Two Sleepy People

Just wanna share this song I came to love a few days ago. It's a jazz piece originally by Frank Loesser and Hoagy Carmichael. The one that I'm enjoying now is a remake by Silje Nergaard. It's called:

Two Sleepy People
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Here we are, out of cigarettes
Holding hands and yawning, look how late it gets
Two sleepy people, by dawn's early light,
and too much in love to say goodnight

Here we are, in this cozy chair
Picking on a wishbone from the Frigidaire
Two sleepy people, with nothing to say,
and too much in love to break away

Do you remember the nights we used to linger in the hall?
Father didn't like you at all

Do you remember the reason why we married in the fall?
To get a little rest, to get this little nest

Well, here we are, just about the same
Foggy little fellow, drowsy little dame
Two sleepy people, by dawn's early light,
and too much in love to say goodnight....

Destiny of an old car...

I was sending Xiaomin to work today when I met with an unfortunate accident.

The exit to Pasir Ris is always jammed along TPE from the Upper Changi Rd exit due to morning traffic. Due to the long queue, a vehicle braked suddenly and I had to swerve right to avoid collision. I took a quick glance in my side mirror before making the manoeuvre.

Unfortunately, while I tried to avoid hitting the vehicle in front of me, I didn't notice the taxi in my blind spot. I hit his left doors and bumped slightly into his rear.

Lucky no one was hurt although Xiaomin was in shock for a while.

We drove to the side, assessed the damage and agreed to settle in private. The taxi uncle was actually quite nice; he didn't blow his top or anything and even asked if myself and Xiaomin were alright. After exchanging particulars, we drove off. In the afternoon, the uncle called and I found out the price of my lesson.

$400.

Price of 2 Taxi Doors: $250
Price of Taxi Driver's Potential Earning per day: $150
To get out of this alive and learning: Priceless

Thank God it didn't happen to my future Colt Plus. Otherwise, I would have felt really down. I just feel sad for my old Lancer that he has to end up in this state before he's scraped.

Freakonomics!

When people talked about Economics, most would think of the more academic side, i.e. demand... supply... cost of living... inflation... blah blah blah... Boring stuff right?

I thought so too until I read this book.

This book is titled, "Freakonomics" by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner. Through some interesting storytelling and wry insight, the book shows that economics is, at root, the study of incentives - of how people get what they want, or need.

It already captured me when I read the content page. Like "What do Schoolteachers and Sumo Wrestlers have in Common?" or "Why do Drug Dealers still Live with Their Moms?". Try explaining all these using economics!

Cool right?

If you have the chance to meet up with me, I'll tell you the stories about why the crime rates in the US dropped in the 1990s and why real estate agents would never get the best prices for our apartments.

Holy!

I've got one of the Trinity Lens!

I think I've got myself quite a bargain for the 28-70 f2.8. It's really a HUGE lens! Makes my 24-85 look so puny... hahaha...

Time to go shooting! Think I'll go Chinatown this Sat.

For my next step, I'll get a bigger dry cabinet (maybe 80 litres?). And of course, wait for the MB-D200 too.

Yeah!

In the end...

I didn't get the Subaru Impreza.

I didn't get the Mitsubishi Lancer.

Instead, I got a ...

Silver Mitsubishi Colt Plus!

Small cats are called...

Kittens.

Saw them in a box while passing a void deck. They were so tiny and so cute!

I just couldn't help it but to take a few shots.

Which car?

Alright! I might get a new car afterall!

I've narrowed down two choices:

1. The Subaru Impreza

It's the 2005 Model though... not the new 2006 Model. But it will save me a cool S$6000! In fact, I like the '05 look more. I like the boxer engine + AWD.

2. The Mitsubishi Lancer

Cheap and I've been driving a Lancer all these while so I know how the car performs. But there may just too many on the road. Seems like everyone else is driving one.

What to choose... what to choose...

They sure can stick!

Xiaomin was waiting for me at the shelter to pick her up due to the rain. She got tired from standing and decided to lean against one of the metal barriers.

But apparently, someone got there before her.

:)

In short: Sunday. On way to church. Lizard: Xiaomin's favourite 'Ka Ka'. Raining whole freaking day. Still can't buy MINI. Wasted time and energy to search for another car. Parents. Sigh.

Nope. It didn't happen.

It's still a MINI dream:

Nope. I still can't afford the MINI even after trading in TWO cars.
Guess I will just have to continue staring at my wallpaper or the MINIature model on my shelf.

And I'm sick of having my hopes raised and then smashed in an instant. The lesson learnt is never to be too enthusiastic about possibilities parents give on helping you to change to a car... THAT THEY LIKE.

Waste Time, Waste Sleep, Waste Hope.

Opportunity

"Don't look for the next Opportunity. The one you have in hand IS the Opportunity."

Recently, I bought a book from Kinokuniya titled, "It's not how good you are, it's how good you want to be." by Paul Arden. It's a book which uses the creative processes of good advertising as a metaphor for business practice.

Sounds 'cheem' hor.

But it's really an easy read (127 pages only) and yet inspiring. Cost me only S$15.52 too.

And in one of chapters, it talked about waiting for that perfect moment to come by and how it won't happen. Rather, we should take the Opportunity we have now and make it the best we possibly can. The worst that can happen is getting the satisfaction that we did our best, learn from our mistakes and... move on!

That Opportunity is the best Opportunity only if we make it so. And BELIEVE it is so.

And so... this is the Opportunity to start my own blog.

And hopefully the Opportunity to own my dream car, a Mini Cooper or One, too. Because...

"If not now, when?"