What! A quake again?

As if the tsunamis-earthquake on Dec 26 did not wrecked enough havoc, the heavens decided to pull another stunt on the Sumatran island. A scale 8.5 one, no less. I can't help but feel so sorry for the victims. i mean, they've barely got over one quake! (Apparently, the two quakes didnt happen very far from each other.) Everytime i see their faces on TV or in the papers, their eyes reflect the same theme: helplessness. Many times, these victims are having a hard time edging out a living as it is. Let alone find enough resources to rebuild their lives...

The quake must have been very serious given that the tremors can be felt as far away as Singapore, some 400 km away. Where i live in Sengkang, residents have complained of 'swaying buildings' and the like. In fact, the same complaint was echoed in many parts of this country. That was on Monday night around midnite. At that time, I remembered i was reading something and suddenly felt very giddy..as if my body was moving but the rest of my room was still. It was bizarre and i thought: " hey, i've never felt like this before." But i brushed it aside.. in my mind, I thought i was probably too tired. Thinking back, it may have been the tremors afterall.

What was felt here is nothing compared to what the earthquake and tsunamis victims have to put up with. Let's hope they can pick up the broken pieces and resume their lives soon again.

To Post or Not To Post?

I'll make a very quick post...

A friend who visited my blog recently commented that it's not really 'safe' to post pictures of myself and close ones on my blog. His reason? 'Because you never know who comes to your blog..there are a lot of weird people out there.' The paranoid part of me agrees with him. You never know which psychodelic is lurking on the other side of the computer. But another part of me just want to post pictures as a means of update for my friends...most people prefer looking at pictures than reading long entries anyway. For the most part though, i really can't be bothered with it.

I cant say i've been to many blogs..but i've notice people don't usually put up pictures of themselves. This is perhaps due to privacy reasons? On the other end of the spectrum, there are those who'll virtually post anything..even pictures of their certificates. ( i've seen them!)

Really, how much is too much? Are we revealing too much of our life by posting personal pictures? Would you do it? Or if you already did, did you ever encounter any weird stuff?

The Sum of All Fears= A State of Paranoia

I've a confession. I'm positively paranoid. You'll never guess it by looking at me but I've deep-seated irrational fears. Tonight, I want to take them out of the closet.

On the Plane

For someone who enjoys light travelling, I have an unlikely phobia of taking flights. While that does not happen very often because i haven't flew to that many places, I'm always freaked out during takes offs and landings. Last November, as Kamahl and I took a short trip to Bangkok, I almost burst into tears during the take off...I thought that i was definitely going to die. That, that was THE night.

In the Loo

While i did survive that mentally fatal trip, I've never quite found a way to cope with my other fears. Eversince the SARs outbreak here in 2003, I've been obssessed with my personal hygiene..not that I was unhygenic before just that now, i'm SUPER paranoid, like Howard Hughs in The Aviator. I dislike visiting public toilets and imagine all kinds of germs and viruses lurking near and below the toilet bowl. I start to think that if i didn't die on the plane, I would die of some other viruses i didnt even know i caught from which toilet. After every handwash, i dread to touch the doorhandle and always wished that someone else was standing on the other end to push it for me. I know it's disgusting conduct, but i told you i had irrational fears. Sometimes i do the 'two second dash' where i open the door first, rush to the tap and in a swift, dash out before the toilet door closes.

The Six Pillars

Two weeks back, I met up with a friend who is an insurance agent. Big mistake. Now, i don't typically meet up with insurance agents. Infact, i habitually avoid people who try to sell me anything (because i NEVER do buy). But this was different. Jana, the agent, was an old friend. We met up and she coerced me into filling up some ten page form before rambling on about the 'six pillars'. The six pillars refers to accidental, critical illness and life coverage. I really don't remember them all. All i could recall was how freaked out i was thinking of hospital bills and how I was one critical illness away from bankruptcy. Yes, it was a valid fear, but really, at 22, i don't want to be burden with the anxiety of the six pillars. One pole is good enough.

The Newspaper

I pride myself as a very 'informed' person because i read the newspaper everyday..i'm talking StraitsTimes..not that 'Singapore's No 1 tabloid.' It's contradictory but the dailies do induce fear in me too. Every plane crash, natural disaster, bird or chicken outbreak, terrorist movement is subconsciously registered in my head, causing unnecessary anxiety. Infact, I think i feel more fearful, down and sad after every read. Btw, have you realised that many medical breakthroughs today becomes the the next medical 'breakdowns' tomorrow? Maybe, i should stop reading the papers :) My lecturer used to say that for newspapers, "Good news is no news and bad news is good news.' He was a wise man.

Obviously i hope to put an end to all these irrational fears soon..because i can never imagine a life with no flights, jana, public toilets or newspaper. i just need to learn to eliminate them, one by one, pillar by pillar. Just that right now, i feel like a 52 year old, trapped in a 22-year-old that looks like a 19-year-old.

Now, what are your fears?

You're the MAN!

Let's play Spot Kamahl. *Tsk Tsk..he's the only one staring at the right camera...mine.

(This picture was taken post-parade on 5 March, the morning of the dinner event. )

:: 3 Types of Bloggers ::

I've come to conclude that like volcanoes, there are three main types of bloggers:

Active bloggers are your diehards who clock in an average of 2-3 hours a day posting entries and checking out other blogs. An Active views blogging as a form of release and the pleasure of it all keeps them coming back for more. As they are writing their latest entry, they're thinking of what to write for the next five. They go cold turkey after two days of not checking their blog and when someone leaves a comment, they get a tiny rush that's not unlike the feeling of receiving mail in the letterbox. They typically have a site meter on their blog to check out the number of hits. Together with fellow bloggers, they form a tight niche Pacific Ring of Fire.

Dormant bloggers, arh...these are another breed. They blog occasionally when some sparks goes off in their heads and write only when they've something substantial to contribute. Dormants write when they 'feel like it'. They are like your sleeping volcanoes who wake up and erupt once in a while to let others know they're still there.

Extinct bloggers are bloggers no more. They set up an account, post a few entries, lose the initial enthusiasm and close shop a few days later. From time to time, they may check out other blogs but largely speaking, they've left the blogging scene, in which case, they are unlikely to have come across this entry. These are your dead volcanoes.

At times, there may be no clear distinction between Actives, Dormants and Extincts. For instance, you could be an Active who displays Active and Dormant symptoms, therefore making you a Hybrid. Currently, I'm a pure Active and if i go on at this rate, i may soon have to check in at Bloggers Anonymous.

Tell us, which type are you and why?

*related link: Beauty of a Blog

a.reason.to.celebrate

Yesterday, i was offered a job i couldn't refuse. An interesting job as Research Executive with an attractive compensation plan, job benefits and opportunities for regional travel. It was irresistable and i agreed immediately. In most circumstances, that would almost seem like a silly thing to do, but i know an opportunity like this won't come knocking twice.

In Oct last year, i had participated in a focus group interview in the research house. Interested in what they were doing, i asked for a name card. Subsequently, i send my resume over, enquiring about job opportunities. Never did i once foresee that i'll eventually work for this firm. It was more like a distant hope..a try-and-see-where-it-goes kindda thing. That was Oct 04.

The interview took place last tuesday. I was interviewed by the Research Director and Manager, both of whom i took a liking to very quickly. They were not like your typical interviewers at all. For one, they chat you up and make you feel at ease. The best part was that i could identify with their working attitude and working styles- which was rare. With neither a degree nor related work experience, i'm truly grateful the firm took a chance with me. From their point of view, they were taking a risk and God forbids i under-perform.

Earlier on, i had wrote about wanting a full-time position as a writer in a certain publication (read one.step.closer). Writing has, and always will be, something i'm passionate about. For a while, I had referred to it as my 'calling'. (yes, go ahead and laugh) That is the one of the main reasons why i even bothered to maintain a blog, which most bloggers will tell you, is extremely time-consuming. But i figured that even with a full-time job now, i'll still be able to feed my passion through my blog as well as continue my work as a freelance writer at the side. Besides, writing does entail alot of research too. And i'm interested in both.

I start work on March 7. I work Mon-Fri. The best bit? I start work at ten. 'Nobody here comes at 9'- to quote the Director. Told you i could relate to their working styles :) i also like how they constantly refer to their staff as 'family'. The office location is near town, so that means i'll have to spend a considerable amount of time commuting to and fro work..but that's alright.

Town is where the buzz is. And the buzz is where i want to be.