Mistletoes… red stockings…Sta Claus…Christmas tree…a lot of food and presents!!!

People rushing…my father whistling… mother busy in the kitchen… my brothers cracking lame jokes to their wives… and I’m playing with my nieces and nephews and my favorite cousin.

Ah… this is how I remember my last Christmas back home. Every year, more or less would be the same. A day of setting aside all the troubles, and just being with the family.

This year, I wouldn’t be able to experience that. This is the first Christmas in my entire life that I wouldn’t be with them for Christmas.

Since that’s the case, I better work on my Christmas list then. It’s hard to figure out what’s the best gift for every one of them. And I hate going to malls. I don’t like shopping, unless I already have an idea what I’m gonna buy.

I have a good idea how to go about it though. I’ll just go to couponchief.com and search my way to a complete Christmas list of presents!

See, this website provides coupons to those that visit their site. That means I don’t have to go to the mall, and better yet… I’ll have discounts!! Quite neat if you ask me.

For my Mother and sister-in-laws, I’ll probably be getting something from The Body Shop since they’re keen on beauty products. As for my father and brothers, probably something more hi-tech.

I mean, they’re not really that hi-tech, but it would be easier for me if I get them something from, let’s say… HP or something near to that.

Not finalized yet, but my plan wouldn’t be too far from this. So far this is the outline. But I really need to start with the list now, or else I’ll end up not being with my family AND not being able to give them nice presents. Waaah!

I can’t believe I did this! It’s really soooo embarrassing. People are looking at me at Orchard Rd, and to top it all off, I have to speak loudly otherwise the camera wouldn’t be able to capture whatever I’m saying.

Arg!! And before the end of the day, I was a little bit drained. I mean, what do you expect? Talking and talking none stop for the whole day, to think I have been in a sort of like a traumatic experience lately.

And one more thing, I have to be the third wheel whenever Princessa’s PDA is around. Ay caramba!

Anyway, please do watch the video. This is just a pilot video. To let you all in our lives. For even just a day.

If this doesn’t work, try youtube.

Do you know how to play backgammon? I’m not sure if I do. But I remember playing before. See, the one time that I have played online casino, I was able to try a lot of games.

I guess backgammon was one of those.  There is this site that actually prepares you for backgammon tournaments and how to be good at playing it.

Aside from giving information about up coming tournaments, they also provide details on backgammon events. Haha!

I didn’t know that this game is actually being played in a professional level and revered enough to have events. Hmm…

What say you? Want to give it a try? Anyway, there are six different languages you can choose from. So if you want to be on top of this game, no harm to practice a little bit and play online with other players. Can be fun too!

Have I ever told you that I love poems? I have always been a fan of literary poems, even when I was very young. I have developed a certain fondness to them.

I used to write a lot of free verse poems, and proses. This has been one of my passion for a very long time. Way up there with Business, Finance and Economics as well as General Science.

Please allow me to share with you one of my favorite poems. The saddest that I can ever think of. You might actually enjoy it.

This is a poem by Pablo Neruda, translated by W.S. Merwin:

Tonight I can write the saddest lines.

Write, for example, ‘The night is shattered
and the blue stars shiver in the distance.’

The night wind revolves in the sky and sings.

Tonight I can write the saddest lines.
I loved her, and sometimes she loved me too.

Through nights like this one I held her in my arms.
I kissed her again and again under the endless sky.

She loved me, sometimes I loved her too.
How could one not have loved her great still eyes.

Tonight I can write the saddest lines.
To think that I do not have her. To feel that I have lost her.

To hear the immense night, still more immense without her.
And the verse falls to the soul like dew to the pasture.

What does it matter that my love could not keep her.
The night is shattered and she is not with me.

This is all. In the distance someone is singing. In the distance.
My soul is not satisfied that it has lost her.

My sight searches for her as though to go to her.
My heart looks for her, and she is not with me.

The same night whitening the same trees.
We, of that time, are no longer the same.

I no longer love her, that’s certain, but how I loved her.
My voice tried to find the wind to touch her hearing.

Another’s. She will be another’s. Like my kisses before.
Her voice. Her bright body. Her infinite eyes.

I no longer love her, that’s certain, but maybe I love her.
Love is short, forgetting is so long.

Because through nights like this one I held her in my arms
my soul is not satisfied that it has lost her.

Though this be the last pain that she makes me suffer
and these the last verses that I write for her.

Gambling again. haha! My friend Ian said I might be lucky with it since I’m unlucky somewhere else. I found this cool (and actually I find it cute) website that provides a lot of different kinds of slot machines online.

Pretty fab actually. I mean I used to play slots before with my friend Myla. But we have only a couple of slot games to choose from.

With this online slot machine, I am able to choose a lot of varieties. Interactive and provides support for anything you might need support for. hehe!

If you don’t believe me, see for yourself. It’s just a matter of clicking a button. When I played slots before, I normally do it in a trance like state. Since this is a game of luck, you should really try to push yours.

There is quite a number of articles about the US Government’s dilemma with their economy. I thought about a month ago when I wrote about the US Fed cuts, their economy would stabilize.

Then there is this news (from Channel News Asia) recently about Citigroup’s announcement of 17,000 lay offs for April of next year. Now this is something that should really rattle USA. For one, Citigroup is the second largest banking group in US. For a country as America that would entail a certain level of stability and a sound financial health.

Apparently, the lay offs are due to their massive losses from delinquent mortgages. They are not able to cover up for these losses. Normally, write-offs would be a standard operating cost for banks. Whatever happens, there will always be people who will not be able to pay.

This time though, there is a significant number of write write-offs. If I’m not mistaken, the range is between 8-11 Billion Dollars. In lieu of this, the Abu Dhabi government is reported to invest 7.5 US Dollars in exchange to 4.9% worth of equity units.

This means that Abu Dhabi government will own that same percentage of the second largest banking group in America. Although they have waved the rights that common shares would normally have, like designating a member in the bank’s board of directors, I think it would be taken into opposite lights by US citizens.

Still… well it is their country. So far, Asia has not manifested any adverse reactions to US’s predicament. Here in Singapore, real estate is still booming including tourism. At the very least, most of the countries here has not been daunted by what’s happening on the other side of the globe.

I think it’s safe to say that investors here are still confident that they will get returns from their money. I have always believed that a country can only be as strong as its people. If the problem of Citigroup is caused by delinquent mortgages, there are a few things that can be deduced from this.

One, the people are getting more irresponsible. Paying debts are individual’s responsibilities. The same as it is their decision to mortgage their houses in the first place. Second, probably the cost of living in America can no longer be supported by the minimum wage. That means they should start rethinking all their Fiscal and Monetary policies.

These are just a few of the many reasons. Bad judgment call from officials, inadequate planning or even wrong attitude from the masses. The list can be very long, and Economists can stay up for days, weeks and months trying to solve this problem.

One thing I’m sure though. If the rest of America does not take this seriously and remain lax, they would still be forced to suffer another recession. That wouldn’t be good.

With a lot of economies currently surging upwards like China, America couldn’t afford to slack anymore. Otherwise, tables might actually turn on a different direction.

Note:I have been too engrossed with my social life recently that I forgot something that I am really passionate about. I hope I corrected that right now.

I can’t think of anything but…. wedding rings !! haha!

I mean is there any other use for them? Okay okay, fine. Most girls would want the company. Well, true. I myself have a lot of guy friends.

And of course I have three big brothers. But other than that….

Anyway, I know that most of my girl friends would love diamond engagement rings to start off with. I mean who wouldn’t?

I think even me would appreciate that. Not that I intend to get married or anything. Actually for me, I think just diamonds would do fine. Maybe a bracelet, an earing or a necklace even.

Aaaah! What am I doing thinking of these things. Anyway, if you want to check out what I have just discussed, try out the website of James Allen. He has quite a collection.

Who knows, you might find what you’re looking for.

What do you get when you have two bored, somewhat young women in car on the way to Orchard Rd and a camera phone?!

One amazing video!!

What’s different with this video is that…

It’s fun. It’s real. And it’s our lives!!

No script, no taboo… just everything and nothing under the sun. Basically it’s about our lives. Our daily routines, how we interact with people, places that we go to and how we are able to smile and laugh the whole day everyday, 24/7!!

Without further ado…

Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to present to you the newest best friends in town!!

Princessa meets MissCel - Episode 1 (Part 1)

Trust me, there are more from which this came from. So take a deep breath and relax. Because we’re just gettin’ started!

For those who wish to win one out of the 12 FREE tickets (and stand a chance to win a Plasma TV) for Singapore Slingers vs. Brisbane Bullets match on December 02, 2007 (Sunday), at Singapore Indoor Stadium…

All you need is to write an entry title something like:

I want to watch Singapore Slingers!

Or

I want the Singapore Slingers tickets!

As for content…

Please “embed” this video.

Plus, of course, write whatever else you wish.

And it would be good if you could link back to our blogs:

Princessa - http://www.sabrina.sg
MissCel - http://www.misscel.com

and perhaps…

Singapore Slingers - http://www.singaporeslingers.com

After you’re done with that, send either:

Princessa - i.am@sabrina.sg
MissCel - i.am@misscel.com

An email stating your…

Name:
Entry URL:

And your contact (MSN or mobile no.), if you want to.

The lucky 12 winners will be notified through email by November 30, 2007 (Friday), before 12 midnight.

P/s: We should all thank Nicholas for his kind donation! ;x

Leave a comment if you have any queries.

I noticed I’ve been thinking of gambles quite a lot lately.

Maybe because I have gambled a lot, and I have lost so dearly.

None the less, I’m not daunted. If my gamble in life didn’t turn out the way I expected it to be, perhaps I’ll be more lucky playing online casinos.

It’s just fair, isn’t it? There’s this online casino guide which provides gambling information on different casino online sites. Quite easy to navigate and there’s number of games and sites to choose from.

Since I’m not so lucky with my decisions right now, probably I’ll have a better chance with a real gamble.

Ok maybe it doesn’t make that much sense now, but see I’m thinking of karma. I believe I have been good so it’s only right for me to have a lucky ‘bet’.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed for now.

Life is a bit tricky sometimes. No matter how hard you try to buffer yourself in order to avoid disappointments, it will still come knocking at your door.

I’m thinking… why does regret always comes in the end? And why regret anything when you know for a fact that things might not go according to plan?

I mean, everything is just a matter of decision. If you decide on something, there’s no point regretting or thinking what ‘if’s’. The point when you made the decision, that’s the point when you open yourself up to disappointments or even allowing yourself to be hurt.

It just means that probably you made the wrong decision, and now it’s time to brush yourself up and try again. Or if you don’t want to try again, then it’s another decision all together.

I know I’m talking in riddles again, but there’s just some things that should be left unsaid. Things that I would rather lock up in that part of my brain where normally I store all the ugly things and keep them there. Never to haunt me, or keep me awake at night.

But always there so I never forget and make the same mistakes again. Although at times I tend to be hard headed, I make it a point to weight everything first.

At the end of the day, there’s still a lesson that can be deduced from all of these. That’s the bright side of it. I’m back to where I started. I’m my normal old self again. Free from emotions except joy and happiness.

Bottom line is… I’m still whole and I’m still alive. And I still have tomorrow to look forward to.

Life is still good. I’m still me.