Friday, 23 September 2011
Monday, 19 September 2011
Sunday, 18 September 2011
Sunday, 4 September 2011
Hui Kim
Sunset, sunrise, as days go by,
I walk the earth, seemingly content and with pride.
Every day, every night, going by as I please.
Deep inside, I long for her to share my life.
First date, swept off my feet,
How lucky I am to be with such a lovely lass.
With a smile so sweet, knees will go weak,
I try hard to charm and impress with my jest.
Meals and movies, drinks and songs,
Conventional dates with the extraordinary you.
Am I doing right? Am I doing wrong?
Desperate to know as anxieties begin to grow.
Fateful 6th date, horror movie on show,
Dying to hug you and you do not know.
I pluck up my courage, I confess my feelings,
You smile, you nod, I now have your hand which I tightly hold.
A surge of excitement fills my heart,
Makes me daydream in the day, keeps me wide awake at night.
What else can this be, but love on the cards?
I must cherish, I must embrace with with all my might.
Love is a journey, not a mere destination,
The first battle is won, but the war rages on.
I fight, I strive, I compete for your affection,
It may not be easy but I try my best to do no wrong.
A new beginning, a new dawn, a new light,
Life has taken a new direction, filled with unknowns.
I want to share with you, all tears and joys alike,
With you, my Hui Kim, whom I dearly call my own.
Every day, every night, going by as I please.
Deep inside, I long for her to share my life.
First date, swept off my feet,
How lucky I am to be with such a lovely lass.
With a smile so sweet, knees will go weak,
I try hard to charm and impress with my jest.
Meals and movies, drinks and songs,
Conventional dates with the extraordinary you.
Am I doing right? Am I doing wrong?
Desperate to know as anxieties begin to grow.
Fateful 6th date, horror movie on show,
Dying to hug you and you do not know.
I pluck up my courage, I confess my feelings,
You smile, you nod, I now have your hand which I tightly hold.
A surge of excitement fills my heart,
Makes me daydream in the day, keeps me wide awake at night.
What else can this be, but love on the cards?
I must cherish, I must embrace with with all my might.
Love is a journey, not a mere destination,
The first battle is won, but the war rages on.
I fight, I strive, I compete for your affection,
It may not be easy but I try my best to do no wrong.
A new beginning, a new dawn, a new light,
Life has taken a new direction, filled with unknowns.
I want to share with you, all tears and joys alike,
With you, my Hui Kim, whom I dearly call my own.
Composed by TL Tong :)
Wednesday, 11 May 2011
Wednesday, 27 April 2011
Farewell
Su Ann is probably the closest friend that I have made in the past 10 years. Over the years we have had many debates on who outperforms who in terms of conservativeness and we are both convinced the other party is the prude between the two of us.
Andre and Val. Friendly faces and genuinely nice people too.
Mark was my 'frienemy' at work. We defended opposite causes and over the years we engaged in countless heated debates, always just short of throwing chairs if not for our mutual respect for each other.
Mark is multi-lingual, apart from his Native English he speaks Polish and French. Outside work we conversations often drift to languages.
Jenny is Chinese and is married to a British husband. Jenny can pull off beautifully the act of approaching a stranger, saying hi and making friends. She acts as the communication hub for many Chinese residents in the sleepy town of Basingstoke.
Sharon is Anglo-Indian, born and raised in London and inherited the best bits of western liberalism and traditional Indian values. Due to her varied background, a penchant for travelling and her bubbly personality, Sharon has many interesting stories and intriguing life experiences to share
The girls - Chai hah, KY, Kian Peng, Agnes, Angie, Lily
I have had many enjoyable night outs (instead of 'dates' to avoid causing offence) with Chai Hah and KY in London. I feel privileged and grateful to be occasionally invited to their girls night out. I was often reminded I was not suave enough hence the girls couldn't be asked to act 'lady-like', despite that albeit slightly loud sometimes nothing close to bitching was ever witnessed :o
Noelle is smart, attractive, articulate and intimidatingly successful career wise (it is her biggest weakness, we concurred). Geeky topics guys enjoy don't drive Noelle away and she always have many to share herself.
Simon who answers to the 'endearing' nickname 'muppet' is a self confessed player. As we work in IT Security, I branded him the 'IT Security male whore' – much to his own delight.
Jenni is British Born Chinese. Her youthful appearance belies the fact that she is a married young mother. I have fond memories of my conversations with Jenni after work (which mainly revolved around her 2 year old daughter Meggi) that raised many eyebrows and drew envy from other male colleagues as Jenni is undoubtedly the cutest girl in our business park.
Hey it's KK. The smartest and most boring man I have known.
Billy is the first real white friend I made in the UK. Billy is fiercely Scottish whereas his English wife Pauline is ever understanding and gentle, I constantly test the limit of our friendship by voicing my uncertainties over Haggis,Kilt, Bagpipe and all things Scottish. Billy has yet to snap (although coming quite close on occassions) till this date.
Ann, Simon and Nick. Talking to any one of them is like talking to a stand up comedian who specialises in deadpan British sarcasm who is in the middle of his sell out act. Never a dull moment.
Richard is a real life nuclear scientist who specialises in 'nuclear safety engineering'. Possibly due to the criticality of his work (of preventing nuclear explosions and thus apocalypse etc.) Richard adopts a strict technical approach to all things in life, even the more abstract things like running and dancing do not escape Richard's technical analysis and chart plotting etc.
Gustavo embodies everthing Brazilian - Wild, spontaneous, extremely generous, blatantly honest. Gustavo can say with conviction the famous latin phase 'My house is your house'. I laughed it off when I heard it but I was touched.
Steven is a very good friend. To him doing a favour for a friend seems to take priority over almost everything else and jumps on it whenever such opportunity arises.
Photo taken in Amsterdam, we were there for the windmills, tulips and canals and nothing else.
Fred is American and a language genius. He is very impressively competent in many major languages of the world, many at native level. I often joke it may be easier to count the languages he doesn't speak.
Fred and his Taiwanese wife Sa holds important roles at work and travel all over the world therefore they have countless interesting stories to share.
Thursday, 24 February 2011
10 reasons why men should stay single
1. You can be your own boss
Loafing at home in front of the TV is the single man's prerogative
Get up when you want, stay out as late as your liver allows and play Halo 2 all afternoon in your pants. All these delights are available to the single man, and nothing but a shimmering mirage to the man ensconced in a serious relationship. If you want to take advantage of the situation, fight for your right to slob around the house in a onesie.
But if you feel like you've had enough of all this freedom to slob around, you could take the opportunity you have to be your own boss and make some key decisions. Finding a new job, moving house, getting some new qualifications or taking up a new hobby are all fruitful uses of your time. Additionally, they're much easier to put into action when it's entirely down to you.
2. You can give your mates the time they deserve
Your best mates are always there for you, and as long as you're single (or dating but not serious) you can always be there for them. This is the time to build friendships that can last a lifetime, not put your buddies on the backburner. Enjoy your holidays away with them, Saturday afternoons at the game and curry night - they're a lot of fun. Relationships, children and careers all require your time and attention, and something will have to give as demands on your time increase. So devote time to your mates now while you can.
3. Your career will benefit
Now's the time to give your career the best possible chance of success
When you're on the first few rungs of what could be a dream career, you might feel you want to put work first. That means working late at short notice, and maybe even pulling the occasional all-nighter. It might mean spending Friday nights in the bar with your boss, rather than your friends, or a date. It could mean cancelling your holiday to make sure a pitch for new business is as perfect as it can be.
All of which might not seem ideal, but putting everything you've got into your work will do wonders for your career, and you may well find yourself enjoying it more as a result. Needless to say, that sort of dedication is easier to follow through without the implicit guilt - and frustration - of not being there for your girlfriend when you'd like to be. Go on dates, obviously. But it might be better saving the serious stuff until you're well and truly established.
4. You can do impromptu
A weekend in Amsterdam with your mates? A night at the dogs? A year in Provence? Or a midnight flight to a new city to shake off the cops and hoodlums that want a piece of the action?
You might not want or need to do any of those things, but it's nice to know the option's there should you ever change your mind. Being in a relationship takes effort, energy and no small amount of time. The single man often has more spare time to indulge in impromptu plans like these. But in reality, it's the idea of boundless freedom which is such a boon for the single man.
5. You could, in theory, meet anyone
Whether you do or don't, it's at least nice to think you could go out with anyone(Getty Images)
You might not be the world's greatest talker, or the world's best dresser. Nevertheless, it's good to know that if you wanted to, and if you really put in the effort, you're open enough to meet just about anyone on a night out.
You don't know who you'll meet next, if anyone, and yes it might - just might - be the attractive blonde you've started smiling at on the bus to work. Or it could be a man about town who can get you into some gigs you've been struggling to land tickets for. If nothing else, being single means all your options are open.
6. You can go to your favourite pub
Men and women often don't like the same pubs and bars, nor the same atmospheres. If you're a man who enjoys a quality real ale, then it's unlikely your idea of a great pub will exactly mesh with that of your wine-loving other half. Similarly, some men quite enjoy the atmosphere of grubby dive bars - that's not the sort of spot that goes down well with the fairer sex. So enjoy your favourite local (and the things that you like, but she might not) while you can.
7. Make time for your family
It's sometimes hard enough making time for your own family, let alone someone else's too
As soon as you hook up you also take possession of an entire surrogate family. If you're lucky, she'll have a witty brother and a dad who sees you for the man you are and who's fun to watch the football with.
But the flip side of this new extended family will be the extra demands on your time, the debate about where and how to spend Christmas split between families and additional birthday weekends away for them.
The single man has as much time as he likes to devote time to his own family, and that's good news for family relationships.
8. You can avoid heartache, for now
Because, though falling head over heels in love might be great, falling out of love can be one of the biggest bummers of all. Unless you end up falling for the girl you're going to spend the rest of your life with, it's worth remembering that what goes up must come down. That bump back down to earth may actually consist of several bumps and play havoc with your mental state.
Of course you may want to explore the full range of human emotions at some point in your life, but why let them spoil your fun now? It's one thing confronting you're future, but another thing wishing for it.
9. You can enjoy your quirky habits...
So you enjoy chewing your fingernails, you're happy with a thrice-weekly washing up rota and you really like to stretch out in bed. They may be unpleasant habits, but they're who you are and you enjoy it. If you're single, keep doing what makes you happy. If you become part of a couple, expect to come to your senses and to make a few changes.
10. ...and your hobbies
You won't have to choose between your favourite hobbies and a partner
We're not saying that being in a relationship means she wants to change everything about you, but it's only natural that she'll want considerable chunks of your time. So out of Sunday morning football, your weekly poker game and the traditional, set-in-stone, never-to-be-missed Big Friday Night With The Boys, the only question is this: which one are you prepared to lose?
So don't envy the loved-up. Staying single could be the best option of all.
Loafing at home in front of the TV is the single man's prerogative
Get up when you want, stay out as late as your liver allows and play Halo 2 all afternoon in your pants. All these delights are available to the single man, and nothing but a shimmering mirage to the man ensconced in a serious relationship. If you want to take advantage of the situation, fight for your right to slob around the house in a onesie.
But if you feel like you've had enough of all this freedom to slob around, you could take the opportunity you have to be your own boss and make some key decisions. Finding a new job, moving house, getting some new qualifications or taking up a new hobby are all fruitful uses of your time. Additionally, they're much easier to put into action when it's entirely down to you.
2. You can give your mates the time they deserve
Your best mates are always there for you, and as long as you're single (or dating but not serious) you can always be there for them. This is the time to build friendships that can last a lifetime, not put your buddies on the backburner. Enjoy your holidays away with them, Saturday afternoons at the game and curry night - they're a lot of fun. Relationships, children and careers all require your time and attention, and something will have to give as demands on your time increase. So devote time to your mates now while you can.
3. Your career will benefit
Now's the time to give your career the best possible chance of success
When you're on the first few rungs of what could be a dream career, you might feel you want to put work first. That means working late at short notice, and maybe even pulling the occasional all-nighter. It might mean spending Friday nights in the bar with your boss, rather than your friends, or a date. It could mean cancelling your holiday to make sure a pitch for new business is as perfect as it can be.
All of which might not seem ideal, but putting everything you've got into your work will do wonders for your career, and you may well find yourself enjoying it more as a result. Needless to say, that sort of dedication is easier to follow through without the implicit guilt - and frustration - of not being there for your girlfriend when you'd like to be. Go on dates, obviously. But it might be better saving the serious stuff until you're well and truly established.
4. You can do impromptu
A weekend in Amsterdam with your mates? A night at the dogs? A year in Provence? Or a midnight flight to a new city to shake off the cops and hoodlums that want a piece of the action?
You might not want or need to do any of those things, but it's nice to know the option's there should you ever change your mind. Being in a relationship takes effort, energy and no small amount of time. The single man often has more spare time to indulge in impromptu plans like these. But in reality, it's the idea of boundless freedom which is such a boon for the single man.
5. You could, in theory, meet anyone
Whether you do or don't, it's at least nice to think you could go out with anyone(Getty Images)
You might not be the world's greatest talker, or the world's best dresser. Nevertheless, it's good to know that if you wanted to, and if you really put in the effort, you're open enough to meet just about anyone on a night out.
You don't know who you'll meet next, if anyone, and yes it might - just might - be the attractive blonde you've started smiling at on the bus to work. Or it could be a man about town who can get you into some gigs you've been struggling to land tickets for. If nothing else, being single means all your options are open.
6. You can go to your favourite pub
Men and women often don't like the same pubs and bars, nor the same atmospheres. If you're a man who enjoys a quality real ale, then it's unlikely your idea of a great pub will exactly mesh with that of your wine-loving other half. Similarly, some men quite enjoy the atmosphere of grubby dive bars - that's not the sort of spot that goes down well with the fairer sex. So enjoy your favourite local (and the things that you like, but she might not) while you can.
7. Make time for your family
It's sometimes hard enough making time for your own family, let alone someone else's too
As soon as you hook up you also take possession of an entire surrogate family. If you're lucky, she'll have a witty brother and a dad who sees you for the man you are and who's fun to watch the football with.
But the flip side of this new extended family will be the extra demands on your time, the debate about where and how to spend Christmas split between families and additional birthday weekends away for them.
The single man has as much time as he likes to devote time to his own family, and that's good news for family relationships.
8. You can avoid heartache, for now
Because, though falling head over heels in love might be great, falling out of love can be one of the biggest bummers of all. Unless you end up falling for the girl you're going to spend the rest of your life with, it's worth remembering that what goes up must come down. That bump back down to earth may actually consist of several bumps and play havoc with your mental state.
Of course you may want to explore the full range of human emotions at some point in your life, but why let them spoil your fun now? It's one thing confronting you're future, but another thing wishing for it.
9. You can enjoy your quirky habits...
So you enjoy chewing your fingernails, you're happy with a thrice-weekly washing up rota and you really like to stretch out in bed. They may be unpleasant habits, but they're who you are and you enjoy it. If you're single, keep doing what makes you happy. If you become part of a couple, expect to come to your senses and to make a few changes.
10. ...and your hobbies
You won't have to choose between your favourite hobbies and a partner
We're not saying that being in a relationship means she wants to change everything about you, but it's only natural that she'll want considerable chunks of your time. So out of Sunday morning football, your weekly poker game and the traditional, set-in-stone, never-to-be-missed Big Friday Night With The Boys, the only question is this: which one are you prepared to lose?
So don't envy the loved-up. Staying single could be the best option of all.
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