tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-134532682024-03-08T07:15:57.262+08:00Mouthing Off...Always an opinion and never a judgment. I came, I saw, I blogged...Idiots beware.SelSaysIthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17321020531977278276noreply@blogger.comBlogger353125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13453268.post-41093723276148022242015-01-15T00:00:00.000+08:002015-01-15T00:00:05.809+08:00Death to humility?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hello 2015 and hello all :) *waves*</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The posts have been slow in coming thanks to a drain on the mojo (hello work “motivation”) and a dearth of visitors in the sandbox. Talk about being a social butterfly! The usual year-end blooper post will have to come later, this time I’m building up to an observation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Case in point: With so much self-promotion, self-declaration and whatnot perpetuated social media, are we all losing our sense of grace? Are we killing humility (like poor ol' <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0266452/" target="_blank">Smoochy</a>) in the effort to trumpet our successes at every turn?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">No matter where you turn, Jimmy is telling you about his great life, Sally is showing off her new body or Sammy is showing you just how wonderful a person he is. Even our bosses are hopping onto the bandwagon "if you don't keep </span>trumpeting<span style="font-family: inherit;"> your successes, who will know what you've done?".. uh how about you? The person we report to? Or are you too busy claiming credit instead? ;) Celebrating accomplishments is one thing, going overboard and shouting from the rooftops about how great you are, how without you, the office will never be able to function and how wonderful your life is, is sickening. Enough already!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This raises another issue. Because everyone is so bloody busy, would anyone take notice of your accomplishments? Is that why you have to constantly promote and market ourselves just to be seen or even heard? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">While I believe that technology and social media are great, they are oftimes the source of countless problems. If we all took the chance to unplug ourselves from our phones, computers and devices, we could actually get somewhere. Firstly, we would stop envying everyone else. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">We will start appreciating the little things again, being kind, learning to be socially adept with people and to actually see people for who they are. It’s true that we can’t help bragging from time to time but let’s tone it down, ok? If we all took a step back and dialed things down, we will star becoming ourselves again, instead of succumbing to what everyone says, or thinks… or even worse, what some reality star opines. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Maybe I am just a cynic but I feel that you </span>aren't<span style="font-family: inherit;"> truly great unless your accomplishments are given third-party validation. And by that, I don’t mean being validated by one of your personas. I mean being genuinely praised and recognized for a job well-done. The days of sincere compliments are few and far between. In the rush to be seen as being ‘great” we often praise false idols while neglecting true heroes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I don’t know what the world is coming or how people will continue to behave but I can say one thing. We need to stop trying to be “great” because</span><br />
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SelSaysIthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17321020531977278276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13453268.post-27783516192860153082014-08-28T19:24:00.000+08:002014-08-28T19:24:12.198+08:00When did we become so chickenshit?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Time for a little rant... <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve been listening to friends' dating stories lately and have observed how far people have regressed in
terms of connecting with one another. At the heart of it all, we all want to
connect with that special someone, to love and be loved. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But, how can we do it today?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The prevalence of dating apps, websites,
social media and online articles makes the greedy greedier, feeds shallowness
and worse of all, breeds irrational fear. So what are we afraid of? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Apparently, we are afraid of ourselves and of
being vulnerable. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are self-obsessed and can’t seem to stop
taking selfies. We obsess over our weight, or how we want our partner to look like
or how popular we are or whether we can maintain some sort of cover lifestyle
that is the envy of many. Even dating has become a chore. People have become so
afraid of phrases like “dating”. They they need to distance themselves with words like “meeting”, “having coffee” or
“hooking up” to the point that it trivializes the whole experience. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I may be generalizing or drawing too much form my own experiences, but a whole bunch of people seem to thrive on the gratification
in a casual or ‘open’ relationship as opposed to dating seriously. They then contradict themselves or confuse the issue by claiming that they still want to find their special someone, indicating that whomever they are with right now is a convenient option. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">T</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">he fear of
commitment, of even showing up for a simple coffee, has become so irrational
that it is ridiculous.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Call me traditional but when was the last time
you made an authentic connection? Whether it is a friend or a random person
you meet, I’m talking about a connection where you can share personal stories and
actually talk to each other? When was the friendship more important than the
need for another notch on the bedpost? Relationships have to evolve from some
point, isn't it, there is no magic formula for happy-ever-after.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It makes me wonder if social media has stymied
our need as people to make an authentic connection. Or has it instead made us
more direct and selfish in our needs? Are we so fearful of things that we over analyze
everything and end up alone because even taking that little small step out of
our comfort zone is waaaayy too much work? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are no proper responses to these
questions, I’m afraid. Just experiences we each go through. All I can ask or
hope for is that people change the way they think. Instead of being so self-obsessed,
how about focusing on what you bring to the table? How about going out and
living a life, instead of showing how perfect your life is? Be authentic, be real! The experience, is
worth way more than the Facebook likes, trust me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And one more thing, v</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ulnerability is not weakness... here's what I learned this week</span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" mozallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="https://embed-ssl.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_listening_to_shame.html" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="380"></iframe>
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SelSaysIthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17321020531977278276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13453268.post-87379547610216716452014-08-19T20:03:00.002+08:002014-08-19T20:07:34.893+08:00Five months into... rehab-cercise <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #111111;">It’s been almost a year since the last pesky
knee injury and finally some great news :)</span><span style="color: #111111;"> The road to recovery was fraught with laziness and a general lack of discipline
(damn you!) But eventually, persistence, the threat of injections and an
operation has somehow worked.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have to admit that once the initial pain was
dealt with, it took me longer to understand that my problems need long-term
work. My problem is slightly unique, if not a bit baffling. Apparently, all the
years of dancing, competitive sports, exercise classes and performing has taken
a toll. What’s funny is that my body has become so used to a high amount of
activity that it demands these activities be kept up! Lack of follow through on
my part will result in reigniting old injuries, aches and all sorts of pains. Isn’t
that wonderful?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi10vQY4ajOqULrKofhtGqCnAeRw-iXvDg83w6OLen0hOBd9AuMpwKqE1-qgF9e5JNp8QC5XuzkEaOKL_RdafyeK7mQpUqI_faNh9RF8ZyYQdMF3HsR_vluzYKtCb14OthrvlQ/s1600/IMG-20140807-00146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi10vQY4ajOqULrKofhtGqCnAeRw-iXvDg83w6OLen0hOBd9AuMpwKqE1-qgF9e5JNp8QC5XuzkEaOKL_RdafyeK7mQpUqI_faNh9RF8ZyYQdMF3HsR_vluzYKtCb14OthrvlQ/s1600/IMG-20140807-00146.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.real-pilates.com/home.php" target="_blank">Real Pilates</a>: Home of great teachers <br />
and challenging classes </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Attempts of slothery (is that even a word?) now
aborted, I had to restart something. Trying to work out in the gym at the
apartment was thwarted because, surprise – the elliptical damned near wrenched
the knee. It became too hot to swim and the impact from Zumba was more jarring
that helpful. Good grief. Thankfully, my really cool physio, Jac came to the rescue,
suggesting I go back to Pilates and to keep that knee working, try Xtend Barre.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whomever thought that Xtend Barre was easy is
completely nuts. It is a mix of mat pilates, barre exercises combined with
weights, toning balls and resistance. To me, it almost feels like my ballet
classes of yore, minus leaping about like a goat. Five months into what I dub as
rehab-cercise, and I’m up to three classes a week (mix of Xtend, mat and reformers),
plus a session of foam rolling every day. Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve slowly
inched back into salsa social. The result? I am mostly pain free! YAY! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.emspen.com/uploads/1/0/1/2/10127734/6356252_orig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.emspen.com/uploads/1/0/1/2/10127734/6356252_orig.jpg" height="115" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo care of <a href="http://www.emspen.com/blogging-it/xtendbarre-stick-arrives-real-pilates-dubai" target="_blank">Ems Pen</a></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My little trick to maintain up all this is
simple. I do it on my own. That way, I only have myself to blame if things aren’t
up to speed. I’m not one of those people who need to have friends around when I
work out, so the routine has been great. I get a nice workout and some me time.
And the results have shown… no I’m not on my way to a six-pack, but my fitness
is up, as is core strength and stamina. So is cardio and being mildly vain, I’ve
tweaked parts of my diet so that my body can keep up. Oh and the drinks are
still there, I haven’t gone completely mad!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #111111; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The lesson learnt is simple.
Self-discipline and persistence is essential. Not every exercise is for you, neither
are fad diets nor going with a crowd. For me, staying healthy means being
active, which meant finding exercises that are challenging yet strengthening. It
has taken some time to figure out how my body works and what it needs but it
has paid off. Oh, I look better too but you’re not going to see a damned selfie…*rolls
eyes*</span></span></div>
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SelSaysIthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17321020531977278276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13453268.post-59028639996401635302014-08-06T20:13:00.001+08:002014-08-06T20:14:26.325+08:00Confessions of a crazy couch potato<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I haven’t been a serious couch potato in years, partly due to work, dance and having a resistance for being cooped up. But for some reason over the last year or so, I’ve gravitated back towards TV shows with a vengeance.<br />
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Some call it lacking a social life, I call it having the space to watch whatever the heck I want, anytime I want… but I digress.<br />
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Who knew a series about a drug dealing teacher would be so cool? Or that a brilliant FBI profiler could have so much in common with a serial killer? Who the hell would be interested in watching a series about two detectives and their lives and not on the case at hand? Apparently, lots of folks.<br />
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The appetite for more character and story driven shows have changed drastically. Instead of simply indulging in escapism fluff, more people are turning to solidly written shows. I for one, relish this. It is refreshing to see writers take center stage in developing stories that are far bolder today than before. I can safely say that I’ve learned more about the stages of sex, how viral infections evolve and the role of nature vs nurture in cloning that I ever set out to know.<br />
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But it’s not just dramatic shows, comedy writing has also evolved beyond the slapstick and snarky one-liners to tug at viewers' heartstrings. I love how characters and all their flaws are showcased sot that they become more realistic and are not just a caricature. How the writers and actors bring the intangible to life is beyond me. It feels like books have finally come alive, with so much detail in play. But hey, it makes one heck of a potatoship experience! <br />
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And so what on earth have I been watching? Here are my 10 picks: </div>
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<li><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2243973/" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Hannibal</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2137109/?ref_=nv_sr_1" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Masters of Sex</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1856010/?ref_=nv_sr_1" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">House of Cards</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2234222/?ref_=nv_sr_1" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Orphan Black</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2356777/?ref_=nv_sr_1" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">True Detective</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2372162/?ref_=nv_sr_1" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Orange is the New
Black</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2211129/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Mindy Project</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1759761/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Veep</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2654620/?ref_=nv_sr_1" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Strain</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2378794/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Hello ladies</span></a></li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #111111;"> To one and all, h</span><span style="color: #111111;">appy watching and try to please go for a walk
once in a while! :) </span></span></div>
SelSaysIthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17321020531977278276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13453268.post-39360107053466897852014-07-18T20:11:00.002+08:002014-07-20T15:51:08.746+08:00Freedom of... Is there any in Singapore?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4WISrV4ue9C0OZeUxSL6FWc3s7nBqNb7tWMue-i7oCUJC20KFlO4pkowYto1R3PWsoJ2uwV36Ts-rb6fIUScOa_vovg7DJl2QWJfLB3K98JyydUncv6gMUu0cf4eQacBAuhY/s1600/book+burning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4WISrV4ue9C0OZeUxSL6FWc3s7nBqNb7tWMue-i7oCUJC20KFlO4pkowYto1R3PWsoJ2uwV36Ts-rb6fIUScOa_vovg7DJl2QWJfLB3K98JyydUncv6gMUu0cf4eQacBAuhY/s1600/book+burning.jpg" height="132" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: inherit;">Books are a staple in my life. No matter how busy or tired, upset, happy, in whatever the state of mind, I read. Books have been my constant companions since I learned how to interpret the words on a page.</span><br />
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="color: #111111; font-family: inherit;">Which is why that whole saga of the <a href="http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/more-singapore-stories/story/nlb-saga-two-removed-childrens-books-will-go-adult-secti">National
Library Board</a>’s yanking and attempting to pulp books that “do not promote
family values” and the <a href="http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1555549/us-comic-book-icon-archie-trouble-singapore-censors-over-gay-theme">Media
Development Authority</a>’s banning of an issue of Archie, really upset me. Book
banning is not a new thing. The Singapore government has banned books like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_Farm">George Orwell’s Animal Farm</a>
and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Psycho">Brett Easton Ellis’ American
Psycho</a>, among others for years. What upset me is the way they are doing it.</span><span style="color: #111111; font-family: inherit;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="color: #111111; font-family: inherit;">Why is a library board suddenly policing what
people read? What happened to freedom to discover and learn? How on earth can
children’s books teach one to become gay? If that is the case, I and many others
who read would’ve become serial killers, fairies, pedophiles and possibly
vampires or wizards by now.</span><span style="color: #111111; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: inherit;">The question needs to be asked is: Why are
people/families so lazy today that they expect or think that libraries and
governments are obligated police their own children?</span><span style="color: #111111; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: inherit;">THIS IS LAZY PARENTING. As a parent or adult, <u>you</u>
are responsible for educating your kids. Whether it is in the values they learn
or how to interpret what they read – this is your responsibility. If you feel
that they shouldn’t be exposed to something, explain why and don’t expose them
to the material. Governments are there to provide only a framework for the
society. The library is a place where your kids discover whole new worlds that
set their imaginations afire.</span><span style="color: #111111; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: inherit;">These incidences can be tied to the recent
brouhaha over this year’s <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/28/singapore-pink-dot_n_5539810.html">Pink
Dot event</a> in June and how religious groups joined the fray, speaking
against alternative lifestyles and generalizing issues among the LGBT community
as well as single parents or adoptive families. Why are we promoting
intolerance in a country that is supposed to be one of the most harmonious? Also,
why are we confusing all the issues now and making an even bigger muck of it
all?</span><span style="color: #111111; font-family: inherit;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="color: #111111; font-family: inherit;">You know the phrase, if you can’t work with
them, confuse them? Singapore, you need to STOP it. We need the freedom to love
as much as we need the freedom to read. We need to teach our children the way
forward, not close them into a narrow-minded view of the world. The entire
world is evolving so rapidly that we need to make adjustments to the way we
think, work and love. The values that we instill will be passed on; do we
really want a generation of kids who are too scared to question, explore and
even learn? Don’t take a few steps backward when you should be moving forward!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="color: #111111; font-family: inherit;">For a Singaporean living overseas, reading the
comments, stories and even posts from my own friends, it upset me hugely. How
the hell did the country I grew up in become so fractured? Hey, I know the
problems that we have, Singapore. But this is a new kettle of fish. I come from
an interracial family that became a single-parent one. I grew up with friends and
family in the LGBT community who are some of my best mates. Everyone I know is
well-read and able to form their own opinions yet I’ve actually come to realize
that despite what is conceived as an “alternative upbringing”, I may have grown
up in a better environment than if I was simply closed in and overly protected.</span><span style="color: #111111; font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: inherit;">Don’t let empty words and factions, confuse
you, Singapore. Take a deep look within, assess what you are trying to do and say,
before you raise an even bigger stink and make us more of laughing stock than
we already are.</span><br />
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: inherit;">PS. The NLB has since decided to move two of the books on its pulp list to the adult section based on the MDA's instructions. Too little, too late, guys. I feel that such public outcry over the matter wasn't necessary in the first place. </span></div>
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SelSaysIthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17321020531977278276noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13453268.post-80095471700962301452014-04-19T17:54:00.001+08:002014-04-19T17:55:27.536+08:0010! .. And then some<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And so, after many years of higgling and
piggling, with some kicking and screaming and a certain amount of rebelliousness
thrown in, I have done it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Don’t get excited now, I haven’t learnt how to
drive yet. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #111111;">Remember that Top 10 movie list? I did one
about the </span><a href="http://lotsalotsanoise.blogspot.ae/2013/09/well-i-have-never.html">films
that I haven’t</a><span style="color: #111111;"> seen sometime last
year but here… HERE is the list that is close to my heart. These are films that
sparked off my imagination and set me on a lifelong interest in the Ok, in no
order whatsoever… <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #111111;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYj4ZMDM2aigPQLhsYEkAk16kH22v1Vwru5yEozKNn6jrh3blVpC53q21BLTfXQVgRbNY-FjG0IPTwFoHu9KOVZL9CTkaeF66iVtzh-0b41jLF6fTB6WcXArHbRlMJDIlSg8I/s1600/Collagemovie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYj4ZMDM2aigPQLhsYEkAk16kH22v1Vwru5yEozKNn6jrh3blVpC53q21BLTfXQVgRbNY-FjG0IPTwFoHu9KOVZL9CTkaeF66iVtzh-0b41jLF6fTB6WcXArHbRlMJDIlSg8I/s1600/Collagemovie.jpg" height="293" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Try not to keel over yet again, ok? LOL</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094226/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">The
Untouchables</a><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">To me, this was one of
Brian De Palma’s best, with quotes that have resonated with me until today. It’s
a life lesson on doing what you believe is right, at any cost.</span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094947/?ref_=nv_sr_3" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Dangerous
Liaisons</a><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">So these are the games that
high society people play to entertain themselves? Who gets hurt in the process doesn’t
matter as long as you trump your rival. I equally loved and hated this movie
which exposed the manipulative minds of people and that sometimes, your closest
‘friends’ are not your friends at all.</span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080684/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Star
Wars Ep V: The Empire Strikes Back</a><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">
</span><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">The entire trilogy was amazing but
this was the one I remembered the most. </span><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Above the storyline, this movie sparked my imagination
and inner geek. </span><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">The battle of
Hoth with those Imperial AT-AT Walkers</span><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">? </span><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Mind
blowing. I really, really wanted to work in a VFX studio where I wanted to </span><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">breathe life into </span><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">the most fantastical monsters, robots and creatures. </span><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Woot!</span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082971/?ref_=nv_sr_5" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Raiders
of the Lost Ark</a><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Who knew that archeologists could be cool? There was crazy
adventure, you learned some history and of course, the best theme park ride I
have ever seen.</span><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"> It introduced the concept of the battle worn hero what
could think on his feet and wasn’t easily defeated no matter what was thrown at
him.</span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106332/?ref_=fn_al_tt_5" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Farewell
My Concubine</a><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">When
I first watched this film, I was weeping in the cinema. I learned that
relationships are a messy thing and what people will do when circumstances
forbid them. I loved the music, its characters and the colors. Its director; Chen
Kaige is a film maker who is unafraid of telling stories. And then there </span><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">was </span><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Chinese cinema’s pretty boy, Leslie Cheung, </span><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">in the role of a lifetime.</span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0211915/?ref_=nv_sr_1" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Amelie</a><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"> from forbidden romance to one that is quirky and
inventive. It showed me that while you can make people around you happy, you
also need to take care of yourself. Life
and love </span><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">doesn’t
have to conform to the dictates of society. Love </span><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">can be beautiful if you can let </span><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">people or that special
someone </span><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">in. </span><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">For once, a French auteur wasn’t
depressing and that was refreshing to me.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #111111; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0338564/?ref_=nv_sr_1">Infernal Affairs</a> I
love Asian cinema not just because I grew up with them but it introduced me to
a genre of film-makers and characters that were larger than life, where heroism
was not black and white but most importantly, they had storylines that gave cinemagoers
the leeway to discuss and ponder what happened, not just giving them a simple
ending. This was to me, the far superior film that not even <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0407887/?ref_=nv_sr_1">Martin Scorsese</a> could
top. It was taut and exciting with a keen sense of danger at all times.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #111111; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078252/?ref_=nv_sr_1">Snake in the Eagle’s
Shadow</a> To me, Jackie Chan was my Kung-fu hero growing up. Always the
underdog, always being bullied and always very funny. There is just something
so down-to-earth about him that sets him apart from other kung-fu heroes. I
cannot tell you how many times my sister and I watched this growing up… or how
much we wanted to have a crazy kung-fu teacher. LOL</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #111111; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076538/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">Pete’s Dragon</a> I
love dragons in all its incarnations. What I love even more? Silly, hand-drawn cartoons
with a lot of heart, songs and being happy. And roasted apples. It wasn’t slick,
it was cheesey but it was also one of the first animated films I saw and it has
stuck in my mind ever since. Goes to show that the medium may have evolved but you
remember the things that you grew up with, the most.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #111111; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114369/?ref_=nv_sr_1">Se7en</a> So according
to the traditional blockbuster formula, movies must have, action, hunky heroes,
a feel-good factor and of course a happy ending. This movie, turned everything
on its head and worse of all? The heroes here DON’T WIN. Whhhahaatttt??!! And
the villain was uncredited. Who the hell was that? And what the hell happened?
Just that fact alone made me and many viewers watch this movie more than once.</span></li>
</ol>
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: inherit;">Special mention goes to the movie, </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pendekar_Bujang_Lapok" style="font-family: inherit;">Pendekar Bujang Lapok</a><span style="color: #111111; font-family: inherit;">
(The Three Bachelor Warriors) which was a comedy that was shot by the legendary
</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P._Ramlee" style="font-family: inherit;">P. Ramlee</a><span style="color: #111111; font-family: inherit;"> in Singapore back
in 1959. As much as I loved the Python movies, this was the one that kicked it
off for me. How on earth do you make something as mundane as the life of three
bachelors into a classic comedy that combined songs, fighting, the supernatural
and still showcased life in a kampung? Just ask any mambang (spirit)… LOL</span><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/QsxdksmUieg" width="380"></iframe>
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: inherit;">And there you go my Top 10 list. It is one
that is highly personal, where most of the films mean a lot me. They inspired the
way I write, what I love and how I see things. Just as in life, I don’t really
give a fig about what’s popular, as long as it means something to me. </span></div>
SelSaysIthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17321020531977278276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13453268.post-38169086671433739232014-03-08T18:23:00.002+08:002014-03-08T18:23:35.550+08:00Simplicity, it's not that complicated<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A wise man once said, “<span class="bqquotelink"><a href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/c/confucius104563.html" title="view quote">Life is really simple, but we insist on making it
complicated.</a>” Why, I cannot agree more, Confucius.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As we journey along our lives, I
increasingly feel that we place too much importance on the material, the shallow;
how much status we have, how big our egos are and what people think about us. How
utterly tiring and mundane! What happened to just living life simply, to being
honest to ourselves about what we want and how we want to live our lives?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It is so easy to fall into the trappings
of society’s demands that we lose sight of what we truly want and how to pursue
it. We cleave to the rules set out by strangers who feel that achieving all we
can is limiting or that if you achieve too much or even deign to celebrate your
achievements it stands to make others jealous or insecure. There is so much red
tape, expectations and ground rules… What. The. Hell? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We forget the simple things; that we
need to connect with people recharge us emotionally. We lose sight of the things
that truly make us happy in order to pursue yet another material gain or
obsession. Learning or facing challenges are not things to hide from but to
embrace in order to grow, spiritually, emotionally and physically. We need to remember
that being happy is not something you achieve alone. It is something that also
reaches out to touch others, making us feel alive, loved and also appreciated. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Do you remember what it’s like to spend
time with people who listen, hold and talk to you without judgment? Or to sit
at your favorite coffee shop to sip that fresh brew while you catch up on the
news or even chat with other patrons? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">When I was home recently, it was
refreshing to let go of all societal nonsense just to be with my friends and family.
The mask that I put on for people who hardly know, yet judge me was chucked aside.
I am free again, I can feel again and most importantly I am me. Holding up that mask is strenuous! My
question to you is, when do you fling that aside so that you can just breathe?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In experiencing this, I’ve decided to
look at things slightly differently. I will focus on things that make me happy…
whether it is just telling someone I love them or just talking to the people
who matter the most, it is the authenticity of the experience that makes me
feel alive. I will not hide from who I am but will approach life with the
vivacity that I would like to achieve. I believe that you find yourself when
you embrace things at a more simple level. When you cut out the complications,
you can truly live. Andddd…. If all that fails, just pick up a mike and karaoke
LOL :)</span><br />
<br /></div>
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SelSaysIthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17321020531977278276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13453268.post-48249555956346295852014-01-01T19:30:00.003+08:002014-01-01T19:30:58.999+08:00Celebrating a year in the life<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Come to think of it, this year was pretty darned exciting. It was a year of learning to overcome new challenges. I moved to a new country, made new friends, got stranded by the very same company that hired me, worked my ass off, cut a dead relationship and toxic people off from my life, learned that people change along with their political alliances and that friends, no matter where you are, will always support you and be there for you.<br />
<br />
‘Finding yourself’ is not just a stupid term coined by people with a hollow self-fulfilling prophesy. You just need the time and space to do it. Space to breathe, take in where you are and realize that things aren't so bad after all... You can DO this!<br />
<br />
There were a few firsts: went on secret booze runs, learned how to ski, that great paragliding attempt, moved into the world’s most Spartan house, went travelling with my sister, saw more of the Middle East and actually quite liked it, and welcomed both friends and family to the new crib.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix_bkMd2qG5oxbxjenkaS_fs2oYDGABXXyLOkLsC7m9j6lrtK8-ma9ENoQGpfYoSjWn38J1As3NqgyibtZiWY7d0sQCrs6zUSMsxKICUedhN3_it6N7l9w9vD0NgSQWg3Vopc/s1600/Workish+shenanighans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix_bkMd2qG5oxbxjenkaS_fs2oYDGABXXyLOkLsC7m9j6lrtK8-ma9ENoQGpfYoSjWn38J1As3NqgyibtZiWY7d0sQCrs6zUSMsxKICUedhN3_it6N7l9w9vD0NgSQWg3Vopc/s400/Workish+shenanighans.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How the hell do you cram everything into one damned collage? LOL</td></tr>
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And with the good, came the challenges. I guess that being more gung-ho than your average schmo, I was always up for a new challenge. Stepping outside of a comfort zone is never easy. I made a decision and then jumped straight in. Was it the best decision I ever made? Let me get back to you on that… I have to confess that it brought about one of the biggest frustrations ever. For a foreigner in this country, I was faced with the most unhelpful people who refused to step even an inch out of their designated work scope. Everyone was too mired in their own bureaucratic bullshit to realize that hey, the person you hired doesn't know how things work – this shit is new *rolls eyes* Get over yourselves, people!<br />
<br />
Professionally, I quickly remembered what it was like to work in-house. To succeed means to be able to successfully navigate political landmines in order to deliver what you are hired for: the work. At times it feels like I am both the conductor and the musician in an orchestra. You just want to kick everyone and yell, WAKE THE FUCK UP! That said I realized that the woman who used to so readily agree to things is no longer. While there are no stupid ideas, at least come with one that can be executed in a reasonable way.<br />
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In terms of new adventures and people. Zumba became part of my new regimen, while social dancing introduced me to more dancers and I continued to feed my wanderlust. New friends remain in the same vein as the old ones, boozy, mouthy and full of surprises. It is just cool to find people with a similar sense of fun or silliness that you can just hang out with. Hail to banditry and shenanigans!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijKal-IqOD-onZZYXKEbFMy4ohu6SrzjW34XVF2kI612cn4mVEjGV66qCm6Mg6NQ_Pj18GnzykY7n91x_dJ9RC250sAUvsQh9VbUYmyvtaMpfhy4eIatvcTm5O_VmpSKq8BaE/s1600/2013+ME+collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijKal-IqOD-onZZYXKEbFMy4ohu6SrzjW34XVF2kI612cn4mVEjGV66qCm6Mg6NQ_Pj18GnzykY7n91x_dJ9RC250sAUvsQh9VbUYmyvtaMpfhy4eIatvcTm5O_VmpSKq8BaE/s400/2013+ME+collage.jpg" width="355" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Checking out Jordan, Oman and Abu Dhabi </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC6wofeNoJ1L2bo-wr-QhzPYm3_F2ONjuoZXDrhBSOVR46kD9uNJiqSrjshKEusR-e9m_nPDP7dQlvcBULUZNmTap36pozHeBG7qw_UT0ZBn6XTx84WnaUb5AbxHcIR0W44yw/s1600/Banditry+and+shenanighans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC6wofeNoJ1L2bo-wr-QhzPYm3_F2ONjuoZXDrhBSOVR46kD9uNJiqSrjshKEusR-e9m_nPDP7dQlvcBULUZNmTap36pozHeBG7qw_UT0ZBn6XTx84WnaUb5AbxHcIR0W44yw/s320/Banditry+and+shenanighans.jpg" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Of banditry and shenanigans</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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On a personal note, I found that when you take chances, sometimes good things happen. It opens your heart to new experiences or even a new people. While I won’t go into details on the blog, close friends should know what I am talking about. Maybe it is because I shed unrealistic expectations and baggage, maybe I just happened to be at the right place at the right time, maybe I am ready to move forward. Who knows? I am ever thankful for all the good, the bad and the challenges.<br />
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And so, here’s my wish to you for the New Year</div>
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SelSaysIthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17321020531977278276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13453268.post-66029816092215277702013-11-18T23:48:00.000+08:002013-11-18T23:48:02.900+08:00Exclusivity: Dead or alive?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWOHLvwOfOJy77pQPaTnErjmR57PyMypbdEfqzQMFc9r8nue4b_rFPcKNGmQ8YHYPwbQnIxUt0m47l7mbvpFqApdUeUJWImATfmsO_YQVt-jO9aGkSBLoS3o3W5Ed6nhxFPcA/s1600/Insider_Exclusive_Logo_150x150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWOHLvwOfOJy77pQPaTnErjmR57PyMypbdEfqzQMFc9r8nue4b_rFPcKNGmQ8YHYPwbQnIxUt0m47l7mbvpFqApdUeUJWImATfmsO_YQVt-jO9aGkSBLoS3o3W5Ed6nhxFPcA/s200/Insider_Exclusive_Logo_150x150.jpg" width="200" /></a>As a PR professional, I’m often asked by higher ups or even newbies: Do you think we should offer the journalist an exclusive?<br />
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Ah, the great exclusive. In today’s highly fluid information-fuelled world, where hardly anything is secret anymore, where does the exclusive come into play? If you have leaked a launch to your customer, the word-of-mouth itself could be built up within your community. Your customers and perhaps some reporters are already expecting news at a certain date and when you finally announce a launch, is that really an exclusive or simply a launch announcement? The reality is this: unless you are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Snowden" target="_blank">Edward Snowden</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindsay_Lohan" target="_blank">Lindsey Lohan </a>or have a top and I mean, news or industry breaking, revolutionary, tier-1 story to break, you should not be considering exclusives.<br />
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It is not a word to be bandied about lightly. The exclusive is often offered to journalists who are your cream of the crop. And you offer the ONE exclusive. Look at the late <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRJaGY3DmUQ" target="_blank">Princess Di and Barbra Walters</a>. She had one story to tell, to one of the most powerful women in journalism on one of the most watched news networks in the world.<br />
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Do you have that kind of story to tell? How do you know if your story is exclusive-worthy? Whether you are in B2B or B2C, what is considered an exclusive to you, may just be a run-of-the-mill announcement to the reporter.<br />
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<div>
So what is exclusivity all about? Here are a few things to consider:</div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Is your story strong enough to BE an exclusive? Journalists have no time for bullshit. They want a breaking story that is told to no one but them. Does your story have concrete figures, does it affect how people live; are you unveiling something that has never been seen before; will it bring down the stock market or will are you offering a side of the story that has not been heard?</li>
<li>How will it affect your relationship with the rest of your target media? Look at your media list. If you work in B2B, that list would be extremely succinct. Should you risk offending the other journalists on your list just for a single story? Or can you offer them specific angles of the story? Journalists remember things like this and worst of all, they can chose to ignore your company down the road. So really consider all options carefully.</li>
<li>Who do you want the story to reach? There is new trend in the way consumer technology companies make their announcements these days. Stories are leaked to the fans. It is smart and rather sneaky because fans will help generate buzz for the story to drive sales. This tactic may perhaps help navigate tricky relationships with journalists.</li>
<li>How much ROI or coverage do you really want to achieve? If your exclusive will eventually be distributed to everyone on your media list, where is your credibility? Down the toilet for sure.</li>
</ul>
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At the end of the day, there is no right or wrong in offering a journalist an exclusive. However, you do have to consider all your options and then decide on an approach. </div>
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So in the race to tell your specific story, are you ready to be exclusive?</div>
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SelSaysIthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17321020531977278276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13453268.post-75029632926858519242013-10-04T17:57:00.001+08:002013-10-04T17:57:24.245+08:00That Untouchable lesson <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Just like the Hitchhiker, who has a guide to the galaxy, I too have a guide of sorts. It may be a little quirky but it comes from one of my favourite movies of all time, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094226/?ref_=ttqt_qt_tt" target="_blank">The Untouchables</a>. The scene is set in a church where Kevin Costner’s Elliott Ness gets a bit of a life lesson from Sean Connery’s Jimmy Malone over what he can expect in taking down Al Capone.<br />
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Long after the movie’s ended the questions that resonate were: What are you prepared to do? And <i>then</i> what are you prepared to do?<br />
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As a PR professional, it struck me that our job never really ends. It is not something where we can simply clock out at 6pm. Whether we like it or not, we are always on call. Because when you do get that call, what are you prepared to do? And <i>then </i>what are you going to do next? Sure, you can provide a placeholder or delay until you’ve dug up the information needed or found the right decision makers but your job is always to respond and provide a feasible solution first. You never pick up the phone without a prepared response to the issue at hand.<br />
<br />
But what about just conveying that information? It’s all fine and dandy to pass the buck to the next decision-maker but then, where is your true value? What do you bring to the table that makes your expert opinion count? Over the years, I’ve encountered many PR pros, managers or even bosses who are great at articulating their vision or providing the right response. However, the people who truly deliver value in the business are the ones who can walk the talk. PR is not just about improving perception or delivering that corporate message. It is also about validating that talk with what you are doing to get the desired result. The bottom line is, if you can put your money where your mouth is, I will respect you that much more.<br />
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It is not something that comes by easily, trust me. Sometimes even I struggle in the delivery and need encouragement or backup. Being in the industry for so long, you see so many people who are wowed by smooth talkers. It’s hilarious, really. You’d think that after awhile, people will look beyond the veneer and start questioning? Ha. Ha. Ha.<br />
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But what I believe is this: to be successful and respected, you need to be able to rise to the occasion and deliver on your promises. That is the only way of delivering true value. </div>SelSaysIthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17321020531977278276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13453268.post-47234145353564686072013-09-22T21:40:00.000+08:002013-09-22T21:47:26.290+08:00A decade in the making<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Holidays can sometimes be a bitch to plan. BUT I am quite-the-excited (I tend to turn SGean at the weirdest times) about the upcoming vacation! Or rather Sheikh-a-tion! WOOT!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH8f97kxIJtP0nRyXXtETa1wQXeBUdlZx_gSeVn9OosFgWUb_nehhUXiz_m0KX9UPq074bSCXnj23njfH-RBJw8U1btdZmbcSxx0VlgtpsTj7FLTkwMXOosH23tsov39JhOxU/s1600/ohtheplaces.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH8f97kxIJtP0nRyXXtETa1wQXeBUdlZx_gSeVn9OosFgWUb_nehhUXiz_m0KX9UPq074bSCXnj23njfH-RBJw8U1btdZmbcSxx0VlgtpsTj7FLTkwMXOosH23tsov39JhOxU/s320/ohtheplaces.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
It's oh-so-easy to just speculate on a grand trip and envision the places you can go and all the amazing things you want to do and see while you are on this amazing journey. It is quite another thing when you hardly have the time to sit down and plan. The trip takes on a whole new dimension when you are planning it when both parties are not in the same location.<br />
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Case in point: the Great Sheikh-a-tion. Destination: Spain. Travel buddy: my sister. ETT: about two weeks to kick-off. It took almost 10 years to happen and very nearly didn't. Our friends are kind of right, saying that it's unusual for the both of us to travel because we both have our own circle of friends. But I say that you should travel with as many friends, boyfriends, girlfriends, family members (if you can stand them) and just about anyone, at least once. It is about the adventure and learning more about others :) You also learn about who and what you can tolerate. Heh.<br />
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Actually, compared to last year's South American jaunt, this one seems much easier to plan, especially once we go the dates sorted out. The problem with last year's trip was that we were all so busy with our jobs that we hardly had time to think about things until we landed in Rio.<br />
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This time, all it took were a couple of Skype calls and crazy emails to sort things out. Stuff like the attractions we want to see, any sort of food indulgences, do we want to party? That was a surprising no, from both sides. I should say that it is quite cool when you are both on agreement with a few things:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>We are travel nerds. We won't just see all the attractions but also look out for interesting litttle finds</li>
<li>Shopping will be kept to a as-needed basis. It's not a priority for either one of us</li>
<li>Getting lost is also fun. Well, not literally lost but the experience of wandering around places far outweighs the need to stick to a mad schedule</li>
<li>Princess who? While there will be no 5-star hotels on this trip, there sure as hell won't be any hostels where we have to bunk in with fellow weirdos</li>
<li>Good food and wine makes us happy. There is nothing more delightful than just walking into some random place to eat or drink if you think it is interesting. I love my fancy times too but sometimes the best indulgences are to be found by your nose or through some random person you happened to chat with.</li>
</ul>
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I am quite bloody relieved that for once, I don't have to speed through some event, throw my stuff together and literally hop a plane for this trip. God knows, I was hardly in any sort of anticipation for my last couple of trips due to all sorts of stresses. The countdown begins now!</div>
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SelSaysIthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17321020531977278276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13453268.post-3897975277164474522013-09-14T16:19:00.000+08:002013-09-14T16:19:39.172+08:00A dedication in memorium<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Dear Ah Kong, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Talk about time flying by! It has been 20 years since your
passing. Did you know that even Michael Jackson suddenly died? Hopefully, you
bumped into him up there and said Hi. Hehe…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Things have been moving here. I finally got the perm on (ok, ok,
you can tell Mama that she is right, I don’t look like a mad old lady).
Everyone has grown up and is doing well. Did you know that Mei grew up to look
like an abandoned ang moh? She made the biggest transition from that cute
little girl posing with the flower arrangements to a successful restaurant
manager. Mum found her inner garang-ness and Rasheed is finally growing up. Kita
suma sudah tua, but you will be damned proud!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEbMLKKHbH4uONVYIiO4jLuuShebjLI-V8Dd0ltR9SuGOmzN8F5RrROT5AgWcztpJgx8X6vI6x0yFZK5HwpiigFim32-lNzau-tZDAinu564gSditXBjE_N-1ARaIi3hj2Z3g/s1600/gramps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEbMLKKHbH4uONVYIiO4jLuuShebjLI-V8Dd0ltR9SuGOmzN8F5RrROT5AgWcztpJgx8X6vI6x0yFZK5HwpiigFim32-lNzau-tZDAinu564gSditXBjE_N-1ARaIi3hj2Z3g/s1600/gramps.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’m sorry that I haven’t been to the niche the last time I went
home. It is weird how time just flies and it feels like you have so much to
accomplish so much in such a short time. Macham a mad rush! At least this time
I didn’t climb the fence at Mt Vernon. I bet you the cemetery hantus would have
remembered me for that! But I just wanted to say that I didn't forget.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">How can you forget the person who helped you grow? Who looked
after you and talked to you like an adult even as you were growing up? Who
showed you that fun can be had at any time? You and Mama had a funny relationship
of friendship, arguments and some comedic spats but you stuck it out. You taught
me that family matters and that you should give people the chance to make mistakes.
Sure, you spoil me when I was a kid (remember all these poor filet o-fish? LOL) but you also gave me the room to just be
myself. It is that sense of self and also of responsibility to family that has guided
me through all these years.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I realized after all this while that I inherited this sense of
mischief and derring-do because of you. Did you know that I picked up dancing
after all this time? You were right about stepping out. Sometimes you need to
do something scary in order to make a change in your life. I also made the huge
decision to finally move out and move away to take a job out of Singapore. The
decisions were and still sometimes are scary, but you know, I think I can do
this. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Although many years have passed, sometimes I feel that you are
still here. When I feel that things are way beyond me, when people or
circumstances make me mad or even when there are really happy times, I think about
you and all the great times we had (that includes that mad puddle skipping
expedition). All these memories and lessons, it grounds me. I still really miss you and this dedication
has been a long time coming. But you know, I just wanted to pop in to just say
that things are going fine and that I hope to share more happy news with you
soon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Just me,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ah Girl</span></div>
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SelSaysIthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17321020531977278276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13453268.post-32515785165383350552013-09-06T16:45:00.000+08:002013-09-06T16:45:01.412+08:00Well, I have never...!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="text-align: left;">It’s funny how, for a movie junkie, I have never come up with a Top 10 list. Lists are never a simple thing… you can’t simply bash things together all higgly-piggly. That is why I’ve had several previous lists for different occasions. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">But there are SO many movies that I love it’s SO bloody hard! ARGH! What do I do??</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Therefore, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, the movies I
have </span><i style="font-family: inherit;"><u>never</u></i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> watched, which are
(in no order whatsoever)…Please don’t scream too loudly. You know who you are:</span></div>
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<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108052/" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Schindler’s List</a><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">. It won a shitload
of accolades, shed light on a little known figure, launched </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000146/?ref_=sr_1" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Ralph Fiennes</a><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"> and presented
</span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000229/" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Spielberg</a><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"> his very first
Oscar but for some weird reason, I never managed to watch it</span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111161/?ref_=sr_1" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">The Shawshank Redemption</a><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">.
If you thought the first one was bad, this one literally made my office mates
and anyone within earshot gasp and howl in shock (not the kind we want, really).
YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED IT??? What is wrong with you????? </span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0150742/" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">The Godfather Trilogy</a><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">. Hey, since you guys are already howling, why howl even more? C’mon, you know you
want to :p</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Anything by </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0594503/?ref_=sr_1" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">H<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">ayao Miyazaki</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">.
I’ve loved your style for a long time and I’m sorry that you are retiring. As repentance,
I should go out and get a box set soon. Anyone want to get me some for
Christmas? Anyone? Yoooo hooooo…</span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0594503/?ref_=sr_1" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Oldboy</a><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"> / </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0310775/?ref_=sr_1" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Sympathy for Mr Vengence</a><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">.
</span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0661791/?ref_=tt_ov_dr" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Park Chan-Wook</a><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">,
your movies were too violent to come to Singapore and I am a hopeless pirate…but
one day</span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070047/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">The Exorcist</a><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"> / </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081505/?ref_=sr_1" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">The Shining</a><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"> / </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0178868/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">The Ring</a><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">. I am
a big chicken! I opted to read both of the books instead and watched the
trailer of the last one, completely forgetting that I had an overactive
imagination. The result? Still bloody freaked out. KNN</span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086250/" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Scarface</a><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">. It’s in one of the
genres I love the best with one of the best movie triumvirates of </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000199/?ref_=tt_ov_st" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Pacino</a><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">, </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000231/?ref_=tt_ov_wr" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Stone</a><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"> and </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000361/?ref_=tt_ov_dr" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">de Palma</a><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Aren’t you guys tired of all that howling
already? No?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073195/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Jaws</a><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">.
MWAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031381/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">Gone with the Wind</a> / </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034583/?ref_=sr_1" style="text-indent: -24px;">Casablanca</a>. <span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">There was war! Drama! Romance! And me, falling asleep and choosing to watch other films instead :p</span><span style="text-indent: -24px;"> </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-indent: -24px;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094012/" target="_blank">Spaceballs</a>. Gah! Don't gather the pitchforks!</span></span></li>
</ol>
Ok, I think it is time for a large Gin & Tonic or soothing chamomile tea for those of you who have screamed yourselves voiceless. Please don't get too overwrought... at least now, you know what to get me for Christmas ;)<br />
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SelSaysIthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17321020531977278276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13453268.post-13005536666161719792013-08-27T02:52:00.001+08:002013-08-27T03:01:55.240+08:00Frustrated Incorporated? Stop it!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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“They say misery loves company, we could start a company and make misery, Frustrated Incorporated…,” thank you, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul_Asylum" target="_blank">Soul Asylum</a>. You've summed up these few weeks perfectly.<br />
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Who doesn't complain about work? Even if it is your dream job, at one point of time or another, there will definitely be something to bitch about. But when deadlines are looming, the higher-ups are breathing down your neck, you have events coming out of your wazoo, you need to call journalists who are halfway around the world, you are tied to your desk and work keeps adding and adding… what the hell do you do?<br />
<br />
Firstly, you DO NOT…under any circumstances, freak out all over everyone else or let yourself go mad. Yes, I know the pressure is to deliver (no, you are not the only one who has to deliver), to go-go-go but its times like these where you are also most likely to make the biggest mistakes. Experience and also highly detailed and anal bosses have taught me that there is always time to take that crucial step back, breathe and re-focus, not lose focus or run around like a headless chicken.<br />
<br />
What, BUT I HAVE NO TIME! Before you start going mad, get up, take a walk around the room, and go have a coffee, just do something else. Then, come back, pull out a fresh sheet of paper or pull up a blank screen and:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Jot down a to-do list – be as detailed as possible. What do you need really to do? Email someone, send out a document, or review material?</li>
<li>Put plausible deadlines next to them – don’t be an idiot and say NOW when it really means that you can send it in a few hours or the next day</li>
<li>Prioritize your list – Which piece of work needs the most attention? Which are the ones that can be knocked out of the park with minimal effort?</li>
<li>Now, for the hardest part. DELIVER on your deadlines. If you tell someone you will send them something by noon, DO it. Nothing kills your credibility faster than a missed deadline. If you can’t deliver on time, give them a call. Explain the delay. Don’t just fob off any ‘ol excuse and expect them to accept it. Chances are their schedule is as crazy as yours too.</li>
</ul>
Notice I didn't say delegate? Because, you can only delegate so much. Ultimately, you are personally responsible for every item on your list. Not someone else. Greatness comes in delivering what is promised and performing beyond expectations.<br />
<br />
I totally get it when we miss deadlines and are frazzled when the madness just becomes bigger and bigger. Being quick to learn and adapt is a skill. But don’t forget to breathe. Breathing and just taking a quick break to re-focus helps tremendously.<br />
<br />
It's easy to be part of Frustrated Incorporated but your job is to overcome the challenges, not succumb to it. Walk the talk!<br />
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SelSaysIthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17321020531977278276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13453268.post-19374973503981490562013-08-14T17:39:00.001+08:002013-08-14T17:49:36.157+08:00I like it like that<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw2BC0_FJDFiOun4drwf9_2lYEIb581xxK4oOoz9sBz91wXbyrvwgVrAn5ab1KvVmY2iadpRv9YX_rATQSe4BRPO7fEumZ9Hn8JAJ2DlA6jMLaLV1YdLVz2ro44c5MkSaNpmA/s1600/AA-Choices-Seuss-300x295.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw2BC0_FJDFiOun4drwf9_2lYEIb581xxK4oOoz9sBz91wXbyrvwgVrAn5ab1KvVmY2iadpRv9YX_rATQSe4BRPO7fEumZ9Hn8JAJ2DlA6jMLaLV1YdLVz2ro44c5MkSaNpmA/s200/AA-Choices-Seuss-300x295.png" width="200" /></a>Let me set the record straight. Since moving to Dubai, I enjoy staying on my own and doing things by myself. Hanging out at home is actually comfortable and even cleaning my house can be fun (ha! My mother would love to hear me say that in person!). The one thing that I certainly never done whether here or back home is keep thinking of things to do, pile my days and nights with endless activities or have a packed social calendar to feel ‘busy’. I am able to find little projects or hang out with people who do not stress me out. I like that.<br />
<br />
Do I get bored or restless? Hell yes, then I simply think of something to do and get to it. If I can enlist an accomplice to share my little adventure, all the better! Otherwise I just do it on my own. It’s odd how sometimes doing things on your own can be freeing. You have the freedom to make mistakes and simply let yourself go. It’s also a more humbling experience where there is no posturing or showboating. That’s why I started taking dance and fitness classes on my own. I don’t need to rely on others or blame others if they can’t make a session. The responsibility falls solely on me. I'm ok with that and focusing on what I’m there to do.<br />
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In doing this, I sometimes miss having a friend to talk to, laugh and discuss things with. But then again, why not talk to the people around me? Isn’t that how you meet new people and widen your social circle? I guess it’s easier for me to talk to people partly because of the job I do. Talking to strangers, whether they are business associates, CEOs, journalists, vendors or even the man on the street is a matter of perspective adjustment. For me, not everyone can be a friend or is. Interactions are always a very personal choice.<br />
<br />
In dealing with homesickness (rarely) and missing my family and friends, there is always Skype and WhatsApp or the ever reliable Facebook. I’ve relied on these tools more often now that I am away. However, there is always that personal sense of closeness that I never lose sight of. No matter where my family or friends are, we always take the time to connect and support each other. I also grew up with friends and family who had their own lives and I respect that. No one likes a cling-on!<br />
<br />
So bottom line is this: I like where I am now emotionally; having room to think about what I need, who I want in my life and am taking steps to achieve it, as well as physically; ok, the weather can be less bloody sweltering and some people need to take a smart pill, but still. The independence is gratifying and I am slowly discovering new things about myself, my environment and a circle of friends here. That to me, the a great start towards new adventures :)<br />
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SelSaysIthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17321020531977278276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13453268.post-73516313785092261522013-08-07T19:09:00.001+08:002013-08-07T19:10:11.302+08:00Don’t be a f@#$ing lazy arse, realize your dream! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ever since I was a little girl, all I wanted to be was a writer. To me words are not just meaningless alphabets strung together. Alphabets make words, words make sentences that convey meaning, and sentences form stories that lead you on adventures, make you all in love, help you paint pictures in your mind and also build a career. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">There was only one problem with this grand plan. How the hell do I get it?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I know what it’s like to sit and dream about things. The problem with that is they only remain dreams. Therefore, at the tender age of about seven, I decided to take things into my own hands (yes, even as a kid, I was an action-driven thing). I started reading all sorts of books and way before it became fashionable, I start keeping a journal. I wrote stories, plotted the demise of my enemies and escaped out of crazy family drama. I ranted and raged! I still do it today, heh</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">As I matured, I looked for jobs that allowed me to expand my writing capabilities. I moved from administrative roles to internal corporate comms and to agency life. I learnt more about government relations and corporate messaging, delved into engineering, food & nutrition, pharmaceuticals and technology. I learnt more about storage and pure systems that I liked. Most importantly, I learnt about whom I was and what I would like to do. Mentors have taught me that the road to a career doesn’t simply stop once you embark on a certain path. You need to constantly keep up with trends, be curious, network (no, not just go out and get drunk), be in-tuned with the news and general happenings and just be ‘with it’. You always need to be hungry for the next thing, you need the appetite to learn and be challenged by what you find.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">My journey to being a writer has evolved towards being someone who crafts messages that are aimed at changing the way we perceive certain products, people and ideals. I’m not simply a ‘writer’ but in some ways, I am. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This is probably why I am always annoyed by friends who keep asking what they need to get the perfect career. I’m annoyed when people ask me to recommend interesting jobs. Why? Because I don’t know what you bloody want! What is interesting to me may not appeal to you. Then we both think the other is useless. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Instead of having lots of useless conversations, I’d encourage them to define their needs in the most specific way. Don’t just write your dream down. Pen the steps that you need to take to get there: </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Write down your attributes – what are your strengths? What do you do well? Do a top 5 list. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">What do you like to do? In terms of work, are you a skilled organizer, number cruncher, events whiz? Do you know a lot of people?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">What are your top fields to work in? Pick the top 3. No, we can’t all work for Google. Do some research!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">How do you go about getting what you want? Do you need to start at the bottom? Get an additional degree? Who do you talk to?</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Today’s post is a long one but one that was inspired by another friend. Thanks for making me think about my journey to where I am today.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Oh, and you know what I wanted to be as a little girl? I wanted to be a novelist ;)</span></div>
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SelSaysIthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17321020531977278276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13453268.post-17740134403887283292013-07-21T22:19:00.001+08:002013-07-21T22:19:13.927+08:00Work it, DO it!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I come from a unique working background, going from in-house to PR agencies and then moving back to in-house. Working through the levels from ground up, gives me a really good perspective of how Communications as a role can evolve, how the agency and in-house roles work and more importantly, how to work them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRimYzD3CKJzl1d51Nvt-dxSUOXV9o0CjboUy5NgU3xxyy5vXqBNnsXsTkHsGzM2IkT21UbnY0AuwlIoxAJBVTOo-WdrAsWh7mOeST4Aa70SWM26HoZqeooGYGvi3ppgOxJpo/s1600/rosietheriveter_youcandoit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRimYzD3CKJzl1d51Nvt-dxSUOXV9o0CjboUy5NgU3xxyy5vXqBNnsXsTkHsGzM2IkT21UbnY0AuwlIoxAJBVTOo-WdrAsWh7mOeST4Aa70SWM26HoZqeooGYGvi3ppgOxJpo/s320/rosietheriveter_youcandoit.jpg" width="263" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">One of the things that resonated with me all these years is perception management. Sounds fancy? Not really. It is what it sounds like. Perception management is a practical tool that, if you grasp its fundamental concept, you ultimately accomplish so much more. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here are some real-life examples of how perception management works and coming from the client-side, what we think. Our agency in London gives my boss (vacationing in The Netherlands) a panicked call when they discovered that the demo kit that they passed to a leading technology journalist didn’t have a SIM card. Worse, they never checked to see that the card was there. Are you sure you’ve managed consumer tech accounts before? Why they never thought to call me, the non-vacationer, is beyond my understanding. My first instinct is to pick up the phone to give them a really good reason to worry. What happened to thinking the problem through? Or presenting the client with a solution if you are stuck? Sure, you handle nasty journalists all the time. What happened to handling it for the client? Did you expect me or my boss to fly to London? Instead, you panic and freak out. Shame on you. Dear agency consultants, if your first instinct is to call the client the moment a problem crops up without presenting them with viable solutions, you should reassess your day job. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The second story comes from an agency that I’ve personally worked with and in. They were working on an event and they were expected to deliver on RSVPs as well as documents. While the agency was a little slow on the uptake, they made things work. What they did differently was they didn’t talk up their project. They focused on what could be delivered and worked steadily towards their goals, despite pressure from me. I don’t know about you but I prefer working with agencies who know what they are doing and do not over-promise and under-deliver. Agency work is about delivering and reassuring. You know the media, you know the landscape and your job is to manage your client’s expectations. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Finally, my ultimate pet peeve is agencies that talk up their experience without being able to deliver. Sure, you have the fancy clients and the huge accounts or you could be a super niche agency. But if you don’t share the RSVP list unless I ask for it? Or if you have no idea what a briefing document is or complain when I ask for a post-mortem report? You should be fired. I hired you to do the job. If I have to do your work, I might as well do it all on my own. Perception management as you can is, is a foreign concept here. And who does a project without showcasing results? The irony? The project spawned a HUGE amount of coverage and a lot of positive follow-ups.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">So what do I want or rather clients want in working with an agency? It’s quite simple, really:</span><br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Show us you know your stuff with concrete results. Case studies, real-experiences in account management and problem-solving count.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Assure us that you are doing your job by being responsive. Give us daily/weekly updates/calls. Ask us to help, tell us what you need to get your job done</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">If a problem happens, don’t freak out. BREATHE. Take a step back and think of a solution, work it through and then update us. Demonstrating solid problem-solving skills under pressure is a huge plus.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ask if you don’t know anything. Do not limit yourself at initial meetings.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Show us you know your media landscape. If we challenge you, respond and demonstrate that you KNOW your media and how they work. Educate us.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Be enthusiastic. This last point makes or breaks an account. It makes your client feel good that you are keen to work on their project. Even if you have no idea what the hell a satellite is or if the bloody things can work underground, show interest, ask intelligent questions and we will respect you and your interest in us. </span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Don’t just ‘handle’ your clients. Manage them and they will respect you. It’s about creating value for you and your business. And really, if all else fails, don’t simply panic. Breathe and work it out. </span></div>
SelSaysIthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17321020531977278276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13453268.post-58971784156586758342013-07-15T15:31:00.005+08:002013-07-15T15:34:37.915+08:00Away and back again <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I was recently back in Asia for a short holiday and work. All I can say is phew! For someone who’s on her first international job posting, coming back to home base brings immense joy and at the same time, an acute sense of nostalgia. You go back to the things that you love with family and friends who’ve been there for the ride. And there is simply nothing better :)</span></span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Prior to the Little Red Dot, I first landed in Hong Kong for a short three-day stint of press interviews for the company. One thing I have to say is that, boy it feels good to be back in Asia. For all its trappings, Dubai can’t seem to capture the authenticity of the food and hospitality found in Asia. Hear that dim sum makers? Even Malaysia has you beat in this one.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">It was all gloomy on the outside plus work interviews and a partial food coma thereafter</span></td></tr>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Then it was home-bound! One thing I have to say is that, home is a lot more bearable when you don’t live with your parents. Ironically, it feels that mum and I are a lot closer now that we are out of each other’s hair.</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So what really is the difference between Singapore and Dubai, you ask? Well, to me it's a case of convenience vs familiarity. On home ground, you have sop much less to worry about. You have your friends, your family, you know how everything works, your home is there and you know where to get things, should anything happen to fail.</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />In Dubai, I learnt that you can have almost anything and everything that you want. At a certain price…. Aha! You can get groceries delivered, maids will come clean your house, you can book a massage and have the masseuse come to your door step. So many conveniences! But at the same time, it takes ages to get paper work filled out, there is just too many red tape to get through when you need something done at work and people just cling to their archaic beliefs no matter what. I guess familiarity is something that you will eventually grasp.</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Heh, so what did I get up to at home then? </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It happened to be the worst haze that Singapore has ever had. To capitalize on it, we had our demo at the top of the Marina Bay Sands so that we can get our haze on! </td></tr>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And of course, when you are in Singapore, there is always time for indulgence of the gastronomic kind </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And this is just the tip of the iceberg...</td></tr>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I think it’s a give and take. While I certainly do love my conveniences, I am not so set in my ways that I insist on doing things in certain ways. I believe in learning new things and adapting to other ways too. Therefore, I am quite happy to report that I quite like it here in sandy Dubai. It’s much easier to adapt when you’ve made solid connections with really lovely people. There are lesser things to whinge about, espeically in times where you wake up and think: how the hell did I end up here? </span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Well, everything happens for a reason, right? ;)</span></span></div>
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SelSaysIthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17321020531977278276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13453268.post-35213052062963865122013-06-03T01:25:00.000+08:002013-06-03T01:27:03.519+08:00Can cook, won't starve!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
When we were growing up, my grandmother was hell bent on us kids learning how to cook. It's not just a 'take care of the family thing' no, according to grandma, if you can't cook, you might as well not live.<br />
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These bibiks, so bloody dramatic. Haha...<br />
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But then again, if she wasn't or my mum didn't bother, I'd be starving here. The funny thing about Dubai is that this place is so new, so modern, so bright and so shiny that they have no street food culture. While they do have all the food courts (and some that serve really good food) and of course, world class restaurants, there is no decent place that serves the food I grew up with. Wait. Let me rephrase...they probably do but they'd also charge an arm and a leg for something really simple to make. So what the hell does a girl do to satisfy some home food cravings?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From top left (clockwise): mee goreng, ayam pongteh (I am part Peranakan after all), the great SG cookout and carrot cake with my first crack at self-made frosting. It wasn't half bad! </td></tr>
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Well, apparently, if you want something. You really, really want something... you make it at yourself. The great thing about Dubai is that they have good raw ingredients. Sure, you have to make sure you don't pick some exhorbitant exported mushrooms but otherwise, the grocery stores are pretty decent. And they have really, really good meat. So making steaks, stews and casseroles are not a problem.<br />
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The slight problem comes when you are looking for condiments. There is almost no fermented soya beans (tao cheo), hardly any hey bee (dried prawns) and sambal (ground chili paste) is totally foreign unless you make it yourself. I was over the moon when my fellow Singaporean took me to a Japanese supermarket that had soba sauce, fresh miso and that superb Japanese mayonnaise. Mmmmm...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The great Japanese experiment (from top left, clockwise): miso soup, cold soba noodles and pan fried miso tuna steak. Heaven!</td></tr>
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Sure, there are some Singaporean delis or Thai supermarkets out here but you have to hunt them down, which can be a real pain the the ass. So I cheat and either get people to buy some of my condiments OR I make them. Making stuff like sambal or paste for your food is really easy. You just need some time to look for the ingredients and be willing to peel, prep and chop for half a day. Ok, I exaggerate. You need about 2 hours. Heh. <br />
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Thus far, I've only made the paste for the chili crab which we made for what we termed, the Great Singapore Cookout. If anything, Dubai can be pretty funny. On the day we deceided to make chili crab, the supermarkets that we went to, all three of them, happened to run out of fresh red chilis *facepalm* so freaking annoying! Lesson learned... you can use fresh chili padi as a substitute but you have to make sure that you remove all the seeds before hand. Oh and have lots of tomato sauce on stand by.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chili crab...all you need, is the right chilis</td></tr>
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Next time, I'm going to be a good bibik and grind up a whole pot of chili paste, or whatever paste and keep it in the fridge, for kicks. Just so that I have the right paste when I need it for my dishes. Growing up in such a food-crazy household has certainly made its mark on me :) There is always substitution but then again, when you have the right paste or ingredients on-hand, cooking is so much easier. </div>
SelSaysIthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17321020531977278276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13453268.post-85735779004625262452013-05-22T02:07:00.000+08:002013-05-22T02:11:58.276+08:00The great chronicle of pain<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Just when I thought that things are finally on some sort of even keel, it's annual injury time. Annual injury? Uh, yea... ever since I managed to dislocate my hip sometime in 2009, I've had to take extra care of myself to prevent injury. </div>
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The hip injury was a bit strange. It happened after pilates class, all I did was sit on a rail at the bus stop and when I got off, I felt excruciating pain shoot up my hip. That was the start of it all: </div>
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<li>2009 - Said hip dislocation. Took about 5 weeks of physio and reformers for a full recovery. I got started on pilates here. </li>
<li>2010 - Looking at this video, you cannot tell but my knee was the size of a melon just 4 weeks before this video. That was the result of a fall in ballet. Note: Don't get distracted by the cute guy while leaping like a goat it can lead to disaster. Healing took about 4 weeks with nightly icing down and stretching. If you are a dancer, you'd know the hell I was going through. Plus there's no way I'd sit out this performance! It's Dirty Dancing! Thankfully, the performance went without a hitch. Kudos again, to the groom, who before his wedding was always our official photographer and never a dancer. And he did the solo too... it was an amazing night :)</li>
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<li>2011 - a fall (more like a slip and crumple to the floor) while practicing for a performance caused near panic when I couldn't get up from bed the next morning. Three weeks of physio and stretching to sort out my back. </li>
<li>2012 - rib cartiledge sprain sustained post performance, during the India Fiesta Latina. This was after 3 days of intense classes and about 4 nights of dancing till about 3am. How painful was it? Despite a really relaxing trip to Goa afterwards, I wasn't able to sleep or turn over and coughing or taking deep breaths felt like my rib was about to bust open. Fun times.</li>
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Which brings us up to this year. Post injury last year, I was in physio for another 4 weeks and then, I found <a href="http://www.tptherapy.com/unlock-your-body-injury-cycle.html" target="_blank">Trigger Point </a>classes. I finally got on track to strengthen my body and also work out all the kinks so that I will be less injury prone. I got stronger, which means I danced more and stayed mostly injury free :) Yay! <br />
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Fast forward to this year and a few weeks ago where Dubai felt two pretty big aftershocks. When the second one hit, my boss bolted down the stairs. Now, I know my body and just the effect of running down the stairs like that meant bad news. News that manifested in the form of a kneecap sprain that had me limping around in Jordan. I wrote to my physio back in SG and got a recommendation to see a local physio who worked at a clinic called <a href="http://www.upandrunningdubai.com/" target="_blank">Up and Running </a>here. <br />
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The physio, Jac was mildly horrified at my seemingly endless litany of injuries and she was almost beside herself (and so was my SG physio and V) when they learned that I did not bring my roller wtih me to Dubai. GAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! Hence the pain and malfunctions! It's a wonder you could still dance and go for freaking Zumba! Ok, ok....<br />
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Well, it's been a painful road to recovery and I'm back to using the roller. If you've never tried the grid before, it's something new to explore. It works out the kinks, kind of like a massager. You use yoru body weight for pressure. For recoving people like me, it is also used to strength your body. That said, the roller will now be part of a new routine. My advice? If at any time you feel that some body part or other is not working, get it checked out. Because if you don't do it now, it may get worse down the road. Such is the life of the injury prone :p but then again, if I don't take care of me and mine, who will? <br />
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SelSaysIthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17321020531977278276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13453268.post-66542939971961052092013-05-01T01:49:00.001+08:002013-05-01T01:57:58.635+08:00That one fan girl post<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
When I was growing up, one of our favorite childhood traditions for my sister and I was to huddle in front of the TV watching the X-Men. animated series Now this was back in the day where cartoons were stand-alone episodes focusing on comedy or satire. Unlike anime which seemed to border in the ridiculous at times, this series followed some of the more serious story arcs of a comic book that had crossed its 30th anniversary by the time we got into it. <br />
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It was the series that sparked off a decade-long comic collecting hobby, made us both comic geeks and got us both deep into the Marvel universe. My sister who was the more artistic one loved the animation and the house was soon filled with artwork inspired by the likes of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Madureira" target="_blank">Joe Madueira</a>, the Kubert brothers, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Kubert" target="_blank">Andy </a>and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Kubert" target="_blank">Adam </a>and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Silvestri" target="_blank">Marc Silvestri</a>. Wonder where all that art went, some of them were pretty outstanding.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxP80aIF-3XTqiOFsYE0C3u1icmaUnHlfhyphenhyphen3XpoAGOijS_dCXBmtOw7s96orMybLUdsrq_3jINGpTa6ZstmAT7hY2V3OTYK7GSqDrtfGBwfJN6I1bvdM782gGbnyerPHR3M4g/s1600/JoeMad2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxP80aIF-3XTqiOFsYE0C3u1icmaUnHlfhyphenhyphen3XpoAGOijS_dCXBmtOw7s96orMybLUdsrq_3jINGpTa6ZstmAT7hY2V3OTYK7GSqDrtfGBwfJN6I1bvdM782gGbnyerPHR3M4g/s320/JoeMad2.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">We actually have this copy someone in our comic vault</span></td></tr>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></tbody></table>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
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</span>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieAflSwvNygSFiXwIe18FmdoLhbz8H0idHChZ_6tfpKDXS6wa65ZcTrbtCVXcP1O8_R1ot_Bczsw6GNA2nSzPFkkUmeLTQg53P8AvH-j_h2y1G2x3v-vSbDDy_WQjA85j5X7A/s1600/AdamKubert12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieAflSwvNygSFiXwIe18FmdoLhbz8H0idHChZ_6tfpKDXS6wa65ZcTrbtCVXcP1O8_R1ot_Bczsw6GNA2nSzPFkkUmeLTQg53P8AvH-j_h2y1G2x3v-vSbDDy_WQjA85j5X7A/s320/AdamKubert12.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">This is the Wolverine that many were familiar with</span></td></tr>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Comic books were a great vehicle for two teenagers who were bored of the usual teeny bopper series' on TV, our crazy family life and were sick of worrying about our impending future. We bonded over the art, the intense story arcs and with like minded teenagers (mostly boys) down at the comic store. We were anomalies because who knew girls could get into these things? But we LOVED it. And there were so many things to love, all the superheros, all the dilemmas, all the angst, it served as great escapsim. Then, the movies came and we debated over who was in which scene, were fans shortchanged? Yes...that <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0376994/" target="_blank">Ratner</a> fella almost killed the franchise. But who can blame us? Like many fans, we spent a huge chunk of our formative years with vested interest in the X denizens and similar to any fan, boy or girl, we were going scrutinize the movies closely, dammit!</span></div>
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</span>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOidqFN1RnI0YqiSI0ykoRGt5hQZMaFVTP8fjp8hW53OesifYqcsDhlZ_GPg7U-XII7G07OOdJ-VWS_I67EIDNBOucXDYZnxVuaEbabsAcJL6CQs1m63GfjUtqvuGJjaW2W2k/s1600/AndyKubert3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOidqFN1RnI0YqiSI0ykoRGt5hQZMaFVTP8fjp8hW53OesifYqcsDhlZ_GPg7U-XII7G07OOdJ-VWS_I67EIDNBOucXDYZnxVuaEbabsAcJL6CQs1m63GfjUtqvuGJjaW2W2k/s320/AndyKubert3.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Artwork by Andy (this picture) and Adam (above) Kubert were our favourites</span></td></tr>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">For me, the love for the Marvel books eventually expanded to graphic novels by </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watchmen" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Alan Moore,</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Gaiman" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Neil Gaiman</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> and </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Miller_(comics)" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Frank Miller</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">. The stories went from serious to examining the psyche of a superhero, to looking at dreamscapes and looking at what makes a man a hero. It was intense, it was deep and it was pretty darned awesome. So awesome that I am still trying to make it to </span><a href="http://www.comic-con.org/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Comic Con.</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> We may no longer be collecting but the love for the books and the artists burns on. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">But what's the most exciting comic news for us? <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Madureira" target="_blank">Bryan Singer and Days of Future Past</a>, of course! Stay tuned.... I know that sister of mine will. And yes, this post is dedicated to you. Heh.</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrT3eLb-gIeoJiL-byMVMRVzfigCjHUgqvDnEfp050qdtxAV6nMdt1rcg1dUwneoz0LXDlcC0U8xke2yb2z3UBsMfZzRTNRK_FoSfSvxfu4_vQlCjq_9OYwY4IM01kafFQUFc/s1600/xm-173.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrT3eLb-gIeoJiL-byMVMRVzfigCjHUgqvDnEfp050qdtxAV6nMdt1rcg1dUwneoz0LXDlcC0U8xke2yb2z3UBsMfZzRTNRK_FoSfSvxfu4_vQlCjq_9OYwY4IM01kafFQUFc/s320/xm-173.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can't wait to see how this madness comes to life</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</div>
SelSaysIthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17321020531977278276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13453268.post-28226838238472379602013-04-15T02:35:00.000+08:002013-04-15T02:44:56.433+08:00How about being struck by lightning again? <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And so, it’s back to being singleton again. For some reason, this
time it doesn’t feel as bad. I went from being very upset to really angry and
then…nothing.</span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">On the other hand, the eventual apathy is nothing new. Even when
coupled up, he was always busy or too busy or travelling and I continued with
my dancing, work and friends. The thing that really stuck in my craw in the end
was: If he can stay things that are true to himself, then why can’t I say mine
and get an acknowledgement or a decent argument out of it? So much for
communication... pfft. More like two idiots just blabbering with no one
listening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The thing that probably
galled him was that I didn’t just want to sit around wondering, I dumped him.
That is me, being true to myself. </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Through my rather checkered dating history I’ve learnt a few
important things:</span> </span></div>
<ul style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">If you don’t stand up for what you believe in, no one else will do it for you. It’s not about being selfish and only wanting your end of things but making a point. Then hopefully coming to some sort of compromise that both parties can live with</span></div>
</li>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></div>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">If things are worth fighting for then do it. If there is no fight or you just grunt and give in. It doesn’t mean that things are ok. It just means that you end up resenting each other over time</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></div><br>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Things are your fault too. A part of what happened is my fault. I let things carry on, I talked things over with him with the hope that I would get through. In the end, I learned that he is holding on to an idea or rather ideal that neither me, nor anyone else can crack. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Through it all, I feel like I came out with the knowledge and
strength that I can do better. I deserve better. The strong part of the
relationship taught me a lot about myself and who I am. What I can accept and
what I can’t. Now that I have these values, it’s not something that is simply
discarded but to be worked into part of my psyche. </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBp1xYXlipE_2_EG0hEwDzYYC76bszbK8CkvABaImkNrBN5tcr75UJ1mNkf8lfL6DvfmcMfW7V0g1EtWtwIy233f-QzS1gkHV6cz6xOWuRABSDb3aY_0VfOA2HrS8VgxwxQVs/s1600/Montage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBp1xYXlipE_2_EG0hEwDzYYC76bszbK8CkvABaImkNrBN5tcr75UJ1mNkf8lfL6DvfmcMfW7V0g1EtWtwIy233f-QzS1gkHV6cz6xOWuRABSDb3aY_0VfOA2HrS8VgxwxQVs/s320/Montage.jpg" width="314" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From top left, clockwise: the great goulash experiment, paragliding, check out the sandstorm, ayam masak merah and some party animals</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">These couple of weeks has been pretty darned good, actually. There’s
been experimental cooking, the unavoidable cleaning, liver pickling, constantly
improving the salsa dancing, making new friends, the great paragliding attempt (I
made it off the ground for a soft launch!), mad karaoke singing and learning new
things about my colleagues and friends here. Broadband at home paved the way
for virtual tours of my house to close friends and family as well as new,
addictive TV series’ </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
Oh and did I mention a sandstorm and tremors that I and everyone in Dubai
survived? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I guess I’m staying on this path for a while longer, it's a happy path :) oh and can someone get me this for my house, please?</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ6DmmjGHnGZhXAGR9i4vGduzdF7N9w_s4Y6nlCfrozJ_X4Sh3rjigEaF2NeU1_SBDEMsM2fVsNzd36Hqh8H-OiQ9oVLeObfikgsZ53kXc7WQVE3zhS62jy54IjgujpqmhjBk/s1600/IMG-20130414-WA000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ6DmmjGHnGZhXAGR9i4vGduzdF7N9w_s4Y6nlCfrozJ_X4Sh3rjigEaF2NeU1_SBDEMsM2fVsNzd36Hqh8H-OiQ9oVLeObfikgsZ53kXc7WQVE3zhS62jy54IjgujpqmhjBk/s320/IMG-20130414-WA000.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span> </div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
</div>
SelSaysIthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17321020531977278276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13453268.post-15091162541651989372013-04-06T15:07:00.004+08:002013-04-06T15:16:22.354+08:00Dr Strange in the observatory<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpDNs-Cdkwk7HfSl_b4VOdy553AkK9lQqfgEMXUEEswWMbJq9m3QtCvdyGTGyNtJEicAySG8zIJPSpz1A0gGrG48xmMQ-_qut_46XN-tx_Ull5INiHvTRdst_RikF9K3l8an0/s1600/observation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpDNs-Cdkwk7HfSl_b4VOdy553AkK9lQqfgEMXUEEswWMbJq9m3QtCvdyGTGyNtJEicAySG8zIJPSpz1A0gGrG48xmMQ-_qut_46XN-tx_Ull5INiHvTRdst_RikF9K3l8an0/s320/observation.jpg" width="243" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The three-month mark is fast approaching and the feelings that I
have about the move have been mixed. Work has been a mix of totally
crazy/ mysterious/ demanding/ irrational/ passive aggressive/ exhilarating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t get me wrong. It’s been mad but fun and
I love challenges and coming up with solutions to tackle them. For me, work is
about pushing the boundaries on things; you have to push to constantly improve
and progress. I am here because the challenge to turn around a company is pretty
thrilling. For someone who is deemed ‘foreign talent’, it is not simply about
doing a job, it is putting your money where your mouth is. Do you deserve the
status and pay? </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The pros are that the higher-ups have noted the change and the
hard work we’re putting in. There’s appreciation. However, pushing is not a
something one accomplishes alone or in a duo. There seems to be a bit of a
tug-of-war going on, where on one side, you have people who are keen to band
together to make new breakthroughs. On the other hand, there is a bunch of
people who are so set in their ways and resistant to change or new ideas that it
totally drives you bonkers. It was a harsh reality-check to learn that the
industry was surprised that we are still around. Ouch.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">At times I wonder, how the hell will we all survive this? Oftimes,
it feels like people believe that they are irreplaceable. This used to be old
way of thinking in pre-recession Singapore and look at the job fallout from the
financial crisis. Cushy jobs gone in a thrice, long-term service was retired in
favor of hungrier people who performed better, simple jobs were taken by harder
working people who earned far less and the top of the crop became even more
prized. To really implement change, there needs to be some serious ass-kicking
all round! </span></span><br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is not the first company that I’ve been a part of that has
undergone change. In the past, both of the in-house roles that I’ve worked in
dealt with organizational changes on a global level. The difference is that the
companies chose to handle change more progressively and positively. They brought
in professional consultants and worked really hard to instill the message that change
is essential for growth. Both the messages and management were fundamental
drivers that walked the talk from inside, out. Because of this, the staff
started to embrace the changes positively. There is a feeling in the air that
things will work out and they did. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTn_eeEX7nL64cVCsY-tN2u5Wdjd-Nrcxl42H4C6JVQ2jVYBMUusCu7QR1nkzaxcr9Qn7EfwEIRlBnyrmk5LhFS5gjq2ctPFom3Wx6i1JWIR9w2y7gyIyo36uVi2weYQLoHSA/s1600/hands.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTn_eeEX7nL64cVCsY-tN2u5Wdjd-Nrcxl42H4C6JVQ2jVYBMUusCu7QR1nkzaxcr9Qn7EfwEIRlBnyrmk5LhFS5gjq2ctPFom3Wx6i1JWIR9w2y7gyIyo36uVi2weYQLoHSA/s320/hands.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yea, right</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But not here, or maybe not yet. It still feels like change is
something to be checked off a list. Sometimes, you just want to grab hold of
people and give them a hard shake while yelling: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">You are not a robot! There is no such thing as accepting a half-change!
Quit whingeing, embrace change and MAKE IT WORK! </i>It can be extremely frustrating
at times. </span></span><br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Frustrated?
Yes. Challenged? Yes. But then again, we’re in early days yet. I still have
tricks up my sleeve. Let’s see how far I get before I thwack someone over the
head for being a complete moron. At the rate some people are going, that day
may come sooner than you think ;) </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I also came across a few interesting posts that I think somewhat complement this week's nugget:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<ul>
<li><a href="http://linkli.st/19w6u" target="_blank">A series of articles of another expat working in Dubai</a></li>
<li><a href="http://blog.firebrandtalent.com/2012/10/organisational-change-and-the-importance-of-your-employer-brand/" target="_blank">Organizational change and the importance of your employer brand</a></li>
<li></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
SelSaysIthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17321020531977278276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13453268.post-58758604314007719512013-03-31T20:21:00.001+08:002013-04-02T03:07:44.731+08:00Breaking out to get into the new<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">After a while,
or rather, an age, I realize that people tend to grow attached to one form of
music or another. Yes, that is you West Coast Swing DJs! Not everyone, just a
few guilty ones. *death glare* you know who you are.</span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixILJ-gwVvDFvE87weLmsEQ_SoYRmlpheBPpi7AJGbLe-hD7AX6LNIhvvbqy5JYmcIuZbyR9S3vyoxC1QCKjnfAqrlptoo2uuJrs7CMF7aVtBtSzQfH3ThGPS5cM6dLRq4uuA/s1600/stock-vector-cartoon-youth-listening-to-music-84545245.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixILJ-gwVvDFvE87weLmsEQ_SoYRmlpheBPpi7AJGbLe-hD7AX6LNIhvvbqy5JYmcIuZbyR9S3vyoxC1QCKjnfAqrlptoo2uuJrs7CMF7aVtBtSzQfH3ThGPS5cM6dLRq4uuA/s320/stock-vector-cartoon-youth-listening-to-music-84545245.jpg" width="306" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lost in a moment...Heh</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Regardless of
the decade you grew up in, everyone has a music tell. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">People around
my parents’ age have music that range from the <a href="http://www.google.ae/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CC8QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FThe_Beach_Boys&ei=qyZYUd-GJojSrQe2mYCoBQ&usg=AFQjCNEU6Z6C84Fo1EToKYkQhhuMZWq60g&sig2=V9uUZOcBzH4SPf7XI1578g&bvm=bv.44442042,d.bmk" target="_blank">Beach Boys</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Manilow" target="_blank">Barry Manilow</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_purple" target="_blank">DeepPurple</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvis" target="_blank">Elvis</a>, to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_stones" target="_blank">Rolling Stones </a>or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Led_Zepplin" target="_blank">Led Zepplin</a> for
the more rebellious. Which brings me to
the point of this post – what is your music tell and how the hell do you break
new music in?</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You don’t have
one? Tsk, tsk... What song pops into your head when you’re stressed or need
something to sing to or are driving? A lot of people turn to the music that
they grew up to and that is the music that often soothes them. A lot of dancers
I know have a few pieces that they practice to, but that’s it. Once they are
out of the practice room, they actually listen to a lot of music to prep
choreography, incorporate different styles add flavor to their pieces.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Not many
people actually break out of the musical genres that they love. I am guilty of
this too. A child of the 80s, I grew up in a family that loved live music,
Motown, rock, blues and slick funkadelic sounds. Music was about the beat,
groove and voices that influenced generations of musicians and
audiophiles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I loved and
still love all my pop confections. They grew into a love for the 80s rockers,
the gravelly angst of grunge and then in the 90s it was hello Britpop and where
the hell did all these awesome bands come from? There were the happy-sounding
beats but what made it so different was the lyrics were <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">smart. </i>There was no ‘I’m so lonesome I could die’, instead it was
about <em>girls who liked boys who need girls who are boys</em> or <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;"><span style="background-color: white;">boys who wanted to <em>wear my face like you, Shiseido MAC and Maybelline</em></span></span> and OMG, <a href="http://www.google.ae/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CC8QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FTake_That&ei=oidYUYb4BsyXrgfikIBg&usg=AFQjCNH9tWL9uVihDZq7uY2FX2Y1y2PRTw&sig2=DNXdMIIEZFOcsC6hq7EzZQ&bvm=bv.44442042,d.bmk" target="_blank">Take That</a>! A boy band with a member who actually
wrote their lyrics. Damn! Thanks to friends, I let more influences in by
attending a shitload of concerts and musicals. I also briefly worked for a
local music outlet whose staff resembled the staff in <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112950/" target="_blank">Empire Records</a>. The<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0146882/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank"> HighFidelity</a> characters where what we eventually grew up to be. Some of us still
make mixed tapes, we have lists for almost every mood and some of us can only
express our feelings through the songs of others, because, who else can be as
eloquent? </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But breaking
out of our staid musical cycles is a journey of discovery. Only you will know
what you like…I tried several times to get into the Radiohead madness but all I
liked were three or four songs. I can’t fathom dance music and all its
different genres, some country makes me glassy eyed and classical music, let’s
not go down there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">To break out
of your cycle, I’d suggest listening to as many different types of artists that
you can. Spread yourself out to different genres, ask your friends what they
like and see if you like it too. Who knows what you’ll find? I found artists
like <a href="http://www.google.ae/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CC8QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FFlorence_and_the_Machine&ei=GihYUcLwI4eurAfY0IGQBA&usg=AFQjCNHkntCdza6oa2tQF2AtJ_-IG5QIEw&sig2=TZrU15CPe5Um3KyyKi-FlQ&bvm=bv.44442042,d.bmk" target="_blank">Florence + the Machine</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mumford_%26_Sons" target="_blank">Mumford & Sons</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M83_(band)" target="_blank">M83</a>. Recently, I've recently rediscovered my love for blues and am tracking down some new artitsts. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">So, don’t get
stuck in a rut. Try some new music today. Just like this fella...</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/DruhJkZU4EI" width="420"></iframe></span><br /></div>
</div>
SelSaysIthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17321020531977278276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13453268.post-66415208681983467352013-03-24T14:26:00.001+08:002013-03-24T15:14:11.347+08:00Baggage that didn't go with mine<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Almost two
months after my birthday and about a week after his, things are over. Why? Is
it the distance?<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">No. We talk
every day. Things are almost normal except that I am in Dubai and he is in
Singapore. We still have discussions about how the kids are, does my place have
more than just the bed or whether he will be taking that job in China or making
plans to see each other again. Normal? Not quite.</span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqh3FJkCAMH0Zrl6Zhyke7f8b7rtUu_GYf9-8gpIo7qITUGJIA0T-KwJnCG6kf6xH4OeTn_op2G-y4_0D3frfiEVEx2O8RxyBcVydZ7IFDoZC9oIT4FWfwO_3r1tSt5Yuau3U/s1600/baggageComplexity_cc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqh3FJkCAMH0Zrl6Zhyke7f8b7rtUu_GYf9-8gpIo7qITUGJIA0T-KwJnCG6kf6xH4OeTn_op2G-y4_0D3frfiEVEx2O8RxyBcVydZ7IFDoZC9oIT4FWfwO_3r1tSt5Yuau3U/s320/baggageComplexity_cc.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Complexity and then some</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">How would you
feel if your other half, who has said that things should continue, turn to you
and say: “Go out and have fun! So, have you gotten laid yet? You should!” I may
be liberal in a lot of things but when it comes to my own partner telling me
that he wants to go out and bang some chick or that I should be getting some –
why, do you plan to be a nun in Dubai? That hurt – it tells me that he doesn’t
want this. We’re nowhere near settling down yet and this crops up like a dark
little devil. It tells me that I do not want this. Coming from a background
where my dad was constantly cheating on my mum, it is a painful reminder to me
that if your partner strays or wants to stray then, you are better off without them.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Growing up, I
remembered watching my mother cry, us kids getting packed up in the middle of
the night and running to a relative’s place so my parents can ‘talk’. I
remember the nightly screams, the fights and the awful, awful silence when things
have simply gone beyond the point of return. I was 14 when I told my mum,
enough is enough. Why are you putting up with this nonsense? You are much
better than this. We are old enough to handle it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">F<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">ast forward about
20 years. Here’s the man who checked a lot of the boxes that I am looking for.
With the exception that he is a crazy workaholic, who works like a dog to
support a family that hardly bothers. Oh and, he believes that we should always
fulfill our pleasures. He says that when we are together, we’re together and
when we’re not, we should individually take our pleasures as and when we need
them, even if we are married. He considers what we have an open relationship; a
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">very</i> open one. Seriously?! Is the
modern relationship only earmarked for hedonistic pleasure? Are we still living
in the age of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caligula" target="_blank">Caligula</a>? Or in <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1915581/" target="_blank">Magic Mike</a>? Are we so driven by sex that there is simply no room
for connection or emotion of any sort?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I took in what
he said and attempted to digest it. Ha, I am a modern woman after all but then
again, I am not modern enough to want to share my love. Or my man. Even though
we share a lot of common interests and ground, I cannot be with someone that I
cannot trust. I don’t want to live each day, waiting for the moment where he
will confess who he banged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Waiting for that
day…just waiting, just kills me. No, I am NOT fine with that. But a
relationship, like everything else is 50/50, right? Nothing is concrete. Yet to
me, if you are committed to someone, you remain so, physically and emotionally.
We are not animals. This is also not a competition where one of us tries to one
up the other with conquests. If you want to fool around, please go ahead – just
don’t come home to me and expect things to be all shiny happy.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">To be honest,
the thought of starting anything at this point in time, feels a bit revolting.
Looking around me, I see a lot of people who are determined to restart their
lives. By seeking pleasure anywhere they can. But is that really enough? It
seems like pleasure is the one great thing that a lot of people seek when their
own lives and relationships have gone to shit. I’ve been down that path before.
Pleasure is a passing phase and once that is over, you lapse back into such emptiness
or just like an addict, you attempt to seek it out, again and again, believing
that for one moment, you are alive.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I just wished
that I was strong enough to end things when I moved. But I bought into the hope
and the assurance that things could work out. I’m paying for that now. Maybe I should have nagged you more or made life harder for you. Would you prefer that? Maybe you need another weight around your already burdened shoulders, another responsibility to be guilted about? But I have you the freedom to do as you please, I didn't make any fuss about the long working hours, the trips or the endless schedules. I didn't judge when the bad things happened. I worried about the operations. I worked around it and I was there for you. And yet, you needed more... more what? That is the part I totally don't get. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There’s
no misunderstanding. It was just false hope, where there was none to be had in
the first place. Who knows, maybe we’ll be friends. But at this juncture, I’d
take the freedom to be myself and just live. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"></span> </div>
</div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/K3GkSo3ujSY" width="420"></iframe><br /></div>
SelSaysIthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17321020531977278276noreply@blogger.com2