Call Me YOUR HIGHNESS!

又是一个月一次的 Saturday Duty。今天，一个新来的同事 W 告诉我：“我觉得你和这里的 RM 不一样"。我不知这是否是赞美。

难道她也看出我和同事有隔膜？在这里已有约10个月，总觉得自己不属于这里，归属感是零，和同事也没什么话题可聊。打从我念书的时候开始，就爱打工，做过那么多工作，这里最让我觉得，“我只是打一份工罢了”。我问 W ，有什么不一样？或许一时间她也答不出来，只是觉得我和这里格格不入。

她说她觉得我很用功。我松了一口气。因为我并不讨厌我的工作，反而还蛮喜欢我的工作的 。而且大家都是领公司薪水的人，只要是我能力范围能做的事，我都不好意思麻烦他人。不过跑业务的人，用不用功通常只用业绩来衡量。而我在这里的业绩并不特别优秀，有人用“用功”二字在我身上，让我觉得很欣慰，我的努力真的有人看见，有人体会。星期六虽然要工作，但有意外的收获。

老公去 ICT-Outfield 3天2夜。全身的 jungle 味，连用 pungent 来形容都不够贴切。回到家时巳过午夜，我坚持老公要在吃晚餐前洗澡。不过，冲了凉后还是有森林的味道......第二天早上，大概是老公自己受不了那股味儿，自动自觉又去洗澡。

（冲凉后）
老公：我还有没有那个味道？
我： 哦，所以老公，我是不是很爱你？昨晚你那么臭我还让你跟我睡。
老公：老婆，我才真的很爱你。我这么累，平时应该连凉都不冲，我就睡了。
[...]

一本简单却很有学问的书。

我承认我是一个“很直”的人。ie 不是很 sensitive 的人。尤其对于安慰人，我真的很不再行。而在于接受别人的安慰，也会让我觉得不自在。

日常生活中，我也学会不要动不动就做出反对的评语，因为没有人喜欢被反对，尤其是自己在没有给对方解释或者没有亲身验证的时候。就算，是验证了，当你否认对方时，也同时让对方讨厌你。比如：有人介绍某某餐馆好吃，你没吃过，却马上说不好吃，那人会觉得这人真没礼貌，说的话听了还不如不听。如果你吃过，却真的觉得不好吃，我还是建议你不要直接说不好吃，你可以建议说，“我有吃过另一间相同的餐馆, 也不错”。要记得，他的口味有可能和你的不同，所谓各花入各眼，也许你不喜欢的，别人十分喜欢。这点，我至今还需多加练习。

这个 quarter 真的过得有点儿快。

Your Highness 一月忙着搬家，二月忙过年和拍婚纱照，三月以为能喘气，以为和现实当然有差。三月忙着工作，并不是说一、二月都没在努力，不过老板下最后通牒，让我被感压力。

不过，起码在前两个月有一点 accomplishments。对于搬进我们的爱巢和拍婚纱照，我都感到兴奋无比。新家还需要一点 touch-up, 不过基本上已经成型。希望在四月能 housewarming，分享我们的喜悦。那些没来过就 super 不 sensitive 的说不喜欢这个，不喜欢那个的人，自然不会在 invite list 上。我无需向这些人证明什么，ultimately, 我才是住在这里的人，你喜不喜欢，不关我的事。

二月拍的婚纱照，过瘾的在于过程。我不是一个爱拍照的人，还能享受其中，真不容易。效果也不错，不过现在还不能 share，因为 file 太大。亲爱的朋友们，请再等一下。

没有再到拥挤的 Vivo City 还是 Marina Bay 过年，而是应邀到 Alicia 家过年。上了年纪，不想再人挤人，希望过的比较 family style 一点。不过这几年，我们一直三缺一，这次少了凤娴。

我恨不得把整个凤山 85 巴刹搬到 Alicia 家去。一桌子的地道菜，希望能解 Alicia 的乡愁。尤其是那德国猪脚，真是 ichiban ne。


没有什么特别节目，原本担心会闷死老公。不过，偶尔有 KX entertain 我们，还蛮好笑的。小小年纪，因为看了 Thomas & Friends 而讲话时有 accent，而且他会的英文词汇还真不少。我们以前小学才学的介词，如今他已驾轻就熟，如：the train crashed into the remote.

Finished this book on the New Year day. A really humorous book to read. It is categorized under travel literature. If you can appreciate the difference in cultures, you find more joy when reading it. I was sharing with my friends about the Brit trying to teach Parisien how to speak English in France.

"What did you have for dinner last night?"
"I made some crap."
"You mean crepes? Pancakes."
"Yes, pan-cack."
...

"What would you say to the waiter if you had no cutlery?"
"Er, excuse me, I want a knife and a fuck."

Highly recommended.

Went Bangkok the Nth time.
It's a birthday trip for R. So I kept the shopaholic Highness in Singapore, not much shopping was done this time round. We only indulge ourself with the wide but cheap selection of food.

Many times we identify one's nationality when he/she speaks. While we Singaporean have Singlish, Thai have their own style too. Other than their accent, making them sounds like they're singing when speaking, they have unique ways of structuring their sentences too.

Customer Service @ Posh Shopping Mall
Your Highness: Is there a link to X shopping mall?
Receptionist: Yes, Mdm. You go up 1 time then turn right.

R was giggling and mimicking the way she says "1 time up". Can u imagine when we heard it the 2nd time from a security guard, telling us it's "2 times up" this time? R bursted and lose control totally.

这两天当我在架车时，总有错觉车轮爆胎了。下车看了看，却看不出有什么问题。想起朋友说过，要常常检查轮胎的气压，车子不但会比较好开，还会省油。不过对着打气机，我和 R 都束手无策。打气机有显示 PSI，可是我们都不知道要 set 多高的 PSI。担心打错，会弄巧反拙。

还好打给 ZQ

Your Highness: eh... how do I know my car's tires must set wat PSI ha?
ZQ: (giggle) It's on your car
Your Highness: Where? where? (looking frantically around)
ZQ: Your car door
Your Highness: Which door?
ZQ: Driver's door
Your Highness: Dun have leh... where?
ZQ: At your door seal there... (giggle)
Your Highness: Oh... found it!

有时候觉得自己很没常识。不过，不耻下问是我向来的优点。虽然被笑，不过学到新的东西，让我觉得很有成就感。

Through a friend, I bought a manicure + pedicure voucher at Bliss @ Ion, from Beeconomic.com. The voucher is valid till 30 Nov 2010. I tried calling them on the 1st week of Nov, and the slots are booked till the last week of Nov. I tried calling them to reschedule after that, trying to push it forward because my nails chipped and I am desperate to get it done, but no slots! Imagine I actually waited so many days just wanna to get my nails done, and I am so looking forward to my appt. Unfortunately, after all the events, guess i mixed up the dates and thought my appt is on Sunday.

Until Bliss called me on Saturday did I realized my appt is on Saturday. No calls were made to remind me of my appt a day prior to the appt. The manager claimed that they had called me. But when I told her I did not receive their call, she said "yah, you didn't answer the call, maybe you didn't hear your phone" What kind of answer is that? It really pissed me off.

First, I didn't receive their call, and I think they didn't make enough efforts to call me. They could have called me again to confirm our appt, isn't this the proper procedure? Secondly, the so-called MANAGER just make the matter worse. Her tone was harsh and stern. I am not your daughter or student. I am your CUSTOMER! I paid for a service. Instead of giving me a solution, she just keep pushing the responsibilities to me, making it very clear that it is MY fault, and none of THEIR business. Telling me that their company have logged the timing they call me blah blah..... I am not interested in how you run your business. I would like to say that it's none of my business too.When you are in a retail line, your company gave you a MANAGER role, even if it's not within your empowerment to help me, the least you could do was to sympathize with my situation. Don't forget that I am a customer that have paid for a service that now that I can't use. With so many competitors now, this kind of attitude will bring you no where, moreover it's at ION, a high end shopping mall.

To sum up my experience with them, I did not enjoy that BLISS, very very disappointing. If I know things are going to turn up this way, I should have just patron my usual spot to get my nails done instead of waiting so many days. No way am I going there for my nails.

如果两人一个星期只见一次面，有见不见无所谓，那你们真的相爱吗？

开始交往时，天天见面都不言烦。后来，感情稳定后，我和 R 并不是每天见面。生活中，常常要我忙我的，他忙他的。不过，后来有个男性朋友对我说，如果有见不见都无所谓，那你们真的相爱吗？有没有这个男友，也应该无所谓吧。当时的我不以为然，我回应到：“真正相爱，不必天天见面。” 我还天真的自以为自己说的才是真理。

很多时候，忙并不是借口。是因为你觉得不重要，所以才连一点时间都挪不出来。也许，这段感情真的没有那么重要。要不然，你可以少应酬一点，少去几次 Happy Hour, 少打几次电动，难道这些都比维持一段感情，还是维持一个家来的重要？如果连筹备婚礼、布置新家还是带小孩都没时间，你可能要重新面对自己，问问自己你们相爱吗？


p/s: X，所以当初我鼓励你到他身边去。远距离的恋爱，真的有差。你们俩已经在一起那么久了，如果是距离是造成你门分开的原因，那就太可惜了。我希望你到了那里会有新的生活和新的领悟。

Went for Mac breakfast with R at parkway parade.
A common ritual would be to visit the loo after the meal.

I was shocked to see this mum, letting her son to stand on the side of the basin, and was asking her son to pee into the basin! I couldn't even bring myself to wash my hands after my visit to the toilet.

What's your take?

老公怕鬼却爱看鬼片。看鬼片，他绝对不会睡着。RDI 是零。
续《见鬼》后，彭氏兄弟的另一剧作。我们并没有看3D版，不过可以想象它的效果应该不错。我觉得Storyline 不错，不过恐怖指数似乎不合格，没有之前《见鬼》来得恐怖，只有几个恐怖镜头。也许是我知质有点低，我没能在戏和戏名之间看出什么关联。而且，这出戏有力捧杨丞琳之嫌。

被很多朋友埋怨，太久没有update。不过，your highness 最近真是有一点儿忙。忙什么？

做sales的人，注定是没日没夜？老板不顾你有多努力，只管你有没有成绩。除了有实力，有时还要靠一点儿运气。碰到老板像老师管学生般分秒都在“看管”你，让我快要窒息。除了要应付工作，还要应付老板。头痛！

当烦恼越来越多，玻璃弹珠越来越少，我知道我已慢慢的长大了…… 《红蜻蜓》也是如此说的。人长大了，烦恼真是多到小脑袋有点儿装不下。问题总是接踵而来。工作已够忙了，家里的事情却时时困扰着我。家家有本难念的经，大家应该都有难处，只是大小不一。这应该是每个人必修的学分。在这方面，一直对于自己的要求甚高，希望自己能修得A，所以不得不把时间投资下去。

星期一到星期五已把自己卖给公司，周末必须过自己想要的生活。如今，我正在适应“已婚”的生活。老公说，每个周末我们就安排一个节目。不用多。一个就好。上个周末，我们约了contractor谈装修的事。这个周末，我们看了场电影。下个周末，该做什么呢？

It says 2.23AM as I started this post.

Never was I this lost. Even lying on the bed couldn't get me any sleep. When was the last time I had insomnia? I was pacing up and down the hallway, thinking through the ups and downs these 2 weeks. Many questions flash across my mind. How could this be happening to me? The more I think abt it, tears started to well up in my eyes.

I was staggering down the stairs and onto a cab to nowhere. Uncle, just go, please. I dunno where to go, or where was I. I can't even be bothered with the stares I am getting from the public. I can't believe I was defeated this way. I was deciding to come home or to have a night's out at my friend's place. After serious thoughts, I knew no where is better than home. Besides to trouble a friend at night isn't the best option

As I feel the sharp pain from the bump on my forehead that I'd gotten on my ROM day, I was thinking: it's funny how the pain didn't go away after so many days. And suddenly I made a decision. A decision that hopefully I could live with.

It's Hao's big day.

跟 Rag 有何关系？

我们是一群在大学时期认识的朋友，而把我们“牵在一起”的就是 Rag。Rag & Flag 是 NUS　每年都会在迎新时主办的一个活动，目的是为了筹款 (Sell Flag)。而 Rag 的宗旨是用环保物品打造一辆 float (花车）来答谢捐款者。各系各宿舍都会依照主题各出奇招，造出美丽壮观的花车。然后，还要配合花车来段歌舞表演 (Presentation)。哈哈，如今想起还是很开心。

在那将近一个月里，我们一起吃喝玩乐，就连冲凉和睡觉都在一起，感情怎么会不好呢？所以，浩的婚礼，当然找了他的 Ragger 来助他一臂之力。Min Xing, Shaun, Crab 都是老将，对于做“兄弟”之事已是驾轻就熟。Min Xing 还提议，在我出嫁之时要带领兄弟来做我的姐妹。Xing Xing，你的提议我会认真考虑，你千万不要后悔！

也许是对于 Rag time 的 presentation  余犹未尽，浩想了一个：一来能给老婆一个惊喜，二来能过过“舞瘾”，“一箭双雕”的办法。他和兄弟们一起录制现在最夯的 Sorry Sorry，除了主角，其他人统统盖头遮脸，跳起舞来，似模似样，却笑料百出，算得上是压轴。有碍于个人隐私，不便在这里 Share 那段录影，真是有点遗憾。

连续两晚的 Training 和 Event，还碰到星期六要值班，我只能自叹倒霉。

有人换班。
又有人忘了值班。
有可能是人缘不好，竟沦落到省我一人值班。
雪上加霜。

不过自己值班也有好处：
自己做自己的事, 不必理会他人。
原来自己还有很多事情是不会和不清楚的。
平时，大家都很忙碌，真的不想成为大家眼中的“问题儿童”。
星期六能静静一人，慢慢找寻答案，似乎也不错。

过了这个星期六，应该要 6 星期后才会再次轮到我。（自己安慰自己）

1300
Suppose to meet at Orchard...
母亲大人忘了我的生日，“意外”发现后 insist 要我在出门前吃面线。
By the time 我到 ION, 已经是1320。
幸亏我是主角，才不至于受到 L 的黑脸！
午餐到 NYDC 解决。吃了想念已久的 Mushroom Madness Pizza 和 Mudpie。

1500
DFS Shopping 乐: 有了 L ，就有了 discount。好开心哦！
然后，从 DFS , 到 Far East 、Tangs 和 Wisma。现在，我通常都到 ION, Paragon, 313 逛街，不知道原来 Far East 也有裙子是叫价 $80 以上的。我们走啊走，走到 L's "battery flat"。

1725
Tea Time!
其实不怎么饿。不过真的有点儿 battery flat。要喝喝饮料，recharge 一下。
不过时间好像过的很快。

1845
让人期待的按摩。
足足一个小时。不过，我要 confess。有一半的时间，我是处于“半昏迷”状况，十分享受。
隐隐约约只记得她问我："like that ok, mdm?"  还有 "mdm, mdm... i need you to turn over/sit up."

2000
S 在等我们吃晚餐，选了在 Plaza Singapura 的老北京。好像一天下来，美做什么，一直在吃。所以，真的是应酬大伙儿而已。S 真是有先见之明，说我们坐的是好位子。我和 X 都一脸的 lost。我们吃到一半，在我眼前突然有烟火！真是好位子啊！原来是 YOG 的开幕典礼。生日时有烟火助兴，也算幸运了。

2215
我突发奇想，提议看午夜场。这３个人看了很多戏了，要一起看个戏还真不容易。讨论后投票一致通过：SALT。

0130 (15 Aug)
我和 X 在 Taxi 上，准备回家。X 才指出我们已经出来 12 个钟了。哇！


p/s: 亲爱的，我真的很爱你们！谢谢你们陪我过生日。

December Rains 雨季 the Musical - Promotional Trailer (TVC) - HD from Intuitive Films on Vimeo.



上一次看《雨季》是在1996年，是我中学时代。

终于等到了……再一次看《雨季》，它已有了新的诠释，感觉似乎比较现代化(comtemporary)。与其用生活化的道具来制造环境和氛围，导演巧妙的运用颜色来制造环境气氛，在视觉上有不一样的体会。例如：年轻的英雄和丽青订婚时，没有什么环境的道具，用的是黄色：黄色的衣裳，黄色的花等。黄色除了是阳光的颜色外，也让人感受到他们的朝气和喜悦的气氛。

除了视觉，我更享受的是听觉。对我来说，有很多的第二次。除了是第二次看《雨季》，也是第二次看 Kit Chan 和 George Chan 的 Musical 演出。上一次看陈洁仪的演出是英语歌舞剧，The Forbidden City 中的慈禧太后。而 George Chan 则是最近的《天冷就回来》。过了一段时间再听到陈洁仪的声音，不知是不是错觉，感觉她的声音好像更好了。我只能说 Kit Chan 和 George Chan 的声音有如天籁。

入门前见到梁文福老师，非常兴奋！老师还热心的在特刊上签名。这也是我看老师的第二个作品（除了《天冷就回来》）。虽然歌曲由梁文福和叶良俊两人操刀，但是两人的风格鲜明。妹妹看了演出后也告诉我：“哪首歌是谁写的，一听就知道。” 不过，我可以感受他们的用心，旋律好听，歌词更是写的很美。

请你请你告诉他我永远爱他
就算大雨一直下
心中彩虹长挂
彩虹尽头有个他

这场雨会一直下到 8 月15日。如果你错过了1996年的那场雨，别在错过了，绝对值回票价。
http://www.sistic.com.sg/portal/dt?dt.isPortletRequest=true&dt.action=process&dt.provider=PortletWindowProcessChannel&dt.windowProvider.targetPortletChannel=JSPTabContainer/sEventsCalendar/Event&dt.containerName=JSPTabContainer/sEventsCalendar&dt.windowProvider.currentChannelMode=VIEW&dt.window.portletAction=RENDER&contentCode=rains0810

PS：这不是《雨季》的官方网上，以上纯属个人意见。

Hands up those that are still borrowing books from the library.

While most people would have a deep impression on the Beethoven's love letter in Sex & the City Movie, I remembered something else from that scene. Big told Carrie that she might be the only person that he knows that is still going to the library and Carrie replied that she loves the smell of the books.

I'm one of those still visiting the library now. Not that I like the smell of those library books. One reason could be a habit from young. When I was young, my mum used to bring me to library and I would spend the afternoon flipping through the books, and 8 books limited by the library were definitely not enough for me! Haha...

Other than that, I seldom read a book for a 2nd time cos there's so many books that I yet to read!  Also, some books might not be worth buying. But you won't know until you read it. So borrowing from the library seems more economical.

I just found out recently the last reason why I like to go library. It could be because there's a dateline for me to finish the book. I realised that I tend to take longer to finish a book when there's no dateline. So not discipline? Maybe it's just human natural.