nothing to write about

Year end finally arrived, and all the accts i manage closed beautifully. Result of 1) 30% careful calculation, 2) 40% a strong heart, 3) 30% very very good luck.

Couple of days ago I told a long time friend about this blog, hoping that by sharing the blog we would somehow be in touched. Was rather stunned when after reading it for less than a minute he told me my blog was too boring. Asked him, how do i write an exciting blog? He told me to write something scandalous, put some pictures. Hmm...

I'm not sure if it's good or bad but nothing scandalous seems to be happening with my life anymore. Either that, or i'm too prudent to put it down in black and white.. heehee. I guess somewhere along my 20s i've mellowed a great deal. I don't feel that much for a lot of things anymore. I'm not too easily excited or moved to declare an opinion on a great deal of things.
Maybe because i've been through many extreme, hard to believe situations that daily life has become mundane.

I'm living day by day, grateful that nothing too catastrophic is happening. So in summary, i'm just doing it as i name my blog.. "living a life". Ha

month end stress

It’s month end again. The stress is hard to believe. 3 days before month end, I have to guess for the countries I manage, how much local currencies would be in the acct. I’ll have to inform the traders to convert them to USD. E.g. 3 days before month end –I have 500,000 (USD equivalent). Monthend payout – unknown. Varies from 100,000 to 500,000. Recievables – predictable but variance of 500,000. I’m allowed to leave 100,000 of local currency in acct. OD not allowed.

So yesterday I asked the traders to convert 1.4 million. Turns out tomorrow the accounts payable want to pay out more than I expected. I’m running into a chance of going into OD for month end, but I dare not make any adjustments in case some customer decide to make a big cash order.

This is called “waiting for death” - Deng Si.

Well, on the personal side, I’ve moved into the new house last night. Full of things. I can’t believe how I can ever unpack. So tired. House too big, too dirty. After unpacking, there’s the washing. I can’t find my clothes. They are in the dozens of boxes left around. I’m freezing in the office cos I didn’t bring something warm to wear.

Guys who came to fix the lights pee-ed all over my toilet seat and left stains. I don’t even dare to use my own bedroom toilet. It’s quite a disaster.

Telling myself to breathe… breathe…

Mom and dad came to help out on Tuesday. Even though it was only for a while, the comfort was great. Having them there made everything more cheerful.

family day

Today's a family day. 1st, i fetched my parent's from mom's dental appt at Wheelock's place, then we went to Bugis where dad bought his 5 kg worth of tidbits, then went to buy mattress for my bro, then to IKEA Tampines... then had a long long chat with my aunt on the phone over child upbringing... it's not easy.

Parking is free at IKEA Tampines but patience is required, and a good sense of humor. Actually, there's no lack of parking space, but movement is all jammed up due to exit area being very crowded so the exit queue snaked the whole carpark and prevents people from parking.

Badminton was terrible! 2 courts, 7 people, no rest at all! So tired after the 2nd game. i think i've improved a bit since i started in May. Reaction is better but not quite there yet. Sometimes anticipation is good but sometimes it causes me to run in a totally different direction. Concentration is important.

By the way, on topic of concentration, i realize that it plays a part in Mahjong as well. Sometimes if i'm waiting for cards, my mind will drift and i'll wait till the end of time and the card won't turn up. however, if i apply my mind on it, say... i think "2 wan, 2 wan, 2wan", my neighbour will indeed throw a 2 wan. Strange, but tried and proven. heh heh.

new phone

Bought a phone! Last time I bought one was in 2003, I think… when I was still with Standchart. Back then I bought a really cute phone that looks like a lighter, SGD38. I remember I bought it after the Standchart family day at which my team supposedly (haha.. that’s another story) won USD1000 from the treasure hunt.

After that it was mostly hand me downs so no choice involved. I was going to choose one from the 0 plans if not for my youngest bro who vouch fervently for his 750i.

Decided on a Walkman Phone, Sony Ericson W810i, same as my aunt’s. Haven’t started on it yet. Will wait till I’ve given it its required elixir of life – 8 hours of charge!

Mashi Maro

Chanced upon this website and found out about this rabbit and its videos. Quite funny videos. Now I know why sometimes Mashi Maro is dressed as a dog etc, and funniest thing is, why he cleans toilet. What a nasty way to make fun of Chinese legends haha.
http://www.asiafinest.com/multimedia/mashimaro/

"Mashimaro, Korea's most popular cartoon character, was created in June 2000 by Kim Jae In and Jang Mi Yeong. Mashimaro's cuteness has captured the hearts of millions - but don't be deceived by his looks. Mashimaro is actually quite a mean practical joker.MashiMaro is the main character in the story of MashiMaro Forest. He is a cute new character, who happens to be a bunny that likes to play tricks. The name is derived from marshmallow since MashiMaro looks like one! However, MashiMaro is a twist on the name marshmallow. It sounds like how a baby would say marshmallow: MashiMaro. His name is also commonly mispelled as Mashi Maro.Originated from an animation published over the Internet, MashiMaro is a well-known rabbit character from Korea, and is often referred as the "cheap rabbit" in Hong Kong and Taiwan.. It has won fans' hearts over the years with its fatty and dumpy look. Here at AsiaFinest.com, we have free episodes of his funny adventures in Mashimaro Forest for you watch. Be sure to check out each and everyone one of them, including the parody ChocoMaro!"

emotional shock

Many times in my life, especially these past years, my mind and emotion gets stirred into a mess. I feel that I’m faced with choices that I have to make, unknowns that I have to predict. Sometimes I wish that I can be really sucked into the mess and have to make a decision out of emotional stress.

Unfortunately, I’m too rational.

It’s not that the feelings are not strong. They are very strong, but no matter what, I have this irritating ability to step back and take a look at the situation with hindsight, with freaking PERSPECTIVE. I will step back and look at the situation as if I’m me, 10 years later. I’ll step back and look at me with the universe as a backdrop and say “oh well, inconsequential. Snap out of it.”

Freaking PERSPECTIVE makes me consider the pros, the cons, everybody else, life in a 40 years day by day marathon. Everything thus becomes inconsequential. I can’t see the sense of taking risk. My cousin once read my fortune and told me that I’ll make a major wrong decision due to me using my brain instead of my heart. I think he’s right.

I’m given 2 choices in life. To be totally involved and ride with the emotional ups and downs or to take a step back and enjoy the breeze. I am a coward. I choose to be safe, to stand at distance watching my life go by.

recommend teochew porridge

What a clumsy me ow.

I went for dinner alone at the Teochew porridge stall at Balestier road, (directly opp Jalan rama rama) last night. When the barley came, I absent mindedly picked it up and due to condensation gathering at the bottom of the glass, it stuck on the table a little and I ended up toppling the whole glass of barley on myself.

Applause for the waiters/waitresses at the shop though. Within seconds, 3 of them came with mop, cleaning cloth and a new pack of tissue for me. When I turned around, a new table has been set up for me with a new glass of barley. Feeling very touched already, I wanted to pay for the new glass of barley, but was refused with a smile.

Total price of dinner with drink $2.70 (1 veg, 1 meat + porridge) but with service that surpassed all the restaurants I’ve ever been. Sigh… It takes a clumsy meow to appreciate the nice people sometimes.

BTW, mom’s cardigan done. I’ve posted the picture in my selling blog http://knit-to-wearing.livejournal.com/