Favourite Pic

Spent the whole day trying to beautify my Friendster account. Managed to add a slideshow and some music to it. Quite amazed by myself.. haha.. always thought I could never do such "high-tech" stuff.

Anyway, found 2 photos which I really like, starring my cousins and my rose. The more I look at them, the happier I get. So decided to share them with friends like you who reads my blog. Hope they make you happy as well.

Have a good good week ahead!!

National Service

Was reading Beng's blog on the NS guys and young police officers. Reminded me of an experience I had with an NS guy couple of years back. No no.. it wasn't some lovey dopey thing.. it was very much the opposite..

I was waiting for the bus at the interchange outside Seletar Camp in the morning. The sun was glaring as usual. There were no seats at the bus stop so I had to stand. Had been waiting for quite some time before I turned to glance around the bus stop to "check out" the people. I do that out of boredom all the time.. people-looking. It was then that I noticed this guy in army uniform sitting in a crouching position on the seat behind me. It did not take me long to realise that he was in fact sitting in the "shade" of my shadow!

I was flabbergasted. I was stunned for moments. Then a feeling of nausea just overcame me. The act of that guy made me so physically sick with disgust.

How could a soldier, supposedly to protect the women and children and the nation, hide behind me - a woman, and from of all things, the sun??!!!

I was not offended that he took me as a shade becos probably I'm big. I'm more angry over the fact that a person with duties and responsibilities toward the country actually cannot even stand such mere heat and have to seek "protection & shelter" from the people they are suppose to protect. How unbelievable! I only see cowardice in him. I'd probably take it better if he is a fragile-looking, bespectacled office worker (you know, the typical nerd look). But what I saw was a muscled, toned young man in his uniform. I couldn't believe my eyes and so I stared at him. And he did look sheepish, which confirmed my suspicion. He was indeed taking shade behind me. I shifted away almost immediately. He had the better sense not to follow suit as I would have smacked him on the head & lectured him if he did. Believe me, the urge to knock some sense into him was almost unbearable already.

I'm not going to stereotype all NS guys just becos of one incident like that. But seriously, I think people in uniform have to give more thought to their actions and behaviour as there is an image they have to uphold. If this is the image they are going to portray, then how can the public get confidence and assurance that we can sleep peacefully at night (recall the police advert) ?

36 degrees

Weather has turned warm - extremely warm. It is averaging at about 36 degree C nowadays. With low humidity, the air is just like that of an oven. A huge turnoff for any intended outing. I would rather laze in my couch with the AC full blast. Needless to say, we spent the weekend relaxing at home, surfing net, watching tv programs after programs. Total relaxation of the MBS (okie okie, that stands for mind, body and soul.)

"Socializing can be tiring as well" - that was what my doctor used to tell me.

Hmmm... uneventful past week. Not much worth mentioning except that I came across this Chinese phrase in an email -

“前世的五百次回眸才换来今生的擦肩而过”

"Qian Shi De Wu Bai Ci Hui Mou Cai Huan Lai Jin Sheng De Ca Jian Er Guo"

Literal Translation : It takes 500 instances of eye contact in the previous lives to exchange for the fate to cross each other's paths this present life.

In Buddhism, we learned that the people we meet this life, we would have known them in our previous lives. We had worked hard to acquire this amount of closeness with them, accumulating our fate with them through each life till we reach this stage. And yes, it will continue onto our next lives.

Just imagine, if the above saying holds true, we need to have like 500 times of so-called eye contact previously just to become "passers-by" today?

Think of it, our parents, our loved ones, our friends, what a long way we have come...

It just makes me want to cherish all those around me even more, for all these relationship don't come easy.

So to all my loved ones and friends, I cherish my relationship with you, and I'm glad to have known you. If we are not so close this time round, we will be next life, it will just get better. Please stay healthy and happy this life, next life, and next next next lives...

Enemy Spotted!!

I think I saw what I think it is.. my greatest enemy of all times.. it might be small and look slightly different from its cousins in Asia, it nevertheless still has the most disgusting features of all living things.. Struggled for 2 days before deciding to write about it in my post. Maybe I'll delete off this post after some time. Loathe the idea of having the slightest connection with it.

I saw it when I was watering my plants on Tuesday. It was there beside one of the pots. I had to take a second look because I wasn't prepared to seeing it here. Yes I got to know from the movies that they do exist here in America, but I always thought that with the extreme climate of the city, it will be hard to see them around.

To think that I was so happy that we are coming here and I will be living a life without these pests for the next 3 years or so, like the times in UK, but only to have my happiness cut short.. Now I have to watch my step like what I always do on the streets of Singapore especially those dark damp alleys. Those who knows me know how acute my senses are towards the crawlers. I can even smell them if they are near. And I am seldom wrong in that sense.

How did I get entwined in such a hateful relationship with this creature? I believe it is retribution. When I was young, about 5 years old, I wasn't scared of them at all. In fact, I used to torture them. Swing them around by their feelers (how I hate spelling out any word that is related to them). Scaring the neighbours' kids with them. And I don't remember washing my hands after that!! Those were the "gung-ho" days..

I didn't know what exactly happened. But suddenly I just started to fear them, to detest them. So much so that I do not even dare or want to touch/ see their picture or even just the spelling of the word. So now you understand why I still have not typed the word out? The word "Feelers" is in fact already toooo much for me. I typed it out for the sake of this post, if not, never in my life will I ever spell this word.

I have my "principles"/ "motto"/ "rules & regulation" (whatever you call them) concerning these creepers :

1. See One, Kill One!
Of course I won't do the killing myself. I would have fled by then. Will send a trust-worthy person who is determined enough to rack through the back of cupboards, underneath the tables to accomplish the mission.

2. Must Die!
I have to know that it is dead. Need confirmation that there is a corpse in the wastepaper basket.

3. Cannot be on the same ground as it is - Not within 100m radius or maybe more, depends on the situation. Must keep at least such a distance to maintain my sanity.

4. Every piece of clothing/ thing that comes into contact with them has to go. So when walking, I always watch where I go, in case I step onto their dead bodies. Cannot bear the feeling that it is underneath my foot. Will throw that pair of shoes away. Not kidding. I would slice a piece of my flesh off if possible, if I do come into skin contact with it. *Touchwood*

5. Do Not Try to fool around with me using these creatures thinking that it's funny. Else you'll never hear from me again. I mean it. Don't even try with the fake pieces/ their photos/ the word itself or "cute" cartoon pictures cos nothing about them is cute.

How much I abhor this pest? On a scale of 1 to 10? Out of the scale!!! It is worse than my fear for ghosts and spirits. At least ghosts probably understand and will keep a distance if I chant my prayers. These parasites don't. They just crawl and fly anywhere anyhow...

People think I'm crazy when I tell them this. Nobody seems to understand this phobia about these creepers, until one day, I met SL who feels the same way as I do. Boy, I was so happy that someone finally understands me. I feel that I'm no longer alone in this battle against the parasites. :)

Used to have this joke with her about the creature :

If a war breaks out, we become POW, the easiest and most effective way of torturing us will be to throw us into a cell full of these creatures. We will then commit suicide by biting our tongues.. that is the best way to die without coming into skin contact with those pests..

Score for the Day...

Finally finished sorting out the photos taken during the Chicago trip last weekend. Very satisfied with the performance of the Digital SLR. At least it is able to take some clear shots of the fishes in the otherwise murky waters in the Shedd Aquarium.

And experimented with Beef Hor Fun for dinner just now. Not up to expectation. Beef a bit too tough, gravy a bit too starchy. Well, won't be too hard on myself. It is anyway just my first experimentation. :p

Went to the driving range in the afternoon supposedly to have my lesson. To my relief, the coach had gone back for the day by the time I reached. At least, I can practice more on my own before going to him again. Don't want him to think that I really mean it when I say I have No-Ball-Sense. Managed to hit more balls this time round. Always looked stupid and can only laugh like an idiot when I do a full swing, only to have the ball still staring back at me. Can you imagine my look then? Embarrassed.. Idiotic.. Spastic..

Booked our trip to Las Vegas and Grand Canyon as well today. Looking forward to it, cos it's a wonder of the world and I can't wait to see it. I hope I can finish seeing all of the Wonders in this life.. or as many as possible la.. if it's too much to ask..

Hmmm... looks like it has been a fruitful day. Completed a few tasks.. so I give myself 7 out of 10 for my performance today... haha..

My First!

This post is a tribute to the following "my First(s)" :

1. First time making chicken pies all on my own i.e without any help;
2. First time using my new toy - Canon Digital Rebel xTI
3. First time loading pictures onto the PC, being the computer illiterate me..
4. And well, just to add on to the list, my First post for June 07!!! :p