Relishing that Slackiness

It's a girls night out, and all the boys were eliminated! Sorry Zhong Jian and Melvyn. Boys just suck, and girls RULE! :x Ah, just for that day. You guys are still important to us. :)

Char came over to fetch me at 12 am. She was so sweet, driving all the her place at Bukit Timah to Ang Mo Kio to bring me to her house. I'll probably do the same for her, but I ain't got no car and NO LICENSE! #$%^&* to the instructor who failed me. We dropped by Mac to pickup some food for me. I was hungry!

Oh well, when we reached her place, all was asleep and we made our way to her cosy little room with Baileys and milk! Yum I love that concoction all right. But we didn't manage to drink much, it's more like I fell asleep soon after and Charmaine was watching "4bia", that thai movie which featured 4 freaky stories. She was online (no I don't know what she was doing, I was asleep) until 5am, and I woke up at 7.30am and I simply woke her up. I'm mean I know, but I can't help it. I just like to roll around her, and incidently it just woke her. So we talked until it's 10.30am, shared alot of bullshit about our boys, about my work, about her studies, about everything that we didn't have time to catch up to. And I think I made a pretty stupid comment.

"I don't want to see your brother and sister."

"Why?"

"They simply remind me of how old I am."

"Wtf?"

Maybe it's a fact that I first saw Clarence and Charlene when they were in Primary School, and that I can't erase that youthfulness that comes along when I think of them. When I see that both of them are taller and bigger than me, I can't help but feel annoyed at how much older I've grown. I like to be some sort of timeless beauty.

I think the most interesting part of our conversation wasn't the above, but was centric around Naval Piercing. Woo~ It's a priority list thingy from secondary school, we so wanted to try that time. But Naval Piercing is expensive to go for, and the studs are also expensive. I had little pocket money then, but now that I'm working, it sounds perfect. (Also because there's the danger factor of naval piercing, that you can't be too active with it. People who know me will know that I'm hyperactive. )

So I managed to goad Charmaine into it. I like to share something similar with my close friends, like clothes, wallet, and this time, naval piercing. We GPS-ed our way down to Parkway Parade to Stege, and I got a pink one and Char's got her favourite colour in Purple.

To Char: We should go do something special like this again, though I need to think what special things we can still do. I think holiday next. Muacks.

Meanwhile, we went to shop for things that actually can show our tummies. We decided to buy a similar jacket, which we both really like. Man we have similar taste too. MUACKS. And no, that doesn't really show our tummies unless we wear a tube inside.

Walked around some more and I can feel Char wanting to wake Melvyn up and meet him (she's like calling him 1001 times) , and my wanting to go back home to find Zhong Jian. Eventually, Char sent me back (again with GPS) and I think she went to find Melvyn to show him her new naval piercing.

I love naval piercing. Everyone should get it too!

Health Matters

I was shopping with Tiffany at Parkway Parade yesterday and we came across a health store. These health posters on nutrition and blood type were plastered over the glass doors and we found it to be pretty accurate in its assesstment of us. I'll post them so it may help those interested to improve their health.

This is a perfect assestment of Melvyn. He is indeed analytical and visionary. I give him that. He usually wins hands down at games that require some analyzing, while I'm completely crap at it. He is definitely very settled, so relaxed and happy all the time and also MOTIONLESS. (Okay sorry dear, I'm just kidding!) The strengths and weaknesses apply very much to him too when it comes to food. I doubt very much he would like it if I were to explain why so I will just leave some room for pondering.

B. Well, that's me and Tiffany. I won't say it's completely accurate, but it's more or less there. We both really do have strong immune systems. I for one haven't gotten a fever for at least 5 years or more. Versatility applies more to me than Tiffy though, I'm less picky with food, or rather I am hardly picky with food. Therefore, I really doubt changes in environment and dietary plans would affect me very much. At least, definitely not as much as how they would affect Melvyn, that's for sure (;.

Sad to say, AB is quite rare and I can't find anyone I know well that has AB. Let me know if you're AB then I can update this section!

I was very lucky that there is someone in my household that's of blood type O, so that I can do this comparison study of accuracy. That person is my dearest, beloved Mother, and boy does this fit her to a 'T'. A career woman for years, my Mother has always been the person I admired most. She's really independent and strong. I've seen her at work before and she's really formidable at handling arrangements and her staff effectively, without being tyrannical at all. She's a really nice boss from what I've observed. (I'm not saying this because she's my Mom, it's just true.) It seems that the Weaknesses are accurate but I think that the Strengths are pretty off; correct me if I'm wrong Mom, but yeah, that's how I see it.

As far as my comparison goes for now, I would give it 95% accuracy. So, that being said please look up yours and let me know how accurate it is so I can improve my comparisons and actually consider introducing the store to my Dad, who is really interested in health consumption products. Also, those that want to keep fit and healthy, all the best!

The Thrill of Baiting

Melvyn's been taking me to watch prawning and pole-fishing at East Coast Park. There's a prawning/pole-fishing business, which according to him, is relatively new. We've been there a couple of times, slotting visits between the plushie machines and there. The two places are about a 5 minute walk away from each other. I can't remember the name of the pond, but I'll be sure to take some pictures the next time we go there.

I'm not really an outdoorsy type of person but I'm game to try new things once in awhile. I was really intrigued by the fun the people were having - hooking prawns and running all over the pond to tire a fish out, so much so that I agreed to my brother's request of going fishing on Friday. Right now I look like a lobster, sunburnt everywhere.

I must have struck Melvyn, my brother, and his friend as a really strange person. While everyone was waiting around for their fishes, I abandoned my big rod for the others to watch and had my father fashion me a small line to hook tiny fishes. I caught a fair few! I even caught a baby mango jack! Imagine that. My tiny rod, meant to catch tiny fishes, caught a baby mango jack! I regret not taking a photo of it though. Had to throw it back because it had a little skin on the side ripped off, exposing some of its organs. That's probably why I was able to catch it; because it was injured.

However, I did manage to catch something that wasn't injured and wasn't at all weak - a baby catfish.

The photos aren't clear, but you get the general idea. Click on the second photo, the larger image shows the front of the catfish clearly. A real, genuine, baby catfish. It was pretty too, shimmering white. I wanted to keep it so badly, but Melvyn told me they sting and it would be quite inconvenient removing the hook and taking it back, so we had to cut the line and throw it back.

It was still a great day and we all had fun. We're already planning our next fishing trip, but this time I'll be prawning instead. Melvyn reckons I'll be good at it, seeing how good I am at catching tiny fishes. After all, it's a similar concept - just know when to pull and pull. He even says I'm going to be him and Mark's bait-catcher when they go to Bedok Jetty next. I look forward to it!

The Craziness of Charmaine

Why is it, every time I read about a disorder I realise I have it? Am I really that hypochondriac or is it really real? Just last week, I was doing a literature review on Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and then, the more I read, the more I kept having this nagging feeling that I have some form of it, minor or major. For those that do not know,
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a type of anxiety disorder in which a patient is habitually subjected to intrusive or disturbing thoughts and impulses (obsessions), which are unfounded. These obsessions lead to the engagement of repetitive behaviors (compulsions). When I say repetitive behaviors, I mean activities such as the repeated washing of hands, counting the number of times you wash each side of each arm, or just counting in general.

So, I say I have OCD, why? Well, when I shower, I will smooth water off my face. Most people do not keep track of how many times they do it in one shower, but I do. When I hit the third time, I will smooth water off my face again, because I think 3 is a bad number, and I don't like 4 either, because 4 means si in hokkien, which means die. So, it will end up at 5 usually, but if for some reason or another, I go past 5 and end up at 6, I will go to 7. Well, because 7 is a neutral number and 6 is the devil's number. I won't go to 8, because 8 means huat in hokkien, which means it's a good luck number so I for some reason will always pick a neutral number. The same goes for the number of times I wash my hands while in the shower. With soap. Superstition or OCD?

That's the first point, now the second. Do you ever notice, how many commas I have in a sentence and how I like to repeat certain things I say, whether with the same usage of words or not? I'm not saying I count the number of commas I use or purposely repeat stuff, I don't think I am that crazy. I notice it when I re-read my stuff. Next, when I turn the volume up and down on my car's radio or on a stereo or air-con controller or whatever, they cannot have a 3 or 4 in them. So if my boyfriend turns the stereo in the car up to 24, I will make it 22 or 25. Superstition or OCD? Lastly (well that's all I can think of for now; my actions that I link to OCD), when I'm waiting for time to past, I like to count the seconds. I will count from 1 to 60, then rinse and repeat until the time is up. So then, please tell me, do I have OCD, or some form of it, whether major or minor?

Moving along, I most definitely have sleep disorder, I can never sleep. I need to lie there for 2 hours each time before I can fall asleep. So, we will skip this one.

Anxiety disorder. My boyfriend insists that I have it. Well, once again, for those that don't know. Anxiety disorder is a blanket term covering several different forms of abnormal and pathological fears and anxieties, mostly unfounded.

Why do I think I have it then? I worry about the most irrelevant, illogical things, often very very negative. Whenever I cook myself something to eat in the middle of the night, I will go back downstairs, to the kitchen, to check the stove 3-4 times, to make sure I have shut it properly. I fear the kitchen will explode. I will never put my face close to the stove to check on the food. I fear the stove will explode. I will never leave my door unlocked at night. I fear a burglar will come in. (Please note, my house has an alarm system.) I dislike it when people throw a cigarette butt near my car and do not stub it out, I fear that when my car rolls over it, my car will explode. Just to be sure, these are minor fears that are inside me most of the time, but they are not that serious till they consume any part of my life.

Fears aside, lets talk about the negative thoughts. Lets say if I go to class and one of my classmates doesn't talk much and looks stony. What will Char think - I think I did something wrong to piss him/her off, or, I think he/she hates me, or, It's definitely my fault. Yes. This is what Char thinks all the time but doesn't say, and yes I will worry. When other people would be thinking, maybe he/she is in a bad mood, I would be thinking that it is me who caused him/her to be in this state. Or, if I forget to thank my boyfriend's parents' for dinner, I will keep worrying and asking my boyfriend if his parents noticed or if they will hate me. To generalise it, I read deeply into the actions of others and think the worst and most negatively about anything that happens, and most of the time, I will think that it is my fault that it happened.

That certainly does not help my boyfriend. Obviously not, when I keep wondering and thinking of the million different ways of why he would hate me and why he should dump me. You know, there's only a limit to the amount of patience and reassurance one can dish out and I'm afraid this limit would come soon. See, I'm doing it again. Ugh. So yes, he even asked me what treatments are available for Anxiety Disorder. It's that bad it seems ): I told him, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - where you first try and build up one's self-esteem and general idea about themselves, then proceed towards changing their perception of scenarios that occur, from negative to positive. He actually wants to try! I think it's that bad, maybe that's why I have sleep disorder, because so many unfounded, negative thoughts are running through my mind each night so that I can't sleep. That being said, I think it's now time for another attempt of sleeping.

P.S. Those who read this, please do not think I'm crazy ):

Blogshop-o-logy

It seems I'm really getting into this blogshop thing. Right now, blogshop traffic isn't really on my priority list, I'm just having all the fun in getting my blogshop to look great. I'm even considering getting another blogshop set up for my own stuff, get rid of my clutter at really low prices. After all, there really isn't any harm in it. Setting up a blogshop is free, and if it's successful, there's really alot of knowledge and experience to be gained from it. Moreover, I really get a kick out of creating it. It's intriguing really, bringing me back to my poly days; all the trial-and-error coding. Although there isn't really much I want to remember from my poly days, I'd say it's a strange nostalgic feeling and improving one's IT knowledge, or adding to it for that matter, isn't all that bad.

Delving deeper, there's really alot more to learn in creating your own blogshop. I was browsing the net the other and found a really good website on how to improve your blogshop traffic. It seems that behind all the pretty pictures and words on a blogshop, there is a whole throve of knowledge applied. It's like a whole new language that can even be described as sheer poetry. It's not as easy as it sounds, having your own blogshop. There are so many kinks and strategies you must use if you intend for your blogshop to be a success. For instance - credibility. This is one of the most important factors in bringing your blogshop to success. The most important even.

Put yourself in the consumer's shoes: You are looking to purchase an item from the internet. What's the first thing you would look for? That's right, it's credibility. Would you even consider purchasing an item when there is no vote of confidence behind it? For example, if you see something you really like on an internet blogshop and all the particular blogshop has is a picture of the item and a price below, with an email link to send a message to if you want to purchase the item, would you then be willing to part with your hard-earned cash to place a bet on an item you may not receive? You would worry about being cheated. You would wonder, who is the person you are getting this item from, is this person real? At the end of the day, with so many worries in mind, the ultimate result would be, to not purchase the item. Would you? I wouldn't.

Well then, to solve this problem what would you do? This blog's writer suggests that one should set up an "About Me" page to show consumers that you are actually "real". It seems that leaving one's facebook or friendster link would also help. At least, the consumers would know who they are buying from, and it makes them feel much safer, planting this thought in mind, "If this blogshop owner is really trying to cheat me, why would he/she be willing to post his/her details, I can easily find him/her". Another good way to promote credibility, is to ask your customers to leave testimonials on your blog about the value of your services. I mean anyone can claim "best condition", "best service","best value" or so on and so forth, but that is just an unsubstantiated claim, isn't it? He says, "Proving what you say will build credibility".

I agree very much with what he says. I find that, if you want to do business, it is important to put oneself in a consumer's shoes; to know what you want as a consumer. It is definitely the best way to know what they want, and in doing so, that is how you improve the traffic on your blogshop.

Thank you, Clemence, for your insight on managing a blogshop!

Link to Clemence's post if you missed it earlier:
http://www.blogshophelp.com/2008/06/how-credible-is-your-blogshop.html

New Dawn

Good riddance. I have just realised how long a hiatus I've taken from my blog, that long until I even forgot my login info. I was over at blogspot going crazy trying to figure out my password and then I realised my blog, is actually at wordpress. Sandy is going to laugh at me. Yet again. Hmms. Life has been too good to me, it's going to take something back, I know that but I'm not going to waste my time being emo and awaiting the unexpected. My anxiety disorder isn't that bad. If compare my life now to this time last year, I would say, I've gone a long long way and I'm appreciating and loving every moment of it. I'm at that point when I'm ready to wake up and tell myself - It's all real, stop worrying about it all disappearing. Still, I just can't. I know something bad is going to happy, it's all to good. I'm too happy and content, something bad is going to happen to take it all away. One can't be that lucky, just one of the rules of fate. I just can't shake that feeling of impending doom. Sigh. What am I going to do with myself. Maybe, Psychology just ain't a good option for me. The more I read, the more I keep associating myself with all sorts of disorders. I'm becoming a hypochondriac. See, I'm doing it again. Argh. I'll keep this post short, it's a warm up post since I've been away for so long. My brain is searching for things to say but nothing is coming up. Must be withdrawal. Oh yes, I'm also suffering from iPhone withdrawal symptoms. The waranty of my iPhone with Singtel is void, because I dropped it in the toilet and the water damage indicator is bright red. That was a couple of months ago. Miraculously, I got it to work by blowing it toasty warm with a hairdryer and it works fine. Right now, the sound/vibration button doesn't work and I got all upset about it, I started sourcing Mocca.com for people wanting to buy used iPhones. Then, I realised noone is going to want a phone that is warranty void. Ugh. So, I started sourcing for third-party iPhone repairs and came across a forum about a guy who does iPhone repairs. He's sort of freelance. Of course, I've got my misgivings, but he seems reliable. Right now, I'll just have to wait then, or maybe that's the impending doom coming. The guy makes off with my iPhone and disappears. Okay, time to stop, the negative thoughts just ain't helping me. Since my last post, I've stopped with the psychology book because I felt that my brain was on overload and I should take a break, but now, even after so long when I want to start again I think it's a bad idea, seeing all the negative thinking going around in my head now. It's alarm bells not to start. In any case, I know this post has been sort of rambly and unlinked and random so I'll stop off here for today. Before that though, I want to advertise my new blogshop! Here's a little advert then.

Looking for affordable little gifts/trinkets of affection for your loved ones, look no further. We have exactly what you need to put a smile on their faces. Cute, lovable, hugable plushies that are readily available; waiting patiently for you to take them home. Visit http://plushi-o-logy.blogspot.com today!

Basically, the origin of this website. Mel and me have a really really bad habit of spending our money at toy-catching machines. Unfortunately, to us, it's a great pastime. It's so stimulating and thrilling that we have turned it into one of our date events. Almost every week, we will go plushie-hunting to fulfill our horribly-placed release of brain adrenaline. Sounds stupid, but we can't deny our pleasure at working our brain cells to the bone to drop the cute plushies into the holes! :D So yea, I put up the website in hopes of finding a good way to finance our pleasure and also to showcase our conquests! Just a note, all the plushies are first hand! I do not cuddle them all to sleep at night. I put them in a clean, dry place, so rest-assured, they are NOT secondhand. ((: Please visit my blogshop then, if you like something, drop me an email! ^^

Cheers, signing off for now!