The call came after I washed away the shampoo on the hair and so I stood half-wet in the bathroom talking on the phone. Its afternoon in Paris. The parcel took 1 month 1 day to reach Paris, and how glad I am that it did.

Anyway I am an instruction-book idiot, unless you mean my sister is the instruction book, i.e. she reads the instructions and teaches me. Else, I never get anything working by reading the instruction book. In fact it would have been great luck if I never come about spoiling it once in its useful life. But better still, today I asked what the machine is and was told "apparently you never seen an xbox before".

And I came home with dragging feet, again. The hope of the 7 December runs becomes even more distant- I am starting to get afraid.

If there is something I want to tell you
stop WALKing. I want to run.

This was me a year ago in Carrefour, bewildered with their trolleys...

I super duper zuper dread lunch these days. The one-hour that used to sped through seeing me quickly getting a shower then dry my hair and put on make-up now crawls by. I dont know what to do with the one-hour and the only place that seem to be about to keep my occupied is Carrefour. I keep finding reasons to go back there, like for a bottle of butter coco and mango flavour shampoo that I still cannot find on the shelves, or for a carton of milk.

In fact I am glad that we have a supermarket below and the things that I often purchase from there is milk, bowls of instant noodles, breakfast bars, cereal, steamed dumplings and french loaf. My cubicle is currently well stocked with a carton of milk in the refrigerator, some cereal half-finished, a box of wheat bix with a third left, an unopened box of corn flakes, two bowl of instant noodles, half a box of Uncle Toby and Nature Valley breakfast bars, and the french loaf that I am munching on now.

The only time that I came across a Carrefour in Paris was on my way to the Disneyland but Mickey was all I have in mind that I didnt stop for it. I never got around to one subsequently as I was sufficiently overwhelmed with their Le Marche (read: market) Franprix that I wasnt insistent to getting to another Carrefour after Barcelona's visit. I still remember the day when I lugged three-quarters of a french loaf and half a bottle of mineral water from Barcelona into the raining Paris. That was probably my first dinner in Paris, not some french duck dishes in their restaurant.

The training log book that I placed on The Office's desk was meant to record/keep track of the kilometers and laps I have done but what I wrote in today meant that I will be kept further away from any sports for another week,

29 Oct 08- Period

And The Office's new gym will be up by this Friday. I was supposed to be down at the gym to oversee/coordinate the arrangement of the equipment.

The weather's so sunny for a good swim today.

There is no way not to feel disappointed. The parcel sent to Paris on 29 Sep 08 has not been received yet but I am still keeping my fingers cross. Stay Positive. Not because I spend a lot time getting presents for her but because she is a nice lady and she deserves to receive them.

Anyway this isnt my first time calling Paris but I realised I didnt save the number correctly. This is too cute.

I am telling myself, there is always another one to look forward to.

There is some sort of obsession with cutting these flower shapes out of whatever materials I can find which also looks cute to be a flower. Until I have 30 of such flowers in many colours and I can sort of form them into a shape of a big tree.

Its not surprising to find many others who got addicted to all sorts of gym activities to later suffer from various pains, health ailments to serious injuries attributed to their obession from wanting to look slim, look young or a clinging need to fill up the void in life. Yet I satisfyingly am living this void in life, and definitely hoping to be away from these times spent pressing the pain spot of the heel to then resume back the gym side of life.

Now that I dont have gym sessions to look forward to, there is nothing much to look forward to this week other than the fact that its a shorter work week.

This is the second card I did...

The white flower sort of stand out...

Flip open the card...

There you go... the green flower on the inside of the card, at the same spot as the white flower on the front of the card.. Suddenly I thought I should name my card designs...

Glue on the card itself looks like a decoration also

Not a tree yet...

I got Mum to iron so that the tree can fit into an envelope... and thats cotton for the star as well...

The glue should dry by tomorrow...

The flower's for the envelope... This card is sort of similar to the one I did a few days ago, jus that the colour is made to be more outstanding, the star is alittle pop-up, and the tree is flatten so to be fit into its flight to Paris in time for Christmas..

Using the same mentality as saving money for rainy days, I have a clothing inventory as well. Unlike banks with security guards, account and pin numbers, locks and passwords, my clothing inventory is simply a big carrier bag put on a chair in my room (though some got their wash as well as a hanger space in the cupboard). It typically gets quite stocked up after an overseas trip with occasional additions of bargin items locally. The oldest item still in the inventory was a suit-pant set bought in Bangkok almost three years ago that I jus got the pants to wash, leaving the suit till next time. A mental count of what-I-can-recall, the inventory consists of some 10 dresses, 4 tops, 2 skirts, 1 pant.. to last till the next Big-Buy.

Anyway I have one issue with a recent new dress I got. Its 100% wool, knitted material. Unwilling to spend on dry-cleaning the dress each time I wear it, what am I supposed to do with it. Argh.

I got my little fix of running, albeit not in the way I imagine- running (for a bus) in mini skirt and birkenstock up a slope in Orchard road carrying a bag.

突然很想你。

词曲:阿信

最怕空气突然安静 最怕朋友突然的关心

最怕回忆 突然翻滚绞痛著 不平息

最怕突然 听到你的消息

想念如果会有声音 不愿那是悲伤的哭泣

事到如今 终于让自己属于 我自己

只剩眼泪 还骗不过自己

突然好想你 你会在哪里 过得快乐或委屈

突然好想你 突然锋利的回忆 突然模糊的眼睛

我们像一首最美丽的歌曲 变成两部悲伤的

为什么你 带我走过最难忘的旅行

然后留下 最痛的纪念品

我们 那么甜那么美那么相信

那么疯那么热烈的曾经
为何我们还是要奔向各自的幸福和遗憾中老去

突然好想你 你会在哪里 过得快乐或委屈

突然好想你 突然锋利的回忆 突然模糊的眼睛

最怕空气突然安静 最怕朋友突然的关心

最怕回忆 突然翻滚绞痛著 不平息

最怕突然 听到你的消息

最怕此生 已经决心自己过 没有你

却又突然 听到你的消息

A good song is one that you can acknowledge with. An excellent song is one that brings out the emotions within you even if you do not want them to surface.

I have been telling myself to keep moving, to keep moving ahead and not look back on anything. Not because I dont treasure memories, but it is only this way to keep myself motivated and spirits high- I shouldnt lament over the past nor wonder why things have been the way they are and not the way I wanted them to be, but to work for things ahead that I still have grip of. I have been working hard because we cannot be thinking about holiday every single day- only suitably rare holiday ahead will be a motivating force.

But there is a person, a place that I have my thoughts on, and she is in Paris. Maybe we are of different age brackets, of different background and lifestyle and interests and priorities. Maybe even if I would to see her I would run out of conversations to make, and I would be disappointed. But I think about her frequently. Or I imagine a-her that I am closed to that I missed. Which maybe is actually freedom and adventure that I miss than her actually.

The free spirit exploring the unfamiliar city, trying out new food that appeals to me but to realise that a try is enough, taking train rides to new city, to freely choose what I want to do for the day, to interact with new people along the way, to read a map that I will never understand, to lug and drag and pull along my luggage (yes I missed that too), to mail postcards and buy mineral water for tomorrow, to find my way back the hotel that I tempoary call home and to miss home.

Now I totally know one of the rightest decisions that I have taken upon more than a year ago was travelling alone. I dont know when is my next, but there will be one. I have already, grew out of the stage of wanting to go to BKK or HKK for shopping trips, or even going back to cities that I have already been to, and have now looking forward to my next alone trip.

If there is one thing that I want to tell you today

I miss living for myself, I miss being myself and I miss hanging out with myself.

So tired that I actually MSN my sister (location: her room, my location being: living room) instead of talk- I told her I am going to sleep in 2 secs time.

I hadnt been any fashionable especially when I have to be on flats/slippers as much as possible now.

I came up with a suggestion for encouraging more babies in Singapore while in the train today, and the tag goes like this

"More babies? Give us more space in trains"

You can see why this is inspired by my train ride.

Swimming in the later months of the year is like taking gamble all the time- the weather is getting rather windy, rainy or at least cloudy. But I am glad it pays off today- jumping into the cold water. While I usually do think of work/happenings, the recent sessions saw me imagining oil painting and cycling in the backyard in rural France thats blooming with little yellow and pink flowers.

If there is one thing that I want to tell you today
Sometimes I think I care too much about gym/sports/swimming.

Dear Sir/Madam

REGISTERED ARTICLE NO. [X] POSTED ON 29 SEPTEMBER 2008 ADDRESSED TO MRS LIM

1. Please refer to your enquiry on the above.

We wish to inform you that the article bearing the above number had been despatched to Roissy under Despatch No. [X] on 29 September 2008. We have raised an enquiry with the Postal Administration of France and will inform you immediately once we receive the reply from them.

Please kindly note that different Postal Administrations have varying degree of service response, the Universal Postal Regulation allows countries up to 2 months to reply to any enquiry. Rest assured that we will pursue the matter regularly and will give you a reply as soon as we can. If the item is subsequently delivered or returned, please kindly inform us to close the case.

Thank you.

This is how it looks like... I have no more purple ones, only yellow-s left.
And I am happy now that my art corner is once again filled with more material that I can use for my card-making, like plastic boards, neon coloured paper.

Christmas (card) in the making...

I finally bought this, as a reward to myself (read: excuse). The shoes come with 3 different ways in wearing the shoes- thongs, flower and rectangle.

After buying the spray for the current Birkenstock (so that the cracks in the sole will close up), I will stop spending.

A sigh of relief was heard when I was told that the heel pain is not chronic, i.e. I can still do my runs (albeit in smaller dosages say 1km each time) as long as I can tolerate the pain. The doctor prescribed medicine for 2 weeks, in which after the course of this medication, the inflammed tissues might heel and the pain will go away. The maximum recovery period will however be 6 months.

Slippers, lots of massaging at the painful spot, water massage, swimming, walking in water (haha), stretching (and stretching in water) are here to help...

Finally wore this skirt that I bought more than a year ago, costing a few pounds.

Waiting for dinner...

Christmas is coming... card in the making...

The brood of shoes in The Office is growing...thanks to my parents who delivered them to me over the weekend, including my supply of baby lotion, Australia milk..

Not every Disney story/character is a happy one I reckon.

I feel like Ariel, the girl in the Little Mermaid who has tails not legs. For a day Friday I feel like I am springing around in my shoes loaded with heel gel cup. Come the next day instead of heel pain, I felt a griping pain around both the ankles and arch. I had to sit down for a forced water-break before making my way back to The Office. The swim might have helped a while, but come night time, I felt totally exhausted from the griping pain, and stuck to the sofa, depending on others to bring things to me along the way.

And so I will be seeing a doctor tomorrow. The hope of doing the December run is diminishing and disappointing, as like how I had to miss the run last year for a recurring asthmatic condition.

I definitely dont want the tail of the Little Mermaid.

I am in The Office now. My music is playing and someone has to switch off the lights before he/she left.

They make my day- the pants has pullable ends.

I wore a thin, sleeveless collar, buttoned shirt as the top since I am going to work. Oh and my socks was yellow. But going for my run, no.

I did something un-fun today and I dont know why I put myself under such stress. I guess I know why I did that, but I dont know what other ways to do it without putting myself under such stress.

Maybe at the current moment I only have luck in certain areas. Shopping and being fashionable are definitely the areas that I have better luck. Like how I was in my current favourite mango tube-pants wear, and how I got my cotton gym 3/4 at 70% off its original Topshop Price and how I got the necklace (I only want the necklace, not quite the pendant. Because the sustainable way ahead is to design my own look) at 50% off.

Jus that today I was asked if I wore that tube-pants to work, and if I was going for my runs. Fashionable? Great.

Even if I never become a professional designer, I am one for myself.

If its barbie's world, where pretty clothing with fashionable matching shoes matter only (I was looking for accessories to make into pendants for necklaces and so I went searching through my Barbie stuff. Oh I wish to play Barbie and playhouse again. By the way I have more barbie and stuff properly kept somewhere that I should take out to play again)

Everything that could have gone wrong today went wrong: I left my Ezlink card in another bag; I didnt bring my work pass; I drowned a cup of supposedly-dry noodles. But I couldnt be bothered with them since they do all have some sort of solutions in the end- like jus finishing that cup of wet noodles.



But I bought something from the Topshop sale. And the morning fire drill meant that I could come to work at 10:15am, which is great. Its like the undergraduate life, or at least its like taking the morning off. I could cook noodles, watch TV, read some papers.



If its Fire Drill Day everyday.

The left grey/blue gel piece is the front view of the gel heel cup. From Clarks.

After 7 trips of unmatched footwear, and getting hold of the gel heel cups today, I finally wore my high heels back home- not until I actually took a shuttle bus from The Office to City Hall, and got a lift from my Dad at Clementi back home. Which means technically I didnt do much walking.

It didnt quite hurt but I cant say the gel heel cups is magic either. Initial walking with the gel in the shoes feel as if I was walking on jellyfish.

Now I know how it feels like to be immobile. More importantly how it feels to be scared of walking to realise that its too pain to even walk.

Anyway, I am sure if I continue to only listen to Jay's songs I will stand a chance to marry him, for Jay said that the one whom he marries shall only listen to his songs.

This is quite fun actually. It tells me only as far as the parcel is out of Singapore, so I got to find in another Enquiry Form so that the SingPost will drop La Poste (France Post Office) an email to find out the status of the parcel.

I didnt plan for it to happen, let alone when it happens. But it happened.

Its easy to see why I would be getting more depressed. Especially on days when I dont have gym. Its work and all about work, and workload at the moment is alright. Which means that it leaves me with some time on hand. And I am not getting anywhere else.



Alright I am back at the down period. A morning swim is much needed.

Pretty right...

Whats up with it people.

Its been a while since I have something other than gym and job to focus on. All I did was to exhaust myself such that at the end of the day I went home for music, TV and news. I hadnt kept up with Spanish but it might be good for the soul and the mind to be again back in school for Beginner 2. I couldnt think of anything else that costs below $500 anyway- a 3 hour session of oil painting is already $300.

Trying to get excited while I find my way again..

I took on any opportunties for a short run, say try to beat the traffic lights so that I can run across the road and run along the Office's corridor from the printer to my desk as if I am in such hurry to get to my desk. But I try all ways hoping that the pain will subside and soon go away. Like using my right leg to propel myself against the wall when I swim. Like getting the heel gel cushion when the new stock arrives. Like wearing birkenstock/slipper even if people stare at the mismatch footwear.

All for the run.

As you might know, my Boss is B-a-c-k in the Office today after his 3-week holiday and our Meeting (to update on all the projects) is settled at 4pm. Enjoyed listening to his holiday while munching on frog chocolates. Although he never scolds, you still should Wish me All the Best. I shall go catch up on whatever more work that I can complete till then...

I couldnt risk another rainy lunch so by 7am I got myself to the pool.

Other than jumping in the pool that I would recommend anytime, the last thing to see is to j-u-m-p at every idea and give a thumb-up without even thinking through. Speed isnt the only thing- think of long term, think of quality, think of stability.

There is no other way I want to appear other than fashionable and professional looking but its not working this way now. For this week has started with me wearing the very-Friday Birkenstock to work. Other than being mismatched and inappropriate in the professional way, its making me feel inferior at the same time. But its one of the ways to get pressure off the left foot hoping that the heel pain (i.e. plantar fasciitis- inflammation of the band of tissue) will stop so that I will not again miss the run this December. The last thing I want is out of fear of doing the 10km for the very first time that I used this heel-pain as a convincing way to excuse myself for even a try.

If there is one thing I want to tell you today
Even if I would to fail the race, its only acceptable if I try and fail.

Battling within myself.

I half-heartedly think that I am going to swim today (but its ok if I dont), thinking that even if I dont it/my body should be alright since I done much walking on Sat. It drizzled but I still lug my sports bag to the pool. To stand there and couldnt decide if to go ahead to swim or to turn back for fear of thunder.

It isnt jus about missing out on a swimming session (and disappointing myself). Its about the whole mentality of being half-heartedly in doing something and eventually fails.

I have been wondering if my parcel has arrived safely in Paris; if Paris Aunt has make a trip to the post-office (which is probably jus 3 minutes away from her shop), and if she likes the parcel. Which makes me a tad excited to see the travel show on TV this week features Paris. It really looks like Belleville that I been to.

I had been thinking of the possible lessons I can take with the Company's sponsored $500/year- to continue with Spanish (i.e. beginner 2), or to learn French. My reminicising of the Paris days has triggered my interest in learning the language, though I rarely see how I can be making use of my little Spanish ability in the first place. Its back to the question of doing what you like knowing that it hardly gets you anywhere in the first place.

Things that I look forward for the week- getting a proper heel cushion for the feet so that I stop feeling worried having to walk on them (and to ensure that I dont miss out on runs this year), a more fulfilling work week, continue with my swims, continue to think if I rather prefer doing what I like or to work towards what I think I would want in the future, to look forward to a sweater and dress from HK (if any), to think if I want that birkenstock...

"Our new syle Tofino offers two varieties of a streamlined thong-sandal in a single shoe: the first version is a sandal with ergonomically formed thong, which is connected to the instep strap with a longitudinal strap. The connection strap piece can, however, be unfastened with a simple touch so that the second versionof the Tofino is created: a thong-sandal with detached thong, which can be dorated with a matching stick-on flower." This is pretty in pink.

Its an irony that as much as marketers are employed to sell the products I find myself trusting these products much less. Especially if the marketers arent local. Worse of all, instead on focusing on the true functionality of the product, the manufacturers chose to O-N-L-Y focus on the asthetic features.

The day was spent searching for suitable cushioned shoes and/or heel cushion to reduce the pressure on the heels but in vain. One (un-pretty) solution is to wear Birkenstock for the daily 30 mins walk from City Hall to The Office, and back. Even so, its tagged at $120, the (pretty pink) pair that I spotted.

And as much as I would imagine myself to design something and sell it at a high price, I still cant bear spending $120 on a dress or $70 on a necklace. Is there really no balance between individuality and affordability. Isnt spending $70 on a necklace ridiculous- I suppose because we attached different values to how much we think a necklace is worth. We value money differently such that the $70 necklace will be sold to someone for sure.

The experience of setting up a booth sort of confimed that I wouldnt like things like event management- its fun for a day trying to overcome problems that you didnt expect e.g. we had to adjust the flag many times due to the secureness of its position, and height/length limitation. I have since taken to the attitude of "sure can overcome". But I dont quite get enough satisfaction from doing all these.

For the past 2 years +, for the goods and if the bads, I still hold gratitude towards my Boss who gotten me into here. Even if I never quite told him face-to-face. Somehow when I went up I did think of my Boss who wasnt around for the event.

Haha yes my socks are yellow.

As I wait for the new Office's gym to be ready, this definitely looks like a great place to run.

The morning pool seemed a little dull to me as compared to the Singapore Expo that seemed to be like Disneyland.

My nail polish chipped off to get the stuff ready, but it sure was fun.

As much as an adult of 25 years old I am, I do (and still) smell of baby millk, which sure upsets the serious adults.

If there is one thing I want to tell you today
As much as I tried to fill my days doing things that interest me, sometimes my days still seem like a void that never gets filled. Or at least I only have you my blog to share them with.

Someone recently commented that I am not the typical Singaporean (girl), dont wear the typical colours, dont wear the typical fashion.

I hope being unique doesnt mean I am the odd one out.

p.s.: will post the photos soon, internet not working!

Finally (!) they are completed...

Someone suggested using the CDs as wheels...

In pink...

From what I read online, 5 ways to treat heel pain, also known as plantar fasciitis:

1. Decrease activity level
2. Try an ice massage, 20 mins twice a day
3. Stretch your calf
4. Take anti-inflammatory medications
5. Wear supportive shoes



Within my means I think I will try to pad up my shoes and rest more over the weekends. Argh! I mean I can take pain as long as I can maintain my current activity levels, but the risk is always that prolong periods of pain can bring about worse consequences that I cant imagine.

Though one piece of advice is- losing weight. So losing weight is a legitimate thing to do now.

See the car...

This is how the Photo Board looks like...

This is whats keeping me busy at work and shucks I have so much work to complete still...

As I am counting my laps, for The Gym is to be shifted to a new room in The Office and remains unavailable till end Oct/Nov, I imagine me strolling in a park, having breakfast by the pool and oil painting in the garden.

Dream on...

This is...

where I am missing

I want to take flight- from trying to be perfect, from trying harder, from each routine after another routine, from each errand to another errand, from all the bogging down.


Maybe I am too pampered that ever since my May trip till now is all my capabilities and perservances can last. Anyhow its beyond me to figure out when I can be on my way to lugging my luggage, listening to the ipod, walking in the cool air, trying to figure out my bearings, enjoying the changing landscape as the train goes by, paying attention to each train stop, setting off to somewhere but here...