It's May..

And so, it's May already. I am always lamenting that time flies too fast, but on the other hand, I'm quite an expert at procrastinating too. Haha.

The past month had been quite exciting. The most memorable thing would be the korean pop band group CNBLUE's concert here in Singapore. It was my first time watching a korean pop concert live. It seemed like I was being transported back to my teenage days, screaming like any fangirl and waving lightstick throughout the concert. But I must say that I really enjoyed it a lot, and it was a fabulous concert put up by CNBLUE. I am proud to say that I'm a CNBLUE fan. :D

Because of work, I attended the Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation for Chinese Orchestras for 4 days. Besides the fact that I had to listen the same set pieces for over 60 orchestras, I do felt that the performing standards of school orchestras nowadays have improved tremendously, compared to the days while I was still a student (i.e. more than 10 years ago). There have been debates over the restructuring of the grading system and the unexpected result outcome this year, but in my humble opinion, the essence of the competition is to push the participants beyond their limits, rather than being too obsessed with results. The restructured grading system does not do justice to the participants and the instructors, neither does it truly define the purpose of the so-called 'presentation'.

On a lighter note, things had been going nicely for the past month. There had been quite a number of meet-ups with old friends and ex-colleagues. I admit that I don't really take the initiative in organising meet-ups, so I am grateful for my other friends for doing so. Haha.

And there is a tulip-mania going on this month at the Gardens By The Bay, so I had to say hi to my favourite flowers. :) Ending this post with some photos of the beautiful tulips. :)

It's March already!

Hi there!

Didn't realise that the last post was on last Christmas. Time flies, doesn't it?

So, what have I been up to lately? I did go back to the Philippines, to give a birthday surprise to the celebrants, Tricia and Papa Momoy. I must say it was a well-planned surprise, because nobody knew that I was coming, except for the 3 ladies in the house. :)

And coincidentally, just a ferry ride away, Ilo-ilo was celebrating its Dinagyang Festival. In conjunction with that, ASAP (a Filipino music-and-dance programme) was doing a live show there. Knowing that many of the good-looking faces would be there, well, more importantly, my Papa Piolo (!!), I went there and joined in the Dinagyang fiesta mood. Very much thanks to the relatives in Ilo-ilo, I've got a chance to witness the colourful Dinagyang Festival parade from the VIP area of the Freedom Grandstand. Not only that, a free ticket to the ASAP show bundled with police escorts. Haha!

And! Piolo was also holding his album mall tour there as well, do you think I would let go of that? :) The purchase of his latest album included an upclose blocked seating area, an autograph and a photo taken with him. Ah.. that was almost like a dream come true. Haha.

I guess that was really the highlight of the entire trip. :)

And then came the Chinese New Year. It wasn't a big affair for the family, most of the time was spent in the house. I was just plain unlucky to get gastric flu on the eve of the new year, I lost track how many times I had vomitted, and many of the new year goodies were out of limits. It was only till Day 3 that I could stomach some solid food and a small piece of my favourite bak-kwa and shrimp roll.

Before the trip to the Philippines, I had an ear infection, and I was panicking, worried that I couldn't take the plane. Thankfully it got better, and I had medications along the way. And then it came back just a few weeks back, thank god it was a mild one. I guess this year's wish should just be good health.

Other than that, I've been stuck at work, caught up in the aftermath of taking too many photos (it was a real headache to sieve through and edit hundreds of photos), meeting friends for meals, attending performances here and there.. Life still goes on the usual way.

And then what's up coming next? More performances (and photo-taking assignments), work, work, work.. Haha. Till then!

Merry Christmas!

Hello there again! Another long awaited post huh..

The 2-week long 'battle' was kinda an eventful one, as predicted. As much as I would love to rant, I still need to keep things confidential (and to protect my ass too). I just hope people realise that the examination is not something they can have it their own way anyhow.

I managed to squeeze in a short respite in Bangkok right after the 'battle'. Good to meet up with my Thai friends again. It has been 12 long years. :) I miss the (budget) shopping at Chatuchak market and Terminal 21 shopping mall. Love the cheap but awesome traditional Thai massage as well.

I guess the most unique experience was the chat with 2 local tour guides while having a cuppa coffee opposite the Grand Palace. They turned out to be Chinese-Thais who came from my father's hometown, Betong (South Thailand). A pity that I did not take a photo with them, perhaps my father might have known them.

And right after that I was back into the whirlwind of work again. But I guess the Christmas mood helped to relieve the stress a little. Been meeting with friends here and there as well, a good time reminiscing the past, a good time for laughter. :)

If time and money is not an issue, I would have flown to the Philippines to spend Christmas there. I still miss spending Christmas there. The entire atmosphere and mood is so different from here, too commercialised, sadly. Hopefully there will be another time I could spend Christmas there, and I definitely look forward to that.

But anyways, a very Merry Christmas to all, and to all my Pinoy friends in Bago City, Manila, here in Singapore, and in other parts of the world, Maligayang Pasko!

Hohoho!

Happy 27th!

Without me realising, my birthday went past *shoo~!* just like that.

The past year has been good, not without the usual ups and downs, but thankfully there were no major crisis to wreck my life. Haha.

Grateful to have friends who have been there when I need them to, and I hope I've done the same for them. :) A high school senior once shared this meaningful quote with me, 'To be rich in friends, is to be poor in nothing'. Indeed.

Thank you, my close friends in NUSCO, who made me a new plush toy, a new friend for Mr Tofu. And we named him, Mr Yong Tofu. HAHA. (By the way, Mr Tofu is already 5 years old!) And of course, to all who have greeted me. I love ya all. Muacks. HAHA.

I don't have any grand birthday wishes, I'm just hoping that it will be a smooth-sailing year. Hmm, or maybe a Piolo coming into my life? HAHA. That's really a wishful thinking.

Happy birthday to me!

Laptop on Strike

Announcement: This blog is on a short hiatus because the writer's laptop had betrayed her and went on a 'hanging' spree. Will continue from the trip to Bago City in June, when the laptop returns after repairs. Probably I would have returned from my Manila trip in July by then. Haa.

(P.S. Typing this on the phone is just too troublesome.)

It's May already!

Long time no see. Haha.

As usual, I've been busy with work since I came back from the Philippines in April. The new project is making me not able to multi-task as efficiently as I would like myself to be. And I'm not even halfway through completing it. Sigh.

It was good to meet up with old friends, gossipping and reminiscing of the good old times. Been hearing wedding bells ringing, and they will keep on ringing for the coming years. It's 'the' phase of life. My Facebook wall will then be flooded with wedding photos, and then soon, baby photos. Haha.

Not quite sure how often would I write on this blog again, I still love penning down my thoughts, but sometimes I'm either too tired, but most of the time, too lazy. Ha. TV is still my best friend. But I'll still try to write, perhaps at least whenever I return from my travels.

And till then. :)

It's almost end of February??

I'm once again overwhelmed with work, the volunteer project in Bago City, and whatever not. It's back to the days of burying myself in piles of music scores, but this time round, it's together with the dictionary and all the Italian terms.

I felt I was mugging like a student once again. Ha.

The stress level must be on its way to hit the sky, unfortunately. I've been drowning myself with more coffee (I wish for free Starbucks everyday, including on weekends), sighing and ranting more often. I lose my temper much more easily, and I yearn to reach out to my inner peace at the end of the day, late at night. And after that I get insomnia, and couldn't wake up in the morning. A very bad vicious cycle.

If only there were 48 hours in a day.

One thing to keep me sane though, it's Korean pop songs. Ah, I know you are going to say that I'm intoxicated again with K-pop. Haa. I just went on a K-drama soundtracks and CDs shopping spree online a few weeks back. Oops. Haha. And recently I've been high on the songs by FT Island and CN Blue. I'm amazed by Lee Hongki of FT Island, he always sings with so much emotions, even if he has to sing them every few days when they go around promoting the songs on the various K-pop music charts.

These 2 songs by FT Island have been on constant replays on my player. Good songs linger in my mind. And I'm sharing the good songs. :)

That Person in Shinsadong


Severely

龙年到！

这个新年，来得特别快。十二月圣诞节才刚过不久，农历新年一堆红彤彤、咚咚锵的东西到处都是。

我不是特别喜欢过年，因为我本来就不太喜欢热闹。我没有应酬的本能，就算是久未碰面的亲戚也聊不上几句。当然，大家都在“嘘寒问暖”地问一些客套话。工作了四年还有人以为我还在念书，应该要感谢我这张“童颜”般的脸孔。

大家也对我的感情生活特别有兴趣。而我的对策是以静为答。感谢大家的关心了。哈。

不过今年的新年过得还算平静，年初一睡到下午12点才起床，只到外婆家拜年，都住在同一座，
不必盛装打扮穿新衣。我甚至能把一部偶像剧看完（之后又中了偶像剧的毒），这样的新年，我喜欢。哈哈。

接下来的几个月，会忙着工作上的新任务和出国义工的事。希望能有一些喘气的空间，就算只是坐下来静静地喝杯咖啡也好。

突然想起，今年有好多华乐曲子特别适合演奏，如，《龙腾虎跃》、《龙的传奇》。哈哈。新的一年，新的展望。祝大家事事顺心、如意！

Time for a change

A change is not a bad thing. We ought to try to be different at times, otherwise life would be boring. :)

Don't worry, I'm not quitting my job. I'm still here. Haha. And apologies for the lack of posts (again). There has been an intense lack of inspiration due to my recent over-intoxication with korean dramas and my preeettyboy. ;D

Ah..

Life has been (fill in the blank).

I'm still alive. Ha.

Another short respite

Ah.. Another short respite, that came just in time. A call for duty as a family member of the Pu/Pou.

Afterwhich, it will be back to piling of workload again. Woot.

You can help Japan

It was a devastating weekend for Japan. A 8.9-magnitude earthquake shook the country, and the tsunami wiped out beautiful towns and cities that were once scenic spots.

Images and video footages of the destruction are constant reminders to us, that nature will still reign above man, we should love the only Earth that we have.

And for whatever reasons you may have, please do not gloat over the tragedy that Japan is now battling against. There's something called karma.

Japan is a very disciplined country, I am sure the people are brave enough to overcome all challenges, and they will rebuild their country back to its glory, or even better.

But for now, you can help them. Don't just sit there and do nothing. Singapore Red Cross is now accepting monetary donations towards the Japan's earthquake-tsunami disaster.

Please visit the Singapore Red Cross' website for donation information.

Or, check out the Red Cross' websites/offices in your respective countries.

I've made my contribution. Have you?

P.S. And don't shun Japanese products. So what if they will get expensive? Buying their products will help in regaining their economy, and I know you can jolly well afford it. :)

Help the Filipino kids

Everytime when I visit Bago City, I would always try to help the children there, in the little ways that I could.

This time round, you guys can do your bit. :)

$1 can get a Filipino kid a basic stationery set. If you wish to contribute, do drop me a message or email me at "puyuhui at starhub dot net dot sg" (or SMS me, if you are my friends).

My target is to help 500 kids, but of course, the more the merrier. :)

2 horrible weeks have passed

Finally, I could get to sleep without thinking of what would happen tomorrow. No more imaginations of worst-case scenarios. It has been exhausting, mentally and physically. It was much tougher this year, more people and problems to deal with.

Even if I had dealt with them badly or wrongly, mistakes have been made. Probably these coming weeks would be crucial, to see the effects of my mistakes.

At times like this, I hope to be away in my paradise. But paradise is nowhere near my reach, even for this coming Christmas.

Twenty-five

A quarter of a century has passed. It hasn't been a spectacular life journey, but I'm thankful for the experiences I've gone through.

I'm contented with the rather peaceful birthday I had, and I sincerely thank all of you for the warm greetings. :)

I don't need any celebrations on my birthdays. Peace and happiness in simplicity throughout the year would be more worthy than that. :)

Again, thank you, my friends.

A very early morning

I was stirred awake early this morning, 15 minutes before 6. The house was quiet, and I couldn't get back to bed. I know there were things that were keeping me up, but my mind was blank. I was just staring at the ceiling the whole while. I was waiting for the alarm clock to go off, and I was frustrated because I could have slept for 2 more hours.

I was thinking to myself, should I just get ready for work, but probably that would be kinda freaky, turning up in office before the sun comes up. There are tons of work to clear for sure, but still, work doesn't dominate my life, or so I don't let it to be.

It has been a long while since the last time I got to read the newspaper the first thing I woke up. I miss the days when I have the luxury of lazing around in the morning.

Perhaps this was what I would have wanted, to sit down somewhere and do nothing. But I wish it wasn't in this manner. Insomnia would just make the rest of my day restless.

The months ahead don't look good. I wish.. for a holiday again.

Nothing

I'm exhausted.

The weeks have been hectic, work, kids and whatever else. I would very much love to have peace and more quiet time for myself, if not with close friends.

I just want to sit down somewhere and do nothing, think about nothing.

Hello Bago City!

Hello! Magandang umaga po sa iyong lahat! :)

Yes, I'm now in the Manila airport, waiting for my transit flight to Bago City. :) This will be my 10th time in my second home, and I'll celebrate it with a big bang (I don't mean it literally). Haha.

My blog has been dormant for quite some time, work has been hectic for the past few weeks, and will continue to be so. There's only 2 words to describe, 'mad rush'. I've been lunching-in for a couple of days, and even turning up for work at 8am yesterday just to make sure I could finish the important tasks before going on a week's break.

I hope this trip would be able to resuscitate my soul. Haha. Time to relax, sort of. I can't wait to see everyone again. And this time round, princess Sarah is coming with me! :D

And yes, I'm already becoming 3/4 Filipino, I have my own Philippines' HP number and mobile internet connection. How cool is that? :)

And till then, mabuhay!

A tour guide once again

The past week has been somewhat bustling with activities. I became a tour guide, once again. Well, I'm the ambassador of Bago City. :D I hope my friends have had a good time spent here, and I wished they could have stayed longer, not because there are that many places in Singapore to tour around, but because I just want to see them. :)


No prizes for guessing where this is. :)

I really really really miss everybody in Bago City. I can't wait to be back. That will come pretty soon. :)

Pilipinas Got Talent's auditions

The Philippines, the country of 7107 islands. A country with a very vibrant culture, with amazing people. The Filipinos are undeniably talented, especially in dancing and singing. To name some famous people: Lea Salonga, Charice, Apl.De.Ap from Black Eye Peas. See? :)

And they have no lack of reality-talent shows. It was the premiere of the 1st Pilipinas Got Talent last weekend, and boy, I had a good laugh, and of course, the amazing ones are equally entertaining.

Introducing to you the future singing sensations. Haha.





**Happy birthday to my godson, Ryzel! Maligayang kaarawan! :)**