Reality Bites

I have been instructed to move from my No. 17 Workstation to a new No. 15 Workstation. So the whole day was spent moving my stuff around. Juan & I are a distance apart now (sulk) - thanks to them. I was hoping that they might forget but they remembered. On holiday, still have their incoming emails. Lucky that I don’t have to see their faces until next year.

Had a nice dinner with Trix at Asiari tonight. The IKEA-furnished place is just so warm and relaxing to hold private conversations. The Beef Stew was awesome – it was so appetizing – must bring Juan along next time :)

Liverpool beat Newcastle 2-0. But, it sort of ruins Owen’s homecoming isn’t it?

Shout Out

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

(Sigh…wish it was a White Christmas - instead of having the Tropical Sunshine lingering around) :)

The Best In Me

I can’t stand to fly
I’m not that naive
I’m just out to find
The better part of me

I’m more than a bird
I’m more than a plane
More than some pretty face beside a train
It’s not easy to be me

Wish that I could cry
Fall upon my knees
Find a way to lie
About a home I’ll never see

It may sound absurd…but don’t be naive
Even Heroes have the right to bleed
I may be disturbed…but won’t you concede
Even Heroes have the right to dream
It’s not easy to be me

Up, up and away…away from me
It’s all right…You can all sleep sound tonight
I’m not crazy…or anything

I can’t stand to fly
I’m not that naive
Men weren’t meant to ride
With clouds between their knees

I’m only a man in a silly red sheet
Digging for kryptonite on this one way street
Only a man in a funny red sheet
Looking for special things inside of me

It’s not easy to be me.

-Five For Fighting: Superman (It's Not Easy)-

Holiday Cheer

10 days of freedom as they are on their Christmas & New Year leave. Woo hoo! :)

We bid farewell to Jacques on Thursday. Jacques deserves so much more than just a Thai lunch and a leather sling bag. There was no recognition to acknowledge 9 years of hard work and labor. All The Director said was “Thank you for extending your stay for another half a month to help out Joachim and Pietro”. Cold-blooded people. No wonder Jacques said that this place is no longer worth working in. I guess everywhere is the same but Tommy wants to prove me wrong.

I’m done with my Christmas shopping. This year affair will be low-key. Nonetheless, I have a lot to thank for.

FIFA World Cup 2006 Draw

Group A
Germany / Costa Rica / Poland / Ecuador
Definitely The Germans & The Poles.

Group B
England / Paraguay / Trinidad & Tobago / Sweden
Certainly it will be easy for The Three Lions to top Group B and they will be join by The Swedes. Unless underdog Trinidad & Tobago lead by former Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke can create an upset. Otherwise, Sven-Goran Eriksson & his boys shouldn’t have a problem at all – they have clearly avoided the stronger teams.

Group C
Argentina / Ivory Coast / Serbia & Montenegro / Holland
I’m writing off Ivory Coast and Serbia & Montenegro. The Argies and The Dutch can top this group with flying colors. They don’t even have to put their best players in the game. The good ones should start making an appearance in the Round of 16.

Group D
Mexico / Iran / Angola / Portugal
No offence, but Iran and Angola should not even be here in the first place. Ireland and Turkey should have those 2 spots.

Group E
Italy / Ghana / United States / Czech Republic
A bit tricky. All 4 teams are strong. Italian’s football is beautiful, The Americans has shown promising performances (with several of their players have gained elite experiences by playing in the English Premier League) and The Czechs was impressive in Euro 2004. I’m picking the Italians and Milan Baros’s home country.

Group F
Brazil / Croatia / Australia / Japan
Wow! Toughest of the lot. Let’s face the fact, when it comes to skills - The Brazilians have it. It’s impossible to eliminate The Samba Boys. Croatia, Australia & Japan will have no chance to claim the top spot. Now, it’s the fight for second place. I’m torn between Japan and The Socceroos. My preference will be The Japs & The Aussies. I know it’s impossible but The Brazilians has been world champion for so long – time to give way isn’t it? :)

Group G
France / Switzerland / South Korea / Togo
The French and The Koreans.

Group H
Spain / Ukraine / Tunisia / Saudi Arabia
Again, what is The Saudi’s doing here? The slot should have been given to Wales, Greece or even Uruguay. The Spanish empire will take the lead, followed by Ukraine.

The Quest for the Cup begins! :)

Life or ...Something Like That

I underwent an Operation Training for 4 days in a row. Physical work was the agenda. I do what the Big Boys do – loading & unloading at the dock, packing, displaying, paperwork, everything! The experience was exhausting and I feel like a pancake – flat out. 23rd better arrives fast.
Christmas is just around the corner. The tree is up, christmas cards sent – only 2 things left: presents to buy and the Christmas Eve dinner to look forward to. Time to get merry people! :)

My Song Of The Year

My life is brilliant
My love is pure
I saw an angel
Of that I'm sure
She smiled at me on the subway
She was with another man
But I won't lose no sleep on that
'Cause I've got a plan

You're beautiful. You're beautiful
You're beautiful, it's true
I saw you face in a crowded place
And I don't know what to do
'Cause I'll never be with you

Yeah, she caught my eye
As we walked on by
She could see from my face that I was
Fucking high
And I don't think that I'll see her again
But we shared a moment that will last till the end

You're beautiful. You're beautiful
You're beautiful, it's true
I saw you face in a crowded place
And I don't know what to do
'Cause I'll never be with you
You're beautiful. You're beautiful
You're beautiful, it's true
There must be an angel with a smile on her face
When she thought up that I should be with you
But it's time to face the truth
I will never be with you

-James Blunt: You’re Beautiful-

I melt every time I hear this song :)

The Simple Life

I didn’t go for the dinner at Marriot last night. I think Jo & Troy did. Instead, I had my meal at SS15 and went to RP (at Hyatt Saujana) after that. The session ended early and Dad was surprise that I was home before 2am :)

I am damn pissed off with Aurora! It was my work, my format and Aurora took all of the credits. That’s plagiarism. And someone or some people have been spreading rumors of me leaving M13. That is so f.u.c.k. I’m sure the wind came from Boss’s side. However, Ronnie has once taught me – “Friend is friend, Work is work. Always protect yourself”. The Others need to keep an eye on as well.

I’m very curious over the controversy.
It triggers 2 questions:
- who is the perpetrator behind the video footage? Was it a whistleblower or was it someone who happens to be at the right place at the right time?
- Is such a body search necessary?
I’m sure the community at large (including myself) would love to be more well-informed on this issue; our constitutional rights in such a situation. Since transparency is encouraged, I think it’s about time that the authorities should publicize their Standard Operating Procedures on police custody & lock-up rules. They have defended that they will continue to strip their suspects naked and require them to undertake light exercise steps. When the suspects stretch their arms & legs, the authorities will then be able to ascertain that there are no hidden items. Previously they have discovered some suspects who hide razor blades, cigarettes, pills etc in their private parts. Fine; I do understand their concern. But isn’t such an act is insulting the modesty of a person or intruding into the privacy of a woman? I’m just wondering – can we ordinary citizens refused such a request and can we demand that the body search be conducted in another way? Metal detectors / X-rays – the ones that are being used in the airport? Can that be an alternative instead of stripping naked in front of an officer?