the reading test...

Was fiddlin with the "stumbleupon" that I came across this page...
 


And in case you wonder, I passed with fly colours too.. Man, our brain is amazing!!

took for granted?

boredom in me resulted in 八卦ness.. since saw some email links in my in-box on blogs of some I knew by face & name (i.e. superficially only), click on to satisfy the paparazzi in me..

I saw on the bottom of the wish list of one of these person.. was actually what I'd done it and history to me.. oh yes, that involved moo-lah.. and that person is minor in eyes of law.. (or perhaps, now no longer...) but that two courses of study - one of them is currently providing my bread & butter now - ya the bcc in acc.. haha.. the other being, the recreational commercial course that i took with fish (she was the one who got the deal...)

Had my 7th lesson @ the red dot museum.. (there is only one record label there...but don't want to list it down.. not doing free promo!) (gonna missed the 8th [& final] cuz of drama rehearsal next monday).. didn't continue the full course (the total course is 20 sessions) cuz felt that I'd enrolled in the wrong class.. I don't listen to Chinese pop (no particular reason for not doing so..) and I don't aspire to be the next superstar.. And the teacher 'beseeches" us to prepare a Chinese tune for him to comment... Okie.. I'm not a kantang. I do can crone a few Chinese tunes.. (inclusive of my sec sch & jc school anthems!) On the contrary, my command of Chinese language and fluency in that language is much more superior than english.. BUT, I just don't subscribe to Chinese pop.

What I want is to improve vocally and frankly, the music theory taught that he briefly taught interest me more (cuz the course focus was on pop vocal, hence classical theory 轻描淡写就已足够了!) Hmmm anyway, i foresee I will not be working in the town area soon (by faith!!) so, reaching tanjong pagar by 7pm would probably be a tall order for me..

Perhaps shall ask val abt her teacher.. :)

And about what's that's been harping me since... He is in control.. and if He has given the vision, He will send forth the provision... Not too bad of that "fretting" - i ended up having not much of an appetite yesterday. :)

the good vs the better

Woke up 745 in shock with calltime just 30minutes away. The flesh thought up chains of excuses to excuse myself from serving.. (such as sick..) and sleep in a bit more *it was raining!!!* and just attend S3... but couldn't bring myself to do that..but thank God a Merz cab came up seconds i waited on curb.. was 5 min late.. BUT there were less than 20 peeps.. Woohoo...

Yikes, I was pulled to the front row last minute cuz 2nd row was too squeezy (cuz a sister from third row was pulled to second row last min).. Man.. I confess, I was semi-dressed down - compared to the ac standard... (no fakies - my eyes were not prep for the additional roofs being tired and kinda swollen... not much of bling, except the gold discs .. hair flat.. make-up not va va voom - did it within 10minutes after soundcheck..) and I've yet internalised the lyrics.. Tsk, cameramen did closeup lor.. :( prayed that I look as if I know the lyrics...

I like it when Pastor Tan preached.. Revelational... tsktsk.. was reminded of the Mary saga( see previous..)

Frankly, was sorta surprised that jia asked me to "nanny" the choir dramatists cuz she was unable to make it that early due to dialect church.. tsk tsk.. But did it anyway, with apprehension, afterall, i wasn't a helper or AH lor.. Was frankly kinda "stressed" when Sis Sandy asked for the choir i/c.. alrite la, she's actually approachable.. it's just me and my inadequacy acting up...

And i thank the wick-trimmer that helps me train my patience when conversing with her.. Cuz you being my senior (in age), it won't be good and appropriate to treat you like a youth. BUT since you have given your commitment to serve AND with the actual event happening in slightly more one week to go.. with not many rehearsals to go... And coupled with the fact that you aren't familiar with your parts, yet you see it alright to go for the pm/ and to be excused for the "My Hope" event cuz it's for the christmas... (which I agreed hands down, these two are equally important... esp in this season BUT... not all are involved in the production, but you are one of the privileged few..) and you deemed it ok to arrive late.. Sigh.. look at the big picture! I would love to give it to you, but I couldn't.. My reply is the political explanation ... and gently urged her to prioritise and suggested alternative solutions.. (and reiterate reason why IC/ helpers highlighted on the involvement/ commitment level) Sigh, told her if she really cannot commit, perhaps she would want to let her i/c know (but she seemed reluctant to not to participate...) And my personal take: you would want to deliver excellent piece of work, be it you are the mains or the background peeps...

Sigh, most people like to be in the limelight...(And I'm made of flesh & blood too.. so I'm not excluded..) But gotta know the season in you are in... Friends vs service, there is no need for compromise, but be sure not to jeopardize either.. ultimately, if there are no friends, it defeats the purpose of the whole event... as the saying goes "Good is the enemy of better.."

And I hate the d-nature in me that comes up so subtly when such situation arises...

There's something about Mary..

There is indeed something about her.. the "simply believe & obey" attitude..
Oh.. I'm not talking about the movie with the same title.. (incidentally, I do like the movie.. haha.. cuz it's hilarious..and movie with ben stiller is never fails to cheer me up... )

Mary.. hmm what a coincidence that the sermon that kai prepared for cg revolved ard Mary. Cuz earlier in the day, I was commenting aloud (via msn convo with ast) that I hope I would be like Mary when that call comes again..

Ooooo.. which brought to mind what He gently told me during the drama rehearsal on thurs.. Nah, not revealing the plot here.. but I couldn't stop the tears from rolling.. cuz the past falls haunt... Am i the "sucker" for failure reminiscences that refuse to move on? or it is just too comfortable to "torture" self with the failure to meet the 6 months deadline.. Man, if I know the cascading effects of that bo-chupness to what will really happen, I don't think I would take that lightly... Or perhaps, during the 6 months grace period, I'd done things by how man will do things, not looking thru' His lens... Cuz I'd taken the call too lightly? Yet, humbled by the fact, he overlook the imperfection and still render me qualified for the race...

Now when people ask what do you forsee yourself in doing (ministry-wise) in the future? in choir? or... I think I'm living in the vacation mode long enough, yet I know, choir-wise, I feel fun and joy (like how i feel joining an cca or taking those general electives modules during my uni-days... - ie recreational.. satisfy what I enjoy doing....Yet, it's not the core esessential module...)

I wish I could be like Mary, and simply believes.. and wait for the kairos moment...

Relaxing Saturday

An impromptu decision to pop by lacbar after gym due to chipped nails. Loved the nail colours- fingers- reflections; toes- midnite blue with glitter. Quirky names that OPI nails colours have!

cherry stalk knotted..

As i was happily savoring the remaining of my bowl of cherries, I decided to do a yoga stunt with the cherry stalk with my tongue.. 

the bowl of cherries...

Cherry stalk no. 1 (took abt five minutes... trying to visualise the knotting process...) . 

Being bored still, decided to try to do it within shorter time....SO i take another cherry, finish the juicy fruit.. and haha begin attempt no. 2

the stalk...

 

the 2nd knot!! Did it in abt 2 minutes... i think...

Yup.. I'm that bored... Think my tongue has innate yoga ability.. :) woo.. my man (whoever he is?) should be a happy person (as ast pointed out - cuz i'd used it in my msn nick, so he commented...haha) - why ah? haha... *blush* *shy* Pretends to be ignorant.. haha

the happy twin knots!

Oh man.. I'm really bored!

a blessing in disguise??

I realized that due to the drama involvement... I won't have time for Christmas shopping.. (good for my pocket.. bad for the economy... cannot inject funds into the economy...) sAd... but at least I can stop stocking up on the "limited editions palettes".

My colleague was telling me of the 50% MNG sale.. Wa.. tempting tempting... but gotta hold the reigns.. else.. not bleeding love but bleeding moolah ... Seriously, wardrobe overflowing... and tsktsk.. i need to stop procrastinate to clear the mountainpile of clothes and be less sentimental to stuff I won't be wearing.. again.. And to take that i worn-it-twice-cuz-it-was-ridiciously-huge-but-bought-cuz-50%-sale blingbling jeans from skin to alteration {else it is VERY ugly with the excess material esp @ the butt area) ... and seriously be less sentimental and clear out the old books ( gosh, the Econs 10-years-series is still sitting somewhere in my cardboard.. and the paperbacks that were yellowed with age... - horrendous thought now.. possibility of silverfish & 小强s eeeeks! ) Shall get to work to clear them on Sat perhaps.. (the only day without drama rehearsal!)or maybe just the dumping part - else risking the dust allergy aftermath if i do major cleaning...

Hmmm but i still have lunch time to spare right? HAHA... Vivocity.. the only place to shop this christmas... (machiam like advertising for vivo.. HAHA!!)

sad.. my 20% FFF bday voucher expired.. Tsktsk.. (Ah-Q mentality will say - you save 80%!) tsktsk...

Yup, I've got too much time to spare.. hence non-sensical bimbotic posts... shall enjoy while it last...

Sigh, attending S3 this weekend (and perhaps the next) cuz of the rehearsals venue.. won't see my cgm prolly oni during christmas? or maybe after that? so sad.....

Another $ saver.. no need to do up hair & spend $ on new apparel [cuz no carolling for me - again-yup due to manymany unforeseen (though it's actually forseen but i chose not to but gotta pull out LAST min, and not sure if next year still have chance? ) and not serving choir during the xmas service].... goodie good.. tsktsk-- coldturkey treatment for the shopaholic.. haha..

Time waits for no one..

The first line of a song which I rather like in my sch days.. (oh yes, the name of this group now comensurate the date the WTC crash..)..

yep, time waits for no one, hence down with procrastination...

Year 2008 is coming to a close. As a reflection, the response to the summary of events of the 2008 till date , from a man on street's viewpoint is probably one filled with the unmentionables signs.. otherwise denoted as the @#!!$$ ..  I reckoned.  Hmmm you lose some, you gain some.

Recently, in the midst of an msn conversation with one I assumed is a neutral party in which the "victim" poured her injustices ( during the active saga period)... I was indigant to learn that the response to the whole saga was "neither angry/ bitter". Hmm, angry? Gee, fact of the matter is that my anguish/ betrayal/ disappointment  were not laundered to any third parties cuz I didn't wish to create the feeling of bias among the common acquaintances which the "victim" and i shared. Yet, from some neutral third parties' mouth, the person did otherwise.. so I became the villiant in the saga! Oh well, forget it!  I don't want the blood in my hand.. Pass the salt!  Yet, to poke at the scab which has grown over the wound is not advisable at the current moment. Frankly, bff is now like a joke to me.. thanks a lot. In situation that I encounter salt,  I will bear in mind that salt are crystals too.. (Translate: Crystals aren't opaque, light passes through crystal.. hence you can look thru them.)

Pass the salt... Next..

Sorta regretted crawling for 5 minutes during the run.. :( sad.. timing ain't that bad but surely it's not my best. Imagine I still have energy to do so many things after the run and no muscle aches or whatsoever the next day...  At least, there's still next year to makeup for it.  On a happier note.. the ego me is happy to find out that her timing was a tad speedier than her fit-ex colleague from iras - (whom she bumped into in gym last sat b4 the run and on the day of run itself) as well as peeps that she knew who ran the same course as her.. okie...ego me..  Crush that!!

oh no.. no more time to waste here... another rehearsal this evening.. thought I could make it to the gym for an hour or so... sigh, gotta lug my shoes  & stuff to & fro.. Attempting to rise a little earlier tmw ( crossing fingers that it'll end before 1030 tonite!) sad.. might miss cg the next two weeks.. (but am "excused" wo.. haha)...

to be continued..  would try to parablise on something I read somewhere soon..

weird message

A very weird message in my facebook inbox - i half-suspect it being spam mail... from someone whom i don't know (though from the list of friends - there's one choir member listed as his friend..)

Here the weird msg goes...

"Dear like to knw u as a friend my name mani working as logistic officer in DSTA local my email address is xxxxxxx@dsta.gov.sg and contact num is 8xxxxxx4 how is ur christmas shopping going in care to join me in christmas shopping can i get u a gift for christmas dear love can get ur ciontact num tool"

?

I wonder if this poor DSTA guy email was hecked into? Cuz seriously, the message is full of typo errors! and why so many "dear" eks! haha...

the first 10km! :)

Despite my attempt to sleep earlier before the run.. i slept at 12am! Tsktsk.. And cuz dinner was late @ 21 hrs, I couldn't perform the "water-parade" as advised by e, to hydrate myself to prevent dehydration.. henceforth, woke up @ 5:30 to makan brekkie and drank like a camel..
Decided to travel lite - meaning.. no baggage to deposit @ counter.. hence was wearing my short shorts .. (woo hoo! I can fit into size S now.. haha.. yay! Dropped one size down in 4 months.. :) !!) kinda conscious lo, cuz haha feel so naked.. in my short-shorts and the blue tee and running gear (felt lost with bags..haha) haha.. when throngs of similar cladded ladies streamed in at tampines - haha.. all heading to the same destination - cityhall.. Hmmm seemed like lotsa active ladies in the east too..:)

Attempted to empty before the run (I can't run with full bladder...) Saw a couple of my friends @ cityhall.. waved @ my ex-colleague YP and spotted Mel (who was running for her company i assumed, she wearing her company tee..) Too many peeps, hence couldn't meet up with xiaorong, who's oso there with her cg.

Despite attempt to empty before the run... I had a small detour to the smelly loo.. :( think I'd over-drank ... which resulted in a nasty experience of running with a full bladder..after the 2km mark.. :( which resulted me in walking up the sheares bridge.. and crawled @ a slower pace.. until i spotted the pink portable toilet.. without long queues).Man.. it was not a pleasant sight within/ and foul smell emit when the door open! Think the users don't realised that the handtowels ought not to be chunked into the loo!! ) Wasted at least 5 minutes to wait, queue and empty.. but it was worthwhile . .else.. i will waste more time walking.. haha... (I must have walked approximately for 1 km out of the 10km!)

Fave stretch of the run was the F1 pit-stop area.. cuz there must be like 10 over race cars parked there!! (Didn't snap any pictures cuz I was plugged to my phone, strapped to my arm) hence.. didn't want to waste time to remove and snap away.. Hmm i was to spot St Andrew Cathedral.. cuz ending point is near.. was feeling sleepy by then.. I guessed effects of caffeine-withdrawal syndrome kicking in... I missed my coffee!) .. and left arm was aching as i crawled pass the 8km mark - i wondered if it's the after-effects of my training the day before OR the extra weight on my left arm - my mobilephone strapped there...) was giving me the problem..but nonetheless was more than happy to cross the finish line... :).. finish the 10km in 1 hr 10min 10 sec! Not too bad woah... here's the link that documented my race details.. Didn't managed to finish within the 1 hour goal.. oh well.. it's still not too bad..considering that I'd wasted quite a lot of time to walk and empty! haha!!

Had an yummy brekkie with ziv @ tcc after the run. I like the breakfast selection there and the ambience too!! The cafe was rather empty, except for us and another group. (non- runners though.. haha! Smart move for us to walk to bugis instead of "jamming the sillyhall area with the other runners" !! Hmmm think we might be up for the 21km next year.. haha.. :) As for the full marathon, we agreed that it was mission impossible for us now..

Some pictures to relive the moments.. (the pictures @ the finish line is not ready! Also dunno if the official photographers did capture that moment..haha!)

the yummy breakfast!!

the (almost) empty TCC!


Ziv, my running bro!!



me with the finisher medal..



miffy !!

Hmmm surprisingly, with the extra dose of energy, i walked thru the pasir ris park home... hand-washed my whole week's worth of laundry... (yep..i feel like energiser bunny after the run!!) and went shopping for new sofa @ century sq in the evening with mum & bro.. haha.. :)

Spent the whole of monday nua-ing at home after yummy dim-sum @ imperial @ T3 with family..[ate ultra unhealthy peking duck too!! Ops!] Slept ultra-early @ 10pm (with a short nap in the afternoon!) .. and yet i woke up late this morning @ 730am! Flagged a cab to work cuz I've to be @ JW 7pm so can't afford to be late for work.. haha.. :) At least, I've a well-rested monday.. I guessed the next two weeks will be hectic cuz i'd volunteered to be opt-in for the christmas drama... :)!

Hmmm it will be hectic, (as i vividly recalled the first-time involvement as a calefei in drama (no lines.. just smile n look angelic)- as angel too in the easter production when i was freshly recruited into choir) but since I'm quite free now, so thought i could avail ba..

And yeah, e might be coming for christmas.. yeah! :) kinda surprising how the topic evolved but glad for the opportunity to share a bit with him during our training session last sat..Nope, didn't preach to him.. and guessed can consider him quite open ba.. considering he used to attend sunday school during sec - cuz of his BB days.. and he was the one who started the topic.. :) 

bored to tears..

I can't believe it.. I'm not doing much work today and spent the whole morning and part of my afternoon on msn chat .. Nothing much to do... Was chatting with ast lor.. haha he's sure an entertaining chap.. hahaha...

good la.. else.. i've nothing much to do but to just face-booking..

Looking forward to evening.. attempting to do a short, faster run later...

the 3 hours of editing...

Spent the last three hours plus sitting in front of my five year old HP LCD screen (oh yes, i'm still desktop bounded, the LCD monitor outlasted its' CPU, which was replaced by the 2 years + ibm - which is still going on strong - except that I'd killed the CD-RW function this morning while trying to burn kai's proposal to vory - Not too sure how i killed the CD-RW drive though.. but the CD-R burning function still alirite.. Hmmm think will get a lappy when budget allows.. I'd digressed.. !!) updating my CV - hmm realised I'd some typos in the previous cv.. T_T" think my eyes are brighter/sharper now.. haha..

Was rather hesitant whether to push the submit button.. but felt challenged to step out of the comfy zone during service.. Oh well, I'd already submitted.. so come what may... Just an application... Keeping fingers cross (though seriously, if I work there instead.. it'll be a chore to head down for choir prac @ JW... oh well.. I'm thinking so far ahead.....)

Now, wonder should i send my updated CV to the headhunter who called me a couple of weeks back.. Perhaps, I should.. but I don't want to do tax related stuff woah...

Was at the SITEX on sat.. Tanah Merah Platform was people mountain people sea... Singapore in midst of technical recession?? Judging from the number of LCD TVs in the taxi queue @ foyer 2 and the throngs of people in Hall 5/6 .. I beg to differ... Despite not being a techkie.. I was tempted by the Sony Vaio CR series.. it's $300 off the market price of $1999.. but the ibm still functioning.. the beckoning voice of iPod/ nano/ iPhone.. Was rationalising to recontract earlier (by paying more... ) to buy the iPhone @ the Apple booth when in my unglam (tank top, shorts - okie, not to bad.. just not glam - the fit to go tampines mall outfit) state, i was poked by e.. Haiz.. so unglam..but then again.. what's the big fuss.. haha.. he saw me in my ugly fat state... back to phone.. my w660 is cracking up (literally cracked and connection loosening..) Pray that it'll last till the magical 18th month to qualify for "legal" recontract... ( a few more months)

Side-track.. the thanksgiving service... it was a short service but none the less.. Wow! Had not been sowing in all the A&B ( think my first A&B was in 2001/2 ) and i've yet come to the stage that the reaping has outweight the sowing.. BUT all in all.. I was reminded of the many tiny miracles life-saving moments. and was reminded that THE best has yet to come.. the new thing that He's reminding me of.. what I'm doing now is definitely nothing new/fresh.. so i wonder if it is...

Been blabbering.. Need to zzzz.. Trying to hit the treadmill for 5k in the AM.. Dec 7 is approaching and e set me the target to complete within 45min!! To me.. it's a goal too far stretch now... Anyway, it's my first 10 k ma.. so... haha.. aiming for not more than the hours I put in my application form which was 1hour 20min... haha..
Good morning...