da vinci uncoded

Don't laugh but I finally got my hands on the much talked about DaVinci Code by Dan Brown. Half of the world's reading population must have already read it. The book was passed on to me by my boyfriend who usually never gets pass reading the synopsis at the back cover. Full of praise for the book, he had urged me to read it. Truth is, Da Vinci Code got so famous, I feel slightly embarassed reading it in public places. Cliche, you know. But I wanted to check out what the hype is all about.

You may or may not like the book...(depending on your beliefs???) but I was definitely very impressed with how Dan Brown has so cleverly fused fact with fiction and post some of the most intriguing topics in such a friendly and readable format. A master of the word, his writing is brilliant. The plot is complex and engaging...but at some point, the skeptic in me thinks it's just a tad bit far-fetched. The ending answers some questions while leaving others to your imagination. Some mysteries are more tantalising when left unsolved. Somehow, the plot is very clever like that- the questions are raised, even if there are no answers.

Opus Dei, The Holy Grail, the Knights Templar, the background of Leonardo Da Vinci- his life's work, his genius and his bordering on insanity. All these and loads of very interesting nuggets of information that I would never have bothered to enquire on my own...now all presented to the masses in a paperback. The book also talks about the Bible- and how it has been 'edited' to what it is today. Fact or fiction- that's obviously for the reader to decide. One thing is for sure, the book is not short of controversies and it leaves you wanting to find out more. I wished I had discovered the book earlier.

Have you read it? What are your thoughts on it? And while you're at it, why are some of the most brilliant, most talented peope in the world, somehow always a little insane, offbeat or misunderstood? Maybe that should have been the norm. What's a little insanity if you can be a genius?

::perks::

Ah ha, time to take stock and round up the events of my past few weeks:

1) Watched Madagascar with Liz at the Nokia starlight Cinema, bascially an open area when you spread your mat and enjoy the movie over popcorn chicken, evian and Malties (fabulously tasty chocolates from Down Under). Movie was disappointingly cliche but otherwise fantastic ambience.

2) Visited the swanky new Singapore National Library thrice- probably worthy to be hailed as a tourist attraction. Because it is made entirely of glass (or almost) you get a breath-taking view of the city at the upper floors. The library is also very state- of- art- just plug in your wireless laptops and you can use the Internet- free of charge. At the first floor, sits the Hans Cafe, which also supports wireless networking.

3) Took our client, from Finland, to Katong to taste some of the best, savory local delights. we had- some of the best seafood that Singapore has to offer. Think black pepper crab and fresh 'drunken' prawns. One of the greatest perks of my job is that I get to eat at some very good places whenever we take clients out. And to see the wide smile on the client's face- priceless.

4) Attended the Yellow Ribbons conference- an initiative by the government to integrate ex-offenders into the society. The conference was held in a hotel, where a very, very charming Minister, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan graced the event. Unfortunately, we arrived in the afternoon and missed him. My boss made a pressentation and apparently, our company was mentioned over the news.

5) Shopped relentlestly with the little pockets of time I had- in between meal and after work hours. I wrongly thought that I owed it to myself to indulge having worked consequetively for (gasp!) four weekends! Shopping is a great distraction from work. They do not coined the term ' retail therapy' for nothing.

6) On top of all that, I did a report and spent countless hours fine-tuning the longest and toughest questionaire I'll ever have to do. This questionaire is 280 pages long and takes the respondent an average of 4 hours to complete. Oh by the way, 1200 respondents sat for the survey. It is still on-going.

Oh the life of a market researcher... so full of challenges, demands and variety. It is stressful but I thrive on that a little bit...though admitedly, I sometimes want to call it quits. I'm glad I did not because I'm now reaping the fine rewards of seeing it all come together.

at the backyard

Just 15 min walk away from my office, an area is very alive and buzzing with nightlife- Clarke Quay. Here is a picture I snapped while waiting for a friend. I love the fact that admist all that crazy action, lies a little river, quiet and uninterrupted- and all that, at my backyard.Right by the river area, people find spots to plant themselves. What is it about water, that is so alluring? Forget this little river for a while, just the mere mention of a word like ocean, sea, waterfall or oasis conjures an image of a little piece of paradise. I am the least romantic person in the world, but I find myself quite liking the idea of being near some kind of water.