me a nice dinner and to just chit chat. So that's exactly what we did. We researched and printed out a recipe to prepare for the evening, and we decided on sausage risotto. It was a fairly simple dish, but you have NO IDEA how fucking good it tastes! (Pardon the my 'french'.)
So the dishes for the evening were as follows:
~Fresh Mushroom Soup (from scratch)
~Sausage Risotto
~Stewed Pear in Mulled Wine (the wine is drunk as the last part of the meal)
Here are some pictures of the cooking in progress:
Anyway, an unfortunate incident on a Monday led me to share it with the absolute babe from work, Jo-Ann. This amazing woman offered to come by my place on that week's Saturday to cook me a nice dinner and to just chit chat. So that's exactly what we did. We researched and printed out a recipe to prepare for the evening, and we decided on sausage risotto. It was a fairly simple dish, but you have NO IDEA how fucking good it tastes! (Pardon the my 'french'.)
So the dishes for the evening were as follows:
~Fresh Mushroom Soup (from scratch)
~Sausage Risotto
~Stewed Pear in Mulled Wine (the wine is drunk as the last part of the meal)
Here are some pictures of the cooking in progress:
Onions in the pot, sliced mushrooms at the back.
Wine being 'mulled'.
The soup ~ after blending and adding of cream
Jo and the Risotto
Stewed Pears and an over-dramatic me
Ruby-red on the outside, translucent white on the inside.
Well, the cook out was amazing, and we both came to the conclusion that if risotto was how 'angmos' cooked their rice, it's no wonder most of them are fat fat fat! Which unfortunately for us both, exactly who were going to become after that dinner....FAT FAT FAT! =)
Can't wait for the next cookout! Wheeee!
reflect-rant
Recently I've time to reflect on the company that I keep and the people I truly relate to. It sorta feels like my range is reducing once more, and the general love for people is often confused/conflated/collapsed/tainted by the unhappiness I feel towards certain people.
The thing is, at a level, I guess I already decided in my heart that I don't want to further associate with some people, and maybe I just don't know how to tell them this. Or maybe I'm just confused and frustrated... I guess as much as I know not to be affected by the people around, it's just not easy to just NOT care about the people I love.
Some greater, fiercer, more violent part of me just wants to bash up all the people who are treating the people I care about unfairly. And, I would love to be able to bash up all the intangible things like uncertainty, unhappiness, confusion, frustration, etc. These things always get in the way of people knowing what is best for them, and what they truly want...and seeing that sometimes really pisses me off.
I guess that's why I'm doing what I'm doing...a big part of me still truly believes that I can 'help' the people around by being the way that I am, and by the relationships I build with them. That's why I have resolved to apply the following adage/mantra/advice (whatever else you wanna call it) to my doing of things:
Always make sure you are solving a problem, or making something good even better than it already is.
Try applying this to all aspects of your life - friends, family, work, self...everything. And see how it goes. I guess I'm trying my best to do that everyday, and to myself especially.
Sigh, sorry for that seemingly random post. I just felt like saying those things and clearing my head a little. I think I haven't been speaking that much, or as much as I'd like to. Well, I will try to start blogging retropectively...there are definitely some posts which are long overdue.
Ciao for now peeps!
*hugz*
The thing is, at a level, I guess I already decided in my heart that I don't want to further associate with some people, and maybe I just don't know how to tell them this. Or maybe I'm just confused and frustrated... I guess as much as I know not to be affected by the people around, it's just not easy to just NOT care about the people I love.
Some greater, fiercer, more violent part of me just wants to bash up all the people who are treating the people I care about unfairly. And, I would love to be able to bash up all the intangible things like uncertainty, unhappiness, confusion, frustration, etc. These things always get in the way of people knowing what is best for them, and what they truly want...and seeing that sometimes really pisses me off.
I guess that's why I'm doing what I'm doing...a big part of me still truly believes that I can 'help' the people around by being the way that I am, and by the relationships I build with them. That's why I have resolved to apply the following adage/mantra/advice (whatever else you wanna call it) to my doing of things:
Always make sure you are solving a problem, or making something good even better than it already is.
Try applying this to all aspects of your life - friends, family, work, self...everything. And see how it goes. I guess I'm trying my best to do that everyday, and to myself especially.
Sigh, sorry for that seemingly random post. I just felt like saying those things and clearing my head a little. I think I haven't been speaking that much, or as much as I'd like to. Well, I will try to start blogging retropectively...there are definitely some posts which are long overdue.
Ciao for now peeps!
*hugz*
Friday, November 20, 2009
Friday...but I'm super sleepy now...
It's that dreaded post-lunch syndrome...
I call it the 'pig-pig' syndrome, where individuals will always feel sleepy and experience this intense desire to rest their heads on their desks and sleep. I am quite traumatized by this because I've been trying to find a way to stay awake so far, and the only way is blogging. At least it forces me to use my brain to think and construct ideas around the English language.
I am seriously dozing off as I write this...I just want to go home. Please......
I call it the 'pig-pig' syndrome, where individuals will always feel sleepy and experience this intense desire to rest their heads on their desks and sleep. I am quite traumatized by this because I've been trying to find a way to stay awake so far, and the only way is blogging. At least it forces me to use my brain to think and construct ideas around the English language.
I am seriously dozing off as I write this...I just want to go home. Please......
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
A Phoenix Down for Me & You
Last night was great.
I managed to procure and use a phoenix down for myself.
And I think at the same time, you got one for yourself too.
Time to start leveling-up again, and learn new skills, and may we meet again when we've attained our next Limit Breaks/Overdrives attacks.
Cheers babe!
I managed to procure and use a phoenix down for myself.
And I think at the same time, you got one for yourself too.
Time to start leveling-up again, and learn new skills, and may we meet again when we've attained our next Limit Breaks/Overdrives attacks.
Cheers babe!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Goodbye
Sitting together one last time in a place that held so many memories.
Expressing all that needed to be expressed - one with words; one without.
Lingering touches and longing looks.
Whispered thoughts and careful embraces.
Kisses that flowed through trembling lips.
The back of hands, wet from wiping away hot, painful, poignant tears.
The dull thud of a joking sentence, that just wasn't that funny anymore.
The very real fact of farewell sinks into both poor, unfortunate souls.
The closing of one platform makes one wonder if it will ever be revisited.
It feels like a book is being archived, never to be seen again for a long, long time to come.
The cool caress of the night wind makes it that much harder, as the pillows and the bedclothes give up little comfort.
A final kiss of berries and lips oh-so soft.
A final embrace of love disappearing, and yet not.
Such is the torment that was chosen, so many years ago.
Goodbye my love, goodbye.
Expressing all that needed to be expressed - one with words; one without.
Lingering touches and longing looks.
Whispered thoughts and careful embraces.
Kisses that flowed through trembling lips.
The back of hands, wet from wiping away hot, painful, poignant tears.
The dull thud of a joking sentence, that just wasn't that funny anymore.
The very real fact of farewell sinks into both poor, unfortunate souls.
The closing of one platform makes one wonder if it will ever be revisited.
It feels like a book is being archived, never to be seen again for a long, long time to come.
The cool caress of the night wind makes it that much harder, as the pillows and the bedclothes give up little comfort.
A final kiss of berries and lips oh-so soft.
A final embrace of love disappearing, and yet not.
Such is the torment that was chosen, so many years ago.
Goodbye my love, goodbye.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Pro Tour Qualifier (Singapore) - San Diego (backdated)
I just managed to rush out this disgusting title that has been plaguing me since the day I stepped into the company. Anyhow, it's on its way to the printers and now everything is (as Jo says) 'sales' problem'. LOL.
As such, I've decided to spent the last few minutes of my time at work blogging about my weekend...I'm already too tired of staring at anything work related. I shall start again tomorrow morning. =)
Disclaimer: The following post is highly technical, and should only be read by fellow Magic: The Gathering players, or individuals are familiar with the game on a fairly technical level. You have been warned, so proceed at your own risk. PS: If you wanna learn to play, contact me ok? :)
So...last Sunday, I spent close to 8 full hours playing Magic! It was a qualifier event, and what was at stake was a return air ticket and invite to Pro Tour - San Diego in 2010! As you all may know, playing professional Magic at a world stage is one of the things on my bucket list, so I was very excited when I chanced about this opportunity over the local MTG forums.
So I made my way down to the venue which was a condominium on Braddell Hill. It's quite remote, or at least I've never been there before, so I was quite amazed to see such a beautiful old estate. It's ALMOST self-contained...I say that because they have everything in the estate EXCEPT a place for food or groceries! Hard to imagine right?
So yesterday, 81 Magic players crammed themselves into this function room to play Zendikar Sealed Deck. It was fun man...my card pool was pretty amazing, although it was 'worth' a lot. In the end, we conducted a deck swap and I had to build a deck from cards of the player opposite me.
Basically, I built the following deck:
*Rares
This R/B deck was quite fun to play, and as you can see, I had tons of creature removal AND burn spells. Sadly, I made some bad plays which resulted in my less than stellar performance. In fact, I think I made too many bad plays, which really cost me...a lot. I have a lot to learn about mulliganing, and deciding what type of hands to keep, both on the play or on the draw.
My Best (and most Risky) Play
I was facing down Sphinx of Jwar Isle (5/5, Flying, Shroud), a Vampire Lacerator (2/2), and an untapped Gatekeeper of Malakir (2/2). My Heartstabber Mosquito had just died from blocking the sphinx, and I had nothing on my board. Here's what I did:
I played the Goblin Ruinblaster without kicker from my hand and attacked. My opponent blocked (to my glee) with his Gatekeeper. I proceeded to burn his Vampire Lacerator with a Burst Lightning, and then cast my own Gatekeeper (KICKED of course) to take out his Sphinx! Wootz! Needless to say, I won that one.
The Best (and most surprising) Play Against Me
I was facing a G/B mid range deck. And I was slowly soaking up damage, but I thought my life total could take it. I was at 15 life, and the current attack would bring me down to 6. I did some math, and decided to take the damage to spare my creatures.
Just when I thought it was safe to untap and start on my turn. My opponent stopped me and announced that he was not done with his combat phase. He tapped two Swamps and showed me two copies of Vampire's Bite for an additional (and lethal) blow to my life points. I was amazed by that play and congratulated him of course. =)
I can't wait for the next event on the 6th of December. I'm definitely going to be there competing again, and this time, I hope I get to build an amazing deck!
Wish me luck!
As such, I've decided to spent the last few minutes of my time at work blogging about my weekend...I'm already too tired of staring at anything work related. I shall start again tomorrow morning. =)
So...last Sunday, I spent close to 8 full hours playing Magic! It was a qualifier event, and what was at stake was a return air ticket and invite to Pro Tour - San Diego in 2010! As you all may know, playing professional Magic at a world stage is one of the things on my bucket list, so I was very excited when I chanced about this opportunity over the local MTG forums.
So I made my way down to the venue which was a condominium on Braddell Hill. It's quite remote, or at least I've never been there before, so I was quite amazed to see such a beautiful old estate. It's ALMOST self-contained...I say that because they have everything in the estate EXCEPT a place for food or groceries! Hard to imagine right?
So yesterday, 81 Magic players crammed themselves into this function room to play Zendikar Sealed Deck. It was fun man...my card pool was pretty amazing, although it was 'worth' a lot. In the end, we conducted a deck swap and I had to build a deck from cards of the player opposite me.
Basically, I built the following deck:
9 Swamps 1 Goblin Guide* |
This R/B deck was quite fun to play, and as you can see, I had tons of creature removal AND burn spells. Sadly, I made some bad plays which resulted in my less than stellar performance. In fact, I think I made too many bad plays, which really cost me...a lot. I have a lot to learn about mulliganing, and deciding what type of hands to keep, both on the play or on the draw.
My Best (and most Risky) Play
I was facing down Sphinx of Jwar Isle (5/5, Flying, Shroud), a Vampire Lacerator (2/2), and an untapped Gatekeeper of Malakir (2/2). My Heartstabber Mosquito had just died from blocking the sphinx, and I had nothing on my board. Here's what I did:
I played the Goblin Ruinblaster without kicker from my hand and attacked. My opponent blocked (to my glee) with his Gatekeeper. I proceeded to burn his Vampire Lacerator with a Burst Lightning, and then cast my own Gatekeeper (KICKED of course) to take out his Sphinx! Wootz! Needless to say, I won that one.
The Best (and most surprising) Play Against Me
I was facing a G/B mid range deck. And I was slowly soaking up damage, but I thought my life total could take it. I was at 15 life, and the current attack would bring me down to 6. I did some math, and decided to take the damage to spare my creatures.
Just when I thought it was safe to untap and start on my turn. My opponent stopped me and announced that he was not done with his combat phase. He tapped two Swamps and showed me two copies of Vampire's Bite for an additional (and lethal) blow to my life points. I was amazed by that play and congratulated him of course. =)
I can't wait for the next event on the 6th of December. I'm definitely going to be there competing again, and this time, I hope I get to build an amazing deck!
Wish me luck!
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
WORDS I Hate...
1. Okay.
2. Nevermind.
3. Mm.
Used wrongly, these words can get me SOOOOO fucking mad.
Fucktard.
PS: 'Mm' is technically not a word, but it manages to become one JUST FINE...evidently...
2. Nevermind.
3. Mm.
Used wrongly, these words can get me SOOOOO fucking mad.
Fucktard.
PS: 'Mm' is technically not a word, but it manages to become one JUST FINE...evidently...
Doodling!
This week is a week of in-house courses at work where we are learning about the ins and outs of the editorial process and what not. Of course, not ALL the lectures are interesting, and I usually am able to get some doodling time in. Here are two of my sketches:
It started off with me just wanting to draw a pumpkin head (for the Halloween season and what not you know?), but it became this full-fledged 'abomination'. I am quite pleased with it though. Alas, I still suck at drawing hands.
Strange hibiscus-looking flower. Don't ask, I don't know why I drew it also.
Drawing shenanigans aside, I did have quite a good weekend. I went to Sentosa with PY JUST to have lunch at Cafe del Mar. Total waste of money, but the food was good, and I enjoyed myself. That's most important I guess. Here's what I ate:
Somewhere at the beginning of the meal.
AFTER.
Alright, signing off...Time to get back to work.
=)
Friday, October 23, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Breakfast & Dogs
I KO-ed and woke up at the strange time of 3.44am today. It felt good and yet surreal. I did not really know what to do with myself, so I played Bejeweled Twist, hung up my laundry, and when the sun came out, I made myself some breakfast:
The eggs were my proudest creation I think...I loved how the white was firm and slightly runny, and how I managed to maintain the liquid integrity of the yolks. And they're so pretty too yes? =) The picnic ham was just a must add, if not the plate would have looked too empty. Topped everything off with a light sprinkle of black pepper and the teensi-est bit of salt. I had a good breakfast.
---------------------------------------
On a side note, there was something that I saw on a book in PageOne at Vivocity, that I have been meaning to post up, but keep forgetting to do so. Here it is:
Native American elder:
"Inside of me there are two dogs. One of the dogs is mean and evil.
The other dog is good. The mean dog fights the good dog, all of the
time."
When asked which dog wins, he reflected for a moment and replied:
The other dog is good. The mean dog fights the good dog, all of the
time."
When asked which dog wins, he reflected for a moment and replied:
"The one I feed the most."
This is one of my favourite parables. And when I saw this on the cover of one of the books in the store, I just HAD to take a photo of it. Something to remind to feed my 'good dog' more and 'bad dog' less.
Time to start work! Meetings to go to today! Wheee.... =)
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
The Effects of Boredom
When you're extremely bored at work, this is what happens.
http://christmascarolscootermagic.blogspot.com/2009/10/halloween-origami.html
http://christmascarolscootermagic.blogspot.com/2009/10/halloween-origami.html
A Great Weekend!
Yesterday had to rush some work the entire day, so it was industrious and somewhat satisfying. Heh. So now, I have some time to blog! Mwahahahaha. Here's what I did over the weekend. I must say it was pretty shiok.
Saturday
Tuition in the morning.
Coaching in the afternoon.
Gaming and dinner in the evening!
I went over to Melvyn's place to play games and have dinner! He made warm tomato salad & chicken stew....very nice. Before that I also pigged out a bit on the homemade hummus and doritos...yummy yummy. Unfortunately, I only took a picture of the stew, but I assure you, everything else was super good and HEARTY! I must remember to get the recipe from him.
Saturday
Tuition in the morning.
Coaching in the afternoon.
Gaming and dinner in the evening!
I went over to Melvyn's place to play games and have dinner! He made warm tomato salad & chicken stew....very nice. Before that I also pigged out a bit on the homemade hummus and doritos...yummy yummy. Unfortunately, I only took a picture of the stew, but I assure you, everything else was super good and HEARTY! I must remember to get the recipe from him.
Chicken Stew with Foccacia
After dinner, it was a nice evening session of bitching at the VMA '09 show, warm apple pie, and Runebound! It was this role-playing broad game that I've never played before. It was pretty fun, except that I didn't win. I think it's because I picked a character called Sahla the Shaman...confirm lose right?
Sahla the Shaman
Looks complicated huh? It is. But it was quite fun, and I guess my imagination and inclination towards things like these help. Eventually, it was too late, and instead of going ahead with the initial plan of playing GuildWars, we all just went to bed. Oh! I did manage to get a game of BlazBlue on Mel's PS3 in! Shiok also that one. (My English is so terrible...so fun!)
Sunday
Tuition in the morning (different kid).
Drafting Magic with Isaac in the afternoon.
Coaching in the evening.
Dinner with friends!
Drafting was fun. Isaac and I played two-man draft - trust me, it's not as simple as you think it is. There's a different kind of strategy and thinking behind two-man drafting. We drafted both M10 and Zendikar. I won the first draft, but lost the second! Died to Bloodchief Ascension! WTF lor...it's not a card to be underestimated. It can swing games man.
Dinner was DAMN good. First it was Sun & Moon at Wheelock.
Sashimi!
Then we went to Dempsey for dessert! (PS: Paying a PREMIUM for good dessert is both painful and pleasurable at the same time. Ouch - Mmmmm....)
From top:
STICKY DATE PUDDING
APPLE CRUMBLE
STRAWBERRY TWIST - THINGY
YUZU LIGHT CITRON CHEESE CAKE
Of course there were drinks all around and lots of conversation and laughter. I enjoyed myself that night and I'm glad everyone else did too! =)
Now, the next milestone is pay day! Then I can start clearing all the stuff I need to clear! Yay!
Have a great week everyone.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Operation: TWS
It's not often I get the chance to coordinate an elaborate covert ops exercise from the comfort of an air-conditioned office. It all started when I saw this particular tweet by Vicki, and found out about the TANGS WAREHOUSE MOVING OUT SALE. So I sent the news to some other colleagues of mine via trusty Gmail, and before I knew it, I was coordinate a shopping trip during our Friday lunch hour.
After elaborate correspondence over Gmail chat, we decided that we should have an early lunch in the canteen upstairs. After a quick lunch of highly affordable economic rice, and fruit that tasted vaguely of other fruit (imagine a papaya with a mango aftertaste = mapaya/pango and watermelon with a tinge of pineapple = waterapple? / pinemelon?), we grabbed a cab from the main road and made our way to the sale.
Surprisingly, it wasn't as packed as I expected it to be, and the very friendly orange signs along the way made it easy to identify and locate the 'warehouse' which 'hosted' the sale. In a nutshell, I felt the sale was more suited for aunties and ladies. The selection of things for men just weren't enough. I ended loitering around the super affordable Sanuk racks, and looking at the tiiiiinnnnnnnnyyyyyy Timbuk2 rack. In the end, I DID spend some money on some things (actually, I think I spent the most amongst the girls who went with me...lol). Here's the breakdown of the damage:
After elaborate correspondence over Gmail chat, we decided that we should have an early lunch in the canteen upstairs. After a quick lunch of highly affordable economic rice, and fruit that tasted vaguely of other fruit (imagine a papaya with a mango aftertaste = mapaya/pango and watermelon with a tinge of pineapple = waterapple? / pinemelon?), we grabbed a cab from the main road and made our way to the sale.
Surprisingly, it wasn't as packed as I expected it to be, and the very friendly orange signs along the way made it easy to identify and locate the 'warehouse' which 'hosted' the sale. In a nutshell, I felt the sale was more suited for aunties and ladies. The selection of things for men just weren't enough. I ended loitering around the super affordable Sanuk racks, and looking at the tiiiiinnnnnnnnyyyyyy Timbuk2 rack. In the end, I DID spend some money on some things (actually, I think I spent the most amongst the girls who went with me...lol). Here's the breakdown of the damage:
The big-ass orange plastic bag all the stuff I bought was placed in. =)
Two pairs of Sanuk slippers: SGD$38.00
(one for me, one for a friend)
Box of Japanese chocolate sandwich biscuits: SGD$4.50
(Birthday present for a colleague)
Nabisco Cream Crackers: SGD$5.90
(For my increasingly frequent 'cracker + something' sessions with Jo-Ann)
Gummibears for a friend: SGD$5.00
(I think I got ripped off on this one)
Timbuk2 Messenger: SGD$89.00
(I'm going to trust that the PINK in this bag is what's going to make me stand out in a crowd. It's just more fun to have a colour combination that I think very few people would actually choose)
GRAND TOTAL: SGD$137.40 + SGD$5.00
(the Gummibears were bought after at a secret location that we did not notice until after we'd all paid for our stuff)
Today's operation was quite fruitful actually. I shall be on the look out for more warehouse sales from now on. Seeing as how my workplace is in such a godforsaken place already, I might as well make the most of it and find excuses to get affordable deals like these during lunch hour. =)
Till the next mission!
Signing off.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
I love my brother!
I was having a conversation with my brother, and it was really funny.
Here's how it went:
Me: Yo, watcha doing?
Bro: Oh, I'm TUMBLR-ing...
Me: Huh? What's that?
Bro: It's like Twitter, but like blogging style.
Me: Oh I see.
Bro: OH! Have you heard about this thing that this guy said about Youtube, Twitter and Facebook?
Me: No. What did he say?
Bro: *announcer type voice* In the near future, users of YouTube, Twitter and Facebook will be able to access all three on a brand new collaborative platform called YouTwitFace.
Me: *laughs like a madman*
That was it...YouTwitFace...Classic man... Damn Funny.
=)
Here's how it went:
Me: Yo, watcha doing?
Bro: Oh, I'm TUMBLR-ing...
Me: Huh? What's that?
Bro: It's like Twitter, but like blogging style.
Me: Oh I see.
Bro: OH! Have you heard about this thing that this guy said about Youtube, Twitter and Facebook?
Me: No. What did he say?
Bro: *announcer type voice* In the near future, users of YouTube, Twitter and Facebook will be able to access all three on a brand new collaborative platform called YouTwitFace.
Me: *laughs like a madman*
That was it...YouTwitFace...Classic man... Damn Funny.
=)
Thursday, October 08, 2009
Stupidity
I was at lunch, and was waiting for the canteen uncle to finish preparing my lunch (I ordered Chicken Cutlet...heehee). So I was standing there, waiting there with the rest of the hungry office workers. It was exceptionally crowded today because it was raining and no one really wanted to head out to eat.
So there was this group of girls who were waiting for their fish and chips, and while doing so, they were trying to prepare chilli sauce for themselves. So they took the dainty little plastic saucers, and began to squeeze the sauce into the dishes. After awhile, the sauce got stuck and refused to come out. Of course any sane, commonsensical person would know that it's because there is a bubble of air stuck between the chilli sauce and the mouth of the bottle. So the most logical thing would be to give the bottle a good hard shake and trying squeezing again after that.
This nincompoop of a girl, kept struggling with the bubble of air, and in the end, she concluded that the bottle was "spoilt". IDIOT. All this while, her friends who witnessed the entire thing, obviously displayed a greater lack of brains as they backed away from her attempts to get the sauce out of the bottle as though they were afraid that the red, plastic squeeze bottle would explode or something.
-- 10 minutes later --
The SAME girl finally got her fish and chips, and asked the uncle for mayonnaise. Now, the uncle does not understand English, and he says so, and asks her again what she wanted. And she replied (adamantly at that) with the SAME request, in English. She did this a total of three times, and if it wasn't for the auntie who came out from the kitchen and happened to notice the self-righteous girl getting slightly irritated at this entire thing, I'm sure the idiot of a girl would continue asking for the mayonnaise and not even care about the obvious communication gap.
Haiz... People really ARE that STUPID.
So there was this group of girls who were waiting for their fish and chips, and while doing so, they were trying to prepare chilli sauce for themselves. So they took the dainty little plastic saucers, and began to squeeze the sauce into the dishes. After awhile, the sauce got stuck and refused to come out. Of course any sane, commonsensical person would know that it's because there is a bubble of air stuck between the chilli sauce and the mouth of the bottle. So the most logical thing would be to give the bottle a good hard shake and trying squeezing again after that.
This nincompoop of a girl, kept struggling with the bubble of air, and in the end, she concluded that the bottle was "spoilt". IDIOT. All this while, her friends who witnessed the entire thing, obviously displayed a greater lack of brains as they backed away from her attempts to get the sauce out of the bottle as though they were afraid that the red, plastic squeeze bottle would explode or something.
-- 10 minutes later --
The SAME girl finally got her fish and chips, and asked the uncle for mayonnaise. Now, the uncle does not understand English, and he says so, and asks her again what she wanted. And she replied (adamantly at that) with the SAME request, in English. She did this a total of three times, and if it wasn't for the auntie who came out from the kitchen and happened to notice the self-righteous girl getting slightly irritated at this entire thing, I'm sure the idiot of a girl would continue asking for the mayonnaise and not even care about the obvious communication gap.
Haiz... People really ARE that STUPID.
Monday, October 05, 2009
Friday, October 02, 2009
Exciting Weekend Ahead
I am excited about the coming weekend.
I am going to be doing SOOOO MANY things. =)
1. Giving intensive GP tuition to my Indian kid from 730am - 11am! Woots!
2. Playing for two events at a Zendikar Launch Party
3. Coaching my client who just arrived in Singapore.
4. Attending a TCC Preview to represent Coaching.
5. Heading home to have celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with my mom.
6. Giving tuition again to my tuition kid from 9am - 1130am! Double Woots!
7. Spending the day tanning/swimming/reading at a pool or a beach.
8. Having dinner at VERVE, which is NEAR my home! Hurhur.
9. Going for an important meeting, that I can't wait to give my input in.
10. Going down to ZIRCA to support my friend who's in Mr Singapore! YAY! So exciting!
*rubs hands together gleefully*
PS: Watch out for my geeky, and totally incomprehensible report on my Magic morning! Yay!
I am going to be doing SOOOO MANY things. =)
1. Giving intensive GP tuition to my Indian kid from 730am - 11am! Woots!
2. Playing for two events at a Zendikar Launch Party
3. Coaching my client who just arrived in Singapore.
4. Attending a TCC Preview to represent Coaching.
5. Heading home to have celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with my mom.
6. Giving tuition again to my tuition kid from 9am - 1130am! Double Woots!
7. Spending the day tanning/swimming/reading at a pool or a beach.
8. Having dinner at VERVE, which is NEAR my home! Hurhur.
9. Going for an important meeting, that I can't wait to give my input in.
10. Going down to ZIRCA to support my friend who's in Mr Singapore! YAY! So exciting!
*rubs hands together gleefully*
PS: Watch out for my geeky, and totally incomprehensible report on my Magic morning! Yay!
Friday, September 25, 2009
~BORED~
I am so bored.
I AM SO BORED.
I aM sO bOrEd.
i Am So BoReD.
I Am So Bored.
I aM sO boreD.
I Am So BOREd.
I am so bored that I am trying out other ways to type the same sentence, over and over again.
Life's great.
PS: Miffed that I'm missing the Zendikar pre-release tomorrow. CCB! =(
I AM SO BORED.
I aM sO bOrEd.
i Am So BoReD.
I Am So Bored.
I aM sO boreD.
I Am So BOREd.
I am so bored that I am trying out other ways to type the same sentence, over and over again.
Life's great.
PS: Miffed that I'm missing the Zendikar pre-release tomorrow. CCB! =(
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Wish I had more time with her...
I ended up buying the books before rushing to tuition. So now I have about 5 Primary 1 Grammar Practice/Activity books to look through. Spent $34.57 on them...must claim back from the company.
I am thinking about what to do with that ONE remaining token still sitting snugly in my right pants pocket. I wanna play!
Argh!
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