not settling for anything less

my cousin bing is getting married in 2 weeks and while the idea of a dayful of mush, tears and more mush makes me cringe, i promised myself i'd behave come "the day". i will, after all, play hostess and sing a song or two. talk about over exposure huh? i just hope i don't forget the lyrics and the string quartet won't gimme a hard time with the music.

still, behind my cynical and almost stoic view on weddings, i, of course wish them both a life filled with bliss, a roomful of happy lil bings ang andreis and a marriage based on trust and love. i've seen them grow as a couple so i'm sure married life will be a breeze. they are young, they are happy and they're in love!

"Anything less than mad, passionate, extraordinary love is a waste of time. There are too many mediocre things in life and love shouldn't be one of them." -- Dream For An Insomniac

ate bing quoted that in her blog and i'm quoting it again. i once told myself this "i may turn 40 but i will never settle just because i HAVE to get married". and thanks to the 4 ladies of Sex and the City, the once view on singledom has completely changed. i have nothing against getting married but like what my cousin said, anything mediocre is a waste of time so why bother?

gone are the days when society sees single people as social curses bound to spend a life of solitude and dejection. see, now being single does not make one a disgrace or a sociopath but rather a person who is free to choose. one who does not give in to what society expects.

i'm not saying that marriage isn't for me. all i'm saying is until i find that someone, i wouldn't mind walkin this earth as a single, fab woman. life is too short to waste on the wrong person. i know my time will come.

who knows, maybe someday, ate bing's love for mush might rub off on me.

my first bday present for the year

it's not even december yet and i already got an unexpected, uberly welcome surprise bday present! it's a fold-able lilac handbag from the Le Pliage Longchamp collection . now, do i like it? i LOVE it! woohoo! life is good!

i'll be turning 31 next month and unlike last year's bash, i won't be celebrating it with a bang this time.

a lot has happened over the year. a lot of them were good, with a handful that could always be charged to experience as they say. i'd like to believe that i'm much wiser than i was at 30 with the same confidence as saying i'm more FAB now hehehe! (with a fab new bag to boot!)

happy birthday to me!

WTF?!

he came up to me and said "i'm sorry i hurt you".

i didn't recognize him at first. who the hell is this guy? it took me a few minutes to realize who he was. it's him . i couldn't reply. i didn't know how to. why now? why not when i needed him to?

he was waiting. his eyes showed a side of him i never thought existed. sensitive and honest. he never said another word after that. he just kept looking. waiting for his absolution i guess. but i couldn't give him that.

and then i woke up.

poker princess

my second attempt at playin the game and i ended up the big winner woohoo!!! yupyup i'm officially on the road to becoming an addict! the other week, i was at this bazaar at the NBC tent and i was immediately drawn to this box of poker chips! i didn't buy though, not yet anyway hehe!

and once again, i've proven "the boys" that women are better than them in more ways than one!

hahaha who's the man? i'm the man! woohoo!!!

from a much needed break

and might i add, a WELL deserved one at that.

yes people, i was a bum for two weeks and it felt wonderful!

Singapore was everything i thought it was and more - clean. organized. alive. rich in culture. from the people to the busses and trains, to food and shopping malls, to the zoos and all the other tourist spots, a trip to the city of fines is definitely a must have for all ye travel freaks.

ten things why i loved my trip:
1. the public transport
i HATE commuting but there, it was a breeze -convenient and practical. plus, you get to go from one end of the city to the other with just one train ride. and if you have to take a cab, the drivers are ALWAYS pleasant.

2. the malls
for someone who doesn't like shopping as much as most women, i did have lots of good finds. from DAISO (2dollar store) in Jurong East to the classy Takeshimaya at the Orchard, one is sure to find something that would dazzle the eyes.

3. tourist spots, animal attractions and nature trip
walking isn't my thing but i didn't mind. the view made it all worthwhile. I feasted my eyes at the Magical fountains, took the cable car and skyride at Sentosa; was awed by the dolphins and other marine life at the Underwater World; got to see and feed the birds at Jurong Bird Park; went up close and personal with the elephants and orangs at the Singapore Zoo; saw the majestic Chawang and other creatures of the night at the Night Safari; had my first encounter with a carnivorous plant at the Botanic Garden; enriched my mind at the Science Center and got to experience how it felt at -8degrees at Snow City

4. the food
hawkers galore! from bakwa to chicken rice to pork floss to ice cream wrapped in wafer and lots and lots of noodles! yum yum yum!

5. the long walks even at 1AM
yup you read it right. 1am and i never felt safer.

6. the night life
The Esplanade, Clark Quay, Chinatown and the Orchard come alive the moment the sun sets. whatever suits your mood - have dinner and cocktails by the river or indulge your palette at Glutton's Bay or feast your eyes along the streets for midnight sales or dance the night away with a glass of the famous Singapore sling at bay and you're sure to party up to the wee hours

7. the discipline; the system
and i don't mean the kind where you practice only when someone is lookin! one that is practiced by all.
8. their love for nature and clean environment
there is very minimal, if not, non-existent trash; the drainage works; the air is fresh and they even have a PSI level flashed on TV to indicate the level of pollution at any given time!

9. the language
everyone speaks English which made it easier to ask for directions - a must when you find yourself lost in the middle of the city or when tryin to get a bargain

10. lastly, the people
from the guards to the sales assistants to the drivers to the cashiers to the gatekeepers, everyone was so nice. they won't think twice when you need to help. one even walked 5 blocks with us at 1 am just to make sure that we got home safe.

all in all, i give my Singapore adventure a 9 and i wouldn't mind goin' back :)