not tonight, tomorrow night or the night after that

good night...

goodnight, you

the one with the sick cat and an amateur nurse

alarm went off at 11am this morning. it's time to haul this lazy ass off bed. washed up and checked on sis before heading for groceries shopping with a growling tummy. came back SGD30 poorer but 3 bags-full, tummy's still growling. unloaded the stuff on the kitchen top and nursed that noisy tummy with strawberry yogurt and banana. sis seemed to look better and temperature dropped from 38.1 deg last night to 36.4 deg this morning.

with a happy tummy, i began with my day's task - to cook bee hoon soup for sis. after another successful 'first-time' on a new recipe in the kitchen, the day fast forwarded with me slacking with my lappy (as usual), eating, making more food, eating again, cleaning up, check on sis (looks fine), indulging in a tub of haagen dazs macadamia (tempting her to get well soon), and other insignificant stuff.

msn tab blinked for attention. sis says: temperature hiked to 37.5 deg. feeling feverish again. aiyo~ besides resting, drinking lotsa water, more visits to the loo, taking 6grams of effervescent vit c twice a day, keeping room ventilated, and letting the body perspire, i couldn't think of anything else. then i remembered i had some sorta cooling pad, supposedly helps to reduce fever.

found it but it was unintelligible. had to google for the instructions since sis argued that it needs to be refrigerated. 'gongs' sis. trying to confuse me. luckily i know how to google: http://headaches.about.com/cs/management/gr/be-koool.htm

- dinner time -

psst!

here's a quote i'd like to share with you today:

"most of us miss out on life's big prizes. the pulitzer. the nobel. oscars. tonys. emmys. but we're all eligible for life's small pleasures. a pat on the back. a kiss behind the ear. a four-pound bass. a full moon. an empty parking space. a crackling fire. a great meal. a glorious sunset. hot soup. cold beer. don't fret about copping life's grand awards. enjoy its tiny delights. there are plenty for all of us."

my personal favourite:

- a pat on the head or a light touch/lift beneath the chin

- a peck on the forehead or a passionate kiss right in the middle of nowhere (kiss like nobody's watching)

- i don't fish but would love to do it one fine day, and i'd already be jumping over half a pound of bass or whatever i can get (just don't gimme a shoe)

- hmm..how about the reflection of a full moon over a beautiful creek

- an empty parking space...yes!

- a group of friends seated around a crackling bonfire, by the beach

- a glorious sunset, by the beach

- hot tomato soup

- chilled can of coke

and i won't mope over the oscar.

what's your favourite?

people i meet

...at my work place.

it's possibly the many short turnarounds that i've been doing off late, that inspired me tonight.

i shall start by saying that, being in this job, i meet more people than i would in any 9-5hr's job.

to prove that, let us do some simple (or not) mathematics.

on an average 9-5 job, we meet our familiar circle of colleagues on a daily basis, every weekday. say, you work in an MNC that has 200 employees in the state where you work, you probably meet/interact with at most 20 people from your department and other departments that you deal with daily. and you will continuously deal with the same people each day, with possibly an average of 1 or 2 new faces each day, if you're handling a new project or if we assume a higher than average turnover of employees in your company. therefore, with 20 same faces plus 1 or 2 new faces you meet in a day, can we make a rough estimation that you will meet at most 30 (20 old + 10 new) people in a week? hence, can we conclude, 60 people in a month [20 old + (10 x 4weeks)]? yes, we can.

where i work, i meet new faces everytime i go for work. (is it a good or bad thing? it's gotta be a deliberation for another time) only in rare ocassions do i meet a familiar face. and even so, it's not easy to put a name to that face.

simply because:

1. we meet too many people. (we'll do that 'simple' math in a bit) OR

2. we might have met this familiar face 1 week ago? (possibly still fresh) 1 month ago? 1 year ago? 3 years? (that's probably too long to even trigger the mind to think 'familiar', unless the person has left a somewhat lasting impression by being either too damn good looking or too damn ugly!..or..the list could go on)

here's the math:

- each time i go to work, i will meet at least 10 people* (22 at most - but we shall do the math based on the smaller number). so let's give an average of 16 per day-at-work. [(10 + 22)/2]

- say, i work 8-9 times in a month, that would be 16 x 8 = 128 people in a month.

(*the number refers to colleagues only. excluding customers whom we would have interactions with - some of whom end up being our pen-pals, friends, close friends, boy/girl friends, spouse)

that is a whooping double...the amount of people an average worker meets.

now, give yourself a pat on your back if you've read this far and manage to grasp 70% of what you've read.

i'd say it's...a good thing..not a bad thing ...it's an eye-opener. to meet/work with different people - people of different nationalities, colours, ethnicities, and upbringing that sets us all apart but brings us together to work as a team (supposedly).

i say so because, it is not the difference in our language or our beliefs that brings us down as a team, but the multitude of attitude noticeable in different people working in the team. from my 3years of experience, i've seen both extremists in the people i work with; from the sloth to the hyper and everything in between. the sloth wouldn't be bothered that his/her colleagues had to cover his job while he sloths away, sitting around, pigging-out, or being M.I.A somewhere. the hyper wouldn't be bothered that he/she drives a slave of everyone who works with him. he's over obsessed with the black and whites of company rules and regulations. he breathes down the neck of colleagues by expecting everyone to work by the book instead of working with practicality and common sense. and hence, he soars in his job in the expense of his teammates.

it is a good thing we do not meet these extremists every time, yet still have them around. the former, for obvious reasons. the latter; so that we appreciate the kind and understanding souls we work with. though, this only applies to my job. if you had a direct-reporting superior who breathes down your neck for 8hours every work day, i wish you self-control and perseverance.

today's "mountaneous" task

before

after 3 songs

if there's a will, there's a won't, but there's also a way

serve's me right

the one about birthdays and wishes

祝我生日快乐: Wish me a happy birthday

我知道伤心不能改变什么
Wo zhi dao shang xin bu neng gai bian shen me
I know that sadness will not be able to change anything
那么让我诚实一点
Na me rang wo cheng shi yi dian
If that's the case, then let me be honest a little bit
诚实难免有不能控制的宣泄
Cheng shi nan mian you bu neng kong zhi de xuan xie
To be honest that's it's difficult to avoid an unruly betrayal
只有关上了门不必理谁
Zhi you guan shang le men bu bi li shei
I can only close the door and ignore the world
一个人坐在空的包厢里面
Yi ge ren zuo zai kong de bao xiang li mian
Sitting alone inside this empty space
手机让它休息一夜
Shou ji rang ta xiu xi yi ye
Let the cellphone rest for a night
难,想切割切掉回忆的画面
Nan, xiang qie ge qie diao hui yi de hua mian
[So] Difficult, [I feel like] cutting off all the frames of memory
眼泪不能流过十二点
Yan lei bu neng liu guo shi er dian
These tears can no longer shed past Midnight
生日快乐 我对自己说
Sheng ri kuai le wo dui zi ji shuo
Happy birthday, I said to myself
lf蜡烛点了
La zhu dian le
[As] The candles are blown
寂寞亮了
Ji mo liang le
Loneliness lit up
生日快乐
Sheng ri kuai le
Happy birthday
泪也融了
Lei ye rong le
Tears are melted away
我要谢谢你给的你拿走的一切
Wo yao xia xia ni gei de ni na zou de yi qie
I want to thank for all that you gave and took away
还爱你带一点恨
Hai ai ni dai yi dian hen
Having to love you still, carries a little scar
还要时间
Hai yao shi jian
Only time
才能平衡
Cai neng ping heng
Can heal the wound
热恋伤痕
Re lian shang hen
Passionate love leaves painful traces
画面重生
Hua mian chong sheng
As the picture replays
祝我生日快乐
Zhu wo sheng ri kuai le
Wish me a happy birthday

googled the lyric of this song that was dedicated to me during a ktv session on my birthday - and voila, it comes with the pin-yin and a not-so-accurate english translation, but explains the song to a 'banana' like me nonetheless.

what a sad song. how to have a happy birthday like that? when emily and ruth were singing the song, i was picturing myself with one lonesome candle on a puny cake, celebrating my birthday in my room with my forever friends teddy bear...aiyo~ poor me.

but of course, the truth was far from that drama. it was in fact a happy celebration of my 27th (ouch!) birthday. on top of an early celebration with my closest friends and lotsa greetings from my dearest family and friends, i had a surprise mini celebration before the clock striked 12.

some say it's a girl thing. i want to believe it's an individual grounding and idea; (sounds better, doesn't it?) the fact that birthday wishes that we make before blowing out the candle(s) on the cake on the real day has better chances of coming true, or is at least more justifiable. don't you think? if it's a birthday wish, and it's made on any other day, then it's not a birthday wish anymore. period.

anyway, banters aside, thank you all for the wishes. i had a wonderful birthday.

it rained again today..

and i just want to sleep in until the sun rises tomorrow

it rained today...

because you're not here

brekkie in a haste

french toast with maple syrup, bananas and strawberries. milk. OJ.

was suppose to fine dine on this wholesome brekkie when i got an sms from emily: "see you downstairs in 5 mins". and i was still in my pj. gosh, i gobbled them up like a glutton. but yes! i wiped out yet another meal. and it was YUMMY! *slurp*

lao tse says...

"the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step."

what more, this is my second step already.

i just had a bread with butter and kaya, a banana, a strawberry and a glass of fresh milk!

another record. *smiles* no photo proof though, since it was an impromptu decision to grab those few bites immediately after i got out from shower. first it was the banana, then as i was finishing it, i had a craving for bread with butter and kaya. then i needed to pop in a strawberry to add flavor. and i thought, i might as well down a glass of milk to flush them down.

hmmm...i could go on taking baby steps like this. *pat pat*

who says you can't have breakfast at dinner time?

here's my brekkie at 2045 today:

maple pecan granola with fresh strawberries and milk

yes. i had a sumptuous dinner of curry fish, stir fried chicken and long beans with rice, 2hours before this. and yes. i finished my dinner. am i crazy doing things out of my norm? yes and no. yes, i have do stop skipping meals like i always do and eat whatever, whenever i feel like eating (like now). no, i'm not crazy. i'm on a weight gaining mission.

and what you can do is support, feed and keep me motivated along the way until we finally see a desirable result. deal?

living with ants

guilty as charged. i just killed a batallion of ants. it seems i've been doing this almost every time i come home from a long flight...yeah, with a can of Shieldtox in hand, i'll go ant-busting in the kitchen, and end up having to clean up the mess and every pots and pans and all other crockery that might be covered with Shieldtox, lest i end up poisoning my housemates.

damn! they're still giving me the creeping itch all over. *scratch* i just hate them creepy crawlies. and when you get them swarming all over the wall *brush* and corners of the closets (good thing it's the kitchen cabinets and not my room)...you just want to get the hell rid of them all.

*swat* now i'll need the expert to come looking for their breeding nest and wipe the entire colony off, once and for all. and before that's done, i'll probably snap a picture of these disgusting pest when they start venturing out in their troops again. wait up for the photos and we can *scratch scratch* together.

so this is how happy is suppose to be

time should pause for me.
this mustn't end too soon.
this light-headedness. this smile. this cosy couch i'm on. this music playing in the background.
i won't ask for more, except for one more endless moment like this.
i could go on like this forever...could even go on an empty stomach. damn, i'll be too busy indulging in goodness to have to get up and find food.

but i just had to share this euphoric moment with you here...
hmm...isn't it amazing what a good book can do to a person?

*smiles*
i'm grateful for days like this.