Pulau Dayang Open Water Dive

Day 1
We left Singapore at 7pm in a mini van/bus and left for Mersing, Johor. There was a jam at the customs (because of Mas Selamat Bin Kastari) but luckily we were only stuck for about half an hour. On the way, we stopped somewhere around Kluang for dinner. I ordered some local wan tan mee which tasted nothing like what I had in mind! The noodle was awful, the taste is yucky and I ended up not finishing my food. I only ate the bits and pieces of char siew that was in the bowl.

When we finally arrived at the Mersing ferry, it was around 11:30pm. We had purposely whiled some time away at the coffee shop because the ferries don't leave until a certain time. We boarded the ferry at about midnight. My darling boyfriend who drove 6 hours from KL met us at the ferry. I was so sleepy and was hoping to watch 40 winks on the ferry but we were seated at the back where it was rocky, noisy and hot. I did snooze off once in awhile but it was not sleep.

Poor boyfriend was feeling so hot that he didn't even get any sleep at all.

It was pitch black when we arrived on Dayang Blues Resort (the ONLY resort on Pulau Dayang) as it was already 3am+. I was very tired but I couldn't sleep yet because I hadn't brushed my teeth. I was a little sticky but I was too tired to bathe. I just quickly flossed my teeth, brush them then went to bed. As you can see in the picture, that's me gawking at the size of the room. It is a really tiny room with just enough bed for a double decker bed.

Day 2
Woke up at 8am. Went for a buffet breakfast. Then around 9-ish, we went for our first dive! We were supposed to do some drills that we had learn during the pool session but somehow we didn't. I went in with a full tank of air and came up with about another half left. Not bad breathing for a beginner diver, I guess. *smile* I got a bit nauseous on the boat when waiting for other divers to surface. But I managed to keep my breakfast in my tummy, unlike my boyfriend who puked as soon as he got on the boat. *grin*

We went back to the island after the first dive so the boatmen could top up the aluminum cylinders with air. The resort people had prepared lunch and so we filled our stomachs eventhough I wasn't really hungry. Alright, I'm a glutton.

During the 2nd dive, we did our drills and I'd say that my dive buddy Zaidi and I did quite well. There was one time when I forgot to exhale when the regulator came out of my mouth though so I had to repeat. One very important thing when scuba diving is to always breathe normally at all times. After the dive, we went back to the resort again. By this time, I was really tired and exhausted. The resort served very yummy banana fritters which I gorged down with ice cold syrup drink.

Soon after, we left for our next and last dive of the day. Here are some of the sea creatures that I saw during my weekend dive trip:










After the 3rd and last dive of the day, we all came back for a multiple choice question test. The passing mark is 40 and I got 43 out of 50. Yay! I was so tired from all the dives and the weather was so hot (as with all beaches) that I got so tired and groggy. It's a wonder that I passed the test.

Day 3
Woke up at 7am, had a quick breakfast and went for our first dive. Seem to be getting up earlier every day! Came back, recharged the air cylinder then went for the 2nd dive at 9am. Came back, had lunch... bathe then waited for the ferry. The ferry was supposed to be here at about 12 but only came around 2pm. By that time, I had perspired and became all sweaty from the hot, sunny wait.

I parted ways with boyfriend at Mersing jetty. By the time I reached Singapore, it was already 9pm+ and when I got home, it was almost midnight. It was a tiring weekend but I must say that it was very fun. I would definitely do it again.

My last SCUBA pool session

Actually Dominic thought that we did alright for the last pool session but some of us weren't very comfortable with the diving gear. Scuba diving after all, is an equipment intensive sport. As shown on the left (clockwise), we have the fins - for your feet, Buoyancy Compensator - to be worn as a life jacket, Snorkel - for breathing, Mask - for your eyes. But that's not all. You have the regulator - for underwater breathing, weights - to help you sink and maintain a neutral buoyancy underwater and most of all, the aluminum tank - for oxygen.

The oxygen tank carries 200 bars (or 3000 psi) of air so it weighs about 20kgs. That's like carrying a huge pack of rice on your back. I also didn't like the regulator in my mouth. Makes me feel and look like an idiot.

Anyway, today a different instructor taught us our 2nd and last pool session. He is Koh Kiam Kiat, recipient of the "Best Instructor Award". How lucky are we that he will be training us for the Open Water this weekend. He is so detailed, patient and knowledgeable. I am glad to have taken up the Open Water Course with Diventures. I guess I'm ready for the sea. Here I come...

My first SCUBA pool session

I went for my first scuba diving practical session today. It was held in the Outram Secondary School. There are altogether, 4 of us Open Water newbies. There's Khalil - the big macho guy, Zaidi - the joker, Linus - the energetic NS boy and myself. The scuba instructor is Dominic Chow. He's too skinny for a scuba diver and he's got tattoo all over. But he's quite cute. Don't you think so?

Scuba diving is not an intensive sport but divers are required to be fit so they don't die from exhaustion or the likes in the sea. My boyfriend had previously told me that there would be a physical test but I wasn't aware that it was going to be today! I have not exercised for 2 years and I am definitely not fit to swim 200 metres non-stop.

I managed to finished the 200 metres but was really tired from it. Right after we were all done, they made us tread water for 10 minutes. I was quite comfortable with it cause my Dad (thank you Pa!) trained us in treading water when I was very little. But Khalil and Zaidi had a really tough time.

We finished lessons at about 10:30pm and I got home close to midnight. As I am typing this, my arms are aching, my chest hurt, my legs are weak and my back is strained. Darn! Can someone give me a nice soothing massage?

Disgusting People

I dig my nose. So... who doesn't? I do it whenever I am in the toilet. That way, I can wash both my nostrils and fingers with water and soap. My sister sometimes find it disgusting eventhough I do it in the toilet. Well if you wanna hear disgusting, then read on...

A few years ago, my friend and I were taking the bus (number 13) in Singapore from Marine Parade to Lavender MRT. We were seated just beside the exit door so there was no obstruction and I could see the whole front part of the bus from where I was seated.

An old man boarded the bus and stood next to a pole. The next moment, he retrieved a tweezer from his shirt pocket. Right after that, he started plucking his facial hair and stuck the hairs that he had succesfully extracted onto the pole that he was standing next to! Throughout the journey, he just kept doing that. Pulling out hairs from his beard, his mustache and even some of his nostril hair. All the while, sticking each of his facial hair to the pole.

I got so disgusted that I grumbled and complained non-stop to my friend. I wanted to shout at that old man and tell him off but my skin was crawling and I felt queasy. I am not a health freak but after that incident... I wash my hands thoroughly after every bus ride! Maybe you all should too.

Scuba Diving

That's not me in the picture

I've always wanted to take up scuba diving but fear kept me away. There are so many risks involved and as we all know, there's no gain without risks eh? My boyfriend is an avid scuba diver and he encouraged me to take up the sport. He even paid for my open water scuba diving certification. Thank you Shin!

There are many levels of certification. You will have to start with the Open Water Diver, which is what I'm taking. Then, followed by Advanced Open Water Diver, Emergency First Response, Rescue Diver, Master Scuba Diver, DiveMaster, Assistant Instructor and finally the Instructor Development Course. But that's not all. They also have specialized diving certifications. Please click here if you would like to read more.

The other reason that kept me from learning is that scuba diving is an expensive sport. For my open water certification, it costs my boyfriend S$495. Whoa! Enough for me to buy new shoes, bag, clothes, watch and lots of junk food! How many of you can scuba dive?

1st Year Anniversary

Today is my grandmother's 1st-year anniversary. Feels like just yesterday that she passed away but I guess time flies. My grandmother was 83 and she had accomplished so much in life. Almost everyone who meets her likes her. She gets along fine with people from all races or ages. She even speaks English. For people of her generation, that is quite a wonder. Sometimes, she is even more broad minded than my father. I have lots to learn from her. Hope she is very happy now, wherever she is.

Chinatown in Singapore during CNY

My cousin Ti & her fiance Kent, sister Ying and I went to Chinatown last week to buy some Chinese New Year goodies and it's so fun. Well it was for me...

The usually quiet and empty Chinatown streets are now filled with rows of temporary shacks/ stalls that sell various items like sweets/ dried foods/ clothing/ slippers/ lighting/ Chinese New Year decorations etc.

As you walk along the streets, these hawkers will just push you a sweet/ food and ask you to try it. They'd even open the wrapper for you so all you had to do was pop the goodie into your mouth. One of these guys (typically Ah Bengs) even asked sister Ying for her handphone number! Then there's this other guy that just shoved the mochi (soft chewy dessert that tastes like mua chi) into cousin Ti's hands.

When looking at Chinese New Year clothes, one of the hawkers told us that it'd look very nice and "prestige" (without the ous) on us. The same hawker also said that my "heel" was too big so I couldn't fit into the dress. I later found out that he was trying to say "hip".

Eventhough it's darn crowded, I'd love to make a trip to Chinatown every year! Happy Chinese New Year all...

CNY 2008

Yay! Chinese New Year is here. When I was young, I always looked forward to CNY because the whole extended family will be back (as I live in the ancestral home) and we get to catch up with everyone. There'll be gambling, eating, chatting, more eating, fireworks, late nights, gossips and even more eating...

For the past few years however, I have not bought anything new to wear during Chinese New Year. I just couldn't be bothered. This year however, I was so into the festive mood that I went to buy a cheong sam (traditional Chinese costume for ladies) to wear on the 1st day. I even bought one each for my sisters. I also bought bak kwa (barbecued sliced pork) *oh yummy* and some other goodies for sinful indulgence.

CNY could have been better. Here's why:

1. My grandmother is no longer with us and this will be the first CNY without her.
2. My cousin Alvin is in hospital because of a foot infection.
3. Not everyone will be coming home for CNY. At this point, only about 5 families.
4. All my uncles/ aunties (parents included) have become Christians/ Catholics so we would no longer carry out certain CNY traditions like burning incense paper, praying to the Gods and elders etc.

But this year, my cousin Ah Ti and her fiance and also Cara's boyfriend, Dave will be joining us for CNY. I guess you win some and lose some so I'll just enjoy it and here's a Happy Chinese New Year to all of you...

Romantica

We had bought some stuff and the salesgirl put them all in a big plastic bag. Whilst trying to sort out which belonged to who, I just casually said "Oh why don't you just bring it home and we'll sort it out over the weekend", to which this reply was received: "See lah, she wants me to keep things for her again". I got so angry with that remark, I just stomped off and refused to talk. As I was on my way home, I received an sms and here's how it went, word-for-word.

Incoming sms: I'm sorry
Outgoing sms from Yi: Wanna be angry w u also cannot, u so cute. But... I also never leave ANY of my things in ur room except 4 my red bag k? Tell me la, what are u keeping 4 me?
Incoming sms: Your heart

Wow... isn't that just the most romantic text you may have ever received? When I received the last text, my heart almost melted but at the same time, I felt like puking - because the sender of the sms is my sister Ying.

For Better or Worse?

Approximately 6 years ago, my home country introduced Ragnarok Online (often referred to as RO) to students in all of Malaysia. It was an effort by the Government to keep boh sia kids (students who play truant and loiter in shopping malls, dangerous and quiet alleys etc.) home. I guess it worked for awhile because my sister Ying and brother were hooked on it.

RO is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game. What it means is that hundreds of players will be able to play the game simultaneously online so everything happens in real time. These days, there are many of such games. There is Maple Story (which is the one I'm addicted too), World of Warcraft and many more...

My question is, whilst the Government is able to keep students off the streets, how are they able to control the amount of time these students spend playing games? I play these games almost every night after I come back from work and some of the players I meet are as young as 9! I see them online on weekends too. So introducing these games, are they more harm than cure? Think about it...

20 seconds

What takes 20 seconds? hehe

My urine!

Everytime I pee - from the moment I hear the tit-tit-tit of the urine to the very last drop, I time myself and it takes an average of twenty seconds.

How long does your urine last?

Hyperthyroidism (Overactive Thyroid)

Since last night, I had heart palpitations. My pulse was about 115 per minute. After I slept awhile, it slowed down to about 80 but whenever I walked, I could feel my pulse and it was beating very fast. Today when we went to the airport to send Ah Chi and Khor Khor off, I stood at the baggage counter to check my weight. I got a shock when I saw that I only weighed 48.8 kgs! Just 3 weeks ago when I donated blood at SGH, I was a hefty 51+ kg!

That got me worried a bit. But I had to go to class as we had to present our group project. So I went to class anyway. After class, I headed straight to the Singapore General Hospital. Walking from the MRT to the hospital made by heart beat at 120 per minute. I had to wait awhile but the whole thing took a few hours! I arrived at the hospital at approximately 4:25pm and left at 11:30pm. 3 Khor Tiew, Papa, Mummy and Ah Ying came to visit me at around 10:45pm and brought me home. 3 Khor was at a wedding dinner so she couldn't come.

I have Hyperactive thyroid. It measured at 66.9 (which is supposedly quite high) and double H. I don't know what all these terms are. I have been given an appointment to meet with the Endocrine specialist. I'll check with him then.

I'm quite sad because I am a regular and avid blood donor. With this condition now, I am no longer able to donate blood. *sigh* Oh and don't worry all of you. I have seen the doctor, I am on medication so I'm fine, just wanted to tell you what happened to me today...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The thyroid gland is a small, butterfly-shaped gland located just below the Adam's apple. The thyroid produces hormones that affect your body's metabolism and energy level.

The most common cause of hyperthyroidism is Graves' disease. This occurs when the body's immune system overstimulates the thyroid.

Common symptoms of hyperthyroidism are:
- Jitteriness, shaking, increased nervousness, irritability
- Rapid heart beat or palpitations
- Feeling hot
- Weight loss
- Fatigue, feeling exhausted
- More frequent bowel movements
- Shorter or lighter menstrual periods

Hair for Hope Blog

Hi all, if you would like to read all about my hair-shaving experience and view pictures - please click here to visit the blog I specially created for Hair for Hope 2007.

Hair For Hope 2007

So many volunteers! Can we find them?

Hey I think that's Yi's hair.

Oh there they are! Hey Marcus! Hey Yi! Look here... To your left – at the camera!

Nice smiles

Finally Yi gets a seat after queuing 3 hours!

The lady's helping her tie her hair so that she can donate the whole lock of it to Locks of Love

Regretting your decision to shave eh?

No, she's happy to do it. Look, she's hysterical. Probably going mad. Ha! Ha!

Oh no... there it goes. Bzzz Bzzz Bzzz Yi says that the machine creates a buzzing sound and vibrates so her head feels fuzzy.

Hmm... not bad, she looks like she's getting a Mohawk cut.

I'm so nervous I can't stop laughing, Yi says.

Is it really gone?

I'm scarier than Darth Vader. I've got a stare that can burn you and hair that will choke you to death. Grr...

Hehehe That tickles!

Oh wow! There's a certificate of participation. Cool! Or is that a Masters in Baldness? *grin*

Don't they look like spiky footballs to you?

I first heard about it last year. I wanted to do it then but I was unsure. I had just started work and I didn't think it was appropriate. This year, they're doing it again on 1st July. I was very confident at first. I was headstrong about doing it. I didn't give a damn and wanted to just get it done. I even told my sister, my boyfriend and some friends. Some were supportive, others tried to talk me out of it. Sister (Ah Ying) and boyfriend are so supportive and said that they will join me.

But now... I am getting jitter bugs. I feel a bit scared and I have my doubts. What if I break down? What if I can't take the embarrassment and pressure from it all? I suppose it will be bad (why shouldn't it be) but it will all die down. Everything simmers after sometime, doesn't it?

Anyway, there have been a few very supportive people like my sister and boyfriend. Thanks for cheering me on and asking me to do it. Just like how I always feel scared no matter how many times I've donated blood - the wonderful feeling of satisfaction that I get from knowing that I helped someone just supersedes everything else.

If all or any of you are interested in what I will be doing, check out this space for updates...

Yi's Pimple Remedy

This is not tested and not tried so if you wanna check it out... please take extra caution.

- Use a tweezer and blackhead remover to squeeze every darn substance out from the pimple
- Use a joss stick and burn the pimple (so it gets charred and hardened)
- Use a plier to excavate and remove any remaining pimple
- Use sandpaper and salt to smoothen the surface of your nose/ face
- Put mask on your nose/ face to remove fine lines and scars
- Use some concelear to even out the colours on your nose skin

*Yi is not liable for any mishaps

sleep

I am someone who needs at least 7 hours' sleep otherwise I feel tired and restless. The other person I know who sleeps as much is Ah Ti. Here's a guide on sleep. Hope you'll be able to sleep better.

• Have your dinner at least 4 hours before bedtime
• Drink a glass of water before sleeping
• Follow the following steps for a good night's sleep:

The traditional method of sleeping on a pillow and hugging a bolster.

The pillow gives you comfort and prevents neck ache whilst the bolster gives a sense of security.

But if you don't have either one, try the following options: Double Pillow or Double Bolster

But one should never... and I mean never ever use a Bed as Bolster!

ps/ Female model is available for photo shoots and model works at very affordable prices. Leave a message on the tagboard for more information. Male model is probably suffering from a backache by now - so don't bother contacting him.

Christy Yi

I was once told that I looked like the glamourous and beautiful Christy Chung which made me very happy. But we all know that's far from the truth. Last Friday however, on 30th March - I went for Capital's 75th-year Anniversary. Capital is the organisation in which I work - best employer anyone could ever have.

My colleagues had arranged for make-up artists to come into our office for S$70 per person which covers make-up and hair. I was very reluctant to participate and even rejected my colleague Nicole's invitation. At the very last minute, another colleague backed out and Nicole persuaded me again and so I relented.

I was actually quite happy that I went for the makeover. I have attached pictures below. I look rather amazing. The reason I so strongly refused in the beginning was because the last few times that I actually put make-up on - made me look like a transvestite. Anyway, as requested by my cousin Ching - here are the pictures. Enjoy...

My favourite picture is the one in the middle. I think I look the best there. The shawl around my neck makes me look rather glamorous too. Ha! Ha!

Tribute to Ah Ma

I've known you for twenty seven years,
Lots of fun and happiness - give it 3 cheers!
Occasionally we do share some tears
I want to do it all again, bring on the beers.

You're one of the best amongst your peers
Lots of courage, you had no fears
Perhaps you're the blessing of a million fakirs
You were so strong when and as death nears

I guess you've gone to where you belong
You've taught me so much - the rights from wrong
I wish I could see you playing mahjong
I wanna hear you sing your favourite song

You taught me to be generous, forgiving and gracious
In all you do you were always positive and zealous
To everyone, you were warm, nice and selfless
I'm not religious but I believe you're God's princess

I wish you much happiness wherever you are
I wonder if you can see us whether near or far
Your death to all of us is like a huge gigantic scar
I love you so much, you're my SuperStar!

Why I stopped blogging

It is because of a girl, the one you see on the -> right. Her name is Yeena and she is a level 43 bowgirl. To be more specific, she is a Ranger. She didn't start so powerful though. Yeena was born a beginner on 12 May, 2006 at 10:10a.m. She was a very adorable and cute little girl. With much training, she became a Hunter in a week. 5 months later, she passed her test, got a job and became a level 30 Ranger.

Now she's 10 months old and quite powerful. With a swift pull of her bow and her mighty archery skills, she is able to unleash arrows at the speed of a man-cycled trishaw. She is equipped with skills that emphasize dexterity and accuracy, along with other kinds of long-range attacking skills to make the hunter the ideal long-range attacker.

Yeena is a very friendly and outgoing girl. She is also sporting and fun. To celebrate the recent Chinese New Year celebrations, she is dressed in a traditional Chinese sam fu. She also has a lot of friends. Check them out:

From left to right: incubuseblis, tamino, superdupacow

cleanbow, qq12345678qq, lamedamage

skyzack, d4rkpaladin, kageskillz

Aren't they all good looking? This was why I stopped updating my blog. Because I was too busy Mapling!

Uport Contest Winner

I just found out that I'm the Grand Prize winner of the Uport contest and I've won a pair of tickets to Brisbane, Australia! Checkout below, what I extracted from their website - for more details!

Take4

Take3

Take2

Take1

script

In the final act of Pygmalion, Liza explains to Prof. Higgins the relationship she desired from him. It’s a tender scene that almost warms the Professor’s heart despite himself.

LIZA: No I don't. That's not the sort of feeling I want from you. And don't you be too sure of yourself or of me. I could have been a bad girl if I'd liked. I've seen more of some things than you, for all your learning. Girls like me can drag gentlemen down to make love to them easy enough. And they wish each other dead the next minute. (much troubled) I want a little kindness. I know I'm a common ignorant girl, and you a book-learned gentleman; but I'm not dirt under your feet. What I done (correcting herself) what I did was not for the dresses and the taxis: I did it because we were pleasant together and I come--came--to care for you; not to want you to make love to me, and not forgetting the difference between us, but more friendly like.

Unfortunately, Higgins is a permanent bachelor. When he is incapable of offering affection, Eliza Doolittle stands up for herself in this powerfully feisty monologue.

LIZA: Aha! Now I know how to deal with you. What a fool I was not to think of it before! You can't take away the knowledge you gave me. You said I had a finer ear than you. And I can be civil and kind to people, which is more than you can. Aha! That's done you, Henry Higgins, it has. Now I don't care that (snapping her fingers) for your bullying and your big talk. I'll advertize it in the papers that your duchess is only a flower girl that you taught, and that she'll teach anybody to be a duchess just the same in six months for a thousand guineas. Oh, when I think of myself crawling under your feet and being trampled on and called names, when all the time I had only to lift up my finger to be as good as you, I could just kick myself!

What diet?

I've been complaining that I'm fat and need to go on a diet. I tend to eat less rice during meals. I'd take probably half a bowl of rice. I'd also take less soft or sweet drinks. However, when it comes to watching a movie in the cinema, I cannot stop myself from munching popcorn or snacks. I also like to snack when I'm watching TV at home.

Honestly, I don't think there's a point in me cutting down on my staple diet when I continue eating everything else. Ha! Ha! I'd really like to lose some weight. I'd like to lose a little on the arms, lots on the tummy, backside and thighs. However, I love to eat too much.

Vegetarians and health-conscious people eat to live. For me, I live to eat! Yum... Yum... Food, here I come!

christmas shopping time

Yay! I got my paycheck today. Finally... I can buy Christmas presents for everyone! As I've already gone window shopping on Sunday, I sort of have an idea of what I will be getting for each and everyone. I just hope that they'll like what I have in mind. Some will be totally store-bought whilst others might be ½ store-bought and ½ handmade. Oh, I can't wait. I'm so excited... Hopefully when I'm done, I'll be able to take some pictures and post them. Till then, enjoy your Christmas shopping too!

super powers

If I was a superhero and had special powers, this is what I'd be:

Yi swooshes down from her 18th floor apartment and flies toward the coconut tree. She grabs the coconut tree with her suction fingers and crawls down. As she walk toward the shore, a missile flies at an incredibe speed toward her. She quickly summons her magnetic forces and leads the missile in the opposite direction. Then she runs toward the water and jumps into the open sea. Her cheeks transform into gills and she swims fast and furious with her super sonic speed toward the submarine. As she approaches the submarine, she stares intently at the captain and blinds him with her ultra violet rays emitted by her eyes. She...

I could go on and on... I guess you get the picture. I wouldn't pick just one power, I'd have all of them! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!

Cheap Buy

I went shopping today. I have friends who need to go shopping once a week to de-stress/ reward themselves etc. I'm not a shopper. Well, I am - a window shopper. I like looking at things. I also enjoy the music and the air-conditioning. However, I'm much to stingy to spend on myself so most of the times, I'd just look and stare in awe then walk away. I have no problems spending on other people though. The phrase Giving is Better than Giving really applies to me.

Anyway, I went to Carrefour at Suntec City today and they're having a sale. I bought a T-Shirt for only S$1.90! It's soft cotton. Not very thick but very comfortable. I bought a Black (M) for myself. I called my sister in Malacca, Malaysia (gotta share the good deal!) and she asked me to buy one of each colour! Ha! Ha!

I also bought a few pairs of shorts for only S$3.90. They're a steal, I tell ya. Very nice pastel colours. I'd take pictures of them and show you but my boyfriend lost my camera earlier this year so... too bad!

Test Tube Babies

I went to visit a friend in KK hospital today who just gave birth. She gave birth to 2 very lovely dizygotic twins. The kind I've always dreamed of. A boy and a girl. It's perfect, really. I want both boys and girls and it'll be such a hassle to give birth so many times. So just once, suffer a little more but after that, you're done. hehe

Anyway, I was in the room with my cousin and I softly asked her "Are they test tube babies?" and she gave me this stare which said "Keep your bloody mouth shut!". Okay, I admit. As soon as I said it, I realised that it probably wasn't the right time and right place to ask that question. My cousin then told my friend what I asked and she questioned why I would think so. So I very truthfully and honestly told her that it wasn't easy to get twins, let alone unidentical. Plus, it's of a different gender!

Anyway, I checked with my boyfriend after that and asked him if it was too insensitive of me to ask that question. He thinks that I could probably cause the couple to lose face (feel embarassed) or come across as a bloody busybody. I agree about the busybody part. It's not my business to know whether or not the child was naturally or scientifically conceived. However, I tend to disagree that my question would embarass the parents.

First of all, if a man or woman has difficulty conceiving then it probably has to do with their sperm or ovums. Well, if there is any problem with these 2, I don't think it's their fault. It's just God's will! Nature! Pure bad luck! Whatever it is, I don't think the Man or Woman had deliberately inflicted hurt or poison against themselves so their genes aren't healthy.

So in that sense, I don't see why anyone has to feel embarassed/ useless/ weak etc. I think it's just perfectly normal. On the other hand, if the baby came out retarded due to over exessive drinking or smoking then the parents should be punished and laughed at. Or if the baby was born out of wedlock, then I think the parent should once again feel embarassed.

So with what happened today, I was wrong to question. I shouldn't have, it was too busybody of me. However I strongly feel that people should NOT feel ashamed of test tube babies. I hold absolutely no prejudice against them. Perhaps I've been looking at things from my perspective. What do you think? Is a test tube baby something someone should be embarassed of?

Shampoo and Soap

What is the difference between Shampoo and Soap?

Someone very dear to me once asked me that question. I didn't know the answer so I started guessing:

1. Shampoo creates more lather
2. Shampoo is liquid whilst soap is solid
3. Shampoo smells stronger than soap
4. Shampoo is more expensive
5. Shampoo is lighter than soap
6. Soap falls straight into water whilst shampoo slowly sinks or dilutes
   

Those were some of the answers I gave but all were wrong. According to the person-who-is-very-dear-to-me, the difference is in its taste! I stared at him in disbelief. I couldn't understand or make sense of what I just heard. So this person nicely explains that Soap tastes sweet whilst Shampoo tastes bitter.

What the...

Yes, the person explains that whenever he bathes, he'd taste the shampoo or soap that he was using. He wouldn't eat it. He'd just taste it on his tongue and according to him, every soap has tasted sweet whilst soap bitter.

Hmm... amazing discovery. I learnt something new. Did you?

I almost Killed myself today

The kitchen is filled with gas. It smells horrible. I like the smell of petrol but gas smells a bit like fart. It has this sourish smell and it stings when you suck lots of it up your nostrils. I feel dizzy. I felt quite light, as if I had downed 3 shots of Tequila. It's getting really difficult to breathe and I feel heavy too. I think about my parents. I'd hate to leave them but... then there's my boyfriend Shin whom I terribly miss whenever he's away. I'd be better off dead - at least I won't be missing him in the next life.

I feel tired but I'm still alive. Why is it taking so long to be gassed alive? My eyes are getting blur. My breathing is really slow now. Deep, heavy breaths. I wonder if this is how people with Asthma feels. I pity them. They go through this everyday. It'll only be once for me and after that, I'll be free. Free from work, from worries, from stress, from weight problems, from monetary issues.

I walk up and down the kitchen. I am so tempted to open the window. This feeling of waiting is killing me. It's even worse than dying itself. I start to feel a pain against my chest. Each time I breathe, my heart pounds. If you read my blog about Chest Pain, that's how I'm feeling right now. Eventhough the air is clear (no black or smoke), it feels as though I'm breathing in mud. I coughed a few times and my throat hurts. It's dry and it feels like a super sorethroat.

I slouch against the cupboard and sit on the floor and stare at the bloody cooker hub that's taking so long to kill me. Then I realise that there's no fire, the knob is turned all the way to the right and there's the smell of lingering guess. Hmm... this doesn't sound right. I retrace my steps.

I came home from work and went into the kitchen to cook instant noodles. When I was done, I turned off the fire, came out to the living room to eat and when I went back into the kitchen, I smelt gas. I looked at the cooker hub and realised that instead of turning off the switch, I had turned it the other direction. The gas that was coming out was too little that it couldn't sustain a fire but it leaked and that's what I smelt! *tsk* *tsk* That must've been what triggered my halucination and wild imagination.

I quickly turned on the fan to blow the lingering gas out the window, washed my dishes and was out of the kitchen. Phew! So it was all just a dream. Up to the part where I mistakenly turned the fire down instead of off. Hmmph! Silly me.

courtship

I think the best part in a relationship is when someone is being woo-ed. It doesn't always have to be the boys going after the girls. I mean, I've expressed my feelings to a boy before so it works both ways. The initial "I like you", *smooches* and hugs are the best experience in the entire relationship. There is this feeling of nervousness yet pure bliss which is not something I can easily describe with words.

The reason I'm talking about this is because I read a friend's blog and she's very obviously deeply in love. The last I met her, she was single so this must be a developing relationship. You can tell from her words how intense and happy she must be. I share her joy. It's so lovely to see a young couple in love.

I still love my boyfriend but we've come to the stage where we're just a couple. Yeah, we still hug and kiss and whisper tender loving words but it's different. There just isn't any Oomph! if you know what I mean... We love and care for each other but the relationship has come to a point where it's almost platonic.

Neither side tries to please the other anymore. Neither side bothers if the other is hurt. It's like, I see him and I go "Hi Shin!" and just give him a peck on the cheek. It's not like when I used to see him and my heart would go aflutter and I'd rush over and give him a peck so lightly on the cheek but which is bursting with love and energy.

Why do these things change? Why do people change? I still love him lots. I do, but... why? I'm not the only one. I've seen many other couples who go through this transition as well. A lot of them even stop kissing (passionately, I mean) after some time. A lot of couples I know don't even hold hands in public. Why? I don't understand and I never will.

If I could have it, I'd treat each day as if it was the first day I met my boyfriend. I would always want the feeling of a hundred butterflies swimming in my stomach. I'd shiver and hold my fists so tight when he kissed me. I'd do this and a million more just to re-live that very one day...

for my Readers

Hello! I'd like to thank all those who read and leave comments on my blog. Thanks for keeping it alive! Here's a little Primary 1 poem for you Readers:

I blog out of boredom and for fun,
Hence the mistakes and the pun,
I blog anything and everything under the sun,
Hoping you'll enjoy it as much as a chocolate bun!

Thanks for all the time you spent
Reading my complaints, nonsensical ideas and rant,
I tire from thought though I don't pant,
A million thanks from this tiny little ant.

It's lousy, I know. Well forgive me. It's been a long time since I came up with some silly rhyme. I remember in Secondary school when Evelyn and I used to write each other little poems in class. The teacher was so awfully boring. She was basically reading out of a book. Everyday, she'd come into class and started scribbling notes on the blackboard (to this day, I don't know why they call it black when all boards in schools are dark green!) and made us copy it into the exercise book. Why couldn't she have just photocopied the notes? Duh!

Evelyn and I would write little poems about the class/ the weather/ life etc. and secretly passed it to each other in class. After some time, Hwee Chen joined in the fun too. Man, those were the days. Do you remember Evie?

Long-Distance Relationship

My boyfriend Shin has gone back to KL, Malaysia. I am much saddened by it. KL is about 5-hours (car drive) away from Singapore. It's considerably near - just across the causeway. However, compared to when I could see him everyday... I can only hear him now. I can only talk to him by phone. There's the cheaper option of using Skype but in order for this to work, both parties need to be connected to the Internet and seated in front of the computer, which can be quite difficult. There's also the option of e-mails and MSN and these, again involve the computer.

In the daytime... both of us are busy. He's got some projects in Malaysia whilst I am an office employee and work from 8:30 a.m. - 6:15 p.m. The only time we can talk is after 6:15 p.m. (he finishes at 5:30 p.m.) but sometimes I meet up with friends and go rock climbing whilst he has many social plans of his own.

I know, it's not as tough as it sounds. My friend is dating someone living in Bangkok. I can always take a bus down to KL during the weekends to visit Shin but it's so tiring and draining to travel in a 5-hour journey that takes up to 6-7 if you travel by bus/coach. The busses always stop at a rest area for more than half an hour and that really lengthens the travelling time.

Anyway... I'm not about to give up on this relationship. Now now, not anytime soon but I must say it's not difficult. I used to think to myself - I could pull off a long-distance relationship. However, I'm stuck in one now and it's much easier said than done.

Chest Pain

I sometimes suffer from a Heart Attack. Oh no no... it's not the serious kind of Heart Attack which leaves you motionless and half dying. I'm not sure if any of you has ever experienced this but I had a chest pain attack at work today. It hurt like hell.

It's the area just under my left breast. It hurts inside so it doesn't really help if I pinch or hold my skin but it still feels better anyhow. Out of the blue, at anytime or day... I sometimes experience this chest pain.

It feels like an electric shot. Something just suddenly hurts so bad I can't move. I just cringe in pain and wait for the pain to go away. I don't know what aggravates it and I also don't know how to soothe it. It's weird. I did some Internet research and you can read more about Chest Pains here.

According to doctor-to-be friend of mine (Yao), it's not a heart attack. It still scares me sometimes though. I've asked a few friends and some have experienced this pain whilst others know nothing of it. I wonder if this is common.

Deathwish

I'm basically a pretty optimistic and happy person. I have a nice family. I am happy with my life. I should be satisfied. Sometimes though... things get screwed up and I just feel horrible. I feel down and sad and low. I feel as though the whole world is against me and that I'm better off dead.

I would never kill myself. It's not worth it. I'm too young for death. Plus I have flashbacks of my life as a kid... with my loving parents and I just think... it's a super big waste. I wouldn't do it. Not unless I'm totally left with nothing to hold onto in this world. Then, I might consider but I still probably wouldn't take my own life.

I'm quite sure that I'm not the only one who feels this way. I'm sure that at any one point in life, people must feel like committing suicide too. Some do it - which provides us much good reads in Newspapers. Others are just too chicken, like me.

Symmetrical Me

Almost nothing natural in this world is symmetrical. Our face, eyes, ears are probably not on the exactly same spot. They are probably not the exactly same size either. However, I am a very symmetrical person.

I mean, I like wearing symmetrical clothes for example. I don't like shirts that have one sleeve short and the other long. I don't like shirts or dresses which is one-sided. It makes me feel that my other shoulder is very naked and exposed when the other is warmly covered.

However, I go to the extent of hurting myself sometimes just to be symmetrical. For example, if a mosquito bites me, I'll slap my own left leg to kill the mosquito. Then, I'll proceed to slap my right leg (probably not as hard, just to get a slapping feeling) too. I just feel that it's so imbalanced if I slap one side and not the other.

I get this symmetrical feeling the strongest especially when it comes to things like cutting my finger nails or digging my ear of wax. I'll definitely do it on both sides. Otherwise, I'll get this nagging feeling and it'll gnaw at me until I give up and actually do it to the other side of my body.

What about you? Do you do that too? Are you as weird or symmetrical yourself?

Tiring Sleep

I went back to Malaysia over the weekend. I slept a lot but felt so lethargic. You'd think that one would feel fresh and re-charged after much sleeping but it's not true. I feel absolutely tired, sleepy and so restless! Here's my story:

I went back to KL on Friday night right after work. It is a 5-hour bus (coach) ride from the Singapore to KL bus station. I slept all the way except for the part where the bus stops at Ayer Hitam for a ½ an hour supper/ toilet break. As soon as I reached, my boyfriend Shin and best friend Lyn came to pick me up from the bus station. Immediately after at about 12:30 midnight, we went to have some fun.

We went to this club in town called Passion. It's pretty reasonable. There's no cover charge. One just pays & buys the 1st drink. We clubbed there for awhile... dancing and drinking only our 1st drinks. None of us felt like drinking last night so that was all we had.

At about 2:30+, we sent Lyn home. Then I went back to sleep. Slept all the way to about 10 a.m. the next day. Woke up with a heavy head. I didn't wanna wake up but I had to. I didn't want to sleep the weekend away. Went out for breakfast then my sister Niu cooked lunch.

Had a nice filling lunch. She can cook quite well, that girl. There was a stir-fried fish, fried chicken, vegetables, stir-fried chicken and white rice. My sister then drove us both back to my hometown Malacca (ahh... used to be known as "Sleepy Hollow" but has blossomed into a tourist attraction in recent years - very rich in historical wonders) in her Range Rover. Once again, I slept all the way. It's a 2-hour ride from KL to Malacca.

Once we got to Malacca, we just ate, slept and watched TV. It was raining pretty heavily every day so there's nothing much that we can do outdoors. Our little homemade pool was filled to the brim with rainwater.

On Sunday, I took a bus back from Malacca to Singapore. The journey takes about 3 hours by car but by bus it stretches to about 5 hours. Once again, I slept all the way. When I finally reach home in Serangoon... it was close to 11 p.m. I slept at around that time and woke up at 6:40 a.m. today. That's close to 8 hours' sleep!

Yet, I feel so sleepy/ tired/ lethargic/ restless. I wonder why.

First in the Search!

I just discovered tonight that if one logs onto the Google website, types roundfish into the text bar and clicks the Search button, the first entry from the Search will list my blog! Yipee! This brings me much happiness! Ha! Ha! Ha! I'm gonna announce it to the world. I'm gonna tell everyone. Hey, go try it out! Cool...

Myopia

Nearsightedness, or myopia, is a vision problem experienced by up to about one-third of the population. Nearsighted people have difficulty reading highway signs and seeing other objects at a distance, but can see for up-close tasks such as reading or sewing.

My eyesight has deteriorated recently. I have problem looking at things from afar. Road signs which I used to have no problem looking at from a mile away, I now squint even when I'm less than 200 metres away. I am deeply saddened by this. It's really hurtful for me because up to about 6 months ago, I used to have perfect eyesight. *sniff*

Tits -n- Toast

I visited my sister's blog today and realised that she has been blogging quite frequently. I have missed out on so many of her entries and so I diligently read each one of them from the last post I saw 5 months ago. It's really fun reading other people's blogs. They're not always funny but it still feels good to read it.

Talking of which, I wanna introduce you to a very interesting blog. It's called Tits -n- Toast and I discovered this from one of the comments on my sister's blog. You will realise that guys and girls alike enjoy reading Karen's blog. I too am a new fan of hers.

It's pretty interesting. It's a very adult site though so readers beware: Read at your Own Risk! I can relate to what she blogs about. I feel the same sometimes. Difference is, I don't have the nerve to do it. Therefore, I respect Karen for saying her mind and putting up nude pictures of herself. It really takes a lot of gut and she has a wonderful husband which approves it.

Go ahead... go read. Surf her blog and have fun! *grin*

Books

I enjoy reading. I used to read Enid Blyton when I was younger. One of my favourite series was Amelia Jane. I could really relate to the character because I was a very cheeky little girl. I remember when I was little (about 5 or 6) and had to wash my feet... I didn't bother to go all the way to the toilet and so I lifted up my foot and washed them in the basin right in the middle of the living room. My friend who saw this remembers this incident up to this day.

Anyway, I'm reading a book now called The Day My Butt Went PSYCHO! from Andy Griffiths. It's this crazy story about a boy who's butt leaves his body and wants to rule the world! The book is made for young boys. It has stuff about butts flying around... butts which emit gasses and fires shit as firearms. It's damn wild and imaginative. Totally ridiculous and yet funny at the same time. *smile*

I used to read. All types of books. Fantasy, comic, non-fiction and even porn. Reading is fun. It makes your brain work. It makes you think. It makes you wonder. It makes your imagination run wild. I especially love reading horror. My imagination makes the book 10 times scarier than it actually is.

I don't like to read self-help books though. I know they're good. They enhance and help you become a better person but they're so factual. There's nothing interesting or funny reading them. I prefer to read something which either scares or amuses me.

I'm working now so I don't have much time to read. I can only read on my way to and from work when I'm taking public transport. So it takes me about a week or so just to finish one book cause most of the times, I'd be sleeping on the bus/ train. Ha! Ha!

Work has been hectic though. I've decided I wanna pick up reading again. I wanna feel like I have a life outside of the office and I want something to entertain me whenever I'm bored instead of listening to the radio. I wanna work my brain and set my creative juices flowing. I wanna read, by inspired and write the next best seller. Until then... I've only this lousy blog to offer.