So much things to do, yet so little time left. Ok, I am being pessimistic here and it's part of my genes to fret even over the smallest issue. I have to tell myself repeatedly to have fun and chill..enjoy the process. People who know me well will know that I prefer things to be orderly and organized. Give me messy things and I will make it neater. I don't know whether it's a good or bad thing since it may hinder my adaptability in certain situations, yet it may also see things being delegated clearer and with directions.

Shopping is so much fun, especially when it serves as a sort of retail therapy. And when you see things that you really like and buy it without regrets. Don't you just hate it when you buy something out of a moment of impulsive or irrational decision and see that item being forsaken at a dark corner of your wardrobe or drawer? That's seriously a heavy and painful blow to my wallet.

What kind of shopper or consumer are you: Click here

My cycling stamina has reduced by at least half! I am unable to cycle up that slope that I used to do so effortlessly. Can I blame it on the gear shifter or even the derailleur that isn't as accurate and refuses to budge unlike my old Shimano shifter? But apart from this, I managed to explore the jetty and watched the beautiful sunset amidst the gentle tides at the coast.

While I felt odd among all the loving couples there, as I watched the day go by, time seemed to slow down and I started thinking and contemplating again.

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.

What is life without music? Ever use music as a therapy to sooth your nerves or understand social issues? Heard this song few days ago and it strikes me how chilling or touching a person's victorious struggle may be.

Nakamura Ataru is born as an intersex or hermaphrodite (with both male and female organs) and suffers from disorientation of one's gender identity. He undergone a surgery and has since transformed into a female. This real-life story is not an uncommon issue in society and I have watched a similar documentary on how some inter-sexual people struggled during their childhood and even resorted to lawsuit cases against their parents for hiding the truth.


In her song, Tomodachi no uta - Poem for a friend, Nakamura expresses how she falls in love with a boy in her younger days, yet because of the teasing from classmates due to her gender disorder, she only wishes to be just friends with him. It is an intensely sorrowful song that highlights an issue that is neglected by others and strikes only few people in a population. Nakamura also starred as a guest actress in the drama: Watashi ga Watashi de Aru Tame ni (Because I am Me) that addresses issues of sexual reassignment surgeries and gender identity disorders.

Song for a Friend..nice lyrics.



Prudence Liew Mei-Kwan also did a remake of this song, but with different lyrics written by the famous cantopop lyricist, Albert Leung (Lin Xi). The song narrates a female's struggle to life after every broken relationships and finally, learns the importance of self-love.




主唱：刘美君, 作曲：中村中, 填词：林夕

(Loosely translated in Chinese)

为了记不起我为谁寻开心
横起心　独自等婚嫁真愚笨
为了有值千金的高职和自由
为自尊心　独自却不想受困

绝对不想被同情　就算输给爱情
为何要在半秒里想放弃生命
活得成　就敢乐得尽兴
手帕没人给　不是个羞愧的罪名

原来没到家　很怕被遗下
莫问真假　怕太早将一切看化
原来没有哑　开口叫别人造福我一下
如浮花飘到双手的造化

为了想通拥抱后却能被松开
与其想被抛开　不如当那双手曾没存在
为了看穿过分倚靠别人是种悲哀
这实在不该　要懂得永久的自爱

自问不是罪名　女人输给爱情
为何颓丧到似乎失去了生命
不必自吹自擂　要哭就哭得尽兴
羞愧地承认　似大将承认被击败

原来没到家　很怕被遗下
莫问真假　怕太早将一切看化
原来没有哑　开口叫别人造福我一下
如浮花的心瓣碰得多也被软化

原来没到家　巴不得有人接下
划下疮疤　就以新伤治旧伤吧
明明没有哑　恨不得呼救
何尝不想把我似哭的笑脸拆除
如浮花飘到一位人士作为造化