What's the purpose of having more convenient forms of communication tools? When the ultimate purpose is to pull people closer within their social communities and receive messages almost instantaneously, I beg to differ and choose to indicate that there are still loopholes. Undeniably, these informal tools are convenient; but, yet in some situations it still pulls friends apart and it makes it seems awfully obvious. My suggestion? Go pick up that phone and give your dear friend a call..to show that you care.

First, to the Tea Party, then to international cuisine buffet, later to Marche, next to Raindrops Cafe..what's next? I would like to party and indulge in red wine, shots of tequila, flaming lambo, martini, and zesty and bubbly midori cocktails (the thought of them makes me thirsty). How I wish I can be like those fortunate people who can feed on so much alcohol and carbo in their entire lives, and still remain miraculously slim. But I know I can't because I am ballooning into a fat orange and my face is horrendously bloated. So people, don't laugh, I am determined to go on an exercise regime and shed at least 4.5 pounds before I start traveling.

Was watching late night news on CNA when I saw this lovely created TV ad/commercial. Yo-Yo Ma playing the prelude from Bach's Suite No.1 which is one of my earliest and most favorite song of his. If you look at ads shown on CNA especially during prime-time slots, you will notice that they are targeted at different groups of people as compare to other TV channels.

Here's what Yo-Yo Ma says in this ad, "What makes a masterpiece? To me it is about finding the perfect equilibrium between complexity and simplicity. In order to transform the ordinary to the extraordinary, you can be inspired, you can learn from the best, but don’t try to be like someone else. Ultimately, you have to find your own voice." Inspirational and a timely masterpiece. I just want more of our local TV ads to be more refreshing rather than just relying on some repetitive jingles or being too factual.

SC Global - Own the Original



It's good and interesting to know the perspectives and histories of luxury fashion designers towards their apparels. Not that I do literally own them anyway, but I think it will make me value their products more and appreciate their visions. One of my most respectable female designer is Coco Chanel who broke the tight female corset fashion and replaced it with clothings that emphasized on comfort and casual stylishness.

Louis Vuitton started by selling mostly trunks and luggage. This TV commercial brings audiences closer to its core values and how it fits elegantly in in our journeys or traveling lives.

Louis Vuitton Core Values: Where Will Life Take You?



I am not a particularly coffee drinker, but drinking coffee can be so much fun when you feel your day charged just by watching this.

Starbucks Coffee Double Shot – Bring on the day

I am a sucker for Korea and Japan drama..good ones though. My friend used to comment on what's so great about Korea drama when half of the time they are crying, hugging or screaming. He says that he could just go to the fridge, grab a chilled can of beer, have a visit to the loo, and when he returns the characters in the drama would still be crying.

My self-confessed list of symptoms

Do you have any of these above symptoms?

I just completed watching the Korean drama - 49 Days. It tells the story of Ji Hyun, a young lady who is about to be engaged with her fiance but meets with a serious car incident and falls into a deep coma. While being bed-ridden, her soul meets that of a male death reaper. The death reaper says that in order to be saved and get out of the coma, Ji Hyun needs to collect genuine tears from 3 good people (other than family members) for a period of 49 days. Otherwise, she will die.

For the next 49 days, Ji-Hyun takes the body of the suicidal Lee Kyung and imposes as Lee Kyung from morning to midnight in her quest to find 3 such persons. She thought that finding 3 teardrops would be easy since she was a good-hearted and sociable person when being alive. However, things become awry when she discovers ugly truths of her closest friend, fiance, and people around her. Not all is despair as she realizes how much her parents dotes on her and that the man she dislikes most turns out to be the most caring.

My eyes were wet when I watched the last episode. Not that Ji Hyun didn't manage to collect 3 tears, but because she still died sadly.

A great cast

49 Days - Tears Necklace. Will I have 3 teardrops?

That makes me wonder on myself, perhaps a sort of reflection. What if I suddenly slip into a semi-death state and my soul has to do the same as Ju Hyun in order to be alive? How many people or friends will cry genuinely (not fake, guilt, or self-pity) for my demise? What if I realize that I have lived a life that is less than being purposeful and even if I ever passed away, how many people will still know my death anniversary or visit my grave after 1 year, 2 years, etc? I know these all sound despairing and emotionally-charged, but at least I know that before I died, I will not crave the selfish wish of people remembering me for a long time, but I will want to see at least one sustainable good deed made by myself before my last breath.

I love this quote from the movie - Eat Pray Love.

" We all want things to stay the same. Settle for living in misery because we’re afraid of change, of things crumbling to ruins. Then I looked around at this place, at the chaos it has endured – the way it has been adapted, burned, pillaged and found a way to build itself back up again. And I was reassured, maybe my life hasn’t been so chaotic, it’s just the world that is, and the real trap is getting attached to any of it. Ruin is a gift. Ruin is the road to transformation" - Elizabeth Gilbert

Take a look at this. Which blue circle in the middle is bigger?



Both are equally of the same size!

Why?

It's the truth of relativity. Human minds are wired to look at things around us in relations to others. From decision making such as purchasing products, social class, income, emotions, etc.

Heard this song on the radio and the voice is so sweet and pure. As any female who fancies a sweet crush and yet is shy to confess, I bet the lyrics just seem to match well with the voice. I guess it is like having sweet caramel melting at the tip of your tongue. Silly yet a definite rush of happy endorphin. Listen to the acoustic guitar in the song and I'm seriously amazed that it's by Sungha Jung. He's only 14 years old!

Enjoy! Brown Eyed Girls' Narsha with I'm in Love.




Vote for My Party Leh

Casualties for the "Omnipotent" Party, rising social issues among peasants like me and the sandwiched group, unnecessary drama, and people rising to fame overnight through the social media..YAM, TPL and NS. And of course, other than the Straits Time which posted huge coverages on the Omnipotent Party, the TODAY paper which was dutifully delivered to my doorsteps every Mon to Sat mysteriously disappeared few days before the polling day.

It is a smorgasbord of politics and verbal and non-verbal form of social/peer influences. The most interesting thing was my Facebook turning to a pro-Opposition Party platform or forum with friends slamming the Omnipotent Party. I see continuous stream of updates none other than related to the GE. So much so that I refused to be on Facebook or else risked being a victim of group influence.

Anyway, just an analogy. Some people may have read Amy Chua's Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother. Chua has being criticized for her harsh parenting model and has being referred to raising "cubs" rather than children. But I still love her book for its genuineness and humor..you tell me..how many busy working mothers are willing to sit through their child's music lessons and patiently write down points and prepare practicing notes for their child?

Surprisingly, Chua's strict parenting model still succumb when being delivered to her younger daughter, Lulu. Lulu is the defiant daughter who would rather be punished and standing in the windy chills than obey or apologize for her mistakes. She would also chopped off her hair in a jagged manner in protest of her mother not bringing her to the hairdresser. Not many Asian kids of her age will do these. I will never have done that and somehow will still apologize grudgingly when threats are imposed. But the GE is just a reflection on how we became the rebellious and Generation-Y Lulus. We no longer succumb to threats such as "regret" and "repent" that may see our positions being altered. We vote wisely knowing that it will only be 5 years later that the next GE will be held. It just took a few young voices from the Opposition Party to tip the long-time balance of the Omnipotent Party and set a slightly fairer playing field in parliament.

We are Just so Complex

At least for me, I think that human beings are complex creatures.

Just for laugh. I was having a bonding session with my peers through dinner when we started a guessing game on which courses we took back in poly. Surprisingly, all of them said I was from nursing school. Another day, my eyes were super dry from the late nights, so I wore specs to school. 5 of my friends were horrified and said, "Oh gosh, you remind me of someone. Are you from Cedar Girls' or some girls' school!"


In his book, The Tipping Point, Gladwell mentions that we think in absolute terms and miss out on the role of situations when it comes to personality. And yes, he also sort of solves my looming question on why people's character around me are changing and yet I still think that I am like a wheel that is stuck in the same rut.

"Character..isn't a stable, easily identifiable set of closely related traits, and it only seems that way because of a glitch in the way our brains are organize. Character is more like a bundle of habits..dependent on circumstance and context. The reason that most of us seem to have a consistent character is that most of us are really good in controlling our environment." - Malcolm Gladwell

Indeed, this book is a page turner and a warrior dance in some tropical Hawaii or Maldives beach for me.