Farewell

Yesterday was my last day of work at the company where i had been working for the last 2 and 3/4 years. How time flies. There had been ups and downs at this job, like every other. However, i must say this is one job where i made many good friends out of colleagues, clients and vendors and i'm sure the friendships made will go a long way.



This job is special for me not only becos of the many friendships i made, but it is where i met Dear and how we started. It had always been my dream to have MacDonald's breakfast and then head to work. Dear made my dream come true on my 2nd last day of work at this company. It was special becos we not only had breakfast together but could also go to work together at the same place! Not everyone can and not all the time can this happen! And by the way, did i say how much MacDonald's breakfast mean to me? Its not just any other breakfast, but to me it is something bright and cheery to start off the day and it meant more to me than any other expensive, posh dining place for breakfast. Its a place that brings back childhood memories too ... afterall, everyone of us still have a childlike side of us deep within. And well...what can i say? My favourite MacDonald's Big Breakfast set never tasted this Good!

So...i had a few farewell lunches and dinner,some cards and presents....not too many as i am not exactly the most popular or high profile person in the company. It was enough to make me feel touched by the few who bother to ......

Firstly, Milo and Piggy treated me to lunch....it was simple yet nice...and i'm so glad how our friendships blossomed towards the last few mths of my stint at the company. Where we worked on projects together, rushing late night deadlines and running around for events....Piggy made me feel especially touched when she made me a card, printed on it was our pic together to remind me not to forget her. I actually cried when i read the little card....

Next was 2 of my clients...who treated me at The Line, Shangri-La Hotel. This is a place where i had been thinking of trying out but never had the chance to and i also kept procastinating becos it is very expensive. Its a pity i didnt bring my camera there but here's a pic of how the place looked:



Its a cool and contemporary buffet place. Possibly the Best buffet i ever had. There are several counters serving different cuisine...from Indian to Italian to Chinese etc...and not to forget is the dessert counter where there was chocolate fountain, crepes and ice cream and many many more!

YY, Garfian and Mama treated me to lunch the next day....was feeling sinful over all the gorging since christmas so i told them that i rather have a simple chinese meal and so we went to Soup Restaurant at Suntec....YY is the one who first interviewed me for the job back then, Mama had been a very motherly figure to me and Garfian is like a big sister to me....it was nice catching up with them for one last time before i leave the company as we havent been in the same team since several office restrucurings and i'm so glad our friendships stayed strong....





Then was the bunch of should i say foodies/shopaholics/cassanovas who treated me to Jumbo Seafood restaurant the same night....i wanted to go to Palm Beach but Jessie suggested Jumbo and yeah...i must say its good i agreed to try a new place becos the food was wonderful....Belle, Gina, Lili, Gor and Daddi were there too..and not forgetting Angie who came back to join us...afterwhich 5 of us went to MoS...haha the 2nd visit am having within a week! But this time it was especially nice becos we managed to get seats at the Pure Room.....wonderful!





The last few days was tiring and stressful as i tried to do as detailed a handover as i can....many asked me if i was sad to leave the company or excited to join the new...i could only answer that i haven't thought about it seriously.....

As the last few moments came....and people like Jas and Wee started giving me presents...the chatty me got even more speechless.....and as more and more came over to my seat to shake my hand and wish me well, i was close to tears...Yes, there are some in my life who just came and gone....but i will always remember those who bothered to wish me well till the very end even though the company didn't gave me an official farewell as it was a half day yesterday and many were on leave due to the festive mood....

Packing up at my seat for the final time (With Wee):



Visiting Dear at his seat for a final time as colleagues....i must say i was extremely touched to see that his wallpaper was dedicated to me....



A Big Thank U to those who cared, those who shared, those who are my friends, those who made my stint in this company a memorable and wonderful one....And i don't mean only those who treated me or given me cards and gifts only....i meant those who were sincerely my friends.....U have a special place in my heart....I will always remember you and may we always be in contact =) ***U know who U are!***

Happy Happy Christmas 2005!

This has been the BEST Christmas yet for me ... activities were really packed ... but was great....



On Christmas eve, i had two parties...first, we had a family gathering at Aunt Magdeline's hse...it was great...with all the home cooked christmas party spread....there was lagsane, roast pork, prawn salad....etc and not forgetting the turkey! Look at the huge turkey!!!



What was really special was we had chocolate fondue....Aunt Mag recently bought the chocolate fountain machine and we were all so excited about it! shIan joined my family that day and we all had a great time.....

Took pic with my Ah Ma also ...great to see her as its been a while since i last saw her....she looks happy and healthy!



Then we head straight on to shIan's cousin's place....they were mostly of our age and it was a cosy nice gathering where we played games and had log cake and had gift exchange....I got forefeitted in the game about 3 times and each time was to drink a huge glass of water, i was so bloated and thank God shIan was there to rescue me!



This is the gift i received, it includes a coffee mug, a cereal bowl and a bread plate...it's so cute, i like it sooo much! Always thought xmas gift exchanges will usually result in crappy gifts but this one is really sweet, something i like a lot! - Breakfast will never be the same again! :)

On Christmas day, i went for our 1st christmas service at expo .... the drama was funny and fun...i managed to take pictures with quite a few friends ....





What was most exciting was that my parents brought my nephews to children church though it was so crowded! Admire my parents for the courage and effort to bring them to church. Believe they had a great time!



Thereafter, our family had a christmas dinner at sis's place. It's so nice to spend time as a family and to see the cute 2 boys! And then it was presents time! shIan was so sweet....he not only loves me but loves my family too! He got a christmas gift for each one of them...really appreciate him for taking the time and effort to shop and wrap every gift ..... and guess what i got from him?

It's a hairdryer! So sweet of him....cos he is sensitive enough to notice that i sleep late every night cos i got to wait for my hair to dry, or else i will have bad hair day the next day....so he got me a hairdryer.....



The night was still young! And we head on to the newly opened Ministry of Sound with Aunt Carolyn and Uncle Terrence who are back for a short while from HK as well as Sheena and James....as shIan got free passes, we went there fOC! The place was really cool...with different themes and rooms....the music at the r&B/hip hop room was really cool and the decor at Pure was the best....i was eyeing the sofa bed for a long time!

What a packed yet exciting and happy christmas weekend! :)

Christmas Wish List

There are 2 things that i've been thinking of getting .... but just can't bring myself to spend the $$$ .....



1) Ipod nano
Its pencil thin...it looks so cool....can store pics and songs....can accompany me when i travel....better than discman (tho i have never owned one) cos its lighter and not as bulky and better than receiver becos i can listen to it even when i am taking underground train...i love the white one....cos it looks gerger and also i heard all the accessories including the earpiece is white.... so more matching right?



2) Sony Ericsson W800i walkman phone...
Dear 1st told me he is aiming this phone....i have been quite against sony ericsson cos i think its a guys' brand and also very non user friendly....but somehow it seems to be up and coming...i heard its a lot more user friendly than past models and also what entices me is the 2 Megapixel camera - so i can snap pics that are of reasonable quality everywhere I go without having to carry my digicam....(then can upload even more pics on my blog for you guys and gals to see! hehee) and also cos of the MP3 player and basically the phone does look quite cool...but its still quite expensive now....hopefully the price will drop soon cos my current phone keypad seems to be dying on me....hehe then can get same phone as deardear....

well....guess i need to dream a little more and think about whether i wanna spend $$ on these.....too expensive to expect them as gifts anyway .....

Tis the season to be jolly

Geryl gave birth on 19th December to baby Ryan! He is so cute and looks like Cornelius! Congrats to them both....Baby Ryan arrived 10 days in advance at 5:25am....and weighs 3.510kg....i went to visit with Carol and LY that very afternoon and haha .... i'm so glad i took the courage to carry him....what an experience :)

Look at Baby Ryan fast asleep ...



Look at me and my awkward position carrying him....



I also went to meet up with Jen, Sherin and Xan on Monday night. Its amazing how difficult it is for the 4 of us to meet these days. Everyone is busy and we actually have to plan a date mths in advance in order to meet.

We had dinner and Fish and Co and my goodness.....my fish was not properly cooked and even after i asked for a change, it improved slightly but was still not fully cooked. There was no discount or any compensation for it. What a horrible dinner.

We had drinks at lobby of intercontinental. There was a 'live' band there and it was really cosy and nice ambience....great catching up with the gals....now that we have graduated for more than 4 yrs, all of us are working and some of married, on the way to marriage etc etc...How time flies....still remember the days when we meet for long project discussions ....so happy we are still in touch after all these years!
Keep it up!

Here's a nice pic with 4 of us and the christmas tree :)

Updates from my diary

I don't normally like to be so detailed about my daily activities and going-ons. However, these few days have just been packed yet exciting :)....i like decemeber and the Christmas season. Weather is not only cooler (i can't stand hot weather!) but also tis the season to be jolly - with lots of parties, good food, meet ups with friends and family time....plus lots of sales!

Thur, 15 Dec - Islandwide Mango sale!

I bought 3 pants, 1 skirt and 4 tops to-date ... its crazy, its exciting, its cramped, its stuffy, its simply alluring!

Fri, 16 Dec - CG xmas party

One of the best cg meetings to-date. We had 7 new friends - Praise the Lord! 3 very exciting, innovative games, food and presents galore!

These are my friends, Alvan, Edmund and Ghim Boon who took the time to join us...they were such gentlemanly guys who helped us with clearing up even though they were guests:



Haven't had so much fun in a long time...was a bit sick and v tired but i shopped and then wrapped 10 presents the night before till 230am .... i am actually very very bad at wrapping presents but i wanted to do my best and i was happy doing it.

Hee.....look at the presents i wrapped! pro or not?? hehehee



I worked hard to get the party going....of course with the help of a few faithful and helpful friends...glad that everything turned out pretty well... and thanks to Aunt Helen and Uncle Michael for the wonderful venue support.

Sat, 17 Dec - shopping with shIan and off to housewarming/xmas party

Had so much fun shopping and really thank God i got a patient bf who also share my passion for shopping! I mean how many guys will prance about with you at the mirror of the fitting room while you try one piece after another and thereafter carry ALL your shopping bags!

Here's the 2 crazy us with our loads of shopping bags!



The 2 of us were supposed to be doing xmas shopping but ended up not being able to resist the sales...we were so engrossed with shopping that we were late for our fren's hsewarming cum xmas party.

Had a cosy time at the party .... and the sweetest part was the choc fondue that we had...yum yum!

Sun, 18 Dec - Candlelight service at expo

The sight of the congregation lighting up candles at expo was magnificient. Its really an awesome sight to see the dark hall lighted up with approx 7,000 candles and knowing that's only 1/3 of our church...this is not just a pre-celebration to celebrate christmas...but the significance is also meaningful....our God represents light and HE brings light to darkness and the empty lives of people...also we who are belivers are reminded that we are to be light of the world....to shine and to bring glory to God in all things!

What an eventful week! :)

King Kong Made me Sick

Was down with flu, cough and throat inflammation the last few days. so much about movie mania ... shIan won tickets to catch the movie King Kong last night and i felt i got to go cos i was sick of being couped up at home. After all, its free and i get to watch it before the movie is launched!

The show was more than 3 hours. There was one after another scene that made me believed it was going to end but it kept going on. What can i say? the storyline is rather crappy, no hunks in there and super duper draggy.

I came out feeling feeling more sick than before. Nonetheless, i had a great evening out ...

Day at JB

Went to JB with shIan yesterday. Haven't been there since i was in my teens. Was dilly dallying at home and only reached the woodlands checkpoint abt 2pm. At the Malaysian customs, it was really crowded. All of us were packed like sardines. Guess what? I maloo-ed myself =p - felt giddy and nauseous. shIan had to ask an auntie in front of us to spare us a plastic bag for me to throw up. Then another auntie offered me her axe brand medicated oil .... another nice uncle behind us suggested i get out of the queue to breathe some fresh air and he will hold the queue for us. I was already having slight flu before that, and the long queueing time in that cramped up place sure made me feel really sick....thank God for all these nice people we met and we eventually arrive at JB around 430pm.

We went to City Square, a shopping centre within walking distance from the checkpoint. Its quite a nice shopping centre. We didn't get to shop much as we aimed to watch a show and time was tight. So, we only browse around briefly and then ate some food.....and Yes! Its the Chronicles of Narnia - The Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe.



At first i wasn't all that excited about it. Only heard its a good movie and a cross breed between Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. I didn't read any reviews or watched any movie trailer. So i went, not knowing anything abt the story at all. Wanted to watch because - this movie will only be launched in Singapore on 22nd dec, we not only can catch it ahead of everyone, but at 1/2 the price!

Well....i never really like shows with war or shows of the olden day era. But this is really a very very very nice movie! Its funny at some scenes, touching at some and yet interesting....

Having watched it, i think its nicer than Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings...indeed the movie of the year! *Go watch it!*

Family time...

Last Sunday, 4 Dec was Sheena's water baptism day! Praise the Lord! So happy for her! This is the last water baptism service at the Jurong West venue, thus we were allowed to crowd all around the water baptism pool to take nice shots. Weather was really hot, i was feeling hot and sticky trying to squeeze among the crowd to take nice pictures for her.

Afterwhich, me and shIan, Sheena and James together with my parents and our precious Gavin and Gareth went to Changi Airport for a hearty meal at Swensons!

I like going to the airport, its one of my favourite haunt .... i like going to the viewing mall to see the planes ... i like going to the departure hall to see the flight nos, timings and destinations so i can imagine where/when is my next trip going to be....i like the clean toilets and the cool aircon and wide space to walk around .... there is also quite a bit of F&B outlets there nowadays ..... gd place to chill out with family and friends actually :)



Gavin and me - don't we have the same smile?



Little 弟弟 with Big 弟弟...haha ....don't the 2 of them look CUTE? And both are in blue.... haha



wow - had a hard time taking this picture .... these 2 little ones were getting restless and it was so hard to get them to smile at the camera .... but aren't they simply adorable?

Well, i'm a chocolate freak but shIan isn't. He gave in to me with this wonderful 'Chocolate Freckles Peak' .... I tell you it was simply fantastic! He didn't enjoy it that much and told me not to take such sinful ice-cream too often! hehe =p hmm oh well...i haven't gone to the gym for the longest time and feel so fat these days! But guesss what? i jogged 2.4km on sunday morning - so now....don't you think i deserve this ice-cream? haha



This is us with the Candy House ...so sweet :)



Its nice to spend time with family every now and then....

Goodbye Jurong West...Hello Expo

This weekend is the last weekend we are having church services at Jurong West. I had been excited about the move as it means the kingdom of God is growing! And the less spiritual reasons would be of course, yes, its soooo much nearer to where i live!

I'm so glad i went for service yesterday.

Rev John Avanzini said 2 things that impacted my heart:
- If you are born again, you are a full time minister of God - your job is only part-time!
- Its ok to raise $ to preach the gospel but not ok to preach the gospel to raise $
AMEN! How true these statements are!

I was really glad to be part of the choir for the night. I felt touched and reminded of the love of God when we sang "Thank You Lord...for the gift of Life you gave"....yes, how often do we take it for granted and thank God for everything except the fundamental gift of our Life!

My court shoes broke and i wore stappy heels to church. Was very thankful when my friend, June (also), offered so swap places with me on the stand so i wouldn't have to stand at an awkward position - for my comfort and stability.



Our choir team I/Cs and helpers actually hand-made a gift for each and everyone of us. Its a necklance, or if you like it, a bracelet. This is something like a "farewell" gift becos upon moving to expo, not all of us will be in the same group anymore. So sweet and thoughtful of them! I actually got something of another colour and design and made a comment loosely to Gina that i preferred hers. She readily exchanged hers with me. Thank U Gina!

I feel very touched and blessed to be in the choir ministry. I always feel encouraged for every session of choir practice we have. Everyone there truly love God, are passionate about serving and singing and care for one another.

Pastor talked about the 4 years we had at Jurong West, from the shift from Hollywood over. Its amazing, we moved in to Jurong West on the 2nd week of dec, 4 years ago and the same timing we are moving to expo. We had Holy communion the first week at Jurong West, and also now, the last week at Jurong West. How amazing God has planned everything.

When I looked back, i am so reminded of God's love and blessings for me throughout the years we were at Jurong West. It was at this venue that i got rooted into cg, got water baptised, joined a ministry and got my church membership. Though i was shaky in my walk with God back at Hollywood and wasn't exactly part of the last move to Jurong West, I am determined not to miss being part of the move to Expo this time.

We sang the following song in our last move to Jurong West and in closing to last night's service, we sang this again. Indeed, the lyrics says it all...

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

WON'T YOU LORD
TAKE A LOOK AT OUR HANDS
EVERYTHING WE HAVE
USE IT FOR YOUR PLAN
WON'T YOU LORD
TAKE A LOOK AT OUR HEARTS
MOULD IT, REFINE IT, AS YOU SET US APART

WE WANT TO RUN TO THE ALTAR
AND CATCH THE FIRE, TO STAND IN THE GAP
BETWEEN THE LIVING AND THE DEAD
GIVE US A HEART OF COMPASSION
FOR A WORLD WITHOUT VISION
WE WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE
BRINGING HOPE...
TO OUR LAND

WE WILL ANSWER THE CALL
TO BUILD THIS CHURCH WITHOUT WALLS
LET YOUR GLORY BE SHOWN
BRING SALVATION TO THE LOST, TO THE LOST...

outro:

WE WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE
WE WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE
WE WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE
BRINGING HOPE...
TO OUR LAND
TO OUR LAND
TO OUR LAND
TO OUR LAND

So touched...

Wow! Did you see that? The music, the snow falling, the christmas decorations, the christmas trees, the strawberries in the background, the pink and the tagboard. All these are designed and done by my bf, shIan.

And oh ya! If you are wondering how to mute the music or adjust the volume of the music - you won't believe it! shIan has a cute and innovative way for you to do this. See the treble clef on the 5 lines at the top right hand corner? Yah ... just drag it along and there you go! No wonder he is a designer...not an engineer! wahahahah

I honestly didn't put much hopes on the look of my blog, basically just a venue for me to vent my every thought and frustration and to share my happenings. He has made the effort to put all my likes and fancies together with it. He actually worked thru the wee hours of the morning to do it. And to think i was mad with him for not wanting to chat with me over the phone, not realising he actually wanted to rush it out by Dec 1 - for christmas.

Thanks dear! And Friends, do show some support for his hard work by adding a comment or two yeah? And oh ya - to let the poor writer here know that her blog is being read lah!!!