Germany... So Far.... Endgültig

Heh.... Have not blog for awhile and leaving my Germany trip in a limbo.... Ok, so this is the finale... Endgültig. (I hope I am using the term correctly... I have to quantify that I have not started any German lessons at all... So if I got it wrong, please don't blast me for that....)

Serve me right on complaining about the cold.... Guess what... The last day in Germany was even colder than any time while I was there. I see snow on the sides of the road on my way back to Frankfurt. Sadly, my cam was not handy available... So no pictures of it... Then again, I heard they had to scrape ice off their cars before starting the engine.... Which means..... The front screen and windows are rather dirty... Pictures will not look that good. Oh, about the temperature.... You know how I got the info? Well, most cars in Germany that I know of seems to have this temperature gauge. Now how accurate it is, I am not certain, but by far it seems accurate... Especially when you are walking out in the cold, feeling colder than ever before.... So it seems accurate to me... It was -1.5 degrees celcius and it's not in the night!!!! (Oh, my colleague was nice enough to let me know that after I left... The weather improved and they had like 6 degrees celcius instead of -1.5!)

Well, I finished my last breakfast in the small quaint hotel in Hochheim and ask for a taxi to be called and my destination is Frankfurt airport; I went and did my final round checking for stuff that I might have left out in the hotel room. Having satisified that I have not left anything behind, I close the room door and drag my (heavier by 7 kg) hugh luggage bag and carry-on luggage bag down to wait for the taxi. Had to wait awhile for it, but interestingly, the taxi came, the driver got out.... carrying this present into the waiting area in the hotel and subsequently chatted with the owner and giving that present to her. Seems that she had a truckload of it and a nice touch I would say... Anyway, finally, I am driven away from the place and towards Frankfurt Airport.

Of course, along the way, I was so facinated by the snow on both sides of the road as well as on the trees, etc. Again, sad thing was that I don't have my cam ready... That Murphy's law again (I think)... You never have the thing near you when you need it... I thought it was a ride back, so nothing much to take... Haiz... I was proven wrong (AGAIN!!!)


Oh... Why the airport when I was to fly only in the night?!?! Well, that's the only place I know that I can leave my luggages somewhere for storage and I can be free from worry of dragging them to everywhere I go.... Imagine... Someone dragging their luggages from point 1 to 2 .... till they reach airport in the evening.... If I was tired by the end of my trip.... Imagine how much more if I had those 2 luggages around... as well as my backpack!!!!

So, I left my luggages there (7 Euros, by the way for both luggages) and started to find out how to get to Frankfurt city. Before that, I had a discussion with my colleague as well as consulting the Lonely Planet book that he was kind enough to lent to me for my stay.... I had marked out a few places to see... But I was counting on taking their subway to go 1 place to the other.... Plans have ways to go wrong....

In the end, i landed myself at the main station, bought a 1.50 Euro map which shows the entire city center and nearby suburds.... I walked (yes walked!) from the main station, wanting to walk to Romerberg, but I ended up at Haupt-wache. It was a place that I wanted to see, but it was supposed to be after Romerberg... So I had to trek over to the correct place... Nice start isn't it? (Kind of leads me to wonder.... What is it with Germany and me... I don't seems to be doing very well in cities of Germany. I got a bit lost in Cologne in my last trip as well.... Hmmm..... Oh but I had no problems with Heidelberg.... Hmmmm......)

Anyway, Romerberg is a nice little area where there are plenty of churchs (or shells of churchs) in that area. Starting with this St. Pauls Church (Oh, by the way, Church is known as Kirche in German - see how I pick up words during my stay...) which looks to me to be a shell of a church. Unless I did not find the correct place to go... for it was a place to look at some history of that area... and also house of an interesting wall painting....

From there.... I walked around the Christmas Fair that pops up in almost any and every town during this time apparently.... Had to look for crystals for my mum and aunt - too expansive anyway to buy.... Had sushi... or was it sashimi... Hmmm... Whatever, it's Japanese food (what a change from constant meat and never changing salad and salad cream...) along with Tempura... It was not really that good, but then again, maybe I went to the wrong store... Had wanted to go to one of those famous old tavern to try their applewein, but well, it was just too much to move across the river - on foot!

Anyway, after much SMSing with my mum on the crystals... Decided to just go sightseeing and ignore calls/SMSs to buy this and that... It's more important to see than to shop!!!! So, did the whole round of churches in Romerberg, including their Dom. By then, it was almost 4 pm! Had a cup of hot applewein to warm myself in this COLD COLD weather, walked toward the river and wanted to visit the flea market that was supposed to be there every weekend. Well, after using the Eiserner Steg (Small little walkway bridge) distracted by the swans and mandrin ducks as well as seagulls (I think they are seagulls... Got to recheck my pictures), finally reached across the bridge. Oh, by the way, I would discourage using bridges to cross the hugh Main (pronounced as "Mine") river in winter in 2 words - SUPER COLD! I think my fingers got frozen while I was there... Guess what... The flea market seems to be packing up!!!! So it means... No browsing... Oh well... Cross the bridge again (SUPER COLD! COLD! COLD!) and decided to head toward the shopping area (like Orchard Road) that is along Zeil Street. Along the way, browse through the stalls that is part of the Christmas fair...


Well, if I never did like seeing crowds and hugh crowds, I should have avoided Zeil. The people seems to be coming out in full force to browse around those stalls as well as meeting up with friends, hanging out in that area.... Sounds very much like Orchard Road during weekends actually... Did my browsing there and allowing myself to get frozen in the process.... Bought some stuff there... small ones, thankfully or my luggage would have been even heavier that it was! Had my 2nd Bratwürst for the trip along with another cup of Glühwein. That got me high... heh... I should have asked on previous night in the resturant what they had given me to speed up the burning of alcohol... That could have helped me then, cos I was wheezing like a highly overweight person after my walking from Zeil back to the main train station (Hauptbahnhof, where Haupt - main, bahn - train, hof - station) for my ride back to airport. I was so relieved to see the station by the end of the walk... Furthermore, it was evening - around 6pm, so the temperature would have drop again from the afternoon (SUPER SUPER COLD! COLD! COLD!) I really thought of getting myself trained up in my stamina after this trip....

Anyway, by the time I got back to Frankfurt airport, I was tired, having a very bad backache and very cold and tired feet! You can feel the sensation at the soles of your feet kind of feeling... Had to just sit near the baggage storage area for a full half hour as well as packing in the stuff so that I can check in my luggage and be free from it finally till I reach Changi... The walk from the storage area to the counter was the worst I ever had... Having to push this 22kg luggage as well as a (estimated) 7kg hand luggage to the counter with a bad back.... Not recommended!!!

I think despite my stomach growling like mad asking for food.... My other senses were just too tired to eat... But I did... Having my last meal in Germany before boarding the plane - Just that I was too tired to appreciate... even to look for proper food!!! Heh....

So that's all... Took the flight back, landed in Changi and immediately perspire like mad.... Having to eat some local food at the airport canteen on level 3M which by the way was not good... Either that or my tasting buds was so skewed that it was not functioning well....

There... I completed my blog on my Germany trip. It was an experience and was rather glad that I was able to see more places that I would never have thought was possible... I guess I am happy with my trip... Well, besides that weather....

Oh... From my landing in Changi on Sunday late afternoon.... I jumped into a Youth Camp on Monday afternoon.... Spending about 3 to 4 days with Youths in a chalet, sleeping on sleeping bags with a hard floor.... I MUST BE CRAZY!!!!!


That is another story of its own.....

Germany... So far.... Part Vier

I had to do this isn't it... Darn... After complaining about the coldness... Guess what, it got colder!!! It's now -1 degrees celcius! Man, even the radiator at full blast does not seems to be hot enough... Of course the alcohol effects from the wine (I had another sweet wine today for dinner, again! :P) helps to keep the cold away, but still it's not enough! My feet is already feeling cold...

Oh yeah.... Photos... Well... Sad to say, apparently I forgot about the fact that my office laptop does not have any photo editing program, so posting of photos will have to wait! It adds the anticipation of waiting isn't it. However, I do have a warning ahead... The photos may not turn out to be very well as I am still learning to use my cam - new, bought about 1 or 2 weeks before this trip... Also, I was rather too busy absorbing the atmosphere that I may not be taking care in getting the photos in. Oh... Darn, I just remembered... I got a camp coming up once I get back, which means.... Well, the photos will have to wait... I hope the space in the laptop will hold. Right, last count, I had taken about 200 photos only. Hope tomorrow's trip to Frankfurt city will be good enough in terms of taking photos as well!

Today, sad to say, was a full day training schedule - The person has only today to impart his knowledge and there are more people in this training. Oh, people were wondering how I get to be able to see some touristy stuff... Well, that's because this training was very tailored to me. Being the only student in the class, I get to call the shots! Heh... Also, it gets tailored to my pace of learning as well as my current knowledge of the software. So I could squeeze out some time to do some touring... As well as the fact that my colleague as been so kind to drive me around!!!

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It was just another morning in Germany, where I had my breakfast at the hotel when it struck me that the people at the hotel has their morning breaks around 9.05 - 9.10 daily. Sometimes there are three of them and sometimes, it seems, if there were more guests, 4 of them. They would sit down at one of the tables and have coffee while having some conversations - gossiping would be part of it, I supposed. It's a pity that I could not understand what they have been talking about... It would be very interesting to be there listening to their conversations. They would talk animatedly, sometimes laughing away.

There and then that I wonder - Would this concept work back at home? But after considering that there are already a lot of hotels, plus the hotels are not that expensive, after exchange rate conversion... Perhaps that's why it works very well else where. There are so many villages/small towns that it's not possible to expect Sheraton or Hilton or even Best Western to be there. Hmmm... Scrape Best Western... Think that chain of hotels/motels is only available in US... But like I say, for them, it's not possible to expect large hotel chains to be in each village/town. Thus it works rather well here. However, when you transplant that into Singapore... Well, don't think it will work that well as it does here in Europe.

How, just for fun... Imagine yourself, having to own a small hotel. How do you decorate it? How do you set the accomodation fees? How will you make it different so that visitors will want to stay there again when they are back? Also, how do you make sure your hotel does not becomes sleezy in time to come? You know... with the foreign exchange conversion, the hotel room rates are not really that cheap... Imagine 60 Euro per day, which will be about SGD130 per day. That's as good as a 4 star hotel isn't it? But they don't offer other facilities, like gym, spa, tennis courts, etc. Instead for some, you might not even get a wireless internet broadband access!

Oh well... Perhaps it will not work... But it's good to have a dream, isn't it?

*Yawn* Ok... Time for bed. It's almost 1 am in Hochheim.

If only my colleague were not to be having an appointment on Sat morning... If not, I would have travelled along the Rhein river and getting to see the Rhein valley along with all the vineyards taht you can find there... Oh well, another time... Hopefully, I would get some days off to tour as well.

Germany... So far.... Part Drei

Brrr... Man it's cold today... Last temperature taken was about 1.5 degrees celcius! What a cold evening... But this morning, the sky were cleared for the 1st time. According to my German colleague is that if it is very clear the night before, it will be a cold day the next day. Reason was that since you have no cloud or fog, it means that the "heat" is dissipated thus, making it colder than before. Anyway, I can only say is that this weather is one where you can indulge with alcohol without feeling guilty as it's just too cold out there! :P

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Had a day of intensive training, and for the next day, I had a long lunch at Mainz ( pronounced as "mines") which is about 20 mins drive from Hochheim (I think... not too sure about the timing), got to see what Mainz has to offer including some Lebkuchen biscuit/cookies. Got to see this St. Stephan Kirche (St. Stephen Church) which has some nice stained-glass windows, which was created by a Russian-born Jewish artist Marc Chagall. If you see the photos that I got, it's predominantly blue in colour. My colleague has been rather kind to allow me some time during the day (where you get have light to see the sights...) to do some touristy stuff, like looking at those old building architecture in wonder.

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It was another long day of training, but this time, I was able to have dinner at Wiesbaden. There was a Christmas fair just outside of the restaurant that I was to have my dinner and had a walk about of the fair. I have to say, this Christmas fair is much better than the one I have seen in Heidelberg. Bought a bottle of Sparkling Honey Wine, but I am not too sure if I will get to taste. Mother is asking me to bring back 3 bottles of wine... Wonder why she needs so many... Anyway, because it was rather dark when I reach Wiesbaden, I was not able to take any photos of that place at all - which was a rather sad thing but well, I can't complain much.

Anyway, it was in the restaurant that I realised sometime. It seems that Pork Knuckle is a Bavarian dish, and yet it seems to be famous outside of Germany. If you go to some of the restuarants, you will not find this dish unless it's speciality is Bavarian. However, you will find one very common dish in their menu - Schnitzel. I guess the other most available dish will have to be Rumpsteak; cooked in many different ways. Oh I had this interesting but salty (as usual I supposed) soup - Bendictine bread soup. Very brown, with some lumpy stuff which I have no idea what it was, and of course, rather salty. However, if you are willing to overlook the saltiness, it's actually quite interesting taste. Had a rumpsteak there as well, and really like the sauce - it has some onion taste in it, with some honey and red wine if I am not wrong (but well, it was a bit salty as well).

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Had a longer time at training till around 2pm when we set out to Rüdesheim (25km from Wiesbaden), which is along the trail along the Rhein river where they are known as the "Romantic Rhine" due to it's evocative scenery. It's quite a sight to be driven alone the Rhein river, looking at the vineyards that is clinging to steep slopes and cliffs. Some part of it was also known as the Riesling Route; seems that the most common vinegrape that you can find in this region is Riesling.

Oh yes, I did also walked in this area which is known as Drosselgasse. It seems that along this narrow street, there are a lot of wine bars and restaurants and I can attest to the fact that this is a very narrow street and apparently today, there seems to be a crowd in Rüdesheim. I had trouble trying to take a picture of this store where they did the glass pieces at the store.

Finally... finally after hearing so much about the sausages (as well as being questioned on this topic), I finally had my first Bratwürst - the restaurant claimed that it's meat is taken from a wild boar for this Bratwürst. It came with lots of fries and a plate of salad - this time, the salad is not drenched with the usual salad cream, and boy that was a change!

My colleague wanted to drive to St Goar/St Goarshausen where the legendary Loreley rock is near to. It seems that this rock is very famous due to the myth that there was the blond siren on the rock who lures sailors on the Rhine to their doom with her beguiling singing and enigmatic beauty. On the way towards Loreley rock, we see a lot of castles along the valley of the Rhein river but sadly, it gets to a point where it got too dark that we could not carry driving towards our destination. So, with a U-turn, we headed back for Hochheim and back to office for the final part of the training.

It's sad that the day light is so much shorter during winter - starts to get brighter only after 8.30am and it starts to get dark again by 4pm. By the time it gets to 5.30pm, it's really dark out there which feels kind of weird as we tend to start packing when the sky gets dark, but how do you do that when it's already dark by 5pm.

It's kind of weird, don't you think, to be having some break in between of training to do some tourist viewing... It's my first and I guess, if I had to do it all over again, I would not change anything....

*Yawn* Ok, it's time to head to bed again... I cannot believe it's Friday tomorrow! Cannot bear to think that soon I will be heading home again...

Germany... So far.... Part Zwei

Continuation from yesterday.....

It's interesting to find that there are people who would reach out and try to see if you need help. Remember the Glühwein and Kinderglühwein? Well, I was at this store (the last one before the bus stop, at Bismarkplatz, to get back to the train station) and trying to decide on whether I would want to try the Kinderglühwein... Just to see what it taste like (I had a cup of the Glühwein along with my lunch and I guess I am not exactly fond of it) and compare it with Glühwein. This German lady call out to me (well, not really calling out as I was rather near her) and ask if I need any help. Inform her of my decision making issue and she was kind enough to explain the differences between them - 1 is alcoholic drink, the other is not. Anyway, we started talking about me being in Heidelberg, and also the Castle as well as the current attraction - Christmas fair. She had also inform me that the Christmas fair is far bigger and better in Frankfurt and she was rather surprise that I haad travelled from Frankfurt to Heidelberg and not spending time at the Christmas fair in Frankfurt. Anyway, we had finished our drinks (and I did not return the cup, so I did not get the refund for the cup; instead I got them to exchanged for a new/clean one and got it now in my luggage) and she was kind enough to tell me what bus to take to get back to the train station and we talk about Asia. Turns out, she had been to Thailand, Malaysia (Penang to be exact) and Singapore, 40 years ago as her husband was into aircraft engineering and was helping out during the Vietnam war. How they landed to be staying in Thailand I have no idea, but at least she has not like a lot of Americans (another story of its own), mistaken Singapore to be part of China!


Anyway, that was almost coming to a close on Sunday. Got back to the Sheraton hotel and got my luggage, took a taxi to Hochheim - to be my area of stay for the week. Funny part of this part of the journey was that the taxi driver got lost... After the meter had jumped to 40 Euros, he stopped the meter and told me that he will charge me for that amount only (due to the fact that he is not familiar and was not able to get me to my intended location within the actual distance). The first location he wanted to turn into was Hofheim which is not the same place as Hochheim. I had to let him know that it's actually very near Mainz. He took the next exit, telling me that it's easier and nearer to use the other road than using the Autobahn (In Singapore terms, it's Expressway). He drove and we finally saw the road signs that has the correct name Hochheim on it. Follow it and finally got to the town. However, there isn't much of a map to show where the Hotel was, he stopped the taxi again and asked any person he came across. The first gentleman he ask did not even know the location of the road that the hotel is situated (Imagine that!). Finally it turns out that we were actually very close to the road, just a turn into the small street, turn left at the Y junction and in a few more metres we are there... So finally I got to be in the correct location - Rheingauer Tor Hotel.

Apparently this is a family-run hotel and the owner actually stays about 5 mins away from the hotel. So I had to press the buzz that was linked to their own home (the reception close rather early at 6pm on Sundays, 8pm on other days) and had to wait in the lobby for 5 mins. At least I did not have to stand in the cold for that! Soon she arrive and I got my room as well as Internet access!!!!! Quite funny that for a large hotel like Sheraton, it does not have broadband access and yet in this small family-run hotel, I get broadband access and in wireless format too! Once I had settle down with the luggages and all that, it was time to hit the road for dinner! It was a good thing that I managed to ask the lady where to eat before she left for her home again... Had a Hungarian goulash soup as well as a smaller portion serving of beef steak which I have to say are rather tasty, with the soup favouring towards a wee bit of salty. Wash all these down with a pint of beer.

Came back to the hotel after the dinner, and started my usual activities (surfing and reading of emails). Soon, it was time for bed.

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Woke up early on Monday morning, due to the relative heatness I felt with a layer of pjs with a jumper and leg warmers. It was a little unbearable with the heat, so I had to wake up to remove the jumper and leg warmers. Find it kind of funny that as the time changes, the temperature will also change - it gets colder, despite leaving the radiator on with the same speed. Anyway, it was way too early so I got back to sleep.

Woke up 2 hours later and was rather frentic in getting ready for breakfast (the breakfast time is only up till 9am). While having breakfast, I was on the lookout for my German colleague who was going to give me a lift to the office - well, I have no idea where it is anyway. It was the start of the training week.

Had Italian food for lunch and realised that the food here seem to be quite in favour of salty food. The lasagne that I had was also leaning toward the salty... Oh, the impression of most people outside of Germany is that German food is basically the Bratwurst, beer and Pork Knuckles!!! Well, I found out that it's not. Infact I had not had a Bratwurst yet! Well, except for the time where I had Sheraton's breakfast buffet. Even then, it's only the beef sausages, not the famous version of the sausages. But I do see a fair bit of Schnitzel.

*Yawn* Ok... time to ZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Germany... So far....

Well, I am currently having training in Germany, and it will be for a week. So far, it's been COLD! But then again, it's winter here, so cold is expected. Infact, I have been grateful that I bought the gloves as it's really a necessity. I never did think it was that cold when I arrive. Did not even wear any thermal underwear, but to wear that onboard the plane was also suicidal as at a point during the flight I was perspiring in my seat. Well, I can only say I was very glad that I wore them during my trip to Heidelberg... except that it was not the thicker one that I got on...

Anyway to start off, let start with the flight... For a person who is a confessed introvert, I must say I am surprised that I could start conversations with people. So it comes as a surprised that I start a conversation with the person sitting next to me (and that's before we even settle down in the seat for the plane to start taxing off). Well, that leads to a change of place as a lady ask me if I could change seat with her husband as he was sitting a few seats ahead and the rest of the family is sitting directly behind me. From there, due to some unknown reason that day, the system refused to work for me - which means I will not get to watch any movies or listen to audio channels - I get to shift to another seat. Had a chat with the 2 German guys and they actually was in Singapore for a meeting after a trip to Chengdu... Wonder if they learn to speak mandrin - then again, at that time, I forgot to ask....

Had stayed a night at Sheraton next to Frankfurt Airport... It's easier to stay there for a night than to start my night stay in Hochheim where I will be for the week. Of course it goes without saying that it's easier to travel around from the former location than the later. But boy was I surprised... Funny that they are still having dial-up for internet access and man, it's expensive. Therefore, I was not able to get online that night... Then again it was not a problem for me as I was rather tired by then. So I slept, only to wake up way before my alarm rang (and it's been 2 days in the row...)

Sunday came and gone... Traveled to Heidelberg, a place where I have been before in 1997. How time has flied and after so many years, Heidelberg seems to have changed (How it has changed... Still can't quite put a finger to it yet...). Even the method of getting there as changed. I remember when I went over for the 1st time, I don't have to change any train from Frankfurt airport. This time, I had to change at Mannheim to a S-Bahn (Don't ask me what that means, I only know that it's one of those regional trains). Funny thing about it is that I cannot recall how to get to the city centre and the tourist information centre was closed. Last resort that I did - Went to the nearest hotel and ask them if they got a map of the place. They gave directions on how to get there as well.

Anyway, it was a last moment decision that I decided to go to the Heidelberg Castle (or what's left of it). The last time I was there, I did not go there, so I thought this time I should do that... Nice grounds... Love the park, with all the nice colours of the trees. What amuses me while I was at the Castle ground was that I saw a group of Chinese nationals with a German lady as a guide and that lady speak flawless Beijing mandrin. I spent more than 5 mins in the shop just to witness the exchanges - she asking the shopkeeper in German, then inform the others what the shopkeeper says in Chinese.

From there, it was onto the city centre where apparently there are pockets of stores opened just for Christmas period. In it, there are also stores that sells Glühwein - Mulled wine. It's a hot red wine punch which is only available at this time at those Christmas market (or fair). It was a welcoming drink apparently for them as they still would want to carry on shopping at the fair and this drink, along with the sausages (Bratwurst), fuel your energies and warm you for continuation of Christmas shopping in the winter. There is also a non-alcoholic version - they call it a kid's version, Kinderglühwein. In this case, it taste like hot Ribena (if you know what Ribena is and also taste like) and it turns out that the reason for it is that they use grape juice instead of red table wine.


*Yawning * Ok, it's time to ZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzz... Will carry on tomorrow.

Saw this in an email recently.....

Found this in an email recently......

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On my wedding day, I carried my wife in my arms. The bridal car stopped in front of our one-room flat. My buddies insisted that I carry her out of the car in my arms. So I carried her into our home. She was then plump and shy. I was a strong and happy bridegroom.

This was the scene ten years ago.

The following days were as simple as a cup of pure water: we had a kid, I went into business and tried to make more money. When the assets were steadily increasing, the affection between us seemed to ebb. She was a civil servant. Every morning we left home together and got home almost at the same time. Our kid was studying in a boarding school.

Our marriage life seemed to be enviably happy. But the calm life was more likely to be affected by unpredictable changes.

Dew came into my life.

It was a sunny day. I stood on a spacious balcony. Dew hugged me from behind. My heart once again was immersed in her stream of love. This was the apartment I bought for her.

Dew said, You are the kind of man who best draws girls' eyeballs. Her words suddenly reminded me of my wife. When we were just married, my wife said, Men like you, once successful, will be very attractive to girls. Thinking of this, I became somewhat hesitant. I knew I had betrayed mywife. But I couldn’t help doing so.

I moved Dew' s hands aside and said, You go to select some furniture, O.K.? I ve got something to do in the company. Obviously she was unhappy, because I had promised to do it together with her. At the moment, the idea of divorce became clearer in my mind although it used to be something impossible to me.

However, I found it rather difficult to tell my wife about it. No matter how mildly I mentioned it to her, she would be deeply hurt. Honestly, she was a good wife. Every evening she was busy preparing dinner. I was sitting in front of the TV. The dinner was ready soon. Then we watched TV together. Or, I was lounging before the computer, visualizing Dew's body. This was the means of my entertainment.

One day I said to her in a slightly joking way, suppose we divorce, what will you do? She stared at me for a few seconds without a word. Apparently she believed that divorce was something too far away from her. I couldn’t imagine how she would react once she got to know I was serious.

When my wife went to my office, Dew had just stepped out. Almost all the staff looked at my wife with a sympathetic eye and tried to hide something while talking to her. She seemed to have got some hint. She gently smiled at my subordinates. But I read some hurt in her eyes.

Once again, Dew said to me, He Ning, divorce her, O.K.? Then we live together. I nodded. I knew I could not hesitate any more.

When my wife served the last dish, I held her hand. I’ve got something to tell you, I said.

She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes. Suddenly I didn’t know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the serious topic calmly.

She didn’t seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why? I’m serious. I avoided her question. This so-called answer made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, you are not a man!

That night, we didn’t talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer, because my heart had gone to Dew.

With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company. She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. I felt a pain in my heart. The woman who had been living ten years with me would become a stranger one day. But I could not take back what I had said.

Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer.

Late that night, I came back home after entertaining my clients. I saw her writing something at the table. I fell asleep fast. When I woke up, I found she was still there. I turned over and was asleep again.

She brought up her divorce conditions: she didn’t want anything from me, but I was supposed to give her one month’s time before divorce, and in the month’s time we must live as normal a life as possible. Her reason was simple: our son would finish his summer vacation a month later and she didn’t want him to see our marriage was broken.

She passed me the agreement she drafted, and then asked me, He Ning, do you still remember how I entered our bridal room on the wedding day? This question suddenly brought back all those wonderful memories to me. I nodded and said, I remember. You carried me in your arms, she continued, so, I have a requirement, that is, you carry me out in your arms on the day when we divorce. From now to the end of this month, you must carry me out from the bedroom to the door every morning.

I accepted with a smile. I knew she missed those sweet days and wished to end her marriage with romantically.

I told Dew about my wife's divorce conditions. She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she does, she has to face the result of divorce, she said scornfully. Her words more or less made me feel uncomfortable.

My wife and I hadn’t had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. We even treated each other as a stranger. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mummy in his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly, Let us start from today, don’t tell our son. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for a bus, I drove to the office.

On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. We were so close that I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn’t looked at this intimate woman carefully for a long time. I found she was not young any more. There were some fine wrinkles on her face.

On the third day, she whispered to me, The outside garden is being demolished. Be careful when you pass there.

On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I seemed to feel that we were still an intimate couple and I was holding my sweetheart in my arms. The visualization of Dew became vague.

On the fifth and sixth day, she kept reminding me something, such as, where she put the ironed shirts, I should be careful while cooking, etc. I nodded. The sense of intimacy was even stronger.

I didn't tell Dew about this.

I felt it was easier to carry her. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger. I said to her, It seems not difficult to carry you now.

She was picking her dresses. I was waiting to carry her out. She tried quite a few but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, All my dresses have grown bigger. I smiled. But I suddenly realized that it was because she was thinner that I could carry her more easily, not because I was stronger. I knew she had buried all the bitterness in her heart. Again, I felt a sense of pain. Subconsciously I reached out a hand to touch her head.

Our son came in at the moment. Dad, it’s time to carry mum out. He said. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had been an essential part of his life. She gestured our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face because I was afraid I would change my mind at the last minute. I held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly, as if we came back to our wedding day. But her much lighter weight made me sad.

On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. She said, Actually I hope you will hold me in your arms until we are old.

I held her tightly and said, Both you and I didn’t notice that our life lacked intimacy.

I jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my decision. I walked upstairs. Dew opened the door. I said to her, Sorry, Dew, I won't divorce. I'm serious.

She looked at me, astonished. The she touched my forehead. You got no fever. She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Dew, I said, I can only say sorry to you, I won’t divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn’t value the details of life, not because we didn't love each other any more. Now I understand that since I carried her into the home, she gave birth to our child, I am supposed to hold her until I am old. So I have to say sorry to you.

Dew seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove to the office.

When I passed the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet for my wife which was her favorite. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote, I'll carry you out every morning until we are old.

-----

Rather interesting article I have to say... Funny thing is... If you know your spouse has already stray from you... And have ask for divorce, what would you do? I really wonder what went thru her head when she told her husband that he will have to carry her out till the end of the month... Perhaps it's was something that she wants to remember by, as I believe she still loves him. Whether she knows what effect it will have on him is debatable.

Perhaps it's something that people would have to think about. Looking at the divorce rates, it's kind of wonder why they would want to marry anyway? Is it incompatiblility? If so, why get married in the first place? You mean despite knowing the person for so long, you still don't know if you are compatible??? Not unless the person has been acting in front of you - if you know the person for so long, how can it be that you don't know the person well enough to be able to access if both of you are compatble with each other?

Is it really that love is not longer there? Why? You decided on it after so many years, ok, fine.... it may be months instead of years... Whatever... Then where has the love gone? Did it just vanished? Or is it really, like in this story, that you have lost the intimacy... And because of that you think you lost the love?

Could it also be that you are not willing to spend the time and effort to work with each other as the commitment level in this day and age is not longer a must in a relationship? Is commitment a "dirty" word in our dictionary?

I cannot fathom how 2 persons could in a such a short time (within months of their wedding) suddenly decided that they are not compatible and would want to divorce... In fact, why did they get married in the 1st place? Is it really irreconcilable? Or is it because of external factors that come to play?

Marriage is not just about 2 persons... It's actually 2 families... If you as a couple is not going to sit down and work out how much influence your family will have in your marriage... Add in the consideration of 2 different personalities... It's a recipe for disaster. Why? Simple, we carry what we have learnt from our interaction with our own family into the relationship. If you are easily influence by your parents, then in your decisions, you will still look for your parents for advice. However, if the advice given goes against the grain of your spouse... Won't a quarrel starts between the 2 of you? Similarly, if the pattern of behaviour in your family is such, wond't you be subconciously applying the same pattern of behaviour in yours? And thus, expecting the same results?

Oh well... Whatever, if people are as such... Perhaps because of this , among other reasons, that I am still not in that shoe yet... As for whether it will ever happens... That's still a question...

Time to ZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

P.S. - Will be flying to Germany this Sat for a week!!!! But I am now stressed out from having things not settled... Still have a list of stuff to get before flying.... ARGH!!!!!

Bored and feeling rather blue....

Ok... I am bored... It's kind of funny, cause I just (finally) got myself a new DSLR (Nikon D70) as a birthday present to myself (That's another topic of it own, by the way). Yet, here I am, talking about boredness...

Took the Friends Quiz (link from one of my friend's blog - Ok... When I get bored, I take such quizzes, don't ask me why; I have not found out the answer yet) and was told that I'm most identified with is the Ross character... Hmmm... I guess I can figure why it was that. I mean, frankly, I am unique (ok, weird, if you want to put it plainly), at least from 95% of the population in the country. My views have been and will, I guess, always be different. Infact sometimes, I wonder if I do have a view at all. It's a habit I had is that I tend to think from all angles, and that puts me at the fence. Of course, when my temper rises, that method of thoughts are thrown totally out of the window... But, majority of the time, well, I tend to be that. It gets to a point where sometimes, I don't even really know myself.

Frankly, I sometimes wonder if anyone really knows me at all. I mean, if I don't know myself at all, how could someone else knows me??? Am I a generous person? Am I a bitter person? Do I have the "green" eye? These are general characteristics which most of the time can be felt/distinguished by our actions/words. How about the unknown? The thoughts that gathers in my head; The pains that I felt but yet unknown to people; The vulnerablilities that I feel but yet not presented to the world; The fears that I have concerning everything that I have contact with; etc... etc.. etc...

Sometimes I wonder if the trials that we had faced - does it really makes you stronger? Or does it make the next trial even harder to face? Will any of those that you had faced and conquered, comes back in a bigger manifestation than it did previously? Like the depression that you have faced and thought conquered, does it comes back and in a bigger way that you have not expected it to? Why did I ask, well... I guess it seems to me that I am feeling rather blue again, despite the fact that there is nothing much to be depress about... Then again, does it really need a matter to start? Or even, without any visible cause, it will still comes back and haunt you and taunt you? Trying it's way to win this new battle? Or is there really something in the far corner of your subconcious mind that had brewed and grow to the point where it cannot be hidden from your concious mind and thus it starts it's blooming?

Nevermind... Stomach growling and eyes growing rather weary... time to ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzz

MIA

Heh... Just realised that I had MIA from blogging for more than 1 month... Maybe it's because I'm busy... Maybe, after the last few blog, started to wonder if blog really works for me... Maybe, maybe, maybe...

Anyway... I have to say this... I am looking forward to getting my Star Wars Trilogy DVD boxset!!! Finally, after so many years (well, I did get the VCDs, but these will not beat the DVD! Was too young to have $$$ to get a Laserdisc player and the Laserdisc version... Maybe I should - That's the only original version left!), so long of a wait... more than half of my current life time. To think this was one of the first few movies that I have watched... Wait, let me quantify that... It's one of the first few English movies that I have watched and left a hugh impression on my "fertile" mind... I think I have not come across any 3 movies that I could say I can watch over and over and over again... Heck, I even know the entire storyline and I think to almost every word they said in the movie... Ok, maybe the famous (or rather infamous) ones... "I think we're in trouble" sound very familiar isn't it?

Yes, yes... by now you should know that I am a Star Wars fan. I may not be as fanatic as some, like collecting action figures and all that, but I am a fan. Hey, you got to be a fan if you can watch it over and over again without feeling tired of it, like some of my friends... They just could not figure out why I just love watching it over and over again.

Going back to the "fertile" mind... You know why I term that? Simple... I would have at least a few nights of nightmare if I was to watch any horror or gross movies. You know those in the older days when I was about 4 or 5 years old, the chinese movies, then, to be of either very bloody show like the police movies where you see lots of blood; or those black magic movies, where you get to see maggots or serpents/snakes in the belly of some dead person (which signified that he was "cursed"). The best part of it all... You had no choice! It's not that you can don't watch... Especially since you are dragged in to the theatre with your parents, and they don't have anyone at home to help them to look after you...

There you hide yourself on the floor, behind the front seat... But surrounded by the sound from the movie, yet at times, you are so curious that you pop your head out to see what is happening. Yet, when you saw those gross part, you shut your eyes and hide behind the seat again... But the image has been imprint into your brain, thus allowing it to manifest in your sleep into something that becomes your nightmare... Sad, but true - till today, I refused to watch any horror movies - never did, never will. So please leave me out if you are going to watch those kind of movies... Maybe it's silly to some, but hey, I rather not risk it, especially since I had not had nightmares for a very, very, very long time - I don't think I want to ever again!

Haiz... Movies... Used to watch at least 1 movies in 1 month... By now, if I can get to the cinema for a movie within 6 months, that's good. Hmmm... That reminds me... I have to get to the cinema for Bourne Supremacy before the run ends... It sad, but nowadays, I don't seems to be able to find people to watch movies with me... It all started with this rule by mother that I must not watch movie on my own (don't understand why... but well, it's her rule) and since then, even after so many years, I had to catch movies with someone, and I would feel very odd if I was to do it on my own. Which means... I don't get to see much movies then. Why? Simple, the movies I want to watch, friends would have watch it already before I even ask; or they don't like to watch those that I would like to catch; or they want to watch those that I don't want to watch... Of course, the other reason is that they tend to watch it with their boyfriend/girlfriend/hubby/wife... So poor lonely me, would have to either skip it, or with the feeling of oddness, watch it alone...

Sad, but true... Oh well... Must watch it by this Friday... Darn, that means got to watch the midnight timing... But morning got to send car for servicing... ARGH!!!!!!

Reason for the delay.....

Had wanted to post the previous posting earlier, but hit a big snag.....

Well, somehow (till now still could not pinpoint the culprit, but found a solution... FINALLY!!!) I could get IE and Windows explorer to run. Everytime windows explorer is clicked, it give this error message (which by the way, many a times, is useless for troubleshooting) in the Event log and it took me about 3 hours before finally found something that can help to relief the stressfulness of finding the culprit and solution to the problem, but so far have no idea what has happen.... It works just fine yesterday night!

Anyway, it really makes me wonder if I should start playing around with Linux and see if that is a better system to use. The only forseeable problem - I am getting a bit lazy in trying out new stuff.... I just want to surf my usual "hangouts" and that's it!

Oh well.... time to ZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..... Got a t-con at 9 am, need to run into office earlier to prepare for that !

Fireworks.... (Part Deux)

My alter ego questioned me after yestersday's blog :- If it takes so long (more than 10 years) for you to even let someone close to you know of this incident; Why do you decide to blog it down? Why now?

Frankly, I have no idea. I guess perhaps it's a healing process. If you do not admit to it, there is no way for the wound to start to heal; Take an alcoholic for example, if he/she does not admit that he/she is one, there is no way for the person to start the process of recovering - How would you recover if, to you, it does not exist? Perhaps, it becaused it's healed, and it's not longer something that you want to hide from anyone. It could, well, also be that this can be used as an encouragement to those that might be facing with the same situaton - if I, no different from anyone in the street, could survive such a situation, why not someone else?

I only know is that no matter what happens, there will be times where you might spark some fireworks in someone's life. Giving them some hope, some help to throw some light into their "dim and never ending dark tunnel". So, I guess my answer to that would be "Why not?"

Meantime, here are more of the fireworks that I had taken which I think looks good.














Fireworks - NDP 2004

Fireworks

Downloaded the fireworks that I had taken on 9 Aug, and was pleasantly surprise to see some pictures that does not seem promising via the LCD review, turns out not too bad when you look at it full size. Of course there are times when it was the other way round - looks promising on the LCD turns out to be not usable when viewing full size. Somehow, to me, it depicts how life is like that - sometimes when the future seems so bright and rosy to you, turns out to be the worst part of your year then. Whereas when all seems dark and hard, it turns out to be the best part of your year.

Perhaps it's also the reason why hope seems to be a unique character of humans. With hope, we would strive and forge our way out of the situation, no matter how it turns. Yet, without hope, we bow our heads and accept what comes to us without any fight. Despondent, we fall into the path where it may leads us - to the horrors of our rational minds - to the possibility of committing suicide (and taking some others with us as well as seen in some newspaper reports). Not realistic? Call me a pessimist, but when everything hits at you all at the same time, it may become something of a possibility that it will seem viable and even looks "good" to you at that point of time. Look at the recent report where a man murdered his children before killing himself, all because of his divorce case where he will lose custody of his children. Does this mean without hope, we are doomed? Perhaps not, as each and everyone of us are different, and how one reacts will depends on their personality, faith, friends and love ones' senstivitity to them, and even, perhaps, a miracle.

Imagine, at that point of time - you felt that every day, every gesture, every thing in your life are meaningless, including the very life you have. With the only thought that runs through your mind - ways and means that you can end of your life; including evaluating which method is foolproof! From jumping from the top of a building (chances are no return, unless there are things in the way to break your fall) to a razor/sharp object cutting your wrist (as long as the main vein/artery is not cut, bleeding can still be easily stopped... I think); it's all in that corner of your brain, with your own twisted thoughts that weigh which way is the surest way to succeed - with the least or most amount of pain depending on how masochistic you are.

And yet, with a silent cry - for help, for the release from such thoughts, despair and hopelessness; God stretch out his hand to you and brings you out of it. Perhaps not in an abrupt manner, but in a slow, but sure, way, mending the brokeness/depair you felt, a little by little. Would you consider this as a miracle? I would, for I was once in that position, and God did carry me, letting me felt His presence, and gently moves me out of the fog of depression/suicideness. Thus, without God, I would have been buried six feet under years ago - something which I had pointed out to some of my closest friends. Ironically, I was not a real believer - had attended Sunday school when I was younger (but had not much memory of those days, never did know why) and left once I was in secondary school.

From there, I had experienced lows and high points in my life - terrible A level results, thus failing to qualify for local university - yet, in the end, have the opportunity to study and experience overseas University lifestyle (which happens to be one of my childhood dreams); getting retrenched during the 1997-8 financial crisis in Asia, and yet, had a nice holiday with my mum before earning some money working as a temp back in the same company for 3 months, then getting a new permanent job; securing a new job in the immediate post-SARS period, where economy downturns occurs; small and yet wonderful miracles which sometimes I reflect in awe of how God works in my life.

Perhaps, in many ways, I have not shown God's holiness in my life, but I do know that I am still, and will be till the day I die, be in God's "Work in Progress" list.



Fireworks - NDP 2004

Interesting Readings in Forum

As with most people who surf the net everyday, we have our own set of sites that we would surf religiously. For my case, it's usually the SPUG website to keep update on Palm stuff (or rather up to date with anything that interested the Palm crowd) as well as Clubsnap which is very popular with Singapore's amateur (well, maybe pro as well) photographers and some other minor ones which include soccer news. The usual read will include the new and updated threads in their forums.

The one that I encountered today was this thread that someone was suggesting to create an exclusive area for SPUG singles. From there someone placed a link to an old topic, concerning this letter that was published in the ST Forum page. This was a very old link that had reactions (from SPUGers, well at least those that are registered in the SPUG forum) to that letter in the forum. Interestingly enough... it's again about how government should do something (like giving incentives, *again!*) about the increasing rate of unmarried Singapore women. This, somehow, also ties into the latest buzz about how government is trying to do something to entice married couples to have more children.

Has it comes to a point whereby the government needs to step in every time something, especially in the social but leading toward private life, seems to be lacking? Hasn't all these issues got to do with how people run their lives? Do we need government interference in our daily lives? Has getting married and having children becomes a monetary issue that you could tick off in your tax plan so that you could get to pay less taxes - which is supposedly means more $$$ for you to spend? Of course if there are fewer children born each year, the government would get worried of the aging population triangle, especially in a small island like Singapore.

Perhaps the issue here is not just people's wants, but more of how they have been brought up - especially in such an environment. We have always been told to strive for the best, to be world class - isn't it surprising that we want also the best for our children? If so, isn't it surprising to find that our family circle could get smaller, I mean how much can you afford to make sure your children - all of them - could get the best education/ a head start in the academic area/ some other 'enrichment' arena like music, arts, etc? If you want everything to be the best for your children, isn't a wonder that you can only concentrate on 1 or 2 child at the most?

Of course, there are those that reject such notions, but then that lies the paradox. You said you want the best for your child, and yet you don't need to spend to get the best? How could that be? You know that the best, which will translate to being the popular, and thus will translate to being expensive (simple economics - the more the demand, with little supply, drives up the $$$ - to a certain point). So how could you balance both of them - if you want your child to be up there with the Jones (or rather in local terms, shall we say, the Lees/Ongs/Ngs/etc, .... whatever)? Your child will need music lessons, extra play/learn time sessions with Kinderland or Montessori or whatever that is popular at this moment. They will also most probably have Kumon classes so that they can brush up their language skills in order to be bilingual and to do well in their school. Perhaps to help them to keep up in other subject areas, they will have tuition. Or even lessons in tennis or swimming or even horse riding (well, maybe not this activity, then again you will never know). Oh, not forgetting some basic lessons in computing such that they could be comfortable with computers, which most probably a "feature" in their home.

I shudder when I started to think about the life a child has to live. Thank goodness it's all over for me. I wonder if I would survive if I am at that age now.... What's worst is that I am not certain if I would become like that if (and that's a big if) I do become a parent. To push them in order, in my rationalisation, for them to be able to have some foothold or at least some head start in this country.

But I am jumping the gun again in this... There is also this other area for singles to ponder... Has the environment pushes us to be "unreasonable" in our search for a partner? I mean, looking at the posting of the people in the thread, has it come to past that we are so idealistic that we do not wish to readjust our standpoint? Of course there are those that have a more realistic view, but then again, are they the majority or minority?

Take myself for example. I don't think I am that of an idealist. I mean with only 3 main criteria of 1. God fearing; 2. Caring and 3. Able to accept me for what I am, not what they want me to be.... Is that so difficult?!?!??! Ok, ok, maybe throw in humour as well (Hmmmm... then again humour for one may not be for another.... Hmmmm). But then again, it's not just about what I want isn't it. Just as I have a criteria list, the other person will also have their list. To get the people matching up with their listing, to me, is like a miracle, but I think for them to work towards a marriage and working on the marriage to ensure its survival in this age is a greater miracle.

I have seen marriages that are still surviving and also marriages that crumbles in less than 1 year. Yes, the couples may have gone through counselling, courses, etc, to help them to prepare for marriage life, but ultimately isn't it allows boils down to how much do you want to spend effort/time as well as how much you will want to compromise with each other? I have heard of an advice that marriage is about 80% of giving and 20% of taking which basically means that you would be willing to compromise 80% of the time and 20% of the time where you would insist on your way. It does seem to be very sound or is it not? Would this mean that 60% of the time there will be no resolution? Ok, I jest - I don't think most people could stand it if you do not have resolution for 60% of the time... I mean, you have to know what you want for dinner right? To cook or not to cook, to buy or not to buy, etc.

Oh well... whatever, I am still mulddering through this. There are so many theories and advice out there that it just too overwhelming... Meantime... Anyone has any idea what I am getting at??? Must be the timing of this... Ok... time to sleep, and rest, and... You know.

*Another few of those funny quizzes*

How to make a Visible, Invisible

Ingredients: 5 parts pride 1 part ambition 1 part leadership

Method: Layer ingredientes in a shot glass. Add a little cocktail umbrella and a dash of fitness

Username:

Personality cocktail
From Go-Quiz.com

Hmm.... Pride, Ambition and Leadership.... Very Interesting they got here.... Add a dash of fitness as well. I guess without fitness, with all those ingredients, it will not go far.... Heh. Wow, 5 parts of pride - Is pride really that much a part of me? While I might be proud of what I have accomplished in my life, I seriously doubt there is anymore pride in me than anyone else. Compared to most of my peers, I have nothing much to show - other than I have survived in this rat race of today. I am not highly paid, not in management position (as some of my peers are), nothing to show acomplishment in the arts or sports arena. Nothing! So how prideful can that be? Maybe I am proud of the fact I have non of those?!?! But then, what's there to be proud of anyway - proud of accomplish nothing!??!

Ambition. Well, yes I can be ambitious, but I think the last retrenchment has shown me otherwise, what's the use of being ambitious when you can be retrenched anytime when the company is not doing well? Maybe, it's because I'm between projects, they can "spare" the person... I don't know, but I was retrenched, and that puts the amibition bit to bed. I know I am not someone with much business sense to survive having my own business, so no point of pushing in that direction. I tend to do better as a troubleshooter than anything else.

We come to the last point - Leadership. What is leadership? Until now, I have no idea on what leadership really means. Does it mean that if you are a leader; you direct, people follow? Or is it that you are to coach and guide people such that they can be better in what they are doing? I don't know, only thing is that I have no idea what they mean for the last ingredient, especially for a person that does not like the limelight! Why do you think this name of "Visible, Invisible" is used anyway? Yes I am visible to the world, but yet I prefer to be invisible, well, at least not in the frontline anyway. Don't think I would make it in politics with this.... Heh. Not that I am thinking about it...

Your Icecream Flavour is...Neopolitan!

You aren't satisfied with just one flavor. They say variety is the spice of life and this shines through in your Ice cream of choice! Just don't eat all the chocolate and leave the strawberry and vanilla behind!

What is your Icecream Flavour?

Find out at Go Quiz

Ahahahaha... This is funny... I love chocolate and hate strawberry... But yes, I love variety, maybe they should use another mix of flavours (but leave the chocolate in there)!!!!

Being Single (and Available)

Is it just me or somehow singles tend to be very sensitive about this topic? Especially after years of "interrogation" from relatives and friends in occasions, which include CNY and weddings. Or by now I should be "dead" to such feelings? Is life (after getting your education) really about :-

Step 1 - Find a boyfriend/girlfriend.
Step 2 - Get married.
Step 3 - Have your first kid.
Step 4 - Have more kids.

If you stumble on Step 1... They would assume that you have "high" standards, so they will advise you not to have so "high" of a standard. Then a few years later, with the same question again, this time... your mother steps in and ask them if they got anyone to introduce.... Guess what, they bursh that off by saying that they don't have friends/acquaintances that's my age! So why should they start asking about all these? Of course, they meant well, but, hey don't bang on it every time we get to meet! Is there no other topics to talk about except this??? If it is, please don't talk - I rather not to to talk then to rehash the old grounds again.

It seems that there is this pattern that you are supposed to follow - when you are young, you study. Make sure you get good grades, get into college (well, in Singapore context, that would be university) and graduate from there. Then you find a partner, get married and have kids. Worry about kids till they grow up (they are expected to grow in a similar pattern as you did, of course with the generation changes, like we used to play "zero-point" when we are young, now they are playing computer games). Retired and supposedly live the "golden years" fulfilled. How many people who subscribe to it actually achieving it??

Perhaps, if we are single and we grow old, there is a higher chance of not having someone to take care of you or having someone to take care of each other, but with the divorce rates rising in an alarming rate and increasingly children are sending their parents to homes just because they feel that they don't have time to take care of them or the parents don't fit into their lifestyle. Where is that guarantee that with being married and with kids you will not be alone when you are old? People die, kids may "grow wings and fly".

Oh well... Maybe I am just being cynical (which I tend to be) and there are singles that are not fazed by these questions... I don't know when I may become less fazed by these questions, but I do know these questions will not end just here... There will be others with the same questions, and hopefully, by then, I can be "death" to those irking feelings that I felt.

An Alternative View

Ok, after much sleep (and waking up late)... Here's something that went thru my head on my way to church (which usually means God is trying to get me to listen...) :-

(In trying to write it out after 20 mins, I give up. Kind of difficult to explain in words) Gist of it is that I should not put myself in situations where I can no longer be blameless. Furthermore, by harping and allowing the indignant I felt to have a stephold in my heart, I have actually sinned. Thus making myself out of sync with God - which could explain the restlessness in me.

I guess "Everything is meaningless" hits it hard, at the end of the day, it's meaningless to go harping on something with someone who hangs "I am driving this way to piss you off" in their car. It does not do you good, in fact it might harms your sense of balance and also robbing your joy in a new day. Well, time to go pick up the rest of the day.

Sigh... looks like it's another those looks rainy but yet not raining days.....

P.S. I guess I am also, and always (till I die), in construction works under God's direction... How much He can, I supposed depends on how I would response... Hmmmm... Time to ponder on that...

*Bored Enough to try this link*

What Common Breed of Dog Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Not a good day! (Note: *Ranting*)

Sigh... I don't proclaim myself to be a saint, heck, who can be one anyway. But this really hit my deck... I have been claim to have a bad attitude, just because I refused to give way in a yellow box while waiting to get into the car park.

To start off, let's talk about the place... This happens in the small lane leading to a shopping mall car park. There are 2 methods to enter the small lane - via a small lane from the main road (which leads to the yellowbox junction), or the usual "longer" route of turning left into another road before it leads to the main entrance (and only exit) of the small lane. When it first started, the yellowbox junction does not exist, and that small lane from the main road does not exist as well. Somehow someone must have complaint about not being able to enter and have to go a big roundabout before able to enter if they miss the turning, that the authorities decided to have that entry from the main road (and adding the yellowbox junction), thus making it like a T-junction.

Now if you have been that small lane during Saturdays, you will noticed that at times, there will be long queues waiting to go into the car park. Sometimes, it could take up the entire lane. The reason for the queue is that the shopping mall is one of the few, if not only, car park in the heart of town that starts "per entry" basis after 1 pm - the rest starts from 5 pm. Which means if you are shopping the entire afternoon in that area, you could save $$$ in terms of car park fees. Naturally, it's full every Saturday after 1pm till about 5pm.

So today, in my rare venture into the town, we (my aunt and my mum) decided to park in that car park. We were in the queue for about 30 mins before we reached the yellowbox junction. As with the cars in front (and behind), the yellowbox junction was ignored (Heck, why the yellowbox is there we have no idea! Seems to encourage people to cut the queue as seen in this incident). As we waited, here came the car from the main road, moving towards the yellowbox junction and tries to cut into the queue (Despite seeing a number of cars queue behind my car). Naturally, I refused to give way - why should I? Just because it's a yellow junction you have the right to cut-in? An additional car can add to at least 10 mins of additional waiting as well as not being fair to the other cars that have been waiting behind. Because of that, my car got photographed, and I got screamed at for not giving way, and of course was told that I got a bad attitude.

I wonder... What's his attitude then? Does this means that it's ok to cut in front of others in a queue? So if the reverse happens, will he be willing to wait in the queue? And what happens if at the point of time, every time just before he got a chance to move, another car comes along and cut in the way he did, will he still gives way?

I know I'm being bad, but I hope that he will be caught in that situation, and let see how "good" attitude he has! (Of course, with me witnessing it!)

It dawn to me that we have come to this situation where, it's a "Me" and "I" syndrome, which perhaps needs some pondering over:
- I have the right of way, so I don't care if you had waited minutes/hours to get there, I am going to cut in.
- I am your customer, I have the right to tell you what I want and how I want, who cares if there are tons of people around me also waiting to be served?

Oh... By the way, he still managed to cut in... Of course when he drive so damn close to my car, forcing me to stop and let him pass... Well, I hope he is happy that he cut off at least 5 cars waiting before he came! Maybe it makes his day just by doing that! I am sure I am not the only one swearing at him when he did that...

Heck, I may be, in traffic terms, be in the wrong. But boy, telling me that I had an attitude when he cuts in front of everyone else! That like a pot calling the kettle black!

Ok.. Now that I have ranted, it time to let it go... (Can pick it from here anytime! ) I might get heart attack/high blood pressure soon if I don't.

My 1st posting.... Reason for this blog??? (Maybe)

Lovely... I have just taken a step into having a blog... Have thot of it previously, but maybe I was a little too lazy to start it, as well as not knowing what to do... Of course, now that my friends have started theirs, I thot might as well... They could read of what has happen or even what's been in my mind, since they are definitely not a mind-reader! :P


You know, it's not that easy to get started... Trying to understand how this works takes some time... Of course the basic stuff is easily picked up, without manual, but I have to say, I am stumped... Guess I got to start reading FAQs and Knowledge Base for this... See even if you are an IT-savy person, you still can be stumped (if you don't RTFM)! Take heart!


Time to start.....