I had a catch up with my Malaysian brother 2 days back. We talked about our life and living etc. While living in the city, I realised that actually some people didn't like the city and they prefer to live in the remote places, away from the tension. Me, however, loved the city life.

I grew up in Singapore since young. All the growing education system and studying can get me really tensed in my young days. I don't like to study but I worked hard to achieve a good result. True enough, good results does pay a bit sometimes. My brother on the other hand, didn't really study and he's having headache over living. Well, that's the way education culture is having over here in Singapore. Parents die for their children's certificate. Luckily the studying days were over. I really thank god for that!!! After being out for work for about 3 years plus, I found that I couldn't really touch books anymore!

I felt lucky that I grew up here, I have quite a nice family. Parents can support themself with a business, my brother did not turn astray and he's very nice to me really. Besides my family, I loved the city I live in. Security, cleanliness and convenience. You get everything and you can travel within the city without a car. Here, there are some vibrant pubs and clubs. It's not very sleezy like most countries. Safe enough for us to go and for the "kids" to go. Healthy pubbing.

What's not so nice is.. it's not like L.A, that you could travel to Las Vegas or to New York with just a car. Well, that's all right. I don't mind flying sometimes for a break. Whenever I come back to Singapore, I do have a feeling of "Home Sweet Home". True enough, most of the time, you can't replace home. Of course, I do crave for house by the beach sometimes (that's my ideal home and it's still my ideal home).

Well, city life is not that bad. You can meet your friends at anytime. Everything at your feet. Definitely when you ask for something, you sacrifice something. Why not try to find out what's good instead of what's bad?

Erm.. I don't understand the meaning of hollaback. If you know please enlighten.

I've put it as my default ringtone. It rang today suddenly in the office. It went "Uh huh, this my shit. All the girls stomp your feet like this.." Everybody heard the shit.

Gwen Stefani - Hollaback Girl
==========================================
Uh huh, this my shit
All the girls stomp your feet like this

Chorus [x2]:
A few times I've been around that track
So it's not just gonna happen like that
'cause I ain't no hollaback girl
I ain't no hollaback girl

ooooo this my shit,this my shit[x4]

I heard that you were talking shit,And you didn't think that I would hear it
People hear you talking like that, getting everybody fired up
So I'm ready to attack, gonna lead the pack
Gonna get a touchdown, gonna take you out
That's right, put your pom-poms down, getting everybody fired up

Chorus [x2]:
Few times I've been around that track
So it's not just gonna happen like that
Because I ain't no hollaback girl
I ain't no hollaback girl

ooooo this my shit,this my shit[x4]

So that's right dude, meet me at the bleachers
No principals, no student-teachers
Both of us wanna be the winner, but there can only be one
So I'm gonna fight, gonna give it my all
Gonna make you fall, gonna sock it to you
That's right, I'm the last one standing, and another one bites the dust

Chorus [x2]:
Few times I've been around that track
So it's not just gonna happen like that
'cause I ain't no hollaback girl
I ain't no hollaback girl

ooooo this my shit,this my shit[x4]

let me hear you say:
the shit is bananas B-A-N-A-N-A[x4]

Chorus [x2]:
A few times I've been around that track
So it's not just gonna happen like that
Because I ain't no hollaback girl
I ain't no hollaback girl

ooooo this my shit,this my shit[x4]

Let say the last one week was sad enough for my family. My uncle just passed away in a work accident last monday night.

I was doing work online, halfway through my conference call. My brother was studying very hard for his driving instructor course, reading his "sutra". Then he received a call from my dear cousin that his dad just passed away. They need my mum and dad's help on the arrangements etc. All of us were shocked.

My uncle was working late at night in a factory. As for the details, I don't know. Somehow, he fell and stuck in a grinder machine. It's not his death that shocked me, it's how he died. Tragedy. I never know that tragedies could happen to my own extended family. I could remember during our granny's funeral, our uncle was still there with us, helping us in everything. He was so optimistic in everything like my dad. He's always in laughter, though not as fun as my dad but still nice. Why did such thing happen? Of course, his wife was distraught.

It's the second time in the year I sent my family members away. It's the second time in the year I visited the mortuary. It's the second time in the year I visited the Mandai crematorium and the Bishan columbarium. And......... it's just the beginning of the year!!

Everything is now over. It's just passed a few days. Now, all my family starts to buy their "condominium" at the Bishan columbarium. While stocks last!

Yo friends!

I'm still pretty stirred by the writing of blogs. I loved blogging so far though I've met some challenges here and there. It's high time I write something about them. I'm not going to write advanced stuff but things that strike some controversy or things on my personal opinion.

If you have been looking at people's blogs and wanted to write your own, are you still pondering which blog provider to use? And are you just looking for a FREE blog provider?

I don't have a vast variety of choices for you. However, after examining quite a number of providers to use, I've discovered some of the following according to my requirements.

You might have different uses for different blogs to select the below separately.

Blogger.com (aka blogspot.com)

Best in
Allowing you to change the look and feel freely.

Features
- Allows multiple writers
- Allows you to put up your google ads, different kinds of html links or javascript.
- Allows you to upload pictures to their server.
- Create multiple blogs under your username.

Not so good
- Cannot do simple tagging (might have to source for solutions to apply on your blog html template)
- Cannot do access rights restrictions. There are only writers' access rights but they do not have readers' access rights.

Blog.co.uk (they have many other affiliated providers)

Best in
Reader Access rights. You may set a group reading rights or postings private to the group of friends. You may set posts only available certain selections of friends (no need to be grouped). You may also set posts only available to yourself (good for diary keeping). Any new postings, a mail will be sent to them on an update.

Features
- You can set up your Friends community just like Friendster. Allow them to read your specific postings.
- You can set your posts as Drafts only (not published).
- Simple editor. Change header image and words freely and easily without touching codes.
- Tagging!!! Simple tagging for you. I find this a very good feature. It's like categorising your posts into links like a website without much effort.
- You can edit the timestamp of the posting. (good for office users..)
- Bloggers here write pretty much useful content and not so much of vulgar contents. But there's no restriction though.

Not so good
- Cannot change look and feel easily unless you pay.
- Google Ads around the first posts on your blog. (If you don't mind then it's okay, if you mind, it's really not that nice to the look)

Well, well. Others so far are just very simple blog features and nothing special about them. Things you might wanna examine which one to use could be
a) Look and Feel Change
b) Access Rights
c) Tagging
d) Picture blogging
e) Friends community
f) Popularity of blog extension (easy-to-remember)

There might be more. Feel free to add in any comments if you have anything to add.

I seemed to have started afresh this week. I guess I'm starting to think forward. Why? Because I've started wishing for all the things I want for future use.

Interestingly, all the things I want are not cheap. Recently, my work laptop.. 3kg weighs like 3 tonne on my shoulders. I think giving it few more months, I might suffer from ligament tear soon. Cannot tahan! I started to think of getting a very portable laptop, a light version. It so happened that Thinkpad X60 just came out. Without much comparison and knowing that thinkpad are so far best in durability, I've more or less decided that if I want to get a new laptop, it should be X60. Beautiful, sleek, slim and ready to move! Wow, what more can I ask. A SGD$3.6K for it. Still thinking how I can own it with the best financial arrangement.

Along with it, with a personal laptop and a work laptop, I need a wireless internet routing setup! That's a re-contractual plan with the current subscriber, $0 cost. So, nothing to think much on this.

Next, I need a living place near my workplace. Very funnily my workplace and home defers by approximately the width of the country. No wonder I get shoulder aches with the stupid 3 tonne laptop! Well well, for this, I'm asking for a good location in the middle of both place and preferably a condominium for some nice living. It will amount to about SGD$500 a month for all the rental and bills. And that's not all. When I have it, I wanna furnish my own room, organised in the way I want. I'm not asking too much, just doing up my own room. I'm already expecting some good shopping at IKEA. The lamps, the accessories, the bedsheet, and anything you may find in a room. hehe.

Next, there are some other personal developments I wish to do, continue my dance lessons and learn another new dance. Then perhaps get my car license after my younger brother successfully become a driving instructor. Phew! Lots lots!

Wow, looks like with the above, I'm much drained out in terms of time and money for it. Apparently, I'm not earning enough for all these. I need to get myself more sources of income, make myself financial free. Gambate!

Wow, in a blink of an eye. The 49th day after my grandma's death just reached today. In that blink of an eye, so many things I've gone through.

Actually, in chinese taoist customs, after a family member's death, there's a taboo period of 49 days. We are not supposed to wear gold, yellow/red/bright coloured clothes, to visit houses, to attend other big occasions like wedding or baby birth and many more. These are the ones I knew. I've already felt quite restricted with it. Well, I shouldn't complain, at least it was just 49 days. I heard from my indian friends that theirs took 1 year!

What did I do in this 49 days? I got a notorious office blogger name in my work department and to make peace with the people I mentioned there. I went KL and had the best short trip of my life. My work overloaded me and I was almost stressed out by it. I started a new project with a few friends to work on. I got the worst few days of my life feeling depressed. Finally, everything became well again and I got a new hairstyle! Coming to this day, it was a feeling of relief. I felt as if these 49 days were meant to be a challenge to me. "Don't wish for less challenges, wish for more wisdom." I had to persuade myself with this phrase really. I'm not hoping that challenges will end, but can I ask for challenges that are less harsh on me? Haha

Few more minutes to go and it marks the start for me to rock. Time for some stress-relieving parties and sessions. I must really get my way out of my work. Hate to spend so much time on it and you know that it will NEVER give you anything. I don't wanna just dream. I'm too tired. Body is exhausted. GIVE ME SOME LIFE!!!!! God, I know you would hear me right?

I think after so many things, I've just got to learn how to cheer up and be happy after every setback. I guess I've not experienced enough in the past. Every fall seemed so hard.

If I just enlarge my bruise with microscope, I'm just adding pain to myself. I think there are many things which I've still got to learn. Why not make the bruise smaller by using convex lens instead? See things from the general overview, it might make me a better person instead. After looking at it for so long, I think it's time to pamper myself more, might help in the bruise. It's like giving a little girl a lollypop after she fell down and cried.

Hmmm.. Time for the little red girl to enjoy some red wine. And then.... who knows what will happen next?

My Love from Westlife.

I wonder how, I wonder why, I wonder where they are.
You are all I'm thinking of. Can't stop myself from thinking.

Well said. My friends, who are you are thinking of right now?

An empty street,
An empty house,
A hole inside my heart,
I'm all alone and the rooms are getting smaller

I wonder how,
I wonder why,
I wonder where they are,
The days we had,
The songs we sang together(oh yeah).

And ohhh.. my love,
I'm holding on forever,
Reaching for a love that seems so far,

Chorus:
So i say a little prayer,
and hope my dreams will take me there,
where the skies are blue to see you once again,
My love,
overseas from coast to coast,
to find the place I love the most,
where the fields are green to see you once again,
my love.

I try to read,
I go to work,
I'm laughing with my friends,
but I can't stop to keep myself

from thinking(oh no)

I wonder how
I wonder why
I wonder where they are
the days we had, the songs we sang together(oh yeah)

And ohhh.. my love
I'm holding on forever, reaching for the love that seems so far

Chorus

To hold you in my arms,
To promise you my love,
To tell u from my heart
You're all I'm thinking of

Reaching for the love that Seems so far