Odds and ends

The battle has finally ended again - knowing full well that the next one is just 2 days away. Once a again, well-fought. Though I might not have achieved my full sales target, I still deserve a small pat on the back for achieving part of it. All is not lost because next month is time to 'chiong' again.

I always have such mixed feelings during month end because there's that incredible surge of relief at being able to bring home enough dough and at the same time, an inexplicable overwhelming sadness that this is all not over yet. It's like a constant battle for me, just when this one ends, the very next one looms near. It is an inextricable feeling of hopelessness at being caught in this wretched rat race.

You work hard and you give but you found that you needed to harder and give more the next round. On and on like clockwork it goes. This is hard work. I am empty like a deflated balloon. I may think that I have triumph but in truth I may have failed. Who's to know what's what anymore.

I have the courage but please grant me the sanity to pull through it all.

Sick

My head is spinning real bad ............. Into my 2nd day of mc now. I had intended to go to work today if possible but found that I couldn't because I felt like fainting the moment I stood up.

Sigh ....... It's the end of the month and I really ought to be chasing sales now. I can't help it, no matter what, I must try to hit my target to have enough money for the Europe trip.

Arghhhh ............ feeling awfully miserable. Going to lie down now.

881

I just got back from watching 881 with the FJC peeps. And you know something? I liked the show!

I was initially worried that it'll be a tad bit too 'cheena' (rough translation = chinese in a passe sort of way??) for my taste. (Yeah, I'm Ms. nose-high-in-the-air uppity potato :p) But decided to give the movie a chance after hearing many good reviews from friends.

A very sincere local production which had me started out laughing in stitches but left me sobbing at the end. Beautiful elaborate costumes ($100,00 spent) and a brilliant cast. Liu Ling Ling was exceptionally outstanding and Mindee Ong and Yeo Yann Yann gave a very decent performance. The only exception being May and Choy whose acting were so amateurish.

Although you must be warned that there are some scenes whereby the special effects were over exaggerated and extremely stupid (and I am not exaggerating about the stupid part). It was also pretty hilarious how they managed to launch into a song every other minute. It's like watching a Hokkien version musical. Kekeke ............. (I wonder how 'Hairspray' matches up to this.)

Into the first 15 minutes, Ken was lamenting that the movie was super lame but beyond that 15 minutes, he started to really enjoy himself and even started singing together with the show. I had to shush him several times throughout the show because Ms. nose-high-in-the-air uppity potato was getting embarrassed by his flagrant display of his knowledge of the Hokkien songs :p Wahaha ........ Well I could hardly blame him, being Hokkien, he could feel a lot more for the show and those songs brought back memories of when he used to watch the Getais. In fact, he wants to get the DVD for his grandma when it's available.

Although the movie does not have much emotional depth, it still managed to wring those tears out of me towards the end. It doesn't help that those super sad songs were sung in Hokkien. Somehow in my opinion, the Hokkien language always manages to make a sad song ultra 'sadder'.

This movie had rekindled the interest in us to watch Getais again. We were thinking that we should organize a group outing to watch Getais together. Although I must confess that the word 'rekindle' is not apt for me as I had always thought Getais beneath me. *sheepish* But perhaps it's also with age that I have learnt not to be so judgemental. So now I am looking forward to watching a live Getai performance as oppose to the past where I would have cringed and smirk in distaste. Bring it on!

Chrysalis

I had an extremely long chat with 2 of my ......... erm .......... (how to explain the relationship?) very good friends. Well I have known them for about a year or so, but we only got close recently because we found that we are similar in so many ways.

The best part about them is that they do not mince their words and tell it the way things should be. I guess these are the true friends that tell you the good and the bad about you whether you like it or not. Both of them have their life experiences to impart to me and I have learnt a lot today.

As much as I like to think that I am the perfect mum, I realised that I fall well below that mark. I had my priorities all mixed up and I am also too much of a sloth to be truly bothered about Meg's upbringing. I am just making do with each day as it comes.

I guess I am guilty of knowing what they had told me all along. But it's just the ease and comfort zone of going with the flow that I had managed to block everything out. But now, there's no escaping this. I really have to do something about my life before time slips away and it's too late for me to anything.

Things are honestly still in a blur with so many issues swimming in my head. Part of me is resisting change. I want so bad to stay snug in my own beautifully spun cocoon. Then there's the other part that wants to break through and break out of this vicious cycle. Guess it's on hindsight that my Yahoo email addie is CHRYSALIS. I must have told that to myself since a long time ago.

The time to change has come but will I be strong enough?

Leto's 1!

My favourite niece has turned 1! I can't believe it, it seems like only yesterday that I was comforting a crying infant in my arms. And now in a blink of an eye, she's already 1. It's so sad that we didn't get to see her in her different growing phases nor with her on her very 1st birthday.

I am just so glad that we're going to see her soon! Hee ......... Yeah, the entire family will be flying down to London and Prague during end September to attend Uniz's wedding. It's going to be held in a castle! How romantic........... *Coos*

I can hardly wait!

Not so little anymore. She can walk now!

They baked a teddy bear cake for her the night beforeDigging into it with her hands
Check out that tummy!She's absolutely thrilled to receive her pressiesLook at that grin! *melts*Vainpot ...... Haha! (must be inherited from me :p)

Look at how chubby she's grown :D

These few pics are totally Uniz! That's how I remembered her when she's young.

She can lift 1 eyebrow!

Adorable little angel. Happy birthday!

The Bourne Ultimatum

Just got back from watching The Bourne Ultimatum. Well what should I say about it? I really don't know because I fell asleep! Wahaha ........... Actually Iwas not the only one that fell asleep. When Juliana looked across the entire row, many of us were asleep. Starting from me, then Elyn, Erik and finally Andrew. It must have been quite a sight. The only exception was Ken. But poor Ken was caught between me and Elyn. He says that I was twitching (muscle spasm) and Elyn was talking in her sleep that he was unable to concentrate fully on the show. Haha ......... It's sooooo funny!

But well to give the movie credit, I have to admit that it's not my kind of show. I saw Bourne Supremacy but didn't watch Bourne Identity, so naturally in this ending, I have no inkling what the entire story is about. I think I like Supremacy better but Ken thinks that this Ultimatum is good. In any case, still not my cup of tea :p

Just read Jamie's blog and stole some photos from there at the same time :p

Pre-national day night out

Ken wanted to finish up his bottles of drinks that were left over in the pub since his birthday. Admittedly all of us weren't too keen to go back to the pub because it's super 'lok'. The only good thing about it is that you get to play pool free of charge. But no choice as Ken was dying to finish up the bottles so that we don't have to go back there ever again. Well it's a good thing that the FJC peeps were quite 'on' too.

It was ultra boring because I don't play pool (no point humiliating myself :p) and I didn't feel like singing. Thank goodness darling Ju, Kelly and Jamie were there to keep me company and so what did we do to keep ourselves amuse? Take pictures of course! Haha .......... Lots and lots of them :D

In the end, we still didn't manage to finish up the bottles but well heck it, not going back there again :p

P.S. Meg made us drinks today! Ken & I were asking her to ask the maid to pour drinks for us but she took a really long time and in the end turned up with 2 (princess) disposables cups in her hands. Quizzically, we asked her why did the maid serve us drinks in disposable cups? She said that the maid is bathing and she can't reach the glasses. So she initiated. It was not plain water, mind you. It was orange cordial. Wahaha ........ we were so impressed! Why am I making such a big deal? I'm so touched, it's her very 1st time pouring us drinks, I doubt she's ever poured a glass for herself! My girl is growing up :DDD

I hate blogger!

ARGHHHH............ I just created a post last night on my company trip but it didn't appear no matter how I re-publish and re-republish! Darn ....... think I should change to wordpress soon. *fumes*

Company Langkawi trip

Hi guys, miss me? Haha ........ yeah just wishful thinking on my part :p I didn't have the chance to tell you all but I went to Langkawi for a company trip over the weekends. We brought our doctors there for a joint meeting with the Malaysian team. So it was more work than play really.

And I was selected to go on this trip as a sort of a reward because I topped my team sales so far. I am sorry, I know I am blowing my own trumpet but please cut me some slack okay? I am just too excited and happy at how well things are going for me right now. I am not too sure how long good times will last so I am just basking in it while I can.

We stayed in Awana Porto Malai but I must confess that the hotel and food isn't too fantastic, so I wouldn't recommend it. However the company was great though. I managed to get to know my fellow colleagues a lot better after this trip and they were an awesome bunch! :DDD

It was practically work round the clock that I don't even know what my balcony view is like. Alright partially my fault too because I am such a sleepy head that I wake up late every morning so I don't have a chance to enjoy the beautiful sea view. And we each got to have our own room but that was not necessarily a good thing because it creeped me out to be sleeping alone in a strange place. And there was a night where all of us gathered in one of the extra room to play card games, my manager saw an apparition. Thank God he kept it to himself and only told us after we reached Changi Airport. If not, I would have totally freaked out during the trip!

And so now I am back and straight into the rat race again. Work, work, work and sales target, sales target, sales target! :p

In the flight on the way to Langkawi

Trying to capture as much scenery as I can while travelling on the coachWe were given less than 2 hours to shop cos schedule was so packed and yet all we were interested in getting were tidbits and beer from the supermarket! They were for our card games in the night. The beers were so cheap that we bought one of each kind of beer and had a beer sampling session :p The conclusion? Carlsberg special brew is the answer :)) Btw I spent only 70 ringgit for this entire trip! The Padi musuem - the scarecrows were actually kinda eerie
Alan, Ivan (my sales manager), Patricia, Selina, Embline & Kok Ying (my product manager)
Seafood dinner at the Padi musuem
We took a long walk to the beach on our last day but the condition of the beach was terribly disappointing
Just before we depart from the hotel
A last look at the scenery from the coach

The doctors teased us about never taken a plane before
So happy on the flight back

P.S. If you look to the left side bar <------- Citibank has opted to advertise in my blog! Yipee!!! So all you nice folks out there, please do me a huge favour and help me earn some dough okay? *muacks* Besides, a credit card without minimum income would be a dream come true for a lot of people!

Happy nurses' day

Dear Lord please give me strength
To face the day ahead,
Dear Lord please give me courage
As I approach each hurting bed.

Dear Lord please give me wisdom
With every word I speak,
Dear Lord please give me patience
As I comfort the sick and weak.

Dear Lord please give assurance
As the day slips into night
That I have done the best I can
That I have done what's right.

:: Author Unknown

You might think that I am no longer a nurse since I no longer work as one. But I am still a State-Registered Nurse, registered with the Board of Nursing and more importantly at heart, still very much one too.

While I have bail out, I want to commend on all my dear sisters who have carried on to care for the sick. Happy nurses day to all the nurses in the world and to myself too!