28 Feb 07

Most of the people i met love to ask me, "So how's flying?"
And i wish i can say to all, "Killing me softly".
If you understand at all.

*******************

Cost me almost a $200 bomb the other day on these stuff in preparation to start my photo album. For the new phase.

I spent a good 3+ hours browsing through A"N"BC, DAISO, PRINTS and MADE WITH LOVE for all these materials.
Totally got blown off with the amount of work, artistic cells and of course $, that it is gonna cost me to put together an album.
And yeah~ If not for this trip i wouldn't realised that this niche market is booming.

Piles of my photos

It's loads of fun going through them, reminiscing on the good and bad times.
Some, made me laugh out loud;
Some, made me wince and wish i wasn't such a bitch back then;
Some, brought a blissful smile;
while others, i just wish i had done more or better.

**************

Going for consultation later.
Loads of question to ask. Haven done much research all this while, but i realised, the more i know, the more uneasy i feel.
But i really want to get over with this. Cos even the spects is giving me headache from prolong wearing.

I guess it's too late to chicken out.

Tapes of her Life

Lately, there has been this unsettledness bothering her.

If her new pair of shoes was being stepped on, watch that devil rised to her otherwise peacful countenance.

If she couldn't find her things, get out of the way when you see her eyebrows starts to frown.

If she found a scratch on her nice jacket, leave her alone and she'll be glad to dwell on it.

If her mother started to nag too much, her snapping back would have put her to shame cos even a primary 1 knows what is filial piety.

Yeah, she noticed it and hates that ugly self of hers, but didn't know how to deal with it.


Perhaps it was all the sorting through of old photographs, or perhaps she decided it was time to face her anguish. She sat there in tranquill after a bad outburst of temper, it has been sometime since she last experienced it, and started rewinding the tapes of her life.............

Ever since young she never had much.

She had never own a Barbie doll. And when she brought home 2 dolls she borrowed from her schoolmate, she got severely reprimanded.

When the rest of the world had a computer, she was contented with a television.

Her dad was brought up like an "Ah sia", meaning a young master. Everything her family had or do, was dependent on her grandad. Her father is a squanderer. Being the way he was brought up, he never knew how to make and protect wealth. What he knew best, was to waste it away on his lavish and selfish "hobbies". Family never seem to be his first priority.

"Retribution". The word suddenly ran through her head, interrupting the flow down her memory lane. Ya, maybe it was one reason to explain why the 2 sons of her grandfather didn't made it to protect the little empire he spent his life building.

She was too young and couldn't do anything. On top of it all, she being a female, can never have much weight in a traditional Chinese Teochew family anyway.

Her mother was the last pillar of support, holding the family together after her grandad left for heaven, which would have fallen into pieces if not for her strength, if not for her children.

They live day to day, just another typical family trying to make ends meet, neither pathetic nor are they very comfortable.

But she learn. That the world is never fair and that being simple and contented can be fortunate too. However, that didn't stop her from striving for a better life, for her mother, for herself and for one that she never had. Simply because she can't undo the past and there is only one option - looking ahead, and try to make sense of this world.

All she prays is that, she never lose herself in doing so.

Once in long while, this comes back, as if to haunt her. Or maybe she is still coming to terms with it.

Whatever it is. She just needs to let it off her chest and then shelf it.

And maybe sometime much later, she's gotta deal with it again.
=)

My leave started yesterday.

Which means the date is drawing near.

I'm starting to regret a little about picking such an early date.

No.1 - I'll be missing my last team flight with them, b4 i'm transferred to another team. Although there had been some grievances, they are still very nice people indeed. Will miss them =)

No.2 - And of all flights, why does it has to be Tokyo - LA !?!?!?! Damn....

No.3 - Friends has been telling me that i look good in my red spectacles and now it's all gonna be wasted =(

I've tried to postpone my leave, but the system requires me to ballot for the change, for every SINGLE 16 days. Now, that is reaaaaaaally tedious when time is not on my side. I may end up neither here nor there, which will be worse than what it is to begin with... Haizzzzz

***********
Right, gotta run! Someone's birthday dinner to attend.
And i just realised, tomorrow there's another one too haha =)
But that means i'll be missing Chingay! Zzzzzz =(

Shanghai - Cheng Huang Miao 16 Feb 07

WAAAAAAAAAAAA.....
Chinese New Year in China is soooooo happening !!!!
They had fireworks everywhere the entire evening from 6 plus till countdown lor....
In comparision, SG's darn boring ah..... =P
How i wish i have family or friends to visit in China Keke... It would have been loads of fun to spend CNY over there.


We didn't have much plans to go out, cos most of us just wanna recuperate and be back in SG for full flegde "Bai Nian" activities.
Not until our masseur suggest we take a look at "Cheng Huang Miao". Alrite then, it's not everyday that we get to see China in such a festive season. Plus i've heard about this place from a couple of friends, so i guess it must be worth a visit right?

Honestly i have no idea that "Cheng Huang Miao" consist of such a large tourist area with so many restaurants and shopping malls. As for the "Miao", it is just a small temple located in an evasive corner, took us a few detours b4 we actually found it.

Heard the ''xiao long bao" there's famous too!
But obviously, mine's just the cheap take-away "da long bao". =p




Within the tourist shopping compound. Nice hor?


And finally, the temple. Got entrance fee somemore..... @.@

Think i will be back there if i get the chance, for shopping =9

15 Feb 07

One last day b4 i jet off to Shanghai and totally miss Singapore's pre-CNY atmosphere. Loads of things on my to-do list that day, couldn't afford to waste it away despite my fainting spells at Suntec. All because i worked tooooo hard on the return Brisbane flight. Work, as in not just robotic working, but with that 'human touch' they talked about.

I realised the irony here. Aussie flights aren't exactly popular, in fact i think they are not. It will be unusual if the flight is not full. Most of us know, we really gotta work every single cent for it. The chances of us being zonked the following day is 80%, just like a bad hangover from too much booze, and in our case, over-working.

However, however, however.... Out of so many flights, i find myself giving alot to my pax cos i reap the most satisfaction out of the Aussie sectors. *Shrugs* Too many external factors and i can't really write an essay detailing why.... But i know one thing for sure, pax plays a very crucial role in pushing us towards peak performance too. =)


Anyway.....
Couldn't take my mind off this Rauol shirt when i went shopping with him a few days back. And the sneaky me love to drop the surprise bomb =)
Already drop a very big hint on what i would love to have in return hehe....

But when i stepped into the Suntec branch, something else caught my eyes instead and decision was made in 10 seconds. =P


I love his little boy expression here hehe...


Head to Chinatown later in the evening. Where else besides Chinatown in SG to soak in the festive mood?
Turn out? this year's Chinatown CNY bazaar is Zzzzzzzzzz.... Quite disappointing....

Brisbane

An early "Bai Nian"....

Cos they were expecting me only on the CNY eve. Had already gone through much hassle exchanging my Melbourne for Brissy. Thus i doubt if i have sufficient time to do it again. More importantly, Brisbane's money is freaking hard to earn. Worked my ass off and after i got back, almost fell ill due to exhaustion.
Hiak....


But i guess it wasn't a really great time for them to host me haha =9

Taaa... Their apartment still in a very raw state when i arrived.
All of them were out, either working or at graduating ceremony, except for Pin. And i joined in to help her sort the clothes.

By evening time, everyone's back. To work on doing up their apartment.

And.... in a short span of 2+ hours, most of the furniture were done up (Kev will make a good interior designer or carpenter =9) and in place. Coooool...

80% accomplished b4 we left for dinner, famished after a whole day of "work"

Watching them doing up their love nest, set me thinking about how i want mine to be like in future. I'll fret over every little detail and certainly wouldn't want external 'Kaypo-ness' =P

Cos things can get very frustrating when there's an extra finger directing. =9

Copenhagen

I'll remember this forever...
This is how i look when i see falling snow for the very first time in my life =)



Snowing, cats and dogs...

Simply luuuurve it... It's beautiful..... But f-f-f-freezzzzing...





And there! The Little Mermaid, what Danmark is known for as well... Besides Danish cookies =9

Fancy visiting Little Mermaid when snowing...

She's one of my SNY when i was still under probation, now it's her turn... keke... All the best babe.



Notice the top left hand corner of the pic?
It's still snowing, but the snow clouds moved away...

After Little Mermaid i went back and concuss till the next day, while Riz n E went on to the shopping street... Couldn't join them cos the melting snow almost froze my toes off... I need to get another non-suede boots... Argggg....



Plans to go "Melmore" (i have no idea the exact spelling.. >.<"") in Sweden were call off the next day, when our buffet breakfast drags too long into the late morning. It was loads of fun when almost the whole set of crew squeeze into a round table, talk and joked for all breakfast. =)



Settled for Carlsberg Brewery instead.
My Fav teammies.

The famous elephant gate, designed and built by the then-renowned architect.

For once, being the Beer girl, i present to ya: Carlsberg....

According to the photographer, this photo of mine was taken with "ill intentions", to make my brother jealous =9

Rows after rows of Carlsberg history, all on their bottles.

Okie, ya i know it's nothing much.... Didn't feel like taking photos of all those display machines?

The "city hall", aka walking street.

Actually i thought Singapore should have something, a square, like that...

Campaigning for more teachers!

Flight back was Delok. =X

It didn't help when you have a leader who makes bad decisions, and on top of that, brushs aside our welfare insignificantly. That reaaally stretchs us to the max.

Though pax were nice and appreciative, there're just too many other factors that made this flight top my "reject" list next time.

Shag the hell out of me, when i am already suffering from incessant coughs....

*tsk tsk*

Dubai - Cairo

As promised.

Traders Hotel...

Room's much nicer than Renaissance, but in terms of facilities, i prefer Renaissance... What a waste, cos they have an in-door pool instead of an out-door one... Haiz...

The Mummy Museum!!! On the first day's afternoon.

Too bad no pictures allowed inside. Though it looks nice on the outside, the interior is dark and has a lingering mouldy smell. I guess too much antique =P The place is freaking huge! Din manage to finish, and neither did i pay extra to visit the Tutankhamen tomb. Maybe next time....

Why do we always say "maybe next time"? When there may never be a next????
Ok, shhhhhh... that's too depressing. Life should be full of hope =)


The Light and Sound on our first night there. It was freezing cold while we stood in the open balcony of Pizza hut to watch and snap pictures.

Heh~
Luckily we didn't pay the entrance fee to go in, cos it's really nothing much, esp when the voice of the naration sounds exactly like the "Ten commandments" Zzzzzz.....
But we gotta tip the Pizza Hut guy for opening up the balcony for us though.... Tsk Tsk... So sneaky...


City of Cairo from my room.

This is the first hotel i ever stayed in that has a balcony! =)


On the way to the pyramids.


Pitch stop at this Papyrus painting shop.

That's the Papyrus plant they used to make the paper...
They seem to be receiving many of us every other day, the whole demostration process and the sales talk that follows is urg... Makes me feel like a piece of meat on the butcher's chopping board. =X


Yeah~ So the rides begin....


First time on a horse, if you discount the time i rode a pony in the Singapore Zoo when i was less than 10? Hahaha....


1 Camel and 3 horses, and off we went.


The entrance to Siberia and the Sahara desert on the left, if i didn't hear the tour guide wrongly.






When this view came into sight i was like "oooohs" and "ahhhs"

B4 this, i have this impression that the pyramids must be in those ulu ulu places in a desert, far far away from the rest of the world. Oh well... i was so wrong....
See the city in the outskirts?



My "entourage".


More Ooooooohs and Ahhhhhhs.... hehe...
Mesmerizing....












The forward-gallery-happy-family crew...

I dun mean B777-200 though. Happy family cos the 3 of us stuck in the same gallery for all 4 sectors. Haha...





From afar, couldn't really see that the pyramids are made up of blocks of stones stacked up tog.


Desert, Pyramids, Horses, Camels and all the horse-riding..... PURFECTO =)





Alrite, the corny pics.... Ideas from the well seasoned tour-guide.


The Sphinx of Giza...

Oh my... This artifact isn't in such a pretty shape anymore... The nose's almost coming off due to erosion.



The Sua-ku me who must take a photo with a horse carriage and a lazy bum on board =P

Scenes from along the road... There was this stretch of the river earlier on that was full of trash, basically human rubbish. Reminds me of what they used to say about Singapore River, wondering if that was how ours used to look like?

We are so fortunate to be living in Singapore....

The nice Kabab guy whose willing to pose for us =)


The night market is so interesting!! Too bad we didn't have much time to browse the whole market b4 Tarek comes to pick us up.







I don't mind doing Cairo all over again...

Simply addicted to horse-riding. Looks cool, esp when the horse broke into a lope in the desert.... But ride a horse yourself and you'll know it's a matter of life and death... A little freaky...

Great trip and station, but not-so happy working experience, as the gossips and sacarsm gets to me a little. Thank god i have Kelly with me, as she know those people and totally understood what's going on, and partly cos we were both the subjects since we were buddy b4...

Hiak... Whatever, long forgotten. I just need to move on =)