Happy Birthday Dad!

  

Something to think about

I love it when out of the blue, someone says something thought-provoking.

My office mate or as they say here, colleague D. at the office said: "90 per cent of all self-talk is negative. We should all try to reverse that and make our self-talk positive." I think that's true for many people. But here's another thought: I do know a more than a few people who are virtual fonts of positive self-talk and it's done out loud. The operative word being self. That can be a bit much, as well. Perhaps there's merit in keeping one's positive
self-talk ...to oneself.

Biker chicks

 

Sunday came and went like a flash. And now, I have that same Sunday night squeamishness I used to get as a child. Wish I could just rewind and play the weekend over and over again... 

TGIS!

Although I failed to get up this morning for the run I meant to take, I did manage some very thorough cardio. We decided to make a second visit to Pulau Ubin, a small rustic island off Changi Beach - just an eight minute pump boat ride away. The kids were thrilled, and it was better than the first time because there were much less people. Went for the tandem bikes and opted to do part of the ride on a dirt road trail - for major heart rate raising. All in all about one hour including two two-breaks. Afterwards, we had fresh buko juice, straight from the coconut before the pumpboat ride back. 4 dollars for the round-trip boat ride, 6 dollars for the tandem bike, and a dollar fifty for the coconut. Lots of fresh green clean air, pretty mangrove and sea scenes - really, what more could you ask for? Then it was a pizza and pasta lunch at our favourite spot, a drive around to explore nieghborhoods, gelato, home for a nap. And tonight, had home movie session screening of Shrek, after a yummy dinner of Chili and corn salad with pita chips!

A sublime Saturday...

What Tita Mariel Missed

 


A visit to the Singapore Science Centre and meeting a T-Rex named Sue! 

Tita Mariel's Mabilisan Visit

 

She was here for David Swenson's yoga workshop, which meant she was not with us for eight to ten hours of her two day visit (next time, stay longer). Still we managed two dinners out, Nacho Libre and an after-movie snack, as well as an hour long intense hiking session at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. Then it was Pepperoni dinner, Estivo gelato...and lots of Magic Mike-ing. Fun fun, fun...

Next time, bring Tita Lara and stay longer! 

How it can happen

An old college friend came through town. We hadn't seen each other in a couple of years, but I had heard the great story of how she had met someone online and moved to another country to be with him. There was no news for awhile, and I wondered how it was going. And all of a sudden, this past weekend, she was here. We sat and had sandwiches and soup and coffee; everything was the same and yet everything was different. She was there. She was happy. It was a wonderful thing to see. Strange and wonderful how two people on opposite sides of the world can find each other and make that connection. And even greater that in these days, they can actually make the move, commit to the decision, and journey to their happiness, without having to wait for it to come to them. She regaled me with anecdotes, little tales of what their new life together is like, all the details of which I pulled together as though I were gathering my own little pile of colored confetti. They are now exploring the region, trying to decide in seemingly newly-wedded fashion where they will settle and make their life together.

This is not the only story. My mom told me another love story of the digital age. And my colleague at work yet another. People go on holiday in another country and meet someone, and from there they parlay it into something real. A romance. A relationship. No longer do you hear the antiquated, hum-drum or ho-hum? tales of highschool sweethearts or college courtships. This is the way it can happen these days, and when it works, just as it does conventionally, it's a wondrous thing, indeed.

It's all that matters

  

New addiction

It's amazing how you can start out ambivalent about someting, and then there's a shift, and you can be addicted to the very thing. Right now, am very deeply into Grey's Anatomy. Even though I get irritated by the lead and some of the plot lines are predictable, the effect of the series as a whole is pleasurable. Somehow, it all gets pulled together quite nicely and characters start growing on you. Non-sequitur: Finally saw Derailed with Clive Owen and Jennifer Aniston. Highly inventive. I grow O. Henry-esque in my old age in that I find immense pleasure in the unexpected. On the same note, have started rereading Roald Dahl for that same elusive satisfaction.

It seems at this point, I thirst (or is it hunger) for stories with irresistible once upon a times. This weekend, that Jack Black movie about nachos; going along with T and the Flo's despite my own misgivings. Should be good for a laugh or two.

Goal

December 13, 2006
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Communicative vs. Uncommunicative

The theory is people have a tendency to be either one or the other, and the latter usualy has pejorative associations. Recent events at work and in general at home have led me to acknowledge my own difficulties as an admittedly overly communicative, dealing with a non. How is that situation and conflict to be resolved? The popular view is while people can be led to change, it can't be something that's forced. And change can only happen if the individual recognises the necessity to change. What then is the communicative person to do when this is the only way available to her to function. Is there such a thing as being overly communicative? Or is it the manner of communication that needs adjustment (even as I type this, I know that the answer to this question is affirmative.).

Can't help thinking that situations like these involve a stalemate of sorts, a compromise. Either that, or the person that can change should change... to accomodate? But what would be lost in that situation? Wouldn't the person be denying the true self? On the other hand, what can be done to lead the non to a more comfortable place where she/he can be encouraged to communicate. And yet, realistically, who has time for that? What would Dr. Phil say? The non communicative should just buckle down and do it, and the communicative should adjust his/her approach so as to be less confrontational and more cooperative. That's just exhausting.

The truth is, the communicative who must temper, deny and manage communication needs, which of course, are vast, in order to accomodate and encourage the non, experiences as much pain, difficulty and discomfort as the non learning to be less non.

Maybe it's all that West Wing...

Was browsing at a bookstore with my brood. For some reason, I went beyond my usual fiction haunt, venturing to non-fiction and current events. The Truth About Hillary, a political biography caught my eye. And with the first para, I was hooked. Got greedy and teamed that purchase with Sidney Blumenthal's The Clinton Wars.

Then there was American Writers and Their Homes by JD McClatchy. It's a beautiful coffee table style book, but the thrill is not just in the pictures and the architecture. The text is quite substantial and of literary and historical bent. As it should be. The author was, and if I'm not mistaken, still is, the editor of The Yale Review. In graduate school, I once submitted a story to that literary journal. Mr. McClatchy was kind enough to write me a very encouraging personal note.

Is it a sign that it's time to start again?

The Trick To It

* Despite warnings, I braved the yoga hot room today. I think the trick is to stay
in savasana (dead man's pose) at the end for at least five minutes, and not rush.
It was pretty good today, and so far, no sicky. Plus, even though Ross had a full class, I was the only crescent room in the room! A big girl I may be, but I'm flexible.

* Thanks to LeiaCA, I have a weight watchers cookbook and the whole points system.
Something tricky to do is minimise your points by eating less than the amount stipulated. For example, a cup of grapes is 1 point. So eat half a cup.

* Work is swimming along, despite the fact that once again, I have no writer, and will soon lose my art director. So I just told the team, when the work piles, I'll justgo slower is all. They're up for it and are working ahead of time so it's not so
stressful.

* Time on the elliptical goes easy when you're watching The West Wing with subtitles. Fairly easy to get to 45 minutes, and that's 3 points.

* Speak calmly and quietly to your children...and they speak quietly and calmly to you. How's that for a trick? It really works too, even with C!

* New discovery: Pjur. Much much better than Astroglide...

* It's easier to leave kids for a three day trip to Hong Kong when your Mom is around! Whoohoo.

* Following World Cup is a good way to increase the mojo. So many lookers...

* Non-sequitur: It's also great to discover that a Nobel Prize Winner for Literature also believes in Fast Food Fiction. So he calls it Palm-of-the-Hand stories...that's still what they are. Great minds think alike, maybe...

All the sides of me as seen by K

 

Workouts resume... 

Magic Mike Sunday

K has learned Hardcore Poetry, although she doesn't sing it as well yet as her Waterloo. Coby digs his Lemon Tree. And the most hilarious thing is each of them trying their vocal hand at Limang Dipang Tao. I just couldn't stop laughing, but I had to hide it. You don't ever want them to be embarrassed, or all would be lost. Tanny goes for funny songs like Wannabe by Spice Girls. He also does a good Bluer than Blue. I try Chaka Khan's Through The Fire, but towards the end, it's more like I'm Chaka cannot. I also like songs that are the opposite of me: Janet Jackson's Let's Take Awhile and Freestyle's So Slow. Then of course, T does his Dido with Thank You ala Elton John, and I go for the pathos of Alicia Keys.

A slow Sunday is always a good Sunday, especially when there't time for a nap and a swim...

Forget Superman

Not that it wasn't nicely done. It was nicely done, but the story left a lot to be desired, I thought. Like a story. For one thing, you could see it coming a mile away.
And really, it gets tiresome the way Superman has selective hearing and he needed coordinates to find Lois Lane? Come on. Kevin Spacey was great though. Of course, that role is always great - remember Gene Hackman in it?

I guess at the end of the day, Superman has a pretty thin storyline - not to mention, rather flat characterisation. It just suffered in comparison to the Xmen series, which plotwise is just so inventive.

What I'm waiting for is Night At The Museum. Now that looks like a good story. And teaming Ben Stiller and Robin Williams. That's cool. Here's hoping the flick is as good as its trailer.

Dear Celeste

How are you now where you are?

How are the kids and Dennis. I can just see him beaming at you over your morning coffee. There is nobody for beaming like Dennis. You will tell me this, and I will laugh and laugh. I really miss that.

How is that little grove of trees in your backyard? Have you made a compost heap? I am told that is the thing to do when you are living in a house in Virginia. You get your cooking scraps, apple peels and egg shells and make your own mulch in your backyard so your grass grows green. I am sure you already know this.

Noel of FX told me he misses you, and I almost burst into tears right there. Choir is okay though. We're supposed to sing this Saturday, I think, but the mail hasn't come in on the lineup. I got a new chip for the Magic Mike. It's a bit of a cheat because there aren't that many songs on it. But the songs that are there are nice. Haven't been seeing much of anybody, because there hasn't been an occasion. Then again, I haven't really felt like seeing anyone. And also, I was sick.

Saturdays seem strangely empty. We are thinking about badminton, but just can't get up the gumption. What I'd like is to just sit and have coffee with you. You and your coffee and your ice cubes and your rich dessert that you will only eat half of. I would like to walk the stores, looking for pretty things that I will urge you to buy while we talk of nothing special until you have to rush off to mass, and for more than a fleeting moment, I will want to go with you.

I have not yet downloaded SKYPE. I have not called you, but it's not because I don't want to talk to you. It's mostly because I have so much to share, but there are no words. And what would be the use of that, tell me?

No workouts

No cookies.
No yoga.
No staying up late.
No junk food.

I haven't been working out because I'm taking it slow. That's what I tell myself anyway. But the truth is, I just can't seem to get up in the mornings. For some inexplicable reason, sleep seems the only thing to do that's absolutely worthwhile.
Last night I fell asleep to Brazil vs Ghana. And when I opened my eyes the next morning, T had won 300 dollars. Such a lot can happen when you're asleep.

In view of the fact that there's been no exercise, I've been eating with extreme care. The funny thing is I've apparently lost five pounds. Tomorrow, I will venture back to the yoga, but maybe not hot, maybe just power. Let's not tempt fate.

Line of the week

"H'wag ka nang magyoga. Magtalik nalang tayo."

Struck yet again

Ok, this isn't even funny anymore. After that horrible yoga class, I went to work the next day, sniffling and sneezing, and by nightfall...had developed a fever of 38.8, a comprehensive flu that kept me in bed for almost four days. M and T think it's hot yoga... and the proliferation of germs...and sweat opening you up and making you even more susceptible to illness. As much as I wish to dismiss the theory, I recall an instance in the car when I got the major chill sweats a full half an hour after the class. What the hell, I don't know. I just don't know.

With work being dismal and school starting for the kiddies, I can only be cheered by the following:

- My friend Leia's generous gift due to arrive the middle of this week!
- Carol Shields Collected Stories
- K and C's gameness to go back to school
- Hong Kong in two weeks