Tuesday, December 26, 2006 . 11:02 AM

Mel tells me that I'm not blogging often enough to relieve her of boredom, but I'm really busy and besides, she'll still be bored even if I update my blog. Cuz I really am not the one with the exciting life.

This entire week is really short and I've been really busy at work. Meeting clients is fun cos I like meeting new people. Learning about my new company is fun and learning client servicing is still interesting. I have so many questions and uncertainties, yet I'm not scared or intimidated by them. Maybe because my boss makes it a point to explain things to me even though he is really busy.

Speaking of my boss, he's a driven and extremely nice and down-to-earth guy with loads of creative ideas. As bosses go, he ranks right up there along with the best of them. I guess I've been lucky when it comes to bosses, they usually either need me too much to hate me or they are genuinely nice.

Anyway I love the festive season for the holidays, I can't understand the deal about 'Where's your boyfriend?' I think my answer to this question for CNY is 'He died in a traffic accident last week.' Cues tears.

That should earn sympathy points as well as extra ang pows. Might as well right? Since saying not having a boyfriend would earn me sympathy looks anyway.

I just can't imagine having to keep someone else company when I barely even have time for myself. Am I getting too independent for my own good? Perhaps, but

1. I really don't have the time and energy,
2. I forgot how it feels to be in love.

So yeah, no relationships. At least not yet. But dates? Oh hell yeah!!!

Monday, December 25, 2006 . 9:22 PM

I love the holiday so much that I wish for it not to end. But in a matter of hours, it's back to the daily grind of life. How boring and mundane...

Does it sound like I'm bored of my new job already? Perhaps. But all jobs come with its own set of stress and responsibilities. I guess, in a smaller company, individual contribution is much more important and significant as compared to a larger company. And sales job is always... oh well... I really don't wanna think about work and all that it entails.

I was just reading about certain parts of Australia experiencing snow and it reminded me of a conversation I overheard in SIM from a couple of undergrads. It went like that:

Girl 1: So, are you going to Hong Kong for the holiday?
Girl 2: I don't know, maybe? Or I can go Australia.
Girl 1: Oh? I heard it's very cold there now. You have to get winter wear.
Girl 2: Is it very cold there? Maybe I'll ask my sister, she's working there.

I almost fainted at their ignorance. They should be blond.

Tuesday, December 19, 2006 . 2:37 AM

Quick post, super quick post. Believe it or not, this is actually my third time attempting to blog. For some weird reasons, the PC kept re-starting on its own… maybe it’s possessed.

Anyway, I think I’m going to drop from exhaustion soon. I should never have over-indulged after my test last week. I’m suffering for being too lazy to start research.

Here's the problem: I assumed I had all the time in the work just because I quit my last time and had some time before I started my new job. So what did I do with the extra time? Start my research for that ultra killer of an assignment?

Of course not! Who would do that in favour of shopping and watching tonnes of my favourite K-drama right? So yeah, I finished an entire series (not too great, the show) and shopped till my bank account is in the red. Then I started panicking.

So finally, I decided to confront my greatest fear on Saturday. I did 3 hours of research in Woodlands Regional Library. Then I came home and did online research for another 3 hours and continued on Sunday till 5pm. Sad to say I haven't much luck with Google.

I have no guts yet to start the main highlight of my paper, the literature review, but I've done everything else. That's my efforts from Saturday till now. And yes, I am working!!!

I so regret leaving things to the last minute. But I know I wouldn't change a thing if I could do it all over again. Some things never change.

Three back-to-back meetings tomorrow, but lucky my nice boss is letting me hitch a ride in his cool Lexus. It helps to have a wonderful boss who lives near you! I stubbed my toe and it turned blueblack. I had to hobble around; it hurts darn much when I walk and my great boss commandered me to take a cab home and claim!!! I made the right choice man... I'm happy right now... but perhaps ask me again in three months.

If I totally suck at sales, then I'll start to feel crappy... Meanwhile, I'm nominating my new boss for the best boss contest - if there's any!

Wednesday, December 13, 2006 . 12:57 AM

Starting my first day at a new place tomorrow... I'm a bundle of nerves now. Can't sleep.

I'm always a wreck before my first day at a new place. I really hate getting out of my comfort zone. It takes me a long time before I re-adjust to my surroundings. For some obscure reason, I just can't relax and be friendly. Why is that?

Anyhow, I'm praying that tomorrow will be a wonderful day and my new colleagues are fine and friendly people. Now, I'm back to worrying... and reading Eldest. Christopher Paolini is such a fantastic writer for one so young. I especially like this quote uttered by Saphira:

Monday, December 11, 2006 . 2:10 AM

I had a bit of technical difficulties yesterday when I tried to update. Apparently the color of photos will come out awry if you try to upload a CMYK format picture onto the Internet. It took me 1 whole day t figure out that I have to change all formats of my photos to RGB format before the tomato soup stops turning blue.

Once again, I think technology can be such a bitch. Which is why I did not attempt an IT course in Poly.

Enough gripping, I'm getting back to the topic of the day: Dieting.

I've always been what you call plump. When I was a kid, adults thought I was adorable. But when I entered my teenage years, suddenly, it wasn't cute to have all those baby fats on me. And thus, I began my bitter battle with the bulge.

Alas, it was a losing battle. Up till I graduated from Poly, my baby fats refused to acknowledge the fact that I wasn't quite a baby after all and clung on for dear life, much to my exasperation. Of course, it didn't help that I had a bunch of friends whose favourite past time was eating. It was with them that I attempted to cramp 8 slices of pizza, 1 bowl of soup, 2 servings of lasagne plus gallons of coke down my long-suffering throat.

Needless to say, I didn't feel too good after the meal, but I'll always look back at those days with fondness. How wonderful it was to be youth and to have high metabolism rate. If I tried to at like that now, no doubt I'll be twice the size I was back then.

Anyway, stories of my food-loving days have to be recounted in another entry.

It wasn't until 1 year of my entry into the workforce that I realised that I have to beat the bulge or be forever condemned as The Plump Girl. Let's face it, there aren't a lot of clothes designed for plump girls. And I want to wear nice clothes, damn it!

And so, the battle begins again. I wiped chocolates from my diet, which is the hardest thing I had to do. And next goes the carbs. Bye bye mashed potatoes, rice and noodles. I was never a breakfast person, so it was no problem for me to skip it. Lunch was a must-have, otherwise I'll faint from hunger. But dinner was a luxury. Sometimes it was 1 potato chip. Yes, 1 chip, not a whole bag. Or it could be a salad.

I seriously have no idea where I found the strength to stick to such a gruelling, inhumane diet, but I did. For almost a year. And I lost 9kg for my efforts.

My motivation, other than nice clothes, was this guy I liked back then. He likes skinny girls. And since I'm far from skinny, I decided to attempt to get skinny. When, apparently it didn't work. Both getting skinny and getting the guy. But I really have him to thank for helping me lose 9kg.

Make no mistake, I might not be skinny, but I don't think I'm plump. Alright, maybe several days a month I feel like a pig, but on other days, I feel... good. Though I secretly hope to lose another 2-3kg, but doesn't every girl?

Though my dieting days are more or less over, my friends have embarked on their own journey. Mine was the cheapo and rather unsafe method, whereas theirs are more medically approved. It's an acupucture thing (it's not cheap!) which is supposed to help you lose weight faster than usual and of course, you have to do your part by eating less and more healthily.

Which is why on my latest outing with Mel, she ate so little I kind of suspect the real Mel has been kidnapped by aliens.


We ordered a set meal, which comes with soup, main and drinks. I ordered 7-up (unhealthy) and Mel had tea with only 1 packet of sugar. This is a lady whose favourite drink is coke and she drinks it like plain water. Now she's having tea. I am amazed.

Then, our tomato soup came and she took 2 sips and declared she was done.


Compared that with how much I drank. I am a pig.

Then came our main course: a juicy steak. My mouth still waters at the thought of the tender steak. At least she finished the steak. But. She did not touch the potato wedges at all.


Mel once told me that she could never go on the diet because she cannot resist food. She thought I was insane for completely cutting carbs out of my diet. And here she was, 2 years later, doing exactly what she thought she couldn't.

Never say never, Energizer battery is right.

I am fully convinced that Mel can attain her ideal weight soon and on the contrary I have to stop pigging out at home. I think I'm gaining weight from all the food I've been indulging in. But before I attempt to lose another 2kg, perhaps I can have the heavenly chilli crab I had last Thursday?

Friday, December 08, 2006 . 7:00 PM

At Mel's request, I've decided to blog more regularly so she has something to read when she's bored at work. At this time of year, I think there should be a lot of people like her, so all of you, come read my blog too!

Some time back I promised a transcript from one episode of Over the Rainbow and though it's delayed, I've finally done it. I'm not a professional at this translating business, and this the best I can do, so bear with me.
Yeah, so this is the part where I cried buckets. But now, reading it again, makes me feel... love is unexplainable. You really can't love someone just because he/she is nice. But I still think that in this case, Hyeok Joo ought to be shot because he does like Sang Mi, but is just stubbornly clinging on to the past. His friend was trying to talk sense into him, but the great oaf refused to heed good advice. Grrr...

Yeah, you see, now you can't say I didn't keep my promises! One more to fulfill and I'm done!

Wednesday, December 06, 2006 . 2:24 AM

I've come up with a reason why my blog is so boring. Like novels are categorized under genres, my blog is categorized under the 'boring' genre. So choose only to read in extreme boredom.

Anyway, I went Vivocity today! I shan't say that it's huge cos I still think Suntec is bigger and the layout less confusing than Vivo. They do have a lot more interesting shops though. I went crazy over watches and bought 3 of them. And I also saw 2 pairs of shoes that are absolutely to-die-for, but guess what? They don't have my size! How can that be? Argh!!! I'm going back out tomorrow and hunting those shoes down and bringing them home with me.

And dining at Vivo is a perilous experience. I ate at 2Hot Cafe... big mistake!!!

The mushroom soup was served lukewarm after 30 minutes of waiting. Doesn't matter it was lukewarm, but it was also too salty, as if the chef accidentally upset a whole shaker of salt into the soup. Here's how it looks like:


And it costs $4 too! I've tried better soups that cost less than this.

The steak I ordered came 20 minutes after the soup.



Doesn't look very appetising, does it? Trust me, it doesn't taste good either. I didn't touch the mashed potato because it's cold and doesn't have gravy. Tell me, what's mashed potato without the gravy? I think the foodcourt in Northpoint serves better steak than this.

But though the food was disappointing, I have to commend the wait staff. They noticed that we waited for quite some time and actually offered us complimentary cakes. But my dining partner refused the nice offer. Our server was always smiley, though I wonder if he was smiling at us or with us.

Suffice to say, it would be the last time I'm stepping into that cafe. I think I have to try out more new places for food.

Sunday, December 03, 2006 . 12:53 AM

I have got to stop making promises I can't keep. I am fully aware I haven't uploaded the photos I promised and other assorted things I said I would post. This is probably why I can't be a full time blogger. This and the fact that I blog so irregularly.

What new things do I have to report? Well...

1. I left my job on Wednesday and have been slacking since Thursday.
2. I am almost through with my intensive 2 weeks course, having just completely screwed up my presentation this afternoon and totally back-sliding on my readings for Monday's exam.
   
3. I bought myself a new mobile! The uber gorgeous samsung 12.9, aka D900.
4. Bought grey contacts after failed attempt at violet eyes.
5. Watched and cried over Happy Feet the movie (I love penguins & I'm never visiting the zoo! It's a prison and we're all wardens!)
6. I need to go shopping! (Who doesn't?)
   

The burning question after I tell people that I've quit my job is 'Why?'. Why did I quit? The real answer to that is... I felt like quitting. All right, so it may sound like a crappy excuse, but I've always followed my instincts and right now, they are telling me to quit, so I did.

Maybe it will turn out to be a wrong decision, but I'll live with it. God knows how many wrong decisions I already have to live with, what's one more? But hopefully, I did learn from my mistakes, I know I can be quite dense or stubborn, whichever way you choose to see it.

I'm pretty excited about starting my new job. The Boss seems like a nice person - so far. He could still turn out to be the boss from hell, but my gut feel tells me it's unlikely to be so. I think it's the right decision to go back to what I am familiar with, but dealing with a different aspect of the industry. It will prove to be interesting. The rest remains to be seen whether I can keep up with the pace and the learning curve. There are just so many things to pick up that sometimes I just feel so overwhelmed.

Yet strangely, bosses always tell me that they think I'm doing well when I usually beg to differ. Am I being too hard on myself? These 2 weeks nearly killed me. Going to classes 4 times a week is not a joke. Digesting information at such lightning speed makes me feel like I need to upgrade my brain's broadband connection speed so I can 'download' the information faster. I'll be glad for the month-long break.

I miss having a social life. Hanging out with Alvin and Elsie. KTVing with Mel, Sharon and Jemy. Hell, I even miss cycling in Ubin and beach games in Sentosa/ECP.

Seeing Alvin and Elsie today just reminds me that I haven't been out in the sun for a bloody long time. I'm too fair. Too freaking fair. I need a little color. Maybe I'll add that color on my hair or eyes instead of skin. Cos I simply turn red under the sun. Not brown or bronze. Ugh~