I'm going to Gold Coast with my family (excluding my mother). It's just going to be my Dad, sister and brother.
My mother is going to Bangkok with her friends. (please don't ask me to explain why)
I'm leaving on 26 January (flight is in the wee hours of Friday morning) and returning on 01 February.
My mobile service doesn't come with free international roaming so I'm not bringing it along.
In anticipation of the Lunar New Year greetings that will flood my phone...
恭贺新禧, 恭喜发财
年年有余, 万事如意
新春快乐, 大吉大利
May the Year of the Dog bring everyone their dream bone.
 | You scored as Angel. Angel: Angels are the guardians of all things, from the smallest ant to the tallest tree. They give inspiration, love, hope, and positive emotion. They live among humans without being seen. They are the good in all things, and if you feel alone, don't fear. They are always watching. Often times they merely stand by, whispering into the ears of those who feel lost. They would love nothing more then to reveal themselves, but in today's society, this would bring havoc and many unneeded questions. Give thanks to all things beautiful, for you are an Angel.
What Mythological Creature are you? (Cool Pics!) created with QuizFarm.com |
Hmm... I dressed up as an angel once for Halloween. Realised that I've a very dark side from this quiz. My next mythical alter is a werewolf. Have I ever told you I love the beauty of full moons?
(a) Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.
(b) Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.
(c) Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.
(d) Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.
(e) Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.
(f) Hipatitis: Terminal coolness.
(g) Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease.
(h) Karmageddon: It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.
(i) Glibido: All talk and no action.
(j) Dopeler Effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when you have been smoking marijuana.
And, the pick of the literature:
(k) Ignoranus: A person who's both stupid and an ass
It is the end of my job search!
P/S: After some thought, I have decided to take off my personal ad. My friend is right - I am not ready for this next dating leap.
Or is it them?
Or is it just the pool of singles at SDU?
Why is it that guys who write to me from SDU are over 30?
The first was 30.
Second person was unidentified because I could not find his personal from his nickname.
The third is 32.
No younger guys like me to be their friend?
She had wanted to write a book on MRT etiquette.
(1) Never lean your body on the pole as if you are not planning to pole dance.
(2) Never step back unnecessary and accidentally hurt someone else's toes.
(3) Never read the newspaper like you do at home. Instead, fold your newspapers so that you will not disturb your neighbour when you flip the pages.
(4) Never flip your hair in a crowded train. You are not acting in a Pantene commercial.
And that was it.
I gave her my honest opinion that 4 points were insufficient to make it a best seller. She needed at least 7 or 10. You know, like the "7 Effective Habits of Successful People" or the "10 Habits of Confident Women".
While on the phone with her, I was simultaneously surfing SDU's website and randomly checking out the guys (who *ahem* are really not my kind... I'm almost 60% sure that I want to remove my personal) and girls (Yen Lee says I should check out my competition), I was suddenly inspired.
I was reading out BIG DEAD FISH guy's profile to her. No idea why but having read it at least 3 times previously; I missed out this line that he helps his parents run their business and also manages his own internet business.
"Minyi! This guy may be rich ah! Can consider!"
"I cannot make it lah... Should recommend to you instead. Since you like to 撒网 (literally translated from Chinese as "casting your net", in this case, she is using the strategy of having a broad guy selection criteria to increase dating options) and he loves to fish, both of you are a match made in heaven!"
"Eh, I fish only to take a look. I will only pick up the fish if I like it."
"Really..."
"Once I get my fish, I will keep my net."
Remember you read it here first.
Casting Your Net: The Art of Fishing
Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high
There's a land that I heard of
Once in a lullaby
Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true
Some day I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where troubles melt like lemondrops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me
Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then, oh why can't I?
Some day I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where troubles melt like lemondrops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me
Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then, oh why can't I?
If happy little bluebirds fly
Beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can't I?
~Arlen-Harburg
Then, I heard the good stories.
This girl met a guy. They got married 3 months later. According to unnamed sources, the guy looks a little like Leon Lai.
My friend's friend met a guy. Apparently quite a good catch and he does not look nerdy.
So I took the plunge.
I took so long to crap up my self description (minimum 250 words) that the session expired (probably because I was also watching a Bollywood movie at the same time).
"I am a cheerful outgoing person who enjoys the thrill of new experiences. This probably explains why I love travelling to new places. My favourite city is New York and I would love to visit Russia, Egypt and South America. I love photography as well, especially taking black and white pictures. Besides travelling and photography, my next great love is shopping. I cannot resist a sale, particularly for clothes and shoes."
Then for Describe what you are looking for:
"I would like to meet people who have a keen sense of adventure and are open minded to new ideas. Hopefully, they should be humorous and witty. Most importantly, they do not have to share my passions, but at least willing to share their interests."
The last sentence was to fulfil the 200 words minimum limit.
I got my first reply on Thursday.
I was excited. He sounded quite nice from his message. Said that he chanced upon my personal while surfing and saw me carrying my Nikon. He has an old Nikon too and would like to be my photography buddy.
I searched for his personal. He was a 30 year old Engineer.
Posing with a big fish he caught.
It was a really big fish. Since I'm not allowed to do a print screen of his picture, the drawing above is my rendition of the BIG DEAD FISH.
Have I ever told you I don't like fishing because it's a cruel hobby?
P/S: And he looks nerdy. Still deciding if I should reply his message or to take down my SDU personal.
I had to make a decision. Either I could continue my present life wishing that someone will sweep me off my feet on the bus to work or back home (this is really far-fetched because everyone looks sleepy on the way to work and tired on the way home) or I could embark on my quest for Prince Charming.
Since we are the nanny state, I decided that maybe my nanny can put herself to good use here. My 2 year free SDU membership password arrived in the mail about a month ago and was presently collecting dust on my table.
I was greeted with a happy website with a big picture of a happy couple. On the top left was a successful love-matching story of how two people met through iChat, got so comfortable chatting to each other and decided to meet up, found each other familiar, realised that they were living in the same building but different levels and progressed to becoming each other's alarm clocks in the morning.
This looked promising.
My brother was waking me up every morning this past December holiday. He was so zealous in waking me that he woke me up on the 26th of December at 8:45am.
"Wake up! Why are you still sleeping? It's 8:45am! Don't you have to work?"
Now that he's going back to school, maybe it's time for someone else to be my alarm clock.
So I happily logged in.
Everything seemed fine. I was asked to update my particulars like preferred name, nickname, where I was working, my annual income... until...
I was perturbed with height and weight until I saw Type of Built. I saw the selection - Athletic, Average... Pleasantly Plump?
They do not have a selection for "Drop-dead sexy" or "Model-type". Or even "Others". (what do you choose if you were between average and pleasantly plump?)
I felt like I was signing up for a fashion model show. I can imagine single guys typing in their search criteria - include Pleasantly Plump, exclude Petite.
Is this the harsh truth of dating? Whatever happened to "Smart witty girl with a good sense of humour"?
A world of possibilites and body types, really just a click away.
Disclaimer: I was game enough to register myself on SDU because I have heard successful love-matching stories and also that they have good salsa dancing classes. Once you have figured out your body type, I think you should sign up too. Don't waste your free membership right?
After some thought, I had an answer.
She was Singaporean.
All along, students I taught were not local. A few were from Indonesia and one from Thailand. Perhaps it was nationality which made my experience so terrible. Typical Singaporeans who are too measly to pay a good tutor and who are too afraid to tell her to go.
The typical ugly Singaporean who jostles you back into the train when you are trying to alight, plies up food the height of Bukit Timah Hill on his buffet plate and who never acknowledges you when you say THANK YOU (is it that difficult to say YOU ARE WELCOME?).
But when it rains...
I was on my way out to catch King Kong yesterday afternoon when it started to pour on my journey to Orchard. My bus was stopping at Orchard Emerald and I had to walk unsheltered some way to Cineleisure. Luckily for me, the rain subsided by the time I alighted but there was still moderate drizzle. I decided to brave the rain and kept my eyes down and walked as fast as I could.
Missed the traffic light crossing at Heeren. Just as I was praying silently for the rain not to pour again before I reached shelter; I felt the rain stop.
I turned to my left and there she was.
A KIND Singaporean.
She had walked up from behind and sheltered me from the rain.
Momentarily shocked that there was someone so kind, my eyes widened a moment before I said "Thank you".
She was gracious enough to smile and respond, "You are welcome".
As I looked up, there it was happening again.
A lady in front of me was trying to shelter two people who had rushed up to the front of the crossing. She was trying really hard to shelter the two people with her small foldable umbrella. But the two people did not realise her efforts.
My kind Samaritan sheltered me across the crossing and left me as she was heading up straight past Heeren while I had to brave another crossing. I thanked her once again before she left.
Just as I was still thinking what should be my 2006 resolution, it had come to me:
I will offer to share my umbrella to people in need.
The lady made my day but showing me that kind Singaporeans are not an urban myth.
I should pass the message on.