Mum's birthday

I'm still aching all over from my PT session yesterday. Good that it's my last session too! I mean, it's good but i prefer attending classes for now.

And so my mum used her points to exchange for a hotel room in RWS last nite. My parents n brother stayed there, with my brother being bored to death. My parents were busy entertaining themselves in the casino (what else). We had previously celebrated my mum's birthday by sponsoring a buffet lunch 2 days ago with around 12 people, bought a SGD1+k spa package for her, hossan leong tickets + today's cake cutting. That sort of stuff usually keeps people happy for a year till their next birthday, but for my mum, let's hope it even lasts a week.

Black = bad?

Today, i was talking to my client who's a black south african. I was commenting on how cheap guns were in south africa from the black market. Then he said, why is everything bad being described with black? Like black market, black magic, black friday, black list... Why can't we say pink market instead?

It never struck me like that before. Maybe cos i'm not a black n hence i'm not so sensitive to the word. To think i always pride myself to be culturally aware across continents. It's time for me to re-think all the words used and their implications.

Distant neighbour

On a rare occassion that i walk home today evening, one of my distant neighbours was standing at her gate. Of course, i dunno anyone in my neighbourhood (including the one staying next to me), but THAT neighbour looked at me and smiled as if she knew me for a long time. I was taken aback n said a soft n hurried "hello...". Do i know that person??? Or was i mistaken for someone else????? Knowing my poor memory, i won't be surprised if it's the former...

Quarrel

I couldn't stop myself from quarrelling with my mum. I felt that I simply had to say something. My mum's hooked on going to RWS. Problem is, she always knows how to go there by MRT, but does not know how to go home. Hence, it was always someone (either my dad, bro or sis or me) who had to pick her up. If i stay within a 5km radius from RWS, it's fine. But i'm staying in like freaking pasir ris that's at least 20km away.

So today, after picking her up, i just asked her if she knew how to take the SAME train from RWS back to a station near my house (i'm not even asking her to change train, just ONE STRAIGHT LINE), she said no. She claimed that she only knew like one direction. Fine, i told my dad that maybe he should show her next time. She said "Why should i need to learn how to take the train back?". She's implying that we can just go pick her up whenever she wants us to. And my mum goes RWS like at least 2-3 times a week. And she got very pissed off with me for even suggesting her taking the train back and started swearing at me. Simply cos i told her that it's not just the petrol that's wasted going up n down, but also the time of the people. Whenever it's a weekday midnight, none of us wants to go pick her up. Yet, no one says anything AT ALL. And my younger sis tot i shouldn't be telling my mum how selfish she is, but i really can't help it. Pissed.

Multi National Day

Today, my group of 3 guys (australian, malaysian n south african) met my 2 girlfriends (slovakian n singaporean) to have dinner n drinks together. As much as it sounds like it, it's not a blind date. It's simply a coincidence that people of different nationalities happen to be in singapore at the same time, n i am the catalyst to bring them together. Unfortunately, the indonesian couldn't make it.

Walking from ORQ to MBS is pretty cool, especially when it's kite festival today (i didn't know that until i saw more than 100 kites being flown next to ORQ). Distance was decent n scenery was good. I must say that Singapore did quite a good job with the whole marina thingy, even if it caused Singapore to sink a little. Seriously, the skyline is looking better now, n i can see it's going to be even better after the new financial centre is up. Everyone's taking pictures n my friends probably took more than 1000 pictures altogether.

After dinner at MBS (n casino for the boys), we did the helix bridge like all other tourists n headed to esplanade for drinks. I had planned for Altitude but the walk was making everyone too thirsty. Which is a good choice anyway, since there was a live jazz band. Chilled till 2am, then drove petra around little india n geylang to see the "real" Singapore. It appears that i'll have to wake up in the afternoon tomorrow n skip church. :( Thank God it's Sunday.....

iPhone addict

I probably am ALMOST an iPhone addict. Yes, just after using iphone4 for 3 weeks plus? The apps are totally awesome, and best of all, FREE! Except for whatzapp which everyone is asking me to get. I still can't get over the fact that you have to pay. I know it's only 99 US cents (even my teh-si costs more than that) but it's a matter of principle. Paying for an app? At least, still not now... though i dun deny that the temptation is strong...

I'm testing out several apps everyday, and deleting half of them too. There's this calorie counting app which I'm so impressed with cos it really has EVERYTHING. Then the games too. I know i'm a PC gamer, but these iphone games can also be so cool. I simply love TDs... and the games can make me stay up till 3am. Which is bad.

Now i do everything with my iphone. When i need a torch, i use my iphone. When i need to set my alarm clock, i use my iphone. I religiously key EVERYTHING i eat n drink n do into my iphone. Not to mention checking for bus arrival timings every morning.. Ok, time to play my iphone game again.

Back AGAIN

And I'm finally back in SG after taking the lousy serviced flight with SQ. I really think they are going downstream. At least their service level is. Yet, they want to increase prices. It's ridiculous!

Arriving at 11pm then having to go client's place at 8.30am is seriously tiring. I haven't had time to unpack even 1 luggage. I have 4 luggages + 1 haversack. In order not to pay excess baggage this time, i effectively distracted the check-in person n let him "forget" how many luggages i have. Think i've got around 65kg this time. Still, it's much lesser than my 100kg from the last time round.

With so many things on my agenda in BJ, it felt like i had very little time. Settled the management fees, my car ownership transfer, utilities, laundry, carpark, currency exchange, networking, wii and my food cravings. Everyone's asking when i'll be back in BJ again, but i really dunno. Definitely not anymore for the rest of this year.

Now it's time to plan my gym schedule once more. I can feel the enthusiasm draining away already.. I need a gym buddy!

Going back behind the wall

Tomorrow evening, i'll be returning to BJ where i have zero access to cool sites like youtube, blogger n facebook. Main objective is to collect my car, transfer ownership of my car (in china, u have to do everything in person, cannot outsource), n finish up my free golf, laundry card n cinema card. Will only be back in SG next tuesday night, so till then, u won't hear from me on blogspot.

It's strange but i've been going strong with my gym. Even inspired many wannabes in the process! I'm liking the bodycombat, bodybalance and aqua fit. Realise i suck in dancing n stretching. So sad! To think i can stretch DAMN well last time lor. Maybe that's why i'm in depression now. And it's time to go back to zouk for dance practice! Yay!!

Today, someone asked if my new iphone 4 changed my life. I mean, it's the first time i'm owning an iphone after all. Haven't had a mac device since i was 5 years old. Got me thinking.. n the answer is YES. Seriously, ever since i got that app on my iphone, i have been tracking my calories diligently everyday. Every single thing i eat (yes, they even have rojak n char kway teow in there, i was so impressed!!), i key it in n the calories just come out. At least now i know when my stomach is being wasted.

And now my friend is asking me if i want chocolates from germany. I love chocolates, they get me out of my depression. Yet, when i key them into my app, the calories just keep me depressed. I guess this is what they call a love-hate relationship. So should i get them or not??

Escape

Something's wrong. And I know it. I used to go to the IT show like 3-4 days out of the 4 days. Now, i only go there 2 times and have no more motivation for it. Is it cos of the repetitive booths? Or my dying interest in IT? I don't really know, and the emo jacky cheung song in the background isn't helping me think logically.

As i try to shape my new life back here, i wonder what drives me. I can't help feeling how small singapore is when i was walking along the streets in the afternoon. I like being alone, yet i need to talk to someone. I have so much in my mind, i need to escape. Escaping... is that my forte? Am i really doing that?

Anyway, i've been thinking if i should just go to milan or LA for the weekend. Just get out of here. N suddenly, the world seems so small again. Where should i go? I should go somewhere new, somewhere i always wanted to go. Club med maldives has been booked for next jan. I know i wanna go jerusalem/israel but something just tells me not to. At least not alone. I scanned google map, i scanned SQ website, n nowhere seems exciting. Why??

After staring at the screen for a while, i've decided. It's going to be either dublin or istanbul. Yes, just for 3-4 days. I'll probably spend more time in the plane than in the place, but i dun really care. I just need to escape.

Com-experience

Finally. I can enjoy Comex n the whole feel all over again. That's another incentive to be back. So i skipped my gym today (ok, my body was really aching all over) n headed down to suntec!

It's a Thursday 5pm, n the whole place (like all 4 floors) is already flooded with people. Doesn't anyone need to work?? Or is it that 5m population thing? Anyway, as usual, i didn't buy anything on comex's 1st day. Browsing through the lanes n just being with technology n gadgets made me feel good. Don't ask me why. A lot of booths were selling iphone 4 n ipad everything. Somehow, i had the feel that there is an absence of something. Think it's the camera girls.. didn't see them today. Maybe due to cost cutting, they'll only be there during the weekends? Not that i really care anyway.

So what did i do there? I ended up signing for a credit card, n winning a sim card backup device as my sign-up gift. Good souvenir for my time spent there, n just about the right time to back up my china's sim card too. :)

Back! For good?

I totally forgot about this blog until i received a friendly reminder from qix. I guess she's the only one still into this thing but yes, i should keep up with it since i'm no longer blocked or firewalled. The thing about THAT china wall is that u lose interest in blogging n facebooking after a while. And i think that's what happened to me.

Right, it's my 3rd week back in SG. Supposed to be back for good. 1st week was rough trying to adapt back in my tiny bed, small cupboard (i DO have lots of clothes, contrary to popular belief), constant monitoring (my house even has CCTVs now), and LOTS OF PEOPLE EVERYWHERE. Today, we have hit the 5m mark in our population count, n still counting. We're over-populated! My clients from US complained that there's no personal space. Wait till they go to china, where no personal space doesn't just mean smelling the underarms of the people standing next to you, but also the ability to feel other people's private parts in the subways.

By the 2nd week of being back, i took the advice of my friends n colleagues and.. signed up for the gym! Oh man, i was so INTO it, can u believe that? I was going to the gym like every other day. Nope, i wasn't one of those hamsters running on the treadmill. I was in it for the classes, n the swimming (though i can barely swim). So far, i've done bodycombat, bodypump, dancing classes... and the best for me was aqua fit. I even managed to convince sally to join me for the next groove n jazz! Now i just stare at the class schedules of the different locations everyday. Yoga n pilates should be coming up next. :)

The other fantastic thing that happened to me was my purchase of iphone 4, n it's just like 110SGD for the 40+/mth plan?? I'm downloading new apps everyday n testing so many things out, i simply have no time for my PC games anymore. Fortunately, i finished my starcraft 2. Oh yeah, i'm also updating my everyday calorie count in the app too. That's like a "must-do" whenever i'm in the MRT.

Everyone's asking me about my job back here. Yes, i've got a massive paycut just for coming back but the environment here is so much better than in BJ. I guess u can't have the best of both worlds. People here in office are so much nicer, more sincere n so NOT political. And the client so far is good (including their pantry...). Just how long am i going to hang around here for, i don't know. Think it's just going to be a question mark for everyone, including myself.