A Weekend of Gift Vouchers, Christmas Trees and Former Colleagues

This weekend was pretty busy. More of doing errands, meeting friends, blah blah. Saturday I spent mostly for purchasing prizes for teh Family Day we'll be having on the third of December (in Malacca as well). I just bought gift vouchers (their term for gift certificates) from Takashimaya and Metro (two of the bigger department stores in Singapore. Takashimaya, in case you didn't know, is like our Rustan's). I had to pay for them with my own money first though (and this is hundreds of sing dollars so they better reimburse me soon...) but it is really fun shopping for someone else. Budgeting for someone else. Oh well.

Well going to the two malls -- Ngee Ann City and Paragon -- I was able to take pictures (even one with me on it as a friendly Singaporean dude took it for me) with their Christmas trees. Ngee Ann is known for its giant tree inside, while Paragon (the mall that houses Metro Departments Store and which I consider as the Podium of Singapore) just displayed a semi-giant tree outside. Will post the pics within this week. I was just too lazy last night to upload my pics.

I then went to Bras Basah Complex (Les, this is really close to Carlton, a couple of buildings behind) since they were having a book fair. I ended up buying a Terence Conran House Book (my mom bought an old, old version of it when she first got married, and I think it would be nice to get a new one). Anyways, I just got it for 9.90 sing so I think that was a bargain. I would have to bring it home by Christmas though since it's a bit bulky and I really have minimize the stuff I would have to bring home at the end of my contract.

So I then went to Bugis Junction (another mall) to canvass for minor prizes. I wasn't able to find any though. I saw Bianca Araneta though. I don't know if she's still tied up with MTV. (she was in the same batch of VJ applicants with Mo Twister, remember?) Or maybe a modelling stint. She still looks great despite her prominent chin. (Hahaha, I'm bitter!)

Around five, I felt like going to Chinatown. I never really visited the shops that open along Pagoda Street during the evenings. So there I went. I just got myself cute handbags which were just three for twn dollars, and my dinner which was just a giant chicken siopao. Crazy me, I decided to eat it while walking. And it was too warm to hold with my hand so I ate it with chopsticks. Hahahaha.

Sunday I met up with two former colleagues at Manosa. One was Mark, the one who studies at NUS, and Mercy, who just arrived Friday to work as an interior designer. We just walked back and forth Orchard. Just to orinet Mercy. For her to update us on what's happening at FMP. Sir Stan will be leaving by December. He's already allocated his work among four architects. Manosa will definitely not be the same without him. He was the spine of the firm. His OC-ness kept the firm organized. His being chismoso livened up lunch breaks int he pantry -- with his theoretical questions and ambush interviews.

Oh well.