Greetings from Venetian Macau ...

Once again, thanks to Dopod and the advanced technology of wireless networks.

Am seated in one of the rooms in this newly established 'integrated resort'. Themed with a taste of Venice, river canals and singing Venetian boatmen, this hotel is more than a casino.

As my liking for gambling overcomes all odds, I didn't really get a chance to spend time at the gaming tables due to time constraints with the wedding photo shoot of Mun and Clara. My, it sure looked stressful and tiring doing those poses in public. Terrifying might be a better word used here.

Tomorrow I will be doing my first overseas drive ( other than in Malaysia).My duty is to ferry the team of 8 in an MPV meant for six. A challenge it'll be but I don't care cause my seat and space in the vehicle will not be compromised as I will be the pilot all day.

Well, I guess I haven't had the luxury to write on my HK trip as at the hotel, the darn internet didn't work and I had problems logging on to my office network. Let's hope nothing bad is happening to my colleagues at the fort. Anyway, its still not able to access the 'gateway'.

HK trip was a bit of a rush and time flew really quickly. Perhaps faster than a blink of an eye. We were treated by Sandy's cousins and friends to really delicious feasts. I guess there were times that I overate and suffered miserably afterwards.

Drinking is inevitable when I visit Sandy's cousins. As usual, that bunch of 'alcoholics' would stack the refrigerator with tons of beer. I have never seen such huge volumes of alcohol in any of the parties I have attended. This was massive. Consequence of such sinful activity? A toilet bowl with men hugging them whilst vomitting. An ugly scene that was captured on digital camera. Damn!

Carol and Samuel, the hosts of the 'deadly' steamboat dinner were such hospitable guests as always. The same goes for the rest of the cousins Cathy, Philip, Heidi, Wilson, Queenie and Ron. Love you guys. Enjoyed the company. Thanks to Heidi for the crabs too. Those roe were really bad for the cholestrol level but who cares when its delicious.

Not forgetting the company of Amy Leung and beau, Tony, for driving us around for photo shoots and food. What else to do but food in HK. Photos to follow when my food blog gets setup. We also got to meet up with Celia, Dymo and Sandy's goddaughter, Tari, and of course Connie too. ( she will be singing at our wedding)

Its a pity time was short in HK as I wasn't able to meet up with some other friends but coincidentally, we got to meet someone from Toronto. We managed to spend a couple of hours with Stephanie, eating desserts and some non-alcohol drinks ( at least for me).

A fruitful trip definitely but a longer stay would have been better. Who wouldn't want a longer vacation. :) human tend to be greedy ya? It was also a time to let cousins and friends know of the wedding. My, am happy to know many have already marked their calenders and we will be honoured with their presence next June. To date, an estimate of about twenty or so. Am looking forward to then.

Tracy, Peggy and Cecelia. Time was a little too short for meeting up as much time was spent on shopping wedding stuff and photo shoot. Will surely look forward to meeting up next time. Likely in Singapore ya?

Once again, Sandy and I would like to thank the help rendered to our buddies Mun and Clara and the hospitality everyone of you have shown us all. Its much appreciated. For now, I will have to turn in early as the next day's schedule is hectic again. Sometimes I wonder if I am here to work. Haha. But surely, to accompany a buddy is always a nice thing to do and am enjoying every minute of laughter with Mun but on the other hand, a pity Lance and Monica isn't here if not it would have been great fun!

Lookout for photos on Facebook. :) Oh, I was asked by someone in HK about my personal goals. One unmentioned goal is to bring my younger siblings and my parents for a trip to HK and Macau ( am a little confused with the spelling as some actually spell it Macao).

Lost in the city ...

I was walking out for lunch at Tanjong Pagar this afternoon when I suddenly realized there was this lady jumping and shrieking whilst looking at the ground. From a distance, I saw this dark colored insect moving in all directions as if it was lost amidst the moving legs of women and men clothed in power suits and branded ties.

I had this funny thought. I pictured myself as the cockroach and in my insect world, those legs were towering skyscrapers. I was just doing my daily chores and somehow wondered too far out of the domestic house and into the city. Traffic was bad and these 'skyscrapers' were intimidating.

I looked around at the numerous 'buildings' and was trying hard to find a direction out of misery and fear. I was lost. I couldn't find any way out and I wasn't happy being placed a vulnerable position and I never had the intentions to venture into the city. I was told by fellow cockroaches the dangers of skyscrapers and how they can potentially kill.

I wriggled my way in and out, sometimes missing a disaster along the way. It was tiring having to avoid getting killed especially when you just don't know when that deadly strike would come. Its was a sad moment all right. Dodging with every step I made with my many legs. The wings I carried weren't helping either. I persisted and went on, not giving up the journey to find my destination but the more I dwelled in finding the exit, the more lost I became. Frustrated, I charged forward without taking notice of lurking danger. Squashed. Am history.

In life, we often find ourselves in the shoes of the cockroach mentioned. We do things that we didn't really intended to do but we have no choice to change things but to stay on the fight. We get tired and want to give it all up but we cannot because we do not know how to handle the next phase of life.

When we eventually do stop to figure out the correct path and in search of our own way of life - to have desires and dreams, it somewhat becomes too late because by then we would have lost our youth and time and thus like everyone else,we just slowly fade away.

If right now you think you are not happy with your work, its very well true you aren't happy. So if you can and if it isn't going to be too costly, you should jolly well move on and acheive those dreams of yours and if you unfortunately do not succeed when chasing those dreams, at least you won't live to regret it.Let us not allow days to pass without even attempting a try in acheiving those dreams but place every muscle and strength to work towards the dream and attain what you always believed in.

Food blog ...

My expatriate colleagues often ask me what else is nice and a 'must try' when in Singapore. This question oftens prompt me to start thinking of the attraction our little red dot (Singapore often described as a dot due to the size ) has to offer. Shopping and sight seeing only? Surely there's more to that than these two common attractions.

So what is really special and can bring people together? In Singapore, its no other than food. Food is something really important to the stomach just like water to fish. Thus besides writing about my daily thoughts, I have decided to start a food blog.

I know there are many good food blogs out there but that won't stop me from sharing information with friends. Seriously, I don't know how I will fare writing about food but I will still make an attempt.

So for you who is interested in food? Do drop by often to read on what goes into my stomach. :) It could be a descriptive write-up on the Turkish food at Ritz Carlton or perhaps a simple two sentence on the bread and butter at a neighbour hood stall or better, food I get to eat when am overseas so keep a lookout won't you? And yes, it'll come with photos and the location too.

An elderly man ...

After mentioning about Samuel's little first steps yesterday, another thought came upon me this afternoon when I saw an almost similar scenario as described to me by Audrey Kwek yesterday but this time, it was a frail elderly man.

I spotted him as I ran down the stairs and across the road to pick up my car. He was walking really slowly with the help of a walking aid. Each step he took had a break of almost half a minute or more. I guess he's in his late seventies, greying hair and a slightly crooked back.

I could see the pain in his face as he slowly attempted each step. Perspiration could be seen through his short sleeved shirt he wore as his frail hands assisted in his every move. I approached him and asked in Mandarin if I could help him. He didn't look up and I asked once again in a local dialect Hokkien. Without lifting his head and only having eyes on the floor, he raised his hand and made a sign interpreting to the numbers 7 and 5.

I guess he was walking to the bus stop to catch bus 75. I asked him once again if he needed me to bring him to his destination but he didn't respond. Perhaps he wanted to walk on his own without any help or assistance from anyone or perhaps ,he didn't understand what I was saying.

I felt really sad when I had to walk away from this old man who had so much problems walking even a mere 10 metre distance but yet he requested no help but only moving on with his daily life. He wanted to do it alone despite the suffering limbs and the scorching heat. I wanted so much to either put him in my car or a taxi so that he could comfortably reach his destination.

I won't call this sympathy but more of an act of duty towards an elder person who has perhaps contributed to this society of ours in someway or another. It also triggered thoughts about reaching old age and the inconvenience one has to suffer especially in this case of disability.

For some, walking is as easy as ABC but for this particular man, a few simple steps forward is a huge challenge. Therefore, as we thread this journey we call life, let's learn to treasure what we have and make full use of the gifts that our Maker has given us and not let those strong limbs we were given go to waste as someday, our Maker might just make them weak.

The first steps ...

Its often heard that in whatever we do, the first steps are usually the hardest but those steps sure do make a difference in our lives and for the people around us.

This afternoon I was told by my colleague Audrey that her son Samuel successfully walked his first five steps. I could just see the happiness in her eyes when she described Samuel's feat in those little steps he successfully attempted - its every mother's pride and joy to witness a son's achievement.

Before Samuel managed those steps, I am sure he tried many times to put his feet down and attempted to walk but failed numerously. It is only through those failures that he managed to learn the remarkable technique of walking.

To a toddler like Samuel, learning to walk is no easy task. It requires lots of determination, patience and falls before he manages to put some balance in those first steps he successfully makes.

Same for adults, we should know that the first steps we attempt may not turn out to be what we want but only after numerous tries, the steps that follow will slowly bear fruit but always remember, the reward is only after the first steps have been made ...

Love ...

'Bring forth love but measure it not ...' said a wise man.

What did it mean? Simply, it meant that love however big or small should not and cannot be measured. There is no unit nor a scale that is able to measure mankind's most affectionate emotion - love.

So what exactly is love? I don't know how to fully explain the word 'love'. What I know is either you are in or out of love. Love knows no boundaries and can be at times self sacrificing.

Love can bring joy and happiness to an individual. Remember the last time you felt loved? The feeling is rather unexplainable except that it is more than ecstatic. For me, I feel loved all the time as I know that everyday, someone out there cares and loves me much.

Here comes the sad part. Where there is love,there will be hate. Like everything else, there is an opposing element. In the Chinese Tao, everything has a yin and yang. Everything has its good and its bad, its up and its down. Nothing in this world has only a positive effect. It is exactly this reason that we know what love really is cause if it is only love that we know, we will never purely believe in the existence of love.

In our lives, it is not almost impossible to really say ' I love everyone and hate nobody.' I guess that depends on individual's willingness to eventually forgive and forget and allow hatred to be controlled. With forgiveness, hatred subsides but that does not mean its forgotten. It perhaps takes time to allow the memory bank to slowly put the incident behind but surely, it will not be completely lost. It will playback once in awhile and bring back some sense of bitterness.

At that point of time, it depends solely on how you want to move on with life as the same wise man also said ' What is not lost comes back to haunt you even at your happiest hour ...but as love conquers all, this unpleasant memory will eventually drift away and happiness will surely be returned to the rightful owner.'

You might somehow know who this wise man is.

Peeling skin ...

The wound is finally recovering after almost two weeks. A rather long healing process perhaps due to the location and size of the cut, right at the knee joint, where movement is inevitable unless I stay immobile for long periods of time.

As the dried patch of dead skin slowly falls apart, a new layer of skin surfaces underneath it. Itching at times, I resist scratching. I will have to allow it to slowly take its time to recover fully. A fresh new skin.

In life, we often look forward to something new. Perhaps in the aspects of career, dreams, social activities and sometimes love. Don't give me that look, am not hinting anything ya? Its true. How often do we find ourselves moving in motion with no drive nor passion, be it at work or in our daily social activities?

Deep inside everyone of us, we have this urge to try something new but we do not have the guts to take that plunge although we want so much to just dive in and forget the circumstances. I guess humans are too calculative. We measure the factors of success and failure before making any move to our career and worst, love.

I have many friends who are still single at this age despite being rather attractive. Not too sure why they aren't dating but I always ask them to 'go try Mr A, don't think too much', but they always come back to me and say, 'Don't want to, he is not my type.'

In return, I would always ask, 'what type suits?' They don't know the answer because they never tried it out. They have a mental block, always fearing the worst. To tell you the truth, I faced umpteen rejections before I ended up attached. I meant, I had kind of a high number of ex-girlfriends, tried them and didn't think they suited me. At least I managed to try until I found Sandy. Imagine if I never did try, I would not have found Sandy right?

Oops, am looking at the title now and realised its about peeling skin and so what am I talking about all this relationships etc. See, the relevance is this, only by taking a fall, you will have the opportunity to attain rejuvenated skin. If you do not take that plunge, you'll never know the beauty of having happy skin again. : )

Enough said, am considering plastic surgery for my pimple scarred face now.

A newborn ... for Ed and Louisa ...

Congrats to Edwin and Louisa on the birth of their little princess, Baby Tan.

So why Baby Tan? Well, its because the newly crowned father and mother have yet to decide on the baby's name thus its only normal that the surname will be used for the time being. So what is it like to be a father? I have yet to interview Edwin but for sure its a new phase of life, a first step to a journey of responsibility - an obvious outcome of parenthood.

Its funny when we heard that both Edwin and Louisa were afraid of carrying their little baby as they are not used to carrying a small frame of body mass in their arms. If it were me, I don't know if I would react the same. Ask me in another couple of years, I might be able to tell you.

I guess there are lots to learn about parenthood and baby caring. I learnt that it took almost twenty five minutes thereabouts to breast feed a baby and mind you, that was only one side of the pair. My gosh, can you imagine the baby's natural instinct to be able to suck on milk for a darn 25 minutes? That's long isn't it?

Diaper changing is yet another task that parents will have to learn. Edwin and Louisa were helpless when they found that their precious gem had just pooed. They weren't sure how to help the baby cleanse its butt and change the diapers. I guess all these comes with practice and practice makes perfect.

As the baby progresses with age, Edwin and Louisa will be learning more and hopefully they will be able to impart some skills they learnt to us and provide us with handy tips at handling babies. So Lance and Mun, are you ready for lessons? For me, I guess I will use my animal instincts right. ; )

Creep attack ...

This world surely hides lots of surprises and sometimes shocks and you'll never know when it'll pull a trick on you so you better beware.

Just yesterday while I was driving to work in the morning, we had a visitor in our car. Yes, you kind of guessed it right. A rather uninvited visitor - the cockroach. It appeared right in front of me on the dashboard. Cool it, I didn't freak out but maintained my calm but the two ladies with me were almost screaming and reacting like they saw a cobra.

Sandy quickly pulled me a small piece of tissue or rather, a soiled tissue she used for who knows what and expected me to catch it using such small surface area left from that tissue. So what happened? I left it to wander a little before Sandy gave me a bigger piece and when I reached out to try to rid the little pest, I lost sight of it. Oh come on ,I was driving and trying to catch a freaking cockroach but rest assured, safety wasn't compromised. Anyway, I 'spared' its life and decided not to pursue further searching for the darn insect.

Now, this is going to shock you even more. I heard from a colleague that there were three snakes found on our office level. Upon hearing this, I had flashes of the movie ' Snakes on a plane' starring Samuel Jackson. I imagined myself as a victim of snake bites and had some hallucination that some slithering snakes were creeping under my desk.

Back to reality, I confirmed with some other colleagues about this snake attack and its true they appeared in the office uninvited. The source? Very likely the plants we lease for decoration purposes all just to make the office look greener and to beautify the surroundings. Now you know what the game of Snakes and Ladders really is about. Its true snakes can find themselves to the eleventh storey of an office building which is only in the midst of concrete jungle.

Emcee ...

I have been assigned an important role at Ellen's wedding, to play the role of an emcee. This time its going to be as tough or even tougher as the previous emcee role I took on for Lance's wedding in June. I am present in two languages, English and my mother tongue Mandarin.

Not too sure how I am going to perform this time round but I sure will not forget the experience I had at Lance's wedding - a full Mandarin conversation with the crowd or perhaps, was just making announcements as the guests never really reacted to my jokes. ; (

So Ellen has placed an important task in my hands and I know I have to do my best juggling two languages on a stage in front of 300 odd guests and 3 percent of which are my friends. Would my jokes bring laughter to the audience or would my mere appearance and look on my face make them laugh? It doesn't matter, as long as the audience understand 60 percent of what I say, that's good enough.

Ellen isn't expecting much from me and has somewhat allowed me to use Singlish - a mixture of English, Mandarin and other local dialects. Guess on that night, I will put in a mixture of English verbs followed by Mandarin nouns. I think that's going to be funny and hopefully the guests wouldn't laugh at me as a person but laugh at the jokes I crack.

Wake up call ...

How often do we snooze our alarm clocks and allow it to ring again 5 minutes later, 10 minutes later or perhaps, some let it ring again after 15 minutes from the original alarm that was initially set? For me, I need at least 5 minutes snooze before I get myself out of bed.

So what happens in that 5 minutes of peace after the first alarm? The mind slowly wakes up to plan the day ahead and think of all the work that is waiting at the office. I always believed in taking some time to picture the day and try to make the best of it. Its only normal, who wishes to have a bad day at the office right? Of course, at times, the mind would wander straight to after office hours, picturing dinner with friends or that simple soccer game you'll have in the evening.

Often, I find my 5 minutes of personal time disrupted by noises of loud knocks on the door to wake Sandy up ( by her mother ) or the naughty Jack Russels barking. I guess I am a person who likes peace and never noise. I remembered when I was younger, I used to wake up to the sound of music as the hi-fi was also used as my alarm clock. Waking up to the sound of music always brightens my day but my current Bose system doesn't carry such a function thus no music to wake me up.

Yes, I know mobile phones have such functions and am already using it to wake myself up every morning. The sound ...? Barking of dogs. ; )

She looked and I smiled ...

Seated in a wheelchair, dressed in pink and green, she was unable to move around.She could only watch the people around her, helping themselves to the buffet spread and chatting away.

She sat quietly, waiting for someone to feed her. She looked at me with curious eyes but her thoughts could be that of another world and not about me.

This girl I saw was seated with a family of six, which includes a very energetic grandmother who often helped the girl with her food. At such a young age, life depends on the wheel chair she sits on thus compromising mobility. She will not be able to experience life like any other child playing in the gardens of laughter nor will she be able to even do the simplest things like feeding herself.

I would assume that she's only ten years of age and suffering from a motor neuron disease or maybe some thing similar. Thinking how her life would be many years later brought tears to my eyes, its painful thinking how her parents' would have felt after learning from the doctor that she will not have the slightest chance of walking again.

Like many stories, a girl like her would always dream of being able to dance and walk normally. Just the mere thought of being able to put on and use a pair of ballet shoes would bring a smile to her face, something so simple yet it is going to be an almost impossible challenge for her to perform a simple dance.

We often take mobility for granted, complaining on how far the bus stop is and how hot it is to walk under the sun. We have been given healthy limbs to perform daily tasks but how often do we disregard the fact that these limbs are indeed important and that we should be thankful for being healthy and mobile. Seated from her wheel chair, she envies our mobility - a simple thing that our Maker gave us that was not given to her. Therefore, whenever I need to walk that extra distance, I would think of this girl and be satisfied that I was given the ability to at least walk that extra mile required and not grumble about the chore of walking.

Surprise visit ..

On Saturday morning, I received an sms from Claire, a friend I have known for 5 years. This is going to be a little weird but nevertheless, our friendship is rather unique.

Claire is from Kuala Lumpur ( KL ) and we got to know each playing literati, an online game similar to Scrabble. She kicked my ass and that's how it all started. For five years, we kept in close contact, updating each other on our lives through email, MSN or once in awhile, SMS.

For you who might have been reading most of my posts, I wrote a simple poem about Claire, on how a game of words brought us together as friends. So anyway, Claire dropped me an SMS on Saturday morning, telling me she will be arriving in Singapore in a couple of hours. My ...! I got rather excited as I tried umpteen times to meet her in KL but failed to. What to do? She is a busy lady especially where work is concern, so said her boyfriend. ; )

So I cancelled some appointments in the afternoon so I could catch up with this 'virtual' friend of mine. We met at Vivo and had coffee, together with Sandy and her beau, Mr Jing Wong. We chatted about Singapore and Malaysia like we were both politicians and of course about our lives etc.

She told me she was looking for a Charles and Keith boutique as she wants to spend some tourism dollars in Singapore. It seems this popular local brand of ladies shoes is rather popular in Malaysia and its ironic because Singaporean girls always go to KL to buy VNC ( Vinci?),a Malaysian brand. I guess like what Jing said, the grass is always green on the other side.

We parted after about an hour and the half as she needed to proceed for a seafood dinner. Despite it being a short meeting, I enjoyed every moment of her company. It was kind of a pity I wasn't able to bring her around Singapore, showing her places I would normally show Sandy's cousins and friends when they visit. Perhaps the next time .... but before Claire visits me again, I am sure I will visit her in November, So Claire, a month's notice is surely better than half a day's notice. ; )

Lunch BBQ with a boy...

I was invited to a Vietnamese colleague's house this afternoon for a BBQ and some Pho ( Vietnamese beef noodles ). Nguyet's a really warmth host, offering lots of food, drinks and desserts and she's a great cook too.

She lives in a rented house with her family at Changi Village Estate along Loyang Avenue in one of those colonial white and black houses with lots of history that comes along with it. Besides it being a little too faraway and secluded in the sub-urbs, it is a rather cosy place to stay in as it is covered with lots of huge trees and serenity.

Most of us from the Human Resources team turned up for the party except for Audrey Tang and Michelle, who is still recovering from a fever that lasted two days.

A lunch mixed with BBQ meat and Pho surely made Sandy and myself a satisfied meal but the highlight of the afternoon was the presence of a little boy whom many wanted to carry and play with - Samuel ( picture ), Audrey Kuek's precious son who brought us laughter and fun.

I guess almost everyone took turns to carry Samuel, so did I. Jovial and active, Samuel always puts a wide smile across the face and laughing all the time. I have yet to see a boy who hasn't cried or threw tantrums throughout the 3 hours we spent together. Obviously marvelous. If it were me, I would have been a cry baby. What to do? Spoilt brat I always have been.

I found myself being really happy around kids. I have always been anyway. Children bring lots of joy to adults despite how naughty or playful these children are but at the end of the day, a smile always surfaces as you look into the little child's eyes, seeing the innocence it carries.

Very often, I look back and think of myself when I was a kid, playing with my parents, godparents and grandparents and bringing joy to their lives. I guess it is the simplest form of innocence that separates the boys from the men and the girls from the ladies. I also look back at the times when both my brothers were toddlers, it surely brought me lots of fun bullying them. ; )

Signs of growing old...

Certain signs in my life point out to me that I am no longer the boy I used to be - active in sports, tough and quick to recover from injuries.

Sorry to those who are really older than I am and reading this. I know you must be feeling really offended that at my young age of 28, I make a statement saying that I am growing old. Don't fret. You aren't all that old yet but a fact is you are growing 'older'. For me, am only growing old. For you, you are growing 'older'.

Enough of emphasizing on 'older'. Just recently, I had a fall, hurting my left knee and the right ankle. Clumsy me. A big patch of flesh is still exposed in the knee, the size of half a dollar note waiting to dry up and grow new skin. It is kind of taking a little longer to heal than some years back, perhaps its the size or merely the tissues are processing things a little slower. Some signs of old age.

In my younger days, I used to look at my older cousins and kept thinking why they were looking a little out of shape despite them being only in their late twenties. Now I understand what exactly went wrong as I go through the exact same process -a lack of exercise and unhealthy food.

For me, the physique is still rather 'alright' but the tummy is only bulging a little. Hey, comparing with some friends,mine looks normal. Oops. I think I made some enemies here.

So if exercise is the key to staying fit, healthy and a good way to stop that aging effect? Why is it then that we do not indulge ourselves in exercise and more exercise? Is it the time we spend at work and the all important social network that we put a healthy regime aside?

I aren't sure myself but it sure is a little difficult to maintain that discipline to take time out to exercise and keep fit. Very often we would only be satisfied with a pint of beer, some fries to go along with and a late midnight supper. How can one not grow old like that? So if you are feeling a little older than usual, pick up that sport and work those muscles out. It will help you much in maintaining the healthy lifestyle and rid of the aging effect too .... But its once again easier said than done.

Deferred ...

Right, you read it. An appeal was made for my deferment and I succeeded. That's the reason why you are able to see my blog. If I were still in captivity, there won't be any updates.

Firstly would like to thank Audrey for lending me a Nokia 8250, a camera-less phone for my use whilst in camp. Am sure the reason why she lent me the phone was to make sure I was still reachable despite being on reservist in camp. For you who do not already know, camera phones are a strict no in military premises. Sometimes I really wonder if the rules are that strict. Can you imagine a Major or a Colonel carrying a museum eligible handset walking around camp. Funny isn't it? Seriously, technology is so advanced now, can military stop such gadgets from being used in camp?

Enough about phones and camp. Am really glad to be home and ready for work tomorrow. I heard there are lots to do but that's what salary is for right? Oh, besides thanking Audrey, I guess Evelyn also did a great job with drafting the appeal letter for me. I guess that really contributed to the approval for deferment. My, now I am feeling a little embarrassed about the fact that I am happy because I deferred. Makes it seem that I play no part in our country's defence. Wrong! I form a part of Economic, Psychological and Social Defence.To learn more about them, visit www.totaldefence.sg for more details.

Felt like I was doing some promotion about Total Defence for Singaporeans and stressing the importance of it. It sure is important as these are factors that contribute to Singapore's stability and relavance to the world. Wow! Did I use the phrase 'relevance to the world'? Made me sound like some politician or minister.

Let's shift the topic to something lighter instead of political comments etc. I have some trick up my sleeve. Sandy isn't aware of my deferment so you want to make a guess to what trick am I going to play? Think .. come on.. don't be lazy .. THINK HARD!!

It like this - she'll assume that I will wake up early for camp as my reporting time is 0730hrs. Tomorrow morning (11 Oct), I will wake up only at about 0730hrs and start screaming about how late I am going to be and how I am going to spend my weekend in camp as punishment. I will put the blame on her for not waking me up and letting me sleep in so late. I wonder how she'll react... especially with the fact that I might spend my holiday weekend in camp. Let's see if I can remember to take a video of her reaction and place it on Facebook. ; )

So reservist away for the time being, it's going to be back to the reality world of work ... till my next In-Camp Training call up in March .....

Don Green ...

Green isn't exactly my favourite color. To me, it is often associated with the army -a regimental way of life. So why do I consider 'Don Green' as my title? I guess its the role I am going to play in the next two weeks. A dreadful two weeks of captivity - am heading back for reservist. For you who do not know what reservist is, it is a national duty every Singaporean men have to fulfil to defend the country. Sounds impressive and cool isn't it? Not for me at least.

Six years after I completed my conscription, this is the first time I am going back for a long two week training. After such a long break, I can hardly remember those parade commands given in Malay. Am hoping it will not be as regimental as described by friends who have been through a series of reservist.

I had trouble finding my military belongings and had to purchase some from Beach Road. In fact, I have not tried wearing the uniform, it might just be too small for me as I have put on lots of weight since year 2000. I can't imagine how I will look tomorrow when I report back to camp. Perhaps like a swollen dumpling wrapped in banana leaf.

This two weeks of military commitments would also mean two weeks away from work. You know what? I tried escaping by seeking a deferment but the authorising officer in camp refuses to budge despite my employer's pleas to retain me at work due to a current headcount freeze. Well, I guess national interest comes before making profits and work accountability. Nevertheless, I will have to don those green uniforms once more and make the best of it.

I know I am going to miss working in the office. I mean, who in the right frame of mind would prefer to slog it out in the hot sun donning a thick green uniform. Its not as if I am out there playing games like paintball or tug-of-war. Its going to be drills after drills, exercise after exercise. Am hoping there will be lots of classroom lectures and that those lecture halls are air-conditioned to a temperature of 17 degrees .... lovely.

So as I prepare to go to bed tonight, I am sure I will have difficulty sleeping especially when I do not know what tomorrow will bring and what shocks and surprises the camp would give me. Will the people around be nice and sweet like at my work place or are my peers horrible, cold blooded fighting machines. For now, I can only guess and imagine....

Family Saturday...

Before I could fully recover from some vertigo infection, I find myself struggling with a bleeding knee and a sprained ankle after a fall. Careless me .... Didn't know I was a clumsy chap but perhaps, its the medication.

So since partying and shopping is out of the way due to my current condition, what could be better than spending time with family thus we decided to pay Uncle Pete and Aunt Poh Lin a visit.

It was surely more than a visit. It was a sumptous feast of steamboat - beef, fish, prawn and lots of veggies. Of course, there was also a fair share of gambling with the folks. Mahjong with grandma, aunt and mum as Sandy kept them company. And what did I do? I watched how Man Utd beat Wigan and also caught parts of the Rugby World Cup between England and Australia.

It sounds kind of a boring Saturday night but I do enjoy just sitting and sharing the same air and space with family but perhaps, I just don't show it. Am looking forward to a family Sunday tomorrow at godparents' place.

Power failure...

The office has gone silent. Phones stopped ringing, copiers not churning papers and the most important tool - the computer is not even switched on. A power failure has hit Southpoint and the office has stopped working completely with everyone out for early lunch.

From the 11th floor, it can be quite a challenge to walk down those narrow flight of stairs thus I decided to skip lunch and just stay in to enjoy the few moments of peace and quietness.

A firemen's lift is situated at the back of the building but that too is not working. Wonder what the firemen's lift is really for. I kind of thought it was the only 'special' lift that works in times of emergency, for easy access during fire fighting etc. Perhaps, like many other things, I assumed it wrong.

It is kind of scary to know the importance of something we take for granted so often - electricity. We seem so crippled without electricity as we are unable to send mails and carry on with our daily work. Even the IP phones have gone dead. A massive impact on business operations. Am just wondering what has happened to our call centre. Is it still working or has the whole customer service group walked out for early lunch?

Angry customers might just hear ' the number you are calling is unreachable, please try again later.' Thankfully for my Dopod, I am still reachable and somewhat still connected with the virtual world of internet. I cannot imagine if during some major destruction of our telecommunications system, we will be completely disconnected from the world.

Chaos will erupt and the stock market will crash drastically, sending millionaires to bankrupts in minutes. Scary thought isn't it? Reminds me of the move Die Hard 4, where some terrorist network decided to attack on the transport, telecommunications infrastructure.

Its been an hour without power and am feeling suffocated with no air to breathe. Air condition is down, windows unable to open. What if this was a true emergency? Would Singapore be prepared? Perhaps yes. The government must have prepared for crisis like such and should it happen, panic is surely the last reaction Singaporeans should have. Stay calm, that's what is important.

Let's see how long this power failure would last and it would be interesting to find out how our business units reacted with the lack of something so important like electricity.

As Parents care ...

As parents, they often care much about their children's health and could lose sleep over this, always trying to find methods to help their child recover quicker.

I guess the secret about my 'not so healthy' state has found its way to my parents' ear and like all parents, they get overly reactive and worried. I guess its only natural.

I don't think it is anything that major to ring the alarm and make everyone worried. Don't get me wrong. I aren't suffering from anything deadly. Guess am only a little weak in the immune system and can catch virus quicker than the average Tom, Dick or Harry. Perhaps, I am a little unique in a special way.

Sandy too gets upset over my minor illnesses and often finds excuses to go on 'nag mode'. You guys know me. I dislike to be told things repeatedly. It can be annoying. Message received well and understood.

So you are still guessing what's wrong with me? I myself do not know what exactly is wrong. I do my fair share of exercise and maintain that diet. I have been cutting down on my food intake and have abstained from unhealthy food. Moreover, I take fresh juice at least four times a week before I go to bed and sleep before the midnight hour. Is that still not good enough?

I surely miss those fitter days of mine when I can play all types of sports and not tire easily. Guess its different now, am more into juggling of sorts - work stress, social commitments, family commitments and exercise commitments - the latest of all commitments I have to participate in so I can be healthier and fitter.

Dear parents, do not worry too much about my health. I will be all right. An uninvited guest when unattended will often leave through the same door. So let's look forward to the exciting days of laughter, cheers and joy in the coming months as we prepare the all important date of my life - my wedding. In the meantime as we look for venues for the celebration, we shall also be looking out for a place we call our home- a nest Sandy and I so longed to build.

Dear friends, do not invite me to unhealthy food or even try to offer me a can of beer, I will reject you and make you regret you even offered me 'poison'. So the next time you want to offer me something to eat or drink, you had better think whether it is good for me at all..... :)

Wedding date set ...

So finally, after numerous star counting, divine intervention and calender checking, Sandy and I have decided to embark on a new journey on Saturday 7 June 2008.

I have been stressing on the term 'embark on a new journey'. I guess it indeed is going to be a new phase in our lives, a journey we will walk together as husband and wife. Sharing our joy, burdens and wealth as one. It has been a long walk together as most of our friends know that we have been together for 10 years and counting... and its time to tie the knot.

Before that special day, there will be many logistics, plans and arrangements which is required. From picking of a venue, gowns, guests list and lots lots more. I know its going to be a rough ride through this period as there will surely be difference in opinions not only between us but with family and close friends. Whatever it is, we know for sure it will a joyous occassion on 7 June 2008.

We plan to have a simple affair so that we have plenty of time to mingle with family and friends. So you may likely expect it to be a buffet lunch in a rather informal setting. Cut away those tuxedos or suits and come simple. We want everyone comfortable and happy that day.

So as we go along planning, we are bound to have questions for those who have 'done it and been there' or should we require help along the way, please open your arms wide and be kind to help us. I would not take 'No' as an answer. Dictator I am huh? ; )

I know each one of you will be gracious and kind to us and that includes the 'gate-crashing' when fetching the bride. Stop thinking of witty games ladies..! You know who I am referring to here ... be nice as I have always been nice to everyone of you. Sure am looking forward to a smooth pickup of the bride. :)

Its about 8 months away and I know, time waits for noone thus in the months to come, busy as bees we will be. Any contacts for good wedding stuff, feel free to drop us names ... it will be appreciated.

So long now ... and hope this date we have confirmed will be marked on your calender of 2008. Don't you forget ....!! Cheers ..!!

Vestibular Neuritis ...

Stunned by the title? So was I when the doctor diagnosed me this morning. So what is Vestibular Neuritis? Its a viral infection of the vestibular nerve. Don't ask me where this nerve is but if you are interested, you may wish to 'google' it to know more.The vestibular nerve carries information from the inner ear about head movement. When one of the two vestibular nerves is infected, there is an imbalance between the two sides, and vertigo appears.

It came about when I was about to reach my office this morning. It hit me suddenly while I was driving and I felt somewhat uncomfortable with my condition. I pulled into the nearest parking lot and sat still for awhile. It was fine after minutes but when I moved again, the dizziness steps in and this time, with an urge to vomit. So I did. At the nearest drain available. I knew something wasn't right and hit the number of my colleague.

Moments later, Audrey and Michelle appeared. The Rescue Team, they called themselves. Its comforting to see familiar faces that could help me and not passers-by who do not even know my name. This two ladies brought me to the doctor as I felt really unstable to make it there myself. Audrey drove and seriously, I somehow didn't feel secure but I must say she did rather well having driven me back to Marine Terrace.

The other angel Michelle was in charged of supporting me, holding me and making sure I didn't fall. Most of the time, my eyes were closed as having the eyes opened made me giddy. She led the way and I trusted her. At that moment when I walked with my eyes closed, I figured the plight of a visually handicapped and how that important guiding hand made a difference.

The doctor gave me two days of medical rest and advised me to sleep in all day, all night. He believes I should be well in about 2-3 days and I too am confident I will be up and ready to play soccer on Friday night. What to do? The doctor also said exercise is good for the body system. ; )

As for now, I shall turn back to my lovely bed and take a nap before the dizziness kicks in again. The feeling is rather terrible, just like you are in a 'sampan' (a relatively flat bottomed Chinese wooden boat), rocking away in the rough sea. I guess this is a preliminary test to see if I am able to take up a boating license especially when I am unable to conquer the air. Thanks to my not so perfect eye sight.

Realities of life ...

Thinking of the chaos now in Myanmar, fear lies deep within the hearts of the people despite the calmness of the city. A bloody revolution might just take place and thousands of lives might just be lost for a cause these demonstrators and monks so believe in. What can the world do but watch as the powerful junta or military regime crush these demonstrators with tear gas and live ammunition.

Yet again, we do not need to have well toned hunks act out stories of revolution, holding stones and hurling at the military? All we need is tune in to the latest news and we see sad pictures of life happening around us. Same goes for the endless bombings in Iraq and Pakistan. We do not need war movies to remind us of the pain these terrorists inflict and the tears they potentially create.

Therefore my question to you, as you sit comfortably in your air-con room and reading this blog, are you aware of the bitterness and sadness this world carries? If you think we are somewhat unfortunate that we do not own lands and cars ... think of those people in these war torn countries who do not even own the simplest form of human expression - freedom.