At 21, I didn’t know what I want in life and just went with the flow.

At 30 (today), I run my own career, has a cat, married and soon to wear my upgraded status. Though with still many dreams and goals to achieve, I’m a happy woman.

Onto the next decade filled with hopes and more dreams!

Happy Birthday Claudia!

Just to have something to remind of myself how important it is to have regular D.E.A.R.C. days. So I’m jotting it down here.

Saturday started out with quite a rush, no thanks to the road redirection around City Hall. The traffic was total madness. The extra time we planned before the concert at Esplanade was wasted waiting in the car. So there was not lunch nor time to shop.

Finally reached City Hall around 2.10pm and met the ladies (photo above) from my other family to collect my present and gifts they brought back from Paris. I wonder when I’ll have the chance to travel to Paris too! Well, I’ll work hard now and save up for all these luxury holidays in the future.

Lyn was asking if I wanted to get any bags from Longchamp since its less expensive in Paris, but I think I ended up having no time to check out what was available so I gave the chance a miss. And also, I’m not that brand conscious lady. I love my MUJI. But still, I’m happy to own one of these Li Pliage from Longchamp. Thanks ladies!

This goes pretty well with the LV ring Diana bought me. Oh boy! I now need to find matching outfit to go with these! Those who know me know very well my sense of dressing! None matches even close to these! Well, mismatched is still a kind of style right? Ha!

The LV Ring from Diana

Back to the weekend… after a quick bite, we headed towards Esplanade to catch ABBA Cadabra.

Was expecting to spend most of the concert standing and moving to the beat, but sadly, just like what Kumar said in his talkshow, no matter how happening the song or concert is, Singaporeans dance in their heart and never on their feet. Sat throughout the concert with my feet itching to groove. Well, at least at the very last encore song, the performers managed to get everyone up on their feet and danced to Dancing Queen. So I did manage to get some dancing done inside Esplanade.

The day ended with sumptuous dinner at Pariss International Seafood Buffet. More on that in another post.

Then the next day, it was a day spent with our girl. Been more than one month since we last saw her. As usual, all the made-up reasons given were lame and full of excuses. Minmin said she misses us a lot! That made my heart ache. How can there be such heartless people in this world? Hope Min will grow up and make her own decision to stay with her father and me. We love to see her laugh and have fun with us.

Can’t wait for my next D.E.A.R.C. weekend. Most probably got to wait till September for this to happen! *sweat*

On my birthday cake from my dear sis today had 2 big candles and 1 tiny one. (The work of Derek and Brian.) Really, there’s no need to hide my age. And thanks Kris for the try-to-make-it-a-surprise-still-even-if-she-enters-the-office-at-the-wrong-timing-birthday-song.

I’m proud to say that I’m 29 and still growing! Growing stronger and better in mind, knowledge and experience. Body wise, I hope to grow smaller and steadier. The long hours of work is not good for my health. But I’ve been trying my best to keep a balance life. Just need to take more time to get used to the life pattern.

So today being my bird-day, I’m going to reward myself with DEAR C. That is, Drop Everything And Rest Claudia! It’ll just be me, my Abang and my 7D~~~ day! No emails, no work, no answering of business related calls! I need my DEAR C!

Happy Birthday Me!

Again, we are not given the opportunity to spend your birthday with you. We hope you will not think that we do not care about you nor don’t want to be with you. But this is beyond our control. One day you will grow up and you will know why this is happening. We know you will.

Ayah and me wishes you a very happy 7th birthday! Hope we’ll get to see you next week! Bring you for nice meal ok? In the meantime, if you by any chance is reading this, go check your Restaurant City mailbox! Can’t give you present in person, so I’m sending you some furnitures for your restaurant instead! :P

Happy Happy Birthday Minmin!!!!!!!

We love you very much Yasmin! Hope you love us as much too! *MUACK!!*

Due to work, I totally left out my usual birthday party gathering planning this year. No time nor energy to think about this as I do not want to grow up anymore! Time’s passing too quickly for me to catch up.

The story started a day before my Birthday. I don’t know many days in advance my dear Diana started the planning. If my memory is right, I was told about a team meeting (which I don’t recall arranging for) a week before. And than few days before the surprise, Diana told me to stay till 9pm on Thursday as she had to leave by 6pm and some bloggers will be coming late to collect stuff from our office that night. And that’s all planned and directed by her!

On the day of the surprise, she than SMS me in the morning – The maid just left. She say the fridge connector don know what spoil. so don use or open fridge until repair. repair coming later. So I was told not to go near the fridge as she’d planted my surprise in there!

The whole day passes with occasional giggling from her, she going in and out of the office and constant MSN chatting between Uzyn, Kahwee and her. I knew they are planning something, but I thought it’ll be for my actual day as we were planning to go for lunch at Science Centre at 11.30am! Yes, that’s what we planned. Of course, all part of Diana’s set-up!

At around 6.30pm, Diana entered the room and switched off all the lights. That’s when Abang entered with my birthday cake with lighted candles! And Diana gave me this beautiful bouquet of lilies and a present they got for me. All these surprises brought me tears lah! THANK YOU ALL VERY VERY THE MUCH!!! Really didn’t expect such big surprise and so many things arranged for me!! I cannot thank enough lah! This is my BEST birthday ever! Spending it with people (my hardworking team and Abang) that matters most in my life now. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!!!

Ever since Diana bought her DSlite, she’d been telling me how much addicted she is to it and kept asking me to go buy one so that we can challenge one another in the games. Than she keep saying if I don’t buy, she will buy one for my birthday. Which I told her not to lah! Its so expensive can? But this woman very stubborn lah! She really went to buy a DSlite for me!! A white one somemore! Matching with my PSP and my N97! If I hadn’t changed my macbook, everything would have been white! Than I would have to get a white camera to match it. LOL!

I soooo want to squeeze this woman!!! I’m going to start planning for her birthday in October! I know I sure can control my giggles and make it an even more surprise surprise for her! Hurhur!

She even planned for dinner and a KTV session! Again she’d been asking me to join her at KTV for countless time! And that night, it happened! All thanks again to Diana and Uzyn’s suggestion. And you know what? Diana, Uzyn and Kahwee all can sing one wor! Diana’s the sweet sweet singer, Uzyn the rock and country type and Kahwee don’t know what songs to choose so we had agar-agar what he knows and choose for him. We had lots of fun singing, screaming, dancing and laughing together that night! Next time, when our team grow, we can book the bigger room and party all night long!

The night ended at 12am sharp, where they sang the birthday song. Will upload a video compilation of the happenings from that night soon.

The celebration didn’t end that night. On my actualy day, July 3, it was time alone with Abang. Its a simple but heartwarming day. It made me fun in love with him again. Its the little things and actions that made my heart all warm and fuzzy.

We visited Marina Barrage for the first time and I think we will be going back there pretty often as long as they keep the parking free! LOL! I didn’t know the place is so nice and windy! There were many families and group of friends having picnic, flying kites and also there were few others celebrating their birthday too. Marina Barrage is a good place to hang out after a day at work and just lay on the grass and stare into the sky. Lovely place to chill and take photos too! I want to go back there again soon!

After Marina Barrage, Abang brought me up to Mt Faber for dinner. He’d wanted to take me for a cable car ride before that, but I chickened out. Another reason also because I don’t see the need to spend the extra $40 for a ride to see the skyline of Singapore lah. I would rather spend it on a nice dinner. Which we did.

Dinner was at Moonstone @ The Jewel Box. Another nice find for that night! Quiet and windy place with nice view of the harbour and cable cars. The food was pretty good too. Love the seafood pizza (can’t recall the name) and the jewel box fruit salad. Price will not break any arms nor legs, and quality is there. Surely a choice place to go for chilling out with friends. But if there’s no one driving, this is a no-go for me.

Spending quiet night like this with Abang is a rare occasion. It just made it even more precious and treasured. I don’t need no fancy gifts nor flowers. I don’t need no diamond rings nor candle light dinner. Just simple pleasure and quiet times like this with you, I am contented. Thank you Abang! Love you very much!

On Saturday night (last night) was a gathering with my girlfriends at my place. Our usual games of mahjong with light snacks to munch. They had an adventure with a flasher that night when they were getting their car from the carpark opposite my block. And now I am paranoid! Hope the police catch this flasher soon! For now, I am going to stay alert whenever I’m coming home late at night, and make sure I have my camera phone with flash ready to capture his face if he ever flashes at me!

In a few hours time, I will be having steamboat and papa-cooked-crab at home with my family. We are celebrating my belated birthday and my mum’s too which is just a week after mine. Going to help them out in the kitchen now. Today’s quality time with my family. And tomorrow’s the start of our one week setting up of 24seven’s new office week! Am very excited about this! Finally a place all to ourselves! More updates on this when we are ready over at 24seven’s blog.

And that’s how I spent (am spending) my birthday weekend.

If only I can stop myself from aging! But that’s just not possible. I put on another year to myself again today. But I shall be forever young! *coughs*

Last year I did this. And this year I decided to take up the Asian pose challenge for my birthday post! Wahahahahahaha!

Here goes…

No I didn’t submit my poses for the challenge lah! Ok. Time to get back to work! I’ve fulfilled not one but two of my birthday wishes already! Happiness! Hope more will be fulfilled!

Where my present? Hurhur!

Here’s the song I’m singing right now…

Updated

Thank you everyone for your birthday wishes!

Oh yes! I’m feeling the loveeeee!!

And thanks to all the SMSes, MSN wishes, email wishes and calls too! THANK YOU soooooo very the much!!!

To our sweetest girl Min,

It’s been 203 long and miserable days since we saw you. If only you know how much pain and misses these days have brought to Ayah and Mummy. We wrote you a letter a month ago, and till today, we have not been given any chance to see you at all.

You and your birthday cake in 2007

Do you remember the mini celebration we had together last year? Although it was just a simple celebration, but you were here with us. I can still hear you giggle shyly when we took out the cake, and how you’ll hide behind one of us so that you can cover your embarrassment. We hardly have chance to spend time together, with so many Ayah’s family members who love you. No wonder you’re always shy when we meet.

See how happy we were that day.

We don’t know what happened to the letter that we’d been expecting from family court for almost 2 months now. They said they will send a letter to both parties with a date for an appointment at the family court. But till now, there’s no sign of it. Ayah will call them up again soon, we really want to be able to see you, hug you and spend quality time with you again soon.

For the past few days weeks months, we had hoped for a call to tell us that we can take you out over the weekend, but none came. Every time we see a cute dress, we would love to buy it for you, but we don’t know how big you’ve grown already. When I see something pink with princesses and your favorite Dora on it, I want to buy them all for you… but when will you get to play with them?

Today is your 6th birthday! You must be brighter and more mature already. But I know, you will probably still not understand what is happening. We hope you will soon.

Missing you and always loving you,
Ayah and Mummy

Rinaz shared her experiences from creating the first Ping.sg community video
The Ping Lipdub Video

We can see how excited she was ya?

The video is very very well done! Everyone loves it! I was rather angry with myself as I couldn’t make it to any of the recordings. Hope we’ll have a second one for Ping’s 3rd Anniversary!

After the video, we gathered the finalist for the Most Pong and Poof Awards

Arzhou, Krisandro, Shervon and Sheylara with Mintea counting the Pongs

Shervon must be wondering what Mintea was doing poking her chest

She’s so adorable isn’t she?

Winners of the Most Pong and Poof Awards…

Shervon and Sheylara

Shervon was awarded the Most Poofed Award

Feeling happy with her Ping Pong Bat

Sponsors sharing more about what they do…

Philip Devlin, Product Marketing Manager from HP

Josh couldn’t make it, so Uzyn received the Thank You gift on behalf of Advertlets

Melvin sharing his role at Waggener Edstrom

Ping Pong bats were also given to our sponsors…

Here’s Uzyn presenting token of appreciation to Melvin

There were two bats that were given out after much effort by Uzyn and his computer.

This is one of the bat…

Uzyn compiling the results in font of group of witnesses

To make the compiling even more transparent, he decided to show it to everyone…

You’ll never see this kind of screen flashed at any other celebrations ok!

Finally after voting by everyone present at the party, Post and Blog of The Year winners were announced!

Congrats to Rinaz for winning the Post of The Year award!

As you can see, she’s very delighted! She sure deserves the award!
(But I’m jealous! I was so close to winning! :P)

Rinaz brought home the Post of The Year ping pong bat, $200 Takashimaya vouchers, dinner for 2 with the guys at Waggener Edstrom (Rinaz bring me bring me? Wahahaha!) and a beautiful hand-engraved wine glass by Markchoon.com.

And the Grand Award was given to Krisandro!! He received Blog of The Year award! So happy for him!

Philip presenting the award to Kris

Kris won himself the Blog of The Year ping pong bat, a beautiful wine glass by Markchoon.com and the sexy HP Mini Notebook (check out the HP Mini in the vodcast by Tech65)!

Kris with his fantastic prizes!
(Envy lah!! Kris I want to play play with your new toy ok? :P)

And here are the winners of the lucky draw for those who voted for the post and blog of the year…

Click to view more photos taken with Nikon D40

Happy 2nd Birthday Ping.sg!!

Pretty cupcakes baked by Caressa

Everyone wanted a piece of the cupcakes…

Trying to get a good shot of the cakes before they’re gone

Some just couldn’t resists having a shot with the cupcakes

Priss, Uray and Wendy

Jacelyn, Sylvia and Rinaz

Finally the food is ready!
Great spread for the hungry Pingsters

Pingsters are friendly and orderly people
See they queue for their food!

Ridz hungry for food

Here are some shots of fellow Pingsters and friends with their food…

Nicholas and Sheylara

Sylvia, Mintea, Jean and Priss

The nice people from Waggener Edstrom

Ruth and Melvin

Wendy and Keith

Like mother like daughter

Shervon and Diana

Cheers to Ping.sg!

Rinaz, Sheylara and Jacelyn

Thirsty NTT tried to pour out the final drip of guava juice

Click to view more photos taken with Nikon D40