Happy Hour at Ice Cold Beer ...

After a day's work, it's always nice to sit down some where and chill out, unwind and create some happy moments. Know you know what Happy Hour really meant.

I joined my colleagues at Ice Cold Beer last night and I have to say that we all had a jolly good time. I guess they must be a little shocked to see the other side of me as they always see me as a serious and mature colleague. This happens only when work is concerned otherwise you'll see the clown in me.

I had a couple of bottled beer, a shot of tequila, pizza, wings and some fries. Maybe it wasn't enough ( I meant the food) and I was still hungry but being shy little me, I didn't want to reveal that my stomach was only half filled so I went to bed hungry.

I was glad Sandy joined me later in the night as I wanted very much to introduce her to my colleagues.I just had to show off my HK wife-to-be. :) Being shy like me, Sandy hardly spoke but she would laugh at the jokes being cracked. That meant she is now half Singaporean as most of the jokes had a local taste in it.

I sure look forward to having more chill out sessions with this bunch of friendly and funny colleagues.I have to say that they really made me feel at ease and at home ever since I joined them. Keep it up people.

Of course I didn't forget my other friends and ex-colleagues. I too would want to meet up with them for some drinks and be merry. An evening ending with a little alcohol is always welcome so let's have more happy hours ... But don't you drink yourself silly! It won't feel good the next day.

Hanging pants ...

For those who have watched Beauty World, am sure you remembered the character Frankie Wong Fei Hong.The one with a pair of nerdy spectacles and wore pants that were hanging above the ankles.Did you think he was cute?

Great to know you found him cute. Why? Was it his dressing that attracted you and made you laugh out loud? If yes, you should have taken a look at me today. I wore a pair of trousers that was above the ankle.

For sure it wasn't a new fashion statement that I was after. The pants sort of shrunk and my, it wasn't a pair of cheap pants. What more could I do but to pull the pants a little lower than the hips and walked in manner where I didn't really lift my legs. It was a terrible experience.

I felt like the world was staring at me and noticing those pants of mine. I felt hell of an awkward as I walked through the crowd during lunch and when I rode on the MRT. Thankfully, the MRT was so crowded, noone would have notice the length of those pants.

Anyway, why am I ranting about an 'under length' pants? Who decides that pants should rest at the ankle. Why can't I decide the length of the pants? Its afterall mine. So the next time I wear those pants and you notice them, don't you even comment on it cause if you did, I'll think you are an old fashioned person who cannot accept fresh ideas. Ok I was only kidding.

You can laugh all you want cause you know my character. Am a clown in disguise.

Our MRT system ...

I think its right that the Transport Authorities have decided to widen the network of our Mass Rapid Train system or commonly known as the MRT. Yes, Singaporeans just love acronyms. Not only should they widen the network, they should also increase the frequency of trains.

This evening after work, I took a ride from Tanjong Pagar to Orchard station.My, I have to say I really felt intimidated by the number of people squeezing around me. What made it worst was the length of my hand - too short to reach out for the nearest handrail. Don't get me wrong.Sometimes its just that you happen to stand at the wrong position which doesn't enable you to grab any support especially when the train jerks.

Never mind the handrail,so the packed train made us feel like tunas in a can waiting to be shipped to our destination. So there I was always making way for others and being forced into the centre of the cabin. Movement was restricted during the peak hour as you fear any accidental movement might just result in an allegation of molest.

So as I was about to reach my destination at Orchard, I tried really hard to wriggle myself out of my 'central' position in the coach. There was just no space to step on and worst, people were not reacting to my gentle whisper of 'sorry, excuse me'. Why? These people had ear phones. Thanks to the creation of mobile entertainment that people no longer listened to what's around.

As the train came to a halt at Orchard, I decided to muster more courage to push my way through the deaf crowd before it was too late to get out. Guess what? I failed. The bell went off and that all familiar voice ' door closing' followed. Orchard station was gone in a matter of seconds as I stood rooted to the ground, cursing and swearing under my breath to the commuters who refused to let me out.

Perhaps, in Singapore, its considered lucky that I managed to get off at the next station which was just minutes away. Imagine if its in Delhi, I could be hours away after missing my intended destination.

So don't you think its good news that the train network is expanding in small island Singapore? Who knows. The next train station could just be seconds away.

The passing of an era ...

Splashed across most Asian papers today, the headlines would read 'Former Indonesian President Suharto dies at age 86'.

I wouldn't say that I read all the different versions of the articles related to this once great army chief of Indonesa. We all know that anything related to the death of someone this popular could take up hundreds of pages of write-ups on him and his life story.

We can see that the population in Indonesia is currently divided with some rather mixed feelings about the passing of one of Indonesia's best son. Without a doubt, Pak Suharto indeed brought stability, wealth and friendship to the Asian region. During his days as president, Indonesia was booming prosperous.

Remember all the rich Indonesians that would visit our malls in Singapore dressed in batik clothes, chaufferred limosines and most importantly, snapping up property. The ladies with very neat and puffed up hairdos, a trend of Indonesian tai-tais are hardly to be found nowadays.

After the collapse of the Suharto era amid the 1997 financial crisis in this region, various presidents took over. From Habibie to Abdurrahman Wahid and during those times, Indonesia faced a big question mark on whether a country with so much natural resources and potential growth could be revived and brought back to the days of prospering business.

As the country of Indonesia falls into mourning, the question on whether to forgive the once successful yet brutal dictator of Indonesia comes about. An ailing, dying man who has allegedly swallowed billions of dollars belonging to the people of Indonesia has not yet been forgiven despite his passing.

Its kind of sad to know when one is not able to be forgiven even as death lurks closely especially for someone like Suharto who has somewhat contributed to the Indonesian people and played a significant in the growth of South East Asia.

Forgive I say ...

Happenings at a wedding ...

Last night, I attended the first wedding dinner of the year 2008 and for a second time in my 'wedding-going career', the 10 seater table wasn't filled fully by common friends thus we shared the table as well as food with complete strangers.

It not unusual for such practice in Singapore to share tables with complete stranges. Just look at how Singaporeans ask to share tables at a food court especially during the peak period. I have heard that the table arrangements with whom sits with whom is the most difficult part to organise.

True indeed. If you place them wrongly, an unhappy face will surface just like it did last night.Perhaps not an unhappy face but just a long and unsmiling one that could mislead the people around to think that we are some enemy of hers.

In a typical Chinese dinner, its usually an 8-course meal with a cold dish to start and a soup that follows. Last night was the same. What followed the starter was sharks' fin with fish maw soup. Yummy. This dish is usually the highlight of the night as sharks' fin is labelled as a delicacy despite it being cruel removing a fin from a swimming fish, leaving it stranded with no power to propel forward.

Forget the theories of whether its right or wrong to partake in such indulgence of sharks' fin soup. What happened last night made me burst out in laughter. There we had a waiter who was obviously a foreigner serving us the soup. At all Chinese meals, a big bowl of soup would be placed in the middle with smaller bowls at the side. Now, picture this.

Our foreigner took one hand on the serving ladel and the other hand on a plate with a totally flat surface. He was about to scoop some soup with the plate in the other hand reaching out to the big bowl of fins when a friend interrupted saying, "Maybe you want to use the bowl." The rest of us in our group (not table) burst out laughing.

The poor foreigner gave that puzzled look. He looked lost. He never intended to use the plate to serve the soup. He was merely using the plate to make sure the soup didn't drip on the table as the soup was transferred to the smaller serving bowls. It was funny then but am sure you aren't laughing at all. Maybe the description above isn't good enough. Never mind.

So like all wedding dinners, a thank-you speech by the hosts will be always be given. That surely goes the same for me. Mine will surely go on very long.What to do? So many people played a part in my growth. So if you are attending my wedding, please bear with me as I list all the names that play a part in my life. :)

The next wedding am going to attend is one of the most important ones. A best friend's wedding.Who else but Hanwen and Clara's. I remembered I hosted a wedding in Mandarin last year for Lance and Monica, that one sure scared me dry.

This time for Hanwen, there's also a scary part whereby I will perform to a crowd of 500 people. Playing the piano and singing. Wish me luck. I need it.Am hoping I won't make a fool of myself and be laughed at. If this one plan is successful, you'll get to see me perform at my wedding too.

So thanks Hanwen for allowing me to try it at your wedding. Trust me. There is a chance that I'll mess my vocals and notes up. But at least you'll know, its from the heart.

Snail Crusher ...

Just a few days back, I took a life. A life of a snail that was trying to cross a pathway that was about 5 metres wide.

Crushed. I could here the crackling sound of the shell as my foot went down on it. It was purely an accident as I was walking towards the car park to collect my car. There and then, a snail was crushed to numerous pieces.

Like every other snail, this one believed that there was fresher grounds and better opportunity elsewhere thus he decided to venture out into the open, carelessly leaving himself exposed and vulnerable to hazardous situations.

Its perhaps due to being overconfident that the snail which probably believed that his shell was made of solid armour that could protect it from all harm and attacks from the weirdest creatures around.

I never felt so much guilt after killing a life as we all know, snails are no pest. They are different from the houseflies, cockroaches and other bugs that are purely irritants.A snail is good for a garden, at least that's what I heard from friends.

After what has happened, I realised that's how life is, not only for creepy crawlies like ants, grasshoppers etc. It also happens to us as human beings - conquerors of this planet earth.

It probably took hours for the snail to reach its intended destination and along the way, some murderer came along and destroyed everything it has ever wanted to have. I guess its the same for us in life. We too started off on a long journey from a toddler to a junior school student, through college and then to work.

Along this journey, we stumble upon many hurdles but we often get pass it. Each time we successfully get out of a bad situation, we gain confidence. We often challenge ourselves to seek our goals, to find better opportunities and to never give up. We search for what we strongly believe in and often we find it.

Day after day, we work hard and we work smart too. Given time, we get so good at what we do that we take things for granted. We didn't bother to calculate risks, we didn't heed the advices of the elders because we always believed what we did was always correct.

We grew overconfident, just like the snail did. We made one wrong step and what we have taken years and years to build came crashing down. We lost everything like how the snail lost its shell and unfortunately its life too.

I guess many times, we get caught unaware of life's happenings as we grow so fond of the way things are always done. We didn't feel there was a need for self improvement nor did we find a need to prepare a backup plan just in case things didn't turn out as planned.

Let's learn from the crushed snail that life isn't at all easy and smooth and sometimes, things do turn out negative. Should we feel that there indeed is a need to to venture into things that's a little more uncertain, do the mathematics and weigh the risks. This way, you could save your shell from being crushed. Being careful is always a virtue but being paranoid is a surely a no-no.

Makansutra ...

Few days back, I caught an episode of Seetoh's Makansutra Raw on local television. Its a pity the food featured didn't really give me the cravings I always had for food nor did it leave me drooling wet. Why you must ask especially for a person like me who loves eating out?

It wasn't the food presentation that didn't appeal to me but it was the actions of the presenter that kind of put me off. Weren't we taught in school or at least at home that when one has food in the mouth, one should just keep the mouth shut and not talk?

Apparently, the Makan ( Malay word for eating ) host even went on to the extreme of leaving his mouth open and showing off the chewed food he had. I call it an act of disgust and perhaps, some might think it to be funny the way he carries himself but have we ever thought of the reaction foreigners might have of us as Singaporeans?

Foreigners may just feel that Singaporeans are a bunch of people who do not know their basic table manners. Why on earth would anyone want to show the contents of the mouth after chewing off some chocolate cake? Showing off the strength of stickiness the chocolate used in the cake? I think its just pure uncouth to do such an act.

Maybe the host wanted an informal approach but certainly this isn't the right way to do it. I guess we can forgive an 8 year old boy to behave like that but not a man of his age. Can you imagine if children were to find his acts amusing and want to follow his way of talking with a full mouth? We don't know how long it will take us to be a cultured , educated and refined society. Am sure its going to take many more years ...

The above is just my personal opinion on Seetoh's presentation of Makansutra Raw but I have to say it sure is a good avenue to find out what's cooking in Singapore.
You may visit www.makansutra.com for more details on where you can find the best food in Singapore. It wouldn't point you in the wrong direction where food is concerned but for table manners - NO.

A Carrefour visit ...

Its rather unusual for me to visit Carrefour's grocery section because there is no reason for me to do so. I don't yet own a fridge thus stocking up isn't at all my responsibility.

The only reason why I decided to push a trolley through the crowded alleys of the hypermart is to keep Hanwen company and to help him prepare for his upcoming gathering at his place - the wedding morning. My, Sundays sure aren't a good time to shop for groceries.

I enjoyed myself despite the many Lunar New Year shoppers that were in my way, causing congestions especially when they suddenly decide to stop and grab some promotional items. But seriously, its a whole lot of fun people watching as well as cutting corners with a trolley load of beer -Tiger, Sapporo and Stout. If only trolley operators like me wear lighted indicators at the waist so whenever one stops, it flashes just like a car's hazard light.

Talking about trolleys, let's digress a little.Something sort of upset me and I believe you too would have felt the same if you encountered it.Have you ever come across garbage left in a trolley? Am sure you must have. It really echoes what Minister Mentor said about our ungracious society.I fully agree with him that its going to take some time for Singaporeans to understand and be a gracious society. What can we do but carry on educating in the correct form of Corrective Work Order -a penalty for litter bugs.

Anyway, all else went well but poor me, I was laughed at when I didn't know how to retrieve the dollar coin from the trolley. What to do? Like I said, I needn't do grocery.

Musical Workshop ...

I am looking forward to 27 Jan where I will attend a muscial workshop held by a local song and musical composer at the Esplanade. Oh, not forgetting the pay check will also be deposited into my drying account. :)

I stumbled upon this opportunity to learn more about musical production while I was surfing the net reading blogs. Its always amazes me how one thing can lead to another. There I was just flipping through blogs and magically, I read from Jeremy's blog that a workshop will take place. A destiny to be fulfilled?

Even though nothing comes out of the workshop, it'll still be interesting to know the fundamentals of a musical and how its produced. What comes after the script? The lyrics or music? I have no idea so it'll be cool to find out. Afterall, I like watching musicals so it'll be good to learn what goes on.

Its always good to open new doors and learn something new, it'll add some spice and excitement to one's life. So go find something you have been wanting to learn. Forget the excuse about being busy. We are all given 24hrs in a day so make good use of it.

Look who's talking ... :)

warm regards,
Mark Chong

Beauty World ... 20th Anniversary.

I am so glad I watched Beauty World tonight. I really enjoyed the brainchild of music composer Dick Lee and playwright Michael Chiang. If you haven't caught it yet, please do so before 19th of January.

As the stage lit up, portraying the interior of a cabaret, it brought me memories of my younger days. I have this rather strong feeling that 20 years ago, I watched this musical before and believe it or not, I was nine years old then.

If I am not wrong, Aunt Poh Lin brought Gregory and me to catch this at the former World Trade Centre, opposite Sentosa. Not too sure if its this musical but it surely was a Dick Lee creation.

I guess am quite a fan of Dick and would surely love to meet up with the man and share with him some 'works' of mine and who knows, I too might have a musical under my name. OK, I guess I am plain tired and am typing nonsense thus .. good night!

Fare hike .. the pinch.

Not many have read in detail about the taxi fare hike in Singapore as most of us would only see it in the headlines and won't think much about it or maybe you heard different variations of fare calculation at the coffeshop while having breakfast.

The papers covered them all - the good and bad of a fare hike. Today, I experienced it myself. The meter really jumped and jumping fast it was thus I decided to engage the friendly cab driver into a conversation.

It was a rather open conversation about what led to the fare hike and whether or not it was a good move especially for the hirers themselves. Were they making more than the usual? The answer was a positive no. The average loss of income was about 40% and that's a very significant figure.

Frankly speaking, I never bothered to read about the hike in fare even though it splashed on every medium available. I didn't think it would affect commuters that drastically but after learning more, it really did.

My first thought was if fares were so expensive, would anyone want to take cabs anymore? Wouldn't that mean commuters would be forced to seek alternatives like bus, MRT or even cycle? The last choice would surely be much welcome by the environmental activists but knowing spoilt Singaporeans as we are, we'll want a bus ride or train ride more than having to ride ourselves to work.

With everyone switching to bus and trains, wouldn't that mean an increase in profits for these transport companies? Its obvious isn't it? A higher percentage of public commuters will now take the bus and what I observed recently was that even the expatriate community or widely knows as Ang Mohs also took bus rides now, fighting for space on a bus.

I have a feeling that bus and train companies might also follow the steps in revising the prices of their services upwards. Its going to be a win-win situation for them but would that lead to fatter bonuses for bus captains and colleagues? I shall not comment on that but everyone is complaining that inflation is killing wallets yet salaries aren't being increased at all. Sad truth.

On the other hand, what will happen to the many cab drivers here in Singapore? Many will be left to give up their taxis due to rising costs and diminishing profits and thus will have to look for alternative livelihood and in a chain reaction, jobless rate will rise and economy starts to fumble a little bit.

Am not too sure if taxi companies are planning to come out with a rescue package for cab drivers to help subsidise their taxi rental or would they just leave them to work harder driving longer hours forcing them to cover their cost and depriving them of rest.

We all know driving is a tiring process if its for long hours and without proper rest, accidents will follow. Just look at the number of accidents caused by taxi drivers. Yes, some are reckless but some are just not concentrating on the road because they have no choice but to test their limits of physical and mental endurance to bring bread and butter home.

Have you ever looked at it from another point of view? The above might be true but let's ask ourselves if we as commuters are part of the reason why a fare hike was needed.

Can you remember how we often complain about the lack of taxis plying the streets of Singapore and how difficult it gets when trying to flag a taxi during peak hours. Taxi queues were long but taxis were no where to be seen thus someone should do something about it and wishes granted, we have so many empty taxis now on the roads but you now need to wish for something else - a pay increase every quarter of the year.

Everyone wants a Ferrari ..

I am sure its every one's dream to want a Ferrari and own it but am sure you have heard about The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari. Hey, don't be misled about monks being rich. Its a best selling title of a book on fulfilling one's dreams and reaching one's destiny.

Recently, I have been reading quite a number of such books - inspirational, motivational type of books. Maybe there is nothing much interesting at the book stores thus the purchase. Oh, have also gotten a novel by David Morrell but its with my mum who is also a great fan of the writer.

Let's talk about the fable of the Monk and his prized Ferrari and why he sold his Ferrari. Look at it this way, having own a Ferrari, its again every one's dream to want something more fanciful, something better, maybe if its you, your eyes will be set on a four-engine Dassault jet plane.

I guess its natural human greed to want something of a higher value that reflects better prestige. In our society these days, its what we possess that matters. Its how much we earn that measures our success - a rather sad fact in life and it goes the same for me. I kinda thought I will be happy with where I am now but truth be told, am not. I want more. Look at it this way, I have only just started off the long and winding journey.

So where do we draw a line in what we want ? I am sure the appetite for the finer things in life gets bigger each day and we can never have enough material well-being to sustain the desires we have. Just like Pepsi's 'Dare for More', it creates more desires and thus makes the Cola drinking generation think big, win big mindset.

Is it good or bad I am not sure. I didn't study psychology but its always mentioned in books and told to me by the psychiatrist I visited when I visited when I was younger that by aiming low, you'll never get results. Maybe in another blog I will tell you what made me visit a psychiatrist. Not that I went cuckoo.

Back to the main topic, is it wrong to dream and motivate ourselves to achieve better results and a better life? The fable about the Monk who sold his Ferrari talks actually about a successful lawyer who has everything in life - career, love and many more assets but for all the hard work he has put in , he never cared much for his health and thus a heart attack hit him really hard.

It was only then did the famed lawyer realized that it wasn't only money that matter in life. There were much more to look out for in life than just material. He then decided to sell off his possessions and seek serenity with his dented soul by traveling to India, hopefully finding what he has set his heart to find - the way to happiness.

This thought came to my mind when this once successful and famed lawyer decided to trade his Armani suits to humble robes. Is there really happiness without money? Is it really possible to lead a happy life without the source with which all our food depends on? Can one be really happy making the smallest amounts in wages? I don't know what the answer is but I know its rather profound.

I think it all falls right down to how you want your mind to perceive happiness. Maybe its the upbringing of a generation. I am not too sure if what I am about to say is true but even holy monks now need a mobile phone. Would the monks be contented even if they were not able to communicate freely? Perhaps its the technology world that evolves mankind. People seek for more wants and nothing less.

Let's take time to think on what makes us really happy. It could be the laughter of your baby boy or even a setting sun but surely something will have to make you happy because if nothing does, I really suggest that you read the book by Robin Sharma, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari and you'll find that being contented and happy is no difficult task.

**Hey, I don't get paid for recommending the book so don't get me wrong for the good intention I have. ; )

A & E ... wait ...

I have to say its been awhile since I visited the A & E. Let's not make it seem like I am always falling sick thus the visit to the Accident and Emergency department in a hospital. Accidents do happen especially when I involve myself in risky ball games called soccer.

Last night's visit wasn't in anyway related to my physical health or mental health so stop calling me a weakling. I was there at the crowded A & E because my godfather wasn't feeling well. He had difficulty breathing thus the immediate response to send him to the nearest hospital - Changi General Hospital.

I was a little surprised that we had to be screened for fever before entering A & E. I guess the reason for this defence is due to the SARS outbreak that hit the region couple of years back thus the measure to make sure such fatal bacteria wouldn't disrupt the lives of Singaporeans ever again.

Anyway, lets talk more about the things I saw at the hospital rather than the health of my godpa which I believe wouldn't interest you at all. While seated there for about 2 hours waiting to get clinical measurements, consultation and X-ray, I was entertained by the moving people around me.

You cannot believe how the A & E seemed like a busy shopping mall with lots of human traffic and seriously, I didn't really see people who seemed to really need the services of the Accident and Emergency area.

Some were coughing while others had rashes. The most common face was the NS boy with the typical black plastic spectacles and short hair. Perhaps like me many years back, they were trying to get themselves downgraded. Looking at them reminded myself of days that I donned green. Really funny.

Doctors seem more than nurses and accompanying visitors more than patients.It seemed like a weird ratio of one patient, four visitors and believe it or not, most patients and visitors came prepared with PSP and MP3 but poor me, could only people-watch.

As the assigned numbers for consultation wasn't at all in sequence, we had a hard time figuring out when its our turn and didn't dare leave our seats for fear that we'll have to wait even longer after our number passed us by. 3166, 3173 .. every other number except 3165 which appeared only after 2 hours of insane waiting.

Sometimes I wonder how they categorize the patients to know whom is critical and whom can wait for the doctor. Our dear patient whom I brought to the hospital was suffering from breathing difficulties yet it seem like he didn't need any attention at all. Where was the sense of urgency at all. Its breathing problem and not a sprained ankle. We all know how petty the body is when it doesn't get enough air it needs, it just collapses and dies yet it didn't seem at all urgent to see a man who was feeling uncomfortable in breathing.

Only close to three hours of waiting did we manage to step out of the hospital without medication and why? Doctor felt there wasn't anything major defects found in the patient and thus sent him home to catch the sleep he so longed for. I am sure the old man regretted visiting the A & E ward but if in any case when one doesn't feel well, the assurance from a doctor saying that all is fine, the dreams that appear in your head while sleeping will surely be sweeter.

Interests ...

Its been 5 days of silence on my blog and perhaps some may think I am no longer interested to write about my daily thoughts and life. Don't be mistaken. Its perhaps due to a new found toy I purchased just recently. Shall tell you more in my next posting about this 'new toy'.

Just this afternoon, I visited Ang Mo Kio hub and had beef noodles for lunch. What can I say but delicious. Only setback of the food court at Ang Mo Kio hub is the heavy human traffic and its really tough finding seats. This post is not going to be about the process or happenings at the food court but something a little more about myself.

If you were to ask me about shopping malls and its retail shops ten years ago, I would have been able to tell you then as during those days, I was always looking out for new shops and fashion trends. Right, I know I aren't no fashion buff but at least I know my way around in the malls and what it sold.

These days if you walked up to me and asked me where you could find a GAP boutique in Vivocity, I don't think I'll be able to point out the correct direction. It saddens me to know that I am not consistently following up with the growth and happenings in the malls. Maybe its the age and the interests.

Do you ever find yourself facing the same scenario whereby you were pretty good at something many years back but today, you just can't get things right. Take music for instance, I have no idea what's playing on 98.7 FM nor am I even interested to know. Why? I don't know. Is it really the hectic lifestyle after work where you hardly have time to relax to even listen to the radio or have I totally switched off my ears from the music top charts? Or could it be the music doesn't suit my taste.

Some colleagues spoke about mid-life crisis and I certainly am sure this is not about mid-life crisis. Its what my colleagues called 'seeking life crisis'. I don't know if there is a medical term to it but its likely a journey where we discover ourselves further. We enhance upon our goals, seek greener pastures and try walking the journey.

Recently I just bought a USB midi cable ( sort of a new toy) to connect a piano keyboard Hanwen bought me four years ago. I bet you didn't know that I always wanted to record the music that I made so that I could have it shared with my close friends but while doing the recording, I found out that the sound produced wasn't satisfactory. Maybe its the sound card that wasn't suitable thus am exploring other options to resolve the issue or perhaps purchase a professional keyboard. ( sounds daunting isn't it? )

Anyway, I believe as a person grows older, interest change with character and personality. What you would have liked many years back might no longer suit your taste now. Maybe its growth in lifestyle, expectations etc. I don't know but all I know now is that I have already placed the deposit for both the wedding venue and wedding gown package. Fingers crossed that everything will go well for on our big day but like Murphy's Law, we also know what ever can go wrong, will go wrong but it doesn't matter, whatever it is, we will enjoy every minute of the planning along the way and of course, the company we'll have at the wedding day too.

Happy New Year ...

Am typing this after a party to celebrate the welcome of the new year ...

Lots of fun, laughter, food and booze filled the night. It was no big gathering, only 9 of us but yet I can say I enjoyed every minute of the last hours left in 2007 as well as the start of 2008.

A New Year is often associated with resolutions, goal setting etc and what have you set for yourself to acheive in 2008? For me, many things I want to do. Shall share this with you in detail in my later blogs.

You cannot blame me for not sharing now because I am under the influence of alcohol and by the strict laws governed in Singapore, one cannot operate any machinery when one is drunk or semi-drunk.

Actually, am neither. I didn't drink that much to have any side effects other then being a little hungry because the last meal I had for 2007 was Spizza. Simple Italian food that filled the stomach for only a while.

Its a good thing we called off the fire works watching at Axis Bar because I heard it was really crowded and thankfully from the 27th storey at Hanwen's place, we still managed to countdown and watch the sparkling display - only without sound as we were enclosed in an air con room.

Whatever it is, I am sure 2008 is going to be a pleasant ride for me and will make it a happy year for me and Sandy.