S.w.e.e.

Happy

2012-01-08T04:24:00.001+08:00

Happiness breeds happiness.

Good things come in droves.

Happiness is a choice, your choice.

Happy people makes you happy.

---

Chelsia just got married, and I'm really happy for her. I know there could be reason for me to feel sore about it, or not to wish her well, but I really do not feel that way. She's someone that I have always wanted to see her do well, and I feel this is really what she deserves.

It's very nice when someone fulfills the dream of their lives; you will be very happy sharing their joy too.

---

Weiwen has now patched up with his wife, and things are looking rosy again. Just heard from him that they have found a rented apartment, and will be staying together there now till they get a new flat I believe. Haven't got the chance to speak with him much since he got re-attached, but not blaming him! lol

I see in him the power of unconditional love; that love never fails, that love is all-forgiving. I look at his situation, and I compare my situation with his, and I'm totally ashamed of myself.

Seriously, you deserve a happy marriage. =)

P.S I won't forget the foie gras treat. Bring Candy along too!

---

I'm now in the process of writing a letter to the future me. It will be a really long letter, and I will publish it on 15 Jan! Basically, the letter will be dated one year later (15 Jan 2013) and I will write out what has 2012 been like for me.

It kind of forces you to think about how you want to live your life in the year ahead, and by writing it out, you can come up with a good detailed plan.

I believe this will work very well, you should do it too!

My Dreams

2011-12-31T20:46:00.003+08:00

Before the world comes to an end in 2012...

2011-12-05T09:48:00.001+08:00

These are the things that I wanna achieve in the coming year:*thinking in progress.. Check back!

那些年，我们一起追的女孩＊＊＊《进阶版》＊＊＊

2011-11-11T22:11:00.001+08:00

＊＊＊
自从刊登了这后，似乎有很多人置疑我的表白，和故事的真实性。
所以我不得不澄清一番，将故事更详细描述给大家。

谢谢你喜欢读
＝）
＊＊＊

好久没有来这儿了。

上次提笔键盘是好几个月前的事了，也就是我刚从纽西兰回来的时候。
这段日子也没什么有趣的东西，也就是忙着工作罢了。

。。。

昨天看了《那些年，我们一起追的女孩》，感触好多。情节很有趣，描述了作者／导演的真实故事，也诉说到了我们很多人心目中的沈佳仪。

每个学校里，无论是小学或中学，总是会有一个女孩备受瞩目，而且也会是每个男生的心仪对象。

沈佳仪就是这个女孩。

当然，我的小学和中学时期也有这个人见人爱，车见车载的女孩。

小学时，那女孩是玮琪。
中学时，那女孩是翠雯。

以上言论纯属各人意见，若有不满，也不管我的屁事！

回想起，在小学时期，我也没有喜欢上玮琪，只是觉得她有点异人，异于常人。

我也跟她说过了－她是个冰山美人，比较适合从远方欣赏，不易相处，所以当时我也没想过接近她。哈哈。

"当时"，那也就是关键词吧。
事情往往就是那么悬。。。
只能说绕了一圈，如今绕到哪儿我真的也不晓得。

说道小学时我喜欢的人，有两位幸运的女生－美廷和佩玲。
我也不晓得是几年次喜欢上谁，只知道那时候还真的蛮好玩的。哈哈。

。。。

美廷可说是我们小学的大姐大，非常有性格。
在班上里，如果你得罪了她，以后的日子就有得你好受了。
若你不是和她站在同一阵线，你就是站在导火线，因为你将和她和她势力庞大的女党为敌。

有点恐怖，但可能我就是喜欢挑战的一个人吧。
我深深的记得有一次我去了White Sands，我还刻意用公共电话打给她。
（小学时没有手机，所以我都记得每个人家里的电话号码）
通话内容我就忘记了，只是记得我曾经那么用心的做出这个举动。。哈哈。。

后来有结果吗？
当然没有。。
。。因为我喜新厌旧，看上了刚加入我们班的女生，佩玲！

佩玲这段我就不多说了，因为好像只是自作多情，不是很喜欢这种感觉。哈哈

然后就这样小学毕业了。。

。。。

过了几年，美廷和蔚汶在一起，我也真心的祝福他们。
但是听说美廷后来移情别恋，爱上了一个貌似'古天乐'的男生。叹。
然后最近美廷终于向我们坦白，说她小学时也喜欢我，只是我一直对她很冷淡！
哈哈哈！

。。。

中学时，我是有喜欢上翠雯，只是一直隐藏在心里。
这一藏，就藏了四年。哈哈。
毕业过后，当我告诉朋友们我当时暗恋着她，竟然没有人相信我！（除了康洋，他一直都是我的150％支持者！）

中学时，其实也太幼稚了。。每天不是踢球，就是玩"魔卡"，打兵乓，或是做些无聊的事情。都这么"忙"了，哪有时间去想这么多啊！哈哈。。

我想当时应该有差不多十个男生明恋着翠雯吧，不包括我（因为我只是暗恋）。
真的没夸张，就是那么多人喜欢她。都说我喜欢挑战了！

每次和她同搭14号巴士，都很想和她多聊，但当时也太逊了，完全没有鼓起勇气做出这种事。哈哈。和她同班了2－ 3年，我想我们之间说的话不多过二十句吧！

对她最深刻的印象有两个。

第一次，在兵乓比赛后。。
那时我和宗贤对垒公教中学，对着了两个看了就不起眼的对手。
还以为是包吃的，结果竟然吃了败仗。
当时输了比赛后，超级杜爛，因为也不晓得到底是如何输掉的。

这时我看着她，她好像也在看着我。
我想可能也没有看很久，但是那时觉得好像是eternity。

第二次，是为了C.Lit 测验。
当时在班上，我是"四大天王"的其中之一。
所谓的天王，就是指我的成绩是数一数二的，从后面算起。

有一天，我在家里吃饭时，接到了她的电话。
她告诉我明天有一个测验，和该读哪些chapters.
起初我也想不是什么大事，她应该是尽好学生的责任，通知每个人。

后来和其他天王确定后，才发现她并没有通知他们，只有打给我罢了。
当时我兴奋了好久。。哈哈！

。。。

回想起，学生时代的那些年，真的很有趣，也留下了很多美好，无价的回忆。

用华文来写部落格好辛苦啊。
不是我的华文差，而是不容易用键盘按出文字来！

。。。

好的，就写到这儿吧。。。记得一定要去看这部电影－不要老是看好莱坞的片，也要支持华人作品啊！

*Disclaimer:
All content above are genuine, at least from my personal point of view and recollection of memories. While highly likely that I have been misled all these years, if you happen to know the true story, I stand NOT corrected. I believe being ignorant is blissful, so don't bother correcting me. =)

If you happen to be mentioned above, you should be happy.
Finally,

谢谢你喜欢读。。。

New Zealand - Been There, Done That!

2011-09-03T21:06:00.004+08:00

Kia Ora! (that means hello in kiwi-speak)

Kia Ora!

Long, long overdue post, i know.

Hereby offering my sincere-st apology to my readers who have been through with me thick and thin, high and low. We've travelled so far, and we will go further together, so don't leave me yet!
=)

So.... what have I been up to?

On 25th July, I boarded an SIA plane for the first time (at least in my memory), destined for NZ, alone.

It has been an experience of many firsts.

First time...

on SIA
travelling alone
I paid $18 for bee hoon goreng..
..which was cooked with curry powder...
..and totally sucked

never cook bee hoon goreng with curry powder

I dined in restaurants (not fastfood) alone
I experienced winter!
I had a diary (yes the real physical one)

"dear diary"

I thought I was Superman (twice), and survived
I wore long johns
I understood the beauty of nature

Te Puia

Taken while on the ferry from North to South Island

on a helicopter

It was supposed to be a 3-week trip, but i decided to come back after 2 weeks.

Many factors contributed to that decision actually - boredom, cost, weather, travelling time, desire to work, food, and National Day. Mix and match these factors in different proportions (okay maybe discount the nation's birthday) and I found myself calling SIA to ask for the next earliest flight back home.

If I had stayed on, I'd have travelled further south (Queenstown, Franz Josef) to explore the glaciers and snow. Oh well, at least I know where I will visit the next time I go back to NZ!

It was meant to be a trip to find my 'inner peace', so naturally when I came back, the big question on everyone's mind was - Did I manage to find it? Haha

It's a tough question really!

It's easy for me to say yes, but I'd prefer to let observation speak for itself.

All I know is that the trip was definitely good.

It kept my mind away from unhappy things, and I got to know myself better too.

When you are alone overseas, you tend to do things that you won't back home.. trust me on that. Immerse yourself in a different environment, and you will begin to see things about yourself that you never knew.

I don't camwhore in Singapore

You think the current world you're living in is the world, but that can't be further from the truth. Kinda like the more you know, the more you realize you don't know.

Okay I made some interesting observations in NZ, so I'm gonna share them with you:

NZers love kebabs. There are kebab restaurants everywhere
They love eating ice-cream in freezing cold winter
Vampires/Bloodsuckers moonlight as cab drivers. My 20-minute cab ride cost 80-freaking-dollars!
Auckland is overpopulated with Chinese and Koreans
NZers are very friendly people - they smile to strangers on the road all the time!
(or maybe they just like me)
Young NZers dont like asians. They make all kinds of weird gestures and sounds whenever I pass by. (I guess it's the same with many Singaporeans' unhappiness with PRCs here)
All Blacks (their national rugby team) are like gods
Every chinese restaurant is fully packed with customers. Regardless of how bad the food tastes.

And I leave the most unbelievable and the best for last...

NZers only eat salty popcorn. Seriously. (i discovered this to my horror only after I entered the cinema, happily thinking that popcorn by default should be sweet)

Can you imagine my horror when I popped the first morsel of popcorn into my mouth, expecting to savour the sweetness that is to be expected of all popcorn, only to be let down deeply?!

Clearly, someone needs to tell them that they have been getting the short end of the stick all the while. Life, and popcorn, can be so much sweeter!

Anyway, all in all, it was an enlightening trip. Next stop, im thinking of Philippines but nothing's concrete. Now, the most important thing is to focus on my work, and make my way to where I belong!

Not gonna post many pictures here. If you wanna take a look, just go through my photos on Facebook!

---

After such a long time out, it's not easy to pick up momentum for sure. I'm encouraged by the progress I've made so far, and I know for certain that as long as I keep moving in the same direction, I will conquer my destination!

I know where I want to go, I know what I want, and I know what I should be doing.

I just haven't been thinking about it hard and long enough.

Act only

Now I will.

And you should too.

Cheerios!

Updates

2011-08-29T03:35:00.001+08:00

Coming soon i promise!

im leaving on a jetplane...

2011-07-25T01:28:00.001+08:00

... and will be back on Aug 15th!

My flight is in a few hours' time, and i cant really describe how i feel now.

Just gonna have an open mind, and take in whatever I get from this trip.

I want this trip to clear away all the upsetting memories, make myself get out of this rut, and I will come back a rejuvenated, refreshed and much better Swee!

NZ, here I come!

Pig-tures

2011-07-18T03:22:00.001+08:00

Yes, i've been having lots of fun playing with this Fat Booth app.
Go download it, it's cool!

Anyway, this is just a preview.
I will soon post them all on Facebook. =)
I probably wont tag anyone, but if their auto-tagging feature still manages to identify you, then tough luck!

Persist, and you prevail

2011-07-17T21:32:00.000+08:00

"Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence.

Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.
Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.
Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.

Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.
The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race."

---

So I say... in all times of adversity, keep your chin up and press on!

放开了

2011-07-14T01:28:00.000+08:00

很多的问题与不解，我很想去追问。
但若真相是残酷的，又有何助于事呢？
挣扎了很久，始终还是选择了放开。

我很珍惜，但只都是我单方面的想法。
我以为我很懂你，其实我是最无知的。
我不喜欢做工具，也做到累了。
这感觉很糟，但我会复原的。

希望我确实有带给你快乐过。

这次我真的我放手了。。。

Just let go. Just be

2011-07-11T15:02:00.004+08:00

Thanks Angie.

truth hurts.

2011-07-07T23:53:00.000+08:00

If things are what I think they are, then i guess it's the end of a long running episode.

im not upset because of the change in status.

im just very disappointed because of whatever was said and done.

a simple truth and a nip in the bud - that would be fine totally.
not diplomacy and attempting not to ruin the delicate balance.

"My friend"

That wasn't how i expected the lights to be switched off.
I would rather you tell me directly.

Sigh.

Nice guys finish last.

I will be back.

如果你也听说

2011-07-05T17:08:00.000+08:00

I can read minds...

2011-06-28T18:01:00.000+08:00

Or at least the birthday wishes that people have!

Example #1
I was with Jasmine and I had just drove out of the carpark at The Cathay.

Jasmine (after seeing a cab with an advertisement of The Lion King):
Hey I wanna watch the lion king but I heard from my sis that it has ended already..

Me:
Oh really? Hmmm..
(I had already bought tix for the lion king that evening, but it was unknown to her obviously)

Jasmine:
Yea... *Pouts*

I then revealed it to her over dinner. Like to think that she was rather thrilled!

Example #2
I was having an imperial dinner with xiuxiu at Sushi Tei (imperial because the bill came up to $110 for the 2 of us) to celebrate her birthday.

Halfway through the dinner, she suddenly told me that she wants to buy a luggage. I swear I nearly choked on my tamago sushi when I heard that. Just a few hours back, I had went shopping for her present and got her the exact gift she wanted - a samsonite luggage!

---

I think I should be a party planner, or at least for birthdays. =)

順其自然

2011-06-24T03:11:00.002+08:00

我試著讓生活變得清淡

對幸福或寂寞順其自然

偶爾小小孤單

偶爾小小浪漫

不怕大喜大悲那麼難負擔

不想再背負太多期盼

對好奇或關心順其自然

只是那點不安

只是那種辛酸

總會忽然擴散

讓心又累又茫然 (期望有人陪伴)

More than greenbacks

2011-06-23T18:00:00.000+08:00

Sometimes, motivation isn't best served in the form of money.

To quote Bill Gates,

'I never took a day off in my twenties. Not one. And I'm still fanatical, but now I'm a little less fanatical'

If you're interested, here's the entire Bill Gates interview.

Money can motivate you quite a bit, but without passion, you won't be able to go far.
So that explains why we need rewards!

Taking stock

2011-06-21T13:37:00.000+08:00

I can't remember the last time I put in so much effort in doing something.
2 weeks of preparation and toil, for an emotional day of joy and tears.
"Delivering Happiness" was the theme, and I'd like to think I managed to do that.

I dont know how I got myself so deeply entrenched.
很多时候，我觉得我只是个在绕圈子的过客。
It doesn't matter how much mileage I clock, I am ultimately still only a by-passer.

FUCK THIS BLOG IS GETTING EMO

Flying off in a day

2011-06-08T04:42:00.000+08:00

Not to everyone's beloved NZ, but to Guangzhou.

I feel like i have so many things undone; i'm not looking forward to the trip at all.
Haven't packed, haven't planned anything, I have no inkling of what's the itinerary gonna be like at all.
Guess I'll leave it to my bro and Belinda to work things out.
I'll just be a happy camper.

---

Been busy with other stuff for the past few days, and I reckon it will remain this way till next week.
Something that I haven't done for such a long time.. The feeling is... indescribable.
And when I look back on past materials, every little thing evokes a totally different emotion.
Now... it just feels surreal.

---

Okay enough of rubbish.
I'll be back when i have more stuff to talk about.
I've been pretty devoid of emotions lately, which explains the lack of posts as well.

Bye!

好朋友

2011-06-01T01:08:00.003+08:00

我想。。。
还是做好朋友最好吧。。。

少了期望，少了寄托，少了尴尬。

我不会离开，
也不会抛弃，
但也不会待在这里，
裹住不前。

依然很疼你，
依旧会疼你，
只是做出心中的调整罢了。

：）

make or break

2011-05-28T02:55:00.002+08:00

The vibes I get tell me it will be more break than make.

偏见

2011-05-24T03:00:00.001+08:00

Ch said this is for me..
Thanks.

我手心的温度渐渐在离开
你口中的谎言慢慢能明白
早知求也求不回来
即使最后只剩残骸
心不会更改没有祝福我明白
看凋零的玫瑰在静静发呆
朋友对我责怪要我放得开
固执对我是种虐待
越爱得深越难抛开
爱是种偏见如果可以再重来
我明白爱情已经超载
爱的完全坏了姿态
你冷眼看待就像是种伤害
我好像站在无人山崖
全世界都抛在外
明知你不再回来
我早已明白

Maxed Out

2011-05-19T05:02:00.002+08:00

I.

I know.

I know you know.

I think i know you know.

I don't think you know.

I don't know.

---

You.

You know.

You know I know.

You don't think you know.

You don't want to know.

You don't know.

Nobody knows.

I've maxed out.

Feelings

2011-05-18T05:19:00.000+08:00

I'm biased,
and I want to be, for a reason.

I'm jealous,
and I can't help it, for a reason.

I'm happy,
and I'm happy for a reason.

Reason reason reason

The customer is NOT always right

2011-05-17T00:54:00.001+08:00

Angry email from customer:

Reply from our PR expert, Danny:

How the reply would look like if I was the one writing it:

The fact that you're a customer doesn't make you Queen.

We have too many uneducated, uncouth consumers in our society.

And if you're buying items at half the price discounted already, I really don't know why you are making such a big ruckus and sounding like we cheated you of your youth and money.

---

And that is why I hire a VA for my customer service - to refrain me from replying emails.

I was actually tempted to reply this email when Danny asked me to, but I think I should be glad I didn't.

My Way

2011-05-11T20:03:00.002+08:00

Can't seem to get tired of this song.
真的是歌神...

His concert in Aug can't come fast enough!
=)

=)))

2011-05-10T04:55:00.008+08:00

I think i'll give her whatever she wants

Starting afresh

2011-05-06T15:32:00.001+08:00

Bye bye student life.

Hello world.

Schweet

2011-05-06T02:56:00.000+08:00

My bro and Belinda.

To commemorate 5 years of being together, they hired a photographer for an outdoor photoshoot.

I think this is really nice.
Better than all the cards and arts and crafts that they have been giving to each other throughout all these years! (OOPS dont kill me).

Here's to countless 5 years ahead for the 2 of them!

=)

查无此人

2011-05-06T00:15:00.003+08:00

九月七号星期天
失去连络的第十七天
我开始收拾你的信件
贴上查无此人的标签
我走到你的后巷
看着你没有灯光的窗
蒙上重重灰尘的门把
和没有留言的留言版
不是说好不聚不散
怎麽说了都不算
如果你已经不想再谈
也该留些话划上句点
爱情不是谁欠谁还
只是该说了就算
当然你也可以这样散
但是别让我在街上一个人站
多孤单

---

Not emo, just a nice song.

Natural nature

2011-05-03T06:34:00.000+08:00

I will be natural.
And perhaps ride on nature's course.

Erase any expectations; back to basics.

Yawns. I'm tired.

Out.

What really matters

2011-04-29T17:45:00.001+08:00

Gripe not about what the ruling party can't do for you, BUT what the opposition party can do for you.

This is not meant to be a pro-any-party entry, if you could allow me to state my disclaimer first.

The coming GE will be the first time that I'm allowed to cast my confidential vote. All my life, I've never paid much, if any, attention to previous elections. I never understood the importance or significance of it.

Am I Apathetic? Yes, and I won't try to mask the fact that I do not know nor care much about politics.

But lately, I've been pretty disturbed by the countless political opinions being bandied about on Facebook. It's like my Facebook News Feed has been redrawn into a GRC, and a dozen of my friends are now candidates running for the election.

I'm almost tempted to ask which opposition parties they are representing, judging from how strongly they are engaging in propaganda targeted at the PAP.

It's like elitism - you are an ignorant apathetic fool, unless (1) you chip in with your anti-PAP remark, or (2) you show how impressed and motivated you are by the opposition's rallying cries.

I could go on and on, but I don't want this to be a political battleground so I won't carry on much further.

---

I've always maintained that it's easiest to campaign for change.

The idea of "Change" is always welcome to the dissatisfied, and there will always be a fair number of people who are discontented.

There isn't a one-size-fits-all policy and never will there be one, because that is simply not possible. We all come from different backgrounds - culturally, economically, racially, behaviorally.

Square pegs won't fit well in round holes, but it will be justified as long as there are more square holes than round ones. It's easy to gripe/bitch about the policies that do not benefit you, but the individual perspective becomes insignificant when the onus is on bringing the country forward.

When I see so many of my friends comment that they will vote for the opposition, regardless of who the opposition is and what they are capable of delivering, I find that pretty disturbing.

Perhaps competence could turn out to be the undoing for the ruling party. When perfection/comfort is taken for granted by everyone, even the slightest mistakes cannot be afforded.

What an exciting week ahead. =)

And here are some posters to lighten the atmosphere...

We are all role-playing creatures

2011-04-27T06:16:00.001+08:00

We are all role-players.

A show needs multiple roles to go on - bad guy, good guy, pretty actress, supporting actor, calefare.
Without the multitude of roles, the show can't run and nothing will happen basically.

The same thing can be said of the roles that are assumed when humans interact.

Where there is a boss, there will be an employee.
Where there is a tyrant, there will be a meek victim.
Where there is a giver, there will be a taker.

Relationships and roles are always relative.
It's hard or almost impossible to have 2 parties doing the same thing.

Case in point:
In a relationship, it's seldom you see 2 people playing the same role.
There will be one half who gives more, while the other half receives more.
Even if they started off being equally giving, gradually it evolves somewhat into a more lopsided relationship.

It's like if all the leading roles in a show has been taken up, you will be forced to take the remaining supporting roles.

If your other half is already always giving, then it's natural that you will adapt and take on the role of the receiver and get used to erm... receiving.

So... pick your role/s wisely!

Thoughts from Europe

2011-04-26T12:45:00.000+08:00

Thank you for the thoughtful gifts!

*and i'm pretty sure i will be even chubbier when i finish all the waffles

拼什么？

2011-04-26T03:32:00.004+08:00

我在拼什么在意什么最多
为了什么又累又寂寞
不怕别人误会了
就怕最在乎的人也不想懂
有些时候我会做梦
盼望回过头你在身后
温柔看我没有不快乐
没有逼我做抉择
懂我拼什么懂我最宝贝你了

－－－

拼什么？
拼事业
拼钱财
拼成就
拼未来
拼Silversea
拼6-series

拼，是为了什么？
为了。。。
家人
家庭
舒服
梦想
帮人
挑战

三分天注定
七分靠打拼
爱拼才会赢！

Your True Value

2011-04-22T02:21:00.000+08:00

When you're at the top of your game, people tend to fawn around you.
They go out of the way to make life easy for you, and make you feel special.

When you're down and out, the people who used to fawn around you disappear.
They look for the next in-form player to attach themselves to, and a new cycle begins.

The people who stick around throughout your ups and downs - they are the ones who really matter.
They judge you by your character, and they see your true value and potential.
These are the people I look for when I decide who I wanna work with.

---

I have wandered for a long, long time, and I find myself now lost in a valley.
I know very well that I have to do the walking myself, but I figured I could use some help/direction.
So... I ask familiar faces around me if they could point me in the right direction.

From valley to peak

I get mixed responses.
Some former fawners are now scorners.
Some remain as helpful as ever and talk to me as if I have never left.

Just know that I won't be lost for any much longer in the valley.
When I climb my way to the top of the mountain, the same fawn trick won't work again.

An Awakening

2011-04-21T01:41:00.001+08:00

It's not a nice feeling when you see your loved one lying on the bed, and suffering from so much pain.

My dad's op was successful, and he's currently recovering from it.
But it's still quite upsetting to see him grimacing; even breathing seems painful to him now.

He will recover fully eventually, that im sure.

It's just that when I was at the hospital earlier and I was looking at him, it made me realize how important and dear each and every member of my family is to me.

There are moments when you look at your parents, and you think to yourself...

"爸妈好像老了。。。"

Made me determined to climb out of this rut,
and climb out I will.

---

It's always during such moments of vulnerability do we realize the most important people, are always the people we take for granted.

The people who genuinely care so much about you, and the people you know you can always count on when you're down and out...

..in sunshine and in shade.

Shared joy is a double joy; shared sorrow is half a sorrow.

---

I might not have did a lot, but when the occasions called for it, I was sure I gave it my utmost attention and care.

And it was something I was (and still am) very willing to do.

But it sucks when you find out that your attention is just one aplenty out there,
like a substitute.
like a commodity.

A day of many awakenings.

Hope everything goes well

2011-04-18T21:14:00.000+08:00

My dad will be having an op tomorrow to remove the stones in his body.

Hope everything will go smoothly and my dad will be as fit as a fiddle after that.

不知所措

2011-04-17T22:56:00.000+08:00

I'd like to think i'm usually quite rational, but when it comes to things like this, I usually do not know what to do.

And when I think about what I usually advise others when they tell me about their issues, it makes it even more ironic. haha

可能就等一天，看一天吧。。。

Seeing the bigger picture

2011-04-17T22:21:00.000+08:00

The job of the CEO isn't to check things off the agenda. Her job is to set the agenda, to figure out what's next.

An Epiphany

2011-04-15T16:36:00.000+08:00

I had an epiphany a couple of days ago.

It was routine Tuesday night soccer and we had been playing for around half an hour or so. We were on a row, winning game after game and our winning streak didn't seem like it was gonna end at all.

Then after one game, I slung my body against the side netting and then this thought came to my mind.

"I am having such an enjoyable life now.. And it doesn't come across as too hard to achieve, does it?"

Seeking happiness is overrated and a never-ending pursuit.

So the bottom-line is...

JUST BE HAPPY!

Like it?

2011-04-14T12:08:00.002+08:00

Then click the Like button!

Because 012 suggested every site should have a like button, i've added that to my blog.
You will see the very addictive button at the end of every post, and you know you cant help but to click on it.

Right?

=)

4000 words

2011-04-13T01:52:00.001+08:00

Credits to 012. Again

施比受更有福，是吗？

2011-04-12T02:54:00.001+08:00

我想要给，但还得有人想要受才行。

The Biggest Obstacle

2011-04-12T02:06:00.002+08:00

We know many things, much more than our conscious acknowledgement.
But without execution, nothing will come to fruition.

The biggest obstacle isn't not knowing what to do;
it's not doing what we know.

So what's stopping us from executing what we know?

InterFEARence.

If you can get rid of the interFEARence, and halt the conversations that you are having with yourself in your own head, you will be on your way to happy things (whatever happy means to you).

Are You Ok?

2011-04-08T17:27:00.002+08:00

"Are You Ok?"

I think this is one of the toughest questions to answer.

There is no perfect answer to this question, unless one is really OK. (or at least in my case)

If I'm ok and you ask me this question, I will say im ok.
If I'm not ok and you ask me this question, I will still say im ok.

If I'm not ok and I say that I'm not ok, the ball is thrown back to your court and you're then required to respond. And that might not be something you're totally comfortable with (or even worse, expecting).

When you do not respond, or come up with a cant-be-bothered response, it will only serve to worsen the degree of non-okayness.

So isn't it better if the answer is always OK?

*Open for debate.. so shoot*

心墙

2011-04-08T14:00:00.000+08:00

我学着不去担心得太远
不计划太多反而能勇敢冒险
丰富地过每一天快乐地看每一天

wooh～第一次遇见阴天遮住你侧脸
有什么故事好想了解
我感觉我懂你的特别

你的心有一道墙
但我发现一扇窗
偶尔透出一丝暖暖的微光
就算你有一道墙
我的爱会攀上窗台盛放
打开窗你会看到悲伤融化

I'm an angry man

2011-04-07T14:51:00.001+08:00

Because...

The govt has only decided to give me $200 for this year's Budget.
(actually it's only $100 but because I served NS for 2 years without a maid, they gave me an additional $100)

The country is a good prophet and predicts that I will make the same income every year. Because of that, they want me to contribute 40K towards nation-building.
(I would be most pleased to do that I swear, but my income (lack of) last year makes this not possible totally)

I parked my car earlier at the ONLY shady parking lot and my dad came back and said I grazed the car against a lamp post at the back of the lot.

I sleep at night and when I lie on my left, my shoulder feels like dropping out. Then I turn to my right, and my knee feels like loosening its screws.

Ok end of rant.

=)

Limping away...

2011-04-04T22:55:00.000+08:00

I guess it's better to limp away, than to stay around and be a busy fool.

Humility

2011-04-01T06:30:00.000+08:00

There's no shame in picking yourself up after falling from great heights.

There should be no embarrassment in starting from scratch, and building from ground zero.

I know it's taken very long, but be patient with me.

I know I will come back stronger.

I don't need another person to tell me what I should do; I already knew that since day 2.

There's no shame in setting smaller goals. What matters is the fulfillment, the momentum and the satisfaction gained from it.

A bird with torn wings still has to hunt for food, the world doesn't stop and wait for its wings to heal.

Good night/morning world!

Facing the music

2011-03-29T12:57:00.002+08:00

What happens when a train goes off the rails and proceeds to move on the wrong roads for a very long time?

It creates its own tracks and becomes so deeply entrenched that it's hard to get it out.

---

I know it's totally random, but I wanna do this.
This is how my monthly expenses look like:

Web hosting: $550
Salaries: $2000
Office rental: $330
Mobile broadband: $40
Other office expenses: $350

Insurance: $800
Parents' allowance: $1500
Personal expenses: >$1000

Estimated total: $6570

And that total amount is in red because its a net loss.
Frankly, that's a conservative figure already, because I easily spend more than that.

So if I do the math further,

1 year: $78,840
1.25 years: $98,550

And when you add in my country-building contribution (aka income tax), and my losses in my business for the past year or so, that figure tops $200,000.

Not exactly a figure I'm proud of, if you don't realize already.

They say its no use being so harsh on myself, because that wouldn't help much.
Maybe i'm past caring for myself already? Damn.

Now, I look back and think why I worked so hard previously, and these were my reasons:

Taking care of my parents
Proving a point
Personal achievement
Fear of getting a job again

Maybe I'm not cut out for this.

Maybe I'm just afraid of failing.

Maybe I'm afraid of being unable to replicate success.

Maybe I have too much pride to accept failure.

Maybe I'm too much of a perfectionist.

Maybe maybe maybe.

Running away isn't a solution.

The train can't run too far when its off the rails.

Every lame solution that has been proposed has only been an excuse after an excuse.

At the end of the day, only one thing matters.

Doing what I should do.

The harsh truth

2011-03-28T23:47:00.003+08:00

I might be a good listener...

but I suck at sharing my personal stuff.

不说出来，谁会明白。
说出来了，谁能明白？

可能不是需要明白，只是需要倾诉。

也许我只是突然累了

What do you want?

2011-03-28T23:30:00.000+08:00

........

When falling is easier than staying...

2011-03-25T16:16:00.004+08:00

Acknowledgement

This is a long overdue post for my friend of more than 15 years - Weiwen. I promised I will dedicate a post to him, and after being bugged for 38 times everyday, I decided to start writing. I really didn't have an idea of what I wanted to write, but I just know I had to do something for him before he leaves for dark and lonely Sri Lanka.

Buddy, this is for you. It won't be easy ploughing it out there, so whenever you need some company, you can visit my blog. Because this is home truly, and where you know you must be. Cheers to our BMW 6 Series. =)

---

Many many years ago, I bought a card. I still remembered I was with a couple of friends that day as we went to Planet Traveller at Marina Square. I know it's kinda weird to get a card there, but that was the only thing I got.

I wasn't in a good mood that day. To be honest, I can't remember what was my status back then (single or attached), but I was downcast, and feeling very lost about my relationship.

This is what's written on the card:

"Falling in love is easy,
but staying in love
is something very special."

When I decided to get the card, I wasn't sure who the recipient would be. There were 2 women in my life back then (not including my mum). It seemed like I could pass the card to either person, and yet it would still be equally apt.

In the end, I didn't pass it to anyone.

Just 30 minutes ago, I thought of it and took it out of my drawer. Don't ask me why the sudden remembrance or why this random post, I don't have an answer myself. It just struck me.

What's important is the message on the card, and its underlying meaning.

Humans are fickle creatures. We are prone to go after the latest shiny object, lust after the green-er grass on the other side of the field, crave for the fatter cow on the other farm, and as a closer-to-life example, fall for someone supposedly better than our current half.

It's very easy to fall in love. The thrill, the novelty, and the bright dawns that the new relationship brings all promise so much fun and goodness.

It's always easier to fall for change, than to stick around and hope for change.

When your current half does not live up to your expectations, it's so tempting and easy to come across someone else who promises to fill up that void and fulfill your needs.

But falling is addictive... and dangerous.

New grounds are fragile, and not might not hold up well under pressure. And when you keep falling, eventually you will hit the ground hard when no one's there to catch your fall.

That said, there are times when its worthwhile to risk the fall though. But this is another topic for another day, and not at a right time for the author who's sleep-deprived.

Staying in love is hard, but it's definitely something very special.
Not everyone can achieve that, but those who can usually are the happiest and the most contented ones.

---

To whom it may apply to...

Maybe it was not meant to be, but whatever happens, happens for a reason.
You will emerge stronger from this, and I know you will be much better off.

You deserve better.

:)

梦醒时分

2011-03-24T22:47:00.001+08:00

有些事情你现在不必问
有些人你永远不必等

Lemon Tree

2011-03-23T16:42:00.000+08:00

I wonder how,
I wonder why.

*complete rest of chorus here*

---

Out for a jog

Simple truths - simple, yet true

2011-03-23T16:35:00.000+08:00

Credits to 012

F.e.a.r

2011-03-23T00:11:00.006+08:00

"The things ~~we are~~ I am afraid of, are the things that have already happened."

I don't want to ~~worry~~ think too much, and I don't want to ~~bother~~ care too much too...
But I just do it all the same.........

This is... ARGHHHHHHHHHHH

Stairway to _________

2011-03-21T02:25:00.002+08:00

Stepping in is fun, enjoyable and addictive.

But the deeper i get in, the harder it is to get out.

I wonder where this is headed

Peek-a-boo

2011-03-18T21:01:00.000+08:00

My fave hangout on Sat evenings

viva espana

I just got this water fountain

Because I wanted the sound of flowing water in my room

Bro, bro, cousin, cousin, cousin

KTV at Teo Heng!

有感而发

2011-03-09T01:49:00.001+08:00

一个平凡的想法，只要肯付诸实践，都会比枯萎在内心的奇妙灵感有价值

http://www.doubao.me/2011/02/23/11/08/07

http://www.doubao.me/2011/02/22/17/51/20

然而很多时候，我们所做的事别人可能根本就没有看见，

或者看见了也不把它当回事儿，只是因为我们自己的幻想，

以为全天下的人都看着自己，给自己扛上天大的包袱，何苦呢？

http://www.doubao.me/2011/03/01/16/55/41

你有野心吗？

2011-03-08T01:38:00.003+08:00

穷人缺什么

法国一位年轻人很穷，很苦。后来，他以推销装饰肖像画起家，在不到10年的时间里，迅速跻身于法国50大富翁之列，成为一们年轻的媒体大亨。不幸，他因患上前列腺癌，1998年去世。他去世后，法国的一份报纸刊登了他的一份遗嘱。在这份遗嘱里，他说：“我曾经是一位穷人，在以一个富人的身分跨入天堂的门槛之前，我把自己成为富人的秘决留下，谁若能通过回答‘穷人最缺少的是什么’而猜中我成为富人的秘诀，他将能得到我的祝贺—我留在银行私人保险箱内的100万法郎，将作为睿智地揭开贫穷之谜的人的奖金，也是我在天堂给予他的欢呼与掌声。”

遗嘱刊出后，有18461个人寄来了自己的答案。这些答案，五花八门，应有尽有。绝大部分的人认为，穷人最缺少的当然是金钱了，有了钱就不会再是穷人了。另有一部分人认为，穷人之所以穷，最缺少的是机会，穷人之所以穷是穷在“背时”上面。又有一部分人认为，空人最缺少的是技能，一无所长所以才穷，有一技之长才能迅速致富。还有的人说，穷人最缺少的是帮助和关爱桀骜不驯漂亮桀骜不驯名牌桀骜不驯总统的职位等等。

在这位富翁逝世周年纪念日，他的律师和代理人在公证部门的监督下，打开了银行内的私人保险箱，公开了他致富的秘诀，他认为：穷人最缺少的是成为富人的野心。

在所有答案中，有一位年仅9岁的女孩猜对了。为什么只有这位9岁的女孩想到穷人最缺少的是野心？他在接受100万法郎的颁奖之日说，“每次，我姐姐把她11岁的男朋友带回家时，总是警告我说不要有野心！不要有野心！于是我想，也许野心可以让人得到自己想得到的东西。

谜底揭开之后，震动法国，并波及英美。一些新贵翁在就此话题谈论时，均毫不掩饰地承认：野心是永恒的“治穷”特效药，是所有奇迹的萌发点，穷人之所以穷，大多是因为他们有一种无可救药的弱点，也就是缺乏致富的野心。

http://www.doubao.me/2011/02/24/20/18/22

－－－

这个故事是我爸刚才跟我说的。
我想他是看出来我越来越懒散了，失去了我从前的野心。

有了野心，人才会前进。
有了野心，人才会成功。

－－－

亲爱的野心，

我知道你还在，只是暂时迷失了方向。

我发誓我会找到你的！

敬，
阿伟

Book-crazy

2011-03-03T23:58:00.000+08:00

I had a lecturer who once said he always gets really excited when he enters a bookstore. I still recall that when I first heard him say that, I thought he was a bit of a weirdo (and subsequently didn't bother to pay much attention to his lectures).

But now, I think I feel the same way as him. haha!

In 2 days, I bought 10 books from Popular and Borders. In fact, since the start of the year, I have already bought more than 30 books (maybe like 95% non-fiction)!

And yes you probably guessed it, I haven't read all of them. Actually I think I've only read 2-3 out of those 30.

I'm not sure if it's just me, but I usually do not finish reading books. While there are a few that I do read in their own entirety, almost every book does not attract me long enough to let it run its course.

When I have my own house in the future, I will have a huge book cabinet/shelf that will fill up an entire wall.

Like this,

or this...

bookshelf porn (how aptly named)

Some of my recent purchases,

=)

----

About my getaway, I've started talking to people for ideas and their experiences. And I also bought 2 Lonely Planets, and 2 Rough Guides (though its unlikely I will finish reading them).

Thanks for the suggestions everyone!
I will let you know when I take the plunge.

=))

The thing that makes it popular...

2011-03-03T20:10:00.000+08:00

The thing that makes it popular...might be precisely the thing that keeps it from working.

Chatroulette was popular because you might randomly see some horrible naked guy. It was like a train wreck attracting rubberneckers. But the very attraction that drew a crowd also ensured it would never be seen as a serious tool.

That kid in school that everyone cheers on as he works to become a class clown might appear popular, but it's certainly getting in the way of his being taken seriously enough to get into college.
I'd argue that the same thinking applies to the way you first encounter someone. You can certainly be over the top enough to get a handshake or even a meeting, but the thing that got you that meeting might be exactly what costs you the deal.

There are a hundred ways you and your organization can become more popular, earn more clicks, generate more comments... but is popular what you're after?

Taken from Seth's Blog: The thing that makes it popular...

It's time...

2011-03-02T00:17:00.006+08:00

I will never recover from my illness if I stay put here.

So I've decided...

I'm going overseas for a getaway.

Sometimes we just need to get away from it all

A place where I can find my "inner peace",
to clear things out of my mind,
and to start afresh on all levels.

What do you recommend?

这个阴谋让我好惭愧

2011-03-01T17:33:00.001+08:00

对我好对我好好到无路可退
可是我也很想有个人陪
才不愿把你得罪于是那么迂回
一时进一时退保持安全范围
这个阴谋让我好惭愧
享受被爱滋味却不让你想入非非
就让我们虚伪
有感情别浪费
不能相爱的一对
亲爱像两兄妹
爱让我们虚伪
我得到于事无补的安慰
你也得到模仿爱上一个人的机会
残忍也不是慈悲
这样的关系你说多完美
眼看你看著我看得那么暧昧
被爱爱人原来一样可悲
为甚么竟然防备别人给我献媚
不能推不能要要了怕你误会
让我想起曾经爱过谁
我所要的她不给好像小偷一样卑微
就让我们虚伪
有感情别浪费
不能相爱的一对
亲爱像两兄妹
爱让我们虚伪
我得到于事无补的安慰
你也得到模仿爱上一个人的机会
残忍也不是慈悲
这样的关系你说多完美

Paying it forward =)

2011-03-01T10:02:00.002+08:00

When being lost is not all bad...

2011-02-22T14:49:00.000+08:00

What's better?

A) You're lost and moving in all directions, feeling and trying to find the right way out for you.. You find yourself constantly making U-turns, and after a few ventured routes, you find yourself back at Square 1.

OR

B) You're confident of where you're headed and you take big strides in that direction. After some distance however, you start to doubt whether this is the right route after all. In spite of your doubts, you continue walking in the same direction because you're already too deep in, and changing routes will immediately render your previous distance covered futile.

It was recently conveyed to me that most people at the age of 25-30 are still figuring out their paths in life. Take people of my age for example. At 26, most females would have had a few years of working experience (assuming they start work at 21). And most guys would have worked for only 1 to 2 years, after 2 years of toil and sweat in national service.

So if you are feeling lost at this stage (aka quarter-life crisis), it's perfectly alright! In fact, you should be more daring and try out more things.

There's not a high chance that you already know what you will be doing for the rest of your career and life, so I say...

Go out and experience every thing that you have always thought of and wanted to!

Ignore the naysayers and pessimists; these people only have bad things to say because they are people with limited mindsets and they cannot embrace people who do better than them.

It's better to have ventured and lost, than not to have ventured at all.

Shit

2011-02-18T05:29:00.000+08:00

Shit
519am and I'm still so awake.
But i'm also kinda bored because no one else is awake at this time.
Don't know when the late nights came back, but i'm undecided on whether this is a good or bad thing!

Shit
I think I get my priorities all wrong.
I do all the least important things first, and procrastinate forever on the critical stuff.
Please... you know what's the wheat and what's the chaff, so separate them. NOW

Shit
I think I get attached too easily.
Makes my life so much more miserable.
Especially when it feels im the only one affected by it.

VDay Date FAIL

2011-02-16T16:18:00.003+08:00

What's worse than not having a female date on VDay?
Supper with a male friend at your neighbourhood coffeeshop.

What's worse than having supper with a male friend at your neighbourhood coffeeshop on VDay?
When the indian stall assistant looks at you cheekily and asks why didn't you bring your girlfriend along.

Thanks KY and Mani for being there. =)

Love is...

2011-02-15T01:43:00.001+08:00

So fragile, yet so empowering;
So crippling, yet so forgiving

---

In the past year, I witnessed quite a few friends who broke up with their other halves.
Most of them were dealt harsh cards, and did not take to the breakup well at all.

I'll write more when i find the right words... in the meantime, i'll leave you with this beautiful song - More Than Words

To you-know-who on this special day...

2011-02-14T14:34:00.002+08:00

I'll see you there...

不见不散。。。

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Some things don't change...

2011-02-12T02:03:00.000+08:00

like how leopards dont change their spots..

and soft spots don't change their places...

多的是,你不知道的事

2011-02-11T14:51:00.001+08:00

The problem with most of us is that we behave like we're the best prophets and oracles. But we don't know that divination is only an ability given to animals.

Mani the parakeet

Paul the octopus (January 2008 - 26 October 2010)

So we continue being full of ourselves and assume that whatever we think is correct, or will be correct.

Don't assume, it makes an ass out of u and me.

More often than not, the only things that can be ascertained are the things that you ASK, or seek to find the truth.

多的是,你和我都不知道的事

Stay foolish, stay hungry, keep asking.

义无反顾, 沒那麼簡單

2011-02-10T02:06:00.001+08:00

My thoughts at 137am

2011-02-08T01:29:00.004+08:00

When a secret is revealed but gets dismissed by everyone, it remains what it was originally - a secret.

The Danger in Complacency

2011-02-07T16:24:00.003+08:00

It's easy to lose yourself when success is your new best friend.

Your ego swells, and it becomes too big for your head.

And we all know what happens when things swell - they burst.

Not everyone can remain humble in the wake of phenomenal success..

If one day you finally reap what you sow, don't let a swollen ego ruin your hard work.

The really successful don't go around showing off.

I'm happy for my friends when they bask in their success, but it's another thing altogether when someone becomes too big for his own good.

Fortunately,

回头是岸!

I have ZERO gambling luck

2011-02-04T10:22:00.003+08:00

The tribe has spoken.. and I have to concur with their verdict....

I have absolutely zilch, zero, nada, kosong luck when it comes to gambling!

As I was just telling my brother yesterday, it's always a case of "same story, different year", for me every year.

Over the years, I've become so accustomed to becoming Santa (or rather God of Fortune in this case), that I've somewhat ~~subconsciously~~ consciously drawn more money to prepare for CNY.

They say that in order to receive you must first give, and that giving is better than receiving. I am very thankful for the existence of such inspirational quotes, because they have managed to keep me sane and hopeful for the past 25 years!

Actually my parents were the first ones to notice my gambling luck, or lack of it. Haha. And when they first told me about it, I was pretty quick to brush it off. But after some self-reflection, I realized they were spot on totally.

Rewind to previous CNYs...

"Hey let Swee be the banker!" Whole floor erupts in joy (Now I understand why)

Me: Hey why aren't you all playing yet?

Everyone else: Cos you're late and we're all waiting for the banker!

Sucks to be me.

恭喜发财！發啊！

2011-02-02T15:54:00.002+08:00

祝福大伙儿在来临的兔年里，

一帆风顺

万事如意

如鱼得水

心想事成

梦想成真

开开心心

永远开心

笑口常开

美美丽丽

英英俊俊

大展宏图

有情人忠诚眷属

發啊！！！！

The sun still rises everyday..

2011-02-02T00:07:00.004+08:00

Stopping to smell your roses...

2011-02-01T16:14:00.003+08:00

This morning, I was facebook stalking (ala KY) and I came across my friend's status update:

"Dreaming of the day I could easily afford to walk into office with a cuppa in my hand every morning."

Then I realized....

"Isn't that what I do everyday?"

----

The little things that you take for granted, can be very significant to others.

When life gets overbearing sometimes, take a step back to appreciate the finer things you have.

After all, it's not about having a ton of roses;

it's about taking the time to stop and smell them.

I'm loving this rainy weather

2011-01-31T11:32:00.004+08:00

Not likely to be the most popular thought,

but I'm loving the feeling of waking up every morning to the pitter-patters.

I'm sure it helps I don't have to fight the daily commute to work!

The biggest headache I have is deciding my workplace for the day.

Trust me, it's not that easy. =)

----

All things happen for a reason, and I should be happy now that the saga is over.

I guess it'll be good, as long as the affinity and bond remains.

Happy week ahead!

Managing Expectations

2011-01-28T13:56:00.004+08:00

When things spiral out of control, it's easier to condition your own expectations.

At least it's something you can manage.

The Strangest Secret

2011-01-28T11:16:00.006+08:00

A couple of weeks ago, I got an audio copy (CD) of The Strangest Secret by Earl Nightingale.

Its not really a secret to many of us (I actually blogged about it before), but its termed that way because its so simple, but yet many fail to comprehend.

According to him, the strangest secret is...

You are what you think you are.

The only reason you're not doing better in life or enjoying more success, is because you don't think about it.

Maybe you do, but you're likely not thinking hard enough...

or you're thinking about all the invisible barriers that you set up for yourself.

The only roadblocks that stand in front of you are the ones that you recognize and acknowledge. When you have a clear idea of your destination, you don't care about what stands in your way.

And that is what separates the successful from the rest.

Which brings me to my point..

Don't settle for something you're not happy with.

Pursue your dreams, fulfill your passions.

I believe all of us, deep down, know what we really want in life (if you don't, dig deeper into yourself!).

When you have found it, that will be your destination.

Keep that destination firmly in mind all time, and then plan your journey there.

I'm not really a spiritual person, but even I know that when you start planning your life that way, a big part of the journey will sort out by itself and things will start aligning in magical ways...

Going away...

2011-01-25T00:57:00.005+08:00

A month trip to a foreign country, alone.

How does that sound?

I've been thinking of that quite a bit, ever since that thought popped up a couple of weeks ago.

That's the problem with thoughts -- the more you think about it, the more unlikely you're going to carry it out. It's the action-killer.

Maybe now that things have come to a conclusion, I have less reason not to leave, and more reason to go.

Oh well...

---

It's been a bad day today.

Blow #1:

The day started badly today when I got a call from my camp, asking me when would I want to go back I-C-T. That's a really tough question for any guy, because the answer is a no-brainer. I don't want to even go back at all! When i go back, i will make sure they pay me damn well and stop calling me back again!

Blow #2:

Then, I met DZ for lunch and helped him with some of his sites. Returned to the car and realized I was 5 mins too late!

If you drive, dont ever think of getting away scot-free when you park at Siglap. The parking wardens there are the most diligent and garang ones i have seen. I believe this is already the 5th time I've been summon-ed there. Lucky lucky me...

Blow #3:

I'm not sure how I can classify this...

Primary School Gathering

2010-12-24T02:43:00.001+08:00

Always nice to catch up and have a good laugh over the silliest things. haha

Merry Christmas everyone!

Bye Bye Mediocrity

2010-11-27T00:54:00.002+08:00

Hmm almost 2 months since I last blogged.. Time passes too fast!

The next blood donation drive is like in 2 weeks' time, so I thought I better write something before I show you another entry of needles and blood bags.

I've been kept somewhat busy with my ecommerce sites recently, and I think that is not the way to go.

There is only so much time I can have, and if I continue to do what I've been doing (i.e. idling and being unproductive), I will be forever trapped in the vicious cycle of making time for the little things which don't yield much returns.

To give myself a little credit, I have already been outsourcing quite a few things to others, and around 2 weeks ago, I just hired a Virtual Assitant (VA) from the Philippines!

And she has a really noble task --

To replace me!

Okay not entirely replace, because she doesn't have such a big head..

But at least to replace me in the things that I loathe doing, and are not part of the big picture.

It was a step in the right direction, but not a step entrenched deep enough.

So when your mind is stuck and you need fresh ideas, what do you do?

You go for a jog duh!

And jog I did (sorry drew for not jioing you), and my brain cells started running as well. So many thoughts run past my mind when I'm jogging, I really should have like a voice recorder next time so I can record down everything.

P.S. Before I end, here's a ~~penny~~ cookie for your thoughts..

"Time without attention is worthless, so value attention over time"

Giving Blood

2010-10-02T03:11:00.003+08:00

So after what has been the longest time, I finally got down to donating blood last weekend.

And after that session, I think I want to be a regular blood donor from now on.

Well, I get to save lives + apparently it's good for myself too, so why not?

And if you are healthy, and eligible for blood donation, you should go too!

One bag of blood saves up to 3 lives, and I'm glad I'm an official life-saver now. :)

25th Birthday

2010-09-14T03:10:00.002+08:00

Thanks JL for the birthday celebration + gift + dinner+ cake.
:)

25 soon...

2010-09-08T01:45:00.002+08:00

In a matter of days, it will be my Silver Jubilee!

25 is a magical number.

It means I have been alive for 25 years, not 24, and not 23, so its really magical.
:-)

Okay it has been a really fastttt year.

In terms of my business, it hasn't been really fruitful. Time passes so fast when you are in the doldrums... When you are on top of the world, you are always afraid that it wouldn't last.. I

Weird isn't it?

But I will learn to embrace good things soon.

Here's to a better year ahead for all of us!

The Beauty of Outsourcing

2010-08-27T21:36:00.004+08:00

Hell hath no fury like an Australian scorned.

First, he scolded me "theaf'.
Now, he's saying I'm not a fair man and should be not trusted.

You get to meet all sorts of people when you outsource.

Trust me, its fun!

2010-08-20T12:32:00.002+08:00

I quote Seth Godin...

---

Splitting wood

When using an axe to split logs, it's awfully tempting to aim at the top of the log.

After all, if you miss the log entirely, it's dangerous or at the very least, ineffective. One can argue that if you don't split the top, it's pointless—nothing else will happen.

The problem with aiming at the top is that the axe loses momentum before its work is done and you end up with a stuck axe and half a split log.

No, the best approach is to focus on splitting the bottom of the log. Split the bottom and the top takes care of itself.

Amplification: some of my smartest and fastest-reading readers (and some with experience in log splitting) missed the point of the post above. I'm not Gary Larson, so I guess I should clarify.

I'm not talking about turning the log upside down or some other semantic trick. I'm pointing out that if you aim at the top (at getting started), then you don't split the wood. If you aim at the bottom (by way of the top) then you do.

Hitting the top of the log isn't, the point, it's merely the beginning of the stroke.

In other words, don't focus so much on starting something. It's the follow through that will get you there, so the beginning must be with the end in mind. And yes, this actually makes wood chopping far easier.

---

Just when I am starting to feel overwhelmed by the massive tasks I have ahead of me, I came upon this entry.

Note to self: Don't focus on being perfect!

TGIF

2010-08-14T04:58:00.005+08:00

Met JL, Jeff, and Kami for dinner at 85 earlier. Then we went to Coffee Club to have some drinks + desserts.

Even though Jeff had been gone for a long time, I always find it easy to talk to him. And I enjoyed talking to his wife too.. (no not what you're thinking..)

Okay that's all for today!

I need validation

2010-08-14T04:36:00.004+08:00

Question:
What is a screwed up lifestyle?

Answer:
When you have breakfast at 6am, sleep at 8am, wake up at 3pm, and start work at 5pm.

I think I need to be validated. When people around ask me why am I working on Friday nights, I can't find a reply to that. Well, my point is.. does it really matter?

I don't have a girlfriend now, which can also be translated as having a lot of free time. I do try to squeeze in other activities outside of work - suppers, sports, coffee outings, meetups, family outings..

Am I working too hard?

I know I don't reply that actively on MSN, and I also know I have very short attention spans when I'm online.

But.. I really don't think I am working too hard!

I work at the times when people are not. When the world (or at least Singapore) sleeps, I work. When they wake up and go to work, I'm probably snoring my guts away on my bed.

It's a lonely job.. actually I wouldn't even call it a job but I can't find an apt term now.

I always tell my friends.. It's a means to an end..
I don't foresee myself doing this for a long time.
In fact, I'm already working towards something more long-term and sustainable.

I might neglect you guys online.. I might miss a few MJ sessions.. And I even might miss a few suppers..

But I really do put in the effort to meet up when its possible.

If I'm guilty of anything, then charge me for just my lack of response on MSN.
I guess I just prefer the face-to-face meetup than the behind-the-monitor chat..

Sometimes I have to work at night because I have to meet and talk to Americans during their working hours.. While I try to network with my friends here, I have to do my networking with them too!

Okay enough of bitching.. Just needed to get this off my chest!

I'm feeling so awake..

2010-07-30T06:18:00.003+08:00

at 620 am!

Okay anyway, Alvin was saying that my posts are so vague and I'm always talking about stuff that no one understands.. Haha. It's like I'm always mentioning exciting times that lie ahead, but there has been no indication of those times anytime soon.

Well I am so vague for a reason - I don't know where those times lead to!

I've been getting myself involved with a few projects that aren't entirely related to affiliate marketing. So to make things clearer and to account to everyone and myself, let me attempt to organize what's on my radar:

1. Set up an ecommerce store for phone accessories
2. Revive heartlanders' love for pasar malams, online!
3. Setting up a blogshop with my brother and Belinda.
4. Discussion with Ben on tuition leads (okay somewhat related to affiliate marketing)

I think I have a ton more, but I'm sure there will be many that fall somewhere along the sidewalk.

It's good to have a lot of ideas, and even better if they are good ones. But if good ideas remain in their purest form, and with no action whatsoever, they will forever just be good ideas.

So live your dream everyone!

Time..

2010-07-27T05:28:00.002+08:00

There is not enough time in a day for work + sleep + food + an hour of TV.

That said, exciting times lie ahead!

Good night world!

Especially to the Canaries of Brazil

2010-07-04T16:04:00.003+08:00

我是一隻小小鳥

WARNING:
Viewing not recommended for Alpha Males who like to caress their own egos.

A classic song that has been recently re-glorified because of Ding Dang. If you are someone who thrives on oldies (ala Ben), I recommend the original singer - 趙傳's version.

1 Word to describe: Inspirational

If you cringe at oldies (ala KY), then I think you'll love 丁噹's rendition. Very powerful and strong vocals. "Like"

1 Word to describe: Powerful

作詞：李宗盛　作曲：李宗盛

有時候我覺得自己像一隻小小鳥　想要飛卻怎樣也飛不高
也許有一天我棲上了枝頭卻成為獵人的目標
我飛上了青天才發現自己從此無依無靠

每次到了夜深人靜的時候我總是睡不著
我懷疑是不是只有我的明天沒有變得更好
未來會怎樣究竟有誰會知道
幸福是否只是一種傳說我永遠都找不到

我是一隻小小小小鳥　想要飛呀飛卻飛也飛不高
我尋尋覓覓尋尋覓覓一個溫暖的懷抱　這樣的要求算不算太高

所有知道我的名字的人啊你們好不好
世界是如此的小　我們註定無處可逃
當我嚐盡人情冷暖　當你決定為了你的理想燃燒
生活的壓力與生命的尊嚴那一個重要

Taking time out...

2010-06-28T01:34:00.004+08:00

Ky, Cs, Ch and me, or otherwise known as the ones who are 不务正业, made a trip to Bedok Jetty two nights ago and it made me realize how much I miss the sea. It was an impromptu decision to go fishing, and although we only managed to catch air, I thoroughly enjoyed the sea breeze and the casual chat we had.

It's been some time since I've been able to get my mind off work. Sometimes you are so caught up in what you're doing that you dont leave time for anything else.

We gotta do that more often!

And on Fri morning, I actually woke up early enough to meet JL for breakfast. It was a great meal and the talk we had gave me new perspective once more.

They say it's hard to find confidantes, and I'm glad to have all the people around me who can hear me bitch.

Now Swee, let it all out!

Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish

2010-06-11T00:45:00.003+08:00

I just recovered (almost) from a very nasty bout of illness for the past 2-3 days. I can't remember when was the last time I felt so sick - man it was terrible!

Like what Andrew described of himself, I was really like a walking zombie for the past 2 days. Haha.

Once I got out of the bed, the only thing I wanna do is to get back. And so it was 2 full days of rest for me as I let my battery recharge.

Lots of time to think about stuff these few days and I thought that was a good thing.

I realize my mind is much clearer when I'm away from the computer. Most of my ideas and thoughts only come when I am not staring at my laptop.

Actually, I find that my mind goes through a lot when I close my eyes and I splash/shower/spray water on my face. That also means the times when I wash my face, shower, or swim.

Anyway, I have been thinking of the steps ahead and the path that I should be taking. Been thinking about it for some time but I guess I needed a fever to jolt my brain cells into overdrive.

Things move. People move.
Now it's time for me to move!

Supp-fast

2010-06-04T02:27:00.002+08:00

Ever wondered what that word is?

Simple.

It means supper + breakfast, just like how brunch was coined!

Pardon the language

I think I have found the perfect remedy to have breakfast everyday - take it before I go to sleep!

For the past 2 days (and it looks like today will be the same as well), I have left my office after 5am and I will have my breakfast before I go home.

First day - Ban Mian
Second day - Vegetarian Bee Hoon

Haha okay I know those are probably the cheapest of thrills around but I do enjoy it.

Alright off to earn my breakfast!

Peektures

2010-05-31T03:01:00.005+08:00

Late night supper at Yong He...

GB and gf called me at 230am for supper. I'm such a nice friend

Mum's bday dinner at Resorts World (followed by my maiden trip to the casino there)

Some fine dining restaurant (Tung Lok Group) at RWS

Unagi, cucumber, chilli, yam, and an abyss of bliss

Courtesy of the restaurant

They only gave one slice!

Why I always (quote Andrew) rent an office...

my cosy corner (chair wasnt fixed back then lol)

And NANDOS!

fork lickin' good chicken