GoodBye Justina...

Group Pikcher
Originally uploaded by daftbitch.

So the girls (Jeanie, Eve, April on top row L-R, Angie, Justina, Meihwan, Clara on bottom row L-R) gathered on a wednesday night, yep, a break in my routine boys night out., for dinner & drinks.

With some spaggedies down our stomach, tons of jokes and rebuttals flying across two tables, dishes getting sent back to the kitchen, and not forgetting the manic calculations of splitting the bill, we all had a good time. It wasn't easy to always get everyone out. Pris didn't show up as she's sick, but she sent the next best rep : her bf Philip. We had a good time, though brief as it was. But it was to say bye to Justina who will be heading off elsewhere to work, and getting less nonsense from us. Hmmm... wonder how much nonsense she's gonna miss.

To Justina : we'll miss you and promise to visit if we can. Meanwhile, don't miss our rubbish ok?

so another week has past...

How did it past? I have no idea. It's been good. I like the pace of life. Perhaps cos i spent most of it asleep. I feel this insatiable desire to sleep. Sorry, pics of the new hairstyle will not be released for now. People who matters to me have been seen it. Mixed reviews, mostly pleasant.

I've been doing too much reading. Reading about golf, wakeboarding, cycling, running stuff, swimming stuff, motorsports, protein and of course, some financial stuff. In short, reading reading reading. I recalled telling a friend sometime ago i wanted to break his golf club cos he plays too damn much golf... and now i'm going to learn how to play, much to the happiness of another friend. Cycling is another crazy idea of mine. All these ideas are taking flight soon. Watch out world ... here i come!

The only thing is i have 24 hours a day. How can i balance work and play? I struggle within myself, comforted myself, telling myself i can do it. Whether i can or not, i really have to. Perhaps i am really growing older. Perhaps i feel time is running out.

a change in me...

I went for a run on Monday, the day after CNY, as promised to others in a bid to lose weight and to tone up. I fell sick (very very very sick) for most part of the week thereafter, downing concoctions of medicine, enough to drug up an entire cow. Why did i fall sick? There might be a slew of possible reasons.

Maybe the body has something to say, in protest of the run, sending me into doldrums of illness. That run was refreshing, though my knees are screaming for me to stop. Or maybe it's that walk to the train station (yes i took the train), and that brief walk in the rain. That walk to the train, with me plugged into my iPod, was out of my usual norm, and the train ride amused me and kept me giggling on the phone with suppliers, clients, and friends. That walk in the rain, once out of the train, also kept this smile on my face. Simple things cheer me up recently. I think my life's taking a change.

Change of look. I had a change of look, but i guess the final pictures will be put on hold for now. I'll just show you my uber black hair. I went back to basics---Black. Black is not a color, it's a state of nothingness. When darkness falls, every color in the spectrum red blue green yellow is black. 2ndly, i chose to go back to basics due to my time in water & sports. I'm stepping up my swim and run schedules. So colored hair normally turns blonde or really really blondish brown. And it's dry. So now, back to basics. I love it...

I'm getting well. It's Sunday. I went wakeboarding this morning. I never felt better today than i did all week. Rock on...!!!

weekends are a blur

...due to working slightly later on Fri night and of cos right till Sat afternoon. But of cos, the rain and a lazy Saturday evening helped.

Explains the dazed me... after a quik nap on Saturday. Staring at the number of buns... and i mean, real butter rolls... on a rainy Saturday evening.
Lo Hei BBQ dinner on a Saturday night with Deu & Shirz, at an obscure part of Singapore. A part of Singapore that my rides won't make it in there, where the streets have no name, where there are no street lamps or lights, no roads to ride on. No commercialization. Nothing. But that was what makes it so different. Staring at the nightsky. The crashes of waves. Hmmm...
Ending the night off, with this disco ball providing some laughter, cos i was in awe of the it.
Lil' things that make me smile these days. Heh heh.

Happy Hour...

I may not have any pictures for my Happy Hour. But i just realize the meaning of Happy Hour. And i absolutely love my friends , my boys... and my loved ones.

In the midst of my busy week, i had to thank the big guy up there for introducing Beer. I heart Beer, eventhough i can't take in too much of it. I finally understood how nice it is to wind up the day with a nice cold bottle of beer running down the throat. Sheer bliss.

Here's to a joyous weekend... and more ice cold beer... !

Chinese New Year

I guess after staying overseas for a good number of years, i'm appreciative of Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year, as some might call it. It's fun, and brings back memories of kids running about. No, my maternal instinct ain't calling yet. I still hear that Miu Miu bag beckoning me, instead of that call to motherhood.

I like hanging around my family a whole lot. Absolute joy. Especially more so since we seldom meet up. It's becoming quite a tradition for some of the younger ones (i'm still young...) to head to a club to have a drink. And of cos quite a tradition to having haul the oldest one (my other cousin) home.

It's a time that i put on weight. Or am i just bloated due to ...? Or am i seriously getting fat? Someone once said Scales don't lie, but i like to argue that muscles do have weight too. :P But i think i did have a lil' more fat around me. I think by the end of these 15 days, i'll be hitting the treadmill, doing laps in the pool, and try to do some weights.

Gong Hey Fatt Choy, Happy New Year.
And i heard Monkeys have all the luck this year... you think so?

friday night... pre CNY

In case anyone's hoping for a Valentine's day post, it won't happen. I celebrated it with my passion : my work. And i was in Beijing, no less. Yep alone. But it's fine. Cos Valentine's day is overcommercialized.

What was supposed to start at mortinis at happy hour on friday too did not materialize. I was too late to arrive due to work and bad traffic. Work has been the subject of my life for the past weeks. I've been wanting a drink... just for the sake of unwinding. But never once expect to get some crazy night. I had the best time ever that night.

Dennis called, informing me that he's in town, and i told him he has to be out to meet me. With Dennis, what can i not expect? Throw in more Purdue alums and some IU dudes, you get serious amount of mayhem & madness. Suddenly i feel nostalgic. Drinks were flowing from bottles after bottles. It's just seriously funny.

Throw that along with Barry's impromptu Birthday drinks. Hahaha, what i get is fun...
Happy Birthday to Barry my brudder!

Beijing, China...

Beijing, China has always been a fantastic place to be in, though my pref is always in Shanghai. But i guess the history of Beijing blended with the city culture has always been a drawing factor for some friends of mine, over work in Shanghai. This trip was like any other, for work. I didn't have much time to go around the city, mainly cause the trip is short. I had to fly back on the seemingly impossible full flights due to the Chinese New Year being the very weekend, cutting short to the trip for three days only. I caught a red eye flight on Sunday, to arrive on the Monday to start work... and finish off by Wednesday midnight to be home in Singapore for work on a Thursday morning.

Beijing has gone more commercialized. The subway has far more ads, from the latest Nike basketball sneakers to the new Apple iPod shuffles. I spent a good amount of time in Starbucks, making use of the free Wireless Internet Access, finishing as much work as i can. I didn't see any shoes that caught my fancy, perhaps it's cause of them being boots. And it's way too hot in Singapore to be decked in boots all the time. I didn't see any clothes, perhaps it's cause it was all sweaters and stuff. Beijing is very cold at this time. Too cold. And the wind was so strong. I am all wrapped up, except in my room or out in the streets.

The whole trip's highlight was perhaps the fact i caught sunrise, on my way flying into Beijing. That spectrum of lights, beyond that horizon. At that moment, i knew. I knew that things were going to be different this year. And i'm going to be a different Eve, i resolve to be, i have to be. I felt the sense of calm and peace. And perhaps, i found my own lil' shangri la. Like the song "Boston", i am just sick of sunsets. All i need is this one sunrise, to bring forth strength.

Desaru Beach ...

Desaru. The sea looks calm & inviting. But it's not.
It's a damned washing machine, with waves crashing all over the place. You feel as though you're being tumbled dry.
Yep, there goes the surfing.
There's no sun, yet i got a few shades tad darker.
You can't swim. The undercurrent is scary.
Yep, there goes the swim.
There are no proper shower stalls. So that's how we would just stand there and shower, and think of it as completely nothing wrong. The guys, of course, had zero problems. Me... hahaha, JDI. I can always run to the nearby toilet to change up. I just need to have cleaner hair & at least a less sea salt body. Sorry i haven't found time to capture myself on camera yet. Been too busy with work....

Cheers, Evie

mushing with friends

I barely stepped out of being well from my illness. I don't think i was that sick. I had this respiratory problem which resulted in me breaking in cold sweat and bad muscle aches for a couple of days. I spent the weekend mushing around with my ipod doggy, which i received as a Christmas present, in bed... lazing around, and just resting or catching up on Grey's Anatomy.

As with the festive period around Chinese New Year every year, work gets a little slower. And of course, in light of having just recovered from an illness, plus that extra time off work, i decided to spend some time with my fave boy in town, Kimbo during the beginning of the week... and he had to do some work and hunt down locations for a film shoot. The task in hand was to find a motel of sorts. We found this queer motel that has sheets hung outside that undoubtedly are errrr... weird. The structure of the motel is so antique and weird amidst the rest of the newer buildings or high-rise condominiums projects around the area. Hmmm... one word : queer.

My godsis and sis decided to arrange for mid-week drinks at Zouk, to just hang out together... and have a quiet night out. Every single time we plan for quiet night always turns out into boisterous amount of fun and crazyness. Richard & Alan my Hei Ren brother called me close to 10pm and i told them where i would be at. They came down. Turns out they knew some friends of my sis who so happened to be also there. And we had fun.

As the weekend rolls around, i probably will be spending good amount of time near water, in or around water. I guess i am kinda looking forward to it. I am turning pale looking. hmmm... and i admit i have been quite a bum... but at the very least, i have cute buns. Hahaha...

under the weather...

I wonder how often i fall sick. I heard a supplier reply "again" when i informed him i am not at work cos i feel sick... That word "again" caused me to wonder. So i am adding the label under the weather to this cause.
I am feeling under the weather, exactly when it chooses to rain the entire day. Drizzles here & there. My body aches. I feel like crap. I am slightly sleepy, yet i can't really sleep. I kept tossing & turning. Sigh...

I haven't gone to the doc's, because my symptoms have not really manifested itself. What can i tell my doc? She's probably going to dispense me some antibiotics. Bah! I hate that stuff.

I must have looked different or perhaps like crap today, cause i met a close friend who couldn't recognize me at all. I was baffled. Then again, it might be this new look i've been experimenting with. But i'm keeping it hush hush in case there're days that i don't want to talk to any friends, and i just want to disappear with the crowds. The friend commented it's not Eve.

So what is Eve? Comments please....

that unforgettable feeling

The workload this week has calmed down. As much as i love the calmness, i also hate the boredom as no one has the time to sit down for a cuppa with me, and dread the thought of having to work doubly hard to make up for a quiet week.

I've been contemplating going to IntegraSg trackday at Sepang. Mainly cos i expected myself to be in Beijing now... and that work trip is still pending. Secondly, i don't have my ride to drive. And of cos the unpredictability of work makes decisions even harder.

But i am glad i did go. Last minute decision from a me that i lost along the way. I love the impromptu-ness and the last minute decision on such stuff. I managed to taxi with Cheng. Props to him for that. And it made me remember why i absolutely love driving. Omg, i wanted so much to just drive then, it's that unforgettable feeling of sheer exhileration, despite the fact i was perspiring from the heat at Sepang. My thoughts on his car are that it rolls like a dream, very predictable understeering and there's good enough power around it for a NA ride. I like the way it's set up. Our drive styles are different, so i had my lil' grumbles, but all's good.

So now the weekend is here. I can't believe i slept before 1am on Friday night... when i receive too many calls beckoning me down to Zouk, which of course I did not succumb to that, and figured my bed is way comfy, and of cos, being in jammies is the best feeling ever.

Have a good weekend...
Cheers & XoXo,
Evielicious

seeking validation from others?

Did anyone read Sumiko Tan's article in Sunday Times' Life section titled Me Myself and I this past weekend? And how she talked about not depending on others to make yourself happy and the seeking of validation from others? And to seek happiness from yourself alone?

I sat down on the cold rainy Sunday afternoon and pondered whether i've constantly seeked validation of my existence : how many people really loved me or adored the ground i walk on. I often and still do tell people that they must love me. And i know everyone loves me. And i go around telling people that i know they love me. Is that a sign of the needyness of validation?

At the end of the day, i know it doesn't matter to me who loves me. We all need friends. As the article mentions (if i recall correctly) that "good quality relationships are vital to one's well being, very alike to vitamins helping us through tough times and sustaining us daily". But that school of thought is also challenged with the need to decipher between toxic relationships from the non-toxic ones. Perhaps one day i should sit and ponder who deserves my time / my love / my affections a lil' more than others.

Angie my bestie has said that her new year's resolution is to simplify, to get rid of the toxics in her life, and spend time with people who matters most. The thing i question is how do you know if the person matters most and how this person can be made a good friend, when all of us started out as Hi-Bye friends, and only churn out meaningful great fantastic friendships through time and test? I think i'll stick to my usual routine of knowing more people.

So the need to seek validation from others, in my opinion, is found within ourselves, whether we really choose to embrace it or ignore it. Everyone knows if you do not care about me, you're probably not worth my time. But when you have chose relationships that you have thought to matter to you, you have to set yourself up for disappointment, and sometimes it gets so hard to walk away. Like Paula DeAnda sings "i think about it everyday, it gets so hard to walk away... i will remember you...".

For now, i guess to live & let live, as i always say. I may shout to the world that i know everyone loves me, but i know i don't really care at the end of the day whether everyone does, cos i know i got me myself and i. And of cos, some friends whom i know who's always got my back, rain or shine. And that's all that matters.

Or perhaps you should just move to Boston, where no one knows your name....

arrival of the princess party diary

As much as i like to brag how i absolutely have no jetlag, everyone but me know it's bullocks. I pretty much slept from 10pm to 8am on the 1st day i touched down. But that's due to the fact i haven't touch a flat bed for some time. How does 32 hours sound? Not everyone has the luxury to fly business class or even first class.

On the 2nd day which so happens to be a Wednesday, that marks the start of the princess' party diary. The boys were obviously disappointed at my return, though i think they are very elated. I didn't put on weight, so they say,... till they checked my butt out. Then they went "woohoo, much bigger", and wonders whether i can balance a pen right at the buttcheek area. Hahaha... So anyways, we went off to Bala for our rounds of drink. And it's just been a fantastic night just listening to what they talk about, and did throughout the time i was away. Then a friend of theirs showed up, and she knew me... back from PL days. So the night continued with meeting more PL girls thereafter at zouk, all by chance. OMG. I don't even want to talk about that further. I did meet with Wenxiong and Jeannie and Angie, who were a comforting sight, i miss them... It was a fantastic night, i made do with very little sleep before i started my thursday....

Thursday was a slow night... Angie and me made a date with Eugene (our sydney-residing friend) to catch up over some coffee, on that cold wet night. It's been raining in Singapore. And everyone's been telling me it has been worse before i came back. So Eugene is my ultimate jinx, as whenever he's back, i will definitely bumped into someone whom i wish i never have to see again. *rolls eyes*, that's another story altogether.

Friday i met u for drinks thereafter at bala. It was a bp with Evan, hung around for coffee, met the girls for dinner... to which we wentlast. I had different groups... my usual boys were there. The girls were there. It's just been very nice to see everyone that matters so much to me, on one night. We didn't just end at Bala... some of the boys and me went down to muddy's for its birthday thingy. We had some interesting stupid silly shots with the wigs they were passing out. I can only tell you, with drinks... we can get pretty silly.... and even more so silly with big orange afro wigs. And you know what, i went home early by 2ish am and it was nonetheless very very fun.

I had plans to make Saturday a quiet day, go home early... sleep early in time for Sunday's breakfast club plans that i made with some friends. But it was not meant to be. I ended up having drinks at some Back-2-School party, and then supper. I actually blacked out, which is a pretty scary thing, at 2am. Very fugging scary. BLAME IT ON JET LAG. I had a good laugh over Barry's nerdy school uniform... stupid fella. It's so silly...

Now, as i type out the blog, i realize i haven't gotten over the jet lag. I've been only barely managing time through. OMG... how delusional i am.
Blame it all on jetlag....
That's it for this week... now get out... and come back another day.


xoxo,
Eve

LA...

So i spent the last few days of my somewhat long trip to the US out in LA. Yea, where i spent a few good years of my life at. And it feels awesome. It's such a rush trip out in LA. I didn't plan on meeting anyone. I did however call up my friend Ted & his wifey Helen, more on our stuff later.

What did i do out in LA? Shop shop shop, eat eat eat, hang out hangout hang out. Damage done on the card, let's just say i don't wanna talk about it. heh heh :P the best is if the bills disappear... doubt that's going to happen.

I spent some time with Ted & Helen out at their apartment, just chatting & catching up. I also went out for drinks with them at K-town. Now soju & yakult is an interesting drink. Way too interesting. Perhaps it should even read : caution when drinking. It's so sweet that it just doesn't hit you till later. Hmmm... It was a fun night... of drinking and eating some korean abalone chauder. I kinda miss them already. Funny how we met each other? And really time flies. Now we're all so different.

Now to pay off the credit card bills.... which i will somehow ... sometime... perhaps with better money management. sigh.....

Happy New Year .... a year gone, a new year ahead

For the lot of you out there who think i got wasted through NYE, sorry, but i didn't. The past two weeks back at home in US has been detox. I feel my liver singing "i will survive..."! The time away from alcohol from everyone else from my office has been refreshing. I have more time to think about resolutions and goals and directions for the '07.

I have been spending more time at Super Suppers, helping out in whatever way i can. I may suck at kitchen work, cutting, getting the dough work the right way, chopping stuff up, washing stuff up, and i totally suck at domestic work. But that's me. I can't do kitchen work, cook, clean & sew for whatever reasons. I think i finally come to terms with that. I have started doing a lil' more kitchen work. Be thankful.

I've started to spend more time at home. Spending too much time at malls can be energy-draining. I normally buy more sports stuff & jeans, clothes that i chill in... whenever i am back in US. So it's the same stuff over & over again. So it's far more simple these days. Time to simplify stuff and focus on what i would want to accomplish.

So here goes my New Year's Resolution :

1. Get into school... (hopefully, if time permits, work permits, etc)
2. Get a new ride... (hopefully, if i balance my checks properly)
3. Get fit & toned ... (hopefully, if i manage time wisely)
4. You know what... this is ridiculous. No need for resolutions. I'll just do what i like, when i like.... and just be Eve.

Happy New Year everyone! Cheers...
xoxo,
Eve

Post Christmas...

Christmas Day : I spent a good 12 hours dead to the world post-ski trip. I ushered the whole Christmas in, in my sleep... i fell asleep about 3 minutes before Christmas Day. That long sleep did wonders to my aching body. Of cos, it still hurt, the muscle strains, but i think me working out in Singapore has helped. My sis had it worse, she felt like the world's going to end. It's Christmas Day ... and we decided to head downtown Nashville for Christmas lunch. While on I-65, the jam was bad, really bad. A section got closed due to a bad accident. It was a 4 car pile up. A SUV got totalled, a woman died, and a man was seriously injured. I couldn't bring myself to take pictures of the accident, so i took a pic of the long traffic. We got held up for a good two hours. So lunch started at 4pm. But it's Christmas. I like Christmas... i spent the evening watching CSIs. It's nice for a change, than nursing a hangover. Too bad, it didn't snow this year here at home.

26th is boxing day to the aussies, but not for America. It's Post Christmas sale to Americans.. most stores start early like 6am on 26th. The family packed off to Atlanta, Georgia for some shopping (they have lower taxes) and to catch up with family friends. Once again, on the road for like forever. We went to Discover Mills, an outlet mall. I managed to get some sports stuff for my runs, and workouts. Still haven't managed to buy running shoes, golf shoes, my swim shoes. There's really nothing much that i buy these days. Hahaha, can you imagine i just said that? But maybe in LA, where the clothes suit my style more, i might just go wild on my credit card again. We ended early at the mall and went off to Ikea, to grab some stuff for the house. I still vividly recall the opening of the Ikea store at Atlanta, when i was there a year ago. This time round i saw a picture that caught my eye. It's a poster of Audrey Hepburn. It's printed a huge piece of canvas, too huge for me to carry to Singapore. Sigh... but very nice print. I like Atlanta, the whole look of the city is just so cosy. It's arty, the apartment blocks are so arty. I like places like these. I guess every major city in US has a part that is arty, from LA to Chicago, to Boston.

I heard Singapore's raining really badly these days. Hmmm... i like the fact i don't have to drive in the rain. And i like the cold weather out here. A pity it didn't snow this Christmas. I wonder if i'll see snow this time round.

Think i'll head back to my couch to watch 24, CSI & Scrubs... all day, everyday, while i wrap my freezing butt up in a blankie. Been spending a lot of my time, reading, chilling out at home. It feels good... but there are people out in Singapore i miss hanging around with, laughing over a beer or my fave dessert.

Laters dudes,
Xoxo,
Eve-il

Merry Christmas One & All..

It's Christmas... i'm having a uber cold Christmas. I know a few of you envy me. I wouldn't want a rainy Christmas season too, if you ask me. This is in ref to the amount of rain water Singapore has been accumulating. The weather in Midwest is extremely forgiving this year, and wonderful as it is. There are pros & cons. The pros being that i could get away with a sweater, instead of a bubble jacket or a thick wool coat, as i always do. For the cons... sigh....

My search for a white Christmas is extremely futile this year. The family left for a ski trip on Christmas Eve up at Perfect North Snow Resort in Indiana. For the first time, Indy has no snow during Dec, which is weird. So when the family got there, we had to be contented with artificial snow. Of cos, the whole feeling of that cold air hitting your face, while you glide down the slopes makes you forget the whole artificial snow, and the feeling is uber exhilerating, very addictive, and you just wish you can be out there the whole day. I skipped lunch, only had some coke and just went to hit the slopes the entire day, swapping between ski and snowboard. Of cos snap on boards sucks, i prefer the whole sneaker boot slip on. I hate ski lifts still, due to my phobia of heights. But the feeling of that adrenaline rush down the slopes is enough to make me suck it all up and just do it. I got by listening to my ipod shuffley, loaded with tons of Linkin Park, Prodigy, BEPs, Ludacris, mostly rap, rock & beats. By the time the park closes at 4pm (early, due to Christmas Eve), the artificial snow is almost done, you could see patches of ground all over the slopes. Sigh... and you thought Midwest has a lot of snow.

Whatever the case is, the 5 hours car ride up North is worth it. The 9am-4pm on the slopes is definitely worth it, despite i only had hotcakes for breakfast and coke & root beer in between runs. And another 5 hours back down to home.... It's all worth it.

Merry Christmas to you guys...
xoxo,
Eve

Back @ Home...

It's barely 48 hours after i have finally arrived back home.
The ride here was long... by which i meant 32 hrs, including layover after layover, and the drive home... at frigging 1am (Nashville Timing).
So it's Singapore-Tokyo-LA-Vegas-Nashville. Not a pretty ride at all.

We went to do some Christmas shopping. I didn't buy anything. I will shop when i wanna shop. We did get bored, and got into one empty closet, and started our picture-taking. Heh heh... The joy of just being in sneakers & jeans everyday, though i am all wrapped up and it's cold out here. And the bliss of feasting on Krispy Kreme donuts. Screw the diet, i'll work out when i get back to Singapore. And to watch tv in the middle of the night. I just started on 24 Season One 12am to 4am, yelp... i need to watch the entire day at one go. But that's too crazy.

I will update u guys again soon...
oh yea, i got new geeky glasses done when in Singapore. It looks retro... blame the Oakley frames, but i love them. it's very me. I love being the retro lookin chick.