Va va voom!

Wow! I never realised she was that hot. Schwinggggg indeed!

The week that was.

Crazy dust storm has got us thinking that the end was nigh this week. Turned everything orange. Even in the middle of the day!






The Sydney Harbour Bridge Fun Run.

Be careful what you wish for.

Two-oh-oh-nine is now more than 60% lighter and it feels like only a sneeze ago that I started my new job.

They say time flies when you're having fun...or when it's so busy that you don't have time to fix a wedgie. One which I've had since January. Now, imagine my discomfort.

When I left my old job, I was looking forward to the challenges that accompanied the perquisites of my new job. In fact, I was pumped! Bigger company, nicer offices and equipment, great training and more people to interact with, what's not to look forward to right?

Well, the title of this entry probably reflects my sentiment.

The politics (BS in real speak) I've had to deal with so far is incredible. People covering their asses when things go slightly off track, the two - no, multiple faced characters that can be your best friend one minute and stab you with anything that they can grab hold off the next. There are no loyalties, it's everyone for themselves! And people gossip here like their lives depended on it. Apparently, depending on who you talk to, everyone is sleeping with somebody in the office.

Heck, I've worked in organisations that are larger than this in previous postings and I didn't have to deal with so much BS there. Personally, I find that it shows a lot about a person's character if they admit to a fuckup and fix it rather than blaming someone or everyone other than themselves and nothing gets done.

Experiences in life can open one's eyes and if one is submersed in an environment long enough, I believe it will definitely affect them somewhat if left unchecked.

The question I have been asking myself is - do I stay true to myself or do I want to play the game and be bent and molded into somebody that has so many layers that you cannot tell who you're dealing with?

There are 3 options for me. 1) Rise up and take the high road, focusing on what is right 2) Be a Swiss cheese and stay neutral or 3) Go with the flow.

I've been struggling with this question more so in the past couple of months than ever before trying to figure this out to get things done but mainly to reevaluate myself and who I want to be.

I am proud to say I've thought it through and I'm going to do what blue eyes did - I'm doing it my way.

The year that was.

On the eve of a new year, it would be just plain ungrateful to let Lady 08 go without reflecting on some of the lessons learned and the fantastic moments that were experienced.

Two thousand and eight started off on an extreme high with the birth of our little girl. She has grown so much and given us so many happy and memorable moments with all her first experiences. Her first word, her first smile, her first tooth, all of which were very special to us and makes us appreciate both the simplicity of life and the fragility of it.

It was a year when the Pope rolled into town in the Pope mobile for World Youth Day, the year China wowed me with the first opening ceremony I did not fall asleep on and the year, THE man, Barack Obama, became the President of the US of A. All these events helped spice the year up and gave it the added 'oomph'.

Heading down the final stretch, things were a little disappointing for me but I think the lessons that I take away from it were more invaluable than the ill feelings that I felt.

It was of course the worst year in the history of the local stock market. A staggering 41% loss in value with more bad news ahead. It made a lot of people realise their greed and that good times always come to an end.

Career wise, my resignation brought out the true colours of some people I treated more than just my colleagues but my friends. I guess some people really do wear a mask when they go to work. Imagine asking a close colleague at work for the security pass to the wash room on your last day after you've handed in yours and his response was to ask you to use the reception's pass for fear that you might duplicate his. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Then, there were the bosses that gave me the cold shoulder after receiving my resignation letter. Communicating to me only via email instead of face-to-face. It really left a bitter taste in the mouth but I suppose the few bad apples in the barrel tend to ruin the experience of the majority good. The farewell lunches and gifts did make me think twice about leaving but in the end, it was the right decision and I look forward to starting my new job in the new year.

So, while 2008 draws closer and closer to the end, I bid her sayonara and arigato for giving me the year that was.

Here's to having a fine oh nine. Cheers!

The ungrateful.

Do you remember the huge favours that your family have done for you? The silent sacrifices that they’ve made to improve your life but you’re either too blind to take notice, too proud to thank them or just plain ungrateful.

If somebody recommended you a job when you couldn’t get a break, points out your weaknesses when you’re too blind to see and called in favours from their friends just for you, would you remember these deeds?

Do you remember how you got to this point in your life? Take away what we’ve done for you then, step back and tell me that you could have done better.

Now that you’ve got your life back on track, it seems that everything is forgotten. It seems that we were supposed to look out for you. Yes, you did not ask us to do anything for you but shouldn’t people that care for each other do so without being asked? Am I suppose to stand by and watch you fail when I know I can help? Am I suppose to turn a blind eye when I see you’re not doing something right? Have you ever done the same for us?

The appreciation you show your girlfriend and the willingness to please her more than anyone else in your life sickens us. You anticipate what she needs but you’ve never done so for us. You assume that we’ll always be there for you.

I’m tired. We’re tired. If you don’t know who’s got your back when you fall, you better not fall.

W.W.J.D?

When I was a wee little rascal, I used to hope and wish that I had super powers like the heroes in my comic books. I always thought that one day, my powers might manifest itself and I would use my ability for good and save humanity from its ails.

That day is NOW!!!

Nah, just kidding, but I can imagine if that actually came true. With my life at the moment, I don’t think I can cope. It might be cool initially but with the weight of expectation and the stress of dealing with my conscience, I just don't think I'm capable.

This thought came about when I asked a friend, who’s a real talent at what he does, about his career. I asked him what he’s doing in a company like his when much bigger and reputable companies have tried to coax him to join them for better incentives. His answer was simple yet puzzling. He said that he’s not ambitious and he values lifestyle more than money. I can relate to a point and asked him whether he realised what potential he has and if he’s ever thought that he’s wasting his gift. Again, a simple answer. It’s his life.

Now, just imagine that my friend is a doctor who, if he decides to realise his talent fully, would eradicate cancer forever. Isn’t it like being a superhero and using his power to save lives?

To deny or suppress your God given talent. Is that selfish?

C.R.E.A.M

Sonny Bill Williams

I think that all this animosity towards SBW is so hypocritical. SBW is a superstar of the NRL. He’s marketable and he’s good (ok, maybe a little overrated sometimes but hey, look at David Beckham). Can you blame anyone for getting their worth? I mean, if another big company thinks you’re worth more than you are currently on and are willing to give you an opportunity with them, wouldn’t you listen to what they have to offer?

Ok, so he’s still got 5 years or so left to go on his contract but what’s the fuss? Don’t tell me the club forgot to put a clause in the contract for a gazillion dollars if he decides to leave prematurely. If so, they should probably hire those lawyers that work on insurance policies. Even if the transfer fee is, say 2-3 times the current value of the player, wouldn’t the club stand to gain more by selling one good player and having enough cash to sign several cheaper stars or wait till another talent comes along? It's not like they're relying on a portion of the guy's jersey sales.

The head-honchos in the NRL need to walk into the players’ locker room after a game and take a deep breath. Hopefully that’ll knock some senses into them. As if they didn’t know that professional sports these days is a business. Look at all the major clubs or teams in professional sports. From Man U to the L.A Lakers, you pay big bucks to your stars even if you have to go into debt or pay luxury tax. Look at the current situation in Man U with another No. 7 (Ronaldo) considering a move to Madrid. I’d say 95% is motivated by moolah, the other 5% is miscellaneous and not necessary loyalty seeing that he did not come through the junior ranks. If you have a strict salary cap, you better pray that those leagues with no caps don’t come knocking. Or if they do, have a clause that reads, ‘player must watch Schindler’s List without falling asleep’ or something similar to that effect.

With agents and those standing to gain from a new deal being so close to these young athletes, they would be working overtime and using their experience to persuade them into leaving even if they’re thinking of doing otherwise.

I’m sure a lot of athletes are constantly under pressure with the possibility of being discarded like a used tampon when they’re not performing or injured when the transfer season opens. They would have heard from fellow team mates and friends of how unjust and cruel management can be sometimes in not seeking out their opinions or even informing them that they are being cut or moved. Life can be tough if you’re a has-been or a role player in professional sports. So, why not earn as much as they can in the 10 or so years they have? Who are we to say that SBW or anyone has no right in leaving a team? We drop a few coins for entry to the game and we think we own them?

Sad fact of life is Cash Rules Everything Around Me.

Phriday Photos

World Youth Day: Sydney MMVIII

The vibe in the city is similar to when the Olympics was in town in 2000 only more religious. People from all over the world singing hymns in their mother tongue and plenty of smiles and greetings from strangers. It's such a pleasant change of pace from the steely blue working week.

The spectacular St. Mary's Cathedral:

The Rocks gets rocked:

The Premier of New South Wales:

Scenes from the road closures around the Central Business District:

So stoked that I caught the Pope mobile:

Faith.

This article was in the Sydney Morning Herald today.

I might have touched on the subject of my religious beliefs or lack thereof in the past. It wasn’t always the case though. I attended Sunday school at a very young age and all through until the final couple of years of high school, I was educated in Christian schools, schools that did not permit the freedom of choice in participation of their religious practices and studies. I had to attend church on Sundays (I was in boarding school) and there were masses and bible studies built into the curriculum.

I experienced a lot of things in boarding school. It probably made me think a lot about being a Christian and what it means. I got into a lot of disagreements with the teachers and some students who were brought up in the church that ran the school on why some of them rely so much on what the head preacher says. There were many instances where this preacher would determine the career paths of the kids of the teachers in that school. There was one student that I remember vividly who said that he did not need to study because God will give him everything he needs. He was dead serious too.

I guess part of me envy those people that can leave everything in the hands of another person (or being) just like that. Christians call it faith but I’m still figuring out my relationship with the Big Fella.

I know a few friends that have such a strong relationship with their church that they donate most of their salary to them. A friend’s sister even severed her relationship with her family because they did not approve of her giving everything to this ‘church’. I’ve been to the ‘church’ that she goes to and I am still undecided on how I feel. On the one hand, it’s doing a fantastic job in bringing people together and giving the people hope and joy but on the other, these very people that founded the ‘church’ owns the massive land where the ‘church’ is situated, goes around in fancy cars, wears expensive suits and have huge homes in prime locations.

Is that fair? Is that right?

Seeing practises like these, I’ve closed myself up even more for the fear of being taken for a ride. I feel like I’m being systematically manipulated and that I can’t trust or confide in people that have a strong allegiance to one of these churches because they do prey on the vulnerable more often than not. Okay, maybe prey is too strong a word but I would love to ask the head of these 'churches' whether their riches are justified.

More often than not, the most sincere and dedicated people are the followers and not the big kahunas in these ‘churches’. All that energy and passion summoned up during the sermon at 8am, 10am and 5pm on Sundays, is that real? Is it me or is it more like theatre? Am I going for a good show?

That’s the part that confuses me and it contributed in me having a stand offish attitude to the popular and rich churches. I am more comfortable in the ones that do not have state-of-the-art sound systems with comfy seats and pastors who are not as charismatic.

Sometimes I really wish that I too can trust blindly and let everything go. It seemed so simple when I was a kid in Sunday school.

The Beast.

Looks like the Hummers have arrived Down Under. I saw the limo parked outside a hotel here in the CBD, presumably to attract attention. Well, it did just that with many stopping to have a perve.

400 pre-sold H3s are being delivered to their owners around the country this week. I like Hummers but I don't get their practicability. The interior of the H1 is top notch but with it taking close to 2 lanes on the road, it's going to be a major pain in the buttocks driving around. People will be hurling abuse and it's guaranteed to get keyed if it was to be parked in a shopping mall.

The H3 is retailing for around AU$60,000 for the luxury model. It ain't that bad but I don't even want to think about the fuel cost and maintenance for these babies.

A helping hand.

There was an article in the papers last week on Chuck (Charles) Feeney, the billionaire philanthropist. Now, when somebody talks about billionaire philanthropists, Bill Gates and Warren Buffett comes to my mind. I’ve never even heard of this dude but his story is truly inspiring.

Okay, at this point, most of us are thinking that with billions, he can afford to be charitable but would you give MOST of it away? I’ve heard of Warren Buffett being thrifty but Feeney takes the cake. He’s one of those rare individuals that have their priorities so right that I can’t help but admire him. Here’s a guy that can have most material things but travels by bus (at least Buffett owns a car), flies coach, doesn't own a house and carries his documents in a plastic bag!

I find his humility and modesty very humbling, especially when we live in a world where between chasing the dollar and spending the dollar on having a good time, very little or no time is left for anything else. Sure, having a good time is everybody’s right but when we’re nearing the end of our lives, will we be happier knowing that we’ve lived a life based on indulgence or a life where we’ve helped make a difference in somebody’s life? One thing’s for sure, the memory of one of those choices lives on long after we’ve become one with the earth.

I have stopped believing that my donations to major charities would help since learning of the six figure salaries of some of the management staff of major charities and reading on how much is spent on administration. I realised how much of the donor’s money is not reaching the people that needs them most. Friends and acquaintances have defended the cause to pay top dollar to have the right people and facilities to organise initiatives but I fail to see the logic behind how more money goes into supporting the charity’s infrastructure than the cause itself. Of course, this is just me. I’m not trying to convert anyone or stir up a debate.

I now give money to my humble little church (when I attend) because they use the money to keep the place running and once in a while, I’ll send a cheque to the publishers of Our Daily Bread because I believe in their cause. When I receive gifts like chocolates from the office during Easter or Christmas, I usually give it to the homeless on my travels to and from the train station. Although these are not life changing gestures and I should really be doing much more by contributing my time towards a worthy cause, I do believe that we need to do something to help the needy. Anything.

More on Chuck Feeney

Boom! Shake, shake, shake the room.

In today's paper:

Russia said today it had tested the world's most powerful vacuum bomb.

"Test results of the new airborne weapon have shown that its efficiency and power is commensurate with a nuclear weapon," Alexander Rukshin, deputy head of Russia's armed force chief of staff, told Russia's ORT First Channel television.

"You will now see it in action, the bomb which has no match in the world is being tested at a military site," the report said. It showed a Tupolev Tu-160 strategic bomber dropping the bomb over a testing ground. A large explosion followed.

A vacuum bomb, or fuel-air explosive, causes widespread devastation.

A typical bomb of that type is dropped or fired, the first explosive charge bursts open the container at a predetermined height and disperses the fuel in a cloud that mixes with oxygen.

A second charge ignites the cloud, which can engulf objects or buildings.

"At the same time, I want to stress that the action of this weapon does not contaminate the environment, in contrast to a nuclear one."

So, the Russians have developed a more environmentally friendly way of killing people.

Whoopsidoo! Somebody hand them a Nobel Green Prize already.

These military people are so thoughtful aren't they? It's like they're saying, 'Hey, look on the bright side. We kill in the thousands but we're not monsters. Those of you that were lucky enough to be alive gets to breed without having to worry about your kids turning into a teenage mutant ninja turtle or something. We've even created the hole in which you can build a lake or something. Enjoy and behave or else.'

Not to be outdone, the US is coming up with one that will be fueled entirely with the fart of it's citizens (Made in USA BIATCH!!!). Still in the testing phase, reports have confirmed that they just need to find a way to efficiently bottle the fart because current processes seem to lack the ability to filter out the occasional follow through that comes from its citizens forcing a fart too hard.

Oh well, shit happens. Hello Cold War...

APEC 2007

The Ah Peks are here.

Going to and from work in the past few days have been surreal. Police everywhere, helicopters up above, high fences and barriers around the cbd area where I work, protesters getting ready to storm the streets, bodyguards with their suits, sunnies and visible earpiece (so cool) hanging outside hotels where the delegates are staying, I felt like I was in the middle of a war zone or a video game.

I've seen some cops harassing people and refraining them from taking photographs in the 'exclusion zone' but no big fights between them and the protesters yet.

Here are some pics of Dubya with the PM and all the Secret Service agents surrounding their arrival. What I wanna' know is where the US convoy get their left-hand-drive Hummers and Cadillacs because I've never seen one on the streets before. I wonder if they came in Air Force 1.

PS: I didn’t know we were being watched by snipers too. Damn, I hope they don't sneeze.

A second opinion.

Here’s PART 1

Imagine a doctor telling you that there’s nothing he/she can do to save your father's life. How would you feel?

My colleague, Donna, was told just that. I can only imagine what she and her family must’ve felt. The helplessness and grief knowing that all they could do now is to make the remaining days as comfortable as possible for her father. But fortunately, the lack of compassion and patience showed in her doctor. If she wasn’t a total bitch, they never would have doubted her diagnosis.

Determined not to give up on her father and spurred on by the suspicion that the doctor was more interested in moving on to the next case instead of doing more tests, Donna sought a second opinion.

This very well saved her father’s life.

After running a few more tests, the other doctor was able to diagnose the problem. A course of chemotherapy ensued that got rid of the cancer. He's in recovery now.

BOOM! A new lease on life from a certain death sentence if Donna and her family had heeded the initial doctor's advice. And get this, the bitch actually had the audacity to get upset when Donna told her that she was going to get a second opinion. She went on to say that the tests the second doctor recommended was a waste of time!

Anyway, the bitch who is situated across the retirement village, which Donna’s father resides, sees a lot of patients that live in the village. In fact, when there is an emergency, the caretakers would seek the help of this doctor due to her proximity.

If the way she treated Donna’s father is anything to go by, God knows how many patients she’s murdered. Maybe she’s given up on them because they’re old, maybe she’s incompetent or maybe she’s just got an attitude problem. I don’t know but whatever it is, don’t fool yourself into thinking that every doctor is like Gregory House or the doctors in ER or Grey’s Anatomy that cries when a patient dies or stays up for days exhausting every possible option for every single patient. If you shop around to get the cheapest quote on your mobile phone, do yourself a favour and get a second opinion on a matter of life and death.

Different strokes for different folks.

It’s Friday and our office has a dress-down policy on Fridays. I love this policy cos’ I feel more comfortable in sneakers and jeans but some of the things I've seen paraded around offices with this policy is downright insane!

In my first job, there was no such policy even though the practice has been adopted by many top companies with rave reviews from studies conducted that it boosted the morale of the employees. There were several requests for it but the idea was thrown out the window before the ink dried.

Today, I can understand why.



When I walked into the office, I was somewhat surprised by what one of my team members was wearing. She was supposed to be on an assignment at a client’s place but was in the office to organise her things before leaving for that assignment. I would consider the black jeans, sneakers & pullover that she was wearing inappropriate when there is a professional engagement with a valued client but I couldn’t bring myself to tell her. It was not that her attire was outrageous or anything, just untidy. The things that went through my mind were:

a) Maybe she thinks that it's appropriate. Am I going to tell her what she should and shouldn't wear?
b) Am I being too petty? Is this micro-management to the extreme?
c) The girl’s new here. Give her a break
d) Maybe I’m old and too conservative

Rightly or wrongly, I took the coward’s approach and asked HR to send a copy of the policy to all new staff. Luckily, we had 3 new employees in the last couple of months.



Here’s the gist of it -“Casual wear should be “reasonable”, i.e. no shorts, no thongs, no sandals, no singlet etc during the summer and no fancy or party clothes”.

Looking at it, I feel that it’s all about the individual’s taste and I really think that the rule is open to interpretation. One man’s MC Hammer pants could be another’s work slacks don’t you think?

But then again, if they were to cover all bases and list the ‘do’s’ and ‘don’ts’, they might as well come with some tips on grooming and professionally taken pictures on glossy pages as examples. The memo will probably look more like a Vogue magazine by the time it's done.

Wonder when platform shoes will come back in style? I've always wanted to be a 6 footer.

Can you pass the salt?

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is willing to review policies or regulations deemed to be hindering the distribution of equity in the most sustainable, competitive and meaningful way.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, however, said Malaysian maintained its position that the New Economic Policy (NEP) was not a cost to doing business.

“Perhaps the most difficult question we must address is to improve equity without sacrificing competitiveness. Many have come to regard Malaysia’s affirmative action policies, widely described as the NEP, as a cost to doing business.

“But many fail to appreciate the spirit behind the policy, and this is crucial in understanding Malaysia,” he said yesterday.

Abdullah said the objective to dissociate race from occupation or social standing was crucial in ensuring long-term unity for the country – given its legacy and racial structure.

“Racial-based riots raged in neighbouring countries while Malaysia was spared the experience. The expansion of an educated and multi-ethnic middle class, thanks to affirmative action policies, has mitigated the risk of mass unrest.

“But great disparities in income and social mobility still exist between ethnic groups. Whereas this may just be another issue in other countries, ethnic-based disparity strikes at the heart of national unity for Malaysia,” said Abdullah in his keynote address at a high-level dialogue with foreign investors and international business leaders.

The Prime Minister spoke at the two-day “Business Roundtable with the Government of Malaysia.” This dialogue allowed the business leaders to engage policy makers on the on-going reform process and to discuss key economic issues.

“In this 50th year of our independence, we see an improving economy and the fruits of our structural changes. The renewed interest in Malaysia is the product of this 50-year legacy as well as recent national efforts at refining our approaches,” he said.

Source: The Star

With statements like that, I hope they had great food on the buffet table cos' it looks like nothing was achieved.

070707

So, they say that today’s supposed to be a lucky day. I don’t know about that but it’s certainly extra busy for restaurants, clubs and pubs cos’ we couldn’t get a reservation for dinner at our local restaurant and that’s never happened before. We went to another place and it was packed the whole night.

If this is bad, I wonder how it’s like next year when it’s 080808? All around Asia, people will probably have to queue to get into casinos because 1) the number ‘8’, whose Chinese name rhymes with the words for prosperity and wealth, is considered particularly auspicious and 2) Asians love to gamble.

The powerful significance of the number even influenced the Beijing Olympics to open next year at 8 p.m. on Aug. 8, 2008. I’m sure they spared no expense in winning that particular Olympic bid just so they could have a pretty sequence of the number 8 for the opening ceremony.

Product placement.

Ok, this beast have been parked outside one of the Macquarie Bank buildings for the past few days. Why were they there?

In case you haven't heard, news got out that Alan Moss, the boss of Mac Bank (a.k.a The Millionaires Factory) got paid AU$33.5 million for the year. A cool AU$12 million pay rise! That's $12,000,0....my finger just cramped from punching that many zeros. Just makes you think how much the bank is paying him while he takes a dump on office time.

Anyway, people are crying foul but I say good for him!

Oh, back to the Lambo. The car was parked there as part of the luxury car dealer's product placement strategy. For a car like that, I reckon the interior was a downer. Where's the bling?



Paris Hilton Inc.

What can you say? The girl's got the life. I remember asking my wife if she was an actress when she first registered on my radar.

'Socialite', was her response.

I was like, 'Ohhhhh...err, what's does a socialite do?'.

That word has Paris Hilton's picture next to it in the dictionary. Thanks to her, I now know what the word actually means...more or less. Then, I looked up the word 'slut' and lo and behold, there was Paris' picture again!

What exactly did the girl get famous for? Turning up at high-profile parties? Having a rich and famous grandad? Initially, she was just famous for being a spoilt brat but look who's laughing all the way to the bank now? She was famous for doing nothing and then probably thought, 'Oh well, might as well make money off these suckers', and launched a movie and music 'career', had a hand in internet porn and recently, sent to the slammers to seal a gangsta' reputation

Coincidences? I think not!. She's probably building her street credibility before releasing a rap album or maybe a mocktail...or two.

The girl's getting paid 6 figures to attend launches and premiers. Basically getting paid to just show up at an event! If I asked you what Brad Pitt, Michael Jordan or Madonna is famous for, you'd tell me straight away. But what is Paris famous for?

That's the GENIUS of Paris.

Now, where can I get these tees?

Loyalty.

I was sent an email today by one of the partners requesting my opinion
on a client who has hit rough times and is lagging in paying our fees.

The question of loyalty popped into my mind in varying degrees.

I remember some of the funnier times when I was a wee teen growing up
with a pretty close circle of friends. From touring around our 'hood all day in our BMXs to hanging out at each other’s place for hours on end, we had a special bond going. This probably lasted until we discovered girls.

Slowly, you’d see information about members of the group being divulged to the opposite sex. Embarrassing details being regurgitated back to us in front of other females by someone the rest of us have only met for a few minutes. Details that could send the weak scurrying back to their mama’s teat. I’m sure almost every male has encountered such betrayal to what was once a circle of trust and loyalty.

Why?

As Morgan Freeman’s character in Edison puts it ever so eloquently –
‘Pussy’.

I’m not even sure if we knew what to do with those things at that age
but the point is, the female species can break any male to male bond that
in some cases takes a lifetime to build. There is always someone in a group that will crumble at the very sight of a female looking in their direction. If the girl winked, these guys would have a total mental blackout.

Ever had a friend disappear on you for months on end? Or how about a
friend that says he’s too busy to even grab a bite with you when you guys used
to hang out every other day? Why do they do it?

That’s right. Think Morgan Freeman.

The next thing you know, the girl your good friend was seeing has somehow
downloaded all known information about you from your friend. So, when
you meet and she says, ‘I’ve heard so much about you’, trust me. She has.

As I grow older, I sometimes begin to miss that bond. That feeling of
loyalty amongst friends when we were young, single and devoid of any
female distractions.

Man, that sounded so gay!

I don't think any of us seriously blamed each other for our loose lips (some looser than others) or that we cared, but it was pretty embarrassing and sometimes shocking when people mention details about you that you thought only a select few knew.

Loyalty and trust are two elements that are important in any
relationship. But in a business relationship, I rate loyalty more important than
trust because you can have trust without loyalty but you cannot have loyalty
without trust. Obviously, this has to be done with due consideration.

Either way, it's only right to be fiercely loyal to the people that have stuck by you
through thick and thin and I believe that you don’t actually know anyone until
you need help. That is when your true friends are revealed.

The Venus fly trap.

I was standing on the train travelling to work this morning when my eyes caught sight of this dude who was sitting down. I don’t know why I was looking at him but it’s one of those moments where you have to park your eyes somewhere and try not to make weird eye contacts while in a crowded place, especially when I was on the part of the train where the passengers sat facing each other.

Anyway, this guy looked really focused on what he was reading. It was kinda’ like he was heading to an exam or something. My mind started drifting while my eyes checked him out. I don’t know why I did it but I definitely don’t swing that way (not that there is anything wrong with that). Bear in mind that this was pre my morning caffeine hit so maybe it explains my awkward behaviour.

I noticed that he had really cool glasses on. He wasn’t wearing sunnies or anything. It was just a pair of nicely shaped rectangular spectacles. I wonder where he got those. Then, my eyes started wandering lower. He could use a workout judging from the obvious overhang of the mid-section but nothing too serious to hinder his mobility.

Then moving further south, BAM! My eyes widened and alarm bells started ringing in my head with a big neon red sign that reads, ‘SNAKE ON THA’ MOTHAF#$%ING TRAIN!!!’. The guy had the Venus fly trap manoeuvre happening. He probably couldn’t see it because his gut was in the way and if his Bruce Banner had turned into the Hulk, I would’ve had to resist the urges to pan it back down like one of those games you see at fun fairs or amusement parks.

I was a split second away from telling the poor guy but a thought flashed through my mind. What if he says, ‘Thanks for noticing’ as gratitude and somebody hears it? I don’t think I can take that kind of embarrassment. Furthermore, he would probably ask himself what I was doing looking there in the first place. I know I would. So, I left it at that. It was a windy day so he’d probably feel it sooner or later. For his sake, I hope its sooner.