Sigh

Yes, it's one of those times - again.

Have been neglecting my blog severely due to work obligations. The administrative duties never cease, and shifts have been unbelievably bad. I mean, the sheer number of resus cases is reaching insane levels. What the heck!?

At least I'll be out of the country in about 2 weeks' time, for a conference and some touring. Not a long trip, but a short break is better than slogging at the ER, and definitely beats stewing in Singapore, where the people are driving me crazy.

Recently joined yet another online networking site - no prizes for guessing which - due to peer pressure, i.e. all those emails inviting me to be friends. Turns out quite a few pals have relocated overseas, so this is the easiest way to stay in touch. Some pages have also been rather revealing. I knew one guy's a flirt, but seeing him "yaya" online is a major revelation. This fellow is skilled, man. I should learn from him. :)

Recreation-wise, am now reading Mr. Monk And The Two Assistants, which is IMHO better than Mr. Monk Goes To Germany, mainly because Sharona ( watch the show if you want to know who she is ) is such a great character, and the novel explains her close relationship with Monk in much greater detail than anything I saw on television.
There're also a number of priceless scenes and murder suspects, one of whom professes to be "multi-sexual". Wrap your brain around that! :)

Mr. Goldberg, if you're still reading, I highly recommend a trip here to prep for Mr. Monk Goes To Singapore. I guarantee our little island will provide infinite material for a great mystery and lots of hilarious antics! ( Just try to imagine his reaction to, say, the Merlion. )

As for television, I'm trying out a few episodes of Fringe, which stars Joshua Jackson as a smart-aleck genius helping the FBI investigate strange occurrences all over the world. 2-hour premiere was okay, but if it doesn't pick up by week 3, I'm relegating it to the "not worth my time" tray.

The Mentalist is so-so, but Simon Baker, with his gorgeous wavy blonde locks, is a good enough reason to spend an hour in front of the goggle box. :)

And speaking of Jackson, I highly recommend Shutter, a remake of the Japanese horror flick about spirits appearing in photographic images. The Hollywood version is directed by a Japanese, which may account for all that nail-biting suspense and terrific performances from the leads. Rachael Taylor, whom you may remember as the heavily mascara-ed blondie computer hacker from Transformers, does a complete turnaround here, adopting a gentle American accent, light makeup, and demonstrating some serious acting chops as a woman tormented by a seemingly malevolent spirit. ( It's almost as good as Michelle Pfeiffer's turn in What Lies Beneath. )

I'm certain a photo I took in an Egyptian tomb captured spirits - which appeared as free floating white orbs within an inner chamber with no discernible breeze. Will post that picture at a later date if I have time. My mom says it creeps her out.

Right, time to do an exit round, then head home for some much needed sleep.