Sunday, November 25, 2007

proposal

Johnny wanted to have sex with a girl in his office, but she belonged to someone else...

One day, Johnny got so frustrated that he went up to her and said, "I'll give you a $100 if you let me screw you. But the girl said NO.

Johnny said, "I'll be fast. I'll throw the money on the floor, you bend down, and I'll be finished by the time you pick it up."

She thought for a moment and said that she would have to consult her boyfriend...

So she called her boyfriend and told him the story. Her boyfriend says, "Ask him for $200, pick up the money very fast, he won't even be able to get his pants down."

So she agrees and accepts the proposal.

Half an hour goes by, and the boyfriend is waiting for his girlfriend to call.

Finally, after 45 minutes, the boyfriend calls and asks what happened. She responded, "The bastard used coins!"

Management lesson: Always consider a business proposal in its entirety before agreeing to it and getting screwed!

Labels: Cr*p, Excerpts

Posted by Ddee at 4:04 PM

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Wednesday, November 21, 2007

man.. i was in the cockpit!

Some people may be sick of it coz they have been sitting there for the past several years of their lives... some even more than half of their lives...

Some people may wish upon the star that one day... that one day they will be the one sitting there proudly....

Some wanting to sit there but can't find the chance... at all

Some loves the sky so much, they go all the way and love being on those seats...

Some waited for a lifetime, and maybe... maybe they can sit there once. Only once.

But me? I am just a lucky girl!

I sat there NOT once, BUT twice. Gosh...how amazing they were!

Up thousands feet above the ground, looking at those super tiny buildings *if possible, and not just lights*. The lights were scattered just like candles that were arranged on that precious Valentine's Day. At times, the clouds emerged and I felt like I was in a dream...floating around.

I looked at the sea that surrounds the city, its beautiful night view, the gorgeous sky that was about to get dark... man, it was truly an experience worth waiting for. And those few minutes were simply too beautiful to describe. Suddenly, we all touched down in Sydney Airport.

But that was not the end.

I was again so lucky...accompanied by friendly Tech Crew, I was seated behind them. Listening to their conversations when it was about to take off from Narita International Airport that evening.

Konbanwa, **11, runway Delta 5 on your left

And the captain enthusiastically introduced me to the foreign screens in front.

This shows the weather. You see the different colours? The red one means....
This is our route later after we take-off because of the wind. We will make a big round, so you can see Narita view at night *hiak hiak....lucky lucky....

Yeah...after waiting for other airlines to take-off, we were ready to go. I gripped my seat firmly, looked determinedly to the front...

I saw the second officer's left hand on the grip, and he pulled it inward... in no time, we were off in the air.

Gosh...once again I entered the wonderland.

Too bad.... duty resumed.

I thanked and bid my farewell... Ganbatte ne Captain, and my cute second officer *hihi

Labels: HaPpiNesS, LiFe

Posted by Ddee at 9:46 PM

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book junkie...

The book junkie finally has the time to get back to read some great books. Coupled with 3-day off, I did some lil book shopping with my Borders e-card *hahaha not bad. It was 'buy 3 pay 2' promotion. Lately, I am in love with true story or well.... not so much of a cliche fistion. So, here they are....

- Leila (finished) : true story of a Moroccan girl forced to get married.
- The Kita Runner (mid-way) : two-thumbs up for sure. Brilliant!!

Coming up:
- Shame
- Damaged
- Dear John

Married by Force
By Leila

Synopsis
"I was twenty years old and dreamed of marrying for love." Leila was born and brought up in France by Moroccan-born parents. But her romantic dreams were shattered when she was forced by her father to marry a man she'd never met, fifteen years older than her, and whose language she couldn't understand. The husband she didn't love beat her regularly in an attempt to force her into submission. But, with extraordinary courage, Leila fought back against the weight of family tradition to regain her liberty and dignity; and though it put her life in danger, she left her husband and later divorced him.



The Kite Runner

Labels: ArTs, ReViews

Posted by Ddee at 3:20 PM

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Sunday, November 18, 2007

FreeRice.com

Got this from Pixi' blog. It's an interesting site where you can test your English vocab while doing your part to help end world hunger.

Try it out!

Labels: ShOuT~

Posted by Ddee at 11:10 PM

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boo you...

You know what...

I am pissed too when I know that some of my country's creations and cultural things have been 'plagiated', 'copied', 'modified', .... whatever you called it. From Batik, food to even songs.

Some even were literally taken away, just as we said bye-bye to some islands a few years back.

Hey, aren't we supposed to start doing something about it? It's late enough to begin now, but as the saying goes... it's better than never.

However, I can't find solace in knowing some people hate and condemn the acts so much, they start their own 'war'.... virtually, physically or mentally. You know what... it's also time for us to look back into the mirror and judge ourselves harshly. Don't tell me the dramas you watch on your TV was 100% made by our lovely nation (or its people, mind you). Why do they remind me of those dramas I watched from the countries famous of their Sakura and Kimchi?

We AIN'T that innocent either!

Labels: SiGh~

Posted by Ddee at 5:38 PM

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it's cold at nite

With my buddy, Heny :)

Phew....I flew to Sydney on the day LP has their concert here in Spore. My sis went with her colleagues. Her supervisor won 2 pairs of tix, so she got it for free. Alamak...she had wonderful time, and LP really ROCKED! Thanks that I dont have to feel that bad for not going coz I had work to do anyway.



Anyone wants to be my masseur? ^^ I promise you I am gonna be nice....hehe

Labels: ArOund The WoRld

Posted by Ddee at 5:08 PM

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borsch oh borsch...

Oh...how I miss Borsch soup!!

And yeay... we happened to find it at Johor, Msia at Kim Gary's restaurant.

Of course not as yummy as the original one... but it ain't that bad either.

Labels: FooDie

Posted by Ddee at 3:56 PM

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Monday, November 12, 2007

blessings...

Ddee ~ Bless me plz...Thanks pals!

and out of expectations...

my MSN beeped....

bless bless bless bless bless bless bless...
Bless You!
bless you!
bless you
....

Thanks Pals...that really means a lot to me (especially since I never expect it to be that way). I am so blessed ^^

I'm off to Sydney tomorrow morning. Wish me luck!

Stressed sia~

Labels: LiFe, WiShEs

Posted by Ddee at 11:10 PM

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Sunday, November 11, 2007

stardust - tristan

What a lucky 'star' - Claire Danes!!

I wish I was her for sure (and certainly so for many girls out there)!

Charlie Cox (Tristan) is surely the man in Stardust. He has won accolades from the critics for his acting, a new top-actor-to-be from UK. With his skills and looks, getting to the top won't be that far away. Geez..I like his 'boyish cuteness' yet he still looks man enough. Blame it to those sexy lips and locking gazes.

Darn....simply irresistible and sizzling hot ~


Went to watch Stardust today without knowing what to expect. I didn't even know what the storyline is about. Some friends said it's a great movie. Yanna wanted to watch it too, so while we're loitering at City Square-Johor and couldn't find any better things to do, we decided to watch it.

Worth my every single cent!!

Superb movie! A-must-watch! A fairytale movie across boundaries and age! COOL with CAPITAL!

Seriously peeps...if you have yet to watch it, better go to the nearest cinema NOW! Don't even miss it!

It feels so rejuvenating to watch such a great movie again.... although I came home empty-handed from a supposedly Johor shopping spree ^^

PS: The website is soooo cool. But I wish there're more pictures inside. You can send a star for your friends :)

Labels: ArTs, HaPpiNesS

Posted by Ddee at 12:08 AM

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Thursday, November 08, 2007

what we want?

Singapore girl wins Commonwealth essay prize!

A 15-YEAR-OLD Singaporean, competing against 16- to 18-year-olds, has won the top prize in a writing contest that drew 5,300 entries from 52 countries. In the annual Commonwealth Essay Competition, Amanda Chong of Raffles Girls'School (Secondary) chose to compete in the older category and won with apiece on the restlessness of modern life. Her short story, titled What The Modern Woman Wants, focused on the conflictin values between an old lady and her independent-minded daughter.

'Through my story, I attempted to convey the unique East-versus-Weststruggles and generation gaps that I felt were characteristic of young people in my country,' said Amanda, who likes drama, history and literature and wants to become a lawyer and a politician.

Chief examiner Charles Kemp called her piece a 'powerfully moving andironical critique of modern restlessness and its potentially cruel consequences'.The writing is fluent and assured, with excellent use of dialogue.

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

What the Modern Woman Wants
By Amanda Chong Wei-Zhen

The old woman sat in the backseat of the magenta convertible as it careened down the highway, clutching tightly to the plastic bag on her lap, afraid it may be kidnapped by the wind. She was not used to such speed, with trembling hands she pulled the seatbelt tighter but was careful not to touch the patent leather seats with her callused fingers, her daughter had warned her not to dirty it, 'Fingerprints show very clearly on white, Ma.'

Her daughter, Bee Choo, was driving and talking on her sleek silver mobile phone using big words the old woman could barely understand. 'Finance''Liquidation' 'Assets' 'Investments'... Her voice was crisp and important and had an unfamiliar lilt to it. Her Bee Choo sounded like one of those foreign girls on television. She was speaking in an American accent.

The old lady clucked her tongue in disapproval.'I absolutely cannot have this. We have to sell!' Her daughter exclaimed agitatedly as she stepped on the accelerator; her perfectly manicured fingernails gripping onto the steering wheel in irritation.

'I can't DEAL with this anymore!' she yelled as she clicked the phone shut and hurled it angrily toward the backseat.The mobile phone hit the old woman on the forehead and nestled soundlessly into her lap. She calmly picked it up and handed it to her daughter.

'Sorry, Ma,' she said, losing the American pretence and switching to Mandarin. 'I have a big client in America. There have been a lot of problems.'The old lady nodded knowingly. Her daughter was big and important.

Bee Choo stared at her mother from the rear view window, wondering what she was thinking. Her mother's wrinkled countenance always carried the same cryptic look.

The phone began to ring again, an artificially cheerful digital tune, which broke the awkward silence. 'Hello, Beatrice! Yes, this is Elaine.' Elaine. The old woman cringed. I didn't name her Elaine. She remembered her daughter telling her, how an English name was very important for 'networking', Chinese ones being easily forgotten.

'Oh no, I can't see you for lunch today. I have to take the ancient relic to the temple for her weird daily prayer ritual.'

Ancient Relic. The old woman understood perfectly it was referring to her.Her daughter always assumed that her mother's silence meant she did not comprehend. 'Yes, I know! My car seats will be reeking of joss sticks!'

The old woman pursed her lips tightly, her hands gripping her plastic bag indefence. The car curved smoothly into the temple courtyard. It looked almost garish next to the dull sheen of the ageing temple's roof. The old woman got out of the back seat, and made her unhurried way to the main hall.

Her daughter stepped out of the car in her business suit and stilettos and reapplied her lipstick as she made her brisk way to her mother's side.

'Ma, I'll wait outside. I have an important phone call to make,' she said, not bothering to hide her disgust at the pungent fumes of incense.

The old lady hobbled into the temple hall and lit a joss stick, she knelt down solemnly and whispered her now familiar daily prayer to the Gods. Thank you God of the Sky, you have given my daughter luck all these years. Everything I prayed for, you have given her. She has everything a young woman in this world could possibly want. She has a big house with a swimming pool, a maid to help her, as she is too clumsy to sew or cook.

Her love life has been blessed; she is engaged to a rich and handsome angmoh man. Her company is now the top financial firm and even men listen to what she says. She lives the perfect life. You have given her everything except happiness. I ask that the gods be merciful to her even if she has lost her roots while reaping the harvest of success.

What you see is not true, she is a filial daughter to me. She gives me a room in her big house and provides well for me. She is rude to me only because I affect her happiness. A young woman does not want to be hindered by her old mother. It is my fault. The old lady prayed so hard that tears welled up in her eyes. Finally, with her head bowed in reverence she planted the half-burnt joss stick into an urn of smouldering ashes. She bowed once more.

The old woman had been praying for her daughter for thirty-two years. When her stomach was round like a melon, she came to the temple and prayed that it was a son. Then the time was ripe and the baby slipped out of her womb, bawling and adorable with fat thighs and pink cheeks, but unmistakably, a girl. Her husband had kicked and punched her for producing a useless baby who could not work or carry the family name.

Still, the woman returned to the temple with her new-born girl tied to herwaist in a sarong and prayed that her daughter would grow up and have everything she ever wanted. Her husband left her and she prayed that her daughter would never have to depend on a man. She prayed every day that her daughter would be a great woman, the woman that she, meek and uneducated, could never become. A woman with nengkan; theability to do anything she set her mind to. A woman who commanded respect in the hearts of men. When she opened her mouth to speak, precious pearls would fall out and men would listen.

She will not be like me, the woman prayed as she watched her daughter grow up and drift away from her, speaking a language she scarcely understood. She watched her daughter transform from a quiet girl, to one who openly defied her, calling her laotu; old-fashioned. She wanted her mother to be 'modern',a word so new there was no Chinese word for it.

Now her daughter was too clever for her and the old woman wondered why she had prayed like that. The gods had been faithful to her persistent prayer,but the wealth and success that poured forth so richly had buried the girl's roots and now she stood, faceless, with no identity, bound to the soil of her ancestors by only a string of origami bank notes. Her daughter had forgotten her mother's values. Her wants were so ephemeral;that of a modern woman.Power, Wealth, access to the best fashion boutiques, and yet her daughter had not found true happiness.

The old woman knew that you could find happiness with much less. When her daughter left the earth everything she had would count for nothing. People would look to her legacy and say that she was a great woman, but she would be forgotten once the wind blows over,like the ashes of burnt paper convertibles and mansions.

The old woman wished she could go back and erase all her big hopes and prayers for her daughter; now she had only one want: That her daughter be happy. She looked out of the temple gate. She saw her daughter speaking on the phone, her brow furrowed with anger and worry. Being at the top is not good, the woman thought, there is only one way to go from there - down.

The old woman carefully unfolded the plastic bag and spread out a packet of beehoon in front of the altar. Her daughter often mocked her for worshipping porcelain Gods. How could she pray to them so faithfully and expect pieces of ceramic to fly to her aid?But her daughter had her own gods too, idols of wealth, success and power that she was enslaved to and worshipped every day of her life. Every day was a quest for the idols, and the idols she worshipped counted for nothing in eternity. All the wants her daughter had would slowly suck the life out of her and leave her, an empty soulless shell at the altar.

The old lady watched her joss tick. The dull heat had left a teetering grey stem that was on the danger of collapsing. Modern woman nowadays, the old lady sighed in resignation, as she bowed to the east one final time to end her ritual. Modern woman nowadays want so much that they lose their souls and wonder why they cannot find it. Her joss stick disintegrated into a soft grey powder.

She met her daughter outside the temple, the same look of worry and frustration was etched on her daughter's face. An empty expression, as if she was ploughing through the soil of her wants looking for the one thing that would sow the seeds of happiness. They climbed into the convertible in silence and her daughter drove along the highway, this time not as fast as she had done before.

'Ma,' Bee Choo finally said. 'I don't know how to put this. Mark and I have been talking about it and we plan to move out of the big house. The property market is good now, and we managed to get a buyer willing to pay seven million for it. We decided we'd prefer a cosier penthouse apartment instead.We found a perfect one in Orchard Road. Once we move in to our apartment we plan to get rid of the maid, so we can have more space to ourselves...' The old woman nodded knowingly.

Bee Choo swallowed hard. 'We'd get someone to come in to do the housework and we can eat out - but once the maid is gone, there won't be anyone to look after you.You will be awfully lonely at home and, besides that, the apartment is rather small. There won't be space. We thought about it for a long time, and we decided the best thing for you is if you moved to a Home. There's one near Hougang - it's a Christian home, a very nice one.'

The old woman did not raise an eyebrow. 'I've been there, the matron is willing to take you in. It's beautiful with gardens and lots of old people to keep you company! I hardly have time for you, you'd be happier there.'

'You'd be happier there, really.' Her daughter repeated as if to affirm herself.

This time the old woman had no plastic bag of food offerings to cling tightly to; she bit her lip and fastened her seat belt, as if it would protect her from a daughter who did not want her anymore. She sunk deep into the leather seat, letting her shoulders sag, and her fingers trace the white seat.

'Ma?' her daughter asked, searching the rear view window for her mother. 'Is everything okay?' What had to be done, had to be done. 'Yes,' she said firmly, louder than she intended, 'if it will make you happy,' she added more quietly.

'It's for you, Ma! You'll be happier there. You can move there tomorrow, I already got the maid to pack your things.' Elaine said triumphantly, mentally ticking yet another item off her agenda.

'I knew everything would be fine.' Elaine smiled widely; she felt liberated. Perhaps getting rid of her mother would make her happier. She had thought about it. It seemed the only hindrance in her pursuit of happiness. She was happy now. She had everything a modern woman ever wanted; Money, Status, Career, Love,Power and now,Freedom, without her mother and her old-fashioned ways to weigh her down... Yes, she was free.

Her phone buzzed urgently, she picked it up and read the message, still beaming from ear to ear. 'Stocks 10% increase!' Yes, things were definitely beginning to look up for her...And while searching for the meaning of life in the luminance of her handphone screen, the old woman in the backseat became invisible, and she did not see the tears.


ps: Sh*t...please do NOT let me do this to anyone! and I hope you too...

Labels: Excerpts

Posted by Ddee at 11:12 PM

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3 indo girls...

L-R

1. Heny

Well... her name is a mere one word, with one 'N" and not two. Used to study in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia and my sis' ex classmate *what a small world huh?*. She comes from Jambi, Sumatera. Don't get it wrong, she likes dolling up and making people look beautiful. Thus her interest in fashion and make-up.

Sadly, she had to have her hair cut short when she joined the batch. She used to have golden coloured hair and hair that fell to her back. But it's OK Heny...you look more elegant this way.

Nickname in class: Miss Kerbau ^^
Fave stall in the canteen: Fruit stall *I think*. You can see her with her juice almost for every breaks..ck..ck..ck.. so healthy!

2. Diana a.k.a Ddee

Moody, stubborn and a total Cancerian.

Fave stall in the canteen: Malay food. But lately kinda like the Chicken Rice stall too *slurp..

3. Yanna

A woman who doesn't look her age. She is also known for her childish acts and horny jokes. She looks really beutiful when she lets her hair falls, and NOT when she buns them up *hahaha blame it to the requirements. A gossip-sharing friend, shopping friend, food-searching friend, etc... she is always ready for happening moments. The smallest among the three of us but the cute thing is... she gained 3 kgs in Spore... but she is still small anyway.

Nickname in the class: Princess Ali Baba ^^
Fave stall in the canteen: Malay food and Western food.

Yah..that's all. I am off to a Deepavali celebration at a batchmate's house.

HAPPY DEEPAVALI!!
Happy holiday!

Labels: FRi3nD$, WoRk

Posted by Ddee at 10:59 AM

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Monday, November 05, 2007

blabber dee

BLIN!!
(Russian for English slank 'Ah, shoot!')

I thought I am supposed to be more attentive towards what I eat and its quantity. Apparently it doesn not work that way.

- Read about low-carb diet. Won't work for me. Simply because I love noodles. Abstaining from rice for weeks is not a problem, but I will miss noodles like crazy.
- Talk about exercising or paying a visit to the gym. Heck NO! I dislike gym, I hate those machines, I despise looking at the walls while buring my calories. I prefer my hip-hop dance. Too bad, it's usually on weekdays afternoon. That means I am still stuck at the office.
- So I thought, maybe I can reduce the portion and have dinner earlier. Yeah...now I have breakfast, breaks, lunch and dinner. Not to mention the tidbits and snacks. Does NOT work either, I suppose. Lemme tell you what I had today that made me go 'ugh':

• 1 fishball stick (3 fishballs)
• soya-bean drink
• chicken rice with extra bean-sprout
• star-fruit juice with aloe vera
• sinful roti john
• home-made ddee's soup
• Cadbury's choco *arghh....
• I can feel I am bloated!

Life goes on anyway! stop being so shallow Dee!

***

Ah... it's funny how life turns to be. I met Andy only a few times, but seriously I can't even remember when else I met him except for our AIESEC Spore MC 06/07 Bonding Day. He was the facilitator for 9 of us. We didn't even talk much. I knew him as Sharon's mentor, a DHL trainee and a great and experienced @er for sure. He worked in DHL Asia Pacific (Spore based) but now he's transferred to Japan.

Guess what? I didn't expect to receive his email responds when I updated my Ukraine's internship experience. He replied positively... and prompt too (I can imagine someone who works as Ast. CEO as a super duper busy with no-life person *hahahaha..peace). So, we were exchanging emails back then.

Now, he happens to know I am gonna fly to Tokyo and would love to meet up for a coffee. Definitely Andy! I'd love to. But I am so sorry again *same as Won*, my schedule does not allow me to go to Tokyo but lock myself at Narita. So, hopefully next time I have a longer stay and I can meet you up.

The point is... I am just grateful to have someone like him in my life. Someone who does not have to be physically near you, but just the thought itself is enough. He said he had a dream after knowing that I'm going to Tokyo. We met up at the airport somewhere *haha..we don't even know where it is* with some @ers. Funnily, he only recognizes me. LOL.

Thanks Andy. You bring a totally new meaning to friendship.

Have fun there.... enjoy life.

Ki wo tsukete! Ja...ne

Labels: LiFe

Posted by Ddee at 10:11 PM

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aching at 5:19?

My two favourites songs at the moment:

Labels: IdLe MoM3nt

Posted by Ddee at 9:44 PM

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Sunday, November 04, 2007

input-output weekend

This Saturday is about plus-minus, input-output.

It's all about shopping spree and having fun *yeay yeay..plok plok plok -__-''

• 1 belt
• 1 blouse
• 2 packs of masks
• 1 MAC foundation
• 1 set of bottles *for travelling
• 1 pill case

and my sweet sin:

• Golden crispy chicken sticks with fries
• Nasi rames
• Peach Tea
• 2 cans of Green Tea *made me bloated for quite some time
• Mochavilla *chocolatte, espresso and vanilla ice-cream...

accompanied by 2 ol'd friends and a great live-celebrity-band. Yummy...

Owh...we dropped by at Pet House to take a look at those doggies. Cute Pom, Chihuahua, Terrier, etc.... but too expensive for my purse now. Sorry Nopie...next time lar yao!!

And when I reached home, turned on my lappie... I was greeted by many friends *weird weird..haha* but I am happy. Thanks for calling me Mama Phoebe, Lele, Anna, curly Vova, Randi, Erwin, Melda...

Counting down to my first training flight.... 9 days to go!

Labels: LiFe

Posted by Ddee at 1:09 AM

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Friday, November 02, 2007

wazzup?

Labels: IdLe MoM3nt, LiFe

Posted by Ddee at 9:02 PM

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