Q-tip's carrier bag gets her places where normally dogs aren't welcome. The bag looks like an ordinary sports bag but has a zippered netting through which a furry 4-legged passenger can look out of and breathe through. Unless anyone looks carefully, no one notices that a non-human organism has been brought into a humans-only restricted area.

This morning, Q-tip got her first look at Suntec City and CityLink Mall. June and I were shopping for Tina's belated birthday pressie. We knew exactly what we wanted to get: an original kimono material tote bag from Kokon Tozai. Tina liked the one she saw June carrying so we got one just like it for her.

We also passed through Chinatown and stopped for more sour plum juice, a little light lunch and some cheap CD shopping. Foo Leong Record in the Chinatown Complex sells original CDs at a slightly discounted rate. I picked up Green Day's "American Idiot" (Special Edition) for $18.50 (usual price: $21+) then I discovered -- thanks to the friendly sales staff -- that China imported original [repeat: ORIGINAL] CDs sold for $6.90 each! A bit backdated, maybe, but some new stuff as well. I picked up Linkin Park's "Hybrid Theory" (SE) and "Meteora" and Keane's "Hopes and Fears." The albums have Chinese legalese on the covers, but other than that they are well worth the price.

Now chillin' out at home before heading to Tina's bash at Cappadocia, Robertson Walk later. Will probably update about that sometime tonight. And hopefully some with some pix as well.

New page.

I'll leave my previous entry as is to remind myself of the biggest blow-up in my domestic history to date. Because of the personal nature of the misunderstanding I'll not provide any further details other than I've been an insensitive and uncaring clod towards my June and I nearly paid a very dear price for it.

However, my offer to kill this blog was more extreme than necessary to smooth the rough patch between us, hence I'm back! New title as well 'cos I've always thought the previous one was horribly pretentious but I was too lazy to think of a new one until today when it became necessary.

There is a matter of holiday snapshots I promised earlier so let's get to them, shall we?

The trip begins with great excitement at Changi Airport 

The only Thai meal we had in Thailand.

You've never been to a city unless you've visited the local HRC 

If the tourists won't go to the store, let the store go to the tourists 

Our romantic river cruise takes up to this unromantic souvenir store 

June and HP make sure our tour boat doesn't leave without us 

HP contents herself playing with a fake snake when there are real ones at the snake farm 

Ridin' the Skytrain 

Mention food and Vince shows up in a puff of smoke 

The watched pot valiantly tries its best to boil 

The deadly 2-handed twin-chopstick technique 

Truth.

I began this blog with the intention to record the true day-to-day story of my life. A bit like a soap-opera in that sense.

It was fun for a while, and having an audience -- a very niche but loyal one -- encouraged me to continue writing and honing my craft. But it also led to an addiction to constantly seeking out new experiences, new excitements to blog about. You could say that the life I've lived the past year or so was more for the sake of my blog rather than the other way around. It was great to read my past entries and think that my life was an extraordinary one after all. [Those of you who have been following up on my stories, indulge me this one illusion, ok?]

Through these entries, I've sailed dangerous waters, hinted at potential disasters, but it was fun for me to feel like I was in complete control navigating these choppy currents. But the thrill of the ride made me forget that I have a passenger with me who was getting seasick being tossed about with my erratic tacking. Someone who came aboard hoping for a more stable, secure ride and was getting increasingly annoyed with every stomach-lurching course correction.

Real life and blog life collided yesterday, and real life must always win out. My time spent blogging and finding things to blog about must be channelled towards matters of a more personal and domestic nature. Thus, and with great regret, the Off-Duty Educator is now off-line. Thank you all. You really have been a wonderful audience.

Full-stop.

Draw a line across.

Think my latest posts are becoming schizophrenic. I need my vacation and I need it now. Since I'm flying off to BKK tomorrow, I'll start there and recentre myself. Meantime, I'll try put up holiday snapshots if I ever get around to using my cam.

Thanks for being a great audience.

Check back Thursday to see if I have anything new to say.