Doesn’t it gets onto your nerves when there are people who keep claiming that they are unlike many whom we know; for instance, being ”different” ? IMO, sometimes it just works the other way round…

To everyone, please visit the following blog. An excerpt from the blog “Our feisty princess Charmaine has been diagnosed with neuroblastoma. She is currently in the 4th stage and fighting hard. We are greatly saddened that such a sweet and cheerful little girl has to undergo so much pain at such a young age.” Given the current economic situation, I do understand that everyone’s a little tight on cash but for those who can, I hope that you’ll understand that a little help goes a long way. I personally do not know the author of the blog but I hope that you can help spread the word around. Thank you.

http://ourfeistyprincess.blogspot.com/

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An excerpt that I read off a forum.
Credits to “TS”.

We have taller buildings but shorter tempers
Wider freeways but narrower viewpoints
We spend more but we have less
We buy more but enjoy it less

We have bigger houses & smaller families
More conveniences but less time
More degrees but less sense
More knowledge but less judgment
More experts but more problems
More medicine but less well-being

We have multiplied our possessions but reduced our values
We talk too much but listen too little
We’ve learned how to make a big living but not a life
We’ve added years to life not life to years
We’ve been all the way to moon but have trouble crossing street to meet the new neighbor

We’ve conquered outer space but not inner space
We’ve cleaned up the air but polluted the soul
We’ve split the atom but not our prejudice
We have higher incomes but lower morals

These are the days of 2 incomes but more divorce
Of fancier houses but broken homes
There is much in the showroom & little in the stockroom
We’ve become long on quantity but short on quality

True, ain’t it? The pursuit of finest luxuries in life could eventually lead to an empty life of clutter.
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* Cherlynn – congrats on scoring on a fun PT job over at the Singapore Zoo! Rmr to keep a lookout for the birds  :p
* Yay! Finally, got onto the Dean’s List for the semester of Fall 2008. After a 2.5yrs of wait lol.

. just some thoughts.

22nd Feb marked the end of the run of “What the Butler Saw”.. and coincidentally,it also marked the start of my 2nd month of internship over at ZCP. Like I mentioned in the previous post, it has been a learning experience for me thus far … granted, some job tasks can be pretty routined & mindless but overall, the past couple of wks at front-of-house has given me a chance to learn the ropes of handling customers & people … as well as an insight into how work affects human nature. Plus, sparking off a new found interest in theatre & plays! Oh, and there were days where I had to step in and sell souvenir programmes so that definitely made me to be slightly less afraid of rejections and be thick-skinned.

So lately, I’ve been reading a book on “Unplugged” – the need for people to regularly take a sabotical from work/studies/main commitments in life. This guy’s story has particularly caught my attention … as quoted from the book, ”I work when I need money, I study when I need to learn, I travel when I need to travel.”  Basically, he lives a permanently unplugged lifestyle … having been on the go, travelling to many countries across the globe. Doing backpacker, odd jobs ( bar staff, waitressing, hotel jobs, etc) along the way to fund for his travels. Some people live their life in pursuit of their career, some for money & admiration, and for some others (just like Conrad), for adding another experience to their already multifaceted life. In the book, he adds that “If I weren’t satisfied with this type of life, I wouldn’t be doing it. That to me is the great mystery of other people: Why do they continue to do things that make them unhappy?”  Honestly to speak, I wish I could be like him.. Being about to travel and explore the many different countries around the world has and will always be a dream of mine and I truly believe that working temp jobs in various countries and having to interact and mingle with people of different nationalities would provide one with a more enriching experience than say, a vacation. BUT ( there’s always a BUT aint it? ) I know that deep down, there’s still a part of me that wants to work on jobs that are more challenging and that allow me to ‘climb the corporate ladder’ … guess it’s driven by the competitive nature of being a Singaporean. I don’t know if I dare take the step to sacrifice whatever that seems practical … That’s the reason why I wholeheartedly admire risk-takers like Conrad… to leave whatever they have behind and begin on an adventurous, unpredictable journey that many desire but dont have the guts to do so.

Several friends have already been asking me about my post-graduation plans. Graduation trip? Masters? Work? And if so, what industry would I want to work in. And so conicidentally, I’ve either met or talked to 3 peeps who have kinda inspired me to take on a different route in the past week. WAT being the common topic – 1 of whom is graduating mid-2009 and heading to USA for WAT with 4 other friends. Two other graduated last year, went for their respective WAT, had the best time of their lives (!!!) before returning to embark on their working lives. And all their comments made sense – why rush to work when you have like the remaining 40 or more yrs to work? There will definitely be a time to build your career, only difference being now and slightly later. Besides which, as fresh grads – technically, we have nothing to lose. No family commitments or big-paying job to hold us back. Yet, to repeat what I mentioned in the above paragraph, I think that there’s a part of me that’s afraid to “lose out” … that I might miss out on opportunities by heading for WAT when others are out job-scouting and securing their first jobs. That, plus the fact that I’ll have to fork out more money initially to pay for adminstrative fees, airfare and personal expenses. A huge chunk was already spent for a semester at UB.  Decisions, and dilemma… It’s about time that I make up my mind cz time is running out as graduation soon approaches. * edited* – Just read Kristin’s blog … that gal is having a ball at Sweden, making friends and travelling plans. Too many signs that are pointing me to a certain direction.
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Monday Late Night with Dan. Funny how Dan & I first got acquainted through hamsters ( me, a prospective buyer & him, a seller) … 4 years down the road, still remaining as good pals. Catch ya 1 yr later again, bro. Hopfully, on your way on becoming a pilot! And I’ll be waiting for u to teach me the ropes of prawning. Wanna catch tiger prawns!

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A really cool site on “Local Fashion Lookbook” !!! Check it out!     
http://singapore.lookbook.nu/#more

Happy Valentine’s Day

Been a year since I first embarked on this “blogging” adventure. Looking back, this whole blogging idea first started as a surprise for MK … wanted to note down the special moments of the relationship in black/white and only to have it develop to a personal blog. A place to pen my reflections, a social diary, and of course, a way to keep my friends updated – that’s what my blog has become. So back to Valentine’s Day … It’s actually my first year without having a gf by my side. First couple of years were spent with bestie, Sara followed by the next 4 years with Olivia darling. Unfortunately for 2009, work took first priority. As such, both Clara’s ( a fellow intern) and my VDAY were spent at work and thankfully with our boyfriends who were fantastic enough to volunteer for the arts!  Busybees from 1.30pm all the way till 10.30pm at night. Isn’t that such a “memorable” way to celebrate this romantic occasion together lol? I’ll work hard to keep my promise to you about next yr’s vday, alright?

Valentine’s Day is probably the most COMMERCIALISED occasion out there … Working in the theatre, I came across countless of young couples … boyfriends who showered their girlfriends with bouquet of flowers, teddy bears or chocolates! Prices in restaurants – be it fine-dining or bistro – skyrocket to at least a min. of $160/couple for a set dinner. If you read the ads, you will realise that a dinner for ONE exclusive couple at Swissotel’s Helipad comes up to $15,000! An ultra-exclusive 9-course gourmet dinner with free flow of Dom Perignon champagne, accompanied by live music and a $9000 Valentino watch gift! Crazy prices, isn’t it?

At this note, I would also like to take this chance to express my love for Soy! That gal came all the way to the theatre just to pass Clara & me our Vday roses! So sweet … now, i can officially say that I did receive a stalk of rose on Valentine’s Day! Thank you, my dear    Everyone ( Clara, her bf, MK & I) all agreed that you deserve to win the “Best Friend on Vday” award… just having the thought of travelling all over to pass ur friends flowers!

Though shagged and exhausted, we eventually settled for drinks & small plates at Angel’s Share at Dempsey Hill. A call for a mini vday celebration. The drinks were at the best, so-so whereas the live music & soothing lightings definitely set the stage for a romantic and intimate night for all.

“Ignorance is Bliss”

“Dormicum”

The holiday of Love! is always celebrated with an exchange of gifts between loved ones … As usual, something tiny but cute for my SIM friends   and now for the deal …

For the Boy:

Something handmade, something of interest for HIM. A scrapbook memoir + A book on Wine Appreciation.

For the Girl:

Now, now … this present caught me by absolute surprise. I screamed out in joy when MK finally revealed his gift for me - LG SECRET. Well, I have been having problems with my Samsung hp for quite awhile … A series of problems including -> Turning on and off by itself on a frequent basis, keypads losing sensitivity, losing its ability to receive messages … honestly it turned out to be quite a headache only after a year of usage. Boy, I couldn’t say “No” to a stylish, sleek, functional hp now .. could I? I know that you’ve been trying to live on minimal basics, just to save up for this present for me … I vividly recalled my sec sch days where I volunteered to gift-wrap at Funan Centre, the many times when my silly gfs and I would mooned over how so many bfs would purchase a tech gadget for their gfs.  Thank you for the new essential in my life, baby! 

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Internship

Finally, a note on my current internship at ZCP. Well, I applied for internships over at 3 companies and out of which, 2 replied & offered me the position. One with ZCP, and the other with a travel agency that offers off-the-beaten track travels for those who seek thrilll & adventure. Truthfully, I was more interested in the latter initially … My passion for travel aside, that job requires me to research on less popular spots and to plan out interesting itineraries as well as to source out for partnerships with companies. In other words, that could have worked out to be quite a dream internship! However, I eventually decided on ZCP as I believe that the people at the management level are experienced in the theatrical/events industry as they have either produced/directed or spearheaded marketing efforts of various critically acclaimed musicals and corporate events ( Cabaret, The Vagina Monologues, MAGICBOX). 

Besides, with the production “What the Butler Saw” coming up, I was sure that the internship would provide me with a more “hands-on” approach as well. And so, I embarked on my part-time internship ( yea, working only on M,W,F) late Jan. So far, job tasks include reading many mags & newspapers to find articles/snippets that feature “What the Butler Saw” and having to archive them for the portfolio, sending out mass emails to gather volunteers for the production & corresponding to volunteers, accompanying my boss on a meeting with the contractor, front-of-house reception, doing simple designs for signages … It’s a very small co. so Im not going to deny that there’s alot of running of errands too - running about trying to find cheap quotation for printing services, heading to liased cafes, bars or restaurants to pass our flyers to them, purchasing items for our Gala Night event, etc. Well, it’s not a thorough hands-on approach when it comes to marketing yet … just passive learning through what D (my GM) taught and mentored me about. Keeping my fingers crossed that I’ll be up for bigger projs for the next production! 

Now that “What the Butler Saw” started its run ( on till 22nd Feb), my main responsibility is to assist in the front-of-house ( which also means, having to sell programs when there is not enuff volunteers … not exactly what I enjoy   but since Im at it, just gotta do the best. ) A chance that enables me to meet many people each day. Gawked at more popular names – Dr KK Seet, Dr Georgia Low, Howard Lo & Shan Wee from “Eye for A Guy 2″. Audience ( a mix of Singaporeans & Expats) aside, I’ve also interacted with the ushers, SISTIC peeps and volunteers. Disadvantage? Working till 10pm+ almost every day pretty much kept me too tired to do anything else … It’s  a routine of eat, work  or (Class, then work) and slp. But no complains. I would gladly exchange a part of my social life and having to give up on gatherings with friends for these couple of wks to intern here. Guess what? D said that Im fated to intern at ZCP. Turns out that Mabel’s ( Assistant Comms Manager) sister and my sister are best friends… To think that the two older sisters would eventually end up working in the same company. Such a coincidence. It gets even better when another volunteer and I found out that we actually live on the same street though she lives at the junction. Serves to tell me just how small Singapore is or at least, how everyone is somehow related to someone else whom we know.

Now it’s your chance to catch the wacky & hilarious play! Mischief, Madness, Mayhem! Starring Gerald Chew, Vernetta Lopez, Timothy Nga, Vadi PVSS (Mumbai Guy from M1), Elizabeth Tan & Shane Mardjuki.

Most memorable responsibility to-date? Ironically, it was on Valentine’s Day. My co. had a Valentine’s Day lucky draw in which the winner & his/her partner would receive the ULTIMATE FANTASY VDAY package … A ride in the One & Only stretch limousine (in Sg) , romantic dinner for two, before topping off the evening with a theatrical performance that promises much laughter. And yours truly was the personal butler of the evening … meaning being the liason person in case if there were any last-min changes made to the arrangement (there was a last-min prob but thankfully, it was quickly solved) but the perk of it? Having to ride in the 8m long limousine !!!    Never in my life would I ever anticipate having to ride in a stretch limo … though I was seated at the front beside the driver, gotta give the lucky couple some privacy afterall right? :p  Sitting in the limo is an experience of a lifetime – to either have countless of people staring into the car or to have them snapping pics of the car! Cool! Can’t help but to feel like a star upon exiting from the limo as all eyes were on me lol …

Loretta, the artistic director, who wants a snapshot in the limo!

 

 

Special Thanks to: My dearest Mum, MK, Soy, Sok, Chee Seng, Olivia, Juliet (and their friends), Jocelyn, Loisa, Cherie, Shermin, Wan Kay, Mel SFF & Cordelia. A HUGE thank you to you all 
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.post CNY.

Finally, some time off to write this very belated post.
For those who celebrated CNY, I hoped that it was a time of festivity and celebration … and for those who didnt, it sure was a LONG wkend break that you had   It’s funny how I never particularly enjoy CNY in the past (other than those red packets, duh) … preferring other occasions such as Christmas (Which I still do), Birthdays, National Day, etc … Yet as I grow older, I begin to find the importance in CNY – namely, the need for relatives to at least come together once/year … be it a tradition or a time to catch up.

Reunion Dinner

A yearly affair. Mouth-watering home-cooked spread, all prepared by my Granny and aunt. My addiction of the night? Prawns.

CNY Day 1

Just like every year (it’s been a tradition since I was born), Day 1 is always set to visit relatives from my paternal side. My grandparents are the oldest in the family and so, we often have throngs of relatives coming over to our house to “pia nian”. Through the years, my sisters and I have seen our baby cousins growing up to the tweens or teens that they are now … Yes, we’re reminded of just how “old” we are with each passing CNY lol.

My grandpa’s youngest brother – a fan of photography, he insists on a picture taken together each year. For memory sake. As you can probably see from the blog, i do have TONS of pictures taken – pics that I will definitely look at and reminise of the good old days. All of a sudden, that thought makes me fear of having to age. The day where youth is replaced … seriously, does anyone really looks forward to that ?!

CNY Day 2

Day 2 – set for the maternal side, which is always a BIG affair involving 40-50 pple. Had both boys (MK & ginnie’s bf, ZW) over and boy did we had a hilarious time together. Cracking stupid and silly jokes and having the entire family laughed over such trival matters. As quoted from Oscar Wilde,  ”Life is far too important a thing ever to talk seriously about.”  Laugh and be jovial.

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Legs. Save your energy trying to compare… I admit that Im the shortest (by quite a fair bit! ) amongst my sisters.

A picture that I’ve been wanting to take for quite awhile. Amanda, Ginnie & Zhi Wei, MK & me. Right now, we’re just waiting for Amanda darling to “get” a boyfriend and then voo-la, it’s picture-perfect!  :p

Post-CNY celebration. The famous “Chun Kee” fish soup noodle, with a tinge of XO. Im an avid fan of sliced fish soup so inevitably, my foodie mission in life is to try out as many delicious sliced fish soup as I possibly could. Any reccommendations?

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A couple days later …

Outing with some of the JC peeps – Chern Chieh, Shu Ling, Evelyn, Wendy, Wei Chang, Rachel and Maylyn for dinner and drinks. As we all know (unless u’re leaving in isolation or in some cave), the world is facing one of the worst recession ever and that translates to TROUBLE for those fresh graduates or those graduating this year. Unfortunately, Im included in that list. So, with some of us graduating this year, there comes the inevitable talk about the plans we have for the near future. Pursue post-grad studies? Register with NIE to become a teacher, since teaching is a recession-proof career? Eve joked that the other few industries that are recession-proof (other than health and education) are 1) gambling and 2) prostitution. What do you think about that?  I can see why some might say that … afterall, gambling can be an addiction. just like drugs. Hard to kick off that habit, besides if ure lucky.. u’re set for some cold hard cash. As for prostitution? Let’s just say that people have certain needs, be it recession or not.

Speaking of future plans, yes… this is something that’s been bothering me ALOT. I guess u can call me an excessive worrywart at times. Basically, it boils down to the dilemma that many people face - passion or money? Sales industry – where those who have the “sales flair” can earn alot ( probably an average of a 5-figure sum/mth) depending on sales/comission. For one thing, Im not exactly that thick-skinned and so, having to constantly “beg” people, make cold-calls and force sales is a nightmare of a job for me. To quote my mum, “sometimes, you just need the drive for money”. Man, it’s such a contradiction.. makes me wonder – would I be happier accepting a job that pays rather poorly or a job that can pay alot and it all just boils down to one’s determination to earn big bucks. Interest or Money? Always a dilemma, right?

Drinks on a chill-out night at LOOF. Have a sip of “The Loof Life” – 1 of the yummiest cocktail I had so far. Being serenaded by the band. Laugh out loud with friends. Man, that nightlife sorta lifestyle makes me wanna do this more often… More night outs at chill out spots with buds and pals. 1 requirement! More Cash, please.

And … the cam-whoring begins …

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Exclusive Fasio Mascara Workshop by Grego, celebrity make-up artist
.5th Feb.Imagine my pleasant surprise when I received an email one day, notifying me that I was selected to attend an exclusive, free FASIO Mascara Workshop. A workshop that promises to ensure that “your peepers are perfectly done” and that you’ll be able to “work your charm on all that lay eyes upon you”. Amazing opportunity. While I’ll be the first to admit that I can’t do without makeup (mainly eyeliner which is needed to open up my eyes), I’ll however say that I don’t exactly know the right techniques to applying makeup. Sok & I ever contemplated signing up for mu courses just so that we can use mu to enhance our features better but gave up on that idea when we both figured out that we wouldn’t want to spend money on sth that we could “try & error”. So, when this opportunity presents itself … you can be sure that I joined onboard almost immediately.

 

Grego, who has worked with international names such as Shirley Manson, Kimora Lee Simmons, is one hell of a funny man. I mean, the workshop could have gone either way – boring, a listen lecture or an entertaining & interactive one. And thanks to Grego’s gregarious personality and high energy levels, everyone had a blast laughing at his jokes and funny antics. Being an expert in this field, he taught us many tips about the correct steps and sequence used to apply mascara, eyeliner & eye-shadow (love the gold,brown eyeshadow palate!) … the different ways to go about achieving the various looks – sultry, glamorous, sweet. In addition, this event also acts as a preview for the launch of Fasio’s new mascara – the 5-star mascara ( deep black, lasting curl, hyper long, shock free, waterproof) which will only be out in March in Sg. My own opinion: The mascara works pretty well as it was able to extend my lashes to about 2-2.5 times the length of my “naked” lashes. Many of the other cotters also raved about the product, commenting on how it is less likely to smudge and easy-to-apply.

The top 3 ladies who had the best overall mu were given exclusive Fasio gift bags … I won in another category and had my pic taken by the Fasio photographer. Unfortunately, no special gift bags.. got the usual goodie bag which was well, nothing out of the ordinary.  :p   Valuable tips aside, the next best thing out of this workshop was the chance to interact with the other cotters. In fact, Ying Ling & I got along so well that Grego thought that we were friends prior to this event lol.

Finally, thanks again to both Cozycot & Fasio for this great opportunity! 

Photo op: Grego & me.

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Things have been quite hectic over the past week or so … can’t wait for a short, mini getaway in March. A hidden oasis awaits. Shall blog about my internship in later posts. Have a good week ahead, peeps!

.Thank You, My Dear Friends. :)

Been alil’ busy lately. Anyway, want to give A HUGE SHOUT OUT to those of my loved ones and dear friends who will be volunteering for the theatrical performance. Im honestly VERY thankful and appreciative of your unwavering support & efforts to help out with this production … without whom, there would be a shortage of manpower. I can’t possibly thank you guys enough for your efforts. THANK YOU !!! 

.love, Steph.

. 1 year, 1 month.

Technically, it’s a celebration for our first year and one month … however seeing that we didn’t exactly celebrate our first year together (due to jetleg and sheer exhaustion), this thus became a celebration for our first year. Decided to venture down the “DIY” route as we figured out that cooking together makes an enjoyable past-time for us. That, and also to cut cost on spending too much on our dates.

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Roses, candles, hearts and a touch of diamond … the perfect concoction for some romance.

Surprised? We did all the cooking by ourselves (with the help of something called the “receipe” lol). A four-course dinner, with my fav dishes being the luxuriously flavourful cod fish + mushrooms. We even whipped up a healthy dish of “Ratatouille” (guess where we got the inspiration from?), which was surprisingly easy to make. I foresee many more cooking sessions coming up! But let’s just give up the idea of making our own desserts for now  :p 

1) Salmon
2) Pan-fried teriyaki Cod
3) Butter Mushrooms Saute
4) Ratatouille

Al fresco dining right at the front garden porch. The theme of the night was “Duh” romance … unfortunately, the cheap, plastic utensils definitely didnt add to the “love in the air” factor. Have to do something about that the next time round.

Big, wide smiles for this special occasion!!

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Cheers to the many more anniversaries to come!
Happy 1 3 months, pillypop!

Win losta money at your MJ session, baby and rmr … the next TOTO draw!  :p
~ CNY celebrations post next ~