Travel list - Seoul

Spotted a travel guide to Seoul on Project Smitten magazine, and thought I'll note down the details on my blog, so that I can refer it when I plan my next trip in May for my new after birth wardrobe.

Here goes:

Yeoju Premium Outlet (by famed USA outlet chain Chelsea Premium):
Location: Gyeonggido Yeoju-gun Yeoju-eub, 15-1 (near Yongdon Expressway)

Night shopping at Dongdaemum
Location: next to Dongdaemum subway station
Other details: Area on side of stadium deals mainly with wholesale, area where Doosan Tower (also known as Doota) consists of retail stores.
At the retail area: start with Doosan Tower, Hello apM, Migliore, Freya Town
(Doosan Tower is closed on Sunday at 11pm to Mon 7pm, Migliore closed every Monday, Freya Town every Tuesday, Hello apM closed every second and fourth Tues.)
Conclusion: Go from Wed-Sat

Myong-Dong Market

Optional:
Boon the Shop
Location: 93-6 Cheongdam-dong 34468074

Accomodation:
Lotte Hotel Seoul (connected to Lotte Departmental store). Molten Brown toiletries! Yipee!

Anyone wants to add to the list?

Happy sigh...

Just came back from a leisurely swim- cool waters, sunny weather, so feeling a little more relaxed and refreshed.
Was feeling so warm and cooped up earlier at home - humid weather, plus mess round the house did little to 'spruce' me up- especially since I started working from home.
Anyways, it's been a month since I last blogged- and yep, I'm now in Week 31 of my pregnancy; third trimester! whew! Time flies!
Been diligently going for my antenatal class- quite interesting although there are some portions of the video screening that's er... pretty graphic.
Been busy with work- God has been opening doors so I've been working on projects across a few industries, which is interesting. Had a round of food tasting with the media yesterday and it went well.
Spending some 'me and Kayla' time today- did some light reading (8 Days, some spiritual books), drove out to have ba ku teh, cleared some emails, and gonna pack my 'maternity bag'.
Looking forward to my fortnight check up with Doctor tomorrow and catching a movie- Enchanted at night! :)))
Well, better get my errands done cos' I'm starting to feel hungry and probably need to zip out of the house for some food hunt!
Till then!

Stuffed turkey

Writing my blog and surfing Facebook to entertain myself cos' hubby is working on his laptop again. Really hope we'll have more time for quality evenings after he's done with his mega presentation tomorrow morn.
Anyways, I'm in my last week of second trimester and starting to feel and look big. Sleeping has been a bit of a challenge too cos' of the new weight which causes me to toss and turn and get belly aches. Then, there's the hormonal ups and downs; adrenaline rush accompanied by moments of restlessness, cravings for ice-cream, chocolates, fruits, french fries... and then feeling like a stuffed turkey after woofing down a few servings.
And the Singapore weather! Goodness! Humid, humid, humid! I'm not one to perspire but these days you can literally count the drops of sweat/puddles on me... Yikes! Where's the breeze, I ask?
Well, enuff of griping, things have actually been good. Just restlessness speaking now as I type, so everything sounds a little... whiney.
Gonna head to Dempsey tomorrow for lunch with an editor, then to Great World City to get some yummy goodies from Da Paolo Gastronomia. Can't wait! Been craving for lasagne, pizza, cupcakes... Geez, I sound like my life revolves around food.
On a separate note, it came to my realization last week that this year has got to be the year where I've read the most number of books. So, gimme a pat on the back, won't ya? If time permits, I'll list down some of my favorite books in another blog session. Mainly spiritual and business books, (not counting fashion/beauty/entertainment magazines that I lap up on a weekly basis).
Well, my mom's going over to Perth to visit my sis this Thursday and it makes me miss travelling all the more! I want to do South Africa, Prague, Italy, Vegas, Seattle, Melbourne in the next 3 years. Reckon that's possible? Hmm... no harm dreaming.
Anyways, I gotta squeeze this in before I log off... I bought a router to activate wireless access about a mth and a half ago and it still DOESN'T WORK! Really annoying me cos' I'm stuck in this one position whenever I need to use the net!
Arghhhh. I cannot even start to describe how this is &*@#$@&$# me! ha! There I got it off my chest!
Think I can have a good night's sleep now... ciao-ey!

My twenties...

Just about 2 days to my 30th birthday and what better time to reflect on my twenties and to 'visionise' about my coming 30s.
I've always thought I'll have a big birthday bash to herald in my big 3-0 bday- a loud one with drinks, friends in a club, but instead I'm keeping it simple yet meaningful this time- spending a day out with Vincent, myself and Kayla. :)
We're doing dinner at Da Paolo the night before, visiting my gynae on my bday for my regular check to see my little princess, followed by lunch at Au Petit Salut, then pre-natal massage at Spa Esprit in Paragon before cell group in the evening. Will probably also do some shopping- get a baby cot, milk bottle steam steriliser and Vincent said he'll get me my desired Miu Miu bag! My little pleasures in life! :)
I'm definitely going to spend better time planning out my 30s as I'm believing it is going to be a very rewarding time- with Motherhood and hopefully, a thriving business; surrounded with family and friends I love and walking closely with God. It's definitely going to be another new chapter and adventure.
I must thank God too for seeing me through the 20s. I've definitely 'morphed' into a different person if you compare me in my early 20s with my late 20s. It has really been a time of experimentation and I must say I've learnt so much through painful lessons but have received breakthroughs spiritually, emotionally and financially. God is good.
What can I say, I feel blessed!
Jeremiah 29:11- "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."

Things to do after July 08

1) Eat loads of sashimi
2) Drink a nice cool beer, a glass of wine and some martinis
3) Wear 'killer' high heels
4) Take a trip to Perth & the USA
5) Get a pair of skinny tight jeans

Week-END

Just got back from some shopping at Marina Square. Vincent got moi two pairs of maternity pants (hooray!) and loads of baby nick-nacks (bibs, tops, hats, rompers) and I finally qualified for Motherhood membership card! Feels like a card for grown-ups!
Was supposed to go to Sim Lim to get my modem router but I was just so tired after that, we ended up coming home. I'm starting to feel tired when I walk long distances. I guess baby and tum tum are really growing.
Well, this weekend has been fruitful generally and I had a longer one with Vincent cos' he took Friday off to spend time with me, which was sweet. We went to catch a movie and basically just took things in a chill pace.
Saturday afternoon, Vincent and I went to Su Fen's place where all the SOT alumni gathered. It was a nice catch up. Almost feels like an advanced Chinese New Year, with lots of food and laughter.
We went for church service right after which was really good. We had a guest speaker Nick Vujicic who was born without limbs minister to us. His life story is truly amazing and I have so much respect for him and his family and what they have achieved thus far and will do more so in the future. For more info, you can log on to http://www.lifewithoutlimbs.org/
Anyways, what really struck my heart was that the bible verses that he quoted were the ones that God has impressed upon my heart in the past 2 weeks. Jeremiah 29:11, James 1:2-4, plus Ecclesiastes Chap 3.
He made some profound yet very meaningful statements such as ' there is no joy in my circumstance, but there is joy in the PURPOSE of my circumstance.' It is true. His life is filled with so much purpose, it makes life worth living for.
Well, anyway, after service, all of us went for dinner at the new IKEA at Tampines. I really really like the place. The space, the bright lights and so much to see. The carparks remind me of those in the States and Australia. And best of all, they were free!
I had spaghetti, chicken wings, stole fries from friends and had great conversations. All in all, it has been a nice end to the week!

Can't sleep....

Woke up at 4am, and had trouble sleeping so decided to get out of bed at 4.45am to blog and catch the US Open since the 'newspaper man' has not even arrived.
It's funny how I always feel like I'm preparing to leave for the airport to catch an early flight when I wake this early. Usually this is accompanied by a sense of excitement and anticipation.
Truly, if I were a little more 'garang' (Malay word for bold), I will like to travel during my second trimester. Any where will do. Just to jet set. It's funny how my hubby is less enthusiastic about travelling than me. Usually, I'll have to broach the subject and it just spoils the spontaneity of it.
On a sidenote, I'm thinking of bringing forward my checkup with my doctor to today. Will give a buzz once the clinic opens.
It's been 4 days since I've started my 'leisurely' life after Bible school- with all daily agenda set by myself and only myself- since I'm doing freelance work and have a high level of control how much work I want to do and when I want to do them.
However, truth be told, I'm starting to feel a little restless. I guess ultimately, I'm a people person and I like to meet people and have exchanges. Good news however is that I have a big project coming up in October, so I really should enjoy this slower pace while I can. :)
It's nice though to be able to wake up later every day, move to the next room, switch on my computer and start work in my pyjamas. Heh.
Okie dokes, I'll keep this note short and sweet. Will write more later today, or in a couple of days. We'll see....

After a six week hiatus

Hello there! I'm back- giving some TLC to my much neglected blog site.
Well, I'm pleased to share that I've officially graduated from bible school with flying colours! :) Praise God!
More importantly, beyond that, these 4 and a half months have really strengthened me physically (juggling pregnancy nausea and exhaustion), spiritually (put me out of my comfort zone by exercising spiritual gifts & preaching abilities) and emotionally (building up my faith through ups and downs.) I can finally say, it's all worth it!
Many of my cell group members took time off to support me at my graduation ceremony yesterday; they bought flowers, bears, gift vouchers, took pictures of and with me and made arrangements to go for lunch together. I must say, it really warmed my heart that they made the special effort.
Most of the pictures are in their cameras and I will be sure to upload them on this site once I get them later this week.
So, today actually marks the first day of my new chapter after bible school. I promised myself 2 weeks of personal holiday, after which, I'll probably go full gear into pursuing my business dreams. More on that later.
It rained the whole day today, and it was actually quite nice staying home. I did some of my freelance work, read Yonggi Cho's book, emailed friends, tidied up the house and finally took out my new Fujitsu laptop and booted it for the first time. (It has been sitting in a box near my door untouched for the past week! Hehe!)
As for baby updates, I'm expecting a princess whom I'll call Kayla Faith Ong. She's practising mini-kickboxing techniques in my tum tum now and I've been talking to her quite a bit- speaking words of blessings - health and happiness into her life.
There's so much love I feel for this new life forming in my womb and it has really indeed drawn me closer to our creator God- and his goodness and love for mankind.
Oh well... I can go on and on, but I think I'll leave it as that for the time being.
Here're some of my fav. pics taken recently. I'm really starting to balloon from all sides. :)

Graduated from First Trimester

Praise God! I'm finally going into the second trimester of my pregnancy and it was all worth it when I had my ultra sound on Monday and saw the tiny fingers and feet of my lil' one. It was the most adorable, peaceful, magical thing I've seen and I was glad Vincent was with me when the doctor did the scan. The creation of life is indeed amazing.
Well, I wish I can say all the nausea has gone away with the first trimester but my digestive tract has not been very cooperative lately, giving me heartburns and sour taste in my mouth esp after every meal. I was eating my baby's favorite french fries the other day, and every bite into the crunchy supposedly yummy potato tasted bitter! Geez.
Also, I was driving Caron, my SOT classmate back home the other day and puked all over my steering wheel and at the car door when I made the mistake of talking. Just couldn't hold the puke in. Yikes! You wouldn't want to know what came out. I felt so sorry for Caron, but she was really nice about it.
Well, school is really going into full gear. We had an overnight prayer meeting the other day and I stayed up till about 3ish. Boy, I actually felt dizzy after that, but I was glad I still did it! Got 2 exams this Wed (arrgh...) plus lots of other activities. Feel dog tired- no other way to describe it!

Are you happy?

Below is an excerpt from Ulf Ekman's book that I'm reading now which I dedicate to a friend who was born-again but has joined herself with the world and given up the 'good fight' to live in backslidden lifestyle. Although, trust in our friendship has been broken due to our different visions in life, but I believe God is still pining for her to return to Him, to break the bondage of restlessness, weakness, unhappiness and misery, so here goes:
"They want to be in God's Kingdom, but the devil has convinced them that the cost is too high. They can never pay the price, and they will never overcome temptation or live in victory.
At a time of temptation they failed, and they accepted Satan's lie that God does not love them anymore, the race is run and the gate is shut. Therefore, they feel uneasy at spiritual meetings. They feel exposed, backslidden and isolated and would rather flee from the presence of God.
Yet when they are out in the world they do not find satisfaction there, either. In their hearts they long for God and do not want to sin. Hence, they are left out of worldly society, not being able to fit in there either. They are neither here nor there and are very uncomfortable.
If they humbled themselves and came back to God, they would find a glorious restoration and experience His love more than ever.
But if they continue to flee, they will become hardened and embittered and give themselves completely over to the world. Then they will become one of the most hostile enemies of the gospel, since it is impossible for those who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance (Heb 6:5-6)
No one can hate God like the person who has tasted His goodness and then rejected Him. No one lives an unhappier life.

Neighbours...

Woke up to the smell of fried fish from a neighbour which permeated right into my home.
Well, kudos to the auntie who diligently ensures that her family is nourished with all the goodness of omega oil, but I wish I could send her a note to tell her that her cooking (to be put it frankly) is 'nauseating' her pregnant neighbour.
Mind ya, she cooks like this everyday, starts as early as 7.30am and ends as late as 10pm. Sigh... I'm starting to wonder if she has a catering business specialising in fish, or something.
But as some of my dear ones have heard me gripe about this before, nothing beats this annoying, cheapo neighbour living across my unit who wakes up very early in the morning, picks up my newspaper and reads it to find out her latest NTUC promotions without even obtaining my permission.
She was caught in the act at least 7 times, but often, would try to bargain for 10-15 minutes more to read the headlines, "WAH! Mass killing in the USA!" or "It's Thursday and I want to check on the supermarket offers. I'll slip the newspapers under your door later, okay?"
Maybe Vincent and I are too nice, or really, she's super thick skinned to the point when we say we need the papers back, she still gets back into the 'stealing newspapers' routine. My! This woman drives me crazy. I'm sure it does not happen in a HDB flat, so I'm especially amazed this is actually happening in a private apartment where people pay more than $XXX/sqf to own a unit.
I'm inclined to believe too that whenever I throw out my newspapers, she actually brings it back to her home to sell to the rag and bone man to earn some spare change! Wah! Can faint! There was once I wanted to throw out some old clothing and she happened to be at the corridor and actually had the audacity to ask me what I was throwing out. She said, she wanted them!!! Can you imagine my disbelief?
Also, there was one morning during a heavy downpour when we bumped into her son at the corridor (son is okay, but typical mommy's boy) and she kept urging her son to ask us to send him to the bus stop (knowing that we drive) as the son does not drive. CAN YOU IMAGINE THIS WOMAN???
Phew! I've let it all out... leave me a message and tell me what you would do in my shoes.

Food journal

Food baby likes:
Mangoes
Peanut butter toast
Hot piping rice (lover of carbo- God bless the mom)
Prata (but only from Casuarina)
Japanese rice with chicken, beef
Korean beef on sizzling plate (Meridien Hotel)
Malay foodstall from Killiney Rd (chicken, cabbage, potato)
Delifrance (white baguette with egg and chicken)

Food baby dislikes:
Grapes
Cheese (ever had a whiff of fermented cheese?)
Fishball noodles

Food baby's not so keen on:
Horfun (especially those that leave garlic-ky aftertaste)
Hainanese chicken rice
Pasta (at this point- too rich)
Milk

Food baby does not mind (from time to time):
Teriyaki salmon from Fish & Co
Sliced fish steamboat from Balestier
Pizza (but crispy type)
Kenny Roger's chicken and side dishes
Soya bean drink/ soya bean curd (gd substitute for milk)

Blogging for Two

It has been weeks since I last blogged and to make it up, I now return with the power of 2! Me and my little one! :)
Yep, I'm 10 & a half weeks pregnant! Praise God for this precious gift! Everyday has been an adventure since I discovered I was pregnant! And I must say my adventure applies in every aspect of my life! Physically (with morning sickness that lasts from morn to night), mentally (trying not to overthink and analyse pregnancy symptoms), emotionally (mood swings) and spiritually (learning to lean on God daily for his grace through faith!)
However, in the midst of all this, I must say, juggling bible school and pregnancy has been quite a challenge as well! We need to be in school everyday from Mon-Sun, and there's ministry work, assignments, tests that never seem to end. Thank God for his grace that has seen me through so far, not to mention, the encouragement from friends like Tracy, Debra, Chelsia, Hsin Yih and frens at bible school.
Well, after weeks of vomiting into countless plastic bags or any containers that I can lay eyes on, I think I'm slowly easing into second trimester, although I do get the occasional nausea from long car rides or oily food!
Let's do a checklist: a big improvement in lifestyle's this week is that I finally managed to get myself a hair cut, facial and manicure! Definitely much needed for my well-being especially since you know I'm such a grooming 'freak'!
I've got so much to say but just don't know where to start or continue. Guess I'll leave it for the next blog update so that today's journal doesn't become a sea of words- which I'm often guilty of. Will try to take some pictures over the weeks and let ya spot the baby bump. :)
Till then! Keep me in prayer! And your eyes glued for updates!

Stretched from all sides- Part A

It's been 3 weeks since I last blogged and it wasn't easy! Many a times, I wanted to log in to post some updates, but refrained as I was so short of time with multiple priorities from school and work. So, this feels almost like a treat!
Just got back from Martin & Cat's Turtle Soup Restaurant. Food's yummy, very home cooked style with yam rice, asam prawn, that kinda thing altho I didn't dare eat the turtle(s)!
Don't quite know how to summarise what I've been through the last couple of weeks. For sure, it was extremely challenging in the physical sense as I had to wake up at 6.15am every day for school, go for prayer meetings, ministry work and attend every sermon and bible teaching. You can say I'm a church resident these days. 7 days a week!
But it's amazing how I've grown spiritually over the past month. I've gotten deeper in my understanding of being a Spirit-filled Christian. It is definitely a new level for me, and I want this to continue for the rest of my life- to be stronger, more motivated and full of faith for God!
Financially, God has been a wonderful provider. Never once did I need to solicit for work. The freelance assignments kept coming in and already, I've committed to 5 digit figure amounts. Praise God!
Mmm... think I wanna rest early tonight. Will continue with Part B tomorrow k? Adios!

Desired BAGS... not.

I adore bags- you name it, every size, material, brand, usage for each and every occasion, but I can't say the same for the ones that I recently acquired- big spongey eye bags! A result of shorter sleeping hours and water retention from all the early mornings and late nights rushing to and fro bible school and all the other school and work commitments.
Anyways, I've got shu uemura's moisture eye zone mask on now as I type, so hopefully that removes some of the guilt. I even cancelled out on my pampering facial treatment earlier today cos' I simply had no time!
Apart from that, the past week has just been great! I'm enjoying school despite the avalanche of assignments - which includes a 60 page book review to be submitted in 2 weeks to say the least. yikes!
Anyways, Rev Robb Thompson is in town and I attended two of his business meetings (yesterday and today). One thing I picked up is thar finishing is the key to success. Take for example, in a marathon race, everyone looks good when they start the race. However, very few make it to the finishing mark.
I feel it's especially relevant for me now that I'm taking up freelance projects, cos while it sounds exciting to just take up everything, I've learnt that I need to be a good finisher. Some projects seem easy when you start them, but becomes a painful process to complete. Ha!
Anyways, I finish off today's blog with my personal revelation:
"Gifts are like seeds, planted by God in us. We need to put them in good soil, fertilize and water daily with God's anointing for them to grow, take root and flourish with good fruits, so that it comes a testimoniy and enjoyment for God."
What are the seeds that God has planted in your heart?

So privileged...

I'm into my third day of bible school and it has been amazing. The atmosphere is so joyous, so peaceful, so wonderful. The hall filled with people who are spiritually hungry, fervent and committed.
I feel so privileged to be one of the few to have the chance to dedicate 4 and a half months fully into studying and enjoying the Word of God.
Very few people have the luxury- to be able to take their 'life remote control' and press the pause button- to do what they want to do without worrying about finances or what the future brings.
Yes, my savings account may be running low, but like what Pst Kong said in his early ministry years- "Our pockets were empty, but our hearts were full." The whole idea is to really press on in faith, because the blessings will outweigh the sacrifices.

Knowledge is power!

Got up at 7.15am this morn, and immediately (er... not that immediate on hindsight) zipped into the bathroom to begin my first day at City Harvest Bible Training Center!
Vincent was sweet to wake up earlier than his usual and loan me the car for the morning so that I can reach school comfortably.
I fetched him to work and then made my journey to Jurong West. The expressway seemed to go on forever, but I was glad I did not get lost or need to do any detours midway. In fact, it was quite liberating starting something on my own. I always love school!
Parked my car and went to the registration on Level 1, and saw my beautiful SOT lanyard with my name and card sitting at the recep table. It felt like a miracle cos' I had submitted my application just last week and wasn't sure if my postage got through, but Praise God! He is always faithful. :)
I collected my file and then went to the main auditorium at Basement 4. It was a nice feeling cos' it has been quite a while since I last worshipped at Jurong West.
We started our morning with Praise & Worship and the presence of God was energising. I was so motivated and inspired by the other 468 students who signed up.
We are the largest intake ever in history, with students from Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, HK, UK, Brunei, Bangladesh signing up.
We went through the Student Handbook and before long, were broken into our various teams to take part in the 'Amazing Race'- part of the orientation activity.
I was allocated to Team 4- together with the BBG ppl. However, as I had just recently gone for surgery, I had to opt out of the games as it can be physically strenuous.
Supposed to join them for dinner at Marina Bay but I've decided to see Doctor Chen again cos' my fever is still on and off and I need some antibiotics in case there's any infection.
Alrighto, more updates tomorrow!

On fire!

Went to Benny Hinn's crusade last nite and got a touch of the mighty power of the Holy Spirit. Almost 2 thirds of the congregation fell under the power and although I was sitting at the second last row and I could feel the presence of God coming at me like a tidal wave.
In fact, I fell back on my seat twice and during the second round, broke the arm rest of the chair! Can you believe it? I even joked that my iron butt can now give Jennifer Lopez a run for her money!
Vincent was so worried I had hurt myself, and to be honest, I'm not sure, especially since I've just gone for a surgery. I did feel a little sore and uncomfortable after the service though.
And I think it must be the queuing in the hot sun, but when I got home, in the middle of the night, I developed a fever. I was shivering under the quilt and Vincent had to get me some fever medicine and switch off the aircon for the rest of the night.
Thankfully, when I awoke, the fever had subsided, but my whole body hurt! Like needles pricking me!
Went to HK Cafe for lunch, but I felt so ill, I couldn't finish my food and wanted to come home immediately.
Vincent sent me back, took a shower and then left for the final service of Benny Hinn. Really proud of him cos' he's so on fire for God! Hope he'll be mightily blessed.
As for me, I stayed at home, rested, read magazines and going to rest again. Need to 100% recuperate cos' I'm starting school tomorrow!
Wow!

Find an environment that brings out the best in you

Extracted from God is my CEO, these few lines jumped right out at me. Think it's good advise that applies for everyone:
It reads, 'like the tree planted by streams of living water, you need to be planted where you can grow, mature, bloom and bear fruit.' This applies in every aspect of your life, including your professional life where you need to find an environment that brings out the best in you.
In my next career move, I want to surrounded by people who motivate and challenge me to be a person of excellence, passion, showing true leadership.
V has got two wonderful career opportunities and for the first time, I'm almost afraid to advise, cos' I know while he prefers option A, I think he can be challenged to take up option B which gives him a fast track to his career. However, we need to be sure what we see in our natural eyes align with God's purpose for us- cos' while we can plan 1-2 steps for ourselves, we are not able to see beyond what's in store in the long-term future.
However, we shouldn't let fear cripple us anyways, and gotta just press on in faith. We'll make a decision by Monday hopefully.
Hmm... speaking of Monday, it'll mark my first day at the School of Theology. Imagine 300 new friends. No more excuses for not reaching out to the lost cos' this course will really equip you with the know-how, etc. I can't wait to see my mom and sis saved, going church and having a true relationship with God.
Was at Benny Hinn's meeting last night and will be bringing friend's friend who's in stage 3 of cancer of her brain to his service this evening. The presence of God was strong last night and lots of people got out of their wheelchairs and were healed from cancer, loss of hearing and back problems. Praise God!
Benny Hinn's sermons spoke about how all the Arab worlds are inviting him (someone with an Israel passport) to preach in their countries and how the Jews are even opening up and proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah.
In fact, he says the last days are here and Jesus is returning! He then preached a word on Salvation and how healing always comes with forgiveness of sins.
God heals morning, day and night! We need to believe that healing is for everyone! Just look through the book of Matthew and you'll realise that everywhere Jesus went, healing took place! What a wonderful God we serve! :)

Blessed with a burden

Just got back from a rather fruitful day- work life balance at the right pace.
Started my morning early cos' I grabbed a lift from V on his way to work to town, and carried on with a train ride to City Hall where I had my leisurely coffee and toast at City Link. Popped by at HMV for a short while and picked up Gwen Stefani's latest album. Must have been ages since I last visited a CD store. Exceptionally happy cos' I've been wanting to get the album and it was going at a special price of $11.95. Like the song, "The Sweet Escape"- just makes you wanna bop around.
Later went over to Suntec to help LP with their press conference where they announced the Top 15 finalists. I played the role of a roving reporter and had a cameraman follow me around while I interviewed the MD and some of the finalists.
After the event, Cheryl, Wing, Deon and I went to New York, New York at City Link and grabbed a hearty lunch- American food, so not the most healthy!
Wanted to catch the movie, "Freedom Writers" which was showing at The Cathay at 3.05pm, but I was one hour too early, so I went over to Plaza Singapura- where there was a book bazaar by Carrefourre and I picked up a travel book on Rome for 5 buckaroos. Comes with a map too! Haha! Couldn't resist a good bargain.
Caught the show- a bit typical- but there were some redeeming moments, plus I do like Hilary Swank. I think she's a great actress. In one scene, when she was wrecked with self-doubt about her purpose as a teacher, her on-screen dad said, "my child, you've been blessed with a burden and I envy you for that."
A true story, the teacher, Erin worked 2 extra jobs as a sales assistant and a hotel concierge to pay for books and trips to encourage and educate her students- whom the school have already given up hope on. She gave all she could- cos' when she gave- that was when she felt most alive.
Erin not only impacted the lives of the students, but also their various culture and their future generations to come.
Now, how many people can lay claim to that?

It's time to dream again...

Organised a surprise bday party for 3 of my frens at TCC Robertson which has a nice stand-alone private room that fits 18 adults very snuggly. It was a great attendance for a Monday night and truly great company.

People who really cared enough to come, to celebrate, and to fellowship. See below for some of the pictures. I enjoy going through them cos' it's like an adult's party- children style: with hats, balloons, cards, cake, that sorta thing.

Anyway, my title: Time to dream again is inspired by the song by Delirious... I feel a breakthrough is going to come suddenly because God is a keeper of promises. When he closed the door to the biz, he'll open another bigger, more successful door for me.

It may be 4 mths into the year already, but I believe His desire is still to prosper me spiritually, financially and personally in 2007.

Well, watch this space cos' I think the breakthrough is just round the corner.

An extended holiday...

Just got back from Borders about an hour ago and came back with 2 books- 1 called Retailization, a book strongly recommended by Vincent's Asia Sales Director and the other titled Unlimited Power by Anthony Robbins- for my MRT & bus rides for the rest of next week.
Truth be told, I've not touched a single book by A. Robbins to date despite all the hype about him, but he seems like a passionate, successful communicator, and I think it's worth checking him out.
Today's been a really nice, relaxing day. Went to Balestier Rd for Fish Steamboat for lunch, picked up the famous yummy Tau Sa Pia down the street before returning home for a nice cat nap in the afternoon.
Woke up, finished a nice sizeable portion of my assignment- a full press release plus different story angles and ended off by treating myself to Bravissimo Gelato ice-cream from my fridge. Thought I deserved all 3 flavors, so I had Baileys, Double Chocolate & Cookies & Cream. Deelish!!!
Vincent wanted to have dinner with his dad so we headed over his dad's place and had Chinese at the Mall near his place. They did their father and son catch up session and I went grocery shopping and stocked up on shower gel, toilet paper and fruits for home.
Sent Dad home and then headed to Borders for some light reading before returning home. Caught Mr. World on Starworld but realised it wasn't worth my time quite quickly after 5 mins (really! the quality and the production was bad, cheesy bad), so decided to log on and blog.
Dunno whether it's just me, but blogging seems to make me sleepy every time. Anyone has the same experience?

Well, perhaps I always leave blogging till end of the day plus, I feel so relaxed today, it's like I'm in a city resort or something.

And in line with my blog title today, I leave you with some of the favorite scenes of my last holiday in Koh Samui. Enjoy!

For the foodie

Looking through my photo gallery on my desktop, I was amazed how much food I've photographed and consumed (!!!) the past couple of months! Although who can resist these yummy looking things?!

Dear Santa...

Dear Santa, I know it's 8 months away, but if you're reading this, I will like a laptop please with wireless internet access cos' my study room ironically is not very conducive. Very much prefer to be slouching in front of my TV in my living room or sipping cappuccino in a cafe writing my blog- or working on my freelance copywriting, events and PR work.
For some reason, since I've declared tai-tai dom (after pulling out of my biz partnership), I've been getting calls to help in all of the 3 different aspects. Wow! It pays to be diligent in your every day work, because people will respect you for your area of expertise and it can come in handy in securing extra income! Heck! It could even work out to be more profitable than a full time job! Hmm... now that's a pretty good thing!
So, where did I leave off from my last blog? Geez... seems like a million things happened since.
Well, the good news is, my darling has returned from China. Now, I can resume all my baby talk! haha! He's the only one on earth who can stand it. Such a sweetie.
Call it events withdrawal symptoms, but I actually offered to organise a surprise birthday party for 3 friends this coming Monday. I actually went for a site recce on my own! Ha! Bought some decorations and sent out sms invitations. Hope it'll be fun and worth every effort when we see the surprised, happy looks of the birthday boy and gals.
Btw, I tried to upload pictures the other day so that my blog won't look like a sea of words, but it took forever to download all the different softwares, I gave up in exasperation. May try to do so again later, but if it doesn't happen, I promise to get some of my yummy-licious pictures up soon!
Stay tuned!

Pile-sating! (read: Pulsating!)

Just finished din-din and thought I'll give my blog some attention since it's been a couple of days since my last entry.
My dearie is in Sanya-Hainan Island for biz till Wed, so Mom came over to pass me dinner and check up on my recovery. Speaking of Sanya, I realised thru searching on the internet that they held Ms World there recently and the weather is perfect all year round (Asia's version of Hawaii with nice beaches and golf courses.) Perhaps, it can be a nice holiday retreat since it's just about 5 hours away (with stopover in HK).
Someone should just hire me to plan their honeymoon or anniversary and I'll start with a 3D2N in HK for shopping and eating and another 4D3N R&R, spa, golf at Hainan. Ain't that perfect?
Anyway, some actual updates: On Fri, I went out to Kinokuniya and to watch a movie (finally! after 4 days of cooping myself at home recuperating.) Both were extremely theraupeutic although I found myself getting tired very easily- gotta make pit stops (at the cafe, any available benches, etc) after walking or standing for too long.
I realised too that for the first time in 4 years, this is the first year that I would not be attending the S'pore Fashion Festival. A bit of kaypoh feeling comes over me from time to time to wanna pop by, but other than that, I'm happy to give myself a break from all that working/socialising.
Went to catch "Conversations with other woman". Enjoyed, enjoyed, enjoyed! I loved the split screen mode, acting and the screenplay! 5 star out of 5 for me cos' some bits of the movie- I really identified. It was a nice escape! Ain't that what movies are all about? Anyway, if you have access to the script, please drop me an email. I'll be most delighted!
Last evening, I went to church as usual and we had Mark Conner from Melb with us. He spoke about Connecting with God, and pointed out 5 different styles: Contemplative, Intellectual, Serving, Relational and Charismatic.
I would have to say my Primary Style is: Serving and Secondary Style is: Charismatic. By serving, I don't mean housework (ha! Disclaimer first), but really using my gifts to serve people (eg. planning bday parties for friends, using my skills to impact the market place).
By charismatic, I mean I am (ha!) but honestly, it means really enjoying the Holy Spirit through worship, revelations, etc.
After church, we all went over to Ag & Andrew's place and it was kinda like a nice reunion since Ag's fall. I really enjoy the cell group's company and I realised that it keeps me motivated being around intelligent, kind people who love God.
Last bit before I log off- the church announced that the venue for Bible School has been changed to JURONG! From Riverwalk to JURONG! My! That's like a whole country away! Well, nonetheless, I say to God- let your will be done! Thank God too that V's gonna get another car in June and we'll have 2 to our household! I can then drive to school! Bravo bravo!

Hunchback of Notre Dame at Speed of a Tortoise

My very kind hubby accidentally switched off my computer without saving my drafted blog, so here I am starting from scratch again. Hope I remember the gist of what I wrote last nite in my groggy state.
Anyways, it's Day 3 since my laparoscopy surgery on Monday and thankfully, I'm on the road to recovery although as my header reads, I still walk like "hunchback of notre dame at a speed of a tortoise."
Still need supervision around the house and thank God for Mom! Her presence and help is so reassuring!
A bit about my surgery, I had 3 punctured wounds and incision at the bottom (ouchy!) and doc chen removed a 4cm polyp and cleaned my menses blood that was sticking to my uterus lining. I'm gonna see him this evening to get my stitches removed. Hope it'll be minimal discomfort.
My surgery required general anaesthesia which was done by doc ernest lim- good guy. professional with good EQ.
We talked abt the weather, and i was sharing with him that the anaesthesia liquid had a smell- he asked how it smelled and mentioned there was lots of protein in it (that i'm not sure if he was pulling my leg) and he gave me options like- whether it smelled like meat, beef, soya bean, etc, and i concluded by saying, SOYA BEAN! before I konked out into deep sleep. (He must think I'm a wacko.)
The next moment before I knew it, I was wheeled out of the OT in my groggy and extremely cold state. I was told to wiggle my toes and my hands and legs were so limp and cold, I wanted someone there desperate to hold my hands. The nurse was quite reassuring, got me a blanket and told me she was waiting for another nurse to push me back to the ward.
The wait was excruciating- not because I was in any pain, but I felt extremely helpless and in need of the human touch. Couldn't wait to see my mom who was waiting for me outside the OT.
I was wheeled out around 3.45pm, and mom and aunt nurse were there to help me ease in.
Thankfully, very minimal nausea and sore throat- which I was told could be the side effects from the GA.
But no one warned me that going to the toilet to clear my pee would take 45 mins and it truly felt like I was peeing blood. Every exertion hurt!
Other side effects included cramping at the rib cage (still with me at Day 3- irk!) and discomfort when going to the toilet.
Feeling much better today though- largely because I had a good shower, a good dump and a good rest. Hee!
Enuff info for now. :)

Shopping overdose

Friday morn, Chin Ling offered to cover me to send Luc to and fro school, and I ended up sleeping till 10.45am which was such a tremendous treat for me. It was deep sleep all the way without any disturbances.
Got up and did some work and decided to meet YiRong for lunch near her workplace at 1pm. Left the house at noon and took one hour by public transport to get to her. We went to those HK cafe eateries along Zion Road, and it was a good catch up cos' we always have things to share. She was still trying to adapt to the new culture at her work place, and was a little under the weather in health.
After lunch, I walked her back to Holiday Inn Atrium where Club 21 was having a bazaar sale. There were brands like DKNY, Diesel, Armani, Song & Kelly, just to name a few, and I ended up shopping all the way till 5pm. Usually, I am a fast shopper, but there was quite a lot to go through and I took my time and enjoyed my tai-tai, no deadline status.
I ended up getting a pair of DKNY 3 quarter bermudas, shoes, black halter, skirt and a Diesel top all for $160! What a steal! I think it would've cost me more than $1k if I paid normal price.
Later went down to town to meet Hazel and we had a good catch up at Centrepoint Prima Taste and Haagan Daz. So much to catch up and always amazed that so many things have changed and how we've grown up all these years as I've known her since we were 16 years old.
Later popped by at the L'Oreal sale and because we were late, we could not find anything of interest.
Waited for V till 10pm, and shopped at NTUC in the meantime. I've become an NTUC auntie!

Down time

Feeling a little down today. No idea why. Definitely not because of PMS, so must be something more deeper-rooted. Generally, I guess I don't like the feeling of inertia.
Anyways, Mom just came by to pass me herbal chicken soup and po-piah she made. Had it for dinner and home made stuff is always nice- especially made with love.
In the morning, Chin Ling accompanied me as I sent Luc to and fro school. I admire Agnes and family for providing the best they can for him. Anyways, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he'll be okay the next two days as it will just be me and him.
I dropped by at Mt E to visit Tracy as she has given birth (thru caesearean) to little Kieran. She was asleep, so I just left her my gift and popped by at the nursery to see the newborn. Wow, it was easy to spot Kieran immediately. He had a carbon copy look of his brother- only more hair. Can't believe Tracy is already a mother of two.
Later, I went over to Paragon to get my brazilian wax (in prep for my surgery) and boy oh boy, it was painful. My 'waxing lady' said usually one side is more painful than the other and it's true! My left side hurts more generally.
Popped by at my ex-office to pick up materials but LH was stuck in a meeting and I left without getting all that I needed. Btw, speaking of ex-office, I was given another project to assist in and although I'm not crazy abt hair events, and the 'budget' given, I said okay cos' I never say no to extra income these days and it will be good in helping me stay in touch with the 'marketplace.'
And for the first time in 2 years since I moved to my new place, I took a bus from town to home! It has been AGES! (at least 4-5 years) since I took a half hour bus journey! So much for adventures! :)
Well, realised I've not even started on work today... so I'd better get going! Thank God for blogging! It's really therapeutic! Heh!

Wrong date

I just realised that my blog settings for the dates are in US time, so I'm actually writing a day forward- if you know what I mean.
My day turned out generally fruitful- a little here, a little there... covered a lot of ground, but still nothing closed to finish.
3 more days of sending Lucas to school, 5 more days to complete my freelance assignments and the list goes on...
Starting to get the hang of freelancing- there are pros and cons- for starters, I'm the only one in the 'office' so it can get pretty lonely at times. Yes, there's msn-ing, but nothing beats real exchange of ideas in person. However, at this point, I would've to say that the pros beat the cons.
Take for eg. I can nap anytime I like, slouch on any couch at home, take time to hang the laundry, msn like crazy and watch a little TV here and there. (My only gripe now is that I have a desktop and that I cannot do my wk in the living rm, at the balcony or even at the cafes.)
Looking forward to tomorrow- sending luc to school, get a brazilian wax in between, head to the office to collect documents, to Mom's place to drop stuff, pick luc fr school and back home to work. There's even American Idol and The Simple Life to entertain me at the end of the day. Simple pleasures!
So, that's it. I'm gonna hit the bed soon. A bit of nagging headache cos' I've been wearing my glasses on me nose the whole day! Nitey!

Deep sleep

Had insomnia last night. Worried abt my surgery and about fetching fren's son, Lucas to school. She is currently recovering from a jaw-hip surgery at the hospital and I've volunteered to fetch her son to and fro school for the rest of the week. My routine for the week: wake up at 7.00am, reach her place at 7.45am, reach school, 8.30am, hang ard at leisure till 11.30am when it's time to pick him up. Second half of the day will be free to run errands and catch up with frens.
Hmm... not easy to be a full time mom, but seeing the happy smiles on the children's faces makes it well worth while- especially when you see them bopping around, singing, playing and learning with kids their age.
Chin Ling, my cell group member came along with me as she will be taking over to help send and fetch Lucas from school next week, when I go for my surgery. Nice girl and good opportunity to get to know her better. We had morning coffee and talked abt beauty stuff (she owns a beauty salon) and I may just go visit her for eyebrow weaving sometime in May.
Anyway, I got home around noon-ish, (completely exhausted and hungry) and realised that my home electricity tripped. Toaster, aircon, computer not working. By the time, I rectified it, it was 1pm... bummer.
Quickly had my bread, showered and slept for an hour and a half. Deep sleep- which explains my title. The type that you wake up with deep breathing but completely rested.
Gonna have to head back to ex-office for a project briefing 6pm by the HRD. Hope it brings in good money and flexi-hours!
In the meantime, I leave you with a verse that is something that God has impressed upon my heart- Be a light set on a hill that cannot be hidden.

My first

Wow! My first entry at blogspot. Wasn't as scary as I thought- the whole setting up process. Anyways, it must have been at least 5 years since I kept a journal, and what better time to do so than now- during my 6 mth break from the corporate world.
I've submitted my application to the School of Theology yesterday and if all goes according to plan, I will be a full time student- attending classes, mugging through books, doing research, meeting like-minded people in our quests to discover ourselves and take on a new spiritual level with God.
It has really been a roller coaster ride (def. not for the faint-hearted) for me the past month; in summary; i left my job (my comfort zone for the past 6 years with a steady income), started a company with a few friends, worked my butt off to put up the business plan (since Nov last year) and then, with God's intervention, (who revealed the hearts of my partners), pulled out of the partnership and at a chance of a very profitable business.
Nonetheless, I continue to thank God for his goodness and mercy that the partnership was struck off before we invested further time and money into it.
Truly, I believe that He will replace this lost dream with a bigger dream, and this incident only strengthened my passion to be my own entrepreneur. Through this, I appreciate even more the friends and family who have continued to support and believe in me. I feel so blessed.
I will dedicate the next half a year- to gaining maturity as a Christian, finding my dream to start a business in the market place (hope to squeeze in some travelling in the midst), and start a family!
Come May, Vincent and I will celebrate our 2 years' wedding anniversary and I can't thank God enough for bringing this wonderful man into my life. Our love just grows stronger and stronger. And like what they say, "2 are better than 1" and I believe we make a formidable force! :)
Anyways, I hope to have a baby soon- and will be going for a laproscopy surgery come 26th Mar. A tad nervous, but I'm gonna tell myself and my baby in future- that it's all well worth it!