September's giveaway

Hi everyone, Sept's entry is now closed. The lucky number (using a random number generator) is #23 which goes to texan_michael (I'll be contacting you soon). Thanks all for dropping by and your kind notes which added a little zing to my weeks. Please tune in for next month's giveaway. In the meanwhile, have a great month ahead!


Hi everyone, it's time for September's giveaway so if you'd like to join in for a little fun, just drop me a comment on this blog. You don't need a blog to be part of this but be sure to write down your email so that I can contact you if you're the lucky winner! Local and international shipping costs is on me. This month's giveaway is a bracelet. I went through my stash and found these czech glass beads, amazonites, porcelain, turqoise and fresh water coin pearls which I thought would go well together. So blue it was going to be. All wires are non tarnish including the headpins. The length is adjustable with a maximum length of 7.5 inches. This giveaway will be closed Sept 14.

Thanks for dropping by have a good week ahead!

ZZZZzzz

Today I sat beside a man who snored. We were both in a theatre hall listening to a speech which was part of an international conference together with 400 others. I didn't know this gentleman and I wished I did because for half an hour, I didn't know what to do. It started as a soft zzzz which didn't bother me at first. But then it went to a large ZZZZZ and by then I was too distracted and had to take a look at my neighbour.

He was a large man in his suit and tie and his eyes were closed and head down to his chest. It seems silly to me now that I didn't do anything for the first half hour since people around us started to look at him. I was thinking and praying that it'll stop so that I didn't have to wake him as I didn't want him to feel embarassed. But I was thinking that it was a two hour lecture and it was a matter of time before the speaker heard him THEN that'll be really embarassing. Suddenly an arm from the back reached out to tap him gently. It was a sign. I sprung into action and held his arm firmly. He woke up. And looked at me, smiling sheepishly. However, after a minute, I noticed at the corner of my eye that he started nodding slowly and the soft zzzzz started to fill the air again. When the zzzzz went to a ZZZZZZ, I pressed his arm again. He would wake up and then tried to shift his position in his chair. But a minute later, zzzzzz.....ZZZZZZ. I pressed his arm yet again. He stretched his arms and moved his head from side to side as if to shake himself awake. But it wasn't working. zzzzzzz......ZZZZZZ went my neighbour. Again I pressed his arm. This went on and on for a good hour and a half. I was getting quite good at it. I had become the unofficial appointed arm-pressing ambassador.

I felt sorry for him. He tried really hard and he just couldn't stay awake or stay quiet. I wondered if he experienced this most of the time. When the lecture was over, he apologized and told me how sorry he was and then silently shook his head as if expressing dissapointment with himself. I smiled sympathetically. And pressed his arm.

Velvet and mint

I found these chips at the corner of the store and knew exactly what I was going to do with them. This is similar to Aprils' giveaway except they are in purple hues and I love the way the colours just come together without even trying. There's a little purple, occasionally alot of purple, a little green, translucent bits and all I did was include the satin pearls as finish. All materials used are non tarnish including the toggle. This kept me busy for a couple of weeks, in a good way as this was something I just wanted to do to see how it would turn out. I think I like it.

Hello. How has your week been? I hope you're having a good week, sleeping right and eating right and having laughter in your life. Sometimes I forget these when I'm trying to cope with busy days. That there is a world larger than mine. That it's ok not to be punctual all the time. That it's ok to have a whole bar of chocolate when you hadn't in a long time. That it's ok to let slip once in a while. That it's ok to say the wrong thing. That it's ok to laugh at yourself. That you're imperfect and that's what so perfect about you. So today I count the perfect moments in my imperfect week.

1. I found three uneaten no-nut-chocolate-chip Famous Amos cookies in my bag. 2. Someone left a small mandarin orange on my work desk with a note attached "Remember to take your vitamin c". 3. I got rid of $4 worth of change in my wallet which was exactly how much dinner had cost. 4. I stepped out to take the bus and the rain stopped. 5. The cab driver who knew where to take me even though I forgot the address of where I was going. 6. The discovery of brown rice green tea. 7. Left over ice cream that fortunately my husband did not know about. 8. Hair that behaved three days out of five. 9. Easy-to-open sardine cans. 10. It's Saturday tomorrow.

Have a good weekend everyone.

Caught in a time capsule

This is Dr Tan's office. Dr Tan is our neighbourhood's general practitioner. My husband's left eye was red and we thought we'd better have it checked out since it's been red in the last couple of days. It was swelling up too. Turned out it was more than conjuntivitis. We were warned not to take it lightly as it was contagious and if not looked after properly, it could cause blindness. Seems like it's getting around so do have your eyes checked if you're experiencing the same thing.

But I digress. What I wanted to share was how I always feel like I'm caught in a time capsule when I enter his office. It's like being in the 70s. Except for the magazines, everything in the waiting room looks like a blast from the past. To the left of the room, there is a transistor radio with two casette decks and Hotel California was playing at the time we were there. There is a vase with dusty orange and blue silk flowers in it- the kind that our mothers used to have in the store and only take out on special occasions. The wallpapers are a faded blue with framed pictures of painted flowers and mountain streams. There are posters that ask if you had taken your flu shots and those that tell you the importance of having a balanced diet. But you have to squint to get a better read as parts of it are faded due to the sun shining down on it. When you do finally meet Dr Tan, he'll be smiling behind his horn rimmed glasses. The kind of smile that stretches your face and makes your eyes disappear. And when you meet him, you understand why there is always a long line up at the clinic. Even though he has been practicing medicine for years and years and years, he continues to show kindness and empathy for his patients. And how do I know he's been practicing medicine for years and years and years? Just look around his office.

Beach scenes

Out of the shadows and losing it

Sometimes you need to scream in order to be heard. I smiled when I recieved this quote from a friend. It was in reference to an event that happened at work. Both Cin and I don't like screaming and we just can't do the screams. When on a roller coaster ride (a deathdifying one) I'll be the one at the back, silent. If someone were come up to me unexpectedly, I would be startled but no scream. If the building were on fire, I'll be the quiet one focused on how to get everyone to safety. Or then maybe I've just learned how to scream silently. Screaming loudly doesn't solve anything. And besides, after you've screamed at someone whom you didn't mean to hurt, you can't take it back. Well, I've thought differently about this since my meeting with John-the-salesman at the electronics store at Sim Lim.

I really wanted a new canon camera that week as I wanted to capture some of my new earrings for etsy. With a busy schedule, I decided to go to Sim Lim during my lunch break to buy the camera I wanted. I went in and was very specific about the model and the fact that I wanted an additional Canon battery pack. John was soft spoken and friendly. He took the box out and showed me the camera and batteries and then packed it up for me as I rushed out for my 2 o'clock appointment. Only did I reach home at the end of the day that I realized that my extra battery was a compatible (translated: cheap imitation of the battery) and NOT a Canon as I had paid for. I also realized that the warranty card had a stamp that said that I had redeemed my free gifts which included a camera bag, camera stand and some cleaning equipment. There were NO gifts in the bag. The receipt was written in such a way that it did not capture what I really paid for.

I was mad. And I mean MAD. If John were there, I swear I would have grabbed a pair of scissors and gourged his eyes out. Both of them. The next day I contacted consumers association to get some advice how I can file a complaint. The guy over the phone came right out and told me, "Look the guys at the store are really smooth, much like your greasy used car salesman. They did not leave you very much in terms of evidence to fight this case. You're better off letting go or just going down there yourself to get your battery." It's amazing how anger can sometimes give you enough courage. My plan was quite simple. Ask. And if do not recieve, create a scene. The kind that might get you warded in a mental institution.

So 6 oclock came. I stood there with my husband asking politely to speak with John. I pointed the 'mistakes' to him. John replied quite smoothly. "Well, I showed you the battery didn't I? You checked the stuff before you went out didn't you? So it's your mistake isn't it?" Again. If I had the scissors. "It's my mistake? It's my mistake that I TRUSTED YOUR COMPANY TO ACTUALLY GIVE ME WHAT I PAID FOR? OH HOW STUPID OF ME TO ASSUME THAT YOU ACTUALLY SELL REAL CANON CAMERAS AND BATTERIES! I WANT MY ORGINAL CANON BATTERY PACK AND YOU ARE GOING TO GIVE IT TO ME NOW!" I didn't care who was staring at me at the store. John, who I thought didn't really value his life, said, "But I showed you the battery, remember?" "YES YOU DID. YOU HAD A VERY CREATIVE WAY OF SHOWING IT TO ME" and I proceeded to show him how he had cleverly showed me the top of the battery concealing the side which might as well say Orangina. John kept quiet for a while and then (again. need scissors for his other balls) he took out a bag of free gifts to pacify me. "YOU'RE KIDDING RIGHT??? ARE YOU NOT HEARING ME? I WANT THE CANON BATTERY. YOU ARE GIVING ME THESE WHICH I HAVE A RIGHT TO HAVE IN THE FIRST PLACE? MY FREE GIFTS? YOU'RE KIDDING ME RIGHT???? TELL YOU WHAT. I'M GOING TO BE KIND TO YOU. I AM GOING TO GIVE YOU MY FREE GIFTS AND YOU HAVE MY PERMISSION TO SELL THEM. YOU GIVE ME MY CANON BATTERY NOW!" By then, there were no more customers in the shop. John was running out of ideas and a friend of his happened to come by and witnessed this for a couple of minutes before John nervously got him out of the shop. The other salesmen were glaring at me but did not intervene. My husband was deathly still and I felt sorry for him. He was probably thinking if this were to result in a fist fight, there was no way he could take on all of them.

You would think I would get my battery then. NOOOO. According to John, "Well, if you really want the real canon battery, you'll have to pay for it." Needless to say, that was more fuel for my homicidal rage. I was good and properly hysterical. He wanted $20. I didn't want to pay. But then again, I couldn't take the sound of my voice anymore. It was like finger nail to a chalkboard. Finally, we agreed on a dollar.

When it was over, I was exhausted but happy that I got my battery. We went for dinner thereafter and my husband, who didn't say a word all this time, looked at me and said, "My GOD, who ARE you?" "Yeah" I sighed, "Sometimes I scare myself."

Stage of Acceptance

Our TV of 15 years blew up last night. So tonight we're going to watch the inside of our refrigerator.

Monday morning.

Woe.

It's just semantics

"Let's go for tea."
"What? But we just had lunch!"
"Who says we can't have a cup of tea after lunch?"
"That's not what you said, you said, let's go for tea, you didn't say let's go have a cup of tea."
"What's the difference??"
"Well, going for tea means having cake and cookies, and peanut butter toast, and marmalade and jam and sandwiches AND tea."
"So what's wrong with that?"
"But we just had lunch! Look at my tummy, it feels like a basketball in here."
"Ok then, let's go for a CUP of tea."
"Ok."
"But you know we're really having the works don't you?"
"YOU are. I'm not."
"You're no fun at all."

43 today

I love these tall buildings with their brick- patterned walls and red roof tops. They signify home for me. I can tell you the colour of the murals at the bottom deck of each flat. There are also five stray cats who live in the neighbourhood. My husband and I have named them all and we know where they go at different times of the day. At the market nearby, there is a vegetable stall owner who will engage you in lively banter and if you're his loyal customer, you can help yourself to free chillies. There is also a Malay barber round the corner and one day I'm going to bring my camera in there. I think he has Elvis's guitar. Every morning my mother-in-law joins the tai chi group for their morning exercise. Once in a while, the pasar malams come to the neighbourhood. The shopping mall is a stone's throw away and so is the library, swimming pool, train station and bus stops. I love that there are kopitiams everywhere. The activities around the neighbourhood are taken care by the resident committees. They don't always agree with each other and this becomes fodder for great gossip. The neighbour who lives upstairs brings us curry whenever she cooks and the neighbour next door has a little boy who has pinchable cheeks. When it's midnight and we walk out to watch a movie, we make sure we close the front doors softly so as not to wake pinchable cheeks boy.

Happy Birthday Singapore.

Cherries

I love love love love love love cherries. And I'm gonna get me some more tommorrow. The end.

Hot Day

Everytime I put on my shades I have this song ringing in my head:

I study nuclear science
I love my classes
I got a crazy teacher, he wears dark glasses
Things are going great, and they're only getting better
I'm doing all right, getting good grades
The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades
I gotta wear shades, I gotta wear shades.

Finding my very own

Since my post about Polaroid Corp shutting down its manufacturing lines and fearing that I would never get to see the film again, I embarked on a trip of my own to get my very own polaroid camera with a vow to take as many pictures as possible... or rather when film production stops in 2009. It wasn't easy to find your classic polaroid camera but after going into the local forums on the internet and speaking to several kind people, I managed to get my hands on one. Thanks to Nick and his wife, who are polaroid camera buffs and I mean in the truest sense of the word as they have accumulated about 500 of them (or more) and have no space to store them, have decided to sell them now that Polaroid is shutting its doors.

So with my polaroid in hand, I went out into the sun and had fun with it. I love the fact that it spits out the pictures and I love the swirling sound of it when the film gets out. And then waiting for the picture to emerge. It's like magic and it brought me right back into my childhood when my father would take a picture of me and we would stare and wait patiently for it to appear. Sometimes, he would breathe on the picture to speed up the process coz warmth helps the picture to appear quickly.

I just love my polaroid.

What I'm wearing these days.

I'm a fuss free kind of gal who prefers to live in simplicity, well, most of the time. I hardly wear jewelry although I buy them when something catches my eye. I also wear my own creations and it'll come to no surprise to many when I wear something like this one above. A simple everyday wear pair. Heart shaped faceted chalcedony with a tinge of pine tree green wrapped in sterling silver. Sea Breeze is on sale on etsy too.

I couldn't find my wedding ring awhile ago and I use the words 'couldn't find' as I had hoped that it would show up. But it's been more than 6 months and the more I thought about it, the more I knew in my heart that I had thrown them away. Both rings. The wedding band and the diamond band that went with it. I still feel upset when I think about it but there's no one to blame but myself. I had taken them out in the shopping mall to put some hand lotion on and must have have placed them in my pocket together with a bunch of receipts. Thereafter I must have walked away and then threw away my receipts forgetting my rings were in there too. Ouch.

The ring holds for me a memory of our pre-marriage journey together and the day when we got the rings and the words we both had engraved on them and the wedding day and the eventual exchange of vows at the alter. I guess I am just sentimental. But then again, Cindy pointed out that I have these memories anyway and that nothing can ever change that and that I'll make new memories with my new ring which by the way she asks "Doesn't your husband know that your name isn't Tiffany?"