Moaning In Silence

Angela's Live in Singapore

2008-06-02T13:28:00.002+08:00

Despite her illness, it was a songbird's display of her powerful vocals and emotions. I luv it!

wOOhoo!~ exAmS' oVer!

2008-05-07T12:20:00.000+08:00

My nEw BAbY

2008-04-21T12:59:00.004+08:00

(Source: The Apple Store (Singapore))

Routine

2008-03-15T19:17:00.001+08:00

These days, life has been a routine. Not that it's bad but there's nothing to blog about. So till a time when things get more exciting.

wEdDiNG bELLs

2008-01-27T10:31:00.000+08:00

I seemed over-aged to be opening the door of the car and receiving the groom for my cousin but it was lots of fun looking at the boisterous xiong di and jie mei duan pitting their taunts against each other. The most rewarding for waking up so early in the morning at 5am were the ang baos which I collected totaling $308! Quick money for a morning's job, haha.:P

For all those bankers-wanabes, you might want to take note of this icon - the M Bull in M Hotel which signifies their location at the hub of financial activities in Singapore.

tANya'S sHoWcASe

2008-01-21T09:56:00.000+08:00

No, it wasn't Jay World Tour Concert that I remembered most from last weekend. Rather, it was this mini live concert that I enjoyed to a greater extent.

24 yEaRS oF mARRiAgE

2008-01-09T10:12:00.000+08:00

A mini celebration at Nihon Mura.

oNE * kAyAkisT! :P

2008-01-04T21:37:00.000+08:00

I wasn't too looking forward to kayaking initially, but the 2-days one star kayaking course changed my perception of things. It was fun learning the correct techniques and strokes while building up my confidence. Yay, will definitely do leisure kayaking after this! :)

nEw hOpEs fOr tHe nEw yEaR

2008-01-02T14:55:00.000+08:00

May all the unhappiness of the previous year be forgotten with the start of a brand new 2008! :)

BBDC no more!

2007-12-15T10:32:00.000+08:00

I wouldn't hesitate or even blink once to wish this place goodbye! :P

Xin Guang Bang

2007-12-10T11:01:00.000+08:00

It's kidda late to get hooked on Taiwan Xin Guang Da Dao only at this stage but it's not my fault. Channel 56 starts airing it only a few months back and I'm not one who likes watching variety shows online on youtube, crunchyroll or what have you. And yes, the variety show has reasons to win big on Golden Bell Award. At certain points during the show, I was moved by the contestants, their camaraderie and their emotions. And not to mention the strong vocal standards of most of the contestants. Yeah, and I will continue to watch it.=) So much better than the local singing contests. bleah.

Albums of the year

2007-12-07T11:20:00.000+08:00

Quite satisfied that I have been selectively purchasing albums this year, unlike the lavish manner of spending during NS. Well, kidda regret that I didn't save more during NS. Will be giving away and selling some of my cds soon. 6 albums for the year. That isn't too much, though I have yet to consider Ang 5.0. Haha.

933 Hit Awards

2007-10-30T10:16:00.000+08:00

I thought of sms-ing in for a chance to win a pair of free 933 Hit Awards tickets but didn't because of Real Run on Sunday. But by chance or coincidence, I was at Singapore Indoor Stadium on Saturday night after my OG mates were given ten tickets after flashing their Singtel phones at a booth at Vivocity. Riding on the sponsorship of Singtel, there I was, a great time cheering for yanzi with OG mates who were also yanzi fans. :)

I figured that the response from the public was just bad. The indoor stadium was not even half filled, would be even more pathetic without the free tickets given out by Singtel and if Fahrenheit didn't come for the event.

Nevertheless, the performances by some of the artistes were awesome. Special mention should go to Evan Cai; the whole stadium was literally singing and swaying along with his rendition of the widely publicised Wo Ke Yi. Though Fahrenheit's singing was lacklustre, they spiced up the atmosphere with hordes of fans clustering at the baricades cheering wildly.

It was a fun night, though I hate the loud whistling which almost blew up my eardrums and the hassle of taking a cab home after midnight. I was lucky I survived the Real Run the following day with 3 other OG mates who went for the Awards Ceremony too. Haha.

gOOdBye aNd HellO

2007-10-25T20:50:00.000+08:00

Uncommercialised but sensual and smoothing. It's all too typical of Tanya Chua. A good companion for a quiet night:) Darwin rocks but sounds too vaguely familiar. Haha. Oh, and I caught a glimpse of the calender as I was passing by a CD stall in school and I preordered. Which means I will be getting mine in school next Friday! Can't wait!~

keLLy pOoN

2007-10-20T22:08:00.000+08:00

She came back successfully remade image-wise! Though her voice was not strong enough to pull off the wide-ranged Yi Miao Zhong De Yong Yuan, the song suited her perfectly. And Shakalaka Baby was awesome... hmm.. she might just make it big with a bit of luck:)

fUn iN ScHooL!

2007-10-19T16:25:00.000+08:00

Sitting alone in a corner in Mega Bites Cafe at the Science faculty of NUS waiting for friends to finish their lessons and join me for Kelly Poon's campus concert tonight, I had a sudden urge to pose some interesting photos we took during biology lab just now. School is fun! For those of you interested, the first illustrates the process of electrophoresis, the second is an application of biotechnology to create red fluorescent zebrafish and the last, whatever your imagination makes out of it... Haha!!!:)

Be Inspired

2007-10-03T20:21:00.000+08:00

Rachael Barton Pines - an inspiration to budding musical talents!

Complacence?!

2007-09-18T21:06:00.000+08:00

Just after I had sung my praises for RecordTV, it had to malfunction and cause my Falling In Love to be a blank! I hope it corrects itself by tomorrow... I dun wanna miss an episode! Argh!

My Saviour

2007-09-18T13:25:00.000+08:00

I must give credit to RecordTV that has been paramount in recording Falling in Love that I must miss due to my 6-8pm lectures on Tuesdays like this:)

Singapore Hit Awards

2007-09-05T20:14:00.000+08:00

Jay Chou, Stefanie Sun, Fahrenheit, S.H.E ...

I have exercised my votes, have you?

pOwER oF tEcHnOloGy

2007-09-03T13:47:00.000+08:00

I captured a shot of my newly acquired ThinkPad with my handphone, transferred the photo file to my laptop via Bluetooth and uploaded it on my blog within a matter of minutes! No more inconvenience of using my lousy camera (having the same MP as my phone, imagine!), playing with wires of any sorts and the occasional squabbles with my sister over the usage of my desktop PC! Yay!

Updates! =)

2007-08-29T20:59:00.000+08:00

It has been some time since I last blogged and here are some miscellaneous tidbits to update friends around me! :)

1) School has been rather fast-moving and I'm into the third week of the semester! Busy? Not quite. The timetable for Chem eng first year is supposed to be slacker and the workload is supposed to increase exponentially over the 4 years. That really scares me. Haha.

2) I'm officially in 2 CCAs - Exxonmobil Campus Concert Crew and Elderly Befriender!

3) Jurong East has become my favourite haunt for studying. Catch me in the library, Delifrance, foodcourt or some fast food outlet in JEC! Quite elusive... huh? Welcome anyone who is free to join me! Haha. And I have spotted FL quite a few times already, though he always seems to be in a rush.

4) I have changed my handphone to Nokia 6120 Classic under SingTel Student Plan. Talk about the perks of being a student. That's just the tip of the iceberg.

That's all for now. Update soon!

The Undisputed STAR

2007-08-04T21:18:00.000+08:00

After aggressively looping "Have You Heard Lately" on my MP3 player for the past one week, I was moved by the powerful vocals of A-Mei and preordered my copy of her album thereafter. Easily the best piece of composition written by Jay for other singers; the rest were either penned without much efforts or ruined by the singers. In comparison, the big voice of A-Mei carried this song with much strength and punch! It just rocks=)

ChEss FwC'07

2007-08-01T18:25:00.000+08:00

ChEss FwC'07 wasn't the most fun of camps around but it was one good way to know people in my faculty. And three of my OG mates happened to be in my tutorial group, which was really lucky. :P

<<我不想忘记你>>

2007-07-23T19:27:00.000+08:00

这把悦耳的歌声终于揭开面纱了，遗憾的是，类似这样的歌声在市场里早已出现了。

太像张韶涵，是她的致命伤。《仨人》里的三把声音 - 郭静、张韶涵、范玮琪，难以分辨。但无可置疑，她是有实力的。虽然专辑不是很抢耳，但听出了她的潜力。

推荐歌曲：《我不想忘记你》、《麻雀》、《你的香气》

暂时被淘汰？

2007-07-03T11:32:00.000+08:00

虽然上届校园 Superstar 已经在用，但还是觉得这句话不恰当，听得很别扭。

既然有始至终没被淘汰，又怎么会有 “暂时被淘汰” 的出现？

“有可能被淘汰” 或是 “有被淘汰的危险”不是更适合吗？

True Friend?

2007-06-22T12:17:00.000+08:00

Haha. Try this... I think mine's easy.

Create your own Friend Test here

Mama Mia!

2007-06-10T16:12:00.000+08:00

I love outings with my maternal family! Having missed many such past outings during school holidays because of either NS or work, I enjoyed myself thoroughly last Wednesday. Shrek 3 was not as good as its predecessor but a scrumptious dinner at House of Sudanese Restaurant quite made up for it. Looking very forward to the next one. Haha.

Oh, and Happy Birthday to myself!~ Not that I'm very excited about this 21st birthday, since half the day had been used for cleaning up my table and the other half would most likely be spent staying at home and wallowing in the joy of having bought a Guess belt and an Adidas cap as birthday presents for myself. :) And before I forgot, thanks to Jared for sending me a birthday card all the way from Melbourne! Quite shocked me though. Haha.

Worth the time? Not quite...

2007-05-22T18:01:00.000+08:00

There seems to be a donut craze nowadays and the craze I think is with the queuing part. After hearing how people can queue up for three hours for a few rings of flour on Yes93.3 Peifen's programme, I decided to experience it myself today at Vivocity's Vinco.

And yes, the quality of the donuts were overrated, though Mighty Almond tastes well enough. One hour for the donuts wasn't well-spent, and the waiting time seriously could have been shortened. 3 fickle-minded ladies with unpolished organisational skills trying to order 36 donuts but discussing and struggling to place the correct donuts into the correct boxes apparently confused the poor girl at the counter. That customer itself took around 20 minutes! It's no wonder a Caucasian can shake his head with exasperation as he departed the queue with his wife and children. Haha.

玩音乐就是这样！

2007-05-19T12:42:00.000+08:00

大家都说 S.H.E 应该唱些可爱的歌，我想 Play 就让她们唱个痛快了吧！

Play 实在把音乐玩得恰到好处，有味道。
虽然原先觉得《中国话》没怎么样，引发的政治课题也太小题大做了吧。
但那不是重点。
重点是，专辑中有些歌曲的确不错，值得一听。
《听袁惟仁弹吉他》歌词写得好，《再别康桥》旋律轻快好听。
大家不妨一听为快！哈哈。

Jaded

2007-05-03T10:50:00.000+08:00

Can't actually believe that this is only my third movie of the year, apparently this year didn't start out all that well for me, kept myself packed with work and tuitions purposelessly for the past few months and was swept into a whirlpool of my own, treading on the verge of depression and trying to find myself desperately among all the wild thoughts. I'm glad my parents somehow talked me out of it and I hope the healing process won't take too long...

Anyway, I quited my work and I would be happy if anyone out there wants to meet up with me... Haha..

Stefanie's Autograph

2007-04-21T11:49:00.000+08:00

This post might be a bit late, but anyway...

Preorder just a gimmick

2007-03-24T17:29:00.000+08:00

I'm so disillusioned and disappointed with the practice of preordering albums in Singapore. It happened in the case of Jay Chou's and now Stefanie's. Taking a random walk around music stores, I discovered to my disgust that Ni Guang is selling at the same preorder price with the supposedly exclusive preorder gift. What, I wonder, is the point of preordering in the first place then except to make oneself more excited towards the date of release? The advertisement is so misleading and it's such a cheap tactic to include the postcards that were manufactured in surplus together with the already released album to clear stock. I feel so cheated for the second time.

Against The Light

2007-03-22T21:43:00.000+08:00

掏钱买的第一张2007年发行的专辑

而且在两个星期前已预购和期待了

今天终于登上了唱片行的架子

实在按捺不住心里不由自主浮起的兴奋和紧张.

当<逆光>在 Yes933 首播后
略觉首波主打不够吸引人
为燕姿捏了一把冷汗
因为接下来第二波才是专辑的灵魂
<我怀念的> 把燕姿独特的音质找回来了!

整张专辑听了好几遍
可以感受制作人的用心
抑扬顿挫是有的.
但是可能对专辑抱着太高的期望
所以仍有一点儿的失望.
快歌方面<叽咕叽咕>和<爱情的花样>虽然好听
但稍微普通了些.
抒情歌曲终究是她的拿手好戏
<安宁>, <漩涡> 让我留下深刻映像.

别再谈她在埃及发生的事件, 把焦点放在她要给大家的音乐吧!

推荐歌曲: <我怀念的>, <安宁>, <漩涡>

On a side note, JP's MJ couldn't deliver the album on time but fortunately, CD Rama did. I guess everyone realises the significance of 5 cents now, huh?

梵谷的左耳

2007-03-21T19:44:00.000+08:00

从没质疑过阿沁的歌唱实力

在他和 Faye 合唱的<天天夜夜>里亮声之后

他那把清脆的声音就让我挺欣赏的.

果然, 在独立发行个人首张专辑的情况下

带给我们的是惊喜和柔情.

从头到尾按序地听完整张专辑

只能说前头好曲连连,

后劲些许不足,

摇滚, Rap 的歌曲稍嫌普通, 没能引起太大的共鸣,

尤其结尾重新诠释<遗失的美好>,

本想唱出另一种味道, 但觉得有点弄巧反拙,

缺为专辑画下一个完美的句点.

但也吾武断地下定论,

我喜爱的曲风本偏离摇滚靠近抒情,

难免先入为主.

特爱片中和"小胖"友情合唱的必 K 对唱歌曲<记得爱>

旋律清晰, 李玖哲沙沙的声线又与阿沁的形成对比

相铺相成.

<其实还爱你>抒发了阿沁的情感,

<我不懂>则充分地表现了他的真虚音兑换技巧.

主打也容易引起听众的注意.

一张颇佳的大碟,

如有改版, 不妨考虑购买.

推荐曲目: <梵谷的左耳>, <其实还爱你>, <记得爱>, <我不懂>

黑色翅膀

2007-03-20T23:42:00.000+08:00

我的肩膀没有力量
撑起你建筑的美丽假象
真实在前方不是转身就能忘
你梦幻的国度我不会是国王
就让自己再成长
爱的感觉都随风释放
我们的旅行都还没到达
提起名叫现实的行囊

你有你的黑色翅膀
无法飞翔在我的天堂
精灵们冷冷目光
让我们坠落在彼此的脚下

收不起你的黑色翅膀
只能在黑暗的馀光游汤
聚集再多光芒
也只是披著天使外衣的狼

炫耀你黑色的翅膀
卸下你深白色的武装
振翅吧黑色的翅膀
寻找可以依靠的恶魔啊

一首有感染力的歌曲
世界的残酷
人心的险恶
难道单纯和坦白已经荡然无存了？

不，我还是抱着希望的。
简单的钢琴配乐隐约表达了悔意与包容。
世界是有度量的。

新的动力

2007-03-19T21:26:00.000+08:00

我讨厌前些日子的自己。

现在的我应该已经摆脱了先前阴霾糟透的心情，活得更洒脱了吧！

可能是要求过高，

悲观的想法和消极的态度慢慢形成。

彷徨，

因为年轻的我脑海里竟在挣扎着什么才会真正带来快乐，

生命的意义又是什么?

害怕,

因为担心自己不能达到目标,

一而再, 再而三地为自己找借口.

反正往事不堪回首.

好不容易下定决心逃出那恐怖的漩涡,

重新整理心情,

找到人生的寄托,

虽然偶尔还是会不自觉地跌入旧境,

但很快地会提醒自己要活得高兴,

享受人生, 别留下遗憾.

我想我已经看开了许多.

虽然 tS 明天将会遗弃我登上心仪的工作岗位, 我也保持一颗平常心对待, 祝福他! =)

Security Lapse

2007-03-11T22:19:00.000+08:00

My parents' nerves have been frayed ceaselessly of late, much due to the spate of varied crimes committed all under the roof of my flat, which till now still features a low occupancy rate and weak sense of neighbourliness. Vandalism, burglary and molesting - one wouldn't expect to see all three offences occurring at approximately the same time, yet it did, and quite effortlessly.

First it was a burglary on the 8th floor, which happened apparently after a suspicious Bangladeshi casted his watchful eyes into the interiors when he was enquiring about RC's repainting works. That brought us to the inevitable conclusion that he was masquerading as a worker from the contractor company. The unit was subsequently ransacked and the burglars whisked away all jewellery and valuables. This wasn't much of a concern yet because of the installation of an alarm system in my house, that boasts an automatic transmission of help signals to an operator when activated.

But a narrow encounter with a molester by the daughter of my neighbour completely threw my parents off balance. They regained their cool and came up with defensive actions like fetching my sister up from the void deck and instructing her to be alert at all times soon after. Well, and vandalism has always been a common sight in my neighbourhood, so that's nothing special. Doorbells have been smashed to smithereens and metal gates corroded on floors where there are no inhabitants as of yet.

And was it rampant crime that spurred a change in the colour of the corridors lights from amber to white? I hope so, and certainly invite more such measures to keep the bad guys at bay.

从郁闷中寻找出口

2007-03-10T21:18:00.000+08:00

晨运，使我在心无旁骛的状态下思考人生。
今早的跑步，在感慨的心情中结束了。

孔子说过类似这样的话，如果你热爱你的工作，你根本一天都没劳碌过。
如果他还在世，可能难出此言。
在这金钱挂帅的残酷现实生活中，名利和财富已经变成衡量一个人的指标。
而有多少人真正在自己的事业上找到热忱？又有多少人是真正从事他们喜欢的行业？
我想，许多人都是在埋怨和愤怒下完毕一天的差事，最后能博他们一笑的仅仅是银行账簿上的一些数字罢了。
这真是一种可悲的人生，奔波了大半辈子，换来的只是操劳的身躯，和生不带来，死不带去的财富。
真正的快乐却一直居于千里之外，难以琢磨。
我越来越能体会这种感受了。

在一家不讨好的公司上班了四个月，每个月都必须重复地按照会计的程式做同样的工作。
员工流动率又高，人手不足的情况下使那小空间根本连一丝快乐的痕迹都没有。
我都快窒息了。
要不是有音乐的陪伴和自娱的安慰，我想我早撑不住了。
白领上班族的确与我不能共存。
但又能怎样？大家都看在钱的份上。
唯一能做的，就是往好的方面去想，咬紧牙关挨多几个月，然后当回那无忧无虑的学生。。。

我多么渴望孔子的那一套说法能应验在我身上，但从目前的情况看来，那是难求的理想境界。
将来嘛？那就难说了，预料不到的未来。。。

TOTO

2007-03-03T17:54:00.000+08:00

Singaporeans were at it again. Trailing long queues outside purportedly "wang" Singapore Pools betting centres saw occurrences of the weaker ones suffering from dizzy spells and discomfort, yet these had not deterred billions of citizens from getting their hands on lottery tickets to try their luck at the coveted 10 million TOTO hongbao draw yesterday. And consecutive numbers appeared once again to be the trend - winning numbers were 5, 6, 16, 17, 28, 35 and 14.

Alas, with that shattered my hopes and translated a puny $1 into the revenue of the government. Haha.

Beleaguered

2007-02-25T15:41:00.000+08:00

I was skimming through the painstakingly conflated essays I had penned down for the short foray into US university application last year when I paused at the one submitted for Umich Honors Program. In that essay, I attempted to take on the vantage point of a political scientist in exploring the complexity of the political situation in Thailand, which at that time was compounded by large scale street demonstrations gunning for the ouster of Thaksin over a controversial business deal. My largely facile viewpoints notwithstanding, one of my worst fears actually materialised. Who would have anticipated the unexpected turn of events, save the military iron men who wielded absolute power over the army of Thailand? But disregarding the limbo that followed the coup, it took only a modicum of prophetic abilities to come up with a prognosis that portended a weakening of bilateral ties between Singapore and its northern neighbour.

Indeed, a series of finger-pointing and accusations transpired that proved to eventually undercut the once cordial relationship built on the basis of trust and mutual cooperation. Even as some politically astute top officials from both sides scrambled to conceal the tear by adopting conciliatory tones in responding to reporters, no one was under any illusion that ties could normalise in the short run. The burning of effigies of the Merlion outside the Singapore embassy during the demonstrations already caused some discontentment among some Singaporeans; the setting of fire to replicas of a Singaporean Minister after visits by Thaksin to Singapore was downright provocative! Intuitively, Singapore wasn't ready to play into the hands of the antagonists and I reckon it was wise for the government to have taken up a moderately defensive stance since then.

Foreign affairs doesn't seem to stay on course for Singapore since the beginning of the year. Elsewhere, Malaysia and Indonesia appear to have a bone to pick with Singapore over reclamation of land and boundary issues. It might be predominantly the nationalist sentiment of some governors that is stoking the fire but the envy factor brought up by some MP in Singapore is not totally unrealistic. Even then, shouldn't they pick someone their own size?

Launching into Prosperity

2007-02-24T20:49:00.000+08:00

By no chance performed in a posh restaurant, this simple ritual of having yu-sheng every year on the 7th day of the Lunar New Year signifies a desire for good fortune, pink of health, and a smooth-sailing year ahead for a middle-income average family.

平淡的新年

2007-02-19T21:12:00.000+08:00

大年初一，只到了两家亲戚家拜年，比起往年减少了不少，不知何故，也许大家都厌倦了。

大年初二，前所未有地请友人到我家拜访，吃顿家常便饭，感觉不错，被压抑着的好客本性似乎已经克服了昔日的心理障碍。亲戚的到访依照惯例没有引起太大的回响，和堂哥们都没太多的共同话题，真怀念小时候在一起赌博打趣的春节活动。呆在我家的时间也缩减了，大家都各忙各的吧，初二聚集在一起恐怕已流于形式了。有点心寒，但始终不会大难临头各自飞，血还是浓于水啊！

祝福

2007-02-17T21:32:00.000+08:00

Chinese new year never fails to keep me in a joyous and upbeat mood, even though the frenzy with Chinese traditions has fizzled over the years. I guess the holidays and new year goodies compensated for everything else.

在这里预祝大家新年快乐，在猪年里心想事成，平平安安，青春永驻! 最重要是身体健康, 才能完成梦想!

Cutting up the Budget pie

2007-02-16T23:23:00.000+08:00

It takes a considerable level of fiscal acumen at a personal level to manage one's income distribution into an array of drawers, be it allotments for savings, travel expenses, meals, filial piety, clothes, electronic gadgets and the list goes on. Being a typical Gemini without much fiscal prudence and displaying overbearing characteristics of a spendthrift, I find this balancing act insurmountable as my debits soar, more so during this festive season when shopping becomes compulsive. Henceforth, as I was listening to the budget speech 2007 yesterday, I could not but hand it to the financial wing of the government in moulding such a comprehensive budget. It certainly requires more than fiscal acumen when we are dealing with public funds that come in denomination of millions or even billions.

The intricacy of the eye-dazzling slew of new tweaks and initiatives introduced yesterday was enough to addle anyone, especially the uninitiated. But a few far-reaching changes easily did not go unnoticed. We should applaud the implementation of the GST credits scheme, which is expected to perversely reverse the regressive nature of the GST hike, coupled with a widely anticipated employer CPF's increase and Workfare. These social pillars should alleviate the concerns weighing on most Singaporeans and provide some buoyant buffer for the lower rungs of the social ladder. Cuts in corporate taxes and the multitude of tax relief and exemptions will also increase Singapore's competitive edge and position us in an ideal spot to embrace even more investments brought about by the now well-known globalisation.

Another laudable step taken to encourage skills upgrading in view of brewing a knowledge-intensive economy is the setting up of PSEA for children aged between 7 to 20. Yet, the narrow age limit somehow seems lacking. Don't forget the 2 years NS liabilities for males that ostensibly help to beef up the defence of our nation. This age restriction will unfairly tend to miss out on a particular group of lowly-educated NSFs, whom after completion of their NS stints, will be in their early twenties. Most would have lain out some plans for further studies and PSEA that might hold some $800 will definitely prove useful. I believe that the practical implementation of this incentive can be further improved.

And with so many angbaos to be given out in this year's budget pie, waste no time consolidating how much your family can receive via the Household Benefits Calculator on the Singapore Budget Website! :-)

Oh yes, and Jack Neo's new film ought not to be missed. A deja vu comical and introspective dig at the civil service sector, enjoy!!!

不靠近的征服

2007-02-04T22:22:00.000+08:00

一场可有可无的比赛，即没有惊喜，也没有突破，更没有被爱的女人。看来为了和伟贤聚一聚而错过了上半场并没有什么损失，《生日快乐》所带来的娱乐可能略胜一筹。

一份不想拖累爱人的爱慕情感，酝酿出一首首感人的音符，维系了一段藕断丝连的爱情。。。

亚洲天团的改朝换代

2007-01-28T13:17:00.000+08:00

飞轮海引爆狮城了！

几个星期前试听了几首飞轮海的主打，乍听之下发觉曲子真不赖，掏钱买了专辑，一股男生团体热自5566后再次掀起。不知怎的，似乎偏爱华研旗下力捧的团体，仔细想想，这也不是一波莫名的风潮，四个大男生样貌不在话下，幸运的是，他们还得到了同门师兄Tank和著名作曲作词人小安的跨刀协助，创作才子JJ更是作了一首专辑里的灵魂歌曲，加上师姐Hebe优质高音诠释使得他们如虎添翼。

男生团体市场一直以来不怎么活跃，飞轮海的崛起为它注射了一支强心剂，增添了些许活力。《我有我的Young》唱出了青春，应该把握年轻的时光完成梦想。一首节奏轻快的《爱到》也唱出了爱情的甜蜜，可算是唱片中最动听的歌曲。好曲颇多，这也是理所当然的，一个团体没有琅琅上口的歌曲是沉不住气的。

天时地利人和，看来5566号称的 “ 亚洲天团”这个封号是时候拱手让人了。飞轮海，继续加油吧，创造出像 S.H.E 的另一奇迹！

推荐歌曲：《爱到》，《出口》，《只对你有感觉》，《夏雪》

签唱会小爆料：去了IMM想索取签名，但人潮实在是恐怖极了，最后怀着遗憾取消念头，但场上的确发生了小暴乱，原因应该是缺乏工作人缘的关系，使到歌迷乱插队，造成人笼严重阻塞以及女歌迷喧闹的局面。新加坡人一向引以为荣的次序到了飞轮海的面前便荡然无存，可见飞轮海的人气飙升多么惊人。

场边八卦：依我看来歌唱演绎较成熟的竟是年仅二十的炎亚纶，而且他也喜欢孙燕姿，想有机会和她合作。祝你好运咯。

Repressed desire unleashed

2007-01-27T16:53:00.000+08:00

In an unprecedented move to rid myself of the curly hair, which has been ridiculed by some and unpleasingly associated with Jolin's Mr Q, I went for a hair straightening treatment at E-Salon in Pioneer Mall. Finally, some might say, since BY has been urging me to go for one eons ago. And was it a lengthy session, that lasted for 3.5 hours - rounds and rounds of chemical application on my hair, punctuated with washing and waiting for the chemicals to realise their effects. Parts of it was made worse by the pungent smell of ammonia that apparently originated from the cream and dyes. Oh yeah, on top of hair straightening, I did some highlight and that brings the whole cost to approximately $150. Sigh, the price of beauty. Anyway, here is the end product. Hope it looks good.

First and hopefully the last failed attempt at TP

2007-01-26T17:50:00.000+08:00

Was full of hopes when my instructors during revision slots expressed high chances of me passing today's TP. But things didn't work out well. Not when the tester sprang an emergency brake on me while I was fiddling with the wipers. Not when 10 demerit points were granted while executing the techniques of parallel parking, which under normal circumstances were within my grasp. Not when I wasn't taking notice of an instructor waving for me to turn when he was supposedly in the right of way, causing me to accumulate more points under the section of "delay when moving off". And the heresay that my examiner was one of the more lenient ones around just made me grieve in exasperation for this lucky opportunity gone awry. Sad. Nothing else should be said. On to the next test date, which is a very distant 2 months later.

祈祷高分的诅咒不会再次应验

2007-01-18T22:35:00.000+08:00

不管最终花落谁家，她已经是我们心目中的绝对SuperStar.

一首“触摸”震撼了全场，唱出了感动，拨动了我们的心弦.

希望观众的眼睛是雪亮的, 耳朵是灵敏的.

冲冲喜

2007-01-13T21:50:00.000+08:00

Since there's nothing worth remembering at the start of the new 2007 (erase the excruciating days of falling sick with diarrhoea and vomiting and the anticipation of a spectacular fireworks display only to be comforted by stunted sparks on some stranger's HP on New Year's Day at Vivo), I shall immerse my blog in the remnants of the sweet atmosphere of my cousin's wedding in this belated entry. And given my packed schedule, my mission now is of course to tidy up my table in time for a hopefully eventful CNY and to update my blog more regularly. Meanwhile, let's set the wedding bells ringing. =)

Christmas Merriment

2006-12-25T20:54:00.000+08:00

Can you spot the drunkards? :P

Unlike most people who would spend their Christmas eve at the elaborately lighted up roads of Orchard (more so with Singapore's recent initiatives to illuminate our night skyline) wallowing in the beauty, never mind that it's artificial, of the Christmas adornments, I spent mine in quite the contrary, snuggling up in a room of a three-storey mansion mounted along a dimly-lighted Chestnut Drive with a bunch of friends and juniors. After feeding our appetite with a tantalising and sumptuous spread of gastronomical delights (What more can I ask for? Turkey, ham, Sushi, Shepard's Pie, and a plethora of catered dishes, it had the looks of an international buffet!), it was get-together and catching-up times with Zhiyong (whom I have not seen for more than a year to date), Timothy and Eugene. It looked set to be a peaceful and harmonious night of chatting, bitching and gossiping, but not quite so. Not when the party decided to engage in drinking vodka and the likes, and some to the extent of being more than tipsy, venturing into a drunken stupor of speaking hilarious gibberish like "Oxidation is reduction..." and having a sudden craving for hugging people's legs! :) What a moment of pandemonium as the 2 drunkards created a commotion in Sebastian's room! It was serenity only after several puking sessions served the purpose of purging the poisons of the alcoholics in their bodies. Haha. It was a night of unique enjoyment. Many thanks to Sebastian for hosting and inviting me for the event.

Christmas is yet another season for me to resume my movie treats after months of hiatus, can you imagine that, my last movie was The Covenant? Caught Night at the Museum and Death Note 2 within a period of 24 hours with YT and Eugene respectively. Though some of the gags in the former did not realise their full effect in me, the ingenious plot in the latter more than made up for the shortfall of entertainment.

The Aftermath

2006-12-07T21:54:00.000+08:00

These photos were taken of me during the race by some inconspicuous photographers who did not attract even the slightest attention. And hell, had I known that the organising committee actually dispatched photographers to take pictures, I would have pushed my fists into the air while crossing the finishing line, and adorned my face with satisfied looks of triumph. But no, that was just my crying over spilt milk. Both times, I did not position my face ahead and for one, my hand was even covering my face! As tS puts it, the runner in the background looks more like the lead as compared to the one wearing bib no. 13779. :( Well, till the Standard Chartered Marathon 2007 then.

For people interested in the results, visit the official website for the event.

A Race worth revisiting

2006-12-03T13:01:00.000+08:00

An overwhelming record high of 30,000 runners of different nationalities thronging the streets of Shenton Way, Marina, Esplanade Drive and the likes, boisterous crowds of supporters brandishing placards that carried words of encouragements and clamouring to push the marathon runners to their limits, highly organised style of catering to the needs of everyone by having many different race categories - all these were but bits and pieces of the marathon of the largest scale being held in Singapore annually. And I am jubilant to be part of it this year - The Standard Chartered Marathon 2006. To further underscore the popularity of the event in Singapore, it was the first time my siblings and I actually participated together in a race, and in totally different categories at that. (My brother challenged himself to the full marathon, I stuck to my half-marathon and my sister went for the team event.)

Having only managed a slipshod training programme before the half-marathon, I was doubtful my performance would match up to the timing I clocked at the AHM. With a debilitating leg clamp acting up around 3km from the finishing line, the thought of stopping to rest crossed my mind. But I was glad that perseverance prevailed to pull me through the end point with a timing that was 25 seconds faster than my last attempt at AHM. :D Hurray! And on a self-congratulatory note, I pampered myself to a healthy breakfast at Kopitiam in Marina Square after that.

Although Standard Chartered Marathon 2006 was quickly bridging the gap to be on par with world-class international marathons held around the world, the notion brought up in a Straits Times article of Singapore marathoners being treated to a "long and lonely race" still resonates with me. Even though Runspiration (a programme mooted and implemented to draw a larger pool of supporters to cheer for the runners) was put in place, the response from the public appeared to be lukewarm as large portions of the race were completed in stinging silence, from my vantage point. I guess this is one shortcoming that the organiser can continue to ameliorate and monitor.

And since today coincides with the birthday of the boar, let me wish Jeffrey Yu a Happy Birthday, though I doubt he reads my blog. Signing off with 2 mottoes displayed along the race which I found inspirational...

A champion is one who keeps pushing himself even when no one is watching.

Life is not a rehearsal. Give it your best! :)

Bonus a fair method of allocating wealth?

2006-11-28T23:27:00.000+08:00

It's double bliss for civil servants last week as the government announces plans to up the remuneration handed out in the civil service, on top of a 2.2 months year end bonus that is widely seen as a process of distributing excess wealth accumulated in our treasury. Though my initial indignation has for the most part evolved into forced acceptance, there are still some prickling issues which I think must be brought up for rectifications, especially since our government has always been known to embrace good governance, the ideology of meritocracy and the likes.

Before we even lay our hands on the matter proper, let us rewind our memory to the news report splashed on the front page of all major and minor newspapers last week, whereby benefits cited for the bonus hike included the relief of burden in low and middle income families. But the logic of this statement is elusive, considering most civil servants are well-paid and are nowhere near the fringes of poverty. How then can the media lump this exclusive group of well-protected employees armed with an iron rice bowl with authentic low income earners who have to scrimp and save just to make ends meet? There is apparently a self-afflicting flaw in making this argument to drum up support for the policies of the government.

This in turn orientates us to other burning questions. If the real motive of the government is to lend assistance to the needy, why not employ a more direct stance by putting the excess wealth to better uses in subsidising medical costs and housing loans for the low income families instead of implementing a GST rise and after that introducing a series of measures to neutralise the impact? And do ALL civil servants really deserve the bonuses? I'm more concerned with the second question here.

Truth be told, there are definitely people in the civil service who work hard and therefore are deserving of the increased pay and bonus package. But we can't help ourselves in recognising the undeniable fact that all occupations breed black sheeps, to sound a bit extreme. So is it unfair to sprinkle bonuses indiscriminately on each and every one? I afraid so. For an example off-hand, just look at the teaching sector. Indeed, the extensive teaching industry falls no short of dedicated individuals raring to put their education ideals into practice and realise their passion of educating the next generation. Yet, the conception that teaching is a safety net to fall back on in times of unemployment remains at large and that is attracting teachers who can't be bothered to build trusting relationships with students and merely see teaching as a technical model of transferring knowledge. There are even some who venture into the teaching arena equipped with a teaching scholarship but are in fact smart people who know how to put on a false front to pull a fast one on unsuspecting interviewers, hankering only after the steady provision of income and the accompanied advantages that come with a job in the civil service. Are they really worthy of the larger bonuses?

Even more so in the bureaucratic organisation SAF where there is constantly an under-utilisation of manpower, regulars are paid highly for a contrastingly small workload. Common sights in military camps are regulars sitting together at canteens chatting merrily and doing practically nothing constructive in one whole day. Of course, on the other hand, there are regulars who are being sent on overseas mission where they put their lives in danger to protect the country's image. These are but the minorities. On top of their already premium pay package, is such a high bonus justifiable?

Assuming the selection procedures of employees in the civil service is aligned parallel to one another, this glitch exists across the board, hospitals, statutory boards and government organisations alike.

I urge the government to remedy this seemingly small but far-reaching problem, by perhaps adopting a variable bonus system where the amount of bonus one gets varies in tandem with the assessment of his attitude and efficiency at work. This might also bring about an increase in mutually beneficial competition in achieving excellence of work. Let us fight for a society which is just, non-partisan and meritocratic.

On a sideline, it remains to be seen whether private businesses will follow the government's initiative in adjusting higher the year-end bonus, given that my father did not receive a single cent of bonus from his company last year. A new year doesn't always spells good in some families...

Destiny

2006-11-18T22:40:00.000+08:00

Was it just mere coincidence or was it a greater force of fate working behind the scenes to bridge the social circles of mine and the friends around me? What was originally a table tennis outing of 5 people (BY, Gary, Teddy, Jeffrey and me) spawned into an inadvertent bumping into mutual friends (tS and WJ) at the food court in North Point. Under normal circumstances, the unplanned meeting would have been much appreciated and received but special conditions deem it the other way. Especially so when tS, Gary and me work in the same company and see one another almost everyday, coupled with tS's lament that his social life is increasingly dominated by people around BY and me. In fact, his outing with WJ today was his bid to break off from the "curse", so to speak, but his efforts apparently appeared to have gone down the drains. Perhaps this is what the physicists call Newton's third law of action and reaction forces, or rather a tweaked version whereby the energy rebounded with increased intensity. tS, I suggest you let nature take its course, staying at home today without sticking a hand into the matter might have been a wiser choice. Haha. Well, either that or, like me, make deliberate attempts to go against fate by cutting the meeting short of an extended kbox visit afterwards. Just kidding. Duh. I would have gladly joined in if not for some irreversible plans made beforehand.

The hardship of a Singaporean

2006-11-16T21:43:00.000+08:00

Just when the economy is humming steadily and a beautiful picture is being painted for the future of Singaporeans, PM Lee had to drop an unexpected bomb on us by releasing news of a further 2% increase in the GST to a alarmingly high percentage of 7% probably next year. And the rationale? To channel greater funds to help the lower income families. While the cited reason seems at first sight to be flawed and it doesn't take an economist to realise that GST is a regressive tax, thus affecting lower income families to a larger extent, further looking into the issue will lend some credibility to the policy. The lower echelon of the society who has a weaker purchasing power tend not to spend their disposable income on goods that are considered too luxury and since the necessities of everyday life can be spared partly from the GST, eg in NTUC, I have a strong contention that the bulk of the burden brought about by the GST will inevitably fall on the middle income families, which I sadly belong to. Avoidance of the GST will see less visits to restaurants like Swensons, Cafe Cartel and the likes, till then, enjoy while we still can.

Transnational Race

2006-11-12T16:22:00.000+08:00

From a drab and tranquil industrial conglomeration, Tuas transformed into a hive of activity this morning as runners from many different countries gathered for the Singapore-Johor 2nd Link Bridge Run. I had the feeling that the turnout wasn't as good as that of Real Run but the people density might have been further diluted by the larger running space on the 2nd link bridge. Difficulty level was definitely much lower than that of the Real Run with the omission of the sand and the presence of better ventilation, though a few occasional slopes were expected. A good race, and a good timing of 45 mins, considering the late preparation of only 1 week. And I can now say that I have visited Johor, at least skirted the west boundary to be specific. :)

Compromise

2006-11-06T22:03:00.000+08:00

Holding a temp job paying a more-than-satisfactory rate of $7/hr with the choice to do OT for 1.5x the normal rate and later claim the money used to hitch a cab home looks attractive enough. Yet I have made a more rational decision to shy away from OTs, in return for more leisure time used to accommodate other commitments.

I used to be perplexed when many white-collared office workers unanimously cited "no time" as an excuse for their lack of exercise in their lifestyle. But having being put in their shoes, I can fully empathize with their reasons because it isn't easy to persuade yourself to do things like jogging after one tired day of work. It takes a lot of determination and willpower to actually maintain an exercise regime amongst work. Coupled with my preparations for tuition, the amount of free time I have for leisure activities have shrunk to a bare minimum. It seems like I'm racing against time everyday to do all the things I have planned out including watching TV, reading, blogging and having 7 hours of sleep. 24 hours is definitely INADEQUATE!!! To live a more well-balanced life, I guess compromise is the word.

Vivo's Black Sheep

2006-11-04T18:24:00.000+08:00

While a seamless flow of Singaporeans continues to throng the newly-established VivoCity for novelty's sake every day and night, I have on the other hand come to a conclusion to banish the mega mall to the list of condemned shopping centres, at least I can safely do so with full conviction for the food segment. Disregarding the unexciting feeling that invaded me the moment I set foot on the mall yesterday, the totally hopeless experience at one of the three food courts there was the full blow. Before you cast any doubts on my words, take a good look at the receipt for my dinner below.

If you are observant and calculating enough, you would have noticed the unusually steep pricing of the VEGETABLES at $1.20 and would have imagined a serving of greenies commensurate with the cost, say maybe AT LEAST 1 recognised serving of vegetables i.e 3/4 glass full. But it was far from it. The amount was so small that I could count the number of leaves and stalks on the plate with my ten fingers, what then could beef up the argument for such exorbitant prices? No, there was definitely no gold flakes embedded in between the fibres and on the whole, the Nasi Lemak was of a mediocre standard, nothing special at all! What's more, the service of the stall owner was lacking and in a blatant act of deceit, no price tags came along with any of the dishes that were displayed. (You only know the total price at the counter, so you can imagine the shock I received when it registered $5.20 for an undeserving meal.) I seriously had a good mind to wreck their business by discouraging their potential customers from patronising afterwards, but for the sake of discretion, I decided to post this entry here to warn friends against the dishonest stall owner. What saved the image of VivoCity was finally the night scene along the waterfront promenade.

If you like witchcraft, The Covenant is for you but beware, described as a foiled attempt to hybridize Harry Potter and Fantastic 4, the movie reminded me of lame street fighters as the power-holders sent photon-like packets of energy flying all over the place. It just looked so juvenile.

Anyway, call me mister from now on. ORD loh!

Appreciation

2006-10-31T20:38:00.000+08:00

It's really enjoyable doing work with someone you know, someone who can engage in delightful conversations and share mutual jokes (Dragon fruit incident and choking during lunch etc. Hey, why am I always made the laughing stock? This is unfair.), someone who makes your office hours less boring. How lonely I will be after this assignment, when I'm once again stationed in a foreign working environment with no familiar faces, counting the minutes and seconds as time goes by, with work as the one and only entertainment. It will be a consolation if your colleagues can click with you, if not misery will just follow......

Black Monday

2006-10-30T21:23:00.000+08:00

After realising we were underpaid when a string of calls bombarded us with offers of higher-paid jobs elsewhere last Friday, we decided to look for greener pastures and requested for termination of service. According to the regulations of Kelly Services, we were supposed to give 3 working days prior notice, that meant our last day at work in AH would be on this Wednesday, the whole duration amounting to a week. But I almost wanted to quit on the spot today when a senior clerk who caught wind of us "disliking the nature of the job" spoke sarcastically in my face, "Oh, you all don't like data entry ah? It is the last thing you would want to do right? If you don't want to come, never mind, I can sign the time sheet and we can explain to the HR." I turned my face at her and returned to my work, fuming mad for a few minutes as I did the data entry quietly and efficiently, trying to down my anger. I think she realised that her attitude wasn't too good and took on a milder tone with us later on, and finally, we decided to bear with her and the black pimpled face of another obnoxious temp for 2 more days.

Note: Besides us, the other 3 temps were bitching about her outside the toilet too, probably fuelled by the fact that she terminated their service because they screwed up some data entry assignment.

Coming of ORD

2006-10-29T14:40:00.000+08:00

Made my way to the happiness-sucking place for the second last time to pack my stuff for ORD. Didn't realise I had so much things in camp and got myself all dehydrated and weary after sorting them into 4 bags and using brute force, dragged them to the bus-stop outside camp. Chatted with one of the Radio guys doing guard duty and found out that MSG Soh was back in camp as the CSM for CCC and might be replacing MSG Tan as CSM for CSC! Haha, seems that his incompetence has finally drawn the ire of Pang.

Anyway, claps for Stefanie for being one of the high scorers at yesterday's Global Chinese Music Awards! Hope they telecast the awards ceremony some time soon.

Job-hunting

2006-10-25T17:58:00.000+08:00

I didn't expect us (TS and me) to land up with a job that quickly, for that matter one which starts as early as tomorrow, though the data entry position at Alexandra Hospital will only last for 3-4 weeks and the salary is set at $6 per hour. I guess calling up personally at recruitment agencies helped a bit, appearing at Adeco and Kelly's Services offices somehow made the consultants group us under the priority list probably because we looked more sincere. Haha. But I was momentarily confused when I accepted the assignment, taking mental note of my planned schedule for the next week, chiefly my earliest driving lesson tomorrow. Frantically put my slot under try-sell when I reached home but I think my worries were unwarranted since I received a SMS notice that the try-sell was successful within minutes. And it pains me to go for driving lessons in the weekend (if I do not want to go for night lessons on weekdays) because of the extra $8.50 involved. Sigh, without money in my wallet, frugality is an imperative, have to think twice before spending every cent.

Mysterious Dark Stains

2006-10-23T21:00:00.000+08:00

Venue: Sakae Sushi outlet at Marina Square

Time: 3-6 pm (Teatime Buffet)

Plaintiff: Me!

Accused: Coloured plates

Witness: Shaun

Allegation: Mysterious dark stains on the plates, which could be wiped/scraped off after vigorous cleaning by my fingers.

I really wonder whether they thoroughly wash the plates every day... ...

Auntie-a-like

2006-10-23T10:56:00.000+08:00

Like aunties who flock to wherever offers discounts and good bargains, Chaorui and I trudged a decent distance to some "ulu" Price Club Pte Ltd and DP Computer Building near Aljunied for the U2, G2000, Fox and Converse Warehouse Sale respectively on a Sunday. One can't expect a lot from these warehouse sales, which are generally designed to clear their old stock, but after rummaging through piles of apparel and shuffling through throngs of shoppers, I managed to secure a few catch for the day.

A Sling Bag for $24.90 and White Canvas Shoes for $10

And 2 shirts for $10!!!

To heed or not to heed?

2006-10-22T10:55:00.000+08:00

Thousands of individual in Singapore must have flinched (me included) when police released news of raiding 7 homes for illegal downloading of songs a few weeks ago, though no arrests were made. And it might have been life back to normal for most, as a survey quickly showed that although most students knew that downloading of songs is illegal, they would continue to do so. What did the RIAS hope to achieve by disclosing information to the police? Clearly, the ONLY aim is to instil fear, not in the culprits, but in the parents, in a way "instigating" them to warn their children against music downloading and thus serving as a deterrent. If not, what then? Using the law to curb illegal downloading does not solve the root problem and is simply impractical. Let me try to encapsulate the opinions made in an article not long ago in the newspaper about the loopholes of this method.

For one, It's difficult to pinpoint the real offender because in the case of insecure wireless network eg. the one used in my home, neighbours might be able to tap into the network and do illegal downloading. Besides, the extent of the problem is too large and if full enforcement is to be conducted, at least half of the population will be prosecuted. And it is understandable for the working population to download some songs to preview and in the case of affection for the album, be willing to pay for the full CD. Furthermore, even if downloading is prohibited, can the police really stop piracy? People can easily pass audio files to their friends and relatives through storage devices and burnt CDs. To be frank, the practice is unstoppable and only reforms in the music industry can turn the tables around. Albums are but a waste of resources unless people adore the singer and are willing to pay for the full album. If not, music clips can be sold cheaply online. This might be truly the future of the market.

Anyway, faced with this predicament, we should decide whether to heed or not to heed.

Regrets

2006-10-19T20:55:00.000+08:00

Argh!!! Blame it on my bladder or that large iced lemon tea?? Minutes before the show ended, I gave in to the struggle to take a leak and rushed to the washroom. When I returned, there were only some words indicating a sequel. So I waited for the trailer of the sequel (as mentioned in the papers) like some others who did as the credits rolled. But there was none!!! ARGH!! I need to know what happened in the last scene, anyone?? But on the whole, it was a good movie, impressive wits by L and Light. Tata.

Trivialities

2006-10-18T15:25:00.000+08:00

Driving is a gamble and the stakes are high. Even the most experienced veteran drivers might meet with an accident, be it involving a third party or self-afflicted. My father met with a mishap yesterday, fortunately a minor one. While he was reversing his auto transmission car round a corner when parking, no beeping sound alerted him of nearing an obstacle and the rear crashed into the pillar, causing quite substantial damage inflicted on the rear lights and boot. I was actually quite surprised to hear about this, since dad was in my opinion a skilful and safe driver. Though he speeds on the expressway when traffic permits and in congested traffic tend to swerve his way around (like who doesn't!), they were still done within safe boundaries and never pose any inconvenience to other road users. One having a good track record with little blemishes, his encounter yesterday seemed to be purely driven by some mental aberration. It definitely pays not to lose focus on the wheels!

On a random note, after having known that Weilian is in the running for Star Awards' Best Newcomer and Top Ten Male Artistes, I feel really indignant. I'm not riled by Weilian himself or angered by his huge fan base, but instead disgusted at the tactics used by the monopoly. Weilian is bred as a singer and his platform should be on the music charts and the coming music awards, and having a disability which hinders his facial expression, he definitely won't be able to carry his acting skills up to any higher level. One really have no choice but to question the real intentions of the monopoly in keeping Weilian under his wings and subjecting the poor soul to so many voting contests and sometimes criticisms by people who feel it unfair for the other artistes with much more potential. Is it some crass money-sucking antic up their sleeves? Anyway, given Weilian's immense popularity ratings in Singapore (he just trounced the rest of the Singaporean singers including Stefanie Sun who had capital flight from China to help in supporting and JJ in the voting portion for the Best Singaporean Singer Award!), it's not a surprise if he bags a star award but tongues may just start wagging again.

Hazy Mood

2006-10-16T20:44:00.000+08:00

Allow me to retract my words from the previous post that pointed to the haze showing signs of abatement, that was only but the lull before the storm. Similar to the see-saw relationship often associated with that between the clutch and the accelerator pedal, my happiness meter has been plunging to critically low levels these days as the PSI made its hurtle to hover between dangerously high ranges. I HATE the haze, it has caused me to have occasional breathing difficulties and headache spells, it has foiled all efforts to carry out any physical activities outdoors, and most importantly, it has indirectly spawned my moodiness and discontentment. Keeping myself stuffed at home for the past few days without any fresh air was stifling; going to driving lesson this afternoon didn't help a bit - the instructor sounded pissed at me for lack of speech. (Well, I didn't really feel like talking to him at all, luckily he passed 3 subjects for my Stage 3.) At least I'm looking forward to hitting the gym tomorrow, I hope some physical exertion helps. Guess I have to rely on the treadmill for now, since I can't stop running with 2 races coming up.

Sick :(

2006-10-13T12:56:00.000+08:00

I'm down with a blocked nose and sore throat, and I saw it coming, with the numerous obvious indicators yesterday - shivering under the chilling gales of the air-conditioner in Mind's Cafe, throat irritations while mouthing down my black pepper fish rice as dinner and fortunately, I was vigilant enough to notice the heat that my body was dissipating and stop short of indulging in chocolate delights at the Esplanade with Teddy and BY. Gulping down plenty of water after I reached home most probably also helped in preventing a fever from developing. Phew! One really need to take care of his health these days, even though the haze has shown marked signs of abating and the spread of the norovirus in schools has been contained.

A Hazy MAF

2006-10-06T21:45:00.000+08:00

Since when have MAF not hold any significance for me anymore? I cannot recall.

I can only reminisce about the times when holding lanterns was still a novelty in my life and my not-too-selective tastebuds were still able to accept the sweetness and aroma of oven-baked mooncakes. Since then, growing out of lanterns was inevitable and mooncakes have long been evicted from my diet, as with many other traditional food icons of the major Chinese festivals, like dumplings during the Dragon Boat Festival and Nian Gao during CNY. I'm quite amused by my own repulsion for these "delicacies" myself, not to mention being teased and earlier on scolded by my parents for not giving these food a try.

Mooncakes originated from a regime of chaos, but this MAF has been ironically especially unhappening for me. Not only is my family not holding any reunion parties as usual, but I have also decided to give the MAF celebrations in Hwa Chong a miss. Bad news have further plagued my paternal side and smeared the atmosphere of the season as one of my uncles remain warded in ICU after undergoing 2 operations, one for appendicitis, and the other because of complication that arose from the infection in the wound. What's made the pain even more unbearable is that a third one is scheduled for a later date to sew the disjointed intestine into one piece! Aunt, be strong and see your family through this ordeal!

On a sideline, I have finally been enlightened on the custom of eating You Zi during MAF after watching Yu Le Bai Fen Bai this afternoon. You Zi has the connotation of people who travel around and on this special day of reunion, these mobile people will flock back to their families. Thus, You Zi became a fruit of this festival, I hope I'm right though it sounds a bit incoherent. Haha. May the haze clear soon to reveal the ethereal glow of the fullest moon at 11am tomorrow, oops I forgot, Singaporeans won't be able to catch the once-in-8-years moon because of some astronomical theory which I'm not interested in. :p

家家有本难念的经。。。

2006-09-26T10:54:00.000+08:00

Is it an indisputable fact that the nuptial ties between lovebirds of a significant age gap can never be cemented upon true love and must be built on ulterior motives and subjected to endless suspicion and distrust? As one who relishes watching Korean dramas, I have always glorified true love but I soon realised that pursuing perfect love in reality can be no more than a distant mirage, especially with pragmatism and practicality coming into the picture. Perhaps the bumpy marriage life of one of my uncles can shed some light on the issue.

It was rather surprising when my uncle consummated the marriage with his 13-years-old-younger Malaysian wife barely a few months after they met as colleagues in a restaurant at Raffles Hotel. All went well in the beginning, as news of pregnancy was perceived to bring even more bliss into their love life. But ripples soon started to appear and trouble began brewing. My uncle could not take his stressful job and quitted. The couple still imposed no restrictions on their financial status and went on overseas holidays with the money sponsored by my maternal grandfather. On many occasions, the duo encountered difficulties in returning credit card bills and had bickered tearfully up to my soft-hearted grandfather to solicit financial backing. (Their apartment is in the same block as my grandfather's) Time and time again, my grandfather relented but he was definitely no abyss. The matter was blown out of proportions and my aunts had to step in to resolve the crisis. This was when things appeared fishy and I started to doubt the real intentions of his Malaysian wife.

An astronomical total sum of around $200,000 had already being churned out to pay for their bills, but when my aunt requested to look at the receipts of the items that were bought and suggested that they cancel the credit card for his wife, she refused and kept firm to the claim that she bought only stuff that were for the child. But look, it's totally absurd, how much can a 3-year-old baby possibly require? Furthermore, she threatened to divorce and bring the child away if the credit card is terminated! She even turned hostile on the husband of one of my aunt when he tried to mediate, voicing out that he was an outsider and his interference was unwarranted. The fact that she was only willing to listen to my grandfather and one of my aunt who had lent money to tide them over suspiciously pointed to her hidden agenda behind the willingness to live with someone so much older than her in the first place. Their marriage is now on the rocks and I haven't been following up on their developments. Fortunately, the young baby is not aware and is spared of all the stress lingering in the family. Hopefully she can grow up in a complete family after this episode ends.

Under the windmill

2006-09-17T14:55:00.000+08:00

Cooling cocktails, strong shooters, chatty companions, high rock band, warm ambience - it was a night well-spent at Wala Wala Cafe Club yesterday for what my platoon mates called ORD outing. It shouldn't have came as a surprise to me when most of the people who agreed to be there stood the pathetic 4 of us (Wee Reng, Jackson, Weili and me) up at the last minute, considering I had the prior experience of organising a chalet last year, which turnout wasn't satisfactory either. Well, it didn't really bother me much as I was enjoying the environment and atmosphere there, and bringing up topics to chat about with the others. The live band was of a high standard too, though my ears couldn't acquiesce to some of the blaring rock music that nearly brought down the house. Haha. Favourite song of the night was I Will Survive, maybe because that's the only song I have heard before. (Pardon my ignorance of English pop songs) After midnight, the 4 of us who stayed until the second segment of the band performance (Takai, Ernest, Wee Reng and me) went on to indulge in late night supper at the coffeeshop under the windmill of Holland Village. Definitely a well-deserved night of chilling out!!! :)

Happiness is elusive...

2006-09-13T15:13:00.000+08:00

It had been a long while since I last caught a movie. After a draining driving session yesterday, I felt the itch more vividly than ever and thus walked lightheartedly into the theater showing "Singapore Dreaming" - a film touted to reflect sharply the problems encountered in life by typical Singaporeans, living up to expectations and financial crisis among others. Not that I regretted fishing out that 7 bucks for the movie, but it made me all melancholic and gloomy afterwards and set me thinking about how harsh reality is and how some of the illustrated issues might indeed affect me in a few years' time. Well, who dares foresee accurately what the future holds for us anyway? Even though there were some momentous outbreak of laughter among the audience at certain points in the movie, I only managed a superficial smile on my face. It's so much harder to be happy truthfully these days. Sigh!

Driving is killing!

2006-09-05T11:06:00.000+08:00

Driving isn't as simple a chore as I thought it was. After my first practical driving lesson yesterday, I was totally flabbergasted and overwhelmed by the immense number of minute details needed to pay attention to while on the wheels. Checking blind spots, looking at mirrors, and switching on/off signals aside, I already had enough trouble trying to keep my mind on the road, while concomitantly changing up to 2nd gear and coordinating the leg movements on the pedals. Without the multi-tasking ability imbued in me, the end result was a careening motor car creeping unsteadily on the circuit roads of BBDC, posing a hazard to other drivers around me. =( Not to even mention the several times when the engine stalled in the middle of the road or when other drivers honked at me when I went off course. It was a demoralising and unnerving experience altogether, and it certainly didn't help when my instructor only gave me a pass for 2 subjects, when most of my friends around me passed 3 in their first lesson. Hope I can gain momentum in the upcoming lessons, both literally and figuratively. Sigh.

AHM 2006

2006-08-27T16:40:00.000+08:00

Army Half Marathon

Didn't match up to my expectations again, but was quite satisfied with my decent timing of 1h 53min 45sec, considering it was my first attempt at a full 21km. =)

History repeated itself with a kbox session after AHM with Mark, though it wasn't really enjoyable. Fine, I know my singing isn't that great, but he had the audacity to criticise my singing when he himself sounded almost tone-deaf and had serious problems with the beat of almost every song he chose.

Finally, pre-ordered Jay Chou's new album at HMV at CityLink en route to City Hall MRT. Though Qian Li Zhi Wai wasn't that impressive, I have a gut feeling this album will be good, as usual.

Blessing in Disguise

2006-08-25T11:49:00.000+08:00

《船到桥头自然直》

I concede I was being too pessimistic about a month ago when the then sour news of not going for Ops B struck a few of us, spawning some to react negatively with greater intensity than the others. I'm not one who have the inclination to convert discontent into violence, thus the struggle to cope with the discomfort in my feelings became ever more prominent. I was worried about guard duties, cross training, exercises, amongst others and I recall pouring out my complaints to Teddy then, who was really wise in retrospect, as he comforted me by pointing out that it might be a blessing in disguise. Indeed it has.

Life in camp has taken a turn for the better as we are recognized by PCs as ORD personnel and the restrictions that were once imposed on us by exercises have become inapplicable. With me having only less than 20 working days left in camp, ORD has emerged from the blanket of mist to be within reach. With the painful liability coming to an end, the way forward is to plan for the days ahead after ORD. Yeah! =)

Still Fantasy?

2006-08-20T19:45:00.000+08:00

I'm so looking forward to Jay Chou's new album <依然范特西>.

Collaboration between Jay and Fei Yu Qing? Now that's interesting.

Real Run 2006

2006-08-20T12:32:00.000+08:00

Real Run - Cross Terrain Challenge 2006

The slopes were impeding my movements, the sand was disintegrating my momentum - the conditions were all not to my favour.

I so regretted not persevering till the end with the same speed.

48 mins 30 secs, fell short of my expectations. A bit behind my brother. Disgruntled. :X

I'll be back.

Eventful Day

2006-08-12T22:49:00.000+08:00

At the spur of the moment, I decided to meet Zhengjun for REALLY the last time before she flies off on Monday.

Then, it was down to Liang Court to collect the Real Run Race blib and chip.

Finally, a blaring night at the Neighbourhood Park for 'Concert Under The Stars' to commemorate National Day. (An initiative by the Pioneer Community Centre) For which I went, while forsaking my TV show, just because of Kelly Pan and Weilian.

A rejuvenated Kelly in Love Me Again And Ai Wu Li

Weilian in Tong Hua and Ai Hen Nan

The finale - Ni Zui Zeng Gui (as expected, since Weilian already lamented that they were PTE LTD) The duo exchanging words before the song...

And they pulled it off! Haha =)

The Last Get-together For 2006

2006-08-11T22:22:00.000+08:00

天下没有不散的筵席。今天，我和郑君在她这个周末飞回中国之前见了最后一次面。

Bon Voyage! Till next year do we meet again.

National Day: Vanishing Traditions and Emerging Culture

2006-08-10T12:10:00.000+08:00

It's the season of red and white again - the 2 main colours on our country's flag which represent brotherhood and purity respectively. Over the past 2 weeks, congregations of NDP festoons mushroomed all over Singapore in designated neighbourhood areas, miniature Singapore flags could be seen on public buses and Taxis and flurries of excitement could be felt across radio signals as the DJs enthused about the highlights of National Day, with melodious National Day songs filling the gaps of their almost relentless talking. But something strangely appeared to be lacking.

I vividly remember the sea of Singapore flags being hung outside the windows of HDB estates many years ago when I was still living in Teck Whye Lane. Those were the days when my siblings and I would offer to help my Grandpa hang the Singapore flag based on our own initiative and it was a joy to behold the sight of so many flags hung by residents voluntarily. Now, the situation is sadly reversed. While I was once pointing out the few households which did not have the flag displayed during my childhood days, I have to respect those pathetic few units which still keep to the tradition of flag-hanging today. Truth be told, my family is also one of those who had long discarded this soulful custom.

But does the discontinuation of flag-hanging during National Day translate into a reduced emphasis on Singapore's birthday? Not necessarily so. With the fast proliferation of the Internet, many Singaporeans have taken to podcasts and bloging to express their love for Singapore through the many nitty-gritty they experienced in their lives on the tiny island. The series of podcasts were inspired by MrBrown and some examples are miyagi and willythecop. Through these avenues, Singaporeans relived the fond memories they had of Singapore, in a way paying tributes to the country on this special occasion. Despite the dying off of the habit of flag-hanging, Singaporeans have found new methods to show their patriotism and this is something that provides comfort in the hearts of all citizens.

Neighbourliness: Existence or Not?

2006-07-27T13:02:00.000+08:00

Has neighbourliness gradually become a concept that is foreign and abstract to the contemporary city dwellers? Drawing evidence from my own personal experiences, it appeared alarmingly so, but I'm afraid mine might more be the exception than the rule, perhaps a watered-down episode of the infamous Joo-Chiat neighbourhood squabble.

It all started with the initially welcomed occupation of the apartment situated directly opposite my unit by a China couple and their daughter. Before that, the block was sparsely populated and my parents discredited it as an insecurity rather than appreciating it as a form of tranquility. Their concerns were not unfounded though, since there were reports of a molester being sighted in nearby blocks and instants whereby my father caught a pair of lover kissing at the staircase on my level and discovered cigarettes butts along the corridor. These had prompted my father to make several calls to the neighbourhood police post to request for the strengthening of patrol around my cluster of flats. Naturally, when someone actually moved into the opposite house, we felt relieved. At first, conversations bridged and the relationship could be said to be neutral, if not harmonious. Never did we foresee that the neutrality was ephemeral.

The stalemate was sparked off when the wife deliberately hung a curtain veil over their metal door frame, a brazen move to prevent people from looking into the interior and as interpreted by my cynical mother, an implicit message to my family that we were busybodies, stealing glances into their apartment if chances permit. No doubt my grandmother, being old and with nothing constructive on hand to do, might sometimes look in that disputed direction to salve her boredom but it was definitely nothing close to provocative. Anyway, my mother overheard the couple bickering over the hanging of the curtain, and it was clear that the husband possessed a higher EQ.

The repercussions presented themselves in the mild souring of the relationship, with conversations unheard of for a few months to date and intentional avoidance of each other in the narrow corridor. Despite this isolate case, the commonplace meeting up of neighbours in void decks and children playing with one another indiscriminately spells hope of the existence of neighbourliness in this increasingly callous world.

The Irony of Music

2006-07-26T13:35:00.000+08:00

If you have been following the Taiwanese drama serial "Green Forest, My Home" on Channel U, you might have, however vaguely, remembered what Owen blurted out in rebuttal to his supercilious financial sponsor's bitter remark in one of the earlier episodes. Yes, it was something along the line of "Music cannot be measured in the denominations of dollars and cents." As much as I embrace wholeheartedly this belief, the fact that music has been deeply commercialised in the real world cannot be demolished.

As a potential violinist in the near future, I was admiring the different makes of violins displayed behind glass panels in Yamaha when it struck me that the cheapest model for beginners was already priced heavily at 600 bucks. Even a decent second-hand one would require at least $300. With the training fees of about $70 to $80 per lesson under a private mentor, one needs to cough up an additional $200 plus per month thereafter just to start learning violin. This is exclusive of the miscellaneous amounts that come along with the paraphernalia. It's indeed no myth that learning music is for the affluent, I guess that was one of the primary reasons my parents refused to send me for music lessons at my tender age and objected violently when I suggested undertaking exorbitant private Erhu lessons during my secondary school days.

Take a look at the MandoPop industry in Singapore. A typical album of 10 songs by an artist costs an average of $18, this amount might be nominal in the eyes of the music company but it might not be all that affordable to a person with a barely manageable income. In the face of all the financial woes that is associated with just appreciating and listening to music, it's no surprise then that people turn to downloaded free music or cheaper imported albums as an alternative, not that I'm promoting piracy though. The way forward might be really what BY envisions - scrap albums and sell music online at a much lower fee, since the overhead expenses of such a service would be substantially contained.

Music today has been marred and made cacophonous by the jingles of notes and coins, can we still hold our heads high and claim that music transcends all boundaries?

The End of the World?

2006-07-23T12:12:00.000+08:00

The other day when I was busy SMS-ing on a Taxi, the Taxi driver, obviously a devout Christian as could be seen from the string of slogans associated with "Jesus" at the back of the front seats, handed me a piece of brochure from a stack of paper spreaded out clumsily on top of the dashboard. He worded some comments in Chinese, "Want to join the Service? There has been a lot of things happening recently." I had absolutely no intention of converting, thus declined his offer politely. Nevertheless, I agreed with him.

One simply cannot bring himself to be happy while browsing the newspaper or listening to the newscaster these days. The world seems to be entangled in an intricate rough meshwork of what I call "mess". With the stalemate with Iran's nuclear ambitions and the stand-off with North Korean's ballistic missiles test still unresolved, the international community have to encounter further violence and bloodshed in the war between Israel and both the Hamas faction in Gaza and the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon. While thousands across the world have been protesting against the Israel offensive, the Bush administration appears to not pay any heed to the outcries and continue to condone what the Israelis are committing. Suspicions have risen, pointing to Iran's ploy of diverting attention away from its alleged nuclear program and also a possible collusion between Pyongyang and Tehran in the field of nuke technology. Must the lives of civilians always be sacrificed to achieve a greater good of the world in the war against terror? Perhaps it is really inevitable and someone someday has to be labeled a bad name to clamp down on terrorism and that happens unfortunately to be Bush.

As if the blood drawn from human's inhumane activities wasn't enough, Mother Nature has to protest in an equally violent nature. This month has seen a dramatic surge in the number of natural calamities, following the tsunami that lashed Java Coast last week, tropical storm Bilis that hit China badly, and the latest 5.5 magnitude earthquake that trembled Yunnan Province. The earth has been witnessing an increasing death toll from both man-made and natural disasters, it's no wonder people are turning to religions to seek sanctuary from the ugly side of the planet.

Jumbled Thoughts

2006-07-22T21:21:00.000+08:00

For those of you who have read "Why Men Don't Listen and Women Can't Read Maps" by Allan Pease, you might have been bowled over by the seemingly logical flow of ideas and arguments pointed out smartly by the author. I beg to differ, at least for the latter.

Struck by a streak of amazingly good fortune in lucky draws and contests these days, I managed to be picked as one of the winners of a pair of tickets to Tanya Chua's exclusive showcase in TP and her autographed T-time album, a second autographed album I have won after JJ's Cao Cao. As with all other typical lucky draws, I was to claim my prize from another remote place, this time being MediaCorp Publishing Pte Ltd, which was located somewhere in Ang Mo Kio St 65, in a building no one ever heard of - TechPoint. To pin-point its exact location, I capitalized on the internet and printed a simplified map from Street Directory, thinking how effortless it would be to walk to the destination from the nearest MRT station, Yio Chu Kang, with a map in hand. That I felt so exasperated and helpless after exploring the area around the MRT, trying but in vain to locate the correct direction, while cursing the hot sun under my pounding breath proved me wrong. Eventually, I fell on the ever reliable and comfortable Taxi service to drive me to the elusive place, disregarding the recent price hike in Taxi fares and the few dollars I had to fork out for my embarrassing inability to read maps.

I hate to admit that I have been neglecting such a talented local singer all this while until Tanya's live singing performance blew me away with her harmonious and compatible relationship with her guitar. She was able to play the guitar dexterously, without compromising the quality and tone of her voice in all the renditions of the hits. So cruel of the harsh reality of album sales results every singer have to face in the corporate world that it has made some waver and doubt the real meaning of making music. (P.S: Tze Shuen, if you are reading this, please don't buy her T-time album. I'm comtemplating giving her album to you as a birthday present, though not the autographed one. Haha. Too bad she didn't want to autograph for that event.)

Hoodwinked! was an animation nowhere near Pixels or Disney, but the creative tweaked version of our commonly known fable The Little Red Riding Hood was reason enough to watch it. The Red Riding Hood became a karate expert, the wolf was in fact an undercover journalist, the woodcutter dabbled in the field of acting and the Grandmother kept her liking for extreme sports a secret! Enjoy the amusements as each of the four suspects recount their individual stories to the detective Mr Flippers while they uncover a deeper ploy of a bunny, who has been stealing recipes in the wood.

Darn it! I seriously have an uncanny knack for missing important events in my life. In the past, it was the once-in-a-lifetime millennium concert, when I had diarrhoea a few days before. In BMT, it was the BAC, when I sprained my ankle, which made me fail BCCT in my records, not that I give a damn. And now, I have been hit badly by the influenza bug and will be giving the much-looked-forward Mizuno 100th Anniversary Run tomorrow a miss. It's not the $15 I'm concerned about (I still can get a Mizuno T-shirt I think), but rather the sensation of melancholia when I'm popping pills while everyone else will be pumping their lungs out for the run. No way will I let history repeat itself for the Real Run in August!

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

2006-07-20T20:34:00.000+08:00

Despite having no consequential formal ending to the Dead Man's Chest, it's still worth catching on the big screen, especially with such superb Irish music and tension that will be lost on a DVD or television.

Novice Guide to Running

2006-07-19T17:36:00.000+08:00

Rookie's Guide To Enhancing Performance in Running:

As a prelude to the Mizuno Wave Run this Sunday, I thought it opportune for me to jot down some advices accumulated over my condensed period of training.

1) Harness on the fabric technology commonly used in running vests, i.e wear dry-fit vest or employ the use of DryScience.

2) For people using knee support, take care not to strap it too tightly around the knee. I promise you won't enjoy it.

3) Hydrate regularly hours before the run and don't drink or at most take a sip of water half an hour before the commencement of run.

4) Better not to cultivate the over-reliance on knee support after the injury heals because you might tend to use more of the other leg and create an imbalanced pressure when running.

5) Eat something and clear your bowels before running in the morning. Haha :)

Occupied

2006-07-17T20:25:00.000+08:00

These are the reasons why I have not been updating my blog for so long... (besides the long dreaded hours in camp)

03S66 Class BBQ at Jeremy's house:

Pathetic turn-out, as usual. Caught between the guys' (mostly NSF officers or Regular officers) boring army talk and the girls' uninteresting gossips, I was clamped in the middle, neither here nor there. That explained my mysterious reticence during the gathering from a usually talkative self. It's no wonder some of us shun class outing like it's a pandemic.

Party World KTV and dinner with CO juniors and Zheng Jun:

A marked improvement in the level of enjoyment and satisfaction, but was disgusted at the miniature serving size of Swensons.

Battalion Bash at Sentosa:

Forced attendance to play games like Captain's Ball and Photo Hunt, which ended up a snafu because of the bad weather and of course, the disorganised CCC lost out to the united TCC1!

Technology Whore

2006-07-06T14:18:00.000+08:00

Even if you are not a caveman living under the stone during the primitive era and can be said to be an average follower of modern technology, I assure you that you will still be gawking awestruck at the voluminous list of cutting-edge technologies that are quickly becoming ubiquitous and omnipresent on the 3G island. A few days ago, I was still lamenting to myself about the lack of internet access on personal laptops in public places like McDonald's; almost immediately, my complaint was rebutted when the News that night reported about Singapore being targeted to be transformed into a internet hotspot by next year, whereby everyone would be able to tap on the rich resources online anytime, anywhere! I cannot deny that I'm amazed by the rapid advancements in technology.

Looks like my dream of upgrading my Zen MicroPhoto to a ZenVision is going to be a reality faster than I expected. Partly thanks to the World Cup, since I won almost $400 altogether, after this morning's gratifying match between France and Portugal. Coupled with the amount of money I'm expected to churn out from the online auction of my Zen MicroPhoto and Gameboy Advance, I wouldn't be paying any extra penny for the sleek, multi-functioned latest Creative product! :) But I'm determined to save more in the coming months, since I still have a Savings Plan to feed.

C.R.A.Z.Y

2006-06-27T22:33:00.000+08:00

No doubt C.R.A.Z.Y touches on the controversial theme of homosexuality, but it is atypical of films developed from the common genre - the physical part is underplayed and the spiritual and emotional part is explored with greater intensity. Expect no hanky-panky and be prepared to appreciate the hidden message the producers so skillfully transmit across to the audience. Born into a family of five male children, Zac found unwillingly that he was different from the rest in the subtleties of life. The expectations of his father and the pressure from his siblings coerced him into self-denial and the love of his family drove him into attempts to be normal. But the repressed sexual desires proved too much for him to handle on several occasions and he turned to physical torture as an outlet to revert himself to normalcy. Later, a misunderstanding led him to run away from home on a journey and the estrangement served to neutral strained ties as he slowly learned to accept his true nature, while his family decided to love him for who he really was.

A french film with numerous accolades to its name, C.R.A.Z.Y impresses with its director's slick shooting techniques - all the scenes were made with the right temperature and they served their purposes. Certainly no trashy scenes that are unmistakably present in local films, like I Not Stupid Too, which had potential grounds but revealed fledging directing skills. But judging from the meagre number of people in the theatre, I guess few people seem to appreciate it, maybe due to the M18 rating and the limited availability to only Cathay Cineplex in Singapore.

Getting lucky?

2006-06-27T18:22:00.000+08:00

I thought it silly of me to have pinned so much unrealistic hope on winning a pair of $128 JJ Concert tickets from the smattering of contests I enthusiastically participated in just 1 month ago, and how embarrassing was the demeanour that ensued - there were times when I tried to cajole my bunkmates into eating Long John Silver's during night-outs and then imploring them to upsize their meals, all to satisfy my thirst for the minute piece of lucky draw coupon that represented a chance at grabbing hold of a pair of tickets, however slim it was. But I never believed in my luck, so much so that I impulsively purchased a ticket by myself long before the lucky draw was held. True enough, I wasn't fated to win the tixs, but the fanatic auntie-ish mannerisms so closely knitted to my lifestyle were unexpectedly reciprocated, because I actually won something, and this consolation prize doesn't really pale in comparison with the tix, albeit the money values are poles apart. At least my efforts paid off with the receipt of an autographed Cao Cao CD Box Set and Poster!

Belated Birthday Treat...

2006-06-26T22:31:00.000+08:00

Finally an outing to put my idle table tennis racket to some good use and to hone my badminton skills, however elementary they are.

Not a lone soul anymore? Group Photo of 7 people!

Fondue! Not too impressive huh?! Maybe my camera didn't really do justice to it since to Sir Seng, it looks more like a steamboat. Haha

NUTS!!! Irresistable... A mouth-watering Macademia Nut Crunch!

Thanks to Sir Seng and Teddy for the belated treat!

Bingyi and me posing with my ice-cream!

Just JJ Concert

2006-06-25T12:49:00.000+08:00

It was not a smooth-sailing trip to Kallang Singapore Indoor Stadium yesterday, not unless one considered bashing through throngs of weapon-slinging soldiers and withstanding high-decibels engine revving blare from fighter planes a delicious appetizer before a well-deserved concert. As if the last few days of parade weren't enough, I even had to suffer the agony of passing by commanders, who were shouting commands at the open space in front of National Stadium to a few contingents of soldiers donned in No.1! Good thing was, I felt happy masquerading as a civilian and feigning ignorance of all the National Day preparations bustling around me. =)

Guess I'm already inured to the loneliness when going for outings alone. Even though I was a forlorn figure sitting on a $128 seat in the massive stadium, I didn't care two hoots about it. Instead, I spent my time scanning my eyes around the place for familiar faces, looking for opportunities to capture shots of famous singers. It was fruitless - the only artiste who was close enough for me to recognise appeared to be Candyce, though I knew JY was at the far end of the floor seats. Unexpectedly, I caught sight of a couple friends - Xiaocao and Oyster (due to the protruding head of Oyster among the sea of audiences in the block of floor seats). Haha.

Now to the highlight of the evening - the concert itself. There were no major technical glitches and JJ's live singing was just splendid. The guest performers included Jin Sha, who sounded a bit 嗲, and Ah-do who tried too hard to express an R&B song. My favourite segments were of course his signature performance when JJ 自弹自唱, and when he sang songs from his 前辈 to express gratitude, like 黑色幽默，唯一 and I Do. The array of glamorous costumes was also a sight to behold. Pictures tell a thousand words, so here goes...

Just JJ - Photos!! Part 1

2006-06-25T11:33:00.000+08:00

JJ's Dance Director, Lan Bo Lao Shi

Ending Part 1 of his performance...

JJ doing Beat Box, with his dancing instructors moving to his rythmn and sounds.

A duet with Ah-do in a song written by JJ, I Do.

Jin Sha's own lackluster peformance.

A duet with Jin Sha on a piano! Though there wasn't really chemistry between the 2 singers.

Just JJ - Photos!! Part 2

2006-06-25T11:11:00.000+08:00

JJ's most captivating moment - Zi Tan Zi Chang.

JJ revealed no hesitancy in going topless, though his bare body wasn't that flattering after all.

Cute Apparel accompanied by an eye mask.

The iconic JJ symbol that is so shamelessly imitated by JY. Haha =)

JJ injected yet more surprise elements into his motley of costumes by donning this bizarre outfit for the encore segment in his rendition of Cao Cao. Monkey King??!!

After Jiang Nan marked the end of the concert, the crowd started to disperse.

Just My Luck

2006-06-23T21:11:00.000+08:00

It wasn't exactly a delightful week, but it passed with scant complaints on my part, dwindling in comparison with the recurring fits of indignation I had felt barely a few weeks ago. Perhaps my mood was helped by the thought of attending JJ's concert this Saturday amid a week-long clear-off break ahead.

For a hearty laugh, catch Just My Luck in theatre now! Of course, good things in life don't just fall on luck, hard work counts!

Venture

2006-06-19T16:31:00.000+08:00

After living 2 lifeless days engulfed in abject boredom, - with activities interchanging narrowly between watching TV and surfing the internet -, it was imperative for me to dive myself into some fresh air and take a turn for sightseeing, that is if you consider the new bus interchange at Boon Lay somewhere worth exploring. The first impression of the place was well, it's much more spacious than its predecessor. Further probing prompted at a few explanations. The parcel of land earmarked for the reconstruction of the interchange was palpably larger, thus allowing for a more dispersed organisation of the bus posts. A more significant reason was probably attributed to the reduced length of the bars that mark out the direction of the queue, replaced with extended yellow markings on the floor. The concept serves to enlarge the area for walking passengers and reduce the human density during off-peak hours. I found it extremely beneficial for people like me who are fleet-footed, have a larger-than-normal stride and more often than not getting frustrated over stopping behind others who are not racing for time. :)

Having spent a while taking pictures of the newly-furnished interchange before human usage renders it unsightly for shots in the future, I took a longer-than-usual walk into JP for Garfield 2. It could have been a more fulfilling experience if I was not wedged between 2 hyperactive kids who couldn't seem to sit still and keep their eyes transfixed on the enchanting screen. Though a tad lonely for a single soul surrounded by families enjoying their movie outings together.

An overview of the new interchange that promises air-conditioning in the future

The yellow markings on the cemented floor that is expected to bring more chaos during peak hours

A final glimpse at the deserted derelict site which will see the coming of a new shopping mall connected with JP

The Centris - a condominium beside the MRT whose future dwellers will be making me jealous

Hooked

2006-06-16T17:06:00.000+08:00

I never thought much about gambling, and for a far-from-avid social occasional gambler like me, the activity never brought with it connotations of $$, but rather was more associated with fun, laughter and joy. Needless to say, I never understood why compulsive gamblers could not seem to curb themselves from binge gambling, more often than not slipping into heavy losses and creating unnecessary social ills, thus smearing the country's image, well that's beside the point. That was until the advent of the Germany 2006 World Cup!

You see, one has to experience the process himself before truly appreciating the significance of it all - the heart flutterings when the match goes your way, the greedy winner's thought of increasing the bet amount the next time round and the loser's attitude of recouping the losses by pumping ironically more money into betting. I was in a trance when Ecuador won 3-0 yesterday, already formulating in my mind the next bets to take and uncontrollably having the urge to up my bet for the next few matches. And it took me quite a while to snap out of my reverie and to come back to reality, reminding myself not to allow my leisure small-scale betting to spin out of control. That's it, the devil's advocate in everyone's deepest creek of the sea of thoughts. And most importantly, the key is to subdue it. Haha.

Anyway, here's my first winning tickets from my first trip to a Singapore Pools betting outlet. Let's BURN ourselves, save the fingers:), in the World Cup FEVER!!!