Tonight, I watched the SIFF screening of "Wendy and Lucy". I didn't understand the R21 rating, and why this film couldn't be screened in a commercial release here. It was a film without any up-sides; when it ended, a friend made a comment which summed up the film very well.. the heroine's life is worse than a dog's.

In contrast to her, I am so blessed.

Yesterday, I had a terrible day in the office. The sort of day my eyes maddened with rage and before I knew it, I was shedding tears in front of my boss. I guess I've been reaching breaking point at work for a long time now, and even with an extra headcount to help, I'm still struggling with the avalanche of work.

So you took me for a nice dinner at Lawry's, and afterwards, I dragged you across to Tiffany's while they were closing, and bought a floral Tiffany key pendant and chain.

Everytime I wear it, I hope to remember never to sink to this state again.
It's not worth it.

Another inane facebook quiz on where I should have lived in Singapore:

Your inner-geek or inner-geekette whispers "Bugis"

You love to read a good book. Your favorite past time is to roll on the National Library carpet. You love to bargain hunt the latest computer gadgets in Sim Lim. You love to shop for Casio watches in Albert Complex. Your friends call you geek, nerd and porn-crazy, but you know better; you don’t have friends. Perhaps one. Move to Bugis, you will sure get to meet more of your kind and who knows you may get Lucky. Lucky is a homeless dog in Bugis.

Did another strange Facebook quiz: which movie describes your life?

Well, mine was "Beaches" (because it's filled with good and bad times in the company of friends).

I would never have guessed.

Yesterday morning, my iPod shuffled up Johnny Cash's "25 Minutes to Go" from his live performance at Folsom Prison. The jolly tune and the lyrics about counting down to a hanging make a disjointed pair, interspersed with the cheers from the audience of prisoners.

I don't think I've ever heard this song before.

Today, I learnt an aubade is a poem or song about lovers separating at dawn.

Philip Larkin's "Aubade".

Does the amount of work expand out to fill the amount of time I have in the office? I don't think so because there had been lull periods in my career when I was so free I didn't know what to do with myself.

The question is: how can I reduce the work without sacrificing quality.

I did one of those pointless quizzes on Facebook about finding out my inner nationality. I thought I would have been an inner Japanese but I turned out to be an inner American:

You are highly competitive and highly independent, although you also have an easygoing and spontaneous nature. In order to hide and mitigate just how badly you want to win, you have developed a thick veneer of friendliness -- in order to lull your opponents into a false sense of security, yes, but also in order to actually tame your own natural blood lust, and most of the time it even works. Because you are so mobile and ever-changing, your friendships are always in flux, and the people who are your oldest friends may or may not accompany you all the way through life. Probably not.

I'm disturbed by this.

The past week's haul of library books include:

David Levinson's "Most of us are here against our will"
Paul Martin's "Counting Sheep"
Anne Karpf's "The Human Voice"
Daniel J. Levitin's "This is your brain on music"

It's an interesting mix, and I'm learning strange things now, like dolphins are capable of unihemispheric sleep (i.e. one hemisphere sleeps while the other is awake to help the dolphin surface and breathe).

Bumped into the $1.90 woman on my walk back home from the library. She didn't recognise me, but I recalled her big round spectacles, small ponytail and plump figure. She said, same as the last time, that she had forgotten her wallet and could I lend her $1.90 busfare to go home. I didn't tell her that I've met her twice before, and was conned into believing her the first time while I accused her of lying the second time.

This time, I simply said no and moved on.

Watched Susan Boyle sing on "Britain's Got Talent". She's 47, never been kissed, and made me cry while watching her sing.

Sometimes, life is full of surprises.

Strangest excuse today for a colleague not to attend a meeting: he had to file his taxes (though the deadline for e-filing is 18 Apr).