Christmas 2007

This year was the most number of times that I had celebrated Christmas... schedule was so packed and I even had to forgo another gathering with my ex-Sec School gals and Home Econs Teacher, Mrs Yeo at her place. Ok, let me share with you how Ah Sze spent her 3 days of consecutive X'Mas celebrations...

1st Celebration - 23 Dec 07

Venue >>>
Euphony Gardens Condo (not Botanic Garden as sarcastically claimed by the owner)

Attendees >>>
Sec Sch Sistas, their hubbies, kids and maids (however No.1 a.k.a Big Sis had to work and had to gif it a miss, if not it'll be a rare opportunity for the 7 of us)

Highlights >>>
Condo owner - No.7 and her "bo bian" maid prepared food for all of us... playing with the little ones... gift exchange as usual (for EVERYONE in the house k - not stingy wan~)... and this was what I got from the "lucky draw style" gift exchange... which was supplied by No.7 herself~

EVERYONE in the picture except me

This was what I got from the lucky draw... kinda big hor?

Hmm... somehow I dun have a good feeling about this
since it's from No.7 based on past experience

Out comes the head, and it's heavy

OMG... it's a kiddy "piggy bank"!!

Ok Ok... maybe I'll start saving for my next overseas trip~

Anyway I dunno how come No.2 can give me and Baoli LACY umbrellas as x'mas pressies when the both of us aren't the types who would carry them at all~!! Anyway thanks alot leh No.2... it's very "thoughtful" of you wor~ and I'll keep it safe inside my drawer forever... unless some kind soul come and tell me that he/she needs it cos I'll pass it to you secretly *hehe* (must put to good use mah)

This is the LACY umbrella for safe-keeping

Aiyo... look at the lace lah!! So not Ah Sze lor...

2nd Celebration - 24 Dec 07

Venue >>>
So many different locations lor... cos this year we didn't celebrate the usual way (which I won't explain how in case you say I'm so rich *hehe*)... anyway there wasn't a proper plan in mind... but confirm it's vey memorable cos you will know why later~

Attendees >>>
Ahem... The Fantastic Four (Me, Shirlene, Baoli and Adrian)

Highlights >>>
Christmas set dinner at Humble House (only this one is pre-planned)... the food is great though ex (S$500 for 4 pax)... but compared to someone else's Christmas set dinner (hint: PJ), ours is considered cheap liao. After dinner, it was only 9pm plus which was still early... so we walked around a while and decided to go West Coast Park for our gift exchange venue... eventually realised it's not an ideal place to open the pressies after strolling in the Park in search of our lucky spot (and the 3 of them kept blaming me for not choosing our usual way of celebrating x'mas - so I already PROMISED them that I'll say YES to the usual arrangement next year *so naggy lor*). Anyway, surprisingly we got to see how Adrian's Getz can transform into a temporary gift exchange area, which made Shirlene laugh non-stop, and eventually we abort the idea cos she was so paranoid that someone would take a video or picture of us and post it on STORM *haha*

Well, here comes the best part... after deciding that the Transformer Getz was out, all of us agreed to look for a cheap room where we can settle down properly to open the pressies... which left us with Hotel 81 or Fragrance Hotel *weird right* and the time was already 11.30pm. So Adrian, our F1 wannabe, "flew" us to Balestier immediately (my suggestion since that whole stretch was full of what we're looking for). When we reached Balestier, it was about 11.40pm and because Adrian need to drive and Shirlene REFUSED to get down to ask, me and Baoli had to go to EVERY hotels and asked "is there any available room?"... which is kinda weird cos it's me and Baoli (and both of us were so small-sized). Eventually only ONE hotel is able to provide the place but we have to take 2 rooms instead of 1 because there were 4 of us... and each room costs S$25/- for two hours (total cost = S$50/-), but we decided against it cos it's such a waste to get another room since... we weren't using it for the "usual" purpose *haha*. Finally, at 11.50pm, Adrian suggested going to K-Box at Toa Payoh so that we could get a room for the celebration... and all of us readily agreed. We should have thought of that in the first place mah... cos now me and Baoli had a memorable X-Mas Eve, running into those places and asking weird questions... Ya, so that's how the 4 of us celebrated the special 2007 X'Mas together.

3rd Celebration - 25 Dec 07

Venue >>>
My house

Attendees >>>
The Gang (total 6 of us)

Highlights >>>
Food many many... meat many many... end up can't finish meat but we tried our best liao~ Gossips also many many and not forgetting the same old "lucky draw style" Gift Exchange again... well, Shirlene got herself a kinky pressie from the draw as well as a surprise gift from me >>> a black i-pod 8GB Nano (because of this, Baoli kept bugging me *again and again* for her surprise gift too~ and she started reminding me of the 16 years of friendship that we have, saying that her fingers also not enough to count)

PS: I know that this post came abit too late... but busy people is like that wan lah... hehe...

My N95 8GB

Wah I've been kinda busy lately that I didn't post alot of stuff in my blog... but hor... I also dunno what I'm busy with *haha*

Anyway, I juz read my tagboard and saw Shir's request for a post on my new HP *hehe* I think I'm too enthu customizing my new love for the past few days, that's why never share the joy with you all here, but quite a few of you already knew about the change mah... ahem~ cos the proud Ah Sze just can't help promoting her new Nokia N95 8GB.

N95 8GB - Landscape and Portrait Display

So why did I chose a Symbian phone over PDA phone? Reason is very simple lah... because there isn't any PDA that I like in the market currently lor... and when Ah Sze took a liking to something, she can't wait to own it *haha*

Feedback from me about the new gadget? So far it's been great... 5 Megapixel camera leh! Managed to install some programs inside which I could really utilised the phone further, that's the purpose of a Symbian OS >>> to install and uninstall whatever programs or games that you want in your phone. Access speed ok so far... but dunno if it will get slower once I install more programs in it.

Oh by the way, my beloved buddy and Shirlene thinks that my N95 8GB would only stay with me for another 3 months or so, based on their study in my previous handphone history. Hmm... what if it stayed with me for another 1 and a half year like my O2 Atom Pure does? Got any present to give me for being "faithful"?

Attn: Baoli & Shirlene >>> Let me know in this post's comments section k?

Bowling Marathon

It has been a healthy Sunday for me today. Went for a bowling marathon which started from 12am to 6am at the Civil Service Club at Bukit Batok where Stephen is working.

6 hours of continuous bowling wor~ and the healthy participants are:

1. Me (The "Always Brush Pass The Remaining Pin" Bowler)
2. Shirlene (The "Throw and Don't Care" Bowler)
3. Ping (The "Aim For 10th-Pin To Get S$50" Bowler)
4. Stephen (The Expert Manager who entertained us while working)
5. Devon (The "Angry and Recharged After Cup Noodle" Bowler)
6. Angie (The "Quite Good but Accidentally Slipped and Fell" Bowler)

It was an event organised by the Bowling Centre at the CSC - Bukit Batok and there were a total of 24 lanes with 8 players for each lane. Of cos it's not for free lah... it came with a package price for each lane with a goodie bag of tidbits and mineral waters, and a lucky draw coupon for every player (and NONE of us won anything for the various rounds of lucky draws that they have!!)

The starting of Round 2 with 5 more hours to go
(Note: PS is me and you figure out the rest)

Here are some pictures taken with Devon's N95 8GB handphone....

The Buddies

That's me... don't I look like the letter "i"?

Nice posture from the "Angry" Bowler

The Darlie Smile

Our Favourite No. 8 Ball (pink colour wor~)

They're all related to "Kuo Chuan Presbyterian"
(Actually I wana put "S-M-L" but... hehe dowan lah)

Posing with the - - scorer
(she can score very well if she want to but she dowan)

Which One Should I Buy?

Recently I had been thinking about this question...

Which handphone model should I buy?

Unknowingly, I had been using my beloved O2 Atom Pure for 1 and a half years. Before this, I still thought I had used it for 2 and a half years *haha* and I kept thinking how come time passed so fast for me... end up it's my mistake lah~ luckily I went to check my earlier post on my handphone history and discovered the truth *phew* (here's the link if you dunno what I'm talking about http://pager21.blogspot.com/2006/10/phone-craze.html)

Now that I had been using Windows Mobile 5, it's kinda "hard" for me to go back to Symbian OS... but then if no other better PDAs in the market, I did consider getting the Nokia N95 8GB model. Heard it's not bad... but it'll be great if it's touchscreen like a PDA. Hmm... I was also thinking about the following PDAs but each has their pros and cons to consider:

1. Dopod 838 Pro - Handphone Master (Ah Tatt) said it's the most stable PDA in town previously when he was having it... gotta trust his taste and review cos he's really a Master *haha* I'm interested in the model but the only bad thing is the bulkiness... thick leh...


2. HTC Tytn II - Thanks to Adrian who suggested me to check out this model... almost similar to Dopod 838 Pro but has its differences... actually I kinda intended to get this PDA but after checking out many reviews... there're still some essential cons to consider (that's why it's causing headache to me now)


3. HTC Touch Dual - I asked Handphone Master for his recommendations earlier and he mentioned this model. After checking out the reviews... it's smaller than Choices 1 & 2 which is easier to carry... but I just can't seem to sense the "chemistry" between us.


4. O2 Atom Life (or Life Pure) - The same old O2 series but faster processor... didn't really check out the reviews cos I dun really like the speaker design on the cover... other than that, it has its usual sleek outlook~ which is kinda cool~ (ahem... like my current O2)

Ya... so that's it... you may say that I'm too demanding in choosing a new handphone and I consider too much points, resulting in unnecessary headaches. But I can't accept the fact that I had to go through the hassle of sending the phone for repairs (you know how slowww our Care Centres do their job) or constantly thinking of changing another phone because I don't like the functions after purchase (and spending more $$ in the end). Aiya... see how lah... will definitely share the joy with you guys when my "newborn" is out *hehe*

Thank God I Called You...

I got to know that someone actually got hooked to the Sushi game that I posted earlier... hehe so happy.... however... that person was sick and still continued to play instead of having more rest... *sigh* don't play too much k?

Anyway, thanks for the support and please take care of yourself~ dun let the bad "VIRUS" affect you too much wor~ haha.... hope to see you soon again~

Sushi Go Round

Winnie introduced this free online game to Shirlene, who subsequently intro to me... and both of us were hooked on it immediately.... Anyway I completed the stages after two attempts (ahem... I never say I good har~) and the next day, I craved for Sushi haha... so glad that my beloved Buddy accompanied me to eat a few days later *hehe*

I've Been Tagged... by Winnie

Winnie said I had been tagged by her and I'm supposed to go to her blog to see what's it about...

End up it's this lah... (haf to entertain her, if not wait my hand kena smacked by her long ruler cos people is a teacher)

*Post these rules on your bloggie.. List 8 random facts about yourself.. Tag eight people at the end of your post and list their names.. Let them know that they’ve been tagged by leaving them a comment on their blogs...

8 Random Facts about myself:

1. My tears CONFIRM will drop when I watch movies with touching scenes.


2. I usually will feel like shitting after I eat (maybe that explains my figure).


3. I LURRVVVE to sleep (on my bed only...).


4. I am a GOOD person (not the best... but good enough *hehe*).


5. I'm interested in IT stuff but instead I further my studies in Accounting & Finance which I don't think I'll ever get involved in.


6. I had a caterpillar as my pet before... and I found it from my neighbour's plant outside their house... but I threw it away when it started to form into cocoon because I'm afraid of butterfly.


7. I also kept tadpoles as my pet when I was in Primary School and I scooped them up from the puddle in the school field... I flushed them down the toilet bowl when they started to grow the fore legs because I can't imagine having frogs in my house.


8. I rarely call up my friends for a chat and I don't know why. Not because I don't like to interact with them but I just DON'T have such habit. Chat thru SMS - yes... MSN - yes... or meet up to chat - yes... So, for those whom I did CALL up... you are considered honored *haha*

Now I'm supposed to tag 8 persons... but I don't think I have so many friends with blog for me to tag leh... anyway here goes... see how many will respond bah~

1. Evilry
2. Munsation
3. Jehan
4. Mister K
5. Lionel
6. Stephen

The Challenge

Hidden motive they may
Many chances they create
Seeing me flare up they wish
Segregated they hope
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Persevere I will
Trust in you I have
Fallen into trap I do not
Try as much as you can

Return the favor I promise

Happy 22nd Birthday!!

Today is Shirlene's 22nd Birthday!!

Now she had embarked on the 20s age group...
and soon she'll catch up with me on the 30s
(oooh... so scary~)

Anyway, what's her presents from Ah Sze this year ??

Hmm... a picture speaks a thousand words~ just hope she'll like the gifts
(if not next year I'll reduce the budget by 3/4 *haha*)

1) Wallet from Miu Miu
2) Earrings from Calvin Klein

3) Buffet dinner at Greenhouse - Ritz Calton

Jumbo Orange Juice

Allow me to introduce a very huge mug of fresh orange juice (S$3.50/-)
from a makan shop located along Upper Thomson Road near to Sin Ming Road....
it's really nice wor~

The height of the mug is only slightly lower
than the normal chopstick in the background

The Camp

Finally I decided to start posting again~ been kinda lazy to think of what to write for my 5 days Leadership Training Camp, but people had been asking me to post something about it... so here goes... by the way, just for basic info, my camp was in Singapore and not Belgium (Angie and Devon pls take note again ah... *haha*)

Initially I wasn't so keen about the mysterious camp, cos we were only told what to pack for a 5-day camp and that's it. There were a total of 26 participants (only 3 ladies including me of cos) and we were supposed to be assessed on our leadership qualities and other stuff by the assessors. So I started packing and the bag was huge... but I'm able to carry it k~ *I'm not that weak wor* and then I heard news that the recall was around 5am on 29 Oct 07... but the reporting point was still unknown.

29 Oct 07 (5.40am) - my handphone rang and I was told by another participant to inform a few others. The reporting point was known and those who reported to the same point would be my team members. We were supposed to report at 7am and I was the last to reach (on the dot *hehe*) and of cos I was the only lady in the team of 9 persons. There were 3 teams in total with 2 assessors each to follow the respective teams and Day 1 was something like Amazing Race. Each of us took turn to be leader to lead the team in completing different missions and we were supposed to motivate the members along the way. Things started to get fun and interesting along the way and I kinda enjoyed the game. The men were all nice gentlemen cos they didn't want me to carry the 3 backpacks given to our team, which we used to keep the mineral water bottles given to us for the day. Maybe they didn't want me to get shorter with the heavy burden bah *haha* Anyway since I can't help much with the strenuous tasks, I had to complement the team by solving the puzzles and keeping the team motivated by making them laugh. We finally reached our camp base around 12.30am and luckily we were allowed to bathe and sleep on proper beds in the assigned barracks (guys and ladies in different blocks of cos).

30 Oct 07 (6.25am) - we (ladies) were awoken by shouts from our guys at the ground floor (our barrack was located at the 4th floor) and we were told to fall-in within 5 mins at the guys' block. 5 minutes!! Where got time to do the usual wash up?! So we chop chop ran down the stairs after a quick brush of the teeth... and what's next? We were brought to the running tracks and there, each of us had to run 10 rounds along the tracks within 20 minutes, which is 4km per person. I managed to complete the 10 rounds but dunno how long I took cos basically I just run like hell... people who know me will know that I'm not those type of Sporty Spice who enjoy sports... but it was nice to know that I'm able to do it. The trainer told us that a leader must be physically fit in order to lead the team so as to show a good example to them. The rest of the day was filled with mental stress cos we were supposed to plan something major as a whole team and all of us were constantly being scrutinized by the trainers and assessors. Nevertheless, the day ended with an exciting and fun simulation shooting game at a training camp in Northern part of Singapore.

The best part of the game that really make me laugh was that one guy and I were both kneeling and seeking cover behind a small tree which couldn't even provide proper coverage for one person, and these were what we said to each other through the smelly and poorly ventilated face mask, and laughing at the same time during the game:

Guy: I don't think this is a good cover for us leh...
Me: Haha... ya lor I also think so... the tree is so small lah...
Guy: I think we must faster find another cover...
Me: Ok... we must go over there (pointing to the stairs across the short road)
Guy: You cover me... I will go over there...
Me: Ok ok... go... (and finally both of us managed to find our separate proper coverage)

31 Oct 07 - forgotten what time we woke up liao... but we were supposed to wake up early for a kayaking trip at Changi Beach. It was drizzling and before we even got into the sea water, we were already half drenched. Anyway, it was another fun-filled day but I guess we disappointed the trainers and assessors yet again. Haha... cos we were supposed to kayak to 2 destinations but ended up we only stopped at the 1st one and subsequently returned back to Changi due to the lack of time. By the way, I realised I could be the anchor-lady at the rear of the kayak lah... though I'm small and looked weak wor... hehe...

Moral of the story: Be confident of yourself and come forth to help your peers in overcoming their weakness.

The day ended with a 360 degrees feedback session among the members in their respective teams with their assigned assessors. Ahem... some feedback from my members about me: funny and able to motivate them when they were hungry and tired; high IQ; able to articulate well; should portray a more serious look sometimes; different from normal gals cos I was like a buddy to them *haha* Anyway, all of us slept at 4am cos of some last minute planning stuff that we did badly again... and guess what... we got more scoldings from the trainers and assessors *haha* but we weren't really adversely affected apart from the lack of sleep.

1 Nov 07 - all of us only slept for 2 hours and today was indeed a test on our mental resilience. Firstly, the 26 of us had to go through a panel interview consisting of 3 interviewers and each of us had to sit on a chair placed some distance in front of them. Well basically I did well but halfway through the interview, my mind swayed to dunno where and the interviewers noticed the distractions. Anyway I managed to return back to reality and feedback received was that I was confident and able to articulate well. Eye contact was also great and the only bad thing was the "temporary stoning moment". Secondly, our eyes had a hard time staying open during an hour of dialogue session and it was again tested during another hour of leadership moments sharing by a guest speaker. The night ended with an End-of-Course Dinner to celebrate the accomplishment of the 5 day camp. Everyone felt a relief but after that we were told to fall-in at 5am the following day.

2 Nov 07 (5am) - Went for a 7km jog around the camp base as a whole team and amazingly, I did it again *haha* Anyway, all of us left the camp base at around 9am and after that we were free!! The moment when I reached home, I bathed, unpacked, washed clothes, hanged clothes and KO from 12pm to 3am.... *haha* I was really tired and I missed my bed so much~ having a home of your own is really a luxurious thing wor~

All in all, the camp was still fun and I was able to know my fellow colleagues better during the 5 days together. It wasn't that bad afterall lah~ hehehe...

Survivor Series

28th Oct 07 - 4th Nov 07

Survivor Series
(A Local Production)

*** The Casts ***

The 'mentally stressed' fella - Ah Sze

The 'physically strained' fella - Ah Sze

The 'insufficient sleep' fella - Ah Sze

The 'need to think fast fast' fella - Ah Sze

The 'dunno got time to bathe or not' fella - Ah Sze

The 'no choice but have to go' fella - Ah Sze

The 'come back dunno become what' fella - Ah Sze

Dilemma Again~

The long-awaiting position is out in the website and I downloaded the form... printed it out and it's in my office drawer... waiting for the form to be filled with my ink~

But I'm still thinking hard... over the same issue over and over again for the past few weeks... so many pros and cons to consider lah~ there are tons of stuff in my mind, and it's making me kinda grumpy... ya... though the face may be smiling, the mind is actually struggling for an answer... and where is the answer that I had been searching for so long?

Ahh... problems many many lah~ hahaha but I'm still surviving... will see how bah~

Back In Reality

Finally we touched down in Singapore at 12.15am... back in reality... worse still... on 24-hour shift later on... what a great change in life~

I Miss Racha!!

PS: Gonna plan a re-visit next year *hehe* and a much longer one... maybe for a week~

Last Day At The Racha

Omg... we're going back to Singapore today!! We're taking a night flight at 8.30pm (Thailand time) from Phuket Airport and gonna reach Singapore at 11.15pm (Singapore time)...

Saw this froggy outside our door (living in a world of nature mah)

Froggy: When is this human gonna leave me alone?
The flashlight is blinding me~

Monitor lizard: Damn... I'm being spotted!!

Saw this millipede at our backyard... ooh~ scary~

Ahh~ we're checking out at 12pm!!

I dowan to go back!!

Hmm~ looks like nobody can help me out...

I love the big cosy bed!!

Got one missed call from my OC at 11.55am... damn... wat a spoiler... trying to remind me to get back to reality is it?

Things are packed and ready to go~

Lost in thoughts: Is it time to return to reality soon?

The tram which brought us from the jetty to the resort

The console on the tram is amazing... I wonder how to control it...

The resort cat who lived alone and well taken care of by all the staff

Kitty likes me... it walked over to me when I was holding the camera and focusing on it...

Abracadabra... go to sleep... go to sleep...

Hehe... the kitty is in slumber *my hypnosis worked*

Now you know my hidden powers huh?

Let me embrace life with open arms
(pic taken by the great photographer Shirlene)

For show only... never play at all for years liao~ (pool game is FREE)

Still can smile before the speedboat is in action

We left Racha Yai Island in a private speedboat cos we're the only two who chose to leave at 4pm which was the last departure timing. It was a horrendous ride with the super bumpy motion on the rough waves. Luckily we were smart to keep our eyes shut throughout the ride cos it's a 100% vomitting trip if you want to take the challenge. During the ride... one thing is for sure: Shirlene can sleep anywhere regardless of the environment she's in~ and she's proud of that...

Day 4 At The Racha

Am I a "Rain Jinx" at Racha? Cos today whenever I took off my clothes (not naked lah~ with my swimsuit on) and thinking of wana get into the pool, droplets of rain would come splattering on us. It happened three times... maybe I'm not allowed to get more tan from the sun bah~

Today we went for some Thai massage at the "Anumba Spa"... had chosen the shoulder and back massage for testing since we dunno if it was good. Ahem... and somemore, we only need to remove the top for the "testing" (not need all) *hehe* Anyway it turned out ok for me... not that shiok... but ok.

Anumba Spa

Basically both of us didn't have much activities today, apart from some swimming here and there before the splattering happened... and we ended up as a "Hungry Duo" at "Earth Cafe". We finished our 1st round of dinner with a plate of plain rice each and Duen, another friendly female staff were shocked when we ordered a 2nd round of dinner, with a loaf of bread (it's free upon request and we only knew about this on the last night *wasted*) and a plate of prawn spring roll (delicious). We only spent 1,100 baht on this dinner *hehe*

Met a couple from Shanghai in Library... they told us that there's another resort called "Ban Raya" over at another side of the island which is much cheaper compared to Racha... so I went to check online using the computer in the Library and the "Ban Raya" resort is nowhere comparable to "The Racha" except for the price. By the way today I finally knew the island we're in is called "Racha Yai Island" *haha*

This is the last night we're spending at Racha... can't bear to leave the place and return to Singapore... *sob sob*

Day 3 At The Racha

It was a rainy day today... so all we did was to laze around in our villa reading novels, watch DVDs and basically just relaxing~ no thoughts of work, studies and everything else under the sun.

Look at the coconut trees swaying to one side in the rain~

The serious duo reading novels on the big cosy bed

Haha... We're not that serious afterall lah~
I'm reading "PS I Love You" and Shir's reading "Naomi" (great books)

The rain come and go several times in the day... and today was the first time we use the resort's umbrella from our villa to walk to "Earth Cafe" (our usual makan place) for our dinner. Dinner here at the resort wasn't that costly (thank God) and normally ranged from 1000 baht to 2000 baht depending on what you order, for two person.

At "Earth Cafe" - ready for another feast tonite

Our dinner... valued at around 1,300 baht (food at "Earth Cafe" is good wor)

"Earth Cafe" (serving western & Thai food) is at Level 1
"Ice Bar" (serving liquor, mocktails and cocktails, etc) is beside "Earth Cafe"
"Fire Grill" (serving western food & pasta) is at Level 2 just beside the pool

Having my non-alcholic "Cinderella" cocktail at "Ice Bar"

"Sunset Beach Restaurant" facing the clear blue sea (serving BBQ Seafood and Thai food)

The "Minimart" (picture taken from inside "Sunset Beach")
selling snacks and some beach necessities

By the way, the names of the staff here in Racha were very interesting. For example, we have "Art" the male staff at the "Earth Cafe" and "B" the female staff at "Sunset Beach Restaurant".