Or in this case double the double-happiness. I just found out today that two of my cousins on my mother’s side will be getting married in the first quarter of next year. The first thought that came into my head was, “Man, it’s gonna be hectic from November on.”

• Mid-November: Singapore
• late December – early January: usual end of year trip to Singapore, KL and Penang
• Mid-January – wedding #1 in Sydney
• Mid-March – wedding #2 here in Perth

The second thought that followed was about the topic of conversations that I’m definitely going to be having with everyone at the weddings especially the uncles and aunties. I’m one of four cousins who are in the ages of 31-32 this year. Two of those cousins are the ones who will be getting married. Another is my cousin Yvonne who has been going out with her boyfriend for 3 years now.

When is your turn?
No girlfriend yet?!
Aiyah, don’t be so choosy lah!
You need our help or not?
Uncle/Auntie know a lot of single girls.
Very kwai ones. Pretty or not? Aiyah, don’t be so choosy lah!
Pretty doesn’t mean good wife you know!?
Can cook and clean more important!
Next wedding is yours ok!?

I know all my aunties and uncles mean well though. Then there will be one or two relatives who’d be more liberal and enlightened but will still try to reverse psycho me.

You are a man, so it’s ok.
Concentrate on your career.
Next time got money, the women will come to you.

The end goal is still to get married. Thus I think my cousin Yvonne may be under more pressure than I am. Society being the way it is, or rather Chinese culture being the way it is, although she’s a successful dentist she’s still a woman. And she’s expected to be married by now, especially since she and her boyfriend have been together for 3 years.

However, having known 4 divorced couples in my social circle I am not as enamoured by the idea of marriage. Not unless I really know that she is the one. And I don’t see myself as less of a person if I don’t get married, even if more traditional types don’t think the same.

I’m still going to be happy for my cousins though because they are lucky enough to have found their ones. Me? I’m going to do this on my own schedule. Or not.

Technorati Tags: single life, marriage

If you feel like some heart-warming, or if you are just a die-hard romantic the New York Time’s Weddings and Celebrations section is fabulously filled with tales of how the couples met and their back stories.

Last night I dreamt that I made out with Drew Barrymore. Damn, that was HOTT. One thing’s for sure and that is I haven’t broken the drought yet emotionally. And what it shows is that I crave not so much for sex, but physical intimacy with someone whom I really dig.

How did I come to determine this? I’ve been having a lot of these kind of sexy dreams that involve no sex. And yet those dreams were still awesome enough for me to remember them. Woo yeah.

Technorati Tags: single life

The promotional human kind that is. And aren’t they lovely? Seriously don’t you think the models only detract from what they are meant to be promoting: the TVs, mobile phones, gadgets and computers?

Gizmodo has just compiled a list of what they considered to be Samsung’s top 10 product promo photos. I’m gonna spoil it for you by revealing their number one pick.

1. And our number one Samsung product model shot is of…some PCs or something. The one on the right is a looker, while the one on the left brazenly insults my manhood. Thanks lady, but the wife , my secretary, the kids, some lady at a bus stop, my mechanic, and grandma can handle that find on their own.

It’s not all about the prettiness of the women though, the comments that go along with the photos are quite humourous too. So go read the other entries on their top 10 list.

Since I’m being gratuitous and all, here’s another Korean product promo (also taken from Gizmodo). This one is for the LG Evdo Laptop.

And I believe this comment from another one of Gizmodo’s post about yet another Samsung product sums it up the best:

Seriously, after reading this website for a year I’m still pretty indifferent to plasma screens, 10MP digital cameras and high-end laptops but I have developed a thing for Asian women. Thanks Gizmodo, thanks a lot.

Happy ogling.

Mili wrote a touching piece about our friendship and how we still haven’t met up! *sob* Mili, the feeling is definitely mutual.

We have very strange msn/gtalk conversations about travels, friends, relationships, family, other bloggers, raves… and even one crazy virtual drinking session. I did not start out blogging to make virtual friends, but moo had been a constant support in so many ways.

Yes, she calls me “moo” and she’s allowed. Her amazement at having formed a lasting friendship with me (I’d like to think so!) through blogging was also expressed by Blinkymummy previously too, if you’ll excuse my egotism.

We were but strangers bouncing through the Internet with our words and photos, and then managed to click and become friends for real. Awesomely cool beyond description. I feel very blessed.

* a phrase used by BM in one of our conversations. Not quite neighbours yet but very very apt.

One of my ex-housemates mailed me today.

oi. marcus daddy ah. damn too much. i dunno abt u coming to sg?? had to read abt it in blinkymummy’s BLOG?!?!

Hello, I had blogged about it a few weeks ago right here. Why you don’t read my blog? Why you read only BM’s blog? Why why why? Why do you hurt me so? Hahahaha.

In my defense, I was gonna tell you this week once I had confirmed everything. Including my flight which I’m gonna go buy now. Hang ten.

*10 minutes later*

Ok set. Done. I’ve bought the tickets. So now it’s confirmed: I’m flying from Perth to Singapore on the morning of 6th November 5th November (Monday Sunday), and then flying back to Perth from Singapore on the morning of 13th November (also Monday).

I may or may not stay at Hangout Hotel, depending on whether BM’s apartment is ready by then. That’s all the details, cannot complain anymore hor?!

www.flickr.com Mooiness’ Singapore December 2005 photoset

As is typical for any office worker, the working week usually goes by in a blur. Office politics and aggravations aside, your working hours can be either mundane or hectic. Not very often would they be serene and when work would come in at a nice steady pace.

All of us have ways to unwind on the weekends. What makes the hours spent at work a little more pleasant is if you are lucky enough to have colleagues that you get along with well. Fortunately for me, I do.

What I also find helpful is by viewing my working week and hours in small manageable chunks with set objectives in each of those chunks. That way, nothing seems insurmountable even with ever expanding workloads and tightening schedules. The visualisation trick works for me. That and good time management. I just imagine that I’m back in uni again juggling assignments and exams.

And a good lunch hour can make a day feel half as long, and half as tedious and stressful. I recommend having as many of those as you possibly can under the circumstances.

---

Last week, I’d arrange with a colleague for lunch today. We were going to Good One BBQ House. When I saw her yesterday, the first thing I said was,

Woohoo! Roast pork and wonton noodles!

She said,

That’s tomorrow.

I said,

I don’t know about you, but that’s the highlight of my week so far. Hahah!

So remember, work to live and not live to work.