More Bags!

Since I was on a bag buying spree lately, I bought two more bags online, again at less than the price of those sold in boutiques! Again, the customer service is really good! I ordered them yesterday, and they arrived today!

 

So now I have brighter bags in my collection. One thing good is that I now have bags for just about every occasion now. I am now a very happy person! :-)

The Coach leather tote

 



The lemon yellow Kate Spade

 

What I am surprised is that the online shop also comes with free red packets to the customers! This is a nice gesture indeed!

 



The free red packets for Lunar New Year 

Back To A Therapist

I just came back from a therapist appointment. This time round it is a volunteer under the Family Life Society, and I had to go to one of the churches to see her. I needed to talk through some issues and what I should do to improve my life and issues in my life in general.

 

As usual, the therapist will not give a direct answer. All she will do is to let you talk through yout issues, make you think, and then give some advise on what you should do. Some may deem that as not helpful, especially those who are looking for direct answers, but sometimes I think the answer is within ourselves, we just need to find and believe and then take the plunge.

 

The therapist did give me some advise on what I should do, and it is up to me whether to listen or go on my life as usual. But one thing good is that because this therapise is a volunteer from church, she did let me see things from a religious point of view, and not a lay person point of view. So that helps a lot!

 

She told me to go see her again, but I have not made up my mind whether to continue seeing her, or just to do things on my own. Perhaps when I am lost again, I will go see her again, but other than that, I have survived pretty well all these years without a counsellor. So I think I should be able to handle matters on my own.

My First Kate Spade!

After the satisfaction I had in my Coach purchase, I decided to set my sight a little higher and started to look for a Kate Spade bag. Most Kate Spade bags I came across, either I do not like the colour or the design. Kate Spade is more expensive than Coach, so even when I ordered it online, the price is a bit higher, but still much cheaper than those sold in boutiques.

 

Finally I found one that I like with a reasonable price. What is best is that I only ordered it yesterday, and today it arrived! What great service! So now I have my first Coach and my first Kate Spade, the Kate Spade Kingsbury Park Shelby in black! A real good one for office use because it has a classic corporate look!

Wandering Opposite The Prison

Last Saturday I received an email asking me to collect the Coach bag today. The address given is at a condominium development opposite the prison. Earlier on when I went to collect it, I had to drop directly opposite the prison. Now the prison is a place that everyone tends to avoid. When I dropped opposite the place, it was already dusk, and the whole place looks forbidding, dark and scary. One wonders why people want to do things to get themselves in prison in the first place, because one look at that place scares people off. I think I will turn mad being confined in there!

 

In any case, I found the condominium development. However, because it is opposite the prison, the part facing the prison is the back gate, which has high walls and a tight security. No one can go in without authorisation. Hence, I have to make my way to the main entrance, which is to walk all the way down, veer left, walk another stretch and finally reaching the main entrance.

 

But it is not enough. The whole development is built on a hill, so after I reached the guard house, I have to go up a small hill and walk all the way to the end. I still could not find the place. Later on I found out the lady was living at the block all the way up the hill, further up from the multi-story carpark and the tennis courts, right next to the prison. All these hassle for nothing!

 

I called her and told her I have reached, so she came down. But turned out that the lobby, or rather the main lobby where the cars come in and drop people off, is on the second floor and not the first floor, which was the pedestrian entrance where I entered. So there was another confusion.

 

In any case, everything turned out well. She was apologetic about making me walk so far, as she said if I told her I was walking in, she would have just opened the back gate and met me there opposite the prison instead. How nice of her!

 

Anyway this is a place that I will probably not consider staying, because firstly it is in quite a far off area, and secondly, it is opposite the prison! It would be a rather depressing place to stay in for me at least!

My First "Coach" ...

It is here! Or rather, I have collected it! My very first Coach bag! And since the seller is also of the same name as me, I was given my own personalised paper bag too!

 

This Coach will debut on Lunar New Year, where I will bring it everywhere with me while going visiting! It is a small tote so will not be too much of a hassle bringing it around everywhere!

 Personalised bag, courtesy of Celia ;-P

 

At last, my very own Coach tote!

My "Own" Site

I have been thinking of buying designer bags online for a long time. This is partly for the sake of vanity, and partly because I am running out of bags. One thing you never hear a girl say is that she is running out of bags, but I am. I have been carrying the same few bags for ages, and it is time for a change.

 

Since I can now afford it a bit more, why not buy a better quality bag? I have liked Coach and Kate Spade for quite some time, but never wanted to buy them at boutiques because they are just overpriced. The next alternative is to buy them overseas, but it is not always that I have the chance to go to a place where these things are sold freely and cheaply, and even then, I may not see what I like.

 

Hence the next alternative is to source for them online. If I buy them online, it is much cheaper than buying them at boutiques. By chance, I came across my own site. One look and you can tell why I say this is my own site right? ;-P

 

Apparently, "I" am selling Coach, Kate Spade and Gucci at very competitive prices! The bags look nice and are one-third or less than those sold in boutiques! So I ordered one Coach bag online, and I cannot wait for my order to be processed and sent to me!

 

So excited now, that I have finally purchased my first Coach bag!

Pay Or Pal?

Ever since my Paypal account was hacked a few years back, it was suspended. Hence, any other transactions that needed to be paid by Paypal, I preferred to use card or pay without signing in. Recently, I bought some things online. Unfortunately, all needed a Paypal account to complete the transaction, which means I had to sign in. Because my account is still being suspended, I had no choice but to register another account with Paypal.

 

I thought that was it, but then I realise after the first transaction, my card could not be used anymore, until I verify it. I had to authorise Paypal to charge US$3.00 to my card for verification. After that, I had to call up my bank and asked for the security number, and the US$3.00 would then be refunded to me once I entered the security number to verify my card.

 

This went well until one of the transactions said my name and address is already on record, and I am not allowed to have more than one Paypal account. After all the hassle of getting my card verified and my transactions approved, now this?!

 

So I called Paypal and told them the whole situation. I must say, I am pretty impressed with the customer service officers! They are polite, professional, patient and speak relatively good English to say the least! They understood my situation and re-activated my original account. They told me once all my transactions cleared, I can have my new account shut down.

 

The next hassle is that because my card was verified on my new account, I have to verify my card again on my original account. Which means the USD$3.00 will be charged again, and I have to call my bank again, and get the security code again, and then the amount will be refunded again. It is like a full circle!

 

I find that really troublesome because my card is already authorised and verified, so why must I do the same process again when it is already established that my name and address is on record, so there is no doubt that the account and card belongs to me?

 

The customer service officer told me that it is a security precaution. Yeah right, if it is indeed a security precaution, then why is Paypal one of the most hacked accounts in the world? Afterall my account was suspended because it was hacked into in the first place! If that is really a security precaution, then all these would have been prevented, is it not? How secure can the precaution be then, if others can access your account in the first place?!

 

Still, it was a pretty pleasant experience talking to the customer service officer. Even though their answers are not that satisfactory, their professionalism is tops. I do not normally commend customer service officers, but Paypal's customer service is really good! Kudos to them!

 

So is the whole Paypal system more for paying, or more of a pal? Despite all these hassle, it is still the top payment transaction program in the world. One really wonders why, when it is causing so much grief to the consumers.

New Semester Texts

Now that my new semester have started again, I have a list of fifteen books to study for this semester. A challenging feat, even for someone who reads a lot like me. The modules I am taking include Children's Literature, Shakespeare and Film, Jacobean Drama and The Nineteenth Century Novel.

 

Even though some of the texts are my favourite stories, still, it is a different thing reading for leisure and reading for studying. The books consist of Charlotte's Web, some new modern Children's story books, Mansfield Park, Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Pride and Prejudice, The Tempest, Richard III, MacBeth, The Duchess of Malfi, The Revenger's Tragedy, Volpone and another one by Shakespeare's contemporaries consisting of seventeenth century literature.

 

The modules are interesting and I am already excited seeing these books, but I hope the workload would not be too heavy going for me. Afterall, four modules and fifteen books is no joke. I only hope I can cope and pass another semester so I can finally come close to completing the course!

Applying For A Trip To Holy Land

I have sent in my application for the Israel trip. Since I need to pay extra for being a sole traveller, I asked my parents if they wanted to come along. My dad is not that keen but my mum is pretty enthusiastic, even though I told her it would be rather Christian-based and not to expect any big shopping and modern buildings. She said she is fine with it, as it would probably be her only chance to go Israel since the tour agencies here hardly organise Israel tours unless it is a special Christian tour.

So my mum and I would be going together, which is just as well because the cost per person is on a twin sharing basis. I would have to top up another S$650.00 for single supplement. I sent in the application form earlier on, together with copies of our passports, to World Vision, who will then forward to the tour agency organising this trip, and we will be contacted shortly to pay the first deposit by mid-February, with the balance to be paid by the beginning of April.

I find this trip pretty worthwhile because the cost includes return flights on international carriers (not budget), all accommodation (at pretty good quality hotels), all meals, sightseeing, entrance fees and tips. In other words, besides insurance, fuel surcharges and personal expenses, we need not fork out anything extra. And we are going to pretty interesting places too, so I think the entire trip is really very good value for money!

I am praying and hoping that there is enough people to make up the quota so we can go!

Wet Wet Wet Weekend!

It had been a really wet weekend. Ever since Friday evening, it had been raining non-stop, or rather, it rained, stopped, rained, stopped, and essentially this went on all the way until last night. This morning the breeze is still cool and windy.

 

Luckily right now it is bright and shining all over. Hopefully that was the last spurt of rain and the rainy season has finally let up!

Killing A Snail, Or Two

I am so disgusted with myself! I was walking along the pavement on the way home in the slight rain, when my feet connected with something hard. Next thing I know, I heard something crack, and when I looked down, I realised I stepped on a snail! I just murdered a poor snail!

 

This was the second time it happened in a month. A couple of weeks back, I was also going home when I stepped on a snail, just outside my home! I was so upset with myself! Afterall, what had the poor snail done to me that they deserved this kind of fate?

 

I have to make a note to be careful and look more properly while walking from now on! Sorry poor snails! I promise I will try my best not to accidentally murder any of your kin again!

More Oscar-Worthy Shows

After all my raving about Les Miserables being the best movie I have seen so far (which I have already watched it three times in the theatres), I have been watching other movies that are in the Best Picture nomination list, as well as some really good ones that are not.

 

I was actually disappointed about Argo winning Best Picture (Drama) during the recent Golden Globes, because there are definitely much better shows. I was happy that Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway and Les Miserables won for Best Actor (Musical / Comedy), Best Supporting Actress (Musical / Comedy) and Best Picture (Musical / Comedy), as I have been rooting for them all the way!

 

Ben Affleck's Best Director win came as a surprise though, in light of the stiff competition he was facing, but still, he did not do that bad a job with Argo. Unfortunately, he was not nominated for the Oscars. Neither was Kathryn Bigelow (Zero Dark Thirty), Tom Hooper (Les Miserables) and the one who did Cloud Atlas.

 

Perhaps this time round the competition is between Ang Lee and Steven Spielberg? Does that mean Life of Pi would win Best Picture? Or Lincoln? The French show Armour is not a bad contender too. However, I would think Lincoln (although I have not seen it) is a better Best Picture as compared to Life of Pi, but of course, I would still prefer Les Miserables to win!

 

In any case, I had watched Silver Linings Playbook, and even though it is a good movie on its own, somehow I do not think it is "Best Picture" material, although it is better than Argo. Cloud Atlas is another story though. First it is starring Tom Hanks, so one knows the quality of the movie is definitely something. And the plot is unique in the way it is structured.

 

Cloud Atlas is the kind of show that is not very obvious, but very thought-provoking. It is science-fiction yet deep in philosophy. Although the movie is long, at three hours which is longer than Les Miserables, I was watching every scene intensely and felt so solemn at the end because the message of the whole show really hit home.

Which is why I feel rather bewildered that it did not even make any nomination for any category of the Oscars, let alone the Best Picture. This is a way better show than Argo and Silver Linings Playbook, with fantastic makeup effects too! So how in the world did it not make any nomination?

The same goes for The Impossible. Okay, perhaps this is based on a true story, but it is a fantastic movie on its own. Again, it is a far better show than Argo and Silver Linings Playbook, and the only category it was nominated for was for Best Actress for Naomi Watts. What about Ewan McGregor? Should he not deserve a nomination at least, considering this is one of his most emotional shows as before?

 

Zero Dark Thirty, Django Unchained and Lincoln are yet to be shown here, but from the looks of it, seems like the most likely contender would be Lincoln. After all, this has the most number of nominations for this year, after Argo, which for some reason I cannot fathom, also seems to be nominated in just about every category. If Zero Dark Thirty, Django Unchained and Lincoln are just as good as all the hype is about, then Les Miserables is facing real stiff competition from the looks of it! This year's Best Picture is really going to be a tough fight indeed!

Trying Out Home-Based Grooming Salons

Lunar New Year is coming, and it is time to look good again. First on my agenda is to get a facial, then do my nails, and even get a wax. Hair wise I have already done that last month. I have been sourcing for inexpensive places to groom myself for ages. The salon I am going to at least once a year is pretty good, and I have been going there ever since I was a student, so the lady boss knows me pretty well. What makes me happy is that she never increased her prices even after so long, and my hair always comes out looking good! Who says one needs expensive and branded salons to look good?

 

Next up is a nail salon. I do not normally go for manicures and pedicures, but the occasional times I did go, the salons are always expensive and my nails do not last long. So when I came across this home-based nail salon that offers gelish manicures and pedicures for a good price, I decided to try my luck.

 

I went to enquire and the lady was so helpful, she was willing to slot me in at the time I asked for and just requested a small deposit, which can be used to offset the actual price on the day itself. I came across her website and the nails look really good! Her place is not that far from my home too. So I have booked an appointment for before the Lunar New Year, and hopefully I can be satisfied with her services!

 

The other home-based salon I came across is actually a waxing salon, also at a pretty good price. Unfortunately, this place only accepts reservations one week in advance, so I have to enquire later on for an appointment in February. This place is just behind my place, so it is going to be very convenient whenever I need some waxing job done in the future!

Why Do Fools Rush In?

I was on the train on my way back from work earlier, when this guy with a heavy backpack that looked as if he was holding several rocks inside, came squeezing into the train. Now taking the train during peak hour is no easy feat. Although it is not so bad as to be squeezed all the way into other carriages, but the train can be so full that sometimes we need to wait for several more trains to pass by before we can even get on.

 

Hence, in an already cramped space where people could hardly stand properly as it is, we do not welcome someone squeezing in with a gigantic and heavy backpack that ended up knocking into just about everyone! For goodness sake, if there is not much space, then at least hold on to your backpack or something? Or wait for the next train where there is enough space for two - the human and the bag!

 

I am sure people do not appreciate being knocked about in an already congested train with barely any standing room left!

Feeling Gleeful ...

I am feeling gleeful. And why not? My boss just praised me! He asked me to draft a document from scratch, which was what I did, and guess what? He said my work is perfect! And the other pieces I gave him, he said I do not need to consult him, as long as I feel the documents are fine, I make the decision on my own.

 

That is why I am feeling gleeful, because after all the "fighting" with my previous boss whom I slaved away for more than a year, only to have him keep putting me down and taking all the work I did to credit himself, this is really a good change. I hope I do not disappoint and make my work even better!

"Dream House" Gone ...

A couple of weeks back, I happened to go to one of the "less developed" areas around the north east region. When I say "less developed", it simply means there are still plenty of grassland and an old-fashioned "feel" to the place, and not saturated with tall buildings one after another. But of course, being the way this country is run, this "less developed" area is now being earmarked for development of high-rise housing. I hope that certain old-fashioned part is still retained though.

 

In any case, I saw a housing development that was going to be built. I kind of like this area because it faces a cosy estate on one end, with a new sort of shopping "village" consisting of modern eating places and groceries, and the famous eating stretch with lots of good food at all hours on the other side. Right at the end of that stretch is the development of our new aerospace hubs, with a few colonial bungalows scattered here and there. Behind the eating stretch are the last remaining farms to be found here, which I suspect their days may be numbered too.

 

So it is a pretty good place, away from the congested area yet not too "countryside" at the same time. In any case, there is a new development going to be built, and I enquired about it. Essentially, the place is going to consist of four blocks, with a mixture of two-bedroom units, three-bedroom units, four-bedroom units and penthouse units.

 

Out of curiosity, I enquired about the penthouse units first. Now, housing here is not cheap. Anywhere else I go, I can easily buy a mansion with a fancy car with the amount I need to spend on just a three-bedroom apartment here. So a penthouse unit can cost high up in the millions.

 

Guess what? All penthouses were sold out within the first half hour of launch! People always complain they are poor, lacking in funds and that our housing is too expensive, yet the penthouses are the first to go! Makes me wonder what exactly is their definition of "poor" and "lack of funds"?

 

In any case, I am unable to buy an apartment there, not because of lack of funds. I have enough savings set aside to buy a new flat. The trouble is the regulations here. Because I am unmarried and below the age of thirty-five, I am not able to get a brand new apartment, as these are reserved for couples (as in married couples), families, or people who intend to get married in the very near future. There must be a certificate of marriage or a document stating intention of marriage in order to get a brand new apartment.

 

For family units, it has to be either someone buying with the parents or the parents buying together with the children. However, if the parents already own a property, be it public or private, then they are no longer entitled to get another place. And parents as in father and mother, both their names have to be in, because we are not allowed to split up the family unit, unless one dies or divorces.

 

Furthermore, there is the income consideration. The combined household income must not exceed S$10,000.00 for a normal brand new flat, or S$12,000.00 for a higher-end public flat. Household income means the combined income of the flat-owner(s) and all occupiers.

 

Which means in my case, it is very tricky. Since I am not yet thirty-five, I cannot get a flat in my own name. Even after I reach thirty-five and can get a flat in my own name, I cannot get a brand new flat. I can only get a resale flat or an old flat which had probably changed hands several times, and these can cost even more than a brand new flat.

 

Secondly, I cannot apply with my parents because they already own a landed property. Technically, my mum owns the house as it is under her name, so I should be able to buy a flat with my father as his name is "free". However, if I buy a flat with my father, my mother has to be listed too, as I have mentioned, we are not allowed to split up the family unit. But if we put my mother's name in, then we are not entitled to get any flat at all, ie our application will not go through, because she already owns a property, and besides, her income alone is more than the required cap.

 

So what can I do but to give up on this apartment that I am eyeing? The housing regulations here is really too much I feel. Afterall, there is no guarantee that someone can marry by age thirty-five, is it not? There can be many circumstances relating to why a person is unmarried by then, so why must it seem as if it is our fault that we do not get married by then, and then "punish" us by not letting us have our own place? Does it mean just because we are not married, we are not entitled to our own place at all?

 

I really hope the regulations change soon as promised. The news is out that the regulations will change for singles thirty-five years and above to be able to buy a brand new flat just like everyone else, so I am keeping my fnigers crossed that that can actually be done soon!

Faith In Action?

After the disappointment over the Brazil tour, yesterday I came across another sort of pilgrimage tour that looks much more interesting. World Vision is having a trip to Israel! What joy it is to visit the Holy Land, following the footsteps of Jesus and see where Jesus was born! This is definitely a much more exciting tour!

This time round, I am definitely going for it. In fact, ever since I saw the brochure, nothing has been troubling me. I felt peace and confidence when I thought of going to this tour. Maybe it is too early to say now, but perhaps this is something I should do? As I said, God really has something else planned out for me!

Furthermore the cost is much cheaper than the Brazil tour, and we are staying in better places too! The itinerary includes going to Tiberias, Jerusalem, Galilee, Bethlehem, and swimming in the Dead Sea! That can be my dying wish come true!

I will be sending in my application soon and keeping my fingers crossed I can really go this time!

Should The Telco Compensate Us?

Finally, all those customers affected due to the mobile service downtime for one of our major mobile service providers, is finally over! What an ordeal! Three whole days of downtime, causing massive inconveniences to everyone else!

 

I am always for the underdog, so when this mobile service provider decided to break our main telco's monopoly way back in 1997 or thereabouts, I chose to go under their plans when I got my first mobile phone, instead of the main service provider. Since then, I have never defected, except once when I almost wanted to defect, but they lured me to stay with them by giving me huge rewards.

 

The telco has served me pretty well all these years, until the past few days when the network was down. As a result, texts sent were cranky, calls could not be sent or received, and even data plans were down.

 

How can this happen, especially to such an established company? I have always been pretty happy with this service provider, because the bills are reasonable, customer service is good, there are discounts and rewards as and when, and most importantly, I get to call three people for free (provided they are also of the same provider), so with these few people, I can talk all I want without any extra charge!

 

Even the data plan is reasonable, as when I got my smartphone last year, I could get the phone for free and upgraded my plan for just a little bit more to get the data plan. Hence, my bills never went above a certain amount, except when I was overseas and had to make some long distance calls and texts. 

 

The first time my bill went up was when I was on a business trip to the United States and there was some trouble brewing back home, and I had to make lots of massive long-distance calls and incurred a humongous bill. Another time was when I was in Australia last year and had to make some long distance calls, and I did not realise the charges were so much. So at least a note that there would be no more long distance calls unless absolutely necessary!

 

Anyway back to the telco's problem. I wonder if the telco will give a good explanation for the service downtime? Shall they compensate customers for their inconvenience? I am not trying to push the blame here as things like that do happen, but being a service provider, especially since now everyone is super reliant on their mobile phones, should they not at least give a reasonable explanation or not charge us for those few days?

 

Afterall, it will be unfair if we are to pay for this mess when it is definitely not the customer's faults in the first place!

A Multi-Purpose Dress

A few days back, I happened to wander into one of the shopping malls and saw this beautiful and sexy knee-length flared dress in red selling at one of the mobile stands. What captivated me about the dress is that it has a long sash attached to the top, so one can do wonders with the sash. The dress can be converted to a toga, strappy toga, halter top, strappy halter top, cross back, even a tube with a sash at the side.

 

Where can one find a dress this versatile? I never have to keep changing wardrobe again! Best of all, the dress was going at a price of S$45.00, from the original S$79.00, and it is a Victoria Secret's dress! What a good deal!

 

Needless to say, I bought it immediately. I can keep wearing this dress as long as I like for just about any occasion around!

 

I believe this kind of multi-purpose dress is going to be a pretty hot item in the future. This is about every girl's dream come true - to find a dress that is fit for any occasion!

Transcribing ...

Recently I have been taking on some freelance work as a transcriber. What I need to do is that I was given an audio recording of a focus group discussion, then I had to transcribe verbatim, word for word, what was being said and discussed.

 

It sounds like an easy job, but it is not. Firstly, the audio recording is quite muffled, and certain parts are hard to catch. Secondly, because the people involved in the focus group discussion were randomly chosen, so they have their own way of speaking and accents. Thirdly, in many cases, everyone started talking together, so it is hard to catch what everyone was saying. And lastly, they were mostly speaking in local lingo, so it could be a real pain to listen and hear.

 

Still, it was pretty interesting with regards to the discussion going on. I learnt a lot from the audio recording too, and even though it was a painful process trancribing every word exactly the way it was being said, I had a great sense of achievement when I was done!

 

So far I have been given two transcripts. Not sure if I did a good enough job to warrant more assignments though. Hopefully I can then I can earn a bit more cash at the same time.

Fishing In A Pond ...

A couple of weeks ago, I was making a comparison on online book websites, with the discovery of Fishpond. I ordered four books from Fishpond in the same order, and today I received one of the books. Apparently the books are delivered out as and when available, instead of waiting for all the stock in the same order, and then sending out the order collectively.

 

I find that a better idea, because one can start on the first book first while awaiting the rest. Best thing is, the delivery is free! So the books will arrive individually whenever they are in stock, and delivered out to you at no extra charge. In this case, most likely I will be receiving four shipments, or three at least, so I do not have to wait for all the books to arrive together. And I received individual email notifications on the status updates for my books, instead of one email for all the books. This is really great service!

 

Fishpond's products are cheaper, no shipping charges and taxes, and their service is so good! I am really impressed! The other online book websites are facing really tough competition indeed. I will not be surprised if Fishpond becomes the number one online book seller in the near future!

A Declaration Of Appropriate Behaviour

Another year has started, and today there was the annual meeting for Cathechists in my church. This year I would be moving up, taking on Primary Six kids from the previous three years in Primary Five, which means I would most likely be taking back the same batch of children from last year.

 

It was a fulfilling meeting. After all the hoo ha about the scandals in Rome, our revered Pope filtered down a rule to every (Catholic) church in the world, that those who are involved with faith formation of children have to sign a declaration.

 

Hence this year, anyone involved in ministries involving children, like Cathechism, Children's Ministry, Children's Choir, etc, have to sign the declaration. The declaration is a document outlining the "Appropriate Standard Behaviour" to follow where children are involved. By signing the declaration, we are binding ourselves to the promise that we will uphold the best and most appropriate behaviour when dealing with children.

 

I am not sure if this is even necessary. No doubt there had been some black sheep, but I believe generally most of us are there to serve. If we are there to serve, the higher calling is that God is watching us, and we are kind of doing God's work by evangelising to the children. So would any of us even think of harming those innocent kids? Still, I guess to have a peace of mind, we just need to sign and be bound to that.

 

In any case, I am looking forward to another year of journey with these kids. Hopefully they do not give me more trouble this year than last year!

Angels ...

Why does this always happen to me? Yesterday after work, I was walking from my office to the venue of the talk, which is around ten minutes away from where I work. I came across a Canadian mother and daughter who were asking for directions, so I walked with them to direct them. But at the moment, the strap of my shoe broke and I ended up hobbling, so in the end I had to sit somewhere while directing them in the right direction.

 

But it is adversity like this that makes me feel that God is watching out for me. While I was sitting down wondering what to do with my shoe, suddenly out of nowhere a lady came by, and asked if I needed help. I told her that my strap broke and I was trying to figure out how to tie it in such a way that my shoe would not come off and still walk properly.

 

Immediately, she bent down and tied my broken shoe strap to the other strap. She did it so well that my shoe was still in tact and I could walk again. She did tell me though that it may not last long. When I gave her my appreciation, she just smiled and walked away. That was when I noticed she was actually walking towards the other direction away from where I was sitting. And she came from that same direction too, if I could see.

 

Then in that case, how did she suddenly sppear in front of me? After all, if she was at the opposite direction all the time, it would be out of the way for her. So how did she suddenly see what happened and came across to help me? I was not really doing anything obvious save for fiddling with my shoe, and from where she was, it would only seem as if I was putting on a shoe, which people would not even bother to have an interest in. What can I say except perhaps God sent her along to help me out?

 

I managed to walk to the venue, and that was when my other strap came off too. I could not do anything except to hobble. I managed to hobble to the room and waited for my friend. When she arrived, I told her what happened, and guess what? She happened to have another pair of shoes on her! She said those were her walking shoes if she needed to walk home from her office, which was half an hour away.

 

How coincidental is that? Afterall, how many people bring extra shoes out during a workday? To top it off, her shoes fit me perfectly. Her shoes are so comfortable that I had no problem walking back after that and there was no blister or pain at all. And I am the kind who find it very hard to shop for shoes because the shape of my toes are broad, so I cannot wear pointy pumps, and most of the places I go, the shoes are either too tight, cause me discomfort or I end up getting blisters. Yet her pair of shoes fit me so well! Again, what can I say except it was all God's doing?

 

God is really good to me! I only hope He makes my prayer, my number one prayer, come true soon!

Behind Every Successful Woman, There Is A Good Man!

Last night, at the invitation of my friend, I attended a talk called "My Journey" organised by the Catholic Business Network. The speaker was some director from one of the biggest multinational corporations in the Information Technology field. She shared on her journey as a woman, a wife, a mother and how God helped her along the way.

 

One word - INSPIRING! She was sharing how she first started work as a systems engineer. In those days, technology was not as advanced as now. One had no gadgets to bring work home, so she had to stay back late in the office quite often. At the same time, she was dating. In order to strike a balance between work, love life and family, and not neglecting either one, she would go to work very early, often as early as five in the morning, so she could get off at seven in the evening, go meet her boyfriend and then he would have dinner at her place or she would have dinner at his place. Coincidentally, which she put it to God's grace, they lived only five minutes away from each other, so after dinner, they would walk back together and circled round the estate a few times to spend time with each other.

 

Wow.. that is really something else! Then when she got married, she wanted to resign or not get promoted, but her boss promoted her anyway, and at the same time, the company announced their family friendly system where women can get time off for family as and when they liked. She went on to have four children, and every time she gave birth, she got promoted one step higher.

 

She even talked about the time she was in China, when her company had an acquisition. She was there for a couple of years. Before she left, she prayed as she was not going to just leave her family here and go on her own. Her husband had no qualms giving up his job and following her, as he felt that her career was more established and more financially enhancing to the family, so they uprooted.

 

In China, she formed cathechism groups and saw children getting baptised and confirmed. She said her staff did not know much English when she was there, but when she left, they could speak fluent English.

 

This is really one good story! She kept giving praises to God that He has blessed her so much because everything turned out so well and right for her. My friend is also so inspired by her story too! But I must say, her husband is really a good man. So often have I met men who threw a tantrum because their other halves are doing better. More often than not, it is the woman who has to give up her lucrative career to satisfy the man's ego.

 

I believe her success, besides being blessed by God, is also due to the fact that her family is so supportive. She has a maid to take care of the household chores while she takes care of her children. In her words, "Never outsource your children to anyone else, but you can outsource everything else". Her parents and in-laws help out too. And most importantly, she has a very supportive and caring husband who allows her to be the best she can be without feeling down or inferior about himself.

 

I really hope that I can be like her, to have such a good man and family! The common saying is that, behind every successful man, there is a capable woman, but the other side holds true too! Behind every successful woman, there is a good man!

K-12

Wonder what that is? No, it is not a submarine or a children's education module. Rather, it is the set of Korean historical dramas that I am recently hooked onto. I have started watching Korean shows off and on since Winter Sonata came out. The shows are touching, sappy and romantic, and made me cry after watching.

 

But it was only after I watched Jewel In The Palace that I started to really like Korean historical dramas. Since then, I prefer watching Korean historical dramas instead of the modern dramas, because I get to learn so much history and culture from the shows!

 

Since Jewel In The Palace came out, I started researching on Korean history, partly due to the influence of the show, and partly because history is one of my passions too. I found out that Korean history is similar to Chinese history, as in the culture is similar in that there is the Confucian way of thought that men rule and women are subjugated, which is still happening in Korea now. Korean history also go by dynasty rules and the king ruled together with some trusted ministers, with a regent when the king was still young.

 

Amazing what one can find out if only one bothers! I found out that Korea also had a period of Three Kingdoms, and the Three Kingdoms were in peace until later on when some ambitious ruler wanted to conquer all, so there was a period of war, until one of the kingdoms managed to conquer the other two and made it a unifed state. The Three Kingdoms were Gogoryeo, founded by Go Jumong (whose descendants still bear the surname Go), Baekje (founded by Jumong's son or step-son), and Silla. Later on Silla conquered both Gogoryeo and Baekje and called itself Unified Silla.

 

Then there was another period where another kingdom conquered the unified state, only to be conquered by the longest serving dynasty in Korean history. That kingdom was Goryeo (the old name from which South Korea is derived), who conquered Unified Silla, and later on to be conquered by the Joseon or Chosun Dynasty (from which the Chinese name of North Korea is derived), whose kings and royal family bear the surname Lee or Yi. The Joseon Dynasty would last almost six hundred years until the early twentieth century when the Japanese conqured Korea and abolished the monarchy.

 

The parallels of Korea and Chinese history are that during the era of the Three Kingdoms in Korea, it was during the Han Dynasty of China. Hence the Korean Three Kingdoms era happened even before the Three Kingdoms era of China. When Unifed Silla was founded, it was already in the Tang Dynasty, and when Goryeo was founded, it was already the Song and Yuan Dynasty.

 

The reason the Joseon Dynasty was founded was because some of the people were against the alliance with the Mongol rulers of China. In any case, when the Joseon Dynasty was founded, it was already the Ming Dynasty, and they would last throughout the Qing Dynasty and fell around the same time China became a Republic.

 

Hence, the customs, culture, dressing and even politics and management of the Joseon era were very similar to the Ming Dynasty of China. And that is why the historical dramas of Korea were so captivating because it really talked about the power struggle between the people in the royal family, the king who wanted to rule absolutely but was always overruled by his ministers, and the jealousy and infighting amongst the queen and concubines.

 

Hence I started collecting Korean historical dramas and arranged them in chronological order to watch. The first was Jumong, the founder of Gogoryeo, the biggest of the Three Kingdoms. The second was The Legend, incidentally starring my favourite Korean guy Bae Yong Joon. This took place around the middle part of the Gogoryeo dynasty.

 

The third was Queen Seondeok, the first female ruler of the Silla Kingdom. Silla came to an end two rulers after her, and was absorbed into Unified Silla. The fourth is Ballad Of The Prince, chronologically around the same time as Queen Seondeok, as it was on Queen Seondeok's (when she was still a princess) youngest sister who later married the king of Baekje, and he was the second last king of Baekje before it was absorbed into Unified Silla.

 

After this, the chronology went on to the Joseon Dynasty. The first show I have is The Great King Sejong, the fourth and probably the greatest king of the Joseon Dynasty. This was followed by the Princess Man, on King Sejong's granddaughter. Her father was the second son of King Sejong. The throne was of course passed to his elder brother King Munjong, who passed away after ruling for two years. The throne was then passed to his young son King Danjong, but King Munjong's younger brother seized the throne from his nephew and instilled himself as King Sejo.

 

Princess Man is on the daughter of King Sejo who was caught in the power struggle between her father, her cousin, and the son of the minister who remained faithful to King Munjong. Around the same chronological time, there is the show Queen Insoo. This is a relatively new show, the first production from a new television station.

Queen Insoo was the eldest daughter-in-law of King Sejo. When King Sejo seized the throne, his eldest son became Crown Prince, but he died early, leaving behind his widow and two young sons. His younger brother then became Crown Prince and later on ruled as King Yejong. But King Yejong died early, and his nephew (the son of the previous Crown Prince) then became King Seongjong, so his mother became Queen Insoo upon his ascension to the throne.

 

Another one along the same chronological time is the show The King and I, about King Seongjong and his concubine turned Queen, who was later deposed and forced to drink poison. Her son the Crown Prince became king Yeonsangun upon his father's death, but became one of the worst kings in Korean history, culminating in a coup to overthrow him and his younger brother became King Jungjong.

 

After The King and I, the next drama in the chronology is Jewel of the Palace, where the beginning showed the poisoning of the deposed queen, when her son Yeonsangun became king he went on a rampage and killed everyone involved in his mother's death, and then he was overthrown and his brother King Jungjong took the throne. The drama is mostly centred on King Jungjong's time, and later on briefly his eldest son King Injong, who also died early, and the throne then went on to his younger brother King Myeongjong.

 

The next drama in the chronology is The Moon Embracing The Son, on the son of King Seonjo, the successor to King Myeongjong. After that comes Jewel In The Crown, more commonly known as Dong Yi. The choronology now goes on a few more kings until the era of King Sungjong, Dong Yi's husband. Dong Yi later had a son who would later rule as King Yeongjo.

 

Finally, the last show in the chronology is Wind of the Palace, better known as Yi San, on King Yeongjo's grandson, who became King Jeongjo. It was around this time that Catholicism was being widespread, and outlawed by King Yeongjo as being against tradition and as an evil practise, so those Koreans who have converted to Catholicism had to practise secretly. Many Catholic priests were persecuted. Yet Catholicism managed to flourish and is now one of the biggest Christian groups in South Korea.

 

This is my chronology of Korean historical series so far. I believe there should be more coming, and if the storyline is interesting enough, I may add them to my collection too. Which is why I enjoy watching these because I really get to learn a lot, and the plot and actors are not bad too!

A Surprise Invitation!

A long time ago, back during my teaching days, I tutored this girl for two years, and she went on to score straight As and entered the best girl's school here. Her mother was so grateful to me that she would still contact me occasionally to ask about books and recommendations. I have been keeping in touch with the mother on and off, but I have totally lost touch with the girl.

 

Actually I do not think I did much. The girl herself is smart and hardworking, hence by the time I started tutoring her, she was already making very good progress. In fact, she asked for a tutor because her grades dropped from ninety plus to eighty plus! Where can you get students like that nowadays? Those I taught refused to even learn even when they were failing! So I do not think I actually did a lot for her.

 

In any case, around three years back, I asked the mother about the daughter. The mum said she would be going to Australia to do Medicine. I have always known this girl is smart and hardworking, so I know she will definitely have a great future ahead. Unfortunately, I could not contact the girl before she left.

 

A year back, the mother added me on Facebook, and through her, I found the girl. She still remembers me! Yesterday, the mother sent me an invitation, asking me to go to her house for Lunar New Year. This came as a big surprise because we have not met up for a long time, ever since I stopped tutoring the girl. She said precisely because we have not met for a long time, hence we should meet up and catch up. The girl herself would be leaving back to her studies soon after the new year, so she asked me to go over and visit.

 

Now, that is one nice family! This invitation really came as a surprise, and I was delighted at the same time. Which is why I say sometimes God sent the best people into my life without me knowing. Now I am really looking forward to meeting up with them after so long!

Course Fees Received, Finally!

As per my previous post, I called the school again and asked about the status of my payment. At the time I called (three in the afternoon), they still have not received my cheque yet. I was getting really anxious, and called up the postal service to demand an explanation.

 

The officer on the phone said if I sent it by normal mail, they are not able to track for me. However, due to the holiday season, the mails within this period have been delayed, so most likely the other side will receive the mail later this week.

 

I said even if it is the holiday season, the mails should not be delayed that long. Afterall, it makes no sense for me to send out something only to reach the recipient after two weeks right? What if it is urgent? Or lost? The officer apologised and said within this week, all mail will be sent out and to seek my understanding that this does not happen all the time.

 

Just now, someone from the school called me and said they have received my cheque. Finally! After so many days of waiting. I then proceeded to log on to the portal and managed to register for my course materials on time. Thank goodness everything turned out well in the end!

 

I think next time if I send in a cheque, I would send via registered mail instead. More expensive, but at least I can guarantee that can reach much faster!

Lost In The Mail?

My new semester starts in February. I had confirmed my modules and sent in a cheque payment for the course fees way back on New Year's Eve. The deadline for payment was supposed to be yesterday, 6 January.

 

Till date, the school has not received my cheque. I have been calling in since last Thursday regarding the status of my payment, because if they do not receive my payment, I am unable to confirm my course materials and may even get penalised for non-payment.

 

I called again today, and it was the same thing. They have not received yet. It is taking way too long! From experience, our postal service is not that slow. It is more efficient than that. The mail is normally sent out within two to three days the most! So why is it taking such a long time this time round? I can send something overseas in this period!

 

Initially I was rather patient with the person who answered the phone. But today I almost lost my temper. The person made it seem as if it is my fault that the payment did not reach them, and I could be penalised because the deadline is already over. Besides, even if I pay now, I may not be able to confirm my course materials anymore. Why is it my fault?! Yes, I know it is not within their control, so are they saying it is within my control when the letter arrives?!

 

There is no alternative but to wait. If until tomorrow and the mail is still not received, I am going to call up the postal service and demand and explanation on what happened!

A Disappearing Sight ...

Some time ago, I read about this place which I did not even realise exist, especially in a country like mine! I was immediately intrigued and have wanted to explore the place since then. Last Saturday, I finally had the opportunity to go to this old-fashioned zinc-roofed canteen. The place is situated right outside an army camp, and en route, one can pass by one of the last few remaining roundabouts left here, called Piccadilly Circus, probably in tribute to the colonial days.

 

I got down from the bus at the entrance and walked in, all the way up. Then I realise the bus actually brings me into the premises, right outside the main entrance of the camp itself, so I did not actually need to walk so far. Now I know. The canteen is situated behind the bus stop. There are several signs to indicate where the canteen is, so one would not get lost.

 The sign just after the bus stop, indicating the direction of the canteen

 

 Carpark right in front of the canteen

 

 The facade of the canteen

 

 Beyond this zinc wall is the coffee stall

 

 The seats outside the canteen

 

 Main entrance of the canteen

 

There are several stalls in the canteen, namely the main coffee stall that sells, well, coffee, tea, drinks and snacks, the Malay stall that sells their own specialty, and the Chinese stall that sells its own mixed rice specialty. I was hungry and the food from the Malay stall looks appetizing, so I bought a plate of fried vermicelli (dried mee siam), with fried egg and chicken wing, as well as a glass of iced milk tea. Delicious, and cheap too!

 



 Interior of the canteen

 

 My plate of fried vermicelli with egg and chicken wing. Cost me only S$1.70 for the whole set, very cheap in today's context.

 

 Giant iced milk tea at double the size and half the price as what is sold outside

 

 Exterior of the canteen

 

 More signs. If one still get lost, then one ought to kick himself.

 

Seeing the structure of the canteen, it kind of reminds me of Malaysia, as one does not see this kind of eatery anywhere anymore. Thank goodness for the numerous heritage blogs that keeps things like this alive and known!

 

All in all, the experience was not bad. Good food at a remarkable price. The only thing I feel uncomfortable about is that, save for the stall owners and workers, I was the only female customer. The rest of the customers are either army guys or construction workers. Hence when I went in and found a place, I could literally feel everyone's eyes one me, making me really uncomfortable!

 

Unfortunately, this last old-fashioned canteen will probably make way soon for the new aerospace hub that is already undergoing construction at the premises. When that happens, modern eateries will replace this, and it will be another sight of the past that will disappear from our shores for good. I only hope the authorities conserve this place, because this is one really good place for education and enjoyment about my country's past.

Date A Girl Who Travels, Reads And Writes

I came across an interesting article yesterday on Julie's Facebook page on dating a girl who travels, which I agree thoroughly! Today I went to search for the actual article, and here it is! What is mentioned in the article is so true, because someone who travels has an open mind, a broad horizon and a thirst to see the world. He or she knows that the world is not confined to just the four walls of the bedroom, but the world is much bigger than anyone's mind can ever imagine.

 

After this, I came across two more articles, Date A Girl Who Reads, and Date A Girl Who Writes. If you date a girl who reads, your life will be all the more colourful. If you date a girl who writes, your life will be all the more beautiful.

 

Are these articles not just true? A girl who travels, who reads, who writes, who is always dreaming up scenarios after scenarios, who is always lost in her world of stories and creations. Her horizon is so wide and imagination so unlimited that she will bring you to a world of beauty, colour, and things you have never imagined before.

 

Personally, I will definitely date a guy who travels, reads and writes (not in any particular order), because these are the few things I am really passionate about. I cannot imagine my life without reading, writing and travelling. These are the things that just help increase my knowledge and improve my quality of life.

 

So for men who are willing, do date a girl who reads, writes and travels. You will enter a world you may never have imagined!

Comparing Online Bookstores

Recently I found this online bookstore called Fishpond. It is a United Kingdom website, but has subsidiary sites around the world, including in my region. I have come across this for a long time, but have never bought any books there, until my friend told me recently that the books there are cheaper and most importantly, they deliver for free. Because the website is in my region, I pay local currency and not overseas currency. So it seems to be worth a shot.

 

I tried it out today and managed to make some orders. However, because the books are stored in United Kingdom, it may take some time to reach, around two weeks to a month. But at least once the order is processed, I just need to sit back, relax and wait for the delivery. But the books are discounted because I am ordering directly from the warehouse, so it cost only S$60.00 for four books, with free delivery thrown in! That is a really good deal, as compared to the same kind of books in our bookstores.

 

Even though under Fishpond there are many books there that are not found in our bookstores, still, the variety of books available are not as widely ranged as other online bookstores like Open Trolley and Amazon. I first started ordering from Amazon as the variety of books and discs are amazing, but because it is an overseas company, I always have to pay in US dollars, not including shipping. After conversion, it is quite a big sum. Besides, I normally have to wait around two months for my order to arrive.

 

Hence when I came across Open Trolley, which is a local company and charging local currency, I decided to start buying books from there. The variety of books there is very wide too, and the customer service is really good. However, even though it is a local company, they still charge delivery costs to deliver the books. The other alternative is to pick it up on our own, which is what I always do whenever I ordered books from them as self-collection is free. And because it is a local company, the books arrive in a very short while, around a week the most. Hence I do not need to wait.

 

The only drawback is that Open Trolley is not that cheap. The cost is comparable to Amazon, and local bookstores. In fact, if I am to buy the same four books that I just bought at Fishpond at Open Trolley, the cost would be at least S$80.00 to S$90.00, with free self-collection. The offer is not tempting at all.

 

Hence I am starting to give Fishpond a try. Only if it does not have the books I want then perhaps I will go to Open Trolley, or even Amazon at a last resort. Hopefully the books come on time and in good condition!

2013 Resolutions

I have come to a stage where I stopped making New Year resolutions, as they always seem to be over rated. Afterall, no one really sticks to their resolutions anymore, so why bother? Nevertheless, I want to try making resolutions this year and stick to them.

 

So what are my resolutions for this year?

1. Be more faithful to my faith. I have stopped a lot of religious activities because of certain things that happened, and I find myself embarrassed to face some people. Nevertheless, I am making it a point that I am doing things for God and not for anyone else, so starting this year, I am starting to be more involved again, no matter what others say. This also includes attending Novena more often, more regular sessions at the communities I am in and hopefully to contribute more in terms of religious activities like cathechism which is still on-going, and even the sessions for adults who want to learn about the faith.

2. Lose some weight. My weight has been escalating at an alarming rate every year, and I find the older I get, the harder it is to shed off those kilos. Besides totally not eating, there is nothing much I can really do since my body is shaped such a way that I gain weight very easily. I hope to make it more of an effort to lose some weight and hopefully fit back into some of my old clothes again.

3. Settle outstanding problems. This is something that has been dragging on for a long time now, since late 2011. And I have yet to settle it because I feel for others. But it has come to a stage where there is no other choice and I really need to get myself free from problems once and for all before I can move on thoroughly.

Three resolutions for this year. Sounds easy, right? Hopefully I can actually make it a point to fulfil them and stick to them!

Back To Drama Serials

I am starting to watch Hong Kong drama serials again. I used to watch them on and off when they were showing here, but because of my studies then work, I have not managed to watch any shows on television for a long time now.

 

Few years back, I started buying some of my favourite Hong Kong serials. Somehow the older shows are much better than the newer ones. New faces do not necessarily make for better quality. Hence, for the past few years, I stopped watching.

 

Furthermore, I find the drama sets very expensive. It used to be S$30.00 a set, and two sets for a thirty-episode serial because there is only one episode per VCD. Hence, I would need to spend an average of S$60.00 per serial. After a while, it just got too expensive, for VCD sets! DVD sets cost S$100.00 or thereabouts.

 

However, a few weeks back when I stepped into a video store, I was surprised to see the cost of DVDs have gone down a lot. Now it is one set per serial, even if it is an eighty-episode serial. There are several episodes per DVD, so the whole set is now much smaller and more compressed. Instead of getting two per serial, it is now one per serial, and the price is much lower, averaging around S$40.00 for a DVD set and not a VCD set. It is getting more worth it to get the serials!

 

But still, I did not get any as I feel that the newer dramas can never be compared to the older ones. Recently, due to the recommendation of my friend who lent me some of the newer serials, I started watching again. Not only that, I started writing reviews on this website featuring reviews of shows too. It is really a good avenue to write in whatever way, why did I even stop, I wonder? Must have been too cooped up with myself to stop writing, and look what happened? Things went wrong and I almost could not cope with my own emotions.

 

In any case, some of the newer serials are pretty good. The best news is that the video shop near my office is having a massive one-for-one sale, so I can get some of the more interesting recent serials at a very good price, as compared to in the past.

 

Guess there will be lots of new dramas to watch this year. Hopefully those live up to the hype as what I read and expected!

Chasing Dreams ...

Happy New Year! Happy 2013! Wow.. another year has passed and come so fast! I really hope and pray that this year will go smoothly, and I will not have anymore drama, upheaval, sadness and trouble henceforth.

 

Now with the approach of a new year, what do I want for myself? My top priority is still my love life. Despite everything, I still want to be with someone whom I can marry and spend a life with, and raise a family with. This has been on my list forever, but year after year goes by and nothing happens, besides fiascos after fiascos.

 

Next is my job. Notice my job comes after my love life? I always believe to put my family first, because I know once I have a family, that would be my priority. If need be, my job and everything else will take a backseat.

 

Job wise, I am all for upgrading. It is still my dream to be able to study in England. Why England? No particular reason, I just love the place, and what better inspiration one can get surrounded by beautiful countryside, lush rolling hills and quaint villages? I wonder if it is too late to fulfil my dreams? Can I really go overseas to study if I have a family? I know of some people who did, the spouse went to further their studies abroad and the other half waited for the next few years. Some of them left even with kids around.

 

I guess all one need is a very supportive and loving spouse who is willing to let you fulfil your dreams. That is what being a couple is all about, is it not? Supportive and loving all the way, and not a constant competition to see who is better and hold each other back.

 

For now, I can only dream a dream, of days gone by and hopefully the dream I dreamed will ever be fulfilled.