an absolute blast!

This post is so well-punctuated because I’m typing this in word (at 1pm on Sat). I’ve been involved in organizing a training course this week and it’s in our company’s Shanghai school. This school is draconian. Their internet connection bans MSN, entertainment sites, advertisement sites, networking sites, proxy servers etc etc. I can only get my email and newspapers here. Phone reception is restricted to the staff room and the gardens and fields. Thank God I’m in the staff room!

Well, it’s a sunny Saturday afternoon in Shanghai (thank God the temperature today is manageable. It went up to 39 deg this week!) and I’m working! The course started since Monday and it’s been a tiring but interesting week for me. My supervisor is pretty happy with my performance so that’s excellent. She teaches some classes and attends all the rest. So the tea break, lunches, logistics are all up to me. After the many many events I’ve done in Singapore, this was less than chicken feet for me. Even ordering food in a foreign land has been all right! Since I’m not one to be afraid to get my hands dirty, I went to Carrefour myself for stuff, brought the lunch I ordered to the canteen daily and arranged it nicely, cleared up each day. I did photocopying, powerpoint, budgeting, photoshop. Basically, anything and everything. I even had to write a guide to Shanghai for participants from foreign lands (Beijing and Suzhou). Naturally, I was baffled cos I had been in Shanghai for like two weeks at that time? But I pulled it off. Haha. An intern’s life. I like it though. My supervisor is wonderful. She’s so nice, treats me well, respects me.

Well, last weekend was an absolute blast. I landed in Singapore and went home. Woke up early and met Darian (slightly late because I settled some personal admin). We went to the spa, which was absolute indulgence. Although next time I think I’m going to opt for the other branch cos the service is better. Then we had lunch at Asia Grand. Their peking duck is amazing! It’s so much better that Quan Ju De in Beijing, which is oily and salty and really not that nice. We had soup, and fish and dim sum and noodle, and other snacks. We ate till we nearly dropped. It was absolutely delish!!! Topped the meal off with a durian and mango pudding respectively. Darian paid for both our sinful pleasures. That’s one of the many reasons why he’s my best friend. We’ve got to the stage whereby money is no longer a big issue with us. We buy each other nice stuff (actually this year it’s been me buying him), we buy each other nice meals (actually this year it’s been him buying me).

And following a full lunch, we opted for the sedentary sport of KTV. Hahaha! It was so fun. Because it was only the two of us, we could sing off key (okay I admit I went off quite a fair bit), we could sing crazy songs, we could even dance in the room (not really me in this instance) and it was perfectly fine. :D

Something worth mentioning, as we left the KTV, we bumped into my cousin Cheng and her family. She looked at me and said, “You’re half size now!” Chinese New Year when I last met her was half a year ago. How far I’ve come in that time. What a delight to meet her! Haha. Guess what we did after that? A simulator ride. Darian forced me to go and it was utterly boring. =/

Next, it was time for highlight number two of my weekend! DERRICK AND RUXIN’S WEDDING!! I have attended my fair share of weddings. At every wedding, I will observe and then think to myself, “My wedding will be like that” or “My wedding won’t be like that”. At the end of the night, if the “will be”s far outnumber the “won’t be”s, then I think it’s a very successful wedding. So far, only two weddings have fallen into that category. One is my cousin Elim and her husband William’s. And the second is now Derrick and Ruxin’s!

Their wedding was so beautiful. They look so good together. I told Ruxin, “You are one couple that I can say without reservation, that the two of you look really really good together.” Their wedding was immaculately planned. From their entrances, to their videos, to their speech to well, everything. It was sweet, romantic, classy (okay the emcee was less than classy, that was my one “won’t be” for their wedding), basically, I would love to have my own wedding something like that.

A common thread between William & Elim and Derrick & Ruxin’s wedding? The couple really put in effort. You can see it from the invitations they send (Elim designed her own and William printed and cut them himself), the emails and texts (Derrick emailed about road closure, and texted to remind about the wedding), the music they choose, the videos they create, the speeches they make. Which means, it’s possible for everyone to have a sweet, romantic, classy beautiful wedding – if only you really put in effort.

Congratulations Derrick and Ruxin. Thanks for having me at the wedding. It was beautiful!!

At the wedding, had some time to catch up with people. Yujie (fresh out of reservice with a new hair cut but other than that, same old same old) and Lina, Cleo (pretty in a minimalistic way and same old same old) and Stephen, Shaz (new hair cut but other than that, same old same old), Tina (same old same old), Main (longer hair but other than that, same old same old), my da jie Linying, Claire, etc etc. It was so great! Every one is the same old same old. Made me feel so comfortable. I missed everyone so much. I had only been out of Singapore for a month and a half. I really can’t imagine how I survived that four months out of Singapore earlier this year. Looks like I’m stronger than I give myself credit for. Hahaha!

Most of all, I had time to meet the Tan family! Pastor CK, Evelyn, Jewel (who is walking around now…so fast!) and my buddy Javier! Javier was his usually cute, mischievous, playful self. It was so fun playing with him. He kept bugging me to bring him outside to play with the toys I bought him (serves me right! But I enjoyed it very much.) Anyway, when he got too playful, I would just threaten to ask Georgie to bite his nose, he would behave. Haha!! Sorry Jiaying!!

Sat beside Yujie so when I wasn’t outside with Javier, we had some pockets of time to catch up. When I was outside with Javier, he saved me food on my plate. Thanks man! We need to properly catch up soon! It’s been so long!!

Well, everyone said I lost weight (in one and a half months this time, not half a year like my cousin). So proud that my regime is paying off. It’s pain man, exercise. I hate it. But I must admit, I do like the effects.

After the wedding, I fulfilled my “Mr. Nice Guy” duties and drove some stranded people home. They were crazy I tell you. Yak yak yak, play music, shout shout shout. It’s was so fun! Who are they? Obviously tina, shaz and xuan hong.

I’ve said it before, I will say it again. No trip back to Singapore is ever complete without supper with my best friend Sebastian! Tina knew this only too well. I told her, I was gonna have supper. She didn’t even bat an eyelid when she said, “With who? Sebas ah?” Haha. So we met for supper. Except that the both of us were quite full so we didn’t really eat. Haha. But well, Saturday night, out late hanging out, it’s just like the old times.

Sunday started with church. Every time I step into church, knowing it will be my last service for a while, it tears me apart. I really miss church. I was so glad it was Pastor Kong who preached! He was on fire! I really wish I could return for CHC 20th anniversary next weekend but I really think it will be too much to ask my father for another 20,000 miles. I think it was quite extravagant of him to give me a ticket just to return to Singapore for the weekend.

Met the Chinese cell group after church to catch up. A time of fun and laughter. So ironic. They’re Chinese in Singapore and I’m Singaporean in China. Met my beloved E459 very briefly before scooting off to go shopping with Seb. We ended up not buying anything but it was fun just going out and looking at stuff.

Went home for dinner with my family. And then went to the airport. Darian was there to meet me! I thought my flight was from T2 but it turns out it was from T3. So Darian drove us both over. I checked in and took the last row so that the chances of me having the whole row was high.

We then headed to the T3 food court. Darian wanted shark’s fin so the T3 food court was a mistake. But nonetheless, I got to savour bak chor mee, carrot cake, rose syrup. It was nice. By the time we left the food court, crystal jade was closed. So no shark’s fin for Darian! Hahahaha. We just hung out, took a few photos here and there. That might have been out last meeting for 2009. Hopefully it isn’t. But it could well be. Ahwells.

Had a blast of a weekend! I have the most amazing friends. Thanks Darian! Thanks Seb!! Thanks Derrick and Ruxin!!!