Witching Hour

Gifts from the heart

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 17:44:55 GMT

Look what I received for my birthday .... a personalised bright orange kitty from Build A Bear which comes with its birth certificate, and dressed in a windbreaker which includes a backpack ..... so cute. Simply christened Mew after our resident stray cat. Thanks YL.

They really take pains to make the tiny outfits with details just like the real thing. One can select from their range of animals, type of materials and outfits for any theme. Too many soft toys already? ...... of course not, there's always room for one more.

And what have we here? Just a small post-wedding gift I got for a friend to wish the couple everlasting happiness .... a pair of couple figurines, together as one like these 2. I like the lovely Japanese print on the bodice ...... I wouldn't mind getting them for myself.

My little star

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 16:59:19 GMT

Meet my favourite little guy Patrick ...... bald pointy head, pot-bellied, perpetually topless but with that megawatt smile that never fails to make me laugh. He's such a cute little guy that I just had to bring home. Posing in front of my Dell with my other happy little Beanie who represents me on MySpace, and with some of his other buddies. I know I have too many soft toys already, but how to resist when they're all so adorable? They make great gifts for all occasions.

It's my birthday the day after .... *wink wink* .....

Anger management

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 17:10:12 GMT

It seems a coincidence for me to witness 3 instances of angry people all within a couple of weeks. Sometimes all it takes is an inconsiderate act, or perhaps someone might be having such a bad day that it doesn't take much before they explode.

The first episode took place on a public bus when a middle age man with a walking stick got on and made his way to one of the seats occupied by a woman dozing on the outer half of it. I thought it was rather rude of him to use his walking stick to hit her legs to wake her so that he could squeeze into the window seat. Judging from his reaction as he shuffled in and from the woman's mumbling, she must have been giving him a piece of her mind about hitting her legs. As he sat down, he started off by scolding her that she should just sleep at home. Though I was a few seats away, I could not hear the woman's reply but it seemed to have inflammed him further and he started to shout louder at her .... throwing in a couple of swear words for good measure.

It wasn't long before the exchange become even more heated and he bellowed for her to 'SHUT UP!'. All the other passengers were staring at them and I could see that the woman sitting right in front of the bickering couple was quite startled by the loud exchanges as she kept looking back at them. The driver didn't seem to be doing anything to diffuse the situation. Fortunately another woman, who must have been the man's wife and seated across them, persuaded the angry man to move with her to another seat at the back of the bus. I was relieved that he did though he was still scolding the woman even as he made his way out, but finally peace prevailed.

The second episode happened while I was browsing around the Bata store on the 2nd level of Tiong Bahru Plaza. A very angry man was directing his rage at the trash bin just outside the store and shouting something. His first kick didn't knock the bin over and that seemed to infuriate him so he gave it 2 more kicks which sent the bin crashing onto the floor. A few of us had moved closer to the entrance to see what the commotion was all about. When he noticed our attention on him, he shouted 'SEE WHAT?' (singlish for what are you looking at?). As he started to move off from the fallen bin, he directed another kick at the cardboard advertisement mounted on an easel displayed at the store entrance and sent it onto the floor. I suppose that must have given him some satisfaction and he disappeared from view. One of the staff from the store who went out to pick up the easel was obviously displeased with such boorish behavior and was grumbling to another man nearby. It's a good thing the angry man didn't break the store's glass partition when he was kicking things around.

The final episode was at Vivocity. I had just finished shopping at Daiso on the top floor and was making my way out when I heard angry shouting which seemed to be coming from a lower level. Peeking down from the railings, I could see man A being restrained by a couple of security guards as he tried to get at man B who was sitting down on the floor watching some program from the LCD TV sets on display. I wasn't sure what the quarrel was about but my guess was that B must have been displeased to have his view blocked by A and probably said something rude to him. The angry A was finally persuaded to move off but he got agitated again when B started to justify his rantings to the guards. I think the latter had about enough and told B to shut up as he was only making things worse. I'm glad the guards finally managed to drag A away and prevented a nasty fight between those 2 men.

3 angry episodes ..... something which could have been avoided if people can just be more civil to each other. I'm not sure what had made that man outside the Bata store lose his cool but all these people probably could do with some anger management help. All together now 'Ohmmm'.....

Letters

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 15:25:51 GMT

I'm still at it .... going through my drawers at home this time and clearing out stuff. Those old telephone bills should have been trashed long ago. Would you believe I am still keeping all my payslips since my first job which goes a long way back? I just couldn't bear to throw these away ..... perhaps for sentimental reasons and a reminder of what a measly pay I started out with. Birthday and New Year cards were the next to go into the disposal bin, except for a couple of them which were from my parents when I was working away from home .... these I will keep.

I came upon a small stack of letters from a former classmate, some dated as far back as 2000. We still keep in touch, but through email these days. Back then we were still writing to each other and it would always brighten up my day to find a letter or card in the mail box. I wonder if there are people at present who still send snail mail when it's so much easier to either send an sms or email just with a press of a button. But then it's just different to receive a letter sealed in an envelope ..... that one can physically touch and open up to read, written in the individual's distinctive handwriting. Wouldn't it be a treasured note that one can take out and read all over again, especially if it's from someone special?

Sadly most of us don't receive handwritten letters anymore. Emails save paper and postage, and it's way much faster. Who would still take the trouble to sit down and write letters using pen and paper, put it in an envelope and drop it into the postbox? Gone are the days when you wait expectantly and hope to find a letter addressed to you when you open the mailbox. Most often than not, all we see in the letterbox are bills or some junk mail that will go right into the trash bin.

I do think my handwriting had deteriorated from lack of practice. Do I still write letters? Hardly anymore ..... but once in a long while, I still do for people who are special to me. When it's time to say goodbye .... when I need to say thank you, I put these words on paper .... and hope they know these are from the heart, but which they can choose to keep or to dispose off in the bin at some later date.

Dear Bangkok

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 09:02:40 GMT

I wonder what the world is coming to these days. I miss the days when we did not have to look over our shoulders every minute, wondering whether it is safe where we are or be greeted by chaos in some place or other. But the world has changed ..... it's just not that simple anymore, and it makes me sad. When I read or see those mindless destruction in some places and dissenting voices which clamours to be heard, I feel a weariness for them. Have life changed so much from the past or was this discord present then but in some other form? We are just human after all, arent' we?

Why such a mournful train of thought on an uneventful Saturday? As had been posted in an earlier entry, I had been undecided on a holiday destination and had been asking myself where I really wanted to go. One possibility was a short trip to Bangkok so I did some googling on places of interests and things to do, asked a friend who had been there .... and it was sort of shaping up. I could already imagine myself in a shopping paradise. And then the present events started unfolding on the news .... and the peaceful image went 'pop'. I see defiant faces in the crowds and visitors now stranded due to the airports being closed off .... and these images made me feel sad. It's just not the same anymore, is it?

Dear Bangkok .... take care. Perhaps I'll drop by some other day.

Bad tooth

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 09:00:24 GMT

Poor Filvia .... these were what was extracted by the vet yesterday. I had noticed that he had been off his food recently, was not drinking and the wood shavings lining his box unusually dry (which is not a good sign). He seemed to have shrunken all over and that was really bad. So off to the vet again before he starved himself to death.

The vet found one of his lower incisors loose enough to pull out without much effort and the tip of the adjoining one was trimmed off slightly to shorten. No wonder he wasn't eating well ..... the loose tooth must have caused him much discomfort and judging from its length, seems to be rather overgrown. Overgrown incisors are such a nuisance for rodents and can be bad enough to kill them because they cannot eat, which was what happened to a couple of my hamsters a few years ago .... poor hammies.

I'm happy to see that Filvia's eating again .... hope he'll soon get back into shape.

Mango pomelo mooncakes

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 07:16:56 GMT

I read about the snowskin mooncakes with fruit puree filling sold by Goodwood Park Hotel and decided to get a couple to try out the new flavour since there was a promotion at the bazaar in our workplace. They were sold at a 20% discount to staff. Apart from the traditional lotus paste mooncakes, they had mango-pomelo, yam-red bean, durian and cempedak flavours. After sampling all 4, I decided to get the mango pomelo. Since these are made with pure fruit puree, these mooncakes must be kept in the fridge or freezer and can only keep for 1 and 3 days respectively.

Biting into a piece, I thought it was similar to eating frozen mochi balls with ice-cream and I like it for not being overly sweet. It may not taste like or is as filling as the traditional lotus paste mooncakes but should be much healthier. Not to worry about the short shelf life of these mooncakes .... one can easily finish off a whole mooncake without that 'up to your neck' kind of fullness.

Bandari

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 17:44:55 GMT

I came across this Bandari compilation at a temporary CD stall near my block and since it was selling quite cheap for a 3 discs set, I thought I should get it and find out how it sounds like. I don't usually buy pirated music as I prefer to get the originals but this set didn't seem like those cheap imitations even if the price seemed suspect.

Though I've seen this type of music cds in the stores, I've not heard it played. I asked the cd seller what kind of music it is and his reply was "spa music". Oh ok .... I love soothing music and it would be nice to listen to this in the quiet of night. No regrets .... the different instruments blended beautifully and I was mersmerised by the pure sounds of the violin and flute which floated right through my brain. It somehow reminded me of that haunting track on The Silk Road by Kitaro.

Ahhh .... music of nature and food for my soul ..... I can just close my eyes and float away .....

Theme from The Silk Road - Kitaro

Taking a break

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:17:22 GMT

Now that I'm clearing out unnecessary junk, it's about time I take a look at my annual leave too. Oh wow, I have enough leave to go on a full 2 months vacation ..... inclusive of unconsumed leave from last year. If I do not wish to forfeit last year's leave balance, I'll need to clear it by the end of December. I should start taking some days off and on throughout the coming months or at a full stretch if I want to (but not when classes resume for the new term).

So where should I go for a short break .... somewhere near like Bangkok, Malaysia or Australia? Go on a cruise? To Korea and hope to catch a glimpse of my idols? If to Malaysia, it would probably be Gentings and KL ....... not terribly exciting. Australia? ..... I've been to Perth a couple of times and once to Sydney. After a while, the place kind of looks the same, doesn't it? How about Bangkok? ...... perhaps it would be a good place to go to for all day inexpensive shopping. Or should I go to some peaceful resort where I can just vegetate .... after the recent hectic schedules, I think I need to recharge. Or else go meditate in some god forsaken place ...... omm ..... and hope to return with a clearer head.

I suppose if I were to admit to myself, I know I have some unresolved issues to mull over. There's this thing gnawing at my insides which has not gone away just yet. One can always chuck away physical stuff but I suppose it takes time to let go of one's inner demons.

The trouble with me is I don't like to plan in advance when it comes to holidays. I'm not sure why but I tend to procrastinate when it comes to vacation planning. Even at this very moment, I have no idea where I want to go. Perhaps I could pick a few places, write them down on pieces of paper and just blindly pick one ..... at least I can surprise myself ..... and if I don't like what I pick, I can always re-shuffle ....

I think I'll take a look on what's on offer at the moment.

Recycle bin

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 07:53:06 GMT

Now that the project I've been working on since May is nearing completion and with just a bit more to go before I'm done, I can finally slow down and take my time to breathe. I can literally feel an invisible load being lifted off me. It feels good to be able to sit here at my work desk without having to rush off to the lab again after a quick check of my email. Those were the days when I had to sit down at the end of each workday to gather my thoughts before making my way home.

Now is a good time as any to tidy up my work area and get rid of unnecessary stuff. I have this little white plastic tray in which I would dump memos and whatever else I might need to refer to at a later date. It would be a good place to start off with. Into the trash bin with those hastily written reminders and pamphlets that should have been discarded long ago.

Next are my drawers ..... now what shall I throw out? Hey, isn't this a draft of a farewell note to a colleague written a few years back? Reading it brought back memories of the sadness of saying goodbye. Who gave me this cute tiny porcelain cup from Korea? Surely my memory is not that bad but sorry, I really cannot remember. I didn't realise I had been keeping all these locks for the glass sliding door panels from the old lab and which we don't need to use anymore ..... what am I going to do with these? Aren't these little seashells collected from my Langkawi trip so many years ago that I had intended to give to someone but didn't? I will go through the rest of the cupboards on another day.

Now my Inbox and folders ...... I have this habit of regularly deleting unimportant emails and to immediately file those already read to their respective folders so it's quite organised I should say. Still I shall go through each folder to weed out those really old emails which can be discarded. Oh no, where did I move my Spam folder ..... I was too quick to click Delete and now the folder has disappeared. A couple of times I had even deleted my Recycle Bin instead of just emptying it. Really huge files/attachments shall be moved to my Personal folder or forwarded to an alternative email account so as not to choke up my office Inbox. There, all done and my Inbox folder has been reduced to an acceptable size.

I'm not sure why but I find it good to discard stuff ..... it feels so therapeutic. Some stuff are too precious to throw away but there is much that should be junked. I suppose it makes me feel like if I'm clearing my mental Recycle Bin at the same time. Sometimes it is good to just let go of things ...... so as to start anew.....

Leap Years

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 06:27:11 GMT

I finally watched The Leap Years DVD which I bought the other day. I did not catch the movie when it was shown on Feb 29th this year. A bit of googling revealed that it was originally scheduled for release in December 2005 ..... my guess is probably they wanted a more appropriate date and which better than the special day in a leap year which this story is all about. I have read this novel years ago and I still cannot locate it. Perhaps one fine day I might find it in some dusty corner.

In my February post The Leap Years, I asked the question 'Would you wait 4 years? Would I wait? ...... I don't know .... perhaps if it's someone worth waiting for'. This was my query before I watched this movie. Now that I've seen it, I know my answer would be 'yes, definitely' ..... if the person in question is someone like Jeremy (Ananda Matthew Everingham, a Thai born Australian Loatian). Actually Li-Ann's wait for Jeremy was over a span of 4 leap years which is a mighty long wait. Is that true love or living in a dream?

There were some unanswered questions in the story, like what's with the absolute silence between each 4 years wait to meet? Not even a call or email .... nothing. It doesn't seem credible that they didn't even attempt to get the other person's contact number. I just feel that Jeremy should have been honest with Li-Ann from the start but I suppose that would have changed the storyline. Ok to be fair, he did try to tell her at their 2nd meeting but she didn't give him a chance to finish.

But anyway I did enjoy the movie, cried a little in some touching scenes and of course enjoyed looking at Jeremy who looks a lot like Orlando Bloom. Love him with his long hair tied back or let loose. Though I felt that his flaw was not being honest about himself, I would forgive him because he kept his promise to return every Feb 29th .... which is a bit too long I think, and a much too brief stay of just a day before he had to disappear again. It doesn't seem worth waiting 4 years to have only a day with someone, does it? But what really got to me in the end was his letter to Li-Ann when she didn't turn up to meet him. She was on her way to her wedding dinner while he was waiting forlornly at the Windows Cafe, their promised meeting place. If someone were to write me such a note, it would have touched me too. I cried along with Li-Ann when that note was read out to her.

The moral of the story ..... guys, please be honest with the one you love and don't make the poor girl wait an eternity for you. She might just give up and marry someone else.

A beautiful song from The Leap Years ....... Scars (Stronger For Life) by Corrinne May.

Makes me feel sad listening to it.

Corrinne May on 6Lyrics.com

Fate trailer

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 10:19:27 GMT

Coming soon to a theatre near you, this is the latest korean movie starring Kwong Sang Woo (Stairway to Heaven) and Song Seung Hun (Summer Scent). The other day I came upon the movie poster as I was coming out of Tiong Bahru MRT station and it stopped me in my tracks as these 2 are my favourite guys. So unlike the typical soppy tearjerkers, this story is about betrayal and gang fights.

The Fate

숙명(Destiny)

WEB SITE : http://www.fate2008.co.kr/ 123min 35mm | Genre : Action , | Release date in South Korea : Mar 20, 2008

SYNOPSIS : In the dark criminal world of Seoul, U-min (Song), Cheol-jung (Kwon), Do-wan (Kim In-kwon) and Yeong-hwan (Ji Sung) are close friends in a gang. One day, with the help of an older member Gang-seop (Ahn Nae-seong), U-min, Cheol-jung and Do-wan attack the gang's casino so they can start new lives. But their plan goes awry when Cheol-jung betrays them, and U-min goes to prison. He becomes the scapegoat to save his friends' lives.

After serving his time, U-min wants to stay out of trouble but is drawn back into the underworld when he sees what has become of his friends: money and power-hungry Cheol-jung continues to betray others as he climbs up the gang ladder; Do-wan is a drug user; Gang-seop is missing; and his girlfriend Eun-yeong (Park Han-byul) has left him to run a bar as the boss' mistress.

As U-min tries to solve the situation, however, unfortunate twists of fate set off one misunderstanding after another. To make matters worse, the mob boss and right-hand man Yoeng-hwan get them involved in a huge drug deal. Once again thrown into a game with high stakes and big cash, the once best friends must fight one another for their lives.

Losing Dad

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 11:13:53 GMT

On hindsight, perhaps I should have gone back first and not wait for second brother and his wife who was flying in from Perth. He had already changed their September flight to last Saturday as dad's condition had taken a sudden turn for the worst. We were to go back to see dad together.

Each day I would receive sms updates from eldest brother about dad's condition ..... I knew he was slipping away from us. I had a strong feeling that perhaps we will not make it in time but had held on to a hope that he would wait for us for just a few more days. I asked brother to please tell him that we'll be there to see him very soon, in the hope that it would give him strength. But just a day before we were due back, the dreaded sms came.

I was at work that Friday morning. I could have gone back home then but I didn't want to since there was nothing for me to do except wait for brother's arrival the next morning. I didn't want to go home and think about losing dad .... so I kept myself busy with whatever work I was doing and not give myself time to think. Brother arrived early Saturday morning and we proceeded by bus up north a few hours later, reaching Ipoh in the evening.

As I gazed down at dad's face, I was thinking that dad didn't look like dad but he seemed to be at peace now. I had held onto my grief but couldn't hold back during those moments when we knelt down to pay our respects. On the final day just before the coffin was sealed, we took a last look. As I gazed down upon dad's face, I noticed a wet spot at the inner corner just below his right eye ..... my first thought 'who dripped something onto dad's face?' Or was it because dad missed us too? The most difficult moment was when we stood there and watched him being transported gently into the cremation chamber and the door shut with finality. It was a moment when I couldn't contain the tears which then flowed freely. His urn was placed right next to mom's the next day ..... I hope he's at peace now and he's with mom.

The day before I came back, we went through dad's things and I came upon old photos from my school days and of me and my siblings when we were young, some of dad and mom on holiday and of them in their younger years. There were some rare ones of their wedding. I knew I had to keep these ..... they are all we have of them now.

Goodbye dad ......

A day too late

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 09:22:02 GMT

Dear dad, I wish you had waited just one more day for us. We are coming back to see you and we would be there tomorrow. I was hoping against hope that you would wait for us ..... but you couldn't.

I'm so sorry we are not there sooner.

Bad Love MV Ost - 가슴이 슬퍼

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 01:43:01 GMT

Since I'm on Kwong Sang Woo in the previous post, here's the latest kdrama he's in titled Bad Love with brief synopsis below. I saw the series in the shops and it comes in 2 parts ..... how clever of the producers to market it like that. Entice fans with part 1 and surely they must have part 2 because you don't watch just half a series. I suppose getting the full series is a bit costly so that could be the reason they decided to split it but it would still come down to the same wouldn't it? I'll wait for the price to drop first before getting this. In the meantime, I can always try to catch it on Youtube.

As always they have a great soundtrack ..... we might not understand what is being sung but it sounds great just the same. For music lovers, it doesn't really matter whether you understand the language. It's to do with the feel of the song ..... if it moves me, I'm sold.

Update: I've finished watching episode 1 and a bit of episode 2 ..... I think I'll give this series a miss as the storyline has gone overboard with too much misery and the other male lead actor is a total wimp you just feel like slapping. No doubt this type of relationship does exists in life but if there's so much misery for all parties, then please just let it go. Love the soundtrack though.

http://www.zr5.net/drama/korean-drama-bad-love/

Cast

* Kwon Sang Woo as Kang Yong Ki
* Lee Yo Won as Na In Jung
* Kim Sung Soo as Lee Soo Hwan

* Kim Ga Yun as Kang Joo Ran (Soo Hwan’s wife & Yong Ki’s sister)
* Cha Ye Reon as Jo Ann (Yong Ki’s first love)

Synopsis

Na In Jung struggles with her love between the rather cold and rebellious Yong Ki and a successful businessman, Soo Hwan. Kang Yong Ki is a pop culture artist. He was separated from his first love, Jo Ann, and still carries the wound that he suffered from their relationship. His half sister is Joo Ran who is married to Soo Hwan. Soo Hwan begins an affair with In Jung but he only has ambition for the CEO position of Yong Ki’s father’s company. Soon after he discovers that his ambition does not fill the emptiness that he has inside and realizes he needs In Jung. But In Jung and Yong Ki have already fallen in love with each other. Will In Jung go back to her first love or stay with Yong Ki?

Perfect idols

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 16:22:06 GMT

The other day I came across this snippet in ST Life which announced the coming wedding of one of my K-idols Kwong Sang Woo and being unable to contain my curiosity about his bride, I googled for her picture. Perhaps I had higher expectations of him but I thought she could have been prettier (meow??), but since he had made his choice then so be it. I suppose for us who tend to put our idols on a pedestal, we cannot help but feel involved in their lives.

I couldn't keep this piece of news to myself so sent an sms to my colleague and fellow KSW fan (ever since we watched Stairway To Heaven) that he's getting hitched soon. She had read the news too and her response ...... 'looks like you need to find another idol' ..... and my reply 'Bae Yong Jun is still my idol'. Then she giggled and asked me if I had heard whether her first K-idol is married.

So what is it with us women and our idols? He should be great looking AND single ..... once he is taken, we cannot help but feel he's no longer 'ours'. Perhaps from looking at his perfect image in our mind's eye, we now see him with another woman and that he's off-limits. I'm not sure whether I would feel that way when BYJ gets married but he still has my vote and I think he is getting better looking with age. I first watched him in Winter Sonata which started me on my kdrama craze and loved his hairstyle then and his current hairstyle in The Legend which just ended this Sat. I'm not exactly sure what the ending meant when he walked into that ball of light ..... did he die or did he not?

I got a bit side-tracked talking about BYJ but coming back to our idols, I suppose it's to do with them being our dream men ...... perfect and being there for us. So when they get married, we reasoned that they don't 'belong' to us anymore .... sigh ...... but never mind, we'll go look for another idol. Which somehow brings to mind this feeling I had when a friend who's getting married soon, had posted up a couple of prominent photos of his bride-to-be on his blog. I don't know why but it sort of feels strange ..... from reading what used to be his blog to getting the feeling that it had become their blog ..... I can't quite describe it but just felt strange. Perhaps just as with our idols, this instinctive feeling says he's 'taken'.

Life's lessons

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:09:24 GMT

One of my colleagues have recently left and another will be leaving very soon. This is such a common occurence in the workplace that we usually do not think much of it. There will be some we still keep in touch with and others we might not hear from again. There were a few I had really missed because they were such great friends ...... people I feel comfortable with, who share the occasional rants and corny jokes and with whom we can just be ourselves. Then there are those I may not feel so comfortable with ...... and some I would rather not talk about.

I'm not sure why but I do believe that each person I meet has a reason to be here. No matter how they may relate to me, I believe there is something I can learn from them. What do I mean? It is easy to understand that it is a blessing to have good friends but what about the not so pleasant ones ..... those who step onto our toes and with whom we might not get along?

I can still recall some really unpleasant instances where one nasty character had given me a tough time and I was angry for a long time. That didn't make me feel good inside because I did not have peace of mind. But one fine day, I just decided that I do not want to be angry anymore and to be able to do that, I need to be able to forgive. It was easier said than done but I willed myself to forgive ..... and it felt as if this mental load I've been carrying around was taken from me. It just felt good. From this I have learnt that we are only hurting ourselves if we choose to allow what others do to get to us.

So what have I learnt from those I have met?

From great colleagues ...... I have experienced joy, laughter, support, sharing and empathy.

From some not so great colleagues ...... I have learnt patience, tolerance, forgiveness, understanding and sympathy.

To the not so pleasant ones I have known ...... thanks anyway for the lessons you have taught me.

To those great friends who have been a blessing ..... thank you for being here and for having been here. You know who you are.

PC trouble

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:51:58 GMT

My office PC is showing its age and acting cranky lately. Sometimes it would take forever to open an application which really riles me. Now it has decided that it is losing its memory or something ...... each time I want to view a certain website, error messages would pop up without fail. I cannot recall the exact words but it said something about memory at ###### cannot be read and application failed. It would then offer the option of clicking OK to terminate or cancel to debug .... er, what is debug? And then it decided not to let me view PDF files ..... out of memory again.

Enough is enough ...... time to call IT-Care for help. The 2 nice gentlemen who dropped by went through the system, deleted something, removed Spybot and Windows Live Toolbar, did a scan for malware and even opened up the CPU to take a peek. Their verdict ..... the system is old, the 256 MB RAM too small so no opening of multiple applications at the same time and the CPU was overheating at 56 degrees C which could bring on the dreaded blue screen of death anytime. No wonder the old thing was so cranky. With a temperature like that, it's getting brain damage.

I suppose I'll have to do a back-up of my files because the old thing might just decide to die on me at any moment. Perhaps this would justify requesting for another PC ...... might not be a new one but at least one with a larger RAM.

What type are you?

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:06:05 GMT

Enneagram

I attended this very interesting in-house course at the workplace the other day and found out quite a bit about myself. Take a look at that circle which shows 9 different personality types ..... it's called an Enneagram. Can't decide which type you are? It's not suprising as all of us have a bit of each type in us, but we actually fall into one main type which represents our core. Notice the different lines linking each number type ..... these are the links for each type and these can either be negative or positive traits. You can get a more detailed description of your personality type from this site http://www.enneagraminstitute.com

Type 1 (The Reformer) ..... The Rational Idealistic Type: Principled, Purposeful, Self-controlled and Perfectionistic

Ones are conscientious and ethical, with a strong sense of right and wrong. They are teachers, crusaders, and advocates for change: always striving to improve things, but afraid of making a mistake. Well-organized, orderly, and fastidious, they try to maintain high standards, but can slip into being critical and perfectionistic. They typically have problems with resentment and impatience. At their Best: wise, discerning, realistic, and noble. Can be morally heroic.

Type 2 (The Helper) ....... The Caring, Interpersonal Type: Generous, Demonstrative, People-Pleasing, and Possessive

Twos are empathetic, sincere, and warm-hearted. They are friendly, generous, and self-sacrificing, but can also be sentimental, flattering, and people-pleasing. They are well-meaning and driven to be close to others, but can slip into doing things for others in order to be needed. They typically have problems with possessiveness and with acknowledging their own needs. At their Best: unselfish and altruistic, they have unconditional love for others.

Type 3 (The Achiever) ....... The Success-oriented, Pragmatic Type: Adaptable, Excelling, Driven and Image-conscious

Threes are self-assured, attractive, and charming. Ambitious, competent, and energetic, they can also be status-conscious and highly driven for advancement. They are diplomatic and poised, but can also be overly concerned with their image and what others think of them. They typically have problems with workaholism and competitiveness. At their Best: self-accepting, authentic, everything they seem to be—role models who inspire others.

Type 4 (The Individualist) ....... The Sensitive, Introspective type: Expressive, Dramatic, Self-Absorbed, and Temperamental

Fours are self-aware, sensitive and reserved. They are emotionally honest, creative and personal but can also be moody and self-conscious. Withholding themselves from others due to feeling vulnerable and defective, they can also feel disdainful and exempt from ordinary ways of living. They typically have problems with melancholy, self-indulgence and self-pity. At their best: inspired and highly creaive, they are able to renew themselves and transform their experiences.

Type 5 (The Investigator) ....... The Intense, Cerebral Type: Perceptive, Innovative, Secretive, and Isolated

Fives are alert, insightful, and curious. They are able to concentrate and focus on developing complex ideas and skills. Independent, innovative, and inventive, they can also become preoccupied with their thoughts and imaginary constructs. They become detached, yet high-strung and intense. They typically have problems with eccentricity, nihilism, and isolation. At their Best: visionary pioneers, often ahead of their time, and able to see the world in an entirely new way.

Type 6 (The Loyalist) ........ The Committed, Security-Oriented Type: Engaging, Responsible, Anxious, and Suspicious

The committed, security-oriented type. Sixes are reliable, hard-working, responsible, and trustworthy. Excellent "troubleshooters," they foresee problems and foster cooperation, but can also become defensive, evasive, and anxious—running on stress while complaining about it. They can be cautious and indecisive, but also reactive, defiant and rebellious. They typically have problems with self-doubt and suspicion. At their Best: internally stable and self-reliant, courageously championing themselves and others.

Type 7 (The Enthusiast) ........ The Busy, Variety-Seeking type: Spontaneous, Versatile, Acquisitive, and Scattered

Sevens are extroverted, optimistic, versatile, and spontaneous. Playful, high-spirited, and practical, they can also misapply their many talents, becoming over- extended, scattered, and undisciplined. They constantly seek new and exciting experiences, but can become distracted and exhausted by staying on the go. They typically have problems with impatience and impulsiveness. At their Best: they focus their talents on worthwhile goals, becoming appreciative, joyous, and satisfied.

Type 8 (The Challenger) ....... The Powerful, Dominating Type: Self-Confident, Decisive, Willful, and Confrontational

Eights are self-confident, strong, and assertive. Protective, resourceful, straight-talking, and decisive, but can also be ego-centric and domineering. Eights feel they must control their environment, especially people, sometimes becoming confrontational and intimidating. Eights typically have problems with their tempers and with allowing themselves to be vulnerable. At their Best: self- mastering, they use their strength to improve others' lives, becoming heroic, magnanimous, and inspiring.

Type 9 (The Peacemaker) ....... The Easygoing, Self-Effacing Type: Receptive, Reassuring Agreeable, and Complacent

Nines are accepting, trusting, and stable. They are usually creative, optimistic, and supportive, but can also be too willing to go along with others to keep the peace. They want everything to go smoothly and be without conflict, but they can also tend to be complacent, simplifying problems and minimizing anything upsetting. They typically have problems with inertia and stubbornness. At their Best: indomitable and all-embracing, they are able to bring people together and heal conflicts.

I expected myself to be a Type 1 but after the test results were out, I discovered that I'm actually a Type 6 linked to Type 5 and Type 9 ..... so I'm a loyal investigator and peacemaker. Or to be more specific, type 5 is my 'wing' or second side of my personality, my direction of integration (growth) goes towards type 9 and of disintegration (stress) goes towards type 3. Confused already? The above mentioned website explains it all.

My core and alternate wing

Ghost Of You & Me by BBMak

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 19:35:02 GMT

Beautiful song, beautiful voices and beautiful people. BBMak is taken from the first initial of the 3 members of the English pop group ....... Mark Barry, Christian Burns & Stephen McNally. The group formed in 1999 but disbanded in 2003. This song is from their 2001 single.

Photo Album: Ananda Matthew Everingham

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 11:35:38 GMT

Ananda Matthew Everingham

Photo Album: The legend

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 10:44:56 GMT

The legend

The Legend

BYJ

BYJ7

BYJ

Lee Ji Ah

More Photos...

Photo Album: Bags

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:37:35 GMT

Bags

F29 backpack

Zinc bacpack

Baleno tote

S&K bag

FLY wallet

Cat wallet

Photo Album: Resin Slides

Sun, 11 May 2008 09:47:21 GMT

Resin Slides

Intervertebral disc 6.4x

Harvesian system 40x

Annulus 10x

Cartilage 10x

Growth plate 20x

Photo Album: Interesting creatures

Sat, 19 Jan 2008 03:20:32 GMT

Interesting creatures

Blobfish

Axolotl

Dumbo octopus

Angora rabbit

Star-nosed mole

Hagfish

Yeti crab

Photo Album: Ginger & Tiger

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 07:02:39 GMT

Ginger & Tiger

Breakfast

Good friends

Ginger

My fav pic of Ginger

Photo Album: Animals

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 02:02:47 GMT

Animals

Smoking a veg stalk

Christmas dinner without the turkey

Dripping wet

Grumpy fluff ball

Can I have fries?

So comfy

Mew's fav spot

Beware of my claws

Must try to sleep early

Dreaming of .....

Photo Album: Favourite Korean actors

Sun, 06 Jan 2008 07:04:43 GMT

Favourite Korean actors

Kwong Sang Woo

Hyun Bin

Lee Jun Ki

Bae Yong Jun

Song Seung Heon

Custom List: Kdrama

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:08:05 GMT

Kdrama

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The Legend (June 2008) 1) Winter sonata 2) Autumn story 3) Summer scent 4) Spring waltz 5) One fine day 6) Little bride 7) Stairway to heaven 8) Full house 9) Love so divine 10) The cool guy 11) Ice rain Downloaded ..... 1) Snow queen 2) Coffee prince

Custom List: Love

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 15:29:14 GMT

Love

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1) animals 2) cute soft toys 3) coffee 4) creamy stuff, yummy 5) kdrama 6) nature 7) beautiful music that touches the heart 8) unexpected thoughtful gestures 9) kindness, sincerity