The Flaming Platter for 2 at Mathattan Fish Market in PS indeed looked spectacular, and it actually tantalized my tastebuds for a while. However, the greasy fried calamari and the large amount of chips soon made me feel sick all over. Maybe because of my low tolerance for seafood, but the possibility isn't very high. Anyway, the dinner with Zhengjun made me feel nauseous and a bit dizzy after that, but we managed to walk at a rather fast pace to Taka, where we took a breather at Kino browsing through books. After an impulsive deal made at S & K for a pair of long pants which was labeled "New Arrival", I went home feeling tired and thus slept after drinking a glass of lemonade (I hope it helps in indigestion), helping my sis with her physics tutorial, and surfing the net for a while.
It was probably aggravated by the fact that I was out for almost 13 hours yesterday because I met up with Eugene at JP for a movie first before a kster trip at Lucky Chinatown with Zhengjun for 4 hours. "In her shoes" tells of 2 sisters, with divergent personalities, falling out with each other but eventually patching up and showing appreciation for each other, thus shedding light on the old adage "Blood is thicker than water". This movie initiated my reflections on my relationships with my siblings. As I grew older, I felt myself drifting further away from my elder brother and I actually found confidante in my sister to a greater extent. The existence of this blog I even only revealed it to my sister. The reason I cannot fathom but I guess the major cause being the difference in perspectives taken by us, leading to miscommunication. Even so, I believe in times of crisis, the blood ties will still be the strength holding us together.
The singing session at kster was not without its glitches. My singing was unusually lacklustre with most of the songs being too flat. The number of new songs available could not be compared to that of kbox. The only wowing difference was the upgraded system of kster - new stylish layout on the computer, wireless mouse and the nicer pictures of the singers. Nevertheless, the fallback of the new system was the technical problem encountered which caused some momentary moments of hanging.
Oh, and Ningyi just smsed me asking me for some photos that I borrowed a few years ago for the TCHSCO yearbook. I vaguely remembered but cannot confirm whether they were put in my possession after that project. Hope I find them while putting finishing touches to the cleaning up of my table and room today.
scribbled at 9:57 AM
The imminent advent of the Lunar New Year one week later left me with no choice but to get down to tidying up my bookshelf and table, which had been left untouched for more than 1 year, thus heaps of dust could be seen on the surfaces that were exposed to the surroundings. Judging by the enormous number of items that had accumulated on my table, like hills and mountains, I reckoned any slightest movement of things could result in an avalanche. (This ugly scene is also one of the reason why I do not normally encourage visitors to my house) I suspect the daunting task of clearing the pigsty would need at least a few days of assiduous efforts...
It all boils down to procrastination - the master of all failures. Why did I keep putting off these cleaning jobs that I had long wanted to do weeks ago? I suppose many would feel as intrigued as I do. A lot of people would say it's laziness, a natural attribute of men. Yet, procrastination, however bad it seems, may have its usefulness. It can stretch minds to their limits, pushing them to think innovatively to complete tasks in the shortest possible time. It can drive people to think out of the box, to free themselves from their mental restrictions. If used appropriately, it is a motivation, not a burden. Maybe these are all nonsense made up to find excuses for myself. The only important issue is the successfulness of the end-product, something which is not clearly evident in the state of my table and bookshelf, even after several hours of packing today. Haha bleah.
scribbled at 4:43 PM
The third time I went to Marina Square in two weeks. So much so that I have internalised the locations of most of the shops there! It was lucky that I suggested Marina Square for a bowling session with Teddy and Gary though because we actually grabbed an opportunity to have a shoot with Mediacorp artiste - Felicia Chin Foon Ling! :)
After a fruitless attempt at bowling - a sports which I have not engaged in for almost 3 years and thereby achieving awful scores of 82 and 75 for 2 games (anyway, Gary did even worse than me), we were combing the area for a decent place to eat when we chanced upon Changing Appetites. The group of mediacorp artistes acting in a scene at Changing Appetites, which included Felicia, Rui En, Zhang Zhen Xiang and Elvin Ng, proved too alluring for us as we made our way into the restaurant. We (or rather only Gary and me) were discussing how to take pictures of them, since I felt it was rather rude to start snapping away at our cameras while they were working. (Gary did take some but they were blur) After numerous NGs, they finished their shots and walked in different directions. We pulled off a shameless act - dashing out of Changing Appetites, rushing after Felicia while she talked on the phone, and leaving behind our half-eaten food and bags at the restaurant. Gary felt regretful later because he did not get to put his pretty face beside Elvin and Rui En on photographs. And he wanted to crop himself and Felicia in the photograph above because he felt Teddy and I were too ugly. So narcissistic! :p
Being an actor is indeed not easy, looking at how they spent almost an hour on 2 scenes and on top of that, had to bear with the criticisms and the meticulous requirements of the director. It was 6:30 pm and yet we saw them moving off in a Mediacorp van, probably rushing to another venue to complete more scenes!
Spent the rest of the time shopping. Had decided not to spent on tops anymore but something in Metersbonwe caught my eyes. Fortuitously, there was a 30% discount and I made quite a good deal, considering that the sleeveless t-shirt and the jacket was really an impeccable match. Could not find any cheap and good-looking pants after tiring long walks in Marina Square and Suntec. Have to try my luck on another day then.
P.S: Due to Gary's incessant complaint that he looked shorter than Felicia in the photograph, I did a quick research and found out she was 170cm tall. I bet you are as tall, if not taller than her dude! She must be wearing high heels... haha
scribbled at 10:17 PM
The episode on Tuesday this week wavered my belief and confidence in friendship. Although the matter had largely blown over, I still decided to pen it down, or rather type it out, disregarding the fear that the people involved might read it. This is supposed to be my private journal after all.
The tension that had built up because of the PC's seeming favoritism over some of us became so high that one platoon mate actually made an acerbic remark directed at me. The precursor to this was the giving of 3 names by our PC to TTB to assume the roles of clerk and CQs in the budding new coy - appointments that apparently did not appeal to them. I do not deny that I felt a bit sorry for them, but the comments made and their attitudes shown later irked me. I felt upset. Is the camaraderie forged among us, especially during the UIP period, so transient and fragile that it cannot withstand even a small test? I did not speak to them for hours.
I had hoped that those remarks were made in a fit of pique. Thankfully, the bad feelings were washed away by time and we communicated during the setup in the evening. Teddy told me that he is a direct person, who speaks without thinking. Maybe he is right. I know friendship requires each to give and take and I do not hold it against them. But I terribly need them to stop harping on the issue of favoritism anymore. May time heal all our wounds.
scribbled at 6:29 PM
I went jogging in the morning with a guilty conscience, wanting to shed some fats and cholesterol that had accumulated in my body after my indulging in sinful oily food yesterday. The run was not enjoyable though, with the smell of burning ashes lingering in the air because yesterday saw the 15th of the twelfth month in the lunar calender. Actually, I have the intention of joining cross-country club in my university days ahead. Rather surprising? For a person who had spent 6 years of his school life in Chinese Orchestra as a core CCA, I aspire to make a difference, to break out of my pathetic shell. You may also say that it is an opportunity to make my resume colourful, however practical it is. If not for the movie trip in the afternoon with Jinquan and Nico, I would not had ran in the morning. According to experts, the probability of having a clot in the arteries is highest in the morning because blood flow is slowest, thus it is not advisable to do vigorous exercise in the early hours of the day. Obviously, SAF has never heard of this health tip before.
Memoirs of a Geisha stands as my first movie watched in 2006. Starring 3 stunning actresses - Zhang Ziyi, Gong Li and Michelle Yeoh, it was a highly anticipated show. The sneak preview at Marina Square today was almost full house. Thankfully, I found it most entertaining and worthy of every cent spent. The movie depicts elegantly the politicking and back-stabbing that were demonstrated by the Geishas in the Okiya, in their bids to become the most accomplished and powerful Geisha in their time. "... In the tiny world of women, friend turned against friend ..." Maybe this also reflects the real society - in the army, the office, or even at home. Oh, and Gong Li is beautiful, even though she plays a slutty role. Haha.
Because of the stay-in nature of my unit, I did not have much chance to embrace the festive mood although Chinese New Year is just around the corner. Decided to take a walk around Chinatown with Jinquan after an extremely filling dinner at Hans. It was an unprecedented trip for me because I had avoided going to Chinatown during the festive season for the past 19 years. Immersing myself in the new year songs playing in the background, I took a few pictures of the lightings along the road, but decided eventually that it was a place too rowdy and crowded for me.
scribbled at 9:15 PM
If a glance at the title starts you thinking of some exclusive ancient jewel or pricey archaic painting, or worse still, the movie, then you are mistaken. What I am going to touch on is Singapore's first and only Stefanie Sun!
Yanzi's 2006 live concert in Singapore is scheduled to take place at National Indoor Stadium TODAY! However, being not a concert-goer, and taking into account the exorbitant prices of the tickets, I did not make my way down to support her physically with BY and Mark. Even though I had not bought any of her albums and only took notice of her songs when she released The Moment about 2 years ago, Yanzi has made herself an irresistible female singer in the Chinese pop scene. She has also established herself as an icon of Singapore - truly a national treasure. Yanzi, jiayou for the concert! Gambate!
I had anticipated a plethora of mouth-watering dishes when we (Gary, BY, Teddy and me) stepped into Kuali The Asian Kitchen at Suntec City for a high-tea buffet. After exploring the place and tasting some of the food, I felt disappointed. The diversity of the food wasn't wide enough and they were not very appetizing after all. Maybe they just did not cater to my taste. Nevertheless, I felt the Terriyaki Chicken, fried rice, turkey meat, and the cakes were satisfying enough to fulfil my appetite for the day and make up for the $21 spent there.
Mark came to join us after lunch for shopping at Suntec. The outing actually materialized because of Gary's attempt to spice up his life and to buy new clothes for occupying his seemingly empty wardrobe. True enough, he was the only one who brought home something at the end of the shopping session. :)
scribbled at 7:19 PM
It was heavy.
Don't get me wrong. I mean not the rain, but the bag of disgustingly green uniforms I was carrying out of camp earlier on.
If nothing goes wrong, I am to be promoted to the rank of corporal on Monday next week. The promotion proved to be a hassle because the ranks have to be sewn onto the uniforms. Since none in my family is adept at sewing and I hate to trouble my mother, a trip down to Beach Road tomorrow is necessary. Yet, this long-waited promotion has its positive implications. For one, it makes doing guard duty easier, the reasons I will not elaborate. Most importantly, it signals the ending of 1 year of NS. Liberation is imminent!
scribbled at 7:17 PM
It was mere exaggeration. What I perceived to be a large-scale division setup this week turned out very differently. The display was only for exhibition and the full setup is supposedly not needed, at least for now. The same concept applies to night-outs. :)
When I went into Sembawang at Jurong Point, my resolution of saving more money became shrouded by the impulse to own Superstar winner Tan Weilian's debut album. It was my first album bought in 2006 and while I am currently listening to his moving rendition of Heaven Knows, images of his past performances and determination demonstrated throughout the competition flashed in my mind. His strength in character was exemplary, considering his positive outlook in life despite having a physical flaw.
My interest in Mandopop (I'm not sure who coined this term) began late in Secondary 3 with the release of Jay Chou's second album Fantasy. Although it withered away in my JC days, it had picked up momentum when I entered NS. Perhaps the boredom and idleness in NS life have made it impossible for me to survive without music. But it has made me broke too. My increasing expenses on CDs over the months seemed to take the toil on me as I reflected on my savings. Maybe I should make a conscious effort to be extremely selective when making purchases now.
scribbled at 8:25 PM
I went to kbox for klunch with my sister. Unfortunately, we visited the branch at Jurong Entertainment Centre, which is infamous for its unsatisfactory service. It was the last resort because we did not place a reservation beforehand, which in hindsight was unwise since the public holiday attracted hordes of people to kbox. The branch in LOT1 was full and the nearest familiar branch was therefore at JEC. The lunch served (curry chicken rice) was unexpectedly better and more filling this time, as compared to the delifrance pastry I had the last trip there. However, the good impression was momentary because we were actually invited to leave ten minutes before time! Ultimately, the place still rank last among all the other kbox branches I have been to, despite the second chance given.
Having learnt my lesson when I lost all my previous photos due to hard disk failure, I have set up an online photo gallery to act as a backup to my pictures saved in a personal 100G external hard disk. Besides, the gallery can also better facilitate my relatives and friends in viewing my collection of photographs. For anybody interested, it is at http://public.fotki.com/xeonkai/ and the first album contains shoots from S.H.E autograph session yesterday. Enjoy but pardon my poor shooting techniques and my inferior 2.0 Megapixels digital camera. (as compared to Gary's 4.0 Megapixels and BY's 6.3 Megapixels camera) scribbled at 7:35 PM
My guard duty was unusually peaceful and slack, despite the initial unhappiness triggered off, when some people from the other unit cancelled our names in the detailing sheet and the final embarrassment felt, when I was standing on the podium receiving furtive glances from passer-bys on the ground. It was a blessing in disguise when I agreed to change my duty. The original garung BOS was substituted by a first sergeant who knew some of us, and thanks to the monsoon season which caused continuous rain till 10pm at night, we were spared from prowling in the day.
After a tiring day of duty, I looked forward most not to sleep, but to the S.H.E autograph session held in the evening. I asked Mark out for dinner at Marina Square before the autograph session but I was early. At 4pm, the crowd that greeted me at the Main Atrium was already overwhelming. When Mark came, we went to a fast food restaurant at the basement for dinner. It was a bad experience. The cashier spoke in such a high-pitched voice that I had trouble listening to what she was saying. The result was disastrous. She did not deliver my orders accurately and even upsize my meal without my consent. In the end, I ate my dinner grudgingly. (The cost of that meal was a wowing $12.40!)
Things did not go well for the autograph session too. It was a fiasco - the first time I queued up for an autograph session without the sight of the stage, not that I attended many though. (My first autograph session was to help BY sign Yanzi's Perfect Day, this was the second.) So many people turned up that the queue extended to the whole external perimeter of Marina Square. I joined the queue at 5:45pm and endured about three and a half hours of stuffy and humid air outside the shopping centre before I was directed into the air-conditioned enclosed area at the Main Atrium. Not to mention that I missed the performance of S.H.E. (obviously since I was ouside Marina Square.)
Some complaints or maybe, suggestions that the organising committee can take note of:
Marina Square Main Atrium is NOT suitable for conducting of autograph sessions. There was simply not enough space for all the people who turned up in this case. For popular groups like S.H.E, the autograph session should be held at a more spacious place.
Set up more baricades to ensure order in the queue.
Limit the number of albums each person can request for signature to 1, especially since it really works. (Soon after host Ding Zhiyong adjusted the limit from 3 to 1, the queue moved rather quickly as compared to previously)
Even though the signature is illegible, it seems to be the only comforting reward to ease my extreme dissatisfaction for the day. :(
scribbled at 10:48 PM
I had swopped my original duty on next Thursday with Teddy's, resulting in me having to endure both physically and mentally a 24-hours gruelling guard duty on a Sunday! Although past encounters had proven the BOS tomorrow to be a garung one, the absence of the HQ CSM on a Sunday made up for it.
It has been raining intermittently for the whole day, thus foiling my plans to go running in the afternoon. I feel so uncomfortable without exercising. Sigh! But looking on the bright side of things, if the weather continues to be bad tomorrow, then my guard duty will be even slacker.
The thought of going back to camp tonight spoilt all my mood for going out. My day was spent on clearing the stuff on my table, watching TV and surfing the internet. It was a damn boring day. Anyway, I ought to start practising for my SAT 1 soon. I had a sudden desire to attain higher scores for my critical reading and writing sections because my previous scores for the 2 sections were quite embarrassing and I needed a score of 2,100 for my A*STAR scholarship application. (I'm short of 70 points.) Hope my involvement in writing and editing articles for the Signals 40th Annivarsary book actually helps a bit. Haha.
scribbled at 6:56 PM
My blog is reborned.
After poring through countless number of skins at blogskins.com, I finally set my eyes on this black-and-white blogskin. Among the many dazzling and colouful skins available, this skin may look inferior, yet its simplicity struck a chord with me. It was love at first sight. People who knows me well enough will know that I have always loved black. I do not know the reason myself, but the mysterious feeling associated with black seems to have a soothing effect on me. The design of this blogskin blends the 2 colours well and the final result looks stylish. You may disagree with me on that though, but WHATEVER! I don't care. :) (Credits go to blackraeyn. I have seen a number of his blogskins and I think he's a superb designer.)
Other new additions to my blog include a tagboard, and links to some of my friends' blogs. I hope these improvements can make my blog more appetizing and attractive, in view of BY's comment that my entries are not that interesting after all.
scribbled at 10:06 PM
The week in camp has been quiet and unhappening. Basically, I had nothing much to do except proof-reading the finalized articles for the 40th Signals Annivarsary book, which took only around 2 hours. I killed the rest of the time by exercising, listening to music and reading books. (contrary to the mean remarks that Bingyi made) To my pleasant surprise, we were even forced to stay out for 1 night today because our accomodation block will experience a power cut tonight. This was a timely opportunity for me to enjoy a respite, away from the boring routine in the camp. Yet I ought to cherish the free time in camp now because the next 2 weeks will most likely be kept busy due to the upcoming exercises. Sigh!
Today is already the 5th of January. I know it seems a bit late for me to publish my new year resolutions but here they are anyway: (note: they are revised)
Maintain a healthy lifestyle by adopting a balanced diet and exercising regularly
Make more, and most importantly, save more money$$
Improve my English in both speaking and writing
Pick up a third language, i.e French or German
Learn music theory and hopefully, a new musical instrument (I played a Chinese instrument called Erhu previously)
Secure a scholarship for overseas undergraduate studies
Anyway, I'm looking forward to S.H.E autograph session next Monday. For those of you who still do not know the details, they are as follows:
Venue: Marina Square, Main Atrium
Date and Time: 9th January 2006 at 7pm
scribbled at 9:00 PM
I didn't want to start a blog.
But I succumbed to my inner desire to own one, just like how my friends had done so before me. It was a struggle. On one hand, I wanted to keep my thoughts and encounters private. On the other, there was a voice in my heart that kept on pushing me to publish a blog online. Perhaps it was the initial enthusiasm felt that gave birth to this blog.
The funny thing is, although this blog began only in 2006, the account was actually created a year ago. I could still remember the frustration felt when I did not seem to understand how the blog hosting site worked a year ago. In retrospect, I think I was real dumb then. When I logged in today, I realised the working mechanism could not be any simpler. Well, at least I'm not too concerned about the design and layout of the blog - the templates provided looked fine to me. I just needed a tiny space online to contain my experiences and opinions.
Come to think about it, it may be a wise decision to employ the use of blogger.com rather than my previous diary hosting site, which only provided text input and used an ugly black-and-white layout. The only comforting advantage was probably the ability of the diary to be kept private despite it being hosted online.
Today marks the restarting of work for me in 3 Signals after a refreshing year-end break in 2005. I had expected my day to be spent in camp doing brainless checks on equipments but there was an unanticipated twist of events. CPT Shane brought me along as a scribe for an interview with a COL in NTU. I was granted the luxury to stay out for a day to do my work at home. It proved to be meaningful then because it provided me with internet access to start my blog on this fateful day. On another note, I seemed to be on a lucky streak today. For a person who does not have much fortune in lucky draws and such, I actually won a pair of preview tickets for Moonlight in Tokyo at Shaw Plaza tomorrow. The irony being that I will most likely give it a miss because I will be in camp. Never mind, there are still many chances next time.
It's already 6 plus now and the audio file for the interview has not been sent to me. Hope CPT Shane actually did something about it when I smsed him just now. Think I have to work late tonight to finish it. Meanwhile, let me just wish all a HAPPY NEW YEAR 2006!!
scribbled at 5:17 PM
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