in retrospect

Chilli red background with bold black font screaming “NOW” on a charge card doesn’t make me feel like wanting to flash it.

Instead, due to the extremely cheesy color I may find myself hiding it in my wallet more than wanting the flash factor.

the finish of the card isn’t very chic. The flat red color makes the card look like an a plastic ang-pow (Red packet given out during festive occasions for the Chinese). It could have been in a darker shade- to give a more atas(upmarket) feel- with some layering effect created, e.g.: glitter/rainbow finish, mesh/wire effect etc. Which could’ve turned- in my opinion- the card into something desirable, unique and increasing its flash factor/appeal.

sorry UOB, a definite no-go for me because the minimalist chic look and feel of a blue plastic is suddenly lost to the arrival of a cheap looking ang-pow colored replacement.

It’s been a long time ago, but this is cracks me up.

enjoy~

i remember a particular conversation some years ago, with a friend whom i no longer keep in daily contact with. more so because we live in different cities which make keeping in contact less easy- timezones and all.

for some reason, the conversation stuck with me all these years. she said:”.. i remember you because you always share your opinions, stand up for what’s right and even if you have to choose a side, choose the one you feel most strongly about. you have unwavering belief in the truth and such a fervent sense of loyalty.”

i remember a conversation which i had with a lecturer over breakfast- legal, if i’ve not mistaken. it went along the lines of how you know that you have not betrayed your conscience if you have the ability to sleep at night. that eventually, in all situations- however hard they may be- to speak the truth, only the truth and never waver to fabrication. eventually, the truth will prevail and the fiction will lead its way back to its originator.

which leads to the following question:
do i still believe in all the things i stood by at the age of 16, 17, or 20? the answer is- i do.
do i still believe that eventually truth prevails? i do.

till the end, as long as we believe only in the things we see for our eyes, and the things we hear with our own ears- can they be taken into account. the lack of discretion is no different from running around with a pair of scissors. i have met many in the latter situation, where friends have fallen out with one another, ugly confrontations, family feuds, etc. but do we necessarily need to fabricate events/ stories to get ourselves out of such undesirable situations- which truth be told, can contribute to emotional, psychological and/or health related distress during that period of time?

no.

if you believe in your beliefs and allow them to guide you through you daily life, would you find that you will never experience self betrayal, sleep better and know that the people you lose along the way is in God’s way of watching over you.

ponder over the truth and your beliefs a little. and i hope you’ll sleep better tonight..

Web

Originally uploaded by chezspaz

the image on the bottom left seems okay, nicely layed out artwork, generally good copy to try to convince people to make a blood donation and help save a live.

however, being the bored person i am, with nothing much to do but listen to music on ‘Shuffle’ mode as i wait for my bus to arrive, i’ve spotted a mistake which should’ve been spotted during the FA sign-off.

cropping off part of the talent’s forefinger just doesn’t do justice to the focus you place on his dainty fingers..sigh..

~ isn’t measured by how much salary you take home in a month- but it’s in how much your experience grows every single day.

~ isn’t about many friends you have- but how many you keep in constant contact with.

~ isn’t just simply trusting people- but in how they gain your trust by doing their best in keeping the simplest of promises.

in short: fuck all the talk about money being able to buy you everything. i can do less with people making simple promises and not being able to deliver on them. now, let’s try to talk about trust.

i’ve got this major soft spot for anything that reminds me of good old music. reference being the sounds of beach boys, the beatles, you get the drift.

there’s been a major music disconnect these days. the battle between trying to get a hit that people would remember 50 years from now, and the desire to ensure you’ve got a retirement fund that would bolster you against a potential divorce asset battle, has driven us to be flooded with bad music. i mean, honestly, how many times can you hear a song that says “______[insert suitable/appropriate word that drives you crazy________]” without driving you up the wall?

i was pleasantly surprised today by The Bird and The Bee at Mosaic 08. simple lyrics, clean sound and definitely fantastic as a live band. i’m saying this because several times, i’ve given concerts a miss after hearing how horrid some bands sound life- no connection, just a package to ‘deliver the goods’ to the sponsors and screaming fans.

definitely a 20 out of 10 performance. and if The Bird and The Bee ever, ever, EVER! intend to head back to Singapore again, i strongly urge you to see it.. even if you have to live on soy sauce and white rice for the rest of the week

in life, always have a Plan B..

i used to have a Plan B for everything. i’d always have two or more routes to everything. for example, if i were to do a research paper, i’d have one topic i’m super interested in, and two to three alternatives should the first not work out. or when i went jogging, i always ensuring that i’d have music enough to last the entire run- not on loop.. the ENTIRE run with preset playlists for different moods.

along the way, it became a little too tiring to always have a Plan B. where’s the excitement of having faced by adversity, or the adrenalin when you realize you’re stuck in a moment you know damn well you need to get out of and you’d figure something out?!

well, today has been the day of reckoning and a truckload of enlightenment for many of us. a point where everyone else has moved on in their lives- except us..

and that’s when we really need a Plan B. but where’s mine?

i’ve always like simple lyrics in a song which conveys a meaningful message. it’s been a long time when i’ve heard a song that epitomizes every little thing i feel right at this moment.

after getting OneRepublic’s Dreaming Out Loud album, this song has been on repeat for a very long time. Listen to the piano even. basic chords. nothing too complicated, chordal and doesn’t take too much attention away from the lyrics (which tends to happen when the tune tries to compete with the lyrics.. ok i was referring to a specific genre of music).

here’s the video and i hope you enjoy the song as much as i did.

“I get lost in the beauty
Of everything I see
The world ain’t half as bad
As they paint it to be”

week without my mother and i’m already domesticated
- i’ve cleaned, washed and did everything she’s instructed me to do

week of long conversations
- i pray to God that things will turn out okay.

bloody airshow
- i thought clubs in residential areas have to close at 3AM to ensure it doesnt affect the residents in the area. but since this is a bloody airshow and NOT a club, i had a rude awakening of jets zipping around doing practice loops at frigging 9-ish AM on a saturday morning. WEEKENDS, HELLO? WE DESERVE TO SLEEP IN!

BIG, fat ang-pow
- since i’ve started working, the parents and relatives have significantly cut my ang-pow money this year. there is a drop in intake. and sad to say, my company actually won the big, fat ang-pow price at $88. sigh.. i actually changed each ang-pow to make sure that the ang-pows were really empty (just in case there was some lingering notes).

deal
- a marginally achievable one. my friend and i are going to sign up for Amazing Race Asia.. that’s if we don’t murder each other whilst trying to fill up the forms. heh heh heh..

if at the end of the day, my advise isn’t important?
i won’t bother dispensing it.

if at the end of the day, all you want to hear is someone comforting you over mistakes you’ve brought upon yourself?
look elsewhere.

if at the end of the day, you think you don’t want to listen to me tell you where you went wrong?
go look for someone else, who would always say ‘yes’ to you and it would solve all your problems. trust me, you’ll have less sleepless nights.

if at the end of the day, my concerns are worth less than your ego?
get drunk, and see if you’d rather someone call you a cab or sleep on the streets.

if at the end of the day, you choose to think you’re always right?
i guess it’s better that we are no longer friends because i need people whom i can bounce with and off.