Just went to Fraser's Hill over X'mas wkend. The trip was really fun - maybe thanx to our cheerfulness. almost everyone we encountered were nice and friendly... maybe bcoz we were. and i think that was the best part - better than the muddy treks and cool air, or the endless bus rides. after 7 -8hrs on 5 buses, i'll nv think i spend too much time on a bus again.
but the trip's real "value" became evident to me only as i spent more time on the hills... i was visiting the same places i had been 15 yrs ago - when i was young, memories were fuzzy, and when my parents were young too. they also were there with my brother, before i came along, 28 yrs ago.
as i walked the same roads i had walked before, and the same roads my parents did as a young married couple, i realised that once passed, things will nv be the same again. 15 yrs had flown by so fast, and I would nv again be that young spoilt brat who didn't like our run down bungalow and wanted to ride horses round and round the paddock every day. and i don't know if my parents still have that energy to explore down every road in Fraser's Hill like they did 28 yrs ago.
We will nv be that young family again, that I know. But there are still more things to look forward to - hopefully, new additions to the family. new milestones, new excitements. and always that same affection for one another.
Time has flown by, and time will still fly by. I will bring us to Fraser's Hill again, if not next yr then the following. If anything, just for old times' sake.
==================================================================
Travel stories at http://rockies-roamings.blogspot.com
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Nothing Interesting In Particular
How to write abt anything when you dunno wat's going on?
so busy? y does it always happen? but then again sometimes it turns around when i least expect it.
but then again it may not.
===================================================================
department x'mas party was an anticlimax. among the 30-40% who didn't win any prizes, food wasn't fantastic. just that the entertainment was quite good. once the last prize was given out, the place emptied rather quickly. all that were left was the commercial side girls dancing to "tetno" music.
got pushed onto the dance floor by one of the managers, and in response to the prospect of gyrating to lousy music was a singular thot - these are the people i work with!! and slowly inched my way back into the shadows. time to head home.
===================================================================
the wkend passed too quickly. supposed to go kayaking but didn't - so wasted the saturday away. the gift exchange wasn't so exciting as previous years. maybe coz i had less stake in it - being just a participant. anyway we seemed to have parted faster than we met up.
today did errands, and whiled the day away. not too exciting either, hence the mood of this post. fallen asleep already? i'm going to. *yawn
at least it sets the exciting stage for next wkend. a destination but no direct way to go there. an amazing race style adventure, trekking and photo-taking (if my camera chooses to work), then amazing race again. shd be fun.
===================================================================
that's it. my life now is mostly work. i still wake up early even though its a wkend, and i get headaches if i sleep too much. and... wtf, this post is sssssoooo boring i can't bring myself to continue anymore.
so busy? y does it always happen? but then again sometimes it turns around when i least expect it.
but then again it may not.
===================================================================
department x'mas party was an anticlimax. among the 30-40% who didn't win any prizes, food wasn't fantastic. just that the entertainment was quite good. once the last prize was given out, the place emptied rather quickly. all that were left was the commercial side girls dancing to "tetno" music.
got pushed onto the dance floor by one of the managers, and in response to the prospect of gyrating to lousy music was a singular thot - these are the people i work with!! and slowly inched my way back into the shadows. time to head home.
===================================================================
the wkend passed too quickly. supposed to go kayaking but didn't - so wasted the saturday away. the gift exchange wasn't so exciting as previous years. maybe coz i had less stake in it - being just a participant. anyway we seemed to have parted faster than we met up.
today did errands, and whiled the day away. not too exciting either, hence the mood of this post. fallen asleep already? i'm going to. *yawn
at least it sets the exciting stage for next wkend. a destination but no direct way to go there. an amazing race style adventure, trekking and photo-taking (if my camera chooses to work), then amazing race again. shd be fun.
===================================================================
that's it. my life now is mostly work. i still wake up early even though its a wkend, and i get headaches if i sleep too much. and... wtf, this post is sssssoooo boring i can't bring myself to continue anymore.
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Marathon-Photos.com
courtesy of Marathon-Photos.com.
This, is a photo of me after I had Ultimate Delight for breakfast at Cafe Cartel,
caught by a cameraman on the opposite side.
Just kidding. 2nd photo was stanchart 2005. If you notice, I wore the same shorts and same shoes for both runs. Which goes to show one thing:
Wear White: Lean & Mean
Wear Purple: Fat & Gay
plus, wearing white makes you look tanned. Lesson of the day - Wear White!
Lesson for Advanced Students: remember to suck in when you know there's cameras!
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Another Year, Another Medal
I might make this running thing a habit.
6hrs after i first started running, my clothes are still wet. amazing!
oh wait... yah i was caught in the rain on the way back. got a headache after the run... dunno its due to the grotesque tasting berroca or the over exertion. paiseh ally, can't watch the show. and i dunno wat damage my legs went thru... guess i'll know when i go to work tml limping... then my colleagues will ask wat happened to me, and i can show off that i went for stan chart.
hey it was only 10km... but at least i nv stopped. achieved a whimsical comment i made a yr ago (see Dec 05). but it was horrible. I'm starting to like running, but only after i'm done with it.
reached slightly late, wld hv been later if not for my lovely neighbour who drove me and her 2 girls for the fun run. (only the girls went for the fun run, i didn't. really.) started at the back of the pack, and at a fast pace. but when i thot i shd hv run 5km, i saw it was ony 3. dang. with no full bladder like last yr, i didn't hv much motivation to go fast after tt.
the middle is a blur. all i did was to think to myself "don't think, just go." then "OK go" then the treadmill song comes up. waved at cheering ppl to distract myself. spilled 1/2 the paper cup at every water point. choked on a sip of water. it was all guys this time, so nothing much to look at.
really slowed down in the CBD area. picked up a bit now and then, but it was only at the last part, near SCC & the concert hall where i tried to feebly sprint. and this time i kept my head up, in preparation for the army of photographers. last yr i concentrated on running and kept my head down, so all my photos on the website were of the top of my head. dang. just realised i shd hv sucked in my stomach too. (note to self for next yr)
yay. 1st time in my life i ever ran non stop of 10km. but taking the bus wld hv been easier though.
21km next yr? well... no promises. see wat happens until next july.
need to sleep. may update on previous weeks where i missed out - been too busy doing nothing. may not.
6hrs after i first started running, my clothes are still wet. amazing!
oh wait... yah i was caught in the rain on the way back. got a headache after the run... dunno its due to the grotesque tasting berroca or the over exertion. paiseh ally, can't watch the show. and i dunno wat damage my legs went thru... guess i'll know when i go to work tml limping... then my colleagues will ask wat happened to me, and i can show off that i went for stan chart.
hey it was only 10km... but at least i nv stopped. achieved a whimsical comment i made a yr ago (see Dec 05). but it was horrible. I'm starting to like running, but only after i'm done with it.
reached slightly late, wld hv been later if not for my lovely neighbour who drove me and her 2 girls for the fun run. (only the girls went for the fun run, i didn't. really.) started at the back of the pack, and at a fast pace. but when i thot i shd hv run 5km, i saw it was ony 3. dang. with no full bladder like last yr, i didn't hv much motivation to go fast after tt.
the middle is a blur. all i did was to think to myself "don't think, just go." then "OK go" then the treadmill song comes up. waved at cheering ppl to distract myself. spilled 1/2 the paper cup at every water point. choked on a sip of water. it was all guys this time, so nothing much to look at.
really slowed down in the CBD area. picked up a bit now and then, but it was only at the last part, near SCC & the concert hall where i tried to feebly sprint. and this time i kept my head up, in preparation for the army of photographers. last yr i concentrated on running and kept my head down, so all my photos on the website were of the top of my head. dang. just realised i shd hv sucked in my stomach too. (note to self for next yr)
yay. 1st time in my life i ever ran non stop of 10km. but taking the bus wld hv been easier though.
21km next yr? well... no promises. see wat happens until next july.
need to sleep. may update on previous weeks where i missed out - been too busy doing nothing. may not.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Disgusted
So after all that talk about bridging the income gap, who's going to pay for all the poor ppl to catch up to a higher income level? (as opposed to making the rich give more money and thus driving the rich indons, chinamen, overpaid ang moh expats, and senior member of the community away to greener pastures)
Of coz, the poor themselves! what genius! we raise the consumption tax so it looks like everyone will kena. poor ppl or rich ppl, also hv to eat wat.
but. a consumption tax is a regressive tax. the poor will pay proportionally more. lemme illustrate.
Every mth has 30 days. and how much you pay for food = how much you pay tax.
Poor man: earns $1000/mth, eats $2 economical rice every lunch and dinner, $1 for breakfast. no drinks. spends $5 x 30 = $150 on food a mth. 15% of his income.
Rich man: earns $5000/mth, eats $5 fast food every meal, which includes drinks. spends $15 x 30 = $450 on food a mth. less than 10% of his income.
See?
public transport fares also go up. who takes public transport? definitely not those rich who can afford cars.
and we never have any say in it. we just keep Paying And Paying. but don't worry. we'll all get CashBack Rewards in 4-5 yrs, and we'll all forget abt this little episode.
Of coz, the poor themselves! what genius! we raise the consumption tax so it looks like everyone will kena. poor ppl or rich ppl, also hv to eat wat.
but. a consumption tax is a regressive tax. the poor will pay proportionally more. lemme illustrate.
Every mth has 30 days. and how much you pay for food = how much you pay tax.
Poor man: earns $1000/mth, eats $2 economical rice every lunch and dinner, $1 for breakfast. no drinks. spends $5 x 30 = $150 on food a mth. 15% of his income.
Rich man: earns $5000/mth, eats $5 fast food every meal, which includes drinks. spends $15 x 30 = $450 on food a mth. less than 10% of his income.
See?
public transport fares also go up. who takes public transport? definitely not those rich who can afford cars.
and we never have any say in it. we just keep Paying And Paying. but don't worry. we'll all get CashBack Rewards in 4-5 yrs, and we'll all forget abt this little episode.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Meat High
Why get high on drugs, when you can get high on MEAT?!?!?
went to carnivore w vj for birthday dinner. shiokest meal i had this yr!!
for those of u who dunno, there's a salad bar, and the chefs (i think) will come round with HUGE skewered hunks of beef/pork/lamb/chicken meat/pineapple, rows of sausages/chicken hearts/bread, and whether or not they slice some of it on ur plate with their sharp shiny short swords depends on whether ur little paper disc on the table says "yes, please" or "no thank you" - which sometimes doesn't work coz u change ur mind upon seeing the succulent lamb or juicy pineapple that goes so well with the honey baked ham coming ur way.
i ate sssssoooooo much that i felt like a xmas turkey... one false movement and i wld explode and my meaty stuffings wld fly all over the restaurant. we sat there and chatted (i.e. stalled) for a good half hr before i took a few morsels of fruit and cocktail onions/olives before throwing in the napkin.
then, standing up and walking out to the toilet, i experienced wat vj warned me abt - getting stoned. watever blood my body cld spare all rushed to disgest all the shiok-shiok meat... leaving my brain with less to work with. i cldn't work 100% straight, felt woozy, and things took longer to make sense.
- vj remarked the glass in the shop window was clean 3 times before i got it.
- i asked him twice whether we were taking the right train.
- at no point of time after the meal i was dictating where we were going. i was just following him blindly.
it felt mildly like the magic mushroom feeling - just without the hysterical laughter. even right now as i type this, the monitor is floating around. either due to the meat, or the morning's sailing, i'm not sure. it's also better than alcohol, coz u dun get the bitter taste nor the blood rush or headache. just that lovely floating feeling, the one that makes u wanna float out of ur 3rd storey window and peek into ur neighbour's, 30m across.
why drink expensive alcohol or take harmful drugs? just eat meat!! woohoo.......
went to carnivore w vj for birthday dinner. shiokest meal i had this yr!!
for those of u who dunno, there's a salad bar, and the chefs (i think) will come round with HUGE skewered hunks of beef/pork/lamb/chicken meat/pineapple, rows of sausages/chicken hearts/bread, and whether or not they slice some of it on ur plate with their sharp shiny short swords depends on whether ur little paper disc on the table says "yes, please" or "no thank you" - which sometimes doesn't work coz u change ur mind upon seeing the succulent lamb or juicy pineapple that goes so well with the honey baked ham coming ur way.
i ate sssssoooooo much that i felt like a xmas turkey... one false movement and i wld explode and my meaty stuffings wld fly all over the restaurant. we sat there and chatted (i.e. stalled) for a good half hr before i took a few morsels of fruit and cocktail onions/olives before throwing in the napkin.
then, standing up and walking out to the toilet, i experienced wat vj warned me abt - getting stoned. watever blood my body cld spare all rushed to disgest all the shiok-shiok meat... leaving my brain with less to work with. i cldn't work 100% straight, felt woozy, and things took longer to make sense.
- vj remarked the glass in the shop window was clean 3 times before i got it.
- i asked him twice whether we were taking the right train.
- at no point of time after the meal i was dictating where we were going. i was just following him blindly.
it felt mildly like the magic mushroom feeling - just without the hysterical laughter. even right now as i type this, the monitor is floating around. either due to the meat, or the morning's sailing, i'm not sure. it's also better than alcohol, coz u dun get the bitter taste nor the blood rush or headache. just that lovely floating feeling, the one that makes u wanna float out of ur 3rd storey window and peek into ur neighbour's, 30m across.
why drink expensive alcohol or take harmful drugs? just eat meat!! woohoo.......
Sunday, November 05, 2006
4th November 2006
Currently Playing: My Zero7 CD - last yr's birthday present
1 year has passed. of coz it always seems fast on hindsight. but it's due to the things that u didn't attend to that you realise time really creeps up quickly. Just before writing this, i took out this CD to play as I type. i opened the cover and - HORRORS!! the CD wasn't there~!! horrors coz i immediately realised i must hv left it in the CD player for months... and sure enuff, there it was, with a thick outer ring of dust testament to my neglect.
I play the CD now coz i read my previous yr's birthday entries... and i realise some things still haven't changed. dunno - maybe its coz i've been leaving the CDs in the players for too long.
My occupational environment has changed considerably, thank goodness. 1 year ago i was mugging and wondering when it would ever end. Now, it finally has. and to make it sweeter, i just filled out the graduate employment survey this afternoon, and i didn't have anything good to say about how the education received helps me in my current job. pooi ah.
Although the pay isn't much, i can't stand ppl moaning abt how low their pay is, so i shall not do the same. can't complain anyway - the work is fun, the colleagues are nice, and the coffee is excellent. plus the potential opportunities i have been given are astounding. when the time is right, the only thing that can stop me would be my inability to fight for it. so for now, i shall learn fast, work hard, lay low, stay humble, and be nice.
Frens-wise, things hvn't changed much at all. 1 grp celebrated with me, while another went missing - disappointing my "high expectations", like last yr. hahah well i wldn't say i expected, just hoped. maybe its too early to pass judgement, surprises may come later... but then again i might be saying this coz of hope.
but anyway, this is the end of initiative liao. i don't need recognition, i just want cooperation, and hope for reciprocation. but since i get neither more often than not, i'm too tired to continue. received an sms from one earlier: "we all appreciate you and wish you all the best..." don't tell me. show me.
maybe i'm a little low coz of that impt issue as well. it is not the only one, but it is impt. nothing the whole day. no upcoming plans either. i don't know wat happened. i guess if i don't hear anything soon, i will hv to do something abt it.
else, things are ok. out-of-work hours are picking up. family is very fine. work is enjoyable. frens are here and there. life is ok. just ok, nothing more. i wld think it sucked long enuff to warrant something better than ok.
oh well. thanx go out to:
- zz, girl, qz, yb, alw, sop, leilei, shanz, for jioing me for dinner, coffee, ktv. long time since i had so much fun.
- misa, zow, an old fren, my brudder, my YEP nurse, kok, bowl, and consultant (in order of timing) for birthdae smses. zow and girl for birthdae nicks as well.
- ally, for sms and last min damn shiok jap dinner treat
- my brother for remembering even though he's too busy to come home for 2 days.
- my parents, for obvious reasons and more.
i have much to be thankful for, that i agree. but i just want the missing foundation piece. then everything else on top is just a bonus.
i'm missing that piece, in more ways than one.
1 year has passed. of coz it always seems fast on hindsight. but it's due to the things that u didn't attend to that you realise time really creeps up quickly. Just before writing this, i took out this CD to play as I type. i opened the cover and - HORRORS!! the CD wasn't there~!! horrors coz i immediately realised i must hv left it in the CD player for months... and sure enuff, there it was, with a thick outer ring of dust testament to my neglect.
I play the CD now coz i read my previous yr's birthday entries... and i realise some things still haven't changed. dunno - maybe its coz i've been leaving the CDs in the players for too long.
My occupational environment has changed considerably, thank goodness. 1 year ago i was mugging and wondering when it would ever end. Now, it finally has. and to make it sweeter, i just filled out the graduate employment survey this afternoon, and i didn't have anything good to say about how the education received helps me in my current job. pooi ah.
Although the pay isn't much, i can't stand ppl moaning abt how low their pay is, so i shall not do the same. can't complain anyway - the work is fun, the colleagues are nice, and the coffee is excellent. plus the potential opportunities i have been given are astounding. when the time is right, the only thing that can stop me would be my inability to fight for it. so for now, i shall learn fast, work hard, lay low, stay humble, and be nice.
Frens-wise, things hvn't changed much at all. 1 grp celebrated with me, while another went missing - disappointing my "high expectations", like last yr. hahah well i wldn't say i expected, just hoped. maybe its too early to pass judgement, surprises may come later... but then again i might be saying this coz of hope.
but anyway, this is the end of initiative liao. i don't need recognition, i just want cooperation, and hope for reciprocation. but since i get neither more often than not, i'm too tired to continue. received an sms from one earlier: "we all appreciate you and wish you all the best..." don't tell me. show me.
maybe i'm a little low coz of that impt issue as well. it is not the only one, but it is impt. nothing the whole day. no upcoming plans either. i don't know wat happened. i guess if i don't hear anything soon, i will hv to do something abt it.
else, things are ok. out-of-work hours are picking up. family is very fine. work is enjoyable. frens are here and there. life is ok. just ok, nothing more. i wld think it sucked long enuff to warrant something better than ok.
oh well. thanx go out to:
- zz, girl, qz, yb, alw, sop, leilei, shanz, for jioing me for dinner, coffee, ktv. long time since i had so much fun.
- misa, zow, an old fren, my brudder, my YEP nurse, kok, bowl, and consultant (in order of timing) for birthdae smses. zow and girl for birthdae nicks as well.
- ally, for sms and last min damn shiok jap dinner treat
- my brother for remembering even though he's too busy to come home for 2 days.
- my parents, for obvious reasons and more.
i have much to be thankful for, that i agree. but i just want the missing foundation piece. then everything else on top is just a bonus.
i'm missing that piece, in more ways than one.
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Health Fads and Night Life
I notice there's a fad going round these days... that it's UNcool to be UNhealthy. Now the way to impress others is to go rock climbing/wakeboarding/jogging/gyming/marathon running/east coast blading over the wkend.
Not that it's bad... it's good. but it gets on my nerves when, like mcdonald's, "it's what I do and what I eat". I'm sure I heard a collective GASP when at a recent introduction to other new colleagues, i mentioned i cannot get thru the day without 3 cups of coffee (we were all forced to say something abt ourselves).
Coffee seems to be the no-no, uncool drink of choice these days. People i meet at the pantry sometimes tell me they're trying not to drink so much coffee - too much caffeine. But it's just a fad - something everyone does at the moment to be "in". Coffee just happens to be the scapegoat this time. Coffee, and sleeping/waking up late, which i just found out over dinner w qi.
Why do i think it's a fad? if this Healthy Lifestyle kick is for real, then y doesn't it extend to other areas in life as well? Why is it that when I tell ppl I drink coffee, they hear "I'm hopelessly addicted to that horrible drug, caffeine", but when ppl say they go clubbing every week, others think "Wow! that guy/girl is sssooo cool/groovy/in/hip/happening!" and not "So he/she subjects his ears to loud, deafening music, lungs to second hand smoke, liver to burning alcohol, numbs his/her senses, squeezes in a crowd and opens him/herself to groping strangers (either applies to a girl or a guy in a faggot bar) every week... sad case"
OK, maybe it's coz these "clubs" (they used to be called discotheques rite? "clubs" referred to Country Clubs then) dun appeal to me almost as much as i love coffee, that's y i came up with this analogy. I happened to look at the newspaper and chanced upon halloween events held at discos and thot "maybe that cld be fun". but then i pictured myself in such a setting, and it didn't appeal to me that much. maybe coz of my past bad experiences.
if i were to attend a "nightlife event", i'd rather be in a place with no dance floor, just plenty of sofas. maybe like balaclava, or harry's. i wldn't fancy the alcohol much - it mainly just makes me fall asleep, not do stupid things. if i'm asleep, i wldn't be able to enjoy the good rock or jazz music that the live band are hopefully playing, so i wld rather the establishment serve good coffee, as well as the usual alcoholic drinks to cater to the conventional mainstream.
u know... someplace more sophisticated and where there's no funny business going around. where ppl go to enjoy good music and relax, not throw away social norms.
u guys know of other places like this? if not i'll hv to set up one myself. hahahha.
===================================================================
anyway, enuff of nuahing over the wkend. next wkend onwards, things will get exciting. with or without company.
Not that it's bad... it's good. but it gets on my nerves when, like mcdonald's, "it's what I do and what I eat". I'm sure I heard a collective GASP when at a recent introduction to other new colleagues, i mentioned i cannot get thru the day without 3 cups of coffee (we were all forced to say something abt ourselves).
Coffee seems to be the no-no, uncool drink of choice these days. People i meet at the pantry sometimes tell me they're trying not to drink so much coffee - too much caffeine. But it's just a fad - something everyone does at the moment to be "in". Coffee just happens to be the scapegoat this time. Coffee, and sleeping/waking up late, which i just found out over dinner w qi.
Why do i think it's a fad? if this Healthy Lifestyle kick is for real, then y doesn't it extend to other areas in life as well? Why is it that when I tell ppl I drink coffee, they hear "I'm hopelessly addicted to that horrible drug, caffeine", but when ppl say they go clubbing every week, others think "Wow! that guy/girl is sssooo cool/groovy/in/hip/happening!" and not "So he/she subjects his ears to loud, deafening music, lungs to second hand smoke, liver to burning alcohol, numbs his/her senses, squeezes in a crowd and opens him/herself to groping strangers (either applies to a girl or a guy in a faggot bar) every week... sad case"
OK, maybe it's coz these "clubs" (they used to be called discotheques rite? "clubs" referred to Country Clubs then) dun appeal to me almost as much as i love coffee, that's y i came up with this analogy. I happened to look at the newspaper and chanced upon halloween events held at discos and thot "maybe that cld be fun". but then i pictured myself in such a setting, and it didn't appeal to me that much. maybe coz of my past bad experiences.
if i were to attend a "nightlife event", i'd rather be in a place with no dance floor, just plenty of sofas. maybe like balaclava, or harry's. i wldn't fancy the alcohol much - it mainly just makes me fall asleep, not do stupid things. if i'm asleep, i wldn't be able to enjoy the good rock or jazz music that the live band are hopefully playing, so i wld rather the establishment serve good coffee, as well as the usual alcoholic drinks to cater to the conventional mainstream.
u know... someplace more sophisticated and where there's no funny business going around. where ppl go to enjoy good music and relax, not throw away social norms.
u guys know of other places like this? if not i'll hv to set up one myself. hahahha.
===================================================================
anyway, enuff of nuahing over the wkend. next wkend onwards, things will get exciting. with or without company.
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Certified...
...Addicted to Coffee.
I'm starting to look forward to work partly coz of the coffee machine.
Rockie = Junkie.
I'm starting to look forward to work partly coz of the coffee machine.
Rockie = Junkie.
Friday, October 13, 2006
You Know You're Old When...
...after dinner, your colleague has cheng tng while you have a cup of kopi.
...you wonder whether you shd hv ate chin chow instead to cool off ur heatiness.
...you increase frequency from once a week on the treadmill to twice a week, and your knees start screaming blardy murder. oh, above all that screaming, they hurt too.
...the 30+ yr old mother of a small kid tells him, "Cannot go in, you see, UNCLE closing the gym oready."
oh well... here it goes again... something to watch to forget how old you are:
and my parents think i actually RUN on the treadmill...
...you wonder whether you shd hv ate chin chow instead to cool off ur heatiness.
...you increase frequency from once a week on the treadmill to twice a week, and your knees start screaming blardy murder. oh, above all that screaming, they hurt too.
...the 30+ yr old mother of a small kid tells him, "Cannot go in, you see, UNCLE closing the gym oready."
oh well... here it goes again... something to watch to forget how old you are:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxeQN2GWAzw
and my parents think i actually RUN on the treadmill...
Saturday, October 07, 2006
MPz In Da House, Yo!
A bit late with this topic, but bear with me here.
Young, first term pappy MPs are performing hip hop dances at next yr's Chingay Parade. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/233752/1/.html
You see? they really attracting talent. last time parliament only got miss singapore universe, only know how to stand there, act pretty and keep the backbenchers awake. Now they probably got hip-hop performances during interludes!! Now dat's talent, yo.
But u gotta wonder... how did they come up with this idea? maybe to connect wid da youth, they did a poll thingy, like so, yo.
Q: Would you like your newly (un)elected MP to
a) Make sure your precinct is upgraded as promised during the elections, or
b) Go down wid da hip-hop grooves and earn some street cred to git widdit, yo?
Or maybe due to the success of so much more TV reality voting as compared to actual ballot-slip voting, they changing the format of the elections? instead of the boring "GE2010" you'll have "MP Idol 2010" where hosts Kermit Singh and DearDaniel Ong (it wld be great if he really didn't have a mouth) spout endless nonsense to spur senseless bouts of frenzied SMS voting.
Of course, you have the judges, or rather, arbitrators in this format, who are chosen based on their skill to praise the untalented with uncomprehensible statements. (I didn't waste my time watching sg idol, so i can't quote anyone, just read from newspaper.)
but the most impt - the hordes of idol-less teenagers who have absolutely no clue about wat talent is, willing to spend entire allowances supporting any good looker, and have SMS-friendly thumbs guaranteed to out-SMS any sensible adult. then of coz they will get a higher score than a distinction of 66%!!!!
but of coz, this is all conjecture of future events. wat's more impt here is the present state - MPz gettin' jiggy wid it. Guess wid all dat bling, it wuz da next logical step 2take, yo.
So while the teenagers of today are gagging themselves over the MPz attempts at establishing a connection of some semblance, http://www.spug.net/showthread.php?t=87050, more grown up ppl like me have some concerns when we 1st saw it on the news. like:
WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!??!?!?!?!?!
we didn't (un)elect you to dance at chingay lor... we spent money to get foreign talent to come here and do the same thing, and better somemore. we (didn't) elect u to solve our country's problems... and there you are doing hip-hop?!?!?!?
I think in time to come, some of them will receive letters beseeching them to return to being actual MPs. below here is a sample letter you can use:
===================================================================
Dear MP,
Recently I heard in the news that you and your colleagues in parliament are to perform dances at next year's Chingay Parade. I salute your efforts - it probably must take lots of time and energy to become to competent at something some of you have admitted you are not good at.
However, the upgrading works for my precinct, promised in the elections earlier this year, have still not been carried out - there have been no signs of any construction work done in my area.
Seeing that Chingay is so far away and you being so competent at your dance moves, why don't you skip a few practise sessions and carry out your promises? you could start by
a) help me repaint my leaky ceiling HDB takes no liability for even though they built the damn building
b) help me set up hidden CCTV cameras in my house to catch my maid swinging my kid around by the legs
c) get my upstairs neighbour to stop their weekly late night mahjong sessions
d) get my downstairs neighbour to stop her nightly karaoke sessions
e) catch my neighbourhood cat killer
I'm sure you can start practising your dance moves in Jan '07 and still give a great performance.
Yours sincerely,
A flabbergasted citizen.
===================================================================
let's just all hope they start taking their serious positions seriously. itz so damn weird y'know wadyamean?. dey hang loose at da wrong times, like on national tv, and dey are so damn uptight when ppl criticise dem, yo.
Well, many of us found mrbrown humourous. even wid all dat bling, methinks its too late to git down widdit, yo?
I really really hope they stop all this nonsense.
yo.
Young, first term pappy MPs are performing hip hop dances at next yr's Chingay Parade. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/233752/1/.html
You see? they really attracting talent. last time parliament only got miss singapore universe, only know how to stand there, act pretty and keep the backbenchers awake. Now they probably got hip-hop performances during interludes!! Now dat's talent, yo.
But u gotta wonder... how did they come up with this idea? maybe to connect wid da youth, they did a poll thingy, like so, yo.
Q: Would you like your newly (un)elected MP to
a) Make sure your precinct is upgraded as promised during the elections, or
b) Go down wid da hip-hop grooves and earn some street cred to git widdit, yo?
Or maybe due to the success of so much more TV reality voting as compared to actual ballot-slip voting, they changing the format of the elections? instead of the boring "GE2010" you'll have "MP Idol 2010" where hosts Kermit Singh and DearDaniel Ong (it wld be great if he really didn't have a mouth) spout endless nonsense to spur senseless bouts of frenzied SMS voting.
Of course, you have the judges, or rather, arbitrators in this format, who are chosen based on their skill to praise the untalented with uncomprehensible statements. (I didn't waste my time watching sg idol, so i can't quote anyone, just read from newspaper.)
but the most impt - the hordes of idol-less teenagers who have absolutely no clue about wat talent is, willing to spend entire allowances supporting any good looker, and have SMS-friendly thumbs guaranteed to out-SMS any sensible adult. then of coz they will get a higher score than a distinction of 66%!!!!
but of coz, this is all conjecture of future events. wat's more impt here is the present state - MPz gettin' jiggy wid it. Guess wid all dat bling, it wuz da next logical step 2take, yo.
So while the teenagers of today are gagging themselves over the MPz attempts at establishing a connection of some semblance, http://www.spug.net/showthread.php?t=87050, more grown up ppl like me have some concerns when we 1st saw it on the news. like:
WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!??!?!?!?!?!
we didn't (un)elect you to dance at chingay lor... we spent money to get foreign talent to come here and do the same thing, and better somemore. we (didn't) elect u to solve our country's problems... and there you are doing hip-hop?!?!?!?
I think in time to come, some of them will receive letters beseeching them to return to being actual MPs. below here is a sample letter you can use:
===================================================================
Dear MP,
Recently I heard in the news that you and your colleagues in parliament are to perform dances at next year's Chingay Parade. I salute your efforts - it probably must take lots of time and energy to become to competent at something some of you have admitted you are not good at.
However, the upgrading works for my precinct, promised in the elections earlier this year, have still not been carried out - there have been no signs of any construction work done in my area.
Seeing that Chingay is so far away and you being so competent at your dance moves, why don't you skip a few practise sessions and carry out your promises? you could start by
a) help me repaint my leaky ceiling HDB takes no liability for even though they built the damn building
b) help me set up hidden CCTV cameras in my house to catch my maid swinging my kid around by the legs
c) get my upstairs neighbour to stop their weekly late night mahjong sessions
d) get my downstairs neighbour to stop her nightly karaoke sessions
e) catch my neighbourhood cat killer
I'm sure you can start practising your dance moves in Jan '07 and still give a great performance.
Yours sincerely,
A flabbergasted citizen.
===================================================================
let's just all hope they start taking their serious positions seriously. itz so damn weird y'know wadyamean?. dey hang loose at da wrong times, like on national tv, and dey are so damn uptight when ppl criticise dem, yo.
"That's part of the fun - to laugh at yourself, to have a sense of humour
about everything...(yo)"-Chris de souza, MP, Holland-Bukit Timah GRC
Well, many of us found mrbrown humourous. even wid all dat bling, methinks its too late to git down widdit, yo?
I really really hope they stop all this nonsense.
yo.
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Doing Nothing & Dreaming
Today, or rather yesterday, was a do-nothing day. i had stuff planned, but i let it all go and vegetated with online games (www.xgenstudious.com. go ahead - vegetate.) and slept for a greater half of the day, something i hvn't done in a long long time.
i love these do-nothing days. i used to have more of them when i was studying though. just a late night before or morning decision, telling myself fark it, i need a break. and push everything aside. 2 positive outcomes are gained:
1) rest.
2) panic the next day spurs me on to accomplish wat i'm supposed to the day before.
i did take the time off from doing nothing to check out my mum's plants, and together we discovered a small green pepper hiding amongst the equally green leaves. the laughter that comes from discovery is just wonderful.
===================================================================
on wed i caught Singapore Dreaming http://www.singaporedreaming.com/ a "filem" by Colin Goh & his wife - editors of www.talkingcock.com. but the show's main draw is not slapstick humour, (think talking cock the movie) but really, how dank our very normal singaporean lives can be.
The father, played by Richard Low, is the typical chinese singaporean father. works and hardly spends on himself, using his hard earned money to send his son overseas for studies. he hardly shows any affection to his long suffering wife, belittles his son-in-law, and shows all his love and pins all his hopes on his son. His only dream is to strike Toto, and that his son is rich and successful.
The mother, played by Alice Lim, is the typical housewife, who slogs day and night for the family. nearing the end of the show, she recalls that she used to sing a lot before marriage, and wanted to b a famous singer - but she never sang again after marriage. for 20+yrs, all she knew was to clean the table, mop the floor, cook the food and wash the dishes. she asks herself, "what happened?"
The son, played by Dick Su, is the "villian" of the show. only dreams of making it big, but does little to achieve it. asks his parents for money to set up business, etc. in the show, he screams at his gf, "If you want to make it, you got to already look like you've made it!" which, sadly, might have some truth.
The girlfriend, played by Serene Chen, chipped in to send her good-for-nothing bf abroad for studies. dreams abt her perfect marriage and pins all hopes of the future on the guy. all the way, she showers him with support and encouragement, hoping her bf shares the same desire to get married.
The daughter, played by Yeo Yann Yann, is largely ignored by her father, even though she is pregnant with her first child. A secretary at work, she is highly depended on by her boss, who orders her around and takes her for granted. Shackled to her job, she is at every beck and call from her boss and his wife.
The son-in-law, played by Lim Yu Beng, is looked down upon by his father-in-law, maybe coz he doesn't earn much. a former regular, he struggles as with his insurance agent job, his father-in-law and his relationship with his wife - which is starting to strain, possibly because he, once again, doesn't earn much. The scene where he attempts to speak chinese with a china prostitute is hilarious - he sounds worse than me!!
all these ppl sound very familiar to u? go watch it before its run ends. i treated my consultant to the movie, and really didn't mind paying $14.50.
what are you dreaming of?
i love these do-nothing days. i used to have more of them when i was studying though. just a late night before or morning decision, telling myself fark it, i need a break. and push everything aside. 2 positive outcomes are gained:
1) rest.
2) panic the next day spurs me on to accomplish wat i'm supposed to the day before.
i did take the time off from doing nothing to check out my mum's plants, and together we discovered a small green pepper hiding amongst the equally green leaves. the laughter that comes from discovery is just wonderful.
===================================================================
on wed i caught Singapore Dreaming http://www.singaporedreaming.com/ a "filem" by Colin Goh & his wife - editors of www.talkingcock.com. but the show's main draw is not slapstick humour, (think talking cock the movie) but really, how dank our very normal singaporean lives can be.
The father, played by Richard Low, is the typical chinese singaporean father. works and hardly spends on himself, using his hard earned money to send his son overseas for studies. he hardly shows any affection to his long suffering wife, belittles his son-in-law, and shows all his love and pins all his hopes on his son. His only dream is to strike Toto, and that his son is rich and successful.
The mother, played by Alice Lim, is the typical housewife, who slogs day and night for the family. nearing the end of the show, she recalls that she used to sing a lot before marriage, and wanted to b a famous singer - but she never sang again after marriage. for 20+yrs, all she knew was to clean the table, mop the floor, cook the food and wash the dishes. she asks herself, "what happened?"
The son, played by Dick Su, is the "villian" of the show. only dreams of making it big, but does little to achieve it. asks his parents for money to set up business, etc. in the show, he screams at his gf, "If you want to make it, you got to already look like you've made it!" which, sadly, might have some truth.
The girlfriend, played by Serene Chen, chipped in to send her good-for-nothing bf abroad for studies. dreams abt her perfect marriage and pins all hopes of the future on the guy. all the way, she showers him with support and encouragement, hoping her bf shares the same desire to get married.
The daughter, played by Yeo Yann Yann, is largely ignored by her father, even though she is pregnant with her first child. A secretary at work, she is highly depended on by her boss, who orders her around and takes her for granted. Shackled to her job, she is at every beck and call from her boss and his wife.
The son-in-law, played by Lim Yu Beng, is looked down upon by his father-in-law, maybe coz he doesn't earn much. a former regular, he struggles as with his insurance agent job, his father-in-law and his relationship with his wife - which is starting to strain, possibly because he, once again, doesn't earn much. The scene where he attempts to speak chinese with a china prostitute is hilarious - he sounds worse than me!!
all these ppl sound very familiar to u? go watch it before its run ends. i treated my consultant to the movie, and really didn't mind paying $14.50.
what are you dreaming of?
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Progress
things are progressing, but not as well as i hoped. or maybe i want more than what is given. maybe that's y i feeling a little down. coz other ppl still hv it better.
i need to stop and take stock - to see where i'm heading.
just hope i'm rewarded for my efforts.
it shdn't hv to be so difficult.
i guess i'm feeling insecure and worried. and when i feel negative, i take it out on others.
i need to be a better person.
and you make me want to.
i need to stop and take stock - to see where i'm heading.
just hope i'm rewarded for my efforts.
it shdn't hv to be so difficult.
i guess i'm feeling insecure and worried. and when i feel negative, i take it out on others.
i need to be a better person.
and you make me want to.
Sometimes
sometimes i really wish that i am the type who will bo chup - watever comes, comes. don't come means don't come. but i'm not. i HAVE to make things work. so i will run around and make sure everyone is on the same boat. until i started work.
i'm not saying i'm the only one who rows the boat. others chip in also. but i took on more coz when i was a student, i still had more free time.
but now when responsibilities are assigned, i do not wish to take up any more that what i have/want to. i understand you are busy, but i am too. that's y we started assigning responsibilities in the 1st place - to be fair to everyone, so its not up to a few of us to make everyone feel happy. everyone shd chip in to make everyone feel happy.
similarly, when i've arranged something, and u want a change in arrangements, u can go ahead to arrange with everyone. just dun expect me to clean up ur mess and re-do all my effort. last time still can, now i dun hv the energy liao.
i know that more than half the time, my efforts pay off handsomely. i usually enjoy my time with the group. but i can only give so much now. so pls pull ur own weight also. if u want to change direction, its up to u to pull everyone ur way. if u dun want to do that, u're free to get off on your own accord. i dun wanna pull for anyone anymore.
no hard feelings.
i'm not saying i'm the only one who rows the boat. others chip in also. but i took on more coz when i was a student, i still had more free time.
but now when responsibilities are assigned, i do not wish to take up any more that what i have/want to. i understand you are busy, but i am too. that's y we started assigning responsibilities in the 1st place - to be fair to everyone, so its not up to a few of us to make everyone feel happy. everyone shd chip in to make everyone feel happy.
similarly, when i've arranged something, and u want a change in arrangements, u can go ahead to arrange with everyone. just dun expect me to clean up ur mess and re-do all my effort. last time still can, now i dun hv the energy liao.
i know that more than half the time, my efforts pay off handsomely. i usually enjoy my time with the group. but i can only give so much now. so pls pull ur own weight also. if u want to change direction, its up to u to pull everyone ur way. if u dun want to do that, u're free to get off on your own accord. i dun wanna pull for anyone anymore.
no hard feelings.
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Tired Post
I want to comment on current affairs, but at 3.30am, i'm too sleepy to think, and too tired to take the ten steps to the hall to fumble in the dark for the newspaper. thus i will expend less effort and blog abt my boring life instead. ha.
in 3.5 hrs i will hv to wake up and go for my company soccer tournament. i don't play soccer. heck, i don't even like playing ball/team sports. my dept was going, so i cldn't refuse - my feeble attempt at resisting was to tell the team captain to put me in reserve, as i might be going overseas (this was true then). last week he told me he couldn't find anyone, so i'd hv to play. he probably didn't try looking too hard.
but no worries. my plan is simple -
if the ball comes my way, i kick it twds the other side.
if the opponent, with the ball, comes my way, i shall harass him for all of 30 seconds.
if the opponent turns violent, i avoid his elbow/shoulder/head/fist/spanner and collaspe on the ground. thereafter i will feel unwell, and come home early.
been sick for the past 2 wks too, so didn't manage to spend time with impt ppl. i just hope things are still progressing well.
so this wkend is packed. i hope the coming week wld be fruitful as well, to make up for lost time.
in 3.5 hrs i will hv to wake up and go for my company soccer tournament. i don't play soccer. heck, i don't even like playing ball/team sports. my dept was going, so i cldn't refuse - my feeble attempt at resisting was to tell the team captain to put me in reserve, as i might be going overseas (this was true then). last week he told me he couldn't find anyone, so i'd hv to play. he probably didn't try looking too hard.
but no worries. my plan is simple -
if the ball comes my way, i kick it twds the other side.
if the opponent, with the ball, comes my way, i shall harass him for all of 30 seconds.
if the opponent turns violent, i avoid his elbow/shoulder/head/fist/spanner and collaspe on the ground. thereafter i will feel unwell, and come home early.
been sick for the past 2 wks too, so didn't manage to spend time with impt ppl. i just hope things are still progressing well.
so this wkend is packed. i hope the coming week wld be fruitful as well, to make up for lost time.
Sitting Waiting Wishing
but i'm in so deep
you know i'm such a fool for you
you got me wrapped around your finger
do you have to let it linger?
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Don't You Just Love 20hr Days?
Woke up at 6.30am yesterday, and proceeded with the following:
- Help Mum & Dad pack finish, all of us go airport.
- Breakfast at mac's; years since they last ate a big breakfast.
- Bye Mum & Dad... have a fun trip.
- Pick up insurance claim form for my dengue episode from hospital.
- Consult bank staff & waste insurance agent's time - opened new bank account.
- Stone in front of PC for 1 hr.
- Swim for 1 hr+.
- Shower, cook lunch, expiring ice cream for dessert.
- Stone in front of PC for 1/2 hr.
- Hot date! meet at starbucks.
- Still waiting at starbucks. read newspaper.
- Finally she arrives. Coffee and newspaper.
- Walk to esplanade, shop at marina, dinner at suntec.
- Play pool. kena trashed 4-1, none of which is my credit.
- Saw her to cab. Last train has already left. Last bus home.
- Tok cock to security guard. he gives me way too much information. but not as bad as zoe tay.
- Reach home 1am. Do accounts. Shower. Record in blog.
- Sleep at 2.30am.
PS. any suggestions to nice dinner places i can bring someone?? pls let me know!! this kind of thing i used to bo chup... now cannot!!
- Help Mum & Dad pack finish, all of us go airport.
- Breakfast at mac's; years since they last ate a big breakfast.
- Bye Mum & Dad... have a fun trip.
- Pick up insurance claim form for my dengue episode from hospital.
- Consult bank staff & waste insurance agent's time - opened new bank account.
- Stone in front of PC for 1 hr.
- Swim for 1 hr+.
- Shower, cook lunch, expiring ice cream for dessert.
- Stone in front of PC for 1/2 hr.
- Hot date! meet at starbucks.
- Still waiting at starbucks. read newspaper.
- Finally she arrives. Coffee and newspaper.
- Walk to esplanade, shop at marina, dinner at suntec.
- Play pool. kena trashed 4-1, none of which is my credit.
- Saw her to cab. Last train has already left. Last bus home.
- Tok cock to security guard. he gives me way too much information. but not as bad as zoe tay.
- Reach home 1am. Do accounts. Shower. Record in blog.
- Sleep at 2.30am.
PS. any suggestions to nice dinner places i can bring someone?? pls let me know!! this kind of thing i used to bo chup... now cannot!!
"How Do You Climb Onto The Shoulders Of Giants?"
was what a good fren asked. probably metaphorically, but not that i care. here is my answer:
1st, u have to find one. Written accounts have placed the residences of giants on the top end of magic beanstalks, so u might wanna try looking there. although climbing rock walls and bean stalks might be different, the fundamental techniques are the same, so i'm sure u shd hv no problems there.
next, although u r not an englishman, so the giant will not grind ur bones to make his bread, he might grind them to make his noodles, since u r oriental. as such, u might want to wait until he is asleep, like a certain "Jack" did.
Written accounts have mentioned that giants fall asleep on their great dining tables after heavy meals, so after that happens, you will be able to carry out ur plan. do note that climbing bean stalks and rock walls are different from climbing giant table legs, as they tend to be smoother. you might want to try other methods, like climbing up an ajacent giant cupboard before lowering urself with a very very long rope.
next, when u're on the giant table, take care not to upset any giant cutlery or glasses of water, in case you wake the giant up or get washed away by the ensuing flash flood. if the giant stirs during this time, do not hide in giant loaves of bread, in case u get eaten unknowingly. instead, hide in giant pieces of swiss cheese, so u can look out of holes to see if the giant takes a fancy to your cheese. if so, scamper out of a hole at the other side to avoid detection.
another good place to hide would be in the fruit bowl, but behind any fruit except red apples, as that is always the 1st (and only) fruit to be taken in any situation.
in the unfortunate event of detection, jump behind a FULL glass of water. the magnification of the curved surface and refraction of the water will make u appear (hopefully) as big as the glass. snarl at the giant, and hopefully the distorted image would startle the giant long enuff to make ur escape.
if the giant fails to get startled, tip the glass over in his direction. this would not hurt him very much, but get the front of his pants all wet. hopefully this would make him scramble to find paper towels long enuff to make ur escape.
note: do NOT use the same tactic with a hot beverage. not only would it hurt ur hands, it would make the giant VERY, VERY angry. u do NOT want that to happen.
once going up on the shoulder, take care not to make any noise, as the giant's ear is situated very close to the shoulder, and is BIG - probably able to pick up the most minute sound, as mentioned in writing about one giant, known only by his initials "BFG".
when your task is completed, quickly make ur escape, hopefully undetected. once you reach the beanstalk, you are safe, as written accounts have mentioned that giants are clumsy while climbing down beanstalks.
Although chopping down magic beanstalks to avoid the wrath of giants, as written before, is effective, the consequences are devasting, and thus chopping should be avoided, if possible. The written account of a certain "Jack" ends at the happy ending of him chopping down the magic beanstalk and getting rich, presumably living happily ever after. but it does not mention how "Jack" eventually lost all his riches and ended up even poorer, due to the lawsuits that came from the property losses after the giant fell to the ground.
Good Giant Hunting!
1st, u have to find one. Written accounts have placed the residences of giants on the top end of magic beanstalks, so u might wanna try looking there. although climbing rock walls and bean stalks might be different, the fundamental techniques are the same, so i'm sure u shd hv no problems there.
next, although u r not an englishman, so the giant will not grind ur bones to make his bread, he might grind them to make his noodles, since u r oriental. as such, u might want to wait until he is asleep, like a certain "Jack" did.
Written accounts have mentioned that giants fall asleep on their great dining tables after heavy meals, so after that happens, you will be able to carry out ur plan. do note that climbing bean stalks and rock walls are different from climbing giant table legs, as they tend to be smoother. you might want to try other methods, like climbing up an ajacent giant cupboard before lowering urself with a very very long rope.
next, when u're on the giant table, take care not to upset any giant cutlery or glasses of water, in case you wake the giant up or get washed away by the ensuing flash flood. if the giant stirs during this time, do not hide in giant loaves of bread, in case u get eaten unknowingly. instead, hide in giant pieces of swiss cheese, so u can look out of holes to see if the giant takes a fancy to your cheese. if so, scamper out of a hole at the other side to avoid detection.
another good place to hide would be in the fruit bowl, but behind any fruit except red apples, as that is always the 1st (and only) fruit to be taken in any situation.
in the unfortunate event of detection, jump behind a FULL glass of water. the magnification of the curved surface and refraction of the water will make u appear (hopefully) as big as the glass. snarl at the giant, and hopefully the distorted image would startle the giant long enuff to make ur escape.
if the giant fails to get startled, tip the glass over in his direction. this would not hurt him very much, but get the front of his pants all wet. hopefully this would make him scramble to find paper towels long enuff to make ur escape.
note: do NOT use the same tactic with a hot beverage. not only would it hurt ur hands, it would make the giant VERY, VERY angry. u do NOT want that to happen.
once going up on the shoulder, take care not to make any noise, as the giant's ear is situated very close to the shoulder, and is BIG - probably able to pick up the most minute sound, as mentioned in writing about one giant, known only by his initials "BFG".
when your task is completed, quickly make ur escape, hopefully undetected. once you reach the beanstalk, you are safe, as written accounts have mentioned that giants are clumsy while climbing down beanstalks.
Although chopping down magic beanstalks to avoid the wrath of giants, as written before, is effective, the consequences are devasting, and thus chopping should be avoided, if possible. The written account of a certain "Jack" ends at the happy ending of him chopping down the magic beanstalk and getting rich, presumably living happily ever after. but it does not mention how "Jack" eventually lost all his riches and ended up even poorer, due to the lawsuits that came from the property losses after the giant fell to the ground.
Good Giant Hunting!
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Packed
Don't really hv much time nor the energy, hence this short post after a week.
Day times during weekdays taken up by work. Using Excel and a simple formula, may have found a way to either
a) lighten everyone's workload and need to calculate, or
b) effectively let the manager cut half his manpower needed.
The results are so astounding, for once even i can't believe how smart i am. but of coz, it may not be applicable.
After work I'm packing up my time, either going out with girls or jogging. if not then resting at home with family or going diving. ok, only went diving once. more abt it on roamings when i have the time and energy.
Planning to pack in more stuff by september... wasted too much time and energy in boon lay liao. now gotta do the things i shd finally do.
Also need to start thinking abt how to manage finances and abt my career path. hopefully wkend wun be too tiring.
finally, my life is heading in the direction i want it to. packed, tiring, eventful, satisfying.
a bit more "finances" to "manage" wld be good too.
Day times during weekdays taken up by work. Using Excel and a simple formula, may have found a way to either
a) lighten everyone's workload and need to calculate, or
b) effectively let the manager cut half his manpower needed.
The results are so astounding, for once even i can't believe how smart i am. but of coz, it may not be applicable.
After work I'm packing up my time, either going out with girls or jogging. if not then resting at home with family or going diving. ok, only went diving once. more abt it on roamings when i have the time and energy.
Planning to pack in more stuff by september... wasted too much time and energy in boon lay liao. now gotta do the things i shd finally do.
Also need to start thinking abt how to manage finances and abt my career path. hopefully wkend wun be too tiring.
finally, my life is heading in the direction i want it to. packed, tiring, eventful, satisfying.
a bit more "finances" to "manage" wld be good too.
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Ah Girl: ?? Feb 2004 - 14 Aug 2006
Aged: 2 1/2 yrs
Thank you so much, for being my 1st pet, along with ah pui, and for being part of my life.
Thank you so much, for showing me the miracle of birth.
Thank you so much, for holding on as long as you could.
I hope that your life had been that much better being a part of mine.
I am sorry that your part had grown smaller over the years,
but I hope you know I always loved you.
So in return, I immortalise you here. As you will always be part of my life.
To the first girl who ever licked me on the nose.
Thank you, and goodbye.
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Environmental Manipulation Implement vs Spade
I'm always wary of big long wordy titles, and titles where it just doesn't seem right. Coz if u can't call a spade a spade, then i believe u have something to hide.
an example.
Until a few yrs ago, we were calling insurance agents, guess what? insurance agents. now u see all sorts of weird titles in the classifieds - financial planner, wealth management, life planner, personal financial consultant, etc etc etc. come on... u don''t PLAN my finances, u don't PLAN how much i earn and spend. and i certainly don't have any wealth for u to manage. i don't want anyone else to plan my life, and i absolutely need no advice from a salesman how to spend my money.
that's wat they are anyway isn't it? just insurance salesmen. i guess we're used to calling them "agents" already, which in the legal sense isn't incorrect. after all, the insurance company is the principal, and the salesman definitely isn't going to pay out any of his commision money to you. planner? consultant? come on... at most u are an AGENT. it's the insurance company's big shots who PLAN wat investment-linked policies to con ppl with, and they CONSULT their bosses.
a nice sounding name might fool some ppl initially, but if u need to fool ppl, then what u are offering must be something undesirable in the 1st place. comprehend?
===================================================================
on another, grim note.
fear can drive one to do the unimaginable.
and i have done it.
a much younger me would have laughed evilly at the present me. a much younger me without fear.
i'm afraid.
an example.
Until a few yrs ago, we were calling insurance agents, guess what? insurance agents. now u see all sorts of weird titles in the classifieds - financial planner, wealth management, life planner, personal financial consultant, etc etc etc. come on... u don''t PLAN my finances, u don't PLAN how much i earn and spend. and i certainly don't have any wealth for u to manage. i don't want anyone else to plan my life, and i absolutely need no advice from a salesman how to spend my money.
that's wat they are anyway isn't it? just insurance salesmen. i guess we're used to calling them "agents" already, which in the legal sense isn't incorrect. after all, the insurance company is the principal, and the salesman definitely isn't going to pay out any of his commision money to you. planner? consultant? come on... at most u are an AGENT. it's the insurance company's big shots who PLAN wat investment-linked policies to con ppl with, and they CONSULT their bosses.
a nice sounding name might fool some ppl initially, but if u need to fool ppl, then what u are offering must be something undesirable in the 1st place. comprehend?
===================================================================
on another, grim note.
fear can drive one to do the unimaginable.
and i have done it.
a much younger me would have laughed evilly at the present me. a much younger me without fear.
i'm afraid.
Friday, August 11, 2006
As usual
it happens again. always always always.
am i really that detestful to begin with? one step forward and u run away?
i'm still back where i started. or rather, i nv left.
wat will it take?
why?
why me?
why never me?
why
am i really that detestful to begin with? one step forward and u run away?
i'm still back where i started. or rather, i nv left.
wat will it take?
why?
why me?
why never me?
why
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Have You Ever...
...gazed at the fren sitting beside you, longed to put your arm around her and hold her close, to let her head rest on your shoulder? but you know you can't, coz the moment that happens, you know she wld absolutely totally freak out and nv hang out with u again?
And you have absolutely totally no clue how to get her to love u?
Yet another song, now forever associated with you.
And you have absolutely totally no clue how to get her to love u?
Yet another song, now forever associated with you.
"But I'm in so deep
You know I'm such a fool for you
You got me wrapped around your finger
Do you have to let it linger
Do you have to, do you have to
Do you have to let it linger?"
Saturday, August 05, 2006
For All Working Readers:
"Are you aware that all jobs require you to do things you'd rather not do? That's why they have to pay you."
-Dilbert
Raffles Place Rat
Ok ok... not quite at raffles place... then wat do i call myself? Tanjong Pagar Tiger? hahaaha ridiculous.
so. i'm finally here, at my decided-during-uni short term goal. to be a raffles place rat. to wear a tie, long sleeved collared shirts and swanky leather shoes to work everyday. to wake up when there's already light. to rush to work flustered in the mornings, squeezing with hundreds of commuters on the mrt. to search for a place for lunch amongst huge lunchtime crowds. to work in an aircon, carpeted office, with my very own dedicated extension phone line. working 9am to 7pm, fueled by limitless amounts of coffee. where i always wanted to be.
(of coz, this is as opposed to waking up at 5+am to reach jurong before 8am, wearing polo-tee, jeans and sneakers to work, staring at machines and diagrams all day. but i'd very much rather wake up at 1pm everyday and spend the whole day at home in singlet and shorts and watch gundam seed destiny.)
or is it? everything is new and fun now, but i can't stand the thought of doing this all my life. there must be something more. own business? adventure guide? professional backpacker? i have a follow up 6yr short term goal liao... but that's it. i guess i'll figure it out as i go along.
anyway, right now there's good and bad.
BAD:
- senior colleague who thinks he's damn smart. well, maybe he isn't a bad person... but i think his bark is 10 times louder than his bite. but being new, i may be wrong...
- falling asleep during classroom sessions (wat's new?)
- reaching office sweaty everyday
- limitless amounts of coffee
GOOD:
- my current seat has a view of the sea!
- my current job situation as a whole
- very nice (current) manager
- lunch buddies with all the newbies
- cute girl among the newbies
- rotated for 6 mths (at least i won't get bored so soon)
- (hopefully) being selected for bigger things
-limitless amounts of coffee
frankly, everything is still fluid, coz i'm part of a new hazy programme to rotate noobs throughout my department functions for us to get a better view of things, i dunno wat i'll be doing eventually. i dun think anyone knows. maybe the director's making it up as he goes along, coz my (current) manager's as clueless as me. bad thing is liddat ppl dunno how to deploy me also, and i end up doing sai kang. but at least i learn a lot and hopefully hv chance for bigger things.
yup... i like wat i see so far... but i hvn't seen much yet. the enthu fresh grad vs the perpetual cynic.
so. i'm finally here, at my decided-during-uni short term goal. to be a raffles place rat. to wear a tie, long sleeved collared shirts and swanky leather shoes to work everyday. to wake up when there's already light. to rush to work flustered in the mornings, squeezing with hundreds of commuters on the mrt. to search for a place for lunch amongst huge lunchtime crowds. to work in an aircon, carpeted office, with my very own dedicated extension phone line. working 9am to 7pm, fueled by limitless amounts of coffee. where i always wanted to be.
(of coz, this is as opposed to waking up at 5+am to reach jurong before 8am, wearing polo-tee, jeans and sneakers to work, staring at machines and diagrams all day. but i'd very much rather wake up at 1pm everyday and spend the whole day at home in singlet and shorts and watch gundam seed destiny.)
or is it? everything is new and fun now, but i can't stand the thought of doing this all my life. there must be something more. own business? adventure guide? professional backpacker? i have a follow up 6yr short term goal liao... but that's it. i guess i'll figure it out as i go along.
anyway, right now there's good and bad.
BAD:
- senior colleague who thinks he's damn smart. well, maybe he isn't a bad person... but i think his bark is 10 times louder than his bite. but being new, i may be wrong...
- falling asleep during classroom sessions (wat's new?)
- reaching office sweaty everyday
- limitless amounts of coffee
GOOD:
- my current seat has a view of the sea!
- my current job situation as a whole
- very nice (current) manager
- lunch buddies with all the newbies
- cute girl among the newbies
- rotated for 6 mths (at least i won't get bored so soon)
- (hopefully) being selected for bigger things
-limitless amounts of coffee
frankly, everything is still fluid, coz i'm part of a new hazy programme to rotate noobs throughout my department functions for us to get a better view of things, i dunno wat i'll be doing eventually. i dun think anyone knows. maybe the director's making it up as he goes along, coz my (current) manager's as clueless as me. bad thing is liddat ppl dunno how to deploy me also, and i end up doing sai kang. but at least i learn a lot and hopefully hv chance for bigger things.
yup... i like wat i see so far... but i hvn't seen much yet. the enthu fresh grad vs the perpetual cynic.
Friday, July 28, 2006
Convocation
Didn't want to go really. but went for parents. And they, especially dad, were much happier than i was. i was just plain bored by the hassle, irritated by the crowd, and pressed for time most of the day.
started off well enuff, albeit the initial confusion. dun blame me, i nv grad before. dunno where to go, dunno where to send parents. i found my own seat easily enuff, and much too soon i think. was so bored i started thumbing the PR material they gave me, among the empty seats.
then the guy on my left starts talking. surprised and welcoming the change, we chatted about part time studying (him), first jobs (me), third jobs (him), overseas jobs (him), prize-winning classmates (him), pregnant classmates (him), the indian graduates wearing short sleeves (me).
meanwhile the pomp and ceremony begins. the catchy academically-inclined tune starts up and is still playing in my head right now. the old men and women in their gaudy gowns start flowing down the stairs in their black, red, blue, orange. i even saw a purple and a green/red, like a x'mas tree. fitting that an ang moh was wearing it... hahah
everytime someone came up to speak, he wld bow to the old guy in the centre on the biggest chair and he wld bow back. great job he has. best view in the audi and he only has to say 2 lines: declare ceremony open, and declare ceremony closed. he did stand and give out empty folders, but someone else took over by the time i was up there.
i nearly fell asleep twice. zow's thick warm comfy dress made the seat very cushy. the old man droning on and on brought back LT memories. of me being lulled to sleep. didn't really help that i only knew 1 or 2 other ppl collecting their empty folders today.
i had to get up and walk around. so i went to the toilet, disrupting the monotony of the ushers as they tried to direct me to where the others, after coming down from stage, were heading to their seats. hope i didn't attract too much attention in the violent scuffle to pee. hahah! just kidding. they made way for me once i whispered my destination.
nice ppl, really. i'm sure they have regular day jobs and kena arrowed to wear magenta monk robes for the whole week. kinky. i was thinking they shd wear a matching hood as well, which covers their faces in darkness, and not speak at all, but only point to the direction we must head to. and as an interlude they could hv went on stage and performed the gregorian chant version of "Graduation"
(originally that (too) sweet sweet sweet song overplayed at every kindy / pri / sec / jc / poly / ite / uni / line dancing course / etc graduation)
finally it was my turn - i was seated at the 2nd last row. everyone either ignored the video camera projected on the big screen behind, or the earnest *koffnerdykoff* ones wld stand stiffly and display the folder to the world, even if they held it upside down by mistake while the lensmen recorded that ghastly scene for posterity. so i decided to give a nice big smile when i passed it.
ceremony done, we took photos in my gown (only me in the gown) with the help of a long time fren; surprised to see him coz he was very early for the next session. went to reception but all there was left was stale beehoon, so intro mum and dad to cant a jap food... nice and cheap! and cant a kopi... shiok. if i wld miss anything from ntu, it wld be cant a kopi.
and that was it. the rest of the day was spent going to new company to sign contract, medical check up, pushing insurance claim, chatting at the dentist's, running errands. then at home dad hits upon the idea to go to grandma's and take photos with the gown. onz.
grandma was very glad, very proud, and couldn't stop laughing with joy at me in the gown, and the photos we took. she was so happy getting her to sit still for a un-blur picture took coaxing from dad twice. aiming to make her happy again by year's end, and dad too. mum already knows how.
special mention: thanx zow, for lending me the gown. my parents and grandma loved it. i owe u a meal.
started off well enuff, albeit the initial confusion. dun blame me, i nv grad before. dunno where to go, dunno where to send parents. i found my own seat easily enuff, and much too soon i think. was so bored i started thumbing the PR material they gave me, among the empty seats.
then the guy on my left starts talking. surprised and welcoming the change, we chatted about part time studying (him), first jobs (me), third jobs (him), overseas jobs (him), prize-winning classmates (him), pregnant classmates (him), the indian graduates wearing short sleeves (me).
meanwhile the pomp and ceremony begins. the catchy academically-inclined tune starts up and is still playing in my head right now. the old men and women in their gaudy gowns start flowing down the stairs in their black, red, blue, orange. i even saw a purple and a green/red, like a x'mas tree. fitting that an ang moh was wearing it... hahah
everytime someone came up to speak, he wld bow to the old guy in the centre on the biggest chair and he wld bow back. great job he has. best view in the audi and he only has to say 2 lines: declare ceremony open, and declare ceremony closed. he did stand and give out empty folders, but someone else took over by the time i was up there.
i nearly fell asleep twice. zow's thick warm comfy dress made the seat very cushy. the old man droning on and on brought back LT memories. of me being lulled to sleep. didn't really help that i only knew 1 or 2 other ppl collecting their empty folders today.
i had to get up and walk around. so i went to the toilet, disrupting the monotony of the ushers as they tried to direct me to where the others, after coming down from stage, were heading to their seats. hope i didn't attract too much attention in the violent scuffle to pee. hahah! just kidding. they made way for me once i whispered my destination.
nice ppl, really. i'm sure they have regular day jobs and kena arrowed to wear magenta monk robes for the whole week. kinky. i was thinking they shd wear a matching hood as well, which covers their faces in darkness, and not speak at all, but only point to the direction we must head to. and as an interlude they could hv went on stage and performed the gregorian chant version of "Graduation"
(originally that (too) sweet sweet sweet song overplayed at every kindy / pri / sec / jc / poly / ite / uni / line dancing course / etc graduation)
finally it was my turn - i was seated at the 2nd last row. everyone either ignored the video camera projected on the big screen behind, or the earnest *koffnerdykoff* ones wld stand stiffly and display the folder to the world, even if they held it upside down by mistake while the lensmen recorded that ghastly scene for posterity. so i decided to give a nice big smile when i passed it.
ceremony done, we took photos in my gown (only me in the gown) with the help of a long time fren; surprised to see him coz he was very early for the next session. went to reception but all there was left was stale beehoon, so intro mum and dad to cant a jap food... nice and cheap! and cant a kopi... shiok. if i wld miss anything from ntu, it wld be cant a kopi.
and that was it. the rest of the day was spent going to new company to sign contract, medical check up, pushing insurance claim, chatting at the dentist's, running errands. then at home dad hits upon the idea to go to grandma's and take photos with the gown. onz.
grandma was very glad, very proud, and couldn't stop laughing with joy at me in the gown, and the photos we took. she was so happy getting her to sit still for a un-blur picture took coaxing from dad twice. aiming to make her happy again by year's end, and dad too. mum already knows how.
special mention: thanx zow, for lending me the gown. my parents and grandma loved it. i owe u a meal.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Siti! Awak Kenapa Mengahwini Orang Tua!?!?*
My favourite Malay pop star, Siti Nurhaliza, is getting married to a guy who has more of everything than her.
She's probably really rich, as a singer, but this guy, Datuk** K, confirm more money. Coz he's a datuk. He also got 1 moustache more than Siti. oh yah, he also got 4 kids, a previous marriage, and TWENTY YEARS more than her.
Well ok, i admit, i've not exactly listened to her songs before, but i can never, never turn the page without looking at her photo at least twice. Thanx to a local lunchtime tabloid, which features malay celebrities on english print. (THANK YOU, TNP)
for those of u who still dun get it, here's her picture.
SANGAT MANIS***!!!! everytime i look at her, i just feel like pinching those cute cute chubby cheeks of hers and play masak-masak**** with her.
For those of u who dunno her, she's the sweet innocent pop princess of Malaysia. Always sweet and smiling, always singing innocent songs abt innocent love, always modestly covered (see above photo). Never any songs abt sex, angst, and all that crap the US churns out. Always, only female fans can go up to stage and get close to her during her shows. 100% no khalwat, no scandal. until now.
But she's not the extremist muslim type either. no burkas. else how to see her cute cute chubby cheeks? can only see her eyes. anyway she looks GREAT in sarong kebayas.
WHY? Siti, WHY?
what madness drove her to marry someone old enuff to be her father??? i wun mind if she marries some young dude abt her age; i'd even be happy for her. but an old man? a divorced old man? a divorced old man with 4 kids abt her age?!?!?
guys, how would u feel if ur wife and ur kids were abt the same age? how abt ur wife and ur daughter sharing the same clothes? ok. maybe for some aunties who refuse to admit their age, that's normal. how abt ur wife getting along much better with ur kids? ok. maybe that is normal for most families. argh. you know wat i mean.
ok. another angle. girls, wld u marry an old man whose daughters are ur age? wat? then u can share clothes without feeling weird?
sigh. ok ok. wat IF, ur dad married someone ur age, say... a classmate. wldn't that be GROSS?!??!?
so u see, this rich old man not only does not care abt Siti's pristine reputation, he doesn't care abt his kids' psychological well-being.
I can see the tabloid headlines now. from Malaysia, the Star: SITI MARRIES RICH OLD MAN. from UK, the Sun: SITI MARRIES RICH OLD MAN. from China, the Moon: SITI MARRIES RICH OLD MAN.
ok, i made the last one up. but it looks like got world-wide coverage rite?
SITI, WHY?
sigh.
i know wat "english name" i shd get liao. nowsaday got so many weird names, dun sound like english at all. like... like... it's late, i can't remember any. anyway i shall join in the fray: my first name will be DATUK.
now to look for a future pop princess 20yrs younger than me. hmmm... that PSC an pei na bei always got kids talentime on tv hor? ok, will try there 1st. hopefully they have a lot of 6 yr olds to choose from. dun worry, i wun do anything now... i can wait 20yrs, when she gives her 1st solo concert, then i pounce. just like that datuk.
now, where do i find 4 kids?
* Why You Marry Old Man!?!?
** an honorary title given to distinguished citizens by the M'sian gahmen. either that, or u're rich enuff to buy it from them. with it might come ur own M'sian road as well. see http://www.kennysia.com/archives/2006/03/datuk_applicati.php
*** VERY SWEET!!!!
**** literally means "play-play", refers to the play cooking with little plastic utensils that i... i mean WE enjoyed with our girl cousins when young. or last month.
***** aiyah go get ur own english-malay dictionary can?
She's probably really rich, as a singer, but this guy, Datuk** K, confirm more money. Coz he's a datuk. He also got 1 moustache more than Siti. oh yah, he also got 4 kids, a previous marriage, and TWENTY YEARS more than her.
Well ok, i admit, i've not exactly listened to her songs before, but i can never, never turn the page without looking at her photo at least twice. Thanx to a local lunchtime tabloid, which features malay celebrities on english print. (THANK YOU, TNP)
for those of u who still dun get it, here's her picture.
SANGAT MANIS***!!!! everytime i look at her, i just feel like pinching those cute cute chubby cheeks of hers and play masak-masak**** with her.
For those of u who dunno her, she's the sweet innocent pop princess of Malaysia. Always sweet and smiling, always singing innocent songs abt innocent love, always modestly covered (see above photo). Never any songs abt sex, angst, and all that crap the US churns out. Always, only female fans can go up to stage and get close to her during her shows. 100% no khalwat, no scandal. until now.
But she's not the extremist muslim type either. no burkas. else how to see her cute cute chubby cheeks? can only see her eyes. anyway she looks GREAT in sarong kebayas.
WHY? Siti, WHY?
what madness drove her to marry someone old enuff to be her father??? i wun mind if she marries some young dude abt her age; i'd even be happy for her. but an old man? a divorced old man? a divorced old man with 4 kids abt her age?!?!?
guys, how would u feel if ur wife and ur kids were abt the same age? how abt ur wife and ur daughter sharing the same clothes? ok. maybe for some aunties who refuse to admit their age, that's normal. how abt ur wife getting along much better with ur kids? ok. maybe that is normal for most families. argh. you know wat i mean.
ok. another angle. girls, wld u marry an old man whose daughters are ur age? wat? then u can share clothes without feeling weird?
sigh. ok ok. wat IF, ur dad married someone ur age, say... a classmate. wldn't that be GROSS?!??!?
so u see, this rich old man not only does not care abt Siti's pristine reputation, he doesn't care abt his kids' psychological well-being.
I can see the tabloid headlines now. from Malaysia, the Star: SITI MARRIES RICH OLD MAN. from UK, the Sun: SITI MARRIES RICH OLD MAN. from China, the Moon: SITI MARRIES RICH OLD MAN.
ok, i made the last one up. but it looks like got world-wide coverage rite?
SITI, WHY?
sigh.
i know wat "english name" i shd get liao. nowsaday got so many weird names, dun sound like english at all. like... like... it's late, i can't remember any. anyway i shall join in the fray: my first name will be DATUK.
now to look for a future pop princess 20yrs younger than me. hmmm... that PSC an pei na bei always got kids talentime on tv hor? ok, will try there 1st. hopefully they have a lot of 6 yr olds to choose from. dun worry, i wun do anything now... i can wait 20yrs, when she gives her 1st solo concert, then i pounce. just like that datuk.
now, where do i find 4 kids?
* Why You Marry Old Man!?!?
** an honorary title given to distinguished citizens by the M'sian gahmen. either that, or u're rich enuff to buy it from them. with it might come ur own M'sian road as well. see http://www.kennysia.com/archives/2006/03/datuk_applicati.php
*** VERY SWEET!!!!
**** literally means "play-play", refers to the play cooking with little plastic utensils that i... i mean WE enjoyed with our girl cousins when young. or last month.
***** aiyah go get ur own english-malay dictionary can?
Friday, July 14, 2006
Endings
don't you just hate it when things end? and just when you feel attachment?
you feel a sense of emptiness... a sense of loss. you feel sorry that it ended.
nights aren't the same anymore. all you can do is sit in front of the computer and stone. and think abt the good times you had. and that even a second time round won't be the same.
it wldn't be full of delightful surprises, full of unexpected twists and turns.
sigh.
cyclist, thanx for ur Samurai 7 series. now i need a new set of anime.
you feel a sense of emptiness... a sense of loss. you feel sorry that it ended.
nights aren't the same anymore. all you can do is sit in front of the computer and stone. and think abt the good times you had. and that even a second time round won't be the same.
it wldn't be full of delightful surprises, full of unexpected twists and turns.
sigh.
cyclist, thanx for ur Samurai 7 series. now i need a new set of anime.
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Should or Want?
Finally, finally, finally; at the end, with a dozen roads to choose from, and he wants, no, insists, that I go straight ahead.
That i should do something i am trained for.
That i should not dabble in other chapalang, half past six, anyone can do jobs.
That i should not end up like my good-for-nothing MLM relations. (this one i agree)
So how? Am i going to do wat i SHOULD do? or WANT to do? although i still do not know wat i WANT, I know wat i DON'T WANT, which incidentally happens to be wat i SHOULD do.
so how so how so how?
There are 5 options.
a) Do what I SHOULD do, suffer for another 13 years to make up an even 20, shrivel up, and die.
b) Do what I SHOULD do, suffer for another 3 years, leave with wat's left of my sanity to find another job, get rejected countless times coz of totally irrelevant experience, shrivel up, and die.
c) Do what I WANT to do, and suffer for it every evening when I get home.
d) Do what I WANT to do, and run away from home, sleep in a rarely-used closet/janitor room and live on colleagues' biscuits until I rise to manager and get an office - then i can sleep in there.
e) Do what I WANT to do, and let on that I'm doing what I SHOULD do, until I get found out.
Any suggestions?
===================================================================
Added, 24 hrs later:
you guys can't think of a solution eh? no worries. I know what to do liao.
As usual, the answer came from me. Not becoz i'm insightful, but becoz i'm too stubborn to listen to anyone else.
must be humble. at first. later then exhalt also can, as long as i get there.
That i should do something i am trained for.
That i should not dabble in other chapalang, half past six, anyone can do jobs.
That i should not end up like my good-for-nothing MLM relations. (this one i agree)
So how? Am i going to do wat i SHOULD do? or WANT to do? although i still do not know wat i WANT, I know wat i DON'T WANT, which incidentally happens to be wat i SHOULD do.
so how so how so how?
There are 5 options.
a) Do what I SHOULD do, suffer for another 13 years to make up an even 20, shrivel up, and die.
b) Do what I SHOULD do, suffer for another 3 years, leave with wat's left of my sanity to find another job, get rejected countless times coz of totally irrelevant experience, shrivel up, and die.
c) Do what I WANT to do, and suffer for it every evening when I get home.
d) Do what I WANT to do, and run away from home, sleep in a rarely-used closet/janitor room and live on colleagues' biscuits until I rise to manager and get an office - then i can sleep in there.
e) Do what I WANT to do, and let on that I'm doing what I SHOULD do, until I get found out.
Any suggestions?
===================================================================
Added, 24 hrs later:
you guys can't think of a solution eh? no worries. I know what to do liao.
As usual, the answer came from me. Not becoz i'm insightful, but becoz i'm too stubborn to listen to anyone else.
must be humble. at first. later then exhalt also can, as long as i get there.
Sunday, July 09, 2006
What?
What keeps you awake at night?
a) The question of whether to compromise?
b) Or whether you can make that choice?
Chicken & Egg.
If you choose not to compromise, you don't need worry if you can make a choice anyway.
If you don't have that choice, whether to compromise or not is irrelevant.
a) The question of whether to compromise?
b) Or whether you can make that choice?
Chicken & Egg.
If you choose not to compromise, you don't need worry if you can make a choice anyway.
If you don't have that choice, whether to compromise or not is irrelevant.
Friday, July 07, 2006
mrbrown, I Support You!
Hence I am reproducing his "questionable" piece of work here. If you hvn't read it yet, enjoy.
S'poreans are fed, up with progress! by Mr Brown.
taken from http://singabloodypore.blogspot.com/
S'poreans are fed, up with progress! by Mr Brown.
THINGS are certainly looking up for Singapore again. Up, up, and
away.
Household incomes are up, I read. Sure, the bottom third of our country is
actually seeing their incomes (or as one newspaper called it, "wages") shrink,
but the rest of us purportedly are making more money.
Okay, if you say so.
As sure as Superman Returns, our cost of living is also on the up. Except
we are not able to leap over high costs in a single bound.
Cost of watching World Cup is up. Price of electricity is up. Comfort's
taxi fares are going up. Oh, sorry, it was called "being revised". Even the
prata man at my coffeeshop just raised the price of his prata by 10 cents. He
was also revising his prata prices.
So Singaporeans need to try to "up" their incomes, I am sure, in the light
of our rising costs. Have you upped yours?
We are very thankful for the timing of all this good news, of course. Just
after the elections, for instance. By that I mean that getting the important
event out of the way means we can now concentrate on trying to pay our bills.
It would have been too taxing on the brain if those price increases were
announced during the election period, thereby affecting our ability to choose
wisely.
The other reason I am glad with the timing of the cost of living increases
and wages going down, is that we can now deploy our Progress Package to pay for
some of these bills.
Wait, what? You spent it all on that fancy pair of shoes on the day you saw
your money in your account? Too bad for you then.
As I break into my Progress Package reserves to see if it is enough to pay
the bills, I feel an overwhelming sense of progress. I feel like I am really
staying together with my fellow Singaporeans and moving forward.
There is even talk of future roads like underground expressways being
outsourced to private sector companies to build, so that they, in turn, levy a
toll on those of us who use these roads.
I understand the cost of building these roads is high, and the Government
is relooking the financing of these big road projects.
Silly me, I thought my road tax and COE was enough to pay for public
roads.
Maybe we can start financing all kinds of expensive projects this way in
future. We could build upgraded lifts for older HDB blocks, and charge tolls on
a per use basis.
You walk into your new lift on the first floor, and the scanner reads the
contactless cashcard chip embedded in your forehead. This chip would be part of
the recently-announced Intelligent Nation 2015 plan, you know, that initiative
to make us a smart nation?
So you, the smart contactless-cashcard-chip-enhanced Singaporean would go
into your lift, and when you get off at your floor, the lift would deduct the
toll from your chip, and you would hear a beep.
The higher you live, the more expensive the lift toll.
Now you know why I started climbing stairs for exercise, as I mentioned in
my last column. I plan to prepare for that day when I have to pay to use my
lift. God help you if some kid presses all the lift buttons in the lift, as kids
are wont to do. You will be beeping all the way to your
flat.
The same chip could be used to pay for supermarket items. You just carry
your bags of rice and groceries past the cashierless cashier counter, and the
total will be deducted from your contactless cashcard automatically.
You will not even know you just got poorer. And if your contactless
cashcard runs out of funds (making it a contactless CASHLESS cashcard), you just
cannot use paid services. The door of the lift won't close, the bus won't stop
for you, taxis will automatically display "On Call" when their chip scanners
detect you're broke.
Sure, paying bills that only seem to go up is painful, but by Jove, we are
going to make sure it is at least convenient.
No more opening your wallet and fiddling with dirty notes and coins. Just
stand there and hear your income beeped away. No fuss, no muss! I cannot wait to
be a Smart e-Singaporean.
I also found out recently that my first-born daughter's special school fees
were going up. This is because of this thing called "Means Testing", where they
test your means, then if you are not poor enough, you lose some or all of the
subsidy you've been getting for your special child's
therapy.
I think I am looking at about a $100 increase, which is a more than a 100
per cent increase, but who's counting, right? We can afford it, but we do know
many families who cannot, even those that are making more money than we are, on
paper.
But don't worry. Most of you don't have this problem. Your normal kids can
go to regular school for very low fees, and I am sure they will not introduce
means testing for your cases.
We need your gifted and talented kids to help our country do well
economically, so that our kids with special needs can get a little more therapy
to help them to walk and talk. And hey, maybe if the country does really well,
the special-needs kids will get a little more subsidy.
Like I said, progress.
High-definition televisions, a high-speed broadband wireless network,
underground expressways, and contactless cashcard system — all our signs of
progress.
I am happy for progress, of course but I would be just as happy to make
ends meet and to see my autistic first-born grow up able to talk and fend for
herself in this society when I am gone.
That is something my wife and I will pay all we can pay to see in our
lifetimes.
mr brown is the accidental author of a popular website that has been
documenting the dysfunctional side of Singapore life since 1997. He enjoys
having yet another cashcard, in addition to his un-contactless one and the
ez-link one to add to his wallet.
taken from http://singabloodypore.blogspot.com/
Friday, June 30, 2006
Travelling Smurf
I think the best kind of travels are those that make you look forward to going home, but sad that you're leaving.
And when you come back to all that is familiar, you wonder to yourself if it was all a dream.
But it wasn't, because although it is all the same as before, things have changed. You've changed.
Maybe that's what travelling is all about.
My kind of travelling, anyway.
I know that somewhere along the way, once again, I shall leave home with a heavy heart, and return with an equally heavy one for the same reason.
Travelling Smurf & I.
Sunday, June 25, 2006
I PASSED
I PASSED
I PASSED
I PASSED
I PASSED
thats all i can comprehend rite now. wanna blog on roamings but i can´t
i passed
i passed
i passed
finally i am free. damn... i shdn´t hv messed up that interview... else cutting short my trip wld be totally on my terms.
but it does not matter... i am now free. I shall be back to reality soon. but this time, its a new reality.
maybe thats wat i look for when travelling. I know the places i´m going, but exactly how it is like, I have totally no idea.
finally, time to unfurl my sails for real.
I PASSED
I PASSED
I PASSED
thats all i can comprehend rite now. wanna blog on roamings but i can´t
i passed
i passed
i passed
finally i am free. damn... i shdn´t hv messed up that interview... else cutting short my trip wld be totally on my terms.
but it does not matter... i am now free. I shall be back to reality soon. but this time, its a new reality.
maybe thats wat i look for when travelling. I know the places i´m going, but exactly how it is like, I have totally no idea.
finally, time to unfurl my sails for real.
Monday, May 29, 2006
Sunday, May 21, 2006
Busy Planning Invasion
Taking advantage at a lull at work and the planning of a city finished to blog.
Things are looking up since my last, depressing entry. At least my parents hvn't kicked me out of the house, and I'm trying to hang out with them as much as I can. Later we going for lunch to celebrate brother's birthday. Yay.
Been too busy to sleep, much less blog. Although work is 4 out of every 6 days, the 3rd & 4th shifts, like now, is actually a night shift which lasts until the next day morning, so technically this is my 5th day at work out of 6 days. After every shift I'm so tired I just want to bathe and sleep, after watching 1-2 episodes of desperate housewives. 6 hrs a night is considered good. Needless to say, I'm not performing very well at work. hahah
Whatever waking time I have left goes to planning my itinerary, buying stuff I need, making errands. going to hospital and bank. And still trying to run at least once a week, which i just barely manage to fulfil.
Besides work, keeping fit, packing and planning (only planned 2 out of 5 cities assigned to me so far. I don't think I can finish before we leave.), there's campus interviews this coming tuesday and thursday. I need time to prepare and research the companies, etc. but also, I won't be around for any follow up interviews and may not be able to work for another 5 mths... so it's low priority. But still, after my disasterous last interview, I wanna redeem myself. May go still...
So, fuck everything else. It's time for another adventure. and maybe a few interviews.
Things are looking up since my last, depressing entry. At least my parents hvn't kicked me out of the house, and I'm trying to hang out with them as much as I can. Later we going for lunch to celebrate brother's birthday. Yay.
Been too busy to sleep, much less blog. Although work is 4 out of every 6 days, the 3rd & 4th shifts, like now, is actually a night shift which lasts until the next day morning, so technically this is my 5th day at work out of 6 days. After every shift I'm so tired I just want to bathe and sleep, after watching 1-2 episodes of desperate housewives. 6 hrs a night is considered good. Needless to say, I'm not performing very well at work. hahah
Whatever waking time I have left goes to planning my itinerary, buying stuff I need, making errands. going to hospital and bank. And still trying to run at least once a week, which i just barely manage to fulfil.
Besides work, keeping fit, packing and planning (only planned 2 out of 5 cities assigned to me so far. I don't think I can finish before we leave.), there's campus interviews this coming tuesday and thursday. I need time to prepare and research the companies, etc. but also, I won't be around for any follow up interviews and may not be able to work for another 5 mths... so it's low priority. But still, after my disasterous last interview, I wanna redeem myself. May go still...
So, fuck everything else. It's time for another adventure. and maybe a few interviews.
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Feeling
DespairGuiltDefianceDisappointmentDisdainPainFutilityAngerLoathingDisgustHatredMurderousRegretDoubtUndeserving
why
do i go
how can i go
how can i leave
when will it ever come
how long how far how come
it all
why
do i go
how can i go
how can i leave
when will it ever come
how long how far how come
it all
Friday, May 12, 2006
Loop
"The road goes ever on and on,
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the road has gone,
And I must follow if I can..."
- Gandalf the Grey
Only I didn't forsee that the road I'm taking is actually a loop.
Now I'm right back where I started. Everything's still as I remember it, albeit a little older.
I know I went somewhere. But I don't know what good it did me.
The more things change, the more they remain the same.
"I'm old, Gandalf. I know I don't look it, but I'm beginning to feel it in
my heart. I feel... thin... sort of stretched, like... butter, scraped over
too much bread. I need a holiday... a very long holiday..."
-Bilbo Baggins
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Holiday
The internet is truly wonderful; so much info. without it, i wldn't hv realised to what extent the media is controlled.
Is it me, or have the pappies become more arrogant, more tactless, and less mindful? and the hatchet is unsheathed, the knuckle duster is out once again, just waiting to meet in the cul-de-sac.
Maybe because now, there is more potential in a contender, and they're peeing in their pants. So in their panic, they fumble.
If they pull no punches, everyone will suffer from it. Pappies will hv an even worse image problem, contender will attract less candidates, and public only gets to choose lesser of 2 evils.
I do not expect the well-off, the content and the awe-struck to want to change the status-quo. it is up to the disgruntled, the oppressed and the idealists to wake up. and the not-so-apathetic will watch, while the truly-apathetic live their lives as usual.
You only see what you want to see.
Is it me, or have the pappies become more arrogant, more tactless, and less mindful? and the hatchet is unsheathed, the knuckle duster is out once again, just waiting to meet in the cul-de-sac.
Maybe because now, there is more potential in a contender, and they're peeing in their pants. So in their panic, they fumble.
If they pull no punches, everyone will suffer from it. Pappies will hv an even worse image problem, contender will attract less candidates, and public only gets to choose lesser of 2 evils.
I do not expect the well-off, the content and the awe-struck to want to change the status-quo. it is up to the disgruntled, the oppressed and the idealists to wake up. and the not-so-apathetic will watch, while the truly-apathetic live their lives as usual.
You only see what you want to see.
"Can I get another amen? (amen)
There's a flag wrapped around a score of men.
A gag, a plastic bag on monument...
I beg to dream and differ from the hollow lies
This is the dawning of the rest of our lives
On holiday"
- Green Day, "Holiday" from the album American Idiot
PS. yup. I saw what i wanted to see. that's y my GE prediction so off. hahah
Saturday, May 06, 2006
Elections 2006
I can't help it. I wanted to refrain but I just have to. Anyway, how many ppl are going to read this before polling?
Been surfing a bit. Many, many blogs speaking out against ruling party. BUT. this may be bcoz their supporters are heeding balaji's warnings, or although we are an advanced nation, the majority do not have much to do with the internet, much less blogs. so the wave of support for opposition might not be as big as it seems.
Same for rallies. Many, many people go turn up to watch. but how many are there for the show? how many are like me, a non-voter, just there to see for themselves? knowing singaporeans, most wld hv a good laugh and play on the safe side, vote ruling party as usual.
My stand? ruling party has done a VERY good job thus far, but the way they do some things is unpalatable. like:
- HUGE, HUGE GRCs sheltering homogenous bureaucrats. shd be limited to 4 member GRCs
- tagging upgrading to votes. flats shd be upgraded according to age, not wards.
- putting down opposing contenders arrogantly. must be gentleman mah, like low thia khiang
- controlling the media so obviously that it sickens me. at least be more discreet, can?
My hope? ruling party in power with 1/3-1/4 of good opposition members. i believe a similar number in the ruling party are kinda redundant anyway. backbenchers sleeping on the back benches. at least liddat, on their toes, no time to sleep.
my guess? 2 SMCs, 1 GRC in opposition. hopefully even 3 SMCs.
today will be an exciting day. I wish all candidates all the best, esp those brave souls on the WP and SDA slates.
Been surfing a bit. Many, many blogs speaking out against ruling party. BUT. this may be bcoz their supporters are heeding balaji's warnings, or although we are an advanced nation, the majority do not have much to do with the internet, much less blogs. so the wave of support for opposition might not be as big as it seems.
Same for rallies. Many, many people go turn up to watch. but how many are there for the show? how many are like me, a non-voter, just there to see for themselves? knowing singaporeans, most wld hv a good laugh and play on the safe side, vote ruling party as usual.
My stand? ruling party has done a VERY good job thus far, but the way they do some things is unpalatable. like:
- HUGE, HUGE GRCs sheltering homogenous bureaucrats. shd be limited to 4 member GRCs
- tagging upgrading to votes. flats shd be upgraded according to age, not wards.
- putting down opposing contenders arrogantly. must be gentleman mah, like low thia khiang
- controlling the media so obviously that it sickens me. at least be more discreet, can?
My hope? ruling party in power with 1/3-1/4 of good opposition members. i believe a similar number in the ruling party are kinda redundant anyway. backbenchers sleeping on the back benches. at least liddat, on their toes, no time to sleep.
my guess? 2 SMCs, 1 GRC in opposition. hopefully even 3 SMCs.
today will be an exciting day. I wish all candidates all the best, esp those brave souls on the WP and SDA slates.
Thursday, May 04, 2006
I Tried.
didn't u see? can't u understand that different people have different capabilities? woe is me, my strengths are heavily unrecgonised, and all everyone can see are what i can't do.
I tried. i really did. the key difference is i had confidence this time round, until i saw what those academic bastards put there. i guess understanding is not enuff. need tips. need to regurgitate what is readily available.
i cannot just sit on my hands for 6 mths just to wait for one paper. i needed to add value to myself. i wanted to feel useful. i wanted to remain sane. i guess i hv to sit for 6mths after all.
how to live with myself rotting in my room all day for months? how to stay sane with just one fucking paper in mind?
i don't want to lose myself. i don't want to lose who i am. but this system doesn't hv a place for me.
those academic bastards. i want to stab them. and again. and again. and again. think they so fucking smart? i'm take a hammer and smash their brains out, to see what they're really made of.
i want to get out
i want to get out
i want to get out
i want to get out
i want to get out
i want to get out
i want to get out
i want to get out
i want to finally have a real life. i want to be free. i want to be me.
I tried. i really did. the key difference is i had confidence this time round, until i saw what those academic bastards put there. i guess understanding is not enuff. need tips. need to regurgitate what is readily available.
i cannot just sit on my hands for 6 mths just to wait for one paper. i needed to add value to myself. i wanted to feel useful. i wanted to remain sane. i guess i hv to sit for 6mths after all.
how to live with myself rotting in my room all day for months? how to stay sane with just one fucking paper in mind?
i don't want to lose myself. i don't want to lose who i am. but this system doesn't hv a place for me.
those academic bastards. i want to stab them. and again. and again. and again. think they so fucking smart? i'm take a hammer and smash their brains out, to see what they're really made of.
i want to get out
i want to get out
i want to get out
i want to get out
i want to get out
i want to get out
i want to get out
i want to get out
i want to finally have a real life. i want to be free. i want to be me.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Happy Ending Dream
I had a happy ending dream again this morning.
I dunno where I was, seemed like a school, or some kind of sports complex.
I was escorting her to the toilet, with my arm around her back and hers around my waist. She was about half a head shorter than me, wearing a ponytail, with a DAMN SOLID figure. and we parted outside the female toilet door - i didn't really see her face, but i knew she was smiling. coz i was smiling too.
Those kind of "...and they lived happily ever after" kinda smiles.
I hate these dreams. I wake up all smiley and feeling loved and in love without knowing who the hell she is/was; i.e. for no reason at all.
And they are just that. Dreams.
Blardy Happy Ending Dreams.
I dunno where I was, seemed like a school, or some kind of sports complex.
I was escorting her to the toilet, with my arm around her back and hers around my waist. She was about half a head shorter than me, wearing a ponytail, with a DAMN SOLID figure. and we parted outside the female toilet door - i didn't really see her face, but i knew she was smiling. coz i was smiling too.
Those kind of "...and they lived happily ever after" kinda smiles.
I hate these dreams. I wake up all smiley and feeling loved and in love without knowing who the hell she is/was; i.e. for no reason at all.
And they are just that. Dreams.
Blardy Happy Ending Dreams.
Monday, April 24, 2006
Bus Encounter
3 guys board the bus and sit across the aisle from me. They start talking loudly about TVs so I hear every word of it. Not TV programmes. TVs. Sharp, Sony, Philips, Samsung.
Philips is quite good.
Sharp came up with the technology first, then Sony also used it.
Sharp still better, but not many people buy.
More buy Sony, the brand got history, like Nokia like that. Sharp no history.
I look at them. All 3 are wearing jeans, sport shoes, and neatly tucked-in polo t-shirts, with handphones sticking onto their belts just below the t-shirts, 5pm on a weekday.
Engineers.
I'd jump off a building if I'd ever become one of them.
And after finding out what a sucky engineer I am, the hiring manager would probably go to the roof and jump off too.
Of coz, I wouldn't tell him how high I'd be jumping off. Probably just high enough to break a leg and get 1 mth MC + all hospital fees paid by the company before quitting.
Philips is quite good.
Sharp came up with the technology first, then Sony also used it.
Sharp still better, but not many people buy.
More buy Sony, the brand got history, like Nokia like that. Sharp no history.
I look at them. All 3 are wearing jeans, sport shoes, and neatly tucked-in polo t-shirts, with handphones sticking onto their belts just below the t-shirts, 5pm on a weekday.
Engineers.
I'd jump off a building if I'd ever become one of them.
And after finding out what a sucky engineer I am, the hiring manager would probably go to the roof and jump off too.
Of coz, I wouldn't tell him how high I'd be jumping off. Probably just high enough to break a leg and get 1 mth MC + all hospital fees paid by the company before quitting.
Many Thoughts Part 2
After a "super" of laughs, i drove some of them home. and got into a debate with one of them, which i always enjoy. but unfortunately she hates debating anything with me coz i always reject views that are contrary to mine, seemingly without wanting to understand. well... that may be true, but not always. i hope. but anyway, kinda disappointed coz she didn't like interacting with me although i like interacting with her. maybe that's why we hvn't argued for so long. hahah.
i mean, disappointing rite? eg. the person u like hanging out with doesn't like to hang out with u? but anyway, although i'm a bit affected... i don't think i'll change that much. maybe put in more effort to understand where the other person is coming from, but there won't be any radical changes. coz
a) no offense, but i only make effort to change if i realise i really do need it to be the person i wanna be.
b) if i'm such a pushover, then i'm not my own person.
c) and when i do change, it's either from my own realisation or coz of someone very, very impt to me.
d) wat's the fun in arguing when the ppl u argue with agree? hahah. arguing is fun in a way coz i get to cross intellectual swords and spar verbally. i like to do that with intelligent, thoughtful ppl. that's why during NS i always followed orders, nv argued.
but thinking of these things plus sleepiness made me run thru a red light. i'm not sure with the white streak i saw was a redlight camera. oh well... i can afford some demerits anyway... since it's already done, no point harping over it.
anyway, over these 2 days, i felt a lot of weight on my shoulders over the 4-5 issues. i had to complete them all in those 2 days, and didn't really have anyone to unburden anything to. not to discredit anyone but sometimes things just don't go the way they should if someone else reluctantly takes up the burden. in fact just recently i experienced an incident which drove home the point "if u want things done right, do it urself."
so am i such a close-minded, distrusting person who wants things his way? my defense is that i am no pushover, i am my own person, and there are some things i can do better, or choose to put in more effort, than others. and of coz there are some tasks i choose to take on so i know wat's going on, learnt from the disasterous trip to thailand in 2001.
that said, i do love my group of best frens - it felt almost like a family supper, coz we're all so close. 1 small table, 7 ppl, and 3 conversations across the table simultaneously. u gotta love that. and i appreciate those frens who have been around me, helped me with stuff, and those who i'm doing stuff for, in these 2 days. maybe that's why i choose to take up the burdens as well; so that they are not disappointed.
well i shall not be bothering about these issues much anymore... job application done, no more gatherings until after exams, just left with one more city booking. all that is left for me to do these 1 1/2 wks is to study and keep fit. and maybe ask someone out for coffee. ;-)
i mean, disappointing rite? eg. the person u like hanging out with doesn't like to hang out with u? but anyway, although i'm a bit affected... i don't think i'll change that much. maybe put in more effort to understand where the other person is coming from, but there won't be any radical changes. coz
a) no offense, but i only make effort to change if i realise i really do need it to be the person i wanna be.
b) if i'm such a pushover, then i'm not my own person.
c) and when i do change, it's either from my own realisation or coz of someone very, very impt to me.
d) wat's the fun in arguing when the ppl u argue with agree? hahah. arguing is fun in a way coz i get to cross intellectual swords and spar verbally. i like to do that with intelligent, thoughtful ppl. that's why during NS i always followed orders, nv argued.
but thinking of these things plus sleepiness made me run thru a red light. i'm not sure with the white streak i saw was a redlight camera. oh well... i can afford some demerits anyway... since it's already done, no point harping over it.
anyway, over these 2 days, i felt a lot of weight on my shoulders over the 4-5 issues. i had to complete them all in those 2 days, and didn't really have anyone to unburden anything to. not to discredit anyone but sometimes things just don't go the way they should if someone else reluctantly takes up the burden. in fact just recently i experienced an incident which drove home the point "if u want things done right, do it urself."
so am i such a close-minded, distrusting person who wants things his way? my defense is that i am no pushover, i am my own person, and there are some things i can do better, or choose to put in more effort, than others. and of coz there are some tasks i choose to take on so i know wat's going on, learnt from the disasterous trip to thailand in 2001.
that said, i do love my group of best frens - it felt almost like a family supper, coz we're all so close. 1 small table, 7 ppl, and 3 conversations across the table simultaneously. u gotta love that. and i appreciate those frens who have been around me, helped me with stuff, and those who i'm doing stuff for, in these 2 days. maybe that's why i choose to take up the burdens as well; so that they are not disappointed.
well i shall not be bothering about these issues much anymore... job application done, no more gatherings until after exams, just left with one more city booking. all that is left for me to do these 1 1/2 wks is to study and keep fit. and maybe ask someone out for coffee. ;-)
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Many Thoughts
Just have to blog.
Past 2 days been hectic, stressful until i got inconsiderate towards my family. i know i'm horrible, but right now i have to concentrate on me... i will make amends after exams. but i hope i will have enuff time to do so.
main issues occupying the last 2 days were
a) job application
b) europe hostel bookings
c) getting myself to go for a jog
d) 2 very impt social engagements
with studying always at the back of my mind. All these pressing issues on my shoulders. maybe they don't seem overwhelming, but they are when they all hv to be done within 2 days.
job application screwed up when i overlooked an essential form. slept only at 6am last night because of that. hostel bookings involved sourcing a hostel, comparing prices of the same hostel from different sites, comparing their best price with the best price of other hostels, convincing myself i was choosing the right place. repeat procedure for another 4 countries. but all done liao, except for one city.
the last time i had a jog was a mth ago. same for the previous time too. working really saps energy out - the remaining of / subsequent day is always spent resting. and i know i really cannot stay this way if i am to go on a 49 day trip. and end of year i wanna join stanchart again. initial plan was to add 1km to my runs every month. i think i added only 500m since jan. atrocious.
luckily, got trip-mate to schedule runs with me. twice every week from after my exams to before we fly off. that's settled too. oh yes, i did make myself jog earlier this evening after all, but at the cost of being inconsiderate to my family.
social engagements dun mean just turning up. not for one of them anyway. the 1st one was at least simple enough. 2nd one (a birthday) as usual, i had to galvanise everyone up for the event. with few favourable responses, i had to rush to buy a cake and make pick up arrangements. was wondering why it is usually me who rouses everyone, that if i didn't do anything, the birthday would just pass by. most of the time, i'm usually the one who pulls us all together, always makes arrangements for us to meet up. not easy most of the time, even for a group of only 9. got a bit frustrated, a bit disappointed.
but when all of us are together, all these thoughts just vanish. i mostly remember we were laughing a lot 3-4hrs ago, but about wat i have no idea. always so fun being with them, and feel so close to them. can almost see them as family liao. maybe that's why i keep arranging gatherings, coz i don't want to lose them.
sleepy. 5am liao. last nite only slept from 6am to 10am. maybe i blog more tml. i had more to write and a point to all this, but sleep is preventing me from deciphering what it is.
Past 2 days been hectic, stressful until i got inconsiderate towards my family. i know i'm horrible, but right now i have to concentrate on me... i will make amends after exams. but i hope i will have enuff time to do so.
main issues occupying the last 2 days were
a) job application
b) europe hostel bookings
c) getting myself to go for a jog
d) 2 very impt social engagements
with studying always at the back of my mind. All these pressing issues on my shoulders. maybe they don't seem overwhelming, but they are when they all hv to be done within 2 days.
job application screwed up when i overlooked an essential form. slept only at 6am last night because of that. hostel bookings involved sourcing a hostel, comparing prices of the same hostel from different sites, comparing their best price with the best price of other hostels, convincing myself i was choosing the right place. repeat procedure for another 4 countries. but all done liao, except for one city.
the last time i had a jog was a mth ago. same for the previous time too. working really saps energy out - the remaining of / subsequent day is always spent resting. and i know i really cannot stay this way if i am to go on a 49 day trip. and end of year i wanna join stanchart again. initial plan was to add 1km to my runs every month. i think i added only 500m since jan. atrocious.
luckily, got trip-mate to schedule runs with me. twice every week from after my exams to before we fly off. that's settled too. oh yes, i did make myself jog earlier this evening after all, but at the cost of being inconsiderate to my family.
social engagements dun mean just turning up. not for one of them anyway. the 1st one was at least simple enough. 2nd one (a birthday) as usual, i had to galvanise everyone up for the event. with few favourable responses, i had to rush to buy a cake and make pick up arrangements. was wondering why it is usually me who rouses everyone, that if i didn't do anything, the birthday would just pass by. most of the time, i'm usually the one who pulls us all together, always makes arrangements for us to meet up. not easy most of the time, even for a group of only 9. got a bit frustrated, a bit disappointed.
but when all of us are together, all these thoughts just vanish. i mostly remember we were laughing a lot 3-4hrs ago, but about wat i have no idea. always so fun being with them, and feel so close to them. can almost see them as family liao. maybe that's why i keep arranging gatherings, coz i don't want to lose them.
sleepy. 5am liao. last nite only slept from 6am to 10am. maybe i blog more tml. i had more to write and a point to all this, but sleep is preventing me from deciphering what it is.
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Lack of Entries
Been wanting to blog. Got ideas and thots to blog out. Especially with elections coming.
But somehow Life, in it's usual irritating fashion, manages to get in the way.
Just some quick updates:
now til 3rd May: studying for paper on 3rd May
4th - 25th May: will be working, planning and preparing for Rockie's Invasion of Europe. Plan of Attack: Hit-and-Ru(i)n
26th May to 14th Jul: Check out http://rockies-roamings.blogspot.com for updates
Those 3 sentences summarise my next 3 mths. Boring hor? hahahah... If you sian, go attend rally lor...
But somehow Life, in it's usual irritating fashion, manages to get in the way.
Just some quick updates:
now til 3rd May: studying for paper on 3rd May
4th - 25th May: will be working, planning and preparing for Rockie's Invasion of Europe. Plan of Attack: Hit-and-Ru(i)n
26th May to 14th Jul: Check out http://rockies-roamings.blogspot.com for updates
Those 3 sentences summarise my next 3 mths. Boring hor? hahahah... If you sian, go attend rally lor...
Sunday, April 16, 2006
Funny
Funny how 8 digits can still make me forget that i hvn't had dinner, and put a silly smile on my face for 2 hours.
Out of all the possible thousand negative scenarios, i see the single positive one. That's funny too.
Out of all the possible thousand negative scenarios, i see the single positive one. That's funny too.
Friday, April 14, 2006
Happiness Is...
...finding out that the name on the Nestle Crunch you'd been eyeing in the fridge belongs to a guest who checked out 3 days ago for Australia.
As i bite into it and type this, there's some kind of guilty pleasure in it. kinda like i know it's wrong, but somehow that's why it tastes better. forbidden chocolate probably always does.
Mmmmm...... -D
As i bite into it and type this, there's some kind of guilty pleasure in it. kinda like i know it's wrong, but somehow that's why it tastes better. forbidden chocolate probably always does.
Mmmmm...... -D
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Blading 2
My previous entry was warning enough.
Went blading with misa again on sunday, with disastrous results. Well ok, it would have been disastrous if I actually DID blade. But I was supposed to work the next day, so I didn't think being warded would be a fantastic idea.
It started well enough... meeting 1 of 2 of misa's frens who were blading as well, but we went to a different blade rental from last week, the one nearest to fort road. Their blades... well.. weren't suitable for me, to put it diplomatically. 1st pair were too big, my fault, so i had them changed. 2nd pair squeaked in agony when i stood up, and my legs just couldn't straighten, and i had such a hard time just reaching the track, i was a perfect match with my squeaking blades.
I had enough. i ripped them off and asked for a refund, of coz which, none was given. the uncle said an exchange for bike rental could be given instead, but i told him it was ok, coz i wasn't going back.
So i went to the blade rental i was at last week, but the earlier experience was traumatising enuff. i couldn't even stand properly, let alone move forward. and I already saw money fly off, really spoilt the eagerness. and there were just too many people zooming around. Even though I was looking fwd to blading, I just didn't feel good enuff to blade anymore.
then misa's other friend came, and tried to solve the problem of me not blading and hindering misa and fren no.1 from blading by lending me her blades. by this time almost an hour had passed and they hadn't really bladed yet, which was the scenario i hate most; me being the deadweight. so i wanted to stop and go home, and just let 3 of them have fun. but fren no.2 insisted she was tired, so... ok, i'll give it another shot.
fren no.2 also suggested blading on the pedestrian walkway since i not zai... but i thot that why its for pedestrians, isn't it? to keep hazards like me away from innocent bystanders.
so i put the blades and safety gear on. then fren no.2 casually mentioned that beginners might find her blades tricky coz the wheels are so smooth, literally no friction, she remarked proudly. Well thank you so much there, fren no.2. I'm sure you will appear pretty often when my life flashes before my eyes.
so i gingerly stood up with the help of a railing, and stumbled to the track, almost falling once every metre. joined the lane, immediately came wheel-to-hump, and stopped dead in my tracks. i couldn't get enuff FRICTION to push myself up and over. then wat could've happened miraculously didn't.
a swarm of bladers behind started to stream around me. those on the right cut into the oncoming lane, where 2-3 bicycles and 3-4 bladers reached me just about the same time. they swerved and siam-ed, and wonder of wonders, no one fell and broke an elbow. I nearly caused an accident. confirm, chop + guarantee road hazard. I was a lady driver on blades.
so i decided enough was enuff. i was slowing my fren and her fren down, and likely to be sent to hospital, and maybe send someone with me. so i ripped off the blades again and gave fren no.2's blades to fren no.1.
so i decided to be nice to fren no.2, who had been so nice by lending me her blades, and go accompany her by the beach somewhere. maybe make some polite conversation, which i did with fren no.1. but no, there was no chance. fren no.2 apparently wanted to be by herself, so although she graciously relented to my request to join her, that was the only semblence of conversation we had. she amused herself with her hp, i with mine. i noticed that she turned slightly away from me, and appeared to be in deep thought.
well maybe she was waiting for me to say something, but seriously, me? everyone knows i suck at meeting strange new ppl. can never think of anything intelligent to say. so probably after 5-10 mins (hey it felt longer kae!) of the suspense, seeing that i made for such mind-blowing company, i took my leave on grounds that i wanted to look for my parents. the vibes i was getting from fren no.2 weren't exactly welcoming anyway, with her parting shot "you're not coming back right?" being so sweet. but i guess i can't blame her. i also wouldn't talk to anyone who crushed my blades with their weight-of-too-many-suppers and refused to listen to my repeated advice on blading on pedestrian walkways.
Dad & Mum WERE somewhere around, and we had met earlier, thankfully NOT when i was blading. after getting to them, 3 of us getting amused by loud scoldings by an indian lady to her young son, misa called and summoned my return to join them for dinner. thankfully she hadn't realised that dinner would be more fun without me.
After dinner we parted, and i went to look for mum and dad at marine parade, and we went shopping for groceries. Kinda boring, but somehow rather fun. Rephrase: it wasn't exciting, but it was comfortable.
So fortunately, for her that is, misa won't be free on subsequent saturdays and i have refused to blade on crowded sundays. i guess ally will have to suffer my company from now on. wish him luck, everyone.
Went blading with misa again on sunday, with disastrous results. Well ok, it would have been disastrous if I actually DID blade. But I was supposed to work the next day, so I didn't think being warded would be a fantastic idea.
It started well enough... meeting 1 of 2 of misa's frens who were blading as well, but we went to a different blade rental from last week, the one nearest to fort road. Their blades... well.. weren't suitable for me, to put it diplomatically. 1st pair were too big, my fault, so i had them changed. 2nd pair squeaked in agony when i stood up, and my legs just couldn't straighten, and i had such a hard time just reaching the track, i was a perfect match with my squeaking blades.
I had enough. i ripped them off and asked for a refund, of coz which, none was given. the uncle said an exchange for bike rental could be given instead, but i told him it was ok, coz i wasn't going back.
So i went to the blade rental i was at last week, but the earlier experience was traumatising enuff. i couldn't even stand properly, let alone move forward. and I already saw money fly off, really spoilt the eagerness. and there were just too many people zooming around. Even though I was looking fwd to blading, I just didn't feel good enuff to blade anymore.
then misa's other friend came, and tried to solve the problem of me not blading and hindering misa and fren no.1 from blading by lending me her blades. by this time almost an hour had passed and they hadn't really bladed yet, which was the scenario i hate most; me being the deadweight. so i wanted to stop and go home, and just let 3 of them have fun. but fren no.2 insisted she was tired, so... ok, i'll give it another shot.
fren no.2 also suggested blading on the pedestrian walkway since i not zai... but i thot that why its for pedestrians, isn't it? to keep hazards like me away from innocent bystanders.
so i put the blades and safety gear on. then fren no.2 casually mentioned that beginners might find her blades tricky coz the wheels are so smooth, literally no friction, she remarked proudly. Well thank you so much there, fren no.2. I'm sure you will appear pretty often when my life flashes before my eyes.
so i gingerly stood up with the help of a railing, and stumbled to the track, almost falling once every metre. joined the lane, immediately came wheel-to-hump, and stopped dead in my tracks. i couldn't get enuff FRICTION to push myself up and over. then wat could've happened miraculously didn't.
a swarm of bladers behind started to stream around me. those on the right cut into the oncoming lane, where 2-3 bicycles and 3-4 bladers reached me just about the same time. they swerved and siam-ed, and wonder of wonders, no one fell and broke an elbow. I nearly caused an accident. confirm, chop + guarantee road hazard. I was a lady driver on blades.
so i decided enough was enuff. i was slowing my fren and her fren down, and likely to be sent to hospital, and maybe send someone with me. so i ripped off the blades again and gave fren no.2's blades to fren no.1.
so i decided to be nice to fren no.2, who had been so nice by lending me her blades, and go accompany her by the beach somewhere. maybe make some polite conversation, which i did with fren no.1. but no, there was no chance. fren no.2 apparently wanted to be by herself, so although she graciously relented to my request to join her, that was the only semblence of conversation we had. she amused herself with her hp, i with mine. i noticed that she turned slightly away from me, and appeared to be in deep thought.
well maybe she was waiting for me to say something, but seriously, me? everyone knows i suck at meeting strange new ppl. can never think of anything intelligent to say. so probably after 5-10 mins (hey it felt longer kae!) of the suspense, seeing that i made for such mind-blowing company, i took my leave on grounds that i wanted to look for my parents. the vibes i was getting from fren no.2 weren't exactly welcoming anyway, with her parting shot "you're not coming back right?" being so sweet. but i guess i can't blame her. i also wouldn't talk to anyone who crushed my blades with their weight-of-too-many-suppers and refused to listen to my repeated advice on blading on pedestrian walkways.
Dad & Mum WERE somewhere around, and we had met earlier, thankfully NOT when i was blading. after getting to them, 3 of us getting amused by loud scoldings by an indian lady to her young son, misa called and summoned my return to join them for dinner. thankfully she hadn't realised that dinner would be more fun without me.
After dinner we parted, and i went to look for mum and dad at marine parade, and we went shopping for groceries. Kinda boring, but somehow rather fun. Rephrase: it wasn't exciting, but it was comfortable.
So fortunately, for her that is, misa won't be free on subsequent saturdays and i have refused to blade on crowded sundays. i guess ally will have to suffer my company from now on. wish him luck, everyone.
Saturday, April 01, 2006
Blading
If you were among the lucky 61% of the 35,834 ppl at ECP today who happened to see a guy in sweat-soaked brown t-shirt and grey berms, with legs trying helplessly to keep upright on blades, and arms flailing about like he was being attacked by a horde of bees, terrorising other bladers and cyclists, then congratulations; you have bear witness to Embarassing Moments of My Life #267: Blading for the 2nd Time. If u thot I did well going forward, all i was actually doing was stumbling one foot in front of the other to keep my face away from the road.
Well at least comparing the distance covered, i had proportionally less falls than the 1st time i attempt blading 3 yrs ago... which caught me on my back at least 7 times... and i was so traumatised i didn't turn up for the 2nd day of the course. hahah...
i fell badly only 3 times:
1) going down a hump
2) getting viciously rammed by misa
3) going over hardened, smooth, dry mud which i thot was still squishy
other times i held the road away with my hands and crawled hands and knees to
a) the nearest grass patch or
b) until i could get myself upright again
at least the blading started pleasantly enuff: i dunno how misa convinced me to put on the blades and start trying, but once i did, it was fun!! barring the embarassing jerky limb movements. only thing is, the only place that got tanned was probably the back of my neck, since i spent most of the time using eye power to keep the road stable...
and on the way back... had a pleasant yet embarassing surprise. intrigued by my laughable attempts at making way, zo caught up from behind and turned around.. and confirmed her terrible suspicions: the blading buffoon was me!! heng i kena unwanted hp call... so can act busy so that she didn't manage to ask any difficult questions. hahahah
but trouble started on the way back as well... calves, thighs, and lower back started aching like crazy... not used to (my) blading posture i guess... then slowed down misa's getting back... think the distance she went back and forth while waiting for me was probably made up half her total... hahahah really paiseh abt making her and her relatives wait... and didn't feel comfortable being the odd one out. and also most imptly, i had to be at work again in 2hrs.
so stinky and tired, and finally free of those treacherous blades, i stumbled/dragged myself back home with a big gulp to keep me company. usually to me $1.70 for water wld be extravagant, in this instance it was absolutely necessary.
but overall, it was really fun, and i've been meaning to learn blading anyway. so i'll be looking fwd til the next time, if misa ever dares to blade w me again. ;)
and if any of u readers want a free clown act, jio me for blading.
PS: funniest part of the day - not by me, but misa's sleepy mumblings on the phone... *impossible to put it down in alphabet* hahahah watever little image there was, gone liao lah!!
Well at least comparing the distance covered, i had proportionally less falls than the 1st time i attempt blading 3 yrs ago... which caught me on my back at least 7 times... and i was so traumatised i didn't turn up for the 2nd day of the course. hahah...
i fell badly only 3 times:
1) going down a hump
2) getting viciously rammed by misa
3) going over hardened, smooth, dry mud which i thot was still squishy
other times i held the road away with my hands and crawled hands and knees to
a) the nearest grass patch or
b) until i could get myself upright again
at least the blading started pleasantly enuff: i dunno how misa convinced me to put on the blades and start trying, but once i did, it was fun!! barring the embarassing jerky limb movements. only thing is, the only place that got tanned was probably the back of my neck, since i spent most of the time using eye power to keep the road stable...
and on the way back... had a pleasant yet embarassing surprise. intrigued by my laughable attempts at making way, zo caught up from behind and turned around.. and confirmed her terrible suspicions: the blading buffoon was me!! heng i kena unwanted hp call... so can act busy so that she didn't manage to ask any difficult questions. hahahah
but trouble started on the way back as well... calves, thighs, and lower back started aching like crazy... not used to (my) blading posture i guess... then slowed down misa's getting back... think the distance she went back and forth while waiting for me was probably made up half her total... hahahah really paiseh abt making her and her relatives wait... and didn't feel comfortable being the odd one out. and also most imptly, i had to be at work again in 2hrs.
so stinky and tired, and finally free of those treacherous blades, i stumbled/dragged myself back home with a big gulp to keep me company. usually to me $1.70 for water wld be extravagant, in this instance it was absolutely necessary.
but overall, it was really fun, and i've been meaning to learn blading anyway. so i'll be looking fwd til the next time, if misa ever dares to blade w me again. ;)
and if any of u readers want a free clown act, jio me for blading.
PS: funniest part of the day - not by me, but misa's sleepy mumblings on the phone... *impossible to put it down in alphabet* hahahah watever little image there was, gone liao lah!!
Friday, March 31, 2006
Acherly I Think Be Contractor Oso Quite Goot Lah
Currently Playing : Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous
Acherly hor, i tink i heck care my useless Chinaman Technicians' University degree and become contractor... oso quite goot lah.
Becoz why? becoz nowsaday hor, just walk-walk abit from M-R-le-T, i will pass by THREE construction sites leh! 1 at the M-R-le-T station itself, they dunno building wat. then across the road in under HBD block, they hacking up old but still can use walkway... i mean, walkway as long as no big big lobang, no earthquake, peepur can walk, can liao mah! so the bad thing is peepur dunno the cemen wet, then step step... now the walkway kena sai lor!
then walk somemore, another 5 min, got empty field kena dig up, flattened, and they leave one square square lobang, at first i thot why swimming pool so small? put koi let old peepur feed ah? then one day i pass by, i saw one those type of plastic plastic prayground cha down there with sand... so orh.... it's prayground and park lah. even got those ah pek stone benches around... only thing no grass only.
then ah pek stone benches are just purfect for writing poems or leaving numbers on them... good to play cander also!! wat wat cander? tsk, cander lah! u know the one... on top got fire cha the cake sing happie birthday one... cander lah!!
yah lor... see now contractor business so good... think i fark care engineer, become contractor! i plan liao! 1st 2 yr i work as kah kia lah, like the bhangera and thai... whole day just hold the stop-go sign by the road... so senang! then next 2 yr get promotion become supervisor, jaga how they work, learn wat to do. then by the 5th yr, can set up my own business liao!!
5 yrs goot leh... coz i notice hor, every 5 yr got construction business boom one. u see the 5th yr, the old old ah pek flat, hwa, suddenly got estra lift one leh! then suddenly got roof from bus stop to HBD block one! new praygrounds... new ah pek bench... so i will be just in time for the boom lor!
then hor, during the 5th yr, also got a lot of Meet The Rite Peepur sessions. goot lah... i heard hor, always got this guy, wear white shirt white pants, give contractor a lot of work during the boom. maybe he is a Rite Person lah, so can go meet him, give name card, get his business.
think that time can work until tan chia for another 4 yrs ah!! can stay home shake leg liao!! then when no more money, then the 5th yr come out again, go Meet The Rite Peepur. work 1 yr rest 4 yr ah!! so shiok, who do'wan?
yah.... i think be contractor, oso quite goot lah.
Acherly hor, i tink i heck care my useless Chinaman Technicians' University degree and become contractor... oso quite goot lah.
Becoz why? becoz nowsaday hor, just walk-walk abit from M-R-le-T, i will pass by THREE construction sites leh! 1 at the M-R-le-T station itself, they dunno building wat. then across the road in under HBD block, they hacking up old but still can use walkway... i mean, walkway as long as no big big lobang, no earthquake, peepur can walk, can liao mah! so the bad thing is peepur dunno the cemen wet, then step step... now the walkway kena sai lor!
then walk somemore, another 5 min, got empty field kena dig up, flattened, and they leave one square square lobang, at first i thot why swimming pool so small? put koi let old peepur feed ah? then one day i pass by, i saw one those type of plastic plastic prayground cha down there with sand... so orh.... it's prayground and park lah. even got those ah pek stone benches around... only thing no grass only.
then ah pek stone benches are just purfect for writing poems or leaving numbers on them... good to play cander also!! wat wat cander? tsk, cander lah! u know the one... on top got fire cha the cake sing happie birthday one... cander lah!!
yah lor... see now contractor business so good... think i fark care engineer, become contractor! i plan liao! 1st 2 yr i work as kah kia lah, like the bhangera and thai... whole day just hold the stop-go sign by the road... so senang! then next 2 yr get promotion become supervisor, jaga how they work, learn wat to do. then by the 5th yr, can set up my own business liao!!
5 yrs goot leh... coz i notice hor, every 5 yr got construction business boom one. u see the 5th yr, the old old ah pek flat, hwa, suddenly got estra lift one leh! then suddenly got roof from bus stop to HBD block one! new praygrounds... new ah pek bench... so i will be just in time for the boom lor!
then hor, during the 5th yr, also got a lot of Meet The Rite Peepur sessions. goot lah... i heard hor, always got this guy, wear white shirt white pants, give contractor a lot of work during the boom. maybe he is a Rite Person lah, so can go meet him, give name card, get his business.
think that time can work until tan chia for another 4 yrs ah!! can stay home shake leg liao!! then when no more money, then the 5th yr come out again, go Meet The Rite Peepur. work 1 yr rest 4 yr ah!! so shiok, who do'wan?
yah.... i think be contractor, oso quite goot lah.
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Slingshots
Uncle farkers who use slingshots to shoot down colugos and other small wild animals shd be tied to trees by their limbs, 5m above ground, and subjected to slingshot attacks carried out by indignant nature lovers.
All 52,918 of us.
(estimated number)
All 52,918 of us.
(estimated number)
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Poor Gary Goh!
Currently Playing: Holiday by Green Day
On the previous Monday. 2nd yr MPE student from NTU Gary Goh sent a mass email to 8,000 students about wanting to form a committee to deal with problems he felt that were plaguing the university, which the staff of NTU do nothing about, and to supplement the almost useless students' union.
This, in the wake of full-page advertisements in newspapers encouraging "A" level sch leavers to join NTU with positive, albeit ambiguous statements like "I can enrich the world with my creativity", "I can change the world with innovation" and "I can bring the world to speed" fronted by smiling, good looking young ppl in lab coats and business suits. (i must add that to their credit, they found a really chio female model)
On Thursday, 23 March, TNP ran "Protest at NTU? What for? - Most students ignore undergrad's call to fight for their rights". It started with
On the same day, ST ran the more objective "Foreign lecturers' English riles NTU student". ST actually put in enough effort to track down and interview Goh himself, with quotes from 2 students who agree with him, and 2 students who don't. for good measure, the president of the students' union was reported to have said something to the gist of
but still, the article ends with someone from the union saying that the Speak Good English Problem "...has become a non-existent issue. It even helps when I go overseas on attachment programmes to multinational firms." So it helps that students have experience not understanding foreign accents?
In response, a vice-dean from NTU wrote a letter to ST Forum published on Saturday, 25 March, "Constant tabs kept on language proficiency" which I summarise below:
1st paragraph: NTU embraces a globalised world, and has multi-culturalism and has a multi-linguistic environment.
2nd paragraph: Students should go thru "chain of command" when complaining. (sound familiar, guys?)
3rd paragraph: there is also a white elephant tramping around campus named "students' union", which "...was already working with the university administration on ways to improve the situation." (there's that statement again! always a work-in-progress. so is he admitting the situation needs improving?)
4th & 5th paragraph: how lecturers are hired, eg. interviews, presentations, peer feedback, assessments, orientation blah blah blah
6th paragraph: students do nominate foreigners for "best teacher awards"
7th paragraph: there are measures in place to monitor the spoken english and presentation skills of staff.
8th paragraph: what some of these measures are
9th paragraph: "Finally, the matter should not be blown out of proportion as most lecturers are fine. For the small number who need assistance, there are faculty development programmes."
So, let me summarise:
1) Gary Goh is moved to action, and he calls on other idealistic fellow-students to come together and change the environment for the better. He does not hide behind the computer screen, as his name and contact number are found in the email. Now his photo is on ST as well.
2) Newspapers follow up. One tries to be objective, another mocks his efforts.
3) As always, the students' union jumps in and says they knew abt the problem and are currently in talks with the administration in dealing with the matter. Of coz, they will be in talks until the whole thing blows over. perfect example of NATO.
4) Meanwhile, Goh gets some supporters, some detractors, and many, many others who talk about it but take a wait-and-see approach. (NATO again!)
5) The administration, responses with a perfect TYS model answer letter:
a) give the larger picture in positive light
b) mention procedures that are in place
c) give assurance that complainants do have a say in things
d) acknowledge that there MAY be some situations which are not up to par, but there ARE measures in place, and anyway, whatever problems there may be, they are small compared to the vast majority who are hardworking/talented/doing a good job/etc.
e) ask everyone involved to go past the issue and "move on" (hahah ok i added that myself)
The state of affairs seems to be that if there is a problem, let those higher up the ivory tower know, they will deal with it eventually, or sit on it until the problem goes away. If you do bring it out to public, you will be ridiculed by the media and we, high on the ivory tower, will say "look at the big picture! this little runt is just making a mountain of a molehill".
So now u know why so difficult for opposition to get good candidates for GE all these years? Coz those higher up always stifle dissenting voices. So much so that there are those who have become adverse to dissenting voices, that have the mindset that those above are always right. There are also those who watch these episodes unfurl and tell themselves to conform, and stay out of trouble. And of coz there are those so intent on living out their silly little lives that they pay no attention to the comings and goings outside their hobbitons.
Such are Singapore's instituitions of higher learning.
===================================================================
On a related note: during the Speak Good English Campaign some years back, then PM Goh sent Phua Chu Kang for BEST English Lessons. so shdn't NTU follow the example, and get the dean to send those lecturers who need it for BEST English Lessons as well? Or does the Speak Good English Campaign only apply to native Singaporeans and our native Singlish? An extension of the Foreign Talent (ie. Foreign? must be Talent!) Scheme
Why, oh why do we always belittle what little heritage, what little naturally-evolved cultural practices we have? Must our natural-born flavours always be hidden behind hideous, manufactured, meaningless hybrids like the Merlion?
===================================================================
Personal Thots: Gary Goh has my respect for trying to change things for the better. Idealistic, perhaps... but at least he has enough drive to be moved into action. I hope he does eventually make things better, and can take personal pride in it. At the very least, I hope his flame does not get extinguished by the drowning of official voices.
Gary, if I would have joined you, had I more time in NTU. I wish you all the best.
On the previous Monday. 2nd yr MPE student from NTU Gary Goh sent a mass email to 8,000 students about wanting to form a committee to deal with problems he felt that were plaguing the university, which the staff of NTU do nothing about, and to supplement the almost useless students' union.
This, in the wake of full-page advertisements in newspapers encouraging "A" level sch leavers to join NTU with positive, albeit ambiguous statements like "I can enrich the world with my creativity", "I can change the world with innovation" and "I can bring the world to speed" fronted by smiling, good looking young ppl in lab coats and business suits. (i must add that to their credit, they found a really chio female model)
On Thursday, 23 March, TNP ran "Protest at NTU? What for? - Most students ignore undergrad's call to fight for their rights". It started with
"His lone call for students to get together and "fight" for their "rights" looksand ended with a student saying
doomed to fail"
"Singaporean students will not bother and foreign students are too busywhich kinda summarises the dismissive, even scornful tone of the article at Goh's actions. Students were quoted as saying Goh was "brash, like he was ranting", "trying to hide behind the computer screen" and "The way... is rude and wrong".
studying. We are all apathetic."
On the same day, ST ran the more objective "Foreign lecturers' English riles NTU student". ST actually put in enough effort to track down and interview Goh himself, with quotes from 2 students who agree with him, and 2 students who don't. for good measure, the president of the students' union was reported to have said something to the gist of
"...acknowledged that there have been complaints. But it was not true thathmm. where have i heard that before, again and again?
nothing had been done to address the issue. The union met the administration
last month and was assured that the matter would be looked into."
but still, the article ends with someone from the union saying that the Speak Good English Problem "...has become a non-existent issue. It even helps when I go overseas on attachment programmes to multinational firms." So it helps that students have experience not understanding foreign accents?
In response, a vice-dean from NTU wrote a letter to ST Forum published on Saturday, 25 March, "Constant tabs kept on language proficiency" which I summarise below:
1st paragraph: NTU embraces a globalised world, and has multi-culturalism and has a multi-linguistic environment.
2nd paragraph: Students should go thru "chain of command" when complaining. (sound familiar, guys?)
3rd paragraph: there is also a white elephant tramping around campus named "students' union", which "...was already working with the university administration on ways to improve the situation." (there's that statement again! always a work-in-progress. so is he admitting the situation needs improving?)
4th & 5th paragraph: how lecturers are hired, eg. interviews, presentations, peer feedback, assessments, orientation blah blah blah
6th paragraph: students do nominate foreigners for "best teacher awards"
7th paragraph: there are measures in place to monitor the spoken english and presentation skills of staff.
8th paragraph: what some of these measures are
9th paragraph: "Finally, the matter should not be blown out of proportion as most lecturers are fine. For the small number who need assistance, there are faculty development programmes."
So, let me summarise:
1) Gary Goh is moved to action, and he calls on other idealistic fellow-students to come together and change the environment for the better. He does not hide behind the computer screen, as his name and contact number are found in the email. Now his photo is on ST as well.
2) Newspapers follow up. One tries to be objective, another mocks his efforts.
3) As always, the students' union jumps in and says they knew abt the problem and are currently in talks with the administration in dealing with the matter. Of coz, they will be in talks until the whole thing blows over. perfect example of NATO.
4) Meanwhile, Goh gets some supporters, some detractors, and many, many others who talk about it but take a wait-and-see approach. (NATO again!)
5) The administration, responses with a perfect TYS model answer letter:
a) give the larger picture in positive light
b) mention procedures that are in place
c) give assurance that complainants do have a say in things
d) acknowledge that there MAY be some situations which are not up to par, but there ARE measures in place, and anyway, whatever problems there may be, they are small compared to the vast majority who are hardworking/talented/doing a good job/etc.
e) ask everyone involved to go past the issue and "move on" (hahah ok i added that myself)
The state of affairs seems to be that if there is a problem, let those higher up the ivory tower know, they will deal with it eventually, or sit on it until the problem goes away. If you do bring it out to public, you will be ridiculed by the media and we, high on the ivory tower, will say "look at the big picture! this little runt is just making a mountain of a molehill".
So now u know why so difficult for opposition to get good candidates for GE all these years? Coz those higher up always stifle dissenting voices. So much so that there are those who have become adverse to dissenting voices, that have the mindset that those above are always right. There are also those who watch these episodes unfurl and tell themselves to conform, and stay out of trouble. And of coz there are those so intent on living out their silly little lives that they pay no attention to the comings and goings outside their hobbitons.
Such are Singapore's instituitions of higher learning.
===================================================================
On a related note: during the Speak Good English Campaign some years back, then PM Goh sent Phua Chu Kang for BEST English Lessons. so shdn't NTU follow the example, and get the dean to send those lecturers who need it for BEST English Lessons as well? Or does the Speak Good English Campaign only apply to native Singaporeans and our native Singlish? An extension of the Foreign Talent (ie. Foreign? must be Talent!) Scheme
Why, oh why do we always belittle what little heritage, what little naturally-evolved cultural practices we have? Must our natural-born flavours always be hidden behind hideous, manufactured, meaningless hybrids like the Merlion?
===================================================================
Personal Thots: Gary Goh has my respect for trying to change things for the better. Idealistic, perhaps... but at least he has enough drive to be moved into action. I hope he does eventually make things better, and can take personal pride in it. At the very least, I hope his flame does not get extinguished by the drowning of official voices.
Gary, if I would have joined you, had I more time in NTU. I wish you all the best.
Saturday, March 25, 2006
Watch Out, Europe!
Currently Playing: Holiday by Green Day
well the song doesn't exactly fit... if u know wat's the song abt. i like it so much, i might post the lyrics up at a good time.
i tokked abt going to NZ last yr, but it didn't happen. so when i tokked abt going europe this yr, i was thinking maybe it wldn't happen too. maybe bird flu wld get worse and i wld go NZ after all, finally another solo again. then the fren i'm going with also started to hv doubts...
so it wasn't really until i was in natas this afternoon, hammering out the flight itinerary with a very harried STA staff who had to cope with our many changes and constant enquiries from his colleagues, when it hit me. soon after he handed me a piece of paper which i summarise below:
26 May Fri
SINGAPORE-BANGKOK TG402
BANGKOK-FRANKFURT TG922
13 Jul Thu
FRANKFURT-BANGKOK TG921
14 Jul Fri
BANGKOK-SINGAPORE TG403
then it hit me just like when u accidentally bite into a previously undiscovered tiny piece of chilli padi amongst ur beehoon soup. (i.e. "!!!!!!!!!!")
I'M GOING TO EUROPE!! WOOHOO!!!
thereafter, i was thoroughly drowning in that adrenaline and excitement only an upcoming adventure can bring. rushing from place to place at top walking speed, sending sms-es furiously. making urgent, urgent calls to check on the status of dinner at home. i was high.
yup, I'M GOING TO EUROPE!! WOOHOO!!!
another adventure coming up. :) i can't wait.
well the song doesn't exactly fit... if u know wat's the song abt. i like it so much, i might post the lyrics up at a good time.
i tokked abt going to NZ last yr, but it didn't happen. so when i tokked abt going europe this yr, i was thinking maybe it wldn't happen too. maybe bird flu wld get worse and i wld go NZ after all, finally another solo again. then the fren i'm going with also started to hv doubts...
so it wasn't really until i was in natas this afternoon, hammering out the flight itinerary with a very harried STA staff who had to cope with our many changes and constant enquiries from his colleagues, when it hit me. soon after he handed me a piece of paper which i summarise below:
26 May Fri
SINGAPORE-BANGKOK TG402
BANGKOK-FRANKFURT TG922
13 Jul Thu
FRANKFURT-BANGKOK TG921
14 Jul Fri
BANGKOK-SINGAPORE TG403
then it hit me just like when u accidentally bite into a previously undiscovered tiny piece of chilli padi amongst ur beehoon soup. (i.e. "!!!!!!!!!!")
I'M GOING TO EUROPE!! WOOHOO!!!
thereafter, i was thoroughly drowning in that adrenaline and excitement only an upcoming adventure can bring. rushing from place to place at top walking speed, sending sms-es furiously. making urgent, urgent calls to check on the status of dinner at home. i was high.
yup, I'M GOING TO EUROPE!! WOOHOO!!!
another adventure coming up. :) i can't wait.
Friday, March 24, 2006
Some Memories Never Die
Somehow this date never gets forgotten. When it comes along, so do plenty of memories. but feelings, mostly.
And another year passes by. sigh.
And another year passes by. sigh.
Time Runs
Currently Playing: Did You Get My Message by Jason Mraz
Quite a while nv blog. and actually got deep stuff to say, but been tired lately.
Working really saps ur time and energy... before i know it, a week has gone. frankly, i was quite shocked that it was 20something march liao... even though i see the date everyday at work. didn't i JUST come back from sipadan on march 6??
i guess time passes really fast at work coz there's always so much multi-tasking to be done... even the sleepy no-one-around parts pass rather quickly compared to in sch.
then when i reach home, all i wanna do is stone in front of the tv/computer and then go sleep.
on my off days, i also just nuah and don't do as much as i wanna. except meet up with frens... hahah. but bo pian, coz i work so odd hrs, can't meet anyone for dinner if i'm working that day.
but i still very much prefer work to sch... at least work is fun! in fact i look fwd to mondays more than thursdays and fridays now... usually a wkend and/or monday i gotta work... but thurs and fri confirm gotta go sch... sianz. tml is a fridae... dreading 3-hr-long lessons with lecturer with shiny bald head.
so... working got good got bad. i wanted something productive and fun to do with my time, but now that i got what i wanted, time no enuff. energy also no enuff. no juice to write abt the ntu mass email to protest and more observations abt the upcoming GE. hopefully i got energy to write abt them tml...
anyway. cleaned the hamster cages todae... since i started working i still feed them and make sure they got enuff water, but dun really play with them anymore.
so i realised that ah pui and ah ger are getting old... ah pui no longer pui... looking a little gaunt as compared to his fat-until-cannot-turn-over-when-on-his-back days... ah ger no longer goes crazy and climbs the cage ceiling when food comes. ah pui no longer likes to be picked up, ah ger doesn't seem to mind anymore. but their characters still shine thru. ah ger still scampers ard investigating a new place, ah pui tries to clamber back into his familiar cage and drags his lower body ard.
so i lowered ah ger's 2nd floor of the cage... make it easier for her to climb up. hamster population aging, also must hv upgrading to be elderly-friendly mah... haahhaha
Quite a while nv blog. and actually got deep stuff to say, but been tired lately.
Working really saps ur time and energy... before i know it, a week has gone. frankly, i was quite shocked that it was 20something march liao... even though i see the date everyday at work. didn't i JUST come back from sipadan on march 6??
i guess time passes really fast at work coz there's always so much multi-tasking to be done... even the sleepy no-one-around parts pass rather quickly compared to in sch.
then when i reach home, all i wanna do is stone in front of the tv/computer and then go sleep.
on my off days, i also just nuah and don't do as much as i wanna. except meet up with frens... hahah. but bo pian, coz i work so odd hrs, can't meet anyone for dinner if i'm working that day.
but i still very much prefer work to sch... at least work is fun! in fact i look fwd to mondays more than thursdays and fridays now... usually a wkend and/or monday i gotta work... but thurs and fri confirm gotta go sch... sianz. tml is a fridae... dreading 3-hr-long lessons with lecturer with shiny bald head.
so... working got good got bad. i wanted something productive and fun to do with my time, but now that i got what i wanted, time no enuff. energy also no enuff. no juice to write abt the ntu mass email to protest and more observations abt the upcoming GE. hopefully i got energy to write abt them tml...
anyway. cleaned the hamster cages todae... since i started working i still feed them and make sure they got enuff water, but dun really play with them anymore.
so i realised that ah pui and ah ger are getting old... ah pui no longer pui... looking a little gaunt as compared to his fat-until-cannot-turn-over-when-on-his-back days... ah ger no longer goes crazy and climbs the cage ceiling when food comes. ah pui no longer likes to be picked up, ah ger doesn't seem to mind anymore. but their characters still shine thru. ah ger still scampers ard investigating a new place, ah pui tries to clamber back into his familiar cage and drags his lower body ard.
so i lowered ah ger's 2nd floor of the cage... make it easier for her to climb up. hamster population aging, also must hv upgrading to be elderly-friendly mah... haahhaha
