Paul's Fulfilling Life

This is my 1st time trying to use the print screen key on the computer keyboard to print this from the Facebook screen. This also shows how technology has evolved since I know Wai Ling about 8 years ago. I got to know her through a random Internet chat, ICQ. We got even closer after knowing that we had maintained a blog, and we always read each other’s blog and give each other advices if we got flamed in our blog. Friendships made through the modern technology of Internet were never thought to last long for most of us but my friendship with Wai Ling is certainly one of the few exceptions. In this extracted Facebook screenshot, I was rather surprised and touched by what she wrote after I told her that I may not be able to send her a birthday card this year for her birthday as I had been busy with my work. She was a little sad, and she actually wrote that she has been keeping the cards that I sent her since I knew her. Time really flies but I guessed our friendship grows stronger...

I was invited to Andrina’s house for a usual public holiday KTV gathering on Deepavali. It was always great to sing and relieve my stress that I am facing at my work . Lance & Jonathan Ya were there to join us as well. We were introduced to some new songs by her during the KTV session & we would like to thank her and her hubby for the dinner treat of chili crab. I must say it is very good. =) Here are some of the songs she introduced us recently This song by 張靓穎 費玉清 山水合璧 is a great song I feel. You would be surprised how the two singers who hail from 2 different eras managed to blend so well in their singing. The song is divided into 2 parts, which I think is to deter piracy. Enjoy the songs!!!

The birthday celebration was supposed to be earlier but I guess the birthday boy and the rest of us had many commitments to look after, as a result, the celebration became belated. Dinner was steamboat at 天天火锅。This was my 2nd time there. Pictures taken using my beloved Samsung Galaxy S  Looking at the spread that we had, it is not hard to imagine that we had a 3 hour long dinner, followed by desert at 记得吃. Steamed egg by the birthday boy, nice skill from him and great coaching by Jessica Birthday boy with Jessica, myself & Lance Birthday boy with the ladies, Chloe & Jessica   Birthday boy with our gift for him Photos courtesy of Chloe Jessica, Chloe & I would like to thank the birthday boy for driving us home. =)

It was supposed to a group gathering, but it ended up becoming a friends’ gathering as the response for Raymond’s group gathering was poor. My purpose of going to the KTV is to catch up with Raymond, Ann & Estella as it has been quite a while since I met them, since the last KTV gathering in July. The gathering place was at Northpoint Partyworld. This was the 2nd time, I was having a shorter 3 hour session, after singing at Nex Mall. Apparently, Partyworld has changed its pricing for its newer branches recently. All I can say, 3 hours is not enough for me. It was great catching up with them.  

I had arranged to meet up with my IRAS volunteer friend, Angela to try to boost her confidence for a job interview that she had today. Apparently, she is applying for a temp tax associate position and had sought my advice on how she could get the job as she really hopes to gain some work experience as she is keen to work in the tax line. Dinner was at Din Tai Fung at Junction 8 after I told her that I was not too keen on having Swensens since I had two rounds of Swensens at Nex for my previous two gatherings with friends in the last week. Desert was at Hagen Daz at Junction 8, where we got a set of Hagen Daz vouchers which would expire at the end of Nov. During the course of the dinner and desert session, I shared with her my experience about job hunting and being a part-time student. She appears to me that she has a talent for tax, despite not working in tax line. Besides she is a sporty gal, as she plays table tennis and volunteers regularly and she is a bright student, having ...

I had boarded the Scania Wheelchair Accessible Bus as shown in the picture above today on Service 54. Friends who have known me should have heard me mentioning about this bus, which is wheelchair friendly, but the design is unfriendly due to its additional step when you moved to the back of the bus for seats. As a result, I usually would take a seat at the seats meant for the old, pregnant ladies, disabled & young children. I am entitled to sit there anyway as I am physically challenged anyway. I was rather disturbed when a fellow commuter asked me to get up and give up my seat to an old lady at the Novena Church bus stop. I decided to stand up and didn’t wish to argue with her as her attitude seems a little unfriendly. Once I stood up, she kept quiet and apologised to me for failing to note the fact that I was physically challenged and asked the two children sitting beside me to give up their seat to the old lady. I wish to say, some things happen for a reason, therefore...

The meeting up was suggested by Tammy after she missed the last gathering we had at Vivo City as she was held up by work commitments. The meeting place was once again, the Carousel Restaurant at Royal Plaza on Scotts as this was the only few places that Elaine knows how to get to by driving. But I must say for a halal buffet, this place is certainly not bad for food and good place for gathering. I know Peggy’s birthday was around the corner, on next Friday. I asked Tammy & Elaine to keep it from her that we were going to celebrate her birthday. It was then I knew that Carousel has a complimentary cupcake for people who are celebrating their birthday in the restaurant for the month and there would be a waiter assisting you to take a polaroid picture for the celebration. We hope that Peggy enjoyed the birthday celebration with us. Till the next gathering, where Peggy says that she wishes to celebrate my birthday & Elaine’s birthday on Dec 15.

Being a regular user of Singapore’s public buses, I have encountered some vehicle breakdowns while commuting on Singapore’s public buses. Therefore, when I usually travel on a bus that breaks down in the midst of my journey, I will usually try my best to ask the bus captain what assistance they would like me to help them on. Picture taken from Google Wikipedia On Friday, my assistance was again called upon, after the Service 851 (TIB 1147L) that I was travelling on broke down after the exit door of the bus was not able to close as one of the parts came loose. The bus captain was my friend, He had known me through my regular commuting of Service 851 from Marymount Road to Thomson Road since 4 years ago. I could hear some passengers cursing and swearing at the bus driver and the faulty bus. It was not the fault of the bus driver that the bus broke down. In fact, the SMRT buses are better maintained than the SBS Transit buses as each bus is issued to a bus captain and the bus capt...

I had arranged to meet up with Wai Ling & her 2 little ones at her place yesterday afternoon at her place. I was late for the appointment as my overly concerned parents were talking to me and the cab that I was involved in a minor accident. It was fortunate that it was just a minor scrape on the taxi’s side view mirror and it didn’t hit us from behind and I was able to reach there safely. It was great to see Wai Ling, Guojun & the new little one, Lexuan at her place. I am surprised that Guojun still remembers me despite not seeing him for 2 years already. =). As usual, he posed for me to take some pics. He takes after his parents’ friendly and bubbly nature.   Heard from Wai Ling that GJ likes to watch lion dance & do the lion dance. So this is with him doing the lion dance. This is the latest addition to Wai Ling’s family, the little Lexuan at 1 month plus. I was saying she looks exactly like Wai Ling It was nice to catch up with her and the meet the 2 li...

While on the way home, mum sms me that she did not cook dinner and dad & her was at the Blk 147 coffeeshop for dinner. When I reached there, I was greeted by unfamiliar faces, as I had never knew them to be my parents’ friends. I did not feel that it was right for me to raise questions how they knew my parents as I knew that my parents would tell me later, or at the course of the dinner, the answer will be out. It was after the dinner that I knew what happened. Apparently, my dad had witnessed an accident involving a university student some days ago. The driver involved in the accident had run a traffic light as the university student was crossing the road. She was hit by the car, but was fortunate to suffer slight injuries. My dad, who was behind the hit and run driver assisted her to call her family to bring her to the hospital. The dinner was a treat from her parents to thank us. I always believe that we should always help people wherever the person is in need of our help....

I was invited by Stephanie & Andy to the first party of their baby boy, Gareth today. I would like to thank Stephanie & Andy for their generous hospitality. Baby Gareth is so adorable that he knows how to pose for the camera. =) Stephanie was rather apologetic that she did not get the chance to chat with me much, but I really enjoyed the ang ku kueh and chendol on the menu. =) Wish Gareth will grow up happily & healthily.

I was taken by surprise when I received Angela’s sms that she had given birth as I remembered she mentioned to me that the expected due date of Caleb was supposed to be in early Nov. Apparently, Angela had a water leakage with her water bag that caused her to need to give birth prematurely. Baby Caleb is still in ICU due to the premature birth. Let’s hope everything will be fine when we visit him on the full moon celebration.

This meetup was called as Jonathan Teo and I had not met Chairman Lawrence for close to 4 months and we wanted to update him on the unpleasant happenings at the past two KTV outings as well as catch up with him. I had asked her to get Wendy along as Jonathan & I feel that with a female voice in our committee, more ideas & views can be put forward. Dinner was at Xin Wang at Ion Orchard. It was an unlucky day, which nearly caused me to be late for the appointment. It was good that they had come & put more ideas & views forward to improve the future events’ organising of the group. Although Jonathan & I have taken over the group from chairman for quite some time already, we still respect him as he is the founder of the group. It was nice to hear him sharing with us his trip to Egypt and Rome. The dinner was close to 4 hrs. It was certainly great catching up with them.  

I was supposed to have blog this last Sat, but was too busy to do so. I was invited by Wendy to join her for this movie. She managed to get a pair of tickets for the movie as part of her staff benefit. We caught the movie at Plaza Singapura Golden Village Cinema. I personally found the movie pretty funny and enjoyable. I was asked by Gonnie & Chloe to stay behind for the credits after the movie. I am glad that I did, as it was even more funny. I would give the movie a rating of 4.5 out of 5. After the movie, I was asked by Wendy to accompany her to Nokia Service Centre at Vivo City. It was to send her Nokia phone to the service centre for repairs. After the movie, we headed home.