Reflections

Allow me a moment to wallow in nostalgic stupor ... with an old song about change and Peter Pans.




I guess it's a good time to reflect on the year that just past. So here goes...

It's been a year of many firsts ... first visit by my family to my new place, first housewarming, first trip to China and Australia, first meet up with old Infineon collegues in a long long time, first trip up the Malaysias east coast and spending the first year in my own home.

Of course there were the changestoo, the most significant would be moving to my new job. I guess the closing down of my old company was a blessing in disguise as it made me look beyond my shell.

There was the usual wedding dinners too and regular meet-ups with friends. And I took up a new past-time, ie. adopted 10 tetras (now down to 6) but is slowly losing interest. Stepped back from blogging a little as other activities and distractions took centre stage, among them is the ever addcitive facebook. Found time to photograph but mainly during functions and trips.

Well for the next 364 days, I hope to always keep in mind to live my best life now, today. Not tomorrow. Not 'someday'. And to remember that God makes all things possible for those who dare to dream and believe. And of course I hope to find more time blogging too.

So have we outgrown our Peter Pan and wings? Certainly not!

Last Day of 2007

It is always hard waking up on a Monday, what more if it is on the eve of New Year's Day. There was definitely much less traffic on the roads and the office had a silent hush about it, occasionally broken by the tapping of the keyboard. Turning on the notebook, there was only a trickle of mails coming in. So far so good. Lunch came sooner than expected as the morning crept past. As there was to be no official announcement of an early release, my collegue and I were prepared to stay till 6pm but were anticipating for a concession.

We had our announcement or more like a casual remark from our manager, at something like past 4pm. So I packed my bags and trudged off into the liberated air. Next year was just a few hours away, the work can wait. I made a pitstop at Novena Square 2 basement to check out the much talked about 'You Tiao' from Daniel's BreadBar stall. Each twin bars of flavoured dough cost $1.20 but buying 5 gets you one free. The onion and sasame flavoured ones were quite tasty, but don't wolf down too many at one time or you might get tired of the taste.

Dinner was at the Kallang Waterfront, at Mushroom Pot to be exact. There were six of us, 3 couples that is, and we settled for the buffet set. There was a nice breeze blowing that kept us cool while we had our meal outisde the packed restaurant. What better way to spend the last day of 2007 than being with good friends.

Not being the partying kind, we skipped the countdown and headed home instead to usher in the new year.

It's 2008 today. Not that I am leaping gleefully into another new year. A year past means unfulfilled resolutions and adding a year to my age. Well to inject some optimsm, at least I get to wipe the slate clean and start over again. Happy New Year and choose to have a great year.

A Season to be Merry

I headed back to Muar for my Christmas break last Friday, 21st Dec. First on the agenda was Willie's wedding on Saturday. It was to be a full day event with fetching-the-bride in the morning, church wedding in the afternoon and dinner at night. However the festivities started slightly earlier on Friday night, as I hopped over to his place soon after I arrived in Muar. A bunch of old school friends were already there and we chatted until we realised it was past midnight and time for the bridegroom to get his rest.

Saturday began early at 7.45am. Here was how it went ...

Willie : "Brothers, keep heart. What's a mouthful of odd tasting spices and a few strands of hair?"

Justin : "Wait, not the whole lenghth of my lower leg! Oooh, I'm regretting this..."

Brothers :"We're still good. The worse is over. Hope it will be lunch soon ..."

Willie : "I have got what I came here for ... luckily her 'chi muis' didn't know about the 'angpows' in my left pocket."

Brothers : "Hey Sigrid, he's yours now, catch!"

Willie : "This is the day that the Lord had made ... "

Willie & Sigrid : "Cheese ... (our cheek muscles are aching so much)"

"Dam dam damdam ... " (ok,maybe not the bridal march...)

Kids of the seventies; one for the road.

Yuletide Getaway

It's just four days to Christmas. My bags are packed, and I am ready to head home tomorrow after work. The presents under the Christmas tree are waiting to be rounded up and bundled into our taxi ride tomorrow. December has been quite hectic inspite it having a holiday feel to it. Work has not let up but at least it is easing off now that our US counterparts are starting their Christmas vacation. A flurry of meet-ups with friends and hunt for christmas gifts also ensured that time passed swiftly. When I am back from my short holidays, it'll be time to prepare for the new year. For now, let's hope it will be a good Christmas; less rain, more merry making.

'Merry Christmas!'

Santa's on his way

Orchard Road has been turned into a fairyland. Small Christmas ornaments are popping up around the office. Christmas CDs, new and old, are given prime spots in Music stores. Friends and colleagues are heading off for vacations. The nights are getting cooler.

Yes, it's December again. The air has a holiday feel to it (no doubt helped by the Christmas Carols replaying in my head). And tonight, we got our tree out from the store and we dressed it up in red, gold and dancing christmas lights, while Josh Groban belts out songs from his latest album Noel.

It's definitely 'Chestnut roasting over an open fire' time again.