I Have Changed?

Was taking a coffee break with a colleague sometime last week..
We were having some conversation,
When out of the blue, she caught me by surprise..
"... You have changed.. " (can't help it.. but a corny joke just came to my mind.. Nope.. I didn't change clothes then..)

I was taken aback.. so I asked, "Why? I've been working real hard and work-wise things are getting back into momenturm what.." etc..
And she replied that it's not about work and something along the line of me not being as positive/optimistic/ motivated/driven/ happy/ cheerful since my heartbreak...

I was pretty surprised because her comments came out of nowhere (and maybe because she said it so point-blank) and I thought I have been getting on with my life quite well already.. getting my life back in order etc..

I think it's inevitable that I've changed. But it's not because I still can't get over it or anything like that.. Because quite frankly, I think I've moved on from that stage.. I just think all our life experiences shape our character. And it was one hell of a life experience that I went through. The hurt and disappointment will probably never ever go away and I just hope I never will have to go through it again.

Is Pre-Heartbreak Me and Post-Heartbreak Me really very much different?

-- Ginseng Tonic Maker --

GET HIGH TAKING BUS

As a follow up to my entry "GET HIGH ON THE ESCALATOR",
here's another entry on the "joys" of taking public transport.
Things that really amuses me..

Again, it is something that you can do to get your high! Haha..
Irritate the hell out of people..
or Just observe it as it unfounds the next time you are taking a bus..

There are a few categories of interesting people I've observed..

1) The Shield
These are the people who will definitely make excellent sportsmen/sportswomen.
They are the ones who will definitely be able to shield the ball in any game from competitors/opponents. (Shielding in sports is like "protecting" the ball frm the opponent)
These are the people who when they spot the bus, will begin their shielding techniques to be the first to enter.
a) As they spot the bus, they will choose their prime spot where the bus is likely to stop and stand soooooooooo close to the edge that they will put to shame any gymnast on a balancing beam.
b) Then as the bus slows as it tries to come to a stop, you can see these people move with their nimble feet as they shuffle their feet and side-step their way to shield the other waiting commuters from their only goal.. To be first at the door! The speed at which they shuffle and side-step will put our soccer players to shame.

2) The Cut Lane Master
These people are the nemesis of The Shields. Even with the skills of The Shields, they can lose out to these Cut Lane Masters if they are not careful.
These are the people who can be the last to reach the bus stop, but it doesn't change their goal of being first at the door too!
It doesn't matter that there are others who have been waiting for a long while for the bus, or that there is already a informal queue (or more aptly described as cluster) forming for the bus after The Shields, these Cut Lane Masters will do their stuff.
As The Shields are busy concentrating shielding the others, confidently thinking that victory is in hand, these Cut Lane Masters will approach from the blindspots.
All the way to the sides of the cluster formed.. they will try to squeeze in and cut lane to win the coveted prize of being the first one up the bus.

3) The Reccee Troopers
Once aboard the bus, a new breed is found. These are the Reccee Troopers. And usually these Reccee Troopers are well-trained in the art of shielding, cutting lane or both before they can exhibit their Reccee Trooper credentials.
These people (usually the first ones on the bus) will walk to a empty seat, place their hands on the seat handles... and... STOP dead in their tracks while there are people waiting to board the bus.
They stop so they can look towards the back of the bus to observe and search for a "better" seat while standing there blocking all the commuters trying to just move towards the back of the bus. The world has to stop for them while they search for a good seat (is it a feng shui thing?)..
If they find a "better" seat, they will move towards their kill and letting the world revolve once again.
Be glad if they do it once.. because they have the tendency to repeat their reccee acts a few times before they find their desired seats!..

So start training now people.. If you want to attain the titles above.. People have trained all their lives to be the masters..

-- Ginseng Tonic Maker -- Sharing my high..

Esplanade

Met some friends for Dinner at Esplanade's Glutton Bay (or at least i think that's what it's called)..
Always enjoy a meet up over dinner with friends..
All the catching up and juz making sure we stay in touch..
And nothing beats stuffing ourselves with local food..
Cheap and Good with great company..
There aren't many things that can beat this..

Was having dinner and then suddenly thought about going M'sia to do some trekking/mountain climbing..
Coz a buddy of mine does it quite often..
So tasked him with organising one for us.. (If you are reading this, I'm serious about it! haha..)
Anymore interested parties?..

Hmm.. Think I just thought of what I'll be posting for my next entry..
I'll probably have a list of what I want to do/experience..

Why the title Esplanade for this blog entry?
Guess Esplanade always have and always will bring back lots of memories for me..
The place where it all began.. And the place where it all ended..

Relaxation Methods - Cheap or Even Free!..

Feeling really bored. So thought of posting another entry.
Since I've been pretty busy and stressed with work,
decided to have an entry on some ways I relax..

1) Exercise - Swim, Jog, Soccer.. Anything.. It's a great way to keep fit and lose weight.
It's relaxing because: Just have to concentrate on the exercise on hand.
Make sure the ball doesn't hit your face, not drowning while swimming half-way.. More importantly for someone like me who hardly exercises now..
To make sure that I'm STILL breathing while exercising..

2) Get a Haircut
It's relaxing because: For that half hour or so you are sitting there while they are messing around with your hair..
Your concentration will be so intense on making sure that the hairdresser doesn't create any hairstyle that will leave you hiding at home for days, you will not have any brain cells available to think about anything else that is giving you stress..

3) Beach-out
It's relaxing because: Enjoy the sun, sand and the sea.. No internet, no TV.. Just people watch, get a tan.. and enjoy the beach games..

4) Teh tarik with newspapers
It's relaxing because: I really don't know. Maybe it's just for me. I actually find it quite thereaupeautic even. After breakfast, just take some time to read the newspapers and enjoy my tea. It's like after all the hassle and the stress of the week.. I'm moving at a pace fit for humans once again..

5) Great friends for company
It's relaxing because: You know that no matter what happens, you know you have great friends to fall back on. You know that no matter how different our careers, lives and futures may be, we are still the same great friends from our days in school uniforms where our differences didn't matter much.
And when we meet, you laugh over and over again about the same stupid things that happened when we were younger without ever getting tired of the same old jokes..

That's all for now..
Let me know if there are other ways to relax that I can try..

-- Ginseng Tonic Maker -- Too much stress is bad for health..

Happy Entry..

Realised that the adsense thingy that I placed in my blog that places "content-relevant" adverts on my blog to generate revenue has a "Partner Cheating?" ad..

Something must be very wrong with my blog haha..
So decided to post a happy entry today.. and hopefully the ad placed will be happier ones haha..
(Talking about adsense, do click on the ads whenever you drop by to check out my blog ya.. apparently it's a per-click thingy and they will send cheque.. wonder how true..)

Ok.. the Happy Entry.. to brighten up your day..
go to www.youtube.com
do a search on "xman"..
it's not the wolverine/storm xman.. but a korean variety show..
it's hilarious.. got me laughing til nearly kena cramps haha..

There are different segments like dance, couple selection etc..
My personal favourite is the Dangyunhaji which I think the translation is "of course"..
it's some cross talk thingy where 2 pple try to ridicule and make fun of the other..
it's really ROLF stuff...
Some of the telematches are real funny and interesting too..
Didn't really watch the others.. maybe can let me know if they are worth watching..

But make sure you read the write-up and they indicate that there're english subtitles because some don't come with the english sub..

Watch it.. it's worth it.. you'll be hooked..

-- Ginseng Tonic Maker -- Ginseng Booster of the day..

Those in need of Ginseng Tonic

Feeling real tired coz i've been working pretty hard..
Time seems to always be lacking..
And I really should/want to be sleeping now..

However, because lately things doesn't seem to be going too well for some of the people I know, either through conversations we had or me peeping into their blogs..
Thought I'd just post an entry to show that I care.. (If anybody bother to check out my blog)

For my friend who's loved one passed away recently: There's always the sense of loss; and missing someone who's gone feels unbearable sometimes but we can only have faith that they have moved on to a better place.

For my friend (or rather friendS) troubled by love: Maybe it's not the right one, Maybe it's not the right timing.. Don't be held to ransom.. Whatever it is, you have a choice.. Just be prepared to live with the consequences.. I've learned that if it is not meant to be.. it's better to let go..

For my friend who is sick: Take good care! See a doc if necessary..

For my friend who has been working too hard: Hang in there, you'll be clearing your leave in no time.. There's light at the end of the tunnel haha..

For my friends who's stressed with work goals: Control the controllables and things will fall in place..

For my friend who's apologetic: You are still my friend, things will be ok soon I hope.. but maybe not just yet..

I'm always just a phone call away.. That's what friends are for..
But always look on the bright side of life..

-- Ginseng Tonic Maker -- Sharing my ginseng.. Cheer Up!

Words of Widsom - From the most unlikely source

"The truth, no matter how ugly, always emerges.
And somebody you love, always gets hurt."

Words of wisdom above isn't it?.. Any guess as to where these words of wisdom came from?
Nope.. Not some philosopher.. Not some great men (or women) of history..
I heard this on TV from Desperate Housewives!.. Amazing isn't it?..

I think the show has some narration at the beginning and the end.. which surprisingly holds lotz of life's lessons and words of wisdom..

So take heed.. if you don't want to hurt anybody you love.. never lie to them..
because the truth always emerges.. ALWAYS.. it's only a matter of time..

Because..











Desperate Housewives said so...

-- Ginseng Tonic Maker -- Whoever says TV is bad for kids deserves no ginseng

Quote of the day:

"When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you,
until it seems that you cannot hold on for a minute longer..

Never give up then..

For that is just the time and place that the tide will turn.." Harriet Beecher Stowe

-- Ginseng Tonic Maker -- Planting the seeds for the tide to turn..

It's a New Dawn.. It's a New Day.. It's a New Life..

Today I Begin a NEW LIFE..

Time to let go of my emotional baggage..
Time to forgive..
Time to forget..
Time to move on..
Time to stop the hatred..
Time to work..
Time to focus on what's important in life..
Time to return to reality..

If you have been hurt before, why let it happen time and again in your mind?
Life is too short to be miserable..

Get High on Life!

-- Ginseng Tonic Maker -- I need more ginseng..

Thought Of The Day..

"Don't ask for trust, if you can't handle it..
Don't make promises, if you can't keep it.."

**What you are about to read is purely ficitional.. Any resemblence to any persons living or dead is purely coincidental**

I remebered reading some article about spouses/partners who cheat.. You'd be amazed that the first thing that these cheating spouses/partners feel is one of anger.. They are angry that their partners have found out that they cheated.. becasue these cheats feel that their privacy has been invaded!.. It's absurd.. It's like somebody who commits an offence gets pissed that the police investigated them and exposed them..

It's shocking and real saddening how people can cheat on their loved ones.. It's something that I can never comprehend.. How can they face their loved ones and lie through their teeth?.. How would they feel if it happened to them?..

But shit happens.. and say the cheating party gets together with the third party.. so is it going to be a one big happy party??.. What I think is that if he/she can cheat on his/her original loved one.. he/she can/will cheat again.. But then again.. mabe cheating party and third party will be happy together.. coz they understand each other real well.. maybe soul mates on the need/reason to cheat.. So maybe they will start cheating on each other.. and maybe both can lie and cheat so well.. they either don't mind or won't find out.. and they will be happily cheating together.. so let me see.. third party and cheating party cheats.. so there will be 4th party and 5th party and maybe more.. and the links continue.. hmm.. it will really be one huge party!..
(one paragraph of nonsense?! haha.. pardone me.. it's 340am.. and the semi-final isn't exactly catching my attention as i support neither team..)

Ok back to the main point.. and the quote i thought of in front..
Based on my research (quoting "inside sources" That's wat newspapers always use, don't they?.. Haha..)..
These cheating partners are the ones that goes,
"How come you don't trust me?.. We really are just friends/colleagues/classmates etc.?"
"There's nothing between us what.. We just went out.. trust me!"
"You get angry when I meet my friend/colleague/classmate.. That's why I don't tell you.. Coz you don't trust me.."
And the next thing you know.. It's a case of cheating.. Third party involved.. TRUST has been misplaced.. And the friend/ colleague/ classmate becomes the "soul mate".
So for people who can't handle the trust.. Don't ask for it!.. On hindsight, it will always look ridiculous..

And then there are those that make so many promises when deeply in love..
"I will never leave you"
"I love you forever"
"I love you so so much"
"I love you more and more each day"
and the next thing you know.. it's over.. empty promises...
Don't make promises you can't keep!..

Ok.. Think i'm getting sleepy.. The entry isn't making much sense.. But it's too long for me not to post it haha..

My advice:
For cheating party: Learn from mistakes.. Don't ever do it again...
For cheated party: Look on the bright side.. How many ever learn from mistakes? Haha..
For third party: wait to be burnt in hell or wait to be cheated on (whichever comes first haha..)

-- Ginseng Tonic Maker -- The result of bad ginseng today..

GET HIGH ON THE ESCALATOR!

This is something that ALWAYS puzzles me.. ALWAYS!

Have you experienced this when you travel on the MRT?..
When you are in a rush and standing at the door waiting to exit as the train comes to a stop..
You are thinking of trying to make it to the escalator as quickly as possible so that you can miss the crowd and be one of the first to walk up the escalator and exit the station..
You get ready waiting for the door to open.. and then it happens..

**Imagine this in slow motion**

-Door Opens-
You step out of the train and make your way to the escalator..
Beside you, you glance that there's another commuter making a dash for the escalator too..
You quicken your steps.. Because you're really really really in a rush (NOT being kiasu lah!!)
The commuter (read: competitor) picks up his pace too!..
It's now as intense as the Olympics 100m sprint.. The dash is ON!

But i'm at a disadvantage.. Coz his legs are longer than mine.. Like the legs of most people Haha.. (but I will never ever run/jog to escalators or how some pple run/jog to the next train to get seats.. That's like way crossing the line.. and way too kiasu and embarrassing for me.. But that's a story for another post..)
So this commuter.. Coz blessed with long legs (and thus HEIGHT!).. gets to the escalator juz ONE step faster than me.. ONE step..
But it's all fine and ok.. I DON'T get a high by being the first on the escalator.. and he may be in a bigger rush than I am..

But the seemingly in-a-terrible-rush commuter.. once being faster than me by ONE step.. and once setting his feet on the escalator standing juz in front of me..



then..









STOPS!!


Stops.. and stand right in the middle of the escalator.. and blocking any path or thoughts of over-taking him..
HELLO??!!.. then why you rush in the first place??.. Haha..
Whenever I experience this.. I don't know whether to laugh of feel pissed..

Maybe some people really do get a high by being the first to the escalator.. and then BLOCKING the whole of Singapore.. Haha..

Try it.. Someday.. When you feel it's another boring day.. Get Your High in Life!!.. Get High On The Escalator! Haha..

-- Ginseng Tonic Maker --