Finding My Way Back To Sanity Again

case of the crazies

2007-08-14T12:08:00.000+08:00

"tonight i feel ambitious, and so does my foot" - eve6 (open road song)

i reckon i've always been crazy. but lately it seems like i've gotten even crazier.

latest in my crazy racing is that i've signed up for a half marathon at the end of the year.

yes, that would be 21 km of pure torture.

my furthest training run is 5.2km. my furthest race distance is 7.3km. what am i even thinking?

well i'm usually hardly sane so why start now?

i guess this is just one of my crazy moments where apparently i think i can actually survive it.

hey like i always say... i can always walk...

but i'm gonna still try and train my best... and i know that when i cross that finishing line after approximately at least 3.5 hours, i'm gonna end the year with that big bang that i always wanted.

and the training begins again...

2007-07-16T23:01:00.000+08:00

"to the path that i should take, it's just too real to go ahead and fake, every step that i make" - trapt (new beginning)

a second time doesn't necessarily make it any easier.

i'm just as nervous as i was the first time.

i just signed up for my second race. 10km. and this time, i really do think they mean 10km as opposed to 7.3km masquerading as 8km like in the case of my first race.

i know i'm crazy... 'coz a particularly bad sprained ankle left me outta running commission for the last 3 months. and i only started getting back on the road again last week with a pathetic 2.4km. the ankle didn't seem too bad but my calves and hamstrings ached after. expected i suppose since my long hiatus. but just as i was looking forward to another run, that got halted by me catching a flu bug. i so need to get my training on.

but apparently this is what i wanna do. so as scary as it is, i'm just gonna do it. through the pain, even if i have to walk it through for part of the way, i'm just gonna do it.

and it will be another personal achievement for me at the end of it.

the trip to taiwan

2007-07-05T13:36:00.000+08:00

"we're travelled like gypsies, only with worse luck and far less gold" - fall out boy (sophomore slump or come back of the year)

last thursday i went to taiwan on a company trip and only got back late on sunday. it was a retreat of some sorts so it was good to finally have some sort of a break even if it was a short one.

taiwan is certainly a place for food. there was just so much food available that it was crazy. i was just eating, eating and then eating again.

the first night it was pig's innards noodles. the unique point of this shop was that everyone had to stand to eat. it was pretty yummy.

then we went to another place for some large desserts.

and yes, i'll have you guys know that i had almost all of that on my own for lunch!

taiwan is also known for it's fried food...

... as well as it's smelly tofu. the tofu not only smelled bad but it tasted terrible as well. it was like licking a garbage truck. not that i would know...

there was also a lot of fruits...

and really huge ones at that...

to work it all off, we walked it out in the many night markets till my feet and back ached...

i'm not really one for shopping (yes, shocker!) so i was the only one who come back home with the same amount of luggage as i left with. but everyone else seemed to spend loads of money and came back with extra luggage. i didn't really think the prices were all that cheap and i guess most of the stuff there wasn't really suited to me.

that said, on the whole the trip was good.

the grey areas

2007-06-12T12:34:00.000+08:00

"i love you too much to ever start liking you, so let's just let the story have an end, i love you too much to ever start liking you, so don't expect me to be your friend." - lobo (don't expect me to be your friend)

i've always believed in the grey areas. nothing is black and white. it's all shades of grey.

but maybe some things are more black and white than i like to admit to. maybe it's really all or nothing. and you can't really have it all... all of the grey area that is.

i think either way, it's hard. especially if all is not exactly the ideal path but nothing kills as well.

where is that happy middle to it all?

a nut in a nutshell

2007-05-15T00:49:00.000+08:00

"i spent so long trying to fit the prototype, kept a stick in the gears and i never got it right" - amy studt (misfit)

i know it's been ages. but lately i just haven't been feeling like writing.

so what has been going on in the world of jo?

well a whole lot.

but in a nutshell there's been exams. there's been a new job that's stressful and fast paced. there's been a new change in hair color.

i've officially gone orange. and i do believe that just bout completes my foray into all colors of the rainbow.

so i got tagged by cindy...

i'm supposed to state 6 weird things bout myself and then tag 6 friends. since i don't even have 6 friends here, whoever wants to can do it.

1. i like hair colors not found in nature

that should be pretty evident haha!

2. i require music to function and am lyrically obsessed

i have to search for lyrics of every song that i like. and i'm usually pretty quick with remembering 'em

3. i like to eat sliced tomatoes, eggs, carrots etc in pairs

and no, seeing one slice and then cutting 'em into two does not work

4. i've been known to have an appetite that can sometimes rival certain men's

there's an infamous story that my ex boss man likes to tell bout me ordering a huge plate of noodles while all the guys at the table ordered a small plate

5. i can't stand to see my food alive and then later dead on my plate

i guess fishing and prawning is out. unless it's catch and release. that said, i'm a meatasaurus

6. i joke to my mom bout what to write on her orbituary

i'm just a lil warped like that. but she has a sense of humor. gotta love her.

next stop: the future

2007-04-02T23:43:00.000+08:00

"i had better end it quick, or i could lose my nerve" - matchbox twenty (rest stop)

it's been a long time coming... but finally it came to this day... a day where i made the decision to think bout my own future instead of just being contented with being happy despite a lack of growth.

but it's also kinda scary. stepping outta my comfort zone. moving on to something new.

i know that this is the right decision for me at this moment. but it doesn't make it any easier. nor does it make me any less sad. i've somehow grown very attached to this place and it makes me cry to think bout leaving.

i can only hope that i can still keep in touch with the people i've felt were so much a part of my daily life. people who i've learnt to call friends. and maybe someday our paths will cross again.

first race report

2007-03-18T18:40:00.000+08:00

"and i can see my life is waiting, now i know i'm living for who i am" - smile empty soul (who i am)

i survived my first race.

all 8km of it... okay well the exact distance was 7.3km but who's counting haha!

my timing was bout an hour which isn't all that great but given the surgery and then a recent bout of illness which left me outta running commision for 3 weeks, i suppose i'm reasonably happy with it all.

most of all it was indeed an achievement.

i have never ever run 8km (or really 7.3km) before. and i admit that i was really worried. the beginning 2.5km of the run was relatively easy. but by the time i hit the loop at possibly 4km, i was starting to really feel it and slowed down considerably to walk. bear in mind that my usual runs are 4km. the rest of the run was tougher. the hot sun shining was tiring me out and my legs were starting to ache. in between walking it out, the running took all my prayers and mental endurance.

but when i neared the finish line, i darted in and out of other runners and sprinted my way through.

despite some physical pain, the feeling was amazing. i felt almost euphoric.

i made it. that's all that matters.

and i can't wait to make it even better in more races.

time

2007-03-06T00:17:00.000+08:00

"so little time, so much to do, i rather spend my days with you" - arkana (so little time)

time seemed to just fly by... i didn't realise that it has been this long since i last updated here. i guess i kinda got caught up with trying to juggle the things on my plate effectively.

a few good friends based overseas came home for a holiday, so of 'coz i had to meet up with 'em. then there was the usual work which started to get busier... and school and assignments... then i fell sick... and then it was my really good friend's hen's night and wedding... it was just all round busy busy busy...

but i guess despite it all, i did have some fun. though not in the work or school sense. but it was great getting to see my good friends based overseas and just to catch up with 'em face to face.

and of 'coz my really good friend's hen's night and wedding were fabulous.

there's something bout seeing the friend that you've known since you were 15 get married. i got all nostalgic. thinking bout the time when we were sitting next to each other in class and how we've all grown up now. time just flew by. and now she's gone and married a great guy and i'm just so happy for her. and it was an honor to be part of her big day, helping her out. the wedding touched me so much that i teared... oh well i'm just a sap at weddings...

challenges

2007-01-30T15:05:00.000+08:00

"i'm gonna try something just a little bit different this time, i'm gonna give myself permission to shine" - bachelor girl (permission to shine)

first times are tough... starting something is tough... and sometimes even going back to something can be tough. not 'coz it's not what you want but just 'coz you're nervous.

so i'm nervous.

there i admit it.

i've just signed up for my very first race. 8km. who am i kidding? i mean my recent runs have only been half that distance. and with the surgery and recovery, i haven't run in 2 weeks and won't be starting to run again till another week more. this will definitely be a really big challenge for me.

and tonight will be the very first class in my foray back to school. 3 years after graduation and i finally decided to do a post grad in a totally different field of study. i don't know how am i going to juggle work, school, training and all the other important stuff in my life.

i'm nervous. but at the same time all these mean a lot to me. and when i do make it through, it will be a personal achievement.

of 'coz i know that i can't do this on my own... so God please help me!

blessings and thanksgivings

2007-01-22T12:10:00.000+08:00

"'coz i'm just a student driver, and i need your help to guide me, 'coz on my own i'm nothing" - stellar kart (student driver)

the last week was just a week of miracle after miracle. i'm just amazed at how everything fell into place. and only the big guy upstairs could have orchestrated it to such perfection.

i really feel so blessed.

and i continue to believe that even bigger and better things are in store. it has only just begun...

so even while i take the next 2 weeks to rest and recover, i can't wait for the time when i'm back up on my feet again... racing...

new year, new start

2007-01-01T18:15:00.000+08:00

"i hope that days come easy and moments pass slow, and each road leads you where you want to go" - rascal flatts (my wish)

oh it's the start of another year. how time flies. where did all the years go?

i went for my church's youth group's countdown party. it was touching, it was inspirational, it was just amazing. truly a great way to end an old year and begin a new one. a lot of things happened and didn't happen in 2006. but above all what i'm most thankful for is that i ended the year feeling a whole lot better than when i began the year. and now i'm heading into 2007 with a sense of hope and excitement. better things are in store for this year! i can just feel it...

and in a good start to the year i decided to learn cycling from a few friends.

okay so it's not that i have never cycled in my life... my childhood isn't that deprived... i just say that i can't cycle 'coz i'm so bad at it that essentially i can't actually cycle. but my friend was nice enough to lend me a nice spare mountain bike that was lying around in his house and some protective armour (helmet, elbow guards, forearm guards, knee guards and shin guards. seriously i was probably more armoured than russel crowe in gladitor) and off i went. okay so off i didn't exactly go... but i did actually manage to cycle a bit. my balance and confidence still needs work but overall i (and my patient coaches) were happy at my start at re-learning cycling. and i didn't even fall. well tomorrow is gonna be my next try. i hope i do even better... and not fall.

on unsteady feet

2006-12-16T15:20:00.000+08:00

"walk along with me, walk along with me, won't you walk with me, walk in harmony" - walk along with me (seven and the sun)

my new active lifestyle has certainly been giving me some injuries. which i'm finding as simply hilarious.

i've had butt bruises. i've had neck pains. i've had foot blisters. i've had a bop on the head and minor rope burn. i've had hand blisters. but i've also had a lot of fun in all my activities.

so the latest fun activity (ie. read: injury) was a free trial personal training session. of which i came out of it with major calf cramps.

i'm serious when i say major. 'coz i did 180 tip toes... with weights!

i can hardly walk. i feel like a baby again on unsteady feet. and i'm not even joking bout the torture i'm currently going through.

my personal trainer said that that will help me to run better (yes, i've been a running convert lately) but how on earth will that help when i can't even walk?? i better have nice, developed and strong calf muscles by the time i can actually walk on steady feet.

er... when would that be again?

pop goes that balloon

2006-12-03T22:22:00.000+08:00

"here it is a red balloon i think of you and let it go" - angry salad (99 red balloons)

since i was a kid, i've never really liked balloons. and i don't mean it in the "see balloons and i'll cry" way. i like balloons just fine. but i'm a lil scared of 'em bursting in front of me. so i guess it seemed pretty ironic that i signed myself up to make balloon hats.

the youth group in my church is organising an event for christmas where we are trying to get 2,000 people to sing carols and make balloon hats. when i first heard bout it i thought it sounded fun. i liked the idea of catching up with old friends, making new friends and being part of a community in doing something special for christmas so as to remember the true meaning of christmas.

but what i didn't remember was that i never really liked balloons.

we had a meeting over the weekend where i learnt how to make balloon hats. i have to admit that at first nothing went right. i couldn't pump the air into the balloon, and then i couldn't even tie the balloon up. and when it came to twisting and contorting balloons, i got really nervous at those squeaky sounds it made, as if it was threatening to burst right in my hands. and the end product was an awkwardly shaped and lopsided balloon hat. oh well it'll do for my very first try. my second try wasn't any better. but at least i found some guts to twist those balloons into submission. and attempted some creativity. which in my case really meant okay let's put this here... and put this there...

then we went out on the streets and gave away our balloon hats to lil kids. i'm surprised that some of 'em kids were really excited bout it. i mean gosh my balloon hat certainly looked like a mutant among balloon hats. but it was nice to make a kid happy.

and yes, my very first balloon hat did burst. twice. when it was on my head.

whew! my head is still there.

cable skiing

2006-11-27T23:12:00.000+08:00

"'coz you can't jump the track, we're like cars on a cable, and life's like an hourglass, glued to the table" - anna nalick [breathe (2 am)]

over the weekend i went on a short trip nearby with some friends for cable skiing.

i've never been on any kind of board before so i was nervous and excited. since i was the lone newbie, the cable crew were really nice to me. i tried the kneeboard first. it was kinda scary but exhilarating.

after a few rounds on the kneeboard, i kinda got bored and wanted to attempt standing on the wake board.

well that didn't happen. despite numerous tries. but i'm not really too disappointed though. afterall rarely anyone is able to stand up at their first session. but i felt that at some points i did improve which is good enough for me for now.

and at least i got to ride on the board with one of the cable crew so i got an idea of the feeling. that was really scary initially but great fun once i got used to it.

happy thanksgiving

2006-11-23T00:08:00.000+08:00

"you've given me so many things that i've never had, and all in all i know it's you that always pulls me through" - 12 stones (the way i feel)

there's always something bout thanksgiving day that warms my heart. of all the holidays that we don't celebrate, i've never wanted to celebrate one as much as thanksgiving.

maybe it's that family and friends feel to it. or maybe 'coz for at least one day in a year, you really remember everything that you have to be thankful for. we're too quick to complain bout things that didn't go well and sometimes don't realise the lil blessings in life.

but there's no time like now to sit back and ponder bout all the blessings in my life.

i thank God for my family. 'coz really, i have an awesome family. the love and support is amazing. i never ever had to doubt their love or wonder if they've got my back. 'coz they do. and i'm sure i wouldn't be half the person i am without my family.

i thank God for my friends. for the ones here and for the ones far away overseas. for the ones here who actually meet up with me and give me some form of a social life. for the ones overseas who still maintain contact... somehow. you guys are all in my heart.

besides the good stuff, i'm also thankful for the bad stuff. even though some of it i still don't know why i have to go through it or am going through it. but i'm thankful 'coz i trust that God must have it all figured out, even if i don't understand.

and in typical me fashion, i'm definitely thankful for the turkey with cranberry sauce. will someone pass it over please.

thank you.

what not to do on the train part 2

2006-11-12T23:25:00.000+08:00

"so i walked under a bus, i got hit by a train" - bachelor girl (buses and trains)

i'm beginning to think that long train rides are hazardous to my health.

today i had the 'pleasure' of having to go from one end to the other end in a train. and as usual the weekend crowd brought about rude and annoying people.

i was with my grandmother who is 83 years old and looks like a grandmother. you're supposed to give up your seat for the elderly right? well perhaps in perfect world. but in this world, that didn't happen. my grandmother had to hold on to the railing for dear life before one young man finally gave up his seat. but the thing is this. i don't think he gave up his seat out of the kindness of his heart. if so, he would have done so much earlier when he was staring around instead of pretending not to notice like everyone else. i think he just reached his stop and therefore since he already had to vacate the seat, decided to kindly inform my grandmother. okay we'll take what we can get.

which so wasn't the case later in the long train ride back. not a single person gave up their seat to my grandmother. there were people getting off their seats and out of the train but there was always some younger person who rushed to that seat hence depriving my grandmother of some rest.

i was there sharing a holding pole with her and being annoyed with people when this lady comes round and shares the pole. now i'm really friendly so pole sharing is perfectly acceptable for me. but not when she places her hand so close to mine that her hand is practically resting on top of my hand.

whoa! lady... i don't even know you... we're just sharing a pole here... there's no need to hold my hand.

there is plenty of space on that pole so why on earth would she rest her hand on mine? did my hand resemble a cushion used to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome?

well i suppose at least she didn't lean her entire body against the pole where my hand is 'coz i've had way too many experiences of that as well.

maybe next time i should just pay for a taxi.

the mystery of the phone number

2006-11-01T23:06:00.000+08:00

"how did you get this number?" - frou frou (psychobabble)

work starts at 8.30am but sue me 'coz i'm not always on time. then again not many people are anyway.

as i mentioned previously, my office is in a remote area where we have a number of guards with big guns on patrol. we also have a number of guards without big guns on patrol. these guards are of the friendly variety. we would smile and wave whenever i walk past. and even if i wasn't looking in that direction, they would see it necessary to call my name loudly, or whistle or do something in order to get my attention so that we could smile and wave. i don't even know how they managed to match my face to my name. but that's another story.

this story is that this morning bright and early at 8.37am, i received a call on my mobile as i was on the way to work. as my caller id flashed the number, i identified it immediately as the office guard house's number. turns out that the agency we use was trying to hand over some posters to me. yes, at 8.37am in the morning. who on earth makes rounds that early?

but the more pressing issue is... how on earth did the guard house get my number??

my mobile is strictly for personal use and therefore not listed in the company directory. however quite a number of my colleagues do actually have my number 'coz that's just easier sometimes.

but the guard house shouldn't have it. and i'm wondering why they do. and who gave it to 'em. i can't think of how they managed to get it.

this is turning out to be quite the mystery.

climb these walls

2006-10-29T20:19:00.000+08:00

"hard to find a place where there are no walls, and no lines begging me to cross" - trapt (these walls)

it was a full-on sporty day today.

first i was up bright and early to support my friend in the women's 10km race. i woke up even earlier than i usually do for work, but oh well, it's her very first race. the very race i chickened out in joining with her 'coz i'm not much of a runner. but the atmosphere was awesome and the runners even more so. i'm proud of my friend. i shall aspire similar greatness.

after that i left for a full day sports climbing course.

it's a lot harder than it seems and a lot more painful. my arms are aching. but other than a lil bop on the head on the wall and a very minor abrasion possibly caused by rope burn, i was injury free.

but it was worth it. i am now a level one sports climber certified by the mountaineering federation.

only level one.

well at least i can now check off one more item thing on my to-do list.

ode to the hair

2006-10-21T23:25:00.000+08:00

"everyone asks me, who the hell is she? that weirdo with 5 colours in her hair" - mcfly (5 colours in her hair)

no matter where i go, i get a lot of stares. it’s not my face, not my dressing, not even my walk to the beat of justin timberlake’s sexyback (i’m kidding… i don’t strut… i think… haha!) no siree. what is gaining all the stares is my hair.

the hair

the hair gets a lot of attention. it can generally stop traffic. haha! in fact the hair is practically a separate entity of its own.

everywhere i go people notice it. i guess it’s kinda hard not to notice it. not when it’s short (which in itself stands out in a world full of long haired girls), flicky and streaked with some bold colour not found in nature. at least not found in nature as far as hair colours go but certainly in nature with colours of blue-green, blueberry, forest green, lime green and raspberry.

my friends are always amazed at the hair. most even wished they had the guts and chance to do the same. i’ve even had a fair amount of strangers come up and compliment me on the hair. but i don’t do it for the attention. though don’t get me wrong, that’s actually pretty nice sometimes. and it’s not even bout mustering up the guts. for me, the hair is just so me. it’s totally something that i would do. the hair suits me. it sorta brings out that punk rocker in me.

but the hair takes work. granted it’s not as high maintenance as one would think. but it definitely takes some maintenance. i don’t exactly fall out of bed looking like that. no way. hair product has to be put in and the hair flicked. weekly touch ups keep that bold colour bold. work.

and i’m fortunate that my work doesn’t mind my outrageous colours. i think my boss secretly wonders what colour i’ll come up with next. it’s certainly a conversation starter… even for other people.

"you’ve got a girl in your office with *blue / green / purple (*insert appropriate hair colour of the moment) hair!"
"yep we do"

but sad as it is, eventually the hair will probably have to change to a more sedate and widely accepted colour. i would probably run out of colours soon. or perhaps a new future job wouldn’t be so open-minded. though i would sure love to walk into an interview with the hair and when asked what i can bring to the company, say "colour!" with a cheeky smile.

the hair might even one day be less short and flicky and slightly longer (only slight ‘coz i just looove short lengths) with no need for hair product. just wash and go.

i wonder if and when that time comes, will anyone still notice me? or will i fade into the background. into oblivion. just another normal girl in the crowd.

maybe then i would have to learn to rely on my face, dressing and a walk to the beat of justin timberlake’s sexyback (darn i have to learn how to strut? haha!) in order to get anyone to look at me.

blistered

2006-10-15T22:01:00.000+08:00

"tonight i feel ambitious and so does my foot" - eve6 (open road song)

let's recap... episode 1 of jo's injuries was the big ass bruise from rollerblading. episode 2 was the pain in the neck from stretching.

and now for episode 3 of jo's injuries... blisters from running.

just in case anyone thinks i'm this hardcore running machine, i'm not. i am however, i admit, a wannabe runner. but i was just in a funk on friday and somehow decided that pounding the ground forcefully as i ran was the best way to kick me outta it. well it may have helped... but it certainly didn't help my feet. i think if i'm gonna run, i'm gonna need new shoes. my current shoes just ain't cutting it... well except for cutting my feet that is.

but pain aside, physical exertion just has this way of almost calming me. and i try and push on 'coz it reminds me so much of what life is like. despite the pain, you just have to push on.

it's a baby girl!

2006-10-10T21:53:00.000+08:00

"welcome to this place, i'll show you everything" - creed (with arms wide open)

it was some time ago when my guy friend who is based in china told me the good news.

and now the news only gets better. last night, his wifey gave birth to a baby girl. he even got to cut the umbilical cord and all.

apparently in china the doctors don't tell you the sex of your baby beforehand probably due to the fear that you'd abort your kid if you found out that it was a girl. so this time there's new meaning to when the doctor says in the delivery room that it's a girl.

i'm so excited for my guy friend. he's gushing bout his lil baby daughter like any proud new father. in the words of daddy dearest himself:

"she's gonna be the smartest, bestest, prettiest, loveliest. my little daughter"

can you feel the love?

starry starry night

2006-10-08T15:47:00.000+08:00

"when i look at the stars, the stars, i feel like myself" - switchfoot (stars)

lately i've been on the hunt to do something different. something i like and yet something different from what i normally do. so i jumped at the opportunity to catch x2: x-men united and x-men: the last stand at the nokia starlight cinema.

an outdoor cinema festival set under the stars of a beautiful night sky... nevermind that the recent haze made for it to be more blurry night than starry night... we packed our snacks (the sole guy was an overachiever and thought this to mean more than just chips and dip but added bread, smoked salmon, sushi and cheese to the mix) and drinks (we had red and white wine but forget the water?? haha!), lay out our picnic mat, found a nice spot and sat down to enjoy the night.

definitely fun times!

and the pics aren't blurry 'coz of my shaky hands... no siree... it's the haze :P

pain in the neck

2006-10-04T21:23:00.000+08:00

"show me my vital signs until i'm realigned" - shinedown (better version)

here's epiosode 2 in the latest series of jo's injuries...

yesterday morning at work, i lifted my hands above my head and gave myself a nice stretch... yowza! what was that?? i felt a pull in my neck muscles. after that i was in a fair amount of pain and fair amount of mobility in my neck was reduced. by early afternoon i decided to take some time off work to see a chinese doctor for some natural remedy that didn't include actual painkillers.

i should be a chinese doctor. the amount of time it took me to get there was longer than the amount of time he actually spent seeing me. he said that my muscles were cramped and twisted and then proceeded to twist me around a bit in order to untwist and realign me. and then he gave me some medicine and sent me on my way. all within 5 minutes.

i suppose i do feel slightly better. but i'm still experiencing pain and limited neck mobility. i suppose i'm still sore.

i just hope that i get better real fast and that this series will get cancelled now!

falling...

2006-10-02T21:42:00.000+08:00

"she's falling down, it feels like a paisley shade of pink" - dexter freebish (falling down)

they say that you never forget your first time...

first time you fall in love... or maybe just the first time you fall...

i had my second rollerblading class yesterday. and i fell for the first time. well actually i fell for the first and second time.

the ironic part was that i wasn't even rolling along. i was just standing there. and then all of a sudden, out of the blue i just fell. twice. within a span of 5 minutes.

in rollerblading, you're taught to fall forward onto your knee guards and wrist guards. but it happened too fast for me to react and natual instinct took over. and let's just say that they should have butt guards as well.

the first time i fell it wasn't that bad. i was able to get back on my feet and ready to carry on. the second time was just too much. and my bruised butt begged me to stop.

now i have a huge ass bruise on my... well... ass...

the only other bruises i've had that could rival this one was from the time i was paintballing in perth.

well i guess now that i've gotten the whole first fall thing outta the way, it's time for me to get back onto the horse and try again.

next week that is...

not quite the usual wedding

2006-09-25T22:10:00.000+08:00

"praise with elation, praise every morning, God's recreation of the new day" - cat stevens (morning has broken)

it was my friend's wedding on sunday. she's currently based in dubai on a job posting while her husband is still doing his thesis here. so she flew down for her wedding. it was so great to see her since it's been nearly a year since i bid her farewell.

time really flies...

i still remember the first time i met her and how we just got along instantly. i saw her when she was single, sorta attached, coupled and then suddenly engaged after 3 months. she almost gives me hope that perhaps in 3 months time, i too could be engaged haha! but i guess when this is it, you just know it's it.

it was a lovely outdoor wedding. quite unlike the usual weddings we have here. then again she's not quite like the usual girl either. her wedding atmosphere and choice of champagne reminded me why we're friends... 'coz that was what i would have wanted too.

there was also a pretty interesting crowd at her wedding. her husband is a sometime triathlete so among the guests were his triathlete friends. it was rather intimidating. and one of the topics of conversation with a random guy was the question "what do you do to work out?" what happened if my answer was "work out? what do you mean? i just sit around on my ass all day."

i went home and had to work out.

****

which brings me to another point...

i just had a full day offsite meeting today where we did some planning for 2007. yes, it's not too late to start...

i was thinking of doing the same thing with my life... to relook into what my focus should be. one of the things i was thinking bout is to work out more. maybe eventually join a race or even possibly a triathlon like i said before... of 'coz that would mean that i would actually have to learn how to cycle haha!

well we'll see... i guess i'm just kinda bored with how things in my life have been going especially in the last few years. this might just bring me my new high.

keep rolling

2006-09-23T20:34:00.000+08:00

"in santa monica, on the boulevard, you'll have to dodge those inline skaters, or they'll knock you down" - savage garden (santa monica)

the fad started 10 years ago. and back then, i was always interested in learning it... but somehow other than the one failed attempt at winging it with a friend, i never managed to actually get round to learning it.

so this time when a friend asked me to join her in the beginner's class in order to get a cheaper group rate, i roped in my colleague who was also interested and we decided to go for it.

it was our first inline skating class today.

and in less than an hour, i was skating... actually rolling along. i've never really been able to do that. to get over the fear of falling and to just let go and roll with it. hmmm.. maybe that side of me manifests itself in more ways than just strictly inline skating...

but the feeling of skating, albeit at a none too fast speed, felt great. my thighs ached, my back ached and my stomach (strangely enough) ached but i felt great. or maybe i felt great 'coz i didn't actually fall... yet? the 3 of us were just laughing the whole time. our coach was pleasantly surprised 'coz he claimed that normally after the first hour, everyone's all tired out. but we still seemed so energetic, laughing away. i was probably high on adrenaline.

and it was a good rush.

lately everything has been pretty much the same old that i find myself almost bored. this is definitely something to shake things up a lil.

next comes wall climbing...

hello, how may i help you?

2006-09-15T14:11:00.000+08:00

“please don't call me on the phone, and don't even bother stopping by before i go” – lastpagefirst (don’t call)

yesterday i spent half an hour in the train talking to a colleague acquaintance who works in the call centre. i always thought that he was kinda weird. but after half an hour of one on one conversation, i’m convinced he is weird.

so i asked the cursory ‘where were you working previously’ question. but instead of the usual quick run through, i got a pretty detailed answer. i even had company names thrown at me. while that in itself is not a bad thing and sometimes even proves to be pretty helpful, throwing company names i have never ever heard of doesn’t help. who knows what on earth is XYZ Asia Pte Ltd*? and who even cares that much? especially not if he only worked there for a week. yes, he proudly told me that he’s had 27 jobs in 9 years. wow! that number just makes my resume look humble by comparison. his resume must be the size of a phone book.

now i’m always up for a lil ‘making fun’ of strangers behind their backs… it’s just in the way it’s done. sometimes it’s funny and other times there needs to be a line drawn somewhere. in the middle of our conversation, he suddenly remarked on a short guy - tall girl couple that walked in. okay so they were certainly mismatched. she looked significantly older than he did. talk bout the mrs robinson syndrome. i can think of a few of my friends who would joke bout that… me included… but it was just the way he said it that rubbed me the wrong way.

and then he remarked that she was big boned. okay not the nicest thing to say but before my brain even had time to process that he went on to say that he likes to notice people’s bone structure. that really made me want to cover my entire body in an armour. he proceeded to explain that his reasoning was ‘coz he used to work in his dad’s hawker shop where there was a butcher in friend and a chicken slaughterer behind. he wondered if people’s bone structure were different. er… okay… i sure as heck hope so! or else i’m just having a really bad day…

ahh but definitely not as bad a day as someone else… he complained bout a nasty customer who kept calling the call centre. when you work in a call centre, you take the good customers together with the bad. i can relate. and sometimes it’s necessary to vent**. just like with any other annoying things that we face in life. i’m cool with that. but to think of harming the source of your annoyance takes it up another notch. okay so you decide not to pick up his calls or maybe pick up his calls and tell him off… whatever… but he took the cake by saying he wanted to ask that annoying customer down to our office on the pretext of wanting to give him a gift. and what would that gift in question be you may ask… well let’s just say that annoying customer may get to meet his maker sooner than he thought…

okay so i feel the need to explain a bit first for those who don’t know my workplace… my office is in a remote location where due to the large number of big tanks full of flammable liquids being stored within the compound, we have an equally large number of guards with big guns on patrol. trust me, you get used to it pretty fast. but basically what the guy wanted to do was to shoot annoying customer.

whoa!

i told him not to tell me bout it. i don’t want to be an accessory to murder.

i don’t think i ever wanted out of a conversation so much before. he was starting to increasingly annoy me with his nasal voice, bad enunciation and poor choice of words.

essentially i think he has all the personality and social graces of someone who should not be working in a call centre.

or maybe it’s just a job hazard. maybe when you are forced to make nice with annoying customers all day, inevitably you’ll just find yourself with the increasing urge to shoot ‘em all.

if that’s the case, thank goodness i’m not working in a call centre.

* note: real name of the unheard of company is protected. actually i can’t even remember the real name of the unheard of company.
** here i shall apologise for the venting content of this post. i promise that i’m not usually this annoying or intolerant.

raspberry ripple

2006-09-12T17:03:00.000+08:00

"pink is the colour of passion, 'coz today it just goes with the fashion" - pink (aerosmith)

it's time for a change... and i actually mean with my hair...

i'm one of those who favors hair shades not found in nature. so far i've gone blueberry, blue-green, forest green and lime green.

this time i've gone raspberry. it kinda looks more purplish pink though.

the colour is pretty sedate (compared to the very striking green i had just sported). in fact my colleague said that i looked more decent. which i'm guessing she means that i looked indecent previously haha! anyhow i like the colour even though i still have the urge to go shocking pink. if i can, i probably will somewhere in the near future... but for now i'm gonna enjoy this darker and more 'normal' colour...

womad 2006

2006-08-28T01:15:00.000+08:00

"reggae night, and we'll be jamming till the morning light" - jimmy cliff (reggae night)

i never really thought bout going to womad but this year, thanks to my friend, i finally went for the event.

all kinds of different artists on 2 different outdoor stages. add that to a lot of dancing (and sweating). it was a receipe for great fun!

so i'm guessing next year i'll be going again...

run like the wind

2006-08-25T17:38:00.000+08:00

"have i got a long way to run" - collective soul (run)

so i've mentioned before that i like to workout. i go to the gym (or at least i try my best to...) and do bodycombat classes, use the machines (only the easy-to-figure-out ones 'coz the fierce ones are for the big boys), lift free weights at home and do that lovely 8 min ab workout. but what i don't do is run.

sure in the last year i've attempted to run around my block a few times and though i don't consider myself to be unfit, after 15 mins of running, i'm just bout ready to throw in the towel and crawl back home.

but yet the idea of a triathlon fascinates me. nevermind that this girl doesn't actually cycle. so i guess that might be out...

my friend is joining a 10km run in december and for some strange reason i'm almost considering to actually join.

but i can't run...

the last time i actually ran was almost 10 years ago. and it was 5km after which i had shin splints and was outta commission. 10km? that's practically ridiculous. and you know how people say that it's a mind thing, yeah i don't agree entirely. i mean i can feel that i can't feel my legs...

i don't know... i haven't decided. i'm just toying with the idea and the pain haha!

well i guess thank goodness it's not the half or full marathon right?

happy birthday to me

2006-08-16T00:02:00.000+08:00

"another year older, a little bit stronger, a little bit wiser" - delta goodrem (a year ago today)

happy birthday to me. i'm 26 this year.

i always said that turning 25 was like opening the door to the mid 20s. turning 26 means that the door is slammed shut behind you.

for bout a week now i've been doing some thinking. re-evaluating my life, you could say. i think some things need to change, some things i need to get a move on and some things hopefully will always remain the same.

it's kinda scary to think that i'm no longer that young anymore to get away with the thinking that i have my whole life ahead of me. well in a way i do 'coz it's not like i'm old... but it's just that i'm not that young... well i guess it's not too late to start again...

i wanna be back in europe

2006-07-25T23:48:00.000+08:00

"don't stop me now (yes i'm having a good time), i don't wanna stop at all" - queen (don't stop me now)

i know that i've been neglecting this blog for quite a while but i've been away.

yes, just a month after my hong kong and macau trip, i took yet another trip. this time i ventured a lil further and a lil longer... like say europe for 2.5 weeks...

it was a great trip. i went to france, a bit of switzerland and london. i had a fabulous time. i mean it's europe... how not to have a fabulous time?

france is big on wine... and they have every right to be. so we went for some wine tours and tastings in bordeaux.

and it so happened that there was a fete le vin in bordeaux which basically just means a wine fair.

gotta love bordeaux. it's such a lovely place.

we also went for some champagne tours and tastings in reims, the champagne region of france.

but it wasn't all drink... there was food too...

and of 'coz one of the best parts of going to europe during the world cup is when the world cup is being held right in europe. oh the atmostphere was amazing. and i wasn't even in germany. but the french are obviously really excited whenever france plays a match and it's just crazy. people dress up in their colours and roam the town waving flags and beeping their horns.

and besides all that, of 'coz the sights were lovely.

i really wished the trip was longer... it's not exactly the best to be back home and back to reality. but oh well at least i managed to get a nice break.

foot workout

2006-06-20T23:26:00.000+08:00

"it aches in every bone, i'll die alone, but not for you" - seether (remedy)

i like to workout. okay so it's more like when i'm in the mood and on a roll, i really like to workout.

last nite i was working out at home with my free weights. there's nothing like working out in the privacy of your own room and at your own time. except when you encounter a lil mishap...

let's just ponder this equation:

+

=

not so fun.

what happened to me was that my free weight fell on my foot. yowza! major ouchie!

i bruised and couldn't walk properly the next day. but i'm guessing that i should be okay since if i broke something it should probably hurt a lot more.

still it wasn't fun. and trust me, my free weights aren't the wussy kind. they've of the pretty heavy very non-wussy variety.

i guess i should be thankful that it wasn't my even heavier free weight that fell on my foot.

world cup fever

2006-06-12T03:09:00.000+08:00

"with the world at your feet, there's no one you can't beat, yes it can be done" - embrace (world at your feet) (official england world cup song)

ask me what i did this weekend.

well i watched the world cup.

yep, i spent quality time straining my eyes looking at a small screen constantly looking for a even smaller ball on that screen. and that was exciting.

the opening ceremony was cool though i'm not sure if i was feeling the whole women being suspended up in the air in lampshade-esque skirts thing.

as for the teams. gotta love the germans. though i miss my fave goalkeeper. he's too cool. and does anyone else think that oliver kahn kinda looks like oscar the grouch from sesame street?

the england game was pretty crappy. i mean where's the fun in winning when it's 'coz the other team scored their own goal?

oh well i guess this is only the beginning...

the night lights of hong kong and macau

2006-06-05T10:11:00.000+08:00

"but if the bright lights don't receive you, you can turn yourself around, and come on home" - matchbox 20 (bright lights)

and i'm back!

or did you not know that i was gone? haha!

a lil over a week ago i took a lil 5-day vacation to hong kong and macau with the parentals. the trip was good. it was better than expected. i've actually been to hong kong before, in 1997 before the handover to china. and back then i didn't think it was that fun. but somehow i had more fun this time round. maybe i'm older and different or something.

i didn't do much shopping or gambling 'coz the clothes aren't all that cheap and i'm not exactly the gambling kind. i just play a bit of the slot machines, figure out that i'm not gonna win anything that way and just give up. however what i did do was to sightsee and of 'coz eat a fair bit of food. hmmm yummy!

even though this wasn't particularly yummy...

fried pig's intestines anyone?

here's the gorgeous city night lights of hong kong.

the view in the day ain't too bad either...

macau boasts some really lovely hotels...

and casinos...

and the best view of all had to be from the 58th floor in macau tower...

the bright night lights in macau is certainly a sight to behold.

what not to do on the train

2006-05-22T08:43:00.000+08:00

"so i walked under a bus, i got hit by a train" - bachelor girl (buses and trains)

so everyone knows that if you're a young, able bodied person, technically you should give up your seat for someone who needs it more. but really, how many people actually do that?

besides the usual pretending not to notice, pretending to be asleep and various pretendings in general, there are those who just blatantly don't care.

recently i was taking a particularly long train ride when i saw such a display of disregard that annoyed me.

i was standing in the crowded train when the person next to me got up from his seat. the few people standing near his seat all moved a lil so that the guy could make his way to the train door. then out of courteosy we all hesitated for a short moment to see who should take the seat. but before any of us could make a move, this young lady from a distance away started pushing her way through and plonked herself on the seat.

okay, fair enough. you snooze, you lose. but what irritated me was that there was an old man who was also making his way to the seat. he was nearer to it than she was. she knew that he wanted to sit and yet she sat anyway.

even worse was that she didn't sit in her seat proper. instead choosing to sit at an angle so that she was blocking everyone else's way and her umbrella poked and nearly tripped someone. yet she remained oblivious to all.

and then the seat next to her was vacated. so she put her hand on that seat to reserve it and shouted for her train companion (who was standing a distance away) to come and sit down. her train companion couldn't hear her, so in the midst of everyone else standing in the train, she poked her with her umbrella.

when her train companion sat down, i saw that she was an elder lady. it shocked me that the young lady would go sit in an empty seat first instead of offering it to the elder lady she was with.

talk bout terrible train etiquette.

birth days

2006-05-12T15:22:00.000+08:00

"just a day, just an ordinary day, just trying to get by" - vanessa carlton (ordinary day)

on wednesday my department colleagues went for dinner to celebrate celine's birthday. we had plenty of food including crabs once again for the second time in 2 weeks. per usual the boss man had to take his hat off to celine and i who can sure polish off copious amounts of food.

our fave was the clams...

we even ordered 2 servings of it. it reminded me of the clams in spaghetti vongole(which is my fave type of spaghetti) and a lil of this as well.

and what's a birthday without a birthday cake?

and yes, she's young enough to actually reflect her age in the number of candles.

****

so today is celine's actual birthday. and it so happened that recently i found out that another friend of mine shares the same birthday. and in turn, that friend knew at least 2 other friends or friends of friends that had the same birthday too. what a coincedence.

with a year of only 365 (or 366 if it's a leap year) days and a gazillion people roaming the earth, go figure that there should be plenty of people sharing your birthday. even famous people.

take mine for example. i share my birthday with madonna and vanessa carlton (we're even born in the same year!). and to top that off, it's elvis presley's death anniversary as well. whenever i open the newspapers on my birthday, i'm bound to find some articles devoted to remembering the king of rock n roll. i feel quite special.

and now...

2006-05-08T23:10:00.000+08:00

"well i just heard the news today, it seems my life is gonna change" - creed (with arms wide open)

my guy friend who is based in china shared with me a piece of good news today... his wife is pregnant.

okay so i seemed to be a whole lot more excited than he was though perhaps it's 'coz he's had a few months to get used to it. and probably 'coz i'm not the one who has to support and raise a kid, he is.

this got me thinking bout how things have changed. i knew this guy friend of mine through cell group in church when we were 20. we got along well 'coz we were both just that bit weird and different from the rest. and while he was serving national service, he'd sometimes call me during guard duty just to chat and pass time. and then he went overseas to study and we still kept in touch, meeting up when he was back for the holidays. then he went to work in china and came back home to hold his wedding with his china bride. and now she's pregnant.

wow! it feels so unreal. to have a friend who you've known for a few years get married and have kids. i can still remember the time when we were still in the same cell group, talking bout our single status and lamenting bout how we aren't exactly the type that attracts many local people. and now he's a dad.

i'm really excited. i can't wait for him to come back and for me to see his kid. he and i always talked bout how weird people like us need to carry on the weird species. and now he's gone and done just that.

tabula rasa

2006-05-01T13:13:00.000+08:00

"and even when your hope is gone, move along, move along just to make it through" - the all-american rejects (move along)

recently i was reminded again bout the concept of tabula rasa.

how could i forget? i’ve always loved that idea and found it appealing.

tabula rasa: latin for "scraped tablet", though often translated as "blank slate"
definition: a need to start over from the beginning

and indeed that’s what i need.

i need to start over from the beginning. to wipe my slate clean and start all over again. there’s just been a fair amount of baggage in my past that i wanna get rid off. i need to move on and carry on.

i'm trying to let the past go... the good, the bad and the downright confusing. afterall it's not like any of that matters at this point.

so this is me wiping the slate clean.

tabula rasa.

rounds of birthday celebrations

2006-04-25T11:01:00.000+08:00

"we gon' party like it's yo birthday" - 50 cent (in da club)

lately the 'in' thing seems to be celebrating your birthday a few times over.

my friend and my cell group 'sister' share the same birthday. and since they are both part of different circles in my life, celebrations had to be done separately. which made for me to be a rather busy girl...

and of 'coz knowing me, i'll be tinkering around taking strange pics of lights... so here were some of the pics...

the easter weekend

2006-04-17T19:38:00.000+08:00

"come please i'm callin', and oh i scream for you, hurry i'm fallin' " - nickelback (savin' me)

i had a great easter weekend.

good friday was spent in church with friends and then hanging out later.

we were just eating and having a cuppa...

and then we proceeded to another place to eat again...

eating these is an art... strange food anyone?

let's just say that i ate a lot...

but it was also a lot of fun...

needles and pain

2006-04-07T16:03:00.000+08:00

"let me stick my needles in, and let me hurt you again" - seether (needles)

my company gave us all a free flu vaccination today.

what a choice time since i'm in the midst of recovering from the flu and just bout sick of being sick. i say it's the air here. that and the food. which is perpetually spicy.

anyhow it's funny to see how different people reacted to needles.

there were some who were cool as a cucumber. needles and pain? that's just a walk in the park. there were some who were jittery and chatting excitedly but ultimately decided that it really wasn't that painful anyway (ahem that would be yours truly). and then there were others who decided to pass on a free flu vaccination 'coz they couldn't bear the thought of a needle piercing through their flesh. ouch!

shockingly, it seemed like it was some selected men who fell in the third category. thus proving that women probably have a higher threshold of pain. then again we are the ones who go through pregnancy and childbirth which certainly is no walk in the park. i haven't experienced that yet so what do i know. but it must mean something if every other woman can go through it and still wanna go through it few more times. but ask some men to take a flu shot? nah that's just too much needles and pain.

past the surface and into the blog

2006-03-28T11:59:00.001+08:00

"and i don't want the world to see me, 'coz i don't think that they'd understand" - goo goo dolls (iris)

blogs can sometimes be so telling.

i just read my friend's blog which gave me some insight to what she was feeling. we don't normally discuss this sorta stuff.

this made me think bout how there’s so much more than what meets the eye. so much that’s underneath the surface.

it’s just like me. i come off as happy and i do believe that that’s my core personality. the happy, bubbly one. but circumstances in life haven’t always made me show that core personality. at least not beyond the surface.

i think we all put up facades. and it’s not even necessarily bad. it’s just a way to cushion our soft, cushy hearts from the big bad world outside. that very same big bad world that had already hurt those soft, cushy hearts to begin with.

and yet we would probably burst if we didn’t vent our feelings out somewhere. hence blogging. ahh yes, blogging brings a form of relief that non bloggers can’t quite imagine. it’s an outlet to release emotions and write down thoughts that you probably can’t actually say out to anyone, much less the people who inspired those emotions and thoughts.

but of ‘coz there’s still so much more than what’s detailed on a blog… so much that’s buried beneath that surface…

the love triangle

2006-03-18T16:16:00.000+08:00

"i'll let you go and turn my back, i'm through with this game" - washington lane (all caught up)

recently celine passed me some archie comics.

wow! archie comics... it's been ages... i used to love reading 'em. and having the chance to read 'em again sorta brings me back to those younger days.

only now i'm older... and wiser? or maybe that i see things differently now.

it seemed like such a coincedence that only just recently i had been thinking bout archie comics, specifically bout the love triangle between archie and betty and veronica.

with a young innocent mind, i was mainly just amused at the lil spats that betty and veronica would occasionally have while vying for archie's attention. and both of 'em had their own camps. personally i was always in betty's camp. i thought that she was better for archie simply 'coz she'd treat him better and archie was better off with the kind of emotional support betty would provide him. he probably liked veronica on a more superficial basis. veronica was sexier and more exciting.

but now that i'm older and more aware of the complicated relationships in life, this love triangle is no longer just amusing. i'm amazed at how betty and veronica could continually compete for archie's attention without fully realising what an idiot he is for being unable to make up his mind and playing 2 best friends off each other. in fact it's pretty amazing in itself that betty and veronica could even still be best friends despite all this love triangle drama.

whatever happened to staying true blue to the one you're dating? what are we teaching in these comics? that yes, love triangles do exist... and it's perfectly okay to continue on with 'em?

so now, i'm not rooting for betty to be with archie. she's too cool of a girl to put up with a guy who would two-time her with her best friend. and i'm not rooting for veronica either. i say betty and veronica should dump archie's sorry ass and move on to someone else better.

2 different someone else that is.

my good friend's wedding

2006-03-06T20:14:00.000+08:00

"you see this guy, this guy's in love with you" - herb alpert (this guy's in love with you)

sunday was the bestest day ever.

it was my good friend's wedding.

this is the hotel where the wedding was held in...

and the place where the reception was held...

i arrived early in the morning to go through some final wedding details with the couple, my good friend's brother (who was the wedding coordinator) and the hotel people.

then we went up to the hotel room where we got made up, hers by the hair and makeup artist of 'coz.

the wedding went really well. i was busy shuttling back and forth from my emcee duties to eating. and i think i nailed the whole emcee thing 'coz the groom kept on commending me. whew! at least i didn't spoil it for 'em.

after the wedding, the couple, my good friend's brother, his wife and i went back up to the hotel room where we counted the red packets of money. and then the couple treated us for dinner and dessert before we headed back up to the hotel room yet again to chill out and pop the champagne.

it was definitely a great day.

congrats to my good friend who lucked out and got herself a fantastic guy. well why not? afterall she's pretty awesome herself.

the colleagues outing

2006-03-02T21:01:00.000+08:00

"i just wanna fly, put your arms around me baby, put your arms around me baby" - sugar ray (fly)

i'm one of those who actually likes the idea of colleagues transitioning into friends. i've even pondered previously bout when does a colleague become a friend. last nite we had a merchandising department outing. we ate, played pool, had drinks and chatted. it was real nice 'coz it felt like we were friends hanging out instead of boss and colleagues. in fact we all enjoyed ourselves so much that we're intending to make this a every two months affair. and i think that we might have made enough suggestions for possible outings for the rest of the year. next up is kite flying. now how many people can say that their office department has gone for kite flying?

well hopefully us... in two months time that is...

and as people around me would know... i love to take pics of lights...

the perfect man

2006-02-28T00:16:00.000+08:00

"there's just no one that gets me like you do, you are my only, my only one" - yellowcard (only one)

Rules of the Game:
1. The tagged victim must come up with 10 different points of their perfect lover.
2. Need to mention gender of target.
3. Tag 8 victims to join this game & leave a comment saying they've been tagged.
4. If tagged again, there's no need to post a 2nd time.

now i've had a similar list since young though by now i can't find that scrap of paper that i wrote it on. but i imagine that my list hasn't really changed much since...

this is my idea of the perfect man:

1. christian: ‘coz if we don’t even agree on God, what else is there to talk bout? and i’m gonna take it up a notch and say that i want someone who is of a higher spiritual level than i am but not in that holier than thou way but in way that makes me want to be a better person. and the guy should have the same values as i do bout other important things in life as well.

2. loves me: i need a guy who truly loves me as well as my family. ‘coz then he would be true blue. cheating is a big no-no for me. and even though i’m not insecure, i don’t like players either.

3. open-minded: i need an open-minded guy who doesn’t judge people by their appearances. ‘coz let’s face it… i have green hair! haha! and if we’re talking local guys here, a guy who isn’t entirely too traditional.

4. attractive: and i don’t think i’m being superficial. i have to at least find the guy attractive, even if no one else thinks so. beauty lies in the eye of the beholder.

5. kind: it’s easy to be nice to people you like therefore i think that people should be measured by the way they treat the person they like the least. i want a guy who’s kind to people, even when he doesn’t like ‘em. someone who will think of other people’s feelings and needs. a guy who is a gentleman.

6. smart: i like a guy whose brains i admire. an intelligent person who i can learn new things from. a guy who is using his smarts to get somewhere in life.

7. sense of humour: i’m wacky and goofy. and i need a guy who is witty and can make me laugh.

8. good communication skills: i talk a lot but i also don’t like to feel like i’m the only one talking. i like a guy who is open in his communication with me. and better still if he speaks it eloquently.

9. musical: i love music. and i’ve noticed that i tend to like guys who are musical, be it having a good voice or playing a musical instrument. but music just speaks to me. and if he can discuss current bands and pop music culture, that’s best.

10. has an edge: i suppose it’s that x-factor or whatever. but i like a guy who has that something bout him that just screams different. the kind where when he says or does a particular something can make me smile and think "that is just so him" and at the same time be amazed and amused all over again.

i hate tagging people so whoever wants to do this can do this.

casanova

2006-02-22T23:13:00.000+08:00

"here's to goodbye, tomorrow's gonna come too soon." - eve6 (here's to the night)

players have never done anything for me. i decided long ago that that wasn't what i was looking for. not what i was willing to accept and deal with.

but recently i watched casanova.

and i have to admit that i swooned over the notorious seducer. nevermind that i've always found heath ledger kinda cute, complete with that sexy aussie accent. but casanova was smooth. casanova had a way with words and women. casanova was the flame (not the moth) who seeked a moment that lasts a lifetime. and even though the women probably knew that that fleeting moment wasn't forever, they were willing to be swept away just 'coz for that moment they felt loved and special and understood.

of 'coz it's just a movie and all even if it's supposed to be based on a partially true story. but i found myself wondering... if faced with suave casanova like those women, would i be willing to be swept away even if it was just for that fleeting moment in time?

oh to still be single

2006-02-20T21:55:00.000+08:00

"look a little like a deer in the headlights, a little blind a little hypnotized" - sr-71 (politically correct)

when you're almost 26 and still single, you're a source of some really great concern among family and friends. and i've been reminded bout that a great deal the last few days.

it started with my mom telling me that she was thinking of ordering this oh-so-cute baby blanket and something bout wanting to learn handicraft for her future grandkids. er... yes, mom... i'm single. i don't even know who i'm gonna marry much less have kids with.

and then it was lunch with my colleagues where we always talk bout all kinds of weird things... including an interesting conversation which consisted of quizzing an almost 29 and single male colleague from across another table. poor fella. he must have felt put in a spot with all the lights on him... much like a deer in the headlights. but he was a real trooper... answering our perhaps 'intrusive' questions and giving funny answers. always good times. especially when he seemed to be partially traumatised by the whole experience haha!

but men just have it easier. they aren't considered old. they're considered mature. as for ladies, you're probably a lil past your shelf life by the time you hit 30. life's unfair like that.

happy valentine's day

2006-02-14T00:01:00.000+08:00

"now i'm here to stay, love can be so boring" - vertical horizon [best i ever had (grey sky morning)]

for as long as i can remember, i've always worn black on vday. it's kinda like my own personal to heck with it to this single awareness day. yes, it's called that 'coz it's the day where singles are most aware of their singleness.

not that there is anything wrong with being single. there is a greater amount of freedom and possibilities that come with being uncoupled.

but while some singles long for a vday date, i don't. don't get me wrong, i'll welcome a boyfriend... if he was the right one... but i just don't do vday 'dates' with guys. i even go to the extent of declining when asked and suggesting another day instead. there's just too much pressure on this day. and i don't need any of that. besides everywhere is teeming with happy couples hand in hand, dining at places which are way overpriced. i wouldn't wanna pressure the guy like that when we don't even have any commitment.

instead what i've done on past vdays included gatherings of singles (both co-ed and sometimes just with my girls), trips to the library, working out in the gym or just staying at home doing my thing.

so what will i be doing this valentine's day? i'm not sure... if i'm lucky one of my guy friends will be cooking for a few of us single girls. if i'm not, then i guess home it is.

lamentations

2006-02-08T11:39:00.000+08:00

"what's the deal with my brain, why am i so obviously insane" - weezer (perfect situation)

i can't take too much of this... this whole msn web not working thing messes with my mind. i always worry that the IT powers-that-be worked their magic and disallowed msn web. though it's strange how every other site seems fine. but if every other site seems fine except msn web, that's even more worrying... afterall that's my outlet to the outside world. that's where i have lil catch up sessions in between work. (yes yes i do actually work)

i find myself waiting for some kind of email informing us that the internet connection is down...

nothing so far...

****

while i'm at it, let me ramble on some more...

i still find it hard to write or talk. i mean i still write and am all my usual effervescence but i get this feeling that i write and say a lot without ever really saying or disclosing anything.

i have no idea how i managed that. i keep to my own counsel so much that i don't think anyone ever really knows what's going on in my head.

i think i think too much all the while not thinking that much. i probably take the cake in being contradictory. but sometimes i'm so remarkably indifferent, detatched and unbothered that it almost hides my tendency to get hurt.

but of 'coz i can't actually talk or write any of this out.

****
a good friend of mine just called to let me know that things just ended with a prospective boyfriend. it was a combination of a few things but ultimately it didn't work out. and my friend is lamenting once again bout how she thinks she's cursed in love.

tell me again why us perfectly capable and independent women find ourselves discussing heavily bout failed relationships and failed almost relationships.

and who on earth ever said that dating was fun? it's sheer torture.

****

finally msn web is up and running again... whew!

pitter-patter of (not so) little feet

2006-02-03T14:23:00.000+08:00

"i swear i've been here before, i've walked up and down this lonely corridor" - for felix (been there done that)

it was such that recently another one of those situations presented itself in the washroom. you know the kind of situation where you accidentally run into a colleague you get along pretty well with in the washroom.

this time when it happened, my colleague mentioned that she had guessed it was me even though she was in the cubicle when i entered. in fact i myself have had some pretty spot on guesses of my own with various colleagues. not that i spend countless of times in the cubicle listening to everyone's footsteps and trying to guess who it is.

so the conclusion is that there is a distinctive sound that everyone's footsteps make. it's an accumulation of the sound of familiar heels (or non heels), the shuffle in a walk, the swishing of pants or skirts and the general rhythm of walking.

it's something that goes by easily unnoticed, but if you pay attention, you could probably guess a few more distinctive footsteps. and what better place than the washroom where you're relaxing in the cubicle... afterall isn't the acoustics in the washroom supposed to be better?

not that i spend countless of times in the cubicle listening to everyone's footstepts and trying to guess who it is.

this brings a whole new meaning to my favorite phase "walk to your own drumbeat".

after a long weekend

2006-02-01T11:09:00.000+08:00

"but i'm not crazy, i'm just a little unwell" - matchbox twenty (unwell)

the worst thing after a long 4.5 day weekend is coming back to work. hardly anyone is in the office. most sane people took leave. i can't be bothered to be on leave. besides everyone knows i'm not particularly sane. in any case, i should be on leave... or more appropriately i should be on medical leave.

i've been sicky poo since saturday. and i didn't even eat any chinese new year goodies at all. yes i'm one of those crazy ones who actually have a fair amount of self discipline when it comes to not eating stuff that's bad for me when i'm sick. a fair amount. i admit that i broke the rules a few times.

so while i'll like to tell everyone tales of chinese new year festivities and food and visitations and all that during the long 4.5 day weekend, i can't. i can only tell tales of lazing around and sleeping at home. which honestly isn't all that exciting.

it wasn't the best way to spend such a long 4.5 day weekend. i mean when would i ever see the daylights of such a priviledge again? the next public holiday is good friday in april. that's a whopping 51 days more to go! i've just been so spoiled with all those public holidays in the last month.

it's oh so quiet here... the silence speckled with sounds of coughing and sneezing... not just mine but my colleagues as well. yes, we're all falling like dead flies. i think we have too many flies in this lil remote part of the island that my office is situated in.

and i shall leave you on that happy note...

*cough cough*

what's in a name

2006-01-25T16:46:00.000+08:00

"you don't know my name, will you ever know?" - alicia keys (you don't know my name)

recently my friend surprised me by making a strange query... he asked me what was my full name.

yes he's a friend i've known for 2 years who i actually talk to fairly often and no apparently he never knew what was my name other than jo.

this is interesting...

i always introduce myself as jo (unless it's a formal setting) and most people call me jo. i guess it never occured to a lot of people to even ask me what was my full name.

but it did occur to some...

this is all rather fascinating...

so i decided to ask another guy friend of mine who i talk to rather regularly. well he got my name down ('coz i mean you need to have a name to add to a contact list in your phone book right?) but he was stumped bout my last name.

another girl friend of mine who i meet up regularly was clueless. then again i don't know her last name either.

and i know that there are some other friends who i email and chat with all the time who don't know my full name as well or perhaps just forgotten.

i'm beginning to think that other than people who i've worked with or those who have known me for ages or have my mailing address, most other people probably don't know my full name.

sure we may hang out and have fun or talk and share often such that they know a whole lot bout me and my life except for the lil basic things... like my name.

but is it really important anyway?

well if you do know my full name, there's no need to broadcast it... i prefer to be just jo.

till the water runs dry

2006-01-18T15:46:00.000+08:00

"let's don't wait till the water runs dry" - boyz II men

there's officially something wrong with the taps in the office. they just can't get it right.

it's one of those taps where you press and then it automatically stops after a while.

so at first it was all normal. normal such that no one complained and the tap wasn't a topic of washroom conversation.

and then a few of us began to notice that the tap was taking a wee bit too long to stop automatically. sure we wasted a bit of water but it didn't bother me too much. apparently it did to someone 'coz soon later i realised that the taps were tweaked.

now the taps stopped automatically really quick. and by that i mean that you can't even wash both hands at the same time. no siree. the tap would stop the second after you pressed it.

it was ridiculous. i missed rubbing my hands together under the running water.

apparently someone must have complained again... 'coz now i can wash both hands under the running water. heck i could even go into a cubicle, do my thing, come out and still have the water running. in fact, i don't think the water actually stops at all... i could take a bath under that... assuming i fit in the sink...

please don't rain on my parade

2006-01-12T11:22:00.000+08:00

"i'm only happy when it rains, i'm only happy when it's complicated" - only happy when it rains (garbage)

it's been raining cats and dogs for practically the whole day for the last week.

i think the rain is putting a damper on my mood.

i've never considered myself to be a real sunshine kinda girl in the sense that i'm not all always chirpy and upbeat. i'm more of the sunset kinda girl...

but when it comes to my weather preferences, give me sunshine anyday. rain is just so depressing.

let me count the ways:

1. you have to bother with cumbersome things like umbrellas
2. hems of jeans and pants get wet
3. it's easier to slip and fall flat on your face while wearing heels
4. traffic practically crawls
5. public transportation is a pain
6. buildings are crowded with people trying to escape the rain
7. it's all dark and gloomy even if it's mid-day
8. it gets chilly
9. forget all outdoor activites
10. all motivation to get out of the house is gone and all you wanna do is crawl into bed

oh how long will this last?

so does this mean i've become more stupid

2006-01-04T21:57:00.000+08:00

"when she said don't worry, and you'll be fine, it's only a matter of time, a matter of time" - mother's prayer (mest)

i almost feel bad.

the day after a 3-day christmas weekend, i was on medical leave for being sicky poo.

and now a day after yet another 3-day weekend for new year, i'm out of commission once again. in fact i have medical leave for the rest of the week.

in case someone thinks i'm the real weakling, constantly under the weather, this is not true. this time i'm on medical leave 'coz of a wisdom tooth extraction.

it's been hurting me on/off for a while now but would subside soon after and i carried on with my busy life. but this time it was begging for attention.

i decided to make an immediate appointment and have it extracted. and oh my was it one huge ass wisdom tooth! i kept the tooth but i'll spare everyone the gory details. anyway i'll be trashing it... it gives me the creeps haha!

so right now i have a swollen left cheek, some level of pain and am reduced to eating soft foods.

this is not even counting the possibility that maybe i've become more stupid. they don't call 'em wisdom teeth for nothing do they?

new year resolutions

2005-12-31T13:55:00.000+08:00

"life is only as good as the memories we make" - the ataris (so long, astoria)

there's a reason why i don't do new year resolutions.

as 2005 comes to a close, i'm in one of my usual year end nostalgic moods thinking bout how the year has been, what happened, what i've done, what i didn't do.

okay so right now it's more of what i didn't do.

i haven't really made a new year resolution in years. ever since i realised that in all probablility, i was probably not gonna actually follow through with it. something bout the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak theory.

so answer me this... why on earth did i sorta make a new year resolution for 2005?

my new year resolution was to register for driving (yeah yeah shocker but this girl doesn't have a license...). yes, register. i thought if i said learn driving that might be pushing it. so i went for the safer route... register. even then i didn't manage to fulfil that. in fact i forgot bout it entirely for the most part of the year. it only occured to me in the last week. but somehow i still couldn't quite get my lazy butt over to the driving centre to register.

and for some strange reason, it's sorta bothering me that i didn't fulfil my one and only resolution for 2005... my first resolution in years.

well while discussing this with the other jo, we've decided that 10 working days into the new year is still considered the previous year. the rule according to the 2 jos. you can't deny that.

but just to be on the safe side, i'm making it my 2006 resolution. a re-resolution of some sorts. and yes, it probably is still register haha! okay maybe i should be a bit more ambitious... what bout to complete my basic driving theory test?

close encounters in the unisex

2005-12-22T13:54:00.000+08:00

"id like to buy the world another shot of laughter, and buy my friends another drink" - sugar ray (shot of laughter)

now i'm not entirely adverse to unisex toilets. as long as i get my cubicle privacy, i'm good. afterall there's nothing too exciting or scandalous bout everyone washing their hands at the sink or fixing their hair.

but that said, i've never actually been in a proper unisex before... until now.

my friend and i finally went to the balcony bar. we must have been one of the last 'un-cool' people to actually go there. by a lil sneaky sneaky business on my friend's part, we scored ourselves a coveted place on the big comfy white cushioned seats. ahhh... bliss...

eventually we felt the effect of our drink... in a nature's call sorta way...

so we each took turns to beeline to the bathroom. it's a unisex. which i even found pretty exciting.

as i was washing my hands, a cubicle door opened and a guy stepped out gingerly...

guy: is this the ladies?
jo: i think it's a unisex
guy: (flustered) oh i'm so sorry
jo: (almost laughing) no worries

and then the guy hurriedly washed his hands (barely!) and rushed out.

while the unisex may not be that big a deal, the reactions some people have to it is rather amusing.

my paper heart

2005-12-08T13:57:00.000+08:00

"please just don't play with me, my paper heart will bleed" - the all-american rejects (my paper heart)

i love the song my paper heart by the all-american rejects from which the lyrics are the inspiration in this pic. and i absolutely love this pic. somehow it just speaks volumes to me. that's why i stole it from my friend.

something bout the black and white background and that splash of colour for emphasis on the paper heart. move over wooden heart. the heart is now made of paper. it kinda looks like something i used to fold as a kid using bus tickets. not exactly the most long lasting. hence the word frailty. and the tiny lil folding lines on the paper heart reminds me of the tiny lil scars in our actual heart.

sure frailty is evident in the pic. from the words to the paper heart. and yet when i see this pic, i don't just see frailty. i see a hidden strength. a bright colour admist the black and white and shades of grey. a paper heart that's standing despite being made of a frail material.

strength beneath the fraility.

and that's what makes me keep on staring at this pic...

it's beautiful.

multi faceted

2005-12-01T22:09:00.000+08:00

"and i can't let that happen again, 'coz then you'll see my heart in the saddest state it's ever been, and this is no place to live my life" - relient k (who i am hates who i've been)

the other day it was my friend's birthday and a few of us went to celebrate. and if you think i got comments the other day wearing a skirt... try wearing a dress. oh well it was the birthday girl's request...

now this friend of mine is one crazy party girl. she's in her 30s but lives it up like she's 20. no one parties harder than her. and practically no one can keep up with her either.

so guess what this crazy party girl asks for her birthday present? nope not jewellery or clothes and not even stuffed toys... she asks for a dictionary and thesaurus. what she needs 'em for i have no idea. she's not even a writer.

but this somewhat strange request from her started me thinking... (which sometimes isn't too good haha!) on one hand my friend is the crazy party girl with the crazy lifestyle... but on the other hand she loves to read. give her a book and she's a happy camper. and there were other things that added to it as well.

in my mind i was trying to reconcile all of those seemingly differing sides... when it really hit me that everyone has those differing sides.

for a while before i used to worry bout my own differing sides. i've wondered who i really am. i was this and yet not that. but in another circumstance i could be that and not this. i was contradictory. i am contradictory.

but i've acknowledged that people are just multi faceted. each and every of those differing sides add up to form the complete personality of the person.

so i guess i'm just learning to get more comfortable with that complete personality of me...

that christmassy mood

2005-11-29T04:10:00.000+08:00

" i want a million gifts that's right, don't forget my christmas list tonight" - simple plan (my christmas list)

last nite i took a walk around town with the fam to see the lights...

so it may not be as nice as previous years... but it'll do...

and then i changed my mobile ringtone to jingle bells...

reflections from the other day

2005-11-28T14:27:00.000+08:00

"and i'm the first to admit it, i'm sure i upset someone, but my memory has chosen to omit it" - the darkness (one way ticket)

it's amazing what a skirt can do...

i'm not much of a skirt girl. instead i tend to favour jeans and pants. but once in every say 4 months or so, i feel the urge to wear a skirt.

so the other day, i was in one of those 4-month rotation urges to wear a skirt. and it's crazy how that works.

a few of my male colleagues noticed and commented, asking if i was going on a date. er... no... but i was going for my friend's birthday celebration... and i think the skirt went well with the birthday boy 'coz he had some nice compliments. nevermind that later i think i sorta managed to make him upset. but 'nuff said bout that...

so my point is simply this... i don't really think it's the skirt per se. i mean yeah i know that apparently guys like girls in skirts and all that feminine stuff which is all well and good... but my take on this is that it's bout change.

now take the reverse as an example. let's say if i were all bout skirts with only a 4-month rotation in jeans or pants. the day i don't turn up in a skirt, everyone is gonna comment.

this holds true even for hairstyles. if you wear your hair down all the time, try tying it up for once and see the comments roll. and vice versa.

or if you're usually all gothic punk rock chick, try being the sweet, preppy, girly girl next door in pink. heck try cross dressing even... that might be fun.

shake things up a lil.

however this doesn't work for those chamelone like people... after a while too much change doesn't really have any impact anymore...

happy thanksgiving!

2005-11-24T11:11:00.000+08:00

"i want to thank you for giving me the best day of my life" - dido (thank you)

of all the holidays that we don't celebrate here, thanksgiving is the holiday that i wished the most that we celebrated.

there's just something bout thanksgiving... besides the yummy turkey and cranberry sauce... it's just that warm and fuzzy family and friend feeling. it's a feel good holiday.

it's also a great time to sit back and think bout all the blessings in life... of which i give thanks for.

i thank God for my family... for all the support, care and concern they've shown me... even when sometimes it may have been a lil too much care and concern...

i also thank God for the friends in my life... the ones who are overseas, the ones who have left for overseas, the ones going to leave for overseas and the ones who are still here even if they don't always contact me.

i'm reminded that with thankfulness, it's not just bout being thankful for the good stuff... but it's also bout being thankful for the not so good stuff as well.

it hasn't always been easy but i'm thankful that i'm still surviving, living and learning...

and now that the sap is done... let's bring out the turkey...

gender bending chicken little

2005-11-23T11:11:00.000+08:00

"girls who are boys, who like boys to be girls" - blur (girls & boys)

lately work has really been crazy busy.

but everyone needs a breather sometimes. and for me and my colleague, it is watching chicken little dance. whenever we decide that we need some stress relief, he plays this video and we both laugh. it just tickles us to no end and we find it hilarious.

but the real question that's on my mind is is chicken little a boy or girl?

i'm taking a poll on this. so far my colleague thinks chicken little is a girl. and my guy friend thinks that chicken little is a boy.

so what do i think?

well honestly i thought that chicken little was a boy 'coz of that rooster thingy on top of chicken little's head. but then i'm not too sure 'coz i think storybooks call chicken little a she.

but then zach braff is the voice of chicken little in the movie. and he's a guy so shouldn't chicken little be a guy?

then again brad bird was the voice of edna mode in the incredibles. he's a guy... but edna's a girl... er... at least i think so...

so that means that the gender of the voice of the character may not be telling of the gender of the character itself.

oh how confusing.

and yes, i might be the only one who actually even thinks bout this kinda stuff... haha!

colleagues and friends

2005-11-18T18:16:00.000+08:00

"i knew i had you as a friend and that's all that mattered in the end" - lastpagefirst (song for you)

just the other day i found myself mentioning a colleague in a random new sorta social setting. nothing too surprising since from time to time i do mention my colleagues. but what is more surprising is what i actually called my colleague... i called my colleague my friend.

this kinda got me thinking... when does a colleague become a friend?

no doubt that we probably see our colleagues a lot more often and for longer spans of time than our friends. and seeing someone so often and at such length usually involves some personal life sharing at some point.

okay let's take me for example. there are some colleagues that i'm closer to than others. i'm not the world's most open person. my friends can attest to that. but i do share certain stuff with some of my colleagues.

so does that mean that since i share part of my personal life with 'em on a regular basis, they are regarded as my friends?

ordinarily i wouldn't have thought so... and yet i've called colleagues friends before... it doesn't quite add up does it?

in some cases it's more straightforward. in fact, a good friend of mine was actually an ex-colleague. and another friend (the one who recently moved to work overseas) that i hang out with at times was also sorta an ex-colleague. and i used to hang out with another ex-colleague though we have sorta lost contact by now. so it's suffice to say that i do not have any problems hanging out with colleagues and getting to know 'em on a more personal friendship level. in fact sometimes i actually want to get to know 'em on a more personal friendship level 'coz there's so much that you can't uncover during office hours.

but not everyone is all that open when it comes to friendships between colleagues. maybe it's a misconception. maybe nobody really suggests hanging out after work or whatever 'coz everyone just assumes that everyone else has their other friends to hang out with. or maybe it's that segregation between business and pleasure. i don't know.

but back to my question... when does a colleague become a friend? is it after some time of sharing such that you feel like you're getting a feel of that person better? or is it when you guys hang out after work? or is it when you start sharing really personal stuff?

i'm beginning to think that for me, it might be when i'm starting to get a feel of that person better. the more i talk to someone (and i'm talking bout non work related stuff here) and if i think we're getting along is what i use to determine a colleague-friend. joking, laughing and teasing is good. and it's even better when it's lil private jokes. i'm all bout the lil things... even things as seemingly insignificant as what food the other person likes or dislikes interests me. i'm weird like that. but of 'coz the big things are important too... so sharing of big important stuff is cool... but yeah well like i said, i'm not the world's most open person... so i can't say that i share the big important stuff with a whole lot of friends ... must be trust and commitment issues or something.. but that's a different story entirely...

ch...ch...changes

2005-11-16T11:30:00.000+08:00

"and day dreamed about how to make your life better by leaving town, leaving town" - dexter freebish (leaving town)

moving away. drifting apart.

i just hate all of that...

recently it seems like i've had to deal with an all too large number of good friends leaving me or bout to leave me. and they aren't just leaving for a short span of time... they are leaving for an indefinite amount of time... be it getting married, working overseas or just plain migrating.

it's hard...

but i guess life is like that. there are always changes. that's inevitable.

i guess i just wished that it didn't happen all at the same time... it makes it harder to deal with... and definitely makes it lonelier...

heart warming

2005-11-09T14:01:00.000+08:00

"and if i fall through these nights i can't seem to go on, just a sign that you're with me gives me the strength to hold on" - amber pacific (if i fall)

so i'm home today sicky poo and on medical leave.

on my way home from the doc's, i saw a dad sunning his baby downstairs my block. just looking at that big grown man looking lovingly at the tiny lil baby in his arms just warmed my heart. he was standing in the hot sun just for his child.

that's a father's heart isn't it?

sunset over the ocean

2005-11-05T11:43:00.000+08:00

"in the light of the sun, is there anyone? " - augustana (boston)

water. the life sustaining source.

crashing waves just have a way of calming me. and also making me feel that there are things out there bigger than myself.

sunset. vivid colours of orange and red dimming to darkness.

i'm someone who prefers the sunset to sunrise. and that's not just for the logical reasoning that chances are i would probably be deep in slumber during sunrise... haha! but a sunset shows that no matter how good or bad the day was, it'll all come to an end.

the sun gives way to the nite.

and finally you can rest.

now combine both large masses of water bodies and a sunset and you'd get a sunset in augusta over the indian ocean that i had the priviledge of witnessing in my recent trip to south western australia.

breathtaking.

to know the me you may not know

2005-11-04T23:32:00.000+08:00

"push me away, make me fall, just to see another side of me" - trustcompany (downfall)

writing is therupatic.

i've long been using this medium to express myself. sometimes there's just no better way. to see the thoughts in my head come alive through my words.

words are my satisfaction.

there are other reasons as to why i've started this blog but we will just leave it as that.

that writing is therupatic.

so welcome to jo's world.

you've been warned...