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How to Torture Yourself at Your Swivel Chair

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It’s usually when the clock on my taskbar says something 13:50-ish that my mind begins to swim in daydreams of other pursuits worth losing time over, instead of me flattening my bum like a good corporate stooge, willing the same clock to fast forward to 18:00.

As if poring over mind-numbing error logs wasn’t torture enough, I frustrate myself further by thinking of other people who actually get PAID to do kick-ass fun stuff.

I've got the best job in the world!

Exhibit A: The Travel Show Host — who wouldn’t want to be that girl who gets paid to show everyone else all the fun they’re missing? Continue reading How to Torture Yourself at Your Swivel Chair →

asia, singapore, travel

What do you do when you get a white elephant?

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Paint it!

The last thing I expected from my jog was an elephant stampede, but then again, it’s the weekend, so I guess anything goes. The adorable bedecked sculptures were spotted frolicking the Botanic Gardens for the Singapore leg of the Elephant Parade Project. Continue reading What do you do when you get a white elephant? →

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2011 and Bugsy

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Coming across Paulo Coelho’s story of Ali, Aydi and the fire of friendship, I immediately thought of this gorgeous throng of kindred spirits from childhood that I am blessed to have.

For Bugsy -- my gorgeous personal beacons

As 2011 was the year I was reunited with my blood sisters, I felt that 2011 was also the year for another batch of my sisters — Bugsy. The year that just had past was momentous, to say the least — it was the year that Rina left the nest for Boston, that Tonette released her biggest film TO DATE, that KE launched their first Sole Sister mall store, that Bugsy itself pulled off our first overseas trip. Whew. A lot of leaps of faith in that list, and I’m pretty much sure I left out a lot more.

Thanks to Bugsy for being my beacons, for making me smile with the random posts and messages, for inspiring me to better myself whenever my will falters, for never failing to remind me of who I am before we were hurled into the world of career paths, credit ratings, and all the uglies of adulthood. Yes, 2012 might appear blah compared to all the adventures we had in 2011, but then again, who knows, it might be even better!

gibberish, travel

2011’s Gift of Sisters Galore (a.k.a. the ‘Ganda-mo-teh’ post)

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In the Gagno residence, we have a gaggle — a gaggle of 5 spunky girls, each of whom went their own way as they grew up, with literally an ocean between them. Yet I would remember 2011 as the year that brought all of us together under the same roof, after 5 long years of never being in the same country. Continue reading 2011’s Gift of Sisters Galore (a.k.a. the ‘Ganda-mo-teh’ post) →

asia, europe, north america, travel, video

Talent is Universal.

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I’m known to have bouts of wanting to wander aimlessly anywhere, and more often than not, these are the times when I run into street performers. I adore these chances, as they make me feel that I was on the right place at the right time. At one time, I may think I’m lost, but I may be actually meant to bump into something special.

Here’s a montage of some of the fascinating acts I chanced upon in 2011. Yey to brave hearts and creative minds.


Song: Love and Wonder (Club Edit) – DJ Earworm

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When 365 Turns Into 366

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I discovered the hidden, bustling world of 365 projects when I ran across Richard Radstone‘s post in Freshly Pressed.

What the heck is a 365 project?!
Long-story short, it’s a personal mission to do one thing each day, and stick to it for the rest of the year. Some do it to keep their creative juices energized, some do it to form or to dump a habit, some do it for the sheer challenge of a 365-day scavenger hunt.

I think the fact that next year has 366 days make for a compelling case on why 2012 is THE year for you to commit to that personal challenge. Continue reading When 365 Turns Into 366 →

asia, singapore, travel, video

Meet Romi

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It was one of the most original things I’ve seen in a long, long time.

Even if I’m running late, I’m the type who always stops to watch street performers — waiting if they have a nice surprise in store, or at least a nice story worth sharing. A lot of them were amusing, some of them were worth applauding, but this one really made me excited to capture the moment to share with everyone.

Romi made his own prop, which wowed me all the more. It must have taken a lot of time, thought and patience to get just the right weight and form, and to master just the right moves. Yey for triumphs of brilliance and creativity.

It was a nice reminder that sometimes, you don’t have to go very far to be astounded. How about you, when did you last get wowed?

Location: Helix Bridge, Singapore
Song: “Night Owl” by Broke For Free (brokeforfree.com)

europe, travel, video

Cheerio! The England Clips

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The place was so British, I wouldn’t have been surprised if the mice wore monocles. – Bob Hope

Pub walks. Free museums. The Stonehenge. Music that’s undeniably genius. Haven of the world’s literary giants. Say what you want about England, but without a doubt, it will remain to be one of the world’s top destinations. I have the makings of a tree-hugging hippie girl in my core, but although I resist, I think I’m slowly being wooed to the dark side of city-crawling with bustling metros like London.

Watch the vid for shots of my frenzied sprinting across London, Stonehenge, Liverpool and Bath. If you want read more of what went on in Jolly Old England, click here to recount past England posts. If you’re on your way to London yourself, here’s a few sightseeing tips you might find useful:

  • A great and cheap way to get down & dirty with London & its juicy history is to take a walking tour. The pub crawls are the best — you can’t go wrong with good stories plus some booze!
  • If you’re getting a London Pass, buy them directly from the Visitor’s Centre where it’s cheaper. Get the one without the Travelcard and just get an all-day pass from the Tube. Do your homework the night before as well to plot the best route to cover the most ground.
  • If you’re off to see Stonehenge, know that they don’t normally let people up close to the actual stones. For the best experience, you might want to book a special tour that lets you inside the stone circle.

Video Track: Love and Memories by O.A.R.

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When Geek Goes Artsy-Fartsy

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I was idly surfing de-stressing between conf calls at work when I stumbled upon this ghost from my past. Visual Complexity was one of the lovelier finds I had back in the days of my brief fling with graduate studies.

I was drawn to Data Visualization as it was the marriage of 2 things I loved — graphic art + shameless geek-dom. Continue reading When Geek Goes Artsy-Fartsy →

north america, travel, video

Traipsing the T-Dot: The Toronto Vid

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From the land of hockey, poutine and the Mighty Falls that lure in honeymooners and daredevils everywhere. You’ve seen the photos and been flooded with the write-ups — you should have known that the video was coming. =P It was nice to relive the memories & experiences through the clips, especially the ones with family and friends with whom I haven’t shared a road trip with for ages. Hope you enjoy them as well!

And oh, if you have no idea of what photos and write-ups I was talking about, you can check out my endless blabbering and raving about Toronto over here.

Fall 2011
Toronto, Canada
Song: Jet Lag by Simple Plan ft. Marie-Mai

asia, singapore, travel

Inspiringly MAAD

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When I can’t wipe the silly smile off my face, that’s when I know I’ve made a good discovery.

Definitely was crazy about this bright idea.

Based on my past entries, I think that it’s a well-established fact that I raid flea markets with a fervor of a spendthrift scorned. It was my first time to get wind of the MAAD (Market of Artists and Designers) fetes at Red Dot Design Museum, and boy, was I glad I took time to check out this month’s shindig. Continue reading Inspiringly MAAD →