This Is Quite True, Isn't It?

Saw this on one of my friend's FB page and rather liked it. :)

Understanding Before Assumption

Read this quote somewhere on twitter, and while I can't remember the exact phrasing, it was something about being understanding before making assumptions. And I think this is something I really need to learn.

It's hard though, because it's just so much easier to jump to conclusions. But I guess that's not an excuse not to try.

Sleeping Cycle

One of the benefits to consciously making the effort to go home for dinner after work, is that you get more downtime. More time to relax, wind down, and get ready for bed.

I've been going to bed earlier these days, and I must say getting 8-9 hours of sleep every night is quite pleasant. *grin*

The only downside is that I spend less time chatting with the grasshopper. Since there's a 2 1/2 time difference, I'm usually already in bed even before he reaches home. But it's a small matter. We chat during the day, and spend time on the weekends on Skype. :)

Anyway, it's Friday tomorrow. Whee!

A Little Change In My Daily Routine

This is what my day used to be like, before I realised that I was eating every meal out. I'd wake up, get ready for work, rush (ok I lie, I take my time) to the office, order breakfast at the cafe on the same floor, have my breakfast delivered to my desk (oh the convenience!) and eat breakfast while checking my work (and personal) emails.

Breakfast would usually be the toast set - 2 soft boiled eggs, 2 slices of kaya toast and a cup of kopi. After breakfast, I'd potter around the office and then make plans for lunch. Lunch could be as simple as ordering from the cafe again and eating in (spaghetti, curry chicken, fried noodles) or as sinful as having mojitos with a large steak and fries.

After lunch, I'd potter around some more and then make plans for dinner and/or drinks. I'd hang out with friends, saunter around town, and then make my way home in the evening. I'd get online and chat for a bit, watch some TV, take a shower and go to bed.

These days I'm trying to cut down on the eating out part. Partially to save a bit of money, but mostly because it's just healthier to eat at home. So I've taken to having breakfast at home in the mornings before heading out (a glass of milk and 2 slices of bread), and opting to not have my morning cuppa when I reach the office.

Lunch out is inevitable, but I'm trying not to eat at fancy places too much. And then I head home after work- which leaves me plenty of time to wind down and just relax at home, and also have dinner with the folks.

So far so good. :)

Hen Nan Ma?

I think one of the problems (or maybe it's a good thing) is that my ego is huge. I think I'm a genius, and often prove myself right. I also lack a sense of humility. Lol.

Anyway, this is evident by the amount of praise I heap upon myself everytime I successfully cook something. Orh nee, soya bean milk, rendang.. You name it, if I've done it, I've definitely sung my own praises. Heehee.

Few items up on the menu. LGG and I made a fruit cake (from scratch!) for Ching's birthday, and we'll finally get to try it next Saturday. We'll also be making pani puri and vegetable biryani. Slurp. As LGG commented, how hard can it be?

I also want to make har gao, just because. And steamed yam cake too.

It's a good attitude to have, I guess. Cos when you think you can do something, half the battle is won. The next step would just be to actually do it and bask in your success. *grin*

Ka-Piak!

One of the downsides to having really poor hand-eye-leg co-ordination is that I almost always end up with welts on my arms and legs (and sometimes face) from the skipping rope whipping into me.

Ouch.

But ah well, it's raining so I can't go out for a jog. Plus I found the skipping rope (strangely it was in my luggage).

Discipline

I think I'm gonna try to be more disciplined about my life this month (and hopefully it'll stick).

- Go out less and therefore spend less.
- Eat out less. Already breakfast and lunch are eaten out. Go home for dinner.
- Stop taking cabs unless absolutely necessary.
- Exercise more. Try to go jogging at least 3 times a week.
- Save money. Have my eyes set on a 3 month long holiday next year or in 2012.

Friday!!!

It's Friday!!! Whee!!!

Time To Get A New Phone?

My current phone, a Sony Ericsson P1i, is more than 2 years old and it's beginning to show. The battery barely lasts a day and I'm unable to charge it fully, even if I plug it to the charger overnight.

Everyone says I should just get the iPhone, because I'm the sort of person who'd really have a lot of fun with it. But while I've heard all the rave reviews about it, I'm also aware of the shortcomings of the phone.

The grasshopper wants to get me a new phone and he's thinking of getting me one that runs on an android platform. Something about being able to run multiple applications at once, or something. (Ask him, he's my tech support guy. Haha.)

So now I'm wondering if I should pay for a mobile data plan, since I seem to be online all the time. Honestly, I have no idea how come I can get online with my prepaid card, but who cares. But maybe it'd be good to have internet access on the go. (My current connection is iffy. Sometimes can, sometimes cannot.) The downside is paying for a subscription- already I'm having a hard time remembering to pay the monthly bills for my mobile broadband dongle.

Oh well. Need to think about it. And did I just devote an entire blog post to something as irrelevant as whether I should get a data plan? Why yes, I think I just did. Lol.

Hate It When I Can't Sleep

3plus in the morning and I'm wide awake. Methinks it's the green tea I had at lunch (on top of the coffee I had at breakfast).

Blech.

*counts sheep*

Whoosh!

Wow today passed in a flash. Got to the office, chatted with some colleagues, had lunch, started on my trip report, and before I knew it, it's time to leave. Could have stayed late to finish my trip report but naah, can't be arsed.

Am in a good mood today. Need to think about what I want to do career-wise too.

:D

Happy Days

Oh I think I mentioned this briefly but I'll mention it again. Happy days! The grasshopper is coming to town. Yay!

No dates fixed, but he was thinking of coming in September. I looked at the calendar and thought maybe it would be fun to celebrate my birthday together. Plus it'll give him more time to save up for the trip and birthday present (wahahahahaha).

I already have a list of food he has to try when he is in Singapore:

Chee cheong fun & chwee kueh- not because it's on any must eat lists but because I was craving it when I was sick and cribbed about how manchow soup (wtf is manchow soup) just wasn't Chinese.

Crab- chilli crab, pepper crab, salted egg crab. Slurp. Oh and cereal prawns! This has to be a group effort so we can try all the different crabs. He sorta freaked when I said one crab each. Lol.

New Asia Bar- ok this is not a food but I do want to bring him there since I go there all the time and boast about the amazing view. Nice chill out place.

Chinese restaurant- no specific place in mind but I want to bring him to a Chinese restaurant and ask him to find manchow soup and chicken manchurian on the menu. Lol.

.. I'm sure there are plenty of local eats that the grasshopper must try- laksa, chicken rice, nasi lemak, popiah etc but slowly I guess.

I'm so excited!

Back In Town

After 5 weeks of being on the road, I'm finally back in Singapore for a longer stretch of time. My next work trip would probably be in end September.

It's been an interesting time away from Singapore, and honestly I didn't feel all that homesick. Missed my family and friends for sure, but I wasn't miserable at all.

Got to finish watching all 4 seasons of Dexter, and also managed to finish reading a couple of books. It's been a while since I spent time doing me-things, and it was really nice. Staying in hotel rooms was good for a slob like me, you leave the room in a mess and come back to everything nice and orderly. Heehee.

One month and I didn't get sick of the food in India. Well, I had non-Indian food a couple of times, but on the whole I was a happy camper. Especially with the discovery of Elco's in Mumbai- 25 pani puri basket = love.

Time to think about what to do career wise. I realised that my attention span for work lasts about 2 years, and already I'm getting bored. Do I really want to organise yet another Open House? Yawn.

Sure my job is pretty cool and now is the 'slack' period where all we do is travel and attend school fairs, but... It get boring and repetitive. Ah well, let's see how it goes. Have a couple of ideas up my sleeve, but nothing for any immediate action. (Don't worry, Benny. I'm not quitting. Yet. Hahahaha.)

Anyways it's mid-August already but time seems to be moving oh-so-slowly this year. But it's all about attitude, and I'm gonna try to keep a good one :)

Happy days. Gonna plan the grasshopper's trip to Singapore. Yay! Nothing firmed up, but hopefully we'll get to celebrate my birthday together. Whee!!!

Second Wind?

It's 4am and I'm wide awake. It doesn't even feel like it's 4am, save for the grumbling in my tummy that means I've not eaten for a few hours now.

Don't recall having any coffee, not in the afternoon at least. Hmm I wonder why I'm still up?

Think I'll try to read a book and hopefully will drift off to sleep.

I Like Today's Note From The Universe

Young souls learn to accept responsibility for their actions.

Mature souls learn to accept responsibility for their thoughts.

And old souls, Bona, learn to accept responsibility for their happiness.

Weeeeeeee,
    The Universe

It's August!

Can't believe it's already August. Every time a new month rolls by, I am amazed at how fast time just seems to pass.

Spent the day at home watching TV and just getting reacquainted with my bed. I've just gotten back from a whirlwind three week work trip where I spent a week in Beijing, followed by 2 weeks in India. I should be in a hotel room in Calcutta now, but there weren't enough appointments to justify my trip, so I canceled it and will head to Delhi on Wednesday instead.

There will be lots of traveling in the next couple of months, so I reckon time will pass by very quickly. Need to plan a year end holiday so that I have something to look forward to!

Meeting The Parents

Met up with the grasshopper's parents while I was on a work trip to Hyderabad. It actually went pretty well, I must say.

I bought a super guniang yellow polka dotted dress for the first meeting, which led them to think that I was very sweet (true) and conservative (yes, I can hear everyone chortling away. Shuddup.)

We had dinner at a safari-themed restaurant called Serengeti @ Ohri's and then dinner at their home the next day and the day after again. The meeting went well, and I must say I did like his parents.

His dad gave us The Talk - about how we ought to think things through carefully and really see if being in a relationship is what we want. Marriage isn't a one or two day thing and there are a lot of adjustments that need to be made if we want to live together. Lots of good advice.

Well things are going well between the grasshopper and I, although I'm not too sure how we'll work things out. Currently it seems like it's more likely that I'd have to move to India, but let's see how that pans out.

Anyway, things are good, despite a major fight we had while I was there. Always takes time to work things out, I guess. I'm happy though, and that's the most important bit, right?

:)