My leg injury seems to be playing hide-and-seek with me, I guess it is prevalent in sport injuries. Immediately after the IPPT run, I was experiencing acute pain around my knee whenever I exerted pressure on my right foot; in the subsequent morning, the pain had miraculously abated to an imperceptible intensity level! Thus, there goes the initial diagnose by my family doctor: the defect apparently lies among the soft tissues of the knee, (cartilage' being the only one I could assimilate and comprehend in the string of examples given) and it is difficult to pin-point the exact location. Most similar cases saw the injury recovering after long periods of abstinence from exercises that exact tremendous kneework and he prescribed me some painkillers, coupled with a MC for exemption of physical training for 2 weeks. That was after he gave advice on the usage of a knee guard, which he claimed was useful for stabilising the framework of the knee in the course of exercise. All in all, a common case of Boomeritis, periods of inactivity needed to heal it back to normalcy.
'Aquamarine' may have the tell-tales of a bimbotic movie for teenage girls with dismissive appeal, but haven't you heard of 'Never judge a book by its cover'? As a matter of fact, I have never felt such bottom-of-the-heart joys when watching a movie for a long time now. A comedy that tells of how a mermaid became estranged from her family because she wanted to deny herself of a forced marriage in the search for true love, the plot is undeniably hackneyed but granted, there are sparkling gems among the shabby stones - behind the facade spawns invaluable fraternal ties and love between friends. And the pluses, the lead actresses are so gorgeous and it is amusing to look at things from the vantage point of girls.
scribbled at 4:49 PM
A couple of days ago, I was returning home from a quick foray to the Jurong West Community Library when I noticed workers putting together a make-shift platform, or a pseudo-stage, and a temporary canvas shelter on the vacant field beside Pioneer Mall. The first thought that crossed my mind was "oh, rallies!", since polling day is rapidly approaching, but I quickly dispelled that idea. Of course, I had grounds for dismissing straightaway the prospects of an opposition brawl materialising in my West Coast - Ayer Rajah GRC. Essentially, simply because the incumbent ruling team is too strong.
Frequent town council newsletters would find their way on my coffee table every now and then to keep the residents abreast of the most recent developments in the neighbourhood and I recalled leafing through one such publication just last week. Contrary to previous likes, it seemed skewed towards highlighting the various upgrading projects in the precincts, which consisted of those currently undertaken and those slated to begin in the near future. If its purpose was to remind residents what the MPs had accomplished and delivered over the past five years, it undoubtedly was efficient and well thought-out. If ever the opposition parties decide to suppress their apprehension of a lost in favour of fielding their candidates here, the plethora of amenities and facilities will remain poised to win votes for the PAP: Pioneer Mall renders it more convenient for my mother to visit a supermarket and for me to have a haircut, the enlarged library boasts of a greater assortment of books, the 2 new MRT stations will increase the proximity of my flat to a MRT station, and the official opening of the sports complex at the end of this year will bring a much anticipated running track and swimming pool to my footstep, as if the present park connector is not enough. With so much to look forward to, what else can the people look for?
Disregarding these material comforts which some may term 'carrot for the electorate', the affability of the MP, Mr Celdric Foo, and the many activities planned by the town councils to reach the people are enough to score a goal. (The aforementioned shelter and stage were utilised for one such event, Resident's Day, which I discovered on Sunday) Taking a step back to look at the broader picture, one can detect and appreciate the efforts made by the MPs in working the grounds in almost every GRC, though I can't say with conviction for the GRCs in the eastern swathe of Singapore because I have never lived there before. I dwelled in 2 GRCs before relocating to Jurong West, namely CCK and Hong Kah and a similarity among them appeared to point to photos taken with the MPs, one taken at home with Prof Low Seow Chay and another with Mr Yeo Cheow Tong at a function organised by the town council. Perhaps I was too young to bother myself with local politics then, but the memories of the amiable MPs remained intact.
Thus, I question, does the opposition have the guts to field their candidates here? That remained as a question mark, till Nomination Day creeps up on us in 2 days' time because who knows what might spiral off from the challenges posed by Mr Lim Hng Kiang to the opposition on yesterday's papers? But I urge some PhD that have stirred up the political scene recently to desist his self-destructing stances or else he will only be revealing how naive and detestable he can get. What is more disconcerting is the worrying fact that he still have stalwarts under his umbrella; some people just can't figure he's fibbing, a demagogue to that extent!
Never mind about him now. I shall elaborate a bit on one of the issues that was brought up in the televised forum between MM and some teenagers: political apathy among Singaporean youths, whose increasing trend I believe do not warrant much cause for concerns. It is of natural disposition that young teenagers neglect local politics because they are still not mature and too caught up in their own school work and it is in my contention that eventually, these pillars of the country will embrace politics simply due to the omnipresence of politics in our world and the influencing effects they have on the working mechanisms. Take me for example, I had never thought much of keeping myself knowledgeable of politics in the different countries, but after being conscripted into the army, the loads of free time I possessed have translated into valuable time to unveil more of the world around me. That is, I presume a road many will encounter and tread on after me, though I do not brush off exceptions.
Evidence of my above claims and don't be mistaken, that's my brother, not me!
scribbled at 4:24 PM
Fancy spending 2 1/2 hours on travel to and fro Expo from my house in Jurong West? I performed the feat once again, one week after the BOOKS Warehouse Sale, and this time, I found it more worthy of my efforts. JJ's Party was, to put it in the lingo of the younger generation, simply cool. But first, let me apologise to Gary for my tardy arrival at Expo - it's a miracle someone with low tolerance level like him didn't blow his top when I met up with him 10 mins after our stipulated timing. :)
Similar to every other autograph sessions I had attended, a long queue had formed up by the time we reached Hall 8 and we were banished to the end of the queue, ironically in front of Hall 9. It wasn't too draggy before we were led into Hall 8, and the view that greeted me was MAGNIFICENT! There were around 5 to 6 giant screens, a gargantuan number of seats (albeit a lot remained unfilled), and the lightings and atmosphere constituted a semblance of the ambiance so familiar in concerts. The only element that seemed wanting was the 'high' feelings of the audience. Several times, when the host Ling-zhi tried to 'taunt' the audience, what were reciprocated appeared to be unsynchronised cheerings, or worst still, some people didn't even bother to move their mouth. (I might be guilty of that too, haha) But, I guess it could not be helped. Some of the people were apparently present for a free concert, and definitely not some ardent die-hard fans of JJ. I probably belonged to the category of 'mature listeners' of JJ's music, thus found the notion of shouting hoarsely catchphrases like 'JJ', 'Lin Jun Jie' or 'Jiu shi Jun Jie' too far-fetched. The situation worsened to the effect that Ling-zhi had to resort to eliciting 'wayang' form the spectators to close the video shoot, presumably going to be played during JJ's world tour concert, debuting in Shanghai with Singapore as its second stop. Hoping to carry on with the show, we complied with the request to feature the hand signal, but not without much discomfort and only perfunctorily, as I hurriedly laughed it off.
JJ's live vocals were just good, plain and simple as it is. The highlight ought to go to Lin Yu Zhong, who stole some of the limelight from JJ, with his catchy tune from his first album and a consummate display of his talents in an unplugged demonstration. He was hitherto a background music enthusiast, who had written songs for many other singers. Other stars spotted in the crowd were Hong Junyang, Xu Huan Liang, and J3 from SuperBand (the lead singer just loves his conspicuous cap). The sketching contest was no less entertaining than the performance itself, what with the distorted versions of JJ and the Dou Ji Yan.
To sum it up, Ocean Butterflies is just filthy rich, no doubt with its recent injection of millions from a US company. From the splendour quite evident in this small-scale mini-concert, - with fireworks sparks not used once but twice or thrice -, one can imagine the grandeur that will be inextricably linked to the real concert. Too bad I didn't bring enough cash with me, or else I could have obtained a signature on the concert tix. After JJ sang his last piece for the night, I made my way out of the hall regretfully. Let's brace ourselves for one of the biggest event in the local music scene on June 24th!
Just an afterthought. From the observation that the ages of the people who turned up happened to be concentrated mostly in the group from 12-16, I would say it accentuated the importance of good conduct of public figures so as to offer exemplary role models for Y-Gen teenagers, who wean on pop idols and tend to take after them. :)
scribbled at 11:30 PM
The exasperated host, Lingzhi
JJ in Cao cao
The sparks hyped up the atmosphere!
The newcomer, Lin Yu Zhong looks set to storm the music arena!
JJ in his impassioned singing
scribbled at 11:11 PM
Uncertainties - that's what my future holds for me, at least for now. But one thing is for certain - it looks bleak. :(
For one, I have not heard from A*star regarding my interview results, even though it seemed pretty much predictable. Still, I need a confirmatory email from them in order to vanquish the little hopes still raging inside me. And an invitation email from UM to enroll in their LSA Honors Program doesn't make things any better - only serves to make my heart ache more...
Basically, I have in mind a few other alternative plans in the case of A*star NSS scholarship rejection. In order of merit, the first being applying to the NUS Chemical Sciences Program, whereby admitted students will undergo a rigorous study plan that will well equip them with expertise in synthetic organic chemistry, biochemistry, pharmacology, molecular biology and pharmaceutical chemistry all sheltered under the big theme of Medicinal Chemistry. Coincidentally, admitted students may also get the chance to obtain the A*star PGA in the second year. The only drawback for me seems to hinge on whether I studied Biology in A Levels, since the program will charter on biology knowledge as well. And a contradiction on the NUS website stated that A Level Biology is a pre-requisite, yet a glance at their study program seems to give allowance for those who did not study A Level Biology. That I have to clarify with them when things get a bit more settled down.
If all else fails, which I hope will not be the case, a double major in Chemistry and Maths should prevail, though I still have to make sure the combination is offered.
scribbled at 12:49 PM
Was it the kiasu nature of locally-bred Singaporean or was it legitimate love for books that drew crowds to the BOOKS Warehouse sale at Expo this weekend? I hope it's the latter.
I wasn't expecting to purchase many books at the warehouse sale today, since I reasoned that buying fiction books was extravagance use of money (due to the ubiquity of libraries in Singapore), and none of the different varieties of non-fiction books seemed to strike a chord with me. I was quite right. When I reached the hall, the whole place was a veritable marketplace, less the clamouring of aunties bargaining prices and the fishy stench - there were many clusters of books arranged in an orderly fashion labeled with names like 'fiction', 'non-fiction', 'business', 'computing', 'intellectual reads' etc, and people were gathered all around the cluster, trawling through books like searching for the freshest among a whole carton of fishes. To let you have a feeling of how crowded the place was, let just say that I was nearly suffocated - literally. After spending an hour leafing through various books whose titles arrested my attention, I became bored and paid to leave, rather it was my mother who paid, because she had accompanied me to the sale. (sad right? I couldn't find any friends to go out with, and the thought of going out alone didn't appeal to me either, at least my mother became the financial source... Haha) The denouement of the episode: I left with a book that may be useful for my future studies, some text that explains the whole complicated theory behind NMR spectroscopy.
After which we went to Marina Square Cavana Chicken for dinner and I bought a protective case for my Zen MicroPhoto. Window-shopped for a belated present but couldn't set my mind on any particular thing. I shall leave it to the next few days then.
scribbled at 9:45 PM
Having gained some equanimity after the disastrous interview which spoils my appetite just thinking of that supercilious PhD, I decided to force myself to come to terms with the results whatever it is and stop wallowing in self-pity. Ultimately, it will be just a overseas experience I will be losing, and I think the prospect of going overseas weighed too heavily on me previously before the interview. Not that I don't relish an US education now, but I guess I have resorted to comforting myself that I can still go in future for my PhD studies. And never will I allow myself to acquire such pomposity even if I have a PhD...
scribbled at 2:05 PM
I'm feeling so miserable and terribly angry at myself now that I think I'm having a mental breakdown. I FEEL LIKE CRYING SO MUCH...:(
scribbled at 4:17 PM
Anyone interested to join me for JJ Party on 23rd April?? Those who have bought JJ's Singapore edition of his latest album Cao Cao that is. And is anyone enthusiastic for JJ Singapore Concert?? Must inform me because I want to go!
scribbled at 8:26 PM
A typical love story, whereby the lovers have to cross multiple barriers and obstacles in order to be together, leading to the demise of one party and the agony of the other. But what was luring my eyes away from the screen was a couple sitting a few seats away from me, engaging in I-don't-know-what, maybe some hanky-panky or caressing or petting, that was sometimes making my row of seats shake, coupled with their loud giggling and laughters that were distracting. I guess their emotions were evoked by the few bed scenes in the movie. I'm not a prudish person, but isn't this a bit too blatant? What's more, it prevented me from listening clearly to what the actors were saying, with no chinese subtitles and all.
scribbled at 5:42 PM
A weak old man of empty threats - that's the only thing he's capable of making.
Despite all the complaints against CCIS PC and his monstrous acts, I am still keeping my reservations on his character and demeanour. The person who pissed me off more than anyone else is none other than TTB, who seemed to wield with much pleasure his newly found authority and power after the majority of the battalion had gone overseas. Brushing aside the frequent Coy fall-ins that he takes pride in - mostly to do pointless things like cleaning up the grass patches around the coy -, the incident on Thursday night easily aroused the ire I bore of him and it only goes to show how deplorable and abominable his behaviour is.
Roll call, that's what he claims it to be. At 2330 on Thursday, we went for a final parade of the day, the sole purpose that is to account for the strength in the coy. The notion of "any attire" brought across the message to any intellectually-abled person to be that one can wear whatever he deems fit, presumably sleeping attire since it was near midnight. I trudged downstairs therefore in slippers and admin attire. But TTB had to arrive in his repulsive singlet and make a mountain out of a molehill.
He siphoned off all those who wore appropriate outfit and I guess he found the number still too huge for him to manage, thus he marginally accepted sandals and sent off a few more guys to the safe heaven of the bunk. Eventually, there were an unlucky 8 person left, me included. These days, I reckon he finds confiscating 11B a thrill - we were instructed to bring down ours but not before another round of nagging that we must always bring our 11B around because we might fall down the stairs, break our head, need a urgent blood transfusion, and ... his wild imagination took the better of him. By now, I was already smoldering with rage and I raised the issue that I had guard duty the following day indignantly. Well, one of the node spec was attempting to talk terms with him in Hokkien and I found myself curbing my anger so as not to render his negotiation useless. I debated and thought that it was useless to rebut him considering his stubborn temper. So I relented, gave up my 11B and after twisting Kervin's words and coercing us to admit that we are in the wrong, he returned the 11Bs to us. What nonsense, I figure he realised that he was in no position to give any punishments and succumbed to our suggestions of a warning?! Seriously, I don't think it warranted anything more than giving us a warning, but he had to drag the drama to past midnight!
With all the strict rules and regulations being enforced in camp nowadays, and all the threats of giving extras being bandied about, I suppose they have disillusioned all in camp of a peaceful and fun April.
scribbled at 5:55 PM
The recent surge in televised singing competitions, sparked by the popular Singapore Idol and put into focus by Jue Dui Superstar, is definitely not unfounded. It had glued nearly a hundred thousand pairs of eyes on the black box last weekend to bring on the birth of the first Campus Superstar. Mine included. Although I was performing guard duty that day and missed the last part of the competition, I had confidence that Zhiyang would thrive and bag the title. And indeed he had, behold the crooner, Huang Zhiyang from Hwa Chong Institution! Part of me was immersed in pride because we had came from the same school and this seemed to serve as a vindication of the common misconception that students from branded schools are geeky. Who says?! :)
Looks like my initiative to clear off on Tues and Wed after the Coy off on Monday was apt. On Tuesday, I received a notification email from A*star for the 1st round interview on 11 April and I was required to RSVP by today. But still, I could have gone home yesterday for night-out to access the net if I didn't take offs. Anyway, I'm beginning to feel a bit of pressure put forth by the interview but it was nothing compared to that of last year. Probably I have taken things in my stride after being shrouded by the fact that I would be studying locally for 1 year. I got nothing to lose. Hopefully, it would allow me to bear my natural self to the panel for scrutiny and I will come across as a sincere candidate.
scribbled at 9:07 PM
It was a close shave. Had it not been for CPT Shane's spicy recommendation letter that arrived at the eleventh hour on Monday night, putting a stunning finishing touch to my scholarship package, I would have missed the deadline this Friday and all hopes of going overseas would have evaporated. And gone into the drains would be my future career as a researcher in A*star, the leading research conglomerate in Singapore. To say the least, I should extend my thanks to my father, who reminded me that the one miserable stamp affixed on the heavy envelope would not be enough for the post office, thus echoing my inexperience and negligence in application trivialities, and my sister who spent time amid her busy study schedule to assist me in printing the rec letter and mailing out the envelope. I really must count my blessings to be surrounded by such caring family members, superiors and friends.
The week in camp was considerably slack, highlighted only by the problematic 12 hours night shift in PLC, and the dreary hours of waiting in Stagmont Camp as the Step-Up for the TOC to push through. The rest of the time was devoted to reading, playing table tennis on the miniature make-shift table and running (attempts to gear up for long-distance runs). So, there goes the BPT and here comes APRIL, peppered with guard duties but nonetheless promising of offs and loads of free time for personal developments!
Book-outs were supposed to be hearty but stranded at the bus-stop in the rainy and blustery weather, looking on forlornly as buses after buses drove away without stopping with hordes of passengers, and tolerating to my disgust the smoke from cigarettes of inconsiderate people waiting at the bus-stop, I felt a sudden wave of sadness passing through my body and slowly debilitating me. I realised the reason behind my favouring Taxis and loathing buses. I longed to own a personal vehicle!
scribbled at 12:33 PM
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