Chinese New Year

Ahh...I've been so busy with my projects lately that I realised it's been weeks since I paid any attention to my blog :( In fact just looked out my office window and realised they have even completed construction of the office tower opposite my office!! Goes to show how unobservant I have become.

So anyway there's another round of holidays coming our way and of course another good opportunity for me to have a nice long break :) Yesterday a friend told me that she hates Chinese New Year (CNY) and only then did I realise I was pretty impartial to this festival. I know many many of my chinese friends get really excited abt CNY and it seems to be the only festival they ever look forward to. Probably for many of the out-of-town folks, this is their one chance to get together with all their family and friends so that's why it's such a special time for them. Of course I believe a lot of the "incentive" factor boils down to plenty of good food, drinking, and of course the much addictive GAMBLING. (CFSwu, I am gonna get my revenge this year!)

Compared to Christmas, CNY is pretty normal to me maybe because I don't really celebrate it in a big way. O we have the normal reunion dinner, and watching the kids play with their 'pop-pop' and wondering why the heck the neighbours with those fanciful fireworks have so much money to burn :) I also go for the occasional house visiting and get deeply engrossed in the gambling activity, but somehow that's no fun when u keep losing to some guy who's wearing red underwear :-p Others might stuff themselves crazy with all the good food, but CNY is a time for me to diet coz I'm not one for cookies and snacks :) The one thing that I get complained about the most is the fact that I never return to Ipoh to visit my relatives. Well I have good reasons for that. For one, I hate to be caught in those massive hours of traffic jam. And secondly, being asked when am I getting married by each and everyone of my relatives is NOT exactly my cup of tea. O, but I don't mind when they tell me I've grown prettier - that is most welcomed...hahaha. Thirdly, after the many years of not seeing my relatives, I somehow feel I don't really know who are my relatives. Does anyone ever have the problem of not knowing how to address their aunties and uncles??!! In my family, there seems to be endless naming convention like 'yee kong','yee cheong','piu ko','tai ku ma' bla bla....and in fact I think my aunties and uncles won't even know who I am if they saw me at the roadside!

Anyway, I wish all a great holiday ahead. May everyone "fatt tai choy" (get rich) this year and o, please treat all dogs nicely too *wink*

Gong Xi Gong Xi!!!!

The Year That Was...and the Year to Come

It's that time of year again when all gets sentimental and makes new resolutions to enhance the quality of their life. For me, I've given up on it. New year resolutions never last longer than a week, and it's just easier to go with the flow *wink*

I've just been on a short break to nowhere fanciful for my New Year holidays, but it's was certainly a welcomed respite from the torturous 2005. Away from the city, there I was just lazing around and taking in the sceneries while breathing in the fresh cool air and watching my loved ones enjoy themselves. With work thrown to the backseat of my priority, life was certainly heavenly and peaceful. Wouldn’t it have been just wonderful if time could stop there and then? But alas, that is wishful thinking, and eventually we all have to return to our mundane life and boring jobs.

During those restful days I managed to steal some silent moments to reflect on my life that was in 2005. The year had certainly been full of surprises – both good and bad. And though I would have liked to be able to say I would not have wanted it any differently, but to be utterly honest, I really wished it was. So many decisions I would have made differently had I known the outcome of it. So many pains I could have avoided had I been a bit more patient, and so much less hurt I could have caused if I had known the consequences of my actions.
But life is not about living in regrets, but about looking forward. And that is why everyone so madly celebrates the New Year – because everyone hopes for a fresh new beginning in which the past year’s regrets can be forgotten, and instead hopes that happiness and prosperity will cross their path in the coming year. So my new year’s resolution this year is to stop asking ‘What If’ in the past, but rather to ask ‘What If’ to the future. I think for everyone, there’s always the opinion that life will always have its ups and downs, life will always seem cruel, life will always be unfair...and so on and so forth. What I do know is that whatever cruel blow life deals me, I will still pick myself up and move on to the next challenge. And I must not forget that between those painful bruises, there’s also the sweet incentive to keep me going.
And to end the year 2005 with a bang, I am listing the top 5 things I hated about it (just to get it out of my system..haha). Happy New Year everyone, and may this year bring you less regrets and more joy than the year that was.

Top 5 Most Hated Things of 2005 (in no particular order):

1. Road hoggers, motorcyclist who bangs lovely shiny red City car, and selfish drivers who thinks that allowing one car out in front of them in a jam would delay their reincarnation.

2. Being dumped by a man who did not know what he wanted from love, and then subsequently confusing myself about what I wanted from love. And to top it off, meeting more men who are equally as confused!

3. Busybodies who had too much spare time on their hands, and thought it was their business to tell me what to do and how to do it. Hello…if I need a nanny I will put up an advertisement, TQ!!!

4. The constant shrill voice of a certain person who thinks the whole world doesn’t mind hearing her negotiation skills in hokkien dialect, or that everyone is just delighted to be involved in her conference calls. Nothing personal, I like you as a person, but I sure hate your voice and the constant phone calls that are all YOURS!

5. Animal abusers, wildlife poachers and the damn measley fine for these people which doesn't even scare my little niece's piggybank! Come on, RM100 for torturing a dog?!! How outdated can our laws be?!!!

And the Top 5 things I wish for my new year :)

1. A dog of my own, and mummy stop nagging abt how dirty a dog is, how much problem they are..etc..etc

2. A 25 - 30% increment in salary and a 6 months bonus (well..we are all entitled to wish for miracles!)

3. A long long one month holiday backpacking across Europe with no concern for money and accomodation....still wishful thinking!!!

4. A man who knows what he wants, knows what he can offer and knows how to pamper a girl - but I think I better settle for the dog instead. I think men label me the DMH - Devoted Man Hater :) come on, I do really love guys - especially those who are in touch with their feminine side. lol!

5. And finally...I wish for all mankind to stop eating/utilising different parts of animals that has not been scientifically proven to have any advantageous effects for their health/beauty. Stop the horrendous killing of the innoccent tigers and bears and monkeys. And o ya..I wish JLo would have endless nightmares of the many minks that died for her stupid fur coat!!!

Remember folks - if there is no demand, there will be no supply :)