I think I would like to work in a bookstore or a cafe. Where there are no deadlines or creative types throwing tantrums. Where the biggest crisis would be running out of The Da Vinci Code when there are a hundred people demanding it, or the expresso machine breaking down. Where I won't have shooting headaches and sometimes sleepless nights because of stress. Sometimes I wish I could be doing ANYTHING other then what I'm doing now. And this week is when I wish it most fervently.

Finally, after missing his last tour here in 2000, I'll be catching Robbie Williams on November 18 with 3 other girlfriends and one little girl - all fans of this British bad boy. Woohoo!!

Now if I promise to be good, eat my veggies and exercise, please bring U2 here!

I've been moaning for a while at the dearth of good horror movies: ones with a good plot, twists and credible acting, with less reliance on blood, gore and dismemberment. Silent Hill has restored my faith in the genre - never mind that it had its origins as a video game.

I caught it last night with Flee, another horror fiend like myself, after a couple of hours of makeup and watch shopping followed by a scrumptious fish & chip dinner. Altogether a rather rewarding end to a hectic week.

Dad discovered these 2 baby birds in a tiny nest among some palms in our backyard. Mother bird was fluttering anxiously above as I clicked this picture. What was so adorable was the way they stretched their necks up and opend their beaks wide as I parted the palm leaves, thinking their mother had returned.

I'll have more images especially when they are bigger and their feathers fluff up.

In about 1 hour from now, planet Earth (or at least, the soccer mad parts of it with the exception of most of North America and possibly North Korea) will come to a complete halt for the opening game of the FIFA World Cup in Germany. Then everyone will be on vacation mode till the Finals on 9 July.

That's all everyone (or at least testosterone laden individuals) here in Singapore have been talking about the past few weeks. Nearly every ad on TV is skewed to soccer.

A freelance copywriter friend has stopped all work for the next month to devote more of his waking energies to the 'Beautiful Game'.

Plasma TVs sales have gone through the roof, as well as subscriptions to the sports channel on cable that won the rights to televise all the matches here (compared to the free-to-air station that is only showing a measly 4 this time!). Not to mention the beer companies. Funny how companies like Coke or Pepsi are no where in the picture for the World Cup whereas Coke was huge at the Olympics. What - soccer fans only drink beer?

As for me, I'll be looking out for Korea, the underdog in the last Cup who made it to the semi-finals, far beyond even their expectations. Any soccer-interested people out there? Who's your favourite team? And who do you predict will win World Cup 2006?

Where you can use your wristwatch to speed up or slow down the length of each hour...

Where it's part of a 4-day work week and a 3-day weekend...

That's so perfect, the boss declares it a 'No Work' day...

When clients love all your ideas and thank you profusely for work done...

Where the budget has no limit...

Now, imagine that!

By Dad near the construction site of a new house opposite ours:

Foreman to his construction crew: "Hey! If you have nothing to do, don't just sit around doing nothing!"

*Duh!*

It's been a long while since my last post. I've been physically and mentally exhausted at the end of every day, and weekends see me comatose in recovery mode.

It's been an intense 2 weeks at work with the completion of phase one of a global ad campaign. I have maybe, a couple of days to chill before the intensity picks up again for phase two at the end of June. Another ad campaign is targeted for release in mid-July. Then and only then can I totally relax. Right now, these two campaigns spell the biggest ones the Agency has handled this year. And a lot is riding on delivering them successfully.

I've got something to look forward to though. Sometime in early October, I'm taking off on my much needed holiday to Perth, Australia for 9 days. Woohoo!! With my mother! Now this should be an interesting experience for 2 reasons: 1. I've never been to Australia and 2. I've never travelled with Mom (at least, not without Dad nearby). Besides, how to say 'no' to a cousin who has invited us to stay at her house on the Margaret River outside the city where she grows olives and kangaroos hop through her back garden.

So for now, I'll just be chugging along, babysitting these campaigns before they burst on the global consciousness. I'll post the client closer to the release date then tell me what you think.