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damn! im having 2 big ulcers on my upper and lower lips. its so painful whenever i open my mouth. and now, i have difficulties eating, drinking and talking. it hurts alot cos its quite big in size. i got ulcers cos im too heaty, caused by the late night sleep and late afternoon wake ups. i must change this habit. really. sigh

anyways, sorry nic that we cant go for the chocolate buffet yet. im having ulcers. maybe we'll go when my ulcers recovered. i need more water, more more more! but it hurts when i drink.

oh wells, i called irene this evening. sort of haunting her for a job. im think i can make my way back to marriott again. and yippee! i love my job there, the environment, people and everything. its real fun there, thats why im asking to go back. by the way, maine and jean made some arrangements this friday. having some lunch i think. and its jeans treat! haha, so happy. FREE meal you know. =)

i read some fengshui stuff online. erm, quite interesting though. about tangs plaza, the very unlucky wheelock place, shaw and some others. very interesting, i type more about it later. and some history about orchard then and now. damn interesting and i guess not many of you knows about it.

oh yes, i called quite a few hotels today regarding work and stuff. erm, some hotels vacancies are full. im trying for some maybe tomorrow, but its all banquet. anyways, i got some shocking thing. i called merchant court today, and they told me they wanna employ some dishwasher. damn them! i dont even really touch the washing in my house and they actually want dishwasher? sheesh... but then i just pretended that i was oh-so interested in that position. yeah

anyways, i spent my day at home today. eating, com, talking, listening to radio and did some small clearing ups in my room. got a whole lot of papers in my room. think can become a forest of trees when you see how much paper i have. piles and piles of them, mostly worksheets.

oh, ive changed my blog template. erm, is it nice? is it nice? i found this long ago, just that wanna get something simple like the previous blackout box. and now, im sick and tired of that, so got this as replacement.

dunno what to get for frenz for xmas and things for my fam cos i got my first pay. any ideas care to share? no expensive stuff please, like i can afford. =(

er, i think im gonna end this cos i need to post some stuff on the following:-
- what is bad about Wheelock Place?
- why did Lane Crawford close down in sept 1996 only after 2 years of operation?
- why did Dynasty Hotel (presently Singapore Marriott) closed down in 1994?
- what makes Tangs Plaza and Shaw House prosper?
- what makes Ngee Ann City and Wisma Atria prosper so well?

the reasons can be explained by the following. its rather interesting. enjoy! =)

For many overseas visitors Singapore's Orchard Road is synonymous with shopping. This is the centre of town, a Singapore version of London 's Oxford Street and New York's fifth avenue, where shopping malls and high class boutiques compete for customers' dollars with cafes, restuarants and cinemas. Buses, cars and motorbikes fight for space on the floor-lane road, while a parade of pedestrians strolls along the shady, tree-lined pavements.

Orchard Road is one of Singapore's most vibrant areas creating a source of energy roughly equivalent to a fast flowing river. Fengshui experts say the Energy is at its strongest at the junction of Orchard, Scotts and Paterson Roads which is also the boundary of the MRT Stations.

Which way in?

At the South West of this crossroad is one of Singapore's most talked about buildings, recently renamed Wheelock Place. It was only completed in 1994 but it already has a chequered history and a structure that makes for fascinating fengshui.

Its cone-shaped glass atrium has everyone talking. Kenny Koh, a professional fengshui practitioner based in the Eastern suburb of Geylang, says the most worrying aspect for him is that there is no obvious entrance. When walking along Orchard Road, he says it is not clear where the front door is or even where the front of the building is supposed to be. Most people enter the building beneath the cone from Orchard road it is true, yet there are three other major entrances at different points around the building, none of them any more or less imposing than the cone entrance.

Lynn Yap, a pupil of Hong Kong's Raymond Lo and Canadian Joseph Yu, has a similar problem with Wheelock Place. She says she walked round the building several times but was unable to work out how exactly the building sat or faced. She says the prepondence of glass and metal, a common feature of modern skyscrpaers, is also a difficulty.

Designed by the Japanese architect, Kishio Kurokawa, Wheelock Place was orginally built to house Hong Kong based department store Lane Crawford and provide much needed office space in the heart of the Orchard Road shopping belt. Lauded by architects and much talked about by Singaporeans in general, the building had its official opening in June 1994, but Lane Crawford never enjoyed the hope for success. Within a year, the store had downsized from five to two floors and by September 1996, it had closed down.

The ground floor is now occupied by the American bookshop Borders and the rest of the building has been converted into smaller retail units and offices. Borders does not appear to have any concessions to fengshui although, on a recent book signing at the store, Lillian Too enthused about the interior. The best bit, according to her, is the purple and silver history of the company which curves along the ceiling from the front to the back of the shop.

Family Feud

North East of Wheelock Place is another Singapore landmark, the chinese style pagoda Tang Plaza that is owned by one of Singapore's foremost families. When construction on Wheelock Place began the Tangs were running the successful, and extremely traditional, Dynasty Hotel, as well as the departmnent store C K Tang, which first opened on Orchard road, in 1958. But a week before the Lane Crawford opened, the last guest checked out of the Dynasty Hotel, as a feud, which had been raging within the family for more than a decade, came firmly into the public eye.

The Tangs are devout christians and would probably pay little attention to fengshui. But fengshui experts say the glass cone of Wheelock Place could have a negatvie effect on the Tang Plaza, and contributed to the family's difficulties. The hotel has now reopened after extensive renovations, under the management of Marriott chain. Water channels flow from the lobby along either side of the main entrance while the two large chinese urns flank the door. The Marriott says it simply wanted to create a feeling of peace and tranqulity but fengshui experts say the result is pretty good fengshui also.

Occupying the North-West corner of the crossroad is the Shaw Centre, which houses the Lido Cineplex, the Isetan departmnet store and another office tower. Fengshui masters generally agree this is an extremely strong building. They point to the dominant outward curve that takes the possession of the energy that is concentrated in the crossroad, and at the same time deprives other buildings of this benefical energy.

Going with the flow

As you walk away from the Scotts road down Orchard road a large blue building occupies the south side of the road. This is the Wisma Atria shopping centre. One fengshui master believes the image of the building has been developed around the water element, perhaps bcause it matches the elements of the buildings' owners. From the street shoppers go into the building down a wide , curve staircase, said by some to resemble a water fall cascading into a poola dn the customers represent the water collecting there. Since water symbolises money and the customers keep flowing in, this is an esxpecially auspicious image.

Next door to Wisma Atria is South East Asia's largest shopping centre, Ngee Ann City. This is where shoppers can find many top boutiques as well as one of Japan's top department stores, Takashimaya, which is the anchor tenant. On its first day of opening 100,000 people turned up, both locals and tourists. A local journalist waxed lyrical. "This is the Big One" wrote the Straits Times, "the Alpha and the Omega." The shopping centre to end all shopping centres.

And so it seems to be. Fengshui experts in Singapore agree the complex is extremely auspicious. There is no mistaking the palatial entrance with its cascading fountains, and huge granite lions guarding the front door. The Civic Plaza,as the semi-circular area in front of Ngee Ann City is called forms a huge "Bright Hall" effect. Unsurprising, one of Singpaore's foremost fengshui practioners worked on the original plans. This area is used for all kinds of events from outdoor concerts to imprompu markets. Even when there is nothing actually going on people congregate here to meet friends or simply take a break from the heat.

Renovating for success

When Ngee Ann City opened it was reported that one of Orchard Road shoping centres lost around 40% of its tenants.There was no offical confirmation but many of Ngee Ann City's rivals have spent the past few years renovating. The process is still going on and it is no surprise that all three shopping centres on the north side of the orchard road that have a view of Ngee Ann City have been enagaged in large scale reconstructiuon.

The Promende for example, now has a glass canopy above its front door, all better to attract the positive energy of Ngee Ann City says the fengshui masters.The latest to succumb is the Paragon, once a white marshallow-like buillding, it is now being read and looks likely to emerge with a new coat of glass and metal.

If you continue along Orchard Road towards the junction with Cainhill Road, it is difficult to miss the new Heeren building, it is not just the modern clean lines of glass and metal, but also the crowds of the young pepole and loud music of singapore's first HMV mega music store.

Fengshui experts say the whole area is extremely yang and prone to excess. Across the road, a new cinema and entertainment complex has just opened and Singpaore's biggest gym (California Fitness Centre) is also doing brisks busienss. Passers-by stand and watch which overlook the busy street.

This junction is clearly a place for action, but even in busy Orchard Road fengshui experts say there are some occasions when things can go just a bit too far.

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