My crown of glory: Well upon the request of moonx, I've decided to shoot a picture of my new hairdo. Uhm, it was hard to capture all the layering, so I could only shoot from the side. So pls excuse my less-than-perfect complexion. The highlights are a result of my last dyeing. By right, according to Aaron the hairstylist, it would be nice to have a two-tone highlight to bring out the texture of the cut. But I already had previous highlights, so we left it as that. Cut was $31.50, including wash and blow. Anyone interested, pls leave a comment and I'll post the address of the salon :)

My crown of glory

It's half an hour to midnight and I have hair wax/clay in my hair that I can't bear to wash off! That's because I think I look simply fabulous in my new hairdo. Haha :)

I just had my hair snipped at a new-found salon in Hougang. It's one of the Kimage branches and I tell you, the guy who cut my hair, knows how to treat my hair like she's queen. He's got the feel and I'm so glad I found him. I was so happy with his service and hairstyling that I bought a $43 hair-styling product and a two-year membership.

It's hard to describe to long-haired lasses the satisfaction a short-haired girl gets when her tresses are shaped just the way God meant them to be. Let's see, I would say it is as satisfying as downing a huge gulp of ice-cold water on a hot, dusty day. As refreshing as a warm bubble bath after a hard day's work.

Ah.....

What's more satisfying is when the hairdresser smiles as he cuts, and tells you he thinks that super short fringe, which other people can't carry off, simply frames your face perfectly. And especially so when you agree.

It's been a great day. And worth every silly grin I wore on my way home.

Can women never be (good) bosses?

You know how we all bitch about having to endure women bosses who are control freaks, super kan cheong and nitpick like anything? Do you think there really could be a good woman boss?
Was having lunch with olduvai today and somehow we talked a bit about this. Leo was saying that he's beginning to believe that all women are hard to deal with because they don't hear out reason calmly. Guys are different cos they are more reasonable.
Hmm....I do think that I can't handle stress as well as the average guy does, and that I do get irritable. But I don't know whether I fall into the category of unreasonable? Maybe, if push comes to shove.
Can women never be good bosses?

Tired

I don't know if you have that same feeling, but every time I'm overworked, I feel pukish in the mornings. And it happened today! I actually did throw up the pear I ate for breakfast. Eww...gross. The last time I felt this way was at NewsXXXX!

I think it's the fatigue (think late nights) coupled with the endless writing of meaningless things that I swear become what a friend calls pang sai zhua (loosely translated as toilet paper). This week has been quite crazy, handling three stories, coordinating one supplement and writing this advertorial (two full broadsheet pages) that required 12 interviews. It's not so much the writing that drove me nuts, but the infinite stream of phonecalls and emails I had to make to chase people for answers. In fact, I'm still waiting for this last person to call me in a few minutes.

I am definitely not cut out to be a multitasker. Stresses me like crazy when they are deadlines to meet.

So anyways, it's Friday today, and I've finished all I need to do. Almost. I can only breathe a sigh of yay. Oh yes, on a side note, I'm quite happy I'm reading The Gastronomical Me by MFK Fisher. Makes me happy reading how food, to her, is the breathe of life. I need to learn that. Take it easy, enjoy the gastronomical sensations, relax.

Astroboy!!!! Hahahaha. See the second guy from the top, topless with tight blue shorts, socks pulled up high and orange shoes??? Doesn't he look like Astroboy??? Couldn't resist taking this picture from my 12th storey flat. These guys were playing at the soccer field below my block and this pasty guy really caught my eye man. All the way Astroboy!!! Woohoo!!!

Another's world

Reflection time again.

I remember two years ago I was suffering from a major quarterlife crisis, which I hope will never hit me again. Work totally sucked, well, more like the workplace sucked and the work sucked a little less. It was so bad it came to a point I cried three days in a row, once at my table (and later found out I wasn't the only one who'd ever cried at work!).

What made it worse was other than the fact that my personality couldn't gel with what my job required, I was tormented by the thought of not being tough enough to ride through the hard times. Being a perfectionist for most of my life, something I partly blame the Singapore education system for, I couldn't accept the fact that I was not able to cope with what I was doing. I was torn between quitting my job and just sticking around like the rest of my peers did. Just two years, I thought, just two years and I'd have accummulated enough experience for a glowing testimonial.

But through a miraculous divine intervention, an offer for a transfer came along and my very intimidating boss agreed to it in 10 seconds, although I knew I was penned in her little black book as The Traitor. But, whatever. Thank God for the opening.

In the course of my present work, I've decided to start volunteering to see if I'd be any good at a job in the social service. I really enjoy it and I actually look forward to meeting K and Mr Jai every week. Mr Jai was more of an accident, but a welcome one. They've exposed me to such a different world in Singapore and every time I meet them, I learn something new. Something fresh about humanity, which is sometimes very humbling.

Take Mr Jai for example. I had to change the batteries in his electronic doorbell the other day. He said he'd "no guts" to open the battery cover cos he was afraid the batteries would fall out and he'd not be able to find them. Which means he would never know if anyone was at the door. He said he had tried different ways to make the doorbell work, like putting a piece of paper over the door bell, hanging it on the wall etc...And I was like: Huh? You know, when you hear a sick old man tell you things like this, you just wanna cry. How many times have you taken for granted your very simple ability to change batteries?

Just a few hours back, I attended the wake of K's mother. K is a 16-year-old girl I mentor and her mum died of liver cancer. All I can say is that she has an extremely complex family background, which I can't say here. Tonight, she was as mature as she could be, telling me by her mother's coffin, how she thought she could do a better job at the makeup the embalmer had done. Through all the conversations I've had with her through the last year or so, I'm actually pretty amazed at how strong she is despite the difficult situations she has to go through.

Now, I really wonder if I finally do get a job in the social service sector, would I still be able to interact with these friends of mine in such an intimate manner? Or would I see them each as a case to be dealt with. I'm quite scared. People always say as a social worker you have to be objective with the people you deal with. I don't know...can you really be that objective? How objective is objective? How good is that?

Sighs...I'm thinking too much again I guess. Shall stop. Sometimes too much reflection is not good.

Bangkok: Jai and Tee posing for photos with their guests before the latter take their seats in the ballroom for dinner.

Back from Bangkok! 555!

555. That's "ha ha ha" for you in Thai. Whenever Jai, a Thai friend of Leo, chats online with him, she punches that number in to represent laughter. How cute! 555!

Anyways, I met her in Bangkok three years back on a trip there with Leo and his friends and got to know her as well. Over the weekend, Leo and I flew over again to attend her wedding. And of course, to enjoy a much-needed break. Finally, we could spend quality time together as a couple!

This time round, I wasn't so crazy about shopping anymore. Just a few months ago on a trip to Bangkok with some church friends, I got stuck with a shopping queen and couldn't even stop to see the sights and feast on the cheap good food. I ended up with only two pictures for the entire trip. This time round, I went with the sole aim of just enjoying a relaxing time and I ate sooooooo much!!! Shall post a few pictures of the yummy eats I tucked into.

As for Jai and Tee's wedding, it was an interesting experience too. Although it was a standard 8-10 course Chinese banquet dinner at Narai Hotel in Silom Road, we had dishes that were slightly different from those served in Singapore. For example, there was this broth-like thing with goose feet and I think fish maw, which was, all right. The first dish (you know the one which in Singapore has five different types of foods on a platter) had cashew nuts and this popiah thingy filled with sweetened peanuts. Etc.

The bridal couple also took pictures with ALL the guests before they entered the ballroom. We all took turns to stand in front of this rather cheesy backdrop (haha) decorated with white and red roses, plus a big curvy heart in the centre. Poor Jai, she said she had smiled all night till her jaws ached like mad!

The yum seng: Well, they don't say yum seng, of course. Instead, when everyone stands up for a toast, a 30-second midi-created fanfare tune sounds from the keyboard before everyone goes "jai! yoke! jai! yoke!" Err...something like that lah. I was more amused by the midi tune!

There's also karaoke on a small stage in the front where apart from the hired singer, any brave soul can belt out a song. There was this teenage girl who sang not bad, and her grandmother (well, this old woman I assume to be her grandmother) tottered up, leaning against another woman for support, to present the girl a rose for moral support! Heh.

Oh, the Thais actually practise throwing the bouquet for single females to catch as well. The activity caused quite a stir among all the ladies and one lone guy - Jai's brother Boy. That cheeky fella ended up catching the flowers to much laughter.

Well, Leo was very happy to catch up with his Thai friends, cos he's closer to them than I am. He's known them since they were in primary school, although they only got closer in recent years. They are five siblings - Jai (27yrs and the oldest, sis), Boy (bro), Bon (bro), Bern (sis) and Ball (bro).

Okie...photos coming your way!