Major inertia tonight, just the thought of going back to work in a few hours.

The past few days for Christmas break were phenomenal. I got to meet with the boys who are back over tea at Royal Copenhagen, dinner with the girls at Relish on Friday night; I finally got my mutating keloid on left arm checked out; cut my hair so it hopefully no longer looks freakishly long. Christmas at church was delightful as always. The family had our portrait photo taken. There was log cake and snooping at Inez's, marshmallow Taboo at Euge's, and Devil's curry/shepard's pie dinner with candles at our abode.

I’m upset that so many of my close loved ones are having tough times at work. The curse that we have to toil the field since the fall of man is something I know we cannot escape from while on this earth, but what is most upsetting is the kind of battles we have to fight at the workplace. Unneccessary, ridiculous. As Josh said, the high productivity in SG is not because we are efficient beings, but because of the crazy hours expected of every machine running the wheel. I just wish more of us could say that we are truly happy where we are, but how many?

2008 has been such a special year. I don’t hope that this last part of the year, drooping into low morale will make me forget how special 08 has been. Sometimes I forget that what happened in the first three quarters actually happened this year! But I want to count these blessings –

Recall FYP. Boy! Those days, and nights. Those drives to Tuas. Those continuous days of toiling, and pursuing a cause for six whole months. Recall graduating. Those final months, weeks and days, of accepting and reaching the end. Recall travelling. Oh where do I start! Today Pastor Jason showed a vid of Nam Kem and I found myself messed up in tears once again. Recall beginning work, and learning or understanding what it means to step up as an adult.

All the colours in between. Black, bursts, gray. All the songs that accompanied. All the quotes, sentences, laughter, scents, cursings, musings, cherishing, relishing, dancing, frustrations, resolutions, seeing, learning, living.

2008 has been one of the best years yet.

Thank You for Your grace. For allowing me another year to live and live so abundantly. Thank You for saving me, and then walking with me on every part of the way. Thank You for every person you have allowed me to meet and to learn from. (Though it might not seem like it!) I am so excited about life, and 2009 and I want you to be in every part of it.

i really enjoyed the weekend. i wasn't ill. i wasn't thinking about work. i was having a weekend.
Saturday was first spent moving from one corner to another in our hood - 211 for lunch, coffee and lava cake at sb cause that's where we always find ourselves, frozen yogurt, cold storage, mama shop, Provence - with the two lovely ladies back from ausland. then of course there was the mandatory saturday meal at west coast, stuffing our faces with murtabak and teh halia. i was telling shan that one good thing that comes out from being ridiculously overworked is when you can have little moments, they become so precious. like a really good bath, with herbal essence, feels like a million bucks. a slow lunch, feels like two million. one of the directors who interviewed me approached me at the launch, and asked, how are they treatin you? i replied - i've made five months. i think they shld be treatin me alright. sunday, we found ourselves prepping for christmas. i haven't really been feeling it; got a little worried cause i haven't had time to get presents. swooped down to vivo and got almost everything. i don't like it to be last minute, but it is always the case. went for a run and ran till i turned purple. watched the semis and screamed at the tv till i turned purple. Laying back, head on the grass, chewing gum, having some laughs, yeah having some laughs. now i'm thinking of going away for the new year - ja ja ja!

one year ago on the 18 of Dec,


almost exactly a year later,




and all the in between,
a whirlwind.

baihaki scored.
hmm.

we definitely needed to tweak the layout.
it has been four years.

to usher the launch of the layout, i've spent the last two hours reading my four years worth of memories.

i am glad this blog has been kept.

In 2008, I’ve learnt that -

It is important to carry a notebook and pen everywhere you go.

The psychoactive stimulant drug I profess to be addicted to – caffeine – no longer has the ability to stimulate my Central Nervous System or keep me awake.

I am careless.

I have no understanding of grammatical rules.

My life is less of a mess when my room is clean.

Effective delegation requires very good instructions

Things will never get better, but you just get better with problem solving, and dealing.

I am not a linguist.

Happiness is not a guaranteed emotion when you reach an end-goal. The goal-posts shift, almost every other day. Yet, happiness can be experienced daily in things unplanned. It can be experienced in cool morning jogs, a good tasting coffee, a hug, in giving the day back to He who rightfully owns it.

With skin like mine, moisturizing is not an option; it’s a ritual.

90% of the time I cry, it is hormone-induced.

I abhor crowds but I love the city. I love the city, but I could live in a village. I could live in a village.
I could live in a village.

I really really really really really love to sing and play the piano and I haven’t told my mama this but if she had not stopped me from quitting at Grade 3, if she had not come fetch me every Saturday after band practices to organ classes, then, I would almost be music-less today and that. is. unconceivable.

I like to have one big night of dancing, at least once a year.

I can tell when you are lying to me. I have learnt to read eyes, tone, the works. Be spooked.

I spent a bit too much time looking for music.

My idea of the Public Service and what I had hoped to be able to contribute to it was innocently idealized; yet optimistically speaking, I cannot be more grateful to have been part of it this half of the year.

Having music on allows me to run 5 minutes longer on the tarmac.

A smile can do amazing things.

Eye contact, can do Amazing things.

Bureaucracy is a necessary evil.

Though I have many discrete ideas of what I may want to do with my life, I am not certain about any of them.

At the onset of adulthood, I have only started learning.