A Kitten's World

Year of the Dragon

2012-01-22T07:21:00.002+08:00

It's the eve of CNY today! Wishing everyone health and wealth in the coming Dragon year! :):)

74 months and counting

2012-01-09T21:08:00.001+08:00

And it's only 10 months more till our wedding day!

Happy 74th monthsary BB!

land of a thousand smiles

2011-07-13T21:21:00.002+08:00

Looking forward to our beach holiday to Phuket in early August! It'll be nice to just have a short getaway, and relax after the craziness of the first half of 2011 - my grandma's illness and passing, house-hunting, our engagement and subsequent solemnisation ceremony, renovation, and then BB's paternal grandma's passing.

And it will be our first trip as a married couple! Haha. It's silly, but something worth remembering ;)

We'll also be officially moving into our new place on 23 July, and hosting our first family gathering with my maternal relatives on National Day! WOohoo!

our nest

2011-07-10T15:27:00.003+08:00

We've been seriously busy with renovations these couple of months! Every weekend has been spent at our new place meeting our contractor, meeting our carpenter, scouting for furniture, electrical appliances and our bed.

Tired max! When we'd just started, I couldn't wait! But honestly as we dragged into the halfway mark, I started to get tired and frustrated by the burnt weekends. The end of it didn't seem anywhere near in sight.

But now as we approach the completion, where we start confirming our purchases of bed, TV console, coffee table, dining table and kitchenware, I do look forward again to moving in.

It sure feels nice to have a nest of our own :)

now a mrs.

2011-04-21T22:13:00.013+08:00

[Backdated to 2 April 2011]
Dear everyone,

We're officially married! And it was a lovely day for it too :) I was so nervous my hands were cold and clammy! But it was alright in the end :):) The spread was really good too! And I hope everyone had as good a time as we did. Sadly due to space constraints, we couldn't invite everyone that we wanted to -.-

Anyhoo, here are some of my fave shots from the day!

BB saying 'I do'
My turn :)

engaged

2011-03-18T22:36:00.001+08:00

Since a couple years ago, BB has always been going "结婚吧!" (translated: let's get married!"), spouting it off at really odd timings. And I had always dreamt about a romantic proposal, or at least one where some thought and effort had been put in. So I always said no. Plus I never knew if he was joking! :P

But we are now engaged! And here's the grandmother story...

BB had asked me to meet him in the afternoon of 29th January 2011 to go "gai gai" before my family's reunion dinner. And so out we went, and he said he wanted to check out Marina Bay Sands since the last time we went to see the place, half the shops weren't open yet.

Blur me just followed along, until it turned out that he had gotten us a room for a surprise staycation! :):) I left after a while for my family's reunion dinner, and when I came back at night, it was pouring.

Sky garden visit was a failure because of the deluge, and even the buildings normally in view were all lost in the fogginess save for their lights. It did look quite pretty and glowing in spite of the splattering rain and cold.

So down we went back to the room, and I wanted to open the curtains to see the view, but BB wasn't keen on the idea, saying there was nothing to see since it was raining anyway. He told me to just lie down and relax for a bit, and I could see him rummaging for something. I have to admit when he tossed me a little red box, my heart both skipped a beat and sank at the same time. I was thinking, "OMG! He's proposing!" and then "Really?? He's proposing like that??", but it turned out to be a decoy pendant instead!

BB said, "OK lah, go and open your curtains la", so I went. There I saw balloons stuck to the windows, spelling "KAT" and <3, and when I turned around, BB was down on one knee with the ring asking me to marry him :):):)

Of course I said yes! And the rest is history :) The remainder of the night was spent taking pictures, celebrating with chocolate and sparkling wine that BB ordered from room service (so decadent!!) and snuggling up to each other. He'd spent the time I was at home blowing up and pasting the balloons. Apparently he'd wanted to paste "Marry Me", but it looked like a mess of balloons so he had to start from the top again.

I'm glad I have this to record the event by. Somewhere I can look back in future and read :) Was so so touched by the whole thing!

Soon-to-be

2011-03-06T23:36:00.000+08:00

In about less than a month, I'm going to be Mrs Hay Wee Hou!

How strange it is to be a soon-to-be Mrs. But I still feel like me, only now really and truly bonded with BB. Much love to my fiance! Another very strange word, but one I love to hear him call me (fiancee) hehe.

5th anniversary [backdate post to 9 November 2010)

2010-11-27T20:14:00.003+08:00

(OK this is posted on 27th Nov, about half a month late, but nonetheless :P)

Happy 5th Anniversary my love.

Thank you for always making time for me even when you are working crazy long hours, for being patient and forgiving though I continually exasperate you.

Thank you for telling me what colours suit me and which just make me look washed out.

Thank you for always being so willing to chauffeur me around, for carrying my bags and wrapping me with your jacket when I'm cold, for waiting with me for my friend to catch a cab because it's late and I don't want her to wait alone.

Thank you for always reassuring me of your love, through my fat times and pimply times (and sometimes both together >.<). I know I'm demanding and petty sometimes, so thank you for just getting me.

I love you dearest.

on leave part 2

2010-10-11T16:11:00.004+08:00

Hello hello! I'm on leave again! Haha. Yay!

It's been a relaxing few days, going to BB's friend Sharon's place to visit and play with her daughter Joy and Pauline's daughter Mikaela. We then had dinner with BB's family at his place because his youngest brother was flying to Brunei for 3 weeks for military training.

Gymed yesterday finally after months of not exercising, and it felt good! Even though my legs are crying right now. But I feel happy when I'm running on the treadmill. Felt good to sweat it all out and feel the muscles being worked.

The Great Eastern 5km run end of Oct, and 3 weddings coming up in November. Time to get in shape! :D

Oh, and in case I don't have time to post again for a while, our 5th anniversary is coming up in a month!

well-deserved break

2010-09-17T10:30:00.003+08:00

I'm on leave! Am on leave yesterday to Monday, and on course on Tuesday! Inclusive of weekends, that's an awesome 6 day break from work! I will then go back to work for Wed and Thurs, and then back on leave on Friday!

Yes! :D

And I'll be on leave again for another stretch in October. No choice la, gotta use up all my leave before comp round starts. I will have no life for 3 months, enjoy first :):) Hopefully BB will be able to take leave then too. Then we can have a little staycation.

On another note, we've recently applied for the Balance of Sales exercise, and are aiming for a unit in Seng Kang. Hopefully we get a low enough number to be able to select a good flat *cross fingers* That would however mean that we would need to plan for an ROM soon, but I like the idea of having our own home

Oh, and I've also bought a new Macbook Pro and totally love it! I was a little apprehensive before because it's not a small sum to spend when I can buy a netbook for about $500. This cost me in excess of $1.5k. But as BB rightly pointed out, the quality of use is so so so different! And now that I'd committed to buying it, and am using it now, I have to agree. No regrets now! :)

Ok, heading off to meet Kaili, Kak Lila and Kak Yati for lunch soon :) Been a long time since I saw the kakaks. Almost a year in fact, since I left PropNex. Good to see them again.

2 more to 60!

2010-09-09T10:33:00.001+08:00

Happy 58th month baby! Hugs. Can't believe we are ambling towards 5years!

appraisal

2010-09-02T21:52:00.003+08:00

I had my appraisal with Lena early this week. Yeah I know we're late. The whole HR department tends to be the last ones to complete the appraisal process because we're too busy attending to other departments -_-

Anyhoo, it was overall a very positive appraisal session =) I've had a good start to what I've been doing, and I'm looking forward to my objectives for the coming half a year! I know full well it's going to be very stressful and tiring. But for them to entrust me with that level of responsibility even though I'm fairly new, I feel very encouraged. Plus I honestly feel I get to do more interesting stuff than another colleague on the same team.

I guess it does depend sometimes on your perspective too. I can take it as just something to go through, and whine about how tired and stressed I am. But on the other hand, it's an excellent learning curve for me, and I'll gain so much experience and exposure from it!

Countdown - 6 days

2010-08-29T12:21:00.001+08:00

Baby will be back next Saturday! That's 6 days away! I can't wait!! :D

irritated

2010-08-15T10:57:00.002+08:00

My parents took me to a famous Chinese physician because I've been generally not in the peak of health since my return from Hong Kong.

Her diagnosis was basically I had a weak stomach, and I was basically too heaty because I had insufficient sleep. Why do I have insufficient sleep? Because my grandma needs help to go to the washroom, she needs to go frequently, and because she calls loudly enough to wake the whole household when she does. And yet most of them tend to sleep through it all, I don't know how. And I'm a light sleeper who sleeps in the room next to hers. So I am always jolted awake by it.

The physician suggested a course of action that my mum had often told my dad to do. But my dad just smiled. If you're not going to do anything about the root of the problem, then taking me to the Chinese physician isn't going to do much good! It will just solve the immediate problem of balancing my system, but if the root isn't addressed, the problem is going to keep recurring.

And I don't even want to think about during the compensation rounds, when sleep will be crucial to me. I will blow up, I swear.

the countdown begins - sort of

2010-08-12T20:21:00.005+08:00

It felt like all eternity when BB first left for Hong Kong.

And I'm not saying it's been easy throughout, but between our crazy-busy workdays, it isn't really all that bad. It's only after I get home, on weekends, and on days like this when I'm on leave that it hits me hard. I amuse him with random little drawings through the duration of his stint. He makes the effort to chat with me every night, and message me every day.

BB just messaged, "Hug. Busy. Hug. More hugs." He's cute even when he's swamped with work <3

And though it felt like all eternity when his STA (short term assignment) first started, suddenly he will be home in less than a month! I'm excited! :) Can't wait to have him back again..

OK so this was really random. I just needed an outlet to blabber. Peace out all! :)

4 years 9 months

2010-08-09T00:01:00.001+08:00

Happy 57th month sweetie dear!

Haha you look like you bully me, but you and I both know you tend to give in to me. I love you <3<3

back from hong kong

2010-07-05T19:39:00.004+08:00

Hello Singapore, I'm home.

It was definitely an exhilarating feeling to know that I was flying alone, on my way to visit my boyfriend <3<3 And I had lots of fun there with him.

Only drawback is that the sun rises reeeeeally early there! I woke up the first day to bright sunlight (we forgot to draw the curtains), and I thought it must have been 9am already, at least. But when I checked my handphone, it was really just gone 6am! In the haze of sleepiness, I honestly thought my handphone clock was wonky!! Hahaha.. We learnt to draw the curtains subsequently.

My colleague Estee met us for dinner on the first night, and we met her, another teammate Holly, and Katrina, for a dim sum lunch the next day too! Fun :) Ate a lot there, from Chinese dim sum, wanton mee, tong sui and zichar, to Vietnamese pho, Mexican burritos, Japanese-Western, and of course fine dining at Pearl on the Peak.

But of course, I'm the most glad to spend quality time with BB. The time literally flew by! 4 days is too short, and I seriously didn't want to go home :(:( Miss him already. But this will only serve to make us stronger. Can't wait for him to be back!!

4 days to go!

2010-06-27T09:57:00.003+08:00

Been buying quite a bit of stuff for the past month. Gotta rein myself in! >.< After my trip to Hong Kong, it's time to buckle down and start saving again!

Speaking of Hong Kong, it's been almost half a month since I bought the plane tix! Time really flew by because we were so busy at work! And now my trip is just a mere 4 days away! I've started my packing, I'd better finish it up by today, because I won't have time in the coming weekdays after work. Nor the energy, to be perfectly honest.

Excited excited! :D

In 4 days, at this time, I'll be up in the sky over goodness-knows-where. On the way to Hong Kong, and to being reunited with the boyfriend after 2 months :)

Jetting off to HK in half a month!

2010-06-13T16:10:00.002+08:00

Taking a big step in July :)

BB has been in HK on training for his new job since the start of May, and isn't likely to return till August. And I'll have to admit, internet communication has made it very easy for us to keep in touch. We MSN, webcam, and SMS on a daily basis thanks to the beauty of an internet connection (even for SMSes! <3 my data plan to the max now!). We even get to chat for about 20min daily on the phone, because his company has so generously extended a fairly substantial phone call allowance on a monthly basis.

But as much as the communication gap has been bridged as far as possible, nothing would beat being with him physically.

And so after 2 months of consideration and discussion, I'll be hopping on a plane to HK in the morning of 1st July, and be back near midnight on the 4th. Fairly short a trip, but I've done HK twice before, and my main priority is to visit BB. So it's not a big deal.

That being said, I still intend to do all the touristy things again - visit Madame Tussaud's wax museum, visit Victoria's Peak at night, check out Avenue of the Stars which I haven't been to before (though BB has already), finally eat my roast goose at Yung Kee where I've eaten before and loved, and recently discovered it's a Michelin star restaurant!

And of course go crazy shopping! Hehe.

Given that I know BB really isn't keen on my flying alone, I really appreciate his OK, and I'm seriously looking forward to giving him a big fat hug when I see him! <3<3<3

2010-06-09T20:52:00.000+08:00

Happy 4 years 7 months baby!

(Haha and I posted this one day late, because ytd was crazy busy and I didn't get home from work till 9.30, all worn out. Oops)

nostalgia

2010-06-06T19:00:00.002+08:00

Was watching my neighbours, Yan Ping and Gail kicking a ball around the corridor earlier today, and it just struck me that nothing much has changed over the years.

I remember kicking ball along the same stretch of corridor with my brother, and my next-door neighbours Jeanette and Justin. I remember us always kicking the ball too hard, sending it flying over the railing, and one of us would take the elevator down 9 floors to retrieve it.

The activity hasn't changed, nor has the location. The only thing that has changed is the participants. Just a new generation of children playing with their neighbours. And the original kids? We're all grown up, in our 20's now, and becoming so entrenched in working life that the original kids in the corridor have all but become a distant memory.

Childhood memories that always stay with us as we grow older... Nostalgia.

2010-05-23T11:14:00.002+08:00

My blog is decidedly boring now. I pop by only once in a while to make sure it hasn't collected too many cobwebs.

BB's away for work, training in Hong Kong. He's been there 3 weeks, only about 2 more months to go.

Work is going well. I like my teammates, and I'm settling in nicely I think.

Here's hoping my grandma recovers, and then I'll be completely happy :)

54 months

2010-05-09T00:01:00.000+08:00

Happy 4 and a half years sweetie! ♥♥♥

Hurry back~! We've got loads to do!!

it's the start of a new phase of life

2010-04-24T11:12:00.004+08:00

And so almost 2 months from the time Lena and Polly offered me the permanent role, I finally signed my permanent offer letter on Thursday!

Starting 1st May I will be a permanent employee of a successful investment bank! It's quite exciting, but at the same time so very surreal! I've been hoping and looking forward to this day for quite some time already, but now that it's soon to be on me, it feels almost like a dream!

2010-04-12T20:43:00.002+08:00

Am taking 3 days leave next week and having a nice 5 day weekend :) Partly because I wanna use up my contractor's leave before they convert me to perm (or else I forfeit it!) and at the same time, BB would have just finished his last day at RBS and waiting to start with his new company. The background check takes forever, so they have yet to confirm his start date! Goodness!

So we are toying with the idea of going to Macau for the break. Dependent on ticket prices and whether we can get decent hotel rates I guess.

Or we could nua our break away and just take a well-deserved break staying in sunny SG :) Yet to decide. The uncertainty is actually quite exciting somehow.

Anyhoo off to do online shopping! :D

1Qtr 2010

2010-03-26T21:38:00.001+08:00

The end of March looms. So soon and its the end of the first quarter already! Where did time fly I wonder. Gotta exercise my brain so much at work that time just zooms by.

Thought I did well today providing some guidance to my team in doing some buyouts,as well as constructing wording for their use to send to the requestor.

More responsibilities will be coming my way. I will be coordinating the benefits survey across several banks. Quite cool,but slightly daunting too.. Lets hope I'm up to the challenge!

Jiayou jiayou jiayou!!!

yays :)

2010-03-23T21:42:00.002+08:00

I'm learning loads at work now, and I'm enjoying it :) Sure, it's tiring, it can get stressful. But it's meaningful work. I feel like I'm learning something worthwhile and so I'm happy.

I don't want to say much for fear of jinxing things, but now I really do believe in the power of the angpao Mum gave me when I went for the interview.

And now that BB has found a new, better job to boot, here's to a fantastic year ahead :)

4yrs 4months

2010-03-09T00:01:00.000+08:00

Happy 52 months baby! *muah*

Let's work hard and pia for our future together :):)

happy bunny

2010-03-06T11:09:00.004+08:00

Had super good news yesterday! Lena, my line manager scheduled a catchup session with me to inform me, and I have to admit, I was grinning from ear to ear afterwards! I was so excited I could barely stop from skipping all the way back to my seat haha. In short, I took a gamble when I chose to accept a contract role at an investment bank instead of a perm role I was offered elsewhere.

The gamble has now paid off, and I am soon to be converted to a perm employee of said investment bank! ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ Woohoo~!

Although there's still the issue of whether I can terminate my current temp contract sooner to become a perm member of the bank, or I have to wait it out till end May, Lena and Polly agree that I can start being treated as a perm headcount team member and went through a list of objectives with me. They seem achievable, and I'm grateful they are giving me time to pick things up slowly, so for the sake of my future I shall work hard and save hard! They are also undergoing some departmental shifting around so they'll try to arrange for me to sit with the rest of the team as well (which I currently am not).

I do have to confess though that when Lena told me that there was a perm headcount available and asked whether I was keen on the role, I just blurted out "Of course lah!" without thinking tp phrase my answer properly! :$ She just laughed and said actually she already knew what my answer was going to be, but she had to ask as a formality anyway haha. Thank goodness it was she who asked and not Polly! Hahah. Or else that gaffe would have been so paiseh!

Immediately called BB and messaged my parents to inform of the good news, and to ask them to dabao something special home to celebrate, so my mum bought chilli crab, white pepper crab, and this yummy fried mee sua :) It was a good dinner and I'm happy also because BB is integrating more into my family too.

We went out to catch Alice in Wonderland after that.

A twist on the classic cartoon I watched as a child. Helena Bonham Carter was really good as the Queen of Hearts! Weirdly entertaining. There's this scene where she calls "PIIIIG!" and her servant sends out this really fat pig which flops over belly side up at her feet so she can rest her feet on the pig's tummy and she says "I do so love a pig's warm belly to rest my aching feet!"

Lol. BB and I really enjoyed it and it was a good way to end off celebrating hehehe.

Also caught Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief a couple weekends ago. Love it! Always have been a fan of Greek mythology so this is right up my alley :) The movie was good, and then I read the books and they were even better! 5 books to the series total, and I polished them off within the week.

It's quite fast paced, and the humour is good too. Silly teenager wisecracks, sometimes, but it still made me laugh on the bus on the way to work :) I think I'm going to re-read it.

Next up, Clash of the Titans! And How to train a Dragon! And Shrek 4! And..and..and..so many to watch suddenly! :):):)

CNY and V Day

2010-02-17T20:59:00.001+08:00

My CNY day 1 was a blur of activity. Went to bai nian at my ah ma's house as always. The good thing is all my uncles and their families congregate there,so we get the visiting on the maternal side done all at once!

Home to rest for a little while,then my first official visit to BB's family!! Omg I was so nervous! Thankfully they were all really nice. But I was so nervous and the day so warm that I was literally sweating! Lol.

Had expected to only meet his immediate family but a couple of his aunts and their families unexpectedly popped by. It was an all round boistrous and cheerful gathering :) I would say on the whole it went well. I was honestly so worried they wouldn't like me but I think things are ok :):)

We came back later for dinner with my own extended family. Sadly this year the numbers are greatly diminished due to emigration and overseas holidays. Maybe next year will have a bigger crowd. Sean and Liam are so darn adorable. Their parents' efforts to teach them manners and language have paid off tremendously. Liam is a bright cheerful and inquisitive toddler while Sean is,at 5,reading books I read in primary school!

After my relatives left we were actually considering going out for drinks to celebrate V day but decided against it cos we were both too tired from the long day.

We made up for it by watching Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief last night :):) Really enjoyed the show loads and enjoyed the time spent with BB.

Looking forward to many more CNYs together!

Happy CNY!!!

2010-02-13T15:07:00.001+08:00

Wishing all a Happy and Prosperous Year of the Metal Tiger!

Bored

2010-02-11T09:51:00.001+08:00

Standing guard by the printer now cos what i have to print is extremely P&C. So glad i got the iphone so i can do inane things like blog,FB and tweet while waiting

Things should ease up after tmr,then we go back to catching up on Business As Usual. I've got in excess of 40 invoices to clear! Ack!

Ok back to work for now.

50 and counting

2010-01-09T08:59:00.001+08:00

Happy 50th month baby dear! *hugs*

Many little steps can go a long long way :)

Happy 2010!

2010-01-01T11:46:00.002+08:00

Happy 2010 everyone! :) Hope your year ahead is fulfilling, fruitful and happy :)

We counted down at home last night. Wanted to try chilling at City Space to countdown and catch the fireworks, but the queues were long and (as expected) the price of entry for the day was quite steep.

Definitely a different kind of experience, and piggy me fell asleep shortly after midnight because my nose was acting up, so BB gave me some of his flu medicine. Literally conked out, and when I woke up to see him off (about 1.30am) I was so groggy and dizzy.

New Year resolutions to be made!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T10:54:00.001+08:00

Merry Christmas everyone! Have a joyful, peace-filled one :):)

The Princess and the Frog

2009-12-19T22:21:00.004+08:00

Was having a little me-time, and watching The Princess & The Frog on my bro's computer, which he downloaded. It's been so long since there's been a classic Disney movie out, and I'm glad I caught it.

The premise, I'm sure everyone knows. Twist to the classic Frog Prince story I read as a kid. Prince (very spoilt) gets turned into frog, girl meets (frog)boy. Girl kisses frog(boy) and instead of turning Monsieur Frog back into a prince, she gets turned into a little frog-ette as well. And so they journey to the bayou to find a way to reverse the spells. Along the way, they meet a jazz-tooting 'gator and a hoarde of really charming Cajun fireflies, one in particular named Ray who has a massive crush on an evening star he mistakes as a fellow firefly and whom he calls Evangeline.

The movie follows the usual Disney formula: lots of spontaneous breaking into song. But that's partly the magic of Disney anyway, and I'm not complaining. I did like the fact that they did incorporate diversity not seen since Mulan and Pocahontas though. This "princess" comes from a solidly working class family and is far more accessible to the audience that she too has to struggle and work hard in order to achieve her dream - not being married to a prince and living happily ever after, but to run her own restaurant.

I liked it that it doesn't encourage little girls to just sit passively waiting for the "happily ever after" that they may expect upon snagging the right catch. Instead it shows there's more to life than marrying a prince and living like a princess. It shows that everyone has ambitions, and everyone has to work to achieve those dreams, no matter how distant they may seem.

I mean, sure she ended up happily ever after with the dude in the end, but it doesn't change the fact that Tiana had a healthy work ethic, and a drive to succeed that I don't remember in the previous Disney princesses. So thumbs up to Disney on that :)

Maybe I thought too much about the cartoon, but I thought it's a good one, and in a time of increasing affluence, it's a good reminder too, that things aren't just going to fall into our laps from the sky. If we want something, we've still gotta work for it.

tis the season

2009-12-18T21:59:00.003+08:00

It's the festive season again! Sure doesn't feel like it in office though, with everyone slogging away for the ongoing Compensation Rounds, plus Business As Usual. Been knocking off close to 8pm practically every day and I've been so exhausted I doze off around 10 every night.

BB accompanied me to finish up most of my Christmas shopping yesterday. Lucky boy's on leave till Tuesday. So shuang I tell you..Envious.. But never mind, long weekend next week :)

The parentals have gone to China for a 10 day holiday with my maternal side relatives, and to visit my mum's side's villages. They'll be back just in time for Christmas :)

And I'm very sleepy already. Gonna head to bed. Looking forward to meeting friends, and hopefully going to Ubin cycling soon! :) Nitez all!

Happy December!

2009-12-01T22:41:00.005+08:00

Long weekend that just passed, and it was a packed, but fun one :)

I got my driving license 2 weeks ago! :D Was so excited when I received my results slip, I immediately SMSed BB, my parents and bro to announce the good news.

I also started work at an investment bank. Though it's originally on a short term contract basis till end Dec, by late last week I was able to get confirmation from my boss that it would be extended till minimum end Feb. I have hopes of a longer term extension or a conversion after that :) It's been a good learning experience so far, and everyone's been really nice :) I'm happy there.

Caught New Moon with BB on Friday. Remember how I was snickering during Twilight? Well, this movie had a similar result, though granted it was not as cheesy. Except Alice's vision of Bella. *groan* But Tayler Lautner as Jacob was good! :D Hot bod too! :P I honestly much rather the book, but knowing me, I will probably still watchin Eclipse and Breaking Dawn when they're out anyway haha.

Met up with Jia Feng and Vannessa on Saturday for lunch at MoF Bugis, then proceeded to catch 2012 with Jia Feng while Vannessa and her hubby caught New Moon. Gosh the graphics and cinematography were good! Some gut-wrenching scenes, but a lot had me gaping in awe/horror. Definitely a recommended watch.

24 days till Christmas! Starting to do my Christmas shopping :) And having fun practising my driving with my dad's supervision.

Many photos, but am lazy to post now. Next time round!

It's quite a fragmented blog entry but I'm just typing whatever comes to mind :) Things starting to get busy at work, with the upcoming compensation rounds. Loads to do, loads to learn! :D

4th celebration

2009-11-10T20:42:00.003+08:00

Had a nice date with Baby yesterday to celebrate our 4th anniversary :) Met him at his office cos he was on half day, and went to eat crayfish ipoh hor fun at Hong Lim! So yummy! Love the gravy, love the whole dish! I'm a gravy kinda person :):)

Baby surprised me with my Boys Over Flowers DVD set! :D I say surprised, even though when he asked me what I wanted for anniversary, I told him I wanted this, because the night before, he was going on about how he hadn't gotten anything for me etc. And I'm totally fine with that mind you. I like buying pressies for the boy because..well, I like buying pressies for the boy :) So I wasn't expecting anything, but as with my birthday, my boy surprised me :) He also bought me a nice top while we were out as well. Pretty!

Tried out this quaint little place at PS called Tea Cosy, because I was always intrigued by the "frilly frilly" inside. For some odd reason I think Dolores Umbridge will be very comfortable in there hehe.

But anyway aside from the frilly decor, it's quite a cosy little place (no pun intended), and even though no one piece of furniture actually match, the whole look still works somehow. I imagine it's a good place to meet your girlfriends for tea. Or somewhere you drag your long-suffering boyfriend to. Haha. Because that seemed to comprise the clientele :P

Foodwise it's mediocre I guess. Not great, not bad. Pictures up on my FB soon. Though we forgot to take a pic of us :P:P Oops! Hehe. I shall go watch my new DVD set tomorrow~!

we are 4 years old!

2009-11-09T00:01:00.002+08:00

Happy 4th Anniversary baby love <3<3 We've come a long way, and we've still got a long way to go. Here's to many more walks on the beach, much more silly rubbish conversations, more hugs and cuddles and more pigging out together! But also here's to growing together, closer and stronger.

Made this picture into a card for the boyfriend :) I do hope he likes it.

Thanks for putting up with my scatterbrained, silly nonsense. I'm glad I still can make you laugh on a very regular basis :) I'm glad you still make me feel safe and protected. I'm glad that you encourage and support me, even if my choices are sometimes against your personal preference, and how you always cheer me up when I'm down.

Love you muchly! <3<3

moving on

2009-10-20T21:13:00.002+08:00

I feel like I'm moving on to a new phase in my life right now. And I feel so touched by all the emails of appreciation, as well as encouragement that I've been receiving. It makes me feel like the efforts I put in are noticed and appreciated.

Thank goodness for my family, BB and my friends. They've all been lovely and supportive. I do feel I have made the right choice in my decision, and I hope to embark on a new role soon.

I suppose I've been neglecting this page in recent months. Too caught up in the day-to-day, and in playing my FB games haha. Perhaps in the days to come, this page will be a bit busier. Maybe not. We shall see.

47th month and counting

2009-10-09T22:14:00.002+08:00

Happy 3 years 11 months sweetie :):) May there be many more pages and chapters of our lives to turn together <3

failed driving test :(

2009-10-02T20:41:00.018+08:00

Love this outfit I wore to work on Wed - Chanel Inspired jacket from TracyEinny, and Mischa Lace Top in Grey from Agneselle - so thought I'd post it up :) Long-suffering boyfriend has to put up with my online shopping and photo-taking tendencies

Finally found the brown handbag I was looking for, after searching so many brick-and-mortar stores. And where did I find it? On an online blogshop -_- *facepalm* Vintage briefcase bag in brown from Princesses.

Went for my driving test today. Haiz. Don't know why I got nervous and screwed up :( Warm up session before the test went so smoothly, my instructor even said, "评你的水准，是可以pass 的." But evidently he could see I was getting nervous because he also added that I needed to relax.

The test started and parking went so smoothly. I thought the worst was over because that was what I was most worried about.

And then I mounted kerb exiting from directional change :( My heart literally sank when I felt the bump-bump that indicated I went up and down the kerb! Omg..Failed liao. Haiz. Dad and BB both agreed it was quite careless. Re-booked my test date immediately after that, and proceeded to renew my PDL as well.

BB told me to pick somewhere to eat if I were to pass, and one if I were to fail (celebratory vs comfort meal) and I picked Aston's for its wagyu beef burger for a pass, and Kenny Rogers' for its mac and cheese for a fail.

Well, I failed, but BB was still nice enough to bring me to Aston's anyway haha. But the wagyu beef burger was no more. I had the Ieat Superburger instead.

It's big! Thick juicy beef patty, crisp bacon, gooey cheese, crispy fried onions, lettuce, tomato and a grilled bun. Yummiez! Definitely will order this again in future!

Granny Smith green apple juice. Quite interesting bottle. It's shaped like a prism. The juice tastes like real juice too! None of the artificial flavouring, added sugar crap. Just pure green apple juice. All it needs was pulp and it will feel freshly juiced.

(I kept the bottle, because it was quite cute, and it's the perfect size to fit in handbags as a water bottle)

The rest of the afternoon was spent nua-ing with BB at my place. And Mum gave him half a bottle of super yummy pineapple tarts. Haha between me and my family, he's gonna end up putting on so much weight!

2009-09-28T21:48:00.004+08:00

Gymed at OGS with BB, Kaili and Shanti yesterday. I'd much rather Millenia Walk. OGS was quite crowded. I did realise that I do not enjoy gyming with company much. When one stops, I feel compelled to stop because I feel like I'm abandoning them if I continue to work out. While it is nice to gym with friends on occasion, I find that I like BB's and my style of gyming more. He does his stuff, I do mine, and when I do weights training, I'll go to him for some guidance.

Headed down to Central for dinner after that. Tried out Watami :) Their sukiyaki nabe was hot, comforting and yummy. A tad too much MSG though. I felt quite thirsty after that. Bleah haha.

The requisite pic taken with the boyfriend :) He looks like he has slimmed down some :)

Love this casual dress from Whoodesiree. Comfy to boot :) Belted empire cut style instead of waist to hide the smocked band.

movie date with the boy

2009-09-25T14:10:00.003+08:00

BB surprised me with a movie date on Wednesday when he picked me up from work for dinner. Spending time with my boy, Pasta Mania for dinner, and a movie. It's a simple combination, but it works for me :)

The storyline seemed quite interesting at first. 9 stitchpunks, created to preserve humanity against Artificial Intelligence bent on destroying said humanity. Quite heartwarming too.

But the plot leaves many questions unanswered. For example why is 1 so against the whole venture? What does he know about the Fabrication Machine that he is not divulging? The ending was kind of anti-climactic as a result.

And the movie was way too short! Just slightly over an hour! :S

What I'm looking forward to is New Moon, and Raining with a Chance of Meatballs! :):)

on job hunting

2009-09-23T15:18:00.003+08:00

Jiafeng went for a second interview today and she has been offered the position! :) So happy for her! Location is where she wants (CBD), remuneration is as desired, and leave and benefits are better than we get here.

I'm glad that her faith has paid off, and that she has definitely moved on to a better environment.

I've got to redouble my efforts too! I hope the consultant reverts with good news on position at Changi Business Park! *cross fingers*

3 years 10 months

2009-09-09T17:16:00.005+08:00

Happy 46th month to my sweet boy <3<3

Thank you for everything.

i simply remember my favourite things...

2009-09-01T10:52:00.004+08:00

I haven't been posting much happy stuff here recently, due to my unhappiness at work. But that isn't to say happy things haven't been taking place.

Staff outing was decently fun, though I spent most of my time there enamoured of Elaine's baby Glenn, and Yong Hock's baby Oscar. Met up with Jia Feng and the others for dinner and to sing K. We went to check out Eric's new office, and took quite a number of pictures. Planning a shopping trip, and waiting for Vannessa's housewarming.

And I can't say enough about how sweet BB has been throughout this entire time. He's always so kind and patient (while still being entirely qianbian! If not, it wouldn't be him), putting up with all my frustrations, complaints and bitching, cheering me up and just standing by me in general. I don't say it much, but I truly feel blessed to have him by my side.

Slightly more than 2 months to our 4th anniversary. In a blink of an eye, 4 years have passed since I first met him, and we've built many memories together. I hope we can continue creating memories, and moving forward together.

*sorry, a bit soppy here :P*

all alone

2009-08-31T09:13:00.002+08:00

Today the office feels very cold and lonely. Jiafeng no longer around (long gone), Yuen Wei gone, Vannessa gone, Vivien gone. Just me left. Not for too long I guess, but in the meantime until my last day, it's a lonely little place. I miss them already. Gone are the good-natured talking across partitions, trips to the pantry. Left behind are their little souveniers they gave me, and photos.

I know it's probably quite melodramatic to put it this way, but this is how it feels anyway.

And HR is taking their own sweet time to give me my Acceptance of Resignation letter and to confirm my last day. Ugh

结束了

2009-08-25T22:11:00.000+08:00

我现在真的不知道该说什么. 真不明白他们到底在玩什么把戏.

念了我们,没用,我们没被说服我们所作的真的是算＂人事部＂的工作,他们就说我们是最没有表现的职员. 最没有表现还会加薪10%吗? 那最好的职员,你肯定是大大有赏咯! 20%?　３０％？说话先经过大脑吧！何况，我们没有功劳也有苦劳．在这边做了一年，为他们付出心血，却被讲到一文不值，心冷去了．

他们说我们没有跟着公司的方向做事．我们只是不能被他们说服，就这么被讲．其他职员呢？我可以跟你肯定,你们更没这么做! 你别说我们了.说说你自己吧,别扮清高!

我们昨天作出了决定,辞职信也交上去了. 上司很通情达理,说我们做得不开心,留住我们也没用,主要是我们要找到会让我们有热忱的一份工作. 但他希望等到我们

但是"国王"和两位"公主",感觉上是要斩草除根,而且要速战速决.我们昨天交信,今天就是我同事的最后一天了! 她似乎成为房屋经纪,24hr notice period! 真是太荒唐了!而且他们只在今天下午4.30 才通知她. 支票也都准备好了.就是说他们早就有阴谋了.可能是不想她"污染"接班人的思想吧.没关系啊,我等着看公主2号怎么把同事的工作做得妥当!哈哈哈! 不是他们死得很难看,经纪们的投诉也增加,就是接班人的日子会不好过.

听说接下来就到我了.放马过来!

3 years 9 months

2009-08-09T10:01:00.002+08:00

Love you baby! May we always be there for each other through all life's ups and downs.

2009-08-07T17:52:00.004+08:00

The higher-ups sense something amiss already. About time. Got called in for 2 psycho-ing sessions by P1 and Loudhailer Speaker yesterday and today respectively.

decisions

2009-08-03T14:11:00.001+08:00

Have made my decision. Now just biding my time before the moment to execute it.

I think I will feel more relaxed after that.

just to say i'm still here

2009-07-29T16:10:00.002+08:00

I seem to have a dearth of blogging topics, so this is just a little shoutout to say "I'm still here!"

Work has been the usual crap. Things with boyfriend are smooth-sailing and he's been a sweetie <3<3>

Arranging for a board games session with friends, and the girls at work want to drop by City Plaza together one day to score cheap buys :)

Bought more nail polish and little beads and crystals, and am happily experimenting away with gradation. Not very successful as yet hehs. Hopefully will improve soon!

Ok back to doing last min convention stuffs. Toodles!

2009-07-17T12:09:00.006+08:00

Been very busy at work recently so I was very relieved yesterday to know that it was Thursday and that I would be going away on cruise today.

Was at home about to start packing when BB suggested an impromptu movie - Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince! So he dropped by to pick me up, and off we headed to Marina Square. Met Ken and Chloe there as they were catching the same movie :)

Those who have read the book will feel quite disappointed by this movie as it seems mainly a prelude to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows parts 1 & 2. Luna and Ron did provide the necessary comic relief to the movie :)

Love it when BB springs impromptu dates like this! Now I'm waiting for New Moon to screen!

Off to finish packing for cruise! Ciao all!

fire fighter

2009-07-10T11:42:00.005+08:00

Great, just great. Apparently our REMSPLUS system is in a state of "paralysis". Inaccurate data, random jumps in commission schemes.

So screwed up. Sigh. Been fighting fires all afternoon as a result.

Here's hoping my facial relaxes me, because I'm in quite a foul mood right now. Ugh

3 yrs 7 mths

2009-07-09T20:44:00.002+08:00

Happy 44th month Pipu pipu :):) May we only keep getting stronger :)

Looking forward to cruuuuuuuise next Friday! :D

happiness is.

2009-07-07T22:31:00.006+08:00

Happiness is...

...meeting boyfriend 6 days in a row

...pigging out on good food with family

...meeting up with friends for dinner and bitching session

...having Tiger balm gently massaged on temples by boyfriend to soothe my headache

...singing stupid JibJab.com songs and making stupid zombie noises

...looking forward to my cruise next weekend! :D

OK brain kind of not thinking already. I should be heading to bed. Zzz

there's a zombie on your lawn...

2009-07-05T10:21:00.003+08:00

The new game that BB and I love to play.

Screenshot in mini game mode, the aim being to survive 5 stages of zombie onslaughts.

And they have their own MV to boot!

Darn cute!

2 more weeks to cruise! :D

my recent entertainment

2009-07-02T10:50:00.004+08:00

BB and my bro's gf Chloe came over for dinner on Wednesday. I like having everyone together like that :) It was easy and comfortable.

Caught Up on my bro's computer after that. It's quite a sentimental animation, quite unlike those I'd seen before. And I will freely admit that I was sniffling quite a bit in some parts. Hehs.

My bro got me and BB hooked on Plants vs Zombies! It's such a cute game! I was playing last night, and telling BB that I got to the stage where there's the field of play is the backyard, with a pool. Then about an hour later he came over, and told me "I come here just to play Plants vs Zombies!" Grr.. :P Ended up playing until past midnight, which explains why I'm so tired today. Bleah

Mum's birthday today, so the lot of us are going to Seafood Paradise for dinner later! :D Looking forward to it :):)

haircut & transformers

2009-06-29T13:48:00.003+08:00

My hair turned out shorter than I'd expected, because of the dry and damaged parts of the curls. So 90% of the curls are gone now, and I'm not complaining because they really tangled very easily and irritated me.

The upside is that I now look younger than I did with my curls. Jiamin told me, "Office 出现了一个小妹妹" -_-

Now I feel so tempted to cut my hair to chin length. My head feels so much lighter!

Caught Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen yesterday. Quite a big group of people (10 total - Peijia and her bro, Serene, SF and her bf, Jiasheng, SK, Xueling, BB and me). Not a bad movie. It definitely didn't warrant the half star out of 5 that Life! gave it. It's, above all, a movie for entertainment for goodness sake! Don't overanalyse! It's the worst review I've ever seen of it, inclusive of Twilight which didn't garner such a poor rating even though I thought Transformers was better.

Overall quite an enjoyable experience. And it was nice to meet up with them after so long. Although the drawback of such a big group is that we didn't get to catch up with every one over dinner due to the seating arrangement. I suppose there's always next time :)

(Hopefully we get to play Paintball one day!)

2009-06-27T23:59:00.003+08:00

Cute bearbear BB gave to me. It's the first bear I've seen with bent knees so it can sit like we do! Cute cute :)

Feeling very stone now. Met Sya for lunch after work yesterday and caught up for a bit. Headed home after that to nua. Going to trim my hair, gym with BB and Transformers with Alphas today.

happy fathers' day!

2009-06-21T21:23:00.004+08:00

Came across a funny video yesterday while watching the news, and BB immediately Googled it.

Here it is! :D Enjoy!

Happy Fathers' Day! Took my family to Aston's Prime today, at CentrePoint. Gosh their Angus Rib-eye X-Cut is so so good! Super duper full though :):) Happy to treat my family on occasions like these. I'm glad they like it too.

Also got to run a few errands today, and gymed as well. I think gyming relaxes me and lets me sleep better. So I think whenever possible I'll be going with BB every weekend.

A few meet ups in the coming week. Looking forward to them. Lunch with Sya, Transformers with some of the Alphas. Also trying to meet up with Jiafeng for dinner. Wonder if they would like to go TCC since there is a members' 1-for-1 on main courses now.

Sleepy now. I shall go and fish for a bit before zzz-ing.

driving smoothly

2009-06-18T09:31:00.002+08:00

Driving lessons are progressing smoothly and I'm doing reasonably well in them. Yesterday's lesson was originally supposed to be 1 full lesson focussed on directional change and reversing, but I also accomplished half of the next lesson, right turning on the roads.

If I keep up this progression I hope to get my license by September or October (pass on first attempt! Yeah!)

Colleague's mum passed away yesterday. While it was not unexpected, naturally she is very saddened by it. Am sorry to hear about her loss. Sigh.

flash your age!

2009-06-16T20:25:00.002+08:00

Baby's gym membership now allows him to bring in a friend for free on weekends, so we headed there on Sunday after he came over from his 2 day gathering with his sec school group. Love gyming at Fitness First! The facilities are good, and so are the equipment. With Baby around to supervise my exercise regime (I have no self discipline in this!) I was able to push myself harder than I normally would. Now aching like mad, but I love it.

Was on half day leave yesterday, and Baby took me to The Pasta Shop by Sakae for lunch. Went shopping thereafter and happily spent my birthday vouchers on a pretty green exercise top, among other things. Love to shop man~!

Dinner with my family at The Line to celebrate my uncle's birthday, taking advantage of the Flash Your Age promotion. He's 68, so we got a 68% discount! :D And I pigged out on oysters the whole evening. Darn shiok! Now if the promotion lasts until the end of the year, we're so going to bring my grandma to Shang Palace for her birthday dinner!

My days are getting kind of routine. The saving grace is when I get to meet up with my friends and/or BB. Hopefully I'll pass my driving ASAP so I can embark on my next plan, to be confirmed in November.

43 and counting

2009-06-09T13:09:00.002+08:00

Happy 43rd month baby. Lub lubs!

1st year

2009-06-09T12:36:00.000+08:00

Today marks the end of the 1st year of my starting work.

Still remember feeling so apprehensive on my first day, wondering if I had made a mistake, if this was the right choice. There was that huge one year I signed away, looming in front of me and there seemed to be so many things to take in.

A year from then, now. Have I grown up? Yes I think so. I'm more independent now, and stronger. Come July there may be a whole new set of choices to be made, depending on whether I get the promotion (and implied pay increment).

But for now, I shall just take each day as it comes. Hapy 1 year anniversary to me.

this is war

2009-06-04T09:49:00.004+08:00

I've been quite busy recently, what with work, driving lessons and just hanging out with BB and my friends. It's a nice feeling to surround myself with activities like this. Even if some activities just mean slacking away at home, TV on, BB by my side.

On the driving front, I'm enjoying every lesson. I've finished the modules in Section 1 already, up to slopes. Next lesson I will be reviewing the past 11 modules, and move on to Section 2 from there. I'm looking forward to it :):)

The only downer is work, where there's a gradual but ever-increasing amount of politics suddenly entering the fray. And I hate it. P2 is getting to be a bigger pain in the you-know-where than I'd originally supposed. And P2 has a crony here who pricks up her ears at every single thing, so much so that we've taken to using pseudonyms when refering to people (eg Emperor, P1, P2). Better to be safe. At present there is an email war waging, because P2 is being an idiot and targeting our dept for a mistake originating from her dept and thus far she has refused to admit it, citing "data not entered properly" and insinuating that we lack common sense.

To quote Vannessa's FB page, "Never underestimate the power of stupid people in a big organisation", though in this case, said organisation isn't very big per se.

I want to go back to school! Things were so much simpler :(

angels and demons

2009-05-24T23:07:00.009+08:00

Little miscellaneous photos

The confused hamster-cow that Fiona caught and gave to me :)

Baby bought me these (and a packet of Toblerone minis) just because he felt he hadn't bought me chocolates in a long time haha. Sweet of him..

Dinner at Manhatten Fish on Saturday, and we had this one-for-one mini lobster platter. With a side order of garlic butter prawns. Yummy! The queue was so long (and slow-moving) though, that by the time we ate, it was 8+pm already!

The garlic butter prawns. Soooo good.. I love this!

The mini-lobster platter. Gosh it was nice, but also so so filling! Neither of us could finish! Next time we stick to ordering one platter to share haha. But everything was fresh, and freshly cooked. Mmm..

Went to watch Angels and Demons yesterday. I thought it was quite an enjoyable movie. Taken at face value, it is definitely very watchable. If you compare it with the book, there are several discrepancies, but nothing too glaring or major.

My only beef was the 5th brand, the Illuminati diamond. It's supposed to look like

Doesn't it look so cool?? But they changed the new brand to a symbol of 2 crossed keys. That, to me, was the biggest disappointment. Haha. Quite insignificant to someone who hasn't read the book and was anticipating seeing it :P I enjoyed the discussion I had with BB after the movie too

2 pics with BB to end the day. It was a good picture day :)

Before the movie :):)

And after, at the Heeren basement where we had mango snow ice for dessert after dinner!

on a high!

2009-05-23T18:33:00.003+08:00

My 2nd driving lesson today! So fun!! I got to go onto the road for a solid hour (half the lesson) instead of going round and round and round the circuit.

And once I got a taste of the road, OMG circuit is so boring!

I love being behind the wheel! :D:D Looking forward to my next lesson!

1st driving lesson!

2009-05-21T10:12:00.003+08:00

I went for my first driving lesson last night after work! So fun! It feels great to be behind the wheel! :D

Of course, I was going at a turtle pace of ~20-30km/hr in the circuit, but still! Everyone else was going at that same turtle pace or even slower anyway haha. My instructor yesterday was this Malay uncle. Nice, cheerful, very patient. Sometimes I wonder if they assign nice cheerful instructors to noobs to lull them into a sense of security! :P Haha. Just my thinking too much as usual hehe.

I'm so looking forward to my next lesson on Saturday!

And BB actually came just to pick me up, have a short dinner with me before my lesson, and then sent me home after ^_^ Sweet sweet! Probably will be catching Angels and Demons with him because the girls in office keep postponing due to various reasons. Ah well. There's always a next time :)

stupid PAs

2009-05-19T11:19:00.003+08:00

Every time I talk to this particular Team Leader's PA, my blood pressure rises.

She says, "HALLO? Kathleen ah? Wah si XXXX eh PA hor..." and then she starts rattling off in a horrible mix of English, Mandarin and Hokkien.

Worse still, her questions don't make sense and she has a tendency to repeat the same things ad nauseum. So after a very convulated explanation from her, I end up asking her "So what is it you're asking", and eventually when I distill it down, it's a very very simple question indeed.

I get a headache every time I talk to her, and by the end of the conversation I heartily never want to hear from her again.

Ugh

touched

2009-05-16T10:11:00.003+08:00

Happy happy. BB came to find me unexpectedly last night to spend some time with me. Quite touched because I don't get to see him today. He didn't stay too late, because I've got work today (yes I'm in the office now) but it made my day to be able to see him for just that one hour.

I love the little things that he does, such as this. Many accumulative little gestures trumps a once-in-a-blue-moon big gesture :D

Meeting Fiona for lunch today. Pity Wei Wei can't make it. Next time I guess :)

overtired

2009-05-15T09:08:00.003+08:00

As I mentioned, regular established date nights with Baby gives me something to look forward to in the week. The sweetie decided to switch it from our usual Thursday, to Wednesdays starting next week just so he can ferry me to my driving lessons, wait for me, and send me home after that <3

Hogs Breath Cafe for dinner yesterday, to try out the 30% discount on presenting my staff pass. Saved a cool almost $20 off the bill! Wow. They did mix up our meat doneness though, and I got medium while BB wound up with medium rare. Lol.

I think I'm overstressed at work. I'm constantly tired these days and I had a massive headache last night. BB massaged my temples with medicated oil last night, and it felt so gentle and soothing..

Looking forward to the weekend, and my lunch with Fiona (and hopefully Wei Wei). Gonna stay in all of Sunday with BB to look after my grandma while my parents bring the maid over to my uncle's place to clean a bit before they return from their month-long Shanghai trip.

Planning to cook fish curry. We used to eat that a lot when we were still studying, out of the pan with plates of rice. Since we both started work I haven't had much of a chance to cook and I rather miss it.

OK, TGIF that doesn't feel like a Friday. Hopefully next week I can get to go to the Da Vinci exhibition! :D And watch Angels and Demons with the girlfriends from work.

family photos

2009-05-13T09:40:00.003+08:00

Dad collected our family portrait and my individual graduation studio shot done in canvass. I think they look nice! :D We're gonna hang the big family portrait in the living room. My smaller individual shot goes on the piano for now.

Trying to convince BB to go take studio shots together end of the year :)

I am looking forward to date night with bf on Thursday. I like having regular date nights with him. Gives me something to look forward to in the week.

Want to zzz now.

random photos

2009-05-10T19:13:00.006+08:00

Happy Birthday Dad! And Happy Mothers' Day Mum! :) Waiting from pictures from you guys!

Random backlogged pictures from my date with boyfriend to Out of the Pan, and CHIJMES.

His is a mango smoothie, mine is strawberry and banana.

Mushroom and cheese filling, in a sundried tomato wrap

I forgot what was in BB's. Seafood I think.

Getting a little impatient while BB goes about his "sacred task"

..so I end up amusing myself

By taking crappy photos :P

CHIJMES at night

BB thinks it looks quite foreboding

Just because there hasn't been pictures of us here for some time now

Back at my place

*muakies*

BB giving me a kissy back! What a rare pic. Lol.

Watching S Factor now. OMG damn bimbo lah!!!!!!! Ah ah!!! *cue frantic arm flapping* Sometimes I really wonder how much of it is for the entertainment factor, and how much of it is how the girls really are. Urgh.

BB brought me to Singapore Flyer's Popeye's today, and we took a turn around the place. They have a Boeing shop! With an inflight simulator! But my gawd so expensive! When the IR is open, I definitely wish to take a ride on the Flyer and take in the sights. Oh! And go to Universal Studios!

42 months

2009-05-09T09:28:00.001+08:00

Happy 3.5 years baby *muakz* Glad you liked the Dri-Fit tee I got you ^_^

happy, disgusted

2009-05-08T09:39:00.002+08:00

Baby came over to find me after gym last night :) Our usual watch TV-me dozing off thing. But it just feels so comfortable.

Getting twin yolks in an egg makes me feel happy! :D Last night in our instant noodles, there turned out to have 3 yolks instead of 2! Heheh. I likes yolkie instant Korean ramen!

Oh, a good half a year ago, Jiamin lost her wallet in the office and we all suspected theft. A bag search turned up nothing. But today, because one of the toilets was spoilt, we got someone in to repair it. And guess what was found in the cistern? Yup, her wallet.

Of course, by now all the cash was taken away, and whatever receipts inside all dissolved into mush by now. But it's there. So we have a thief in the company, and we do suspect someone. But no solid evidence, how?

Guess we all just gotta take extra precautions now.

错

2009-05-01T09:37:00.000+08:00

走错了一步，又回到原点...

是我的错。

想要的，能再次有可能吗?

1st QC 2009

2009-04-29T16:47:00.002+08:00

Another convention is over, thankfully. It went smoothly, for which I am thankful. It get a bit easier each time I do it, for which I am even more thankful, in hopes that it will be a total breeze in future. But then again, with agents, things are never a breeze.

So here I sit in office, feet aching like mad from running around in heels from 7.30 in the bloody a.m. My colleagues and I, we've all removed our shoes. And our eyes can hardly stay open.

And we're all eagerly anticipating 6pm to go home and concuss.

Oh! BB and I are going on a holiday in July with my bro and his gf! :D Looking forward to it! Leave has been applied and approved! We're going to book our trip soon!

2009-04-28T09:09:00.007+08:00

Some pictures from my weekend :)

Me and Xiao Yan

...and Hong Ting's hand

Bridg concentrating hard on Jenga

Suzie trying not to be the one to collapse the tower

Xiao Yan kancheong on Hong Ting's behalf

Some game like Pick Up Stix, but you're not supposed to let the monkeys drop when you pull the stick out

Playing Ticket to Ride! I like this game!

Group shot (sans Debbie and Hong Ting cos they left early)

My adorable twin neighbours, Claudia (facing camera) and Ashley

Claudia is more friendly. Ashley is more teh. And Claudia even posed for my photo! But because camera took too long, she got impatient hahaha

Raaaaaaaaaain! ^_^ So so so cuuuuuute!

quiet sunday

2009-04-27T09:19:00.002+08:00

Spontaneously initiated piggyback rides from BB make me happy :)

Went outside to play with the twins Claudia and Ashley yesterday. They're so adorable! When she saw me, Claudia even called out to me, "Jiejie!" and stretched out her arms for me to carry! ^_^ *melts* Terrible Twos? Or Adorable Twos? You decide :)

Simple dinner with boyfriend at Out of the Pan, followed by a stroll around CHIJMES. The maid cafe isn't all that it is hyped up to be, it seems. Just a couple of girls dressed in maid outfits. It was a simple date, but our lives are so busy that it is nice to be able to spend quiet time like this together instead of rushing about.

I am da champion

2009-04-25T20:24:00.005+08:00

Tauni gathering today at Mind's Cafe at Selegie. 4 straight hours of silly board games! I like! :D Ended up getting the membership card for free, so I think I will be trying to go there more frequently now ;)

BB couldn't join us today, and neither could Suzie's gf. But BB did fetch me there and pick me up after that, just to spend a little time together before he went to meet his colleagues for night cycling, which I thought was very sweet of him. We spent a little time chatting in my room, before he made a move to go, and then...

*me going into the living room with BB so he can say bye to my parents*

BB: Aunty, Uncle, 我走了.

*me spotting some weird contraption near the door*

Me: Daddy, what is that??

Dad: Oh, its to wash the car (sort of a pump so that can spray the car with water instead of pouring water on it)

Me: Orh ok. *spots chicken stew and prepares to sit down for dinner*

Mum: Eh 你不用送他去门口 meh?

Then I realised I totally forgot about BB and he was at the door waiting for me to see him off! Hahahahha oops! I am champion man!! :P:P

I love the World

2009-04-25T10:06:00.002+08:00

I love watching Discovery Channel on cable, and I love this song whenever they play it :):)

You get some cool scenes there, and I always feel so happy after seeing it :)

final decision

2009-04-23T11:16:00.002+08:00

And so in a matter of 3 days, I have attended an interview with my HR Manager and Director for an internal transfer, heard the terms and conditions, and turned it down in the end.

As BB put it, the spirit is correct - you never know until you try. And tried, I did. But I found that I can't accede to what they are asking, and I am glad that they now have gracefully accepted my decision.

I am also relieved that the matter is resolved and I no longer have to fret about it. I do not like indecision and things looming over my head.

I am fortunate that BB shows me such support, first in my decision to try for it, and then in my decision to decline in the end. I am glad that my parents and close pals in office agree with my decision and that they want me to be happy.

Despite little hiccups now and again, I would say my life is still pretty smooth-sailing and protected, and for that I am thankful :)

stupid management

2009-04-22T08:49:00.003+08:00

Why does internal mobility here have to be so hard? I really do not feel what they are asking is fair, especially if I do not get anything out of it other than "grooming me to a managerial position". But that was what I signed in the 1 year contract to begin with! So essentially if I sign, it will be signing away 3 additional years for nothing extra.

Plus it is the company's duty to groom all staff anyway! What rubbish they talking?? Are they saying if I don't sign, my career path is dead and that they will not groom me already? That's essentially a threat.

Anyway that's a really sucky way to try to retain staff. Fail.

My good friends in office, my parents, and BB all agree that I should not. I'm glad I'm not the only one feeling this way. To heck with it, if they view my commitment level as not as high after I turn it down, so be it. I will just continue to do my current job, and do it well, with nothing to tie me down.

growing up

2009-04-21T10:22:00.002+08:00

Baby came over last night to cuddle me and give me moral support. Very thankful for him and Jia Feng, for the support they have shown me. Now we shall see how it goes. Because I don't agree with some terms they brought up. If I can't negotiate it down, and they won't transfer due to this reason, then maybe it's not worth it after all.

I need to start thinking about my future and what I should be doing.

I don't like this aspect of growing up!

*pouts*

of love

2009-04-19T21:30:00.002+08:00

Inspirational and quite interesting video

A different take on promoting marriage and family.

I've watched this a few times, and every time, I come close to tearing. It's touching how they don't show the first flush of love. We all know how heady and fascinating that always is. Instead, it shows a partner who is hardly perfect, and yet because of these imperfections, is all the more loved. And it is apparent that the love has strengthened and grown with the years.

I hope to be loved as such, and to love my partner likewise. To love my family for all their little idiosyncrasies.

to be 17 Again

2009-04-19T19:19:00.003+08:00

If you had a chance to relive a certain period of your life again, would you? And how would you go about it? Would you do things differently, or would you end up making the same choices as what you did before?

Baby took me to watch 17 Again today. M1 was having some special offer, one-for-one tickets! :D So worth it on a Sunday! Anyway, although this plotline has been done before, I thought it was quite enjoyable. Even Baby remarked, surprised, "That wasn't half bad!" There were many laughs a minute, courtesy of Mike's nerd friend Ned, but there was also times that made me want to sniffle.

(Of course it didn't hurt that Zac Efron is so cute! :P)

Bought some tank tops from PepperPlus. Yays, I so need some basics inside my wardrobe. Wore the "Matrix vest" I bought from Hollyhoque yesterday and I love it! Now waiting for my backorder top to arrive.

peace and quiet

2009-04-18T12:22:00.001+08:00

Saturdays in the office are nice, quiet and peaceful :)

changes

2009-04-17T15:59:00.003+08:00

Yesterday was a sad day; my best pal at work tendered her resignation. While I fully understand her decision and am happy that she will (most probably) move on to greener pastures, there is also a pang of sadness.

I suppose it's my first experience of a direct colleague (as opposed to those Accounts people who join and resign like water flowing) resigning. Also, she's become more than a colleague to me. She's become a personal friend, gossip kaki and makan kaki. I will really miss her.

On the other hand I'm grateful to her for what she has done in the wake of her departure. We shall see how things go.

Until then, it's the weekend! :D Meeting Sya tomorrow and then dinner with Baby <3

I like this pic, though I look a bit like a kid.

good friday long weekend

2009-04-12T11:21:00.006+08:00

What a weekend!

I was very cheery from lunchtime on Thursday. Mainly because I was such a bimbo and went to buy nail stuff. To do pweety French manis at home hehe. Called bf and told him I had a confession to make, and his first response was, "OK, what did you buy this time?" :P

End result! :D I likes!

Ubin cycling with BB, Shengfang and Xueling on Friday. Cycled till my legs ached, stuffed ourselves with a huge portion of rice/hor fun, took pictures! :D And then cycled like mad back to the jetty in a futile effort to beat the pouring rain. Yep, it poured like the sky was releasing all of it's reservoirs at one shot. But it was fun while it lasted :) Pictures from BB soon.

Tauni gathering yesterday, buffet lunch at Kuishinbo. I can't get that stupid advertisement song out of my head. It's all the more annoying because I don't like it to begin with! Haha. But anyhow, it was a very enjoyable lunch, and we stayed there till the buffet was over at 3pm. I do wish BB was able to join us though. Hopefully next time round.

Suddenly, our discussion topics have taken at 180 degree turn. Where previously we were discussing modules and exams and tutors, now we're talking career paths, property and marriage. It's scarily adult and somehow all of a sudden I didn't want to grow up. And after Kuishinbo we adjourned to Gelare for part 2 of chit chatting and much laughter. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I'm really pleased that my OG is still meeting up regularly like this. I'm glad that no matter how long its been since we last met, there is always the same easy familiarity there. And I'm glad that this group is easily expandable, to accomodate our partners when we do bring them, and to make them feel welcome. I'm glad that they know BB, can talk to him and joke with him when they see him, to ask after him if he is unable to join us. All these mean a lot to me.

The loaded dessert plate I shared with Hongting, Bridg and Xiaoyan. It looks darn tempting!

The swamp that is Xiaoyan's wasabi :P

Spot the difference! Soozey before (his gf Ellen in the background)

Soozey after! Lol. Chocolate mole

After the gathering dispersed at around 6.30, Hongting and Xiaoyan stayed with me to wait for BB to come meet me, which was very sweet of them. So we went to Popular to pass the time, and for Xiaoyan to buy certificate paper.

Got handed over to BB by my self-appointed bodyguards (:P) and went to Millenia Walk for dinner at TCC.

Some pomegranate, orange and mint drink. Quite yummy. BB had his usual Azuki Freeze

BB's Chicken and Turkey Bacon Lasagna

Given that I was still stuffed from Kuishinbo and Gelare, I opted for something lighter, Vege Eleganza (or some stupid name like that), basically veggies, in a mentaiko cream sauce with cheese. Verdict: Too much pumpkin for my liking, even though it tasted good.

Crappy shot of bf and me yesterday when he came over to play Wii. Before I had to go to Bishan to 扫墓.

And just a tissue packet Vannessa bought one day that amused me :P

Ok, till next time! :)

3 years 5 months

2009-04-09T09:15:00.001+08:00

Happy 41st month darling *muakz*

Looking forward to the long weekend, and Ubin tomorrow! :D

turning 23

2009-04-08T20:16:00.000+08:00

Finally my birthday post is up! :):):) About time! It's almost been a month! This entry was to have been dated on 14/3/2009.

My birthday celebration started a bit earlier this year than usual. On Monday, my bro came home toting my pressie from him and his gf Chloe.

Yep! A Guitar Hero set! :D:D Was quite touched because I mentioned it in passing to him only. Yay!!!

Normal day at work on Thursday (day before my birthday), until I received a call at 5.05pm confirming my office address because "they had a hamper to deliver to me". When I heard they were delivering something to my office, immediately I figured BB must have sent it, but WTH a hamper??? Haha I was quite confused, to say the least. Received another call informing me they'd delivered to Reception, and when I went to collect, this was what I found!!!

OMGOMGOMG it's so so so cute laaaaaa!! I was beaming from ear to ear when I received it!!!

A better shot taken when I got home :):):):):):) BB revealed afterwards that one day when he told me he was going gym, he popped down to Jurong Point to order this, because we saw one such similar bouquet at Jurong Point before, and I'd expressed an interest in it because I think it's a really adorable idea. Original bouquet had 6 bears, but he asked them to include one of every kind that they had. And that any one could be substituted except for Grumpy <3>

Shortly after, CEO came in and gave me quite a scare. He said to me very loudly, "Kathleen! You screwed up really big this time you know? This Team Manager XXXX call me and make a big fuss about his overriding!" I really got worried, because I thought that issue had been settled quite some time ago. He told my manager, "Josephine, come, you explain to her!"..... .....and then my colleagues came walking to my desk singing the birthday song and bearing this cake!

Chocolate truffle cake!

Me and Josephine. Ya I look damn off in all the shots, but in my defence I was caught off-guard, and I pin up my hair in office to get it out of my face.

Vannessa calls this 见牙不见眼 LOL. I was just grinning away uncontrollably.

Me and Jia Feng

Cutting my cake :):)

With Kak Lila and Yuen Wei

And some super sweet (and small and cute) strawberries Jia Feng shared with us.

I couldn't stop beaming away the rest of the day :):):)

The next day Baby and I were on leave, so we headed down to CBD area to meet Shengfang and Alvin for lunch. Nice to catch up with them. Before this, I don't recall when was the last time I saw Alvin. Another shot with my lovely "bouquet"

They had to get back to work after lunch, so it was back home to wait out the off-again-on-again heavy rains. And to get ready for dinner. I'd originally made reservations for One Rochester, but they called at the last minute to inform that they had a private function. Ah well. We went to check out its sister outlet, Twenty-Six at East Coast Park.

BB says the dress looks kind of Grecian :) me likes (though me no likes my fattiness boohoo)

Pan- Fried Foie Gras & Grilled Half Boneless Quail. Super yummy! I loved loved loved this dish!

BB's Seared USA Scallops. They tasted OK to me, but nothing that great.

Creamy Maine Lobster Cappuccino. We shared this. It's good, but I think the one I love best is still from My Secret Garden :) Yummy crustacean goodness!

Homemade Seafood Ravioli. BB told me "walau you pay so much to eat wonton??" LOL. Mediocre.

BB's Oven Baked Angus Lamb Rack. Ooh this one was good. Should have ordered it too! Very tender, but still very tasty

My pinky champagne. I love champagne!

Reif Lava. Yummy molten chocolate cake. Crowd-pleaser :)

Baby's strawberry tart with a pretty decorative wedge of chocolate

Birthday cake with my family the next day *touched* :)

random babbling

2009-04-07T10:57:00.002+08:00

I don't know if it's my computer, my internet connection, or stupid Blogger, but I am unable to upload photos! Thus my birthday post is still not up despite repeated attempts :(

I love lunch times in the office. It's always a good time to catch up and "network" with my office girlfriends (aka gossip and giggle over nothing in particular :P) but there's always the "Back to Reality" feeling after that. Ah well. At least it's a short week. If the weather doesn't screw up, it's off to Ubin we go on Friday! :D Lunch date with Sya next Saturday, and next I really really want to meet Hani, Vas and DM! As always the gap between our meetups are super duper long. I miss them :)

Looking forward to meeting boyfriend on Thursday too :):) Happy that he continues to make the effort to make sure time spent with me is not diminished, although he has increased demands on his time :) Also happy about other efforts he is making :):)

Step by step, slowly but surely, we are on the right track :)

PropNexopoly 2009

2009-03-31T14:45:00.007+08:00

Overdue pictures from D&D (yes yes birthday ones are even more overdue haha. My bad, they'll be up by tomorrow)

The D&D Committee, which effectively didn't have to do very much, thanks to Adam :) MaryAnn, Lean, Jia Feng, me and Baini, with Adam all covered up. We're all sporting corsages courtesy of Adam

In the day room before we had to go down and report for Registration duty

2 greenies flanking a blue-y!

Just us girls (and starting to annoy Adam to no end because we were busy taking photos and not listening to his directions! Hah!)

MaryAnn, Masked Man and Jia Feng

Me and VP Eric Tan

MaryAnn, CEO and Lean

Christina, Baini and Lean

I don't know what we were looking at, but I like this pic! :D

Big Big Boss working the gaming tables!

Jo, MaryAnn, Sharon and Jessica

Us and CEO :)

Family performance to raise funds for a charity drive we are currently holding. CEO, Mrs CEO and their eldest daughter :)

Very funny emcee who got tickled by an answer given by a contestant onstage

The contestant who cracked emcee Justin Misson up: Yuan Song (orange).

Loads of laughter and fun that night. We all enjoyed sabo-ing 肥牛 whahaha! It was a good way to end a week :P

weekend updates

2009-03-30T13:36:00.003+08:00

I haven't been blogging much lately. Somehow I haven't had the inclination to do so. But one good thing is that I passed my Advanced Theory Test on Friday! Baby picked me up after work to go for the test, and I was so relieved to have passed on the first try. Now to look for an instructor (or enrol in the driving school for lessons).

Earth Hour on Saturday. Went down to Marina for dinner because I was craving Kenny Rogers' mac and cheese. Quick dinner, a jaunt into Times to buy Eclipse and Breaking Dawn - my reward to myself for passing, as a motivation since previously the books were out of stock. Then up we went to Esplanade rooftop to witness the lights on the buildings in CBD switch off. It was quite impressive when Maybank's distinctive signage on the city skyline and it's lights spanning the length of the building were slowly switched off. But the rest of it was a tad anti-climatic. Hopefully year after year the response will get better.

And then BB and I came home and found that my parents were full embracing Earth Hour and the house was pitch-dark! LOL

Finally went to take my studio grad photos on Sunday! After dragging for almost a year! As always it felt so unnatural to be directed to pose this way and that, but I think the photos turned out nice :) Will upload some when my dad scans it into the computer, since studio did not provide us with soft copies.

Looking forward to Good Friday. If the weather cooperates, we're going cycling at Ubin! My gawd I've been wanting to do that for forever, since the last time we went was in 2005 with Alvin, Kaori and Byon!

OK back to work. Zzz

Detroit Metal City

2009-03-25T09:13:00.002+08:00

Caught Detroit Metal City with Baby last night. A shy geeky guy who loves nothing more than to be a cutesy pop musician who ends up as the lead singer of a death metal band. Offstage he loathes DMC and what he is made to do by his freaky manager, but onstage he is a really good performer and very into character.

There were plenty of laugh-out-loud moments when his 2 worlds (Soichi Negishi & Johannes Krauser II) collide. Although the music was a tad loud for my tastes (and DMC's lyrics really sucked! Haha) I really enjoyed this movie. It's a good way to destress from work, and it gave me something to look forward to on a weekday. Plus I got to spend time with Baby :)

We also tried Kono Pizza, from the snack bar at the cinema in Vivo. Essentially a mini pizza in a cone shape. It was quite yummy! Loads of cheese! :D

Which reminds me, check out this website: This is Why You're Fat! Omg sometimes I don't believe they really ate such things, probably just made it for the sake of taking a photo!

Dinner and Dance 09

2009-03-21T10:02:00.004+08:00

So D&D is over. And I had fun yesterday :) Adam bought us corsages, which I thought was a nice gesture. Got some glamour shots taken too. The Committee photo turned out nice; I hope my individual ones do too, because the lady kept directing me to pose this way and that and it felt so unnatural! I'm so not used to that! Took loads of photos with the other Committee girls! I think we drove Adam nuts because he was on a tight schedule and we kept pausing to take photos! Haha!

BB sent me down to Grand Copthorne, after having lunch with Shengfang and Alvin, and coming home to let me get ready and do my nails. I like meeting them for lunch like that. Wish I could do it more often!

Now we're all in office, tired and stoning. *yawns* And while I was spared the party strings and fake snow last night (I kept well out of the range of fire hahahaha. Some other ladies were not so lucky), I swear my ears will never be the same again after Eric kept blasting that stupid air horn beside me all evening. Bleah.

Photos up once I've gotten them from my colleagues! Phone cameras suck at times like these! And I haven't even blogged about my birthday yet!

FB

2009-03-18T20:45:00.002+08:00

Am getting annoyed with FB. For some odd reason I can't seem to upload photos! Every time I try, I get the pop-up message "Upload Failed. Please try again". Urgh. Am trying to upload now in small small batches of 6 photos per shot. Here's hoping it works.

Quite looking forward to D&D. Dress and shoes both bought! Yays! Hehehe.. Plus as part of the D&D Committee, I get the whole day off instead of half day like the rest of the staff. Of course, we'll be stuck doing registration, but I don't mind. I'll be sure to take loads of pictures with my colleagues! :D

Missing the boyfriend. Meeting him and Shengfang for dinner tomorrow :)