Ladies & Gentelmen...

EVA Airways flight BR226 to Taipei has been delayed by one hour... the new departure time will be at 2:10pm Singapore time... estimated arrival in Taipei is 6:30pm Taipei time... we apologise for the delay and for any inconveniences caused...

my boss is flying by SQ... no delay...

now we know...

Hello Taipei...

was packing my luggage from 2am to 4am... mainly clothings for the 8 days i'm gonna be in Taipei... of course plus the 10 packets of coffee my student's mum wanted... din think i will become kopi-uncle... hahahaha...

woke up at around 7:30am with a tummy ache... pre-flight jitters...

typing this entry before i go buy breakfast for mum and myself... then my uncle will send me to Terminal 2... think will snore on the plane...

no notebook... no updates... see ya in 9 days' time...

bye bye...

Past 3 Days...

having our departmental xmas celebrations in 5 minutes time... this year super early cos i will be away from tomorrow...

the past three days in office have been smooth... wasn't able to sleep on Sunday and Monday nights...

now i'm all geared up for the Taipei trip... my first personal trip since Brisbane back in Feb 2003... it's long overdue...

now the question is should i bring my notebook along since the hotel provides free broadband??

Another Memorable Weekend...

Friday night was at David's birthday bash... great to see so many familiar faces... at least put me more at ease... nice to catch up with them... met a couple of new faces... but didn't chat much with them... it's me lor... not comfortable with strangers...

Saturday rotted at home... was supposed to head back office to clear some stuff... but too tired after last night... met up with Vincent for Corrinne May's Christmas concert... mostly Christmas songs... kinda boring after a while... her voice was good though... somehow the choir was like a waste... didn't hear much of them... went for drinks after that... and took a bus home... save money lah...

Sunday met up with my mates to KL for a get-together to discuss the itinerary and stuff... we've decided more or less on what we're gonna do... KLCC, Bukit Bintang, Chinatown, massage, eat, shop, eat, shop, eat, shop...

oh ya... did i say i've cut my hair really short (again)?? at the barber downstairs... guess i'm just not ready to spend $30 on a haircut... it's just me... this episode has once again confirmed our differences... sigh...

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been listening to 石欣卉 - 你给的 on my ipod and on my notebook... makes me wanna cry... pre-flight syndrome...

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another three crazy work days in the office ahead of me... then it's off to Taipei... and after that Kuala Lumpur...

hang in there, Dave...

My Love Style...

Your Love Style is Manic

For you, love is the ultimate rollercoaster And you love to hold on tight and enjoy the ride Every time you fall in love, it feels like the first time And while it's exciting and exhilarating... It's also stressful and scary!

What's Your Love Style?

9 More Days...

leaving the office now... so tired... 6 more working days to go... i'll probably be back in the office on Saturday...

9 more calendar days to Taipei... and then KL after that...

did i tell you i simply adore 石欣卉's 从台北到北京 KL... especially the 9 dance remixes... yeahness to the max!!

Chill Out Monday...

8:15pm... while i was busy clearing my work in the office, received a call from Vince to go drinking... David, Edric and Norman joined us after their steamboat dinner...

a good break from work on a Monday night to relax my tense spirits...

Finally KL...

finally, the KL trip was confirmed... all thanks to Vince for the arrangement...

kinda draining for me co-ordinating the trip... especially when i have been busy in the office clearing stuff before my super duper long break from next Thursday... we were so worried about not able to get hotels... tried Capitol, Federal, Royale Bintang, Berjaya Times Square, Impiana KLCC Hotel and Spa... and finally we managed to have Boulevard Hotel... not the most ideal but it's next to the HUGE mid-valley megamall... mai hiam liao lah...

my schedule from next week is as follows:
21 Dec to 29 Dec - Xmas in Taipei
30 Dec to 02 Jan - New Year in KL

Freebies...

year-end coming... gotta clear all my rewards points before they expire...

got $30 Robinsons shopping voucher from my Raffles City INClub thingy...

redeemed a bottle of Ultra Mega Gold from GNC...

still gotta redeem my SAFRA points... and OCBC$... UOB UNI$ can bring forward... so it's ok...

Friends Sunday...

was lazing at home from 9am to about 1pm... it's Sunday and yet i was awake by 8:30am... time to do something about my biological clock...

met Shaun and Kenneth for some shopping... tea was at Central HK Cafe at Takashimaya... my favourite HK cafe in Singapore now... hahahaha... gave them the Xmas gifts i bought on Friday night...

browsing through Takashimaya, Paragon, Aussino, Centrepoint Robinsons and the new wing for ideas... luckily my shopping was completed a week ago... this time it's just to keep them company... end result, ZERO... they bought nothing... but at least they now know what is available there...

the new Centrepoint GAP has a different collection as the one in Vivocity... much lesser choices...

we had more tea at the Cafe Revive in Marks & Spencer... and it was time to part... Kenneth headed back to the East while Shaun & i decided to have dinner in Bishan...

home sweet home after that to clear my room a little... luckily the leakage from the air-con the night before didn't do too much damage... hehe...

Sandy Lam Saturday...

was back in the office from 9am for a sharing session with the Chairman... left the office at 1:45pm...

headed home to have lunch and slept for a short while, before meeting Kerry and Shaun for dinner at Paragon... after that we attended Sandy Lam's concert at the Singapore Indoor Stadium... this is the first time i am so close to the stage for a concert...

great music, great voice, great showmanship, great dancers, great crowd, great production...

somehow, what's lacking are the emotions... her last concert in 2002 was filled with feelings and emotions... this time i couldn't feel that... although i was totally moved when she sang Almost Over You... powerful rendition by the diva...

the night was definitely worth more than the S$150 i've paid for the ticket...

after the concert, we went to Coffee Club at Orchard for coffee and dessert... was loking at the Lillian Too 365 Feng Shui Tips book Jason gave me for my birthday... so much to change in my room!! we had so much fun just thinking about what we are going to do about our houses, rooms, office, etc...

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below is the track listing of the night's songs... and for more pictures, videos, reviews of the concert, please visit: Sandy Lam Website

01. 傾斜
02. 燒
03. 我坐在這裡
04. 鏗鏘玫瑰
05. 夜太黑

06. 存在
07. Better Man
08. 愛上一個不回家的人
09. 遠走高飛

10. 鷹與星
11. 再生戀
12. 為你我受冷風
13. 不必在乎我是誰14. 至少還有你
15. 傷痕
16. It Wasn’t Meant To Be
17. 相信
18. 玫瑰香

Diva Medley:
19. Diva
20. 不還你
21. 天大地大
22. 一分鐘都市一分鐘戀愛
23. 一個人
24. 灰色

(Encore)

25. 破曉
26. 聽說愛情回來過
27. 紙飛機
28. 心野夜

English Medley:
29. I Swear
30. Are You Ready For Love
31. And So It Goes
32. Almost Over You

Late Night Shopping Friday...

got out of the meeting at 8:30pm... decided to go for retail therapy before heading home for dinner...

got three of the small Ugly Dolls from Anthropology... one for Shaun, one for Kenneth and one for myself... Robin Goh was serving me in the shop... how nice... got the dolls gift-wrapped... the shopkeepers were all so friendly... i love Anthropology... but prices are kinda steep...

Precious Thots was having 15% discount storewide... couldn't resist... bought a mouse musical thingy... i have four at home now... will post a picture some time...

shopping is indeed therapeutic...

3 Grammy Nods For Madonna

amidst all the hooha over her adoption of a Malawi kid, Madonna managed to receive three Grammy nominations for next year's Grammy Awards...

Best Dance Recording
(For solo, duo, group or collaborative performances. Vocal or Instrumental. Singles or tracks only.)

• Suffer Well
  Depeche Mode
  Ben Hillier, producer; Steve Fitzmaurice & Ben Hillier, mixers
  Track from: Playing The Angel
  [Sire/Reprise/Mute]
  
• Ooh La La
  Goldfrapp
  Goldfrapp, producers; Mark "Spike" Stent, mixer
  Track from: Supernature
  [Mute]
  
• Get Together
  Madonna
  Madonna & Stuart Price, producers; Mark "Spike" Stent, mixer
  Track from: Confessions On A Dance Floor
  [Warner Bros.]
  
• I'm With Stupid
  Pet Shop Boys
  Trevor Horn, producer; Robert Orton, mixer
  Track from: Fundamental
  [Rhino Entertainment]
  
• Sexy Back
  Justin Timberlake & Timbaland
  Danja, Timbaland & Justin Timberlake, producers; Jimmy Douglass, mixer
  [Jive Records/Zomba Label Group]

Best Electronic/Dance Album
(For vocal or instrumental albums. Albums only.)

• Supernature
  Goldfrapp
  [Mute]
  
• Confessions On A Dance Floor
  Madonna
  [Warner Bros.]
  
• A Lively Mind
  Oakenfold
  [Maverick]
  
• Fundamental
  Pet Shop Boys
  [Rhino Entertainment]
  
• The Garden
  Zero 7
  [Atlantic]

Best Long Form Music Video
(For video album packages consisting of more than one song or track. Award to the Artist and to the Video Director/Producer of at least 51% of the total playing time.)

• Flow: Living In The Stream Of Music
  Terence Blanchard
  Jim Gabour, video director; Robin Burgess & Jim Gabour, video producers
  [Jazziz Music & Video]
  
• Directions
  Death Cab For Cutie
  Noah Gelb, video producer
  [Atlantic]
  
• Demon Days — Live In Manchester
  Gorillaz
  J.C. Hewlett, video director
  [Virgin]
  
• I'm Going To Tell You A Secret
  Madonna
  Jonas Akerlund, video director; Susan Applegate, Angela Becker, Keeley Gould, Shelli Jury & David May, video producers
  [Warner Bros.]
  
• Wings For Wheels: The Making Of Born To Run
  Bruce Springsteen
  Thom Zimny, video director; Thom Zimny, video producer
  [Columbia]

Who do you prefer to work with: A competent jerk or a lovable fool?

interesting article from Asiaone's website:

http://business.asiaone.com.sg/office/ask/20061206_001.html

Viral Attack...

had cold sores on my lips... and related sore throat and slight fever... went to see the company doctor... she decided to start me on the nasal spray... she felt that i do have a sinus problem... before that she was treating my gastric...

WHAT NEXT??

What A Sunday!!

just came home... was up since 4am this morning...

after the marathon, waited for 1.5 hours to collect my bag... the system was damn messy... everyone was complaining...

went to Bugis Cali for a shower and steam to relax myself... had lunch with some friends at Terra Cafe Bugis Junction... watched Jack And The Beansprout at the Drama Centre... coffee and cakes at TCC Bugis... window shopped for a while, before chicken rice dinner at Seah Street... finally coffee and cakes again at Mint Cafe (some Toy Museum place)...

four of us were limping most of the time... especially climbing up and getting down the stairs... OUCH!!!!!

what an eventful Sunday...

goodnight world...

Mission Completed...

completed the 21.1km in 2 hours 26 minutes... sub 2.5-hour target met...

didn't stop at all, except for drinks... drank at all the water points... only missed one... haha... even had a banana...

Marathoners, All The Best...

just came home from my Xmas shopping alone at Taka... 4 shopping bags in all... so proud of myself... done with most of my Xmas shopping... except those for my family...

before that was with Titus, Shaun and Kenneth for the movie Quinceneara... very touching movie...

will blog about all the other happenings over the last few days of birthday celebrations cum meeting friends tomorrow, after the half marathon...

getting the pre-race jitters... stomach has been playing punk with me since this evening... probably it's my first 21km since i did the full marathon back in 2004... 2 years on... some things don't change... hahahaha... tomorrow must remember to lube my inner thighs and tape my nipples... to prevent abrasions...

to all the runners, all the best... remember, run your own race... enjoy the run and have fun... that's exactly what i am going to do...

gonna shower and then it's off to bed... waking up at 4am... *yawn yawn*

Vivocity Friday...

met Kenneth for Bodypump at Raffles Cali... had lunch at Central HK Cafe *again*... nice food...

met Triston for shopping at Vivocity... arranged long ago and we just remembered it's the grand opening of Vivocity today... Vivocity was crowded for a Friday afternoon...

bought a T-shirt from GAP, something that i simply have to do... only because it's GAP... bought limited edition Cherry Hershey's chocolate too...

had tea at the Island Cafe in Tangs... nice fusion (local + western) food... nice tea (earl grey mixed with fruit juices)...

Island Cafe food





we parted at around 7pm... headed to Spizza @ Club Street to meet my colleagues for a farewell... Spizza has pizzas from A to Z... my favourite has to be Zara (banana chocolate pizza)... great starters too... and good desserts...

Spizza food









four of us had drinks at Harry's Far East Square, before heading home to rest...