I'm super sleepy now and was dozing off just i.e. kind of at the brink of not being able to stand it but I just feel like expressing some thoughts..actually feel like msning but then again what i want to say would be better blogged for self-reflections.
Just came home an hour ago after addy's baptism at Paya Lebar. Today, or rather "yesterday" - 26 Feb 2010 - must have been the most auspicious day of my life. I had a clash of 4 events and 2 other proposed dinner dates (post-birthday celebrations) on this very night - my company DND, FST CNY reunion dinner, birthday celebration for lele and LHL, the baptism, and dinner with ky & laura and dinner with pam & jus.
At the very early stage there was only the DND which I had enthusiastically wanted to attend and even managed to get mh to join me (tho I didn't manage to persuade my jiejie..) But when addy invited me for her baptism, and mentioned that its like a second birth, I decided to choose the baptism - a once-in-your-lifetime event for a friend who matters. Attending the DND would be mostly for my personal benefit, and I've come to learn that friends should be placed above self, furthermore considering the importance of each of these two events.
(Subsequently I was told that my super nice aslt/hplc supervisor had actually fought for us interns to not have to pay to attend the DND (some weird consideration by whichever relevant personnel that wanted interns and part-timers to pay for it.. and I guess my sup was probably disappointed that in spite of her efforts 3 out of 4 interns were not going for the DND.. still, being so nice, I guess she understood me after I told her my reason..)
And then I came to know that this year's FST CNY reunion dinner fell on this very day too. Being the enthu me who had attended the two traditional FST events - this and the annual bowling - for all of the past five semesters, I somehow managed to not mind not attending this event since the day was already taken up but something so important. Until I learnt that the turn out for our batch this year was surprisingly high compared to the usual average. And just now I saw the photos my jiejie had already uploaded on facebook and wished I could have split myself up..
Regardless, I'm still glad of the choice I had made. It's the least I could do for a friend whom during our closest period of friendship - JC band days - had been the key force to my being more vocal than the super quiet me in secondary school.
Once in awhile when I think back, I would wish things could stay that way, that I could still regularly go back to play in the band with this special friend..
Then again, recently I've been told to leave the past behind and cherish the present. The first was my current closest friend, who was quoting someone else to "seize the present forget the past". Then just now at the bookshop at addy's church, I came upon this notebook:
What a timely lovely reminder for me, and indeed it should be a constant reminder for myself every day. (A great fault of mine has been to do both the DO-NOTs on the notebook..)
So I decided to buy the notebook (which was like 3 times the price it would have cost if without the covers), despite being such a cheapskate that I had even made a notebook out of rough paper (one-side printed papers from like JC times haha) bound together using threads lol.
Yeps. So back to the title for this post. I should ...
argh really can't stand it.. 2.22am alr.. I slept at 2am and woke at 640 yest, the previous days hadn't been much earlier either :X blah.. continue again..
(edited to add - 4 Mar 11pm)..
Yups. I should just cherish whatever I have right now and stop trying to get back what I've lost.
Who is your true self: You are mature, reasonable, honest and give good advice. People ask for your comments on all sorts of different issues. Sometimes you might find yourself in a dilemma when trapped with a problem, which your heart rather than your head needs to solve.
Today I attended the first Alpha Course session, and I ended up feeling so unsettled! Cos they were saying something like Christians believe the other religions' beliefs are actually in like just idols instead of real gods. So my interpretation of that is that Christians believe everyone else is believing in something that doesn't exist... And the reason they believe so is because the Bible says so and the truthfulness of the Bible has been proven.
After the session I went to Ron's place for a mini gathering with sj, kare and addy so after that during our (with sj and ron) long walk to the mrt station, we got to talk about this issue. It still didn't really resolve my questions. And there's the basic question of how everything came about. If we follow the Bible, God created everything. But how did God come to exist?
Still feeling unsettled, I came home and ame was online so I got to ask her. She was nice to ask questions to cos she's quite knowledgeable! and maybe cos of the same ny background, she's a thinker too and would worry that she's being too preachy so she doesn't come across as really preachy so it was easier for me to grasp her.
excerpts:
God wasn't created
God just exists
that we know
God has just been there
and everything else has been created by Him
if God has been created, then he is not omnipotent because something/someone created Him. but He was not created, He is the creator, everything else is the created
how do we know that? that's all based on the bible.
why is it we believe in the bible?
it's a very circular thing. because the bible is God's word. but there are so many other reasons as to the validity and the truth of our Bible.
lol am i making sense or making u confused
so yes, partially it is faith, it is the holy spirit that touches our heart to believe in God, but another reason is cause of how true and how infallible the Bible is
ellauaj || canto =) 富貴門 10 says:
then how about the other religions?
sometimes, thanksgiving is simply an act of faith. says:
hmm what u mean by the other religions?
religion is created by man
actually
because of our inherent need to search for a 'God'
in chinese we say something like 人有神的意识性
or something like that
so people create Gods to worship, things to believe in
it has been like that even since the old testament
people falling away from the true God and worshipping idols, and these other religions are created by man. some, like muslims, judaism and catholicism, are very close to christianity in that the they share the same roots, the old testament is either the same, or very similar if i am not wrong.
ellauaj || canto =) 富貴門 10 says:
mmmm
i guess i need to learn more about the beliefs of the other religions to understand the similarities and reconcile everything
...
ellauaj || canto =) 富貴門 10 says:
then the question of how God came to exist arose
sometimes, thanksgiving is simply an act of faith. says:
what exactly is the other religions question ?
i don't get it
ellauaj || canto =) 富貴門 10 says:
as in christians believe the other religions' beliefs are not true
just made up by humans
=/
makes me unsettled
haha
sometimes, thanksgiving is simply an act of faith. says:
so that's ur question?
ellauaj || canto =) 富貴門 10 says:
yarrr
as in like just disregard all the milliions of ppls' faiths
sometimes, thanksgiving is simply an act of faith. says:
it's not like a disregard or not
ellauaj || canto =) 富貴門 10 says:
as in like dont believe what
say they arent true what
sometimes, thanksgiving is simply an act of faith. says:
it's more like if this what we believe in, we know that this is the one and only way to be saved, so therefore by what we believe in, we know that other religions are not true, and by the great commission, it is therefore every christian's responsibility to try to preach the gospel and in way steer people toward christ, the only way to God
like for example, by our belief in the christian faith, buddhism, taoism, animism, hinduism are idols created by man, while catholicism believes and prays not only to jesus but to the saints and virgin mary, who are but normal sinful humans, judaism believes in the same God as we do, but does not believe that Jesus christ is the son of God and the messiah, while Islam also takes roots that their Allah is our God, but prophet muhammed is some very impt guy to them (i'm not really sure about prophet muhammed) and jesus is just another human prophet to them, not God.
will pray for u..not to understand, but to gain that faith. because...we can never understand totally everything about Christianity and about God, because if we did God wouldn't be God anymore, we can all go be God. haha.
sometimes, thanksgiving is simply an act of faith. says:
as my friend says, we need not a head full of facts, but a heart full of faith.
Hmmm. Recently, it hit me that - there are more friends-who-care around you than you'll ever know. Cos on 初三, i.e. the Tuesday that just passed, I was trying to look for addresses and I found a letter sj wrote to me during the very first exams period in her Uni life - i.e. the semester when I had dropped out of NTU accountancy... Although we were never close friends, her caring so much that she took the time out during such a stressful busy period said a lot about how much even friends who are not so close to me cared for me (and I'm sure everyone has such friends as well).
I guess there are just such friendships, which you do not build to such a close level and so you assume they are just like most of your other friends, hi-bye or friends you'll keep in contact once in awhile but still not close. Yet, they aren't so superficial friendships in actual fact. You actually matter so much to them that the negative experiences you go through affect them so much that so many thoughts and feelings come to them. And for some of these friends, they may not even let you know that they care. I'm glad sj did.
On a side note - I just browsed through my past posts - felt like laughing at some of them (including those super emo ones) and wanted to remove but oh wells, that's a part of me and why should I be ashamed of myself. heh.
Okays back to the topic. Like I mentioned, we weren't close. More of just fellow bandmates in NJ and share a mutual good friend and ended up in the same Uni course though different groups (the batch was separated to take different modules in different semesters). Oh and like what she mentioned in the letter, we were involved in other common activities (iras and biz plan comp) but they were all for work.
After I had dropped out of NTU accountancy just after a month, I don't remember being contacted by her but having re-read her letter, it hit me yet again of how terrible a friend I have been. She had requested of me at the end of her touching meaningful long letter to tell her I had received it - I don't remember if I did...and like that if I didn't, I sux.
Bahhh. Oh wells I'm glad I've such forgiving friends. Friends whom I have been so terrible to but we are still keeping in contact now. Thankful indeed.
mf called me at like 1am to discuss a/m! haha. omg office acronym. anyways. yea so she got me excited about checking the flights cos she remembered that last time when we visited the STA at Bugis, the travel agent told us 2 weeks before NATAS is the cheapest! I forgot =X
Yeppp. So, so far I've search a few websites (for return flights to london), namely expedia, emirates, sri lankan air, and etihad airways... and the cheapest is... *drum roll... Etihad Airways! Currently standing at SGD 1138! anyways, I got the idea to check the airlines' websites even though I had always thought expedia already offers the best price cos mf told me to check emirates and the price was lower than on expedia! So I went to check the airlines with the lower priced fares on expedia. wheeee. I hope the price stays low or goes lower before we make our decision and book! AHHHH so excited ((:
haha koped this from someone's blog (someone who koped it from another person's blog too lol). think i've read it before, but such writings are always worth multiple re-reads.
I’ve Learned by Omer B. Washington
I’ve learned that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can be loved. The rest is up to them. I’ve learned that no matter how much I care, some people just don’t care back. I’ve learned that it takes years to build up trust and only seconds to destroy it. I’ve learned that it’s not what you have in your life but who you have in your life that counts. I’ve learned that you can get by on charm for about fifteen minutes. After that, you’d better know something.
I’ve learned that you shouldn’t compare yourself to the best others can do, but to the best you can do. I’ve learned that it’s not what happens to people, It’s what they do about it. I’ve learned that no matter how thin you slide it, there are always two sides. I’ve learned that you should always have loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you’ll see them. I’ve learned that you can keep going long after you think you can’t.
I’ve learned that heroes are the people who do what has to be done When it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences. I’ve learned that there are people who love you dearly, but just don’t know how to show it. I’ve learned that sometimes when I’m angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn’t give me the right to be cruel. I’ve learned that true friendship continues to grow even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love. I’ve learned that just because someone doesn’t love you the way you want them to doesn’t mean they don’t love you with all they have.
I’ve learned that no matter how good a friend is, they’re going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that. I’ve learned that it isn’t always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself. I’ve learned that no matter how bad your heart is broken, the world doesn’t stop for your grief. I’ve learned that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become. I’ve learned that just because two people argue, it doesn’t mean they don’t love each other. And just because they don’t argue, it doesn’t mean they do.
I’ve learned that sometimes you have to put the individual ahead of their actions. I’ve learned that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different. I’ve learned that no matter the consequences, those who are honest with themselves go farther in life. I’ve learned that your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don’t even know you. I’ve learned that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.
I’ve learned that writing, as well as talking, can ease emotional pains. I’ve learned that the people you care most about in life are taken from you too soon. I’ve learned that it’s hard to determine where to draw the line between being nice and not hurting people’s feelings and standing up for what you believe. I’ve learned to love and be loved. I’ve learned…
I have two wonderful supervisors; the bad-luck-weekend that turned out to be blessings in disguise
This was typed on 4feb (thu): Whee I'm so gleeful. My work email address has become completely functional today! It was quite cool to see my computer being remotely controlled by the IT personnel so he needn't come all the way to our office to setup my Lotus Notes. My GC/MS supervisor said that the Germany HQ also sets up new macros on her computer through this way. So in the afternoon (which is morning in Europe), she'll leave her computer on for them to do it. Ooo. So this is how it works. Quite awesome. haha.
How the human brain can come up with all these sophisticated things will always impress me :D I love to be impressed. haha. Ohh. And I'm quite impressed by the speed of all these. Because when we first entered the company, there were some new permanent staff too and they only got their email after a month! gosh. So now considering that I'm only an intern who's only becoming a part-time staff in April, I was expecting them to take more than a month, since they had to get approval from the HQ to setup new emails and stuff. However, its only been a week since I told my supervisor that I'm okay with extending my stay here and my personal userid and email is all up and functional. haha I think I sound very proud =X okaysss that's about all. Simply gleeful.
I have two wonderful supervisors. :):):)
~11am.
haha our company location is so good. Its lunch time and our colleague Jen (just a few years older than us and married) is going to some neighbouring factory cos there's a sale on seafood now.
and 2/3 of this was typed this morn/aftn:
Whee I'm happy.
This weekend was thought to be my bad luck weekend. But on reflections this morning just after I woke up, I felt that most of the bad luck events were actually blessings in disguise. Cos I remembered that I had actually organised a gathering this Friday for Caffe Pralet! Yesterday afternoon when I led my jiejie and my sms gf to Eng Hoon St only to find out that they had an internal function and was closed till 3pm, we were all so disappointed since it was quite a long hot walk from Outram MRT. Having to walk back, I was perspiring quite badly and they were still disappointed.
Anyways, so back to the issue of the bad luck of the weekend. I was bangsehed for TWO events which were both jio-ed by one friend each! So ended up I went for neither the Alpha Course Intro Dinner (on Sat evening) nor the volunteer work to carry groceries (on Sun afternoon).
And I was informed super last minute by my mamak that we weren't meeting on Sunday to discuss about Contiki tour packages which she had found out more about on Saturday.
Nevertheless, I spent my Sat evening packing my room, upping the doneness level from the rushed increase from 20% to pretense 50% in the morning (cos jiejie, sms gf and mh were coming over at 10am and I only woke at 8am and spent half the cleaning time on the other parts of my home) to real 50%. I guess I'm only going to accomplish pretense 90% before CNY. Real 90% requires lots of planning on how to pack MOST of my things. Since I've everything from PRIMARY school years to UNI years in my room now :S
And I spent Sun morning cycling 1.5 hours (after 1 week of no exercise cos of my flu! :S) - passed Lower Seletar Reservoir and Orchid Country Club and Yishun SAFRA -cool! Then I shopped like 5 hours after church and lunch.
Whee I found new shopping buddies :)) the past few times I mostly went home empty-handed when we shopped cos I wasn't in the mood to shop. But yesterday I spent the most out of us three - $130! That was just slightly under their spendings combined :x tho they only each got one item less than me heh.. I bought 3 tops, two of which require layering, and 2 pairs of those super-in-nowadays type of shoes I'm still unsure of the right name for them haha.. (okaysss I googled - they are called FLATS! lol..) and I've finally been really affirmed of my good taste :D muahaha - my sms gf bought the same pair of shoes and a knit cardigan I picked out and bought lol
And today my supervisors were pleasantly surprised when they received my home-baked cookies! My pregnant supervisor said wah so you also like baking! heee. And my department manager and another senior colleague liked my cookies and made orders! But since there's so little time left they didn't order much so as not to overtire me. And in my jiejie's department when I went over in the late afternoon almost all the cookies were gone! She was telling me during lunch that the guys in her dpt didn't believe that she made the cookies herself! lol. and my sms gf had said that her oac friends liked the cookies so much one even messaged after their gathering saying something like he wanted a whole container for himself!
Today, all of us will make hundreds of decisions that range from the simple (”What do I want for dinner?”) to the complex (”What do I want out of life?”). Choices big and small dictate the paths our lives take, a fact that usually overwhelms me into chronic indecisiveness. I often look at people ruled by their instincts and wonder how they learned to trust their guts without fear. However, decision making isn’t as black and white as I assumed. I always believed I lacked the decision making gene, but there are surprising outside factors that affect the process.
To Sleep, Perchance to DecideOne thing’s for sure–poor sleep quality makes for poor decision making. In a 2007 study at Duke University published in the journal SLEEP, researchers studying sleep-deprived gamblers found that they were more likely to make impulsive, risky decisions because they focused more on potential rewards than consequences. Another study, this one in 2006 at the University of Amsterdam, concluded that when it came to high-importance purchases (such as a car), people made better decisions unconsciously instead of thorough deliberation. Their study championed an idea that many people espouse–that sleeping on issues is the best way to reach a decision.
Some studies have challenged this notion. In 2008, volunteers at the University of New South Wales made choices based on one of three methods–instant decision making, unconscious decision making (the “sleeping on it” method), and mulling it over. Researchers concluded that those who deliberated made the best choices. A 2009 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that people did worse on performance tests taken right after waking up, suggesting that sleep inertia negatively affects decision making. Whether sleeping on decisions is a good idea is debatable, but it’s clear that being sleepy does not a good decider make.
An Argument for Between-Meal Snacking
I try not to do anything on an empty stomach, but that goes doubly for decision making. That cranky, ravenous state has never been conducive to good choices and recent research has coincided with my findings. A 2008 study conducted jointly by Cambridge University and UCLA and published in Science controlled the diets of twenty participants to alter their serotonin levels and asked them to play a game. The game involved one player offering to share a portion of money with another player. If both accepted the offer, both got at least some amount of money; if the offer was rejected, no one benefited.
Under normal conditions, people generally rejected offers under one third of the total portion about 50 percent of the time. But when their serotonin levels were lower, rejection percentage increased to 80. People were more likely to act aggressively and carelessly when lacking serotonin, the feel-good chemical our brains make from tryptophan, an amino acid only found in foods like poultry, dairy, nuts, bananas, and shellfish. So when people are between meals and hungry, serotonin levels dip and crankiness–and rash decision making–increases.
Hormones Have a Say
We can control sleep and hunger, but some factors that affect decision making are simply biological. For instance, women have a monthly cycle during which their hormones fluctuate. Most of us know that it influences our skin, body shape, and even our cravings, but it also plays a part in the options we’re pulled toward when making a choice. At the UK’s Aston University in 2007, thirteen women not under hormone-influencing medication were asked to give job packages of varying statuses to dominant- and non-dominant-looking men. The study found that certain stages of women’s cycles affected who they gave job packages to. For instance, those in the follicular (first) phase favored the dominant men. Other research has suggested that women view faces differently depending on cycle stages as well.
Men’s hormones fluctuate and affect their decision making abilities as well. Cambridge University professors John Coates and Joe Herbert performed a study that tested seventeen traders’ testosterone levels and compared them to their work results. They found that those who made money in the morning experienced a testosterone surge that ultimately led to risky, bad decisions. Coates and Herbert theorized that the increased testosterone in the morning fueled their desire to take chances and act aggressively, which had a negative impact on their performance for the rest of the day.
As an indecisive person who strives to overcome that label, I know that there are some things I do–like asking multiple people for advice–and some things I don’t do, like follow my gut–that lead to a struggle with choice. But there’s some comfort in knowing that there are actions I can take toward making better decisions, like getting enough sleep and eating right. Although, it’s nice to know I can pin the blame on factors beyond my reach every once in a while. (It’s not me, it’s my cycle!) That won’t make me a better decider, but it may ease the guilt from time to time.
This morning I caused the breakage of two glass items!
First, I caused a glass stopper to fly projectile from the Microstill Head (After Kaminsky) - apparatus for concentration - and drop on the floor and crack into pieces while I went toilet.
Then I caused a test tube to explode during centrifugation during my next toilet visit...
Thank goodness my dear pregnant supervisor was on the phone during the first incident, and I returned to the analytical lab before her call ended, and noticed the smell of the solvent vapour. She rushed in after her call ended and I had already picked up the pieces of glass. phew. IF she gets hurt because of me I'll kill myself.
I wondered how the shooting out of the stopper sounded. It was actually something meant to release gas pressure cos during concentration, the solvent is evaporated and gas pressure builds up within the apparatus. I made two mistakes:
1) submerged the round-bottom flask of solvent too deep into the heating water, so the vaporisation occurred too quickly and the pressure build-up to too high a level. (actually my supervisor had previously warned me about this but as usual, I wouldn't remember unless I completely comprehend, which I didn't until it happened. After which I figured out that submerging the flask too deeply meant that a larger volume of solvent was heated up at the same time, so a larger volume of vapour was generated. So if rate of condensation cannot cope with rate of vapour formation, vapour pressure within the apparatus will be too high!)
2) failed to tighten the stopper...
About the explosion of the test tube... my supervisor said this had never happened before. As in the test tube breaking at 4500rpm. She re-emphasized that the mass of the balancing test tube had to be equal to the sample tube. Hmmms. I did, to 1d.p. So she said its okay. Then the second time she did it herself. Erps. Maybe it was cos I didn't use the holder when I was measuring the masses.
I don't suppose anyone who will give me anything for my birthday reads my blog, but anyways, I thought of some things I want which could make me happy if I got them as gifts. heh. If not, I'll try to get them myself still, I hope.
1) Little fish to keep as pets. ermss. 3? I still have my little-home-for-little-fish ever since my little fish die like when I was still in Sec?
2) Drive! Hopefully a manual car even. Haven't touched one in more than two years! And the last time I even drove at all was in US :((
Have Read
'04 year-end holidays (highest number of books read in a long time)
-The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom (gd read)
-Princess Diaries: Third Time Lucky by Meg Cabot (fun read)
-Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom (must read - inspirational)
-Slab Rat by Ted Heller (full of office politics and R21 stuff - not for kids)
-The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown (makes u want to finish it)
-A walk to remember by Nicholas Sparks (simple but meaningful)
-The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark (can identify with)
-The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks (romantic love story with too much R21 stuff)
-Message in a Bottle by Nicholas Sparks (even more R21. ugh)
-The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupery
-Unstrung Heroes by Franz Lidz (autobiography about his four uncles and father)
-The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks
-The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon (very unique POV of an autistic boy)
-The Summerhouse by Jude Deveraux (love the breadth of the plot, one of my favourites)
-Wild Orchids by Jude Deveraux (alternating between two first persons' view - unique, but don't like e plot)
-Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder (philosophy tb in a story; gets abit dry though plot saved)
-forgot what i read...-
-Working Wonders by Jenny Colgan (story of an urban planner)
-Angels and Demons by Dan Brown (impressive intelligence with bits of great humour)
-Just between Us by Cathy Kelly (thickest bk i've ever read-600+pg, too long for me but not bad)
ha, started a few bks but didn't enjoy them enough to read more.
'06
-Life of Pi by Yann Martel (novel based on true story; a lot to learn from the book - animals, religions,
survival, appreciation of simplicity; marvelous descriptions of both the tangible and the intangible,
such that I could feel their realness; bits of very enjoyable humour; a must read)
-The Complete Analects of Confucius, Volume 1 - Asiapac Comic Series (some good teachings.
didn't read everything though)
-The Parable of the Pipeline by Burke Hedges (lent to me by Shujun; like she said, its a short version
of Rich Dad Poor Dad - good financial tips)
-The Alchemist by Paul Coelho (simple story with deep meaning)
-Fish! A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results
(hai, doesn't seem to be working for me - cos im not applying..)
-haven't been updating from Jun'06 to Jul'07-
'07
-Take a Chance by Sarah Webb (very interesting twist towards the end)
'08
-A Child Called "It" by Dave Pelzer (very saddening. made me realise how significant family is in how a child behaves)
-Whatever You Think, Think the Opposite by Paul Arden (refreshing book with many pics)
-The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Rui Zafon (amazing how people can think of so much plot to pack into one book, wld b a gd tv series)
-The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (the story is interesting but i think the ending cld hv been better written)
-This Book Will Save Your Life by A.M. Homes (a bit thought-provoking on relationships but i didnt like e abrupt ending)
-Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner (gd knowledge but partly qte repetitive)
-For One More Day by Mitch Albom
-The C Words by Mark Mason (made me keep wanting to read on. light & funny)
'09
-Return to Summerhouse by Jude Deveraux (another good read from Deveraux)
-The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (gosh such vivid descriptions! very well written book. i liked d theme of friendship and the realness of the story)
'10
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (a must-read!! i love the expressed thoughts of the protagonist, esp those about friendships, and the writing style - it seems like she's telling me her story specifically to me)
How to Save Your Own Life by Michael Gates Gill (an inspiring read, for emotional liberation and greater joy in life)
Reading
on hold
The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan
Waiting for chance to get hold of
The Little White Car by Danuta de Rhodes
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
Le Scaphandre Et Le Papillon or The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby
My Left Foot by Christy Brown
Gotai Fumanzoku or An Unsatisfactory Body (Translated into English as No One's Perfect) by Hirotada Otatake
Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
Other Recommended Readings by Marc
The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin – Few books have had as significant an impact on the way society views the natural world and the genesis of humankind.
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell – Gladwell looks at how a small idea, or product concept, can spread like a virus and spark global sociological changes. Specifically, he analyzes “the levels at which the momentum for change becomes unstoppable.”
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens – This is a tale that lingers on the topic of attaining and maintaining a disciplined heart as it relates to one’s emotional and moral life. Dickens states that we must learn to go against “the first mistaken impulse of the undisciplined heart.”
Lolita – This is the kind of book that blows your mind wide open to conflicting feelings of life, love and corruption… and at times makes you deeply question your own perceptions of each. The story is as devious as it is beautiful.
Getting Things Done by David Allen – The quintessential guide to organizing your life and getting things done. Nuff said.
How To Cook Everything by Mark Bittman – 900 pages of simple instructions on how to cook everything you could ever dream of eating. Pretty much the greatest cookbook ever written. Get through a few recipes each week, and you’ll be a master chef by the time you’re 30.
Honeymoon with My Brother by Franz Wisner – Franz Wisner had it all… a great job and a beautiful fiancée. Life was good. But then his fiancée dumped him days before their wedding, and his boss basically fired him. So he dragged his younger brother to Costa Rica for his already-scheduled honeymoon and they never turned back… around the world they went for two full years. This is a fun, heartfelt adventure story about life, relationships, and self discovery.
Self-note: Tip for my future business =D
give employees reasonably high pay to keep them- otherwise they are unlikely to stay loyal.
treat employees not according to how well they treat me but how conscientious they are at work
(of course, musn't expect them to only do work throughout the entire working hours -
give some breathing space too, we are humans, not machines) Movies watched(listing started on 6jan08)
in cinema from VCD/DVD
1Sep07: "Hairspray" w TK, GH & SH
14Sep07: "Ratatouille" w mom & extended family
28Dec07: "The Pianist" w Jus & Pam (heartbreaking but good lessons; i recommend!)
2Jan08: "I Am Legend" w Sherm (scary! but good acting; thought provoking; i recommend!)
5-6Jan08: "A Good Year" alone (excellent show! i like the acting; funny; good lessons; touches my heart; i recommend!)
11Jan08: "Le Grand Chef" w WLing, JT & Irene (good! funny, very touching, :) nice; watch if like humour+meaning+food)
7Feb08 (CNY 初一): "Ah Long Pte Ltd" w parents (pretty hilarious - but u gotta understand dialects, some teary parts. wells typical of jack neo movies but with diff content)
11Mar08: "The Leap Year" w Sherm (so sweet! :) and apart from couple relationship it touches the theme of mother-daughter and best friends too)
6Jun08: "P.S. I Love You" w Sherm (don't know if its coz we watched it on laptop, coz it didn't impress me as much as it did for him in cinema)
8Jun08: "The Forbidden Kingdom" w Lisa, Karen & Sandy (ums..guess i'm really not into kungfu)
8Jun08: "What Happens in Vegas" w Lisa, Karen & Sandy (simple,relaxing show)
7Jul08: "我和狗狗的10个约定" w Sherm, his ma & sisters (very simple,touching but actually not my type of show)
10Jul08: "Before Sunrise" w Sherm (hmm maybe watchg on laptop really affects appreciatn of movies..)
30Sep08: "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" w Sherm (i didn't like it as much as i thought i wld when i saw the ads)
31Dec08: "Yes Man" w Mom (inspiring and funny)
11Feb08: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" w Mom (not as impressive as i thought it wld be)
1Jul09: "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" w Yumei, YY & Matt (the best thing was the soundtrack. heh.)
14Aug09: "GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra" w Joyce (it was awesome! best action movie i've ever watched)
17Aug09: "Food, Inc." w SYL & RuiQ (learnt some stuff abt the American food industry but it was a bit boring and not worth the $10)
22Sep09: "The Time Traveller's Wife" w WB, VanD, WLing, CHL, Irene, VanQ, Mf, Pg (i liked it. having read the book really helps w udsg)
21Nov09: "Gokusen" w Mf, Eva, Tony, Sarah (funny inspirational movie)
24Dec09: "十月围城" w Tony, WLing, VanQ (action action and a bit funny? tony criticised the plot. my fav scene was the running n jumping through the crowd along the five-foot ways w/o cuts)
30Dec09: "Sherlock Holmes" w Irene, Tony, Sweetee (my favourite genre of books made into a movie - what else can be more cool? acting effects humour excitement suspense all in)
12Jan10: "Avatar 3D" w Mom (didn't appreciate the digital effects which everyone wowed about. content etc was so-so. cathay's 3D glasses were too heavy for me)
8Feb10: "The Truman Show" w Ky n sis n Yuhshin (a must-watch. very thought-provoking, funny. reminder to be spontaneous and create your life the way you want, instead of falling into a typical routine
14Feb10: "New York, I Love You" w Mom (I loved it! a good couple movie with meaningful pointers to keep it going. but i think some stories could be more developed)
16Feb10: rewatched "The Pianist" (still find it good, tho i still feel first viewings are the best)
17Feb10: "Valentine's Day" w CHL n WB (laughed throughout - a feel-good movie; liked the fact that the various stories binded tog so well with the little surprises here and there, vs NY ILU in which each story was separate)
20Feb10: "赤壁二" w Addy, Karen, Sharon, SJ (should have watched the first one first cos i ended up not knowing who's who and what's happening and had to keep asking :/ and couldn't pay attn.. if not i think it should be a pretty good movie..)
4Mar10: "Alice in Wonderland 3D" w Mf (i found the 3D effects of this @ CCK Shaw SO much better than Avatar @ The Cathay =/ and the movie was much more enjoyable too! - cheered a sad me up :)) favourite quote - the Mad Hatter: “You used to be much muchier before. ... You have lost your muchness.”)
18Mar10: "Nodame Cantabile" w Irene, Mf (i thoroughly enjoyed some of the orchestra pieces - SO impressive! the expressions of the actors were really amusing :D)
23Apr10: "Ice Kacang Puppy Love" w Mom (funny, touching and meaningful - about love between friends and family. i cried 3 tissues! cos some touching parts i could really understand the feelings of the characters involved)
Inception
Letters to God (very simple Christian movie)
22Nov10: "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" w Ame, Irene (they loved it. pretty good, i guess the main problem i had was that im not familiar with HP :X)
13Dec10: "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" w Sj (not bad, could follow the story unlike HP. like the meaningful teachings, too long - in a post)
2Mar11: "The King's Speech" w Ame (hilarious, inspirational, tho it doesn't impress me that much to understand why it's the Oscar winner)
Mar11: "10 Things I Hate About You" very funny. silly sweet high school romance. just right for having breaks in between doing homework
23May11: "Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides" w Wb Yl Ame Pg (pretty good - scenery, freakish parts, fighting scenes, dressing, humour, bits of Christianity like when the Spanish said "only God gives life")
6Jun11: "Xmen First Class" w Wb Ame Pg (i was very keen on watching it and it was really good! intellectual, makes sense, cool action, some humour)
9Jun11: "Legally Blonde 2" w Irene (seems like some dumb blonde movie but kind of meaningful too - speaking up for yourself and what you stand for)
17Jun11: "Something Borrowed" w Sandy Lisa (quite funny, somewhat meaningful wrt friendships. they didn't like the lack of sense for one part tho)
16Jul11: "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" w Irene, Sweetee, Kw (not bad. i didn't understand some parts again but the humour and effects were pretty good)
Aug11 "Horrible Bosses" w Ma (she fell asleep! gosh. the movie was very crude i must say but there was the humour)
25Oct11: "The Three Musketeers" w H (i would rate it 3.5 for humour/intellectual language and 4 for action. it's by the same producer or director as Sherlock! but a bit less awesome albeit a good chill out movie)
5Nov11: "Real Steel" w Hl (action packed but not too hardcore for me. i liked that there was the father and son element and how the father eventually softened his heart and especially the part when charlie was having trouble telling max sth and max was so understanding saying "Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me." touching and demonstrates true fighting spirit)
12Dec11: "50/50" w L (adopting her words - a heavy topic put across in a lighthearted way, but not taking away d meaning. most of it was rather hollywood-ish trashiness but there were a couple of punch lines "u can't change ur parents, but u can change d way u respond to them.")
25Dec11: "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol" w KY (ultimate action packed! super tense almost throughout the movie, and interesting Tom Cruise made it such that not everything happened smoothly - he would jump and misland and get all sorts of injuries..it's really the courage to jump without hesitation even though you are not sure you'll be alive after that. KY loved d movie and said she would watch it again!)
3Jan12: "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" w KY (i love mystery (: and the witty sarcastic dialogues. good level of excitement with the action. didn't understand some parts as usual. i like Holmes and Watson they depict such a true pair of buddies ;D)
23Jan12: "You are the Apple of My Eye" w mom (now i understand why guys like this movie so much - the anxiety of chasing after a girl and the acts schoolboys do to get the girl's attention and hopefully affection. the initial fluttering and the subsequent quarrelling)
22Mar12: "The Iron Lady" w KY (really love Thatcher's sharp words. inspiring and thought-provoking, tho i was still left uncertain of what to do with my life, the movie is definitely an encouraging one)
29Mar12: "Barney's Version" w SJ (a funny movie of a screwed up life of a man who had 3 wives, smoked and drank but very heartwarming at the same time, the relationships with the dad and the 3th wife - quotable quotes!)
27Apr12: "The Hunger Games" w Mom
4May12" "Avengers" w MF n PS (funny, action-packed)
7Jul12: "The Amazing Spiderman"
21Jul12: "The Dark Knight Rises" (fantastic depth, loved the twists)
20Aug12: "ParaNorman" w Mom (simple funny animated movie, heartwarming support)
Performances watched (listing started on 25Apr10)
20Jan10: Patrick Marber's Closer by outoftheBLUE, NUS Science w Pam (
13Mar10: The Rain Came Down Like Pearls the Night I Died... The New Musical - Sing & Tell by Mark Chan w Addy & Jy
21Mar10: Quintessence by NUSCO w CHL