Illogical Ramblings of a logical mind

Cycling + Filming is way better than Cycling + Photography

2011-08-21T22:54:00.000-07:00

I officially have a new hobby!!

Well.. its 2 hobbies combined into 1..
- Cycling + Filming

Thanks to my dear hubby-to-be who introduced me to the wonders of doing both and the satisfaction you can get from them!

Not to mention super effective weight loss.. *sucks in cheeks to show skinny face*

Here's the first video we did together 2 nights ago..

I love my life right now....

Dukan Diet Day 35 - Temporary Attack Phase day 1

2011-08-21T22:46:00.000-07:00

Breakfast:
- 4 slices of Gourmet Light Turkey Ham slices with fat free cream cheese
- 1 White Coffee

Lunch:
- Fish soup with extra fish minus the vegetables
- 2 tea eggs without yolks
- 1 Coke Zero

My body feels exhausted today after 2 consecutive days of intense cycling. It was screaming for sugar after yesterday's 1.5 hours speed cycling workout. I gave in a little and had half a snickers bar so as prevent myself from going into chocolate withdrawal symptoms..

Anyway, even though the dukan diet discourages intensive workouts during the diet (because exerting your body may cause you to crave for the forbidden foods even more), I can't help it since cycling has become a form of release and distraction for me on this diet. So far my willpower has been able to resist most of my sweets and chocolate cravings even after workouts (except for yesterday's because I overdid it with 2 days consec of mad cycling) so I guess its ok to continue.

Besides.. my clothes have become a lot looser despite my weight stagnating!

Which brings me to my other point. I've gone back on a temporary attack phase to help with the weight stagnating problem. So no more tolerated foods for me over the next few days...

Goodbye fruit yoghurts.. I'll miss you!

The Singaporean's Dukan Diet

2011-08-09T11:16:00.000-07:00

I discovered the Dukan Diet while reading some articles on my favourite sites. And since my wedding date was approaching.. I figured "what the hey!".. Might as well give it a try since nothing else really worked.

So I calculated my true weight (I'm not telling you what it is) and the site gave me a 6 month weight loss plan.
- 3 days on attack phase
- 102 days on cruise phase
- 146 days on consolidation
- and after that.. stabilization.

Well.. wanna know how I did?
I lost 3.5kg on the attack phase. Thats almost 1kg a day.
I was super super psyched! I mean talk about motivated. Anyway the site did say you would lose quite a bit fairly quickly on the first phase, but it was still quite heartening to see the results.

I'm now 12 days into the cruise phase and so far I'm down another 3 kg. This phase of the diet is much slower but the site says this would give the body time to adjust to the changes and prevent the weight from bouncing back too quickly. Still, seeing continued progress is of course the only motivation keeping me going.

The hardest thing about this diet is the repetitiveness of the meals you can eat. I'm am really sick of eating while on this diet. Its pretty much the same thing over and over again. Its alot better if I'm at home and I have the opportunity to cook my own meals, but when at work, I'm pretty much limited to certain dishes that contains the food thats allowed on this diet. And any Singaporean knows that it is damn hard to find food that contains little to no oil, no sugar, no carbs and on pure protein days, no vegetables too. Especially in hawker centers. I'm not even allowed to have salads on some days!

So now, with 88 more days to go, I'm left fantasizing about ice cream, noodles, pasta, KFC, Burger King, chocolate cake etc etc.

I decided to start blogging for the rest of my 88 days to help me cope and to keep me going. I'm really hoping that with my new cycling hobby, I'll be able to reach my target weight before my 88 days are up and I can finally move on to the next stage where I get to have 1 day a week of eating ANYTHING I WANT.

Why Singaporeans should be proud of its leaders

2010-12-03T05:26:00.000-08:00

When I was still teaching, I heard many young adults bitching about the Singapore government and its policies and all.

While I don't fully agree with all the actions and decisions that our government makes and takes, I do have a healthy amount of respect and pride for our leaders.

Especially Mr Lee Kuan Yew.. the man who had amazing foresight and leadership.. to do what no other country leader had done for their home as he had done for Singapore. Even in his advanced years, he is still able to demonstrate the sharpness of his mind and the ability to think way way ahead of others.

-----------------------------------------------

SPIEGEL Interview with Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew

"It's Stupid to be Afraid"

Singapore's first-ever prime minister, long-time government head and current political mentor Lee Kuan Yew talks about Asia's rise to economic power, China's ambitions and the West's chances of staying competitive.

SPIEGEL : The political and economic center of gravity is moving from the West towards the East. Is Asia becoming the dominant political and economic force in this century?

Mr. Lee: I wouldn't say it's the dominant force. What is gradually happening is the restoration of the world balance to what it was in the early 19th century or late 18th century when China and India together were responsible for more than 40 percent of world GDP. With those two countries becoming part of the globalized trading world, they are going to go back to approximately the level of world GDP that they previously occupied. But that doesn't make them the superpowers of the world.

SPIEGEL: Their leading politicians have publicly discussed the so-called "Asian Century".

Mr. Lee: Yes, economically, there will be a shift to the Pacific from the Atlantic Ocean and you can already see that in the shipping volumes of Chinese ports. Every shipping line is trying to get into association with a Chinese container port. India is slower because their infrastructure is still to be completed. But I think they will join in the race, build roads, bridges, airports, container ports and they'll become a manufacturing hub. Raw materials go in, finished goods go out.

SPIEGEL: You've been the leader of a very successful state for a long time. Returning from your time in China, are you afraid for Singapore's future?

Mr. Lee: I saw it coming from the late 1980s. Deng Xiaoping started this in 1978. He visited Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore in November 1978. I think that visit shocked him because he expected three backward cities. Instead he saw three modern cities and he knew that communism -- the politics of the iron rice bowl -- did not work. So, at the end of December, he announced his open door policy. He started free trade zones and from there, they extended it and extended it. Now they have joined the WTO and the whole country is a free trade zone.

SPIEGEL: But has China's success not become dangerous for Singapore?

Mr. Lee: We have watched this transformation and the speed at which it is happening. As many of my people tell me, it's scary. They learn so fast. Our people set up businesses in Shanghai or Suzhou and they employ Chinese at lower wages than Singapore Chinese. After three years, they say: "Look, I can do that work, I want the same pay." So it is a very serious challenge for us to move aside and not collide with them. We have to move to areas where they cannot move.

SPIEGEL: Such as?

Mr. Lee: Such as where the rule of law, intellectual property and security of production systems are required, because for them to establish that, it will take 20 to 30 years. We are concentrating on bio medicine, pharmaceuticals and all products requiring protection of intellectual property rights. No pharmaceutical company is going to go have its precious patents disclosed. So that is why they are here in Singapore and not in China.
SPIEGEL: But the Chinese are moving too. They bought parts of IBM and are trying to take over the American oil company Unocal.

Mr. Lee: They are learning. They have learnt takeovers and mergers from the Americans. They know that if they try to sell their computers with a Chinese brand it will take them decades in America, but if they buy IBM, they can inject their technology and low cost into IBM's brand name, and they will gain access to the market much faster.

SPIEGEL: But how afraid should the West be?

Mr. Lee: It's stupid to be afraid. It's going to happen. I console myself this way. Suppose, China had never gone communist in 1949, suppose the Nationalist government had worked with the Americans -- China would be the great power in Asia -- not Japan, not Korea, not Hong Kong, not Singapore. Because China isolated itself, development took place on the periphery of Asia first.

SPIEGEL: Such a consolation won't be enough for the future.

Mr. Lee: Right. In 50 years I see China, Korea and Japan at the high-tech end of the value chain. Look at the numbers and quality of the engineers and scientists they produce and you know that this is where the R&D will be done. The Chinese have a space programme, they're going to put a man on the Moon and nobody sold them that technology. We have to face that. But you should not be afraid of that. You are leading in many fields which they cannot catch up with for many years, many decades. In pharmaceuticals, I don't see them catching up with the Germans for a long time.

SPIEGEL: That wouldn't feed anybody who works for Opel, would it?

Mr. Lee: A motor car is a commodity -- four wheels, a chassis, a motor. You can have modifications up and down, but it remains a commodity, and the Chinese can do commodities.

SPIEGEL: When you look to Western Europe, do you see a possible collapse of the society because of the overwhelming forces of globalization?

Mr. Lee: No. I see ten bitter years. In the end, the workers, whether they like it or not, will realize, that the cosy European world which they created after the war has come to an end.

SPIEGEL: How so?

Mr. Lee: The social contract that led to workers sitting on the boards of companies and everybody being happy rested on this condition: I work hard, I restore Germany's prosperity, and you, the state, you have to look after me. I'm entitled to go to Baden Baden for spa recuperation one month every year. This old system was gone in the blink of an eye when two to three billion people joined the race -- one billion in China, one billion in India and over half-a-billion in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.

SPIEGEL: The question is: How do you answer that challenge?

Mr. Lee: Chancellor Kohl tried to do it. He did it halfway then he had to pause. Schroeder tried to do it, now he's in a jam and has called an election. Merkel will go in and push, then she will get hammered before she can finish the job, but each time, they will push the restructuring a bit forward.

SPIEGEL: You think it's too slow?

Mr. Lee: It is painful because it is so slow. If your workers were rational they would say, yes, this is going to happen anyway, let's do the necessary things in one go. Instead of one month at the spa, take one week at the spa, work harder and longer for the same pay, compete with the East Europeans, invent in new technology, put more money into your R&D, keep ahead of the Chinese and the Indians.

SPIEGEL: You have seen yourself how hard it is to implement such strategies.

Mr. Lee: I faced this problem myself. Every year, our unions and the Labour Department subsidize trips to China and India. We tell the participants: Don't just look at the Great Wall but go to the factories and ask, "What are you paid?" What hours do you work?" And they come back shell-shocked. The Chinese had perestroika first, then glasnost. That's where the Russians made their mistake.

SPIEGEL: The Chinese Government is promoting the peaceful rise of China. Do you believe them?

Mr. Lee: Yes, I do, with one reservation. I think they have calculated that they need 30 to 40 -- maybe 50 years of peace and quiet to catch up, to build up their system, change it from the communist system to the market system. They must avoid the mistakes made by Germany and Japan. Their competition for power, influence and resources led in the last century to two terrible wars.

SPIEGEL: What should the Chinese do differently?

Mr. Lee: They will trade, they will not demand, "This is my sphere of influence, you keep out". America goes to South America and they also go to South America. Brazil has now put aside an area as big as the state of Massachusetts to grow soya beans for China. They are going to Sudan and Venezuela for oil because the Venezuelan President doesn't like America. They are going to Iran for oil and gas. So, they are not asking for a military contest for power, but for an economic competition.

SPIEGEL: But would anybody take them really seriously without military power?
Mr. Lee: About eight years ago, I met Liu Huaqing, the man who built the Chinese Navy. Mao personally sent him to Leningrad to learn to build ships. I said to him, "The Russians made very rough, crude weapons". He replied, "You are wrong. They made first-class weapons, equal to the Americans." The Russian mistake was that they put so much into military expenditure and so little into civilian technology. So their economy collapsed. I believe the Chinese leadership have learnt: If you compete with America in armaments, you will lose. You will bankrupt yourself. So, avoid it, keep your head down, and smile, for 40 or 50 years.

SPIEGEL: What are your reservations?

Mr. Lee: I don't know whether the next generation will stay on this course. After 15 or 20 years they may feel their muscles are very powerful. We know the mind of the leaders but the mood of the people on the ground is another matter. Because there's no more communist ideology to hold the people together, the ground is now galvanised by Chinese patriotism and nationalism. Look at the anti-Japanese demonstrations.

SPIEGEL: How do you explain that China is spending billions on military modernisation right now?

Mr. Lee: Their modernisation is just a drop in the ocean. Their objective is to raise the level of damage they can deliver to the Americans if they intervene in Taiwan. Their objective is not to defeat the Americans, which they cannot do. They know they will be defeated. They want to weaken the American resolve to intervene. That is their objective, but they do not want to attack Taiwan.

SPIEGEL: Really? They have just passed the aggressive anti-secession law and a general has threatened to use the nuclear bomb.

Mr. Lee: I think they have put themselves into a position internationally that if Taiwan declares independence, they must react and if Beijing's leadership doesn't, they would be finished, they would be a paper tiger and they know that. So, they passed the anti-secession law to tell the Taiwanese and the Americans and the Japanese, "I do not want to fight, but if you allow Taiwan to go for independence, I will have to fight." I think the anti-secession law is a law to preserve the status quo.

SPIEGEL: Another critical point in Asia is the growing rivalry between China and Japan.
Mr. Lee: It's been dormant all this while, right? But I think several things happened that upped the ante. They possibly coincide with the policy of Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. There is this return to "we want to be a normal country." They are sending ships to Afghanistan to support the Americans, they sent a battalion to Iraq, they reclaimed the Senkaku islands, and most recently, they joined the Americans in declaring that Taiwan is a strategic interest of Japan and America. That raises all the historical memories of the Japanese taking away Taiwan in 1895. Then they're applying to be a permanent member of the Security Council. So, I think the Chinese decided that this is too much. So, they have openly said they will object to Japan becoming a member of the Security Council.

SPIEGEL: Well, the United States said the same to Germany.

Mr. Lee: Exactly. So, the whole process is trying to define the position for the next round, maybe in 10 to 15 years, by which time the world will be a different place.

SPIEGEL: Can the Chinese convince their North Korean ally Kim Jong-Il to get rid of his nuclear program?

Mr. Lee: North Korea is a riddle wrapped up in an enigma. The leaders in North Korea believe that their survival depends upon having a bomb -- at least one nuclear bomb. Otherwise, sooner or later, they will collapse and the leaders will be put on trial like Milosevic for all the crimes that they have committed. And they have no intention of letting that happen.

SPIEGEL: Who can stop them? The Americans?

Mr. Lee: Yes, but at a price, a heavy price.

SPIEGEL: Could the Chinese do it?

Mr. Lee: Possibly. By denying food, denying fuel, so they would implode. But will the Chinese benefit from an imploded North Korea? That brings the South into the North. That brings the Americans to the Yalu River. So, the North Koreans have also done their calculations and know that there are limits.

SPIEGEL: So Kim is in a strong position?

Mr. Lee: If I were Kim I would freeze the programme, tell the Americans you can inspect, but if you attack me, I will use it. That leaves the Americans with the problem of checking and verifying and intercepting ships, aircraft, endless problems.

SPIEGEL: Would that save Kim's regime?

Mr. Lee: In the long run I think they will implode sooner or later because their system cannot survive. They can see China, they can see Russia and Vietnam, all opening up. If they open up, their system of control of the people will break down. So they must go.

SPIEGEL: If the six party talks fail, do you foresee an arms race in Eastern Asia?

Mr. Lee: If the nuclear program is frozen, there won't be an arms race. Eventually, it is not in China's interests to have an erratic Korea nuclear-armed and a Japan nuclear-armed. That reduces China's position.

SPIEGEL: Many Americans fear that China and the US are bound to become strategic rivals. Will this become the great rivalry of the 21st century?

Mr. Lee: Rivals, yes, but not necessarily enemies. The Chinese have spent a lot of energy and time to make sure that their periphery is friendly to them. So, they settled with Russia, they have settled with India. They're going to have a free trade agreement with India -- they're learning from each other. Instead of quarrelling with the Philippines and the Vietnamese over oil in the South China Sea, they have agreed on joint exploration and sharing. They've agreed on a strategic agreement with Indonesia for bilateral trade and technology.

SPIEGEL: But the Americans are trying to encircle China. They have won new bases in Central Asia.

Mr. Lee: The Chinese are very conscious of being encircled by allies of America. But they are very good in countering those moves. South Korea today has the largest number of foreign students in China. They see their future in China. So, the only country that's openly on America's side is Japan. All the others are either neutral or friendly to China.

SPIEGEL: During your career, you have kept your distance from Western style democracy. Are you still convinced that an authoritarian system is the future for Asia?

Mr. Lee: Why should I be against democracy? The British came here, never gave me democracy, except when they were about to leave. But I cannot run my system based on their rules. I have to amend it to fit my people's position. In multiracial societies, you don't vote in accordance with your economic interests and social interests, you vote in accordance with race and religion. Supposing I'd run their system here, Malays would vote for Muslims, Indians would vote for Indians, Chinese would vote for Chinese. I would have a constant clash in my Parliament which cannot be resolved because the Chinese majority would always overrule them. So I found a formula that changes that...

SPIEGEL: ... and that turned Singapore de facto into a one party state. Critics say that Singapore resembles a Lee Family Enterprise. Your son is the Prime Minister, your daughter-in-law heads the powerful Development Agency...

Mr. Lee: ... and my other son is CEO of Singapore Telecoms, my daughter is head of the National Institute for Neurology. This is a very small community of 4 million people. We run a meritocracy. If the Lee Family set an example of nepotism, that system would collapse. If I were not the prime minister, my son could have become Prime Minister several years earlier. It is against my interest to allow any family member who's incompetent to hold an important job because that would be a disaster for Singapore and my legacy. That cannot be allowed.

The interview was conducted by editors Hans Hoyng and Andreas Lorenz.
Translated from the German by Christoper Sultan

Bored and fresh out of ideas

2010-10-30T12:08:00.000-07:00

Dead of the night and I'm still up and active.

Its the first time in quite a while that I've had nothing to work on during the weekends. The past couple of years I had my pet projects and web ideas that I looked forward to. Spent most of my free time working towards those goals.

And now, with nothing on the horizon or ideas percolating in my brain.. I'M BORED!

I can't think of any idea worth pursuing or worth building. I sooooo desperately wanna have a good idea for building a mobile app.. but I got ZILCH.. NADA.. NOTHING

Help... I need some inspiration for ANYTHING

*miserable*

Good place to download music

2009-04-29T10:03:00.000-07:00

Discovered a new site for downloading music.. found the new DBSK Secret Code album there.. so happy!

http://www.ihoneyjoo.com/index.php

Super hot and cute kitties.. on Shopabble

2009-04-29T09:26:00.000-07:00

HoneyShed Presents: Kittens from HoneyShed on Vimeo.

Link: http://www.shopabble.com/news/i-love-kitties

My first shopping event coverage article!

2009-04-25T11:45:00.000-07:00

First time covering a shopping event for a website.. and after an extremely long and painful shopping dry spell.. I succumbed to temptation and bombed $150 bucks on a bag..

Check out what I did and my photos at the Takashimaya Shoes and Bag Affair..

Why you should always keep your feet stink-free around cats

2008-12-30T21:33:00.000-08:00

that's one smart cat
Uploaded by funnytoo

I love Zedge.net!

2008-11-23T23:03:00.000-08:00

I found the "Big and Chunky" ringtone from Madagascar 2!!

You know that song that plays when Moto Moto rises out from the water to walk towards Gloria? "I love em big.. I like em chunky!"

Hahahha.. way cool.. way funny.. I'm way happie! Didn't think it would be available so soon.. but thanks to the omnipotent power of the internet, I GOT IT!

Plus I found the Sex in the City movie "Labels or Love" ringtone too! And a smattering of uber cute themes for my phone.. and they're all animated!

Things to do in the first few weeks of being single

2008-10-26T01:10:00.000-07:00

1) Spend a lot of time on sidereel.com and mysoju.com to watch serials, cartoons and movies.
2) Call up all old school friends (mostly female) and make plans to meet, eat, drink and talk.
3) Start exercising again (For me, that would be running)
4) Make out a new budget for yourself to try and save as much money possible in the shortest time.
5) Take the newly saved money and blow it all on something big, like a holiday or a bag.
6) Find a new project to do that would take up all your time, energy and youth for the next 2 to 3 years.
7) Buy a new baking cookbook and start turning your kitchen into a bakery.
8) Take all new baked goods and feed it to all the guys around you so they become fat and undesirable (Perfect thing to do if you want to take revenge against the male species)
9) Spend more time with your family
10) Count down the days for the new Starcraft 2 game to come out.

My last goodbye

2008-10-17T03:43:00.000-07:00

D is for the different things you've shown me. Things that have inspired me and given me strength.
E is for the experiences we've shared. Taught me how to grow and become who I am
S is for the simple joys we find together. From your favourite cheapo foods to the cooling night drives to nowhere.
M is for the many laughs. Your funny faces, silly jokes and little quirks had made my heavy heart light with mirth.
O is for the overwhelming love I felt. When we kissed, when we held hands or when I watch you sleep at night.
N is for the neverending memories. Though we've stopped making more now, they will never end for me.
And D... this D is to tell you.. don't forget me.. because.. I know I'll never forget you...

What I would do with a rubber stamp like that..

2008-08-27T02:05:00.001-07:00

Sometimes...

when marking PP reports..

I wish I could stamp that on them...

Favourite cat pic of the day!

2008-08-11T02:39:00.000-07:00

After a long and tiring day... we all just need someone to rescue us once in a while..

Back from the dead.. with something extra

2008-08-09T07:34:00.000-07:00

Its the end of another semester for my students. And some have actually discovered my secret thinking spot.

Well.. I have to say.. they really know how to DIG for information.

Anyway, as mentioned in above title.. I'm back from the dead! With a few more circles around my eyes.. a couple of degrees up in my myopia and a brand spanking new look for my website.. http://www.undermybudget.com/

Like the car crazy ah beng that "zengs" his Subaru WRX to attract more babes.. I've "zenged" my website to include membership for shoppers, ability to post raves, discussions and comments on products and shops alike. Find the latest sales and promotions being offered by SHOPS and post style shots of your creative self wearing / using things you bought! And hopefully.. I can also attract more BABES (dudes as well of cos) to join me in my site.

Its now become a place you can hang and search for all things shopping related and fulfill your potential to become a TRENDSETTER

After all the late nights, long hours and back breaking work I've put into this... IT BETTER START GIVING ME BACK SOME RETURNS!

No wonder kids these days...

2008-06-23T19:40:00.000-07:00

I'm not usually a vulgar person...

In fact, I try to avoid cussing and swearing as much as I can these days.. esp since I hold impressionable young minds in my hands (yeah right..)

But WHAT THE HECK ARE THEY TEACHING YOUNG KIDS THESE DAYS!!!

(Taken from the textbook of young primary school kid in Japan...)

Why I no longer watch TV

2008-05-08T20:11:00.000-07:00

Even with the additon of cable, TV's boring....

Which is why I no longer spend time vegging out in front of it. The programs being shown these days are less than entertaining and what's worse.. they're all re-runs or like 1-2 seasons behind ones being broadcast in the US, Japan or Korea!

So save for the Boomerang Channel (I think its channel 37) on Starhub Cable which usually shows all the old cartoons like Looney Tunes and Huckleberry Hound etc.. I go elsewhere for my "TV-fix"

Enter the age of Internet TV and bless the speediness of my broadband connection! I'm talking about the wonderful world of serial surfing on the various websites who happen to keep track of where you can watch whatever. And you don't have to download ANYTHING.. which saves you from the whole illegal downloads issue and of course precious space on your hard drive.

Right.. so onto the sites..

Sidereel

Discovered this site quite by accident I must say.. And have never looked back since..

Its a great site which lists all the comedies, dramas, series, cartoons etc etc and a great number of links to where you can watch the episodes.

Its even got a guide for when and what time and even which channel the shows are broadcasted in the US.

The site is basically community driven so you get alot of news and updates on the latest or upcoming seasons, the stars of the shows, polls and discussions on plots.

So if you're into English shows.. this is the place to be hanging.. Currently I'm catching up on my Grey's Anatomy Season 3, Ugly Betty, How I met your Mother and eagerly waiting for Burn Notice...

MySoju

"Kamsahamida!"

Hey hey hey.. I'm really really REALLY big on Japanese stuff.. and love watching Japanese serials from time to time.. Korean ones.. maybe occassionally when the good stuff comes around.

So you ask.. where can I learn of the latest Japanese/Korean/Taiwanese serials and get to watch them at the same time?

Come on over to mysoju.com!!!

They've got the latest episodes of all the serials in Japan Korea and Taiwan! And everything's subbed too.. so no worries about the language barrier.

Currently watching Tantei Gakuen Q... and eagerly waiting for Gokusen 3 there.. heehee

ifyouwas

"Yes My Lord!"

If you're following Code Geass Season 2.. you'll know what I'm talking about... haha..

Who could ever live without anime? I mean its got fantastic, deep, intriguing, sometimes hilarious, sometimes heart wrenching and sometimes plain crazy storylines.. and 100% entertaining...

This site is fairly new and what I like about it is that they update the latest episode links fairly quickly. Eg. Bleach is usually broadcasted in Japan on Thursdays and you can catch the latest subbed episodes as early as Friday night or Saturday.

Currently following Code Geass R2 and Bleach..

And thats is why people.. I no longer watch TV..

Some thoughts on Victor...

2008-04-28T11:31:00.000-07:00

Hmmm... Maybe I should start a category called "The Victor Watch" and blog about what are the daily happenings in the life of our dear Victor Tan?

I'm VERY SURE there are going to be TONS of people who would be more than happy to contribute to the Victor Watch..

And hey.. Victor.. you can be like this mini-celeb

HAHAHHAHA

Shopping for Taiwan clothes and accessories online.. GORGEOUS!

2008-04-24T00:11:00.000-07:00

I use to love going to the online shops in the taiwan auctions site.

They've always got super cute and value for money accessories from KOREA and JAPAN there...

But the downside is everything's always written in CHINESE words and payment and purchasing is a little troublesome.. some of them don't actually use paypal accounts or communicate in English.

Well, luckily we've got a blogshop owner here who brings in products from some of the more popular online shops and I think she bundles the purchases together so you can save on shipping! Plus she takes care of all other nitty gritty admin stuff for us. So nice right?

You can view MyPrettyCloset's products here

Here's a peek at some of her inneresting products:

Product name (translated): Fashionable crystal silver lock and key combi necklace.. (whew.. wat a mouthful)

Product name (translated): Short skirt with large pockets.. (ok.. my chinese is so bad.. i think 燈芯絨 is either courdoroy or denim.. if anyone out there knows.. please help me translate)

Product name (this needs no translation.. yay): White Rose Stud Earrings.. (I love these.. I'm getting a pair for myself..)

Clocks can spell too...

2008-04-22T10:34:00.000-07:00

Came across this revolutionary clock design by Christiaan Postma from the Netherlands (them netherlands ppl are so smart!)

At first glance, it just looks like a bunch of sticks scattered across a black board. But the sticks actually transforms into words as each hour passes. In order words.. this clock knows how to spell!!!!

Size of the clock is 140cm x 140cm.

Included a flash animation here to show the fast forwarded motion of the clock..

IWANTONE!

A lightbulb that can last for 16 YEARS!

2008-04-20T19:40:00.000-07:00

I love my Phillips lightbulb.

I have a balcony in my room which uses a Phillips lightbulb. Those flourescent energy saving ones. And for the past 18 years that I've stayed in that house, I've only changed it out ONCE. And that was like 2 years ago.

What's more is that I've switched that balcony light on every single night which I sleep at home. Each night its on for at least 6 hours.
So that means the lightbulb lasted a total of 6 x 365 x 16 = 35040 hours!!

Wow.. anybody else has a lightbulb thats lasted longer than mine??

By the way, if you wanna get the bulb I'm using, its called the Master SLE-P bulb from the Ecotone range.

Like I said.. I love my Phillips lightbulb.

The Earth can hum!!! A tune perhaps?

2008-04-17T00:22:00.000-07:00

Apparently, researchers from about a decade ago had used seismometers and discovered an interesting sound. A constant rumble coming out from the planet.

They decided to call it the Earth's hum.

This hum is at a level thats too low for humans to hear, (which is why we all had no idea that it was even there) and no.. its not a miniscule earthquake.

There are many speculations as to what the hum could be caused by. (Ocean, atmosphere..) But no one really knows to this day.

*Jamie starts humming Arashi songs....*

Oh yeah nearly forgot.. if you wanna read more about this click here

Cellphone that can last 2 years without charging

2008-04-16T07:46:00.000-07:00

Imagine never having to charge your phone again until 2 years later.

Apparently China came up with such a gadget.. Next time I'm going trekking in the Amazon rainforest.. I want one of THOSE.. I mean its got everything in it like a regular top of the range phone:

1) Camera
2) touchscreen
3) Dual sim card support
4) Bluetooth
5) Mp3 player
6) Ebook reader
7) Handwriting recognition

Of course, all handphone manufacturers always tell you if you use a number of the functions, it will always tend to drain the battery faster. So if you probably use all those functions in that phone, the battery will only last you about a year and a half..

geee bother bother...

Click here if you wanna read the article

100 plus can cure headaches!

2008-04-16T05:09:00.000-07:00

Its become instinct for us to reach for Panadols whenever we feel the onset of a headache coming along. But Panadol is a painkiller and too much of it can be harmful to your body.

I don't know about you, but I really hate the idea of putting in too much DRUGS into my body. Besides I heard that if you take too much painkillers it would actually decrease the pain numbing effect of each dosage and in future, it would actually take a bigger dosage of painkillers to help numb pain.

Think about what's going to happen when I go through childbirth... EEEEeeek!
So, my dad sent me this remedy on how 100 plus can help cure headaches.

All you need is:

1 cup of 100plus
2 cups of water

(or just mix your 100plus and water in a ratio of 1:2)

And then "ta-dah" your headache will start subsiding after a while.

Why does it work.. you ask? Well cos headaches are apparently caused by electrolytes imbalance in your brain and restoring it with ISOTONIC drinks like 100 plus will help put that imbalance back on track.

Trust me.. it works.. When I was on my dive trip on a tiny island of Dayang, we had no panadols on hand and a few people got headaches. So I gave them my 100 plus remedy and it had really helped get rid of the headaches! REALLY!

Now when my dive friends see me on the street and they forget my name, they go "Hey its that 100 plus headache girl! She cured my headaches!"

Bracelets are a girl's best friend too

2008-04-15T07:22:00.000-07:00

I like this bracelet design. Afterall, how can you go wrong with an antique metallic bronzy colour with pearls, hearts roses and a nice moon!

Its the moon.. YES.. the moon seals the deal and makes me take out my wallet to start SPENDING...

Gives the wearer a very vintage look see! Click here to view the product.

"Panchira" is the japanese word for people who likes to look at girls' panties

2008-04-15T02:41:00.000-07:00

OOOooh.. this is something I heard on an Arashi variety show..

Arashi.. whom by the way is my favourite Japanese boy band.. hosts this show in Japan where they sit around talking about random topics.

So one day, poor Sho (a member of the band) gets SABO-ED and is forced to blurt out the word "Panchira Prince!" And so.. the wonderful people who loves to do subtitles typed in the exact meaning of "Panchira"

And thus all us non japanese speaking beings understand the perverted meaning of the word Panchira.. and you can go around spreading this pervy-ness if you want to...

WAHAHAHHAHAHA

You have watch the video here.. Its seriously funny

We hold 1-4 thoughts in our head per second

2008-04-13T20:48:00.000-07:00

Research studies has shown that we hold 1 to 4 thoughts in our heads per second.

Most of these thoughts are a reflection of our sub conscious and consists mainly our worries and concerns in our lives. Research has also shown that 95% of the time, our thoughts are mostly repeated. So that means if you spend alot of time worrying and fretting over your life, your head is occupied with all these negative thoughts 95% of the time.. SHEESH..

Blogger brains probably hold more thoughts.. we're always thinking... HAHHAHA

How to make a Mother's day card more.. SINCERE

2008-04-12T23:25:00.000-07:00

By having it "HAND MADE", "HAND CRAFTED" and "LIMITED IN DESIGN"

UniqueGrabs designs and crafts out beautiful handmade cards for all those special occasions. Arty, spunky, sweet, flamboyant, sincere. You name it, they can do it.

Check out more of their designs here

Under My Budget - Blue Winter Bracelet

2008-04-11T22:18:00.001-07:00

Need a bracelet to go with that blue dress of yours? Well looky here.. Have I got something for YOU!

The Red Jewel's showcasing and selling a bracelet with tones and shades of blue, aquamarine and cream. They say its their PROUDEST creation so far. If you ask me, I think its the way to go when it comes to BLING BLING.. Apparently it has a pink sister too.

Anyway, this kinda colour looks more suited for people who are fair-skinned in nature. Tanned ppl should wear more yellows.

See the bracelet here.

I'm Twittering!

2008-04-10T18:47:00.001-07:00

Discovered a new application to share my thoughts.. TWITTER!!

Love it cos I can send my nonsense 3 line thoughts to my twitter! But I haven't got enough friends Twittering with me.. join me ok?

My twitter page is here. Spread the love ppl.. spread the love

Introducing my new undermybudget BABY!

2008-04-10T05:42:00.000-07:00

So happy...

After slogging for a week, my new idea is finally born.. A website to call my own.. AWWWW!

Built using MySQL and PHP, throwing in a dash of mootools and javascript, Undermybudget.com was finished in exactly a week. For the specially cool and amazing effects that make my images move around, I give my thanks to http://www.ajaxrain.com/

Idea behind it, an online shopping guide to help people search for products by budget, by category or by their favourite shop! Key points here are organization, simplicity and of course shopping!

I like shopping.. but I realise that everytime I set a budget for the month, I always overspend.. ALWAYS. Which results in me looking at my bank statement at the end of every month very sadly.

So maybe, if I only look at stuff thats below the budget I set, I'm more likely to keep my spending levels at acceptable points. Right?

Haha.. please take a visit to my baby.. leave a comment.. tell me if she's pretty.. or better yet.. if she's useful

Centro was a disappointment

2008-04-04T02:33:00.000-07:00

When I first saw the white coloured Palm centro in the Digital Life section of the newspapers, I was in love.

I mean what's not to love about it for a girl, especially at first sight? Small, lightweight, compact, curvy, it weighs only about 124grams, roughly 11cm by 6cm. Petite! And most of all, it was WHITE! Just like my sony ericsson W850i. Plus, it had what I always wanted, a qwerty keypad to accomodate the email and messenger functions on board. Perhaps then I can start blogging more on the road. Not that I really travel far without my laptop.

I headed over to CNET asia to read about it and so far, it seemed really promising. After all, I was no stranger to the Palm interface since I was once a user of the Palm Handheld T|X. I loved Palm's simple interface and quick reacting operating system. It looked so much more "fun" as compared to the Windows Mobile OS. Good points to note was that it was cheap ($600 bucks), easy to use, NOT WINDOWS MOBILE OS, messages were organised in chat layout kinda like the iPhone. SOOO ATTRACTIVE.

But all my dreams came crashing down when I saw that it had NO WIFI. Not even a 3G network. SO SAD. I tried to comfort myself by saying.. maybe I won't need wifi. Myabe I won't be using the internet browser so much. Maybe I could just live with checking my emails and messaging on the GPRS. And the voice beside my ear belonging to my bf kept going.. "Stop lying to yourself!"

But the stubborn streak in me reared its proud head and I refused to GIVE UP! Even though surfing on GPRS can chalk up a big sum of my mobile bill.. I was willing to live with it. As long as I liked the look and feel and usability of the Centro, I was going to buy it! So I marched my bf and myself over to Funan to look at the Centro for REAL.

And then.. my heart sank. Pretty as it was, it really was very hard to type on the phone. The buttons were too small even for the lady fingers I have here. Took me twice the time I usually would take to compose a single "Hello where are you" message on the Centro than it takes me on my SE. And the lack of wifi kinda made all those other chat and web and email functions in the phone redundant.

So now, my Centro has officially been crossed off my "possible smart phones to buy" list. Current count on list... ZERO!

This is for Victor!

2008-04-04T00:39:00.000-07:00

The other day, I had a colleague of mine who one day decided to do a search on google for his email address. And what turned up was some weirdo claiming weird stuff about my friend.

So I think once in a while, he does random searches on the web to see what other funny things come up.

Well... I've added his email address in this blog post. And if one day he decides to do his funny search, he's going to end up finding this post and read all these nice things about himself...

Facts about Victor Tan:
- named after the Dr Victor Frankenstein from the classics by his loving parents (His dad I think).
- An extremely nice guy with a ready smile.
- Loved by almost all his students (I can't say all.. afterall, you never know)
- and is ever willing to help out his friends.
- A little bit too trusting
- doesn't know a drop about investing (so all financial planners out there.. you can go hound him day and night.. and because he's so trusting.. he'll buy from you one)
- Has a soft spot for waffles and funny "number" poses that all RP students seem to love doing
- IT graduate who cannot program
- A very good lunch khaki

And of course the most important point of all and this is for all RP students who see me in school hanging out with him
- HE IS NOT DATING ME! (Nor am I unhappy / wistful / upset that he's not dating me)

So if you're a female, who's between the ages of 24-29, sweet, simple and single.. likes humourous guys and fun dates.. please email wk_tan78@hotmail.com to request for one. Tell him Jamie sent you.

HAHAHAHAH... See victor.. I'm such a good wing woman.

When can I have Deco Mail??

2008-04-03T12:10:00.000-07:00

In japan, when you wanna express yourself and your creativity to your friends, you send em a Deco-mail

What is that.. you ask??

Well in japan they have a messaging service on their phones thats quite different from our sms services. They call them i-mode mail, and it allows you to use an additional service to decorate your mails with cute backgrounds, animated images, music, text, photos. Sure spices up a message on the phone!

iPhone internet banking woes

2008-04-03T11:19:00.000-07:00

Nah.. its not me.. I didn't buy the iphone..

But my boyfriend who loves Apple more than he loves his oranges bought it when.. err.. it became available to us and he had finally hardened his heart to spend that money because Apple had started restricting the quantities that each individual could buy on their online shop and drove the prices of an iPhone up to 900 buckeroos.

Although I have to admit.. its got the best and most beautiful and most amazingly easy to use interface, there were definitely some not so good points to it as documented by so many users. Weak battery life esp if you're using all those cool functions the phone offers like surfing and chatting and checking those emails.

One thing that I haven't really read about was this silly little shortcoming when it comes to internet banking. I don't know if its provider specific or really just an iPhone problem, but the funny thing is that using the iPhone, you can't recieve the additional banking pin number for doing your internet banking stuff. The sms always comes empty. And you can't login to do ANYTHING. crap crap..

Now when my bf owes me money.. I can't get it immediately.. have to wait till he has time to head over to the atm.. DAMN!

HAHAHA

Disasters of the hairy kind - IVY at Shunji Matsuo

2008-04-02T18:09:00.000-07:00

AAAARRRHHGGGGGGG....

School is starting in a few days and I'm left high and dry with one of the worst haircuts ever. I won't say worst becos I've actually had worst.. so this is like the second WORST haircut ever!!!

I look like a freaking puffball head. STUPID IDIOTIC WOMAN at the salon turned me into some kiddy looking scrap of aunty W$$%#^UY^T#$!!!!! Now I can't even find a word for it.. thats how MIFFFEEEDDDD I am!

Seriously.. a too short fringe, loss of my sides to cover my WIDE FACE... She cut the top half of my hair so short that its fluffing up.. any experienced hairdresser knows that you can't layer thin hair too much otherwise it would POOF up..

AND.. oh my god I can't believe that there's an AND to this sentence.. AND I have weird short short hairs sticking out of my crown!!! She cut some of my hair so short that they're starting to stick out at my crown!!!

Please people.. I beg you.. If you're reading my blog and you live in SIngapore.. don't ever let that woman called IVY at Shunji Matsuo salon (Wisma Atria outlet) cut your hair.. If she even comes near you with a pair of scissors.. RUN FOR YOUR HAIR!!!!!!!!

She has a distinct problem with understanding instructions.. so either she's an idiot.. or she's got scissor-happy fingers.. I'd rather believe she's a scissor-happy idiot and a lot of other worse things..

JUST FIRE THAT BITCH LAH for goodness sakes! Even if she's a trainee.. its been years liao.. so she must suck like CRAP...

Why would I wanna buy a UMPC?

2008-03-30T11:49:00.000-07:00

(EB MIMD UMPC) and the (i-mate ultimate 9502)

In the words of the famous Janie from the hit television sitcom "Friends"...

OH... MY... GOD...!!!

Has my eyesight gotten worse or has the world gone insane? Are those really tiny 7 inch laptops?? Now I can see that the laptop companies are just plain trying to showoff here..

Can anyone spell identity crisis here? (See above)

Besides the rise of the windows mobile platform as a popular choice of OS for the smart phones, we've got companies like nokia producing a device thats purely for use with the internet (Nokia N800 tablet PC) and now the they're bringing in the UMPCs to come stir up the market as well.

Pretty soon, the line of distinction between what we call a smart phone, internet tablet (if that small segment of the market actually starts taking off) and the UMPCs will start blurring and some smart aleck marketing guru that the makers hire will start coming up with a new term to give to that hybrid device.

BUT.. there are reasons why we like to keep our devices seperate. Because sometimes, a master of something is better than a jack of all trades. Especially during the times where you need to rely on a master.

Qualities of this tiny bugger:

- Small and lightweight

- Packed with decent computing power, mostly for the moderate user.

- Whopping storage space (big big hard drives for some)

A UMPC is a device that seems to be targetted at people who:

- travel a lot,

- don't mind being labelled a sissy (so I'm guessing it must be women),

- probably don't need to spend a lot of time on their computer typing away (I'm definitely out of the equation here),

- and have REALLY skinny fingers who happen to be quite dexterous as well.

- Oh.. and one more thing.. have really good eyesight too..

What UMPC users do with their.. err.. UMPCs:

- Watch movies and videos

- Prepare for meetings by managing their documents and presentations. Its like a huge thumb drive with a screen and keyboard.

- Impress other people by telling them they can pull a laptop out of their pockets

(anyone has anything else to add?)

Anyway, the UMPC is focused for people who travel a lot and don't mind small surfaces to view documents and type on. Resolution on some of these small puppies are quite good mind you.. so watching a movie on them can be a pretty great experience.

But a good tip to bear in mind when buying UMPCs is always choose the one with the longest lasting battery. I mean COME ON.. its focusing on mobility right? So would you want to tie yourself down to a power point every 2 hours?

Do I really need a smartphone?

2008-03-16T11:45:00.000-07:00

Ok.. so hey.. I'm a tech junkie.

I love ALL things gadget like and play-able. And every year, I get the bite of the mobile bug. The itch to change my phone comes swift and quick and I find myself surfing the blogs, review sites and of course cnet asia for my fix.

My trusty and lovable sony ericsson walkman phone has been the love of my tech life for more than a year half already. Urge to change it never came since I was totally satisfied with it.

Then one day, it finally hit me. The rise of the smart phones.

I mean, at first, they were all big, clunky, black and UGLY. No attraction there. But now.. the phone makers are getting a little more creative with their products and you get the smaller.. cuter.. and some prettier ones out there luring the likes of me towards it.

So now, I find myself asking the question... Do I really need a smart phone?

Few websites actually address the issue. Most of them tend to focus alot more on how to choose a smartphone to suit your lifestyle, so the decision the get a smartphone is assumed to have been made.

So let's analyse this.

What do smartphones have that normal phones don't really give? - An interface that surrounds ease of emailing and scheduling and web surfing.

Which is why they tend to come with touchscreen qwerty keyboards, or built on ones. And so, they throw in a wider screen to make email reading easier and of course surfing the web too. All in all, its all the light online activities that someone on the road can carry out without accessing a computer.

So that being said, the people most suited to carry a smartphone and utilize to its full capacity are........ people who travel alot, require constant checking of their emails and communication with people.

So what about me?

Well, I'm a computer geek. Spend most of my time in front of a computer. Either my laptop or my desktop. At this point of time in my life, emails are more of a social thing rather than a work thing. (I kinda try and avoid reading my work email account unless i absolutely have to) The bulk of the computing I tend to do is programming. And them teeny tiny things there don't do THAT job.

So bottom line is that i don't really NEED a smartphone at all, unless one day they're able to pack a editor and compiler for my programming needs.

BUT being a tech junkie, nobody ever said a smart phone can't be a want.. and honestly, I just want one to play with it and have some fun with it.

So what am I?

2008-01-02T06:33:00.000-08:00

These days.. when people ask me what am I doing now or what am I working as.. I just blurt out "oh yeah.. i'm teaching at a poly"

Funny thing is.. as much as I tell people I teach.. teaching is only my part time job. Working on the portal is my full time job since I keep working on the damn applciation day and night..

I don't really like talking about my portal work. Maybe its cause it isn't going as well or as breezily as I'd like.. and I can't blame others or my boss or some inefficient system in the company because its my company and I'm pretty much the boss of it. So I'm the cause of the problems??? I don't like to think so.. but for all you know.. it might be the truth..

I'm tired..

My labour of love is slowly turning into a labour of frustration.. and helplessness..

Won't someone send me a geek in shining armour?

They always say less is more..

2007-12-28T03:11:00.000-08:00

Less is more.. what crap!

It certainly doesn't apply to when you're trying to look for shopping companions during the post christmas sale where everything is going at 70% off!!

Grrr.. I hate that I'm only comfortable shopping with a couple of people... or that I'm so anti social these days that I prefer hanging out with very very few people.

What's wrong with me? Why have I turned into this slug that prefers to hide out at home if the handful of people she deems she's "comfortable" with is busy? I think I've lost my social skills.. SERIOUSLY!

Ever since I started this damn bloody web project, I've stopped meeting people.. stopped socializing and even stopped replying my handpone messages on time!!! I need to find myself back and I honestly honestly can't wait till this damn project is completed. I can't continue being like this anymore..

Need... to... rebuild.... my.... friendships...

God.. now I feel like crying..

Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Facilitators!

2007-11-28T00:40:00.000-08:00

Dear all,

The poor facis of RP have been tortured, teased and aggravated by the students in Republic Polytechnic. Despite being hardworking individuals who try to shape and brighten the minds of the youths, imparting precious knowledge to them, their kindness has been returned with regurgitation of nonsensical information, relentless teasing and linkages to scandalous untrue events resulting in a loss of dignity, hope and privacy.

Please donate generously to the SPCF to rehabilitate our poor traumatised and tortured facilitators.

Mash-up feature number 3

2007-11-16T08:54:00.001-08:00

For my beloved boyfriend... 2 more mash-ups!!

Jamie Liu: She's a mash-up FAN (Part 2)

2007-11-15T23:22:00.000-08:00

And of course who could ever.. I mean EVER.... resist Oasis vs Green Day's Boulevard of Broken Songs

Long Live Party Ben!

Jamie Liu: She's a mash-up FAN!

2007-11-15T23:14:00.001-08:00

Thats it! Now I'm an official fan of all mash-up musics. The marriage between 2 seemingly unrelated songs can be so wonderful and sound-tastically matched-up together.. I LOVE IT!

Anyway I grabbed this off one of the mash-up sites. The song by Daft Queen -Another one bites da dust is smooshed up together with We will rock you!!!!! Nearly fell off my chair sia..

Now tell me.. how can you not be a fan after listening to this???

Joe Hill's Heart-shaped box.. Scary meh?

2007-11-05T00:29:00.000-08:00

After listening to Michelle Martin's book review of Joe Hill's The Heart-Shaped Box, I was so hyped up to go get his book!

I mean she was like.. the book's so scary she had to check under the bed before she went to bed and how it was such a page turner that she couldn't put it down.. not even to sleep.

I couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy of the book since its been a while since I gave in to my reading urges. Plus, Joe Hill was Stephen King's son so obviously I thought some of the horror master's talent must have rubbed off on his kid.

Anyway.. began my hunt for the book. I had scoured 3 major bookstores for the book and they had turned me away saying that the book had SOLD OUT! This just fuelled my fervent search for the book.. I just had to get my hands on it.

Finally found it at Kino in Liang court (Figured I needed to go to a major bookstore in a obscure location... what better place than Liang Court?) And then.. began my reading..

MAN was I disappointed...

The story was fine, quite interesting albeit a little predictable. The characters were well developed and you could connect with them easily. Some new writers had a terrible way of developing realistic characters..

BUT WHERE WAS THE HORROR????

I was looking to be spooked outta my mind... you know.. the kind where u get jumpy in the dark.. plus it was raining heavily last night and the lightning flashing.. thunder crashing kinda setting.. perfect for the scared outta your wits scary story..

But nothing.. the ghost wasn't even that horrifying. I liked the story.. but it really wasn't that scary..

Either Michelle Martin's a total fraidy cat.. or she's embelishing the review a little too much.. I mean come on.. who the heck is going to be so-scared-i-gotta-check-under-my-bed with this book? Geez...

The uneven-ness of me

2007-11-01T00:24:00.000-07:00

I always knew that the left halves of our body is different from the right halves of our body. Which is why you're not really balanced on both sides.

Like how my right foot is slightly bigger than my left. And my right arm's bigger than left arm too, but thats cos I use my right arm's stronger than my left. Me being right handed and all.

But then I noticed something even weirder today. As I was epilating my legs, I noticed that my right leg had more leg hairs than my left leg!!!!!

Both legs had been shaved at the same time the last time, not like I shaved my left leg first and then waited a week to shave my right one. I'm illogical.. not insane.

So given the same time span, my right leg apparently had better hair growing powers and it grew more leg hairs!!! HAHA...

Man.. I'm so weird.

DAY TWO: To accomplish bigger things in life.. you must fake an MC

2006-09-20T21:00:00.000-07:00

Cross fingers.. hope.. pray that my boss doesn't see this post.

Well.. I'm at home.. sitting in front of my comp.. trying to force my brain to spit some code out in order to finish my database system.. and treacherous brain of mine.. is just humming to the music playing from my comp (listening to Jay's new music) and not thinking like a programmer's BRAIN!

I faked a sick day today.. ok maybe not faked entirely.. I do actually have a bad migrane resulting from my jaw clenching, not to mention aching teeth and jaw. BUT its not so bad that I couldn't go to work.. aniway.. i just wanted to stay home to finish some of personal work.. (I noe... i'm a horrible worker)

So day 2 it is! And I'll be doing my virtual lab with microsoft learning later in the afternoon to learn the tips and tricks of creating my webbie's shopping cart.. let's see.. checklist of functions I'll need for my webbie:

- login
- product / inventory management
- shopping cart
- member info
- paypal integration

and not forgetting that I haven't exactly completed my webbie layout design.. sigh sigh.. I hate designing the most.. cos I'm not really good at it and if i don't get it rite the first time it'll be too much to change it later when you're integrating the functions into it.. BLEARGH!

WATEVER!!! Time to go back to finishing up abit more of my database.. yay yay!

Day ONE: The beginning of the end of my social life

2006-09-19T23:29:00.000-07:00

I have decided.. to blog my ardous and tiring journey to create my e-commerce website.

I have just recieved my Certificate of Acheievement for completing my module "Programming Web Applications with ASP.NET" which is part of my Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer course. (It even has Bill Gate's signature on it.. HAHAH)
So now.. I'm going to embark on my mini project of creating my own e-commerce website.

Of course the painstaking business plan of where the revenue is going to come from and how I'm going to navigate the site is already done (so actually saying that this is day one is technically incorrect) but today is the day I'm going to write my first line of code.. in VB.NET

This is going to be a long and painful process.. but.. I shall brave through it.. and sacrifice my already pathetic social life (it doesn't really amount to much to begin with but I do actually have 1.. so its still considered a sacrifice) and perhaps in 4 months time.. u can call me MISS HUNDRED-THOUSANDAIRE

A plant's solemn day

2006-09-12T10:12:00.000-07:00

My dancing plant died... a few moments of silence please...

Time and tide wait for no bastard

2006-09-12T09:50:00.000-07:00

Its a hormonal day today.. definitely

I usually have this thing about people being late and having to have to wait for them. My mom use to do that to me when I was a kid. I had to go for tuition classes twice a week and either one of my parents would drop me off at the tutors place and pick me up when I'm done.

If my dad was the one doing the picking.. no worries.. he'd always be there real early and I'd be able to go once lessons were over.. but my mom.. she's the worst

Its as if she really had no concept of time at all.. I usually end up waiting for her for up to half an hour to an hour, an hour being the worst ever, considering that my lessons usually end at 9.30pm and I have to wait for my parents at void deck area..

Made me feel forgotten about.. and she was never apologetic about it.. she just showed up busy doing something and drove off the moment I got in

I hate waiting for people.. esp people who are always late and think its acceptable to be.. I hate that

And today being a day where I'm hormonal.. stressed and stretched a little thin these days.. I just lost it.. I got horribly pissed with a fren... a perpetual latecomer..

And cos he never apologized about it.. blaming me for being early instead causing me to wait even longer.. I got even madder

And he criticized me after that.. for giving him attitude..

Sitting here now.. yeah.. a part of it was probably my fault.. shouldn't have gotten so anal in the first place.. but when I think back on it.. I don't think I would have done anything different..

I was only looking for an apology.. a genuine one.. not those where people just go "SORRY LAH! you happy?" Becos.. on days like this.. where I really have a lot of other things that need to be done and I'm already so tired about everything else.. I'd like to know that others are also considerate to me as I try to be considerate to others..

We're all always going to be late for some reason or the other.. and we're all going to make our frenz and family wait for us at some point of time or the other.. but it would make others feel better to know that even though you are late.. you're thinking of them and making yourself rush so they won't have to wait longer.. and that you're truly sorry for having to make them wait for you.. cos no one is SOOOOO important that you have to have others wait for you..

Time is very precious.. if you only have 24 hours of life left.. would you really wanna spend an hour of it waiting for others?

Super Weird Man

2006-08-09T20:04:00.000-07:00

This morning, when I was waiting at my usual bus stop for my ride to work... I saw the Weird Man again. He was wearing his usual short sleeved button down shirt, mercilessly tucked into his ultra baggy light blue waist high jeans with a black belt to hold everything up and his trusty black haversack.

You might think that I'm a terrible person to call someone else Weird Man just cos he has a nerdy sense of dressing, but I fear you are mistaken my friend. Weird Man is not weird cos he looks like he's in dire need of a fashion makeover. Weird Man is weird because he looks like he's trying to bore a hole into my head with his vision.

Everytime I'm at the bus stop and he happens to be there, HE JUST KEEPS STARING AT ME. He doesn't even try to do it discreetly or hide it or anything.. he stares straight at me.. right at me. Even if I'm standing right behind him and out of his line of vision, he'll just turn around and then STARE, occassionally glancing away to see if the bus has arrived and then back to staring again.

I don't even dare to look at him. Its flattering when someone notices you.. but its downright creepy to the 100th degree when they stare at you unblinkingly through their dirty smudged glasses. Even if it were Brad Pitt staring at me like that, it'll still be creepy!! Ok.. maybe creepy to the 10th degree instead of the 100th degree BUT STILL CREEPY!

Love tides

2006-07-15T09:01:00.000-07:00

Some days back.. I was walking around Borders bookshop in town when my friend's boyfren picked up a book and started exclaiming about the accuracy of the words in the book.

The book was called the essence of venus and mars. And then he flipped through the book to a particular chapter which started off

"Women are like waves"

or something like that.. I forget.. but thats pretty much the gist of it. It described that women's emotions go through a series of highs and lows at different periods of the months and that women become very reflective of their lives and go through a time of retrospection..

And then we get all weepy and sappy and complain about this and that and blah blah blah.. and the book tells men that at that point of time.. they shouldn't try to fix anything.. becos it rarely helps..

And then women will think about how they should go about changing their lives and treat everyone else in it better.. and then set about to be more cheerful and attentive to their partners.. sweet and everything.. and that would be the high period..

And you noe wat? At some level.. the book was right..
Right now.. its probably my low-tide period.. becos for the past couple of days.. i've been thinking about my life and my future and getting all mopey and confused.. thinking about wat exactly i'm not happy about and how I should consider changing it..

Inclusive in my journey of introspection.. is my lack of enthusiasm for my better half.. who luckily for me.. is a little distracted by work to notice.. whew!

I hate going through this period.. it makes me feel less enthusiastic about having him around me.. LOVE shouldn't be like this.. it shouldn't be "I love you SUPER ALOT on Monday... but today's love is only SO SO.. " Because if thats the case.. then on those "so so" days.. we'd be wondering if there's something better out there!!

Please.. that can't be normal right? *gulp*

Talking to myself?

2006-07-14T17:12:00.000-07:00

People never say what they really think or what they really feel. Then those around them will always try to second-guess exactly what's going on behind that thick skull of theirs. So.. a standard reflex action would be... DENIAL

We're always trying to deny the truth in front of others. Especially when it comes to the affairs of the heart. Even though many males out there would be shouting "Yeah yeah.. its always true about women!", if you think about it.. everyone's guilty of the same thing.. perhaps this trait is a little more obvious with the ladies because somehow.. it sometimes seem God made our hearts a little bit closer to our sleeves.. so wearing it on our sleeves seems an easier job for us..

But anyway.. like I was saying.. DENIAL..

Then again.. what's the point in denying the truth in front of others? Even if we succeed and they get off our backs on stuff.. at night when we're all alone and lying in bed.. there is still going to be another person questioning us.. and thats ourselves. Can we keep the truth from the our own selves?

I've always kinda imagined myself sitting in front of the mirror and looking at my reflection.. and then suddenly it starts talking to me and asking me "Why?" And I'd look at my own face and all the answers would suddenly surface in one expression.. We can't keep what's in our hearts from our own heart.. And can we all actually live with that? Seems like a pretty miserable life to me..

The online shopaholic disease

2006-06-26T23:26:00.000-07:00

Sick.. I'm definitely sick.. suffering from a horrendous money eating, time consuming, muscle aching, eyesight destroying disease called shopaholicism..

There is no escape.. staying home will only make it worse.. going out will make u spend money.. and I CAN"T HELP MYSELF!! *cry*

This is all the fault of Taiwan Yahoo auctions!

All those girls there are really hardcore online sellers man! They take lovely photos of their wares and them WEARING their wares.. looking like models..

What's more is that them items featured are super duper cheap.. (and if you buy many many items, shipping costs are cheaper per item) so you become tempted to buy many many!

I bought this...

And I'm trying to buy this... but the seller doesn't wanna ship internationally

SO NICE!

But there are a few major drawbacks..

1) The sellers are all taiwanese and they don't speak English.. so EVERYTHING has to be communicated in chinese

2) They DO NOT have paypal... and its so difficult to pay them.. some of them are even asking for concealed cash to be mailed to them.. sheesh..

3) Unless you buy a lot of stuff.. shipping can be expensive per item..

So there I am.. wee hours of the night.. composing my chinese emails with my half baked chinese to try and BEG the sellers to sell me their wares..
My poor bank account is really as it is described.. POOR.. as each minute ticks by..

Who noes.. I might have to be locked up in a dark room soon, wearing a straight-jacket with a wild look in my eyes.. and declared unfit to surf another auction site..

*shivers*

Dancing queen's dancing plant

2006-06-20T21:31:00.000-07:00

So there I was.. had my lunch and was walking around minding my own business... when a small push cart owner (he's actually really quite short.. the top of his head probably just came up to my chin) waved me over and showed me his "WONDERFUL.. AMAZING.. MUSIC PLANT"

No seriously.. the plant dances to music! Well at least thats what he claims... which I find pretty far fetched considering that plants have no ears.. least to say a sense of rhythm

I found it so highly unbelievable that I bought the damned plant... *Hiakz*

I just wanted to see if it would do what he claimed it would do.. and maybe it might sprout SINGING FLOWERS!

So I willingly parted with my $7.50 (I only had a dollar coin left in my wallet after that.. now this is what you get when you're too lazy to go to the ATM the night before to draw money..) and bought myself a dancing plant in a soda can...

So I'm supposed to give it a "chicken rice plastic spoonful" of water everyday.. some sun tanning time.. and the moment it starts sprouting leaves.. it will wriggle its leaves when you play it music or start singing to it

Of course it could very well curl up and DIE if your singing voice sounds like nails on a blackboard.. or if you're tone deaf and sound like my teenage brother mimicking Clay Aiken in the bathroom

All in all.. we shall see if the plant dances.. and then maybe I'll bring it to Zouk on Mambo night!