National Day preparations

Been so busy with work that I've been feeling rather burnt out this week. Many absurd events also occurred at work. But despite leaving after 7pm today (which means about 12 whole hours at work!), I was quite pleased cos of...

Heehee, these are the wonderful products of all the creative juices flowing from my form class for the National Day celebrations! There's a T-shirt design and national icon competition that all classes have to participate in. Today I managed to get the class going and had fun snapping pics of them while they worked in groups to put these together! Some of my kids even stayed back voluntarily after remedial lessons till close to 7pm so that they could complete the icon. I'm so proud of them! Really hope they'd win cos they put in so much effort! :D

Orchard outing

Last Sunday, Hubby and I met up with Beebee and her colleague-friend Benne. Had to make a trip to Botanic Gardens cos there was a public school band performance that I was tasked to witness for work purposes, but thankfully I could choose my own company for that event since it was open to the public, unlike some other colleagues of mine who had to attend the more formal performances alone cos they were entitled to only one ticket. :S

It's been several years since I last visited the Botanic Gardens. If not for the fact that I was there for work, I'd probably have enjoyed the trip there more. There were quite a number of people there -- couples taking wedding pics, families with their kids, others with their dogs. Yeah! It's such a hotspot for dog-lovers. The place is like a neighbourhood park for the wealthy residents of Orchard Road. Oh, and there were many Japanese too! ;)

Speaking of Japanese, we went to Orchard Ion for the first time. Woohoo! It's really a one-stop giant shopping mall that hosts a wide range of stores -- from your everyday common stores to first-in-Asia boutiques to luxury brand boutiques. Cool! And I also discovered this lovely Japanese store specialising in Japanese food products and some other little trinklets. It's got such a wonderful Japanese feel and just browsing what's available makes me so happy! ;) Couldn't resist stepping outta the store with a sweet mobile phone accessory too. Hee. With such attractively-packaged items, I'm sure the store'll appeal to many like me! ;D

We also stopped by Orchard Central for dinner together. Hmm... compared to Ion, this place really doesn't seem to offer much yet, though it does have some interesting-looking restaurants. There's even a large Ben & Jerry's parlour that also has a bar area serving main meals. Prices seem a little steep though. Anyway, we eventually settled on this Japanese place that does this Osaka specialty of some thick pancake thingy.

The food's ok... Hubby likes his teppanyaki mix while I was okay with the spicy chicken pan dish that I ordered. Not fantastic, but ok lah. The choices are a little limited though, especially for a person like me who doesn't fancy pork or squid etc.

Sigh... so looking forward to this weekend to go out again! Been working so super hard!!! X(

Lessons learnt

The cysts reduced in swelling the next day after the visit to the dermatologist. Although there were ugly, plain visible discoloured patches left behind by the injections, I was super relieved that I was able to conceal them using good ol' make-up. Ahhh... the wonders of make-up.

In the early afternoon, had a colourful meal prepared by MIL...

Later on, met Beebee for some shopping (which was done mostly by her -- Hubby and I were quite disciplined that day :p) and had a nice dinner, albeit disappointing dessert. Felt so cheated comparing our miserable portion of ice-cream with the mountainous heap enjoyed by the next table.

Then finally, after the nice meals came the harsh lesson. Because I was pretty keen to annihilate all those pesky cysts, I went about looking for any suitable range of facial products that might help to improve this (although I was told that the only way would be to either take medication or reduce stress). Eventually came across this set of products that bought me over with a booklet that came with it, highlighting various details to do with acne problems and stuff. It was published in such an impressively informative way that it boosted my confidence in it and made me buy it at a discounted price of $80. What's more, the products came with a sticker, claiming that it was the best selling series at Watsons for several consecutive years. Though I didn't like paying so much for a brand I hadn't even heard of before, I was just so desperate and convinced that I just had to try this out.

And omg, I did. Went home that night and carried out all the instructions to use the products -- facial cleanser, toner, night cream. On Sunday morning, I woke up feeling good about my face, then lo and behold, realised a while later that my face was starting to itch with a tingling sensation and I looked like 包公, except that my face was red instead of black. Maybe my skin's sensitive to the medication found in these items. But when I did my research online to find out more, I read testimonials from MANY people who totally bombed the exact products I bought, and some even commented on how the products made their skin condition worsen over time. AAHHHHH!!! So what now? Those horrible products are lying in a heap in the bathroom cabinet after just a one-time use. There goes my 80 bucks. There goes my hope. T_T

Lessons learnt:

1. Never buy into others' words so readily, especially words coming from people who are out to promote something
2. Always do research before making any drastic move, especially in the face of possible impulse buying
3. Products don't have to be expensive to work
4. Heed what the doc says

Now, I'm back to being a customer of The Face Shop once again. Thank goodness the redness has vanished, and the cysts are gone. There's still some slight marks left, but they appear lighter with each passing day, so my face is quite okay now. Phew!

Vanity, thy name is WOMAN

See the lil' chimpanzee? I looked something like that when I discovered...

Wednesday: 1 big bao and 2 small baos

Yesterday evening: 1 big painful bao and 3 small baos

This afternoon, 3.35pm: Doc Lee said, "Tsk tsk... you actually have FIVE ah! Wah... how come so many?!!!"

3.40pm: I said, "Ow...er, you finish injecting all five already right? Cos very painful leh...I don't want anymore injections..."

3.43pm: Doc Lee said, "Ya ya...finish already. Actually you know what...sometimes the injections don't even help. Maybe after a while come out again."

3.44pm: I thought, "Wah. Win already lor. Inject all already then tell me!" *faint*

Sigh. Yeah yeah, my cyst problem re-surfaced after a year since I last visited the dermatologist. Made an urgent appointment this morning and rushed down after work to see him. Doc Lee says that since I can't take the tablets he recommends, there's nothing much I can do except try to reduce my stress level. Apparently, the cysts are caused by accumulated stress. Omg. How not to be stressed in my line of work? Aiyo. :(

After the injections, I think I literally 没脸见人 cos the bumps on my face were so red and all, so just hopped into a cab and went straight home. Didn't even wander around to look for nice dinner takeaway from Orchard area as planned. So for my Friday nice takeaway evening today, I ordered delivery from my favourite pizza place instead... guess eating low fat but yummy pizza is a nice end to my otherwise traumatised day. :p

Yup, both Hubby and I Iike the items that Rites Pizza offers. Usually we'd order a combo meal with one pizza to share, garlic sticks, wings and drinks. Decided to get pan pizza today so we can each eat what we might fancy other than our usual choice. Got him a Meat Diva pan pizza, and me a healthy veggies pizza. Threw in some BBQ wings and Thai shrimp cakes too. Yums!

Ok, 'nuff said for the day. Gonna go check on my baos again. Was looking forward to going out tomorrow, so really hope they'd disappear soon! Please..... ....... .....

Not just a packet of canteen food

一个普通的饭盒，
看起来并不起眼，
却包含了诚恳的心意。。。
而且也提醒了我，
在工作凡忙之时，
还有小小的心灵
正在为我打起着。

谢谢你，丽婷。:)

Leisurely Saturday at home

It's great to get up early on a Saturday morning, cos you feel the day is longer and you can get so much more done. :)

Didn't go out yesterday unlike most other Saturdays cos Hubby had his IPPT scheduled in the late afternoon, so I got down to settling some work in the morning after reading the papers and all. Though there was quite a bit of work to clear, I also managed to have some fun at home.

Eagerly demonstrated to Hubby how I'd recently learnt how to fold a heart (I'm usually horrible at origami stuff) cos had to conduct a lesson that makes use of this skill. Then I challenged Hubby to do the same cos he claimed that he could do the same without even officially learning how to. He disappeared for a while with a sheet of paper and then pranced back towards me, exclaiming, "See! I told you I also can..."

Let's have a look now...

Mine:

His:

=.=

Nevertheless, I still had a good laugh upon seeing the *ahem* unique heart (which actually resembles an ice-cream cone more)... hehe.

And check out what I cooked for lunch... orange rice? Nah, it's rice with mashed carrots! The idea occurred to me while I was racking my brains, wondering what to do with a big carrot I had just removed from the fridge. Well, for a non-carrot lover like me, this is one sure way to get me to eat this orange thing. I dumped the chopped carrot pieces into the rice cooker to cook with the grains, then mashed everything together once it's all cooked to form the lovely coloured rice. Haha. Looks appetising, I think!

Also tried out another thing...soaked and tore shreds of yakinori, roasted seaweed used in making sushi, and stir fried them with teriyaki chicken, diced potatoes and red capsicum. On top of providing extra nutrients, the yakinori also adds flavour to the dish. Yum! Hubby also said not bad. :D

In the evening, Hubby returned with his IPPT results -- got his usual Silver... yaay! Then we had a pizza meal delivered to us for dinner, and enjoyed that while watching one of Michael Jackson's famous concerts on DVD.

And that's for a nice Saturday -- work and fun balanced pretty well. :)

TGIF! V^_^V

Yes, I survived the week!!!

Heh, anyway...what do you get when you cross G-shock watches with Man-thing???

Answer:

Yeah... Hubby's work. :p I came home earlier to find my G-shock missing from my watchbox, and Hubby's missing from his too. These 2 watches were bought in a pair for our wedding anniversary. So was really piqued and wondered where they could have gone. Found them with Man-thing later on. I admit that this creature does look good with our watches. And after Hubby explained how he was trying to make more space in our watch boxes, and how the watches should be together, "just like their owners", I was convinced. Heh.

Anyway, Man-thing's not the only one striking a cool pose with our watches -- we've a grey Hulk in our bedroom looking ferocious with another G-shock watch, and not long ago, Hubby made Iron Man hold a Swiss Army pocket watch too. =.=

Obtw, I'm also going to declare that from today onwards, Friday's going to be Special Dinner Night @ Home for us! ;P Unlike many other young couples who knock off after regular working hours and can return home to enjoy dinner together, Hubby and I only have one week night together at home on Fridays. The other nights see both of us working separately -- him out there and me at home. So while thinking of what to buy home for dinner just now, I decided that I should purchase a meal that's different from our usual nearby takeaway. And I should do that every Friday since it's the only evening we enjoy dinner together after four consecutive days of not seeing much of each other. Plus, it'll serve as a mini reward for us for having worked hard throughout the week. :)

I think I can eat Subway's chicken salad quite regularly... am starting to declare myself a fan of this simple item on their menu. My choice of dressing is always the non-fat sweet onion sauce, which gives the salad a tangy taste. Love it! :D

Looking forward to next Friday...with every Friday that passes from now, it's a step nearer to the year-end holidays, which I desperately need. Weekends are no longer sufficient for me to catch up with rest!

ZZzzz...

最近好累啊。。。
好想好好睡个长觉。。。
好想过个休闲的假期。。。
好想抛开无聊的负担。。。
好想不用无时为下一刻而着急。。。

唉。

Back to NUS days...

Can't help but drop a post here to remind myself in future of this day when I spent one full afternoon working on my NIE course assignment, which was to write a paper comprising three different sections. Had to read up and make references to selected literature (thank goodness I've books at home to help me!), so the whole process made me feel like I was reliving my days as an undergrad. All the research, the studies, the essays... whoa! Even designed my trademark cover page once again for this assignment. Heh.

But finally, I'm done! While it was a long and tedious process, especially since I had so much to write and so ended up having to rephrase expressions and reduce the number of words I used (yeah yeah, so what's new? :p), I kinda enjoyed penning down my thoughts and ideas in relation to certain issues I had to discuss. Then, when everything was finally completed, I once again felt the immense sense of satisfaction that I loved. Good job to me! :)

Okie, gonna reward myself with a dinner break before getting down to the next thing I've to do. Then I swear, I ain't gonna touch work no more for the rest of the evening once the penultimate episode of "The Ultimatum" airs on TV.

Mini fan!

Here's the new resident in our common toilet in the kitchen who moved in just yesterday evening:

Hubby and I had been hunting for a mini fan recently before he found this at Parkway Parade yesterday afternoon. Hooray! No more feeling warm and uncomfortable while applying make-up in the toilet, especially on hot weekends before going out. I usually do my make-up here cos I'd be standing nearer the mirror compared to when I'm in my master bathroom, which makes it easier for me to scrutinise my face. But cos this toilet has such a knack for storing heat, I usually ended up feeling hot and sticky standing there even after I'd showered. Now, problem's solved!

The fan actually came with a USB cable that can be connected to a laptop and charged from there so you stay cool while working. Pretty decent. The price is great too -- $21.50 only.

Can't wait for the next time I apply make-up now! :p

Stupidity

Sometimes I make silly mistakes or say something dumb, and get teased with comments like "Wah, you really very stupid leh!" or "You ah...are you for real or not?" But, in my defence, my silly mistakes or response usually stem from pure ignorance of a particular subject, and my own form of stupidity never hurt anyone. Usually, I even join in the teasing, and admit how stupid I was to do or say something. :p

But there's another type of stupidity I can't stand -- the type that comes from someone in power or authority, or someone supposedly having such a wealth of experiences in a certain field that you wouldn't expect him/her to be stupid when it comes what he/she is supposed to know very well. But it's only human to err, so I can accept mistakes these people make, only if they humbly accept the fact that they are not infallible, just like the rest of us average mortals. I guess what makes stupidity from these people such a turn-off is the fact that, based on my personal encounters with them, they do or say something that is totally ridiculous, and then continue acting as if they are undoubtedly right, and that everyone should never question their judgement. Even if you point out certain flaws in their decisions, they blatantly refuse to admit their errors and try all ways and means to defend themselves, even resorting to employing insults or avoiding the subject matter altogether. Because being who they are have created such big egos in them, they view any criticism as a personal threat to their image or reputation, and thus find it hard to accept the comments graciously.

I regret to say that just when I thought some of these people might have reached their limits of being stupid, I was proven wrong the past week. As a result, I've had to endure the consequences of their stupidity and the many negative emotions that they've set off in me.

I mean, being stupid because you're ignorant is one thing, but refusing to admit that you've been stupid and wrong even when all the evidence points to that and even continuing your dumb ways and causing harm or inconvenience to others in the process is unacceptable in my terms, especially when you're held in high regard by others and supposed to be *ahem* wise.

Happened to come across a site that states the Five Laws of Stupidity by an Italian economic historian named Carlo M. Cipolla. Thought it'd be interesting to know and wanted to see if I could relate them to those people I have in mind. Turns out they're quite accurate!

Law #1: We always underestimate the number of stupid people.

According to Cipolla, this is not very obvious because the people whom we had thought to be rational and intelligent might suddenly turn out to be unquestionably stupid. (YES!) And day after day, we are hampered in whatever we do by stupid people who invariably turn up in the least appropriate places. (YES YES YES!!! -- to the first half of the sentence.) He also observes that it is impossible to set a percentage, because any number we choose will be too small. (I believe so.)

Law #2: The probability of a person being stupid is independent of any other characteristic of that person.

In a nutshell, studies have shown that the frequence of stupidity in people with low education is similar to that among professionals, executives or others who have received even the highest education possible. The stupidity factor is also about the same between groups with differences in gender, race or religion. (YES! Remember what I said about some people who hold big positions but are small in 'brain'?)

Law #3: A stupid person is someone who causes damage to another person, or a group of people, without any advantage accruing to himself/herself, or even with some resultant self-damage.

This is also the golden law of stupidity. (Oh my, the times I've had to 'suffer' cos of such a person!)

Law #4: Non-stupid people always underestimate the power of stupid people.

Non-stupid people seem to forget how damaging it can be to associate themselves with stupid people because they'll be brought down by the dumb mistakes the stupid people make. (Hmm... does that mean that non-stupid people are actually a little stupid then? Never mind. Anyway, I do know non-stupid people who have been criticised simply because they are with the stupid people and are unable to stop their stupid acts from taking place.)

Law #5: A stupid person is the most dangerous person in existence.

I used to think that it's the really intelligent minds that are most dangerous, especially when they turn criminal. But Cipolla thinks that a stupid person is most dangerous because, not only do they hurt others, they could very well hurt themselves too as they don't even realise that they are stupid. Hence, while intelligent people know exactly what they are doing, stupid people do not. And if they are in a position of power, God help us all... (Heh, how true!)

So I guess I might come across as really stupid at times, but I'm not that stupid cos at least I'm aware of how I can be stupid sometimes!

Sigh. I'd better re-watch an episode of "Friends" or something over lunch soon. At least the stupidity of these characters in the sitcom serves some purpose cos they are so adorable and entertaining.