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June 30, 2008

Another week gone...

getting busier by the day as my last day draws closer yet.
and here's the update from the previous week...

THURSDAY

busy busy.
spent the whole day working on the Indo trip.

yes, i'll be going to Central Java with Hoochie from 15 to 19 July.
finally
managed to find a few days from our schedules to go for the long awaited trip.
will post up more details in a couple of days' time.

in the evening, i chalked the first jogging session of the week.


FRIDAY

NeuNeu came by after work to pick Mommy and i up to Giant.
we've allocated the day to prepare for the BBQ with the TMIS folks on Saturday.

headed off to Old Airport Road for our late lunches.
Mommy had Vegetarian Tofu Claypot and Gingko Barley dessert, NeuNeu had his usual Char Kway Teow and i had the Hokkien Prawn Noodle plus...

i finally got to try the renowned Toa Payoh Rojak.
it's super tasty!

arrived home around 5pm, NeuNeu washed up and helped out a little before heading for some rest.
in between preparations, i stole a moment and had my 2nd attempt on Yam Paste (芋泥).
much better this time, i must shamelessly say. hah.
got everything ready by 8pm or so with Mommy's help.

NeuNeu woke up then we went for a car wash and headed home for bed.


SATURDAY

suffered from terrible tummy cramps in the morning.
NeuNeu got me a painkiller, helped to rub some ointment and we were on our way after the tormenting 2 hours.

we were up early to get his car serviced in JB after breakfast.
we popped by a coffeeshop along the way where he had dumpling noodles and i bought myself a 大包 (literally big bun).
it was REALLY big with lots of filling and an egg
(which had to be surrendered to NeuNeu coz i can't take those).

hung around at the mechanics a bit while the car underwent checks and stuff.
set off home after he bought some rambutans for his mom.

i packed his room while he washed up after reaching home.
met Vincent and Alex in town to get some beverages and condiments, then we headed home to pick up the pre-prepared foodstuff, including the Fried Bee Hoon we asked Mommy to cook.

we unloaded the loot when we arrived at East Coast, Vincent started the fire, Alex and Corinne made the drinks.
Stella arrived shortly after, followed by Jason, Qingli, Angie, Zen and all the others.

munchie munchie. chat chat.
we wrapped up around 11pm and were off to the movies to catch "Wanted".
a little frustation when we were all bushed, yet got held back and were late for the show coz Elvin had one drink too much.

it was almost 2am when we finally arrived home.
while NeuNeu took his shower, i washed up the utensils and stored the leftovers in the fridge.


finally got to rest around 3:30am.
(pictures will be up in a few days)

SUNDAY

poor NeuNeu had less than 4 hours' rest and was off to work around 7am.
luckily i'm on the night shift, so i went back to sleep after seeing him off.

my brother's due to return from Darwin today evening.
so Mommy and Dad will be picking him up from the airport.


and now, i will finish up my work, make myself comfy and nap a little..

June 22, 2008

Week Update

WEDNESDAY

a load off my back after i finally tendered my resignation to my boss at work today.
knocked off and reached home around 8:30pm.
i casually remarked that i feel like going for a jog.
Mommy spontaneously offered to accompany me!

we geared up and hit the track.
and after three rounds, we returned to wash up and take dinner.

then Aly called and we arranged for an impromptu supper at Pasir Ris.
took a cab over then had a two-hour binge-and-chat session.
left after going over to pass SY his 愛心 supper.


THURSDAY

signed the contract at my new company in the morning.
the job will start on 04-Aug-08 at 9:00am
(although my working hours are supposed to be from 8:30am),
and the last day with my current company will be in mid-July.

afterwards, i went for my ENT appointment at Changi General Hospital in the afternoon and am put on two months' medication before returning for another check end of next month.

we headed off to JB later in the afternoon.
checked out the prices a island-resort getaway. but since it was too much of an "exotic" getaway, we only managed to get coach prices which weren't cheap at all!

just to digress a little to talk about our trip.

NeuNeu and i have been contemplating between two destinations for a 3D2N or 4D3N short trip. after checking and comparing prices, we decided to go for a 2nd trip to Bangkok and keep the island-resort as a reserve for future trips.
and since we're really frequent visitors to Bangkok, there really isn't much planning required so we can happily put that at the back of our minds after making reservations for the flight and accommodation.

back to the post...
we were famished by the time the price-checking ended, so we decided to head to Neway KTV for some singing and buffet session.
we had 4 hours of relaxing fun at the price of RM 42+++.

we arrived home and turned in around midnight.


FRIDAY

we were awakened by Glenneth and Auntie's conversation in the morning
(or was it noon?), but only climbed out of bed an hour or two later.


packed our stuff and left for IMM.

bought some sponge for Mommy from Daiso and had our late lunches.
called Ah Po before we going over to deliver some stuff we bought for her and found out that they're already having a gathering over there!

Auntie, Glenneth, Godmum and her kids, Shirley and Sharmaine were already there when we arrived. not forgetting Gong Gong, Ah Po and Uncle who returned home later in the evening.

sat around a little,
and the glutton had his second (AND THIRD) servings of lunch/dinner over there.
he should've been born in the year of the PIG seriously.



we had a snappy session with Sharmaine.
she was bubbling with joy the whole time.

the gathering ended around 9:00pm,
after which we headed back to my place after sending everyone home.

made my dose of almond tea and headed off to bed shortly after.


SATURDAY

ah yes, yesterday. the last portion of today's post.

i woke up before NeuNeu, tucked in to the congee Mommy bought for me and flipped through the papers.
after his turn at the breakfast table and papers, we set off for Ikea, Courts and Giant.
i am seriously getting pretty sick of that place after continuously dropping by since a few weeks back when i had to get my room done up.
eeeck.
the only thing that i still want to do there is to have breakfast with Aly.

we didn't take long to finish up whatever business we had there and moved over to Tampines Sports Hall to book a court for our badminton crave.
got home to prepare our gear then returned for a hour-long session.

alright, i 'fess up. since nobody came to stop us when the time was up, we stuck around and played a little longer than we were supposed to.
muahaha.
we're cheater-bugs.

afterwards, we dropped by the Pasar Malam across the street, got ourselves a snack each then headed home to wash up and have dinner.
NeuNeu left for work after the meal and i spent the rest of the night uploading some pictures taken during the week.

and so, before i head for my mid-day after-medication and before-night-shift nap, the links to the pictures here:

2008.06.12 - Wei's Birthday

2008.06.20 - Gathering

June 18, 2008

WorldVision

as many of u would've already knew, i've sponsored Seyha, a child from Cambodia, not too long ago.
well, u don't have to be a wealthy richie-rich, come from a well-to-do family, or hold a high-paying, high-ranking job to be a sponsor.
it costs is as low as USD 35 a month or USD 50 for a one-time donation to help improve another's life significantly.

in response to some of the inquiries i've received recently, here's a post which may shed more light to all.


i hope these can answer some of the questions u have in mind. however, should u require more help, u can always refer to their website, contact the helpful folks on their hotline or drop me a line!

not forgetting the option that allows u to sign up for their e-mail Newsletter through their webbie as well.


so here are various programs available for both short and long-term. u can choose from their international website which is here or the local website over here.

apart from the basic Child Sponsorship, the local website also provides information on other programs such as HopeChild Sponsorship, Children In Crisis, Emergency Relief, Love Loaf and Gifts in Kind whilst the international site offers more greater variety of extensive programs for interested parties, which can be found in the links below:

Child Sponsorship
http://donate.wvus.org/OA_HTML/xxwvibeCCtpSctDspRte.jsp?section=10022

Basic Needs
http://donate.wvus.org/OA_HTML/xxwvibeCCtpSctDspRte.jsp?section=10023

Emergency Aid
http://donate.wvus.org/OA_HTML/xxwvibeCCtpSctDspRte.jsp?section=10025

for other forms of donation, u can refer to...
Gift Catalog

http://donate.wvus.org/OA_HTML/xxwvibeCCtpSctDspRte.jsp?section=10024


don't forget to update and share ur joy with me if u've taken up the wonderful decision to be part of the great movement irregardless of which organization u chose.


There is a wonderful mythical law of nature that the three things we crave most in life -
happiness, freedom and peace of mind -
are always attained by giving
them to someone else.

Peyton Conway March

June 17, 2008

The weekend

this post has been sitting in my drafts for a few days now and i really should complete it and post it up before it gets clean forgotten.

had a long day out on Friday. first stop was prayers at Waterloo Street. went for lot divination to get guidance and advice on the job change. and the lot read...

第三十五籤

中籤。申宮

詩曰一

衣冠重整就宿風
道是無功卻有功
掃卻當途荊棘碍
三人共議事相同

詩曰二

衣冠重整舊家風
道是無穹卻有功
掃卻當途荊棘刺
三人約議再和同

詩意

此卦衣冠重整之象。凡事先難后易也。

解曰

不用憂疑。自有佳期。若問前程。前路可宜。

聖意

家宅 亂。
自身 吉。
求財 好。
交易 利。
婚姻 阻。
六甲 驚。
行人 至。
田蠶 不利。
六畜 興。
尋人 至。
公訟 有理。
移徙 安。
失物 遲見。

疾病 祈福。
山墳 宜舊。

故事

1.唐僧取經
唐三藏信姓陳名禕。十三歲出家。法號玄奘。
往天竺(印度)取經。歷盡艱辛。四年始達。
學習十五年後返國。攜回大量佛經。並譯成中文。
西遊記內述其故事。

2.劉關張古城相會

三國時代,劉關張三人投靠袁紹被曹操打散,劉備敗走,關羽與劉備的二位妻子同留曹操處、張飛不知去向,後來關羽得知劉備尚在,即過五關斬六將前往相會,在古城遇見張飛,又打聽到劉備消息將他迎來,三人於古城相會。

so apart from my own decision making, i've sought advices from 3 who are closest to me and finally i've decided to go for it. hopefully, like what the lot says... 此卦衣冠重整之象。凡事先難后易也。
不用憂疑。自有佳期。若問前程。前路可宜。

thanks to all the dearest who have filled me in with helpful information, advice and encouragement!

had a stroll down the street with Mommy and she got a cute pair of spectacles for her presbyopia (老花眼) then NeuNeu drove us to Suntec for the PC Show.

like i was telling Nick, it was crowded like toot.
all u see are human heads and smelling smelly pits.
luckily, NeuNeu already knew what he needed, so it was pretty effortless.

had our late lunches then headed to Carrefour to grab some stuff and headed off.
before getting home, we stopped by 201 to buy lottery, and munchies for work next morning.

and to get myself started, i asked NeuNeu to accompany me for a short jog. and i mean really short.
it was so tiring and uncomfortable, i felt like dying.
but if i were to spend the rest of my life living with high cholesterol and no yummy food, i'd rather die jogging.
oh alright, that's besides the point.

discussed a little on our getaway trip, and i must give NeuNeu the credit for being extremely accommodating.
decided to give to Cambodia a miss this time 'round coz after speaking to the WorldVision official, arrangements to visit Seyha will take around 3 months to complete.
ho hum.

so we're still a little undecided now.
stuck between two choices - a relaxing beach resort or some intense shopping and office-wear stockup at Bangkok?

June 11, 2008

The results are out...

finally collected my results at the polyclinic after a series of unfortunate events throughout the day...

LIPID PROFILE

Cholesterol Total, serum

9.05 [MMOL/L]

Cholesterol HDL, serum

1.88 [MMOL/L]

Triglycerides, serum

1.14 [MMOL/L]

Cholesterol LDL, Calc

6.65 [MMOL/L]

Cholesterol / HDL Ratio

4.81 H


my cholesterol level hit the ceiling and burst through the roof.
utter sadness.

despite the alarming readings, the doc says i'm not to be put on medication yet due to my age and the cause, which is hereditary in my paternal family.
and from now till the next test date, i've got to watch my diet and start working out at least 30 minutes for 3 times each week.
and she specifically mentioned strolling and shopping are NOT counted. boohoo.

the ENT appointment has been postponed to next week. so much for the anticipation.
i guess i can only wait till then before i get some advise on the operation.


the BIG NEWS for today is that after much keeping mum for awhile, i suppose it's time to announce my intention of switching jobs.
much uncertainty is dwelling in the air over at the current company due to the reshufflement and relocation that has been taking place since last year.

re-started the job search just last week, and went for two interviews on Thursday.
was more or less expecting the calls for second interviews...
but much to my surprise, i got a call from one of the companies yesterday offering me the job without the hassle of a second interview!

HOWEVER, even after negotiation, they are offering a tad lower than my expected wage.
well, let's see how it goes.


and before i wrap up this entry, i just received a letter from Seyha, the girl i'm sponsoring through WorldVision.
the letter's not written by Seyha but by her mom as she hasn't started attending school.
i believe her folks are illiterate as well, thus her words are translated/interpreted by the official from WorldVision and put on paper.

yes, that cute little handprint in the center is drawn and colored by Seyha!
certainly brightened up my day.



as for tomorrow, we'll be having a post-birthday celebration for Wei in the evening.
seems like there aren't any concrete plans as yet but let's hope it'll be a great one.
i'll drop by Waterloo Street for prayers prior to that, after my plans were wrecked today by pure bad luck.

anyways NeuNeu promised to watch Kungfu Panda with me.
i hope tomorrow's the day!


ps: sorry for the poor organization of thoughts. my mind's still in a whirl after the eventful day.

June 08, 2008

打气。





沮丧。



走得累了,
卷了,
灰心了。


可以为我打打气吗?


Just this week...

i've been tied up at work since the week started on Sunday.
so here's a brief summary of events over the past week before they slip my mind.


WEDNESDAY
sinus + menses cramp = disturbed sleep

the night before, Mommy says if i can take a day off work if i don't feel well.
decided to go anyway, so turned in early that night.
but ended up waking up at 4am in the morning feeling terrible so i called in to take MC.

rested in for the morning, before NeuNeu drove us up to Sim Lim to do some research for his assignment. i conveniently tagged along and bought a PINK Fujifilm digital compact camera while we were there.

had our lunches at the renowned Old Airport Road market before picking up the new furniture for my room at Ikea.


THURSDAY
had a couple of appointments at Tanjong Pagar and Paya Lebar,
then NeuNeu came by to pick me up and send me to Ikea to buy a couple more items for my shelves, after which we headed home to fix up my furniture.

after dinner, the entire family set out for Changi Airport to see my pesky brother off - his second trip to Aussie in less than 2 years with the army.

this time the lucky bugger's off to Darwin for a month.

just before sending my folks home,
we toured the T3 a little since my dad hasn't been there yet.


Mommy and I were craving to try MacDonald's Green Tea McFlurry,

but we didn't spot any outlets on our way out =(



after Mom and Dad alighted at our void deck, we headed off to meet Charles, Liz and Wei at Taman Jurong.
still wasn't feeling very well then, so the singing wasn't as enjoyable.
but 'twas great to catch up with all of them.

NeuNeu had to pick up the Sentosa entry passes from his colleague so we dropped by his base for a little before heading home for a well-deserved rest.


FRIDAY
the usual sinus problem woke me up by 9am.
so while NeuNeu continued to rest after a late night restoring his PC, i fixed up some of the essential applications like anti-virus software, Adobe PDF reader and flash player etc.

had lunch over at Choa Chu Kang before popping by Wei's shop to trade-in De Feng's phone.
later on, NeuNeu sent me home then headed off to work.

was supposed to have collected my Cholesterol test results at the polyclinic but we were running late, so i'll have to wait a couple more days for the next rest period.


SATURDAY
started the day early, despite staying up late to pack my room and chat a little with Hoochie on the phone the night before.

it was JB day with Neu, Mommy, Aunt and cousins.
was raining heavily that morning, so we took a cab over to Teck Whye to pick up my Aunt-in-law, cousins and some stuff before NeuNeu came over to ferry us when he knocked off.

lunched at the yummy Prawn Noodle & Char Kway Teow shop near my Aunt's before we visited her place.

NeuNeu took a quick nap in the room, and i dozed off in the living room while having a little chit chat while. woke up just before 4pm and made our way to the supermarket nearby.
dwelled around a little and returned to Aunt's home so the kids could wash up and await for my Uncle's return before leaving for dinner.

what's the joke again?

the usual seafood feast for dinner.
apart from the usual Sambal Kang Kong, Stir Fried "LaLa", Emperor Chicken, Sweet and Sour Stingray platter, we also tried the Stir Fried Crab with Salted Egg.

it was FANTASTIC!
for those who can't take spices well, this is highly recommended.
the shell of the crabs were coated with a nice layer of salted egg. extremely pleasing to the palate.

Neu, Mommy and I loved the crabs.
we are definitely returning here to have another round of seafood.

after dinner, 'twas time to head back to Singapore. but Mommy and Aunt are staying for the night, we ferried my Aunt-in-law and her 2 kiddos back.

as NeuNeu had arranged to meet up with Alex and Penelope at Fajar, i asked Qing to come by instead of meeting at Bt Panjang Plaza.
got his help to bring back the Almond Tea from his trip to Taipei. yippee.

we hung out a little at MacDonald's with Alex and Penelope.
and i finally got to try the new flavor of McFlurry, but had a little trouble finishing due to the heavy dinner i had earlier.

anyways, i can't wait to watch KungFu Panda!
let's hope it'll be some time soon...

till then!