I'm on holiday. Off till the 6th. No work. No alarm clock. No nerve-wrecking deadlines. No sensitive egos needing a stroke or two for 9 whole days.

So why am I still waking up in the early hours of the morning, only to lie there, sometimes with a stupid song looping in my head ? Usually during a work week, I wake up itemising stuff to do during the day, people to call and deadlines to meet. But this is different. I wake up to toss in bed for hours before dozing off when the birds start tweeting.

I go to bed early, I go to bed late, no difference. No coffee, no tea nor too late a dinner. No stress. No difference. Grrr...! I'm on bloody holiday and I can't sleep properly!

Besides sleeping pills, any suggestions on what I can do to get a good night's sleep? I'm afraid the next stupid song will be "It's A Small, Small World."

It's been a long time since I picked up a book because I had to. College was great as it introduced me to books I should read but I hated the fact that I HAD to read them for a grade.

Now I read for a very selfish reason: I read for myself. To escape. To travel. To satisfy a curiousity. To find out more about something I heard or watched on TV or a movie, or read somewhere else. Not because I have to nor for a grade. I read for the very pleasure of the act of reading itself. That quiet thrill you get as your eyes pass over sentences that create ideas and images in your head, sinking deep into the tale as it unfolds. And that very satisfying hum you get when you reach the end.

Your turn - why do you read?

We celebrated the twins' - Bex & Jimbo's - birthday last night at Ice Cold Beer. It was tamer than usual but we had a blast. Lots of catching up with old friends, lots of laughs and giggles.

Just as Ems, Xin and I were leaving (at 1240am!) Mo and his girlfriend showed up, late as usual. After hugs hello, Jimbo and Mo, two normally very straight guys, fell into a tight embrace when Mo exclaimed, "I could kiss you, you f**king apple!"

???

We burst out laughing! Jim, pleased as punch with his old buddy, gave him another hug.

If anything could reinforce my determination to move on, it was this. Got home to find a letter from CPF (Central Provident Fund) advising me that my current employer has not been contributing to my CPF account for the past 3 months. And that CPF will now take action against them.

S*%$! And I know that some of my friends there haven't received their contributions either. This really pisses me off. Those contributions are part of our wages and most rely on them for monthly payments to banks for housing loans.

This is one of the last things anyone should have to worry about, you know. If you are employed, you just want to do your job (well), get paid (on time!) and have contributions to CPF made (on time! Especially when loans are involved!). You don't need this kind of worry.

I'm not sure what is going to happen now, but I'll know something by next week.

This really really sucks.

* CPF is a compulsory national pension fund for all working Singaporeans. Every employee contributes a % of the monthly salary while every employer tops up an additional % to a fund that is managed by the government. You can use if for things like housing loans, education, and purchasing insurance and unit trusts. You can only withdraw it at 60 for retirement (soon to be 67).

The week is finally winding down to the weekend. Nothing's planned except my determination to remain in a mellow state of bliss for the whole 9 days. And that involves, in no particular order, books, surfing, writing, hanging out with some friends, the Night Safari with Ems, Borders and/or Kinokuniya, a movie or two, oh! and waking up late.

A bit o' news: I've resigned from my current job for something new. That was what all the hush-hush has been about lately. I'm nervous even though its something very similar. But I know I'm going to miss this place - good friends and bosses. Anyways, my last day here is tentatively 17 February (until HR tells me otherwise).

I've just taken a big step. While I realise that this is important for me, I'm nervous as heck! Can't say more just yet but will soon.

*whew*

They are finally here. Or at least will be before the end of 2006.

Two of my favourite US brands are opening franchise stores in Singapore and Malaysia. Now if someone can only secure the franchise rights to Victoria Secrets, women here and I dare say men, would be very happy.

I've never been a fan of Asian authors. In fact I don't think I've really read any. There were a lot of good intentions to do so. Quite remiss of me, you might add. You're right. I think I've just been waiting for the right book to come along. And I believe one has.

Recently, I had a fun time at Kinokuniya, buying books with birthday vouchers that some of my friends at work gave me last year. I surprised myself when I picked up The Mistress of Spices by Chitra Divakaruni. Strangely enough, my sister has this very book on her bookshelf.

I'm hooked! I love Chitra's prose and magical imagery. Will post my review when done.

On other news...it's been a busy, trying week. After the holiday hiatus, it seems all my feelance copywriting jobs are back with back-to-back deadlines. UGH! I'm so looking forward to the upcoming Chinese New Year break. My company's closed from 30 January to 3 February. That's 9 days off! Woohoo! Anyone care to join me on the couch? LOL!

I sob, scream and rail at the Apple juggernaut!

Barely one month after purchasing my beloved Powerbook, Apple unleashes the MacBook Pro. WITH the Intel DualCore processor, no less. And this is after news in mid-2005 that declared such a machine won't be out for another year or two.

Never mind. My G4 Powerbook is a thing of beauty, perfectly suited for my 'more copywriting, less design work' state these days. Besides, what a silly name - MacBook Pro. Sounds like a piece of software, not the long-awaited holy grail.

*bleah*

But first, hide your credit cards. Take notes (preferably in a Moleskine). Then dream of a place furnished with everything you see here.

Design*Sponge
Design Mouse

I've had lovely daydreams about mine: heavy in print, rich in color, luxe yet with a laid-back style. So...how do you see your DREAM space, hmm?

A great passage from the book I'm currently reading - The Little Guide To Your Well-Read Life by Steve Leveen:

John Armato a public relations executive, cherishes his growing Library of Candidates. When people ask him if he's actually read all those books, he asks them if they've actually eaten all the food in their kitchen. "It is good to put up a supply of books; it increases the odds that you'll have what you want when you're hungry for it," he says.

Ok...time to confess. Animal movies make me teary.

A couple of nights ago, I caught My Dog Skip and this afternoon watched Homeward Bound: An Incredible Journey. The latter got a sniffle but the former elicited a full-on weepy session. Twice!

Note: I think My Dog Skip now supercedes Old Yeller as THE dog movie of all time.

Please don't laugh, but that is the MAIN reason I'm not watching Peter Jackson's King Kong. I can't! I know how it ends. I remember the version with Jessica Lange and I don't think I want to put myself through that last scene again. So I'll wait for the DVD, and stop it just before they capture Kong.

Now you...what gets YOU teary-eyed at movies?

Well, it's the start of a new year. And for many that means new year resolutions. Except for me. I've made and broken too many now. Every year starts out full of promise. Yet by its end, I've realised that they've just slipped by like the smoke of birthday candles.

So this year, I'm just making one. And it's this: To be the best person I can be, for myself, my family and my friends.

And I think, everything else will fall in line.