:: my left foot update::

tonight is (i hope) the last of the treatments, medications and consultations for the swollen left foot.

the 'chinese sinseh' (are there any non-chinese ones??) did a marvelous job the last visit, which was a day after the western medical practitioner has confirmed that there were no fractures whatsover.

it was just couple of ruptured veins and twisted ligaments and the western medical remedies were a jab shot to my ass to relief the pain and more pain-killers tablets to swallow and 3 days of home rest. basically, western medication objective is to alleviate pain.

but eastern medication is different, the sinseh said that my blood flow is not flowing well enough, evident from the massive 'hickey' or 'blue-black' marks around my foot. so the best way to encourage this flow is to massage those areas and to recover the traffic congestion of the blood as well as to try to do some exercise to enable the muscles to move as before. failing which, it could develop in more complications such as rheumatism and other join-related problems.

and what a great job he did, it was painful no doubt, but it was not "KNNCCB pain" as i was able to see that the swelling has reduced significantly after 30 minutes of kneading, pulling and rubbing. he has also dabbed some very hot 'herb-bag' on my foot before putting a layer of more herbs for a 'foot wrap' which is to be left overnight for 2 days.

and the next day, i was almost able to return to 90% of my left foot mobility, with just some minor swelling.

so let's hope that today's treatment will be in time for my weekend partying as i need this left foot to do some serious footworks at the clubs ;)

not only that, the sinseh is a nice man, an import from Shanghai, China some more. we talked about his kids, wife, impression of singapore, etc...you know, common man talk.

but the best education that i have given to him today was that, not all malay man is married to more than 1 wife, as he had asked me this questions, "how many wives do you have? 2? 3? 4?" in all earnestness...to which i replied, "zero, but more than 4 girlfriends around..." hahaha.

"Xie xie, Zong xiansheng..."


:: ahh...all the kneading, rubbing and pampering, NOT, it was darn painful ok...::

:: blog pitch : kennysia.com ::

kennysia.com is, shall i say, one of my favourite blog...ever!

he doesn't need a pitch from anybody, i'm sure his blog hits are hitting the roof! but again, since he is one of my favourite, what the heck... :)

he is humourous, honest and direct, but he has the uncanny ability to write about sobby tales which are rather personal too. he does not mind poking fun at himself, and one can sense his sincerity and street-smartness somehow...

many malaysian bloggers are entertaining lot, maybe because they are more diverse lot, because, isn't malaysia, simply asia? hehehe....

but today, kenny has outdone himself...what do i mean? read about it, and i'm sure this picture tells a thousand words.

:: sight for sore eyes::

i guess today, being the 3rd day of inactivity is a good time to post some more pics from the last weekend's bali.

actually, i have not been totally inactive, as i am still working remotely from home and finishing up work stuff from irritating colleagues who have no sense of basic etiquette to ask how my foot was, but instead, more work queries and clarification....buggers!

the topic of etiquette was also, coincidentally, on today's Oprah show on Star TV. i shall dwell on etiquette is my incoming post, there are so many things to talk about it by then.

but for now, i know there are many good photographers, like one of my favourite, kissui.net

compared to my last trip (where i was being lazy and spend most of my time at kuta and its surrounding places, such as seminya, legian and double six) this time, i did some sight-seeing, but again, only isolated to the southern most part at Nusa Dua.

the place which provided some relief in terms of amazing view, is Uluwatu Temple, if you are interested to see more of this place, you can check out this site as well...

anyhow, you can check out the full pics at my flickr here...but here are my favourite sights:

1. sunset from uluwatu temple


the best place to watch the sunset in Bali is at Uluwatu, simply because it is located on the southern-most part of the island...

2. the harsh shores of the pura uluwatu cliffs


i love cliff and rocky shores like this, reminded me of some far flung places of Scotland, eh?

3.local family enjoying the view after praying at uluwatu temple


it was the full-moon when i was there, so many local hindus made special prayers to the temple to offer their offerings. but seeing a family enjoying its private moment like this, has warmed my heart....ideal family size that is...a son, a daughter, a father and mother, life is a bliss....


4. art pieces for tourist dollars


this kinda reminded me of the art pieces that were available in phuket...



5. the sea that i've missed @ nusa 2 resort and spa


unlike my last resort trip to phuket, this time, i did not even get wet at all...

6. the call for world peace at sari club destructed by the bombing site


this was the only pic (other than those with the babes) that i took at the watering holes of kuta...my last nite was spent at a club called M'bargo, right across this once Sari Club of Bali...

but i guess, the most important question was....did i find my smile from this trip?

let's just say, for now, i did....but then, i grimaced, due to my leg injury....

anyhow, i will complete the book which i am reading now, before i can find that answer.

"let's smile more often", that's what i'm telling myself nowadays, cheers!

:: bali 101 : part 1 - hotel::

the hotel that i stayed in my short trip in bali was excellent.

located within the cluster of good hotels at Nusa 2, which coincidentally, no entry to the roads for the locals who had no business there (snobbish! like soon-to-be-our-IRs).

but too bad, as i've stayed there for only 2 nights, the service was impeccable but the food was nothing to rave about...it was catered to the western and japanese palate mostly.

the beach front was superb, without much touts and hagglers, but this time, no more suntan and be a surfer-dude wannabe for me this time.


:: nusa dua beach hotel & spa, bali ::

:: i'm back...::

despite the ultra-short 'holiday', i have to say that i'm rather satisfied as it was a different kind of holiday than my last trip there. well, except for the partying, of course....

but perhaps, the only consolation was instead of taking photo with balinese drag queens the last visit, this time, i got to know real international chicks :)


:: totally wasted aGentX having a good time and being the only fugly one ::

also, i will need some time to post those pictures and stories as i have in fact, just returned from the hospital.

you see, i had a really bad sprain on my left ankle when i was there....and i didn't realise how bad it was until when i took the cab home from the airport.

guess i will spend next few days nursing the ugly foot and compiling those pics...


:: honestly, i can't really recall how i have twisted my ankle...::

:: finding my smiles::

the animals at the singapore zoo were cranky lately:

• last sunday, a jaguar had escaped from its cage;
• on monday, a civet cat bit attacked a chinese tourist during a show; and
• today, it is reported that 2 sundays ago, a 1.70m long gavial, a kind of crocodile, attacked a zoo-keeper.

my animals insticts are the same too, for i have been very moody the whole of this week. i didn't realized it until a colleague remarked that i looked very 'sian' or bored and grouchy, nabeh!

i guess that i have not been smiling at all for the past few days - and i didn't like to feel this way.

so, i tried to find the old aGentX and i went to east coast park to rollerblade last tuesday and to the library yesterday, as those are among the activities which i have indulged pretty regularly in the past.

skating and reading have made me happy on many occassions before....


:: just me and shadows at ECP::

however, those activities did not make me happy, for some strange reasons...

while roller-blading, i realised how quiet and dreadful the east coast park, its many chalets and food outlets have become (or maybe, it was a weekeday)...

when i was young and so much younger than today...hehehe, i remembered how exciting it was to be whenever i make that special trip to ECP -- for barbeques, parties at the chalets, cycling, swimming...you name it...i would always be anxiously looking forward to them...

it striked me how uninteresting and dull ECP has become to me! (i am not going to correlate that with the tourism industry here anymore....i don't care). and the only thing that is still full of activities between carpark A to G of the ECP was the hawker center, and many patrons are non-tourists, 'nuff said.

it was altogether a completely different experience at the library, it was relatively quiet (which is good), but my real intention yesterday was to return my long overdue book and to settle all these outstanding fines and reservation charges. just then, i glanced to a shelf and this book caught my attention "repacking your bags" by Richard Leider and David Shapiro.

what interest me to this book is the fact that it tries to answer to the question "does all this make you happy?"

in Forbes magazine 75th anniversary issue, it has devoted the entire magazine to the question "why do we feel so bad...when we have it so good?" i hope to find the answers for that question too.

living day in and out has resulted in a preconfigured packaged which is formatted for easy consumption to the idea of lifestyle. lifestyle now relates to the things that we buy -- someone else's idea of what we need to be happy. but is anyone really satisfied with these mass-marketed idea of happiness? is anyone realy nourished by a McLifestyle? i am certainly not.

sounds deep? in short, people have always judged one's happiness by the the outer appearance or measure of success....ie: material needs. but look around. most of us are no longer consumed with consumption, hardly anyone still believes that the 'most toys' win.

for me, accumulation is no longer the name of the game -- myfriends and colleagues are now asking, "what really matters?" "how much is enough?" and "what is the good life and how can i live it?"


like my singapore, i need to reinvent myself, simply because, i think i am getting dull and uninteresting anymore, i reckon.. many of us have worked hard our entire careers, until when it reaches a point, usually about middle age, when we examine our lives and say, "Hey! is this all there is? when does the fun start?"

i do not wish to wait until then...and i hope this book and some attitude adjustments will help me to re-find my smiles again.

i'm getting rather philosophical lately, but with all said and done, i am leaving to bali tomorrow, just a short weekend runaway. i need to getaway, and its a timely and appropriate break.

yeah, i know..just when i thought i would never visit to any resort or beach holidays anymore this year...

why bali? since being a tourist is always much appreciated than a local, perhaps....
coincidentally, remember the sari club which was bombed by the terrorist? when it was hip, it had 'no locals policy', and that was why it was an easy target for those lunatics...

recent events have perhaps made me to frown more than to smile and i hope that when i return, i will be able to smile again, just like i did back there at kuta beach, bali, during christmas 2001...



wish me luck. y'all... and its getting late and i have still have yet to pack my bag....cheers and see you when i return..

:: singapura-ku : no more fine city, but we deter sins with money::

at lunch time today, i felt like i was in some strange land.

for once, i ordered nasi padang (after few week's of abstinence) when a malay auntie served me and spoke to me in english. i smiled and spoke to her in malay instead (as i really have not been speaking much of it at all while working and just felt like conversing it in good and polite standard malay). after which, she smiled and apologised -- because she thought that i might be a Filipino or a Thai instead. i replied its ok and informed her that i am a Singaporean and spoke in malay because i wanted to ask her about the name of a dish which i wanted to know what is it called in malay...anyhow, that was not the point....

that incident has bothered me even more, ever since when i later realised that i am a minority in my office too. no, not a minority because of my race, but as a minority because I am a Singaporean, working in a Singapore office.

you see, in my office today, there were only 2 singaporeans, 4 malaysians, 3 indians, 1 filipino, 1 indonesian, 1 canadian and 1 french. we are not the majority in total headcount too, although we are a regional office based in Singapore.

i have never really been bothered about the issue of being a minority (ie: malay) all my life.

i am comfortable with my race and have wonderful and everlasting friends from many chinese, indians, caucasians, japanese, asians and in other words, people from all walks of life and background.

i respect diverse people for who they are, and them, the same. if not, too bad, you ain't gonna be my friend, y'know!

i am not going to get deeper into the issue of nationality here, as i might be considered 'offensive' to some people, so i will stop it right now.

however, today, for once, i am feeling like a strange man in my own country which has left a rather heavy baggage on my shoulder right now...no wonder, the grass is always greener on the other side.

and it even got worse when i realised the truth about this post : regarding the decision to impose the high entrance and annual fees for Singaporeans before they can even enter the casinos when it is finally built in 2009.

""The first thought that comes to mind is what and how am I going to tell my foreign friends in explanation when they ask me why I as a Singaporean am not allowed into a casino on Singapore soil unless I pay while they as foreigners have free entry.

Do I reply that it is because the majority of Singaporeans are such imbeciles who lack the maturity, self-control and better judgment to refrain from becoming gambling addicts hence the need for the government to restrict the entry rights of Singaporeans? Which at least in my mind does not make sense because as rightfully pointed out, 30 years ago it may be right to not allow a casino in Singapore but 30 years later today where Singaporeans make some 4 million trips overseas annually and are well exposed to casinos and gambling worldwide, we are not a country of uneducated illiterate mountain turtle pheasants who will self-destruct once stepping into the casino""

more...

we still need our government to tell us how to behave and control ourselves, isn't it just pathetic?

Tripleperiod also has a similar sense to this issue, so is mr miyagi and mrbrown


Guess i will have to spend my money and my vices elsewhere too...


photo credits : abbyladybug

:: the HOT acroynm now::

the verdict is OUT!

and the latest and hip letters now are..... IRs (pronounced aiye-are-ss)

no, not infra-red but INTEGRATED RESORT.

PM and the Ministers were all using that 'nickname' in the we-already-will-know-the-outcome of the casino decision today, at the parliament.

and also today, my supposed posting to Bangkok is cancelled, i guess the customer rather will invest in the casino project since it will make more money than having me there.

i will look for other options, pronto!

if you are interested, the official definition of IRs, as quoted by our PM is as follows :

Not a Casino, but an IR

20. This leads to my third point, which is that we are not considering a casino, but an IR – an integrated resort.

21. Some of media coverage of this debate has focussed on whether or not the government will approve “casinos”. This has given the wrong impression that the IR project is only about building casinos here. We think of a gaming room with slot machines and game tables, perhaps with a hotel and some basic facilities. We think of Macao as it used to be, with a sleazy reputation and triad gangs ruling the streets, or Las Vegas in the movies, with organised crime and money laundering. But that is not what we are looking for. IRs are quite different. In fact, they should be called leisure, entertainment and business zones.

22. The IRs will have all kinds of amenities – hotels, restaurants, shopping, convention space, even theatres, museums and theme parks. They attract hundreds of thousands of visitors per year. The great majority will not be there to gamble. They may be tourists, executives or businessmen, who go to enjoy the resort, or attend conventions or conferences. But within this large development and slew of activities, there is one small but essential part which offers gaming and which helps make the entire project financially viable. As a result, there is no need for government grants or subsidies for the IR. The investors will put in the money, and take the commercial risk.

23. Genting gives us some idea what the IR may look like. Genting started off as a casino with an attached hotel, but now it has many other amenities: good hotels, numerous food outlets, theatres, a huge amusement park, etc. Many Singaporeans go there for short holidays with the whole family, and not to gamble. The IRs we have in mind are much more than Genting.

24. On a smaller scale, we can think of NTUC Downtown East or the SAFRA Clubhouses. These are wholesome family destinations. People go there to swim, eat, golf and enjoy the facilities. But somewhere within the premises there is a small jackpot room that generates the revenue that helps to keep the place going. NTUC Club generates millions of dollars a year from the jackpot machines, which helps to pay to build the rides and other facilities in the Clubhouses. Without this revenue, NTUC Club would close shop.

:: welcome to the hotel of california, such a lovely place, such a homely place...::

Photo credit : Uncleboatshoes'

:: friday chill ::

last nite, i decided to chill with my old buddies, we went way back in the 80s, y'all.

back to the time when orchard road was 'ruled' by kids - "centerpoint kids", "far east kids", "marina kids", etc..you get my drift.

now, orchard road was 'ruled' by another kind of kids... "lost kids".

anyway, it was a fun outing, i paid for drinks coz of my supposedly impending departure to bangkok for job posting (still dunno when) and another buddy, R, paid for the food as he just returned for a short trip after working for a while in shanghai. that's how conniving my buddies can get.

it was not only that, i thought it would be nice to toast for a friend who is getting engaged to a filipino woman next week. being an orphan, he has decided to have a ceremony there and luckily, for him, some of his colleagues are accompanying him. too bad the buddies can't be there next week, but hey, have fun still....(heard its going to be a beach party there ;))



:: drinks, food, cats and the esplanade::

:: going loco ::

when i was a kid, mr men series was my favourite book, and back then, my favourite was mr. busy.

it was before the days of little miss series came into the picture...we were so innocent then - mr men and me... :)


If I were a Mr Men character....

:the drama mama continues::

3 more days to the casino-decision time, and today we got more 'suspense' revealed.

in my native language, we will say "kalah drama bollywood " or in singlish, "bollywood movies also loose" because of the high-drama-mama-papaya-propaganda (that can beat the 10 minutes dancing and singing sequence to 17.5 different locations in a bollywood movie).

1. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, instead of Trade and Industry Minister Lim Hng Kiang, will announce the decision on the casino on Monday. (wah, so serious....)
2. DPM Tony Tan said that the social costs of the casino must be tackled. (every singaporean matters mah...except for gays maybe)
   
3. Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo said the Cabinet's decision was a collective one. ( i thought got many hours of debating between the different camps) He also said the economic benefits of a casino are not trivial. These concern billions of dollars worth of investment, thousands of jobs and the possibility of increasing tourism. (big money, big money....if sex tourism is a crime, will gambling tourism be so unpolitically-correct in the future too?)
   
   But Mr Yeo added a word of caution.
   

   "If we decide to proceed, we must protect those that are vulnerable, to make sure that those who can scarcely afford to gamble, should not be gambling.

Aiyah, caution lah for all I care....just like traffic road signs, cigarette health warning, flush toilet posters, etc... after a while, nobody bothers anymore.

and then, we will then have legalised porn, stripper clubs and flourishing sex industries....hooray!
i think i might see them before i die (if i die of old age, that is....)

the pissing index for today is 7.421 versus yesterday's 8.765


::Bali - circa 2001, violently happy aGentX with indon drags::

- what to do? with so many chiobus photos in many blogs nows-a-day, how? this one can compete or not?-

:: do you want to bet?::

suprise, suprise....

just as it was announced by the SM Goh yesterday that the Singapore Cabinet has make a decision on the casino issue, the ministry of community development, youth and sports has announced today that in its survey, only 2% of the half of Singaporeans who gambled, risked addiction.

it is to say, like, you know ah, not all gamble can be addicted one....only 2%, so we can work it out on the social costs lah.... but you know ah...gays ah, cannot, they are more than 2% of the population, so cannot have parties for them one...wait they have orgies at public places and parks, then how? it's against family values leh...

the timing is all too close for comfort, isn't it? when it was supposed to be announced officially on 18th april. see, i even had a clockticker in my blog to count-down the actual day itself.

WTF?

almost everybody know what is the decision going to be? so why play propaganda? like having a 'tv special program' on the casino debates, flying off diana ser to macau for the 'get real' program, getting feedbacks from the ground lah, etc etc etc.....

i have no qualms about having the casino, but please...please...don't treat it as if we are all kids.

with all the 'wayang shows' that have been going around for months, i had enough.

have a damn casino in singapore, for all i care. after all, then you can then recruit the experienced staff from genting highland to save on your re-training program.

to provide more jobs to locals? are we kidding? take a good look at the hospitality and service industry, do you see lots of locals?

what the heck! i give up....be a Sin City if we need be, just don't f**k with us with the charades.

if you want to have vice in the city, just do it, no need to gloss with the same argument with "family values advocates" or to appease to the "conservatives".

and please, spare me the act-virgin philosophies....i am peeved today, can't you tell?

:: fur is DEAD! and no more JLo for me....ever::

i got this clip via email today....and while watching it, somehow, i cried.



excerpt....

When the fur is finally peeled off over the animals' heads, their naked, bloody bodies are thrown onto a pile of those who have gone before them. Some are still alive, breathing in ragged gasps and blinking slowly. Some of the animals' hearts are still beating five to 10 minutes after they are skinned. One investigator recorded a skinned raccoon dog on the heap of carcasses who had enough strength to lift his bloodied head and stare into the camera, with only his eyelashes still intact

you would too, if you see how cruel the animals are skinned alive for the fur, all in the name of glamourous and luxurious fashion show-offs.

while this is not a new issue, but it saddens me that celebrities are being very insensitive and ignorant with the cruelty involved in this fashion passe.

and jennifer lopez is one of the biggest culprit ever. i have watched her interview on channel e and yes, she did acknowledge that she loves fur and have no qualms about wearing it. in a radio interview in australia too, she said that while she has always worn fur, she was "open" to being educated. apparently, this video haas not done that for her.

so, no more mrs mark anthony big-butt's music or movies for me.....until she stops wearing fur and starts having more sense in her brain than in her ass.

to learn more about alternative to furs and the cruel animal treatment in the fur trade, please go to this website JLoDown.com and FurIsDead.com

thank god, it's fashionable stupid to wear real fur here in our humid and tropical climate, else, many tai-tais would be spotting them too, i reckon.

see...even Dennis Rodman has more sense...

Rodman is the first man—and the first sports star—to pose for PETA’s “Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur” series, which has featured Pamela Anderson, Kim Basinger, and Christy Turlington. When the 6’8” basketball legend, whose own “Dennis Rodman Foundation” helps the homeless, heard about PETA’s program that donates thousands of castoff fur coats to homeless shelters across the country, he instantly agreed to pose for the cause, explaining that furriers have pushed free furs on him over the years and he’s always refused to take them—he only wears fake fur.

:: the newly crowned Miss Japan 2005's blog ::

21-year-old Yukari Kuzuya is Miss Universe Japan 2005. Standing 178-cm tall, the Japanese model model exuded confidence throughout the opening fashion show, the swimsuit contest and the evening gown competition

Kuzuya has a hectic schedule ahead: She leaves for Paris next week and then it is two weeks in London and back to Japan for more training. Then, off to Thailand for a Tsunami charity event, and back to Japan and again on to Thailand for the Miss Universe Pageant.

It is rumoured that she is the earliest one to be in Bangkok for the photo shots because of her tight regime above, and gee...look at the 'training' that she has to go through? I wonder if our Miss Singapore has sufficient 'training' or not? Anyway, I wish her best, even though I am biased towards Miss Japan...well, so far!



with a blog header like this, who needs to understand what she is blogging....

anyway, she IS a natural beauty...look at her old photos from this link ...the eyes, nose and lips are natural eh...

and yes, i must compare with our own Miss Singapore Universe :)



Sorry hor....

:: what is beauty, anyway ::

this article has make me happy that Asian women (well, at least the Japanese) stood up and debunk the stereotypical western concept of beauty by taking part in this promotional event in Tokyo.

About 300 Japanese women in identical blonde wigs took part in the event on Sunday before throwing the wigs in the air to debunk the stereotypical western concept of beauty and being urged to develop their own beauty ideal

more...

why can't more women follow this example and throw away all the white thrash (pun intended)

dont' get me wrong, i am not racist in judging western beauty. what i am saying is that asian women (and men) must be comfortable with their own beauty and looks without having to ape what is good for their western counterparts. for example: blue colored eye lens with dark brown skin? eh, the concept of harmony in colour, very wrong leh...

remember, at the end of the day, it is the Asians with better skin and able to withstand the aging process slower than our western counterparts.


:: now you see it, now you don't...:

:: Nice ID eh? ::

with new measures of biometrics and other kinds of data (including DNA, semen sample and maybe hair analysis) in the future to ensure greater security, post 9-11....

i present to you....the new UK identity card.


:: UK Identity Card anyone? ::

:: tremors again ::

the small printed words across ChannelNewsAsia channel says it all : "tremors felt in parts of singapore".

nothing more, nothing else, news are not as quick as they are supposed to be lately.

anyhow, the NEA"s website has this update, thankfully

Tremors have been detected in Singapore at 6:35 p.m. on 10 April 2005, due to an earthquake in Sumatra. Initial estimates put the magnitude of the earthquake to be about 6.8 on the Richter Scale and the location between 600 km to 700 km southwest from Singapore.

the link is here, if you dont' believe me.

again, i have not felt any tremors to where i am right now, wait! i never felt any tremors at all in my whole life.

but as politically correct as i am, let's hope the those people where the real earthquake is happening now (ie: sumatra) is more prepared and safer this time. i can only pray for their safety and watch for news updates.

i will still go out for my drinks later, and try not to worry too much about this tremor, unlike the one before which has just happened few weeks back. i hope i am not being insensitive here...

cheers (hic!)

:: the joy of Spring ::

i have only appreciated the true meaning of spring when i was in tokyo in 2001.

the cherry blossoms or sakura as the locals call it, and the cool and pleasant weather that made long distance walking a joy - and poetry was in motion, all that because of the best seson in a year (too bad we have none in Singapore though)

but that trip was supposed to be a "heart-break recovery" one, it was one where i went half-heartedly, because of what else, other than the matters of the heart. to have love lost and still finding a way to find a 'revenge' by going to a country with so many kawaii people :)

nevertheless, it was the kindness of the spring blooms and mother nature that has healed all heartaches, and of course, time too.



:: sakura blooms, spring 2001 - tokyo ::

and japanese PM, koizumi has this fun with spring too, this year.... oh, how much i miss Japan and the cherry blossoms!

:: it is all about face::

what does a geek do when he is bored and cannot sleep at 2 am in the morning?

he went to have his face "analyzed" to see what race and personality traits do his 'face' has - after all, it is always about the 'face' when asians are concerned.

see, once i started on this photo analysis on the web, i cannot stop...



:: hmm, a straight-man social butterfly eh, but did anyone notice that the gender is 'female" duh? not bad on the race analysis though..::

And the results...

Personality Profile: (yes, i am a social 'whore' )
You have social courage and as a consequence are open and extroverted. You are seen as a well known person who is liked and is involved in many social events. You feel confident about your position in social situations and will not hesitate to say what you believe. You do not like too much responsibility, but you do not mind being in the social center. You must know everything that is going on in your greater social circle and spend a lot of time talking to others to find out the latest gossip. You tend to be friendly, but can be criticizing when you see others as thinking of themselves too much.

You prefer to work in challenging people oriented jobs where you can compete against others and rise in the ranks. Others usually like you but can sometimes be intimidated by your outspoken comments and criticisms although they do not show it.

People tend to feel comfortable around you and respect your opinion. You can use this social weight to get things done for you but usually opt not to call in favours people owe you.

Your view of other types (not sure if this is correct, but i don't suffer fools easily )
You tend to like Boss types and try to get close to them, as they possess the intimidating factor and confrontational attitude that you lack. You regard Academic Types as mostly withdrawn from life and too uppity to interact with. You associate with some Blue collar and White collar types, and find that these are the people that mostly want to hang around you. You see Artist types as attention seekers and are often the person to criticize them. For this reason, Artist types envy and fear you. You may enjoy the risk taking personality of Gambler types, but you also think that they are loners. You see Drifter types as social dropouts.

Other types' view of you (never bothered what others things of me, really )
Boss types like you but they dont always trust you. Academic Types have very little in common with you, therefore they avoid you. Artist types tend to avoid you because you may attack them verbally due to their personality differences. White and Blue collar types like interacting with you, and they sometimes envy your charisma. Gambler types may deal with you if they think that you have something useful to offer them. Drifter types may associate with you, but they generally believe that your archetype is stuck up.

Alpha Charmer:
-More ambitious than Charmer
Expected Occupations: Corporate Executive, Real Estate Agent, Politician

Charmer: never done any of these jobs before....
-More fun-loving than Alpha Charmer
Expected Occupations: Sales representative, Teacher, Aesthetician, Hair Stylist, Artist, Actor, Social Worker, Manager

:: celebrity look alikes:;

this was something that i've discovered while doing file cleanups, which took place about a year ago from this website

the idea is to compare who is your celebrity-o-rama meter is closest to...for fun, i compared my ugly self with my natural dark hair and the one which is blonde (which was done to see if i am indeed an SPG or not).


:: michael owen and me? where got similar mah....::

but look who i am being compared to when i turned blonde? even technology is not colour-blind...sigh! no black celebrity in the comparison liao..

AND THE only consolation is that i am John Cusack look-alike in both analysis...hehehe...
but wait, John who?

:: happy again ::

my home wireless network is up and running now...and i cannot be more than satisfied for now.

:: restless ::

tonight is terrible...totally terrible.

it all started because my wireless home network simply refused to 'give' me the DHCP server (ie: network addresses) which will allow me to surf as normal. i guess it was my fault as i was toying with the configuration and suddenly it hanged...as a result, everything is screwed!

in the end, i have to hook up to a network cable and as a result, not able to connect to my other laptop (work's) to the network as i was thinking of doing some work from home (and not having to go to the office tomorrow) as well and doing stuff with my laptop at the same time.

yeah, i use 2 laptops at one go many times at home, i am that kind of a geek!

that simple thing has ruined my night...only caught TR on TV for few minutes and totally scrapped tv totally (except for the chinese news at 7.30 pm). by the way, did anybody notice that the chinese news has better coverage and stories? i don't need to know much mandarin but by sheer watching the pictures and some words, i actually watched the whole news.

ah...but i digress.

i hate feeling like this, i really do - all this because of the wireless network failure :(

maybe it's also partly due to the errands and chores that i need to undertake prior to my departure. for example, the inter-banking among various banks are such a hassle as one system does not support the other. in the end, you have to fill up a form and mail it to the bank, and the processing will be ready by 7 weeks!

AND - i have absolutely have no idea how am i going to sell the car by this weekend?

damn....damn....again, its nothing to do with the issue, but its the timing of things.

i will be listening to Mr Brown's podcast with Cowboy Caleb as his guest for my bedtime lullaby, hopefully i will be cheerful and smiling before i go to sleep.

marangkusheebye!

ps: to the one who 'advise' me to steer from AIDS in Bangkok, thanks. but i don't do that sort of things...in Bangkok or for that matter, anywhere else in the world... i get this alot from people knowing that i will be in bangkok for some time, why does it have to link with sex and aids only there? why not in geylang on the sunny island of singapore?

:: leaving SG ::

yes, i am going to BKK in about a week or two...

thanks for those who posted or emailed.

In particular, the link below, from an email - has make my day.

kawaii girls.....enjoy!

:: decisions, decisions ::

today is the 1st time that i have returned to the office (to work), after being at home (trying to work) after about a month.

you see, my last project assignment was all about research, analysis and presenting a white paper to a customer...the office doesn't need me to be there because i get all the stuff that i could've get from home, anyway.

and besides my efforts are billable 100% even when i am not in the office, so my boss is happy, and so am i.

over the weekend, i was contemplating seriously of giving my pink slip to the boss, very much like the one below, which i have done couple of months back.



the painful truth is, i am the kind of person who gets really bored with work terrribly fast. maybe because i am too afraid to be a deadwood that has subconsciously driven me into look for better and newer excitement. there was a job opening in the papers last saturday which i was really interested with, and there was another on the cards too that i had considered.

just when i was about to update my CV and started my hunt for the new job....wham! bam...my dear boss told me to get ready for a job posting in Bangkok! and start packing your bags coz it will be in 2 weeks time! "the french liked you", that was all he said.

my mental decision-making analysis snapped "yes", (after doing all the 'calculations' in my mind within 3 minutes).

but now, i am not so sure....did i make the right choice?

my options were:
a) get another job in SG, new challenges, get more money and stay put and 'grow!'
b) stay with this job, enjoy the freedom but money never enough, screw the challenges and buy a new car, and plan to retire with this job
c) take up this posting, enjoy the experience, get more money and sell off that old junk car coz you will be away after all, dimwit!

at this juncture of my writing, i think that i made the right choice with (c), but then again, did i make the right choice?. i guess the issue is not about making the choice, the issue is with the timing of it all.

the point perhaps, was, if i've signed the dotted line for a new car just last week, i will be doomed, coz i will not be able to driving the damn car. and to maintain a car when you are away is downright stupid and adds nothing but more liability.

also, this is a time where my mom needs me for her medical check-ups, and if i am away, she will be staying alone, with my house-cat, Sumoki. knowing my mother, she will not want to stay anywhere else (with my other siblings). i will need to make this arrangement work with my brothers and sisters.

i must find all the right plans and answers within the next 2 weeks, wish me luck people!

wish me luck, i am stressed, after being so fcuk**ng relax for the past months.

retribution perhaps...

:: the eye ::

no, i'm not talking about the movie, the eye series...BUT

i am refering to my own pair of eyes, which are still, fortunately, providing me with perfect eyesight (so far ).

so, when i got a bit blurry after too many hours staring at the computer screen, i got freaked out and decided to go to a optometrist for a comprehensive eye check.

my vision is still perfect, thank god, and i had my RETINA photographed. i like that name....Retina, sounds like many funny names like Betina, Regina, Fatima, *agina etc....

well, the truth is, even if one has a perfect vision, it does not free from some potential common eye diseases, such as cataract, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, etc which may cause blindness.

here's the scientific or "talk theory" part (adapted from optic point)

1. the retina, which is the inner-wall of the back of our eyes, has numerous blood vessels that are connected to our brain. retinal photography allows to look at these blood vessels without any need of surgery. it would help in detecting any blockages or choking of these vessels which obstruct the flow of oxygen that may lead to stroke or brain dead (gulp!)
2. retinal photographs also would help detect eye diseases effecting your vision which may not be due to incorrect spectacles.

so, anybody interested to see my eyeballs? it's beautiful what a pair of eyes can do for you...


:: right and left ::

oh yeah, and my retinas are healthy, thank you very much :)

:: trying to fool eh...::

i am sure most of you have april fool's sms-es and the likes by now.

but i believe this article, from Today newpaper is darn outright corny and following the Straits Times 'tradition' of April Fool's jokes, just like those by Class 95FM Morning Show pranks.

Would you prefer a boy or a girl?

S'pore company claims it can help choose sex of baby with 98.7% accuracy

BEING able to choose the sex of your child has become a scientific reality, with doctors able to manipulate the genetic makeup of the embryo.

more...

But then, who needs that once a year kinda prank when you can have The Weekly World News, every single fun day, with headlines like the ones shown below, who needs April Fools Day?


WORLD'S HOTTEST LESBIAN CAN TURN ANY WOMAN GAY!
Angry ex-husbands describe her as the ultimate sexual predator!

SEXY PSYCHIC SAYS... RUB MY BAZOOKAS FOR LOVE, MONEY & LUCK!
Want to get lucky? Just close your eyes, make a wish -- and rub psychic Jennifer Boulware's "banana squeezers."

BABE IS SLEEPING HER WAY ACROSS AMERICA -- TO BOOST NATIONAL UNITY
Bodacious blonde bombshell Bekki Venderson has embarked on a 2,824-mile hike across the United States -- vowing to have sex in homes and businesses she encounters along the way!

HOW TO TELL IF YOUR PROSTITUTE IS AN EXTRATERRESTRIAL
Here, from government experts, are 10 warning signs that the prostitute you've picked up is a sinister space babe...

ETs CRASHED IN CHINA 12,000 YEARS AGO
A whopping 12,000 years ago -- long before the famous Roswell UFO wreck made headlines in America -- an alien spaceship crashed in China. And pint-size descendants of the occupants are still living in a remote Chinese village today.

So, have you been fooled today?