Realistic expectations

I set realistic expectations for myself and I live up to them most of the time, less one.

Others have their own different set of expectations of me.

But because my own expectations supersedes what others have of me always, I never fail them.

I never have to live up to others' expectations.

I know of the expectations of me this time round. Will I live up to it yet again?

He was a good man.....

When I feel for someone, I pen my thoughts for them. Tonight, I attended a wake and these are my thoughts for the deceased's family. That deceased may not be someone I know personally, but his family will someday become my family's family. And we are all one family under the bigger concept of LOVE.

Father: a man in relation to his natural child or children;

Father: a man who has continuous care of a child; a man who gives care and protection to someone or something;

Father: the oldest or most respected member of a society or other body.

Yes, he was a Father in every aspect above.

He gave life to me and that spoke of all that one could think of our relationship.

He watched the day I cried for the first time in my life, held my hand ever since I was a child, sat by me when I failed my examinations, stood quietly among the crowd yet applauded proudly for me on my graduation day, guided me to discover about the bigger universe during holidays, and that care never stopped even for a second. I call that continuity.

He battered with life, his business, worries, how to care and support the family, and eventually sickness. He was the most respected member of a society - our cosy little family.

We are all aggrieved by his departure but despite his death bringing about grief, elsewhere in another corner of the world, a newborn may be bringing about joy. I believe every end is a new beginning just like how the sunrise ensues the sunset.

He was created out of love, created others whilst in love, and eventually left for the better world above us on a day of love.

Father, I abide by your teachings and your words. Like you, I will live out my own eulogy.

Yes, he was my father, ______.

Dedicated to: M & J

It was in love I was created and in love is how I hope I die. - Paolo Nutini

I know it is late but I have something to say...

MM Lee once said, "The Westerners marry the woman they love. We, Asians, love the woman we married. However, I marry the woman I love and love the woman I married."

I guess his words are applicable to every context or situation in life.

You can choose to pursue a career that you love or you can love the career that you are pursuing now.

You can choose to appreciate the family that you are born in or pursue the family that you will appreciate.

You can choose to buy the things that you like but struggle financially or love the things that you have bought because you could not afford the more expensive choice.

You can love the friends that appear in your life or made only friends that you love.

Eventually, you can choose to be in a situation that you love or love any situation that you are being placed in. It is all about the mentality.

So shall we all be positive from today onwards and love the things that we are doing so that they will eventually become the things that we enjoy doing. :)

Commendation knocks in the most unexpected fashion

I was destined to be an underperformer in her eyes ever since that fateful day when I challenged her overtly. Today, she surprised me by commending me. Her commendation came at a moment that I least expected. However, I am grateful for all that she has shown me and in a fashion, yeah enlighten me. :)

We do not always get what we want in life, but we must have dreams and the courage to live our dreams.

Long-awaited Korea Trip II

Day 4/5: Spa, Skiing

I kinda mixed up the order of visit, whether it was the Spa first, Everland, or Skiing. Anyway, dipping myself into a hot spa really helps in soothing my frozen body or dry skin. I need the moisture so badly. There were a lot of jokes flying around when we stepped into the Female changing room. I guess Japan was a real eye-opener for me so I wasn't shocked by what I saw in Korea anymore, just picture those as naked bodies.

Skiing was probably the highlight of the entire trip. I have to say that it is not as easy as it seems. To be able to pick up that sport, you need someone to coach you for at least an hour or two, guide you along, and of course you must be take risks and not be afraid to fall. :) It may seem as easy as ABC to most out there, just opening up your knees and bending it a little to allow yourself to stop, but it only applies to the flat terrains. You need more than knowing how to brake to be able to ski. :) But anyway, skiing made me sweat in the cold, and that was the one and only time I sweat in Korea.!

Of course, we went to the mountain top and cafe where the Winter Sonata was filmed. I am never a fan of Korean dramas, so those sites do not ring a bell. Nonetheless, I do not deny that the picturesque surroundings should not be missed.:) Seeing how the snow filled up the entire hilltop really reminds me of the times in Europe. Oslo, Norway and Salzburg, Austria were the two places where we had so much playing with the snow, building our snowmen, and then engaging in snow fights with each other. Ah! How I missed Europe!

Day 6 - 7: Seoul, LotteWorld

Like I have mentioned in my previous post, I love theme parks! LotteWorld was a bit disappointing, not because of the level of excitement of the rides, but the time allocated for us to enjoy the theme park. We only had 3 - 4 hours there and some of the queues were really long. I ended up only taking the Gyro-Drop and one other ride, which I cannot recall the name off-hand. When Linky & I went to Tokyo DisneySea, we undertook the challenge of completing every single ride, regardless of its thrill level. The adrenaline rush never fail to fill us with excitement. There were times when we had to queue for 30-40 minutes but we waited nevertheless. Chatting was our way to kill the time. Occasionally, we discussed about our itinerary or even mocked at each other. However, LotteWorld was much different. I guess you need the right companion at different sightseeing sites. :)

Prior to departure, I had been anticipating shopping! I thought Korean fashion had a tinge of modernity that blended well with comfort and affordability. I was right about the former but not the latter. The clothes cost about 15000 - 35000 Won on average. Perhaps it was the aftermath of Bangkok that made me felt that the clothes were too pricey. In comparison to last year when I was in Japan, perhaps because my purchasing power had increased, thus I was more willing to pay for items that were almost the same price as in Singapore. I guess I would have bought more if we had more time to shop, especially their formal wear. However, I am satiated with what I brought back as well.

On the last day when we were out shopping, I was very vexed that I did not buy any shoes back from Korea (though I had earlier promised my mom that I have bought enough shoes for the year). So when JY and I went into one particular shop, I was adamant that I buy at least a pair of shoes. The marginal utility of that pair of shoe is beyond imagination. :)

Perhaps, some day I should return to Korea and just do a shopper's holiday. :)

I just spent a month of my mom's pay...

I got a new bag for the new year! :)

I was supposed to get it from Korea but the bag was out of stock and I did not have enough time to get to another outlet to buy it.

I contemplated to wait for wai to get it for me but my patience is running out by the day. So I popped by that beloved store and spent a month of my mom's pay! Yoohoo~~!

And now, I'm thinking of getting rid of my Neverfull MM. It has become so lc ever since that biatch bought it.

Long-awaited Korea Trip

5 years ago, we made a pact to embark on an overseas trip to South Korea. The trip ensued owing to the strong bond that we maintained even after graduation. All I can say it was a short and sweet one to South Korea. :)

Day 1 - We landed at Seoul Incheon airport early in the morning. Still feeling sleepy from the plane ride, we were advised to step out of the arrival hall and have a feel of the temperature and coldness. This would better prepare us on what to wear and how many layers to put on to keep ourselves warm. Indeed, the lesson learnt from Stockholm - to "feel" beyond the surface is applicable even on the Eastern side of the globe!

Went to the Government House, the conference venue where the recent G20 Summit was held (no big deal) in the morning and that hour of "sightseeing" totally froze my feet and ass off. :( Had lunch at a restaurant in Seoul before we headed off to Seoul Gimpo airport to take a domestic flight to Jeju Island.

I love planes and plane rides, but having to take a plane 4 times in a week has diminished my love for it. Perhaps it is not so much about the ride itself. Rather, it is about having to check in your bags and clear the security that really irks me.

Anyway, upon arrival in Jeju, we were brought to two places. One was the Ghost road" and the other, the Teddy Bear Museum. Having travelled to so many countries for the past four years, this is the first time I am being introduced to this whole teddy bear museum hooha! Apparently, the museum exists in a few other nations but the culture is not as apparent as in S. Korea. So the visit was an eye opener for me and having to uncover the history of teddy bears did wow me.

Day 2 - We were brought to a Volcano (no longer active though) and we had to climb a flight of stairs before reaching the mountain top. It took me by surprise that it was JY who ended going up to the mountain top with me since she is probably the least sports-inclined among the four of us. Life's full of surprises. :) But, good job JY!

Not to forget, we went to the village where "DA CHANG JIN" was filmed (I think but I ain't sure). I thought the guide at the village was really one of a kind.

Perhaps i enjoying seeing what I read. Just before I left for Korea, I was flipping through the Nat Geo magazine and came across an article on "Modern Mermaids." They are known as Japanese ama but in fact, they are female divers who get into the waters in search of shellfish. This way of life has been in existence in Japan for centuries. However, this culture is not unique to Japan. The Koreans do that too. In chinese, they call them the "海女." Well, seeing is believing.

Day 3 - I guess theme parks are something that I will never grow sick of (hopefully). Korea's Everland pales in comparison to Tokyo DisneySea or even Movieworld in Aussie. Nonetheless, it is special since it has the world's only natural born Liger. I have been hearing stories about how scary the rides in Korea's theme parks are but I did not get to experience it personally. The T-Express (world's longest Roller Coaster Ride) was closed for maintenance (the exact same thing happened in Aussie) so I had to leave yet another theme park filled with disappointment. The rest of the rides were amateurish to me. Perhaps I have been on too many thus the thrill is slowly evaporating. My only hope is USS now. :)

Alright, I am getting really sleepy. Time for my fingers to rest, for my brain to rejuvenate and my eyes to close.

Copycats

"Wah! You have a nice bag. I want to buy one too. Where did you buy it?" .....

Some time later....

I see her carrying the same bag as me.....

I hate copycats! People who envy me and then try to impersonate me consequently. Oh please, get a life and live out your own style and wishes. Not everyone pulls off an LV well (like I do, Bleh just joking). I hate lc people who overcompensate and try to live it up and buy branded so that they can look good. If you are lc, you are lc!

If you are ugly, you are ugly. A pauper looks ugly when she tries to act atas. Somemore, she's so FAT and she carries an LV bag! She totally destroyed the image of LV! Can she just f**king dump the bag away? Have you ever seen a fat woman with an LV bag and yet look good in it? NO! NEVER!

Oh well well well, some people just simply do not know their limits and where they stand.

She makes me puke whenever I see her with the exact same bag as me! When I carry the bag, light shines on me and there is an aura about me with the bag. When she carries the bag, she looks exactly like a fuddy-duddy. She just spent half of her pay on an LV bag. Idiocy indeed has no limits! No matter how many branded bags she purchases, her other features will betray her. You are fat and poor, admit it! You can never go from rags to riches no matter how hard you try.

Hates copycats, MAX! Pardon me for being mean.