Now that the editor of my neighbouring magazine has left the company, I’ve been roped in to help out that publication in addition to my own. I’ve heard horror stories about that one and have seen it myself. The clients are really demanding and many of them don’t bother with tact. At all.

In my magazine, the editor is like God. He decides which article to use, who to be nice to, who not to be nice to, etc. Ad placement, the job of the sales managers and editorial assistants, also can be vetoed by the editor. So it’s a good seat to be in.

But this other magazine, the editor is a constant victim of abuse. Words like disgrace and embarrassment are commonly used by disgruntled clients. One time, the now ex-editor went to an exhibition carrying a yellow sling bag. Nothing wrong right? Continue Reading…

I had lunch at the restaurant on the 60th floor of UOB Plaza on Sunday. Some Chinese place with a lunch buffet. This was not the first time I have gone to a Chinese style buffet so I had a means of comparison in terms of food, service, and overall satisfaction.

As usual, my friends ordered the ‘most expensive things’. (No price tags were attached to the dishes but I am referring to the dishes that by tradition, command the highest prices.) So we had a few rounds of Shark’s Fin Soup (I rarely eat this because my dad’s against the whole de-finning of sharks and throwing them back into the sea to die thing), several Soon Hocks (expensive fish that usually comes fried), some Red Tilapia (not as expensive but still has some measure of costliness), and lots of prawns and scallops and other stuff. Continue Reading…

Starting work, for most of us, also means taking responsibility of our own bills. Credit card bills, phone bills, if you have your own place, rental and utilities. If you have a car, it’s even worse. Oil prices are crazy high and are expected to rise even more and more. Diesel, which was considered cheap once, is no longer the same.

For me, everyday I drive an average of 60-70 km a day. That translates to a visit to the friendly neighbourhood shell station once a week.

I used to think, before I started working that I’ll have more spending cash and also greater saving ability. I have found out this is not true. The more you earn, the more you spend. Normally, I blow my pay check by the 20th or thereabouts. A few times, I had a little trouble paying my bills. Continue Reading…

When I went to Australia not too long ago, my Dad advised me to book my hotel rooms beforehand. This would have been a good idea, if I actually knew where I would be on every night I was down under.

Anyway, to appease my old man, I made some hotel reservations for the first week that I was there. I remember the first night in Brisbane. We (Me and two friends) arrived in the evening weary from the flight (I heart SQ!!) but brimming with hope of our just-begun vacation.

So, jet lagged but hungry, we quickly relieved ourselves of luggage (in the hotel room) and ventured into town. You know that scene in 28 days later when Cillian Murphy was walking around in London(?) after he woke up from his coma? Brisbane was exactly like that, save for the occasional 7-11 (with the token Asian cashier). No cars, no people, no open shops, no cooked food! Christ!

Wait. What’s that in front? Yellow and orange lighted signboard with a burger. Burger King? I rubbed my eyes. I took a few more steps forward. My stomach demanded I take a few more. Like a farmer’s wife in Vietnam I obeyed. It was easy to. I rubbed my eyes again, not to clear them this time, but in mild disbelief. Continue Reading…

Since the advent of internet communication programs, there have been many reports of online liaisons. IRC, I remember, was a potent breeding ground for those looking for fast love or even something more. ICQ followed and catalysed the current instant messaging craze.

I recall one time when I was back in school, my friend Sil, was (as usual) chatting up a hot little number masquerading as an IBM salesgirl. So they were talking for like 20 minutes and then it was time to leave.

So Sil asked for her number. She offered him her ICQ number instead. Taken aback, he shrugged her off and sauntered away. Later on, it hit him that what he perceived as a rejection could have been the result of the evolution of courting procedures.

This afternoon, I was having lunch at Holland V with my friend, Bean. Bean was telling me about the date he was going for. So naturally I asked how he met this new girl. His answer: Facebook. Continue Reading…

I was reading my issue of Cosmo just now and came to this article about pubis grooming. Two separate accounts were included in this article. The first - An attractive young girl who presumably has been around the block. The second - a professional in her 30s. The topic of discussion: Brazilian Waxing.

The first story started off with the girl, I’ll call her Cat, reliving her virgin wax job. She was 17 and didn’t know what to expect. Led to the back room of the dingy Korean parlor, Cat was told to “strip from the waist down”.

She waited, as if in a spa waiting for the therapist to leave the room. Uncomfortably for Cat, her wax technician, Greta, waited where she stood, forcing the poor little shy girl to clumsily take her boots, then jeans and frilly panties off in full view of a stranger she’d just met minutes earlier.

Before this fateful day, she had pictured the procedure to be performed gynae style; i.e. on her back with her ankles in stirrups. It wasn’t like this.

Greta, noting Cat’s acceptable state of undress, issued a command. Continue Reading…

Nutritional ‘experts’ claim that the food we eat is directly connected to our lifespan. And specific kinds of food were listed. I read this from Sun (the American tabloid, not the UK paper) so didn’t take it so seriously. It was sort of interesting nonetheless. Won’t really be changing my diet because of one write-up.

Reading it, I realised that I already consume all of the foods listed on a regular basis, and based on the article, I have calculated my predicted lifespan. The results: Continue Reading…