23/1/09 Friday I had early release at 1215 today! I started my spring cleaning for my desk in the office @ 11.. It's really dirty! I went to bugis to pray and shop after that.. Brought 2 pcs of clothings.. hehe..
24/1/09 Saturday Did more cleaning today. I handed $100 to my mum for buying new yr's food. We had our own steamboat, an early reunion dinner for my own family. It's been sometime since we last ate together.. =D
25/1/09 Sunday, new year's eve My cousins jio me for mj, something which i have not been playing for a long time.. ask alot of questions and made a lot of mistakes haha.. but it's fun.. had overdose of mj suddenly.. ate alot these days.. so easy to get fatter but difficult to lose it.. =X
26/1/09 Monday, new year day 1 woke up late.. happy! my parents went for a short break at cameron highlands. So my siblings and i went to an aunt's place before going to my grandma's house. We went back home quite early. I started to like new year 2 or 3 years ago. Ya, the new year i had during sec sch and jc times was not fun at all. Suddenly i like steamboat. Suddenly it's better =D
27/1/09 Tuesday, new year day 2 Woke up late again. Had a very good rest these 2 days. We went to our grandmother's place before going to my uncle's house. I went home alone after that since my siblings went to their friend's house. what's more, i got to work tomorrow. And it is the month end closing time. Sian~
28/1/09 Wednesday, 残業 day 1 working in an industrial area really sucks. Going out needs a bus. No stores are open during new year's period. We went all the way to fusionpolis, the ex foodcourt. We had a longer lunchtime than usual since it's so much further.
today's dinner is cup noodle.
29/1/09 Thursday, 残業 day 2 I bought fish soup from the coffeeshop beside my block after OT today. ahh~ My parents think i have an easy job. Just sit in office and enjoy air con. It's a nerve wrecking job, which u use brain rather than physical labour. Keep thinking and thinking. Everyone in my workplace knows i'm old at heart. -_-" appearance do not say much about a person. seriously.
30/1/09 Friday, 残業 day 3 There's no more new year's mood. Only tiredness. My mum called me this afternoon saying she will cook tonight since my sister is going to bring her bf back for dinner. So i worked without eating, since it's so rare that she will cook. The fucking thing is when i get home after all the hardwork, she said she thought i'll work late so she did not save food for me. =_= This is the 2nd time she "dua" me.
Luckily i'm so easy to feed. Just eat a little rubbish here and there and I'm done.
31/1/09 Saturday 残業 day 4 Today is working without getting paid. It is a part of filial piety. Just when i thought i can get a good sleep finally and woke up late the next day, my mum asked me to help her out at her stall today. haiz~ that's my parents. Only think of me when something occurs. Should I be happy? Our young master at home has such a good life. A son that cannot help out with anything is useless. What's so good about having a son. of course a daughter that cannot help out is useless too. So i should be glad i still can be of some use.
I'll continue my 残業 day 5 next week. End of the month is closing, start of the month is reporting. That's how each month repeats itself.
after days of cleaning, my house has finally get rid of all the unwanted stuffs, properly wiped! this is the time where the house finally has some glow.. i'll give it 2 wks to go back to how it was. =X
korean version of Hana yori dango is out! the trailer:
a japanese show that went in search of F3.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLQbARsCgOY&feature=related
watch 1st 2 ep of the show already.. so far so good.. it is certainly better than the taiwan version.. but since taiwan is the 1st to create this wave and how many years has it been? wow~ I have not watched the Japanese verion drama, only watch the movie..
I like the korean cast!! =D F4, JanDi, even the 3 三八 who called themselves Ginger, Sunny and Miranda are cute!
Watch this show with some of the homestay people.. The review was not great but i like this show.. it's worth the dollar spent.. Feel like watching it again. Thanks to kenny who gave us the very cute mp3..
1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day.. And while you walk, smile.. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
3. Buy a DVR and tape your late night shows and get more sleep.
4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, 'My purpose is to __________ today.'
5. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
6. Play more games and read more books than you did in 2008.
7. Make time to practice meditation, and prayer. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.
8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.
9. Dream more while you are awake.
10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
11. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.
12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
13. Clear clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new and flowing energy into your life.
14. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, OR issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
15. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
16.. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.
17. Smile and laugh more. It will keep the NEGATIVE BLUES away.
18. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
20. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
21. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
22. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
23. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
24. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'
26. Forgive everyone for everything.
27. What other people think of you is none of your business.
28.REMEMBER GOD heals everything.
29. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
30. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
31. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
32. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
33. The best is yet to come.
34. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
35. Do the right thing!
36. Call your family often.. (Or email them to death!!!)
37. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: I am thankful for __________. Today, I accomplished _________.
38. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.
39. Enjoy the ride. Remember this is not Disney World and you certainly don't want a fast pass. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy the ride.
40. Forward this to everyone you care about.
May your troubles be less, May your blessings be more, May nothing but happiness come through your door for 2009!
sob sob~ my favourite couple in the show is leaving because kim hyun joong has to film hana yori dango.. my fav couple playing korean card game.. Go Stop?
the other 2 couples are doing their wedding photos on their 100 day anniversary!! I love seeing them taking wedding shoots! everything is so sweet and beautiful~ aww..
2nd hippo gathering that I went. It is in nobu chan house. Actually it's the 2nd time and the last time i'll see her since she's leaving for Japan. They were saying this is the last hippo gathering. Hmmm.. But I'm glad to hear that others will continue. It's only fun if many ppl attend.. I really hope they will organise more homestays.. =D
Met up with secondary school friends and went to the nearby Xing Wang to have dinner..
After which we went to watch Bedtime stories.. We meet up because we wanted to meet each other, to wish each other.. birthdays, new year, these special dates are just occasions, chances that we use to meet up..
This trip is my 1st homestay and my first trip to Japan.
As our coordinator had told us umpteen times that this is about cultural exchange and not tour trip, I went on without a plan. It is said that you would get to meet people and get to know more about each others culture..
But these kind of things does not come naturally. You need to observe and ask. It is after returning from my trip, and look around me that I realised how much things I can talk about. I couldnt think of things to engage in a conversation when I was there. Many rounds of brain block, and language barrier.
Actually the language part is not so much of a problem. I just did not try hard enough. >.<
Everything is so new to me. Even the group of people that I'm going with. When we assembled in the airport, it was our 2nd meeting. The 1st was brief, during our orientation. By the time we went to our host family, i did not even see some of them after that until the day our trip ended.
When I went there and know that there is no plan laid out, I'm lost. The first thing that came to my mind is how am i gg to spend the 10 days then? A very wrong mindset. I should have just followed them throughout the 10 days. Something will come eventually day by day..
My host got a map and asked if there's anywhere i would like to go.. i'm really not sure.. If I were to keep going out with her, she would be paying for everything.. ahh.. But come to think of it, if they were to visit me in Singapore, I would pay for every single cent gladly and willingly too.
when i told her i'm gg on a trip with the others one day, she only laid out a day which I must be around. As the girls staying near me had no plans too, so it become a trip on our own.. I guess my host is just being nice, giving me the freedom on where i want to go..
She has her everyday life to pass too. If she were to go out with me, what happens to her daughter when she came back from school? She hosted a few people each year, imagine how many places she had went repeatedly..
I somewhat strayed off from the purpose of this homestay gradually. Going out early and coming back late. Even when i'm at home, i did not talk much. I'm not sure if it's the weather, the heavy clothing or just too tired at the end of the day..
looking through the photos, then i realised there are only 4 days which i actually spent with them. Other times are fun but.. I felt really bad as i went back to the way i was.. not interested in things happening around me, pretending not to know and being anti social.
I took up this homestay because I wanted to have a real chance to practise my Japanese which i had stopped learning after i started working. I wanted to go on this trip because i want to try to be who i am again. I know I do not have a cold personality by nature. I wanted to know people who shared the same interest. If i interact with people who are happy, who are sociable, it will encouage me to open up. Maybe I'm trying to get something out of my boring life which i made myself lived in. This is my first step and i hope to do better..
This trip makes me think alot. It could have alot more fun and laughter. When you have the ability to make things go right, do it! Dont hestiate because there might not be a next time!
I think i defeated the purpose of homestay. But i think i learn alot from my mistake. hopefully i can remember and carry them well in my head. I guess i'm too excited since it's my first trip. I have a better concept of homestay now.. If there's a next time, I hope i'll do better. Sightseeing can be done anytime but there isnt many chances to know and interact with people.
Seeing them living in such harmony does not seem real. These ten days does not seem real, something different from my day to day life, so i guess it leaves me a deep impression. I had to wake up to reality once i return..
I think i did not bond well with my host family but i'll always remember them. When you treat people with sincerity, it can be felt. Adjust your tone when u pick up your phone, your mood can be felt.. Make someone's day a happy one will make your day too.
