Jaszy is a Happy Girl

This is Laffy!! (the tall, dark ahemm.. cough cough cough.. one)

This is Laffy again! (okay his real name is Rafeal Panes)

sorry guys, i dont know why this picture turned out so small...




This is Jaszy (and the twins.. hur hur)






And here are some of the other super heros at Trybe!



(i really apologize.. i dont know why the pictures all so small!!! but they are all BIG HEROES okay)

Dy!!!!

Eric V!

Praise!

I really should and would write a post on the Superheroes at Trybe another time (ps: if you wanna see more photos of the Trybe! superheroes you can click here), but i want to say Laffy is Jaszy's HERO today because...............

Now I know how to edit in MANY DIFFERENT COLOURS AND FONTS AND ETC!!!!

Everybody should thank Laffy! (and Jaaaayyysoooon for his assistance =D)

Jaszy is a happy girl today =D

Perfect English (1)

To all who do not already know (hur hur) my love language is words (yuarh, i know!! so low maintenance!). I will talk about love langauges another time folks, thats not the point here.

What this means to say is that I express, and receive, affection, chiefly through words.

This observation has set me thinking alot and often, about the importance of speech in our daily lives.

Have you been given the excuse, or have you made the excuse that " You / I dont mean it! I just said it only in a fit of [anger / happiness / because I was high / insert emotion as appropriate / weakness ]"

Let me give you an illustration of the importance in our choice of words.

Part of lawyering includes the ability to articulate what's on your mind directly, with minimal fuss, unless of course you intend to not say it clearly.

You can say that is the art of good (simple) english. But you should really see the amount of flak [not flag, thanks corrine, see my english is not perfect!] we get, I get because of how I should say what I mean to say.

You see - much as I agree that a lot of times, especially in the beginning - after correction and amendments suddenly my draft reads so much clearer. In fact, often times, especially when I read the emails of other lawyers (especially the angmohs) it's amazing - it's like somebody cut open their minds and you can SEE EXACTLY what is the point they are putting across with extreme clarity. It's almost like a dissection of their minds? Like this picture...





My mental picture when I find somebody highly articulate on paper is always of a brain being cut open and like a projector just beaming out whatever is in that person's mind.

But you my intelligent readers you get what I mean. *flashes classic grin*


Okay, as usual I digress, I was saying that much as I agree that often times drafts can read better after amendments, sometimes, it is not a matter of being clearer in what you are saying, but a matter of style..

You see, we often thank people at the end of a correspondence for whatever we have requested that they do in the letter. Some people say, "it would be appreciated". Lawyers often say, "grateful".

So I have a habit of saying, " [make request]. I would be grateful if you would [do as we requested]".

Simple?

But I get so much flak for not saying, "I will be grateful".

And I would get scolded like nobody business like I made some cardinal error - the point is I am not wrong! (For those who havent spotted what I am talking about, it's in the tense of the words larh). So one day, when I really couldnt take it any more, I went to do a search to PROVE that I was correct.

And I am!!!



You see from above that it is grammatically correct to use "would" when we are talking about a probable event that may happen in the future.

Catchword: MAY

Which means to say, I am not wrong, *cough cough excuse me* i am CORRECT when I say I "would be grateful if (the person would do as we requested) because at the point I make the request, there is no guarantee that the person will actually go and do as I requested - whether they will do it or not is still PROBABLE.

Hence, I am correct, to say "would be grateful", instead of "will be grateful".

TNEH TNEH NEEEE BOO BOOO!!

But no, I am not going to run out and plaster this finding on all doors.

This pendantic exercise apart, lawyering illustrates to me the importance, of choosing our words carefully.

The Bible talks about how we should let our yes be a yes, and our no be a no.

I've seen how cases fall apart because solicitors were less than cautious in saying exactly what they mean to say. A quick perusal of the case law in any jurisdiction would show how people try to pull fast ones over the other by their words, either

i. carelessly phrased; and / or
ii. intentionally ommitted; and / or
iii. intentionally vague.

*rolls eyes*

And people DO know the importance of careful drafting, that's why they employ lawyers to say what they want for them marh.. that's why solicitors are gainfully employed so long people have something to say!

That's for legal obligations. There are some things that are worth more.

I think that human hearts are alot more fragile and valuable than legal obligations. In that same vein, shouldnt we exercise more care and caution in our daily speech than when solicitors are drafting? (yuarh this is an exaggeration but you get my drift).

Come on! This world has enough as it is, if only people would mean what they say, and say what they mean! By that I mean people should also act like what they say - you know, conduct consistent with words?

Also, if people would choose their words and actions more carefully (yes, I have talked about this elsewhere), I think there would be less pain in this world - is a matter of being considerate and honest, you know?

Mind you, I am not talkin about running out there and wearing all of your heart on your sleeves, shirt and pants and etc.. I do believe in tact and grace you know..

But think about it:

(a) When was the last time someone hurt you because they were callous in their speech?
(b) When was the last time you thought you could have saved another person some heartache if you had choosen to put things across another way? (i.e. more heart and tact and grace and truth in the content)

It's not easy, granted. But this world would be a happier place if everyone tried, yes?


ps: this is totally out of point, but does anyone know how to write and post with different colours than that provided in the template? heh.. I am gettin sick of patches and patches of green *grin*

awwwww SO swwwweeeeeeeeeeeetttttt !!!

my very own video!



thanks KDD!! u da bestestestestest!!! (thats makes u pretty awesome!!)

you made my day on this not so good day (and you too ms chan!)

having a hard day?

so cute!!!!!!!

kill me now kill me now kill me nowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!

i cut my hair!!!!!!!!!

Yes!

And here's a picture to show tis true!



initially, the project gripped me on impulse ( i am apt to do such things from time to time, to be honest. heh.. and to be even more honest, i ENJOY it!!) so after that i decided that it would be a good idea to do something for radical.. so you have me with my funky specs and new hairdo!



Yes. I do apologize for my hiatus - tis most jialat, because it appears everytime i disappear (usually for a legitimate reason) i take an EVEN LONGER time to get back! so my many apologies, and here's the spade of photos i meant to put up BEFORE the arbitration for all our viewing pleasure, but failed to do.. but shall nevertheless do it now.. (i mean it it was sitting in my draft box for so long. dont waste it right.. just reorganize and print lorh.. hur hur hur)

So random picture no. One is

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

SPONGE BOB!(s)



it should be apparent that i am a spongebob (or it would be more accurate to say, PATRICKSTAR fan) - took this off some guy's blog - okay he aint some guy, he's a wedding photographer..

we had a church conference where personally i was very inspired and moved - think we are really blessed in singapore to be able to freely worship..



admist the worship, i was really moved as i remember the last two years since i have started work and i was weeping with gratitude for God's mercy and grace in my life.



it was a good time of catching up, see we have here, YeanTying and me =D She's an archeeeeteck u noe.. dounch play play..



so during the conference, we had these sessions like for men only or for women only - so whilst we had the mens only session of course we are free la.. LO AND BEHOLD at the expo, there was also 2 mega sales - METRO SALE (i noe is for aunties, but a true blue shopaholic would nevertheless check out a sale, you never know what you would find!) and POPULAR SALE ..

Yuarh la. my teacher friend was like.. huh.. i thought popular only sell stationery wan.. no lorh uncle.. so whilst alot of the other female church goers were gathering together to process their thoughts of the conference, my cell members and i (under my superb leadership.. hurhuhur) went to RAID THE SALEs!!!

and look at our findings!



Cheap christian books on sale lorh! ANOINTED FOR BUSINESS going for 13 ++ Sing can?



so who say we not holy right? hmfph.. lol.

So at night, Sebas decided to bring us to this new supper place at Geylang (woot!) where they sell cheap crabs (wu yearh boh).. yours truly was very amused by some of the street signs there.. hurhur.

here kitty!




cluck!



finally at the place!



i was super amused because the drinks LITERALLY CAME IN A BOWL.. so next time you say 一碗 sugar cane and some smart aleck tells you that you have your 量词 wrong, tell them to think again!



量词 thats like, you know, collective nouns ( a flock of birds, a swarm of bees, etc? lol)

and they really had six dollar crab leh!



awright larh, as they say, mai hiam bway pai - the zhup was good though.. steamed crab with garlic.. yum yum! so we just eat lorh!



so anyhows, i have decided to go eat seafood in JB sometime, since i promised Sebas we would all goo to JB for seafood if he finishes Ironman, WHICH HE DID! COME ON!

the day i finish ironman.....hmmm

let's not digress!

so this is another random shot, we have a large jasmine plant (potted) outside my flat, and it is forever in bloom, so i thought i would show off here.. all jasmines are good i say.. muahahah.



and this, as we all know, is my keifu..



you'ld think he is handsome, but really, he is crazy!



that's right, playing with bananas!



gross lorh, i was wondering why he so guai take picture with me - if you look closely, where his smile is, thats like mush bananas..



sigh..



so i was talking about the POPULAR sale, and that was real farnee too, i was browsing when i heard two little boys laughing really loudly about CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS. i was thinking in my head, where got such things wan. silly boys..

until
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.




really have leh!



needless to say, i was very amused.

so here, i have some shots which i was coerced to take, to make a trilogy - corrine wants everyone to know her cell-leader is so boh liao wan.. take picture of shoes..
(speakin of bohliao i just bought a ONE GIG memory card for my phone. yayy!!! and it just occurred to me that, THAT's actually the same memory as my existing digital camera =_= but here's to many many pictures!!!)

corrine's foot





my foot



chioh bu foot (she just went for lasik and got me thinking about gettin one too!)



i brought Keifu for his belated bday dinner, and was amused by this..



so i just had to take a picture of this, because that day i wore a jersey to church, and like everyone was commenting - wahhhh why you wear so casual (=_=)


keifu say colour nice



i just wanted to reinforce the point that this young man is secure enough to not care about looking silly, all for good fun!!!! =D



So yes, on another note, i was out all week at an arbitration. here's a picture of old and new, the new Supreme Court is the flying saucer you see, and the old Supreme Court (from where this photo was taken) is the present Singapore International Arbitration Centre..



So, in my absence, i also went to Meiru's wedding and met lotsa old friends and mentor there.. been thinking, shall write soon!

Speak Good English

Please please please please.. pretty PUUUUHHHHHLLLEEEESSSSEEEE click on the picture below. (Confirm you will laugh until cry, especially if you, like me, have started work liao)




An auditor friend blue-toothed it to me. She got it from her colleague, who got it from dunno who.. And I wonder why this thingy is passing like wild fire amongst the likes of us.

Anyhows, I have been SUPER SUPER SUPER SWAMPED. Have alot of random photos to put up, and promise to get down to it soon. Also have alot of 感想 . Will attempt to articulate them AFTER my arbitration. Yes, have been pressed to close tears this week at work!

Meanwhile, this came in my email today. I laughed my head off.. enjoy.

Every year, English teachers from across the country can submit their collections of actual analogies and metaphors found in high school essays. These excerpts are published each year to the amusement of their colleagues nationwide.

Here are last year's winners.

1. Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had its two sides gently compressed by a Thigh Master.

2. His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free.

3. He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.

4. She grew on him like she was a colony of E. Coli, and he was room-temperature Canadian beef.

5. She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes just before it throws up.

6. Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.

7. He was as tall as a six-foot, three-inch tree.

8. The revelation that his marriage of 30 years had disintegrated because of his wife's infidelity came as a rude shock, like a surcharge at a formerly surcharge-free ATM machine.

9. The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn't.

10. McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty bag filled with vegetable soup.

11. From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an eerie, surreal quality, like when you're on vacation in another city and Jeopardy comes on at 7:00 p.m. instead of 7:30.

12. Her hair glistened in the rain like a nose hair after a sneeze.

13. The hailstones leaped from the pavement, just like maggots when you fry them in hot grease.

14. Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m. traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19 p.m. at a speed of 35 mph.

15. They lived in a typical suburban neighborhood with picket fences that resembled Nancy Kerrigan's teeth.

16. John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met.

17. He fell for her like his heart was a mob informant, and she was the East River .

18. Even in his last years, Granddad had a mind like a steel trap, only one that had been left out so long, it had rusted shut.

19. Shots rang out, as shots are wont to do.

20. The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil. But unlike Phil, this plan just might work.

21. The young fighter had a hungry look, the kind you get from not eating for a while.

22. He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck, either, but a real duck that was actually lame, maybe from stepping on a land mine or something.

23. The ballerina rose gracefully en Pointe and extended one slender leg behind her, like a dog at a fire hydrant.

24. It was an American tradition, like fathers chasing kids around with power tools.

25. He was deeply in love. When she spoke, he thought he heard bells, as if she were a garbage truck backing up.

POP! goes my heart!!

You GUYSS!!!!!!!!!!!!

THIS IS SOOOOOOO FARRNEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!




did u see,

i. the checkered background?
ii. the BACKGROUND DANCERS (o kill me now.. they are SO hilarious. Go rewind the video and watch it again!)
iii. the POP sign?
iv. Hugh Grant, (YES!! I also thought the yandao looked familiar) Hugh Grant in the Austin Powers suit?
v. the shoulder pads, on the MEN AND THE WOMEN?
vi. the 80s make up?
vii. the doctor dancing with the drip?
viii. Hugh Grant's pink. neon. heart. POPPING????!!!!!!!!!

omigosh! LOL.

No, I havent watched the drew and hugh movie.. but i thought, the title of this song was quite thought provoking.

"Pop! goes my heart!"

When was the last time your heart popped? Mine hasnt. In a long time - in the sense of this song la.. otherwise.. my heart also popped couple of weeks ago when i made that mistake. Hahaa.. Heng Heng my boss never *@#$%!!! me.

=) He so nice..

But this kinda popping i dowan ah. Give you, u want meh? LOL.

Tarzan & Jane

A friend got married last Sunday. I didnt attend, but I sure heard about it..


LOOK!!



Elephant bride!!! As in, coming in on an elephant, not that she looks like an elephant! FAR from it!

I heard from her later that she was quite terrified of coming in on an elephant though she desperately tried not to show it. I asked her why didnt she just come in on another animal then (if you havent figured by now, she got married at the zoo okay?).

Yuarh. Another animal like a horse, her groom was in white mah - 白马王子 !! But I think, in that case, it has to be a white horse, not a groom in a white suit.. hur hur hur..

Anyhows, she said the zoo doesnt provide any other animal for you to come in on. Oh well. This one also not bad larh, like INDIAN PRINCESS AND HER RAJAH.. lol.

I think I probably want to get married at the beach, or some yatch club (cuz i lurve the sea!!) except that I havent quite found a solution to hair being messed up by the wind and make up melting in the sun.. EEEYEEERRR.. lol

Humble Pie

Have you ever made a mistake so bad you cant believe YOU made it?

Like it's SO out of character. YOUR character.

Well recently, that happened to me.

You see, I have always taken pride in the fact that I am a person with alot of common sense.

Don't laugh.

But to be honest, growing up, I realized that common sense isnt really that common - because what comes to you naturally, actually depends on what you have been exposed to.

I remember a conversation i had with my colleague before (fellow junior) and we were laughing at the expectations of some seniors - like how they would examine another person's work and look very irritable when the person doesnt get it.

Irritated senior, "It's common sense isnt it?"
Colleague / me / any other junior person: Blank look.

It's common sense to YOU cuz u've done it before, but not to us! we havent seen something like that!


So our conclusion - actually common sense isnt really that common.. haha.


Actually you can fit the above in any context la, medicine, law, accountancy, event management, etc.

I am suddenly reminded of the army lingo, "BLUR RECRUIT" -



Yuarh.

HE IS RECRUIT THATS WHY HE IS BLUR MAH, if he is not blur he would be your sergeant or OFFICER ALREADY!! that's why we have blur RECRUIT!

USE UR BLANE USE UR BLANE USE UR BLANE!

.
.
.
.
.
.


Okay.

I am digressing, as usual. And, my closet arh-lianess is manifesting. But you get my drift.

SO.

We were talkin about me taking pride that i have common sense - by that i mean the knowing-how-to-take-care-when-it-comes-to-important-things-that-you-have-to-do. So maybe organized / prudent / responsible would be the right word.

ANYHOWz.

Recently I made a mistake. I mistake that was so dumb. So careless and so RIDICULOUS i was momentarily stunned. Then i spent a whole night trying to rectify the problem and worrying about how i would cook in the frying pan the next day.

But I decided that I would be brave and "TAKE IT LIKE A MAN". It's really my fault anyway.

So the next day, I marched up to my boss and told him about it. And what I did to rectify the problem. And waited with bated breath.

A picture speaks a thousand words.. So this was really how i was feeling, what i was really expecting to get (and i fully deserved it i think).



To my VERY GREAT surprise, he didnt say a thing.

Or it would be more accurate to say, he said, "it's okay. people make mistakes".

Then he went on with the work.

I was stunned.

Let me explain. Yes, the mistake was one that was rectifiable, i.e. it's not the end of the world. But i was HORRIFIED because I MADE IT, and such a stupid one that could have been TOTALLY AVOIDED.

STUPID MISTAKE = Stupid / careless / inefficient / unorganized / [fill in the blank urself] person

If i were my boss, I would've skinned me alive.

But he didnt leh. He showed grace, which is basically - (unmerited) favour.

WAH.


So what did i take away from this incident?

One. To show grace.

Two. To not judge a person quickly. (even if we are talking about work, and what is "common sense") So much for sizing up people - interviews are farces - they should be called oral exams. Ha ha ha..

Three. Give people time to develop. What is common sense to me is because I had the chance to see it before, in some way or other - others may not have. Give them time to see it.

Boohooo. i want to be a good boss too!

how I LIKE lawyer jokes

I usually like lawyer jokes. alot.



I like them because they make light of what happens on a daily basis.






It's like how you find out, whilst you are in the middle of a flight, that what you are wearing may be a fashion disaster at the airport where you would be landing, shortly. And what you are wearing cost you.

Then you step out of the plane, and quick gasps of relief wing you when you see another person, in similar garb at the airport. That other person looks at what you are wearing. Approving.

Yay. Somebody else recognizes this darn thing on me probably can feed a whole lecture theatre of students for a month.

You get my drift? But it's okay if you dont. hahaa..














Once, I had an application where we managed to enter judgment against the opponents (That's a good thing, btw). The only issue before the Court was that of costs and disbursements - and my learned friend (that's how we address our opponents in Court) and I slugged at each other. We got pretty upset with one another there and then in chambers - over 300 dollars. At some point in time whilst we were sparring, it crosses my mind whether he is putting up a fight simply because he is spoiling for one, or, if it is a question of principle and not the quantum of whatever we are squabbling about.

====================================================

On rare occasions, I actually stop and wonder why solicitors fight.

Perhaps because on the one hand - they are paid to further their clients interests, in accordance to, justice. So, the lawyer does what he is paid to do. But others of times, maybe the lawyer fights because he wants to win, real bad - and it doesnt matter who is on the other side, or who is paying his bill. Maybe, sometimes, the lawyer fights because the opponent solicitors remind her of an ex-boyfriend. Or she just wants to make her mother happy.

In all of the above, if they all win, which lawyer is the greatest?

And does it matter why they do it, so long they win? Should it matter? Then again, what is really the big deal if the judge rules either way?


===============================================================

Then I think about myself, why I am fighting tooth and nail this time, to get what I think my clients deserve. Even if it is just 300 dollars. Because it is my job. Because it is a matter of principle. Because some people need to be put into the right place

And sometimes I think, I dont know.

After the adrenaline ebbs, there is the ugly grainy taste - like holding rusty iron nails in my mouth. I am not sure if it was because of the manner we were fighting, or what we were fighting about. The judge gave me what I argued for, but so what?

All I am saying is, the heart of the matter is really what matters. Maybe we shouldnt be so quick to judge another, when we dont know whats on their heart.