living the James Bond life in Bangkok.

click here to read more on this entry. :)

and then u realized u've gained an additional yr of wisdom..

read on here...

click me!

so near yet so far.

http://peirongzz.wordpress.com/2009/11/07/so-near-yet-so-far/

anyone kind friends want to volunteer to help for free?

posting options - Wordpress vs blogspot & multiply

to read more click here

BKK in a month's time

sighs. i wish they allow me to cross post. then i won't have to do it manually. sighs.
read more here: click here

choices - good or bad?

it all started with a comment cassy left on my blog.

being naturally as curious as I am, and having wondered several times over the sudden growth of wordpress user and why everyone suddenly switched to wordpress.. my curiosity started eating at me.. & before I even knew it, I'm on wordpress's website (yes, i do have a dormant wordpress account, if you are wondering. i did say i'm curious right), & this time, I went all the way to try out wordpress. importing my blog posts over from blogger to wordpress.. struggling with all the not that intuitive and rather professional functions. getting really fascinated and happy seeing my own photos on the customizable header of my new wordpress blog. really hating the lack of designs and customization allowed for other parts of the blog ESPECIALLY, my twitter badge & twitter stream!!! URGHH. if I ever hate wordpress, that is gonna be the biggest reason why. not that they don't have that function, but rather, i refuse to have to pay $14.95 (i believe it should be in usd) per year just to host a domain so that I can install plug-ins and therefore install my twitter plug-ins. URGH.

not to mention, it's tough to upload photos to your post. the function is totally not intuitive. bad Human Computer Interaction (HCI). Bad transfer and bad affordance (finally putting the knowledge gained from the more or less boring cnm lecture to use =D)

wordpress is definitely a good publishing platform no doubt, but not for amateurs! it would have served the functions of someone more professional, or even a startup company looking for a good and affordable website publishing platform.

yeah, but for now. it's not exactly my favourite idiot proof publishing platform.

oh yeah, for those who are interested, check out my wordpress site: https://peirongzz.wordpress.com
judge for yourself & do tel me about it so i can make up my mind.

i3 graduation night

on 30th October, 2009, 6.30pm - 10.30pm, the whole group of batch 3 ileaders gathered at Kent Ridge Guild house in celebration & commemoration of the conclusion of our 7 long months of internship.

so what did we do?
we had lots of speeches.. (kidding! all the speeches were really inspiring!)
we watched video..
we had live music performances..
we listened to emo songs.. 
we had lots of food..
we talked alot..
we listened to dance music.. 
n of course.. we took lots of photos!

when the ilead happy family gathers.. u know there can only be fun, laughter & happiness! =D

how can we let such a fantastic opportunity pass us by?? so we snapped.. from the delvey room where we had the function. to the lobby area.. to the toilet.. & back to the function room!!

i'm so glad i met all these wonderful people who constantly motivates and inspires me everyday in my life. :)

an official conclusion, a new beginning.

graduation night arrived in a flash, when not long ago, we were still slogging for our internship, hanging on to sanity with the thought of our trip to SV & road trip to pull us through the 7 months of hardship.

so much has passed since i first saw the ilead banner in school, send in a application on impulse, to getting through the rounds of interviews, starting the internship, completing the tons of internship reports.. finally completing it & flying to California.

and now, together with my fellow third batch of ileaders, we have returned from our very enriching study mission in Silicon Valley for more than 2 months, where we met ordinary people like you and I, with big dreams & even bigger hearts, to welcome us to their homeland, & to share the many valuable experiences with us.

the experience was truly remarkable, both the bad & the good times. the lessons learnt extremely valuable & hopefully unforgettable.

the people i've met are truly awesome and inspiring, pushing me on every step of this long journey. having a official graduation night tonight, just made the ending seemed more official, more real, where before, i was living in a state of unreal, having suddenly lost the busy schedule of the past 7 months, and the adrenaline of being in the midst of so many passionate and hardworking entrepreneurs.

if it were not for the rest of the fellow ileaders who were with me every step of the way, inspiring me then, & still inspiring now, I would perhaps have thought that the past few months were nothing but a dream. a very lovely and truly awesome dream.

now, the doors to this part of my lifestory had closed with this conclusion to the final chapter of my ilead internship, while the doors to the next chapter of my life opening. the memories will live on in my heart, the people, hopefully will continue to be a part of my life.

thank u for making this possible. thank god for giving me this opportunity.

cassy's new twitter bg

cassy has a new twitter account! n new display pix for twitter.. n new bg for twitter! yeah! isn't she glad for such gd fren like me ??

LOL.

where r u no. 2?

where are u my panasonic lumix spare battery? i can't believe i can still lose my pencil case at this age. & to make it worst, i have to stuff tt super important spare battery into that pencil case.

why are NUS students so damn cheapo to even wan to take my lok kok pencil case back??? its just a really harmless n not so clean looking blue velvet pouch. i bet it must be some annoying cheapo ah tiong or ah neh.

sighs. my spare battery n favourite stationaries. n purple highlighter. PURPLE! RARR!!!!

little waterfront gem behind the burly expatriates

Read several good reviews about Dallas & decided to bring my boy there for his bday.

He was initially appalled when we first reached, thinking that I had somehow made a mistake, & instead of bringing him to a romantic place for a satisfying meal, I had brought him to chill with the beers & the expatriates flooding the first level Bar area at Dallas. in fact, i was a bit worried myself when i saw the boisterous crowd, if not for some of the reviews that mentioned the same thing.

got a window seat on the second level (indoors w aircon) overlooking the river (view is a little restricted due to the windows & reflection though).

but i gt to warn u, the servings there are HUGE. even for me & my boy & our humongous appetites (we r those irritating skinny ppl who eats alot bt still looks like african fugitives btw.)

n all we ordered was a appetizer, a main course, & a set dinner (inc. starter, main, desserts & drink). we were like three quarters full after finishing the appetizer??! the Calamari is HUGE though. but really gd. i'll definitely return nxt time just to eat the calamari!

1st, we had the calamari, which was fantastic! by sg stds anyway, since seafood after getting flown all the way over aint that fresh compared those u get in those coastal towns overseas. especially love the orange sauce that came with it! a unique blend which i can't quite place the ingredients. but i love the sauce for the chicken appetizer which my boy ordered for his set dinner. that went even better with the calamari than its original sauce. the slightly sweet & spicy thai chilli made the calamari especially appetizing, & removes the oily sick feeling that some may get after eating all that fried food. maybe Dallas should consider offering a choice of sauce for their calamari next time. or better still, serve a little bit of both so people can experiment! :)

our half eaten appetizers! love the calamari! reminds me of those we ate at fishermen's wharf in San Franc.

after appetizer, he had the babyribs.. which left me speechless! i'm not usually a ribs person. but, my, that ribs.. u really got to try it to understand how we felt. its just so so so tender, unlike some of those horrid dried up rubbery ribs u get elsewhere.. n the meat is so well marinated with that slightly sweet sauce. ooh. yum! if he hadn't been the bday boy that night, i would definitely have find some way to make him change his food with mine. hah!

look how happy he is with his ribs & potatoe wedges!

so in order to try more food, being as glutton as we r, I ordered something different, Beer Batter Fish i believe its called. really tender & well marinated fish, & you could even smell faintly the fragrance of the wheat smell used in beers! which initially i didn't due to my slight flu, till he mentioned. the fish came with garlic fries, which he absolutely loved, but i'm not that much a garlic person, so didn't quite enjoy my fries. i love the potatoe wedges that came with his ribs though (which is all e more reason why i'm convinced i should make him change his food with mine!) but the beer fish became a little too much for me, since i'm also not that big a fan of beer (prefer wine which is way more expensive sadly). perhaps Dallas could advise their customers next time when they order Beer Fish, or mixed it up with a few more sides, so diners don't get too sick of the beer taste.

my beer batter Fish & Garlic fries. garlic fries hidden under the fish, aren't really my cup of tea though. :(

we ended up taking away the rest of the fries & wedges coz we were too full. & that's not even including the dessert he ordered!

he had cheese cake which i shared with him. thankfully! since i was so full by then. & being the bday boy, he got a complimentary cake from Dallas. Unfortunately, my request wasn't noted! though u may think i'm too demanding for a complimentary slice of cake, but still. no writings or whatever of "happy bday" nor my short little note was written anywhere on the cake, nor the cake. & worst still, they didn't check our order, & gave us a complimentary bday cheese cake, which is exactly the same that he ordered for his set dinner! :(

the cheese cake he ordered that came with his set dinner.

& the disappointing bday cheese cake (AGAIN??!), compliments of Dallas.

though the crew on duty was nice enough to bring in the cake at the right time, & even took the extra step to sing happy bday song for him. that was really sweet, if only they didn't bring the exact same cake that we ordered, it would have be so sweet! hopefully Dallas would be more alert next time!

all in all, still rather value for money for the price paid, & the nice ambiance.

random 13th October 09

it just kept getting weirder & weirder.
the interview that started out as a practice session never ended..
from interview with an executive & manager to a second round with the CEO, & now the country director?

odd, considering that i'm not applying for a management position.
wonder what's going on.

lazing around among the nature @Crowne Plaza Changi Airport

dropped by Crowne Plaza today.

the whole place was decorated in complimentary shades of green, brown, gold & red.. all the earthy & soothing colors, with the fundamental green vines symbolising the green hotel that it is intertwined in all aspects of the design.

in tt transient hotel, u will find airy lounges, open corridors, glass ceilings & ceiling to floor windows.. amidst the greenery & landscape. the most impressive aspect has definitely got to be the landscape swimming pool, that interweaves around the surrounding greenery, with a view of the roads below at Changi Airport. cool shit!

the front lobby with its comfy & colorful plush cushions. love the swivel chairs @ the lobby cafe!!

the retro bar '75 that brings us back in time with its loud yet complimentary colors & montash posters.

the super impressive landscape swimming pool overlooking Changi Airport! did i mention certain rooms had views overlooking the airport runway & the Airbus parking lots??

just what u need for a stresful friday

check this out for a good laugh. cute animals heals the world! http://stressbuster1.com/wrapper/always-carry-a-camera/

Note: Stressbuster1 � 1999-2009 Stressbuster1, all rights reserved. Unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.

Quote of the day: "We need to be willing to be comfortable with discomfort in order to grow." -Michael Port.

TGIF!

yay! with my mid terms behind me & the weekends fast approaching, i really cant wait for tml to come!
i just got to get through the second round of interview tomorrow afternoon, then i can head home & prepare for the weekend!

will be bringing my boy to dallas @ clarkequay to celebrate his bday.. hopefully the reviews & pictures don't lie & we will have a smashing time tomorrow!

can't wait to check out that place & snap tons of pictures of it!

the trauma of waste disposal.

sighs. i really hate to throw the rubbish in my house. to have to bring it all the way out to the main rubbish chute.. n to brave the dangers of brown creepy crawlies.
n it really doesn't help to be scared half to death when things either starts crawling when u have the chute open. or scattered pieces of rubbish falls out & scares u to death thinking that its something alive instead of a scattered rubbish. n it goes beyond fear to irritation & physical pain when it causes mishaps. like my broken fingernail. that broke. because something dropped out. scaring the hell out of me. n i jumped back. n my nail whacked the railing in my haste. n there it goes. broken nails hurts!!!

dun u roach phobic ppl just hate it!! GRRRRRRRRRRRRR. they shld have gone extinct when dinosaurs did!! RARRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!! 

rescue wardrobe 101

someday when i've got the time & finally muster up the courage. i shall pore over this seemingly practical article & restructure my overflowing wardrobe. god knows that the 2 recent usa premium outlet trips are not helping things.

for those of u who wants to start early, here goes:
http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2009/10/06/how-to-stop-buying-clothes-you-never-wear/

Google project

was given an assignment to do on Google Project & one of the resources is this article on Google.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/services/2005-09-18-google-copyright_x.htm debating on whether Google is right or wrong in the current digital book project that it is engaged in.

i personally thought that's one of the best idea that Google has ever had.
for one, it allowed last minute students like me who left their submissions to the very last minute to have better access to much needed and critical information needed to help them secure that good grade.

after all, you can't possibly be that naive to think that there will still be books left in the school library the day before your submission is due, when so many other students might be working on the same topics & thus needing the same materials. & they are probably more well prepared or extremely kiasu & therefore, no good books would be left for u to borrow out isn't it?

so, for as long as i remain a student bounded by pointless assignments, i will definitely support the Google project! scan more books online mans! the more the merrier!

email floods from twitter

was checking my gmail & promptly got a shock.
there's so many emails from twitter, telling me so and so is following me on twitter now.
much as i am happy that i am having some headway increasing the number of followers on my twitter network, i'm still a little irritated by the emails flood.
time to figure out how to shut off email notifications.

quote of the day

"May there be peace within.. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us."

Blk 21 Zi Char in Toa Payoh

had dinner earlier at Toa payoh at one of the Zi Char stalls featured by mediacorp. Sadly, it wasn't exactly a fantastic experience that i could rave about.

1. We reserved a table without pre-ordering the dishes. Being first timers, we didn't know what's good on the menu so decided to check it out when we reached instead. *bad#1 wrong move in not pre ordering*

2. Subsequently, waited more than an hr for the food to come. *bad#2 slow service = not fantastic when ur starving*

3. Unpredictable weather in Singapore. From an originally cooling night out under the stars into a near disaster of rainstorm. *bad#3 Having to gorge on our food after starving to avoid the storm*

4. So we relocated to the only other table which was smaller & that couldn't quite accommodate all our food. It also happened to be beside a table of very serious chain smokers. *bad#4 dying a slow death from inhaling 2nd hand smoke over dinner*

bad#4 definitely has to be the worst. i was attempting to breathe through my mouth to avoid the horrid stench, & at the same time, trying to eat my food & satisfy my badly starved stomach that is beyond hunger.

Everything didn't quite taste fantastic & the cigarette stench was confusing my taste bud & everything other thing in my mouth.
not to mention i nearly a. suffocate due to lack of oxygen intake via my mouth, & b. choked on my food while gorging myself & trying to gulp in air at the same time.

How can i not complain about smokers in this case? especially when my whole living room turns into a smoking room every time some stupid neighbor staying around us smokes, not once, not twice but ga-zilion times a day??!! how do i not make myself curse them in this case??!!

young women leadership connection

so finally, once in a blue moon, the boring girl gets out of her comfortable position at home & venture out for something interesting.


as the title suggests, yes you got it. so what does the very serious title refers to?


its this young woman's group that is coming up, and very fortunately, was nominated by Dr Lena Lee to attend this event yesterday evening at UBS AG at one Raffles Quay N. Tower.


First impression of the place? GORGEOUS! if i ever get to work in a place like that, i would totally love to go to work everyday. heck. i probably wouldn't even mind staying over to work overtime.

the view there is awesome. overlooking the bay, high up on 49 level.. & the skyscrappers & lights at night.. awesome!

so back to YWLC. its actually an initiative launched by Mrs. Lim Hwee Hua, Minister (Prime Minister's Office) and Second Minister for Finance and Transport, with the support of UBS and other established women leaders and currently led by a board of student / young working ladies exco.

So.. Mrs Lim shared quite a lot of interesting insights with us.. pretty interesting, the amount of political figures involved in this aside. hopefully it wouldn't turn into another aware gone wrong.

Then my personal favorite is the address by Dr Dr. Jannie Tay, whom if you don't already know, is the founder of The Hour Glass. She's this really cool and awesome lady in her 60s.. (amazing if you ask me coz she definitely doesnt look past 50 & her energy level & the rapid mind behind the youthful face..amazing.) Gave us a lot to reflect on definitely. haha. not to mention her pro family stand. the number of times she emphasized on us finding our husbands instead of merely focusing on ourselves & advancing our career is funny and at the same time endearing. kinda like how i would imagine my grandmother would talk to me.

going home

what a touching and sad video..
somehow watching this, my parents kept flashing through my mind.. reminding me that they fast aging day by day..
& if ever this should happen to them & i'm in the position of the father in the video..  :(
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iXPHhfk_7E

little mishap, immense guilt.

sighs. had a little misfortune in the kitchen earlier.. dropped the damn scalding hot pot lid while taking soup for tonight's dinner...
so wad can be the worst thing? that it dropped on my feet & gave me a bad swell from the scalding and the impact of the heavy metal lid falling on my feet?

nahs..
no foot were in the way. but the loud commotion gave him a scare & he ended spilling steaming hot soup over his hand while trying to get out of the way of the falling lid..

n now he has swollen n red fingers to prove it. :(

to think tt he finally comes over for dinner.. n i ended up causing physical harm to him.
sighs. damn guilty now. sorry bb!! :( :(

term break@butter factory

last i remember, it was the start of mid term break, & i was happily telling everyone that my mid term break started 2 days before everyone else's since thursday & fridays are both free days.

& suddenly, the whole week of holidays is coming to an end & the pressure & stress of 3 mid term exams are bearing on my shoulders.

the one only really happening thing that i can remember doing?

probably partying at butterfactory...

but wed wasn't exactly the best day to go to butterfact. first there's the long queue outside the club that took ages to clear [we must have queued for 45 - 60 minutes i think], then there's the crowd there was either too old or young. like jc & poly kids, or old working professionals.. & the free flow of drinks before midnight though really attractive, created alot of drunkards way before midnight even approaches.

n funny drunkards were walking around doing all sorts of funny and highly entertaining things.

n of course.. the usual big group of guys at the dance flr, which with one look, u will be able to tell that they must be army guys with their cropped crew cuts and whole big group of "hormones loaded" guys and funny actions on the dance floor.

all in all, a adventure, but perhaps next time i should proceed to butterfactory on a friday or saturday night instead.