Cover(ed) Girl!

Oh my god, it's really incredible how plain Jane can turn into gorgeous babe with makeup, photoshop and great lighting (this is taken off www.30gms.com). They are the same model! I think I can be Miss Universe too!

Still...it's love

After watching the korean drama "A Love To Kill", I bought the soundtrack because I like 2 songs in it (the theme song and 2nd theme song). However after listening to the entire OST, almost all the songs I like. Here's the romantized titles:

01. Do Isang / Howl
02. I Jugil Nome Sarang / Lee Soo Young (theme song)
03. Guredo.. Sarangida / Shin Seung Hoon (2nd theme song)
04. Kum / K.Will
05. Eru / Jitha
06. Ochoda / Tae Wan
07. Jehoe / Im Hyun Jung
08. Shwio / Glue
09. I Kajid Sarang / Tae Wan
10. Sogijima (Don't Fool Me) / Glue

I particularly like 그래도.. 사랑이다 "Guredo...sarangida" (Still....it's love) by Shin Seung Hoon, the singer of the famous song "I Believe". I also like the jazzy and cute song "Jehoe" (Reunion) by Im Hyun Jung. Here's the translated English lyrics of "Still...it's love" (a bit awkward though the Korean version is million times better) :

When I see love, I walk by it
When I know it’s love, I make an excuse
When I hear love, I ignore it
To cover my cries, I laugh loudly
Love, is my love that bad?
Love brings happiness, but here I am crying
Why me, why am I hurting so much?
I’d give everything away, if this love was permitted
When love hurts me, I continue to live
Wiping my tears doesn’t ease the pain
Love, is my love that bad?
Love brings happiness, but here I am crying
Why me, why am I hurting so much?
I’d give everything away, if this love was permitted
Precious things always seem to leave
So I’ve kept my feelings hidden
Your aura is so attractive
That causes the drunkenness from your love to get worse
I live for this painful love.

What can I say? I'm a sucker for love songs.

Alone but together

"We are apart and alone, as we must,
but at least we are alone together.”
- from a letter in "Jar of Fools" by Jason Lutes.

Our collective existential crisis is ironically both cause for suffering and consolation? But the good news is that we are not really totally apart or alone, but already together in a sense - one in the universal truth of non-self. We just need to realise this.

(adapted from Zyrius posting)

Her different faces

The privacy of it

Someone still remembers what I said:1. Signature luck
2. My favourite XXX show starring ....
3. "Moon" song
4. The jeans
5. Melbourne trip and that car plate!
6. That one-in-a-million pet name
7. Sky = birthday gift
8. Cookie Monster! Hello Kitty!

Viva la Vivo!

The long 4-day weekend made me quite bored actually. For in Singapore, what else can we do but shop, catch a movie, eat? Made my 2nd attempt to VivoCity yesterday, and again met with the huge crowd ever eager to romp the place, with only maybe 70% of the shops open for business. Yes, the place is huge, but the crowds were even more terrifying! And the layout of the entire complex was not what I would consider crowd-friendly. Give me Marina Square and Takashimaya in Orchard anytime!

Bought a GAP (Singapore version) red T-shirt. The collection was not exactly varied, however I do think the prices are reasonable for most items. Then spent lots of time (queueing) in Candy Empire, with its selections of candies, cookies, gummies, chocolates, chips etc.. Ended up buying some brands which I have never seen before, Cavalier Belgian Chocolates (sugar-free), deBron Almond cookies and Fox's Ginger cookies. And Arnott's Hundreds & Thousands colourful chips pink cookies for niece and nephew. They love anything with colourful chips on it. And I zipped out of VivoCity within 2 hours! I don't think I will venture to that part of the island for the next few months, or at least till ALL shops are open for business and the crowd has wear off its novelty.

Happy Diwali !

I wish all my indian friends and whoever who is celebrating a Happy Deepavali. I always associate Ganesh as a Hindu god. I discovered few months back that it's known as Ganapati in Tibetan Buddhist context. And I learnt that Ganesh, like many Hindu gods, had been taken up by the tantric Buddhist practitioners long ago. And I was given the Ganapati initiation by Paltrul Rinpoche too.

Om gam ganapati soha! *mantra of Ganapati*

Scene of crime

Last night I had a nightmare. I couldn't remember anything in the beginning except the later part. Me and a few of my sales colleagues were in some place outdoor, walking and chit-chatting. We saw two beautiful dogs, Siberian Huskys, loitering around us. One was white, the other was black and white.

One of my colleagues, I'll call her Miss GST, was a normally unusual person in real life, with a quirky character. In the dream, suddenly, she shouted to the rest of us: "I want to eat dog meat!" And suddenly she took out a chopper, and went chasing the dogs. In a split second, I saw the dog's head dropped to the ground! And in another split second, I saw pieces of red raw dog flesh chopped neatly into cubes on the floor. GST actually picked up the meat and ate it! The place was bloody everywhere. Next, she was lying face down on the floor, devouring the gory stuff.

I was stunned, shocked beyond belief, stood frozen in that nightmare. Then I woke up, still dazed with horror, a sinking sickening feeling . (The scene looked so horrific that I don' t want to post any photos to this posting). This was the worst nightmare I had in my whole life.

Later when I reached office, I learnt that GST has tendered her resignation. Maybe that nightmare was some sort of premonition. Her whirlwind two and half months stay with the company.

Hand in hand

"Like fresh milk, a bad deed does not turn at once.

It follows a fool, scorching him like a smouldering fire".  - Buddha

Compensated

I received a cheque from the insurance company today, for the spoilt luggage handles which I was claiming for. A total of $67.20 cheque compared to the original amount claimed $168. They less 20% for depreciation over 2 years, another 20% off for no receipt, and another 20% for no report made to the Airline (TIGER AIRWAYS).

So, one third of the sum I am compensated for. Not bad, considering each handle is going to cost me only $5 each from repairs. I believe in buying travel insurance.

Lati Rinpoche is coming!

His Eminence Lati Rinpoche will be arriving on early Tuesday morning. Rinpoche, together with his entourage of 25 Lamas has specially come to Singapore to conduct the Grand Prayer for World Peace and Calamity-Aversion. The grand puja event is starting on the 21st October to 24th October, and is performed to peace and avert any natural calamities of the earth, water, fire and wind (such as tsunamis and earthquakes). The pujas to be performed during the 4 days are highly beneficial for participants to be cleared of all obstacles, bad luck and negative energy, as well as increasing one's wisdom, wealth, power and lifespan. Rinpoche acts as the spiritual assistant to the present Dalai Lama.

This is the second time I will be seeing Rinpoche. I am so looking forward to his pujas and the initiation of the Medicine Buddha and his teachings thereafter. And if it happens as the previous time, I am sure tomorrow Monday, there may be a huge storm looming with thunder storm and heavy rain. And by Tuesday, all clouds (and haze) will be cleared, for the arrival of a great being!!

Clutter phobia

Yes I am in my de-clutter mode again. Meaning I am tempted to throw out everything I don't use anymore, don't wear anymore, don't remember anymore, or simply don't want anymore! Once in a while, ever so often, I packed all my stuff and send them off to the Salvation Army. Hopefully, at least some poor souls can benefit from my clutter. Some clothes which I bought but after wearing the first time, found that it has shrank, it didn't look good anymore, so it was chucked aside snugly in the farthest corner of my wardrobe. And once when my cupboard is full, I will pack those unwanted stuff and off they went!! Spent the weekend spring-cleaning my room although I was down with flu, sore throat and plain tiredness. I sent my old luggage out for repair (eversince Tiger Airways ripped off its handles). I changed my bedsheets and washed my quilt cover/blanket. At the end of it, are 2 huge bags of clothes to be given away, 5 pairs of shoes and 5 big plastic bags of rubbish to be thrown away. I'm not a neat freak, but I need to de-clutter my mind sometimes you know.

The cause

"Be master of your petty annoyances and conserve your energies for the big, worthwhile things. It isn't the mountain ahead that wears you out - it's the grain of sand in your shoe."
-- Robert Service

Growing years

Happy Birthday, Rascal!!

Today, 11 Oct is nephew's 5th birthday. We had a McDonalds party for him the past weekend. So on the actual day, the family went to Swensons for dinner and his favourite ice-cream. Happy Birthday, rascal!!!

紅豆

I dedicate this song by Faye Wong ( 紅豆 ) to someone who is having boyfriend woes right now. 希望你不要放弃被爱的权利.

還沒好好的感受 雪花綻敷的氣候
我們一起顫抖 會更明白 甚麼是溫柔
還沒跟你牽著手 走過荒蕪的沙丘
可能從此以後 學會珍惜 天長和地久
有時候 有時候 我會相信一切有盡頭
相聚離開 都有時候 沒有甚麼會永垂不朽
可是我 有時候 寧願選擇留戀不放手
等到風景都看透 也許你會陪我 看細水長流

還沒有你把紅豆 熬成纏綿的傷口
然後一起分享 會更明白 相思的哀愁
還沒有好的感受 醒著親吻的溫柔
可能在我左右 你才追求 孤獨的自由
有時候 有時候 我會相信一切有盡頭
相聚離開 都有時候 沒有甚麼會永垂不朽
可是我 有時候 寧願選擇留戀不放手
等到風景都看透 也許你會陪我 看細水長流

Loo evidence

My sis sms me, saying yesterday she boiled water chestnut drink for the kids (to expel body heatiness). My 5-year old nephew took the cup of drink, quietly crept into the toilet and poured the stuff into the toilet bowl! He got caught by his sister red-handed when he came out of the toilet holding the empty cup. He got a caning in the end by the Daddy. I replied my sis, why didn’t he flushed down the evidence! Haha! My nephew is very fussy over his food, and not willing to try new stuff he is not familiar with. He hates vegetables, and fruits and weird-looking stuff. He basically doesn’t like anything besides fish, milk, cookies and potato chips.

Seeing red

The haze is quite bad today. I'm sure it's almost reaching 100PSI. True enough, when I checked, it's 80PSI. Everywhere looks so blurry, dreary and depressing. I felt so lethargic. For a moment I thought it's because of lanterns burning, as it's the Lantern Festival and being the full moon. I couldn't even be bothered to eat the sweet Mooncake.

So it's one of those days which I had nothing better to do but to sms my fengshui master to ask whether I should change my wallet for better luck. My question was whether I should buy a gold colour wallet since my money element is metal. The master replied "You should carry a red wallet. Trust me. And don't ask questions". Hehe...my master always say I am talkative and talk too much (which I swear I am not). I only replied coincidentally I just bought a red handbag! To which she replied : "Hehe. Trust me!! This colour will work for you! Good luck!!!"

So off I went to buy a red wallet and a red card holder, to match my red handbag!

Mickey here we come!

I am more or less confirmed going Hong Kong next month with my family together with my niece and nephew. The purpose of course is Disneyland. Besides Hong Kong, we will also drop by ShenZhen, China, for a little shopping and makan. The cool weather prelude to winter will be a nice change. I have always love cooler climate. My Grandma will be coming along too with my fun-loving aunt Stella. She may be my Aunt but she is 10 times young at heart than me! As I always feel, it's not where we go, it's the company that we keep. Just glad that we can do things together. We have decided to postpone our Korea trip till next year Spring. So, for now, Mickey, here we come!