Escapism

A very late update: I am LOST no more. Hahahahaha.. I bought my 3GS iPhone immediately after my return from KL and I am loving it so much. I promise to guard this phone with my life. I returned home from KL on 12th December 2009. It was late so I couldn't proceed to any Singtel store. The next day, I headed to Tampines Mall Singtel store before I proceeded to Goldkist Chalet at East Coast where we were to have our Wira Bukit gathering.

Upon reaching the chalet after my anticipated purchase, I was whining about how I wish I could rush home to my laptop and restore the contents of my previous iPhone to the current one via iTunes. Helzie was so sweet and offered to send me home on his bike and then back to the chalet. We braved the heavy rain in the pursuit for my happiness. I spent 2 hours at the lobby, away from the chalet, to 'work' on my phone. I was just expecting to restore my MP3, MP4 and contacts. I thought that my SMSes and photos taken from the camera phone would be gone. Imagine my joy when ALL my contents from the previous phone were COMPLETELY restored. EVERYTHING! I couldn't stop smiling and jumping. That really made my day.

It is worth paying more to get smarter phones and backing up your data consistently. When bad luck strikes, you won't be beaten too badly. I was gleeful from then onwards, until today. Amazing the power of an iPhone. Hee hee... There's not much difference between a 3GS iPhone and a 3G iPhone. The camera resolution is better and you can capture videos. There is more storage space. That's all. I find it really cool that I can upload photos and videos instantaneously to Facebook. I guess once you have a taste of the iPhone, you can't go on surviving without one anymore. Sounds ridiculous, I know! But it is TRUE! At least, for me. And a few other iPhone users that I know. *winks*

This is not Lost as in that TV drama series. This is Lost as in I FEEL SO LOST WITHOUT MY iPHONE! *wails out loudly*

I went to Sentosa on Halloween Night with a group of girlfriends. We were there to support our dear friend, Suhaila who was working at Images of Singapore - Spooktacular. They had a Halloween Special and we dressed up in the spirit of fun. We had to queue up for around 2 hours due to overwhelming response to the event. Kudos to the marketing team!

However, it was all worth it. Firstly, it was because we were kindly told to chill out at the holding area which has a lovely view of the casino under construction and we had a choice of free pepsi or sprite. We were entertained by music and good company. Secondly, there were the walking characters that 'entertained' us by shocking unsuspecting queue-rs. Kak Nani and Kak Dalifah were hiding behind me and Eeqah most of the time when we were waiting in line. There were many interesting halloween costumes worn by fellow Spooktacular-goers. There was one guy who became a bapok hantu. He had a moustache, wore a wig that he tied into two pigtails and wore a green polka-dot dress. And there was a pregnant ghost who stuffed a bunny in her tummy to make herself look pregnant. Thirdly, the Spooktacular event was really great! Kak Nani cried as she was super-spooked out! There could have been a better flow in system but the good customer management made up for everything.

We then headed for a session of more fun. I ended the night/morning at around 3 plus am and headed to a friend's place on a cab. I remembered placing my beloved iphone in my dress pockets or in my bag but according to my friend, I placed it in my bag. Upon reaching my friend's place, my iphone was no longer there. My bag was emptied and we went down to retrace my steps but there was no iphone around. I called the cab company the next day as my friend was smart enought to take a taxi receipt (a practice I shall adopt from now on) but the taxi driver claimed that there was nothing. I have a security code on my phone and its battery was dying so I have no idea if anybody found it or it is lying in some dumps.

My boyfriend said that if a Bangla or Nyonya were to find my phone and its battery had died, they probably would just throw it away. How comforting!

And that's the story of my LOST iPhone. I'm using a basic Nokia phone in the meantime. After checking with SIngtel, I discovered that it has been 12 months since I bought my iPhone so I can recontract after 9 November 2009. I can also request for a voucher after 9 November 2009. I am trying my best to be patient. Pray for good news, will you? I will update again on the outcome soon.

Love,

The Lost iPhone Owner

After graduation from Singapore Polytechnic with a diploma in Business Administration, I worked as a hotel receptionist at Royal Plaza on Scotts Hotel. Not one to be able to stand much protocols and people checking on you constantly, I left upon getting an offer to work as a reservations officer at Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel. Things started out on the right foot. I enjoyed the company and the work. Nobody breathed down my neck after I am done with my training. I came to work, knew my tasks for the day and immediately worked on them. Then, my assistant manager and supervisor left. We were already  having shortage of manpower and it got worse. HR took their time to replace the staff strength and I had to work double or triple hard. I hanged on, hoping that the situation will get better. Then, there came 2 new staff. I was ecstatic. I enthusiastically trained them and was happy with the company. Things were finally getting better!The new staff then left after some time. As I kept on hoping, deep down inside, I knew that things were not improving. So I finally left.

I had a taste of theatre when I was in polytechnic through my CCA. And I had another bite when I was invited to do a cameo role for a play put up by a professional theate group. My curiousity was further aroused. However, if I were to continue working from early morning to late night, I would not have the chance to learn more about theatre or anything else for that matter.

After that, I worked in a recruitment company and got bullied by a lady boss. She went through my emails and checked on me (and other staff) as if she had nothing better to do. I was still young and had the luxury of choice. I resigned. As I was working office hours then, my after-work hours were spent exploring the world of theatre. I went for rehearsals after work almost every day. It was tiring but fun. I grew to love acting even more.

I freelanced, doing direct marketing for a while and then my ex-boss' business partner called to invite me back to work. He had acquired the lady boss' share of the company and asked if I wanted to do marketing for him. After negotiations, I agreed.

I used to dream of climbing the corporate ladder. To be successful. Success was measured in the form of job title, social status, lifestyle and material wealth. I had my opportunity when my boss put me in-charge of a marketing project. That project was my baby. I was a 21-year old, in-charge of my own project and office at High Street Centre. Due to the responsibility, I spent late hours on that 17th floor. Sitting in the boardroom meeting with the directors of the subsidiary companies was ego-boosting as I was the youngest but the thrill lessened as time passed by.

I spent longer hours each day until I had no more time to be involved in any theatre activity. My waking moments were dedicated to work. I hate the rush-hour during going to work and back home. Watching the movie Click by Adam Sandler was inspirational and life-changing.

A thought suddenly hit me one day. I have always been thinking of what ifs. I don't want to grow old, living with the what ifs in my life without doing anything about them. As I toyed around with the idea of being a full-time freelancer, I slowly mustered the courage to actually doing it. I believe in the theory of Maslow's Hiearchy of Needs and I don't want to belong to the bottom category of only fulfilling physiological needs. I want to reach self-actualization. If I fail, I will join the herd that works to pay their bills and be unhappy about their jobs.

It has been 2 and a half years since I became a full-time freelancer and I'm still loving my job. My job is not defined nor structured. I have much freedom. I still pay my bills. I feel contented and blissful.

Dear Family & friends who don't understand what I am doing,
Please be patient. You have to work hard at your regular jobs before you get promoted. It works the same way. Don't be jealous when I wake up late and sometimes have more days off. It doesn't mean that I'm not working. I do have a proper job so stop asking when I will get a proper job. It irks me.

Love,
The Freelancer

Sewa: Jalan Raya       

Projek Cerpen: Sehati Sejiwa                                              

Since Twitter entered my life, it has grown increasingly dreary to blog. A quick update through my iPhone is enough to give me a quick fix. Technology is advancing so fast and it has intergrated into my life such that I will be a blank living object without it.

I check my email, facebook and twitter religiously. I get feverish at the thought of my iPhone disappearing on me. I create collages and do simple editing through my phone. I am highly dependable on the GPS and SG Bus Guide. I love checking out words on the Dictionary.com/Thesaurus.com application. My day can't start or end without giving the calendar application a run-through. I am kept company by the iPod. I chat for hours with my best friend in London through Skype mobile. When in doubt, I will immediately google it up. I think you get my point.

On another note, the emergence of Social Networking Sites (SNS) has created a comfortable blanket for us. It has given birth to a rising number of deluded humans. It is always nice to crawl under the blanket during a thunderstorm or escape to a fantasy world under the covers. SNS provide a false sense of companionship that seem readily available anytime to entertain one's whims. One can dubb themselves to be popular and high on that social ladder from the number of friends or followers on their list.

There are cases of stolen identities when one pretends to be another. There can be bold remarks or comments in the virtual world, which otherwise will just remain as imprisoned words in the real world. It is always interesting to chance upon these seemingly bold remarks. They come from the smart alecks who think they are exceedingly intelligent individuals. They wage a war for the fun of it. The sudden gain of power is exhilirating for them. Powerless people who must have great difficulty to have a voice in the real society. Bullies are plainly insecure people who put others down to make themselves feel good.

I find it amusing when people fucked up (excuse me for the vulgarity. Can't seem to think of a more appropriate term) their 'real' lives and try to delete themselves off. They probably thought that deleting off their Facebook account would write off their existence in this world.

Having said all that, I am still addicted to the internet. I can't live without an internet connection. I don't give a hoot about these internet bullies and no-gooders. Internet is BOOMZ! Good night everyone!

After a mad rush on last Saturday, I left Singapore for KL. It was a much-needed dosage of a drug that will offset my withdrawal symptoms temporarily. After a night of insomnia on Friday, I left for a corporate video shoot on Saturday morning. My call time was at 7.30am. We had a shoot for an MTV that will be shown at Toa Payoh HDB Hub next year. We will also be having a photoshoot this coming Saturday; for a 'screensaver' piece at one of the galleries. I think that it is pretty cool to have your picture as a 'screensaver' on a touch-screen. My screen-husband did not appear so I had a stand-in husband. I was quite amused by the husband's disappearance. Hahaha.. As promised, I ended by 9.30am and I rushed to CHIJ St Joseph's Convent to facilitate a Theatre-In-Education drama workshop by Teater Kami, together with Helzie, Hafisah, Shahani and Kak Dalifah. The workshop ended at 12.30pm and I headed to Novena Square to board 'First Coach' which will take me to KL. My coach left at 2.30pm and I arrived, exactly in 5 hours' time, in time to break fast.

Picture snatched from http://afzalmom.multiply.com

Arizal fetched me in a cab and we ate at Kampong Bahru. I wanted to have Bubur Kampong at Suraya but they were only serving drinks, probably due to the Bazaar Ramadhan so we went to one of the many cafes there instead. I had  mee tom yam while Arizal had nasi goreng thailand, which he claimed to be tasty.

Our matching Punkstar T-shirts!

We broke fast at Victory Arab Street, located at Subang Jaya on Sunday, together with Arizal's friends: Ardi, Fadilah and Hidayat. The shop was featured in Jalan-jalan Cari Makan so they wanted to check it out. The shop is a franchise of the one in Singapore. The food was so-so. The tulang came in a set of 2 small bones. We were expecting a set of 5 or 6 bones so everyone was tickled when the serving came in that form. Mee Goreng was nice but Mee Kuah was a bit of a disappointment. Other than the size, tulang was ok. I did not try the Murtabak but since there were no complaints, I suppose it's fairly acceptable to the palate.

Yat looking on in amusement and went on to sing "Di mana dia, anak kambing saya..."

It was a short trip that lasted only two nights but that would do for now. Kak Ita & her family were in KL over the weekend too so I tompang-ed her for the ride home. We stopped at Simpang Renggam to buy kuih raya and broke fast at Angsana. The food at the Bazaar Ramadhan there sedap! I reached home just in time to catch Pinggiran Ramadhan on Suria. That show truly put the viewers on an emotional rollercoaster. I'm not being biased but I honestly feel that the script is lovely, with both superficial layers and depth that could be appreciated by those who bother.

So, that marked my eventful weekend. Another exciting week lies ahead and we are halfway through the fasting month already. :)