Feeling good after saying thank you twice

"I like your perfume," the 7-year old Aaron told me suddenly when we were chatting about his scouts and cleaning duties this morning.

I was surprised and felt some kind of stirrings women feel when given a compliment.

I only had these words for him, "Thank you," and that really kicked off my day.

And just when I thought that was all it, two gentlemen joined me in the lift. I smiled at them and said the casual hello to each other. They stood closer to the lift door, talking about office shirts and where to find good ones.

Eavesdropping, the older man told the younger man, "You can get free alteration from there (referring to a supplier) and the fabric is better than this (touching his shirt)."

"Oh, it's thicker," said the younger man.

The lift stopped on ground level. The door opened. As I waited for them to make a move, they both looked back at me and together, they made the hand gesture offering me the door first.

I only had these words for them, "Thank you," and that really made my morning so good.

Thank you, gentlemen!

Hey, single ladies! No date on February 14?

Hey, single ladies! No date on February 14?

Go, bring yourself out.

Crazy?

Nah. You owe it to yourself and you need not wait for somebody to do this pampering.

When most ladies go gaga over flowers and gifts and dinner dates on Valetine's Day, go out and throw yourself in:

1. A Spa treatment. There's no better gift on Valentine's Day than a full body massage after a stressful Valentine's Monday. A refreshed mind and body is something you owe to yourself, after all.
2. A Hair treatment. Go and prep yourself up on V-day. This may not be necessary on February 14, but there are more days beyond V-day that your do may come in handy.
3. A Shopping spree. Drooling on the latest top collection of your clothing brand? Get it on Valentine's. You may not have Mr. Right now, but you are in the right purchasing position to get that top.

Keep this in mind: Single is sexy, as Bench highlighted in their Bench Body campaign a few years back.

Celebrate being single and the opportunity that comes with it this Valentine's!

Musing at 12:39 AM, 19 December 2010

And where else did I get the inspiration to write this piece?

You bet. It’s on loo again. (This got me into thinking. Could it be that my muse loves to stay in the toilet. Hmmm...)

Apologies for the "l" world. But this blog entry is more of a reflection on my interaction, dialogue and experience with friends, colleagues and strangers and the lessons in-between.

1. We are not lucky every day. Just when we think everything is okay, things turn out jia lat (Hokkien term for trouble or terrible situation).
2. Help comes in different forms and colours. But a hand offered by a stranger is always genuine and warm.
3. We remember moments and experiences, and we associate them to a person.
4. Success, no matter how glittery and tempting it may seem, is sometimes an empty pursuit. Be warned of a Chinese saying that it is cold on top.
5. Sometimes, success comes from sheer luck. We just happen to be in the right place at the right time.
6. No matter how much money we accumulate, we will never be satisfied until we share it with others.
7. We do not lose if we give money to who need it. We only allow the person to experience the same level of comfort we enjoy. This is what we know as sharing.
8. Jealousy and pride are two sins that consume us in our chase for success. But we can put them into good use. Jealousy as a leverage to improve our lives ; and pride as a shield from unscrupulous people who take advantage of the weak.
9. Passion or money? Take the plunge or gawk on the edge, and figure out the depth of the ridge? Unknown or sure answers? We are all tempted to do the former but ended up doing the latter.
10. Passion is something that defines us. It is not an itch that cannot be scratched by money alone.
11. If we strongly feel for something, do not let go. We may not achieve it now, but we will later.
12. Creative people have passion for what they do. No matter what other people say about our art and pursuit, we just go on, try harder until we are happy with our results.
13. People who do creative things but do not know how to respect the style and uniqueness of another person limit his growth. We do not set boundaries, parameters and formula for our craft.