OK, one more flight to go, Diana, one more flight to go, I keep telling myself. Then I can go back for CNY.

Jac quit a few days back. I was shocked. Nevertheless, am happy for her as I know her hati already melayang back to KL after she came back from her leave early this month. She has packed all her 2.5 years' worth of shopping into 9 boxes and 2 suitcases. Gulp. I hope I don't need as many boxes when it's my time to leave (I came with less than 50kg out of the 120 kg cargo allowance).

Come 31st, apartment 6 will be quiet. No more yoga partner for me. No more drunk antics. Or brownies and chicken wings in honey sauce.

To my cili padi, please I beg you to be less stubborn. Accept that things are not always going to happen or be done "my way or the highway" - give and take a little. Compromising doesn't mean giving in or weakness, it's just another way of telling someone that they mean too much to bicker over the colour of the living room walls with.

I don't believe in modern fairytale. And I pray with all my might that yours will turn out to be one so my faith is restored.

Oh, bummer (shit,played too much Werewolves). The Princess will be working 10 days continuously starting tomorrow. Just received Ken Lee's Xmas and birthday present today.

Thanks, babe! How sweet of her to ask someone to pass the present eventhough we're so far apart. But don't lau kai ok, I didn't purposely ignore your SMS, just that I ran out of credit while in Paris.

By the way, Malaccans, take note. Whoever wishes to hold a wedding dinner in Pay Fong Middle School Hall can contact Joanne. She can easily whip up 7 dishes with 2 big pots, 2 medium pots, her old, trusted Moulinex blender and an oven. Cos she just did that for our post Xmas dinner today.

To quote Lonestar, "I don't know how you do what you do/Baby I'm amazed by you".

Joanne gave me a Learn Spanish pocketbook with CD. Great, more things to remember besides the ever-changing wine list. Mucho gracias, my belle du jour (ok, I'm speaking in Spanish, English and French. Shit, I have a multiple personality disorder like Britney).

Oh, bummer.

Whee...my leave for February is approved, so I'll be back for CNY anyway. Was in Paris yesterday and my, I was fighting my desire to make impulsive buys as everywhere I turn, big, bold solde was staring at me. Tried a few outfits and then the constant taking off of 5 pieces of my clothes (very cold in Paris) kinda put me off eventually. So finally I just went into Printemps and Galleries La Fayette and bought whatever I needed to buy.

Looking forward to going back home and let Mama Tju fatten me up like some chicken before slaughter. Get the playing cards ready, folks, Tju is in some serious mode to gamble.

Human's stupidity never fails to confound me.

Take for example, today. A passenger travelling from Beijing was gasping for air and complaining of chest pain inflight. Fearing a case of heart attack, the crew quickly kicked into action. Portable oxygen was administered and a PA for medical practitioners was made.

The victim, a Pakistani girl, seemed too young to be suffering from heart attack. She looked perfectly fine, without all the symptoms associated to heart attack (except for the chest pain and difficulty breathing). So the purser of the flight grilled her.

Stop crying and talk to us.

Have you eaten anything?
No.

Did you just came back from a holiday? Are you exhausted by all the sighseeing?
No, I'm studying in Beijing.

Maybe someone dear to you passed away recently?
No.

Maybe someone close to you left you?
Yes.

You're missing someone?
Yes.

Who?
My boyfriend.

So you're lovesick?
Yes, my heart is aching.

That girl was lovesick. And demented. The best part is, she and her friend were nicely flirting with a male crew after that little episode. Nicely exchanging emails and showing him their photo album. And her friend even wrote that crew a love poem. Yes, a love poem.

Suffice to say they disembarked with smiles on their face.

What lovesick?

I was bawling my eyes out reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, especially the last few chapters. I couldn't wait to finish the book and ended up going to work with puffy eyes.

Set during Hitler's reign in a small town near Munich, the book is about a girl, Liesel, who was sent to live with foster parents and how she managed to touch in some fashion the people around her. Narrated by Death (Death's humour was dark, dry and wry), the first few chapters were a struggle before the book started to grow on me. The worst part was, Death kept throwing hints and I knew what was going to happen and who were going to die and that anticipation of reaching that part when the events finally took place really killed me. And broke my heart.

Definitely one of my best reads this year (OK, so we're only a few days into a new year, but I'm pretty sure this will top my list). Go get and read it, recommended! (Thanks, Siah, for the lovely book).

Neiqy and Jojo accompanied me on my birthday in Frankfurt. Hearts to Neiqy, for the lovely set of lotions and Jojo, for that bottle of wine (You just knew the way to my heart is through alcohol). But most importantly, thanks for the company else I would be contemplating a lone day in cold, cold Frankfurt.

Danke.

Thanks for the birthday song, even though it was months earlier. Singing in front of a professional singer surrounded by rowdy crowds?

It was priceless.

Food I ate during my 2-week leave.

Hello 2008!

How did you spend your new year eve? I spent mine down with flu in a hotel room. Not a very promising start, isn't it? Well, at least my limbs are still intact and not being blown into pieces by bomb. Or beaten into pulp by police baton.

Guess how I'll be spending my birthday in 5 days' time? On standby. Yep, life is peachy.

Have a happy and prosperous new year, people. 2008 better be good.