I looked around the boardroom - lawyers, agents, buyer and seller.
Everyone was shaking each other's hands, congratulating each other on a job well-done, for sealing the deal.
At the end of the day, the lawyers will get their fees, the agents will get their commission, the buyer will get what they paid for, and the seller will get the money.
And me? Huh. Huh huh. Not only did I miss 2 consecutive days' of talks by Ajahn Brahm, I may have just made myself redundant, happening in a few months' time. Bragging rights about being part of the multi-million-dollar deal? Forget it!
Another new year. Another new beginning. Another list of resolutions.
1. Run the freaking Singapore Marathon, will ya? At least try the 10km run, you wimp!
2. Brush up on your photography, will ya? Your daughter is coming on board in 3 months' time!
3. Can you please be more focused and get your ass working on some residual income?
4. Please work on your self-pity. It's just sad (pun intended)
5. Do all of the above without compromising your care and concern for your family
We should be scheduling his TURP in early March. I reminded Dad that his granddaughter will be born in early Apr, so early March should be a good time.
The doctor said it is a very common procedure, and Dad also said this procedure is a basic must-know for all urologists. Hospitalisation is needed though, for 3 - 4 days. I am just so thankful that Dad is still healthy and so positive. This is still a medical operation after all, so I am worried, but I don't want to appear worried in front of him.
Mum, on the hand, should be getting her cataract operation in December. Once again, this is also a common day operation. I suspect Mum has been putting this off because she is worried. Dad has since managed to convince her.
I am just so worried for the both of them, but I cannot show it. I think I'm being paranoid, but I really want them to be well ...
More than 20 years ago, a dorky, awkward teenager met a sweet-looking girl at his orientation. She had her long, bouncy hair tied into a ponytail. Her tan complexion was due to the love of outdoor sports, especially swimming. She smiled a lot, and her laughter was especially contagious.
Their OG was an active one, meeting up regularly for lunches and outings. They both enjoyed the company, and nothing happened at first. But as the group then settled into their regular routine, he realised that he has taken a fancy to her. "She is wife material," he sniggered to himself. Phone conversations became more frequent, and he had a hard time trying to coincidentally bump into her along the corridors.
Over one of those long conversations, he asked to be her boyfriend. She was somewhat cornered, and rather hesitantly, said yes. It was August then. He was overjoyed! Over the moon! You see, unbeknownst to her then, he had 2 things on his mind. Using a sports analogy,
1. He needed to move up to midfield to attack
2. But before he can do that, he needed a solid defence
He had already identified that she will be the proverbial woman behind the proverbial successful man. With her support on the home front, he'll then be able to focus on taking on this world. Something like 男主外女主内.
They enjoyed their "paktor-hood" thoroughly, strolling in parks, going to movies, taking photos, etc. They had their 小情侣 squabbles, of course, but there was never shouting or fighting. Never. They were mostly disagreements, thrashed out civilly. They also learnt to manage each other's expectations. In all, they disagreed for less than 5 times. But he also learnt his lesson. Everytime she cried, it pierced his heart. He vowed never to make her angry, and will love and protect her.
Knowing that he found himself a good catch, dorky teen got worried when NS time came. She was too important to him and cannot afford to lose her. But what if...? She had a hard time reassuring him, but did so ever so patiently. She meant what she said, when twice she waited for him outside his camp. Imagine, a teenage girl outside an army camp! That's simply asking for trouble (meaning, cat calls, whistles, stares)! But she did it. When dorky nerd saw her standing there, he couldn't believe his eyes! He so badly wanted to hug her there and then, but had to restrain himself. He was so, so touched, and loved her even more.
Their love story continued much along the same lines, of surprise gifts, silly jokes, lots of love but even more respect.
Today, they have been together for 20 years, and married for 10. Come next year, there will be a new addition to the small family, one that they have been praying for.
So Happy 20th Anniversary my Princess, for comforting me when I'm sad, for encouraging me when I'm down, for bearing with me when I'm incoherent, for supporting me when I feel weak... most importanly, for being there for me. Of all the wrong things I've done, I am so proud I did one thing right: asking to be your boyfriend 20 years ago.
I love you, dear. May we have many, many more 20-year anniversaries to come. And I want to dedicate this song to you, the song that we liked so much and has grown to represent our relationship.
Coughed for one week and finally went to see doctor last night, and got an MC for today.
It's a good break, I must say. Had time to laze around, and finally started on Deathly Hallows. For once, all those office-related problems that I have been bringing back home in my head dissipated. Also gone were the down feeling, the self-doubts, the worries about how and where to find the money to upgrade to condo ...
So Malaysia has just had her very first astronaut sent into space. Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, an orthopedic surgeon and part-time model, travelled with Soyuz TMA-11, bound for the ISS.
I feel proud for Malaysia. I'm not bitter, jealous, anything. I'm glad that they have come to this level of achievement, organically or otherwise.
I feel proud that such a close neighbour has sent one of her sons into space. It's almost like I'm living out mydream through him ...
Image from http://diodati.omniscientx.com/2007/10/11/facing-mecca-in-space-an-exercise-in-spherical-geometry/
So I have been offered a less-than-attractive package. While I want to sleep over it now, I may have to face it in a few weeks' time. May, because they might not want to hire me after all.
This is the fix I'm in - I can only choose 2:
- If I want money and time, I have to give up commensurate post -> current offer is to give up money AND commensurate post
- If I want money and commensurate post, I must give up time -> logical, but not likely to happen to me
- If I want time and commensurate post, I must give up money -> dunno what's the likelhood of this
Methinks my biggest problem today is the lack of an objective.
Without an over-arching goal to guide my decisions, I'll never know which choice is better, which is worse. Time? Money? High post?
Earlier was at IMM Jurong Point and saw this girl. Wah, she really 气质非凡. Was looking at her and she must have detected that someone was looking at her, cos she turned to my direction.
And smiled.
And what did Uncle Waverley do in return? Smile back? Wave? Went up to strike a conversation? Noooo ... being the Singaporean, all I did was stare into space, like a statue in Italy.
It must have embarrassed her, cos her smile quickly disappeared. But she continued looking in my direction.
To the lady in white at Mos Burger, I so badly wanted to smile back, and walk up to you to comment on your 气质, but I just couldn't pluck up enough guts to do so.
If I see you again, I won't make the same mistake again.
Was looking at it sometime back and had wanted to set up shop, but quite expensive. Then my thoughts went to the government, and wondered when they were going to do it - and they finally did.
AN IT-SAVVY government agency here owns an island - but one which does not exist in the real world.
Along with at least two other agencies, the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) has bought real estate to operate in a universe that exists only online.
This virtual world, called Second Life, is visited by more than 8.9 million residents from about 100 real-world countries.
Besides the IDA, the Singapore Tourism Board and Economic Development Board have bought stakes there - not for commercial gain, but to reach their audiences, or to explore operations in a virtual world.
Senior Minister of State for Information, Communications and the Arts Balaji Sadasivan, revealing this yesterday, noted that life in this digital age was making the world increasingly porous, so it was important for people to 'exploit the opportunities opening up' in the cyberworld.
Dr Balaji, who is also the Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, was speaking at the opening of a gathering of 220 lawyers, social scientists, entrepreneurs and technologists from 20 countries.
The State of Play V Conference is a platform for them to discuss the impact of virtual worlds on, for example, real-world laws and regulation.
In Second Life, more than US$1 million (S$1.53 million) in virtual transactions happen daily.
It has attracted companies, organisations and yes, agencies from other real-world governments interested in reaching out to the audience that spends several hours in cyberspace.
Assistant Professor Aaron Delwiche from Trinity University's department of communication, who is also the co-chair of the conference, noted that people were forming impressions of other cultures based on these digital encounters.
He said: 'Today, virtual worlds are viewed as playgrounds, but tomorrow, they will supplement our physical workplaces.'
The three Singapore government agencies yesterday declined to elaborate on their cyberspace forays.
But The Straits Times understands that on the 'island' the IDA bought, the agency is working with students of Nanyang Polytechnic to design software applications that could be used in the virtual world.
For example, they have created a live video conferencing programme for Second Life residents to stream live meetings and conferences.
Speaking at the conference yesterday, Principal Senior State Counsel Charles Lim of the Attorney-General's Chambers said Singapore was in favour of leaving virtual worlds alone, as long as the activities there did not damage the 'fabric of society' by, for instance, using online characters to incite religious hatred.
Another speaker, Temple Law School professor David Post, suggested that governments might want to leave virtual worlds to set their own laws.
National Day used to mean a lot to me. It epitomises and encapsulates all that I am - a Singaporean. Against all odds, not only did we survive, we thrived. It enshrined the blood, sweat and tears our forefathers had poured into this place they came to call home. The can-do spirit excited me, and I wanted to use it as a personal motto.
But in recent years, I've seen and heard so much that frankly, I'm quite sian already. And disillusioned. Applying for NDP tickets used to be a must, but this year, I didn't even bother watching it on TV.
Ever since I was a kid, I had very little cravings for material things. When the toys I pointed out to yielded the response "That's too expensive; we can't afford", that was the end of it. No wailing, no insisting. That item was officially off my (already very short) list.
Thinking back, I guess I was trying to be a good kid and a good Buddhist.
Recently, when I related this story to someone, she exclaimed "Then you would have no goal to dream of, nothing to work towards ..."
I felt a million watts go through my body. The realisation ... is not too late, I hope.
Our involvement in Hougang Case started on Saturday at 4plus in the morning. Aside from that one trip home for fresh clothes, we stayed until last night, at 10plus. We almost had to leave at 2am this morning (we were initially told 1am).
Which got me thinking:
1. Would you sacrifice today for tomorrow's good?
2. How many people believe that they actually would be there to reap the good tomorrow?
3. What are people's views on the intangible good versus the visible bad?
4. How much is too much? How far is too far?
5. How easy is it for people to keep ploughing without the signs, indications or motivations that the good is coming?
