My Sunday

Sunday was a wonderful day. I'm not trying to be cliched but it was. It started of at 9am in the morning when I headed down to the CC to meet with the AFT members and Ganesh and Nat from Ngee Ann Poly. We then went down to the open space opposite Sun Plaza to decorate it for the Christmas Party. Everything went smoothly. Kids came to make kites and I actually had fun teaching them how to make it. I was no expert and a kid and I tried to make it fly....it did lift off the ground for 30 seconds and then it came crashing back down : ) I didn't say I knew how to make it fly ; )

Then the colouring competition started. We went from having 0 kids participating to 13 kids. After that, we set up for Open Mic Night which saw 7 new acts and 3 of our AFT members performing. Sameer and Henry emceed and I must say they make damn good emcees as a team. They should really carry on doing what they do because they're bloody good at it!

So the moment Open Mic Night ended, I rushed back home to change for Sethu and Bhava's birthday party. The theme was Oscars. Met up with the rest and we headed off to Orchid Country Club. Here are some photos from the night:

The Red Dress my bought me.

A mixture of my old and new friends : )

AFT members! And Ravin and Suady

The 16 year old Birthday Girl! : )

The 21 year old Birthday Boy : ) And the Paki! lol

And just for the fun of it....here's my Ninja Gingerbread Man (Made by Serena)

Awesome Christmas Eve Out

What more can a girl ask then a pleasant outing on the eve of Christmas, a festive for which she has no reason to celebrate due to the fact that she's not christian. I however love Christmas because of the presents and decorations. Yes. My reasons are rather shallow.

Anywho, got up in the morning to head out with my mum to collect my brother's present. It is a Dark Knight Original one of ten a kind poster that I got framed for him as well. Had to collect Naathan's Iron Man poster as well. Then from Esplanade, headed off to Orchard for lunch with the female cousins, Mahes, Shanty and Selvi. Ate at Bali Thai which had surprisingly good food. We then did our gift exchange and I got a gift from Shanty; a necklace with a pendant that's a boot : ) Love it. When I'm less lazy, I'll take a picture of it and put it up here.

Then from there went back home to grab some stuff and then headed off to the CC to meet up with the rest. We printed Christmas song lyrics and grabbed our instruments before heading off to Vivocity. Once there, we ate and sang and enjoyed the fireworks. It was a feel good evening that was free of any expectations. We could all just be ourselves and I honestly did not care what anyone else thought was right or fun because I genuinely enjoyed myself in the good old fashioned sense.

So while we crooned to the tunes, the younger men were playing cards right next to us....loners. Haha but it was fun nonetheless and when the fireworks lit the sky, I just sat back and grinned to myself. Things couldn't have been put together better than that. I handed out my gifts to everyone and passed Serena and Naathan theirs. Serena's gift to me was awesome. Really woman it is : ) A samurai styled letter opener? Come on. I love it!

And then things went to hell from there...haha. Well not to hell. It was just the public transport. It was like every god damn singaporean was at Vivo and was trying to leave at the exact same time. So everything was jam packed and took twice as long to do.  Either way we got back home parted ways. And when I came home my brother gave me his present to me and it was this adorable voodoo looking earpieces. Hilariously thoughtful : )

So that was my christmas eve and this weekend just like every other week's weekend is packed with activites so this writer is going to sign off in hopes that she might get some rest in order to face the next day with less eye bags : ) (Than she already has that is.)

NIGHT! AND MERRY CHRISTMAS READERS : )

Why Women Are Single

Here are my top 10 carefully worded reasons why single women are....well.....single.

She's single because...

1) HER FATHER WAS ABUSIVE and hence she is turned off to most men. Generally these females become strippers as intelligently proven by the famous Chris Rock in this video here. He's rich. He can't be wrong.:


2) She is single because she is FOCUSED ON HER CAREER NOW. Bullshit! Oh please. If she's focused on her career then she should give up ties with her mum, her dad and anyone else she has a relationship with. Seriously? Focusing on your career? Gentlemen. Know this. That line is just an excuse females use for they fear getting into a relationship hence they hide behind their careers as cover.

3) She is single because of HER PARENTS. No explanation required. Especially if you are an Indian girl.

4) She is single because NO ONE HAS ASKED HER OUT BEFORE. That can be a real turn off for a chick. If no one has ever asked her out before then she's going to feel inadequate and unsure if she's attractive enough. Here's 2 possiblities as to why she has never been asked out before: a) She's too intimidating. b) The guys around her are generally cowards or gay. Because every female is attractive in some way and deserves to be asked out for that reason.

5) She is single because SHE IS CONFUSED ABOUT HER SEXUAL PREFERENCES. It's true.

6) She is single because ONLY WEIRD GUYS ASK HER OUT.

7) She is single because SHE'S A HOPELESS ROMANTIC and nothing would do short of a knight with a devastating smile in shining armour who will gallop towards her in a black Arabian horse and would love her as she would him till the end of eternity. A castle would help too.

8) She is single because SHE'S A GOLD DIGGER and that turns off most men. Shocking. You would think the male species would be okay with that as long as she's hot and isn't turned off to sex. I'm just saying.

9) She is single because SHE'S A COUNTRY SINGER and they are generally picky with their men because they fall into the No. 7 category.

10) She is single because SHE IS A NUN.

Get The Spark Back

It's odd how I want to grin now. A smile that would stretch from ear to ear. I don't care what may happen after this or what others may say. I don't care about the days of sorrow that may come after this. I don't care about anyone who may try to put me down. I don't care about the hurt I may face.

Because I feel passion again. Passion for everything in life. I want to do everything and anything. I want to try something new and make sure I excel at it all. It makes everything seem brand new and every turn a possibility of adventure. I'm tired of letting life steer me in a direction that it deems fit. Control lets you decide your own path and the stories that you can tell.

I feel passion for the things that will come to be important to me in the future.

I feel passion for Peter Pan. It's going to be a fantastic production. Nothing can change that fact. Everyone has that spark in them and we're going to pool it together because we've got less than 3 months and it's time to gear up and hit this production full on : )

I feel passion about writing. It's my thing! Conveying my ideas and dreams into words for others to read. That's my thing! I'm not going to let it slip through my hands once again. I'm going to write like never before and make sure that everyone reads my thoughts because they do matter.

I feel passion about so many other things that there's too many to list : ) I intend to try it all, do it all and live it all. I'm only 21 and I've got my whole life ahead of me. If I don't live it, who's going to?

I know it seems like a pep post and I suppose it is but it's a start from what once was : )

So about my life! Recently it has been rather hectic. There have been so many 21st Birthday parties. There were 4 alone over this past one weekend. And through all these hectic weekends and weekdays, I've come to realise alot of things and learned to tolerate alot of people.

Bitching about people ain't going to help no one. So tolerance is key. There are some people who will annoy you through stupidty disguised as intelligence. You can't really get angry with them can you? At least I can't. Yes, I have a rule. Only get angry with people who are genuinely mean. So the ones who annoy you in the manner of stupidity should just be tolerated. And I'm learning how to do so.

And then, there are those you meet who shock you with their change in character. You think you know them and they do something to make you think otherwise. Now, I believe myself to be the rather stubborn sort when it comes to protecting others. If you do something wrong to those I believe I care for then I would choose something drastic to show my disapproval. It isn't right to some but it is what it is.

So I have met the sorts of people I've mentioned above and I've learnt how I tend to react to them. I don't regret how I behaved but I want to refine the manners in which I would react to future similar situations.

I know this is a rather absurd post, heading in directions that seem messy and I promise to do better tomorrow. Yes the daily dose of crazy is back.

I think I'll discuss reasons as to why females are single tomorrow...seems like a rather entertaining post.

200th

It's my 200th post. And I've been putting off writing it because I wanted it to be something special. It's been a week since I began thinking and now I've got my thoughts sorted out.

I was supposed to fly off in September. That was the plan. But when it comes to my personal life, my plans never work out the first time. So I tried again, and once again it failed. But I was used to it. It's been happening all my life.

Let me try to explain this as clearly as I can. I am successful in many things. I'd rather acknowledge than be falesly modest. So anyways, I am successful in many things, all of which are projects or ideas I create outside of my personal space. However, anything I try to do personally for myself never works out the same way. I always have not 1 road block but more than 3. It's something I've grown rather used to. It's like a speck of dust on my shoulder. And I'm not exaggerating...but I really do mean everything I do for myself always goes wrong. My mum always thought I was being negative but I told her I was actually rather optimistic because despite the number of times I trip, I always pick myself up, dust of the dirt and carry on as if the first trip never hurt me. She soon realised I was right and even offered to bring a Feng Shui Master into my room.

But then those are all the small things that happen in life. The Visa thing...well that's really huge. And I would be lying if I said it didn't affect me. Come on....I got into Oxford's course. When I found out the 2nd time around that the visa was rejected yet again, I just nodded my head, got into the car with my mum, went home, locked my room door and screamed. Yes, I screamed like a banshee. I had to get it out. All the frustration, all the anger and especially all the disappointment. Then for weeks after that, I just didn't know what to do with myself. I felt tired and drained and completely miserable. The Visa was just one of the 3 things that had hit me hard this year. Alot of things I enjoyed doing became a chore and alot of people I loved hanging around became a pain because I just didn't want to face reality too quickly.

Slowly, I started piecing back pieces of my messy life. My mum really helped me through with this. I began to look for new options. I didn't want to go to UK anymore. It was energy draining and honestly I was pissed. So I applied to Monash University. But wait. Didn't I say that anything I try to do for my personal life has a hindrance. Yup. Applying to Monash wasn't easy as well. There was a mix up in my transcripts and well, I brushed of the dirt and told myself to hold my chin up and walk it off.

It was only until last week however, I began to really pick up the jagged pieces of my life; the parts I had thrown away the furthest. I picked them up one by one and reorganised them into my diary and restructured everything. Because I'll be damned if I fall apart at the age of 21. That is entirely unacceptable. 2010 has been a real pain in the ass, a blemish on my skin, a stupid weed I've tried pulling out. But 2010, has also been the year that has toughned me up. Nothing else can faze me now. Because the worst has happened and I dare anything bad to happen after this. If it does, I'm bloody ready this time around.

So I know this is the first time I've written a post about myself, personally. I don't write about what I really go through in life because I think those personal matters are best kept to myself and my mum but since this is the 200th post, I thought it would be nice to share one aspect of my life with my friends.

But please. Read this and don't discuss it with me : )

And for the record, I do feel stronger than before.

17 Days

Readers of Daily Dose of Crazy, it has officially been 17 days since I've drank pepsi, coke and eaten at a fast food outlet (I'm only counting Macs, KFC, Long John Silver, Burger King and...there's one more but my memory is failing me right now so...I'll mention it when I remember it.).

And how has it been? It started off rather shaky. I was sluggish and perhaps a tad been agitated because I couldn't drink my routine number of 3 cans a day. But slowly the lethargy ebbed away. I wake up better in the morning and am no longer having that thirst quenching craving for pepsi or coke.

I used to have that feeling but now water, grass jelly or any other drink would suffice. It makes me feel slightly better knowing that I can control what I put into my mouth. But I am no holy saint capable of withstanding the strong call of pepsi. Everytime someone gulps down the damn drink, I fidget my hands and have to pinch myself in order to snap out of it. But it'll be fine. I've survived so far and am handling it better than I thought I could.

Serena's also going off pepsi and coke! Haha And Prabs has gone off fast food!

Hang in there peeps.

Between Dawn and Dusk

The path that you walk upon is different from dawn,
Yet at dusk, one sun kissed land shall summon you forth.
In blood we are born but in spirt we are bound,
Our ends entwined, what change to be found.

The first is harsh, the path foreboding,
The stumble an evil but one for coping,
Tongues shall wag to ease your fall,
But words of wise crumble under experienced flaws.

One rung at a time, one branch to the next,
Time is neither plenty nor is it scarce.
Wander the planes that pique the mind,
Fear not the ripples for they shape your rhyme.

Come the rotten vines that creep through your veins,
Calm the raging storm spun from the sinful sinner's sins.
In anger but not in sorrow, In joy but not in pain,
Beckon the poison that seeps from the salt tasting rain.

In moments are the weak but in memories lie the strong,
Let it be a strength but as weakness, would prove you wrong.
Cast none aside, even the shaded hidden ones,
For not one is more important as a father would say to his sons.

The dunes will shift for the winds will shake,
Changing the designs that seal your fate,
But in this twilight between dusk and dawn,
Just remember our paths will rejoin.

Here's Why...

Here's Why....


1) I'm working: Because I prefer to keep my time occupied and getting a job never hurt anyone. In fact, this is the first real job I've had...teaching aside.


2) I'm not in UK: Because UK believes I'm a terrorist and refuses to approve my visa...twice. Because things happen for a reason. Because there's something I've yet to finish before I go. Because I haven't told the people who matter that I will miss them.


3) Praven's awesome: He went to help me get a damaged $79.90  dress exchanged but in the end couldn't so bought a new dress and told me he managed to exchanged it.

4) I know Deepavali's here: Mum's shouting at us at 8am on weekends to clean the rooms and dad went missing. It's like he knows...

5) AFT is my baby but at the same time isn't: AFT was an idea. AFT was a dream of mine. AFT is not an "It". Rather, it's an emotion. Arteen Furteens is not defined by the events but more by the people in it. And it started small but slowly new people join and the family grows whether we like it or not. Sometimes old habits die and new ones emerge. Sometimes we have to adapt or just fade away into the darkness. So Yoga mentioned something in his blog about how things seem to be changing and the energy fading. Well it's true and he's also right in saying it's everyone's responsibility to do something about it.

I love you guys but that is no longer my job. I believe that you have the capability to do something about it. I believe that individually you have something special to bring to the table. And you have to stand strong. AFT was built for those who loved the ARTS but were not given an opportunity. SO  MAKE SURE YOU STICK TO THAT MOTTO BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT SHOULD DEFINE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE COMMITTEE. IF YOU LOSE SIGHT OF THAT THEN AFT MAKES NO SENSE. AFT will always be there. It can never fade away. But it's up to the people inside to except newcomers and cultivate their talents. It's up to you guys to take AFT into the next phase. Jokes aside guys. A new term is coming! Can you imagine the new ideas that can come out!
And the postponment of the musical is sad and yet at the same time making it a tradition for the musical to fall on March. And right after will be AFT night! So please, when times are down and things seem bleak, each of you have that matchstick (will) to start a fire. You just need the right surface (dream) to flick the matchstick against for fire (AFT spirit) to come alive.

Do that. Because you have more lives to touch. You should never stop.

To those who read this god damn blog and expect to see their name

Yes this post is dedicated to all the people I know and care for....and well basically read this blog ; )
Actually the criteria is only the last. Yeah...

1) Praven, I'm proud of you. So very proud of what you are capable of. Who would have thought you had such  capacity to produce music like that. I don't even know where the music is coming from. And it's amazing to watch. (This ass doesn't read the blog but I know Sameer does so it's the same cause Sameer talks...alot)

2) Shatny, I don't tell you this enough but you are one strong woman. You know what you want and go after it. Getting the Ministry of Manpower Investigative Officer job wasn't easy but you did it and I'm proud of you. I look at you and don't fear about the person you're going to become in life. You may be emotional : ) but when it comes down to the gritty details of life, you've got it under control.

3) Prateepan...where do I even begin kid. You have the mind of our mother's. You want to do everything and anything. And I'm glad you're doing that at this age. You're like what some people I know would call the Jesus of Sembawang. You're not afraid to stick to a plan and follow it through. And what's better is that people follow you in your plans and not because you're bossy or insist they do but because you've gained their trust and they enjoy the plans you make.

4) Serena, babe, girlfriend haha. Getting into NUS is no easy feat and working your butt of there isn't any easier. You are doing an amazing job girl what with balancing your family, friends and AFT XD I know there are times when it feels superbly hard and you just wish you had someone to talk to, to pour all your emotions out to and well....just talk to. And the thing is you deserve the best. And usually good people have to wait for the best things in life. So just hold on Serena. Something special will happen : )  (I don't have a hot latin male being delivered to your house. That's not the special thing. But if the special thing doesn't come soon and you really can't wait, we'll go for the hot latin male delivery thingy plan.)

5) Naathan, you are probably the most hilarious guy I know....in Singapore that is. But you're funny all the same. You have so much potential and so much capability that I know you are capable for something more creative and bigger in life. So reach out and grab those dreams. Sometimes it's better if you start living your own dreams out instead of the dreams of others because your life does matter.


6) Prabs Prabs Prabs : ) Get that job as a chef soon and work your butt off. You have that skill in you. It's not like you can just cook. Anyone can cook. Some chefs can cook really well but they're missing something. It's like being able to play the notes for a music piece on the piano VS letting the music flow through your body and rising from your fingertips to caress the piano. Your skills to cook come from some place special. You don't just cook, you create pieces. Trust me. I would know. I love food.

7) Yoga, congratulations on being the best of the best. You wanted something and you went for it. It's amazing to see in what short time you've changed. You're still you but more matured and less OCP : ) Keep doing what you're doing Yoga because you're doing it well and with the support of everyone around you.

8) Idham, congratualtions for being the ...student of the term...right? Haha congrats seriously. I know how hard it's been for you and JC life isn't easy. But you must be doing something right if you're getting student of the term right? Stay strong and work at it. Don't let your mind wander and just focus. You'll do well. You're a smart kid.

9) Sameer....what can I say? Your ego carries you through any situation...lol But it's been great to watch you grow up to the person you've become. You have leadership qualities in you and you've started displaying them. Sometimes when I look at you I think you fear exerting those qualities because you're afraid of what would happen after you do so. Would people listen to you? Or would they just laugh it off? So that's why you either sometimes goof off or snap. But honestly I think you should try exerting one day. You'd be surprised by the results because you have the capacity to pull it off. But you still have to wait for Serena to step down to take over AFT.

10) KC, chinese fella. Honestly I'm impressed with you. You're like the male version of Serena. Not afraid to hang out with mostly Indians and Malays. Then again, you could be doing that to be the centre of attention. Yeah that makes sense. But honestly, you are one focused young man. For all the deluded, act cool, goof off fronts that you put up, I can see that you think logically and expect the best for yourself. And you should because you deserve it, all of you do.

11) Eh....Ghau doesn't read this blog right?

12) Kanitha : ) Dearest young lady. You're like that hidden talent that pops out of nowhere to wow everyone. You are intelligent, effective, logical minded, emotional (to a certain extent. which is good. because too emotional is obviously...tough...and not emotional...is tough...), strong hearted and confident. All the attributes any mother would want in their daughter and any man would want in their chicka ; ) You're in NUS now darling, nothing can stand in your way as long as you stand firm.

Okay if there's anyone else who reads my blog but isn't mentioned, sorry.

JOB!!!

I'm starting work in less than 9 hours!!! I'm excited in the "I've got something productive to do in the morning" sort of way! Plus, it's an interesting job of a service quality executive. They make it sound exciting. I'll experience my first day and then blog about it I suppose...

Trudging Through It All

This past year has been a nightmare. 2010 has definitely not been my year. As much as I try to smile through it all, there is that undeniable truth that everything that could go wrong has gone wrong...and all at the same time... I know...I'm being melodramatic. So sue me. But I've really been trying to keep a positive outlook on it all. No matter what happened, I'd shrug my shoulders, give a smile and convince myself that I'm not affected. It worked for awhile until everything just came crashing down.

And that's when I resorted to joking about it because I just couldn't believe that so many bad things could happen at one time. The moment the first bad thing happened, my mum said, "Everything happens for a reason. Maybe you're meant to travel a different path." If I only I got a dollar for everytime someone esle told me the same thing after that. It's not that I don't want to believe them. That would just make me childish and unreasonable. It's just that I can't accept the fact that my own future is out of my hands. And it's been ridiculously frustrating because I feel agitated and pissed off but I have to calm down about it because childish ranting and crying would not get me anywhere. So I pick myself up and dust myself and step forward again. But it feels like every step forward takes me 2 steps back.

I don't know when things are going to change. I just hope they do soon because as much as I preach having alot of faith, holding on for a year is really stretching it thin. Not being able to control what happens in my life is infuriating and taxing.

And writing became unimportant to me during this time because I felt no urge (like I used to) to write down my thoughts and pen down my dreams. Things became unimportant and I felt uninspired and unsure. But even during those times, I had to keep a level head. If there's one thing my mum has ingrained into my siblings and I is that no matter what happens to you, never ever break apart because time changes swiftly and so does your fate. She made sure we grew up learning how to think logically and react wisely.

And that's why I've got her to thank the most for. My mum has been important to me since the day I was bloody born. She never made me feel alone and has always been there. I don't know what I would do without her especially during this one year. Having her around to talk to is agitating and infuriating but at least I know that when I speak to her, I'm being honset about what I feel.

So what's the point of this post? Nothing majorly important to you my reader. But it is important to me. Because I'm slowly finding my stride back and I'm feeling inspired to write. I'm trudging through it all.

You can call me the woman with no tack.

Yes, I have no tack sometimes...sadly. I've just been told twice, by two different people that they were hurt by what I said....No surprise there. I know I have a sharp tongue and I control it pretty well...most of the time. And when I do know I've delivered a rather harsh blow, I quickly apologise for it, only when it was uncalled for.

But the no tack thing has worked out for me most of the time. It allows me to tell people what I think without hiding the truth under a shitload of flowery words. Direct speech is the best because you don't waste time and instead get right to the point. But you must also remember to make sure direct speech is kept strictly to work because you don't want it to affect friendships.

Sometimes my no tack in friendship stems from the fact that I'm not very good at relaying emotions. I'm not EQ low but I am emotion shy. Sadly true. And that is all the information I can provide about myself...for the moment.

Moving on to other matters. My legs still hurt and are sore from the ice skating trip on Sunday. Damn good fun and exercise but a hell of alot of muscle aches now. Things have been okay so far. I've taken a calm and patient perspective on this whole visa thing. When it comes, it'll come. I told my mum that the two of us have to calm down and just patiently wait. If I don't leave by next Tuesday, I'll just go next year for the January intake. I'll still finish in  August. So no big deal.

Okay...gonna head off to sleep land. Night!

Maturity- A perception rather than wisdom that comes with age

We naturally assume maturity comes with age but that is not the case at all. Maturity is a perception. It is a way of thinking. It is a logical way of thinking. Some of us, gain this maturity with experience while others lose it with experience. Situations change a person and the ideas they hold, may it be for better or worse. I have had the sad privilege of being around people who have lost their maturity because of the incidents in life they have faced. But then again, I am also surrounded by people whose level of maturity increases as they face life's problems.

But sometimes maturity seems over rated. It prevents you from doing ridiculous things and just going over the edge. It also prevents you from taking risks in your own personal life because you know the consequences and logically eliminate that experience without even trying it. It's awful sometimes because you want to go through that situation just to feel human but your maturity prevents you because it has distinctly identified the disastrous outcome.

So what do you do? You need to realise that every experience is crucial, every mistake necessary and that as much as you know you shouldn't be making it, you should make it. But not all the time like some idiots I know. Make a mistake once, learn from it and move on. Don't make the same stupid mistake over and over again. It's like failing in a module or subject and repeating that year. Repetition in a mistake makes you an idiot and your maturity decreases...rapidly.

Part 2 of whatever Part 1 was about...

DAMN IT ALL TO HELL!!!! !*^&#^Q*#(&#^#%$ Asses.

My visa application was rejected. #&^%%#(&Q Idiots.

Naathan, you're my buddy and all but the fact that you handed over my rejected visa puts you in the jinx list for the next 1 week. Sorry.

I have to actually go through the application again! Today was a hell lot of running around, setting up a new bank account, and well...alot of other things. Tomorrow's going to be another long long and I mean LONG waiting session at the UK visa center...sucks. But it also means I have 1 more week in Singapore to spend time with everyone...but still sucks...because I'll probably be missing 3 days of my classes.

Now onto other things...the chalet was awesome : ) Everyone being there was important to me and the fact that I got to see my family on one day and my friends the next was fantastic. I had small talk with some of my friends it was good to hear from them after a long time. Biking with the gang was so cool haha. Motorised biking for the win! And kudos to Yoga for actually catching up with Sameer and me on his non-motorised mountain bike.

Alright...mentally exhausted so post ends here...

Yup..

LONG FREAKING POST BEFORE I LEAVE (PART 1)

WARNING: THIS IS GOING TO BE A LONG LONG LONG POST. (The writer will try to infuse pictures and colours and quotes to make it more interesting ; ) ) This long post is a result of the short time I have left in Singapore before I leave overseas to UK to complete my studies. There! I've finally stated it on my blog. I realised I was subconciously not posting on my blog because I didn't yet want to accept the fact that I was going. But not that I have, it's time to get posting ; )

So to begin with, so much much much has happened in the time that I've disappeared from my blog. But now I'm ready to blog about everything and I really mean EVERYTHING. So brace yourself : )

A)  I've been thinking alot recently, some unnecessary but thinking all the same. And it's come to my attention that I have met many different types of people in my life and there's a particular difference between one half and another. One half, actually wants some great and fantastical out of life, wanting to push the boundaries and test the waters while another half, want to play it safe and assume a safe role in life, with a simple path. I try to understand how and why some people can readily accept the simple life. 

• See, in the villages and tribes, the people there are not exposed to the outside world. So, why would someone like them want something more than the life they have if they don't know what more they can get? 

• But then, there are those who know what the world has to offer. They know what can be attained and the possibilities that lie out there. And yet, they choose not to run after that and prefer to keep the simple life. Why? Why would you do that if you knew there could be more? 

• It's almost like the question someone once asked my friends and I: "If you were attached to this person A for 4 years and your relationship has been going well and you suddenly meet this person B whom you come to feel is your soul mate, what would you do?"

Instantly, I answered, "Leave person A for B because I believe in soul mates and ofcourse there's the other fact that if Person B were my soul mate, then isn't it true that person A's soulmate wasn't me and his was still out there? And by breaking off with him, wouldn't I be giving him the chance to find his soulmate?"

However, my brother had a different answer. He said, "I'd stay with Person A! We spent alot of time growing our relationship and I'm not about to give up on what we have. I also have a duty to this person. So I'd ignore Person B."

•  You see, my brother prefers to keep it simple, sticking with the person he had been building a relationship with while I believe in going after what's out there because I believe there's more to life than just simplicity. I don't scoff at my brother's ideals, in fact I respect him for that because he knows what he wants and he seems to relish the fact of achieving them one day. I just can't imagine the same for me. 

• I think I'd actually die if I ended up leading a simple life. See as much as getting married to a man my family knows, having a nice job with a nice salary and having kids before I turn 26 sounds appealing to many, it doesn't sound at all to me. Don't get me wrong. I want to have kids, 4 in fact, just like my mum because as Jane Howard said, "Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family.  Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one."

 B) AFT has become a BIG part of my life. In fact, one day, if they'd all want, we could convert it into a private company.

• Leaving AFT had to be one of the hardest things I've done. It was such a huge part of my life and will continue to be even after I leave. When I first started this arts group, I never thought how important it would become to me. But it has and it's not only like a 2nd family to me, it actually holds a symbolic meaning of dreams coming alive. It's living proof that if you have an idea, any idea and enough passion to fuel it, that idea will take form an become real. It has proven to me the capabilities of the mind and whatever a group of youths can achieve together.

 

• "CinderElla Revamped" had to be the turning point in my life in many ways. I've never really talked about it with people or blogged about it but it definitely was. Nothing can compare to that first time rush you get when trying to accomplish something that others deem unworthy of their time. And I was impressed the group of youths who stepped forward, willing to embrace a raw idea. I've come to belief that this line delivered by the lead actress in the movie "Fighting Temptations" is in line with my point here: "The hateful people you meet in life, the ones that criticize you and ridicule you, are like sandpapers. And you're a diamond in the rough. These sandpapers will rub you with their hurtful words but at the end of the day, from all the rubbing, you turn out to be a sparkling diamond while that sandpaper is going to wither away into nothing."  

•  I'm leaving with Serena in charge of AFT and I trust her abilities but more importantly I trust her mind and the passion that she has within her. She knows the choice I had between having her as chairman and well...having her as chairman ; ) Sameer still has some years to grow but he'd make a fine choice someday : ) SO SERENA IF YOU'RE READING THIS, NO MORE DISAPPEARING ACTS! Thanks : )

• Naathan is left as the Director of Peter Pan and he has lived up to the expectations of that role. And Naathan, it will get harder as it gets closer to the date. In fact, it is going to come to a point where you feel yourself making life changing decisions. You're going to meet people who are going to piss you off but make you stronger and meet people who are going to stand by your side through it all. But most of all, you're going to discover the person you could become as time goes by. With that my friend, I leave you with these words, "Don't let anyone tamper with the believes and passion you hold for there will be those who will try to extinguish that flame. Guard it close and ensure that you blossom from your believes and passion because at the end of the day, not only must the people around you benefit and grow from this experience, you must too."

• To the core team of AFT; Thana, Kanitha, Henry, Sameer, Colin, Yoga, Prabs, Praven, Idham, KC and Ghauthaman,  thank you for trusting in my to follow my ideals and for sticking around long enough to see AFT grow to what its become. It took a lot of vision from the team of you'll to actually believe that AFT was going to be something someday. I hope that AFT will carry on progressing forward as it was meant to and that you'd be around to witness it's growth as well as your own. Good luck guys : )

   

I'm really going to miss you guys.

(I realise how much I have to write and as such, this is going to be the end of part 1 of the Long Post and part 2 shall be up soon.)

Advice

I know I know. I've been neglecting my blog for nearly a month. I'm surrounded by people who never fail to remind me especially this one particular person who writes about sofa beds and tables. I have truly tried to write a post. But everytime I log into my account and open up the post page, my fingers fail to fly across the keyboard to type about my day. I thought I was uninspired but the past month has been filled with a thousand activities that deserve to be written about. And then it hit me, I was just living life and the words that were intended to fill up the pages of my blog were being used to speak with others.

I suppose I don't make any sense with that last sentence but let me explain myself. I tend to write about topics that interest me or write about my day or simply state down realizations I've had. The past month has made it hard for me to do so because the level of interaction I have been having with the people around me has increased. Instead of typing about my day, I tend to talk to other people about it. And more importantly, instead of writing my opinions about things that have happened, I've been providing advice.

My advises are nor born of wisdom like those wise men you see giving one liners with a hidden smirk in their eyes. No. Mine are born of logic, simple thought processes that lead you to the decision one has to make.

So why then am I now typing a post? Because my advice, though given, has not been followed by some. I'm not some priest or saint for my advice to be followed but when I give it, I give it as a friend and I don't shove it down someone's throat. It's an option I give. I try to let them now the logical point of view. So if one chooses to follow it or not, it's their choice. But I hate it when someone listens with intent, asks more questions, pretends to want to change, shows concern for the wrong moves he/she is making but ultimately does nothing to change it. And to make things worse, end up performing more actions that just makes the hole deeper. And when that person falls into it, he/she has no one else to blame but themselves. But, they tend to blame others instead.

I get agitated because there was a logical route to take! It was a simple choice. But people fail to see this. Some people I mean. Why complicate matters? To make one look good? Is it like a lie? You know, one lie triggers another and hence another and evantually it all spirals into one complicated web of lies to protect one's image?

Advice is born of two things; wisdom and logic. Wisdom comes from those who have lived longer, gone through experience and made right and wrong choices. Sadly, it's the truth. Age does lend you wisdom.  Logic on the other hand, is born from the mind. Logical thinking can even be better seen in the mind of a ten year old child as compared to his 25 year old counterpart. Logical thinking sees the shortest and simplest route one can take to solve the situation as quick as possible. Sadly, not many have it and not many attain it. They are too content in living in their little bubble where they stand still while the world moves ahead of them. Everything that happens to them is a result of other people's actions and when something goes wrong, they blame the world when they should blame themselves for not taking the initiative to have changed it all.

I know I 'm ranting. And this is probably one post only I'll get but if even one person understands the words I've spewed forth, I suppose this post has been useful.

Don't worry, I'll write something of more interest soon enough : )

Frantic much?

This entire week has been a mad rush of making decisions and carrying out several tasks. And on top of that Soundwave's performance is at the top of my list. Gah. Even energy that is reserved for agitation is at an all time low. I'm losing weight for no apparent reason. And yes, it's only on my face. The rest of me is as...ahem...as ever : )

Alrighty then updates. I've entered a 24 hour script writing competition. We'll see how that goes...I'm really asking for it. Seriously. All things considered if I were to die of exhaustion or over taxation, I place the entire blame on myself.

And then ofcourse, there's the whole spend more time with every family member and friend. That's eating up time as well. But it's time well spent.

Then ofcourse there's Yathra, National University of Singapore's production. We're helping out because we're paying $1000 to take all or atleast whatever we want (SETS) from them. This includes the equipment as well.

Gah. Energy being drained at the thought of it. So there are other things but most of all, I'm disappointed in my writing : ( I'm having writer's block on both my blog and book. Sigh. I need to find inspiration again else my thoughts shall wither away in less than beautiful words.

Oh and Happy Belated Birthday Yoga. : )

What Is It That Makes A Person Lie?

Lies are but the thorns we install to protect the secret which is the rose. Not all of us are comfortable with exposing our every little secret nor are we capable of baring our souls to the world without feeling absolutely and positively naked. Some love it. They simply love lying. But they call it, 'simply not telling the truth'. I would know. I've been brought up by one who positively hates liars and another who calls lying an art. But the truth of it all is that no one can grow up without lying at all. It's a defense mechanism when used right but when used wrongly, can become a lethal weapon in which the one wielding the lies will soon find themselves in a narrow hole they themselves dug.

Haven't we all experienced that one moment where everything goes terribly silent and our head starts pounding as we look down at the shoes of the person who caught us lying. Well I have. And it's a horrid feeling I would surely wish upon everyone. Why? Well, because then they'd learn how not to get caught ofcourse. Anywho, I'm digressing. The topic at hand is what makes a person lie? And here are what I believe the reasons to be:

1) Desperation

Imagine if you had a boyfriend or girlfriend (which ever gender you are, pick the opposite or...just pick your preference) and your parents aren't exactly liberal thinking folks, and they caught you out with your BF or GF, you would lie. Hell, I would. 

Mum: Who is this young man?
Me: Him? Pfft. Him?
Mum: Yes him.
Me: He's that project group mate I've told you about before. Remember?
Mum: Ah...no. I don't think so.
Me: Oh mum, you're always forgetting things. (WRONGGGGGGGG!!!! Don't ever say that, she'll swoop in and deliver the final blow for mentioning a memory loss which ultimately refers to her being old and females hate being referred to as old. Maybe if it were your dad, you could. Unless your dad's an Adonis, then forget it because he's vanity would be the same as a woman's. Instead say this.) Oh mum, I did mention it but I think you were reading that important article in the newspaper. Anyways, this is Chris. 
Chris: Hi.
Mum: Yes well...
Me: We just finished project meeting and the rest live around here but Chris and I have to take the train back. That's why we're walking together.
Mum: Oh. Why don't I just give the two of you a ride back then.

(Caution: Don't say yes. Go home with your mum but don't take your BF with you. Because lying with a straight face is already bad but bringing your guy in the car...wow...that's just going to a whole new low.)

So that's for desperation. If we're desperate, we'd try anything to get out of the situation and lying is the first defense mechanism. 

2) Instigation
  Yes, instigation. When one is provoked and pushed into a corner, one retaliates with an exaggeration of the truth. It happens to everyone. Just that for some of us, as we grow older and thankfully become wiser, we become immune to instigation and pat our provoker on the head and smile at them as though they were a child. However, there are those who constantly respond to instigation despite their age. Here's an example:

God: Lucifer. (laughs in a godly manner) My brother, you must join us up here more often. We lack for sour company. (Laughs again.)
Lucifer: Yes, I see how you yearn for my devious company. It shows in how you spend your time eating and drinking with the other gods. 
God: (clears throat) Come now Lucifer, insults are uncalled for here.
Lucifer: Insults. Please brother. If I were to insult you, you wouldn't realise it because us higher intelligent beings can deliver a proper insult without the victim realising it. 
God: (face turns red as the other gods start smirking at him) Come now Lucifer.We shall cease this bantering and drink shall we?
Lucifer: Ah yes why not? While the people in Africa suffer from drought and famine and evantually die and end up in hell because they commit crime, let us be merry and consume beverages that are condoned to be bad for the body. Let us then adjourn and be drunk. What a fine role model you make brother.
God: (Turns completely red in anger) Now see here Lucifer! I do more good than you. All you do is guard the hells of gate and ensure the evil souls stay there. My task is far more than that. I have to answer prayers and visit the cities. I have to manage the other Gods and see that the seasons come and go as planned. I have to ensure...
 Lucifer: (Cuts in) Oh please brother. The list may go on and on. (Drawls while still lounging in a chair.) But have you for once thought about why the people pray to you or what ensures that the people you think love you try their best to behave well?
God: (Bellows) Because they revere and respect me.
Lucifer: No, because they fear me.
God: (sputters) No...pfft...no.
Lucifer: What have you done brother that has bettered the world recently? Hmmm?
God: (looks about rattled for a moment before lying through his teeth) I have found the answer to world peace!
Lucifer: Have you now? (leans forward) Well what is it then?
God: It is ...well...oh look at the time. I shall share my plans with you soon enough Lucifer. The world will be a better place. Just you see.
Lucifer: Oh please brother. Don't do any of the humans a favour because the last time you implemented a plan of yours, man began to complain how badly it hurt that their testicles were on the outside, easy for women to inflict pain upon them.
God: Yes..well..that was not one of my greatest ideas but this is Lucifer! 
Lucifer: Well then. I'm looking forward to seeing world peace.
God: Yes of course.
Lucifer: Before 2012 of course. Because that's when the world ends.
God: Damn it.

3) Plain old pride
Now this last reason is simple. Pride. People lie because they are proud and just can't admit the truth. Like if they haven't completed a task, they lie to protect their reputation and this is without any instigation from anyone. They simply lie. And if one lies too often because of pride, they can end up lying for the rest of their lives. Evantually, they themselves even begin to believe their lies and end up living in their own little bubble of lies.



So if you think about all the 3 reasons, you would realise that every and any lie you have ever said before can be categorized under these 3sub headings. It's true. Don't sass mouth me and say what about white lies. Lying to protect the ones you love. Well that's under Desperation. A lie is a lie. And it is perfectly acceptable if one does it in moderation unless of course you're an excellent poker faced liar. Then by all means, lie to your hearts content but remember, constantly move. If you lie often, staying in one place is dangerous. So move. Travel the world, lie and travel again. Don't settle down in one place.

So as you can see, if you lie often, you won't have a chance at a proper happy life. Sigh. I've completely lost my train of thoughts here. My handphone just buzzed and I'm rushing. So that's that I suppose. 

Lies are like the thorns that protect the rose that is the truth.

When I Grow Older

You know, it's been a really long time since I blogged hot updates. As in, I'm always blogging about stuff that happened 3 to 4 weeks ago but never about recent events. And that's about to change now until ofcourse I revert back to my lazy old ways ; )

Okay, so went on holidays to Genting last weekend. That went straight to  hell the moment I stepped onto Malaysia grounds. I fell horribly sick and was detained in my damn room for the whole bloody 3 days. You know how I felt? HORRIBLE. So as you can see, nothing to report although my family was unfailingly sweet over the 3 days. They were constantly checking up on me, and giving me medicine. And I was nice in response by being a very silent sick patient, who didn't complain during the trip until after she got better : )

So we got back and this entire week was practice at night for Soundwave's performance at Woodlands Causeway Point for Housing Development Board (HDB)'s 50th anniversary celebration. And how was the performance? Honestly? Not too good. The boxes killed us. I suppose on a scale of 1-10, it was a 5. Not to worry, Soundwavians, I have just emailed our advisors requesting for $500 to purchase equipment. Hopefully that works because we're bloody performing at Youth Scape on July 11 and we can't risk using stupid boxes again. Bongos and drum sets only. Oh and the make do shakers of course. Lifesavers those little things.

And sadly, I've still been recovering this entire week. When I got back home from performance, my voice went berserk again for 2 hours. It's better now. I think God wants me to keep my opinions to myself. It's his not so silent way of informing me.

What else? Oh yes. The World Cup. Don't fret fellow football watchers. You don't have the channel at home? MacDonalds is too packed for you? You can't afford to buy newspaper to get the results? FEAR NOT! FACEBOOK TO THE RESCUE! Yes football fanatics, Facebook gives you an accurate and sometimes not so accurate play by play of what takes place during the matches. So just pop come sweet popcorn or salty whichever you prefer, log into facebook, sit back and enjoy the SHOUTOUTS from your friends who are watching the matches. And if you don't have many female friends, GO ADD THEM NOW! Because they are the kind souls who update the statuses with football play by plays the most! So yes. Facebook is FIFA World Cup's unannounced and unofficial sponsor and media support : )

Thank you for tuning in.

Oh and I do believe that this song should have won over Shakira's Waka Waka.



Oh and Toy Story 3 is AWESOME!!!

Oh My...

Time sure flies doesn't it? Especially the month of May and June. It feels like a weekend to me. So much has happened and I'm just barely recovering from it all only to have to prepare myself for the next tiresome yet wonderful phase.

So like I mentioned previously, Arteen Furteens (AFT) performed at SHINE awards ceremony. Here are some of the pictures from the 29th of May 2010:

It was definitely loads of fun and now it's over. After that, I refused to touch the younger AFTians for they were having papers or had alot to catch up on. Besides, I had my birthday party to work on. Yes peeps, my 21st Masquerade Party on the 5th of June 2010. Masquerade! Always loved that concept and finally had one.

This was how I felt on that day.

It was a mad rush and my mind was in a flurry. Everything seemed up but at the same time undone. Worry flooded through, trapping any other possible emotion from emerging. It was impossible. It seemed impossible. How were we to get this all done by 6.30pm?

But then I saw my brother standing upon a chair, balancing himself, as he attempted to string up twinkling lights and my mother, tying up bunches of balloons, my sister and cousins, slaving away as they tied ribbons to cupcakes, my cousin, putting up a gorgeous masterpiece and my youngest sibling, pitching a tent. And in that moment, I knew, there was no choice but to make it work.

Clipping back my hair, that I had done at the saloon and was probably going to be messed up before the party even started, I trudged into it all and a mad dash soon began. I was either shouting orders or receiving them. 6pm arrived and my cousin sister started yelling at me to follow her in order to get dressed up. I would then beg for 5 more minutes to finish some things up. 5 soon turned into 15 minutes and I was evantually dragged away. I stared forlornly at the half mess I was leaving behind as I headed to the dressing room. As I pulled on my dress and unclipped my hair, I strained my ears for any sound of indication that the mess was cleared, But I heard none. My cousin sister soon sat me down and applied my worst enemy, makeup. I don't hate makeup. I just hate the waiting one has to do while being applied with it. I mean a touch of lipgloss and a dash of blusher should be sufficient right? Wrong.

So as I sat there waiting for the make up to be done, I pounded my other cousin sisters endlessly asking them if something was done or if I suddenly recalled a task, I'd yelp at them to get it done. I wanted my guests to enjoy themselves. That was the whole purpose of my party. I enjoy seeing other people enjoy themselves.

Then, after a straining hour or so, my makeup was done. Swiftly, I adorned my mask and all but scrambled from the room to check if the venue was ready. And my god. It was : )

There are so many people I have to thank. First of course would be my two buddies, Yoga and Naathan who emceed for me. Thank you very much guys : ) You'll were brilliant and hilarious. You made it great. And ofcourse Yoga, thank you for being the human ladder at some moments.

Andrew and Idham for the beautiful rendition of "When I Look At You". And to Prabs and Henry for singing that song and trust me when I say that your mistakes are what made it memorable : )

To Shanty for preparing the sinfully sweet cupcakes that everyone said they loved : ) The final embellishments on the cupcakes were just too dear. To Selvi and Mahes for tolerating all my barks of orders. I swear that I will be your humble servant at your weddings : ) To Vani akka for helping with the deco and my make up and of course for the huge mask that was the beautiful backdrop.

To Prateepan for the collage that you did and ofcourse to Sathim and you for the wonderful work at the kids' corner : )

To Praven for putting up the lights and assisting without complain with all the deco and of course to Praven, again, KC, Sameer, Idham and Yoga for the wonderful HamSam dedication. You'll are still idiots for putting that picture of me at the front but still darlings for the effort : )

To Kanitha who although was a guest assisted in the last minute decoration of the place. Thanks dear!

To everyone who got me wonderful gifts ; )

And to mum and dad who paid for my birthday....at least we got back half of what we spent! haha But thanks to them for finding the perfect venue.

So that was my 21st Masquerade Party

A Much Needed Say

I can't imagine how I could have gone for so long without viewing and typing on my blog. It's just been tough, logging in and reading the latest post and actually beginning to think what I could type about. It's been so busy and tough that I couldn't find the words to describe everything, and I probably will not be able to do so now but I'm going to try : )

It's been a flurry of activities these past 3 weeks, I'm not sure where I should begin. So to start off, here's what I had in store for me.

29th May 2010: Resorts World Performance
29 May- 6 June 2010: Launch of my book at Suntec City International Book Fair
5th June 2010: 21st Birthday Celebration
12- 14 June 2010: Genting holiday with extended family

Yeah. So of course, much of my time was invested in AFT's performance at Resorts World. We had to be as close to perfection as possible. And here's the truth, we were not close to being perfect but we were definitely good because no one else in Singapore has tried it and we did. We broke the barriers for what was deemed possible and impossible and I know for sure that the next person in AFT takes up a gig like this, we'll be perfect. First time's always the test run : )

To the boys, who told me that they couldn't sing or dance, you proved yourself wrong. Yeah you go off pitch sometimes but so do I. The thing that matters is that you tried and won a battle. Girls, our first time dancing on stage in a dress and it went well. Both of you looked gorgeous and I couldn't have danced with anyone better.

Prabs, Henry and Idham, thank you for making the music awesome to sway to. Prabs, an excellent job done in the official song for the SHINE awards. It was truly an inspirational song and everyone loved it : ) Henry, I know you learned the chords for the song rather last minute, but it was definitely well done! Idham, what can I say? The ladies love a dude in a suit carrying and playing the bongos ; )

All of you looked amazing that night and it was truly a huge step for AFT and we can only keep on climbing up from here on out for we have built the safety net and we've got something to catch us if we fall, our reputation.


So moving on, while all this was going on, I was preparing for my birthday party. Not easy when too many people are providing suggestions leaving you tired and agitated and just confused. But after awhile, I knew that I had the last say and should be making decisions based on my own good sound judgement. So from there on out, things went well...well kinda.

Anyways, this week's been rather tough because I was juggling teaching at Si Lin Primary School from 1pm to 5pm and Sinda from 7pm to 9pm on Monday and Tuesday. And I had Sinda again today. It's just been 3 long days with my mum and me squeezing any time we had left for all it was worth; rushing here and there purchasing deco, calling up to confirm food orders, ensuring the cake would arrive on time, sound system, dress, guest book, emcee script (meeting the guys later in the wee hours of the morning), music, video, masks...god...ah yes and mosquito patches. I don't want anyone getting bitten in the outdoors. Oh and how could I forget, toys to distract the kids from the small pool. Kill me.

At the same time, I'm meeting up Yoga and Naathan in the morning to settle the emceeing part, then going for facial (an evil foe that my mum just has to force me to go!!! I hate it!!! HATE IT! Not kidding. Threading and all I can take but STUPID SICKENING FACIAL!!! BLOODY HELLL! !!!! I'm just supposed to sit there and wait and wait and wait and wait till my STUPID LIFE EXPIRES!!!!!!!!!!! Okay I'm calm now.) Then, I'm meeting up ladies from AI for lunch and then rushing off to NUS to pass them the bags for the camp and then rushing back to meet my mum and head over to Malaysia to collect the album and purchase anything that is anti mosquito. Then head back home to complete the table centre pieces.

And on Friday, rising bright and early to follow my mum to settle some stuff, transfer money over to confirm some travelling documents, off to Tangs to purchase a chocolate fondue machine (hopefully), then to Suntec City for the International Book Fair to promote my book then off to Spaboutique to meet the table and chairs company and to set up half the deco. Then back home to sleep.

And then on Saturday....ahhhh!!! Wake up, go to the saloon, get my hair done, chuck all things necessary for the party into mum's car, head off for french class (last lesson so I have to go and collect my certificate), leave halfway for the Spaboutique, set up all the deco, change, makeup and then party starts. At this moment, although I know there is more after that, I can't seem to think beyond 5th June at this point of time so I'm going to just take it 1 week at a time.

Did I mention I went to Ikea and then courts and then Chong Pang and then to a cousin's house and then to SINDA and then to the CC all the while, I REPEAT, all the while, somehow lugging a bag that weighs more than 4kg on top of my 1.5kg Nike Bag (yes I weighed it).

But I don't hate life, I'm just trying my best to make sure that I'm not swept away by the tidal wave, instead, I'm trying to ensure I'm riding it. Understand the difference? If you don't, I'll explain it some other time.

Feeling Like A Zombie,

Writer

MODELING IS so not my thing.

So...yes. I went to Malaysia for my photoshoot. It's for my 21st birthday (masquerade theme) and my mum and dad sponsored it. I get to shoot from 12pm to 6pm and have to adorn 2 of my own casual attire while the photographers provide two of their gowns. So here's a summary of how it went.

Alright, I know I've done the 10 thing list before this but what the hell I'll do it again.


10 things I learned in Malaysia

1) When one is modeling, one may tend to get stuck in a certain position especially if the hip is thrust to one's side. Yes. When I was sitting on the floor while the photographer was taking a shot, I actually leaned forward and said, "Wait, wait, wait. Hip cram. Hip cram."

2) Serena understands me superbly well. The stylist placed a mini hat on my head and I just said, "Really?" rather softly and Serena said, "Yes. It suits you fine. Don't worry." What would I do without her? Haha.

3) Anyone can look good with 3 layers of makeup on their face.

4) When someone repetitively tells me something, I get wary. The photographer was an awesomely nice guy but for some reason, he finds it necessary to constantly, and I mean CONSTANTLY, say, "Okay, alright. 3, 2, Open your mouth." What he wanted was a natural looking picture, according to Serena so he didn't want me to tightly press my lips together, hence the instruction to open it slightly. But to REPEAT it more than a 100 times....sigh...I laughed at first and then I died inside.

5) My eyes can actually look bigger than they are with the help of fake eyelashes.

6) That contraption I always thought was a torture tool is actually an eyelash curler. Whoopie. And here's a tip. If you want to make sure that your eyelashes actually stay curled after you use the torture tool eyelash curler, heat the torture curler with a hair dryer first before using.

7) Dresses that don't look nice on first inspection can actually look really good in a picture.

8) People in Malaysia are amazed by the fact that Serena and Colin are friends with Indians or vice versa. They kept staring at the group of us. Yes people. We're planning to start a revolution in your country by mixing the Chinese and the Malays.

9) I like the contact lens I bought. It's actually rather irrelevant to the topic at hand but hey what the hell.

10) Oh oh oh!!! The road from Malaysia's customs (Checkpoint) to the city itself looks like an F1 racetrack, with all its curves and stuff. Think of the possibilities. First was the night race, now we'll have country to country races. Haha. Can you imagine the racers stopping at the immigrations to hand of their passports before they can get clearance to complete the race. Haha. If you're not laughing just get off my blog now.

So folks, I'm tired, decidedly so. Hence, I'm going to sign off now with this picture that my mum took of me during the shoot:

Don't forget No. 3.

Stars

Whaz up!?!?! So I was about to just start replying to emails and get down to work before sleeping when I suddenly had one of those inspired moments. That split second where I go, "I shall write about this now!" So here I am : )

Okay updates first:

1) I went for a driving lesson this week. Misplaced my temp driving pass. Instructor was kind enough to drive me to the Woodlands Civics center to renew at SingPost. Realised there wasn't a SingPost at the Civics center. Instructor drove me back to the school. Tried my luck at renewing there. Couldn't. Got depressed. Took the bus back to Admiralty MRT station. Instructor called me twice. Was too depressed. Didn't answer. He SMSED me: "Hi. Talked to my supervisor. It's okay. We'll let you clear this lesson and we'll begin on vertical parking. Where are you?" Was over my depression. Called him and told him where I was. He came and picked me up. We only had 40 minutes of lesson left. I cleared one lesson and began halfway on the other one. All that drama in 2 hours...

2) Got the ISBN for my book. Stickers are being printed. Will be attached to book next week. Distribution will take place the week after and books will be in stores!!!

3) Been swimming consistently. Mum and Dad saw me inspired to exercise and decided to encourage me by dangling $150 if I reach the body frame that I want. Relax, I will share my weight for I am not ashamed by it. I actually like my weight and am okay with my size. I just want to tone it and keep fit. So my current weight is 63.8kg. And I would like to reach 56kg. And after that if I tone up and my weight increases, I've got no issues. And since my mum said there's no time limit, if I take 2 years for this then the money's still there ; )

4) Realised I want a date. So if there's any hot hot hot guy reading my blog, call me.

5) Peter Pan script is perfect now. The storyline is better and more importantly, life has been breathed into the characters. So kudos to Yoga, Naathan and myself. What? I need to praised myself as well ; ) And Naathan and Yoga stuck in there and redid major scenes bloody well! So brilliant job guys!

6) Watched Iron Man 2. Loved it. Standard Marvel Cheesy lines. Explosives. Fight scenes. The suit.

7) We've started rehearsals for the Resorts World Shine Awards celebrations. Just got a call from Rebecca from PAYM. They loved the show choir concept. Who wouldn't especially since Glee is now a hit. And they especially love the song choices : ) "Rehab" lyric changes suited them and they can't wait to see it. Of course this just means the team will have to work doubly hard.

8) I still want a Siberian Husky. A wolf can come next.

9) Rediscovered my ambition.

10) Might be getting a maid! Hopefully chores will be no more!!! Lazy I am.

And now that I'm done with that, here's an explanation on the title of my post. I've been watching the movie, "Jack". I first watched it several years back. Was lucky enough to stumble upon it recently and have been watching it every day, at least once. If you're an ungrafeful lout, stuck up, indecent, a prick, boring, a realist, a name caller, an adult whose forgotten how to be a kid, watch this movie because you'll remember how it was to be a child, especially a boy. This movie is about a boy who ages four times faster than the people of his age. When he's ten, he looks forty. And when he's 17, he looks sixty-eight. And his ambition when he grows up is to be alive. Watch it because it'll remind you of alot of things you've probably forgotten. Actors are Robbie Williams, Bill Cosby and Fran.

It was while I was watching this movie that Bill Cosby said a line. It's not precise but roughly what he said. You see Jack wanted to be ordinary like everyone else. He just wanted to be a regular kid. But Bill Cosby's character told him that he'll never be ordinary....because he's extraordianry. Everyone else is a star. But Jack was a shooting star. It's rare that you see one and when you do, you stop and stare because it's special and even after it's gone, you remember it for the rest of your life.

So being different is okay. It makes you extraordinary. It makes you special. People will remember you because you affected them. Being different is amazing.

So do you want to be a star or a shooting star?

The Ham Sam Show

You simply have to watch it! This 5 minute long production is hilarious and has little moments in there where you find yourself giggling crazily.

Sameer and Idham, fantastic job guys. It takes alot to be the hosts of any show and you'll pulled it off. On top of that, you'll did it with finesse! Idham with the whole awkward crying moment and Sameer with the censored vulgarities! Haha!

Naathan, that was simply insanely funny. Mr Bubbles!?!?! I'm not gonna give anything away because you have to watch it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And Yoga....Yoga Yoga Yoga. OMG! The music and the way you stood!!! PRICELESS!!!

And ofcourse Praven, well done with the whole plan. It's turned out fantastic. And keep going at it.

So folks, do watch The Ham Sam show because it is worth your time and most definitely will make you LAUGH!

AND HERE IT IS FOR YOU VIEWING PLEASURE!!!!

Times and Memories (Part 4)

Before you read Part 4, you may read the 1st 3 parts by clicking on the links below:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

"Here we are," her father proclaimed as he pulled the car up a driveway next to a quaint house. As he got out of the vehicle and rounded to the back to retrieve the bags, she sat there for a few seconds and stared blankly out her window. She felt isolated and cornered at the same time. Taking in a deep breath that caused her entire body to shiver, she pushed the door open and got out of the car. As her father walked towards her with her bags, she took one from him and obediently followed the silent man to the front door. But before he could even open it, she stopped dead in her tracks and made a pathetic little sound.

"I can't do it. I can't go in there dad," she held her hands up in defeat as her voice trembled from the emotions that flooded her. "I just can't." She felt worn out and weak from everything. She was tired of life and all the roller coaster rides it had taken her on. And she was especially tired of getting off the ride without any good memories to take away.

Her father stared at her for a moment before slowly walking up to her. Laying a callused hand on her shoulders, he said in a gruff voice,"She needs you now more than ever. She asks for you every day. Please. Don't make her suffer any longer." With that said, he turned away and went into the house leaving her at the driveway feeling torn.
.....................................................................................................................................................................

"Please Faith, you have to help me! I can't do this alone," Ray pleaded with her twin.

"I never said I wasn't going to help you," Faith said sternly even as she placed a comforting hand on her sister's, "I'll never leave you, ever." Ray collapsed into tears the moment Faith said those words and Faith held her sobbing sister as she spilled tears over her lost innocence.

"I didn't expect this to happen Faith. I don't know what to do," Ray managed to get those words out in between her sobs.

"Hush. Now listen carefully. I'm here for you and we're going to get through this together, okay?" Faith looked into her sister's eyes. Ray nodded her head as she brushed away the tears that had dampened her cheeks.

"Good. Now first, I need to know who got you pregnant?" Faith asked her twin sister calmly.

"I can't tell you that," Ray shook her head.

"Why not? It would help Ray. Have you talked to him about this? Does he know you're pregnant? He needs to know Ray," Faith poked her sister for the truth.

"No! Please just leave it! He doesn't need to know alright!" Ray spit out venemously.

"Why not? I think he deserves to know. You need to atleast give him a chance to make a choice!" Faith counter argued.

"I can't because he's married!" Ray shouted. Faith looked away as she absorbed this piece of information.

"He's married?" She whispered. This changed everything. All at once, Faith's anger was riveted onto this unknown man who had slept and impregnated her sister. How dare he?

"Who is he?" Faith asked. "Do I know him?"

Ray fell silent as she sat beside her sister.

"Do I know him Ray? Have I met him before?" Faith persisted on. She wanted to give the scumbag a piece of her mind. Her sister did not deserve to be treated like this. "Ray?"

"You don't want to know Faith," Ray mumbled softly.

"Why not?" Faith asked and it was at that moment, a bad feeling crept over her. Just then, the front door to her house opened and she heard the familiar voice of her husband of two years.

"Honey, where are you? I got us dinner reservations at that restaurant you've been eyeing," his velvety voice floated down the hallway to where Faith and Ray sat.

Faith, in all slowness, turned to look into her sister's face and what she saw there jarred her to her very bones. For there, on Ray's face was a look of fear and guilt and it was then that Faith knew who the married man her twin had feared mentioning.

Anger seeped away only to be replaced by cold fury.

Hah! I was right! But then again I always was!

Hah! (Yes this word actually bears repeating.) I was right! You know what this means? This means that you should log into my blog constantly and read it! WHY? BECAUSE I OOZE AWESOMENESS!

HAHA! And because I'm always right. Like do you know why it was raining again tonight? BECAUSE Zeus lost the game Para Para to Hades. Sigh...when will they ever learn...

Anyways, I'll post some time later...oh yeah, Sameer wanted me to post this:

SOFABEDTABLE ROCKS!!!

IKEA (Win $1000 vouchers)

Check this out!!!

 3 simple steps:

1) Go onto the IKEA Website and download the software that will help you design your room.

2) Design your room! Have fun and be creative!

3) Submit your entry and await the results!!!

It's as simple as that!!!

I'm working on mine now!!! So fun lol. So if you are interested in joining the competition click HERE!!!

Oh and before I go off check out this comic strip I found within the pages of the IKEA magazine:

I read twice and couldn't stop laughing to myself. My sister called me crazy and walked off...

Oh and as a final comment, here's a weather report:
Residents of the North were shocked to their bones when a storm came over their homes; a thunderstorm to be exact. Reasons are not clear but we're getting reports that Hades stole Zeus' PS3 and as a result, the great King of Gods decided to retaliate rather childishly by tossing his powerful weapons down to the pits of Hell in order to spite Hades. However, Zeus in his anger forgot that between him and his brother, lies the domain called Earth, where humans reside and hence get caught in the middle of it all.

But Zeus realised his mistake at about 7pm last night and ceased his fury. As such, today we're enjoying a peaceful clear morning. But we've gotten insider scoop that Hades is now planning to steal Zeus' pride and glory, his God of War game. So be warned, there could possibly be a greater thunderstorm tonight.

And I'm out.