I read yesterday's URBAN and found out for the first time what a lariat is. It was interesting to me as I didn't know that was the jewelry I spotted so often on actor Kim John Hoon in K-drama Goong:

That must have been his favorite piece of accessories then as I saw him wear it in more than one episode. A lariat is so unique as both ends of the strand hang loose, secured on the wearer's neck by means of a loop. 'Lariat' is also the synonym for 'lasso'.

I know the color saturation in the above picture is way off mark as my prince looked so sallow, but I am going to have that same hair color as him come tomorrow morning as I attempt to dye my own hair with a $13 hair coloring kit from Guardian Pharmacy.

I hope people will not remember my faults as I cover people's transgressions towards me with forgetfulness. If only I can channel forgetfulness however I want to!

My friend is getting married mid June. Another living near London has her boyfriend ready to ask her hand in marriage anytime, as they have already gotten a house. Most of the others I know have stable relationships. Why oh why is the notion of being taken so foreign to me these years? I've even stopped mulling over it! Enough of gripes, ranting, and all those me-stories. I just want to lose that me-complex and get on with living and loving, i.e. less of myself and more of others.

I am thankful that I have such a nice bunch of colleagues to work with. They're amicable, down-to-earth, and totally different from the sort who 'dabbles' in office politics just to climb a rung higher than the next person. I will cherish them everyday!

Last Saturday was the grand opening of our skincare brand's seventh outlet and to be given the task of manning the reception and overseeing buffet arrangements brought back memories of my time at a PR-cum-events agency. I also helped receive the congratulatory flower stands from well-wishers. Or are they called 'standing ovations'? Or 'flower sprays'? Can you tell the real flowers from the artificial ones from the pictures below?

I go through the hours tapping away on my keyboard submitting assignments fulfilling obligations and I have no complaints toward my job. I love it because I love writing and no other will do. But hollowness inside is what I feel a numbing feeling in my mind. What is peace? I want a life unlike such as mine a real life unlike such as mine I walk through my days feeling empty, angry, nothing.

Busy, busy, busy! It prompts the question -- what is truly important? I don't want to live like this. What is my resolution?

STRAIGHTEN UP!

This I will attempt to do.

Life is not about me.

Recently, I have been hearing more swear words than before. And them coming out of my mouth too. When people say who you mix with is important, they aren't lying. You become like those you spend lots of time with.

These weeks, my company will be preparing for a friendly inter-department competition in mid-June. Each department is to compete in a seven-minute performance to showcase the members' talents, the teams' camaraderie, and the department heads' leadership qualities. We, the Marcom team, will be doing a musical (read: spoof) of a Chinese classical love story Liang Zhu infused with Indian love dances. It is written largely as a comedy, meant to elicit laughter from our audience. Details later.

Is it one of those silent spells again?

A friend from my university days got me two boxes of false eyelashes from Taiwan, purchased from an online spree. I love a good bargain, and just couldn't miss the offer when she said they can be had for less than $10 for a box, each containing ten luscious pairs.

They arrived in the mail today:

The hotter- and stuffier-than usual weather and my menses have been driving me crazy. I had nauseating headaches, felt irritable, was extra sensitive to light, and felt especially claustrophobic. The faulty air-conditioning at work didn't help either. And then I took that as an excuse to be less industrious. Ugh! Gotta shake myself out of this state.

A totally random song for today:

Do you have aims of how you want your life to pan out? I'd want to be financially stable, find my soulmate, be happy, travel, learn new languages, love life and love people, and climb higher in the corporate world. Gotta progress on in life!

13 hours of continuous shut-eye with some waking up in between and I'm still feeling groggy and sluggish. It's been happening for two days straight; I would wake up, feel like my body's sapped of energy, and fumble around the kitchen in super slo-mo. Is work draining me? Where are you sunshine and energy?

And then came the momentary kick when I read and saw Samsung Soul, the new handphone model released as the perfect round-up to previous Ultra editions, in the papers and online. Look at this!

I am already eligible for the 21-month phone upgrade scheme. After subtracting the trade-in value of my current Sony Ericsson K750i, I only need pay $238. This price, for a superior bundle of features like:

• 5.0 megapixel camera with face detection technology (Yay!)
• Metal casing all around
• A touch-navigation keypad
• Expandable memory slot of up to 8GB
• Music player, audio technology by Bang and Olufsen
• 3.5G connectivity
• 12.9mm thinness
• Video and audio recorder
• FM radio and more

Sound delicious already?

I am getting this first week of June. I have to save at least $500 for this month.

My Group Assistant Marcom Manager who has been with the company for eight long years will be transferred to Shanghai, China, with his wife, for two long years, to oversee marcom activities. He will leave end-June. When I first the news from a colleague in HR, I was dumbfounded. I thought he was only going to be away for a week or two.

Mr. Little White is the most patient and gentlest boss I've ever, ever had, or will ever have. When I made mistakes, he never raised his voice at me, but would advise me in a brotherly way that I mustn't repeat them. He makes me learn. He's also the most unassuming and humble boss I've ever met. I'll miss him!

After church service yesterday, April and I hung out with her cell group mates for a while before heading to Hyang To Gol at Amara Hotel. The second-floor Korean restaurant was recommended by an ex-colleague for its authentic Korean cuisine and wallet-friendly prices.

We had what he had -- gopchang-jeongol, or beef intestines with tofu, rice cakes, noodles and vegetables in a chili-red but not-so-spicy soup base. This, plus lots of side dishes and kimchi! April and I must have asked for about four servings of that fermented cabbage. We also ordered pancakes with pork in them.

What's different about the service at Korean restaurants -- the wait staff bring you multiple side dishes before your main order arrives. There were fried squid in batter, thin slices of radish/turnip(?) soaked in a wasabi sauce, kimchi water that was too tangy and sourish for our tastebuds, fried fish, salad, two types of kimchi, pancakes, marinated green vegetables, and peanuts. The entire table top was covered with dishes and that made us feel happy. The Chinese-speaking waitress also helped serve the main dish into our serving bowls.

I read some blog reviews about the restaurant before heading there and found that the service was passable. The food wasn't exceptionally delightful, but I do appreciate the large portions. The bill came up to $72. April and I left the place feeling so satiated.

My aunt and sister left for Nepal on a backpacking trip last Thursday and will return on the 27th. Hope they're having fun now! Strangely, I am enjoying the peace and quiet without her endless yakking. I watched all 17 episodes of Korean drama Who Are You? and one of the themes covered was the father and daughter relationship. The 20-year-old daughter became devastated and felt regrets only when her father passed on. She wished she had done the things she's never done for him while he was still alive, like putting on the band-aid on his forehead for that smarting burn. The very next day he was killed in a planned accident.

I hope this pride in me disappears quickly enough. Sometimes, I just don't want to get closer with my family because I want to protect myself. I am too tired of this cycle of getting near to them and being hurt by words, remarks, quarrels, etc. And I thought it'd be better to be in my own world so I get more immune to hurts. And then I realized, it's impossible to have close friendships with other people because I have closed up my heart. I feel sick of being tired.

On another note, I am scared of becoming like people I know, who lead poor lives not because they are in financially weak positions, but because they get unhappy over the slightest things and they are never, ever satisfied. They don't have joy in their lives. Between having an open heart, loving, getting hurt but still continuing to be open and to love, and getting hurt, never recovering, becoming bitter and always griping, I will of course choose the former. At least I know, God is there to heal, even if there are a million hurts.

Lesson of the day -- Carpe Diem! Hard work brings sweet rewards. I definitely have to ascribe to this motto so there'd be no room for regrets later on. I must... must... churn out as many copy submissions as I can for the rest of the media buys this month. Rather glad am I for the work arrangements this coming week, for I won't be required to spend precious hours following the filming crew for an exciting upcoming variety show for Channel 8.

I bought a black duffle bag from Everlast at my workplace yesterday. I work at the top floor of a huge shopping mall, and there were discounts galore. Pre-GSS sale, perhaps? Anyhow, the bag was marked down to a mere $39.90 and it looked really cool with enough capacity for a laptop and loads of girly knicknacks.

On the topic of money -- April and I have embarked on a competition to save $5K each by the end of this year as a reserve that mustn't be spent. The person who is last to save that amount will be... well, mocked by the other party. I don't want to lose and I am not going to lose! Goodbye cab rides and expensive lunches.

You don't know how much I am addicted to mysoju.com. My current favorite K-drama -- Who Are You? Yoon Kye Sang. Yes. I love him loads.

And there's my current favorite theme song from K-drama Who Are You.

Enjoy!