Librarian at Home- Organising Bookshelves at Home

I started to clean and organise my bookshelves last Saturday. I have four tall bookshelves and two short bookshelves in my bedroom. Today I have finally finished cleaning two tall Billy bookshelves and about half of another tall bookshelf. I have been tidying my bookshelves till 2am or 3am the past few days. 

The reason why I took so long is because I pored through every page of the magazines and tore out the advertisement pages. I also cleaned the dusty books and magazines. When I saw interesting article, I also took some time to read it too. I also marked out interesting magazines with stickers at the edge so that I can retrieve the information I want easily. I decided to tear advertisement pages  to just keep the pages of the magazines I want to read to reduce the load on the bookshelves. 

I feel a sense of satisfaction cleaning and organising my books and magazines. I like control and I feel good knowing where are the books and magazines I want. I feel like a librarian in my own library in my bedroom. I organised the books in different bookshelves like the inspiring books, art/design, and travel section. There are still some books and magazines I have not read yet.  

I will continue to clean and organize the rest of the bookshelves tomorrow. I hope to complete the task by next Wednesday. Next week, I will mostly meet and catch up with my friends. 

I love Kungfu panda. Really looking forward to Kung Fu Panda 4.

8 Days and I magazines are no longer in print since 2018. I only keep eight I and 8 Days magazines.

I still keep this staff magazine as I enjoy reading it. 

My prized book with the author's autograph. 柯景腾 Giddens Ko is also a director.

I decided to throw away these books that I had to read for my GCE 'O' levels Pure Literature in 1997. The pages have turned yellow with spots after 24 years. 

My dolls at my bookshelves too. I have too many dolls so I have stopped buying it.

I love these home decor magazines. Currently I'm looking through home decor to get some idea for my new home (I have to try for BTO next year again). I know I want bright cheery design with white marble, wood and pastel colour and bookshelves.

The difficult part of cleaning and organising the bookshelves is deciding which books to give away or throw due to lack of space. 

I still keep Reader's Digest magazines dating back to 1997. I like inspiring figures like Mr Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore former Prime Minister. 

I like to keep these informative brochures and booklets on past art and design exhibitions I visited.

Inspiring books to motivate myself. 

I highly recommend Teacher Man by Frank McCourt especially to teachers. 

Keeping the magazines organised.

I graduated in 2005 from NUS, the year NUS celebrated 100 years of university education in Singapore and we were given this cup. 

My stamp book

I used to collect stamps when I was a teenager. 

I plan to travel to Italy and Switzerland next year. I have many magazines on Italy and Switzerland.

Yummy Vegan Cakes at Greendot Plaza Singapura

This Thursday, I treated my elder cousin a vegan taro cake for her belated birthday at Green dot, a vegetarian eatery at Plaza Singapura.  We love the healthy and yummy vegan taro cake. I love that it is rich with creamy yam and it is not too sweet. I also ordered taro cake and Belgian chocolate cheesecake for takeaway. 

I'm really happy to find delicious vegan yam cake. My parents also love the taro yam cake. 

I hope Greendot will open a branch at Tampines. The nearest outlet is at Bedok Mall now. Looking forward to Greendot at Tampines.

I highly recommend this yummy taro yam cake which is not too sweet. 

I like the siew mai too. 

I love this design idea with bookshelf besides the dining white marble table. I think I have this design in my home too but I have a sliding glass panel for the bookshelf. 

Life is a Gift

Last Sunday was the first funeral I attended to pay my respect to a friend I considered a 'big sister' to me. It was surreal. Till now I don't really think she has left. We didn't meet for about 10 years.  16 years ago we were very closed but we just drifted apart after graduation. I understood why she didn't tell me about her illness as she didn't want me to worry. At least now there is no suffering. Her two young children are sensible and I think she can set her mind at ease. Her young daughter wanted me to see her mummy at her wake but I was reluctant. I don't think she wants me to see her. 

JB, a good buddy of X said that we must not meet in such circumstance again. We should meet with other good friends for meal. True. I never expect to see her again in her wake. I think few weeks before I was thinking of her as I looked at the couple photo frames she gave me. I think I dreamed of her. I had always wanted to tell her something but didn't due to ego. I felt kind of angry that I was not informed earlier of her illness. 

Anyway JB said that he will organise a gathering so that we can meet and catch up with each others. Since we graduated in 2005, all of us have grown older. He said that R now has streaks of white hair at the sides. 

My friend's departure reminds me that life is a gift and to just do what you love while you can. Life is at most 100 years if you are lucky. I know that I want to experience dating. Since no guy ever ask me out, I have to be proactive now. 

I just downloaded dating app and am prepare to go for dating events by signing up for workshop endorsed by SDN. Mum has been asking me when I go for dating event too. I told her that I would go for dating event in 2016 but didn't as I thought fate would help me. After 5 years, I better attend dating event by SDN which is safer. I will only meet the guy in public places like coffee cafe. Anyway I will try this year to be more proactive. At least I try and there is no regret for not trying to find a date. I only try this year. If I still can't find my Mr Right this year, I just focus on my work and buy BTO flat for myself. 

My friend X gave me the couple photo frames 16 years ago for my birthday but so far I haven't use it since I never date. Hopefully next year I can use it.

Couple photo frames

Treasure Your Good Friends

I thought it's just another day today. To my shock, I received a Watsapp message that my friend from undergraduate days had just passed on after battling illness for many years. She was like a big sister to me, helping me with Mathematics. 

A small group of us who came from different polytechnics engineering to direct entry second year at National University of Singapore helped each others. I was from Temasek Polytechnic and she was from Ngee Ann polytechnic who was on a scholarship to study in Singapore. She was loud and outgoing but I was quiet and reserved. But we were closed in university, always going to lectures and having meals together. We had steamboat at the university hostel, went to Malaysia for a short holiday and studied late at night at NUS.

Somehow after graduation, we just drifted apart. She was married with two beautiful children. I was wondering why she never contact me while I was shy to reach out to her after the Chinese New Year gathering. I thought that she must be busy with her job as a senior engineer and her family. Also I always felt that she was much closer to another friend thus I didn't think of contacting her. I was wondering why she didn't contact me.

I was driven and busy at work many years ago in my previous job, sometimes working till 9 pm at my workplace. I won some awards and was promoted twice but grew weary when a new head took over. I delivered results but was passed over promotion. I also lost the drive in work after seeing some of my ex-colleagues passed on due to illnesses. I began to think about the meaning of life. I realised that I didn't ask her out for meal. I assumed she must be busy like my other married friends focusing on her children and career too.

I resigned from my job in late 2016, taking one year off to travel and just read all the books I was busy to read when I was working.  

Coincidentally days before her passing, I was just thinking of my friend and wondering about her. I thought that she must be busy teaching her children. They must be smart like her. 

It's important to keep in touch with good friends. Don't assume they are busy. At least try to message them, if they are keen to meet up, then it's great else it's also ok as you don't regret not keeping in touch. 活在当下

Spice Girls- Stop

I love this catchy melody, Stop by the Spice Girls which has this Motown feel. Enjoy this song. 

Bearbrick at Raffles City Shopping Mall

It's the Christmas season now and many shopping malls are now decorated with Christmas decor. I like the BearBrick Christmas design at Raffles City Shopping mall which comes in vibrant colour and sweet candy. It just makes you feel so happy. 

 

Dessert on Sunday

Brought Mcdonald Hershey Chocolate sundae and topped with honey pecans and chocolate.  Only eat once in a blue moon.

Happy 100th Day Panda Baby

Today marks Singapore panda baby 100th day birthday. Next month Singapore and China will  announce his name.

Looking forward to seeing this adorable panda next year January!

 Image from The Straits Times

Christmas in Bloom at Singapore Orchard Road

Finally Orchard Road is decked with dazzling colourful Christmas light-up. I love going to Orchard Road to experience the Christmas festive atmosphere with my cousins and friends. This year, speakers are placed along the road near Ngee Ann city and Ion Orchard playing Christmas carol. Last Saturday my cousins and I explored Orchard Christmas light-up from Wheelock Place to the Ngee Ann city. 

I will back to Orchard road again to see Christmas light-up again. 

From the Straits Times here

The 3.1km light-up will kick off on Nov 13, with seven weeks of festivities till Jan 2. The lights will be turned on from 6.30pm to midnight from Sundays to Thursdays, till 2am for Fridays and Saturdays, and stay on overnight on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, until 6am.

The 12m-tall main arch at the Scotts-Paterson road junction, seen in this artist’s impression below, will be lined with colourful lights accentuated with red and rose gold poinsettias, a traditional Christmas flower that symbolises purity and mirth.

At Ion Orchard

Inside Wheelock Place

24-Hour Security Robot at MRT Station

Saw this cute 24-hour surveillance camera, a security robot at Singapore MRT Station.