Breathing space

The overwhelming sense of claustrophobia, coupled with the sheer desire to just get up and escape. It’s the second time this week when I battled the strong urge to dash onboard the familiar 154 bus, stare out of the window and inhale the wind brushing past my lips. I needed to run, I needed to [...]

Denial

Soundbites: Muse “Starlight”
The key to surviving an internship is denial. We deny that we’re tired, we deny that we’re scared, we deny how badly we want to succeed. And most importantly, we deny that we’re in denial. We only see what we want to see and believe what we want to believe, and it works. [...]

Cherries and Chardonnay

 Soundbites: Daughtry “Over You”
First it was the endless boxes of mooncakes being sent to the newsroom.
Then came a whole assortment of condoms for the journalists to enjoy. (Yes, packs of condoms were sent to the staff, and they came in vibrating and non-vibrating, ribbed and non-ribbed, flavoured and non-flavoured varieties).
And now, free flow of Chardonnay [...]

Pain

Pain, you just have to ride it out, hope it goes away on its own, hope the wound that caused it heals. There are no solutions, no easy answers, you just breath deep and wait for it to subside. Most of the time pain can be managed but sometimes the pain gets you where you [...]

Crystal Ball

 Soundbites: Keane “Crystal Ball”
Being the highly superstitious person that I am, I logged onto Facebook to view my horoscope immediately when I managed to get my hands on wireless internet. And this is what it read:
“Leo: During this time period, you feel like it is time to “go for the gold”. You want to hit [...]

Signal Fire

The perfect words never crossed my mind
Cause there was nothing in there but you
I felt every ounce of me screaming out
But the sound was trapped deep in me
All I wanted just sped right past me
While I was rooted fast to the earth
I could be stuck here for a thousand years
Without your arms to drag me [...]

Silence

The room was completely silent, with its four occupents each staring at different spots on the wall, pretending to be deep in contemplatation just to prevent any form of eye contact.
Communication – it’s the first thing we really learn in life. But the funny thing is, once we grow up, learn our words and really [...]

Closer

 Soundbites: Red Jumpsuit Apparatus “Your Guardian Angel”
The airport always brings with it a sense of ambivalence – the sheer excitement and enthusiasm when you are dragging the oversized luggage bag down the hallways of Changi, and the impending sense of dread when you are sending someone off at the terminals. Somehow, there is always an aura of awakening when you [...]

Chill pill

1 case of heartburn,
1 case of oesophasus corrosion, and
1 case of gastric problems later,
I am still fine.

This is why

MSN conversation between Sara and I:
S: Pink or purple roses for the wedding?
M: There are purple roses? I never knew that. Pick lilies?
S: Oooh lilies are pretty! Hmm, maybe lilies then. Or tulips?
S: Oh you will be coming for my wedding right?
M: Of course! Save a large chunk of cake for me!
S: Hahaha, oh, we were [...]

Take care and take flight.

The way we lie on the pavement, with you looking at me at the corner of your eye, and me pretending not to notice.
The endless car drives we have, with random radio tunes for company, driving with no particular destination in mind.
The number of times you escaped from the office to indulge in dessert breaks.
The [...]

Silicon City

A beautiful girl can make you dizzy, like you’ve been drinking Vodka or Bailey’s all morning. She can make you feel full of the single greatest commodity known to man – promise. Promise of a better day. Promise of a greater hope. Promise of a new tomorrow. This particular aura can be found in the gait of [...]

Stranger

It is almost a poetic experience to find yourself sitting beside a complete stranger during the course of a movie, simply immersing in the presence of the person while both of you enjoy a laugh or share a tear when watching the film. You may have never ever met the person, and you most probably [...]

Hair Affair

 Soundbites: Yellowcard “Light Up the Sky”
Never in my life can I understand how some people are able to casually make a decision to step into a hair salon, and simply choose to get their hair cut. Most of my friends know how perpetually nerve-wrecking it is for me to choose to get my hair done. [...]

To live is to Die

In some instances, funerals are arranged simply for the interests of the living, rather than the dead.
The grand execution of the funeral, accessorised with artificial dramatic wails and over-the-top declarations of love, is not so much a symbol of celebration of the person’s life or the silent hopes of him attaining peace and harmony through [...]