Couplehood

Sending the Book Off (Finally)

Right. I've been meaning to send this off sooner, but I've been so swamped with stuff that this slowly slipped away into a "I'll get to it soon" section of my brain (that part is pretty crowded).

All it took, in the end, was a light prod from the lady (thanks, darling).

What you're seeing now is the folder being slipped into the envelop, and being sent on it way. Henry, my esteemed illustrator, looked at it and said, "FINALLY!". Couldn't have said it better myself.

Right now, I'm just glad that I kept my promises to myself and went all the way with this. It's all in His hands now.

Wedding Cakes For Memory (Thanks, Shuz!)

Seen here

Not exactly what I'd want for my wedding cake!Still, a James Bond Wedding Cake = super hilarious.

Napping Is Good For You (Finally, The Truth Is Out)

Seen at 43Folders

For a long time, I've known sleep only to do the best things to you. Believe me now!

You look good for a nap. How about right now?

[Next week: Our first antenatal class!]

Coolest Google Reader App Thing (With An Apology)

Check This Out
http://lifehacker.com/396184/get-a-ninja-in-your-google-reader - Because if you're like me, a big user of Google Reader, and somewhat of a geek, you'll love this.

Right, I Know Something Else Should Be Here
Yes I do, but I was meeting a deadline having had a good part of my weekend dedicated to my birthday (and resultant celebrations). I did have an awesome week, and I'm proud to say that it ended SOLID.

I'll Post Tomorrow, Because I've Got Updates!
It's true. The Missus just hopped to the clinic earlier today, and she'll be telling me all about it when I get home. Which will be just about in an hour. Sorry for the delay in updating, but it'll be soon!

Toodles!

Things Like This Make Me Smile

You really have to see it for yourself

I'm not sure if you've heard of Johnny Appleseed, but this is the only other thing I've stumbled upon that comes close to the man's work on apples (his other work was Swedenborgianism, but let's not go there). Imagine the path you would make over a month!

I'd like to think that people do this too, unwittingly. Only that the paths you tread are other people's hearts, not cement pavements; the results are memories, not tiny plants.

What kind of memories you leave with the people you meet, well, are up to you.

Singaporean, Know Thyself

Originally uploaded by Singapor3

As I move (moreso) into sales and marketing, I find articles like these particularly interesting. The Economist thinks that Singaporeans are like this (excerpts from the article):

Meetings and greetings

• Singapore may appear Westernised, but Asian etiquette applies in many situations. A high degree of courtesy is expected.
(Sigh. Asian etiquette is all show and no grace. If there were depth to any of that, my wife would get a seat on the MRT.)

• Handshakes (softer and longer than in the West) are followed by a swap of business cards.
(True. Someone from Israel once told me that Singaporean love business cards too much.)

• Punctuality is important. Be sure to call if you are going to be more than a few minutes late.
(Pure nonsense. Everyone in Singapore is late, except for big bosses.)

• Singaporeans prize modesty and seriousness, and typically play down achievements and successes. Western-style assertiveness can be seen as rude.
(Honestly, have they gone to the HR departments in some offices? The lingerie-esque barely-there outfits worn by the girls there are not just scandalous, they're downright inappropriate.)

Working Habits

• Singaporeans tend to hang around in the office till late—often even if there is no pressing work to do—because of the traditional perception that late workers are hard workers.
(Awesomely, awesomely true. This is a nasty habit.)

• South-East Asia is known for sudden, intense showers: it is wise to pack an umbrella. Note that finding a taxi during a downpour is notoriously difficult.
(It's not difficult, it's impossible)

Eating and drinking

• Food is a very important part of Singaporean culture. The city-state has a huge and rich variety of food, and much emphasis is placed on eating out and talking about food.
(Again, awesomely true. Too bad food is getting very much more expensive these days.)

• Do not be surprised if conversation grinds to a halt once the meal has been served. Singaporeans are passionate about their food, and many will prefer to enjoy their meal in silence punctuated by food-related comments.
(Comments like "Wah shiok", "Mmmmm", and "Needs more spice")

I'm excited by my new job, yes.

Awesome Bags My Friend Made

Reminds Me of My Pacu.

I love these bags. Customisable, filled with pockets, absolutely beautiful, BUT WHY OH WHY DON'T YOU MAKE LAPTOP BAGS QGROOVE!

Since Qgroove's making them fully customisable - which is cool - maybe I can persuade her to fully customise a laptop bag that I can masculinely carry. 

Hey Pam, it was great catching up on facebook, great to hear what old schoolmates are up to ten years after JC.

iPod Touch: Apple's Done It Again, But Fouls Up Product Launch

So Pretty.

Apple rumor mills have been telling us to expect one, and how better to introduce a full-screen iPod than to bless it with the same form factor as the iPhone. We should have seen it coming! Read all about it here.

Sure, as Engadget says, it's flatter, got a smaller home button, but overall, it's familiar territory. If this doesn't make it for "Bestest Gift of the Season", I don't know what will.

Now, if only they didn't mess the product image in their site, this might nearly have been the perfect product launch:

Tsk Tsk, Apple.

Technorati Tags: apple, gadgets, iphone, ipod touch, gifts

Whiten Your Teeth

You Can Start By Drinking Less Coffee, Garfield.

When you have chompers like mine, you'll want to have quick tricks to get them white again.

"Dumb Little Man" found that quick  trick to do the, um, trick, and get your teeth white. But, if he's right, it's not *that* great a solution, seeing that you'll need to buy a box of strawberries (S$6) and a bottle of bicarbonate of soda (~S$2), making a very non-portable and highly perishable trick.

Nice tip though, DLM. Here's a the recipe for glowing munchers:

You need:
1 ripe strawberry
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

How To Confront Embarrassing Situations

An old buddy from my previous workplace once related an incident where, during a date with a rather attractive lady, spotted a nose goblin that landed just above her upper lip following a hearty laughter.

Fully composed and ready to handle the moment, he gestured to the spot and said, rather chivalrously, "rice" (yes, he lied). Without flinching, the girl slid her tongue out, and rolled her nugget-of-personal-protein into her munchers.

That was the start of a very uncomfortable evening.

Well, having been in an all-girl environment (when in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences), I've often come into situations where I've felt compelled to let someone from the opposite sex know about something embarrassing on their faces.

Just some of the embarrassing instances that Vat19's post categorizes, in order of ascending awkwardness:

1. Minor Inconveniences – Toilet paper on shoe, tag sticking out, hair out of place
2. Unpleasant – Bra strap showing, visible panty line (the VPL), deodorant marks on clothing, food on shirt
3. Cringeworthy – Food in teeth, food on face, too much perfume or cologne, “nose goblins”, LOTS of food on shirt
4. Nothing a Sick Day or Two Can’t Cure – Crack “issues”, Body Odor, Zipper Undone
5. Worth Getting a New Job, Address, and Identity – Zipper undone while going commando, curious “stains”

Thankfully, most of the time it was something easy to brush off as funny/cute/silly (if you're a girl that is) but there were times where it was just downright awkward after I told them. Good thing Vat19's come up with a nice solution to deal with it.

 

 

Technorati Tags: funny, relationships