steven.haven

congratulations Wee!

2010-10-01T19:31:00.001-07:00

We attended Wee's convocation in KL over the weekend. Congratulations Bro!

it's been 5 months....

2010-10-01T19:07:00.000-07:00

it's been 5 months since i've last updated my blog, so i guessed it's high time i do it now... here's a very very very brief snapshot of what i've been through for the past 5 months...

We organised a family day outing to Kranji-Lim Chu Kang farm area. I can see that the kids really enjoyed themselves very much.

I volunteered at a charity bazaar organised by Kampung Senang Geylang.

Finally went to Japan! Thanks to Kevin for the free accommodations, really saved a lot! I'll definitely go back there again.

The muses finally took part in the Asia Pacific Harmonica Festival held in Singapore for the first time. And to our delight, we clinched the Gold award in the ensemble category, which was a way much better achievement than we orginally had expected of ourselves.

Novartis Cycle Meet 3: Sports Day @ Hort Park...

I promise that I'll be more consistent in updating my blog in future...

Universal Studios Singapore

2010-05-18T08:14:00.000-07:00

MiniFESTO 2010

2010-05-18T08:11:00.000-07:00

Pulau Semakau Trip

2010-05-18T08:05:00.001-07:00

Seen and Found in Khoo Teck Puat Hospital

2010-04-14T08:38:00.000-07:00

Batam Trip

2010-04-14T08:20:00.000-07:00

Random...

2010-03-03T07:50:00.000-08:00

Soiree 2010's finally over...

2010-02-28T17:42:00.000-08:00

Soiree 2010 was filled with all excitements and dissappointments as well.
This is the first time I performed in victoria concert hall and i tell myself that i'll not go back to that place anymore. firstly the acoustic of the hall was terrible. listening quality was optimum at some areas and atrocious at the others. the mic-ing has tonnes of limitations as well. next, the backstage was so small that it really look like the squatters you've read in history books. think i shall stop here, else the list will go on and on.

so what about our orchestra performance? i shall leave it for our conductor to comment.
pink panther? mmm....mixed feelings and feedbacks i guessed. some of the audience loved it, coz it's jazzy and very different from the other repertoire. some felt that it's not jazzy enough. however, for the five of us, it's finally over after 2 months of tormenting experience of high expectations from the conductor and getting together to practise as the schedule's really very tight on every one of us. i personally can take a breather as this is the most stressful recital performance i've ever experienced. i've never felt so low in confidence before that i nearly lost my passion in harmonica music. the rest is history.

our next objective: asia pacific harmonica festival!

Happy Lunar New Year of the Tiger!

2010-02-14T08:53:00.000-08:00

Once again, my most favourite festival of the year is finally here!
Here's wishing everyone a happy and prosperous new year.
May you enjoy bountiful love and joy and most importantly, health.
Health is wealth, without health, there's no wealth.
Let us toast to health, wealth and everything else!
Here're some snapshot of what i've done for the past 2 days:

My first attempt at IR shooting...

2010-02-07T08:13:00.000-08:00

i really have a lot to improve on...

Thanks a lot guys...

2010-02-06T07:03:00.000-08:00

Thanks a lot to all my friends and loved ones who remembered my birthday. i was so overwhelmed by all the wishes either through facebook, smses and phonecalls. appreciate it very much and i really treasure it a lot...

even though my dear wasn't able to be here with me on my birthday, but her thoughts' always with me. 3 days before she left for vietnam, she passed me my birthday present- an 18-page scrapbook bearing all our memories for the past 2months. i was really very touched *of course i didn't tear* was so amazed by the details of every pages, the hard work and thoughts put in.

in the morning before i was about to do my business plan presentation, my sales manager, brand managers and medical advisor, came into the office with this birthday cake and birthday song. i was so surprised and shy at the same time, coz i'm not someone who celebrate my birthday.

hopefully the year ahead will be splendid one for me and everyone around me!

Novartis Pharma School of Exellence Grand Assembly

2010-01-21T21:43:00.000-08:00

here're some snapshots of the annual cycle held at Pan Pacific Hotel and Equinnox. It was great fun!

Malacca Revisited after 2 years...

2010-01-17T08:25:00.000-08:00

haven't been to malacca for nearly 2 years and nothing much have changed... still as charming and peranakan food still as delicious as ever!!!

and we went to the nonya baba museum where the drama 'little nonya' was shot...

the asam nonya lasksa was heavenly....

last but not least, my favourite CHENDOL in gula melaka!!!

Happy 2010

2010-01-06T20:58:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year my friends!

Hopefully it's still not too late to wish everyone a great 2010 and may all your wishes come true. I know i've not been actively updating my blog recently, had been too occupied recently.

when asked about what my new year resolution is, i really have not sat down to ponder upon it seriously. 2009 had been a year of ups and downs for me; my career, my health, my relationship and my plans. that is why i didn't really want to think too much or too far for this year.

i think i just want to get through this year in peace and stability. not much breakthrough or excitement.

perhaps the only 3 resolutions i'm going to make will be health related. I guessed age is catching up on me and i'm feeling less energetic as before. therefore i should make adjustment and improve on my lifestyle.

1) Sleep Earlier: 11.30pm on nights before office reporting days, and 12am on other weekdays. Believe it or not, I've got a friend who actually sleeps at 10pm and wakes up 7am nearly everyday without fail! If he can do it, i'm sure I can do it too!
2) Eat Healthier: Include more vegetable in my diet. Less packed or canned food, eat fresh.
3) Exercise More: Run at least 5km every fortnight. More serious trainings in the gym and swim more laps.

Wish me luck my friends!

2010-01-01T08:39:00.000-08:00

had our team lunch at Dozo at valley point. what i can say is that this is one of the best fusion restaurant that i've ever been. Great ambience, delicious food, creative presentation and excellent service. thumbs up!

Starter with scallop, foie gras and salmon roe

side dish of foie gras chawanmushi with black truffles

double boiled beef consomme

main: baked atlantic cod fillet with pastry. the fish's so fresh and meat's so tender! cooked to prefection!

dessert: japanese Mua-Ji with red bean and green tea ice-cream

drink: hot roselle rythm tea

Stephanie's 27th Birthday

2010-01-01T08:31:00.000-08:00

celebrated my dear's birthday at Steword. nice ambience, good food and friendly service.

her birthday gift; ferragamo necklace

birthday cake from pattisier. superb!

My X'mas Eve

2009-12-26T19:09:00.000-08:00

my x'mas eve with dear was supposed to be movies inside the tent. however, she realised that the video decoder's not working, so only could juz spend our night listening to music and chatting instead...

and i've got a really big suprise for my xmas gift. a pair of tickets to David Tao's concert on 8th Jan!!! thanks sooo much dear! muackzzz....

Xmas Party, Japanese Spitz Club

2009-12-21T07:58:00.000-08:00

this is my first dog gathering with the Japanese Spitz Club

potluck gathering at Koh

2009-12-21T07:48:00.000-08:00

turn up was not bad but there was so much food left that we've to Da Bao back home.

ps: some mishap happened to me at his place. i banged into his sliding glass door when i entered the kitchen. and my upper mouth was bleeding, luckily it wasn't that bad... i thought it only happen in the movies... sigh...

standard chartered marathon 2009

2009-12-10T07:31:00.000-08:00

i was quite disappointed with my timing this year: 1hr 17min!!! a mere 1min improvement from my last year's timing. i really shouldn't have walked, else i could have ran within my target of 1hr 10min. had breakfast with dear after the run, and here're our shag faces (cheeky for her :P)

congratulations to clement and annie...

2009-12-05T08:50:00.000-08:00

here're some shots of the newly-wed at their new home

collage by haoxin

2009-11-26T09:09:00.000-08:00

weiyi and mei-bao's princess

2009-11-22T08:32:00.000-08:00

congrats to weiyi and mei-bao on their first baby princess, (name tbc).

problems trying to do score arranging...

2009-11-08T08:15:00.000-08:00

sigh, i shouldn't have agreed to arrange The Pink Panther Theme and Por Una Cabeza. but i think the current pink panther score's too short and not impressive enough to be performed. por una cabeza's reptition of the main theme's really making it very boring and a little bit too much. i really have to do something about it...

1 more kg!

2009-11-08T08:07:00.000-08:00

as of 8th Nov, i weigh 59kg. just 1 more kg to my target! jiayou!!!

my weight gaining program...

2009-10-27T08:23:00.000-07:00

after joining xerox 1 year ago, i've lost weight consistently till i dropped to 54kg when i left the company. and just barely 2 mths after joining novartis, i've gained 4.0kg!!!
today i weigh 58.5kg and my target is 60kg.
what have i done to move towards my target?
1) eat more. more and more. more meat, lean meat preferably.
2) work out more. i've been hitting the gym more often than before.

Broadway for Suakus: Lust but not Least

2009-10-17T21:05:00.000-07:00

it was my first time watching a play at E Art House. the hall was small but cosy, and the stage was so close to the audience. it was interesting and i was especially captivated by the vocal performance of the artistes.

the fun theory...

2009-10-10T23:52:00.000-07:00

i'm very impressed by Volkswagen's initiatives to make daily activities more fun and interesting. "FUN can obviously change behaviour for the better"

shanghai motivational trip...

2009-09-23T08:08:00.000-07:00

i really agree that i'm really one damn lucky guy. exactly just 1 month after joining novartis, i had the chance to travel with them to shanghai for the company's annual cycle meet. this trip was supposed to be in may, but was postponed due to H1N1. the last time i went to shanghai was 14 years ago with my family. i'm sure it had changed tremendously. let me take you through a brief snapshot of what i've done in shanghai over 5 days...

it was free and easy on the first day. shijie and i went out on foot to explore the whole stretch of nanjing road to the bund. unfortunately, many parts of shanghai including the bund was undergoing major construction in preparation for EXPO2010

we stayed at royal meridien hotel. it was fantastic!

in the evening, we had dinner at a posh chinese opera house where they showed traditional chinese opera show while we feast...

on the 2nd day, it was the corporate event in the morning and team bonding session in the afternoon. everyone of us had a calligraphy of our names framed up as door gift... kudos to michelle for the wonderful work done in superimposing the photos of our big boss and managers

the 3 emcees for the event: keith tong, peggy yong and myself...

every team had to come up with a short performance...

be afraid, be very afraid of... the original axe gang!

the CVM team...

on the next day, we travelled to suzhou and visited the 100 year-old water village: zhou zhuang

in the afternoon, we visited cheng huang miao and did some shopping. it's a pity that i didn't get to try the food at this famous nan xiang restaurant where they serve excellent 'xiao long bao', coz the queue was suuuuper long!

at night, we sang at shanghai ge cheng ktv till 5am!

the next day, lee kien's husband's friend, ray, showed us around and we got to try many different types of local delicacies...

in the evening while waiting for marie, i head to the hotel pool for a dip. it was excellent as the pool had an excellent view of shanghai city. the gym was fantastic and well-equipped. the locker room had sauna, steambath and jacuzzi facilities as well, great!

World EXPO2010 scene was everywhere...

on our last day, marie and i visited the mdm tussaud's museum...

later we took the train to shanghai technological park...

name of this restaurant: dong fang ji bai... up to your own interpretation

home sweet home...

for more photos, check out my FACEBOOK...

sightings @ geylang serai

2009-09-14T08:13:00.000-07:00

went for a morning photoshoot with Hoa @ geylang serai. guessed we were too early, coz many shops were not opened yet...

fruitful saturday...

2009-09-12T08:49:00.000-07:00

what a fruitful and awesome saturday...

at noon, i went to princess's elise baby shower at chili padi restaurant @ heng mui keng. it was a great meal as well as a meet up session with my xerox ex-colleagues and friends.

after which, went to COMEX and got a digital camera for mum and dad. bought a Fujifilm A170 and it was great bargain!! i'm sure they'll have a great time playing with their new toy...

later, attended La Patria by NUS Symphony Orchestra at the national library.

overall, it was quite a good show, repertoire selection was great. I loved 'Polovtsian Dances' the most. I thought it was very well performed, and the dynamics was very well expressed. 'Sketches of Singapore' was rather disappointing though. I think the wind section brought down the whole song. there were so many broken notes and that tempo was all over the place, especially when the wind section took up their solo part in 'Rasa Sayang'. 'Dance of the Yao People' was not too bad as well and i enjoyed it. i can say it's actually one of my most familiar orchestra pieces, so shan't be too critical about it, though i thought the percussionists were a little bit too reserved.

lastly at night, went for ice cream dessert at Udders. sam brought me there for the first time last sunday and i totally fell in love with their ice cream. so this time round i've decided to bring the girls to try it for themselves. we ordered rum raisin, earl grey, strawberry, lychee martini and vanilla beanz. phew...all tasted heavenly!

rum rum raisin: the rum was super strong and the taste was wholesome!!! earl grey: it tasted soooo authentic strawberry fields: i love this the MOST!!! it's made from real fresh strawberries, and it was sooo refreshing. i can have the whole pint to myself!!! VaMilla: down-to-earth and all time favourite vanilla flavour lychee martini: not too strong, just nice and light for my taste bud

last but not least, the ultimatum was MAO SHAN WANG DURIAN!!! how do i describe the taste? mmmm.... it tasted exactly like frozen durian!! u actually can feel the pulp and they dun stinge on the ingredients. that's how good their ice creams are.

besides their great tasting ice-creams, the service crew's very energetic and service was superb! for more information, you can visit their website @ http://udders.com.sg/ . thumbs up!

ace that durex interview...

2009-09-11T18:31:00.000-07:00

if you're planning to join durex, please watch the following clips for tips...

janie's farewell...

2009-09-05T05:38:00.000-07:00

last thursday, we had a farewell lunch with janie. she'll be going off to france to pursue her dream in culinary study for a year. can't wait for her return to 'taste' her fruit of success! have a fruitful stay in france janie!

Crazy Singapore Woman!!!

2009-08-31T09:07:00.000-07:00

poor and useless man! happened in S'pore. sometimes i wonder how men can lose their dignity and respect just like that. of course i don't mean that men shouldn't respect women, but we should also maintain our dignity and rights, and not be controlled totally by women...

Kumar the Drag Queen...

2009-08-31T08:50:00.000-07:00

you've got to watch this, it's soooo funny!
i laughed until i've got a bad stomach cramp.

MINI 50th Birthday Celebration...

2009-08-23T00:25:00.001-07:00

in celebration of MINI 50th anniversay, 150 MINI cars formed a giant 50 sign at the changi exhibition centre. Mini owners were invited for this exclusive event, and as friends of a mini owner, wee yong; ruoxin, haoxin and myself were invited to attend this once in a lifetime experience.

i've never seen soooo many Minis in my lifetime. nearly all Minis have different designs and it was really an eye-opener.

after the formation, there was a Mini convoy all the way from changi to clarke quay. along the way, the convoy teams were really a big head turner, and we attracted so many stares on the road.

over at clarke quay, there was a big birthday celebration party with games, food, activities and performances, exclusively for Mini owners and friends.

of course, what's a birthday celebration without a birthday cake? there was a HUGE birthday cake at the end of the event...

what a fulfilling afternoon...

2009-08-20T06:21:00.000-07:00

besides my training schedule, i would say that today's a very fulfilling afternoon.

met up with lihao for lunch at boat quay, we were from the same orchestra during our uni days. it's really great catching up with him after so many years.

after which, i roamed around raffles place and surprised to find a public performance by Chen Weilian. he was promoting his latest album. was so mesmerised by his live performance of "Da Hai" by Zhang Yu Sheng.

after the performance, another surprise awaited me. at the other corner of raffles place, i saw a very large purple booth that reads: World GERD Day. it was an astrazeneca booth. caught up with my old colleagues, michelle yeoh and mary who were tending to the booth.

lastly, when i was walking back to my car, i bumped into cuiyun, my india expedition team mate.
wow, met so many long-lost friends in just one afternoon... that's fate...

first day at novartis...

2009-08-17T08:47:00.001-07:00

first day at novartis was so familiar, it's almost like 3 years ago when i first joined astrazeneca. i was introduced to so many colleagues and i think it'd take me at least 1 month to tag everyone's name to their faces.
my team's a very young and lively one and it's so vibrant. i've got a vibe that i'll be working happily with this wonderful team.

so glad that i'm finally back to the healthcare industry.
i guessed my passion comes as i can add value to the people around me.
whenever my friends and family need any medical or drugs information,
they'll turn to me as their ' little medical advisor'.
the ability to be able to help others gave me that great sense of satisfaction.

Myanmar- The Golden Land of Pagodas

2009-08-15T21:03:00.000-07:00

it was really a very last minute and spontaneous decision to travel to myanmar after the girls said that they couldn't make it for either taiwan or bangkok. yinghao and myself decided on the location on 29th july, booked the flight only on the 30th, got our visa on 6th aug and flew over the very next day! everything happened in just a week! phew....

sit back and allow me to share the highlights/ snapshots of my trip....

Day 1:

Arrived in Yangon, Myanmar by Silkair and checked in at Ocean Pearl Inn

which was recommended by the Lonely Planet travel guide.

It was drizzling but it did not reduce our enthusiasm to explore the 100 y/o city.

First stop, we visited the Bogyoke Aung San Market.

Items sold here include jewellery, a wide variety of textiles and crafts,

woodcarvings, lacquerware, dolls, musical instruments, bags and many more.

Of course I did not miss the chance to get myself a piece of longyi which is a traditional

costume worn by most locals, and it took me a couple of practices to wear it right.

a traditional burmese meal typically consists of one main dish and

accompanied by many side dishes, condiments and a soup.

i especially wanted to compliment on the superb service levels of burmese people.

they take care to your every needs and were very prompt in their actions. we noticed that it's not only towards tourists, but also to the locals as well. i seriously think singapore service level should seriously take a big step for improvement.

all over yangon, you can see many old crumbling colonial architecture left

by the british. after naypyidaw was named the new capital in 2005,

all administrative facilities were shifted out of yangon,

and these buildings were deserted and left vacant.

after which, we visited the sule pagoda, where a hair of buddha brought

in from india was preserved. the interesting thing about this 2000 year old

pagoda is that it is surrounded by the city's primary traffic, circling in a clockwise direction.

Later we visited Botataung Pagoda.
At this point, you must be wondering: What about the world famous Shwedagon Pagoda?we've decided to put this world heritage on our last day of the trip, so continue reading and you'll get there very soon....

Day 2:

Yinghao wasn't feeling well, so he decided see doctor. when asked where the nearest

clinic is, the hotel manager was in shock. he immediately informed the local

health authority and there was a big hoo haa. a doctor and 2 nurses arrived at the

hotel in mask. fortunately, they didn't find yinghao having any elevated body temperature

and was allowed to take the next flight to Heho, north Myanmar. else, he'll be hauled to

the local hospital and that'd be the end of our trip.

we took yangon airways from yangon to heho and was very surprised by the

exceptional level of service rendered by the cabin crew. they were so sincere and

took care of minor details of the traveller. i would say that the level of service is

comparable to any top-notch airways.

oh yah, a very traditional weighing machine to weigh your luggage.

the scale's definitely large enough to be read.

upon arrival at heho airport, we took a taxi to Nyaungshwe,

which is where Inle Lake begins. we stayed at goldstar hotel,

and the hotel manager, janet, was a super nice lady!

nyaungshwe is a quiet and peaceful small town which i enjoyed the

most throughout my entire trip. the weather is cooling in the day,

and the people are really very friendly and humble. everywhere you'll

see people know each other and talk on the street whenever they meet.

everything was so basic in this small town, people ride on bicycles,

motorbikes and even horse carriages.

in the evening, after a relaxing traditional burmese masssage,

we caught a traditional string puppet show in the evening.

Day 3:

early morning, after breakfast, we headed to mingala market, a local market that focus on daily necessities. every five days, it attracts

many traders from the hills as it moves in a circuit around 5 towns in the region.

later in the morning, we took a boat trip around Inle Lake. Inle lies lies at an altitude of 878m above sea level, which is myanmar's top 5 tourist destination.

we can't help but to marvel at how the local farmers can tend their floating fruit and vegetable gardens,

fishermen with their one-legged rowing technique,

and live lifes along the banks of the lake.

a blacksmith at work.

'long-necked' padaung tribeswomen who wear brass coils around their necks.

they are orginally from loikaw in kayah state, but was shipped in to inle lake

for 'tourism-purposes', how sad...

after the boat-trip, yinghao wanted to take a rest in the hotel, and

i wondered around the town looking for food.

when i entered a small restaurant, the shop owner saw me and said: konichiwa.

they've mistaken me for a japanese...

at nyaungshwe, we also had a chance to get to know a very engaging pharmacist

where we chatted about many things. he even recommended us to a very

famous local pork curry restaurant.

Day 4:

after bidding farewell to Inle, we took an internal flight to Manadalay,

the ancient capital of myanmar.

I can describe mandalay in 3 words: HOT, DUSTY, POLLUTED!

phew....it's totally like living in a hot oven.

we checked in at ET hotel, which is runned by a local chinese lady.

there wasn't anything ET about this hotel though. :P

in the late afternoon, we visited kuthodaw pagoda, which houses

the world's largest book which consists of 730 scriptures carved on stones.

later, we visited the golden monastery which is made of wood and gold plated

with pure gold. however, due to environmental attack, most of the gold has already

been worn out, revealing the original wooden architecture.

one of the highlights of mandalay is of course mandalay hill where one can

take a broad aerial view of mandalay central.

there was this little 'pseudo' monk who approached me and said: sawadikap.

now i'm a thai, after being mistaken for a japanese at inle. wakaka....

Day 5:

around mandalay is where amarapura is situation. it's every older than mandalay.

amarapura houses one of the largest monasteries in myanmar, mahagandhayon monastery.

on that very day, as it was a full moon day, we were very lucky to witness hundreds of monks lining up for their meal at 11am. that meal is donated by someone and plenty of donors waited for their chance to earn merit for their next life.

after lunch, we took a boat trip to ancient inwa, which is not accessible by road.

inside inwa, we took a horse carriage to tour around the ancient city.

my back-packing buddy, yinghao...

coincidentally, we chanced upon a photoshoot for a particular local medicated oil brand.

the ancient palace was destroyed in an earthquake, and what remained

was their 'swimming pool' and bathhouses. and also this nanmyin watchtower,

which is also called the 'leaningtower of inwa'.

our last stop for the day was the long U Bein Bridge, which was constructed on

teak planks over 2 centuries ago. it is also one of the most photographed scene in myanmar.

Day 6:

in the morning, we visited mandalay palace, home to king mindon in 1857.

this was a replica as the original one was destroyed during world war II.

it was rather disappointing as there weren't any explanations for tourists who want to know

more and totally empty inside the palace without any artefacts. it was dimmed or i should

say dark as there wasn't any lightings at all. the compound was impressively humongous

with a moat of water way surrounding the whole palace. what i can say is that the emperor of

china definitely led a much more extragavant and luxurious life compared to the burmese kings.

outside the palace wall read this banner, which i found a little disturbing:

'tathadaw and the people, cooperate and crush all those harming the union.'

in the late afternoon, we took yangon airways back to yangon.

Day 7:

i would say the highlight of our trip would be this day.

on our way to shwedagon, we passed by a local amusement park, Happy World,

and decided to recci.

the entrance fee was a steal: 100kyats!!! (USD 0.10)

there were free dance performances and magic show, haunted house, bumper cars and

other game machines.

we passed by a local cafe, ice berry, and decided to take a break.

i ordered a crab salad bun, pudding and strawberry milkshake,

all for USD 1 ! cheaper than a normal meal we had in local eateries.

the government should consider the following to maximise their public

transport capacity! :P

The 2500y/o Shwedagon Paya is one of world's most spectacular religious monuments,

not to be missed. the golden dome of shwedagon paya can be seen for miles and is covered

with 60 tons of pure gold. there are always many myanmar people praying and making

offerings at shwedagon.

a young monk trying to view the top of the dome through a pair of binoculars

night view of the pagoda was truly amazing and unforgettable...

Day 8:

last day of our trip. we took a lift up the 20th level of sukara

tower, took a sip at the cafe restaurant on top and admired the view of yangon.

all in all, myanmar isn't one of the world's most exciting destinations, but

i think it really is worth a visit, for it's rich culture, nice people and mysterious face.

and contrary to many believe, myanmar is incredibly safe.

due to time constraint, there're limited photos posted here in my blog and in depth

discussion of my thoughts and feelings of this trip. feel free to approach me if you

need any advice or questions you'd like to ask regarding my trip.

last but not least, let me present to you this last photo as a parting gift...

.
.

gotcha!

on taller and not-so-tall people...

2009-08-06T03:17:00.000-07:00

here're some words of wisdom:

"Taller people have to hang their heads low,
while the rest can hold their heads up high and live..."
- Diep Zinnia Tran

haha, how inspiring! :P

strange encounter at the pool...

2009-08-04T02:28:00.000-07:00

it was a nice and sunny afternoon, so decided to take a
dip. as usual, it was not very crowded coz
not many people can afford the time to swim at this hour
on a weekday afternoon.

after a great swim and tan, while i was taking my shower
in the shower room, there was this 30 y/o odd chap trying to
hook me up. i was drying up myself, and there he was, parading in his
birthday suit in front of me. i tried to shift my angle to avoid him, and
wherever i turned to, he'll position himself to make himself be seen by me.

then all of a sudden, he... uhmmm... jerked off in front of me!
feeling irritated, i took out my phone and quickly took a shot:

but he was quick enough to dodge and took his towel

to cover up (well, save me the time to do the censoring :P ).

and guessed what he said: hey, do u know you can't take photos here?

i replied: yah, i know, go ahead and report to the lifeguard.
and i left immediately after that.

when i shared this with my friends, they told me that i should feel honoured instead.

duh, how comforting....

east timor team...

2009-08-03T06:39:00.000-07:00

thanks to jonathan for the handmade fridge magnet.

really very impressed by your courageous decision!

$ING DOLLAR...

2009-08-02T02:38:00.000-07:00

it was great to catch SING DOLLAR musical with
my buddies from xerox; connie, samantha and eugene.

however, i made a very foolish mistake, and
it was so silly that i'm so embarrassed to spell it out here.
ask me personally if you wanna know bah... keke...

well, it was really not that bad despite all those not so favourable
comments from the critics. and i really have to take my hats off
Kumar, coz he was sooooooo funny!!! music composition was rather catchy as well.
the story wasn't really that great though and it wasn't really about money and wealth.
in fact, it's more about kinship, friendship and learning about how to live
together in a multi-racial and national society in singapore;
all happening in GEYLANG...

goodbye xerox...

2009-07-31T00:14:00.000-07:00

today's my last day in fuji xerox. although i'd love to say that i smelt freedom after finishing my handover duties and stepped out of the tower, but i think i'll miss some of my colleagues there.
colleagues who had made my life in xerox more enjoyable and fun. colleagues who had become my friends.
welcome to my new life! yippie!

first 'modelling' experience

2009-07-25T07:24:00.001-07:00

it was really a very tiring but fruitful day,
coz it was my first 'modelling' experience...

Don't Work too hard. Nobody notices anyway...

2009-07-22T08:23:00.000-07:00

sure or not? so unbelievable....
sad but true lah....

MUS'ART Wind Orchestra presents.... DECADE

2009-07-19T07:27:00.000-07:00

not a bad a concert but repertoire wasn't that fantastic:

1) Ireland: of Legend & Lore
good majestic opening piece. wise choice...

2) Titanic Medley
the arrangement was quite good. familiar tunes with a twist
within the piece...

3) Ocean Deep & Memories
the vocalist, liza foong's more suited for pop pieces i think.
her rendition of ocean deep's better than memories...

4) Highlights from Phantom of the Opera
good arrangement...

5) "GR" Selections for concert band
can't really appreciate this piece...

6) Atmosphere
a classic lullaby~~~ *zzzzz.....*

7) The Butterfly Lovers
total tranformation from the original one.
was looking forward to some similarities, but found none... *snore.....*

food for thought...

2009-07-14T09:13:00.000-07:00

"just because your work stressed you, your boss stressed you, your customers stressed you, doesn't mean you can stress the people around you...
and just because your work environment push and give you pressure, doesn't mean you can give pressure on people around you...
i'm sure you've made the right decision to quit, it's not worth staying..."

thanks a lot for the words of wisdom Will.... appreciate it....

my friends, this is where i made the decision...

2009-07-09T09:16:00.000-07:00

after meeting with my customer yesterday, i walked along henderson waves, and made the decision to resign. i wanted to find back and regain my true-self, and so i made this decision...

this afternoon when i told my boss that i'd made up my mind and decided to leave the company, i felt the sudden relief and load off my back.

For the past couple of months, the lost of passion and motivation in my job, and the working environment made me feel extremely stressful. so stressful that it got the better of me and had affected my life negatively.

i get agitated very easily, tend to over-react and possessive about the things and people around me. nearly everyday, i would suddenly wake up in the middle of the night. i've totally lost my energy, positiveness and confidence that i had in the past. i wasn't myself anymore and changed into another person whom i couldn't recognise either.

dear friends, pardon me for my erratic behaviour. and to those who had been showing me concern, support and understanding, i'm very grateful that you took time off hearing me out...

now that i've quit my job, i'm going to find back the old cheerful and positive steven. for a moment, i felt so happy and peaceful. a feeling long lost within me...

xtrail 2009...

2009-07-05T05:57:00.001-07:00

woke up 6am just for this event...

and when we arrive at the scene, we realised that

we're one of the oldest participants...geeezzz...

it wasn't really relaxing actually, in fact, it was super shag.

having to run, then walk with our legs tied together and

running up the pagoda.... nevertheless, it was quite a great experience

to do things and have fun together with my frenz...

alright, still fresh and energetic before the race

look at the tiresome and shag look on our face...

our first date....

2009-07-04T19:55:00.001-07:00

it was my first date with weiqi, and

our first digital 3-D movie...

and surprisingly, both of us have never watched

Lord of the Rings before!!!

2009-07-01T06:41:00.000-07:00

was on my way back today after work and saw this car
beside me along west coast highway...

the banner read: we love you 4ever michael...
at the same time, the driver was blasting michael's Billie Jeans...

i can understand how deep the impact was on many people when
michael jackson left the world. just like if someone you loved and
cared for suddenly disappear from your life,
the feeling of lost and emptiness is immense...

treasure the people and loved ones around you, be your family
members, your friends, your colleagues and other acquaintance...

各位观众, 献丑了...

2009-06-28T09:42:00.000-07:00

wasn't in good form that day, got a bad sore throat

and cough that day... thanks to yaevoon, the videographer...

fruitful sunday...

2009-06-28T08:44:00.001-07:00

had a very fruitful and fulfilling today...
finally went for a haircut, it was too long!!!
after which, i met up with eugene and karen for eugene's
virgin photoshoot outing with his new babe; Canon 50D.

thereafter, went to attend Kent Ridge Harmonica Ensemble @ The Esplanade...

Great KTV meetup

2009-06-28T08:37:00.000-07:00

it's really great to have a ktv gathering with the HB (yes, HB) folks...
it's been a long long time since we last sang together, should make it a
more regular affair in future...

Da Vinci the genius...

2009-06-27T00:58:00.001-07:00

after much procrastinations and delays, i finally made it to the exhibition at the science centre. many of my friends said that it wasn't really worth a watch, but i beg to differ. though a little bit pricey @ $15, but it's definitely an eye-opener to realise how ingenious and diversify this man is, especially the section on revealing the 25 secrets behind Mona Lisa.

He's a scientist, a musician, an artist, an inventor, a naturalist, a philosopher.... a true genius; whatever you want to coin it...

go catch before it ends on 16th August...

raindrops keep falling on my head...

2009-06-25T09:25:00.000-07:00

this video footage was taken in March 2008 and still lovin' it...
though a simple piece but we really enjoyed playing it

who is she?

2009-06-22T09:47:00.000-07:00

was browsing through my photos and found this one...
she's one of the korean friends who toured with us on the same boat in halong...
they're really a very crazy and fun-loving bunch. love to pose and
super active. thai ha, lai yoke, jake, hanshe and koh, please vouch for me!!!

Obama swats fly...

2009-06-18T08:06:00.000-07:00

back to changi village...again?

2009-06-17T08:40:00.000-07:00

today, we had our team dinner at Ban Heng seafood restaurant at changi golf club.

and enroute to the golf club, i realised i was back in changi village again!
this is the part of singapore where it's totally out of the way from where i'm staying,
and to think i was there twice over a span of 4 days...

matilda house...

2009-06-17T08:31:00.000-07:00

i didn't know the existence of this haunted house in punggol until my friend brought me there.
of course there wasn't any sightings as we were there in broad day light, and apparently
there're trying to conserve the building as we could see workers painting the fence
surrounding the house.

for more information on the history of this building:
http://www.spi.com.sg/spi_files/punggol_kampong_house/main.htm

guitar class finally....

2009-06-10T06:07:00.001-07:00

after much procrastination, i finally am going to start my guitar lesson, YEAH!!!
have really procrastinated for years, and it's always been on my
wish list; not after a torturous 1 month lesson at yamaha and 1 day at jurong cc...
will be taking it at Music Forest.
i'm really going to be serious this time round...

sarah's first month...

2009-06-09T08:06:00.000-07:00

sarah's first month celebration was soooo grand.
it was like any couple's wedding, held at raffles town club.

aren't you lucky, sarah. i never had such a big cake before!

here's the star of the day... (drum roll.......)

Sarah Tan!!!

daddy giving his heart-felt gratitude...

uncle and auntie singing: happy one month to you....

time for sarah's home-made afternoon high tea... :P

and finally, the happy family. WELCOME Sarah!!!

the forgotten uncle...

2009-05-27T08:12:00.000-07:00

anyone still remember this uncle?

he made tv appearances several years back when he used to busk
at raffles mrt station nearly everyday, playing the harmonica
with one hand, juggling tennis balls on the other, and making
percussive beats with his wooden clogs...

i was pleasantly surprised when i saw him busking at chinatown point today.
no one knows who he is, where he is from and where he stays...

looooong time no see...

2009-05-07T08:05:00.000-07:00

it's been a long time, a long long time since i last updated my blog.
yah, many of my friends have been asking me why.
am i really that busy? is life really that boring? i don't know either.
perhaps there's really nothing particularly exciting or interesting
happening in my life recently worth blogging or mentioning.

congrats to:
1) Jackson and Louise
2) Kaifong and Yingxue

for stepping into parenthood. long journey ahead...

fruitful weekend...

2009-04-12T09:26:00.001-07:00

had a very wonderful anf fruitful long weekend. i guessed it's one of the best spent weekend i had since the beginning of the year...

friday: caught a movie; "knowing", with lai yoke, chee meng and xiaowen. it wasn't really that great i think. the genre transformed from suspense/thriller in the beginning to science fiction at the end!?!? anyway, we went to koh's place for potluck dinner after that. it was nice catching up with all the fun ppl from the lab.

saturday: after more than half a year's break, the dragon boat practice had commenced finally. if not for the competition coming up on the 26th, i'm sure it'd have to be drag on and on... but it's rather sad that i'll not be allowed to participate. nvm.... after which, i went for a ktv session with ruoxin and mr chu. we were joined by 2 other new friends; kimberly and peiying. gosh, the 2 girls can reeeeally sing. made me wanted to go for professional vocal classes. mr chu found his vocal range and style and ruoxin finally found her path: jeff chang!

sunday: attended yiqiang's wedding. i guessed it's more like a primary school class gathering. although i didn't attend the same secondary or primary school as yiqiang, but we had a handful of common friends. i was like hey there, oh hi, long time no see, throughout the whole wedding. so glad to see so many old friends all at the same time...

hopefully it'll be a smooth and lucky week ahead...

yesterday and today...

2009-04-05T07:23:00.000-07:00

spent a very fruitful and fulfilling saturday.

went to the Asian Civilisation Museum and visited the Kangxi special exhibition. it was really an eye-opener and made me got to know Qing Dynasty even better.

after which i hit the gym. it's been ages since i sweat it out and it felt really damn great!

later on, i watched a film: Shinjuku Incident. it was Jackie Chan's first non-Kungfu movie. well, not that bad, story's alright, just a little bit boring at the beginning.

finally, I went over to st james and joined in hendrik's farewell party till late.

on the other hand, today's a boring day totally. spent the whole day at home doing my project and assignment. i wanted to go for a swim, but it bloody rained! arggghh....

finally down....

2009-04-01T19:10:00.000-07:00

i finally collasped... well, it's not really that bad actually. my gastric problem's acting up again after soooooo long. that's the result of skipping and having very late meals. lunch at 3pm and dinner as late as 9pm, sigh... well, i was so happy and excited when i finally closed 3 deals on the last day of the financial year, phew...close shave. gonna get charged up for the new and exciting year ahead!

extremely high stress level....

2009-03-17T07:09:00.000-07:00

fuji xerox's really a pressure cooker, and i'm now at my limit....
imagine you're being stressed by your manager, then the head of
the department wants to speak to you, after which another
email from the general manager that singled you out... my goodness,
i wonder how long i can take it!!!

japanese railway station

2009-03-02T15:45:00.001-08:00

this is crazy!!! the passengers were packed like cans
of sardine....literally!!!

OCBC Cycle Singapore 2009

2009-02-21T06:56:00.000-08:00

OCBC cycle singapore is singapore's first mass participation
cycling event on on public roads cater for every cyclist. It seeks
to inspire all generations of men and women to experience cycling
as a form or recreation and fitness. This event is also committed to
promote safe cycling in Singapore and hopes to continue to developing
Singapore as a growing sporting nation.

many thanks to brandon for his mountain bike and huiling's brother for the helmet!

my 27th...

2009-02-04T08:18:00.000-08:00

yep, i'm officially 27 today. i'm sure those who don't know me will not

believe that i'm already 27, so i might as well say i've juz hit 22 this year... :P

thanks to clement for getting me this lamy fountain pen.

i still remember the last time i used a fountain pen

was when i was in primary 5!

thanks bro!

thanks to my grad dip classmates for the birthday song.

trust me, i was really very embarrassed...

oh yah, i finally got first speedlight, nikon sb600 at $150!

got it from my lecturer, Erik.

i was soooo excited....

last but not least, many thanks to haoxin, yaevoon, sherine and jonathan

for throwing me a mini celebration at their house after my class.

really very touched, coz i don't celebrate my birthday...

thanks a lot to all the well wishers, appreciate it very much!

here's a list....

- sherine

- christina lim

- benjamin ng

- dr ct yeo

- haoxin

- clement

- sherry

- thai ha

- luke siew

- songhui

- waiyee

- mr chu wee yong

- juven

- carol leung

- woof

- ruoxin

- razia

- my family (dad, mum, yong n wee)

- wei loon

- zikai

- kian hong

- vern howe

- brandon

- RJ

- wesley

- huiling

- xiaoyu

- abigail

- huifang

- kaifong

- amutha

- raymond lee

- tim

- jonathan

- yae voon

- yinghao

- fiona

- alice, wanxin

- grace tan

- janie lim

-shiyun

- rachel ang

- rachael ang

- han quan

- wee sian

- caiyi

- peter chew

- jinkun

- daviet

- zuoying

- chouchou

- tania

- ha yin

- hoa

- chaoliang

- chiet yen

- tung ngie

- martin chua

- meibao

- kai chung

- louise

- zhiqing

wishing for better luck and prosperous year ahead!!!

chinese new year in cameron highlands

2009-01-28T19:21:00.000-08:00

spent the lunar new year with my family and relative in cameron highlands.
come to think of it, it was ages since i last went there and nothing's changed much.

we had steamboat dinner on the first day of the new year...

played BIG 2 on the eve...

vegetable farm...

pasar pagi...

mmm....this looks like...

be creative guys... :P

hey, that's my corn!!!

look at the tomatoes!!!

the colourful cauliflowers!! they're natural, not dyed...

hotspring in perak...

so HOT , eggs get cooked here too...

not your eggs k... :P

day out in the north...

2009-01-03T19:49:00.000-08:00

a very tiring day but a relaxing and enjoyable one. hasn't been to the zoo for years and was super excited about it. thanks to jonathan for the free tickets,
managed to save 18 bucks on the entrance fee.

we watched the animal shows; splash safari...

elephants @ work & play...

and finally rainforest fights back....

we took photos with the casts of the show,
and with the slimy snake in my hands.... ewwww!!!!

the cute animals....

we had lots of fun!!!

mr joey, can you please show us the way?

nooooo!!!!!

our mini picnic lunch along upper seletar reservoir...

after the zoo, we went to sembawang hot spring to explore...

it used to be a natural spring here, but they've decided

to cover it up and tapped the underground water instead...

the water was hoooooot....

jonathan wasn't acting, it's reeeeeally very hot!

we went to bottle tree village for dinner...

and had a relaxing fish spa there...

oh well, didn't seemed that relaxing for sherine and jonathan.

hey, get a hold of yourself k....

zoo zoo zoo...

2009-01-02T07:17:00.001-08:00

we're going to the zoo zoo zoo

how about you you you

you can come too too too

we're going to the zoo zoo zoo

happy 2009!!!

2008-12-31T21:54:00.000-08:00

let us recap on my 2008 resolution:

1) lower my cholesterol level
- not sure wat's my current level
2) build and tone up my body
- has been hitting the gym, but probably
not serious enough. seeing results, but slow...
3) start my marketing grad. dip. course
- coming to my last semester of the course.
really have learnt a lot on marketing theory applications
4) learn guitar
- i did sign up for a course at the cc, but quit just after one day.
the pace was soooo slow and boring. so till now, my guitar's lying
in my room like a white elephant
5) get our 2nd soiree award
- sigh..sad. no award i guess...
6) continue travelling
- went to northern part of malaysia, vietnam again, trekking at mt kota kinabalu
hope to go to more exotic places this year

So what's my 2009 new year resolution?
1) learn the guitar and be able to strum and sing one simple piece
2) earn my first monthly 5-figure income
3) mmm... can't think of anything more
4) find that someone special... ;-)

past one week...

2008-12-30T08:12:00.000-08:00

so what happened for the past one week?
really happening!!!

23rd Dec: fuji xerox business operations xmas celebrations
it was crazy!!! free flow of beer, wine, food and drinks...
the performances were exciting and we got the best dressed
award and 3rd prize for dressing up as tribal people, and myself
the tribal chief!!! hehe...

24th Dec: xmas party gathering at chee chong and guizhu's new home
our annual xmas gathering, without fail.
nothing beats spending quality time with a bunch of great
friends from the band....

25th Dec: xmas day and studying
studied for the bloody exams the next day.
was in a cold and empty nus prince george's park...
who would be in school on a great xmas day

26th Dec: exams and catch up day
had exams in the afternoon, and met up
jeff and chaoliang for dinner. really nice to have caught
with up my good old friends....
then supper and 'sight-seeing' with luhui from KL.
got to know her during a science and technology camp
9 years ago. nice catching up...

27th Dec: catch up and practise for performance
met up with fiona who came to singapore for xmas
with her hubby, son and mother, auntie nelly.
it was so many years since i met fiona at suntec for dinner
with auntie nelly and nivien. her son, ayden's soooo cute!!!
in the evening, went to clement's house to practise
for the performance at abigail's wedding. the practise went
on pretty smooth, and at the end of it, we thought of a mini
suprise to end our piece.... kwel...

28th Dec: study and wedding
studied in the day for next day's paper.
the night finally came and time for our performance.
we thought it was great! though i was very nervous, but i
really enjoyed the performance very much! great teamwork, clement!
hope derrick and abigail enjoyed our little dedication, and wishing
you an everlasting blissful marriage!

29th Dec: exams and RITA GITA catch up
our 2nd and last paper finally!!! phew, it was daunting enough to
study for exams in the holiday season...
in the evening, met up ex AZ RITA & GITA colleagues for dinner
at the Korean BBQ restaurant at ECP.
after which, some of us went to st james to chill out. great fun.
really very nice to have caught up with the team, miss you guys...

30th Dec: back to work and dinner at jeanette's
finally back to work. office's rather quiet, and seems like everyone's
still in holiday mood...
went to jeanette's house for dinner. saw so many ex-az colleagues,
and was so happy to see them all. laksa, kueh paiti, lotus roots soup,
fried dumplings, gingko nuts dessert and the list goes on...
am so glad that i'm still able to take part in the az family activities...

so what's in store for me tml? rest?

moody xmas

2008-12-25T08:05:00.000-08:00

my festive mood's all dampened by the bloody exams tomorrow.
Marketing Institute of Singapore's I***T!!!!
fancy placing our exams on boxing day and making everyone
losing all mood to celebrate our precious xmas day.
and the worse thing was.....
at 8.30pm just now, i realised i actually studied for the WRONG MODULE
when clement told me on msn.
i was in total shock...
i dun wish to elaborate any further, what could be worse?!?!?

you would want to consider hiring him

2008-12-22T07:14:00.000-08:00

if i'm the boss, i'll hire him right away!!!

I completed the run!!!

2008-12-07T06:49:00.000-08:00

really never expect that I'll finish the run- with a breeze...
it wasn't as dreadful as i thought. i didn't grasp for breath,
felt like dying or drop to the floor when i reached the finishing line.
it was much better than i imagined.

am VERY glad to catch up with the az folks as well...

standard chartered marathon 2008

2008-12-04T07:41:00.000-08:00

mixed feelings about this coming sunday's marathon- excited and nervous.
excited: it's my looooongest run in my life, though it's only 10km.
but i've really never ran such long distance in my life before, and i hate running!!!
nervous: am i going to complete it? am i going to survive it?

give me strength!!!

E66 or E71?

2008-12-04T07:18:00.000-08:00

arggghhh.... really dunno which one to get.

E66: slick, nice, stylish BUT
look just like any other nokia phones...

E71: very trendy, nice built, super functional BUT
have to get used to the QWERTY key pad...

*headache*

PBS outdoor photo shooting

2008-11-13T07:04:00.001-08:00

some of the photos taken for the Peanut Butter Sistas.
first attempt at model shooting, great experience!

feeling stressed..

2008-11-13T07:00:00.000-08:00

today's my 9th day at FXS. i really don't know if i can adapt well to the culture or not. so much uncertainties, so many things await ahead of me. i really don't know. even though i've not yet been out to the fields and only training now, i'm already feeling the immense stress i'll be feeling in time to come. please help me get through all these...

latest update

2008-11-12T03:40:00.000-08:00

today's my 2nd week in Fuji Xerox. everything's still alright, met a bunch of good colleagues and seniors, well, not as bad as i was anticipating or everyone's talking about. thankfully, i also have an encouraging and patient boss, at least for now. but i have a strong feeling that i'll be able to work along well with him, hopefully as good as with andree. everything in FXS's new and I've to learn everything from scratch. the sales process is much more complicated than what i experienced in astrazeneca. will keep you guys updated.
*ps: sook fun, i'm sorry that i've totally forgotten about your wedding, thousand apologies.

wedding photos updated...

2008-11-02T05:57:00.000-08:00

some of my friend's wedding i attended recently...

Wee Meng and Shuen Yann

Chee Tiong and Sok Mun

Colin and Jiasui

my the last outing organised by me in AZ...

2008-11-02T05:21:00.001-08:00

this was probably the last AZ outing organised by me,
the turn up wasn't that good coz it was on a hot sunday morning...

ABRSM theory grade 5 exams...

2008-11-01T09:39:00.000-07:00

i finally took ABRSM music theory grade 5 exams this morning!
yah, you might think i'm too old for this, but i've never taken grade 1-4 before
ok... when i stepped into the examinations hall, it's packed with small kids.
i was the oldest candidate, no kidding! hoping i can get reasonably good results,
keeping my fingers crossed...

last day in AZ

2008-11-01T09:35:00.000-07:00

yesterday was my last day in AZ. for those who're still in the dark, i've already resigned 2 weeks ago from AZ and will officially join my new company on 3rd Nov. i was really very sad about leaving the company, coz i really enjoyed working with my colleagues and i really love my company very much. well, just wanted a change of industry when i'm still young, wanna explore new and different things. i'll be moving into an IT industry, drastic change isn't it? so much different from pharmaceutical. thanks to all who were at the farewell dinner and ktv session. will miss you guys lots...

12 days in vietnam

2008-10-12T10:02:00.000-07:00

after spending 12 days in vietnam, i'm finally back in singapore.
this was really a very unforgettable trip both in hanoi and saigon.
it's my first trip to hanoi with a group of good and new friends and
definitely a trip to remember. in saigon, i met up with old friends and made
new ones which made my trip even more interesting.
tonnes of photos taken, but think i'd better post only a few
interesting ones, else you guys'll get bored.

Thai Ha's parents treated us to a dinner of a popular
local dish, Cha Ca (Fried Fish)

we had dinner at famous Ngon Restaurant,
nice decor and presentable food...

on our way to perfume pagoda, we saw stacks of hay.
it was autumn, their harvesting season...

on our boat trip to perfume pagoda

the inner cave of perfume pagoda

mother and son...

ho chi minh memorial hall where the
body of the founding father lays

and we had street food. similar to our Zhu Chang Fen,
but i gaurantee that it's much nicer. soft and tender skin, yummy!

we took the night train to sapa...

wasn't as cold as we expected in sapa...

our friendly sapa guide, zu...

the local minority- H'mong people

look at the terrace of padi fields...

thai ha and the drag queen, koh!

overview of sapa town

young peddlar carrying her little brother
on the back while trying to sell her souvenirs to tourist

sapa market

golden padi field, ready to be harvested...

farmers working dilligently in the fields...

next stop: halong bay

we canoed at the bay too...

back in hanoi, we joined thai ha's family
in the kids' birthday celebrations

goodbye hanoi, smile gom- thai ha's nephew,
he's such a dear...

harlow, saigon!

the translator

2008-09-25T19:56:00.000-07:00

be prepared to laugh your head off...

i'll never buy sandisk again...

2008-09-23T17:42:00.000-07:00

i'll never buy sandisk products anymore after what happened yesterday.
my CF card failed me again, this time is my sandisk card.
it suddenly couldn't read at all, wondered what happened.
anyway, i went to the sole distributor of sandisk and when i arrived
there at 6pm, the shop was closed and there was this sign outside the
door: out to washroom.
any normal human being on earth would naturally wait since it's
just a normal toilet break. and guessed what, i waited for 45min!!!
and even if u've eaten a whole pot of spicy
steamboat the night before, it wouldn't take that long as well.
and just to realised they're just back from dinner.
well, i've got good brought up, so i didn't didn't have flare,
even though they didn't apologise AT ALL.
and after all the waiting, they told me that my card was manufactured
in 2000 and they'll need a receipt from me in order make an upgrade.
i bought this card in the beginning of the year, harlow...
so after all the confirmations, i didn't get anything in the end!!!
what a wasted trip of 1 hour!

better to use kington, why?
1) they exchanged my spoilt CF card with a new one, without question
2) kingston memory cards offer lifetime warantee
3) their service was excellent

singapore flyers!

2008-09-20T08:48:00.000-07:00

thanks to haoxin, i managed to get on the singapore
flyers for free! not too bad an experience, and just one
ride is more than sufficient...

yep, 29.50 bucks saved!

our official flyer's model, ms mok yaevoon & ...

ms chong haoxin...

IR construction in progress...

IR view at night...

eugene's ROM photo

2008-09-11T09:04:00.000-07:00

so stressed when i was asked to be eugene and caiwen's photographer
for their ROM ceremony. i wanted to turn them down coz i didn't have
the necessary equipment for indoor shooting and in fact, i've totally no
experience in taking wedding photos at all. oh well, i did accept eventually
and since i've not experience, i might as well just give it a shot n try
it out since my friend allowed me to.
pardon me if the photos didn't turn out well...

long time no see...

2008-08-28T10:45:00.000-07:00

been so occupied with work, studies, ecas and other commitments that i've not blog for a very long time. next week's exams already but i still haven't finished studying yet...sigh...
will keep you guys updated!
anyway, Mad About English was great...

movie review: bad habits

2008-08-06T19:24:00.000-07:00

synopsis:
One family has a whole set of diverse eating disorders--their faith, love and vanity are put to the test at the dinner table. Matilde is a nun convinced that faith can turn wine into water. Secretly, she begins fasting to prevent what she considers to be the second great flood. Elena is a thin, stylish woman ashamed of her daughter's weight. She is willing to do anything to make her daughter thin so she will look like a princess at her first communion. At the same time, Elenaâ's architect husband Gustavo cannot cope any more with his wife's gaunt figure during intimate moments. For an escape, he finds himself in the arms of a buxom female student.

my say:
the film starts off with a moody, eerie shot of what seems like a child dressed as a nun running towards a door, accompanied by loud thuds of footsteps resounding in water.
a horror movie? not quite so. this movie's really very thought provoking. it's very suitable for those who are in constant dieting, take things for granted and over demanding.
the acting of the actors were also brilliant.

movie review: the dark knight

2008-08-06T19:07:00.000-07:00

synopsis:
With the help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to destroy organized crime in Gotham for good. The triumvirate proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a rising criminal mastermind known as the Joker, who thrusts Gotham into anarchy and forces the Dark Knight ever closer to crossing the fine line between hero and vigilante

my say:
i'm not a fan of super heroes action movies, but this one for sure i can say, i
really enjoyed it very very much. this movie's not about pure actions and
fantasy, in fact, there's not too much of it. it's more of the storyline that captures
me. although the heath ledger played the supporting actor role as joker,
i felt that he outshine christian bale by a measure. the story's always in a climax such
that you don't feel bored at all, and if u ever rush to the toilet in the middle of the show,
you're going to lose out on a lot. highly recommended!

standard chartered marathon, here i come!

2008-08-03T09:53:00.001-07:00

finally under peer pressure, i signed up for the singapore standchart marathon,
together with 20 other AZ colleagues.
of course i didn't sign up for the full marathon, only 10km, but it's really
a big giant step for me already. for those friends who know me well,
i really HATE running. really cannot find pleasure or joy in it at all.
but it's a good thing i supposed, coz i really want that washboard abs
which i heard running helps a lot in building that... better start training
for it. hope i dun collapse on the 7th Dec.

movie review: red cliff

2008-07-30T09:42:00.001-07:00

synopsis:
With a budget of US$80million, "Red Cliff" is the most expensive Asian-financed film to date. The movie is based on historical records of "The Chronicles of the Three Kingdom" rather than the novel, "Romance of the Three Kingdom". In the early third century, the land of Wu is invaded by the warlord Cao Cao and his soldiers. The ruler of Wu, Sun Quan (Chang Chen), calls on the rival warlord Liu Bei (You Yong) for help, but their two armies are still badly outnumbered. However, the strategists Zhou Yu (Tony Leung) and Zhuge Liang (Takeshi Kaneshiro) see that Cao Cao's army is unused to battling on the sea. With 200,000 men, Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang defeat Cao Cao's army at the Yangtze River.

my say:

this movie if full of bloody scenes, lots of blood. even though it's a battle film, i still do feel that there's a little bit way too much of violence and blood elements in this film. there's too much of it, such that i've grown used to it and had no reaction to those scenes at the later part of the film. nevertheless, the interesting storylines and goodlooking casts, did catch my attention and didn't put me to sleep. i have to commend on john woo's portray of the characters in the film. there's a lot of personalities and details in most of the characters. i still feel that the actor as guanyu didn't do a very good job, as his voice wasn't harsh and man enough for the character. in one particular scene, when zhang fei fought bare handed with the cao's troops, i feel that it was a little bit over done. althought the director's intention was to show zhangfei's manliness and courage, it was done in a too layman and direct manner i should say. the director had also cleverly added some funny moments when the audience can view a more cheerful sight in the warring time, well, some surprises here and there.