i’ll just do 2000 – 2005 first… ;)

2000
- graduated from poly and found a job as a writer/producer for vivamusic.com (a now-defunct online portal of music and entertainment news)
- decided to go australia for studies. it was a die-die must go thing… i refused to look at other courses in singapore… i wanted to get out!!

2001
- if my memory serves me well… i started making arrangements to go australia for my bachelor degree studies
- quit the first job that i had after i graduated from poly (vivamusic.com) because of that as well…
- can’t rem but perhaps my ‘sorta’ ex-bf broke up wif me in that year too? hrmmm…
- decided to go QUT for my studies
- attended the briefing session held at my poly and met my friend there… she would go on to be my housemate and one of my best friends =)
- LEFT FOR AUSTRALIA!!!! it was the BESTEST day of my life at that point in time… =D i can still bring up that emotion of being at the airport and eager to just step through the departure gates!
- also it was the first time i took a plane… and the first time i travelled ALONE!
- though my fren and i did make loads of contingency plans (think there were four at one point?) in case we weren’t able to meet up in brisbane…
- first semester in QUT and staying in brisbane was quite fun mixed with a bit of culture shock coz brisbane was soooo much more laid back compared to singapore
- hung out with a bunch of singaporeans (i know… =P) for the semester and we had loads of fun gatherings during that time…
- most memorable was shifting houses in the middle of the night becoz two of them didn’t want to pay the rent for an empty room… hahaha ‘zao lor’
- took a road trip from brisbane to sunshine coast and down to gold coast… roundabouts are not a good place to figure out whether you’re lost or not…
- got together with km

2002 – 2003
- school was fun with alot of projects and no exams… i clever right! ;)
- visited sydney for three days, discovered that the opera house looks white in photos but actually wasn’t… >=/
- volunteered at one of brisbane’s hospitals manning the children’s play area one day every week. seeing kids of different ages being treated for diseases like cancer etc was quite a sobering experience
- helped out at a local theatre production doing the on-screen visuals… it was an interesting experience i must say…
- volunteered as one of the student-editors for the (now defunct) Fineart Forum… interviewed my first artist… i rem he was Japanese and i had quite a hard time trying to figure out what to ask him… lol
- cleaning up the house at the end of our rental was an experience… i think i was semi-high from smelling cleaning liquid fumes in the shower… also a good tip for you: always clean the blades of the fan coz they do check! ;P

2004
- worked at expat living magazines for around three months and decided i didn’t want to do so much writing
- worked at a realllly small home and living magazine that closed down after one month (heh)
- worked at haagen daz as an ice-cream seller… something that i’ve always wanted to do for some strange reason
- worked at borders as a bookseller… another thing that i’ve always wanted to do for some strange reason…
- had more fun at borders compared with haagen daz.. but working at an F&B outlet really showed me what singaporeans are reallllly like… heh.

2005
- worked as a freelance designer/visualiser at a realllly small ad agency… it was fun for a while…
- went back to borders for a while… i think?
- found a job at a chemical company dealing with textile dyes etc… located in tuas and uber out of the way… -_-”
- sorta had some fun creating brochures for them… cut and pasting textiles and liasing with printers…
- in a stroke of coincidence managed to get myself the job that i’m working at now… =D

it’s the end of another year! would i say that time flies? it didn’t feel like that this year… time moved at its own pace and i was able to follow it quite closely i must add… none of the ‘omg! it’s the end of the year and what have i done?!’ kinda thoughts in my head at the moment…

next week i will sign up again for italian classes… and this marks the second year that i’m learning italian! at the moment i’m good at listening and reading and terrible at conversations… i know, totally defeats the purpose right? hahahaha i’m just so not used to hearing myself speak in italian and think in the language as well… think that would be my focus in the coming year…

recently stumbled upon the work of  eddie izzard who is a uber-duper funny comedian from the UK… the first few clips i saw of him in youtube were from ten years back – he calls himself an executive transvestite/male lesbian and it wasn’t until i read his profile in wiki that i realised he plays roman nagel in ocean’s twelve and thirteen!! omg!! i watched the two shows sooooo many times and the british-y guy in there is actually a really brilliant comedian!! XD

here are a few clips taken from his past and present gigs that i really liked:

i laughed my head off at this following one… however according to wiki it’s an urban legend… STILL it’s funny like mad!! ‘it’s a slanggggg… he’s american… he’s a donut!!’ ROFLOL

ahahhaha this reminded me of italian very much… the different forms…

you have to check out the rest of his clips on youtube man… it’s blardee hilarious!!

this year’s september marks the start of my travel preparations to europe next year… yah i know i’ve been talking about it for the entire of this year and it’s only going to happen next year… but i’m really looking forward to it, super excited and nervous at the same time… it kinda hit home when i was digging around flickr for photos of oktoberfest after which i realised that there are 11 HUGEEEEEEASS tents at the event ground during the festival… which gave me a shock… like it really hit home that it’s a damn big event… and that’s only in one city in germany… sigh i think singaporeans can never get their heads around the sheer scale of stuff outside of this little country… i remember going to CES last year and being floored by how big the exhibition halls were… seriously makes our singapore expo look puny in comparison… that’s why i’m nervous… it’s like you’re standing at the edge of the platform where you have split seconds to decide whether to bungee or not (okay i’ve never done that before.. so i hope it feels like that!) *gulp* =P and all of a sudden i might be visiting a friend studying in london (she was like ‘are you coming to visit me? i can bring you ard’) which is reallly tempting coz i’ve always wanted to go london as well! so potentially three countries in two weeks… hrm…

another thing – today my fren drove me to this area in tanglin just to show me a pretty famous house… basically the owner is a billionaire and he has a collection of 13 supercars (ferrari enzo being one of them)… it’s really one thing to see the photos on the internet and another thing to see the row of 5 or 6 rare to uber rare red ferraris and a zonda type f less than 50 metres away…. i have never felt so small or insignificant until today… seriously it was like realising that oktoberfest is one damn huge event all over again… only that this was more of the disparity between different pple in singapore… wow not too sure if humbled was the correct word to use.. perhaps awed would be much more suitable…

in any case… i’m looking forward to what the year ahead will bring! =D

been quite bz at work for the past month – most of the time trying to rush out marketing collaterals for two events my company is organizing this week/weekend… one in the US and the other just started in europe… also had to help out at my fren’s wedding last friday (which was tiring btw.. but was quite fun and relaxing at the same time…) as the emcee… she was nice enough to sponsor a makeup/hair session with her makeup artist (sandy – did a greattttt job!) and i did have alot of fun taking photos of myself wahahahah!! never seen myself professionally made up with hair done also mah… wore my mango dress and managed to find a white dress for the morning that only cost me $28!! and during a panic shopping session last wednesday – a pair of champagne white charles & keith shoes for $21!! mwahahahaha…. =D

anyway… was supposed to go out wif them tonight… but she couldn’t make it last min so now i’ve no idea what i’m going to be doing… have to figure that out soon… hrmm hrmm… i had actually worked late last night (went home at 2am this morning) rushing out some last min artwork for the EU office (AS USUAL… roflol) that they needed by today… and my boss is actually flying off today as well… so had to finish it by yesterday… but it wasn’t too bad coz i did have other colleagues in the office as well working on stuff for the product launch and they sang me happy bday in chinese… then after that my german colleague was very nice to sing me the bday song via skype (together wif his boss) in english… lol so sweet of them!

presents-wise… i got an iPod Touch (that’s the biggest present for the year… lol), Lomo Holga camera, a casual DKNY bag, The Godfather Remastered Trilogy (which I can watch thanks to VLC player!!) and a black bag from my parents… mmm… i must say i m quite blessed and lucky to get to know so many friends from ard the world… =D

ohoh… lastly… i’ve kinda discovered a ‘mission’ statement of sorts… “i am looking for the anchors in my life“… basically this came about coz i’ve had this recent ‘craze’ for nautical accessories… saw a pendant in the shape of an anchor whilst shopping and bought it… my fren asked me why did i buy the pendant – which led me to thinking about it… and after being part of my fren’s wedding… it kinda struck me that marrying to another person should allow you the freedom of doing your own things yet at the same time act like an anchor securing you so that you don’t drift too far into the ocean… and this you can also apply to finding your life purpose… everyone’s always looking for what they should be doing in their lives… and once you have found it… it should act like an anchor to let you be free to move around yet at the same time prevent you from drifting too far off… well it can sound quite restrictive.. but i am taking it in the positive way… =)

Your view on yourself:

You are down-to-earth and people like you because you are so straightforward. You are an efficient problem solver because you will listen to both sides of an argument before making a decision that usually appeals to both parties.

The type of girlfriend/boyfriend you are looking for:

You like serious, smart and determined people. You don’t judge a book by its cover, so good-looking people aren’t necessarily your style. This makes you an attractive person in many people’s eyes.

Your readiness to commit to a relationship:

You prefer to get to know a person very well before deciding whether you will commit to the relationship.

The seriousness of your love:

You like to flirt and behave seductively. The opposite sex finds this very attractive, and that’s why you’ll always have admirers hanging off your arms. But how serious are you about choosing someone to be in a relationship with?

Your views on education

Education is very important in life. You want to study hard and learn as much as you can.

The right job for you:

You’re a practical person and will choose a secure job with a steady income. Knowing what you like to do is important. Find a regular job doing just that and you’ll be set for life.

How do you view success:

You are confident that you will be successful in your chosen career and nothing will stop you from trying.

What are you most afraid of:

You are concerned about your image and the way others see you. This means that you try very hard to be accepted by other people. It’s time for you to believe in who you are, not what you wear.

Who is your true self:

You are mature, reasonable, honest and give good advice. People ask for your comments on all sorts of different issues. Sometimes you might find yourself in a dilemma when trapped with a problem, which your heart rather than your head needs to solve.

Your Existing Situation
Sensitive; needs esthetic surroundings, or an equally sensitive and understanding partner with whom to share a warm intimacy.

Your Stress Sources
Has an unsatisfied need to ally herself with others whose standards are as high as her own, and to stand out from the herd. This desire for preeminence isolates her and inhibits her readiness to give herself freely. While she wants to surrender and let herself go, she regards this as a weakness which must be resisted. This self-restraint, she feels, will lift her above the rank and file and ensure recognition as a unique and distinctive personality.

Your Restrained Characteristics
Circumstances are such that she feels forced to compromise for the time being if she is to avoid being cut off from affection or from full participation.
The situation is preventing her from establishing herself, but she feels she must make the best of things as they are.

Your Desired Objective
Seeks success, stimulation, and a life full of experience. Wants to develop freely and to shake off the shackles of self-doubt, to win, and to live intensely. Likes contacts with others and is enthusiastic by nature. Receptive to anything new, modern, or intriguing; has many interests and wants to expand her fields of activity. Optimistic about the future.

Your Actual Problem
Takes a delight in action and wants to be respected and esteemed for her personal accomplishments

Colorgenics Number: 50371246

You are longing for a little love and tenderness. At present you are feeling very sensitive and need a sympathetic shoulder to lean on. You don’t need any further stresses, strains or arguments so take a deep breath and relax.

Now there are many things in life that you require as essential to your well-being but, try as you may, something always seems to be getting in your way. A word of advice – ‘keep trying’ and you may be pleasantly surprised to see just how matters turn out.

It is amazing that you yourself believe that old ‘adage’ that you are a misunderstood person – and you feel that because of this you are being left out in the cold. It is because of this lack of believed understanding that you feel the need to conform to society in general – but this situation leaves you ‘cold’ knowing that you are not appreciated for your true self. Any relationship that you are developing at this time does not seem to involve any true emotional commitment, you seem to be just playing along.

You are pretending that the situation around you doesn’t matter, but the effort of trying to conceal your emotions and anxieties is resulting in untold stress. The existing situation is disagreeable. You feel unwanted and lonely and you would really like to associate with someone whose ideals are as high as your own. You want to be above the standard of mediocrity and this need to be needed and that need to need has almost become an obsession. You are trying to magnify the need into a compelling urge. You would really like to tell the world how great you are but no, you are holding back because you feel that your peers may treat you with contempt. This is a great pity because you have in fact a unique quality of character, but the continual restraint that you impose on yourself makes you suppress this need for others and you pretend you don’t really care. You treat those who criticise you with contempt. However, to be honest, beneath this assumption of indifference you really long for the approval and esteem of others.

You are greatly impressed by individuality and have interest in people who have outstanding qualities. You try to imitate those people that you admire and their characteristics, hoping that you will be able to display similar qualities in your own personality.

i like his writing style of using words like  ‘world domination’, ‘ass-kicking’ etc in a positive and encouraging manner. will definitely visit often! =)

“We are all a little weird and life’s a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.”

Until one is committed,
there is hesitancy.
the chance to draw back,
always ineffectiveness
concerning all acts of initiative (and creation).

There is one elemental truth,
the ignorance of which kills countless ideas
and splendid plans –
that the moment one definitely commits oneself,
then Providence moves all.

All sorts of things occur to help one
that would never otherwise have occurred.

A whole stream of events
issue from the decision,
raising in one’s favor
all manner of incidents
and meetings and material assistance
which no one could have dreamed
would come his or her way.

Whatever you can do or dream you can,
begin it.
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.
Begin it now.