Now that Chestnuts is over... best quip from the show.
Guy is at a bar, says to bartender, "My wife doesn't understand me." Bartender fires back, "Why? Malaysian is she?"

Classic. ;) Of course my SO loved that line.

Ah Jo came by to get the Portable MBA book yesterday, a book that I must have bought like stone ages ago. Actually a very good read, though some parts I've skimmed. Wondering if I should go back to school to get one. Maybe I'll apply and think about it, but it'll have to be part time. Can't spare the opportunity cost. (One thing I learned from those MBA classes.)

DVD night got canceled mainly coz ShuChiang having some allergic reaction. Poor dude. Did watch Amores Perros, this Mexican film which had an incredible first third but became pretty saggy and sentimental after that. Also borrowed my brother's PS2, and played some games on it. There's this game called Devil May Cry which is quite impressive graphically, though the plot is cheesy. As per norm, the women in this video game have humongous boobs and wear black leather. It'll really give the wrong idea to male players yah?

Nice to see the graphs in Quicken when you put your 13th month in. You get a big tall bar; too bad the bonus itself is so paltry for me. .5 months as compared to 2.2 months for the rest of SPH. Now that bar would hit the roof....

Other thing I have to do is to cancel my planet fitness membership which would save me $90 per month. With the Citibank Clear card I can use that to book my gym time instead, or check out the SPH gym in the new office. That should offset the 3% pay (I almost typed pain) cut I had to take, though in actual fact the pay cut was much higher since I'm "promised" 15 months in my salary.

Just came back from Chestnuts. Got caught in the rain and was 10-15 minutes late but they started late as well, which was cool. Spied a recently married individual with his wife hoisting their last minute shopping around outside Hotel Phoenix. ;) Anyway, the play was quite funny. More hits than misses. Jonathan can really write and do a great, sharp script. Sean says Jonathan is headed to Oz next year for his studies so there might not be a chestnuts next year, so to those out there in Singapore while you can, go watch it tomorrow. Last performance for a while... Seriously, after too much of Ong Keng Seng, Chestnuts really is quite a riot.

Just heard they've started laying off people at OUB so one of my friends kena. Great Xmas present huh?

Back from lunch; Popia near Beach Road where we passed by this old stationery shop. Jeannie the designer picked up some pretty cool Chinese looking Christmas wallpaper. Quite faded though. Also picked up a school building that could pass off if anyone wants to do a Singapore version of Haunted Schoolhouse.

Friday...just before a LONG long weekend. Watching Chestnuts tonight with Bren, Joyce and Alvin. Joyce and Alvin actually booked tickets a week after we did, and have the seats adjacent to ours. Freaky. Going to be one heck of a busy weekend; well at least almost the beginning of using up my leave next week.

Another interesting article about Filipino maids and why Filipinos are the happiest people on earth, and Hong Kong Chinese one of the most miserable.

The Bridget Jones Economy. Good read.

Maybe I should use this site to get rid of some of the stuff... The tummy trimmer, the inkjet printer, the hamster cages... Maybe there's a way to combine them. The hamster tummy trimmer printer, or the inkjet hamster cage...

Was reading one of the New Yorkers Joc brought back. Sometimes there's hardly anything engaging, but certain issues have quite a few articles that grab you. Read an article on the way to work about Powerpoint and how it's changed the way we perceive things and how firmly entrenched in our lives. Remind yourself next time you see one of those slide shows at a wedding. Done on... Powerpoint. Business presentations? Powerpoint. The article started off with a story about how a mom put her two disruptive daughters through a powerpoint presentation. And I'm receiving lots of 'inspirational' attachments or jokes via Powerpoint as well. I can just imagine some dating agencies using PP to feature their clients.
Imagine:

The seven bullet points of why you should date me, Tan Ah Gow!

• Rich
  
• Young
  
• Great lover in bed!!!!
  
• I can cook!
  
• Got car
  
• Own pad
  
• Well travelled and can bring YOU, yes, YOU along on business trips.
  

Next slide... My assets! >

Watched one of the DVDs yesterday; Creature Comforts which are a bunch of shorts from Aardman, the guys who do the Wallace and Gromit stuff as well as Chicken Run. I didn't like Creature Comforts that much, as the interviews with various zoo animals wasn't really that interesting. Wat's Pig was a nice animation about two princes seperated while in infancy; Not Without My Handbag was truly zany with lots of insane angles and highlights the problems of signing monthly payments for washing machines while Adam was probably the most original piece about the only guy on a very small planet. I think the last might be banned because you can see the guy's clay genitals. (No trees on the planet, apparently). Also saw the very first real episode of The Simpsons; boy the animation was rough, and the humour wasn't so satirical yet. It seemed more a variation of Married with Children rendered in stocky figures. Of course, South Park makes The Simpsons look like Shrek. I still prefer The Simpsons. The satire is still sharper and it's generally funnier. Probably watch more of them tonight. SO busy shopping with mom... which reminds me still need to do some shopping for people as well...

Company having a party later on. Bought Famous Amos cookies for the gift exchange. Since you don't know who you're buying for, has to be generic, so it probably ends up being 1) Potpourri 2) Food 3) Photo frame, or something else along those lines. Well I'm sure the guy who picks it up will like it. Heck it says Famous Amos on the box. Could do worse.

Kit Chan is here at da office looking at her new serial Cash Is King. Looks ok ... Wonder how it'll do in ratings.

Ebert's review for Before Sunrise.

Friend in US is back, which means my DVDs are here! But The 400 Blows didn't reach in time. :( Still I have Simpsons, Before Sunrise, Raging Bull, Creature Comforts, El Mariachi/Desperado, and a ton of New Yorkers to wade through. So I'm a happy camper. Going to have a DVD night Sat. Will be fun!

Sent a cheque to the Children's Cancer Foundation using the money from the Fatboy Slim Tix, + some more bucks. Quite pissed with the people at MTV Asia who went at me for selling the tix. In the first place, you shouldn't inform the winners of your damn contests like half a day before that they've won. I made other plans already anyway. Quite pissed but at least the money is going to a good cause. Hope this ends the whole episode.

Watched Devils on the Doorstep yesterday, a Chinese movie about a group of Chinese villagers forced to look after a Japanese soldier and a Chinese translator during the last days of WW II. Utterly absorbing and very black, filled with ironic twists. Definitely one of the best war movies I've seen.

Set up my speakers yesterday so now I have stereo when I watch stuff. Majorly cool!