the day i gave to charity...

charity - it draws a mixed reaction from me. yes, yes, i know that it is good to give, and it ensures a few brownie points on your karma scale as well. but the 'giving' is not easy - i mean, if i were to use the law of opportunity cost (i.e. what-else-could-i-do-with-the-money calculation), i can come up with scores of options. no, i don't think i am a miser, i am just being, well, economically-minded.

so, what made me buy a $50 SACA charity film premiere ticket? well, i went for one last year (for 'die hard 4') and they wowed me with a box of yummy caramel corn placed right on top of my seat! such simple gestures win me over. *wipes tear, sniffs* and i was able to get a tax waiver on the $42 that was given in addition to regularly priced $8 ticket. ooh, and add in the karma points. quite cool eh.

so i bought another ticket this year, out of the goodness of my heart of course, and made my way to the cathay cineplex. i was waiting to catch 'journey to the center of the earth'. there was a long line of people outside, including some singer dude from t.v., who was obviously very happy with the glances/stares he was getting. loads of people is good, it means lots of tickets were sold. but it also set of alarm bells in my head - was i going to wait for long?

apparently, the SACA folks guessed that most singaporeans (and residents) are impatient people. they opened the doors on time, got us all seated quickly, and waltzed the VIPs through the pre-movie program (which included the donation of the big cheques - i mean, the really big cheques that are half-a-person's size; and a couple of appreciation speeches). snap snap - no time wasted, no glitches. having sat through some very tedious pre-event ceremonies that stretch for hours, i applaud them.

i wonder though, how many people were listening to the speeches, thanks to a goodie-bag that was placed on each seat. it had the box of caramel popcorn (thank you!), a magazine, a columbia water bottle, and loads of discount vouchers. and a souvenir notebook based on the movie's theme. ooh!

but as with all good things, it had to come an end. the movie began, and within 10 minutes, i was bored to tears. brandon frasier was fat, the story was utterly stupid and frankly, what's with the i-am-so-intelligent-blonde? and no, i don't think being a vernian would help much. jules vernes (erm, in case you don't know, he's the guy who wrote the book) himself is probably turning in his grave.

but that aside, it was a very enjoyable evening. i mean its not every wednesday of the week that i go out for a movie, and get people working hard from some months before to make sure i feel pampered.

yep, charity can be a good thing, and the charity film premiere gets a thumbs-up from me. cheers. so, when is the next one?

small gizmo, big control

its amazing how some of the physically smallest things can have the greatest impact on your life. like my handphone. (what were you thinking of?)

why this burst of wisdom? i left my handphone at home today - again - in what seems to be a string of recurring forgetfulness. and i feel weird without it.

this morning, i plugged in my handphone to charge, reminded myself to take it before i left, did the whole dressing-up-routine, reminded myself again, shoved things into my bag, reminded myself about the handphone, slipped on my sandals and left the house. halfway down the road, i realised i had forgotten my handphone. 

my reaction was amazing! i actually felt a momentary urge to run back and get it - risking having to climb the overhead bridge again (once is bad enough), and of course, being late to work. 

that is how much control my handphone has over me. not that it is surprising - my handphone is my phone, calendar, contact list, organiser, desk clock, alarm clock, gaming station - all in one. 

yes, i know that there are ways to get around these things, but it still feels like i left a big chunk of myself behind. there won't be any major calls or messages for me in the next 10 hours, but i feel like i am out in a desert when the whole world might be trying to get in touch. i cant remember most people's numbers anymore, not even my own (i have keyed in my home number into my handphone). so if i had to call anyone for anything by today, i can't do so. oh, and my handphone also has my to-do-list.

talk about over reliance on technology. and that's not all

one time, i left my handphone behind in a cab, and after making the necessary tedious calls to ensure no one can mess around with international dialling and stuff, i suddenly realised that i had no alarm for the next morning! i have no other alarm clock at home, my watches are all analog - and i sleep like a log! i tried the next best option - googling for an alarm clock. after time and effort, i downloaded an alarm clock program. come morning, it didn't work. loss of sleep due to sheer paranoia kept me awake and saved my job.  

i once used to laugh at techno-geek-fiction that pitted gadgets as the rulers of the future. i take it back now. handphones now mean power - they control us in ways we never imagined possible. 

all hail.

the cup with some water in it

boredom - it can do things to you. like making me wonder about the different kinds of things different kinds of people might say when they see a cup half-full with water. yep, i know there is the positive/negative-attitude-thing attached to it. and in respect for the timeless and endlessly quoted example, i have begun this post with it. but hey, here's a take on what some others might say as well:

table with a glass cup half full with water, and group of people standing around it.

optimist: the glass is half-full, we have half a glass of water to drink!

pessimist: but it is half empty, i never get a full glass...

counsellor: so how do you feel when you see this glass with the water in it?

philosopher: it represents life, with its unfulfilled desires and existentialist issues...

pragmatist: does the glass have a crack in it?

george bush: i think this is not water, but unidentified chemicals. we shall test it of course, but also send in the army into iraq to save time on the attack.

terrorist: they have taken away 'the water', the gift of life from us, just like they took away our nation - we shall attack and return victorious with the other half of the water!

singapore environment board: such glasses with water are breeding grounds for dengue - throw it out at once - and we will fine you anyway for having kept a glass with some water in it!