50 shades of f**ked up indeed....

The Happiness Equation

Love + Laughter + Friends  + Family =  Happiness

It's in your hands ;)

More than Words

From artlyst.com

In no specific order:

1. platitude -  a flat, dull, or trite remark, especially one uttered as if it were fresh or profound.
2. erudition - knowledge acquired by study, research, etc.; learning; scholarship.
3. ennui - a feeling of utter weariness and discontent resulting from satiety or lack of interest; boredom-
4. affliction - a state of pain, distress, or grief; misery
5. calcified - to make or become rigid or intransigent, as in a political position.
6. licentious - going beyond customary or proper bounds or limits; disregarding rules.
7. venerate - to regard or treat with reverence; revere
8. writ large - made more obvious or prominent; "the effect of...his irregular life could be seen writ large on his gaunt features"
9. bucolic - of, pertaining to, or suggesting an idyllic rural life
10. eviscerate - to deprive of vital or essential parts
11. temerity - reckless boldness; rashness.
12. diffident - lacking confidence in one's own ability, worth, or fitness; timid; shy.
13. castigate - to criticize or reprimand severely.
14. elucidate - to make lucid or clear; throw light upon; explain: an explanation that elucidated his recent strange behavior.
15. ambivalence - uncertainty or fluctuation, especially when caused by inability to make a choice or by a simultaneous desire to say or do two opposite or conflicting things.
16. hyperbole - an extravagant statement or figure of speech not intended to be taken literally, as “to wait an eternity.”
17. punctilious - extremely attentive to punctilios;  strict or exact in the observance of the formalities or amenities of conduct or actions.
18. priapic - exaggeratedly concerned with masculinity and male sexuality.
19. turpitude - vile, shameful, or base character; depravity.
20. avuncular - of, pertaining to, or characteristic of an uncle: avuncular affection

Haters gonna hate

Boss cat strutting his stuff

Yabba Jabba

If he isn't indulging in his bloodlust during his spare time, he does enjoy collecting polka-dot ties and polishing knives. An impeccable dresser although a little shy of his own reflection. LOL

Colony of Singapore

From Wiki : Flag Of Crown Colony of Singapore

After 3 decades of my life only then I learned that my mum was born during the period of political awakening of Singapore. Singapore was part of the Straits Settlements together with Malaya under colonial rule. But the post-war aftermath and the defeat of the British gave rise to a need for a local government. The year of 1955 was the turning point leading to self-goverment independent of colonial suppression.
My maternal grandfather was registered as a British Subject " The first Singaporean elections, held in March 1948, were limited as only six of the twenty-five seats on the Legislative Council were to be elected. Only British subjects had the rights to vote, and only 23,000 or about 10% of those eligible registered to vote." Wikipedia
However, he passed away when my mum was only 7 years of age, although he was already in his 50s then.
My grandmother had to raise 6 children on her own and she was already in her 40s.
I know so little of my family history.

Ignorance is a disease.

Kiss the Chef

LOL! Yeah right..not what I had imagined but at least this is easy on the eyes yeah? hahaha

The wistful look in his eyes seemed to bore right through her. It was haunting yet captivating.
Who is this man?
"Choi SeungHyun.." she mouthed to herself as she gazed out of the window ruminatively.
There was a hunch that she couldn't shake off, that this man wasn't just an accidental stranger.
She tried to comb through the recesses of her fragmented memories to get a clue.
Images flickered through her mind like an old movie, there was a backview of tall man walking away... in another scene, she was screaming in pain as her wrists were pinned against the wall..
Her head started to throb, a droplet of cold sweat trickled down her temple as anxiety gripped her.
"Aaaahhh" she groaned and crouched her body, holding on to the kitchen counter but it was dripping wet and her hands were slipping off.
"LENA!" SungWoo hurried towards her and held her up, supporting her shoulders.
"Are you ok?! What happened?!" he panicked, one hand turning off the running tap which was overflowing the kitchen sink and the other gripping onto to Lena tightly.
She tried to look up at him but her vision was still blurred.
"Kenchana.. Relax and take slow breaths. Here, sit down" he led her to the couch then gently rubbing her back to calm her senses.
"Mianhe Oppa" Lena slowly apologized once her nerves were calmed down.
 "Lena-ah.. you gave me a shock when I saw you collapsing and the kitchen floor was almost flooded. What if you fell and hurt yourself?! What if I wasn't around? Aish..." he half-exclaimed, half-chastised her.
Lena bowed her head sheepishly.
SungWoo covered her hands and assured her "Please be more careful ok Lena? Don't force yourself to remember the past. It will come back to you when the time is right. Promise me ok Lena? I may not be here all the time to look out for you and YoungBae needs you too. "
"Yeh Oppa, I promised." Lena smiled faintly and massaged her temple.
"YoungBae-ah" she tried to stand up to look for her boy but SungWoo held her shoulders firmly and settled her back onto the couch.
"You're weak and the kitchen is still slippery, rest here for awhile and I'll fix it. Arasseo?"
She tried to open her mouth to protest but he widened his glare at her; making her clamp her mouth shut instead and nodded. She knew how assertive her brother can be but she feels guilty for having to take care of his little sister. Although he does have a point; she can't imagine if she had gotten into a mishap, what would happen to her YoungBae? She shuddered at that thought and chided herself for not thinking of the people around her. YoungBae is already missing his real father and although SungWoo has been there as his godfather, they still don't make a complete family nucleus. 
I must stay strong for my YoungBae. She reminded herself.

The sound of tiny feet padding across the hall broke her from her thoughts.
 "Umma" YoungBae climbed up the couch to join her.
"Yes my YoungBae, what have you been up to?"
"I cleaned myself up Umma!" He stuck his chest out proudly even though his shirt was worn the other way around and his hair was still unkempt.
Lena smiled and patted his head "YoungBae is such a good boy" reminded herself to give him another shower before bedtime.
"Umma.. I'm hungry, can we have dinner?"
She looked at the clock, it was almost 7pm and she hadn't prepared their dinner.
"Omo" she gasped and hurried toward the kitchen.

She was surprised at the sight of her handsome brother decked out in a frilly apron and fussing over the bubbling pot on the hot stove.
"Oppa..."
"Dinner coming right up! I hope you like kimchi because we're having a kimchi-feast!Kimchi jigae, kimchi fried-rice and kimchi pancake!" He swirled and smiled broadly at the mother and son, while brandishing the soup ladle in the air.
Youngbae started giggling at the sight of his usually-cool godfather trying to look domesticated.
"Hey Hey YoungBae-ah, where are your manners? "
"Oppa.. I didn't know you could cook?! It smells wonderful! "
"Lena-ah.. Of course I can cook, I was living alone in the States, do you expect me to eat take-out everyday? But..... I can only make kimchi dishes." He laughed cheekily.
"Thank you Oppa, you're so sweet... Mianhe I troubled you again. Is there anything you need be to help you with?" Lena flustered.
"Kenchana, Lena-ah just sit-down and relax ok? I don't normally cook, but since you weren't feeling too good, let me do this once ok? Who knows? You might not want me to step into the kitchen again after today? Haha " He jested and turned towards the hot-pot to stir the contents.
"Lena-ah.. Seunghyun-ssi, the man we met at the playground today. What do you think of him? "
She arched her brow in surprise by his question.
 Beep.. the message alert sounded on her phone.

1 New Message from SeungHyun:

Hi Lena, there's a carnival at the park this weekend. Would you like to go? I am sure YoungBae will have fun there. :)

"Speak of the devil..." SungWoo teased, jumping right beside Lena, startling her.

"Oppa!" Lena eyed him coyly, embarassed by his incessant teasing.

SungWoo laughed out and turned to Youngbae, " YoungBae-ah how would you like to go to the carnival with the Ajussi you met at the playground today?"

"Yay! I like that Ahjussi! Please Umma.. can we go? " he pleaded at her with his doe eyes, tugging at her sleeve.
" Hmmm.. ok ok Youngbae, anything for my dear boy" she relented and rolled her eyes at SungWoo who responded with a innocent shrug.

*

SeungHyun stared at his phone after hitting the send button.

Aish, I shouldn't have contacted her so soon, what if I scared her away? !Arghh...

He cursed under his breath and paced up and down his room. SeungHyun has always been self-assured and confident in all his endeavors. As long as he sets his mind to it, the outcome will always materialize to his expectations. Being the youngest CIO in the history of Korea Investment Corporation, he helms a staff strength of over 400 and is overseeing the investment of the nation's foreign exchange reserves worth billions. As they always say, it is always lonely at the top and the path to his success has been fraught with adversities and sacrifices. He used to remind himself that it will never be easy and collateral damage is necessary; he can't allow himself to be weak at any point in order to reach his goal. Over the course of his climb up the corporate ladder, the people close to him grew lesser as the change in him was drastic. He grew suspicious of others, trusting only a few and eventually only himself.

He looked out the full-length windows of his Gangnam penthouse apartment, the view of the might Han River barely visible in the early evening; flanked by a cacophony of apartments and houses which illuminated along the length of its banks. He let out a sigh and thought to himself like he did every night.

Was it worth it?

He loosened his silk tie and undid the top 2 buttons of his dress shirt; releasing his silver cuff links and dropped them on the marble counter top.

He reached over the bar counter and poured himself a glass of whiskey from the crystal carafe.

It was emptied within seconds and he helped himself to another glass, swirling its contents before gulping it down without any gratification.

It was his nightly routine for the past 4 years, his daily dose of vice or intoxication;  alone or with the company of strangers. Men with something to offer in return for a cut of the corporate pie or women who will offer their bodies in return for one night with one of the top eligible bachelors in Seoul.

How addictive it was to weld his power and charm to make men and women alike to do his bidding.

It stoked the flames of his ego and greed, to see how pathetic these people grovel around him to get into his good favour.

While he was out hobnobbing till the early hours of the morning, someone was always waiting for him at home.

Even when he tumbled into the house in a drunken stupor and fell asleep on the couch or when he stayed out all night with one of the random wanton women whose name or faces did not matter to him.

She still waited.

He never knew of course, their relationship had been strained but it wasn't always like that.

She was only 20 when they announced to her the decision of an arranged marriage with the only son of another prominent Korean family. Her parents were getting on with age and already in their late 50s. She has an older brother who was the l'enfant terrible and rebel of the family; he left for the U.S. when he was just 18, with nothing but a suitcase and drive for independence; and swore never to return until he became a self-made man.

Her parents have been a childless couple after years of marriage but they yearned for family of their own so they went to the orphanage and immediately took a liking to little Lena . She was a vision of a little angel with her doe eyes and soft features. They spotted her when she helped a smaller child who dropped his milk bottle, he was wailing but she managed to coaxed him back with a smile. They had intended to only adopt one child but Lena started tearing and wouldn't leave without her protective Oppa, SungWoo who came rushing to her side and held her tightly in his arms refusing to let go. Their hearts softened at the two sworn siblings who would perish without the other, so they decided to take in the both.
Lena was an exemplary young girl who was virtuous and studious with a heart of gold; which could be her own undoing as she was too trusting. She always believed the best in everyone. Especially SeungHyun.

Written in the stars

Who knew that my fate and also of my blood kin were determined by my grandad's burial site?!
@_@
Evidently, the Kuan family descendents will never be able to lead simple lives.

I had a dream...

.. of KJK?! Oddly enough this isn't the first occurence.. Why don't the hot guys show up in my dreams instead? Big Bang pleeezzee *wishful hahaha

THE Christian Perchance?

Source: google.com via Fifty Shades on Pinterest

Grey

DOMINANT

submissive

Remember

The Story of Us.

Hmmm.. how should the story of my protagonists pan out?

Take what you need
Insatiable world
You'll never bleed on my colors for me
Rage in your words scream out in fear
They just get lost in the cold night sky

Almost ..

Lol not exactly the picture I had in mind but this isn't too bad eh?

"Lena... Hmmm... would you.. Can I .." His heart was pounding against his chest as he wrung his hands nervously.
"Appa!!!"
He was jolted out of his reverie by Youngbae's voice ringing across the playground.
Appa?! Did I hear him correctly?
"Appa!!! " Youngbae shrieked again and started towards a young man making his way towards them.
He spotted aviator shades and a slicked-back undercut hairstyle. Decked out in simple white fitted v-neck tee and dark jeans that showed his lean physique, he ambled towards the group.
Seunghyun froze onto the spot. His chest tightened, looking on as the stranger lifted Youngbae effortlessly by his arms and spun him around briefly as Youngbae burst into a fit of giggles, having the time of his life.
He placed Youngbae safely back onto the ground and turned towards a smiling Lena, who embraced him tightly. Seunghyun's eyes widened, he felt a lump in his throat but he couldn't make a sound.
No!! An ya.. My guy checked and she's a single mother and she wasn't attached or dating anyone now.. How can this be?! Who is this prick waltzing in like that trying to be Youngbae's Appa?!
Feeling both furious and dumbfounded, he narrowed his gaze and eyed the stranger suspiciously; who reciprocated with the same hostile glare.
"Bae-ah, how many times have I told you, not to ... "
The other male interjected " How is my dearest Daeja* ? " as he ruffled Youngbae's hair.
Seunghyun heaved a barely audible sigh of relief and relaxed his brow. Unaware that the other male noticed this subtle change in expression.
He smirked at him with a glint of smugness in his eyes.
Suenghyun gritted his teeth and approached warily.
So he is just his Godson, not his Appa; but why did Youngbae address him that way? 
"Yay! Umma, this is one of my happiest days here! Appa and Ahjussi are both here to play with me! " He readily grabbed both men by each arm and pulled them towards him.
"Looks like Youngbae made a new friend huh?" he smirked at Seunghyun.
"Appa Appa! Meet my new friend! Ahjussi...? "Youngbae looked at Seunghyun quizzically.
"Seunghyun. I'm Choi SeungHyun. Nice to meet you. And you are...? " He stretched his hands out towards the other male and was greeted by a firm handshake.
"I'm Park SangWook, you can call me SangWook or Brandon." he smiled confidently, curling the side of his mouth.
Seunghyun cocked his brow at the Western monicker.
"Oh.." SangWook (or Brandon) chuckled, "I just returned to Korea after living in US. for a good part of my life."
Park SangWook. There's a familiar ring to his name but I can't seem to put a finger on it. Lena's family name is Park too. No! They can't be married, I would have known! Lena definitely didn't have any ring on her fingers. He cast a surreptitious glance at Lena's hands just to be sure.

"Hey, Seunghyun-ssi; you seem to be pretty interested in Lena? " He quizzed and chuckled at him.
Seunghyun was caught off-guard and let out a short nervous laugh.
Aish.. damn you Brandon, Brad, Bran.. whatever!
"Oppa.. " she nudged SangWook and gave an awkward smile at SeungHyun.
Lena-ah I'm your Oppa instead....
"Aniyo.. Aniyo.." Seunghyun started and waved his hands defensively.
" I just think that Youngbae is a very bright and intelligent young boy. Lena-ssi must have brought him up well. "He looked at Lena sincerely and tried to extend it towards SangWook through gritted teeth.  "And you are a lucky man to have such a capable wife and lovely son." Seunghyun expressed earnestly, trying to mask the tinge of poignancy in his voice.
SungWook burst out with laughter and Lena covered her mouth with embarassment.
"Ahhh.. what are you adults talking about? What so funny! ? " Youngbae tugged at his mother's arm with a mixed expression of confusion and curiosity.
Seunghyun was equally nonplussed. He looked at Lena imploringly and back at SangWook.
"Ah Seunghyun-ssi, you are a funny fella. Hahaha. No wonder you kept looking at Lena in that funny manner."
Seunghyun widened his gaze, "Aniyo.. What..?"
SangWook nudged his side and winked, " Don't worry buddy.I know that my dongsaeng is very popular with the guys. But I'm afraid you'll have to take a Q number and get past her Oppa first." SangWook slapped his back, causing Seunghyun to almost choke with surprise.
Seunghyun caught his breath and broke into an sheepish smile as he couldn't help feeling relieved at the revelation.
"Oppa... stop bothering SeungHyun-ssi." She flustered and a rosy hue crept up her cheeks as she lowered her gaze.
SangWook led a frustrated Youngbae back to the playground, "Appa-ah.. what are you talking about? Why is Umma blushing? Argh...You adults are no fun at all.. " he muttered grumpily.
"Oppa.. it's time to bring Youngbae home!" She called out after the 2 boys, SangWook may be her Oppa, but his cheeky and impish nature does make her wonder which one of them is more like the older sibling.

Park SangWook? Why haven't I heard of him before? Lena never mentioned to me about him. She never talked much about her family. He doesn't seem to know who am I.. Hmmm.. Good thing he wasn't in Korea when all this happened. Only then Seunghyun realised he never knew much about Lena beyond their then-married life. He scarcely payed attention to her nor expressed any concern over her matters that didn't seem to be any relevance or consequence to him.  Choi Seunghyun, you were such a selfish bastard. He chided  himself under his breath.
"SeungHyun-ssi.. Sorry, I remembered you wanted to tell me something until my Oppa interuppted us"
SeungHyun was startled by her sweet voice. His heart started to race again.
"Hmm Lena-ssi.. You can call me SeungHyun-ah. I.. hmm.. " He stuttered.
"I was wondering if you would like to have coffee sometime? ..With ..Youngbae of course! ..Only.. if you don't mind." He stumbled over his words, rambling on to fill any awkward silence that might follow and anticipated hopefully for her acceptance or rejection.
She let out a soft laugh, amused by the way he bumbled. He was almost a complete stranger, her head reminded her to be cautious of opening up to someone beyond her tight circle of her family and close friends. Her heart whispered for her to keep an open mind, somehow she felt that she could trust this man and he does seem sincere, considering what her Oppa had just put him through. "Yeh SeungHyun.. ah. I don't mind and I think Youngbae would like it too."
The day was almost over with the egg-yolk of a Sun still smouldering in its full glory before bidding adieu. There was nary a cloud in sight for most of the day, ensuring that the heat was beating down with full force onto anyone bold enough to be out of the shade. The crimson-orange orb caused him to squint as Lena was standing against the western horizon. Her simple white cotton sundress almost rendered translucent by the relentless rays outlining the silhouette of her slender frame. SeungHyun has always been captivated by her simple beauty. How could such a beautiful creature go through such pain?
SeungHyun beamed at her and promptly saved her number onto his mobile (although her already had it in his phonebook).
"Thank you Lena! I will call you next week, neh?"
She nodded, he responded with a wide smile.
Turning towards Youngbae and SangWook. He lowered himself and patted Youngbae's head. " See you soon Youngbae-ah. Good bye and take care of your Umma ok? " Winking at Youngbae. "Byebye Ahjussi! Come play with me again ok? " He grinned and waved at SeungHyun.

"Yah SeungHyun-ah!" SeungHyun paused, astounded by SangWook's brashness. He was after all Lena's Oppa, he definitely couldn't risk offending him in anyway if he wanted to get Lena back.
SeungHyun forced a smile. "Yeh, SangWook err.. Brandon Hyung-nim, it was nice to meet you."
"Remember what I told you earlier SeungHyun.." He winked and cast a knowing glance at him.
SeungHyun attempted to keep a poker face and waved his goodbyes at them; unable to contain how indignant he felt towards SangWook any longer.
Damn you SangWook Brandon !#$% If you weren't related to Lena by blood I would have kicked your snotty ass into oblivion. Count yourself lucky... Aish!
He grinned at his phone and contemplated texting Lena, but he held back his impulses. Reminding himself that he has to grasp this second chance by the reins and he can't lose her again.
Choi SeungHyun, you have to make it right this time.
Will you really give me second chance Lena?

yawn.. bedtime..This story needs more fire! rawwrr!


*Daeja 대자- Godson


The right music always sets the right mood.

Random Fiction with a hallyu twist

He clambered up the steps gingerly but surely, determined to reach his goal - the top of the slide. Tiny fingers gripped onto the handlebars, his bright eyes sparkling with anticipation and his mouth agaped with excitement, baring his milk teeth. The sun was beating down mercilessly on the balmy June afternoon. In spite of the elements against his odds with the beads of perspiration gathered upon his furrowed brow, he hurled himself up the next step. Almost there... he thought. His sweaty palms start to lose grip and slowly slipped away from the final hurdle. He was about to wail upon his fall when he felt a strong arm lifting his body, stopping the fall. The stranger supported his shoulders without effort, propped him back up onto the ladder and gazed into his eyes. Who is this strange Ahjussi? "Go on Youngbae, you can do it" he urged with a gentle smile and encouraging push onto his back. "Ahjussi.. you know my name?" He looked back at the stranger with a mix of curiosity and apprehension. His Umma cautioned him to be wary of strangers. But he does not fear this Ahjussi, his slight smile and gentle eyes gave him an odd sense of familiarity.
Seunghyun lightly chuckled and the corner of his eyes crinkled, which belied his usually cool and detached mien.
"Go on.." he gently spurred him on.
He switched his attention back to his goal. Climbing back to the top with a renewed ferocity. Beaming to himself.
He was giggling and clapping his hands with glee as he descended the slide with a whoosh.
He looked around for the Ahjussi but he spotted his Umma instead.
"Umma!"
He scurried towards her and collided into her legs and hugged her.
"Umma! I did it!" He gazed at her with pride and satisfaction, happiness written all over his face along with sweat and grains of sand scattered along his arms.
"Oh my sweet youngbae-ah! Umma is so proud of you!" she cooed at him and stroke his soft hair away from his face. Dabbing the dampness away from his forehead and cupid's bow; she smiled at her son and gave him a peck. She has naturally dark locks with a hint of mahogany, set against her alabaster skin. Her brown eyes were as warm as her smile. A gentle breeze lifted up wisps of her hair, as it glistened under the summer sun. Casting a warm halo around her head, she looked like an angel, a perfect being. Perfect except for the scars of her past. As she held him, she didn't noticed that a man was admiring this exchange between a mother and son from a distance.
Seunghyun glanced surreptitiously in their direction with a turmoil of emotions raging through him.
He hung his head low as he covered his eyes.
Why? Why didn't I love her back the way she loved me?
Why did I have to hurt her?
Is this the only way I can make her happy again? 
Youngbae could have called me his Appa... 
Youngbae has his eyes, his fire. But he has his Umma's sweet, genial smile.

He looked upon them and he's resting on her lap while sipping from his juicebox. Lena looking on her son and smiling with content.
He closed his eyes and a memory flashed across his mind as she gave him the same smile after placing the ring on her dainty fingers. Her smile had faded as the years went by, to be replaced by her tears and tortured screams.
He tightened his jaw and balled up his fists.
Maybe..if we could start anew? Make new memories as we build a new life together? Together with our son Youngbae. We would be a complete and happy family. I would do everything in my capacity to make it right this time, for you, and for our son.
Forgive me please.
He gathered his courage and stood up. Approaching them apprehensively. His breathed quickened and his palms moist.
Youngbae was smiling to himself then he saw Seunghyun approaching.
Casting a tall, handsome figure with his fringe sweeping across his dark eyes upon his pale skin. He could have been one of the young eligible bachelors roving around downtown Seoul with his polished looks and confident stride. But beneath this facade lies a broken man, chained to his past. A past he cannot hide. A past which he must face. He took a deep breath.
Youngbae's eyes lit up and he tugged at his mother. "Umma umma! That's the Ahjussi that helped me get up to the top. I almost fell off. " he exclaimed while pointing to Seunghyun.
Seunghyun was nervous but he smiled gently at Youngbae and winked.
Youngbae giggled at him.
Lena turned to Seunghyun and looked at him blankly.
"Ahn yong .. Son-saeng-nim.. thank you for your help! My boy is a clumsy one." she started and bowed at him.
"Ani.. he is a strong boy.. Le- " Seunghyun stopped himself and chuckled; turning towards Youngbae, patting his head.
Youngbae beamed to himself and grabbed Seunghyun's fingers. "Come play with my Ahjussi!" As he tried to drag him towards the sandbox.
Lena held back Youngbae and chided him, "No Youngbae, you have had enough playtime the whole day and you've got yourself dirty all over, it's time to head home and shower my dear."
Youngbae pouted, crossed his arms and looked down onto the floor.
Lena coaxed him, " but I will reward my dear Youngbae with your favourite ice cream."
His expression soften as he grinned and his eyes crinkled, just like the way Seunghyun's did.
Seunghyun couldn't help but broke into a smile at Youngbae. His son.
Not noticing that Lena was eyeing him with curioisty as she sensed a familiarity. He shared the same eyes as her Youngbae. Thick lashes that shield those dark orbs, emanating a sense of mystery and intensity.
Seunghyun offered his hand " I'm Seunghyun, Youngbae is a very special boy, you brought him up well."
Lena took his hand tentatively.
Her soft hands were marred by a 3 inch-long scar running lengthwise across. Seunghyun saw and a pang tugged at his chest. Resisting the urge to cupped her hands and soothe her scar, Seunghyun gazed into her eyes with emotion. Lena was slightly taken aback by his intense gaze, quickly looking away. She cleared her throat and said:
"You can call me Lena. My Youngbae-ah.. he's a handful even before he came into this world. But he is my child and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat."

Lena, my jagiya...
"Omo, I might have said too much, sorry but I do feel like I have known you somewhere before .." she trailed and furrowed her brow pensively.
Afraid that her thoughts will trigger memories of the past. Seunghyun quickly added "Oh I do stroll around this park frequently as I live around the neighborhood, you might have seen me before but we haven't actually met." He lied, every weekend, he would take a drive here to the outskirts all the way from the heart of Seoul, just to catch a glimpse of them. The forlorn man has been watching from a distance at the mother and son's bonding. He could have been a part of it. Almost.


(... to be continued) coz it's past bedtime!
Gosh ! how i love writing fiction!



This song would be apt to set the mood for the story. Enjoy!

Food for thought

If only I hunger for knowledge as much as I crave for junk food. hah!

Beautifool.

From the looks of my word-centric, lo-visual blog posts, who would have thought that I would be such a shopping and beauty junkie.
If Becky were the epitome of a certified Shopaholic.
I would indeed be a well-qualified candidate for shopaholic-anonymous.
Reason-being, i'm busy shopping- online, offline, scouring the beauty blogs for the latest hope-in-a-bottle.
Spinning the roulette on G-market (now known as Q100).
Checking-out the latest trends that I get lured into clicking 'Buy Now' but with nary a chance to show it off thanks to the extreme climate.

Let's take a peep into my latest spoils. I use the term peep because this just the tip of the iceberg-bursting-out-of-my-wardrobe.

I went for my 1st gelish manicure after learning about the hype and looking at the pretty nails on my friends. I'm not the type to fork out $ on beautifying my nails, I'd rather get my own nail-polish (which i wouldn't pay over $10 for) and DIY to less than fantastic results. Still, I'm not the manicure kind-of girl. I don't even use a nail-file! Oops =X

Anyway, I got this Gelish manicure done only because of a Groupon deal (yeah another weakness of mine haha). This was done at Tinkerbelle Far East Plaza, it was tuck away in one of the quiet corridors and the manicurists seemed more interest in everything else but my nails. It didn't turn out as I expected (I don't like squarish nails eeks i don't know why) and there was alittle too much white polish, I was looking for more of a french-manicure with a touch of glitterish-glam. She didn't exactly ask me before-hand, only that I choose from a tray of samples. And I did have to top-up $10 for this, totaling to a $35 (including soak-off).
It looks prettier in the photo though, thanks to Instagram! LOL, such a god-send.
I'm clutching a tube of Skin-food Peach Green Tea BB Cream from the Good Afternoon tea series, got it off G-market for $7+ $5 shipping thanks to a group-buy deal.
Smells pleasant with a faint whiff of peach and it's for oily skin, although the oil-control isn't anything to shout about, it was definitely a vast improvement over the Aloe Hydrating BB Cream.
Which presents quite a 
paradox since I'm comparing Apples with Oranges?

My skin is diagnosed with a chronic identity-crisis.
It's combination and acne-prone. My face oils-up in less than an hr after cleansing. But my chin, mouth area and jaw-line is prone to flaking and even peeling if i apply anything too harsh to curb the oil and zap the never-ending zits. argghhh. On top of that, I'm not desk-bound thus exposing myself to extreme dryness (indoors) and humidity and UV-rays outdoors. Masking my imperfections with makeup doesn't improve the condition of my skin either. So, I'm taking a beating here.

Hence, I'm on the perpetual pursuit of hope-in-a-bottle even if it's as real as Thor (hotness! lol)

Oh April!

I missed this eventful month all-together!
Playing.
Changing.
Pondering.
Procrastinating.
Regressing.
Don't stop.

Twinkle in the grey....

Twinkle in the grey
Lines culminate to curves
Pulsating with a spark
They all come together
A supernova.

Ponder..

...rosa! hahaha yet another random nostalgic moment hmmm :D I still recall that before Sizzler there was this salad-themed restaurant back in my younger and blissful days of ignorance. Then, salad isn't the $15 a pop of iceberg lettuce with a smattering of nuts and chilled flakes of chicken breast *brrr...which is the current trend of salad-stops/shops whatnots.
It was a all-you-can-eat of all sorts of greens with heaps of 1000 island dressing topped with croutons, oh and there's ice cream too. Well, this is all served together with your main course, of course!

This post isn't about food though, I can't help but digress into the simpler things in life. Teehee!

Hesitation and procrastination.

Why do I hesitate and procrastinate to push pen to paper and allow my creative juices flourish into prose of wit, colour and intellect?

Firstly, my handwriting is next to illegible, so pushing fingers to buttons would be more apt in this age of digital media? haha

Secondly, I could be prone to lofty delusions of grandeur of my proficiency in the words of Man.
Having said that (I hear this phrase every other day.. doh) How is anything man-made anything more than a tool that we exploit for our own convenience? I do find it irreconcilable the very concept of conferring these objects/subjects on a pedestal?

Yes, the metaphysical-dilemma bug has bit me again.
So now.
I write. (or type?)

Operation GMAT: First Wave

Analysis of an Argument

For the Analysis of an Argument task, you will need to analyze the reasoning behind a given argument and then write a critique of that argument.

• What Is Measured —
• Directions —
• Strategies —
• Scoring Guide

What Is Measured

The Analysis of an Argument task tests your ability to formulate an appropriate and constructive critique of a specific conclusion based upon a specific line of thinking.

Directions

In this section, you will be asked to write a critique of the argument presented. You are not being asked to present your own views on the subject.
Writing Your Response: Before you begin writing, take a few minutes to evaluate the argument and plan a response. Be sure to organize your ideas and develop them fully, but leave time to reread your response and make any revisions you think are necessary. You have 30 minutes to complete your response.
Evaluation of Your Response: Your essay will be given two independent ratings, one of which may be performed by an electronic system that evaluates more than 50 structural and linguistic features, including organization of ideas, syntactic variety, and topical analysis. Trained raters with backgrounds in various subject-matter areas, including management education, will also evaluate the overall quality of your thinking and writing. They will consider how well you—

• identify important features of the argument and analyze them,
• organize your analysis of the argument presented,
• provide relevant supporting reasons and examples, and
• control the elements of standard written English.

Strategies

There are several basic steps you can take to be certain that you answer the questions that are being asked.

• Ask yourself questions
  Your task is to analyze and critique a line of thinking or reasoning. Get used to asking yourself questions like the following:
  
  • What questionable assumptions might underlie the thinking?
  • What counterexamples might be raised?
  • What additional evidence might prove useful in fully and fairly evaluating the reasoning?
• Use well-developed illustrations and examples
  When discussing alternative explanations or counterexamples, introduce illustrations and examples drawn from your observations, experiences, or reading. Do not simply list examples; develop them.
  
• Make your response read like a discussion
  Your finished response to this writing task should not read like an outline. It should read like a discussion with full sentences, a coherent organizational scheme, logical transitions between points, and appropriately introduced and developed examples.

Scoring Guide

This section is designed to give you an idea how your essay will be scored. There are sample essays and answer explanations for scores of 2, 4, and 6 based on the following topic:
The following appeared in the editorial section of a monthly business newsmagazine.
“Most companies would agree that as the risk of physical injury occurring on the job increases, the wages paid to employees should also increase. Therefore, it makes financial sense for employers to make the workplace safer: they could thus reduce their payroll expenses and save money.”
Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument. Be sure to analyze the line of reasoning and the use of evidence in the argument. For example, you may need to consider what questionable assumptions underlie the thinking and what alternative explanations or counterexamples might weaken the conclusion. You can also discuss what sort of evidence would strengthen or refute the argument, what changes in the argument would make it more logically sound, and what, if anything, would help you better evaluate its conclusion.

	OUTSTANDING: 6 A 6 paper presents a cogent, well-articulated critique of the argument and demonstrates mastery of the elements of effective writing. A typical paper in this category— clearly identifies important features of the argument and analyzes them insightfully; develops ideas cogently, organizes them logically, and connects them with clear transitions; effectively supports the main points of the critique; demonstrates control of language, including diction and syntactic variety; and demonstrates facility with the conventions of standard written English but may have minor flaws.
	STRONG: 5 A 5 paper presents a well-developed critique of the argument and demonstrates good control of the elements of effective writing. A typical paper in this category— clearly identifies important features of the argument and analyzes them in a generally thoughtful way; develops ideas clearly, organizes them logically, and connects them with clear transitions; sensibly supports the main points of the critique; demonstrates control of language, including diction and syntactic variety; and demonstrates facility with the conventions of standard written English but may have minor flaws.
	ADEQUATE: 4 A 4 paper presents a competent critique of the argument and demonstrates adequate control of the elements of writing. A typical paper in this category— identifies and analyzes important features of the argument; develops and organizes ideas satisfactorily but may not connect them with transitions; supports the main points of the critique; demonstrates sufficient control of language to convey ideas with reasonable clarity; and generally follows the conventions of standard written English but may have flaws.
	LIMITED: 3 A 3 paper demonstrates some competence in analytical writing skills and in its control of the elements of writing but is plainly flawed. A typical paper in this category exhibits one or more of the following characteristics: does not identify or analyze most of the important features of the argument, although some analysis of the argument is present mainly analyzes tangential or irrelevant matters, or reasons poorly is limited in the logical development and organization of ideas offers support of little relevance and value for points of the critique does not convey meaning clearly contains occasional major errors or frequent minor errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics
	SERIOUSLY FLAWED: 2 A 2 paper demonstrates serious weaknesses in analytical writing skills. A typical paper in this category exhibits one or more of the following characteristics: does not present a critique based on logical analysis, but may instead present the writer’s own views on the subject does not develop ideas, or is disorganized and illogical provides little, if any, relevant or reasonable support has serious and frequent problems in the use of language and in sentence structure contains numerous errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics that interfere with meaning
	FUNDAMENTALLY DEFICIENT: 1 A 1 paper demonstrates fundamental deficiencies in analytical writing skills. A typical paper in this category exhibits one or more of the following characteristics: provides little evidence of the ability to understand and analyze the argument provides little evidence of the ability to develop an organized response has severe and persistent errors in language and sentence structure contains a pervasive pattern of errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics that results in incoherence
	BLANK OR OFF TOPIC: 0 Any of the following will result in a score of “zero”: off-topic or blank response in a foreign language merely attempts to copy the topic consists only of keystroke characters

Pensive for a pensieve

A wand would be handy too!
Though this would very much denounce the principles of physics and thwart the laws of nature.
How interesting this would be. If only...

无奈

人生为何如此的无可奈何?

Happiness..

How do you know when you're truly happy ?
When reality is better than your dreams.

I smiled at this one ;)

Just coz

:)

In a nutshell

Quoted from a AFP article on Yahoo News:

"Singapore has a population of just over five million. Most are dependent on public transport because of the prohibitive cost of cars.

Military training is mandatory for young men, emergency drills are held regularly and officials repeatedly warn that the wealthy island, a staunch US ally, is a prime target for attacks by extremist groups in Southeast Asia."

The author could have added that we have been under the ironfisted rule of a certain political dynasty, that would have described our corporation little country quite succinctly.

So let's set the world on fire...

I don't care for the show and flimsy plot but they make great covers with awesome scenes :D

Good Riddance and a Happy New Year

Good Riddance I say to the people and peeves that played a part in making 2011 a less than desirable year for me.
The dawn of a new year indeed brings about the hope of starting anew on a clean slate but procrastination and baggage does hamper the confidence and motivation to follow through your resolutions to fruition. I shan't delve into the misadventures of yesteryear. You can probably glean from my previous postings :P heh
The moments into 2012 didn't pan out as expected, and it did stay that way til I got myself out of that funk.
And funky isn't good if it starts growing on your wardrobe.. eewww
Oh and I hurt my leg too for the first time in this strange area, there was a swelling just above my ankle below the shin area..*groan...
And I've been partying and feasting too much ever since Zoukout! haha
Chinese New Year goodies come to me!
Enough of the griping! Oops...
We watched the critically un-acclaimed and cliche New Year's Eve on New Years Day ;) with really odd couplings? I mean Josh Duhamel and SJP? Zac Efron and an unrecognisable Michelle Pfeiffer. @_@
Even so, I was a sucker for this feel good movie, it doesn't hurt that the cute guys made it easier on the eyes hahaha.
I guess the message is that life is easier if you look as good as them. Kidding :P
Oh and that you can make a career out of dropping a ball, only in America.

And Ashton Kutcher with Rachel Berry?! He's not too hot anymore, and he probably didn't need much effort in this role, especially in the wardrobe department haha.

The take home message for me is, don't hold back and don't be afraid of the what-ifs?
I am so guilty of that.
Elizabeth Gilbert said: "People think a soul mate is your perfect fit, and that's what everyone wants. But a true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that is holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life."

I do hope that everyone will find their true soul mate one day.
Hope springs eternal.