Home sweet home

Back from Rome, and happy to be back! Will blog more about the trip when I am less tired...but for now, I can say it was quite an adventure and experience... .

Happy New Year 2008, everyone! Let the countdown begin!

Shortest day (or longest night) of the year!

17:07hrs today, the sky looked like this.

Well, at least it'll start to get brighter from now on... . Not that we can see a difference so quickly, but psychologically, it helps.

Can't wait for it to be Danish summer again, with long days.... .

Anyway....am soon off to Rome, so I will wish all of you a MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I miss you already, Ivy!!!

Today is a very sad day for me :o(. It was Ivy's last day at work...it was her last day in Copenhagen, and it would most likely be her last day in Denmark. I knew that this day was coming soon for some time already, but it doesn't make it any less easier to say goodbye... .

Even though I felt really sad when Ivy went around to say goodbye at the office, I luckily had quite a lot of work to occupy my mind with after she left... . However, after leaving the office with a less occupied mind, the realisation of her departure really hit me hard. It was like someone had suddenly rammed his hand into my chest and took my heart out!

I was quite in tears when I arrived home...and Martin got kinda worried. He said later that he thought I had found out that I was pregnant or something....lol! Crazy hubby.

A couple of nights ago, I actually had a dream where I almost died during a war been man and aliens. In what I thought were going to be the last moments of my life, I made a call to Martin to tell him I loved him and to say goodbye. I managed to survive in the end though, so no bad ending after all.

A good friend of mine told me that dreaming of death is usually your subconcious telling you that something is going to end. The characters in the dream can usually just be representative of something, so Martin could for example represent love, or a kind of close relationship or friendship... .

In this context, it makes good sense. My friendship with Ivy is not going to end (never!), but it is the "togetherness" that has ended. I won't see her almost daily anymore, I won't talk as much with her, laugh with her, eat with her, shop with her, swim with her, work with her, dance with her, go to football matches with her, etc, etc... . And then saying goodbye to someone I love and care about just like in my dream... . Well, since my dream had been pretty spot on, then the good news is, I will survive this :o). Would "grieve" a few days....or weeks, I don't know....but in the end, life goes on.

On a more cheerful note, I have 2 good friends coming to visit in Copenhagen tomorrow :o)! Sandra will be the 1st to arrive, flying in from Singapore. Am looking SO much forward to see her again :o)! The 2nd is Christophe, who is taking the train up from Hamburg, Germany. Short visits, both of them...but definitely better than nothing.

Anyway Ivy....I know you read my blog....so I want to wish you all the best in the new chapter of your life, wherever you are :o). We'll still be in touch, of course....so I don't really have to write so much of "good luck" wishes as if I will never talk to you again ;o), but I want you to know that I love you more than your cowboy Esben loves you....no, just kidding - I'm sure he loves you much more ;o). Nevertheless, you may rest assured that you will not get rid of me so easily ;o).

Remember this: good friends are like stars; you don't always see them, but you know they are always there.

Sheila and Ivy - Up close and personal

Company Christmas party pictures

Finally, the pictures from my company's Christmas party on 14 December, Friday.

Warming up at the office

Chit-chatting, drinking, snacking and doing a quiz

Simulation Golf

Arriving at our activity destination for simulation golfing!

Me and my golf coach, Rune (while he was still liking me)

Crazy golfers - not at all serious in their game.

This guy though (Andreas), he's more refined than those above.

Our fake golf course. We had to hit our balls onto that screen

3rd best golfer out of 12 = IVY!

2nd best golfer = Manaru!

And the best golfer = Me! What? Just because you see me in a model pose instead of a golfer's pose like Ivy and Manaru does not mean that I was declared the winner by seducing the guy who counted the overall scores, ok ;oP? I really did play!

Yeah, yeah - I should start getting my winter clothes on too.

Dinner at Imperial Hotel

Who's that crazy tourist on my left?

Where's the mistletoe?

Mmm..kay, don't give them any mistletoes! My poor eyes!

Sabrina being cute

Nina, Andreas and Sabrina

Food at last!

Sabrina, Shi Hua and Shimei. Skål! (Cheers!)

Tamaki, Manaru and Lucy...all drunk by now.

Andreas trying to kiss his food (somebody please take the mistletoe away from him!), and Yuka eating hers properly.

Me being the most sober and well-behaved there, knowing that our company has something called "Code of conduct" *cough*

Yay! Rune likes me again! Or maybe he just wants my best golfer's prize... .

Andreas and me

Dancing time at Rosie McGee's!

It's getting hot in here!

Serious discussion about work-related issues while in the nightclub

"Just shut up and dance, Rune! Why always talking about work?"

It was a long tiring night indeed, that even loud disco music was soothing enough to put Morten to sleep.

Thus ends our great party. A big thank you to Morten for the time and effort put into arranging another successful party for all of us! Looking forward to the next one already :o).

Anyway more pics are on the marshmellow homepage in the GTA folder. Too many to put all here.

"Straight from the mouth"

Ivy: My hometown in China is very small. Has a population of only 4 million people.
Me: 4 million?!? Oh yeah, that's small. So....does everybody know everybody then?

I guess "small" is very relative, huh?

My company's julefrokost (Christmas party)

A long awaited post about my company's annual Christmas party last Friday! It was a fun party all-in-all, and it's always nice to be in a social setting together now and then without the slightly formal office atmosphere hanging around us. People can let loose a bit (or some let loose a lot) and we can get to know each other better. For example, all the girls who know who Wentworth Miller agreed that he's SUPER HOT, so that indeed makes him a valid entry on my list of Sexiest Men Alive 2007. And good that the guys didn't really think Angelina Jolie is that hot. At least they have some taste (even though Rune thought she was hot in Tomb Raider....but hey, that wasn't even her real body).

Yeah, so you see the kind of unintellectual / non-work related conversations we have during our social parties? In fact, I don't even remember talking about work 1 single time! And hey! We forgot to make our manager give a speech!!! Well, she hasn't totally escaped from it yet, since we have dinner together again on Thursday ;o).

Anyway, we started our party at around 15:00hrs with some drinks and snacks. Morten was the organiser again, so he had everything planned out nicely. There was a music quiz shortly after, and my team came in 3rd out of 4. I'm not that good with band names and all, since I simply just listen to music for the music, not so much for because it's this band or that band. Therefore, I don't put much effort in remembering band names or how band members look like, unless they are really famous, of course (that would be effortless then).

The next activity was SIMULATION GOLF!!! And guess who won?!! Yes, moi :o)! Out of 12 players :o). I suppose playing miniture golf in Bulgaria helped a bit? Hmm... . Well, I didn't expect to win really, but I was definitely in competitive mode, especially against Rune, who was in my golf group. Made an enemy out of him, but that's ok....the important thing was that I got my prize ;o). Maybe I should consider quitting my job and become a millionaire like Tiger Woods? I mean, miniture golf, simulation golf.....bring them on, baby! I can rule the golf world!!! Or maybe not. To be honest, I think golf, as a sport, is one of the most boring of them all. How can a sport be so expensive, yet so boring??? And where's the real body workout? Nada.

Dinner was then at the Imperial Hotel. Traditional Danish Christmas buffet, more wine, more snaps. I had to stop drinking after my 1st and last snaps during dinner, because I could already feel the room starting to dance around me a bit... . Or was it me dancing around the room? Oh well, either way was not good anyway, so I stopped injecting myself with alcohol. I did eat quite a lot too... . Not good, because I ended up having to skip DESSERT!!! If you know me well enough, Sheila NEVER skips dessert!!! That, I must say, was a 1st. I really disappointed myself there.

Dancing was next on the list. We tried Heidi's Bar, but there were far too many people so we decided to leave shortly after trying unsuccessfully to find a table. Rosie McGee's was the closest, so we headed there again. 2 weekends in a row going there (me and Ivy, at least)! But it was great to have several colleagues still sticking by, including my manager (some had left already after dinner)! Way to go, guys!!! Those who stayed on and socialised after dinner should, by company policy, be given extra year-end bonus ;o).

Anyway....the night ended after it was just me and Rune left from the tribe. It was an early night....around 2am in the morning... . But ok, we did start dancing already from 11pm, so 3hrs of dance workout was pretty intensive. Besides, Rune had to catch a plane to Bornholm at 2pm, and I wasn't going to stay on dancing on my own.

But damn...my feet was ACHING when we left Rosie's! Amazing how I could still dance, but had to almost crawl home! Ok, not that I really did that. Thank goodness I didn't have to walk far to get to the bus-stop, that I didn't have to wait long for the night bus to come take me home, and that I did have a pair of flat shoes to change into when I got off at my bus-stop. Otherwise, I'd have to call Martin to come carry me home. He was still awake when I got home anyway, so I'm sure he would have done it with pleasure ;o).

Thus, ends my company's annual Christmas party. I'll put the pictures up another day soon, I promise.

"Straight from the mouth"

While in the ladies' changing room after my swim today:

Young girl child to friend: I can't find a sock! So typical! Did you see it somewhere?
Friend: No... .
Young girl: DAD!!! DAD!!!
Me: .....?!!

I don't know about you girls, but if a young kid starts calling out for her dad while I'm 95% naked in the LADIES' changing room, I'll start to worry... . Good thing daddy dearest was not at all within earshot of young girl (he was waiting outside, like he should).

The Little Girl

My dear friend, Wagma, is featured in the latest music video below by Danish singer, Anna David :o)! I think she did really good (Wagma, that is)! So go watch it and enjoy!



Lyrics to the song "Den Lille Pige"
(English text further down)

Hun, så han kolde øjne
Hun, var så skræmt hun ikke skreg
Han, holdt hende fast selvom hun, blev ved at sige nej
Oh oh oh
De siger alting ændres
Oh oh oh
At tiden læger alle sår
Oh oh oh
De siger at alt bli’r bedre
Oh oh oh
Men hvornor, men hvornår, hvornår, hvornår?

Udenpå kan ingen se det men det ligger inden i
Du tog noget som for altid ændrede den lille pige
Selvom hun er blevet voksen nu så glemmer hun aldrig dig
Ta’ mit ord jeg ved det for den lille pige var mig.

Hun, gik med det alene og
Hun, græd kun skjulte tårer
Hun, trode hun var voksen nok
Men hun, var kun en pige på 17 år
Oh oh oh
De siger alting ændres
Oh oh oh
At tiden læger alle sår
Oh oh oh
De siger at alt bli’r bedre
Oh oh oh
Men hvornor, men hvornår, hvornår, hvornår?

Udenpå kan ingen se det men det ligger inden i
Du tog noget som for altid ændrede den lille pige
Selvom hun er blevet voksen nu så glemmer hun aldrig dig
Ta’ mit ord jeg ved det for den lille pige var mig.
(gentage)

Yeah.... det ligger inden i
Selvom hun er blevet voksen nu så glemmer hun aldrig dig
Ta’ mit ord jeg ved det for den lille pige var mig.

The Little Girl

She, saw him with cold eyes
She, was so scared she didn't scream
He held on tight to her even though she, kept on saying no
Oh oh oh
They say everything changes
Oh oh oh
That time will heal all wounds
Oh oh oh
They say that everything gets better
Oh oh oh
But when, but when, when, when?

No one can see it on the outside but it lies within
You took something which changes the little girl forever
Even though she has become an adult now she will never forget you
Take my word I know it for the little girl was me.

She, carried it alone and
She, cried only hidden tears
She, thought she was adult enough
But she, was only a girl of 17 years

Oh oh oh
They say everything changes
Oh oh oh
That time will heal all wounds
Oh oh oh
They say that everything gets better
Oh oh oh
But when, but when, when, when?

No one can see it on the outside but it lies within
You took something which changes the little girl forever
Even though she has become an adult now she will never forget you
Take my word I know it for the little girl was me.
(repeat)

Yeah.... it lies within
Even though she has become an adult now she will never forget you
Take my word I know it for the little girl was me.

5½ more days...

....of work left in 2007 :o)! Amazing how the year is soon coming to a close, isn't it? It felt like only yesterday that we were celebrating the ushering in of the new millennium...and here we are, still alive without any millennium bug chaos 7 years later.

Anyway...I have my company Christmas party tomorrow starting at 15:00hrs, so I should get my beauty sleep since flexi-time will not apply. That means I cannot show up at 10am as usual, but have to be there at 9am instead. You guys should pity me, because I'll have to get up at freakin' unearthly 07:30hrs!

There'll be an activity and then dinner... . Top secret at the moment, but I think the activity is going to be bowling, and dinner will be typical Danish Christmas dinner. I've had 3 typical Danish Christmas meals in a row already, and am starting to get tired of it... . I mean, I'm almost starting to feel like that Super Size Me guy who ate McDonald's 30 days in a row for breakfast, lunch and dinner!

I like bowling, but it's annoying not to know whether that is what we'll do or not because now I'm in a dilemma about my nails. Should I paint them or not? If I do and we go bowling, then between 1-3 nails are going to get chipped, so my efforts will be wasted. If I don't do my nails and we don't go bowling, then I'd wish I had done them. See how annoying it is not to know?

Guys won't understand. They shouldn't anyway.

What a week!

And the upcoming 1 is going to be even MORE socially hectic! Martin had his company's Julefrokost (Christmas lunch / party) in Barcelona, Spain (the lucky guy), so he was there from Thursday and returned home yesterday night. I would have gone too, but then I would have to pay for my own ticket so we decided that he went alone. After all, we will be going to Rome, Italy soon, plus December is already an expensive month, especially since we also just paid for our flight tickets to Sinagpore and Australia for our big vacation next year.

Ivy had handed in her resignation at work, so her last day is on the 21st :o(. I'm really going to miss her, especially since she will not be living in Copenhagen anymore after her last day. We (Alice, Wagma and I) had a little farewell dinner for her yesterday since it would be our last girls' night out together as a foursome... .

The lucky restaurant to have our patronage was Urban Kitchen at 4* FRONT Hotel at Sankt Annæ Plads. They have this menu concept where one can choose amongst 40 different small dishes from around the world at prices like 10kr (S$2.50), 20kr, 30kr or 40kr. Low prices on the menu can really be deceiving to the human eye, though. I mean, we ended up ordering so many dishes, so the final bill price was 899kr (S$260) including non-alcoholic drinks.

Food was good, though. Our waitress, Imoa, was also friendly and helpful, so we were well-served. Well, except that I got the lime'onade instead of the lemonade I had ordered...but that was ok for me since it tasted good anyway.

All in all, it was a quite a hit with the girls....which was good for me since I had suggested going there, and better for my friend since he was the 1 who kept bugging me to check out the Urban Kitchen (so his head is spared from my beheading since our dinner there wasn't a disaster).

Heidi's Bar was next on our list, but we stayed there for just an hour before moving on to Rosie McGee's since our feet was itching to dance the night away... . Had not been to Rosie McGee's in YEARS! The last time I was there was 3½ years ago. Used to be 1 of my favourite dance places since the music is my kind of dance music, and that it's central in Copenhagen.

Anyway, here are pictures!

Started walking from Kongens Nytorv, and took a picture in FRONT of Hotel D'Angleterre (sister hotel of the FRONT)

Baby Spice and Princess Spice

Wild Spice and Delicate Spice

Girl Power! The ones who were responsible for painting Copenhagen city an electrifying Christmas red last night!

Drinking our limo'nades. This was how I knew my ordered lemonade was actually a limo'nade; it looked and tasted exactly like the limo'nade Alice ordered.

"Cheers!"

We're really not gluttons...even though it might seem so just by looking at what we ordered (Colour codes: green = 1 time, purple = 2 times, red = 4 times)

Food...

Food...

Glorious food!

Reaching gluttony status. We even had to add an extra table to ours since we were starting to lack space. If you want to know our secret to staying slim: go dancing afterwards.

Spare ribs...yum, yum.

Dessert...the best part :o).

Enough about food. Better to feast your eyes on beautiful girls instead ;o).

Camwhoring; what we do best.

Happy customer

Girl Flower Power!

With our waitress, Imoa.

This is actually a coffee pot. Funny design, huh? Looks like a time machine...and the coffee would obviously come out of the holes.

Leaving my mark on the FRONT's guest wall.

Fairytale Copenhagen. Christmas light up of 5* Hotel D'Angleterre.

Royal Theatre on the left, shopping centre, Magasin, on the right. Ice-skating rink in the foreground. I guess we're just missing the snow to complete this Christmasy picture.

Our corner at Heidi's. Hey, where's Ivy?

Ah...there she is.

No, Wagma was not in the middle of slapping me before the camera focused on us.

Last pic before we headed to Rosie McGee's.

Anyway...that's all the pics from this weekend fun. It's actually quite time-consuming to upload pics on blogger. Wish they had an easier way.