One of my 2007 resolution

I just got this pair of running shoes, spurred by the fact that I had,ONCE AGAIN, failed by IPPT test.

With this I hope it will help me to mark the end of this horrible ritual soon and prevent all future ones.

Also this pair of shoes will accompany me to undertake my most hatred, running... a 42km marathon in 2007.

I hope I'll survive to write a posting on it. ;)

First Chilli Crab.. then Steam Boat

And that is our non main stream christmas eve dinner. The place?

Song Ji Chilli Crab & Steamboat at Geylang Lorong 13. I'd passed by this place many times but this is my virgin attempt on the food.

The place is not as small as it seems as they have tables on the 2nd storey too.

But it sure makes you feel like you are some where in China as almost everyone around us seemed to be.

We ordered the famous Chilli Crab, a mixed steamboat with many other side dishe



Their chilli crab is very different from those Zher Cha stall. It is relatively dry and it's actually cooked with Nian Gao, a sticky paste that is used to make chinese cakes.

But still, it tastes awesome despite the irritating shell debris that kept getting stuck between your teeth. Despite how full I was eventually, I still forced all the remaining crab down my tummy.



The steamboat is slightly different from the typical one I had. The chilli soup base is really not for the faint-hearted. We ordered too many side items but the main ones that fancy are the mutton and the straw mushrooms.

The meat ball is pretty interesting as it comes in paste. They would offer to roll them into balls on the spot or you could be like wife, struggling to roll them up while I watch in amusement.



A nice difference from the standard chilli crab and steam boat. And a nice arrangement to have both of them at the same time. Must TRY!!

New house planning

Now that I have the floorplan to my new home, so much thoughts enter my head. What kind of theme should I have? Should I have a bar counter? Walk-in wardrobe?


And of course the burning question. Where can I put the altar that is hidden yet not objectionable?

But the process of research is sure enlightening. And I can't wait to show how it would look like in computer generated 3D images.

Here is something I have in mind. Not sure where I could squeeze this into though.



Add a little fishes into the small pond. Steady right!

Regifting

Ok. Christmas is approaching and everyone is eagerly anticipating their presents.

The kind of situation one would always looked forward to every year. You gather amongst friends, opening the presents, admiring the gift....

Oh wait a minute. Haven't I seen him using this before

Yeap, I'm talking about regifting. According to market research company, Harris Interactive, 1,505 American adults were surveyed and they found over half the participants admitted to regifting and 78 percent felt regifting was okay most of the time.

I'm not a regular gifter but there are times regifting is really a convenient way to get do with it.

It was my friend birthday and I just received this pendent from a luckydraw. Birthday? Pendent? Present!

But I really have no use for that pendent. I don't have a girl friend then or otherwise.....

Anyway, the study shows that 77% of those surveyed felt that the item was better suited for the receipent. 9% due to laziness and 4% because they didn't like the person who was getting the gift.

For those who intend to take the road less travelled, here are some tips I gotten from the Internet:

For me now, I'll just pass it to my niece. My home's karang guni



What To Avoid When Regifting:

Don't Regift the Gift Card

A gift card hidden in tissue in a gift box can easily get passed along in error. Take the item out of the old wrappings and start new.

Don't Regift the Gift Wrappings

Everyone can tell when something has hung around in a gift box for a year. Cardboard gets soft and seems to absorb the odors of wherever it was stored and old gift wrap can be spotted just by the feel of it. When regifting, do not use recycled gift bags, paper or tissue. Throw it all out and buy new and take a little extra time to make the wrapping look fresh and attractive.

Don't Tell

People like to believe gifts they receive were chosen with thought and consideration. If you tell someone you are giving then the silk scarf your Aunt Jane gave you last year, what you are really saying is that you are giving them something you think it ugly or unuseful. The only time you would want to mention giving your gift to someone else is if it isn't presented as a 'gift' but rather as a give-away.

Don't Regift the Used or Slightly Used

There is a big difference between regifting an unused night light or one that you plugged in for two months and decided you no longer want. Remember - a regift is a new item you give to someone else. A hand-me-down is an item you've used and offer to someone else when you decide you no longer have use for it.

Don't Forget Where the Gift Came From

Avoid giving a re-gift to family or friends of the person who originally gave the gift to you. If the regift is displayed, you risk getting caught for giving it away by the person who gave it to you. Keeping a list going of regifts with the name of who gave you the gift can help avoid people pointing fingers at your later.

Do Regift Nice Things

Often the items getting regifted are undesirable, such as the bird statue you saw at the drugstore for 75 percent off. Why pass it along? However, if you received a nice gift, such as a wonderful cookbook you already own, do regift it to someone who you know will enjoy it. The nicer the item, the more it makes sense to regift it rather than to let it crumble up in a cabinet along side the Men in Briefs calendar someone thought you'd get a chuckle over.

Do Regift Heirlooms

Perhaps 10 years ago Aunt Jane sent you 12 of her prized crystal water glasses but you already have plenty and the design conflicts with what you are already using. In fact, you have never used the glasses. Regifting the crystal to someone in the family who is just starting off makes sense. Yes, they are used and yes they could be considered hand-me-downs, but none the less the gift has both monetary and sentimental value.

The Number One Rule to Regifting

Regifting is a wonderful way to save money and when done tactfully and with thought, we can accomplish the goal of why we are giving a gift to someone in the first place - because we want them to have something they will enjoy.

I HATE RUNNING!!!

ARGH!!!!

I just bloody hate it! Because of it, I failed my IPPT test.. AGAIN!

Now I need to continue my weekly remedial training for till end of Jan. And it's 3 times a week now.

ARGH!!!

And I completed all 6 rounds to find out that I failed. SHIT! Not only do I have to go through more training, the sores from today's running is going to last for days.

I HATE RUNNING!!! ARGH!!!!

WHERE'S THE NEAREST KFC!! I NEED COMFORT FOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dinner.Pepper.Lunch

I had a very interesting dinner yesterday at IMM. The place called Pepper Lunch. It's a Japanese concept fastfood. If you eaten those teppanyaki at food court, it is rather similiar.

Except er.. you pay more and... you gotta do the cooking yourself.

At first I thought it was a new thing but a check on CNA revealed an article about this dated 12 Sep 2005!



OMG! I really really gotta go out more often. I am more than 1 year behind times!



Anyway you really gotta hand it to the Japs. The concept behind this is a no-brainer. But by bending the rules a little, it became hip and interesting. This is despite the smoke from cooking making me all smelly.

Still, it tastes great. And I get to make sure that my lamb is overdone.

Virgo kids? Jackpot!

Billionaire Horoscopes
By Lacey Rose and Chaniga Vorasarun 03.28.06, 12:00 PM ETNew York -
What’s your sign? If you are a Virgo, we’ve got some good news for you. Turns out, more members of the Forbes billionaires list share your zodiac sign than any other.

That was our finding after trolling through all the birth dates we’ve collected on the world’s wealthiest. So far, we have confirmed the birth dates for 613 of our 793 billionaires. Of those, more than 70, or roughly 12%, were born between Aug. 23 and Sept. 22, making this earth sign the most common among billionaires.

It’s a bit ironic that top astrology honors for this male-dominated billionaires list goes to the sign symbolized by a virgin, but it actually isn’t too surprising. Virgos are known to be hardworking, determined, detail-oriented and analytical. They are driven more by their desire to achieve excellence at whatever they do than by the pursuit of riches, according to astrologer Michael Lutin.

These utilitarian types are happiest when they can produce things or services that are useful to others. Two of the richest and best-known American billionaires are both Virgos: Berkshire Hathaway's Warren Buffett, the second-richest person in the world, and Oracle's Larry Ellison.

Read about which billionaires share your sign, what common traits you share and what you can expect for the year ahead in business.

But don’t fret if you or your children are not Virgos. Forbes found examples of billionaires born under all 12 zodiac signs. Aggressive Aries, who account for 8% of our list, include Microsoft's Steve Ballmer and Ikea’s Ingvar Kamprad; idealistic Aquarians like Oprah Winfrey also make up 8%. Scorpio has bragging rights as the sign of the world’s richest man, Microsoft’s Bill Gates.

"Scorpios always do well because they use all of their seductive powers to sell. The goal of Scorpio is to make you do what they want you to do, whether you want to do it or not," Lutin says about this sign, known for its passion. "People hate Windows, but they buy it."

The least common sign among billionaires? Sagittarius, which represents just 6% of the world’s wealthiest. Folks born under this sign are sometimes described as unorganized or even sloppy, and more focused on the big picture than on little details. “Counting on their luck and the grace of God, adventurous Sagittarians can act like tourists in the marketplace," explains astrologer David R. Railey. But what they may lack in business acumen, they make up for in creativity. Thus it's no surprise that Sagittarian billionaires include Hollywood director Steven Spielberg and producer Arnon Milchan.

Read about which billionaires share your sign, what common traits you share and what you can expect for the year ahead in business.

Our report was compiled with the help of four astrologers:

Jeff Jawer has written daily and weekly horoscopes for AOL.com and Cosmogirl.com and is co-author of Your Astrology Guide 2006.

Michael Lutin has been the astrologer for Vanity Fair since 1984. His forthcoming book is called Sunshines.

Tad Mann has been a professional astrologer since 1972. His expertise in architecture, design and feng shui has led him to lecture at universities worldwide.

David Railey has been a professional astrologer since 1976 and is author of The Soul Purpose.

Annie's 24th bday pics

Annie 24 bday

I'll let the pictures tell the story. Everything was a surprise for her, flowers, gift(I told her out-of-circulation) and the hotel stay.

My 2006

I was looking back to see what resolution I'd made for 2006 (I can't remember, see the significance?) and realized that the list is pretty brief, if one could even call it a list in the first place.



Basically it goes like:

1. Clearing credit card
   debts
2. Get first car(a black Kia Rio)
3. Attend my friend
   Jimmy's wedding
4. Organize another all guys trip(Ho Chi Minh?)
5. Bring my wife to a holiday that I'm pretty sure she will be so happy
   she'll be crying happily all the way on the plane.

Not a handful but short goals = achievable ones. I still owe the bank $2880 but these are actually new debt derived due to borrowings to make up for my car (a Hyundai Verna) down-payment.



I attended and helped out in Jimmy's wedding.



No chance for another all guys trip but I had some good time in Hong Kong with my pals, their girlfriends and my wife.



Regretfully my plan to surprise my wife with a Korea winter trip gotta take a back seat. Lack of funds and upcoming house are major obstacles.



I don't really know what resolution I should make for 2007 or should I even bother since nobody ever keeps to them anyway. But then again, if one is nonchalant about everything in life, life can be pretty mundane and boring.



If I were to, my goals for 2007 really gotta be physically challenging ones. I'm going 28 soon. Not now, would be never.



Check here again to find out my 07 resolution

Home Sweet Home

10th of December 2006, the date we signed on the option to purchase our own place.

Yes, we would soon be the owner of a 5 room HDB resale that is situated in Tampines Street 32.

Being a first-time owner, I am really excited about the whole thing. How to decor the place, where to get the furnitures even though it should be March before I get my keys.

Certainly something to look forward to next year.

A Crowded Single City

An article in Asiaone just revealed that there are more foreigners making Singapore their home. And with the increase, our current population stands at an all-time high of 4.5mil.

However divorce rate is going up too.

It seemed that one goes up, so does the other.

But that is no surprise. With more people, where can couple go to for a secluded romantic setting to enhance their relationship. Singapore already has so little quiet spots.

Take Mount Faber. Go there and you be queueing for benches with the 30 over couples. It's beginning to feel like the food court situation in CBD during lunch time. But the tissue paper that is used to reserve the seat may be put to better use at Mount Faber.

Unfortunately the situation doesn't poise for any improvement with the government's initiative to attract even more foreigners.

I guess I just gotta cater for a 'Mount Faber' room in my future house. (mosquitoes included for realism)

My cue to Depression

I thought about this when I was at Bedok Camp yesterday for my Remedial Training. As it was near the airport, I could see planes descending across our workout area.

When I was in NS, I had a brief stint as a Publication I/C. Basically I am in charge of all the publications(books) that my unit owns.

One of my side task was to assist ORD personals as they need to secure clearance from my department I/Cs (including myself) before they could officially be released and get back their identity card.

I always try my best to drop everything on hand and help them get the signatures they need. It sort of satisfy me to see people who could finally gain their path to freedom.

And when I'm out of army, I had thought of becoming an immigration officer at the Changi Airport. Maybe I could draw the same sense of satisfaction helping people to quickly get through customs and to their flight away from their mundane life.

But what that has pros would have its cons.

Every time I see the back of cleared ORD personals walking away from me, I would slip into a minor depression mode. I would reflect onto my current life and count for the umpteen times when would it finally be my turn.

Had I become an immigration officer, the volume of passengers would easily make me turn to a psychiatrist the very next day.

As much as I love to help people get going, I would also love to be those people too.

Which could very much explains why I had always wanted to become a cabin crew. I still harbors the sentiment albeit it is even more impossible for me to do so now.

But still, depression is a choice. I can only hope I could grow out of this soon.

New slogans for SMRT

Extracted from Sammyboy Alfresco Coffee Shop

After all the track jumping incidents, I think SMRT need to embark on a PR campaign.

Maybe they can consider using the following slogans to make Singapore's Mass Rapid Terminator sound hip and happening:

1) SMRT - World class transport to die for.

2) SMRT - A hit with the locals!

3) SMRT - Our efficiency will knock you off your feet!

4) SMRT - (Re)Moving Singaporeans come rain or shine!

5) SMRT - Sending you to a better place.

6) SMRT - Mowing People, terminating life.

A fishy foot massage

This is actually a foot, submerged in a pool of water that contain a lot of fishes that will nibble on the dead skin cells of your foot and eat them away. It's a new thing at Underwater World.

Already cheaper foreigners are already giving our local reflexologist a run for their money. Now have to compete with fish somemore.

As disgusting as it looks, I am very tempted to give it a try. Being a fan of foot reflexology, this certainly would be another hallmark for me.

But I'm more interested to find out where can I buy these fishes. Think about the savings on fish foods.

Whenever you feel down, keep this in mind...

From Sam de Brito:

It’s easy to get caught up in the grand chase of accumulation that we’re told marks our success as humans on this planet; to always be wanting more, instead of sitting back and thanking the ether for how damn lucky we are to live in this country, be safe, eat daily, drink a beer if we want.

Gratitude is a good habit to get into because all of us, no matter who we are, have something to be thankful for, whether it’s just being able to walk on two legs or see our friends’ faces with two working eyes.

Worries..worries..

From what I was informed, Singapore suffered three major economic doldrums in recent times. It started with the 1997 property crash, 2000 dot-com crash and the latest 2002(or was it 2003?) Sars attack.

Since the eradication of Sars, economies at large has been growing and expanding. But predication has been abound of a US slowdown since the early part of 2006. And now analyst are pretty firm that the slowdown should take place anytime 2007.

I'm not exactly sure what is the level of reliance we have on US right now. Since the dot-com crash, slowly but surely some of our market exposure has been transferred to other regional superpower to be, such as India and China.

But with the USSFTA, the ties we had with them might be even stronger than before.

Personally I wasn't seriously affected in either of these market crashes. I just started my NS in 1997 and I ORD in 2000. The trickling effect of the US dot com crash took about 2 years to hit our shore and working in one then, I was laid off.

And during the Sars period I was working with an aircraft spares distributors. Very little people are keen to travel then and the company did take a hit. But it still manage to pull through eventually.

2007. I'm in my own business. Even with the economy at such a "peak", I dare say we are underperforming. Any lesser would surely be a worry.

I'm going to get my own house. Although the property price now is still reasonable and only on the rise(I'm looking at resale), any dent to my business would surely mean lesser income. How would I be able to finance all the other stuff one need to get for a new house. Worry no. 2.

If I'm rich in savings, such matters would just be like a speck of sand in my eye. But that is not the case right now.

Singapore should be able to tide over any slowdown with its huge reserve of US$120bil accumulated over 4 decades but for a peasant like me, I wonder how many damage could I take before I call for time-out.