It's the end of 2009.

I have yet to finish my Christmas post. Oh well. I'll just lump it here.

This Christmas, I finally saw the magic the holiday brings. For the last 7 years, I had struggled to stay afloat while being alone on Christmas Eve night. Of course I do have my family but it is just different when there's a person who is not obligated by blood to love you, does so. The Eve wasn't only my kid sister's birthday, it was also a mark of our 3 months together. Anyone could argue it only being 3 months and what's the fuss about it. To me it's different. It is not only to mark that simple significance of our union but it also marks something more important to me: unconditional companionship. It has proven to me the cynic that it is possible to find love. That I won't be suffering the same fate as Anita Mui or Marilyn Monroe.

Well, on the material side of Christmas, I would say I received 2 gifts. Fresh paint from my mom, and the Salvatore Ferragamo Incanto Heaven from the boy. And I gave almost $100 worth of presents this year. To my sisters, my cousins, my girls and my boy. I guess money well spent.

Now moving on. Since this will be the last entry of 2009, I guess its time for the usual reflections. This year, I got attached, got a job, left the job, made new friends, lost weight, gained weight, smoked, drank but didn't puke, made awesome love, had a pinch of school drama, left the school drama and I'm still alive. It has been eventful. True to admit my first half of the year sucked big time. The ever annoying "what's her name" drama didn't much end till I actually left school for an internship at Frost & Sullivan. Had harassment calls from stupid people who used their mobile phones, and I have caller ID. Made new friends - Chermaine, Susu, Noi , Clarence and Janice.

The second half got better. Got into an awesome internship. Learned that I like doing advertising and marketing. Had a pursuit of 3 suitors - 1 totally non-existent to the physical world of sunny Singapore, 1 slow poke and 1 became the victor. Proved quite a number of people wrong too.

Tomorrow is the last day of 2009. And I know on this day, I will be surrounded by people who love me and whom I love. And we will all welcome 2010 with open arms.

Seriously, you got to be kidding.

I take 1 and a half hours to get to school in the morning. Yes the traffic may get better in the afternoons but it is same old crowded and mother-fucking slow traffic in the morning. And now, SIM has decided to push classes back by half an hour just to settle their stupid iAttendance shit. AWESOME! Well done to the SIM admin people for making the choice of doing such. You have officially screwed yourselves up. Perhaps assumptions that ignorance is one of the traits of Singaporean students, well you got to be kidding yourselves. My father who had worked in an American company based in Singapore was ready to get in a lawsuit with that company for any wrongful termination to his position. Seriously, think about this. This country America so call preaches about freewill and anti-discrimination, then why is it so that American schools take advantage of Singaporeans by going fucking stupid and unfair with the discipline policies imposed?

Well, there also happens to be a fair amount of people staying in the east. In fact most of the Singaporean population reside in the east. And be practical, how can all of UB students be actually staying in the west? Even NTU doesn't bother if their kids are late or not. And I bet you NUS doesn't either. So does SMU. I just wonder, why can't admin personnel take a book from the Hong Kong people. Time is EVERYTHING. 30 minutes earlier equates to 30 minutes lesser time to actually study for a morning quiz or worse - exam. Time is money. Don't you ever get that? And even if students are late, the onus is on themselves. Why do I have to be responsible for the lack of resources that the school is not able to offer? Ya. You're lack of resources. I'm fine working around it but don't try to push your way too much.

Well, I have cooled down. I'm going to formulate a nice email in the day and gag their mouths.

Xmas list! `

Before I go into room-painting hibernation from the computer/internet/blogs, I think I'll write about my Xmas list before everyone starts getting me weird last minute gifts.

1. Camera Numeos 10 - I'm not picky. As long camera 10 is filled this year.
2. I have always been lusting over this scent that now its a need - Salvatore Ferragamo Incanto Heaven.
3. OPI nail colors. Anyone will do. Seriously. Anyone will do.
4. Something off the typical budget charts - Christian Louboutin shoes, the signature black peep-toe plumps.

Ok. I guess that's my list for this xmas. So, hint hint?

I'm off to pack and paint. Purple here I come!

Ok. I'll write.

As promised from last night, I'll continue writing about nuptial bliss that has been going around the blogosphere. Firstly congrats to Xiaxue on the engagement. Well, I guess she must be looking for planners now. Of course I'm not going to expect her to get David Gan to plan it for her like Fann Wong.I reckon she gets hitched in the States. At least she would be able to see a different kind of climate season there. Unlike in Singapore, either sunny or rainy. BORING. Seriously I would love a fall wedding when all the autumn leaves are falling on to the aisle. All so rustic. Basically think Runaway Bride. In her last wedding stint, Julia Roberts' character managed to marry Richard Gere's character. Well, of course to every girl, the dress is the most important. Darling, I am so not going to wear what Julia Roberts has on her. Not saying its a ugly dress, it just ain't my style.
Hello inspiration. Oh well, we'll see. Technically, I have yet to get my ring too.

Speaking of which, RINGS! Showed Ray some of which I thought would be a lovely engagement ring! HEHEHE. Rings by Colleen Baran! Ah! So lovely. :)
And of course the cuteness from Fred Flare. :D Save the diamond for the wedding band.

5am.

Yes, Ray will be nagging again once he sees this post. After finishing the story game of Professor Layton on the DS, it's about time I fall asleep. But I just had to have my itchy fingers on the keyboard looking for blogs to read. Well, Xiaxue's engaged, Holly Jean blogged about wedding bells. Now, I'm craving for my own. SHUCKS. I guess I'm really tired. I shall write in the day.

Orchard Road.

For the day, Ray and I headed to Somerset 313. Yes another one of those new shopping hubs along the Orchard belt. For the foreigners that have no idea what the Orchard Road is, it is a road that has some comparison to 5th Ave, Upper West Side etc. And recently, there seems to be an expansion of this shopping "haven". Well, we all know that Orchard Ion has been up for almost a month (maybe more), then there's the rather cold opening of Orchard Central and now Somerset 313.

Seriously, I'm actually quite bored with the shopping malls. Most of the shops are pretty much the same. We have LV, Prada, Gucci, Zara, F21, Topshop etc. And it's pretty much the same. Damn. I suddenly miss House of Japan very much.

You know what Singapore lacks? Vintage shopping. Even the clothes at Salvation Army aren't that fantastic. SIGH! Hmmm. I've got an idea. Well, let me think about it a little more.

But honestly, Orchard is boring.

Diamonds - how much?

While Ray heads out for coffee with friends and I'm stuck here at home because of my ovaries that have decided to shrivel up and give me cramps; I guess I'll kill my time of the night by writing about DIAMONDS!

I guess I'm somewhat of a magpie. I am super allured to things that shines. Am so not trying to pull a Xiaxue here. Oh please. Xiaxue is Xiaxue, Zelda is Zelda. There is no similarity here (not forgetting the obvious physical H differences). Ok whatever, don't hate her, don't love her. Tried crystallizing my fisheye and my hard disk which both are still incomplete. Fine whatever. I'm a sloth. Well back to the topic at hand, is it really worth to pay so much for diamonds?

On one of our date escapades, Ray and I decided to check out the diamond rings at Tiffany's. My boyfriend still thinks that engagement rings like this and
this are wedding bands. Well, I have insisted that jewelery of such are meant for engagement but he claims otherwise. And of course the price tag behind each piece could very well be a down payment for a 4 room flat or even the price tag of a Korean car. If my memory serves me fine, for a 1.5 carat rock Ray would have to pay $32,000 if he were to marry me. I'm awfully fine if yours truly gets such a ring. But my 24 year old boyfriend almost had a heart attack in the Tiffany's store.

So, is it worth it? It is merely nothing more than a rock. Well, a rock that looked like this before cut and with the help of expert jewel makers turn into this and
this
and this. Damn, I love the clarity.

We have all watched the movie Blood Diamond. If you have not, please get your sorry ass to VideoEZ and rent it. Seriously shame on you. Many of us, have no idea how diamonds are extracted. I know I'm ignorant to such stuff. I think diamonds were mined by dwarfs when I was a kid. Yes the seven dwarfs. Well, I guess diamonds may seem to be a mockery of the ignorance that we don't see. Perhaps that answers the price tag.

I'm not saying I hate diamonds. End of the day I still love diamonds but I'm more aware about it's purpose. I'm just saying that (blatantly) it is to each its own to concur their choice towards this expensive rock.