tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-107851492014-03-20T09:47:24.229+08:00not bitter, just unsweetened.Jasmin Leehttps://plus.google.com/106133556711380976330noreply@blogger.comBlogger1240125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10785149.post-5378627062096293862013-11-11T21:13:00.001+08:002013-11-11T21:15:49.914+08:00

Today has been one of the worst days in recent memory. Work-wise, that is. Anything that could go wrong went wrong, plus taxes, plus service charge, spread over several instalments. I need to keep reminding myself that it's not the end of the world, it's just one screw-up among multitudes everywhere, every day. Things could be much worse, right? The only thing that never changes, never judges

Jasmin Leehttps://plus.google.com/106133556711380976330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10785149.post-42187585670977810902013-08-30T22:30:00.001+08:002013-08-30T22:36:46.470+08:00

Warning: long yoga clothing-related post ahead. I know most females are into the latest clothes and shoes and bags and whatnot, but this is probably the only (vaguely) fashion-related topic that interests or makes sense to me. Yeah I'm boring. So when I first started out with yoga, the only kinds of gear I could bear to wear were loose pants and sweat-wicking but loose tees. The importance of

Jasmin Leehttps://plus.google.com/106133556711380976330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10785149.post-3614781609899924362013-08-29T00:04:00.001+08:002013-08-29T00:04:12.078+08:00

One of those nearby places that I've always wanted to visit but never got round to, I suppose Bali is different things to different people. When we first decided to give it a go, I thought we were setting up for some spa-hopping. But upon further "research", there seemed to be more things to see and do - and boy, am I thankful we did not spend too much time on massages and such, because I think

Jasmin Leehttps://plus.google.com/106133556711380976330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10785149.post-617015558335059172013-08-27T00:25:00.002+08:002013-09-04T23:02:11.862+08:00

Confession: although I'd started reading R.A. Salvatore's Drizzt series more than a decade ago and really loved it, I kind of stopped after the Hunter's Blades Trilogy. And although I had also purchased the Transitions series which came after, I never got round to reading them. So since I've been loving my replacement Kindle (was just done re-reading all 7 hefty tomes in Diana Gabaldon's

Jasmin Leehttps://plus.google.com/106133556711380976330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10785149.post-30515175678267686722013-07-24T22:23:00.000+08:002013-07-24T22:23:32.803+08:00

There are times in life when you just let yourself be propelled along by events. Then there are times when you put your foot down and say no, you want something else, or at least, you admit that you don't want what is. I've never remotely been a career-minded person. It doesn't make sense for your own worth to be judged by what you do in life. And I don't need any fame, glory, wealth, ulcers,

Jasmin Leehttps://plus.google.com/106133556711380976330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10785149.post-4270883699405772502013-06-17T19:23:00.000+08:002013-08-26T21:41:25.723+08:00

by Dan Brown Yes, I admit to having read Brown's previous novels. For me, a guaranteed way to make me take at least a second glance at a book (or game!) is for it to have a setting I'm interested in or familiar with. I knew that it had references to Dante's The Divine Comedy - which we touched on a little during Literature classes and that I will attempt to finish one day - but what felt

Jasmin Leehttps://plus.google.com/106133556711380976330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10785149.post-28217984367587631012013-06-02T16:28:00.002+08:002013-06-02T16:28:12.158+08:00

LLuvia Spa reception (see below) One cannot visit Bali without noticing the bewildering ubiquity of spa services, with every other joint baldly touting themselves as "The Best Massage in Bali". I really wonder what kind of criteria they rate themselves on. We had originally wanted to be totally indulgent and go spa-hopping, but ended up fitting whatever we could in during the couple of days

Jasmin Leehttps://plus.google.com/106133556711380976330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10785149.post-27066760507699750932013-05-14T08:00:00.000+08:002013-08-30T22:56:52.497+08:00

After years of seeing the sun-drenched white sand beaches with crystal-clear-yet-somehow-dazzlingly-blue seas of various Pacific and Caribbean holiday island nations, I finally made it to the Maldives last month. I am by no means a beach or even water person - I love cold weather and mountains more - so would never have imagined this as one of my to-go places. However in recent years, I've

Jasmin Leehttps://plus.google.com/106133556711380976330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10785149.post-38561702267300533902013-05-13T16:01:00.001+08:002013-05-28T23:29:32.790+08:00

In the wake of news that our planet's carbon dioxide levels have reached 400ppm, the highest in 3 million years, I've been wondering: governments and corporations are fully aware - and have been for some time now - of what's killing the planet (and obviously its inhabitants along with it), but they're still not acting. At least, not on a large enough scale to make any significant impact. Angrily

Jasmin Leehttps://plus.google.com/106133556711380976330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10785149.post-68299018610005487512012-12-31T15:45:00.001+08:002013-08-30T22:47:21.794+08:00

Last day of this year! The end of the world was a joke, right? Why else would people be harping about it, yet buying Christmas presents and making New Year's plans. (And let's make the distinction here: Humankind will wipe itself out, after it has obliterated most other plant and animal species. But the planet will only cease to be when the sun consumes it billions of years from now, or if a

Jasmin Leehttps://plus.google.com/106133556711380976330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10785149.post-6022140521917335802012-08-11T21:42:00.001+08:002012-08-11T21:42:45.784+08:00

It's rare that I will pick up the papers because I just can't be bothered with all the bad news, ridiculous property and car ads and various other self-indulgent, grammatically-questionable articles. But I did today, and got only so far as page 2 [this case] before my blood began to boil. As the news reports made special mention of the nationality of each victim but not the 2 young thugs, can I

Jasmin Leehttps://plus.google.com/106133556711380976330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10785149.post-44217682605349811092012-08-09T20:00:00.001+08:002013-05-31T23:13:39.113+08:00

Marina Bay Sands and the ArtScience Museum When I was in Secondary 1 and 2, we were forced participated in the combined schools' choir for two National Days in a row. What that meant was learning all those English/Chinese/Malay/Tamil patriotic (now quite retro) songs by heart. They sure don't make 'em like they used to. Who knows or cares what the song of the year is any more? Actually, does

Jasmin Leehttps://plus.google.com/106133556711380976330noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10785149.post-91205531992396478142012-05-21T11:31:00.001+08:002013-05-31T22:58:05.701+08:00

This post has been sitting as a draft for some time. Thought I should let it go now. Farmers in Punakha When I first told people that I was heading to the landlocked Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan, the reactions were polar opposites of enthusiastic interest vs complete ignorance: "Wow, lucky you / I've always wanted to go!" or "Huh? Where's that??" I think I've discovered why. The Land of the

Jasmin Leehttps://plus.google.com/106133556711380976330noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10785149.post-21852718398938916052012-05-15T19:35:00.002+08:002013-05-31T23:18:52.490+08:00

*knock knock* *blows off dust* Wow. It's been way too long. Not that I think anyone's still following this blog! But I think I might still, from time to time, add a few posts here that really matter to me just to know that I'm still capable of stringing more than 140 characters together - i.e. no more lame, self-indulgent whining. Except that today, May 15th, is D3-day of all days, and here I

Jasmin Leehttps://plus.google.com/106133556711380976330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10785149.post-9401047577518757952010-12-31T13:25:00.002+08:002010-12-31T19:37:16.023+08:00

It's that time of the year when I inevitably feel painfully sentimental. I've been thinking back to past travels, Italy and Hokkaido in particular - although that could very well be due to their delicious cuisine - and it really didn't seem that long ago. But it was, and the memories are already receding. Speaking of travel, 2010 was when I realised that it can also be fun if part of or even the

Jasmin Leehttps://plus.google.com/106133556711380976330noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10785149.post-43571309357463813822010-11-26T21:50:00.000+08:002010-11-26T21:50:04.939+08:00

Craving your indulgence - I hardly get sick so this whole business is quite a novelty. It started with a dry and raspy throat on Monday, which has since progressed to dry(ish) coughing and completely blocked nasal and aural passages. This afternoon I developed a massive headache which has spread to the neck and shoulders. It also doesn't matter what I eat; my tastebuds only register (a)

Jasmin Leehttps://plus.google.com/106133556711380976330noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10785149.post-22561240353520396372010-11-12T12:23:00.001+08:002013-05-31T23:08:12.638+08:00

It's quite funny how the more I stay away, the less inclined I feel to write anything. I fear I would probably have been grappling with the same old gripes and grouses or throwing the usual pointless punches at what passes for humanity. Me complaining about something or other is like you brushing your teeth or taking your dog for a walk, right? Everything I vaguely ever thought of committing to

Jasmin Leehttps://plus.google.com/106133556711380976330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10785149.post-75824857293033162802010-10-05T11:34:00.000+08:002013-05-31T23:00:56.755+08:00

"Did you bring your camera?" "Yes." "OK, I want to show you this really nice spot, you must take picture..." My dad grew up in a kampong and is an avid nature enthusiast. On Sunday, after picking me up for a family dinner, he made a detour through Seletar, stopped at the side of the road and shooed me out to go snap this: So I was squatting quite unglamly in full view of a bus that had

Jasmin Leehttps://plus.google.com/106133556711380976330noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10785149.post-4498578162363689752010-09-05T17:11:00.002+08:002013-05-31T23:03:08.136+08:00

by Carl Sagan I wanted to be a scientist when I was younger (in addition to a whole lot of other now-irrelevant aspirations). I didn't know it then, but the type I had in mind was what I now know to be an astrophysicist. I've always been fascinated with anything beyond this tiny blip of a planet, i.e. anything celestial. Completely devoured books on planets, the stars, galaxies and such.

Jasmin Leehttps://plus.google.com/106133556711380976330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10785149.post-28960528112359590172010-08-31T00:57:00.000+08:002010-08-31T00:57:49.492+08:00

What attracts you to a scene? For me, that would be light, colour and asymmetry. In that order. Totally abstract, but so far it lets me get away with a lot when I'm shooting anything. I'm not one to nitpick about specific details like counting stops or bothering too much about lenses - I'm not a guy. I'm pulled more to the art than the science side of photography. I've never remotely

Jasmin Leehttps://plus.google.com/106133556711380976330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10785149.post-45313394080617167762010-08-23T09:56:00.000+08:002010-08-23T09:56:17.809+08:00

Here's another bizarre one: I just dreamt that I was doing Vrschikasana (scorpion pose) with the bendiest spine ever and like I didn't weigh anything at all. Real casual too, while waiting around with friends. Dream Moods Dictionary: To dream that you are performing yoga, symbolizes unity, balance, harmony, calmness, and self-discipline. You have complete control of your mind and body.

Jasmin Leehttps://plus.google.com/106133556711380976330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10785149.post-49291349762632098682010-08-22T15:11:00.000+08:002010-08-22T15:11:19.426+08:00

Me: Can I become a druid? Him: Mmmmmm. Ah well. I'm sure he thinks I'm kidding. Besides, I don't think there are any druid orders in Singapore...

Jasmin Leehttps://plus.google.com/106133556711380976330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10785149.post-24152608081584540862010-08-21T22:53:00.000+08:002010-08-21T22:53:53.220+08:00

... xylophones. Of all things, there was a small part in my dreams last night / this morning in which I was playing scales on a large glockenspiel. Yeah, I didn't really know the difference but Wiki says the xylophone's bars are made of wood, while the glockenspiel's are metal plates or tubes. And I know what I was playing was definitely metallic. Anyway, this struck me as so utterly odd that I

Jasmin Leehttps://plus.google.com/106133556711380976330noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10785149.post-43279247293023600082010-08-17T18:17:00.001+08:002013-05-31T23:35:35.224+08:00

Still somewhat reluctant to write about the recent work experience, so here's something about yoga. Just keep moving Last week, a couple of sessions involving janu sirsasana and parsvottanasana booked me a weekend in Hamstring Hell. It was quite torturous to climb stairs or to move between standing and sitting positions. Ignoring my overworked pain receptors, I dutifully went for my vinyasa

Jasmin Leehttps://plus.google.com/106133556711380976330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10785149.post-28697012637227526842010-08-05T18:44:00.001+08:002010-08-05T22:27:56.654+08:00

Me: I'm not sure how to get there [Temasek Poly]. Lagoon: I have GPS. We are invincible! Lost in Geylang...

Jasmin Leehttps://plus.google.com/106133556711380976330noreply@blogger.com1