Highly recommended

Hey! Hey! I'm back! Actually I had been back for more than a week now but had been really busy filling in what I had missed when I was away in Japan. However, I saw that my blog hits have been steadily decreasing when I was away and figured I had to set it right asap. I am still trying to sort out my Japan pics so please bear with me. So till then, try to keep yourself busy with the 3 recommendations coming right up ^-^ (and of course come back regularly for post updates!)

Recommendation 1 - Rule #1

Release Date:	13th March 2008
Language:	Mandarin
Running Time:	95 mins
Rating:	NC16
Genre:	Thriller / Horror
Starring:	Ekin Cheng, Shawn Yue, Stephanie Che, Fiona Xie
Directed by:	Kelvin To

Movie Plot
Rookie Sergeant Lee (Shawn Yue) is injured in a shoot-out and is assigned to the dubious-sounding Miscellaneous Affairs Department (MAD). There, he is paired up with Inspector Wong (Ekin Cheng), a jaded and alcoholic veteran who explains that MAD’s role is to answer supernatural calls. Wong explains MAD’s rule number one - there are no ghosts. For every seemingly inexplicable phenomenon, there is a corresponding scientific and rational explanation. MAD begins investigating a string of bizarre teenage suicides - impossible suicides, unless the victims were possessed. As Lee and Wong follow the clues, they realise something sinister is heading their way.

My rating (4 out of 5 popcorns)

While I wouldn't call this movie excellent, it's still 1 of the more watchable ones in the cinema nowadays. It's not exactly our regular stereo-typed horror flicks but it still manages to creep me out nonetheless. The best part about the movie for me (other than eye candy Shawn Yue), has to be the story-line. It comes with a clever twist at the end. Well, you gotta watch it to know .................

Recommendation 2 - Change of Heart: A Novel by Jodi Picoult
Book Description

The acclaimed #1 New York Times bestselling author presents a spellbinding tale of a mother's tragic loss and one man's last chance at gaining salvation. Can we save ourselves, or do we rely on others to do it? Is what we believe always the truth? One moment June Nealon was happily looking forward to years full of laughter and adventure with her family, and the next, she was staring into a future that was as empty as her heart. Now her life is a waiting game. Waiting for time to heal her wounds, waiting for justice. In short, waiting for a miracle to happen. For Shay Bourne, life holds no more surprises. The world has given him nothing, and he has nothing to offer the world. In a heartbeat, though, something happens that changes everything for him. Now, he has one last chance for salvation, and it lies with June's eleven-year-old daughter, Claire. But between Shay and Claire stretches an ocean of bitter regrets, past crimes, and the rage of a mother who has lost her child. Would you give up your vengeance against someone you hate if it meant saving someone you love? Would you want your dreams to come true if it meant granting your enemy's dying wish? Once again, Jodi Picoult mesmerizes and enthralls readers with this story of redemption, justice, and love.

My rating (4 out of 5 stars)

This is my 1st Jodi Picoult book and she definitely doesn't disappoint. I had read the reviews on Amazon and apparently this is not her finest but it's good enough for me. In here, she tackles the death penalty and the lost books of the New Testament. Having been brought up in Singapore, where the death penalty is still strongly enforced, I had come to accept its' presence and never once questioned it. This book has definitely opened up another can of worms for me and makes me ponder over the moral dilemma involved in death penalties. A thought provoking read.

Recommendation 3 - Eyelash extensions

I had mine done prior to Japan and it has lasted even till now. It's been coming 3 weeks already. I must commend that this is the best and longest lasting extensions I had ever done. Most of mine don't even make it past 1 week! I am highly satisfied with the job done and it gets even better as she comes to my house to do it for me. It helps save the trouble of me shuttling to and fro. So now all I need is my concealer and I am set to take on the world! No more make-up and smudging woes :D

Japan here I come!!!

Did I tell you guys that I am going to Japan? As a matter of fact, I am actually already in our new airport terminal 3 waiting to board my plane.

A company incentive trip to Osaka and Nagoya. My very 1st time to Japan and I am so excited! (Haha ........ suaku, right?)

Although I am excited, there's a part of me that actually didn't feel like going. That is because I will miss Megan and Ken terribly. I know. I am such a baby.

Meg and I were hugging and crying at home just before I left. Mama drama! But I can't help it. We haven't been apart a lot, you know. I told her that I wouldn't worry about her because she's such a big girl now. And sensing that she worries for me too. I told her not to worry about me, I will try my very best not to lose my things :p Haha ...... that seems to soothe her a bit.

In fact, she's the 1st one to remind me to bring my passport. She reminded me last night while I was packing my luggage. I was really impressed that she knows the importance of a passport and that of course her mum is a scatterbrain :p She reminded me a couple more times today. It seems like she's more my mum than I am hers!

Likewise, I know the other person who's worried about me going alone is Ken. It's so rare for me to go on a trip without him. I was always so dependent on him for everything and thus he reminded me time and again to take care of my stuffs.

At least I know that Meg is in good hands. Ken has promised me to take good care of her. It means so much to me to know that Meg will be fine. Thanks so much sweetheart for doing everything so that I can go on the trip with a peace of mind. I love you! *muacks*

I am really guilty that Meg will be having her ballet exams during this time. I feel awful for abandoning her. Thank god for mum, aunty Mary and Chermaine, who will also be helping me care for her. I am very lucky to have such loving supportive family who are here for me when I need them.

Alright gotta run or else I will miss the flight! SAYONARA!

P.S. Meg was made class monitress & I'm soooo proud of her!

Meg's haiku - "The wind"

Meg told me she had to write a haiku and asked for my help. A haiku?! Primary 1?!

Okay, I must admit I was momentarily stumped. I looked at the instructions and saw "5, 7, 5". I asked her what's that and she explained that a haiku consisted of 3 lines and the numbers meant the number of syllables in each line. Hmmmm ........ but it still didn't mean anything to me :p However, thank god for the advancement in technology, I managed to look up the internet and refresh my memory of what a haiku is.

The topic was "WIND" and so I told Meg to write down how she feels about the wind. And from there, I helped her craft it into a haiku.

The wind makes me feel fresh.
I need it to fly a kite.
I love breezy wind!

The sentences were all hers, I just helped her fit it into a haiku. Not too bad for our 1st attempt, I would think. But then again, I am a lay person and therefore not the best judge :p

Lil' Miss Scatterbrain

I have outdone myself once again! Remember the last time when I left my handphone on top of the car and then drove off? The story just gets better .............

I threw my handphone into the rubbish bin this time round -_-"'.

I did not realise that my handphone was gone and when I started looking for it around the house, it was 4 hours later after it ended in the bin. I had initially thought that I left it in the car again (I do it too often) and sent the maid downstairs to help me bring it up. However she told me she couldn't find it and so I started calling my phone whilst she went down a 2nd time to search.

Panic sets in when I realised that the phone was shut off! "Arghhh ......." I thought with dismay, "my new phone lost again! But how could it be? I vividly remember using my phone in the car."

The maid once again told me she can't find it and so I went down personally to search for it. After turning the car upside down, I walked dejectedly back to the lift, accepting my fate of yet another lost phone. That's when I walked past the big black bin in the void deck. I stopped, looked at it and realisation dawned upon me that I made a stop here after I got down from the car! Don't tell me .................

I attempted to rummage through the stinky bin and everyone was staring at me! Ewwww ....... I needed aid. Meg and the maid armed with their gloves volunteered to search for it. And true enough, it was right at the bottom of the bin soaked with the yuckiest liquid imaginable. In fact, I think I contributed to a part of that yucky liquid because what I threw into the bin together with the phone was my unfinished McDonald's meal and coke :p

You might think that I left my phone in the McDonald's plastic bag and accidentally threw it together but I didn't. I was holding it in the palm of my hand and when I open my palm to release the bag, it fell out at the same time. And I didn't even feel anything amiss. I so can't believe myself! But then again, this is something that Erycka says only I am capable of and she didn't express surprise when I told her. Bleh~

Ken is amazed at my capability to accomplish spectacular feats like that all the time! He says I never fail to astound him :p

A family valentine

This year's Valentine was a little unusual. That's because Meg had learnt in school what's Valentine's day. She came home from school the day before Valentine's and asked me if all of us are going out for Valentine's day dinner. Huh??!! Valentine's day dinner??!! I guiltily told her we are not, even though Ken & I had discussed about dinner. But of course we didn't make plans to include her whatsoever!

In any case, Ken had to go back to camp on Valentine's day and we agreed to postpone it to Friday. And then my bad, I overlooked that on Friday, there's a CNY party at the previous clinic where I worked.

Feeling really guilty, I went and got both of them a Valentine's day gift to make it up to them. I think both liked their pressies :) And in the end, all 3 of us compromised and we had a post-Valentine's day supper instead. Haha ...... yeah, supper :p

By the time, Ken and Meg collected me from the party, it was already 10pm. We decided the only place available would be Swensen's and so we trooped there. But poor Meg was less than enthusiastic that day because when the food arrived, it was already close to 11pm. Meg was dying to get home to bed.

So all in all, a fairly uneventful Valentine but at least I managed to assuage my guilt by including Meg in our celebration. Hmmmm ........ it looks like we will have to plan 2 Valentine's day celebrations from now on, 1 for the entire family and 1 just for Ken & I.

Checking out my make-up before I leave for the party :p

In the queue outside Swensen's

Meg was driven by boredom & forced us to make funny faces with her

I was highly amused by the fact that Meg could raise 1 eyebrow. I just couldn't do it for the life of me.

6 lian pai. (6 consecutive shots) Wahahaha!!!