1) Travel.
Checked. Managed to travel around Asia a little last year thanks to work commitment. I finally got to visit Tokyo at the grand old age of 23 and I frikking love it!!!

2) Get screen for HIV.
Checked.

3) Be financially independent and start saving.
Urm, 50/50. I survived pretty well when I was in QQland and I became a lot more thrifty and sensible in my spending habits after I returned. Still working on the saving bits.

4) Drop another 10kg. Maintain weight. Eat in moderation.
Oh hell no.

5) Cut down on drinking
50/50 work in progress. Did cut down on my drinking a lot this year but still succumbed to the occasional binge drinking unexpectedly.

6) Work the LTR.
Bailed out on the 10th month. Oh screw that. Long distance never work.

7) Love myself better.
Well, 2009 have been a tough year. I’m glad I made it though to give it another shot.

I am terrible afraid of the vicious cycles where I am stuck designing… unremarkable items because I am “told to do so” in consideration of “manufacturing limitations“.

Being this close to giving up designing entirely, I am now absolutely wary of companies that cut back on financing for R&D. These old lords have no respects for aesthetics and trends. They assumes that design comes out from thin air, emitted out from pure imaginations. Like farts.

The other day, my google complex prompted me to ask the world wide web for the meaning of ’spitfire’.

“Define: spitfire”

a highly emotional and quick-tempered person (especially a girl or woman)

I am bemused about how much it sounded like me.

i am rather sick of all these. all my doubt, self-suspicion, feeling of inadequacy.

i hang on believing there is still a glimmer of hope and chance there, but some days, it’s not difficult to convince myself, letting go would be so much easier.

March is when I reflect on how much I’ve changed as a person so far. My work takes up so much of my life right now, there is no way I can avoid being shaped into that person I need to be, to get my things done, and done right.

Some changes were great and I shall refrain from going into detail - it’s not like my boss is going to read them. Some changes however, are detrimental to my relationship. I sometimes feel embarrassed for becoming that utterly demanding, unreasonable monster towards my ah lao. He’s not my worker, and he deserves better treatment than what I’m giving him now.

I sometimes jokingly call him my man slave and myself, the slave driver - both of which ironically bears a silver of resemblance. He tries his best to go the extra mile for me, but I fail to see his effort.

“How liddat?”

Here are some quintessentially Singaporean spoilt brat whining I’ve been holding back for the past month (oh, how can I not share this with you.):

I really wonder what the fuck am I doing here, when I…
a) wake up on a Saturday AND Sunday morning at 725am for work…
b) look at my gritty unmanicured nails and rough heels
c) am served terrible food that are not to my palate… (back home, I am the least picky about food among all my friends)
d) sneeze uncontrollably due to dust bunnies in my bedroom
e) feel hopelessly helpless & inevitably ignorant of situations.
f) am audibly raped during meal times with the throat clearing.. and that unmistakable *PTUI* & *SPLLAAAPPPPPTTT*
g) give up on my food cos it’s simply too bloody salty to stomach (and I’m the kiam kiam queen back home lorh!)
h) am going through the time of the month and there’s nothing more I want than to bury my head in my smellie & ah lao
i) look at the limited choice in carrefour

But when I reflect back on the things I have been exposed to for the past weeks, I think it’s all worth it.

It’s not everyday one get to see for themselves how a factory operates; the work culture of the chinese; how material are made; how to survive living alone & independently. My written & spoken chinese improved tremendously - even I am amazed.

But I miss home. The friends. The kiasu people who are always in a rush. That sickeningly humid weather. The routine life I was so used to.

I miss our 3-in-1 coffee. I miss maggi mee chicken flavour. I miss vegetarian beehoon. Not sure if I miss my mother’s nagging, but it sure sounded less irritating over the phone this time.

The first month of 2009 has been filled with many gastronomically satisfying dates with the ah lao. I shall spare you the cheesy details of our pat-tor-ing (e.g. like how I call him 大闸蟹 after a meal cos his biceps and forearms are so big).

So far we’ve had…

Chilli Crab (No.3)
Dimsum (Swee Choon)
XLB and such (DTF - their XLB are pale in comparison to Swee Choon’s)
Hawker fare such as oyster omelette/sambal stingray/chicken wings (Esplanade)
Beef Pho (Pho Hoa at Lorong Mambong)
Yakitori (some hole in the wall restaurant at cuppage. 1st date. come to think of it, food was not bad)
Indonesian food (ayam penyat & ayam soto!)
Ramen (at Central, fantastic chicken broth)
Deepfried Pork Knuckle (Baden Baden, heavenly)
Chinese food (hongkong style steamed fish, stir fry baby kailan - at this restaurant near his oppit)

And also many others small little places we popped in for coffee and ice creams.

Not a single picture available as 2 hungry people just dug into the food, totally forgetting about taking pictures.

The double chin that took me some effort to reduce is slowly returning to familiar grounds. I’m not really complaining; every meal was a worthy experience.

OK FINE, that chin never went away.

The entire month of January was spent preparing for the trip…

Getting my mugshot taken; Renewing the passport; Flu vaccination; Stocking up on potentially Hard-to-find essentials like toiletries/garments, travel kits, medications; nitty gritty stuff like hemming my pants, backing up data, just to name a few; and the farewell meet ups with each little but precious groups of friends.

Got a little overboard shopping for the essentials - 8 new bras & 12 undies - I just don’t know when is the soonest I’ll get to return.

I caught myself snapping at people a number of times - The answering, explaining and repeating ad nauseam got on my nerves.

Funny how some of my friends and my mudder nagged at me to prepare this and that like I’m retreating to some backwater village high up in the mountains. Perhaps my aloof front gave them the impression of an ill-prepared greenhorn.

I know they were looking out for me, but it got a bit too much when someone fed me exaggerated scenarios, hoping to send me into a self-induced panic attack. I really could do with less negative influences like these.

January. I’ve so much more to pick up for the rest of the year.

I’m irritated of:

a) unappreciative birthday girl
We were at the restaurant you wanted. We got you a cake. And we also endured a sour puss face who didn’t wanna eat anything nor the cake. Why the fuck do I bother? I could have done so much more in a day in better company (like a dinner with my family). Absolute waste of my Time & Money.

b) sales associates with poor English proficiency
I don’t mean to be atas here but please don’t hire sales associates with poor command of the English language.
“I want a size 38 sandals/I’m looking for size 16 Top in Grey.”
*snap snap fingers*
Be efficient; don’t make me repeat 3-motherrrfucccccckingggg-times.

c) friends who pretend they care
fuck off. You’re asking me the same set of questions you asked an hour/3 days/1 week ago. You’re not actually interested but you pretend to. Fuck, don’t bother lah.