mave’s

BEN
AUGUST 1979
DON BLACK, WALTER SCHARF
MICHAEL JACKSON

Ben, the two of us need look no more
We both found what we were looking for
With a friend to call my own
Ill never be alone
And you my friend will see
Youve got a friend in me
(youve got a friend in me)

Ben, youre always running here and there
(here and there)
You feel youre not wanted anywhere
(anywhere)
If you ever look behind
And dont like what you find
Theres something you should know
Youve got a place to go
(youve got a place to go)

I used to say, I and me
Now its us, now its we
(I used to say, I and me)
(now its us, now its we)

Ben, most people would turn you away
I dont listen to a word they say
They dont see you as I do
I wish they would try to
Im sure theyd think again
If they had a friend like ben

“Ben” is a number-one hit song recorded by the teenaged Michael Jackson for the Motown label in 1972. The song, the theme of a 1972 film of the same name (the sequel to the 1971 killer rat movie Willard), spent one week at the top of the U.S. pop chart. It also reached number-one on the Australian pop chart, spending eight weeks at the top spot. The song also later reached a peak of number seven on the British pop chart.

The song became the first of thirteen number-one pop hits for Jackson in the United States and his first number-one as a solo artist.

Later included on Jackson’s album of the same name, “Ben” was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Song.

Wikipedia

We had our fortnightly chill out at
City Space, Swissotel.

Ahh, I love the singer.
Think she is from the Philippines.
She isnt the best singer,
but she has one of the most soothing and relaxing jazz voices Ive ever heard.
She sings her songs according to her mood,
and to her own style and groove.

We were talking about music and Michael Jackson,
then Cookie told me he needed to visit the men’s
but he took unusually long
I thought he wandered off cause something aroused his attention
like how his eyes can get glued to arcade games.

A few moments after he came back,
one of the service staff came and whispered something into his ear.
He told me he placed a food order
and they had run out of it so he had to make a change.

Not long after
I heard the singer speak into the mic
“And this song goes out to Mavis..”

I got a shock and turned to Cookie, he exclaimed,
“Thats food to the ears!”

The piano played the first notes
and the singer belted the song
‘Yesterday Once More’ by The Carpenters.

And when I thought the dedication was over,
the second song came up, ‘How Do I Live’ by Leann Rimes,
also dedicated to me!!

So Cookie and I looked at the view outside the glass panes
watching the cars and skyscrapers
while the moon faded into the clouds..

We tried Axis, Mandarin Oriental, last Saturday.
Have always watched the Americans in bars,
popping olives into mouths in between drink sips,
so I thought this might be fun!
But,
NOOO.
Haha, but it was an experience. (:

After bs on Friday,
we had supper at TCC, PS.
Pleasant surprise!

My Salmon Banana Exotica was superb!
The salmon was medium well,
with mashed potatoes and asparagus,
and the speciality was the banana-curry gravy mix!

Cookie had smoked salmon sandwich,
but the mouthwatering thing was the Avocado mash,
its was not a splat, but a generous spread!

And this was after the eating shouting laughing kicking phototaking drinking wii-ing bbq-ing on Saturday.

Suddenly the urge to look up my favourite shows came to me,
so here they are,

My very first American show I got crazy over when I was 12,
FELICITY!

Felicity stays in hostel where she finds love,
and whenever she feels bottled up, usually at the end of every episode,
she would speak into a tape recorder.
I love it!

Second would be Buffy the Vampire Slayer,
when I was in Sec 1 and 2!
Ok, I watched it cause I liked Michelle Gellar,

And I liked her friend, cause that was also the time I realised that red heads are pretty too.

THIS IS MY ALL TIME FAV!
GILMORE GIRLS!!

Its about a mum, Lorelai, who fell in love with Chris when she was younger,
gave birth to Rory, but they werent married cause Chris felt that he couldnt take fatherhood,
so Lorelai was left alone to bring her baby up.
And now that Rory has grown up and in Harvard,
they have their love lives and they depend on each other like friends and like mother & daughter.
Ahh, this show is just beautiful.

And the fourth one,
Desperate Housewives. (:

I followed through the 1st season
but gave up after that.
And I caught up with the latest season on tv now every Monday.
I love how they wash their dirty linen in public,
women. fury.
yes these 2 words go together, perfectly.

Not really crazy over America’s Next Top Model,
But its nice to see how photos are taken, hair and makeup, fashion.

Ahh, this I like, Project Runway.
Creativity.

I have recently fallen in love with this show.
You may find the host of this show, Tim Gunn, familiar,
cause he is a co-host in Project Runway.
Think he is a fashion consultant or related.

In Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style,
women who have fashion difficulties ask for help
and Tim goes to their aid.
Teaches them about body shape, fashion foundations,
helps them in self esteem and confidence issues,
sends them on shopping sprees with a family member or friend,
gives them gifts,
intoduces them to a world reknown fashion design/label,
then presents them to their family members and friends.

This show never fails to bring tears for me.
These women felt ugly and detached from this world
cause they cant dress well or know nuts about fashion.

Like in this week’s episode,
this woman got into a car accident in 2000,
her leg broke into 2,
it has since healed,
but left quite a huge scar.
She has never dared to wear a skirt above knee for about 8-9 years.
She wanted to change out of this mindset, but she needed help.

Tim introduced her to this Life Manager or Consultant,
he gave her about 10 balls,
and 2 baskets.
1 was named “Things I have no control over” and the other “Things I can control”.
She had to write down a problem she faced on each ball and throw them into the respective baskets.
Things she could control were “diet”, “road rage”, etc,
and things she couldnt control was her scar.
The consultant then handed her those balls she had no control over,
and made her throw them unto the floor.
It was symbolic, and it meant that she has to let this part of her go.
When she cried, I cried too. haha.

Then Tim intoduced her to a famous make up artist who taught her how to cover up her scar.
She then realised that it wasnt so bad after all.
When the artist was bending over to do her job,
the girl cried and kept on thanking the artist,
cause I think she felt that no one would be able to touch her scar without feeling disgusted.

Then at the end of it all,
she wore skirts from her shopping spree and from the fashion label,
did a catwalk for her family members and friends,
the pride on her mum’s and fiance’s face was priceless.

(:

Yes this is exactly what Im feeling now!

My boss, Alvin, got me into his office,
shook my hand and said
“恭喜你啊, I just received your confirmation.”

Really thankful to 老板, Chenglok, Wailing and Citi Regional Head.

Really really want to thank God.
All things work together for the good of those who love Him.
Now I truly believe this from the bottom of my heart.
Ginosko.

Wow,
God,
You saw my surrender
You saw my conviction
You saw my desire
Thank You,
from the depths of my heart.

PS: Yes the girl in the picture is me, taken in Beijing, when I was 21. All of us have a past okay. Haha.

“Hi MAVIS, are you free for lunch today?”

My heart started thumping.

Did I do something wrong?
Did I miss doing anything?
These words kept running through my mind
on the shuttle to work.

“Yes I am, what time is good for you?” I asked.

At 12.25pm sharp I left the office.
Locked up my cupboards
cause Citi is big on the Clean Desk Policy.

If they find stuff which arent supposed to be left in the open
They put it on another person’s desk.
And by the time your colleague goes around asking who it belongs to,
the whole world knows “He/She jialat liao lar..”

SO,
in any case,
cause my mind was filled with those questions
I had to keep making sure that everything was in order
before I left for lunch.

We had lunch at Killiney, Millenia Walk.

I paid for her!
I know this might sound “big deal?”
but I am always too afraid to say “Let me buy you lunch”.
My weakness,
but then again its not the point.

The moment we found seats,
I asked,
“Why you ask me out leh?”
Haha, very rude, but I really wanted to know.

“Haha, why cannot meh? Have lunch only whaaat~”

HUGE SIGH OF RELIEF IN MY HEART.

I learnt a few things that Friday.

Leaders are not super beings.
They have a heart and they have feelings.

We always think of them as
a far away spiritual being
who cannot be touched with the tip of our finger nails
least to say
hold their arms when we cross the roads
or to pat their arms when laughing at something funny.

But they have feelings too.
They want to know how we feel after a meal
They want to receive little text messages or emails
They want to feel what you are feeling
They want to hear what you got to say
They are made not perfect like you and I.

We talked about my marriage, HAHA,
worklife
her children
my brother
her husband
hobbies

But like what Pst Kong shared in Song BS,
its like Honey and Milk that flows in drips.
And there are some people who spend the world of time talking
you feel like they are probing too much
But then there are some who just smile and nod their heads
you feel like your prayers are answered
And there are people like that around
And we shouldnt be afraid
so we talk lesser
or choose the politically/spiritually correct stuff to talk about
cause they are human and they like lame conversations some times.

I cant count how many times she rolled her eyes while talking to me.

She gave me 2 goals that can help me be a better person in every aspect.
And I will do it.

At the end of everything
she gave me a hug
and she said she hoped to see me again.

That touched my heart.

So we parted and I walked back to Millenia Tower,
while Yahlan took the opposite direction and crossed the road back to Suntec.

This is a little backdated haha.

We visited Iluma at Bugis for the first time!
Their arcarde was HUGGEE and filled half of the top floor
and there was this unique stall that sold wacky stuff!

So this was where we settled for dinner after flipping through many menus

Food is serious business

Cookie chose chicken with lip-smacking sauce,

I had ribs with “ok nia” sauce.

And 1 more to end off the day.

Guess where we are?

Meritus Mandarin’s Chatterbox!

Excited

Excited Cookie

Haha, Ive got new shoes!

The first few bites were tasty
Then it became weary.

To eat here again?

Nah.

———————————————-

And can someone explain the reason to why I have wierd colleagues?