A Mind of My Own

If anything that will capture the headlines, it’s the sex lives of performing artistes. Either it’s Edison Chen or Jack Neo. Else, Marcus Chen’s (陈健并), the Chinese characters may be wrong, divorce. Apparently, artistes have to play a role in telling everyone why they marry or divorce or have an affair. Or multiple partners and maybe the fetish of filming everything being done.

Let’s not forget that Gary guy who blogs or rather shows off his abs using homemade videos to the rest of the world and his females who were bedded by him, including his cousin. And then, there is this guy who decides that it’s a jolly good time to spread highly false news about someone’s health using a blog.

I thought Singapore is a rather conservative country. Anything about sex is rather hush hush. Perhaps time has changed to the point whereby if the question of sexual orientation isn’t on ourselves, the press will have a really good field day just questioning the same questions to the same people.

I still remember the tired headlines of NKF and its gold tap. There’s also this news about Ren Ci’s scandal of abused funds. Meanwhile, I wonder if the rest of the world is laughing their heads off.

I’ve been watching Cruel Temptation/Temptation of Wife/Wife’s Temptation (아내의 유혹 or 妻子的诱惑) in DVD format. After knowing that there is a total of 129 episodes, I just couldn’t stand it any more and simply watched the last disc. I still managed to catch what had transpired before. With flashbacks, no worries.

It’s an engaging Korean drama with lots of cat fights, sharp remarks, crying, revenge plotting, money and back stabbing. Seriously, some of the scenes made me cringe as it’s absurd that their eye vision can be so narrow! How can they not see their enemy standing next to the pillar? How can a mother who was already told not to do something, still go ahead and do something only to be overheard by some nosy person?

It is also strange to find that it’s so easy to steal someone’s signature seal just for confirming legal documents without the person’s permission. It’s also too coincidental to have all the characters related to each other in some strange way. The obsession of having a complete family by Ae Ri is also scary with her personal tactics.

Seriously, I can’t believe that this guy, Gyo Bin can be so callous. Perhaps, there are such guys around and I do pity the women who fall prey to such worms. The one thing I like about this drama is the earrings though. So many different earrings! Even if they are costume jewellery, I would like to have a few for everyday use.

DD’s friend was holding her wedding dinner at Marina Mandarin, the building next to Marina Square. It took us a long walk to the POSB ATM near the cinema and back to the bridge connecting CitiLink and Marina Square. We were still early, 7pm is way too early to arrive at a traditional Chinese wedding dinner.

Not to forget that it was a weekday night whereby traffic jams are normal. Eventually, it started at around 8.15pm. I love the first march in song, Canon in D Major. I think it was a violin version. Anyone playing the electric guitar version?

Obviously, the bride was looking lovely with her hair done up with lovely curls. It was the first time I saw that only the bridal photos were shown on screen. No history of the bride and groom, and no video montage of the morning activities. I guess it was good enough since dinner had started late.

The dinner was at level one, 35 tables with enough space to walk in between. I like. The wedding gown takes up space, so there must be enough space between the tables. A pillarless concept between the rooms. I like that too. The food was good. I demand more Shitake mushrooms!

After the dinner, I have gained more in weight. I still have another round in Dec 2009, Jan 2010 and July 2010! I guess it’s the time of the age whereby friends are getting married around this age.

Life is wonderful and magical. I used to look for my happiness for a long time when it was just whether I choose to be happy or not. For each incident that happens, I pause and think if I should be upset about the way things didn’t turn out well.

There is truth to the saying that “There’s a silver lining in every cloud.” Once I understood by reading Attitude is Everything, some of the things I never understood, came into place. Whatever that happens, it is for a reason. It may sound cliche but the real reason will come into play when it is time for it to be revealed to you.

Choosing to be happy is a habit. It can be done within 21 to 30 days when you stop to feel happy. After a while, it comes as a second nature to feel happy. Disclaimer: May not apply to funerals since it is a sober ocassion.

For me to arrive at the stage where I choose to be happy, I had to go through a lot of positive habit additions. I didn’t get rid of the bad habits. I had to learn how to use the good habits in order to reduce using the bad habits.

I apply this habit daily. In addition, I am thankful to be alive and be able to work towards my goals. I am thankful that I’m living in a safe place. I am thankful that each day, I have hopes to be fulfilled. I am thankful that I have enough to eat. I am thankful that I have a family to go home to. I am thankful that I have a doting DD.

What is happiness to you?

It’s September and time does fly when you don’t notice it at all. Ever notice that between the age of 0 to 20 years, time seems to go so slowly as if it’s crawling?

From 20 to 40 years, the years just seem to disappear into a bottomless pit. Needless to say, from the 40th year of your life, time feels like the Road Runner zooming past with just its trail of wind on your face.

I have been hit with a few obstacles and overcame some of them. While some left me with a bitter taste, I have been learning to let go of them as they are the real stumbling blocks that won’t let me move forward if I were to keep them in my heart.

The year is coming to a close and it had been a great year since I made some changes in my life. My dreams are coming true and I will be able to fulfill my life long dream soon. All I have to do is to move forward, adapt and hold on to my dreams tightly.

DD coming into my life has been a wonderful change since it feels pretty awesome to have someone hugging you tightly for a reason called “Just because”.

I have made new friends and enjoying myself each day with hopes and achieving some improvements to myself daily. The years ahead will be even more wonderful.

Having seen the preview of Up by Pixar, DD and I were anticipating for it since the GPS dropped out of the sky by Russell. However, I didn’t expect the unbelievably cute clouds making babies of both animals and humans to be carried out by their storks to the respective homes. It was called Partly Cloudy as a short film just before Up was to be shown.

I love the poor cloud who was tasked with making the other kinds of animals from shark to porcupines to rams. He was really happy with his creations but when his stork arrived, the poor stork was abused by the babies’ natural instincts. Despite the abuse, the stork still loved his cloud and it showcased the strong friendship bonds between the two of them.

Up is about this old man who finally decided to take an adventure in his house literally. I just want to put a disclaimer, helium filled balloons can’t really carry a house no matter how many of them are tied to the chimney. What really touched was the meaning behind this whole adventure. We should grab hold of every chance that we have in life as we may not get a second chance again.

This movie may make the adults who understand the meaning behind the scenes cry while making the kids confused as to why their parents were wailing their hearts out. After watching this movie, I demand that someone create a real collar that allows the dogs to be able to talk.

I have this constant obsession with the perfect home. I think what’s bothering me is that space is often a constraint in Singapore, hence I have this image of a huge home with the exterior resembling a palace or castle. TV dramas or documentaries with such castles on display and reading too much Babara Cartland romance definitely played a part.

I was asked recently about what my dream house would look like. The visualisation gears kicked in. I would have a 2 storey house with 5 bedrooms including a master bedroom. The bathroom in the master bedroom would have 2 wash basins; him and her. A jacuzzi bath tub, a shower area, towel racks and not to forget mirrors. Attached to the bathroom would be the walk in wardrobes; him and her again.

As for the master bedroom itself; a canopy style king sized bed, full length mirror, makeup area, sliding doors leading to a deck overlooking the hills. The bedrooms will be for the kids to decorate according to their likes. In order to be wheelchair friendly, there will be a ramp from the first to the second floor.

There will also be an entertainment room that is sound proof for KTV, watching TV, DVD, etc. A lounge for the ladies to sit there and talk about everything under the sun. A laundry room that can hang the clothes and bedsheets to be dried during bad weather. A door will lead to a place where the clothes can be dried under the sun during great weather.

A room for playing pool will be for friends who love to play pool. A creativity room that is split into half for sewing and scrapbooking or crafts. A library with comfortable armchairs for reading purpose. Dining room will be just next to the kitchen. The kitchen will have an island, oven for baking, fridge with the option for getting ice without the need for ice cube trays, stove, and all the necessary kitchen appliances.

The living room will be for casual entertainment. The garage will have enough space for 2 cars; a Porche MPV and a Toyota. The front of the house will have a landscaped garden with Japanese theme and a koi pond. The open area outside the kitchen will be the BBQ area.

My estimate for this house will be about 2 football field sizes. Real spacious the way I love it. Humans have a natural need for space just like the SIMS who will be happier with larger houses.

How will your dream house look like?

I may not be subscribing to any newspapers now but I do know that there are still companies retrenching in hundreds only to hire people with a lower pay. There are many ways to be laid off. The feeling that the boss is telling you “I’m letting you go” due to various reasons. Check out the reasons that people are being laid off here.

• Just because of a burn incident, this guy was laid off.
• Returning from a hip surgery, this guy was told to leave.
• Took a two-week medical leave only to be laid off upon returning.
• Despite a good appraisal, he was fired on a Sunday birthday party.

The above are just some ways that companies can do just to tell you that your services are no longer needed. The feeling that goes through those people is horrible as it spells of uncertainties. Despite all these layoffs, Wal-Mart is opening up new positions. It goes to show that the industry is booming business.

Looking at Singapore, NTUC has plans for automated distribution centres. In addition, it has expanded the FairPrice at Jurong Point. Amazing, isn’t it?

Guess what I found? A site that tells management on how to lay off employees. This is a cycle. Just like how we live our lives; born, study, work, die. Excluding terminal illnesses, we are all bound to die at one point in our lives. Just how fulfilling do we feel our lives should be?

Two important ingredients in our lives; happiness and family. A job is for survival. We work to survive this day. We all have dreams but have we let our dreams that were formed during our childhood die as we started working hard for 40 to 50 years?

We have dreams. Goals that we want to be fulfilled, be it money, travel or even recognition for good things. Whenever we do something, we want or hope for repayment. When we go to the office, we will be paid our monthly dues and eventually, get promoted got clinching that particular deal. However, how many of us have really managed to get promoted?

This world is surrounded by people. Humans who make the decisions, not money. When bribery occurs, it means that the person simply has a need for it and accepts it. Did money make the decision? The kind of lifestyle that we have in mind is also our decision. No one else is responsible for making that for us. They are influences but not the decision makers.

The kind of lifestyle that I wanted to have is:

• To be able to be a good mother and wife. A mother like what my mother did. She simply gave her support to my father all these years in his business and didn’t complain about his late nights because he was out working hard to feed the family.
• To be able to spend time with my family. What my parents tried to do every weekend. Until now, they will ask us out for breakfast.
• To be able to teach my children values that mine have taught us.
• To be able to go for holidays without worrying about money all the time.
• To be able to have enough money for my children’s education in future without worrying about money.
• To be able to help others who have dreams to be fulfilled.
• To be able to afford to buy any item without paying in installments.
• To be able to give my mind peace when I am one day unable to work actively, I don’t have to worry about money.
• To be able to gain this kind of freedom that I have been craving for.

What kind of lifestyle do you have in mind?

This post has been inspired by Chillycraps.

In some Hong Kong dramas, some of the characters have strange names like Laughing Kor (Laughing 哥). I wonder why. Some of the celebrities have named themselves really weird English names or seemingly English names.

Kenix Kwok – I have no idea how to pronounce the first part. Anyone knows?

Show Luo – No idea about it but perhaps he loves to be showy?

Rainie Yang – Not sure why either but I keep being reminded of the rain.

Moon Lee – A hot actress from a bygone era.

Bosco Wong – Quite handsome except he seems to be having a hard time climbing up the entertainment ladder.

Myolie Wu – The favourite onscreen female lead for Bosco.

Sing Shi – I wished they had given her something else besides the obvious name.

I find that celebrities name their children for some reason only they know. Let’s take a look at the 50 craziest baby names. I hope I won’t be a crazy parent for naming my children with weird names in future.