hello to you

I really shouldn't b awake at this hour. But i am. i wan to blog. But i'm so sleepy. I've been scraping by on very little sleep. like 4 to 5 hours every day. and i tink this won't do. but this week isn't goin to be much better. cos smack in the middle of the week, is a very important Arsenal match.

Last nite i met P for dinner. And i told her that i need to be non-working people once in while. Cos they keep me in touch with reality. Yea. that's it. In case you think that it's all about work, it's not. It's all about you. And in this case, it's all about me.

It's all about how much i'm enjoying life, how much i'm learning, how much i'm loved and how much i'm loving. The list continues, how much i read, how much i sing, how much i impart. It's also about how much i laugh (do u remember the last time you did?), how much i run, how much i sleep and of course, how much i shop.

if you, like many others, think it's about how much u work and how much u earn, and how much OT u do, u're mistaken. or so i tink. there's more to it. i promise.

Tomorrow is sat. and i'm geared up to shop. i wan to walk the streets. i don't have to buy anything. just walk and see and maybe buy. heeeeeeeeeee. but the bones in my feet can't take it anymore. i mite visit the doc soon and see if i'm due for a corrective surgery. sigh. i'm a fine example of a girl who throws away her toes for the sake of her beautiful pointy heels.

Mayb tm i will bathe my Chippy. Ok, i shld stop blabbering. i'm goin to bed. i'm sleeeeeeeeeeepy. bye for now. it's just a report to say i'm still around. heeeeeeee.

Oh, and i forgot to drop a blog on my important day. 9 March. my birthday. in case u forgot, it's fine. I still love u. and i noe u love me toooooooo. i'm mad. ha. =)

Leap

while i was dancing today
i saw You
and how You cried
pleading that You may not die
the death i was meant to die
how You begged
beads of bloody sweat
i dance the steps
that were choreographed for You
for me
the dance You danced
so that my feet would not only walk
but leap


i am eternally grateful



p, i stole this from ur blog. it touched me so much i teared.

Just an update

If u have stopped reading my blog, i don't blame u. If some blogger updates only like twice in a year, i would stop reading too.

Anyway, i'm really supposed to be sleeping. But i refuse to. I don't noe y. it was supposed to be a fun nite. Not exciting kinda fun. Just the normal kind of couch potato fun. i'm currently cravin to be a couch potato. But the sofas at home are not comfy enough. sigh. i'm just full of complaints.

Was just reading M's blog. And i realise that i miss America. lots. i miss the money i had. the holidaying. the shopping. the frequency at which i go "wow!". I was just recounting to a friend today about how my tour to CNN was. And in turn he told me about his internship at SPH. it was nice. it also made me remember the day we walked to the Time Warner building. Just as we turned left on 5th ave to Columbus Circus and it started to snow. Nice bite-size snow balls falling. I remember thanking Daddy for allowing me to witness snow at such a nice place. It was also one of the rare times we actually woke early (cos we had to catch the CNN tour) and the place wasn't so crowded yet. I miss it.

Now my life is a routine. An effort is required to make it interesting. I make a conscious effort not to watch TV or stare into space when i've nothing to do. I need to find more events at which i can go "wow". His mercies are new every morning. Thank You.

I actually have so many things to do. I need to bathe my poor dog. I want to colour my hair. I want to go shopping. I want to hang out with you. Hold your hand. bah.

But instead, later i'm going running. I will run for an hour. Until i can breathe no more. Then i'l bathe. A hot one. I'm even contemplating going back to the office to finish up that small bit that keeps bothering me. But i shall not be obsessive.

I know it's in store for me. And i claim it everyday. My princesshood is mine to keep. My blessings run after me.

I want very light brown streaks in my hair. I want it long and soft. Tomorrow i'l have it. Yours will be blue. Shall we watch the Fulham match?

Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year flew by. And i haven't even organised photos for my US trip. Disgusting hor. Anyway, before CNY, i was dreading its arrival. Cos i didn't wan it to end. i feared the end of holidays. But now that life is pretty much back to normal, i'm feeling fine. Thank God. I thank Him everyday. whoo hoo. i'm truly feeling like a princess. anyway, since looking at pics is more interesting than me talking away. here it is.

The Sia Family. We rock.
Cousins unite. Tan family.

Cousins unite. relaxed. =)
Cousins trying to be devils.

Preview of USA

i haven't sought permission. But in a bid to keep u all updated with my USA trip, refer to www.mychin.blogspot.com

An awesome blog by a great travelling partner.

M, it's ok hor? heeee.

alternatively, scroll down a bit, then hit the 'boyfriend' link on the right. =)

Shopaholic Me

So i spent a lot of money in New York. But actually, i didn't buy that much. U noe that when one has to repeat clothes from her 4th day at work!! What a catastrophe. And my office is really cold. So oddly enough, while i was shopping today, i actually attempted to find clothes that are not 100% cotton. Ha.

Today i went shopping alone. Such bliss. I walked quickly, zipping in and out of shops, feeling most pleased. It's not always that i like to shop alone. But because i was determined to get something, i had to be efficient. And in a bid to beat the crowd, i reached town at 1030am. i walked around till about 8pm, no less. i feel so happy. the purchases of the day include:

one Mango blazer
one cream cropped cardigan
one pair of patent brown leather pumps from Xodus
24 hangers

i'm short of an alarm clock. I NEED an alarm clock. and a reliable one at that. There's too much at stake. i'm looking forward to tomorrow. i want to go to church.

By the way, i have every intention NOT to mention my work life on this blog. For a few reasons:

a) this is my bimbo outlet. and anything to do with work does not coexist with any tinge of bimbo-ness

b) i think it's a very good check for work-life balance. Not that if u have nothing to talk about, u have no life (or is that it?) but rather, by lending some focus to other things, i'm hoping it'l keep me grounded and in touch with reality.

c) i do have other things to talk about. ha. like my shopping. like my USA trip, which i haven't gotten down to sorting out.

i need to pack my life. it's no longer just my room. it's my sister's room which i have terrorised. Now a good quarter of my sis' room is filled with my stuff. sigh. i also need to pack my computer. it's starting to slow down, now laden with music and photos. i'm goin to move everything to Poddie. i realise that i keep talking about doing things. but i don't actually get down to it. but this time i think i need to le. with CNY approaching. boo.

when i actually start getting things goin, i WILL post pictures. heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

what are u? suaku??

So there's this new club in town. I kinda know of it. I mean, i'm really quite a cool kid. And for a tax associate, a major cool one. haha.

I was chatting with my not-so-cool auditor friend
(kidding, cos i was proven sorely wrong)



P: hey! i'l be meeting the girls at MOS!

me: cool.

P: wanna?

me: sure.



lunch?





for those of u in the same boat, as in the "Mos Burger" boat, some updates: MOS stands for Ministry of Sound, a new club at Clarke Quay. Which i tink is strong competition for Zouk as my fave club. One place where u can keep dancing for 2.5 hours. Cool stuff. check it out soon.

Post America Frenzy

Everyone i run into today asks me how my trip was. And i tell them it was gooooooooood. It was! I can't say i loved every moment. But i suspect it's really close. I had a very nice time. Thanks to those involved. You know who u are. =)

Now that my trip is over, and i've landed in the land of reality, there's work to be done. And limited time.

-pluck/trim/neaten eyebrows--done.
-send M's parcel--done.
-send out M's postcard to M'sia
-clear room and fit in new clothes--need 5 hours?
-go running--i actually can't wait. Just that the rain and swollen left foot is holding me back.
-go through all the photos and decide which to print out--5 hours?
-compile my scrap book before my memory fails me.--20 hours? (trust me, it takes very very long)
-bathe chippy--i'm happy his hair is long and fluffy. but it comes with a price.
-meet D to get stuff and pass her hers.
-colour my hair again.--i tink i want it a shade lighter. just a shade.
-meet G and Q to pass their presents.
-return all the winter clothing and bag i borrowed.
-do a breakdown of my USA expenses.--i dread this the most.

it's all this for now. looks like i have to get busy. But before that, i need to eat some papaya. =)

This is home, truly

the moment the ships out at sea and the golf courses and chalets near Changi (i assume) came into view from the airplane, i found myself smiling.
It had been a long 12plus hours flight from London Heathrow, following an overnight transit. I was pleased to be home. The feeling of familarity and security is well appreciated by me. Though at the same time, i had a deep craving for bagels with fruit and walnut cream cheese dressing. The ones we had in Brooklyn. yums.

I made a mistake with my return time. And this rendered me transport-less. But i was determined not to spend on a cab. Particularly since i was well aware of airport surcharge and peak hour surcharge. argh. so i called everyone i knew. Dakooma came to the rescue.

In the process of waiting, i changed into a singlet and shorts. A luxury that must not be taken for granted. I was pleased to find myself looking at bare legs and feet. Only that my left foot is swollen, from the aftermath of joggin in Central Park for an hour with bad shoes, and topped off with loads of walking. And perhaps water retention from long flights? i have no idea.

Seeing chippy was the next best thing. He looks so cute. i suspect my dad had him prepared in my favourite hairstyle for him. Fluffed up paws and more hair on the top of his head. He welcomed me with much excitement. and his signature move: peeing. sigh. what can i say?

I unpacked rather quickly. And found that the stuff is rather manageable. Now i just have to decide what clothes in my wardrobe is to go, in order to make space for the new ones. But for now, i have to go pick my parents. They are back today too! yippee. =) laters.

Manhattan--the last moments

U won't believe this, but today, D n i went joggin in Central Park! it was sub-zero in the morning. We actually woke up. And we actually ran. A grand total of 1 hour 5 minutes. But in the beginning, i didn't tink i cld make it. It was freezing. And as u run to try to keep warm, ur ears become really cold from the breeze. D n i had to run into Duane Reade to get gloves.

i wore a singlet, a long-sleeve tee and a wool sweater, 2 pairs of tights, a pair of track pants and socks. I only perspired in the last 10 minutes of the jog.

But it was an experience. A non-tourist one at that. and perhaps my only chance to run in such conditions for a long long time.

Then we met M for shopping and breakfast/lunch. Visited H&M at Herald Sq, which is way more organised. Also dropped by Forever 21. And i kicked myself for not coming earlier. Cos the variety is very large and for some odd reason, they are fully stored with summer clothes. Something most appropriate for Singapore-bound me. And the stuff are cheap!

Then we went to Strawberry and a few other stores. I got really bored. Cos the stuff started repeating. I didn't have things to buy and i wasn't hungry. That pretty much rules out a lot of things to do.

Finally, we decided to go to Brooklyn. And it was really nice. Graffiti and bagels and vintage shopping. I bought a sweater from 'Brooklyn Industries'. I was telling M that "now i have a souvenier from Brooklyn'. And D says it's a brand. hmmm....yips. coolio.

The day ended with meeting up with friends from Melbourne for a Congee dinner. And visiting their hotel. It was ok. We laughed a lot.

More to say. But perhaps another entry. =)

pictures of 6 Jan 06

goodbye Bronx



hello Singapore. =)

The most uneventful day in Manhatten

The motivation to blog is odd this time. It's cos it's so usual that i almost definitely will forget this when i arise tomorrow.
The day started early because J was leaving for home. We didn't sleep at all. He was busy with packing, loading the new ipod and basically doing the last minute bits. 5am we left the Bronx for JFK Terminal 4, where he successfully checked in about 100kg of luggage with no extra charge. He had a total of 3 hand-carry pieces, but he didn't attract any attention. After checking in, we went to Macs where he took his last American macs breakfast, M had her McGriddle, D his hash browns with jam. And me? the usual hot chocolate. I love Macs here.

We followed J visually all the way as he cleared the security checks, which was particularly tedious for him as he had lots of luggage, a laptop that always calls for extra scrutiny and u have to remove shoes. Upon witnessing that, i've decided that i'l be wearing flip flops to the airport when i leave.

Bye J. Manhatten does feel weird without u. D and i are a lot quieter. hee.

M, D and i returned to the Bronx where we took a longer nap than we had planned. Headed to Chinatown at 2pm where M had her US$25 haircut at Pell Street. She looks great. Nice, cropped fringe with well trimmed tresses around the face.

We then trotted around the Hong Kong-like Chinatown for a bit. Had hot ginger tea and $0.70 Po Lo Buns with Red Bean filling. Nice.

We dropped by Bloomingdale's to kill time before dinner. Bloomingdale's is an extremely well-organised departmental store. Slightly more classy than Macy's. Way too pricey for M and I. Moreover, i really don't need to buy any more things.

Then we proceeded to Spring Street where we walked into random shops that sold pricey, second-hand vintage items. Then we went to queue for a table at the Hole in the Wall Jap restaurant. M's Malaysian friends joined us. Joanne, Chanyi, Candy and Elaine. All 7 of us spent a grand total of US$54 at the restaurant. Average food with average ambience with average service. Extremely forgettable stuff.

Then we headed home. Home in the Bronx.

Tomorrow will be another relaxing day. Walking the streets downwards from Grand Central. Hope to walk more. So that i can burn the crazy amounts of food and hot chocolate i'm consuming. =)

Cheryl takes Manhattan. then goes home?

With J spending his last day here, the reality of going home is beginning to creep in. And the coincidence of me receiving an email to ask me to go for a medical check-up and start work on the 16th is depressing. it's this ache in ur bones that makes u wanna cringe at the same time. argh. it's not pleasant at all.

i'm waiting for my mates to wake to visit Liberty, the Intrepid, the UN building and maybe even watch a Broadway show. the reason for the cluster of activities is testament to our last-minute, procrastinating nature. sigh. now we have to rush.

for my singaporean darlings, i'l be landing in dear ole Changi T1 at 6.30pm 11 Dec, Wednesday. it's too soon. i REALLY wanna see my family and friends and chippy. But i just can't help connecting work and returning home. ok, i'm goin to stop complaining.

ON a brighter note, i shall talk about my purchases (again.) Last nite, while J, M and D watched Phantom, i walked around Times Square on my own. I could not bring myself to spend another US$53, especially since i watched it just last year on London Broadway.

Guess wat i bought? U'l never b able to.





I bought an OC tee. It has Summer on the front, dressed as Wonder Woman. I'm how pleased. It was expensive (US$27). So after contemplating for 2 hours, i still didn't buy it. But after i met them after the show (which they loved), we went together and i gave in. whoo hoo. i'm how pleased.

i also bought another Paris Hilton-related tee. I'm a Paris Hilton fan. yes yes, this is my bimbo outlet. But when i'm not bimbo, i'm still her fan. heeeeeeeeeeee.

ok, i'm goin off now. when i get back, i'l provide a nice chronological blog of my visit. either that, or i'l pass ard a hard-copy scrapbook. i love u all. =)

Happy Birthday

my blog is one year old.

and i'm fiercely proud of it. it has served as my bimbo outlet, my thought-straightener, and my frustration bin. Well, if u have noticed, my blog is kind and happy. Well, it's cos the angry ones are saved as drafts. but there aren't many of them. cos when i have the sense to pen everything down, it just means i'm not all that angry.

when i started the blog, i wasn't v happy. but things are different now. i tink 2005 is a big thing for me. And i tink attending New Crea is a significant part of it.

Anyway, so now i'm in New York rite. And just last nite, i was lamenting the overspending. And expressing my fears about the lack of money as we approach the end of the trip. gosh. And guess wat. today i went shopping again.

But they were pretty good deals i have to say.

1 Polo Ralph Lauren shorts $4
1 100% silk diagonal stripes skirt for sis $12
1 "Dirty Girl" note pad and panty gift set for sis $0.99
1 pants for work $15

sigh. am i scary or wat. wait till i show u the entire list of things i bought. u might puke. it's really not funny.

I also visited the Guggenheim Museum today. The current exhibition is on Russia. And i have to say, my general knowledge of Russia renders me very inadequate to fully appreciate the works of art. But the visit was a pleasant one.

I also went to see the reservoir at Central Park. Initially, i didn't really want to go because i went in Summer 2003. And i loved it. But there wasn't any point (or so i thought) to visit it again, espcially since it's winter. But i was blown away by the view of it today. it almost looked fake. And i'm once again reminded of the wonder of my God's creation. thanks.

my day ended earlier than usual as i got frightened by the dark and it was raining. Not that rain scares me, but it did have the effect of clearing the roads of people. So i came home early.

Met P online. P is definitely one skinny present from Daddy. And it was refreshing to talk to her. it was good.

New York is definitely becoming a livable city for me, something v different from what i thought when i came 2 years ago. while i do not feel as safe as in Singapore, London and Hong Kong, i like the congestion, the concentration of activity, the wide variety of fashion and food choices and the efficient transport system. I also like it that America is quite a world on its own. It appears to be a lot more encompassing towards businesses and differing cultures, as opposed to Singapore. But what i know is from a month's visit, prolly too little to pass a complete judgement. But i'm happy.

and the funny thing is, i eat very tasty, high quality asian food here. i can't say it's authentic cuisine, cos most of the time, i don't really noe what's authentic what's not. But it's like, the ingredients are fresher, the portions more well adjusted to the price, the service, etc. But it doesn't apply to all the food places of course. The other thing here that i like is that the McDonald's have hot chocolate and a really huge cup costs US$2.00. And believe me, it's a must-have after u r so frozen from walking in the cold and from breathing in very cold air. A gush of nice, hot, sweet chocolate liquid is most welcome. To me, much better than a meal of burger and fries.

All in all, i'm not exactly wanting to return to Singapore. But at the same time, i noe i'm not cut out for this weather and i really miss chippie and my family. Perhaps it's the idea of starting work that's making me apprehensive about going back. Starting work makes me nervous. sigh. let's not go there. i'l enjoy my NY trip then see how.

enough blabbering for now. =)

Back in NY

i have so many things to say. so many photos to share. but they are not with me. and i have shitloads of things to settle. it's amazing how traveling, more specifically backpacking is a lot of admin work.

and i have to admit, the mindset we began with was not really in sync with wat's necessary. but as we go along, i tink we might just get better at this.

from this pt on, it's will b NY, NY, NY.

SF, Vegas and Cville are done. And, as of now, we haven't planned to venture out of NY. We think about it sometimes, but nothing is planned. Now various themes are swimming in my sleep-deprived mind. Rockefellar, Empire State, Ground Zero, SOHO, Broadway, Times Sq, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Guggenheim, 5th Ave, Madison, Statue of Liberty, Staten Island, Central Park, the 2 toy shops. Oh my, wat else did i miss?

of course, the shopping. we've shopped so much it's not funny. i return to Singapore with the fate of a slave. Even if i eat nothing, i need a few months to repay my debts. But for wat's it's worth, i'm pleased.
Purchases include:

1 Kenneth Cole shoes
1 Kenneth Cole boots
1 H&M coat
1 Nine West party shoe
1 Gap pants
1 Benetton suit
1 Gap beanie
1 Abercrombie slippers (free)
1 Polo Ralph polo tee (free)
1 "i'm naughtier than i look" tee (free)
1 J Crew singlet
1 Puma gym bag
1 UVA tee
1 H&M jeans

Not a lot hor? And it's not even Christmas. I still have the post christmas sale to go. Cool beans. Listing my purchases made me a bit happier.
Now i can go on to plan my NY trip. Pray for me. thanks.

things

my favourite bf bought a curtain, 70 tee-shirts, among other shirts, pants, jackets, laundry basket, etc. and yes, all of them are going back to Singapore.

Charlottesville

Well, the fact that i'm able to blog everyday is rather telling i have to say. Cville is a nice place. A nice cosy place that i suppose if u stay long enough, u can find urself calling it home. It has a quirky kind of character to it. But i do miss the pace of city life. And it doesn't help that everyone who's here is studying for exams. I feel rather intrusive. Too touristy for my own good.

I miss things being within reach. I miss being a little warmer. Though i tink the sights are very beautiful. Even if they are just trees outside the window. The skies are very clear and i love the mornings. Nice.

3 days isn't enough to judge a place. But from a 3-day pt of view, well, let's just say i'm ready to go. It's nice and all. And i'm glad to c Jem's life. At least i can appreciate some things better. Not all.

i bot myself a UVA tee to remember my visit here. got the white one. nice?

Now, i have to pack. The train leaves at 7.07am tm. Can u believe that i came here with 4 plastic bags of clothes? i just need to put them back into plastic bags, and then into my bag.

Thus the need to shop. SF here we come. =)

The most exciting things

The most exciting day of my life would have to be today!

Well, to begin, i had my first meal in Cville today. Indian buffet. for US$6.95. It was ok. i mean, it's not uncommon to find pple complain about the quality of Asian food abroad. This place certainly doesn't get this kind of feedback. The locals like it and the foreigners find it cheap enough.




I also attended church in the morning. 2 services, 2 different styles but 2 identical sermons.

ok, i have a bit more to say. but the speed of the com i'm using is amazing. It's bothering me. so yea, another time when i have more patience.

=)

Reached, finally.

my first time travelling alone. ok. i'm tired. i'l blog later. but i'm safe. and sound.. and all my money is intact. Thanks Dad.


the post-34-hours-of-traveling face.

Nervous Traveller and her clueless brother.

I'm nervous.



yea. And i noe it sounds crazy. But i'l really miss my dad n mum n sis n bro. Esp my bro. It's the cross-roads for him. And i've really not done anything to help. I've sure given him a lot of pressure. Sigh. He'l always be the little brother. my little brother.

I tried asking him for his waist size so i can buy stuff for him.

Me: aye, gimme ur waist size le.

bro: for what?

me: then i can buy stuff for u mah.

bro: erm... just buy L.

me: what? i'm going to America le.

bro: oh. Then M lor.



sigh. He doesn't even know his jeans size. He thinks they all come in S, M and L. and he's 16.