Princess R.I.P. - 01 Aug 2008

I will always remember you, Princess - the love of my life.
From: Daddy

Princess Nam

10 March 2008 - 01 August 2008

Lord has brought her home to heaven

7:35pm: I have just arrived the gym and received a long distance call from DT, who's travelling in HK, telling me that Princess has just fainted, and appeared very weak. Prior to that, she has vomitted profusely. Immediately, I phoned Lynn, who was at home with Princess, to rush her to the Vet's. Likewise, without changing out of my gym attire, I packed my bag and dashed out of the Orchard building.

Location of the vet: Yishun St 71, Blk 716. A place that I have no idea how to reach and flipping through the road directory didn't help.

7:45pm: Talked to DT and Lynn on the phone. Both of them were anxious coz Princess seems to be dying. DT starting crying.

8:00pm: Lynn was reaching the vet's. Princess was almost motionless. Breathing was faint. Eyes staring out of the taxi car window. Lynn noticed Princess was getting into minor fits as she clenched her paws.

8:15pm: I was still on the road, somewhere in Ang Mo Kio, Yio Chu Kang and clueless how to get to the destination. Persistently, I drove as fast as I could and tried to figure out by reading the signboards along the way.

8:25pm: Somewhere along Yishun Ring Road. Very close to the clinic. Received DT's call. DT appeared extraordinary calm, and told me to drive slowly and carefully. What came next cut my heart like a knife. PRINCESS HAS DIED. I screamed my lungs out and prayed so hard to God to keep Princess alive. I thought DT was joking. No, this couldn't have happened to my bouncy and hyper-energetic Princess!

8:26pm: Called Lynn. It was the first time I heard her sobbing uncontrollably over the phone. She repeatedly said" Princess is dead, Princess is dead!" The phrase shot through my eardrums and I swore I almost couldn't breathe.

8:35pm: Finally. Reached Blk 716, Yishun ST 71. Banged so hard and the gate opened; Dr. Kenneth greeted me gently, but looked very solemn. I ran into the consultation room and saw Lynn squatting, face flustered, tears pouring as she kept blaming herself for causing her death because she should have taken better care of Princess.

And there Princess was, cold and motionless on the surgeon's table. I felt so dizzy and faint. I could have collapsed, but after seeing Lynn's state, I told myself to be strong. I swallowed my tears, walked towards Princess and gave her a big hug and caressed her motionless body.

Dr Kenneth had a conversation with me thereafter and suspected that Princess's death could have been caused by intoxication. She could have licked or consumed some poisonous substance. But the main reason was due to suffocation - fluids in the lungs. The fluids could have been the vomit that Princess kept swallowing during her bouts earlier.

Soon, I walked back to Princess and gave her a farewell kiss. Her eyes weren't closed. I knew she suffered a lot, even though Dr Kenneth tried to console us by saying that she has passed away peacefully. Tears welled up my already swollen eyes, but I forced myself to be calm and collected. I needed to do that for Lynn.

9:05pm: We drove off from the clinic. Lynn and Princess sat at the rear seat. On the journey back home, the car was filled with sniffing sounds and the occassional sobs from the both of us.

9:45pm: Home. Uncle had dug a grave behind the house and we buried Princess there.

11:15pm: After consoling Lynn and ensuring she was better, I left the house. I had to bid Princess a last goodbye. Drove back to the grave spot and sat down beside Princess. Tears rolled down my cheeks freely. I was alone and I have to release my emotions at that very moment, without hesitating.

"Princess, Daddy is sorry. I should have spent more time with you, to play with you and hug you more. I am very very sorry. Daddy really loves you very much. Do you know there are so many things that I want to do with you together? We can go to the beach, have a walk along the park, gardens and visits to pet farms. There is also so much that I want to tell you, do you know that?"

Sweet love, I know you are very tired at this moment. I understand. Have a long good sleep. Don't worry, God will take care of you for me until the day Daddy joins you. I promise I'll look for you then and be with you one day. Daddy promises. Don't cry, Princess. Don't cry. I know you will miss Daddy. Daddy misses you too. But for now, rest well my baby, rest well. I love you forever, I really do. "

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I'm really sorry I have to stop writing now. I can't continue anymore.

Princess, Daddy loves you always.

Just a summary of the 1st half of July

It's been a crazy, hyper-active 2 weeks for me this July. I can possibly sleep like a log now, if not for the downloading of the wonderful tunes from DJ Jack and DJ Louis on facebook at this moment.

I have commenced work, as many friends would have known by now. Although new to this electronics/printer industry, the learning curve has been steep. Taxing from all the reading and trainings, but am very very happy and blessed for a wonderful Boss, great colleagues and a caring Company.

Just last Friday, the Company had an Amazing Race recreational activity and my team was placed first! WOW!! I must have ran close to a good 10km altogether. Luckily I still had the stamina, but my poor soles went sore for the weekend. Ha ha!!! :P

Other noteworthy events included Benjamin's marvelous birthday dinner at PS Cafe and party thereafter at St James last Sunday; Kevin's fabulous trip to London and Paris, now as we speak; a fantastic dinner date with DT on 10 Jul at FunMart, Lim Chu Kang; and the blissful birth of 6 sweet puppies from our Border Collie - Snowy.

Photos of the newborns will be placed in this space soon. SO STAY TUNED! :)

Very Happy Stanley

Gimme more...Dr Brandt Suncreen NOW!!

Oh man, I have been (almost) burnt alive under the scorching sun of this sunny isle - Singapore.

To protect my skin from being damaged and getting blemishes or worse still, freckles, I purchased the Dr Brandt Daily UV Protection - SPF 30 - face colorless.

The sunscreen applies greaselessly onto my skin and as it's colorless, it actually lightens and brightens my face immediately. However, the lotion is rather thick, hence, dabble just half of a 5-cent coin should be sufficient. Don't be greedy. Less is more or risk blocking your pores and aggravating pimples from forming.

Overall, the product delivers relatively well. It's frangrance-free and a bottle like this is enough to last up to 3-4 months. The only setback is the density of the lotion. Dr Brandt Daily UV protector retails for S$70 at a 2nd storey beauty and skincare boutique at Robinsons Shopping Centre, Somerset.

Stanley's rating - 3/5

Sleepy Hollow Stanley

Insomnia, a word that rarely associates with Stanley Nam - someone who perpetually sleeps anywhere, anytime, regardless of whatever situation and scenario. And note, I never had jet lags ever, even during my cabin crew days.

Yet it has been haunting me for the past 2 weeks.

I have been wondering what is going on in me: Is it a decline in my health? No. I can still bench massively in the gym and eats well. Is it emotionally? Yeah, probably true. Guess all the pressure's been piling up onto me ever since my relationship lit the red light. In additional, the anticipation of a new job in July, changes from a busy routine to an unstructured lifestyle and the increasing responsibility towards my family amounted to a greater proportion in the stress level.

Nevertheless, like what Ms Christina A said, "I'm a fighter". Hakuna Matata (I hope I spelled right), meaning 'Be Happy, Don't Worry'. All will turn out well eventutally.

Guess I need to rely on counting sheeps for the time being. Hahaha!!

Black-eyed (Kung Fu) Panda,
Stanley

Stanley's Farewell Lunches

This is a thank you message to my dear friends at the IT company that I have just departed from:

I have enjoyed the 1 1/2 years here with you guys and ladies. Each and everyone of you are special in my heart and I shall never forget the wonderful times and joy that we have shared. I feel blessed having you and it's a pity that I have to move on. All the best and good luck in everything and have a great life.



Love,
Stanley

Prive @ Keppel Island (Must-try entertainment hangout)

Stanley was invited to attend an all-boys gathering at Prive on Sunday; and we were there to support our pal, DJ Shigeku, who was guest spinning at the decks.

The sleek and trendy bar, located at the Marina on Keppel Island (off mainland Singapore and across Sentosa), was a spectacular feast for the eyes as sparkling lights, Caribbean-styled apartments and floating yachts greeted as I stepped into the Prive Gastrobar.

The waterfront, comfy lounge sofas and dimmed lights brought about a relaxed, romantic and soothing mood for guests present. Sipping the night away with champagne and other wild concoctions of cocktails was a breeze (excuse the pun) as the airy and spacious watering hole has made me forgotten that I was in Singapore but somewhere in Brazil or the beaches along Santa Monica.

I heard the entertainment hub comes with Prive the Restaurant, a cosy 88-seater; and Prive Bakery Cafe, a must-go venue for pastries, breads and deserts lovers.

Wonderful~ Now we have another option for chill-out sessions in the future.

25 Minutes (too late) at Thai Express, Vivocity

Good service is imperative in today's wine and dine dictionary, regardless of whether it is a top notch 5-star restaurant, fast food outlets or even a snack bar along Orchard Road.

I was with my buddy at Vivocity on Sunday and being a self-proclaimed foodie (not yet a gourmet), I was spoilt for choice by the variety of eateries at the mega mall. Finally, we set our decision on Thai Express, as I have missed their beloved Pad Thai dearly.

I was surprised that we didn't have to wait for a table, considering it was dinner time on a busy weekend. Upon entering the restaurant, the hostess signalled our table at the far right corner on the side and we made our way without being ushered.

Just as we sat down on our seats, the server cleaning the table beside ours dropped his tray and spilled a whole glass of ice water on the floor, table and onto my pal's denim jeans. The poor guy looked flustered and immediately went to fetch a cloth to clear up the mess. The manager on duty came running with a stack of tissues and I thought she was offering them to my friend.

Oh boy, was I wrong.

She took the tissues and began wiping the table ONLY. We were totally ignored. Oh Lordy!

Nevermind about that, we ordered my Pad Thai and his Tom Yum Chicken broth glass noodles. While placing the orders, two girls sat down on the table next to ours (yes, that same table).

My bud and I were chatting happily and unknowingly, 25 minutes had passed. The slurping sounds of the girls eating joyfully caught my attention.

They were having Pad Thai and Tom Yum Chicken broth glass noodles. The very same order as ours, only made 10 minutes later than us.

I turned and stared at my friend. I swear the same thoughts were going through our heads - the waiteress who took our orders had given the female patrons our food.

A hungry man is an angry man. But being all poised and collected always, I kept my cool and asked for the waiteress. She strolled to our table and after hearing my enquiry, replied,"You have to wait."

In less than a minute, our dishes were chucked onto the table. Neither an apology nor eye contact were made from the waitress.

Regardless of how big the portion was or how great my Pad Thai tasted, my gastronomic experience was ruined, BIG TIME.

I swear I will never return to the same Thai Express outlet again.

Stanley's verdict (out of 5 bleats) -
(The Pad Thai has saved the restaurant from total shame)

Pietrasanta - Cool Italian Restaurant

Stanley was with his beautiful girlfriends - Josephine and Carina last Friday at Pietrasanta for a nice dinner and chill-out session.

Set in a nostalgic background of colonial old-world black and white house, this one-storey cottage restaurant is named after a small town in northern Tuscany, Italy.

We ordered quite a lot of fanfare, from mouth watering appetizers such as Black Mussels in White Wine and Fresh Tomatoes and Carpaccio Di Manzo Con Grana Padano E Ruccola, or Thinly Sliced Beer Tenderloin with Rocket Salad and Shaved Parmesan with Lemon and Extra Virgin Olive Oil Dressing.

Main course were the black squid pasta and stuffed meat penne with tomato sauce. To sweeten the deal, we had the wonderful Semifreddo Cioccolato Bianco e Muscato, or White Chocolate and Muscato Wine Parfait and Tiramisu.

The total bill - Only S$150. Not bad for the great ambience and taste, although the service was a tad slow as they had a shortage of staffs.

Stanley's verdict (out of 5 bleats) -

Here's the address:
5B Portsdown Road, #01-03 Wessex Estate, Singapore

Note: Please book in advance to guarantee a table as all nights are usually full.

Desaru Adventure in the Wild

Desaru, Malaysia. The Sand, Sea and Sun - all in one. Pure heaven.

According to desaru.com.my...

DESARU located on the eastern tip of the peninsula has clean sandy white beaches and is popular with tourists as well as locals. It is a village of casuarinas with 25km of unspoiled beaches and lush tropical forest.

The numerous resorts and hotels here cater to the budget traveler as well as families seeking fun in the sun. Among some of the many activities include golfing, horseback riding, tennis, canoeing, swimming, boating, fishing, snorkeling, jungle trekking, theme park and other sea sports.

The beaches are lined with casuarina trees dotted by rustic fishing village. To make your visit more memorable, visit Tanjung Pengelih to see the relics of World War Two and the historical relic of the Malay Johor Riau Empire at Johor Lama. One thing that keep attracts people to come back to Desaru is the beach. It's clean and no matter where you stay in any of the resorts, you can still enjoy the same clean and sandy beach.

The beach is quite unique as the sand is quite grayish but you can walk nearly 50 meters into the sea and still the depth is approximately 4 feet deep). Desaru has one of the best beach in the mainland of Johor.

My pal and I drove up a couple of months ago and I was deeply fascinated by the wonders presented in front of me. Being an outdoorsy person, I was captivated by the clean beaches and bright sun. The people seemed so relaxed, chilling in groups, drinking and having fun.

Here are some fun pics that I took during my day excursion there.

Shallow Hal...Oh Holy Cow !!

Self-confidence is a much abused phrase to use nowadays.

Magazines, TV, Books and even the internet boast about ways and tips to raise up your personal self-esteem and better your image and outlook.

Many lecture on wearing the correct clothes, color combination, makeup, hair; some talk about building a perfect body, eating well and exercising right; the rest mention crafting the perfect career and widening your social circles...blah blah blah...the list goes on.

It's only recently that we realise true self-confidence comes from within. It's not the exterior that counts, but how you feel about yourself and being comfortable in your own skin that matters.

That's why you see many labels and brands marketing their products nowadays with real women and people who undergo realistic life encounters. Gone are the days of perfect long-legged creatures, hunky adonis and fairytale stories that plastic surgeons with needles, scapels and botox fillers do not exist.

I watched Shallow Hal last midnight and was greatly amused but touched at the same time by Jack Black's love for Gywneth Paltrow. At the end of the show, Black's character decided to forgo Paltrow's oversized image but focus on her kind inner beauty.

Many people would show disbelief that such stories are unreal, and that our primitive reaction to beautiful things and beings hold true.

I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but a similar Shallow Hal incident did happen to me.

I remembered when I was in my teens, I developed an amazing feeling for this person who didn't have a great bod, smothering looks, wonderful skin, etc. But rather, this person was quite ordinary, plain looking. What I saw was the sweet kind heart for people around and the unfortunate. I was very blessed to be able to go out with this person for a good two years and I thank God for this enriching experience and also that I don't judge a person by how he or she looks on the outside.

The inside is what really matters. Trust me.

So people, quick ditch the mentality that wearing the latest high end fashion or owning loads of materialistic gains contribute to a fab self-confidence. In actual fact, wearing a simple t-shirt and jeans can be very sexy and attractive when you have a simple, kind loving heart for yourself and the people in your life.

Go, gear up now, Self-Confidence!

Stanley

Newsflash - 10 June 2008 (NEW!)

The world is a beautiful place and interesting happenings occur everyday around us. However, many of us have little time to find out about them.

So from today onwards, Stanley will present here interesting news in a nutshell that relate closely to you and me.

Here's today's newsflash

1) Apple unveils faster, cheaper iPhone

Apple will launch the newest iPhone on 11 July, which is designed for faster Internet downloads, longer talk times, and takes advantage of the high-speed network to provide GPS mapping built in. The iPhone will be available in 70 countries and will come with 2 new forms of Jap and Chinese. Prices will range from US$199 (S$272) for a eight gigabytes memory and US$299 for a model with 16 gigabytes of memory. Sexy~


2) US scientists unveil world's fastest computer

US scientists unveiled the world's fastest supercomputer, RoadRunner on Monday, a US$100 million (S$136 million) machine that for the first time has performed 1,000 trillion calculations per second in a sustained exercise. The machine may be used for civilian engineering, medicine (think HIV vaccines) and science, from developing biofuels and designing more fuel efficient cars to finding drug therapies and providing services to the financial industry. Wow!

3) Dehydrated tomatoes may fight prostate tumours

Studies has suggested that a form of carbohydrate called FruHis, found in dehydrated tomatoes, may prevent one from developing prostate tumours. Tomatoes are the savior for many men! Alleluia!

4) Smoking linked to mid-life memory loss: study

Smoking is found to pose an increased risk for memory loss in people at mid-life, a new study released on Monday found. Luckily for me, I have stopped smoking for more than 10 years already, so I will have one less worry. Keke.

5) HDB launches 382 BTO flats for sale at Marsiling

Anyone seeking a new house? HDB is offering 382 flats for sale at Marsiling under the Build-To-Order (BTO) scheme on Tuesday.The flats at Straits Vista @ Marsiling, near Woodlands Regional Centre, comprise 50 three-room and 332 four-room units. The three-room flats, with floor area of between 67 and 69 sq metres, are priced from $116,000 to $164,000, while the four-room units, with floor area of 93 to 95 sqm, will be sold at between $184,000 and $257,000.

Mean Girls..Growing up pains as a teenager in Singapore

Growing up in Singapore as a teenager can be quite scary.

From young, you are brain-washed by the society (and your parents) that the key to living life is to excel in everything, everytime.

As soon you as you reach two, you are enrolled in some nursery; three, you start learning ballet; four, the abacus; five, playing the piano or violin; the list goes on.

During Primary/Secondary school life (or Junior/Middle for the US), you are expected to score distinctions for all subjects and to be top notch in your ECAs (read: activties you do during your remaining free time except for lessons, sleep, eat and toilet/shower breaks)

No wonder we are ranked one of the most hard-working or stressed nations amongst the world in a recent global survey.

And in an attempt to escape from being labelled as an all-round achiever but individualistic, lone-ranger (or some would call nerds), many young boys and girls form cliques of their own and determine their own codes of conducts which dictate the habits, lingo, culture, and preferences of the youths in the group.

The better ones or 'atas' (high class or society) types would be like those in the Lindsay Lohan movie 'Mean Girls' - classy, pretentious and aloof.

The not-so-glam ones would be what many would call - the LV, Gucci and Prada brands-adoring Ah Bengs and Ah Lians, fashion victims of colors gone wrong but full of comaradie and justice for the brood.

But did anyone ask why is there the popularity of forming these cliques, in Singapore and everywhere across the universe? These could be some reasons, I guess.

1) Our animalistic instincts tell us that being in groups are good. Or at least by nature, we are better acustomed or work better, being together.

2) All the peer pressure of having to be in a group with same interests and virtues contributes to this phenomena. It's like how many women worship their Jimmy Choos or Bottega Veneta. It's literally the same.

3) The fear and insecurity of being alone and feeling all-powered up like some powerpuff girls or superman when they come together in a group.

To me, this is all part of growing up. Many of these youngsters will grow out of this phase when they emerge in their twenties, get into universities or embark onto their working lives. Soon enough, they will realise that they have grown to like themselves better, and to accept who they really are and be comfortable in their own skin. Many did. Well, I did. But for some who don't, hmm.. let's just give them a couple of more years then.

Life is all about having fun, so don't get too serious.

Stanley