Strength

Please. Hang on. Just a few more hours, at least... until your grandchildren arrive. They are on their way....

Have iPhone, will travel

Wow, I've been glued to my seat for the last 6 hours. Just downloading apps and trolling the web.
Haven't even peed! And with food all within my reach, there's no need to go to the kitchen too.
I believe in some cultures, this is unhealthy.

But whatever, I've got enough apps to help me survive Berlin now.

Ok, I better go take a pee break now.


Edit: OKay.... have iPhone, may not be able to travel. Paternal Grandma's health isn't looking too good at the moment.... Can only pray and hope she pulls through this, as she had several times before.

Oh look who dat

I really like this song so I decided to YouTube it and first vid I saw was this:




Whatever you think of him, he da man! He had 50 Cent in his room!!! And 27 million views!

The slob in the city

Dragged my lazy bum down to Suntec to collect my phone at Bakerzin.
Couldn't be arsed to iron my clothes so I pulled out what I had left in my wardrobe that's ironed - a A$5 Jay Jay's t-shirt - and donned on a pair of blue jeans that I just took down from the clothesline yesterday and with a pair of Birkies, I was the slobbiest looking person in the CBD.
Shame on me.

After I collected my phone, I decided to pop by Starhub to see if they still have any iPhones left (they only sell a limited number of them every day) and since they still did, I bought one. After much deliberation, I have concluded that I will not buy an iPad now, not when the iPad 2 will be launched next month in Singapore (but not sure when exactly - there's a 50-50 chance it will be launched after I leave for Berlin). I will be a sucker to do that.

So yeah, now my phone runs on iOS and my pride is in ruins.

But hey!!!! FaceTime me pleeaasssee.


p/s: I thought I was the worst-dressed in town until I saw this girl walking on flat ground (clean flat ground in the mall) with her left hand pulling up her maxi dress. I believe you only need to pull up the dress when you climb steps? There's no way she could have tripped over her own dress - not when she was in this electric pink heels with a huge double C pasted on the side. To make matters worse, I could see a big price tag under the right sole. OMG, I cannot tell you how I detest seeing people wear shoes with the price-tag still stuck on the sole!! It's uber ugly! If only Chanel would put such huge price tags on its shoes so that us folks don't have trouble looking for the numbers when we're too embarrassed to ask for the price.

My future could be rewritten

There were things which I knew I always wanted, things that I knew I didn't want and things that I wasn't so sure about.
One thing that I was quite certain of was that I didn't want an iPhone.
Because everyone has it.
Because I can't stand touch-screen.
And yet today I had to swallow my pride and walked into Starhub to ask about the plans for iPhone (and the extra cost of getting one since my contract isn't up).
The reason for this is that I'll be travelling alone soon and I can't trust myself with a less-than-smart E71. As good a phone as it is for calling, texting and tweeting, it's screen is small and it won't be able to help me with the maps and translations.


One cannot deny the crazy number of apps available for the iPhone and God only knows how many there are that will be useful for a traveller (much less a lone traveller). I looked at several Android-based phones but they are quite pricey!

I cannot imagine me texting on a touch-screen so Chin Shi suggested that I consider the iPad too (or, iPad 2, whatever). It pretty much does the same as the iPhone except that it's not a phone, and it's got an even bigger screen. Good for my apps, no?
The iPhone4 costs $230 with the cheapest plan and I have to pay another $200 for renewing the contract too early (I call it a damn punishment! harumph). The iPad costs $530, an additional 100.

iPad or iPhone?!?!?!?!?!?!

In other news, I walked into Sincere Watches today. Why must Jaeger-LeCoultre make flat watches? As it is I had to strike Patek Philippe* off my list almost for good /heartbreak/ - long story - and now to know that the JLC watches look odd on my wrist because of its flatness is so disappointing!
In case you don't know yet, when I quit, I'm going to buy myself a fine present. For quitting. Other crew request for their last flight to Paris or Milan or they change for it, just so they can go crazy one last time at Chanel. I'm not doing that, and will instead be getting that leather strap watch.
* my cousin Sean can't remember this name and calls it Pitek Phallay. Sometimes he also calls it Pili Phala -___-

Now that JLC looks strange on my hand, what do I turn to?
No JLC nor Patek for me. The guy at the store kept trying to sell me a Frank Muller, but I don't want a Frank Muller!!! That's so eight years ago! :(
But the FM watch is really pretty cheap. :-0 I was so surprised.

I should just get a Gallardo damnit. At least it takes me to places in style, and I'm damn sure there's a clock in the car.

------------------------------------------------------------

GREAT.
Just realized my phone isn't with me.
Called my phone, and the girl at the restaurant where Chin Shi and I dined at picked up the phone and said I left my phone there.
Is this a sign that I should get a new phone?
How many friggin' times do I have to leave behind my phone (and other stuff) at random places! Some people never learn *smacks self*....

Surprise me

One of the most irritating things that can happen on-board, regardless of Class, is when I ask a passenger what drink he'd like to have and he goes, "Surprise me," with a look that spells out exactly how suave he thought he was.
Maybe he thought he was very charming when he said that... but no. When I ask you for a drink, tell me what you want and I'll get it for you. My job is a no-brainer. And I don't like to have to think too much when it's this unnecessary.

Today one of my passengers used the dreaded two words and this time, I was truly caught off-guard.

The plane was still on ground and he stopped me, and in broken English he said: "It is my honeymoon with my wife. We are going on honeymoon. Can you do something to surprise us?"

...............

...............

I really didn't know what to say!!


Me: Er... I'm very sorry sir. If you had informed us or your travel agent earlier, we could have ordered a honeymoon cake for you. However it's too late for us to do anything about that now, I'm very sorry. (The whole time, in my head, I was going WTF WTF WTF do I say?! Never encountered such a situation, never trained for such a situation!)
Him: No, no, it's ok. No need cake. Just anything. Surprise me. We just got married yesterday (he looked like he was lying when he said this). So we just want surprise.

And the whole time, his wife was listening in. I don't know who he wants me to surprise. And how can it be a surprise anymore?!?!?!?!!?
Initially I thought he wanted to surprise her, but because she was listening in, I didn't think she'd be surprised. Then again, I think he wants to be surprised to har har. My God, I had a full load and I had to think of something to surprise them?
After take-off, when I was giving out headsets, he reminded me again, "I hope you remember the request."


I really couldn't figure out what he wanted exactly, or what I could do. Went around telling my crew and asking for help. My leading steward was even so nice he was going to buy them a plush toy from the inflight sales, for $55!
In the end, with a little creativity, I sewed two bears together.
I need to remind all of you that I did not sew anything in my home science class before - it was all sent to Chin Jin Jie, the tailor. :)

It was later that one of my colleagues asked me if it's possible that he wanted an upgrade.

Three words, man: tan ku ku. (literally, wait long long)

Just can't switch off

Sweden?

WOOHOO!
I think I might be going to Copenhagen in a few days time. It's so hard to get this flight!
Since I've done most of the the things a tourist should do in Copenhagen, maybe I should take a little trip to Malmo across the border.

Does anybody know if I need a visa to Sweden?

Where's the fun in planning

Why do people like to plan? (think Monica Geller.)

I've been up 25 hours now, and it's 5 a.m. in Dubai.
Fine, I did catch about forty-one winks on the plane to Dubai (yay, I was a passenger but boo, the movies this month are crap!) but since I arrived here at 5 p.m., I've been trying to decide on where to go for my April break.
Decision's been made: GUTEN TAG, BERLIN!

And now planning's been moved to which hotel to put up at, which places to visit. The hotel is the biggest problem because of the financial aspect of it.
I'm travelling alone so I have to pay for the room myself. Hostels seem like a good option for a budget traveller but precisely because I'm alone, I don't feel safe :S

Berlin is also very spread out (due to history) so places of interest are not all clustered together... I have to decide which area I should eventually stay in, and if it's reasonable to pay the high price that comes with convenience.

Last but not least, air tickets! I don't know if Berlin and Munich airport (Berlin is my main worry) are passenger-friendly and how much transit time I really need.

Is there justice?

Long, long ago, in a faraway land, vast acres of land were owned by a wealthy (but corrupt) man named Bartholomew Nelligan. He amassed his riches through trickery and bribery, and with money he had power - and with power, he had a number of followers who were just as despicable as he was.

Among the uses of his land, Bartholomew Nelligan used his land to plant many kinds of fruit trees. He literally monopolised the fruit market and has control over the prices of fruit sold in this faraway land. To tend to his orchard, he hired many servants and they were all afraid of him.

One servant in particular worked hard and stood out from the rest. He was Aloysious Irheart. To reward this servant, Bartholomew Nelligan gave Aloysious Irheart a tiny piece of land on the orchard, measuring 2m by 3m. Bartholomew Nelligan didn't think that this tiny piece of land will be of any use to anybody and did not think much about it thereafter.

Aloysious Irheart, though, saw opportunity in this small piece of land. He studied the orchard and realized that although the orchard had many varieties of apples, none were green apples. They were various red apples which suited the tastebuds of this faraway land. Or so they thought. Aloysious Irheart believed that green apples will appeal to the people too, and so one day he bought a bag of green apple seeds from the market from a foreign merchant.

Day after day, Aloysious Irheart looked after the little patch of land with much care until the green apple tree started to grow.

Even when the tree started to fruit, Bartholomew Nelligan had no idea since he never truly cared for his orchard. He only cared about the money it made for him.

Aloysious Irheart had tried to secretly sell the green apples during a visit to the market one day. Unfortunately, he was caught by Bartholomew Nelligan's cronies. Bartholomew Nelligan was of course furious when he learnt about it, for the fruit that was sold in the land should come from nobody, nor profit anybody else, other than himself. From then on, Bartholomew Nelligan disallowed Aloysious Irheart from stepping out of the orchard.

Aloysious Irheart was sad, but not disheartened. He still had his tree, which was growing beautifully. Since he couldn't share his apples with anybody else, he ate it all by himself. What he did not realize though was that he had incurred the wrath of Bartholomew Nelligan and this master was not the forgiving sort. The master had come to realize that Aloysious Irheart had used of the land given to him to plant his own tree - something he never thought would happen. Bartholomew Nelligan was angered and irritated by this, for now someone else had his own fruit tree. He thought of ways to banish this servant.

Back in those backward days, where backward rules applied, servants were not allowed to eat red apples. Don't ask me why, but since Eve was not allowed to.... the same rules apply here.
Eating red apples meant prosecution and other bad things.

Bartholomew Nelligan used money to pay off a woman, Uma Harthland, to tell the judge that she saw Aloysious Irheart eat the red apples. For the servants know Aloysious Irheart would never do such a thing, they came to his defence. While Aloysious Irheart maintained his innocence, the judge - obviously bought by Bartholomew Nelligan and is probably afraid of the powerful man - concluded that the servant was guilty and had to serve a painful and long sentence in prison.

Years later, after his release, Aloysious Irheart went back to the orchard to his patch of land. He was no longer servant to Bartholomew Nelligan but that did not stop him from going back to the orchard. After all, he still had a patch of land where a healthy fruiting green apple tree stood. Aloysious Nelligan vowed never to touch a red apple - for he knows it was against the rules - and always plucked the green apples off his own tree. And that was all he ate.

Still, Bartholomew Nelligan did not like the sight of Aloysious Irheart and once again tried to throw him back in prison. This time, he paid one of his servants, Miles Slyfield, to say that Aloysious Irheart had forced him to pluck red apples from Bartholomew Nelligan's trees and ate them all himself. Miles Slyfield told a sob story of how he was used by Aloysious Irheart for the apples. The rest of the people of this land started to become wary of the story. They knew that Aloysious Irheart preferred green apples, which was why he planted the green apple tree in the first place. Moreover, if he had already been convicted of the crime once before and shamed in public, why would he commit the same crime again??
It didn't make sense.

The public started to question the entire trial of Aloysious Irheart vs. Faraway Land Red Apples.

While the trial continued, Bartholomew Nelligan could sense that the public no longer believed in him nor the judicial system and so he felt a strong need to discredit Aloysious Irheart further. And guess what our poor servant was accused of again? Yes, stealing another of Bartholomew Nelligan's apples. This time, he paid a smalltime gang who called themselves the Dirty Trolls.

Is Bartholomew Nelligan stupid or does he think the public is naive? Maybe he takes Aloysious Irheart for a fool? Aloysious Irheart already knows that Bartholomew Nelligan's accusations are always of stealing red apples, would he continue to eat red apples? If Bartholomew Nelligan really wants to bring Aloysious Irheart down, he really needs to stop using red apples as the reason and can probably add more variety to the extremely predictable plot.
The public is extremely sick and tired of the same headlines that keep hitting the noticeboards and are starting to think the noticeboards are rubbish too.


Malaysian Politics. Dirty as hell.

Inamo

Edit: Video's been changed.

Oiishi!!

We had so much fun we forgot to order our food hahaha. And there's even a webcam to see what your chefs are doing in the kitchen.



There are games that appear on the plate too (like the memory game).

Reservations required.






Wunderbar!!

18 Health Tricks to Teach Your Body

Picked this up from Men's Health.

Cure a Tickling Throat
When you were 9, playing your armpit was a cool trick. Now, as an adult, you can still appreciate a good body-based feat, especially if it serves as a health remedy. Take that tickle in your throat: It's not worth gagging over. Here's a better way to scratch your itch: Scratch your ear. "When the nerves in the ear are stimulated, it creates a reflex in the throat that can cause a muscle spasm," says Scott Schaffer, M.D., president of an ear, nose, and throat specialty center in Gibbsboro, New Jersey. "This spasm relieves the tickle."

Experience Supersonic Hearing
If you're stuck chatting up a mumbler at a cocktail party, lean in with your right ear. It's better than your left at following the rapid rhythms of speech, according to researchers at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. If, on the other hand, you're trying to identify that song playing softly in the elevator, turn your left ear toward the sound. The left ear is better at picking up music tones.


Overcome Your Most Primal Urge
Need to pee? No bathroom nearby? Fantasize about Jessica Simpson. Thinking about sex preoccupies your brain, so you won't feel as much discomfort, says Larry Lipshultz, M.D., chief of male reproductive medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine. For best results, try Simpson's "These Boots Are Made for Walking" video.

Feel No Pain
German researchers have discovered that coughing during an injection can lessen the pain of the needle stick. According to Taras Usichenko, author of a study on the phenomenon, the trick causes a sudden, temporary rise in pressure in the chest and spinal canal, inhibiting the pain-conducting structures of the spinal cord.

Clear Your Stuffed Nose
Forget Sudafed. Here's an easier, quicker, and cheaper remedy to relieve sinus pressure: Alternate thrusting your tongue against the roof of your mouth, then pressing between your eyebrows with one finger. This causes the vomer bone, which runs through the nasal passages to the mouth, to rock back and forth, says Lisa DeStefano, D.O., an assistant professor at the Michigan State University college of osteopathic medicine. The motion loosens congestion; after 20 seconds, you'll feel your sinuses start to drain.

Fight Fire Without Water
Worried those wings will repeat on you tonight? Try this preventive remedy: "Sleep on your left side," says Anthony A. Starpoli, M.D., a New York City gastroenterologist and assistant professor of medicine at New York Medical College. Studies have shown that patients who sleep on their left sides are less likely to suffer from acid reflux. The esophagus and stomach connect at an angle. When you sleep on your right, the stomach is higher than the esophagus, allowing food and stomach acid to slide up your throat. When you're on your left, the stomach is lower than the esophagus, so gravity's in your favor.


Cure Your Toothache
Just rub ice on the back of your hand, on the V-shaped webbed area between your thumb and index finger. A Canadian study found that this technique reduces toothache pain by as much as 50 percent compared with using no ice. The nerve pathways at the base of that V stimulate an area of the brain that blocks pain signals from the face and hands.

Make Burns Disappear

When you accidentally singe your finger on the stove, clean the skin and apply light pressure with the finger pads of your unmarred hand. Ice will relieve your pain more quickly, Dr. DeStefano says, but since the natual method brings the burned skin back to a normal temperature, the skin is less likely to blister.


Stop The World from Spinning

One too many drinks left you dizzy? Ah, luckily there's a remedy. Put your hand on something stable. The part of your ear responsible for balance - the cupula - floats in a fluid of the same density as blood. "As alcohol dilutes blood in the cupula, the cupula becomes less dense and rises," says Dr. Schaffer. This confuses your brain. The tactile input from a stable object gives the brain a second opinion, and you feel more in balance. Because the nerves in the hand are so sensitive, this works better than the conventional foot-on-the-floor wisdom.

Unstitch your side
If you're like most people, when you run, you exhale as your right foot hits the ground. This puts downward pressure on your liver (which lives on your right side), which then tugs at the diaphragm and creates a side stitch, according to The Doctors Book of Home Remedies for Men. The fix: Exhale as your left foot strikes the ground.


Stanch Blood with One Finger
Pinching your nose and leaning back is a great way to stop a nosebleed - if you don't mind choking on your own O positive. A more civil approach: Put some cotton on your upper gums - just behind that small dent below your nose - and press against it, hard. "Most bleeds come from the front of the septum, the cartilage wall that divides the nose," says Peter Desmarais, M.D., an ear, nose, and throat specialist at Entabeni Hospital, in Durban, South Africa. "Pressing here helps stop them."


Make Your Heart Stand Still
Trying to quell first-date jitters? Blow on your thumb. The vagus nerve, which governs heart rate, can be controlled through breathing, says Ben Abo, an emergency medical-services specialist at the University of Pittsburgh. It'll get your heart rate back to normal.


Thaw Your Brain

Too much Chipwich too fast will freeze the brains of lesser men. As for you, press your tongue flat against the roof of your mouth, covering as much as you can. "Since the nerves in the roof of your mouth get extremely cold, your body thinks your brain is freezing, too," says Abo. "In compensating, it overheats, causing an ice-cream headache." The more pressure you apply to the roof of your mouth, the faster your headache will subside.


Prevent Near Sightedness

Poor distance vision is rarely caused by genetics, says Anne Barber, O.D., an optometrist in Tacoma, Washington. "It's usually caused by near-point stress." In other words, staring at your computer screen for too long. So flex your way to 20/20 vision. Every few hours during the day, close your eyes, tense your body, take a deep breath, and, after a few seconds, release your breath and muscles at the same time. Tightening and releasing muscles such as the biceps and glutes can trick involuntary muscles - like the eyes - into relaxing as well.


Wake The Dead

If your hand falls asleep while you're driving or sitting in an odd position, rock your head from side to side. It'll painlessly banish your pins and needles in less than a minute, says Dr. DeStefano. A tingly hand or arm is often the result of compression in the bundle of nerves in your neck; loosening your neck muscles releases the pressure. Compressed nerves lower in the body govern the feet, so don't let your sleeping dogs lie. Stand up and walk around.


Impress Your Friends

Next time you're at a party, try this trick: Have a person hold one arm straight out to the side, palm down, and instruct him to maintain this position. Then place two fingers on his wrist and push down. He'll resist. Now have him put one foot on a surface that's a half inch higher (a few magazines) and repeat. This time his arm will cave like the French. By misaligning his hips, you've offset his spine, says Rachel Cosgrove, C.S.C.S., co-owner of Results Fitness, in Santa Clarita, California. Your brain senses that the spine is vulnerable, so it shuts down the body's ability to resist.


Breathe Underwater

If you're dying to retrieve that quarter from the bottom of the pool, take several short breaths first - essentially, hyperventilate. When you're underwater, it's not a lack of oxygen that makes you desperate for a breath; it's the buildup of carbon dioxide, which makes your blood acidic, which signals your brain that somethin' ain't right. "When you hyperventilate, the influx of oxygen lowers blood acidity," says Jonathan Armbruster, Ph.D., an associate professor of biology at Auburn University. "This tricks your brain into thinking it has more oxygen." It'll buy you up to 10 seconds.


Read Minds

Your own! "If you're giving a speech the next day, review it before falling asleep," says Candi Heimgartner, an instructor of biological sciences at the University of Idaho. Since most memory consolidation happens during sleep, anything you read right before bed is more likely to be encoded as long-term memory.

Legs? What legs?

My feet feel foreign to me....
An advice to all: Always pack a pair of flats if you know you're going to a museum!

I had a most interactive dining experience today with Sean, Shu Shin and her fiance Andrew.

To top off the experience, company was fabulous and food was good too!
Will upload the video soon.

In other news, Shing Wei came down from Cambridge for the weekend while I'm in London. It was great having her over and I honestly wish, with all that's happened in the last two days, I don't have to leave tomorrow :(((

But heh, I actually can't wait to see mum's face when she gets her b'day present :D

Gypsy humour

Two gypsy fortune-tellers meet on the street: "You're fine, how am I?"

Nature as it is

With all the horrific destruction we've been seeing on TV every hour of the day, it is time to remember too that Nature can be beautiful and serene... and not take all of that for granted.

Bora-Bora, the place to be. (Evelyn?)

Holding back aging

I think I've told many people I know that our cabin crew all age very well. The men, especially. You will never be able to tell their exact age because they will look easily 5-8 years younger than they actually are. Many of those in their mid-40s look like they are in their mid-30s. The ladies don't hold up too badly themselves. And this surprised me greatly when I first joined because I thought that I was going to age extremely quickly with all the late nights and long hours, and impossible working hours.

I always used to think that it's because our job depends a lot on image so we are forced to take care of ourselves well, by a lot of pampering and spending a lot on products and treatments.

Then on my last flight, two crew were discussing how people they know who quit flying started aging very fast. So one theory they heard is that due to our lifestyle (where we sleep and wake up at the oddest times, sometimes not having proper sleep for days) our body clock cannot keep track of the days and the months and hence our aging is slowed down. However once a crew stops flying and the body clock goes back to normal, it will play catch up and the person will age doubly fast.
It sounds very exaggerated if you ask me, aging doubly fast. But both crew insist that the people they know who have come back on ground really did age a lot in a short span of time.


This is worrying.....

For all my geeky friends

I totally LOL-ed!!!
I know my geeky *cough* engineering *cough* friends will like this, especially Kenneth.

Visit link here.

Back then, our TVs were not big enough

What you couldn't see was this....

La Dolce Vita 2

I'm on a roll!

Today, I was invited by a Filipino housekeeper of a very famous, very rich Greek family (seriously, this is straightforward and pretty obvious) to stay at one of the family's holiday home in Ibiza!!!!
The housekeeper stays there with her cousin and husband all year round, and her employer only comes by one month every year (he house-hops all year round, with many homes in Europe and other parts of the world).
She says the other times, nobody is there and I am most welcome to stay there. WTH! I cannot believe it!!! There are SEVEN pools there, and and and and I'd actually be staying in one of those houses that would probably be E! Channel-worthy...

She gave me her landline, mobile number and email address, and took mine as well.

It just started off as a casual chat when she stood around the door area during the flight, and we hit off immediately.
And see how it turned out!
I cannot wait to go to Ibiza!

La Dolce Vita

Something unbelievable happened to me today.

To begin things, let me pull up this list again.


1) LV Speedy in Epi, Ivory
2) Celine Luggage Tote, bi-coloured please
3) Proenza Schouler PS1 (too expensive but wishing is not crime)
4) Hermes Birkin, in Gold with gold hardware. Or Etoupe with silver hardware.
5) Chanel clutch... it's so pretty!
6) Mulberry Bayswater, in Oak
7) Tod's Ivy
8) Loewe Amazonia
9) YSL Muse 2
10) YSL 32, crocodile embossed
11) YSL Easy
12) Salvatore Ferragamo Sofia in any colour - damn right I'll get you one fine day!
13) LV Alma - I'll get you too, when I turn 35. In Nomade and Epi (red/orange/mustard/ivory) leather. Er, yes, that's two.
14) Hermes Lindy


Ta-da...

You must be thinking, "WTF WOMAN, you always say you are not going to buy another bag and there you always break the ban."

No, let me correct you, I did not break the ban.
My passenger bought this for me. I'm still in a daze now, how it all happened was really quick.

Ok, so I was a naughty girl. Yesterday I said this is the first time I did not go down to via Montenapoleone but then today I caved in and went with my colleague and her sister who is visiting.

And because the girls were looking for a few things from LV, we proceeded to the LV boutique at Emmanuel Vittoro gallery. I saw a scarf and I told my colleague Eileen that my hands are very itchy. Eileen kept reminding I shouldn't spend. So I saw the Alma and my heart skipped. I told Eileen I've always wanted to have an Alma in my collection. So I was holding two Almas, a red Epi smaller one and the larger one in plum Vernis. I was just comparing sizes to make a mental note of which one to get in future.

Then I saw someone walk into the boutique, somebody familiar. First thought was, "Ah, one of the pilots." I turned away and then it hit me, hey that's my passenger Mr. K. from Singapore to Milan!
I didn't know whether to call out to him or not, initially. I turned around and saw his travelling/business partner, Mr. H. I know who Mr. H was but I didn't serve him (Eileen did) - I had served Mr. K instead.

I know Mr. H probably wouldn't recognize me but I called out to him still. His expression was just, "?? Ya??" thinking who the hell I was... So I told him I was the stewardess on his flight! Just then Mr. K appeared from behind one of the shelves and I called him. He stared for a while and then it struck him who I was.

He saw the bags in my hand and said they were nice and that I should buy it. Meanwhile, Eileen and her sister were busy picking the items they wanted. I put the larger one back and kept looking in the mirror with the smaller red Alma.

My hands were itching like hell and Eileen was trying to psycho me that I shouldn't get anything at all this trip.
When I heard the price of the bag, my heart sank. Wth, the price went up by so much in the last few years... I had to get it now or never! So Eileen's sister told me to flip a coin.
Tails.
No.
:(
Even the coin said I shouldn't buy it.

When we left, Mr. H and K were both standing outside the store. They asked if I knew where the Hermes boutique was. It was a long walk away, I told them honestly. So Mr. K asked me why didn't I get the bag. I hesitated and told him I wasn't feeling too rich at the moment. He asked if the one I liked was the red one (directly in the middle of the shelf facing the entrance). I said yeah. And then he nudged Mr. H, "Eh, wrap it up lah."
And there Mr. H went into the store and there was no way I could have stopped him. I tried to pull him back but he went in so fast! Mr. K was like, "Aiyah, let him buy it for you. What we lose in Macau in one trip is many times more than that."
I was sooooooo embarrassed that I didn't dare to go in the shop for a while. I kept telling Mr. K it's not right and that I have to return the bag to The Company. In the end, I walked in to the boutique to stop Mr. H but the bag was already taken down and wrapped.....
And Mr. H was like, "I need your passport!"
....
OK. So there was more "No!" "Yes!" "No!" "Yes!" And then guess what, the tax refund goes to my name. So if I do claim it, I get a bag and 120 Euros cash.

So the deal was done and we went out. I told them I had to buy them dinner but in the end we only had a drink at the gallery. A session that lasted more than 2 hours? They were VERY funny, well-educated and filthy rich people. We all had a good laugh about their lives in boarding schools in UK, politics in Indonesia and Malaysia.

Mr. K is Malaysian, Mr. H is Indonesian - and his family probably is one of the wealthiest in the country. Mr. K himself is extremely well-connected too.
If this isn't my lucky day (that I had actually listened to Eileen not to buy the bag and to flip a coin that came out tails), I don't know what else to call this.

Eventually we parted ways, with just a namecard from Mr. H who said I can call him when I go to Jakarta - if ever. We parted ways without them even knowing my name.


Conclusion:
1) 1000 euros is small change to some people!!!!!
2) I'm helluva lucky girl
3) One bag down!!!

*does a jig*


I just secretly wonder.... if I had said, "Ah, let me take you to Hermes..." what would I have come back with?

Zombie Ants in Brazil

Damn, sounds just like something taken out of a sci-fi movie alright.

First, the fungus takes over the ant’s brain. Then, it forces the ant to move to a new location—an ideal location where the fungus can grow and its spores can spread. Finally, the fungus kills the ant—and then grows out of its head.

?????

Disturbing pictures on National Geographic, here.
(WARNING: Do not wander to the link if you're eating.)


p/s: While I thought this whole thing is intriguing, a few comments on the NatGeo page do seem scary enough to make us think: Who knows what fungus is out there that can do the same to the human brain???

Lady

I'm tired but happy :-D
By the by, behind me is a Marriott bed ;) Wheeee!

I'm in Milano, and this is the first time I've gone to Milan without going to via Montenapoleone, and most importantly, without the intention to do so. The cost of doing my tooth is enough to buy two bags from my wish list. I'm broke. One must exercise self-control sometimes!

So I went down to Duomo alone with the mission to shop for Anlynn. (Idea: this ought to be my job after flying.) In my head: what would a college kid wear? There were many stuff that caught my eye but I had to give them a pass because they weren't things my little sister would wear, or that my mum will approve of (gosh, she's a headache!).
I told myself I wouldn't buy anything for myself but who am I kidding heh.
Out of the 14 pieces of clothing I bought today, 3 were for myself *pat on back*. It's usually the reverse.

Minor rant: there's NEVER been a trip here that I've never been pushed or shoved about by the locals. Wtf is their problem man. I don't even remember Koreans being like this, although that's the reputation they have for themselves. Grrr. With a head like Silvio Berlusconi, I suppose you can't expect much of the people >:(

Went to the Disney store for the first time here. I saw this one soft toy that, to my own surprise, captured my heart. It's not Mickey/Minnie, nor is it Pooh bear. It's a plush Lady. She's so pretty!!! There's only one of her left in the store and I really contemplated getting it.
...
I hope I don't regret not buying her.

'Tis a good day

Spent the day roaming within a 1km-radius for 10 hours with my dear friends, Hsin Ching and Chin Shi. Yeah I only realized it's all within 1 km...kinda sad!
We were at Raffles City and then we went for a property fair at Marina Bay Sands. Very intrigued by Vivaldi by Sunway at Mont Kiara. Every unit has a personal lift, damnit! Just like in Sex and The City!

Still, I'd choose one of the houses from South Quay over that any day. Houses from South Quay are from RM5 million, and there are several units still available. I saw South Quay from the day they started foundation works on it until it was near completion during my years at Monash. Alpha's office at Monash actually overlooks the quarry-turned-lake.
Oh, did I forget to mention that you can have your own yacht and sail in the lake? Sounds ridiculous to me though. I don't think the lake is that big.

From MBS, the three of us moved on to Parco for coffee and dinner... and all this is within 1 km. Singapore is small but it sure knows how to make very good use of whatever small space it has.
There we saw the most expensive of dustbins ( -____- and one of my friends in Australia actually has one of it, and she plans to have a whole collection of it!), wine openers and toothpick holder ($85 wtf).


Came back and was very pleasantly surprised by an email that I received.
Let's just say, you are getting first hand news right here, at View From The Top, that there will be a song on Sydney (a response to Alicia Keys' New York). I don't know how long before the song will be picked up, recorded and released. It may be soon, it may be never. But it's being written, and Randwick could be part of the lyrics (I suggested that one, and it got into the draft).
Wait for it!


1.26 a.m. EDIT: How fabulous! Just checked company mailbox, another delightful email! :D Thankfully I do not have an early flight later, because I don't think I can fall asleep easily tonight being this excited.

Strange facts

Check out these nutty laws from across the U.S.A. and around the globe!


* In Indiana, it's against the law to dress "Barbie" in "Ken's" clothes.

* In Sedona, Ariz., it's illegal to lie about your astrological sign.

* In Texas, it's illegal to threaten somebody with an UNLOADED gun.

* In Samoa, it's a crime to forget your wife's birthday.

* In Australia, it's illegal to name any animal you plan to eat.

* In Cannes, France, it's illegal to wear a Jerry Lewis mask.

* In New Jersey, answering a traffic cop who asks "Do you know why I pulled you over?" by saying, "If you don't know, I'm not going to tell you" is an automatic $300 fine.
(LOL!)

* In Italy, anyone considered "obese" is forbidden from wearing polyester.

* Anyone caught selling a "smoothie" that has lumps is breaking the law in California.

* In Arkansas, it's illegal for a woman getting married for the second time to wear a white wedding gown.


And something I found out recently - I really dig men who wear Panerai watches!

The agony that be

It's so hard to swallow my own saliva without hurting my tongue muscle.
How am I even suppose to EAT if I can't swallow my own saliva or drink water without hurting myself....



and in 3 months, I have to go back to fix the crown.


Dear Self, I promise to take very good care of my teeth from now on. No more implants, ever!!

Damn you swelling

Today's the first time I've taken an MC in 2.5 years. I was really prepared to go to work - I mean LOOK AT THE TIME. I woke up an hour ago to prepare for the flight. After showering, I noticed that the right cheek is still swollen. I tried to smile (uh-huh, I haven't smiled since two days ago and you wonder why my mum still bothers buying food for me) but no, couldn't. Too painful. I tried to say, "Good morning! How are you today? *smile*" Couldn't. Just couldn't smile.
And I know if you were coming on The Company's flight, you'd hate it that your stewardess doesn't smile right?
So by doing everybody a favour, I decided to call in sick.

Reporting sick even before I have an MC in hand. I will be very screwed if the doctor refuses to give me an MC later.

And I really feel bad about taking the MC today because the flight I'm missing is definitely the worst flight ever - go figure - and that someone has to be called up at such last minute to go for the flight. It is a bad flight, but I still do it if I'm rostered/called up for it. I know nobody wants to do it, but if fate gives it to me then I will just put on my war gear and do it.

I've had half a month to prepare for this flight and yeah I thought about today all the time, like how the plane is going to be overspilling and that my panty will become a G-string at the end of the flight, but this poor girl who has to stand in for me didn't.
Whoever she is, I hope she had a good night's rest starting 9 p.m.

"Your iTunes is idle"

I can't think of what to put for title for this post, so I just randomly typed in what I saw on my browser - which is my FoxyTunes telling me my iTunes is idle.
Time to put on some music, babeh...

So the purpose of this post is to RANT.

WHY THE HELL IS MY UNI AWARDING THE CHEE KOH PEK AN HONORARY DEGREE?!?!?!?! What the hell has he done? Finding two scapegoats for the murder of his Mongolian mistress? For changing my country from Malaysia to effin' 1Malaysia?

I feel so ashamed that Monash has stooped to such a level, probably for business purposes. I can't imagine WHY it would give this idiot an award for nothing that he's done.

ANU has taken the opportunity to wonder out loud at this too, and this should make all Monashians feel ashamed at what their Uni has done.


kanasaiiii...



NEXT rant:
I'm flying with that fella again. That fella who knows so much about me and who tries to dig more into my private life. To London, this time. His name wasn't there when I checked the crew list middle of last month (when the roster was out). And yesterday, when I checked again, his name was there. WTF?

Schmerz

I am in so much pain :((((
I can't remember the last time I was in so much pain that I feel like I want to cry...
Oh yes I do... I think it was the chicken pox jab (and hence I didn't get the full dosage of TWO jabs).

Pain pain go away. Because I insist!!! >:(

Today

I'm getting an implant today. I'm all nerves!!!!