Corals & corals

The above title was supposed to be sung along the tune of "horrors of horrors".

After my medical leave last week, it's back to the drudgery of work. I can be a perfectionist at times and try to edit and revamp far too much; adding a lot more work not only to myself but to my team. However recently, I've been slackening my expectations and I don't seem to care that much anymore. It's a good sign as it means less work for everyone. My team members have been really accomodating and I do not want to overwork them too. This slackening is definitely for the good of everyone as of now. We'll slowly pick up the pace in time to come.

For the first Thursday in so many months, I finally left my office early. Not on the dot, but well before being the last person standing. Thursdays are supposed to be my "come early, leave early" day but I've since lost count of the number of times I was the last to lock up the office.

I wouldn't have left earlier if not for the fact that the photo developing shop closes at 7.45pm. It's an ureasonable timing, yes I know. I've never heard of such early closure for shops in this line. However, the old benign couple who ran it were such pleasant old man and old lady that you couldn't quite fault them for closing early to have a normal family life. When I rang up the shop, the kindly old man told me that he would wait for me till 8pm before he closed the shop. I managed to reach there at ten minutes to eight.

You must be wondering about where corals would come in in this post. Well, I've sent the two underwater disposable cameras from our Maldives snorkeling and diving expedition to the shop and left them there ever since. For the past few weeks, I couldn't find a day when I could reach the place at 7.45pm.

I was quite disappointed with how the photos turned out. All I saw were stacks and stacks of photos of murky blue waters and a sea of corals after corals which looked like grey rocks by the way. Upon inspecting closely do I see that colourful lobster, that huge funny-looking fish, the beautiful schools of fishes, all of which turned out greyish and blurry in the photos. I was half expecting the photos to turn out as clearly and colourfully as what we saw with our very own eyes. How naive I was. I'm quite sure if I were to show the stack of photos to my mum, she would go in her most Singlish exclamation, "Aiyoh, why you take so many rocks underwater? You go diving just to see rocks huh?"

I've been coming up with far too many random and meaningless posts recently. I guess it's due to the fact that Microsoft has been installed on my laptop and I realised that the insensitive keyboard problem only happened in internet browsers. The keyboard senses the keystrokes normally when I type on a Word Doc. Adding to that is the fact that I've got no annoying hubby to talk to when I come home and I simply coop myself up in the room and enjoy some well-deserved "me-time". It's ironic though, coz I start to unleash all my annnoyance on www when it's no longer just me anymore.

I've been editing my backdated photos here and there during my spare time and also drafting some posts so I hope to get back on track for my backdated posts once more.

ClubCouture Photoshoot

I posted about being one of the ambassadors of ClubCouture 2011 a while back. In January, a photoshoot was arranged for all the ambassadors. It was rather difficult coordinating a date which all of us could keep to, so separate photoshoots were arranged. The lovely people at ClubCouture had just sent us some behind the scenes photos that day which I'll share with all of you.

A gentle reminder before I continue:
The photos that you see here do not belong to me and hence are not watermarked. Please refrain from using the photos without prior permission. Thank you.

My photoshoot was together with Regina, a good friend of mine. It was scheduled on the weekend when I got back from Maldives. You could see how tanned I was in comparison to fair and radiant reg.


What happened before the shoot...


Left column (top to bottom): jo reading and signing the contract; reg reading and signing the contract
Right column (top to bottom): Hair & make up for us; jo in the process of make up; jo requesting to turn the chair to watch reg's photoshoot while hair was being styled


We did some pair shots to warm up first.




For my black outfit solo shots, I was wearing the chiffon swing dress in black. The dress was a little short for me as a swing dress. I was initially supposed to wear a sexy black number which was even shorter than this, I couldn't come out from the bathroom without looking indecent. LoL... I guess I didn't look like my full height from my blog and the lovely people at ClubCouture had thought I was quite petite. No sweat! I like this cute black number, especially the charming little black satin tie that went with it.



Left column (top to bottom): trying very hard to pose; I can't think of anymore poses
Right column (top to bottom): thinking how I should pose with the ladder prop; I look like I'm conducting an orchestra


My next outfit was the monochrome printed dress. This dress is completely sold out on their website. It reminds me of what Eva Longoria as Gabrielle would wear in Desperate Houswives. I really love this dress a lot! I do not own any of such prints in my wardrobe and it certainly isn't my usual style but I love how it brought out a different side of me.




viewing the photos




Posing came naturally for the other ambassadors!


Left column (top to bottom): Crystal Shong; Holly Jean; Esther Xie
Right column (top to bottom): Melissa Faith Yeo; Regina Chow


Clothes for the shoot



Some personal thoughts of mine...

I was (still am) so terribly green at posing for studio shots! Taking a million photos of myself and taking photos for studio shots are two completely different matter.

The only studio shoot I did so far was my wedding indoor shots. The camera man was this Ah Beng who bonded very well with kh and we just had to act normally, laugh ourselves silly at his jokes and all these candid moments would be captured. For some shots, he would instruct us on what to do and so I merely stopped working my brains and followed blindly.

However, for this photoshoot. I've to constantly rack my brain for new poses and I just could not do it. I kept recalling what I watched on America's Next Top Model but still I did not know how to stand, where to place my hands, what to do with the props and how to think of continuous poses. Not to mention, I'm not used to wearing stilettos. I was basically trying to walk on the slippery paperish layer without falling and I moved like a robot throughout.

It was fortunate that Flora and Kaitlyn were such sweet sweet babes and ever so patient with me. Kaitlyn even taught me how to do a few poses and boy was she au naturel! She could just be standing casually but her photos turned out like some fashion spread.

I think I blabber too much. I'm sure all of you are dying to see how the final photos turned out. Here they are! Don't laugh k? I'm not a pro. =P








Exclusively for all my lovely friends and readers, enter the code JOLENE2011 (all in capz) when you check out to enjoy 15% off all purchases!

ClubCouture also ships internationally so yay to online shopping for my international readers! While you're there, don't forget to check out their latest collection City Lights.

Hiatus no more... as for now [Edited to add more stuff]

I know I mentioned that I may be on a short hiatus to get my balance back and then I went on posting about being sick, replying to comments and all. I’ve been bad that I’ve not kept to my words but in such instances, I’m sure my lovely friends and loyal readers wouldn’t mind a single bit right?

The gastric flu helped me balance my life a little bit. It’s ironic coz it was such a bitch causing me so much abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhoea but like every mean bitch with hidden goodness, it had garnered me a 3-day mc to get complete rest at home. The sleep had certainly helped me regain much balance and being on MC, I started watching TV again.

As I mentioned before, the hubby is currently overseas and all the way from Australia, kh was just telling me that I’ve been so caught up at work that lately he doesn’t even see me watching my usual CSI on AXN and FoxCrime anymore. He doesn’t even see me unwinding at home and urged me to find something which I would like to do at home so that at least, I’ve got some indoor hobbies. He had to include an anti-climax after that by urging me to be like him and play WOW (World of Warcraft).

-_-

Oh yes, have I mentioned that my pink bimbotic camera died on me? It just wouldn't switch on anymore unless I plug the charger in. That's why my sister says electronic gadgets have lives of their own. It must have heard that I was determined in getting Canon S95 that it decided to commit suicide and die on me after serving me for 4-5 years.

Anyway, here's sharing some perk me ups when I was sick.

My colourful medicine certainly helped in colouring my life. I've since finished the entire course, something really rare as I tend to only finish antibiotics.



Words are powerful enough to heal too! Sweet little char was still so thoughtful and caring towards her godma when she herself was suffering in pain. It makes me feel so lousy thinking how a 5-year-old could fight better than I do.




Yet another booster, I received a registered package for my recent win in a giveaway by RicAdeMus in collaboration with Pop Champagne.



I haven't expected myself to win as I participated just for fun. Even though Rick used a "generator" (so elaborate that my bimbotic mind can't comprehend) to generate the names of winners, I'm very sure he must have liked me so much to let me win. LoLz kidding, Rick!

What was supposed to be a starfish pendant turned out to be a lot more.



Thank you Julie of Pop Champagne for stashing in so many other goodies. It was really a pleasant surprise and for a moment I was so energetic that I could even arrange the goodies for a phototaking session despite feeling so weak.

The starfish pendant up close. Lovely right?



BTW, the envelope was torn and the postal service over at Canada side wrapped it up in plastic with a message of apology. I'm impressed.



On a separate note...
My thoughts and prayers are with those in Japan affected by the earthquake and tsunami. I could feel tears brimming my eyes as I flipped the newspapers these 2 days. I've got a personal friend in Japan now. The tremour and prepared evacuation shook her but she's alright and I'm glad she's returning to Singapore soon. I hope my pen pal and all my other online Japanese friends and their loved ones are safe and sound too.

I will try to blog more often and get in pace with current events. Look out for my write up on the ClubCouture ambassadors photoshoot soon!

Gastric flu & a bucketful of tears

It's uncanny how that guy up there love to answer to prayers in a manner that is not quite what you asked for but then again, really isn’t too far from what you wished.

In my previous post, I mentioned about how I wished I could just lay in bed and sleep for hours and days.

My wish was granted.

I was confined to bed early last night for hours and hours due to severe tummy upset, nausea and headache, only that I didn't sleep the full hours of confinement as the pain was too unbearable which often left me awake. It's the similar kind of pain and symptoms from my last gastric flu. The symptoms aren’t as bad as I did not puke or have diarrhoea as many times as the last. However, the pain is much worse than the last. It feels like someone is squeezing and pulling at my stomach and intestines.

I just came back from the doctor’s not too long ago. My usual nice and motherly doctor wasn’t around so I had to pop next door. Since it was the first time the doc saw me, he had to ask about my lifestyle, work, stress etc. He tried to probe more about what my job scope entails as he initially suspected my symptoms were stress-related. He started to lecture me about my health, lifestyle, irregular eating hours, my sleep, my job etc that I could not help but cry in his office and use up so much of his toilet paper. Having a stranger telling me all the exact same words loved ones & good friends have been telling me made me feel the pain of his words even more coz he doesn't even know me. It was quite embarrassing but I feel that it was a good scolding. Lots more went on but I shan’t go into detail.

It sucks to be sick when the hubby is overseas for a 1-month work detachment. How very unfortunate.The last major illness also occurred when he was on an overseas detachment.

My pain is acting up again and I’m gonna head for my comfortable bed once more. My stomach is so empty; I’m so hungry but I’ve got no appetite to eat.


Edited to add on 10th March:
Thank you all for your concern and virtual words of “medication”. Those really perked me up. I’m on my 3rd day mc. I’d wanted to head back to office today but my lovely dept people told me to stay at home and so we settled lots of work via emails, texting and phone calls. Glad that I can “rest in peace” now and do my marking at home with easy access to the toilet, food and medication. Not to mention, the comfortable bed! I’m feeling drowsy thinking of my bed. I'll be replying your comments in a while so do check back.

I am so tired

[picture credit: via weheartit]

I'm once again running out of steam.

Someone once asked me... actually, make that a few someones.

A few someones once asked me how I managed to stay at work till so late, have so much life out of work and still come in to work every day looking so fresh. I think it's all in the state of mind and slapping on make up of course. Some black eyeliner and mascara and I look super awake. Some BB cream and blusher and I don't look too haggard. I think they did not catch me at my sleepy hours in the afternoon where even toothpicks would break under my heavy lids.

My state of mind isn't at its optimum level recently. Positive thinking doesn't work once more. The last time this happened was a few months back. I'm tired physically and mentally. I wish I could just lay in bed and sleep for hours and days.

Work is killing me AGAIN. I've been handling everything so well since the formation of my new my dept till the CNY where we lost quite a bit of speed and could never catch up since. It doesn't help when on top of all our regular tasks, new tasks have been assigned at an exponential rate. The many HOD meetings, dept meetings and just so many other meetings have been zapping lots of work time away too. To be fair, the meetings were most of the time fruitful but they can't make up for lost time. I haven't even gotten on to all the trainings, presentations and talks.

I'm so sleepy at 1.30am and it's a mean feat for an insomniac to be sleepy at this time. It's a great cause to celebrate for it seems that my body clock has resumed its state of normalcy. Yet, I'm not able to sleep as I've yet to finish my work. I thought I've gotten it all worked out by settling all my personal stuff this weekend and pushing whatever unfinished work away from Sunday by going into office earlier in the morning but silly me forgot that I've got a crucial lesson in the morning to attend.

I'm starting to feel really disgruntled coz it dawned on me that I would NEVER EVER be able to fulfil half of my goals which I've set last April if I don't do something about the current situation.

On a happier note, I attended the wedding of a good friend of mine earlier and it was such an enjoyable evening. It was a lovely wedding! It started way earlier coz we had some surprise for her. I hope it made her day. On the downside, I think having too many good friends is not easy to juggle. Someone "big" at work told me that I've got too many friends and too many activities happening in my life that it's difficult for me to balance work life, family life and social life and not feel drained. You know what? He is so damn right and I don't like it. Even though he says life is not all about work and it's very good to include my family and friends, I do need time for myself as well. Actually when he said that, I wonder if he really meant it otherwise.

I'm contemplating making that huge decision which I've been wavering on and off the past few years. We'll see how it goes.

For now, I would just sleep everything away.



PS: Thank you all for reading, commenting and following. I truly appreciate all your thoughts. Pardon me if I take a long time to get back to you during this period. I might be going on a short hiatus here to get my balance back. I will continue to check my email for notifications and read your messages from there.

Adios!