Author Archives: avnjl

About avnjl

Amanda is a lifestyle blogger who endeavours to better herself through reflective practises. She is known to be witty and analytical although at times she seems to be talking to herself. Cooking (food and literature) is therapeutic to her, so Indulge in her and perhaps drop her a note or two along the way? ;)

Relocate?

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So PM Lee was saying what’s stopping SG people from progressing is the people’s reluctance to relocate.

I know why..
cos I’m kinda experiencing it. 😀
Alright, maybe not it’s entirety, but rather living and working alone overseas.

Hmm.. I wonder how it is if its the whole family..
So the husband gets busy bringing the bread home at work,
Parents try really hard to get their children into a good school (good is really subjective isn’t it?)
The wife, is she versatile enough to handle the situation?
Where to go get groceries besides malls and hypermarket? There’s no more convenience stall downstairs, or a quick hawker bite you can get (at least at where I stay). What about work? Her ambition, how she was? if she chose to be a housewife, can she handle the home-maker life?
Will she morph to become the typical TaiTai of that country?
How??

A well, that’s the beauty of humanity, the ability to survive, the ability to want to want to survive.

Thankfully for me,
Got a colleague who took me to the nearby “Shop and Save”. (Yippie! I can get apples!)
(but as she suggested, “far” or “near” is subjective. 😀 its a 20min walk to the location by the way. 😀 and a wet market thats about twice the distance away.)
(which is like the exact opposite in my neighbourhood back in SG, wet market is less than 10mins away, that supermarket is about twice as far away — wet market is closer to me)

Took me on a small bus ride, which is like the small version of SBS n TIBS buses, (although they have that and even a lane for those buses)

And really after looking around at a couple of colleague’s place, I really think those problems are relative.

Yes, we don’t get the usual conveniences like do in SG, yes we don’t get the Internet speed and erm.. we are different, but I think after the initial, I might just be in love with the pace here.

I think a SG that is sick of the rat race would be very comfortable here.

BUT BUT, I still love my Singapore.
Where I belong, where I left my heart and soul.
And of course my mummy and daddy.

And my friends..

And my bakerzin..
And my fish soup noodles
And my..
Okay whatever they are replaceable.

I think ultimately, when one is debt-free, pocket full of cash, work on the right hand, shelter on the left hand, no strings attached, everywhere is good.

😉

Live and let live 🙂
Slowly slowly, sinking right in.

Thanks for coming by

Be Bless
Love,
Amanda

Internet

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Was doing the last bits of work when a colleague walked over and asked me to leave and go have a life.

Deep down inside I almost feel like crying. I have no life.
My life after 7pm is dinner in decent, atas restaurants, or movies, or a chilax time at the cafe drinking tea, “stoning” away.

Or alternatively, on high speed Internet access, under the facade of Facebook that displays the lives of my friends on a monitor screen.

Or maybe streaming playlist or chosen movies on YouTube.

Or maybe clicking through the channels on tv that keeps me up to date, or tuning in to radio that stream the latest songs on air.

I missed all that.

I realize this is how I live my life in the past when I took on the career of teaching. No life. Really, I go home straight after work and well, as though sole purpose of being alive is to shape children’s life.
and after fulfilling my obligations, taking up a new lifestyle, I understood why I came out.
Because even if no one taught me to live, I am really just a human, more selfish than that. 🙂 but anyway, it was bcos of a medical condition I left and I have since then recovered. A it’s all good.

While I’m kinda lost right now, I guess I’ll find meaning in this soon enough. 🙂

Thanks for coming by

Be Bless
Love,
Amanda

Rented Room

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I remembered I used to bunk over at my ex-bf rented house during one season back then. His was. A very comfortable 3 bedroom HDB, with the nice kitchen and living room. There are times when he and his fellow countryman would cook their hometown dish in the nice big kitchen.

I can’t do that *sob* *sob*
Big *sob*

Okay, actually I can, it’s just that the bed is 3 steps away and really the last thing I want is for my bed to smell like the kitchen.

I am more than capable to cook but no way am I going to handle that man.

Anyway, it’s a couple of days over. Started with a glorious day, everything happened within a week and I’m kinda overwhelmed. But that’s for me to know.

It feels like I’ve gone back to pre-Internet times, you know when h
Tv is the only entertainment and you call or SMS friends to remain in contact.
Or perhaps visit the playground or whatever waterhole to hangout.

Good Lord… ‘Cept that there ain’t no playground or waterhole here, and well, at times getting back to the room is one of the best thing. So anyway… I guess I’m already overwhelmed by the stimulation in the work place.

Anyway… I love my bed…

Thanks for coming by

Be Bless
Love,
Amanda

Friends

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Most ‘fallen’ ministers I’ve met with said they had no-one to talk to, no trusted friends who would understand their problem.

God says, ‘It’s not good that man be alone.’

Friends are to laugh with, cry with and do life together with.

Friends are forged in fire.

Shared experience is the bases of relationship.

Be there in their ups and their downs and friendship forms.

Our destiny is locked into our friendships.

Jonathon was meant to inherit his father’s Saul’s throne, but he prepared his soul friend David for that.

How’s your friends?

Phil Pringles – Leadership Files

Thanks for coming by

Be Bless
Love,
Amanda

After 25

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Not that it is entirely applicable, but this is still interesting. 😀

Source: http://www.buzzfeed.com/jessicamisener/25-things-that-get-harder-after-age-25

While I’m not entirely familiar with all of them, this one appeals to me:

Seems like the “work” has been my freaking “dog” all these while. 😀

thanks for coming by

Be Bless
Love,
Amanda

Storytelling

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Someone complimented me saying that they thought I was a great storyteller.

Thank you, but anyone can be a great storyteller if they can be a great story-getter.

People fail to tell a story because they fail to see a story.

My friend said I make something out of nothing, that I make big things out of small things.

Thanks again, but life and death fascinate me.

Every moment, every person has a story. A wow!

If you look with wonder can you see a story right now?

Of course you can, everything illustrates something.

Look until you see the story.

Phil Pringles – Leadership Files

Thanks for coming by

Be Bless
Love,
Amanda

Educated Humor

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A lot of political and adult humor in it. Perhaps tts y its for the educated crowd, in an established school.
Those that are magnanimous enough to handle it.