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Diary From the Attic

A Day Filled with Rejections

Today was probably one of my worst day, or more precisely, this has been my worst week.  The sense of rejection everywhere.  Just when you thought that losing your girlfriend is bad, it could be worse.

It all began with the day that I called JP up.  Knowing that she doesn’t even have to slightest idea to come back to and prefer to stay free having a few boyfriends, I really feel like no aim to live on.  To make things worst, I have no place to stay when I eventually return to Singapore.  I proposed extension but was “kindly” rejected.  My two best friends back in Singapore suggested that I should stay in a motel that will cost me $50 per day.  That would be $750 in total for three bloody weeks.  Good friends, huh?  Very practical friends. I will turn to Colin tomorrow and God know I may be rejected as well.  Try to bring forward my HK trip but William told me to come to Jakarta at the beginning of July.  Called up my BNP mates on Saturday but no one was around.  In the end, they all went and watched “The Fifth Element” without calling me.  Called up Mohamed on the Sunday morning but he had something on that night.  As always, no one from the BNP team answered me.

Took the initiation and called up the BNP team this evening hoping to find some companies for dinner.  Grace they all have French class (and she was surprised that I “miss” them so much) and Mun Chun they all who don’t have French class said that “something going on tonight” and hinted nothing for you.  Even my credit card was rejected in one of my favourite restaurant and I have to walk fifteen minutes to get the cash.  And of course, the CL ATM machine rejected my DBS card.

What a whole lots of rejections.  Just when you think that your life is bad …

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Diary From the Attic

Classical Concert in a Church at Paris

In order to adjust back to Paris time, I woke up at nine in the morning.  Kind of the first time in Paris do I wake up so early.  I even had my breakfast.

Called up a few friends in Paris but they were either not in or fast asleep.  I was fed up and went out alone.  As always, Virgin Megastore . Never know that they only open at twelve on Sundays.  Nothing really exciting (except one record Savage Garden) therefore I proceed to WH Smiths.  And they only open at one-thirty.

Didn’t buy another album, nor any book.

Returned to the hotel finding that Grace has left two messages for me.  An invitation to a classical music in one of the churches in Paris.

The music was good.  Have my favourite – “The Four Seasons”.  Not to forget that I have watched “Romeo and Juliet” again.

We all had French dinner together.

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Diary From the Attic

Cinquième Element

Last night was bad, I slept at six in the morning.  Force myself to get up at midday but I failed (once again).  Lucky the room service called at three and I managed to get out the room at four.  Did some shopping and headed off to Paris centre immediately.

Knowing that the show “Cinquième Element” or in English, “Fifth Element”, is so popular, I bought the ticket in advance.  Once again, thanks to Aurore’s Card, I bought the ticket in special rate.

Just before I left the room, I have noticed a magazine at my study room.  It tells me all the good restaurants around Paris.  I took a look and selected some of them near Chatelet.  It was an Italian restaurant and the food was fine.

That show “Cinquième Element” was really good.  Especially, I love the part about the fifth element, which was a heroine.  I just love heroine.  A lot of special effects with great sound quality.  What more do I want?  I still contemplating whether to watch “Romeo and Juliet” again or this one as I still have one credit left.

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Diary From the Attic

Good Time Bad Time

Ridicules as it seems, I called up JP at three last night.  She sound very cheerful and oh, how much I miss her sweet voice.  Been talking about work here and there and her ex-ex, J, called just before we broke up and returned all her photo albums to her.  Also, she got herself a mobile phone.  So, life seems to work out really good for her.  As for mine, it is just a mess.  God, how can I ever get out of this?

I ended up not being able to sleep for the whole night and went to sleep at 7 am.  Obviously, I couldn’t get up.  Eventually, I walked into the office at 10:30 am.  Sophie was “concerned” and I quickly went up and apologised.

The office was very empty today.  Guess a lot of them took Friday off and have 4 consecutive days of holiday.  Other than Aurore and Claude, all of us were in the office.

At five, everybody started to leave and I left at 5:30 pm.  Usually early.

Laurent has invited me for a party tonight and therefore, he picked me up from my hotel.  More and more people joined in and in the end, I have lost count of the total number of people.  I guess that was around fifteen.

We went to this Chinese restaurant with Karaoke.  Started from 7:30 pm and we all stayed up to 2 am.  Kind of crazy but I was having a great time.  Laurent’s girlfriend is a Vietnamese and is actually very pretty.  The songs varied from Cantonese to Mandarin to English to French to even Vietnamese.

It was a great party and when Laurant drove me back to the hotel, we shared a lot of our personal life.  He is a great guy.

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Diary From the Attic

I Will Survive

Totally ridicules!  If not for Francis’s phone call and the room service phone call, I would have slept until God knows when.  Finally I woke up at seven pm.  Had a long hot shower and rushed off to my favourite Japanese restaurant.  One thing good about going to the same restaurant all the time is that they treat you really good.  Extra sushi and free cup of tea.

And the next thing was rush to watch a movie.  Wanted to watch the “5th Element” by Bruce Willis but it was full. So I watched “Shine”.  Very touching movie.  With the ticket voucher given (lent) by Aurore, I’ve got a really cheap bargain.

Annie’s email is always so practical and always reminds me of the cruel reality.  She even suggested that I shall stay in YMCA instead.  Alright, this is when the reality bites.  I shall survive.  I will survive.

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Diary From the Attic

Home Sweet Home (at a Hotel in Paris)

First day of work after a long holiday.  I was in general a very jolly mood although the weather was very bad.  Not much heavy work and in the name of “knowledge transfer”, I am not suppose to work on any SIRs.  Great, isn’t it?

Confirm that JP didn’t send me letter, nor did she send me an email and there is no Octel message from her.  Hence confirm that she has gone from my life.

Grace called and told me that there will be something exciting happening tonight.  First four of the BNP team members (plus one client) arrived at the Irish Pub (and Restaurant) twenty-five minutes late.  Of course, I waited for a while and started siting down and order my food.

Grace they all arrived well past nine and we all had a great time.

The hotel management has moved all my stuffs back into my old room and spent a while unpacking most of my stuffs.  Home sweet home.

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Diary From the Attic

Flying Back from American to Paris

With the time difference (9 hr), it is kind of hard to say what is yesterday.  But technically, it was last morning when we have to get up early and drove to the airport.  Colin has been quiet since – May 4 – and he didn’t try to make any conversation at all.  It is very strange to me and I kept on thinking that maybe it’s me who has done something wrong.  On the other hand, maybe it is his personal reason.  Just that what a pity that the holiday ended that way.

Quite a long and adventurous travel for me as I have to fly from LA to Chicago and from Chicago to Paris.  Really surprised that my luggage can be automatically transferred through as the first trip was American Airline and the second one is Air France.  (Although at the end, the Air France part got confused and my luggage was the last one to come out.)  Watched Pulp Fiction a few times on board.  And the air hostess was drop dead sweet with a very nice smile.

Got back to my beloved hotel and my old room will not be ready until tomorrow.  Went for a haircut and my favourite barber was not around and I ended up with the one who can’t speak English at all.  Lucky Eric came out at last and it wasn’t too late.

Called up Sophie and she even wanted me to come to work in the late afternoon.  Crazy.

Called up Mohamed and we had an Indian food.

Tomorrow – back to work!!

Before I stop, I do receive 74 new mails today.  Wow!

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Coincidence From the Attic Reflection

Last Stop – Beverly Hills (Again)

Really don’t quite understand why Colin is so in love with Beverly Hills.  To be honest, today was the second time we visited Beverly Hills.  What’s in BH?  Well, a lot of expensive shops and a lot of beautifully dressed people. T his time, we wore a bit smarter than last time and we did feel a bit more comfortable.

How about the “Walk of Frame”?  I was kind of disappointed as the street looked really dirty and the stars on the floor just don’t look pleasant at all.  We had burgers at BH and I am certain Colin hated it.  What to do?  We are in America.

Throughout the whole day, Colin was very quiet.  Can’t really guess what’s go wrong.  Maybe my driving or maybe something else.  Actually, we had quite a lot of dangerous situation when we were driving.  Don’t think I am a good driver after all.

Spent quite some time to locate the Hard Rock Café and finally, we found it at the Beverly Centre.  Indeed, it is quite a big shopping centre.  Correction – it looks big but half of the building is car park.

Bought another deck of books and decided to watch the movie at the centre itself.  The movie is called “Volcano”.  What so special about this movie is that it was filmed in Los Angeles.  That is why we are.  And guess what, the eruption actually took place at the Beverly Hills.  Even more unbelievable, the ending of the film was filmed (well…) right in front of the Beverly Centre.  Isn’t that a very nice coincident?

Last day of the holiday already and the conclusion is that I have been very much enjoying myself.  And it is a very nice break for me.  I think I do learn a few lessons in terms of relating to other people.  Perhaps I am very spoilt and for that, I need to improve myself.  I do think it is kind of difficult to tolerate such a person like me.

Second thing is that I have been thinking of JP from time to time.  Thought I can forget about the whole thing during the trip but life doesn’t always turn out to be so predictable.  Guess Annie is right.  Forget about the fake Juliet and keep looking for the real one.

Oh, I just found about something quite interesting about the famous Route 66.  It started from Chicago and goes all the way across America and reaches Los Angeles on the other end.  Isn’t that amazing?  If you want to travel from the East Coast to the West Coast, all you need to do is follow the Route 66.  The whole road covers three time zones and eight states.  Which eight of them?  Well, that is IMKOTNAC.  That is how I remember.  To spell them out, we have Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California.

Another interesting thing that I have discovered is that none of the American actually knows where exactly, i.e. in which beach, Bay Watch is being filmed.  Maybe as one said, they film it all over the places.

Okay, back to work.

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Diary From the Attic

Sea World at Saint Diego – So So Experience

The Sea World in Saint Diego isn’t that fantastic.  Dauphins and Killer Whales (Orca), Sea Seal and Sea Lion.  I have seen all back in Ocean Park, Hong Kong.  Anyway, it is again, an experience.

Colin just couldn’t resist of going to Barstow again (for the factory outlet).  His wife wanted something from Esprit and well, that is truly understandable.  When I was having a girlfriend, and I know how it feels.  The outlet closed at eight and he didn’t have time to shop in Tommy Hilfiger . Actually, we just missed it and he was pissed off with the shop assistance.  That guy should have let us in.

Tomorrow is the last day of holiday and for Colin, he will go back to Singapore, back to Gateway and most happily, go back to his wife.  Good for him.  For me, I will go back to Paris and face all the SIRs again.  Not a very pretty scene but then again, it is not quite the reality.  Think about all the good life I will have (for another three weeks).

The real reality comes when I return to Singapore.  I have this feeling that I am giving all the world can offer and suddenly, I am stripped down to nothing.  Where will I go after this SocGen project?  I have no idea.  Shall I stay in Singapore for a while and do a local project or shall I opt myself going for an overseas project?  Or will I ever have a chance to get back with JP again?  Or it is really not a good idea?

I don’t know.  How I wish I have more control on my future.  Maybe it is time for me to start thinking about my future.  My future?  Can’t believe I don’t even have one, holding the degree I have.

I see lovers all around me.  And I miss the great time I had with JP whenever we were having a holiday.  So magical.  Sad to say, our relationship went downhill.  Even if she gets back to me, it will not be the same anymore.  Not anymore. So why should I think about her from time to time?

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From the Attic Travel Blog

Universal Studio Hollywood Is Awesome!

The Universal Studio Hollywood is definitely a lot more worthy than the Disneyland.  The special effects are a lot better.

The first one we went for was the Jurassic Park Ride.  It was awesome.  The big boat can accommodate forty people and it does look real.  Quite a few dinosaurs here and there and the final drop was awesome.  Everybody got really wet in the end.  My whole head was totally wet.  My T-shirt was partially soaked.  But it was fun.

The next ride was the E.T. Ride.  We managed to get the front seat.  Even before getting into the ride, the decoration (dark, a lot of tall trees) is great.  We were virtually “hovering” in the air.  Cars crashing in from our sides.  Police cars below us.

And then we moved onto Cinemagic.  Actually, there were three sections.  The first session talked about the show “Back to Future”.  Talk about how they filmed the scene inside the car (well, not exactly a car but only a “partial” car), how they simulated the “flying scene” with a small expensive computer operated car.  The second section talked about how they made a horror movie and the last one was about the sound effect.  All of them are truly entertaining.

Next, that was the Backdraft.  It wasn’t a ride at all.  We all stood in front of a studio and they exploded everything in front of us!  The heat was strong and it was just like a real life movie.

And the Waterworld show.  Just awesome.  They put a play with all the original settings.  Towards the last part, a plane came crushing down just in front of the audience.  Not to forget to mention about the Back to Future Ride.  It is the best simulation so far.

I can just go on forever but I am just too drunk with the Long Island Ice Tea.  Ah, we did have a BBQ dinner tonight.