Thursday, December 13, 2007
mcr is love
and they were good. i'm sure just about everyone who listens to english radio would have heard their music. i liked most of the tracks in their 3rd album "the black parade", and a couple in their 2nd one "three cheers for sweet revenge". this mtv definitely ranks amongst my favorites.
it was scary being in the mosh pit. it was like being pushed by a freakingly strong current - no matter how firm you try to stand, there was no way to stop the flow. all of us bear bruises from trying to, but after a couple of songs of it, we gave up the fight and went to the back instead.
still, they rocked. gerard was superb and i found out that frank is hot. and "famous last words" brought out the teenager in me as i jumped and screamed like the others IN MY HEELS.
needless to say, i couldn't get out of bed the next morning and continued to ache the whole day after.
i am getting old...(T______T)
Thursday, November 22, 2007
what do you get when you put a bird and 5 girls in an office?
we just had half an hour of post-lunch excitement when a bird apparently flew into our office without anyone noticing, us finding out only when the technicians and cleaners of the stadium walked in asking about the bird they saw "fly in on the cctv".
we denied the existence of such bird until it started to fly around the room, provoking some shrieks as we strove to get out of its way. startled by the cries and the net being swung around, the bird fluttered from wall to wall till a point when it either collapsed into the wall from fear or excitement or temporary blindness and proceeded to faint...behind my cubicle.
now for a little explanation. my working area is a stand-alone cubicle where the back wall is pushed against the wall of the office. unfortunately, when they moved it in, they misgauged and the wall of the cubicle is a few inches away from the wall of the office. it was into this gap that said bird fainted into.
4 excited girls then proceeded to climb onto my table (note: said table has no legs. it is just a board screwed into the cubicle walls. needless to say, there was panic on my end) and seeked the bird, which was apparently cramped and unable to spread its wings to get out.
worried about the possibility of bird dying behind the wall, we proceeded with a lot of "helpful" actions before reaching the solution of pulling the cubicle further from the wall to allow the bird to fly out. which worked. which resulted in more screaming before bird decided to make a smart choice for once and fly out the window.
chaos...complete chaos...*shakes head*
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
oryzae yeast is love
yes, those adorable little critters are microbes (fungi and bacteria, for those who still need further explanation). i am in love with oryzae. it's the cute yellow one with all the balls bobbing its head to the music at the beginning.
oh, and chrysogenum.

(click on the picture to see the words. now tell me you don't love it too.)
Monday, November 5, 2007
the dreaded shopping...
my (not-so-smart) company rewards employees for not taking too many sick leave every financial year, and this (not-so-smart) employee managed to snag a $300 "lifestyle benefit" by virtue of going to work even when sick the previous year.
yep, dumb i know. still, that's $300 that can be used on a new mobile phone.
i've never been very trendy when it comes to phones. proof? i've never spent more than $200 on a phone before. what that means is that i pick phones that no longer has the "new" or "latest" tag on it. it means a substantial amount of saving, but also means i was 1) unable to take pictures when everyone and their brother had a camera phone and 2) unable to bluetooth pictures when everyone and their sister could.
(for your information, i'm using a panasonic vs2 right now. 1 megapixel camera, no bluetooth. i use infrared.)
part of the reason for this is that i am a tech-idiot (wth is 3.5g and why should it matter to me?). the other (bigger) reason is that i like my phones to look pretty, and the phone designers never seem to be able to give me a good-looking phone with all the latest features. (case in point? the "N" brand phones. latest in everything, user-friendly interface...but the ugliest phones ever.)
anyway, since i've just reached 21 months on my contract, i've decided it's time to take the $300 and put it to good use. unfortunately...WHERE ARE ALL THE NICE LOOKING PHONES?
bah...
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
when the whole world seems against you
talk about bad beginnings...
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
the actor's studio meme
What is your favorite word?
wtf. it succintly conjures up an emotion that says so much in just 3 letters.
What is your least favorite word?
sorry.
meticulous comes a close second.
What turns you on [creatively, spiritually or emotionally]?
having someone share my exact view on any topic. if he's a man, it's a bonus.
What turns you off?
pussy-ness. come on, be a man!
What is your favorite curse word?
the f-word. it's a genuine classic. and those who are of my generation should know about the email/article proclaiming the use of it as a verb, a noun, an adjective etc. i only use it at moments of great distress.
What sound or noise do you love?
the ringing bell of the ice-cream man as he cycles from door to door. unfortunately, he no longer exists.
What sound or noise do you hate?
more than half the songs they play on the radio. kids wailing. tone-deaf singers. any high-pitched sound that makes my teeth go on edge.
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
bimbotic celebrity. it just looks so fun.
on a more realistic basis, english teacher in a non-english speaking country and/or owner of a knit cafe
What profession would you not like to do?
anything that requires me to sell what i don't believe in. insurance salesperson and personal financial consultant would come under that description.
If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
don't worry, you don't ever have to go back there.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
ge10k complete...what's next?
Thursday, October 18, 2007
stupid halloween worry
i read that last year, zouk's door-bitches/door-bastards made some people pay cover if they felt that the costume was not up-to-scratch.
i wonder if mine would pass.
although, with the amount of money and effort i put into it, if they try to make me pay cover, i won't let them go without a tongue-lashing.
ok, that just confirmed it, i really need my eyes. and probably lots of white paste. (and straw! i need a straw broomstick to tear apart!)
Monday, October 15, 2007
this is halloween, halloween, halloween...
wait...have i ever been this excited about a costume? probably not.
anyway, checklist:
cloth - check
hair - check
eyes - pending
footwear
i can't wait.
also, because i am bored and this seemed accurate:
| Your Personality Profile |
You are dependable, popular, and observant. Deep and thoughtful, you are prone to moodiness. In fact, your emotions tend to influence everything you do. You are unique, creative, and expressive. You don't mind waving your freak flag every once and a while. And lucky for you, most people find your weird ways charming! |
Friday, October 5, 2007
before the year is out, i want...
- to get my name changed ($$)
the money we spend to make ourselves happy...
Monday, October 1, 2007
stop the invitations!
now, i don't particularly mind if the one doing the inviting is a friend (not that i would join still).
but when the person inviting is someone whom i haven't spoken to in years, i think there is a serious problem.
i think the fact that we haven't spoken in years is a clear sign that we are not friends. so why would i want to "add you as a friend"?
or did you want to make it obvious that you just invited your whole address book?
Monday, September 24, 2007
stuck in the middle
it's definitely time to think about moving on. unfortunately, because my present work experience, my degree and my ideal plans for the future do not match up, i need to do some serious thinking about what i want to do next.
i would like to do some future studies in an aspect that i'm interested in, that would open further roads for me, that would be worth the money and time i'm going to sink into it. i've gone through the websites of the various local universities, some overseas ones, some distance-learning ones.
those i'm interested in, i either don't qualify for or they cost too much. those i can afford and qualify for, i'm not too sure about the usefulness. sometimes it really seems like the only way to get your foot into a door is through the back door (ie with the help of someone already inside).
sometimes i wonder if it would be good for me to go back and redo my 'a' levels, just so to get a better chance at the future. to start afresh, with a better grade for my 'a's => a chance to do a better degree => a chance to get a better job.
it's a waste of time, but after being stuck for so long, it's beginning to look good. i don't want to be stagnated because i made a mistake when i was 19 to study a course i had no interest in. there must be a better way out somewhere.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
changing my name
i used to like my chinese name, up till primary 5 when they switched to using the dialect name for official purposes instead of the hanyu pinyin name, and for years i had to suffer the indignity of being made fun of. my dad apparently had not realized how it would affect me. as a result, the moment i could, i had everyone call me by my new name. all throughout university and after, hardly anyone called me by my "real" name, except in classes where the teachers flatly refused to take down the names we preferred to be addressed by.
i have no intention of changing the name my parents gave me. it is, after all, given to me after consideration. i intend to just add a name so that "Karyn Ang" is a name i can start to use officially in all documents instead of just an "unofficial" name which is still disallowed in a lot of documentation.
now i just need to think about when the best time is actually do it so as to minimize the impact.
Monday, September 10, 2007
back to the ol' hum-drum
well, not exactly nothing. i went for the shape run yesterday in place of my dear colleague who had her competition. not a great timing for the run, since i've never taken my training seriously plus the 2 weeks break i had before that. i've learnt some things from this race, namely: 1) don't put your sunglasses into your shorts pocket before running, and 2) get some new shoes, a proper sports top and a new watch with stopwatch functions before going for the GE 10k next month. sigh...more money to be spent. i haven't even gotten the credit card bill for the trip yet and i'm not looking forward to getting it.
i'm feeling a bit lazy to put up a long post about my trip (i might regret this later, but the truth is nothing interesting happened to me the whole trip and i haven't any inspiration to try and write something interesting), so i'll just put up a couple of pictures.
pas de deux class
the skirt would have cost US$40 IF i had the inclination to buy it
my favorite musical ever! go avenue q!
set of rent the musical, taken just before the show started
times square, just outside the m&m store, with sexy green making an appearancemessy, i know. i may decide on a proper post later on. anyhow, this trip really convinced me that i really want to get out of this country. maybe it's time to really just take my money and go? i need to do my research.
Friday, August 17, 2007
on my way...
i've been waiting for this day for months...now that i'm here, hope everything goes as planned and i'll be refreshed and ready to continue life back home.
cya when i cya :)
Thursday, August 16, 2007
preparation to go...
Monday, August 13, 2007
i want...
- avenue q (the internet is for p0rn!)
- the fantasticks (swash-buckling action!)
- rent (i missed it when it came)
i wouldn't mind watching chicago again, or hairspray, but those 3 i think i will try my best to catch when i'm there.
i can't wait.
Friday, August 10, 2007
some things never change
| You Are An ISFP |
The Artist You are a gifted artist or musician (though your talents may be dormant right now). You enjoy spending your free time in nature, and you are good with animals and children. Simply put, you enjoy beauty in all its forms and live for the simple pleasures in life. Gentle, sensitive, and compassionate - you are good at recognizing people's unspoken needs. In love, you are quiet and sweet yet very passionate. You love easily. You have an underlying love for all living things, and it's easy for you to accept someone into your heart. At work, you do best in an unconventional position. You express yourself well and can work with almost anyone. You would make a good veterinarian, pediatrician, or composer. How you see yourself: Sympathetic, kind, and communicative When other people don't get you, they see you as: Incompetent, insecure, and overly sensitive |
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
and the pretty boys are all gay...
Saturday, July 28, 2007
fangirl-ing...
sad to say, i feel the fangirl in me waking up. i don't want to imagine what kind of silly things i'll be doing next...
*edit to add*
well, that didn't last long, did it?
Friday, July 27, 2007
happy endings: asian boys vol 3 - a review
this show was not on my radar of "shows-to-watch". in fact, i ignored every advertisement on it (despite being a friend of w!ld rice and having access to early bird discounts). not that i'm homophobic...i just wasn't interested in a play where (i thought) the selling point was the fact that it is based on a topic considered "taboo". but when my colleague procured a couple of tickets to the show and invited me to go, i thought it was too good a chance to miss and agreed to watch it with her.
i'm glad i did. the story was moving, captivating, and made me think. it wasn't just about homosexuality, it was about a lot more: growing up, finding yourself, seeking love, understanding people-to-people relationship...so many things that i can identify with. as ivan heng, director, said in the promotional video, "you'll see yourself on stage."
(note: i know a lot of other bloggers have linked this clip, but this is probably the only link that would still remain because both w!ld rice and sistic will remove their webpages once the show is over.)
i did...and my heart ached as i saw myself in chris' happiness when ken first held his hand, in sylvia's pain as she tried to keep her dignity when chris asked for a breakup, in the longing in ken and chris' voices in their last phone conversation.
but that wasn't all that made me love the play. there were a lot of funny bits in the play (302B? 302A?) that made me giggle with delight. alfian sa'at is an excellent playwright...his gems of humor amused me to no end, and the cast was wonderful in their portrayals of their characters.
ben xiao was excellent as both joe, the author and chris, the protagonist of the novel joe was writing. i could be a bit biased because of his looks *grinz* but he had the fresh-faced, innocent look that was perfect as the uncertain, confused chris. pierre goh as attractive, charismatic kenneth widjaya was a (eye-candyish)pleasure to watch, and genevieve lim as schoolgirl leader/debate team captain sylvia reminded me exactly of the overachieving rafflesian i knew from my secondary school days.
honestly, i will never be able to put in words my feelings for the play. i can only hope that i will never forget the joy i felt, watching it for the first time and the acute pleasure at seeing the story unfold in front of my eyes. go watch it...it is a brilliant play. (oh, and i want to read peculiar chris!)
(final note: i was reminded of the only other local play i know that i had the privilege to be involved in. and clips of my jc days, of staying late for rehearsals, of memorizing lines, of wardrobe hunting, of playing gin rummy backstage and praying for a good show at curtain call etc...flashed by. ah...those were the days...)
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
gearing up
no, i'm gearing up for a job change. the 2 interviews back-to-back this week convinced me that i'm happier seeking another job than staying where i am. thank goodness most companies accept email resumes...i can just imagine the trouble and cost to send copies of all my certificates all over the place.
i passed my M5 exam just an hour ago. it was scary pressing on the "finish" button...i had about 20 answers which i weren't sure about (passing mark is 75), but after i answered everything and went through all the questions a couple of times, i didn't think it was going to do me any good to sit and think (i had 1 more hour to reconsider all my answers) .it was a relief when the screen told me i passed. definitely been too long since i needed to use my brain for any exam...
unfortunately, my stupid brain seems to be going through the interview today, coming up with new answers to the questions i answered. *knocks head in an attempt to clear it out* i really do want the job, but if they don't appreciate that i'm so keen on it that i'm willing to take a pay cut to join them...then maybe it's for the better.
so...job search in earnest now! ganbatte!
Monday, July 23, 2007
interviews...ugh...
oh, i know everyone else hates them too.
but i really really loathe them. because i have to admit, i really plain suck at them. half the items in my resume are so long ago that when i'm asked about them, i can't remember anything useful.
and i end up making up half the things that come out of my mouth.
i just have to pray something goes right tomorrow and i'll have a new job waiting for me soon enough.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
still running...
anyway, having joined sgrunners, a local runners' forum, i found out about this nifty little website that allows me to map my run and measure the distance i ran without having to resort to using the street directory and a piece of string.
i just ran 5.89km without stopping. amazing...maybe 10k isn't impossible after all.
next expected race? the swissotel vertical marathon in nov. wanna run with me? watch this space...
Friday, July 20, 2007
Saturday, July 14, 2007
jacky in concert
until a recent youtube encounter with my favorite jacky song which made me cry.
using my privilege, i found out that there was 1 last seat in the lowest price category which wasn't in too bad a position. so, since i had just received my bonus, plus a little egging from k, i bought a ticket and attended the concert last night.
jacky really deserves his title of 歌神. for 3 solid hours, he sang his hits in both mandarin and cantonese. sad to say, i didn't enjoy them as much as some of his fans did, since my favorite songs were the less well-known ones (like 她来听我的演唱会 above, 忘了哭, 结束不是我要的结果...ok, fine, i like the sappy you-don't-love-me songs (>.<).) but he was fantastic anyway.
his voice is still as amazing as ever, and he is just so personable that you can't help but love him. if you're going for his concert, you'll definitely enjoy it.
Friday, July 13, 2007
good luck, bro
i was really exhausted last night, so much so that i didn't manage to get any studying done at all.(except for what i managed to read on the bus on the way home, but i nearly dozed off then too. it certainly doesn't help that the chapter i'm reading is really a bunch of technical terms that require phrasing and re-phrasing to make sense of the sentences.)
anyway, i fell asleep in a daze last night, and woke up this morning to a bustle of activity at 6am. bro left this morning for perth for the next phase of his pilot training, and since it's 10 months long this time, the whole family wanted to be there to send him off.
bro and i were close, though probably not as close as my younger sis and him. the three of us used to be really tight until life (and love) made it harder for us to hang out together very often. he's a real gentlemen...smart, articulate and funny, and i really love him for being the man that he is. yes, proud sister here.
good luck, bro. don't come back too early, you hear? we'll see you in december.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
reinventing myself
well...not really. i'm just trying to try different things. i've changed some aspects of my life, added some stuff, taken some stuff out...hopefully that will make me a more interesting person and i'll fit into my skin better. here's the list:
1) change my appearance
yes, after eons of curly-wurly-unruly hair, i've rebonded my hair. for years, i have been advised not to do so because i have very fine hair and a round face. as it turns out, almost everyone who saw the "drastic" change agree that i look a lot better with rebonded hair and in one case, i was even told that i "should have done so earlier". yea, i should have. i save a lot of time fighting with my hair in the mornings now.
2) get more active
throughout most of my school days, i was a homebody. i would go home after school/ecas and just stare at the google box, play playstation games (yes, i am a female gamer and i'm proud of it), do cross-stitch, read, or any of indoor activities that doesn't require physical exertion. then i took up dancing, joined a gym (which i subsequently quitted) and attempted to add more exercise into my life. now i've progressed to the next stage, where i'm preparing to take part in races, and i plan to add even more activities into my life. better to do try them now while my bones are still able to take it...
3) revamp my wardrobe
i admit, i've always been a closet auntie. i don't like to pay very much for clothes, or accessories, or shoes. in fact, i've never really liked shopping. i don't care how i dress on my days off, can't be bothered with makeup on weekends.
then i discovered that i'm not that bad-looking and i do look good in some outfits.
so there has been a period of shopping, resulting in new dresses and shoes (i own more shoes now than any other period in my life). i now do find some kind of pleasure in making myself look good, and i like hearing "you look good!" from my friends and colleagues. shopping is still a hassle, but it really can be great to find something that suits me.
4) travel more
there will be more travel in my life. the good thing about working is that you get enough cash to do the things you like to do, and i've always loved to travel. besides the US trip planned in august, there's the planned KL shopping trip at the end of this month and a possible taiwan and perth trip in the not-too-distant future.
i still have my dream of moving overseas for a few years too.
5) party more
as a homebody (see point 2), i missed out a lot of fun during my uni days. so, since i have younger gals around me who are party-goers, i tag along and enjoy the fun i never had, like our occasional ladies' nights. especially since i don't have that many years before i might not get in the door.
6) change jobs
no elaboration needed! (>_<)
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
like a square peg in a round hole
but when you feel that you no longer belong in your job, in your position, then it becomes a little more difficult. you want to leave, but you can't because you need the cash, the bonus, the experience, etc, etc...
it's a very painful feeling. and so the job search will become a little more desperate, a little more earnest, and alternative plans will have to be made.
and one more thing...when you work with incompetent people? you either need a lot of patience, or you really need a new job really really fast so that you can slap them the way they need to be slapped.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
making plans for the future
anyway, back to the topic of the day. and it is...the future. yes, i'm busy making plans for my future again. it seems like i keep making new plans which keep getting postponed/cancelled due to ongoing circumstances, but i've finally made one which will (hopefully) last me for a few years.
first things first though...i need a new job. and not just any new job. i need one back in my old industry, in a place that allows growth. it's the only place where i foresee myself working for a number of years instead of the 2-3 years' timeline i'm working with at the moment.
i know i haven't been working very long at my present company, but the bads very often outnumber the goods, and there are absolutely no growth prospects here. if i want a place where i can continue to grow and learn over the next few years, i need to move.
now i just need to get my foot in somehow...
Saturday, July 7, 2007
all hyped up about running
because of that, i'm going to be in pain for the rest of tonight and very likely the whole of tomorrow as well. adding a tough stretching class to 4.5km jogged last night is almost certain to kill me. i hope i can still walk tomorrow
now this is a strange thing...i had been looking for something new to occupy me and i think i found it - running and taking part in races may be the next big thing in my life.
the funny thing is, i've never been one to run in the first place. i hated to run when i was a student...i would do the minimum and never extra. but for some strange reason, i'm actually getting excited about doing the great eastern women 10k run in october...and maybe even the stanchart marathon at the end of the year (not the full one, i'm thinking about the 10k or at most, the half marathon).
then again, this might be another of those 三分钟热度 interests i have had so many of. let's see if i'm still running a month from now.
Friday, July 6, 2007
do i look different?

well, my eyes are still as small and my eyebags seem to have increased in size...and let's not go into the chubbiness of my cheeks and the roundness of my face. (-_-)"
still, considering that there is close to 2 years' difference between the pictures, which one do i look better in? or more importantly, which one do i look younger in?
free food and booze at timbre \(^ ^)/
thank god it's friday! another week has passed and the weekend is here again. k and i had a great time last night at timbre and shopping at bugis street after that.
what were we doing at timbre on a thursday night in the first place? well, that's one of the perks of my job. we were there for the press launch of WOMAD 07. it was a cool place, and WOMAD is a cool event with great music. i wish i would be around during the festival....phooey.
this was my first press launch since i joined the company...i missed out on a lot of them because all the major accounts i worked on belonged to someone else first. i nearly missed out on this too, because i was half-considering to give the account to someone else, but i'm glad i stuck with it. even if i can't be there, at least i got to enjoy myself last night. the food was good, and the drinks were free! \(^ ^)/
k and i shopped at bugis street after that and bought a dress each. i loved the dress i bought, but found out that i was missing a ribbon only when i got home, so i'm going to have to make my way down again today to get it.
friday nights are usually quiet for me. i got an invite to go to arena at clarke quay tonight, but i think i'll go home and go for a jog instead. there's only 6 weeks till my trip, i really should get myself fitter before i leave. and my korean homework isn't done yet...and there's the M5 exam to study for...
Thursday, July 5, 2007
my new blog!
but now i wonder, why not? i want a place where i can talk about what i did today, where i went, who i met...ergo, new blog! ^_^
this blog will chronicle my trials and tribulations, my ups and downs as i stumble my way through this long journey called "life".