Stupid thoughts

Since mergers are the flavour of the month now, it seem appropriate to share what I got in my email just now...

Q: If Fed Ex and UPS were to merge, what would they be called?

A: FED UP

Back to work

Arrive back tired but happy.
Good thing I decided to take monday off instead of going straight to work as I originally plan. I pretty much just spend the whole day sleeping and unpacking stuff. After that was the usuals: dinner with in-laws, dinner with my parents etc etc.

Quite a few things happened while we were away…
• The blogger.con that I missed. I saw the pictures for it and read all the articles. Dang!! it seem really fun.
• The new ruling on down payment for housing was reduced to 10% from the original 20%. This created a feeding frenzy on the stock market as well as on the property market. I made a bet with a friend that housing prices will not be up by 20% after a year.
• Another friend is 3 month pregnant and we didn’t even know it when she was here for a short break a couple of weeks ago.
• The new library was just up in the Bugis area and already there are heaps of photos of the place on flickr. Looks like I have major catching up to do :P

Anyway, I have been swamped with work since I got back. Looking at the current work schedule for second half of the year, it seems that we will be too busy to even take pee breaks. I’ve started to organise and upload my photos on flickr though so that’s a good start but write-ups of the trip will probably be a bit longer so be patient people.

Oh ya. After this trip, we are officially known as the couple who took pictures of everything except people hehehehe. Cant help it lah…new camera leh. Digital somemore…so shiok.

Anticipation...

Leaving for Perth tomorrow for a 10 day driving holiday and I can hardly wait.
Coincidently Miyagi has wrote an article about trip blogging which makes for interesting reading as well as echoing the exact same sentiments that I was having. I can just envision myself dropping into every internet cafe along the way just to keep a documented account of the trip but I think the others will probably kill me first for making them stop and wait while I blog or check my flickr account. Guess the good old pen and paper will have to do til I get back and write a proper narration of the trip. Hope I dont get any withdrawal symptoms during this trip.

We are bringing along our new toy - canon EOS 350D SLR camera as well as my trusty companion, the ixus 700, so expect heaps of professional looking photos...if I can figure out all the cheem looking functions on the SLR camera that is. Some of my friends in flickr are already anticipating good travel photos from me. How stressful is that... *rolls eyes*

Anyway, no more blogging for the next 10 days (not like I blog daily but oh well)

In remembrance of the London bombings

If Love Is Flower

love is endless
like flowers that keep on blossoming day and night
love is beautiful
like flowers with different different colors
love is growing
like flowers abundant in the garden
love is to give away
like flowers from my hand to yours

If love is flower
how many gardens grow your flowers?
how many flowers grow in your garden?
what are the colors?
what stories are they telling?
if love is flower

Aila El Edroos

Happy Birthday to me....

I turn 32 today.
Unlike previous years where I always take this day off, I actually had to go to work today because we have an external audit from a client.
Its been a busy and tiring day but the well wishes I received from friends and family all day long made the day very memorable indeed. People I didnt think remember my birthday send me birthday smses and emails or called me on my phone to wish me many happy returns of the day.

After the 30s, gifts no longer matter to me anymore. All I want are heartfelt well wishes and quality time spend with good friends. Speaking of which, the cake above was the result of a surprise mini party last night with close friends organised by hubbz.

I have been a very lucky girl. My birthdays have always been memorable and this year more so.

On a side note, I found out that I share close birthdays with some of my fav bloggers - LMD and mrbrown. That appeals so much to the closet groupie in me.

Just look at the traffic jam this thing is causing....

soldier 1: Eh..this silly slow poke vehicle why travel so slow one..
soldier 2: where got? where got?
soldier 1: Nah...see...the traffic backed up all the way to Suntec ok!

Men Tze Said .......

Men Tze Said: When Heaven Going To...
Originally uploaded by CharlieBrown8989.

I just like the meaning of these words. Perhaps the stress-filled week is finally taking its toil.

天將降大任于是人也﹐ 必先苦其心志﹐ 勞其筋骨﹐ 餓其體膚﹐ 空乏其身﹐ 行拂亂其所為﹐所以動心忍性﹐ 會益其所不能﹐ 人?過﹐ 然後能改﹐ 困于心﹐衡于慮﹐ 而後作﹐ 征于色﹐ 發于聲﹐ 而後喻。入則無法家拂士﹐ 出則無敵國外患者﹐ 國?亡。然後知生于懮患﹐而死于安樂也。

This is the full translation of that paragraph of James Legge(James Legge,Mencius,Chapter 24,1895).

2. 'Thus, when Heaven is about to confer a great office on any man, it first exercises his mind with suffering, and his sinews and bones with toil. It exposes his body to hunger, and subjects him to extreme poverty. It confounds his undertakings. By all these methods it stimulates his mind, hardens his nature, and supplies his incompetencies.

3. 'Men for the most part err, and are afterwards able to reform. They are distressed in mind and perplexed in their thoughts, and then they arise to vigorous reformation. When things have been evidenced in men's looks, and set forth in their words, then they understand them.

4. 'If a prince have not about his court families attached to the laws and worthy counsellors, and if abroad there are not hostile States or other external calamities, his kingdom will generally come to ruin.

5. 'From these things we see how life springs from sorrow and calamity, and death from ease and pleasure.'