Time Out ....

We had not gone out for quite some time, at least not out just by ourselves, so on the spur of the moment, we went to this place which I happened to stumble upon last night. It is not somewhere grand, tucked away near both our workplaces, but it turns out better than expected. (For a detailed review, check out our food blog.)

I never know how much I missed just some time out with him, dining and wining. It may not necessary be anything great, but just a simple night out and a simple dinner will do. I can fully understand why some married couples say they have no time for each other, because with work and other commitments, one really do not have that much time to spend on our own, let alone with a significant other. Plus by the time we knocked off from work, we are so tired that we really want to just go home and rest and relax, and not do anything else. So I can kind of relate why some couples drift apart.

But the thing is, a relationship takes more than just seeing each other everyday. One need not have to see each other everyday to survive (although we have been seeing each other everyday, since we live and work so near to each other and involved in the same activities together). But the important thing is, even if we do not see each other nor call each other (at times when we are both tired, we just go to bed without calling each other), still somehow we know we are there for each other.

I guess it is no longer those lovey-dovey kinds of love which the sticky youths always extoll in, but more of a kind of security and commitment that even though we are not the sticky kinds nor the dramatic kinds, we can still last. Love is more than just gazing at each other's eyes and declaring "I love you" everyday to each other and to the whole world. It is the mentality of being together despite ups and downs.

Is he perfect? Definitely not. He still irritates me with his idiocy at times. But neither am I perfect. I daresay I irritate him to no end with my own idiocy too. But he is something I am not - tolerant. He tolerates my antics and quirks much more than I tolerate him. I think I have to worry about him leaving me for someone more demure, accommodating and soft-spoken than the other way round!

Yet he still sticks with me, not because there is no better person, because this is what a relationship is about. One does not just accept the good side of the person, but also tolerates the bad side, the quirks, the idiocy, the antics, the temper (in my case), the high expectations. Similarly, no matter how much he irritates me and how I lose my temper and patience, I still stick with him, because I know if I lose him, I will never be able to find another person that is so right for me, despite whatever gripes I have.

No relationship is without problems. Similarly, no human being is perfect. Even when a couple marries each other, they may not even know each other fully even after fifty years. Because people change. Circumstances change. Situations change. One cannot expect a sixty-year-old man to be the same as thirty years ago. Family, responsibility and old age do take a toil on everyone.

It is for each of us individual to adapt to the changes and situations, accommodate and tolerate, and make the most of it, and not just give up just because we run into problems. That, I guess, is the main way of how a relationship can last.

Launch Of Our New Project

Remember some time ago, I said I was busy with a new "project"? Well.. it is finally ready! I did not want to disclose much as I thought it may not see the light, but after both our efforts (mostly mine actually), we have come up with a new food blog for our gastronomical and culinary adventures.

So here it is! The unveiling of our new food blog! This will be where we begin our eating adventures, where we post recipes, reviews, cooking tips, cookbooks, food, food, glorious food, and more food.

I may still be posting food reviews here, but it will just be a skimpy one, as the new blog will contain more detailed information and pictures of the various epicurious events we would attend. Meanwhile, this still remains - as a momento of my boring life.

Under The Weather ...

The weather had been so erratic lately. Why must it always be so hot in the morning and then only starts having a thunderstorm in the evening, especially when we need to knock off?

I had been caught in the rain on and off and now I am under the weather. Is it because of the constant thunderstorms? Or is it because of burnt out?

Whatever it is, I hope to be on my feet again! It is really a bad time to fall sick!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Relevant Or Irrelevant Courses?

Whenever I tell people what I am doing (work life vs study life), nine out of ten times, I will receive incredulous glances and puzzling remarks, as if it is a crime doing what I am doing. I guess for many people, they see no reason doing things if it is not work-related. I am totally sick and tired of this, since it has happened quite a few times!

I have always maintained the stance that why must we do something just because it is work-related? Why can I not do something simply for interest and not because it is for work? Like people have been bugging me to get my practicing license, but right now, I rather finish what I started (the course I am taking) and then get my practicing license after that. I think with better (and higher) qualifications, it will be easier doing what I want to do in the future, especially if I intend to go for post-graduate and doctorate studies.

Which is why whenever I tell people what I am doing for work, they go a "Wow" as if it is any big deal. But when I tell them what I am studying, they feel kind of let-down. Why so? Knowledge is power, so no matter what you do, no matter how irrelevant and useless people think of you, whatever knowledge gained will follow you throughout life. Besides, nowadays a lot of people are doing a job totally irrelevant to what they studied, and vice versa.

Due to this, I am always reluctant to tell people the number of courses I have taken, simply because none of the courses are work-related. I took those for myself, for my own interest, and not for anything. Like musical instruments. Like singing. Like the various dances. And cooking, baking, wine appreciation, even cycling, tennis and squash. Plus skiing and ice-skating.

I still have yet to take up photography, scuba diving, snowboarding, flower arrangement, cake decorating, scrapbooking, jewellery-making, knitting and professional make-up and nail art courses. These will be done in my lifetime, preferably before I reach middle age. But right now I have too many things on my plate.

But none of these will benefit my career. Afterall, if I am not going to make photography or cooking or baking or jewellery-making or music or singing or dancing or make-up a career, why would or must I bother taking up all these?

Again, I repeat, for my own interest. There is never a timeline to learning things, and there is never too much knowledge. Why can I not learn all these simply because I am interested in them? I may or may not utilise what I learnt, but I daresay the knowledge or skills will come in somewhere somehow.

People can go on living their lives in their own comfort zones, but at the end of the day, if they do not upkeep or upgrade, they will be the ones who find themselves obsolete. Whatever irrelevant skills I have or have not, perhaps they are the ones who keep me current? I hope to pass these on to my own children and hopefully they too will have a thirst for knowledge and never stop learning!

Systems Of Education ....

I spent the weekend rushing two assignments back to back. I have not done this in a long time. The last time I did this was when I was still a full-time student, when I was younger and more energetic and I could go around without sleeping and still be full of energy the next day. I used to have to submit three assignments on the same day.

Now age is catching up. I can no longer go without my sleep and still function the next day. I have much less energy in doing things. So rushing two assignments back to back is no easy feat for me now. But at least they are done! Now all is left are some quizzes and two more minor assignments, and then it will be the examinations!

I kind of like this system where the assignments or continuous assessments take up half the weightage, and then the other half is the examination. I believe this is adapted from the American system where whatever you do in class - tutorials, papers, quizzes, take up a certain percentage, so if you do them well, you still have a chance to pass the examination.

Whereas for the British system, everything is on the examination. Whatever work you do for the semester does not count as the examination takes up the whole weightage. So if you fail the examination, you fail the whole subject.

Perhaps that is why I never did well in law school. During my time, it was still the semestral system - examination-based. Everyone knows nothing matters throughout the year unless you pass your examination. So there were people who conveniently disappeared for the whole semester and only appeared during the examination.

I find this system only for the highly intelligent. I am never one that can manage this as I am never an examination-smart person. If all the weightage is on the examination alone, what if I did not do well? What if I failed that paper? In those days, failing one subject means you repeat the whole year and not just that subject.

But when I left and went on to do my education degree, it was better because at that point in time, the system revamped. It became the modular system where you take certain number of modules per semester and you need to fulfil a certain number of modules to pass. Within one module, there would be projects, assignments, tests, quizzes and all these would take up certain percentage of the final grade, with the examination taking up the remaining percentage.

Which means if you have been doing alright for the module, more or less you know your examination is guaranteed a pass after weighing the total percentage. Furthermore, if you happen to fail a particular module, you only need to repeat the module the next time round, instead of the whole year or semester. Plus with the modular system, you can choose to accelerate your learning by taking on more modules per semester.

Hence I am all for the modular system because that seems more flexible and not so rigid. Students also learn more in the quizzes, tests, assignments, projects, etc, and will be able to handle examination questions better.

Luckily the institution I am taking my part-time studies in, is also based on the modular system. So I just need to focus and catch up more on my examination, and hopefully I can pass and go on to the next semester without any glitch! But if I have a choice, I much rather take on all coursework - more projects and assignments, and not take any examinations altogether!

Should Child Criminals Be Given A Second Chance?

I just finished a very thought-provoking show called "Boy A". As I need to rush assignments for the weekend, he brought over a disc he borrowed and we watched it in between breaks.

The show is about how a child criminal who was thought to be involved in the murder of a girl when he was only eleven, was released from prison upon his adulthood. His social worker then gave him a new name and a new identity, even finding a job for him and helping him fit back into society.

I wonder if any of you remember this case around fifteen years back, on two ten-year-old boys who kidnapped and killed a toddler? This happened in England. The two boys were put on trial and convicted of murder, hence thrown into jail. But they were released around ten years later upon reaching adulthood.

I wonder what happened to them? I know they were given anonymity and then moved elsewhere. But were they given a second chance? Were people still out for their blood?

When you commit a crime, specifically killing someone, as an adult, you will either be hanged or sentenced to life imprisonment, at least in the local context. But the law gives allowances for underage criminals.

About ten years back we had a case where this guy plotted with a teenager to kill his wife to get her insurance money. The teenager then stabbed his wife to death. The guy thought he could get away but being the mastermind, he was hanged. No compassion was shown to him when the verdict was out.

The teenager, being underage, escaped the death penalty. But because he is of sensible age and knew fully well what he was doing, he was sentenced to jail "to be kept at the President's pleasure", which means he may still have a chance to be released. He is probably still in jail.

If he is ever released, I wonder how society will view him? Should he be given another chance? Society does not take kindly to murderers and rapists. People are relatively more tolerant if you were jailed for a minor crime than a capital offence, especially if you murdered or raped just for kicks.

If the boy was ever released, what then? Would he be able to start life over? In any case, he is no longer a boy. He should be in his early twenties by now. Would he be given a new identity and released under anonymity?

Back to the show, the repented child criminal wanted to start life over. He got along well with his co-workers. He saved a little girl in a car crash. He became a little hero amongst his friends. He found a girlfriend.

Then his identity was blown. As a result, whatever good he had done and however well-liked he was, turned around overnight. He was fired from his job, his friends distanced themselves away and his girlfriend went away.

He felt the stigma of his past would always be there so he decided to go away once and for all. Before that he left messages to everyone telling them goodbye.

If only people are not so judgmental, would it turn out this way? I guess people will always be judgmental, but does it mean no one deserves another chance? Who is totally faultless? I am pretty sure many of us lie and manipulate to get our way, even to the extent of backstabbing.

So who are we to label others as such? It is already hard to survive in society as it is, and even harder for someone with a criminal record. People like us should not make it any harder.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Is It Good To Have Psychic Powers?

Imagine you can kill a goat just by staring at it. You can walk through a wall by staring at it. But would that be good? Like what George Clooney's character said in "The Men Who Stare At Goats" after a goat dropped dead in front of him when he stared at it for a while, "What had that goat ever done to me?"

What if you are blessed with psychic powers? Would that be a blessing or a curse? Would you use it in the right way or the left way?

Some people will use their powers to do good (think "X-Men"), some will use it for evil purposes like conquering the world. It is a gift that not many are blessed with, if there are any at all.

At times I wish I have psychic powers myself. It is always very tempting to see what my future is like - whether I would have a good or a bad future. No one can change the past but there is always a chance to fight for a better future.

But then again, do I really want to know? Honestly, I rather not know than to feel depressed if the future is not as beautiful as I would like it to be.

Is it not better to be a normal person than someone who can see the future and live a life of agony? I rather take life as it is -the happiness, sadness, sweetness, bitterness. Because that is what life is all about - no shortcuts and making the most of it!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

The Lovely Bones

I managed to watch a few movies the past three weeks but do not have the time to update. These are all overdue but I thought I better do it before I forget everything.

Of all the shows, the one with the most impact is "The Lovely Bones". It tells the story of how a teenage girl was murdered and her spirit rose up into the in-between where she watches on as her murderer got his just deserts and her family broke apart and started to heal.

Which makes me wonder, how do people deal with death? I ever reflected that when a person dies, what he was in life is best seen during his wake. I attended a wake last year on the demise of a friend's father. He was only in his sixties.

But he must have impacted a lot of people when he was alive, because there were many people who went for his wake when they heard about his demise.

Similarly, when I see the number of visitors my grandma has everyday and the number of people who called up asking about her, I know she has impacted a lot of people when she was young, that these same people still show respect to her and teach their children and grandchildren to show the sane respect to her.

I know in the event she passes on (touch wood!), her wake will be full of people in attendance. These people will be those she had impacted, with their children and grandchildren in tow.

When my grandpa passed away, the three day wake at my place was full of people. My parents provided dinner for those visitors and everyday, both my living and dining rooms were full of people. I did not realise it then but now I know my grandpa himself had made an impact on many people in his younger days.

I am ashamed to say I have never made an impact on anyone the way my grandparents did. Maybe when I pass on, no one will notice and I will just die an old, lonely death. But if I ever pass on, I hope to be able to die peacefully when I am still healthy and not become bedridden and be a burden to others.

It is one thing taking care of my grandma and perhaps my parents next time, but I will not want nor expect my younger generation (if any) to do the same thing to me.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Funny Characters On Facebook

My friend sent me this, on the nine most irritating people on Facebook! Cannot help laughing!

What A Little Initiative Can Do

The place where I am sitting in my office happens to be near the main photocopier. So whenever the paper supply runs out, it was always me, my boss or another colleague sitting around us that tops up the paper supply.

The rest do not bother. Even when people run out of paper, no one else bothers to refill. As a result, when we have to do printing or photocopying, many a times we realise there is no paper in any of the trays.

A few weeks back, we got fed up and wrote this notice and taped it above Mr Fuji Xerox :

Since then, the photocopier never runs out of paper! Why do people always need to be reminded to show some consideration?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

The Sacraments

Last Sunday's Cathechism class was on Sacraments. Applying to be a Cathechist was really a good decision because for someone who had never attended Cathechism and did not know the functions of the church, I really learnt a lot due to the lesson preparations.

I learnt about the Ten Commandments back when I was doing baptism classes but now, in order to ensure the kids get the message, the teaching instruction had to cater to them. Which means quite a lot of prior reading and research had to be done.

But it was a successful lesson! At the end of the hour-long lesson, the kids know what Sacraments are and they could even list out all of them verbally! Teaching smart kids are really different as compared to those I had years ago!

In any case, the seven Sacraments are as follows : 

1. Baptism

Baptism is for those born into the faith. They were baptized as babies when they were just a few weeks to a few months old. 

2. Reconciliation / Penance

Also known as going for Confession. Normally kids who were baptized as babies would start going for confession at the age of eight. 

3. Eucharist

Also known as Communion. When I was baptized as an adult, the first time I received Communion was the night I was baptised. But for the kids who were already baptised, they received their Communion at the age of nine. 

4. Confirmation

This is to accept the Holy Spirit being bestowed upon a person, confirming the faith. Normally this occurs at the age of sixteen, after four years of Confirmation classes.

For adults who got baptised, some were baptised and confirmed on the same day, some confirmed a year later. In my case it was two weeks later.

These four Sacraments above are what every Catholic have to go through. The other three below, not every Catholic will go through as it would be a case of either / or. 

5. Matrimony

Also known as Marriage. Yes, marriage is a Sacrament. Being in Holy Matrimony means being married in the eyes of God, which is why for Catholics, we are asked to marry in church.

Of course the law here requires us to legalize the marriage. Hence even if we marry in the church the marriage will not be legalised if we do not sign on the dotted line.

Which is why some chose to solemnise their marriage first then go through a church ceremony and some chose to solemnise in church and go through the ceremony at the same time. There are also some who just chose to solemnise their marriage without going through a church ceremony, especially if one partner is not a church-goer.

Our priests, being religious leaders, automatically have the power to let the marriage be recognized both under common / civil law and canon / religious law. So many couples nowadays just do everything in church and get their marriages legalised both under law and in God's eyes.

Not everyone will get married. Some may get called or have a yearning to be a religious leader, like priest, Sister or Brother, which brings us into the next Sacrament. 

6. Holy Orders

Some may answer a call to a higher being - leading a religious vocation. Some may become priests, some Brothers, some Sisters. They will give their lives to God and serve the people faithfully.

I always wonder, why are priests males? Why are there no female priests? Why can a woman not become a priest but only a religious Sister?

Once someone answered the call to Holy Orders, it is normally a lifelong thing. They remain celibate. But there were rare instances where someone stopped being a priest and left to get married. In which case he would have fulfilled both the fifth and sixth Sacrament. 

7. Anointing The Sick

Again, not everyone will fulfil this. Only if someone fulfils the sixth Sacrament and answers the call to Holy Orders will they get to anoint the sick. The religious leaders will visit those who are old and dying and pray over them.

So these are all the seven Sacraments! I will be covering a module on Sacraments in my Catholicism class later on in the year. Hopefully I will get to know more about this! Meanwhile, for those who are interested and feel may be useful, do grab a copy of the Cathechism of the Catholic Church to know more about the faith and how to teach Cathechism!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Of Body Hair ...

Last week my colleagues and I were talking about body hair. The men were asked, if they were dating a girl with long prickly armpit hair, would they ask her to shave?

There were mixed responses. One said he would not even date a girl with armpit hair protruding out, one said he would not say anything, one said he would date her but would casually drop hints asking her to shave.

Personally I am not born with silky smooth skin. My first brother is. His legs and arms are so bare and smooth. He does not even have noticeable facial hair! It makes me wonder if he even has hair.

My youngest brother is the opposite, like a typical man. Whereas I am unfortunate enough to have body hair in my arms, legs and underarms. Hence the frequent shaving, especially when I intend to wear something sleeveless or something knee-length.

How I wish I am those girls who have total smooth and silky skin that they naturally do not need to shave! Which makes me wonder, if we girls are born with body hair, do we even need to shave? After all, men can have unruly body hair and leave it as it is!

I guess because if men have body hair, they feel manly and macho. Whereas if a girl has body hair, people will look away in disgust. She will be criticised as having bad grooming habits. Body hair on a female is a turn off, at least to many men!

To me, the main reason why I tend to get rid of undesired hair is the hygiene factor. If the hair grows and clumps up, bacteria will form and we may end up having infection on our skin. Thus getting rid of body hair is a good way of keeping clean and prevents bacteria and germs.

Having said that, is it really a big deal if a female does not get rid of undesired hair? How many a times have you heard that if a woman is wearing something sleeveless with hair under her armpits, or if she is wearing a knee-length skirt with hair on her legs, people will always remark in disapproval that she should just shave?

I have never really heard of anyone remarking that a man should shave even if he is wearing a tank top with hair protruding out of his armpits or he is wearing shorts showing off very thick hairy legs. Why so?

Is it because it is still considered ugly for a woman to have hair? So if a woman does not shave, will any man date her? Yet if a man does not shave, women will still date him.

This probably shows men still focus on looks and overall image before they decide to date a girl while women are able to look beyond a man's physical image. But that should not be the way, is it not? A person should be liked for who he / she is and not just on physical appearances, grooming and image. Unfortunately not many are able to do that as most tend to judge on first appearances.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

What Does Being Filial Mean To Me?

I was supposed to go for the second follow-up to the recent CHOICE weekend today but because there was no one around except my maid and I, I had to help take care of my grandma.

Many years back, when my late grandpa was diagnosed with dementia and his bodily functions started deteriorating, my parents put him in a nursing home and visited him every week. This went on for more than a year before he was hospitalized and passed away in the hospital.

At that point in time, the ten-year-old me wondered how could my parents be so cruel to put my grandpa in a nursing home? They kept teaching me about filial piety and respect yet why did they not practice it?

Now I fully understand. It is hard to take care of an elderly and frail person. More care and more energy have to be put in. For instance, ever since my grandma was hospitalized, our lives changed. Instead of going home after work and resting during the weekends, we took turns going to the hospital to look after her.

Now that she is home but bed-ridden and wheelchair-bound, more adjustments have to be made. In the past we could go on our lives as per normal but now we have to be vigilant and check in get every once in a while.

In the past, we just need someone to stay in the house to ensure nothing happens but now we need two persons around - one to feed her and one to help in cleaning her.

Thank goodness that we are all grown up now so my maid only needs to take care of my grandma! At least we have a full-time caretaker at home so it is not too worrying for us.

In the past, there were three young kids, two elderly and two adults who worked full-time. My parents and my maid had their hands full taking care of us. They did not have the energy looking after an old and sickly elderly man.

Hence they did the thing they could - put him in a place where he could receive full-time medical care. And who could blame them?

My parents, especially my mum, are a living example of what filial piety and respect are. This is a lesson they have imparted to me. I only wish when the time comes, I can show the same piety to my parents and in-laws too.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Grandma's Home!

My paternal grandma is finally discharged! She came home on Thursday, the night when my parents left for their vacation in Spain.

Having her back is really great but because of her age, she is now confined to a wheelchair. She can still function normally, no incontinence and her mental prowess is still strong, but she is not able to move around as freely as before anymore. She has to be on adult diapers and have to be fed.

Seeing things like this puts my life into another perspective. First thing being healthy is the most important. Second, when I am old and dying, I will feel really blessed to have my children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren around me instead of dying an old and lonely death.

Wonder if I can be this lucky?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

J.D. Or L.L.B?

My younger cousin is applying to law school as her first choice. I am pretty sure she can get in, with her results and track record. As I have mentioned, everyone in my family on my mum’s side is a genius, and their other halves are even better, with the numerous PhD scholars around.

I am the black sheep, and still trying to prove myself as capable as everyone else. And I do not even have an other half that is better than them (not saying that he is not good). Maybe it is true – if one is established, intellectual and high-flying, then one can meet someone matching. If one is not, one can only settle for someone who is not.

Anyway, for a period of time I have been contemplating whether I should just continue my law studies and get a practicing license once and for all. Then I would not be in the “halfhouse” – not a practicing legal officer so limited in the kind of work which I do even though I crave for something more challenging and not so mundane, but at the same time too “high-ranking” to do anything lower. And the remuneration and prospects for a practitioner is definitely much better than one who is not.

But then I prefer to go with my interests, which is why I am studying something I like, instead of something more useful. Despite the fact that my mum and my cousin and almost everyone else I know have been bugging me to get my practicing license once and for all, still I refuse because I remembered how hard I struggled in law school and I never wanted to go through that again!

But then again, that time was what, ten years back? I was young, inexperienced and not working yet. There were still so many things I did not know, so many things I was naïve about. Now I ought to be more mature, more experienced and quicker in understanding things. So if I do go back to law school, perhaps things would be better? Perhaps with my working experience and exposure, I would be able to handle things much better this time round?

Still, I can never go back to the university I studied, so if I wanted to do it, I had to do it on a part-time basis under an external program from a United Kingdom university. And that would also not be recognized to cross the Bar here. Which is why I hesitate in taking it up even though it may be more relevant to what I am doing. Why should I take up another law course if I am still not qualified to practice?

Recently, out of curiosity, I went to check if there are any updates to the law courses here. I checked out the two universities offering law to make a comparison. And I found out that one of the universities is offering a J.D. program – the Juris Doctor, or the Doctor of Jurisprudence.

What is that? J.D. is essentially an American post-graduate law course. In the American system, those intending to practice law must first graduate with a first degree in whatever discipline, then later do a J.D. in order to become a lawyer. Same goes for doctors there – a first degree then later a M.D – Doctor in Medicine.

Whereas in the British and Commonwealth system, law is a first degree. One must graduate with a L.L.B. or Bachelor of Laws with high honours before one can practice law. At least here, in order to practice law, one must first graduate with a L.L.B. with at least a second class honours from the local university before one can even be called to the Bar. Overseas law degrees from certain recognized British universities must have a second upper.

But now the regulations are getting more lax. Because of the rigidity and strict regulations on the limit for lawyers, more and more young lawyers are leaving the industry. But I must say, lawyers are a talented lot. Besides being smart and articulate, they are very good in other areas like cooking, baking, theatre, singing, music and even yoga. Many ex-lawyers open restaurants, bakeries, go into theatre and opera, and open yoga schools.

So in order to curb the dwindling supply, the regulations have been revised. Overseas law graduates from recognized British universities who hold a second lower can now achieve their practicing license by going through a conversion course.

Even the better law graduates from certain universities in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and even Malaysia are being accepted into the local Bar. And for the first time, J.D. qualifications are recognized to be called to the local Bar.

It started with just a handful of universities in the United States, but when one of the universities here started the J.D. program, the graduates of that program would by default be recognized to be called, after going through the Bar examination and a period of six month pupilage in a local law firm or legal department of an organization.

I checked out the J.D. program and it is open to second class upper graduates of any discipline. It can be taken three years full time or two years accelerated. Even though it is a J.D. program, the syllabus is exactly like the syllabus of the L.L.B program. So it is like a fusion of both British and American systems.

Besides lectures and tutorials, there would also be a period of internship with partner companies that include top law firms and top companies, as well as a period of pro bono or community service. Just the kind I like!

I never really like the kind of structure where one just studies and all the emphasis is on the end of year examinations. I prefer a more well-rounded structure where besides academics, there is creative and critical thinking, no spoon-feeding and incorporation of community service and other aspects of life.

Furthermore, the J.D. program is already a post-graduate course on its own, unlike the L.L.B. So if I do take up the course, I will be able to get a direct post-graduate qualification as well as a practicing license at the same time. What a good deal!

The catch is I do not hold any second upper. Hence no matter what, I still have to finish my current course (which I do want to) and then apply with my transcript and job experience. Who knows, I may just get my lawyer dream fulfilled soon! So all the more I must achieve a first-class honours in order to go places!

One Hundred And Eighty Days Later ...

I am but human. That does not give me any justification to commit murder, but being human, I am not flawless or perfect. I have my quirks and expectations, so at times when expectations are not met, I tend to get flustered. And when that happens, it is my boyfriend who gets the short end of the stick.

So when I heard what happened to my friend and her ex last night, I realize I have to count my blessings. The world is full of unbecoming and jerky guys, and thank goodness I am not with one! Yes he is quirky, he irritates me to no end at times, but at the end of the day, I know he is one I can rely and depend on, one who cares for me more than he cares for himself, and I feel really blessed to have someone so into me, who loves me more than I love him.

Hence this post is a tad overdue. It is almost two hundred days today, but during our one hundred and eightieth day together (ie six months), we were both doing the CHOICE March weekend, yet he specially bought a heart-shaped cake and we celebrated at the Retreat House itself.

The cake he bought

Not only that, every “moni-versary”, he would try to do something different, like sending flowers to my office, baking a cake for me, buying me gifts, moonlit strolls at the beach, writing poetry (although a bit cheesy but still it is a good effort). The only thing he has not done is to cook a meal for me, or prepare a candlelight dinner for me.

What else am I grateful for? My mum’s office is near mine, so she would drop me at her office and I would take a five-minute bus ride to my office. His office is near my mum’s office, so every morning, he would meet me at the bus stop to see me off, sometimes buying breakfast for me. Every evening he would go to my office to wait for me and accompany me home.

Every weekend he is at my place, just hanging out, spending time with me and mingling with my family members. Each time I had to go to the hospital to visit my paternal grandma (who is still there), he would always accompany me without fail. Same goes to when I had to go to the hospital early this year to see my friend’s newborn baby.

The most important thing is that he puts up with my tendencies - my quick temper, my ultra perfectionist streak when it comes to certain things, my own quirkiness, my assertiveness, and my attitude of always learning and doing things and not slowing down. Most other guys just get put off by one thing or another!

So even though I still expect things can be better, still I do not think I can ever be with anyone else. At least not someone who is so egotistical and self-centred, or someone who is such a mummy’s boy, or someone who gets put off by confident and articulate women, or someone who plays with my feelings by claiming he liked me a lot then suddenly disappearing without notice.

He is as best there is, at least for me! So darling, thank you, for loving me.

"You Are Not Authorised"

Nowadays more and more offices have installed a computerised entry / exit system, where the staff uses his / her fingerprint and the system will scan the print and the door would then open automatically for the staff to enter. The whole thing goes as follows :

1. Staff puts the forefinger into the scanner
2. The display and an automated voice will have the message "Please put your finger"
3. Then after the fingerprint was scanned, the display message will say "Input Password"
4. Staff keys in the four numbers and presses "Enter"
5. The display message and voice will then say "You are authorised"
6. The door opens and staff enters

Seems easy right? The thing, like all other high fangled stuff, has many glitches too. Sometimes you may press too hard and the print gets blurry. Sometimes the print may not get registered. When this happens, you cannot go on to the next step, as the display and voice will then say, "You are not authorised".

When this happens, one just have to keep trying, or else wait for a kind soul to open the door from inside or someone else to scan the fingerprint successfully from the outside before entering. Many a times, I have not been "authorised" to enter. Despite scanning my fingerprint over and over again, I still could not be "authorised". And one can waste precious time trying over and over again just to go in!

I always wonder why? Is my finger that different or that small? Some say it may be due to dryness, some say may be due to oiliness, some say it may be someone pressed the "Enter" button too hard hence could not register.

Whatever it is, nowadays I have to enter my office, I ensure my hands are properly wiped and cleaned to remove all forms of microorganisms. I think that method works, as the past few days, I only need to scan my finger once and I could go through! Hopefully this keeps up and I will not be "locked out" again!

Breaking My Diet

I have broken my diet again. It was another day of eating for me yesterday. First my dear bought breakfast for me, consisting of oily noodles, luncheon meat and fried chicken wing.

Then during lunch my colleagues wanted a little feast so we went to New York New York near my ofice where I had chicken curry in a bread bowl followed by root beer float (which I did not know was going to be such a big serving).

I thought I was going to take it easy that night and skipped dinner but when I got back to the office after lunch, my cousin contacted me and told me about the family dinner so I had to go.

During the dinner, as usual, my family ordered a sumptuous meal of meat, buns, vegetables, rice, noodles, fish, bean curd with minced meat and finally yam paste for dessert.

So how can I not put on weight?! Which is why the next few days I must eat as light and as litle as possible!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Mid-Week Family Reunion

My Aussie aunt and uncle are in town these couple of days for their Easter break so we had a gathering last night at a restaurant. It was really great seeing most of my relatives again after a lapse of a few months, especially since my maternal grandma was away in Australia and just came back recently.

I find that I seem to be having less family get-togethers nowadays. We (my relatives here) used to see each other so often when we were young. As everyone grew up and the elders started aging, we saw less of each other except on occasions like Lunar New Year and birthdays. Most of my cousins have married, some have uprooted. If we were not brought up with good family values, I think we would not even get to meet.

Which is why my mum always ensures she tries to get the extended family together once in a while, for both my dad and her side. I will sure follow her tradition when I have my own family in the future!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Quarterly Report ...

It had been another busy week (what is new?) after a very fulfilling quarter. I have never been so busy, at least not for the past twelve years, and many a times I just feel like throwing up my hands in despair.

But I told myself I am only young once and since I have already wasted a big part of my life I better make up for lost time.

Which is why even though I am so tied up most of the time, I actually enjoy whatever I am doing. Of course when there are several pressing deadlines and meetings after meetings, that is a real drag.

But the end result is just one of satisfaction and happiness. Like the kids listening to me attentively during Cathechism classes. The weekend participants being inspired by my sharing. Being closet to God. Improving my knowledge in my classes and readings.

Now why did I not mention work? If only I can feel that enthusiastic about my job! Thus despite me being up to my eyes, I am still not giving up with whatever I am doing! I only hope the rest of the year can be just as fulfilling!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

A Lenten Reflection

Last night I attended a very emotional Lenten reflection, organised by CHOICE. It was a musical performance and a mini Praise and Worship session, with three sharings on various topics like Despair, Hopelessness, Helplessness and Doubt. I was asked on Monday night to share one of the topics, and I chose Doubt.

Honestly, my sharing could not beat the rest. I was not really prepared, for one. W.here the rest had prepared with a written piece of paper in their hands, I had no time to prepare anything. I could not even structure my thoughts properly! I just thought up one on the spur of the moment and just presented it.

Luckily I did not do that badly. At least I managed to weave a decent tale and presented something to the theme of Doubt. The singing and sharing by the rest were really full of feelings and emotions! It makes me really reflect on what Lent and Easter means.

This Easter will be the fourth anniversary of my baptism. Once in a while, I would reflect on what baptism means to me, and how I entered the faith. I must say I am not exactly a staunch or faithful person, but I hope through the years, my faith will improve and that my children will not take the faith they were born into for granted.

Gay... And Loving It!

I came across two guys whom I suspected are "not that straight" yesterday. They look to be in their late thirties to early forties. They sat opposite me while I was having lunch. They were wearing matching tops and carrying backpacks. Each had a ring on the left fourth finger.

When one went to buy food, the other sat down and waited. When he came back, the other one went to buy drinks and then his food. They shared drinks (in separate cups from the same can) and even laughed over a message sent to one of them!

The thing is, they do not look like they are so lovey-dovey, yet why do I have the impression they are in love, albeit of the same gender? But seeing them makes me feel warm-hearted, because even though they are both of the same gender, the comfort level and camaraderie they shared with each other can exceed any normal couple in love.

So it is true. Love does occur - no matter what shape, size and colour. And love itself, does conquer all!

Morons ...

Politics is abundant in every company. There will always be a couple of morons who treat others as a laughingstock. Little did they know they make laughingstocks of themselves.

As far as I am concerned, to me office means work. I do not go all out to suck up to others just to make them like me. I get my work done, my deadlines are met, the boss is happy, that is all that matters. I do not need to get approval for whatever non-work related affairs.

Neither do I go around carrying tales to others. As long as their supervisors know what they are doing, it is none of my concern what they do in the office. Hence I do not bother others and I do not expect them to bother me.

So when people start commenting how come I am always so free that I can go off at six everyday and how come my boyfriend is always so free to come wait for me, it really irritates me to no end. In the first place, I go off at six, not as if I go off at three! Besides when everyone else was streaming into the office at half-past nine, I was already in the office at half-past eight in the morning.

I spend the day working, meeting deadlines. I end my work at almost six. I have night classes to attend and now I have a grandma in the hospital. I did not even ask to take time off for anything, even when I came back from an intensive retreat! I do not spend the time talking bad about others.

So I have every right to go off on the dot once my work is done! My boyfriend happens to work near me so he drops by to wait for me then we go off together. Is it my problem if some people are not as fast or efficient? Or their other halves do not pick them up after work? Or they spend the time gossiping about others, come in late in the morning then grumble when they need to work late, yet begrudge others from being able to leave early?

But when these gossips turn to personal attacks, it really gets a bit out of hand. I have no idea how people came to the conclusion that I do not shower or wash my hair just because I have had a few bad hair days! What business is it of anyone how many times I shower or wash my hair or whether I shower or wash my hair everyday?

Then I heard someone said I must be a glutton because when I first joined the firm about a year back I was slimmer than now. Yes I know that! I am trying to cut down! But what business is it of anyone whether I eat a lot or not?

The worst thing is that some people said now I am attached all the more I must maintain otherwise my boyfriend will run away! Even if he does, why would it be anyone's concern? And if he really runs away just because I bulked up, then he is not worth it in the first place!

As far as I am concerned, my boss had not much issue with my work. That is all I am concerned about. I do not need to slim down nor change a hairstyle nor deliberately go home late just to please others. I have things to do outside of work too, I do not have the time to bother about trivial matters.

And if these few morons take the time to do their work instead of gossiping and scrutinizing others with a microscopic view, then I am pretty sure they will have the time to finish their work and go off on time!

Which is why I call them morons!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

First Follow-Up

The first follow-up last Sunday for the recent retreat went pretty well. Being so close to Easter, quite a few could not make it due to their own parish activities so there were not as many people who came as expected. Still it was a good gathering.

We (the presenters) went earlier for lunch and did the evaluation of the participants for the weekend. It was during the evaluation that they sieved out who could be immediate presenters or potential future presenters.

The participants came later on. We got them involved in an activity on groups while we facilitated. After that someone read an inspiring story and then the eating and mingling began!

There would be at least one or two more follow-ups. Each one will have a different activity. It was really great getting some together. Now I am really looking forward to the next follow-up where more will turn up!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Another Weekend Of Feasting!

It was another busy weekend of socializing and eating. Can you see why my weight is fluctuating?

On Saturday night, some friends and I went to Dallas Restaurant for a birthday dinner. It was to celebrate the birthday of my dear and another friend.

My dear is so lucky! He had three birthday celebrations this year! The first was at The White Rabbit two weeks back, second was a little celebration with the participants during the retreat last week, and the third was on Saturday!

But I would recommend Dallas. It serves American food, a little cosy restaurant that is very nice for small intimate gatherings. The food is great with quite big servings and the pricing is pretty reasonable as well. Comparatively The White Rabbit is more expensive with smaller portions, even though the ambience is just as cosy.

On Sunday we had more food at the first follow-up post-weekend. Almost everyone brought something and we had a feast of cakes, cupcakes, muffins, puffs, anything with sugar!

Every little session is to do with food. No wonder eating is considered our national pastime!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

U.S.S.R.

When I was in primary school, the education ministry launched the U.S.S.R. Programme for schools. What, you may ask, is the U.S.S.R. Programme? In those days we knew U.S.S.R. as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic.

So our education ministry, in a bid to improve our reading scores and encourage students to read and improve their English, incorporated the Uninterrupted Silent Sustained Reading into the curriculum, where students had to spend at least fifteen minutes of pre-assembly time reading a book, and one whole period during the teachers' contact time reading. In my school, those without a book would be warned. Three warnings would warrant a punishment. Hence U.S.S.R.

But judging from the number of people who actually read or are well-versed in books nowadays, somehow I feel this U.S.S.R. Programme is not that successful. I hardly meet people who read, at least not locals. The books in our libraries and bookshops are pretty run-of-the-mill and not that many variety. I guess that cannot be helped because the locals here are only interested in certain genres, hence I hardly ever find some books I really want.

On the other hand, at the eatery where my brother works, it happens to be where the Caucasians stay and visit frequently, so their mini library is filled with books written by Maxine Hong-Kingston, Somerset Maugham, Conn IgGulden to name a few - books which I hardly find in local libraries and bookstores! Imagine a small eatery with just a little shelf can contain much better books than a big bookstore!

Come to think of it, I hardly have time to do real U.S.S.R. ever since I finished school. And that was so long back. Think we should all incorporate U.S.S.R. into our lives so we can make it a point to set aside some time every day to do sone real reading!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

A "Nightmare" On My Street

For some reason, I had a nightmare last night. Perhaps I should not say "nightmare" because to many others, I may probably be kicking up a fuss over something trivial but it is a dream, if it ever come true, is many girls' worst nightmare!

Too many things give me bad dreams lately! Wonder if it is due to the massive multi-tasking I have been doing the past few weeks? But then again, how can I be considered "multi-tasking" if I am letting so many things fall behind?

It is true indeed that the older one gets, the more tired and less energetic one gets! No wonder people always say have to be young to do many things. But I let the opportunity slip so now I am trying to make up for lost time!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Attending A Dinner And Dance

I have not gone for any Dinner and Dance for quite some time. Nowadays quite a few companies are doing away with the traditional concept of "dinner and dance" (what dance? There is only dinner since everyone starts to leave after the last course without staying to dance!) and organise activities like Amazing Race or Festive Gathering in lieu of a dinner and dance.

Last night's Dinner and Dance was for his company and I went along as partner. The theme was "Movie Night" but no one, except for one table, dressed according to the theme. Everyone else was in normal office wear. I wonder why?

The best-dressed table rented costumes and dressed according to the theme of "The Last Emperor" in full Qing dynasty royal regalia! I wore my yellow evening gown which Kate Hudson wore to "How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days" complete with sparkling jewellery and he wore a suit a la Matthew McConaughy (but Matthew McConaughy carried it off better! ;-p).

It was a normal dinner (sans the dance) with table games, lucky draws and live band made up of some of the employees. There were movie quizzes on theme songs and quotes. Although the songs and quotes were from popular movies. To make it challenging, the quizzes should consist of songs and quotes from lesser-known movies or shows which not many will like to watch.

Even when the band was playing and the floor was opened for dance, no one made a move. We wanted so much to dance and swayed to the music being played but we did not wish to be the only two "idiots" dancing and swaying so continued sitting at our table in the end.

All in all, it was fun. The best part was the Master of Ceremonies who happened to be a rather prominent performing artiste here. I love his sense of humour and his fantastic one-man-show! I wish I can hire him to be a Master of Ceremonies in some events too, but I am pretty sure his charges are ske high!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

My First As An Observer

It had been one great weekend! Initially I was nervous about fumbling while I presented. But when I started, I just kept going, without much fumbling. I presented on the first night and the last day, and when one of the participants came to me and asked to talk to me regarding my talk, saying she was inspired and liked my talk, it made me feel really good! Good because I did inspire someone, and that is an affirmation that what I am doing can help others!

First time as a presenter enabled me to experience the whole weekend over again. While sitting in for the other talks and going into groups and hearing the sharings by the presenters, made me reinforce that I should practice what I preach (or am preaching), that I myself should also keep practising to become a better person. The whole retreat reminded me the mistakes which I or anyone else would commonly make, and how to overcome those.

Now if only I can be called as a presenter officially, then I can truly experience the whole weekend all over again and be more reminded of the things I ought and ought not to do! Presenting and facilitating and mingling with the participants make me feel so warm and good all over, that I hope that I can help them in whatever small way I can!

Distressed ....

I know I am falling behind again, but it had been one thing after another. To top it off, my paternal grandma has been hospitalised. She fell last Tuesday evening at home and my mum rushed her to the hospital on Wednesday. We went to visit her last Wednesday and she was fine, still able to recognise us and talk to us. She was supposed to be discharged last Sunday.

I was away at the retreat for the weekend. When I returned on Sunday night, my grandma was still not back. I found out she was suddenly in critical condition on Sunday. So the doctor had to keep her in for a few more days. She was alright on Sunday night. I went to see her the past two days and she was still alright.

Now I am praying and keeping my fingers crossed that nothing would happen! My grandma has always been healthy and strong. She can still walk around steadily without the help of anyone, and can still go about her daily functions even at this age of almost ninety-eight years. She can still eat three meals a day and go to the bathroom as per normal.

If I ever reach that age, I wish to be just as healthy as well! This is the grandma that has been staying at my house ever since I was born. She helped to take care of me when I was young and always advised me whenever my mum and I used to have our arguments. I really wish nothing will happen and she can come back and live with us again as normal!

Off To Be An Observer!

So tonight is the night when I debut my talk. I will be doing the first talk and the second last talk, so it will be tonight and Sunday morning. Which means I will just be sitting around, observing the other talks and helping to facilitate the discussion sessions. Saturday will normally be the most intensive yet most intimate session, so the presenters who are doing the talks for Saturday are really the inspiring ones. Their talks normally touch people.

I must say, I am quite nervous how the weekend will turn out. What if I did not do a good job? What if I get bad feedback? What if I get dropped before I even started? Of course being the first time in anything, anyone tends to be nervous.

I hope this will be a good weekend though. That I can learn from the participants as well as they can learn from me. With this, I look forward to the weekend and hope I will come back a new person after that!

The Battle Of The Coffee-Maker!

Some of you may know I have shifted office last November. My company used to have two offices, but since November, all have merged into one office. In my current (new) office, there are two sections - the one on the left belongs to the old office for the existing staff already there, the one on the right is the newly-renovated office for those that just moved in, with the reception counter in the middle, between the two sides.

Late last year, the pantry of the old office underwent a renovation. Now that pantry is twice the size of the pantry of the new office (the side where I am at). Because of that, the coffee-maker and everything else shifted to the new (big) pantry, leaving us to make do with just a flask, kettle and water cooler in our (small) pantry.

Recently, the office manager bought a new coffee-maker and put it in the small pantry. It makes sense because both our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Finance Officer are in the new office. But some people protested. They said the pantry at the old office underwent a renovation, so how can we use the new coffee-maker? We should take the old coffee-maker and shift the new one to that side!

Of course, there are other people who said why must everything new belong to the big pantry? Are we not entitled to anything too? It is more fair if we take the new coffee-maker since we already do not have a new big pantry.

Then they went on to battle about the variety of tea the small pantry has. There are four varieties of tea, whereas in the big pantry, there is only one type of tea. So people then said how come we have so many varieties of tea whereas they only have one? Erh.. we have so many because people actually buy from overseas and put it in the pantry for everyone to use?

The nature of people really sickens me at times. Instead of real work issues, people in the same office argue about trivial things like this! To me, does it matter which coffee-maker, which pantry, how much tea you have? If people want anything, they are free to come to the small pantry to use the products, just like how we used to go to the big pantry to use the utensils, yet no one complained about that!

Three's A Crowd

Two's company, three's a crowd. Or so the saying says. In the past couple of weeks, there is some "big" news going around on how a prominent media figure here cheated on his wife with a girl his daughter's age, and the girl went to the house and confronted the wife. Upon digging, it was found that he could have or had sexually harassed or made advances to eleven other girls around that age.

Actually, it is his own personal affair. Yes, he had an affair, yes, he deserved to be cursed at, yes, his wife was the victim. But why blow it all up? Perhaps there are no other sensational news around, hence everyday, the newspapers carry front page tales on how many girls he had and their stories.

Perhaps the girls in question take this opportunity to find some fame. Afterall, if one is suddenly in the limelight, many other opportunities come knocking. But how long can this last? A year? But someone's reputation and career will go downhill. You chose to be with him, you know he is married, so when things start happening, why turn so bitter? There is no need to ruin someone else's life.

I know I am not the best person to say this, but precisely because I have been through similar situations, hence I know how it is like. If you are the "other woman" so to speak, no one will pity you. People will judge you and label you a house breaker. Despite the fact that the guy can talk ten to the dozen that he is single and he only loves you and no one else, the woman still gets the blame.

I always wonder why? Why must the woman be the one to bear the brunt of the guy's infidelity? If he did not make advances to her, making her fall for him, none of the mess would have happen. Do people think most of us are born to be sluts? We are also brought up knowing what to do what not to do, but when the men are the ones who cheat and create the mess, why can they get away scot-free and the woman the one to get blamed?

Still, that is not to say you have every right to confront the wife and ruin the whole family. What was essentially a matter between two parties, become now a matter of three parties and the world. Is that really necessary?

That is why for a long period of time I tend not to trust men anymore. How would I know their real status? Men can hide their status and think no one will find out. Some are attached, some married with kids, yet they go around claiming they are single, behaving as if they really are single. Afterall, if one has a family, how could he then have so much time to spend with you?

I am not saying the woman is not at fault. If she knows he is married or attached, then do not step in and try to break others up. But what if she does not know? What if the man lies about his status? What if the man has a wife, and mistress, and still fools around? In this case, if the girl is not in the know, is she really to be blamed?

Precisely because the girl is always the one who is blamed which is why she is the one under more scrutiny and finger-pointing, and the scumbug of a man thinks he can get away scot-free since no one will blame him. What rubbish! Most troubles occur because the men go fooling around and have fun and think they can get away with it!

Eating The White Rabbit

On Saturday, we went for dinner at The White Rabbit. I have long wanted to try this place after hearing reviews of it. The White Rabbit is actually converted from an old chapel. That whole area used to be owned by the British army, so consist of British barracks. But those barracks have since been converted to eating places, where now the yuppies hang out for food and drinks and where you can find some of the best places for fine dining.

When I stepped in, I realise why The White Rabbit is a popular place for wedding ceremonies. The church ambience and stained glass windows are still around. There an enclave which used to be an altar. It is not too big as well, just enough for a hundred people. The places makes a nice and cosy venue for intimate weddings.

The food is not too bad. It is mostly modern European fare of pasta, macaroni and cheese and appetisers of finger food. The surrounding areas are grassy and makes a nice scenery out of a movie. The alfresco bar, called the Rabbit Hole, is a great place to chill out for drinks after a good dinner.

It was a nice dinner overall. The staff was helpful and the service was good. After that, we all went to the Wine Cellar for drinks and supper. It was a great night of feasting!

Giselle - A Ballet In Two Parts

I am never a fan of the ballet "Giselle". I always prefer "The Nutcracker" and "Swan Lake", the two very famous ballets worldwide. Those two are the equivalent of operas whereas "Giselle" to me is the equivalent of an operatta, the former on a bigger scale and the latter on a smaller scale.

But still, it is a good ballet performance. Hence we went to watch it on the last day of its run. And it exceeded my expectations! I find it even better than "Swan Lake" and "The Nutcracker"! Even though it is a ballet performance, the dancers danced a story. One can even feel all the emotions of love lost, hurt, betrayal and fear.

Giselle is the story of this peasant girl, whose mother made wine. It was summer and the whole village was off to the vineyards to pick grapes for making wine. In comes this Count who disguised himself as a peasant. He fell in love with Giselle and she reciprocated his feelings too.

Giselle had a suitor who was jealous of the newcomer. One day, he accidentally stumbled upon the sword of the Count, bearing the royal crest and went to expose his identity. The Count himself was already engaged to a lady of nobility, who came to the village looking for him. Giselle was heart-broken when she found out and died of a broken heart.

The next scene showed the poor villager at Giselle's grave. It was late at night and he was afraid of the ghosts. There was a saying in the village that when a girl died of a broken heart, her spirit would come back as a vengeful ghost. At this part, the ballerinas were able to just tiptoe and pointe around. Amazing! I always wondered how they managed to balance without falling?

All the spirits came out to dance. The Count, remorseful, went to cry at Giselle's grave. She had become a spirit. But their love was so strong that none of the spirits could touch him, so the Count and the spirit of Giselle danced together.

Morning came and the spirits had to go. Giselle had no choice but to bid her lover a tearful goodbye. Hence ended the ballet on a touching note.

The Singapore Dance Theatre outdid themselves again! I am sure going to support more of their productions! Now I only hope the next upcoming one will be just as good!

Up In The Air

This was also supposed to be up last week but between writing my talks, studies, work and lesson planning, I am falling behind in a lot of things.

In any case, this is a good show on its own. It is not a comedy nor a romance. It is also not exactly drama too. It is about how a high-flying single man who aims to earn ten million flying miles. In the process he cut himself away from his family, becomes self-centred and just wants to be a loner.

Because of the people he meets on his journeys, he starts to discover more of himself and what he wants. Due to this he realises there are other people besides himself in the world. He starts to help others for a change.

The last part of the show is quite inspiring. The whole movie is like a one man's journey of self-discovery. Pretty refreshing!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

An Alternative Wonderland

This was supposed to be up last week but I had been busy hence did not really pen it down. I had been looking forward to watching the show "Alice In Wonderland" ever since I came across the posters last year. Plus it is by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp, so it would be a show not to be missed.

So we went to catch it last week. And I was not disappointed. Granted the storyline deviates from the book, but which film adaptation actually follows the book? The screen writers always have to either summarize or dramatise some scenes and change the ending.

The show is on a young adult Alice who went back to Wonderland. She had forgotten her childhood dream and fantasy but her friends in Wonderland had not forgotten her.

Of course there are the characters of the White Rabbit, Dormouse, March Hare, Blue Caterpillar smoking, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the Queen of Hearts (the Red Queen) with "Off with their heads", the Knave of Hearts and the frog footmen who stole the Queen's tarts.

And there is the croquet playing with a flamingo and a hedgehog. As well as the tea that makes you smaller and the cake that makes you bigger. And the Jabberwocky.

And of course, there is the Mad Hatter with the Mad Tea Party. The Hatter really stole the show! Only Johnny Depp can play this kind of roles! Somehow he just plays them to perfection! One can never imagine anyone else playing the kind of roles he played!

In short, even though the story deviates a bit, this is a very good adaptation of a classic tale loved by children and adults everywhere. Really worth watching!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Third Presenter's Meeting

So the final workshopping has concluded and everyone is ready for the weekend (I hope!). I must say I am excited yet nervous about the upcoming weekend. What if I fumble?

The session just now was great but solemn. We had a final run through of some of the talks, then there was mass. Normally before every weekend there would be a pre-weekend mass but so far none of the priests were free hence the workshoppers only did a prayer. This time round, it was the first time there actually was a mass.

So that is it! About three more days to the weekend! I hope and pray that everything is well!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

The Stations Of The Cross

I was supposed to conduct the lesson on the Stations of the Cross today, but since I myself know nothing much about it, one of my fellow cathechists conducted the lesson on my behalf.

I never really know much about the Stations of the Cross except one Good Friday mass where we had to kneel many times. After that I was informed that the Stations of the Cross are the long steps Jesus took while carrying the cross before He was finally crucified on the hill.

But it was only these few days when I was researching on how to conduct the lesson that I start to really understand why the Stations are so important especially during Lent and Good Friday.

From the time Jesus was condemned to die, to when Veronica helped him, to Simon helping him, all the way until he was crucified, there were seventeen stations.

Every Lenten season and Good Friday, the priests and altar boys will do the Stations of the Cross every step of the way from the entrance to the altar without faltering.

I never really know the symbolism until now! This is the most solemn part of the entire Lent and Good Friday! This Good Friday, I am going to reflect on the full message and actually pay attention to the Stations of the Cross instead of feeling impatient over the long mass!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Second Presenter's Meeting

I had the second workshopping last night. We made quite a lot of progress. Our talks are essentially done, with just the last workshopping and pre-weekend mass on Tuesday, and everything is set for the weekend next week!

Last week at the first workshopping, I did one talk which I was asked to convert to another topic. So I did that and last night, I gave my amended talk. After the feedback I need to edit my talk again.

I also did two more talks. It was really a great enriching experience learning from the more seasoned presenters. I am sure looking forward to the weekend!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Working On A New Project

I was supposed to update this space earlier but was caught up with so many things this week. It is audit season again and everyone is on their toes at work.

Then I have to re-write my talks for the presentation. Not only that, I was nursing a body ache for the week.

And also, I am in the midst of a little project of my own, which is almost done and which I will disclose later on.

In any case, I foresee a great weekend ahead. More posts will come soon, that I promise.

Meanwhile enjoy your weekend!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

The Glass I Want

For those of you who have asked what kind of glass I am looking for, here it is! It looks like a classic simple kind of glass, but it is so hard to find! So far I can only see it in some restaurants and hotels where they serve water and juice in, or in television commercials for milk and juice.

This is the kind of glass I like - the classic kind, tall, slim and quaint! Not too broad and not too small!

Branded ... Or Not?

Some guys I know gripe about girls being too brand conscious and deem them as "high maintenance" and not a good "wife material".

What exactly is a good "wife material" anyway? Someone demure and soft-spoken who lets the guy do anything he pleases? What makes anyone think that a more intelligent, capable girl who stands firm to her beliefs and speaks her mind will not be a good wife?

Besides, if a man can spend thousands just on a camera and more on lens, why kick up a fuss when a woman spends a few hundred on bags, shoes, clothes and makeup? If the woman is able to afford it, why the issue?

Personally, I do not really care for brands. Of course I do have a few branded products like a Prada bag, Prada wallet, Levis jeans and several pairs of branded sunglasses.

But I do not nor can afford to buy branded products all the time. That is not to say I shun them though. In certain aspects, the brands do speak. Yes, a Louis Vuitton costs a bomb but the original workmanship and details are far more superior than a cheap knock-off. You buy one original it can practically last you for a lifetime.

That does not apply to cosmetics though. Contrary to what many think, the more expensive the brand is, it does not mean the products are necessarily better.

I have used common brands like Maybelline, ZA, Loreal and Revlon, as well as upmarket brands like Estee Lauder, Lancome and Clinique. My first choice? Still Maybelline, followed by ZA.

I may be biased but I base my judgement on lipsticks, lipglosses, mascaras and face powder - products I use the most. My lips tend to be dry so the lip products should not cause them to be parched.

My lashes are short so the mascara should really curl the lashes and not smudge the eyelids even after using an eyelash curler. And I have quite a unique skin colour tone so the powder cannot be too dark nor light.

So far after trying on the various brands, Maybelline lip products and mascaras still win hands down! The lipsticks and lipglosses actually moisturise my lips and keep them supple and glossy.

The mascara does not clump or smudge yet make my lashes fuller and more sultry. ZA's face powder is the only one that actually fades into my skin.

In comparison, the lip products of the upmarket brands tend to be drying, sometimes even causing my lips to be parched. The mascaras clump and smudge.

The face powders are a shade too light and make me look like a ghost sometimes. So who says the more expensive the better?

One thing which I will not spend so much on is shoes. Face it, when you put them on your feet, does anyone actually notice? Does anyone even know you are wearing a seven-hundred dollar pair of Ferragamos or a fifty-dollar pair of Charles and Keith? If you wear them often, they are going to be worn out quickly and then you have to replace them every few months.

That is not to say I just buy shoes off the shelf like that. I do believe in quality and comfort especially since I will be walking in them. So my shoes have to be fitting, round tip and open toe.

My feet are broad hence I cannot wear any pointy tipped shoes. My toes tend to clump together causing discomfort and blisters hence I cannot wear anything close toe. Thus all pointy tipped pumps are out.

Which is why my shoes are always open toe ones. Plus my feet are small so it is even harder to find the perfect pair of shoes. At times you find the perfect pair but the colour and price may not suit you.

Still I do have a few brands I like. Hush Puppies and Charles and Keith are my favourites. The shoes are nice, comfortable and not that pricey. For sports Nike is always the best. One should not save on sports shoes as the right pair does make a difference when you are running around or exercising.

For travelling and outdoor, Timberland boots are the best. Yes they cost a bit but they last a long time and can withstand rain, snow, sand, in short, all weathers. Get a good pair and you need not get another for the next decade.

Still that is not to say I do not like branded products. Like a typical girl, I do enjoy the occassionally indulgence. If you are in the mood and it is within your means, why not? Everyone deserves to pamper themselves once in a while.

So I, too, hope to own a Louis Vuitton or Coach or Kate Spade or Gucci bag or wallet one day, as well as Ferragamo or Jimmy Choo shoes. And yes, Tiffany diamond jewellery and a Vera Wang gown as well!

The Great Cycling Challenge

I have never woken up so early on a Sunday, or any other day at that! But today was an exception. It was the day which I had been training so hard for for the past three months. After all the falling, bumping, wobbling and coaching, I thought finally I was ready.

I woke up at four in the morning just to catch the transport at five. When we reached the destination, due to road closure, the coach dropped us off at the expressway and we had to unload the bikes and cycled in.

Despite the crowd of people, I managed to cycle in fuss-free. We took the coach at five in the morning and it reached around half past five, just nice for those taking the forty kilometres to get ready. My event started at half past seven, so we sat down somewhere to relax.

Around half past six, I did a trial run and found my bicycle wobbly. How could it be again? So we brought it to the repair counter where they removed the basket and tightened the screw on my handle (again!).

By seven we were already at the starting point. We were one of the earlier ones to be at the starting point. I sat on my bicycle and balanced it without my hands and it was alright.

Five minutes to flag off, we got into position. The moment we were told to go, everyone started pedaling. I was able to cruise around without a glitch too.

Then it happened. Just past the starting point, the confounded handle finally gave way and the bicycle went in all directions! I swerved left and right and almost collided with the people around me! I expect they must have cursed and swore at me!

I am no professional hence I cannot cycle without the handle. Thus I have to drop out before I even kind of started. What a bummer!

Later on when I examined my bicycle, I notice that where everyone else's bicycles are able to stand horizontal (with just a bit movement of the handle), my bicycle actually stood at ninety degrees! For some reason, the handle just cannot remain straight! That explains the constant wobbliness!

Oh well, there is always next year. Hope I will do better next time round!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Through A Glass Darkly

I am not referring to a book but a kind of glass. I have been fascinated with that kind of glass since I was very young but my parents use only mugs and not glasses.

What kind of glass? Contrary to what some think, it is not any special or limited edition kind of glass. It is just a normal glass. You know those kind of glasses always featured in picture books to teach children the alphabet?

That is the kind of glass I am looking for. Ever since as far back as I could remember, I have seen those kind of glasses being used in television commercials for milk and orange juice advertisements. Drama serials also use those kind of glasses in restaurant scenes for water and juice.

A few years back, I finally found it in a department store. I was so excited! Instead of buying a whole set like most people, I bought just one.

I was so happy! I thought at last, I could finally own that glass where I can drink milk or orange juice in. Unfortunately my grandma used it to drink water the next day and it slipped out of her hands and broke just like that.

What a heartache! Just when I finally found the kind of glass I was looking for, it broke before I even used it! I had been fascinated with that kind of glass for a long time yet I never had the chance to use it!

Now I am still in search of that glass. I have yet to find the perfect glass. But I am not despairing as I believe it can be found one day! And when that happens, no one else but myself can use it!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Cycling Dry Run

I did it! I actually cycled halfway round the beach without once falling! I am still not comfortable handling steep slopes but at least I could cycle on the road without much glitches!

Today I decided to rent a bicycle instead. Ironically the rental bicycle is even easier to handle and cycle than the one I have! I actually cycled without much wobbling!

We actually wanted to cycle to Marina Barrage but the route was closed so we turned back. We had to pass by an overhead bridge which I got down and pushed the bicycle along.

Along the way we saw some cyclists already testing out the route. One round to Marina Barrage and back, I already feel my legs giving way. I was so afraid of my legs getting numb and me flying off the bicycle again!

Luckily everything went smoothly. There was no flying off the bicycle, no falling, no imbalance, no accident. It was unbelievably smooth, especially for someone like me.

Now I am paying the price - numb legs and cramps! Hopefully I will be able to handle twenty kilometres tomorrow! Just one more day!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

First Presenters' Meeting

I went for the first meeting of the presenters last night. I wrote a few talks prior to the meeting. During the meeting I heard the more experienced presenters presenting their talks and again felt touched by their stories.

Incidentally I would be presenting with most of the presenters during my own weekend, which means I would have heard most of their talks already, yet when they were sharing last night, I still felt touched and inspired.

When my turn came to share, I read out from what I wrote. As expected, my talk was a bit too long. I exceeded the stipulated time of five minutes by two minutes.

The feedback was that it was a good sharing but I could cut down on what was not essential and elaborate more on what was essential. Then I was told to convert it to another talk as it seemed more relevant to the other talk.

There will be another workshopping session next week. I need to revamp and edit my talk to make it more relevant to the topic at hand. I am sure learning a lot and hopefully I can be a full-fledged presenter after this!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Two More Days ...

I am so nervous! It is just less than two days to the big cycling event - the OCBC Cycling Challenge 2010! I would be doing a twenty kilometre Community Ride. That was why I had to do an intensive training not just to build up my stamina but also to ensure I stop wobbling!

I just went to collect the kit consisting of a T-shirt and bib with my number and my coupon for transport. So I am now keeping my fingers crossed that I can survive!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

In Death ....

After a hiatus of two months, I finally went back to the normal mid-week Prayer Meet last night. The topic was quite solemn, on death and my attitude towards it. In my more depressed and emotional state in the past, there were times when I did contemplate ending all.

I remember when my first relationship ended, I was totally devastated. Despite the relationship being full of unhappiness and quarrels and that guy brought me on a roller-coaster ride all the time, still, I thought it was due to my own (un)doing that it ended. Hence I went home and tried to attempt suicide by trying to cut my wrist with – of all things! – a butter knife.

Through the years and many emotional roller-coasters later (some I did contemplate ending all), I now view death as a given. Everyone dies someday. It is only a matter of when. When your time is up, even a sneeze can cause your death. Similarly when your time is not up, even a road accident you can emerge unscathed.

I have witnessed two close cousins dying. One died at the age of fourteen after she choked on a fishbone, triggering a massive asthmatic attack. Another contracted leukaemia at the age of seven and died at the age of ten, after two remissions. Years later, I wrote a short story dedicated to her memory.

I have also witnessed the death of my late music teacher - someone I truly respected and looked up to. She passed away at the age of thirty-seven from colon cancer after battling it for two years, leaving behind a ten-year-old daughter (then).

At the risk of sounding morbid, sometimes I wonder, how will I be like when I die? Or rather, how shall I die? Judging from my family history, I think I will live a long long life. After all, both my grandmas are still alive even though they are already in their nineties. They suffer the same frailty and whatnot for old folks, but other than that, they are not bed-ridden or incontinence and do not really require special care.

So I suspect I will probably live a long life. Perhaps I can actually get to be a centenarian? But then again, do I really want to live a long life? What can I do if I live a long life? I started working at the age of twenty-three. If I retire at the age of sixty-five, I would have worked forty-two years.

Would I have made enough to live on for retirement by then? With the rate of inflation and living standards plus the constant salary, it is hard to really make ends meet, let alone have substantial savings. If I live on for forty more years after retirement, what then? What exactly am I going to live on? I can keep myself busy doing things, but if I do not generate any income, what exactly can I live on?

Let’s say even if I have kids. I do not expect my kids to support me. They themselves would have their own lives. And at the rate I am going, perhaps my children would have just graduated by the time I retire. So how can I then expect them to feed me? They would also need to settle down and support their own families next time. I should not be a burden to my younger generation.

Hence I do not think I want to live a long life. It would be enough to just see my children grow up and have their own lives, have their own kids. By then I would probably be in my seventies or eighties. I can pass away in peace and bliss.

What I am really worried about is illness. If I get sick, then it will be financially heavy to cure me. If I fall down and get bed-ridden, it will be a big burden on family members to take care of me. So I hope to be as strong as my paternal grandma, that can still walk about and go about her life healthily even at a ripe old age, although I would not want to live that long!

Attending A Creative Writing Workshop

Courtesy of my school, I will be attending a Creative Writing Workshop this Saturday. This is not the same as the Academic Writing Workshop which I attended some years back. This will be conducted by a real published writer, and she will be giving tips on grammar, writing style and where to publish.

The topics covered will include :

• the writer and writing traditions
• the writer and the writing process
• the main genres of creative writing
• the current landscape of creative writing
• where to get your work published
• preparing a manuscript for submission
• agent or no agent?
• working with editors and publishers

Hopefully after this workshop I may just get my collection of short stories published! ;-)

The Cooking Book

I found another "treasure" yesterday! After I saw this cookbook of all cookbooks at a friend's place, I have been wanting to get my hands on it. This is the absolute bible for cooking beginners. Every recipe is illustrated, ie there is a picture of every ingredient used, how the dishes turn out, and it comes equipped with a shopping list stating how many servings in how much quantity of ingredients, as well as a DVD on cooking demonstration!

What can be better than that - a cookbook with practical instructions and detailed pictures so you can never get the overall output wrong? I cannot wait to try out the French Onion Soup recipe and compare it to that one in the Le Cordon Bleu cookbook I have!

Here are some samples of recipes from the pages.