Lebensraum

2008-03-08T14:17:00.002+08:00

Maybe it's only polite for a small announcement. I've moved.

2008-01-26T23:09:00.000+08:00

I just finished watching Paradise Now for the second time. This time was with my Dad, who described it as "a good film" after the credits starting showing. It's classified as an M18 show under the Singaporean Board of Censors because of the sensitive theme it holds in our society.

Basically, the film illustrates the last 48 hours of two Palestinian men who live in the West Bank. They are set on an operation to detonate a bomb in Tel Aviv, sacrificing their lives a result.

Many times in society we are prompted to deem these people as cold, unfeeling, inhuman individuals who don't actually have hearts, and are just tools of destruction. Politicians look at things in black and white. They see that everyone is phased under two umbrellas- "right" and "wrong". There is no in-between.

But what is black and white anyway? Black is but a mixture of every other color there is. And white is the absence of any of those color.

Nobody is white. Nobody is perfect. But nobody is black either. The truth is, everybody is in-between. There are so many colors, how can everybody only be two? A week after the terrorist attacks against London, Madrid, and so many other places in the world comes a huge story on these people. We look at them and dismiss them: they are not worth the attention. But does anybody consider the fact that NOBODY makes a decision to kill a bunch of people in just a snap? There is always a road.

Why did these two young man choose to give up their whole lives for a mere operation? You'd be shallow to just brush it off; think they're naive. How on earth will you expect people to react when you torment, tyrannize, intimidate them? They are human too, and vengeance breeds in the flesh of every human.

After watched the film for the first time, I remember thinking. This is odd, Said was the one who backed out first. Khaled was the adamant one. But in the end, it was Said who detonated the bomb. The second time, I probed myself with that question. Then I realized: religion, philosophy and external thinking are not the only contributing factors to a person making such a decision.

Some of us have inner demons, and maybe because there was this avenue to manifest his demon that way, Said took the plunge.

"The politicians want to see it as black and white, good and evil, and art wants to see it as a human thing."

-Hany Abu-Assad
Director Paradise Now

Charlie Wilson's War

2008-01-19T11:53:00.001+08:00

These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we fucked up the endgame.
-Charlie Wilson

Charlie Wilson was the man who raised one billion American Dollars (in the 1980s) to fund the Muhajadeen to fight the Russians out of Afghanistan. Through this, the mighty Soviet Empire collapsed and the Cold War ended.

After the success of his actions, he lobbied for just one more million to build a school in Pakistan- the country that housed one fifth of Afghanistan's population- refugees who fled from Soviet terror. He did not get that million.

Throughout the process of watching this movie, one of the things that rang loudly in my mind was: Didn't every related Wikipedia entry, online source, book reference and publication tell me that the origins of Al-Qaeda were from the holy warriors who fought jihad against the Russians? And if that was the case, aren't they the people that trained under America's funding?

This isn't an irony. Irony is not justifiable as a word to describe the atrocities we have witness the past few years. It isn't irony. It just shows us how much a million- compared to one billion- can go.

Just a geeky note.

2008-01-12T12:36:00.000+08:00

A Wired.com writer wrote (alliteration!) a pretty interesting piece about securing your wireless network. Read it here. He has an open wireless network and should be on Danial's happy list.

My mac is now running Leopard! Thanks Apple for making an operating system which rocks more then a million times more then yucky Vista.

Optimism

2008-01-05T12:47:00.000+08:00

In the 21st Century most people are optimistic. Not sure if that's a good thing or not.

2008

2008-01-03T19:46:00.000+08:00

I have so much in my heart to say. If 2008 was 1st, 2nd, 3rd January, then 2008 would be a thoroughly weird year. There's just so much adjustment I don't really feel the consistency in life anymore. For some reason 2007 seems so much nearer and touchable. More real, more potential, more dreams.

2008 is just like a vortex. I go in and ponder, think. But nothing gets through. It's an empty space. I haven't felt the stuff that should flow.

I walked to VS after dinner at the hostel today. Apparently I'm not suppose to go into the school in slippers and home clothes and all that but nobody cares. Literally, nobody. Cuz nobody was in the canteen, PB Room, MC Room or PSB Room. The whole place was empty.

So I took the chance to walk around, like just straddle around the school y'know. And then I realized the amazing journey I have been walking in Victoria School. Camps, buying milo every morning, classes, CCA, cheers, SLI, lower sec years, Sec 3 Years and probably about a million things that mean so much to me. It's really quite sad, that I've come to such a stage, reminiscing so much.

Reminiscing brings you to a very different place. It isn't good, it isn't bad. It just shows you where you are. Like your current status on MSN, just that this one's real, not one that you make up.

And then Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) by Green Day came to mind.

Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road
Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go
So make the best of this test, and don't ask why
It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time

It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.

So take the photographs, and still frames in your mind
Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time
Tattoos of memories and dead skin on trial
For what it's worth it was worth all the while

For what it's worth it was worth all the while. Yeah, I don't care what happens, but it's going to be a good 2008.

Finally.

2007-12-26T11:01:00.000+08:00

Films to look out for this January:

Elizabeth: The Golden Age (3 January)
The Darjeeling Limited (3 January)
27 Dresses (24 January)
The Kite Runner (31 January)

I would really want to watch Nanking now, but it'll be another 90 days. Hopefully by then all the NC16 shows won't be lame horror.

The state of young people everywhere.

2007-12-23T19:56:00.000+08:00

I always have had a secret love affair with film. The power of a film is indescribable, especially among the youth of our generation. I have to say I rarely have felt its prowess, maybe because I hardly ever watch movies. There is a reason behind it though, the choice of movies in Singaporean theaters bring forth such superficial and negative connotations. If it isn't about sex, then its about romance. Or action.

Maybe you think we live too stressed up, and these sexed up shows, or romanced dramas, and action films play pivotal rows toward more relax individuals. But the entire crux of the situation is that we are so absorbed in these meaningless dronings that we have become as superficial as they films themselves.

Which is why our generation is a superficial generation. We pay attention to how people think about us, how we look, how we behave, what we say. We become a moulding of society's standards. What other people want, we give it to them. We betray ourselves.

And all this is caught up in a vicious cycle- people imitating people who are imitating people. The ultimate decider of who to imitate is popular culture- MTV, Hollywood, a rising cult of Asian stars and who knows what else. And their lives, ladies and gentlemen, suck. They have no moral standards, and if you were to follow them, your life will have no standard as well.

These are crucial issues, and as internet and TV grow more international, a whole generation of young people will grow into delusional puppets who do nothing more then imitate.

We no longer live among humans, but among mannequins.

Small eyes

2007-12-09T21:21:00.001+08:00

Step back.

Back from school- CCA, Stu.orgs, Work.

Back from church- ministry.

Back from family.

Back from friends.

And ponder the meaning of our existence.

Then look at this.

They say Chinese have small eyes. I believe it too. They are so small we overlook too many things.

ROMPIN

2007-12-09T15:16:00.000+08:00

I'll be off to a seaside resort in Rompin, Malaysia for the next five days, it ain't Goa, Phuket or Tioman, but it certainly is ECP standard so I'm not too scrimpy about it. I swear I will wear my flip flops everyday and get a tan. Aha. My second holiday in a holiday.

I suppose this counts as a superficial entry?

The 21st Century Fall of Mankind

2007-12-01T09:37:00.001+08:00

New York Times reports "Calls in Sudan for Execution of British Teacher".

The case on Gillian Gibbons just shows how dense and daft some people can be when confronting situations. People don't think for themselves anymore. Their views and attitudes towards issues are based on those around them. And the views of those around them are based on the people above them. And that's why when we have just one bad leader, we have a generation of chaos. Hitler. Mao. And now this. Use your brains damn it! Are you stupid? You evidently are!

Notes

2007-11-26T10:43:00.000+08:00

There's some kind of subconscious reality between sleep and being awake, your dreams define who you are. The kind of thoughts and questions that generally bombard your mind throughout the day are logically going to be carried into your sleep. And they might offer quite a juxtaposed stance on what you originally arrived at. Maybe it's just our brain's way of forcing us to see problems from another angle; another perspective. Maybe as humans we're just too adamant about what we think. It's pride that's the fall of man.

It's gonna be Christmas! Haha. I need to start listening to Christmas stuff, and get more Christmas stuff at that too. Presents, cards, Orchard, Borders, oolala. There's just something about the season that just plunges you into a pseudo happiness. Then pseudo happiness somehow becomes real happiness. It's a waterfall kind of thing, just that the water goes up instead of down.

Cafe on Saturday was somewhat of a debate. Cafe at the Edge collects all cans that all Edgers drink so that we can give them to old aunties and uncles who rummage through rubbish dumps to collect drink cans and cardboards. Previously, we used to drive the huge bag of cans to Toa Payoh to give them to this specific group of people. But today there was this Aunty rummaging right there and then after Edge at our rubbish dump. So I was arguing that we should give it to her, after all the Toa Payoh people were always there.

Then it really touched to the real issue. We, as humans, why do we do charity? Is it for ourselves? To feel good? To know that I've done my part? Or is it really for the needy? That they need us so much we're helping them?

Think about it.

DAJ

2007-11-22T22:52:00.000+08:00

India has been the place of firsts for me. First time clubbing, first time being to a multi-million dollar wedding, first time getting to pick a car to ride on, first time being chauffeured, first time staying in a colossal house. Even being in India is a first time thing.

However, it was also my first time (second time actually, but just to make this string of words sound better) getting up front and personal with poverty. It was my first time seeing what poverty can do to people. It was my first time seeing the colossal income disparities that exists between the people. It was my first time seeing how the middle class hang dangerously in between.

India is an extremely wonderful place. The people there are beautiful people, they just need to learn a bit more. Learn basic courtesy. Learn not to cut queues (shitty flyers at the Indira Gandhi International Airport). But it isn't their fault really, growing in such an environment teaches them to be competitive, hardcore. Even at the expense of being uncourteous, ungracious.

I still see the core though. The seeds that dwell within which will grow to much more beautiful stuff.

Taj was great, old monumental stuff was great, but what's greater is the people. The amount of work that can be done is staggering, but when it finally concludes, India will shine freaking brightly.

Twitter Updates

2007-11-11T23:26:00.000+08:00

follow me on Twitter

Delhi, Jaipur and Agra

2007-11-11T23:18:00.000+08:00

Currently, I am not looking forward to India. The packing is killing me. Killing. Me. Packing is for sick people. Seriously.

I also found out that I am not bring the MacBook to Delhi/Agra/Jaipur and that sucks. Big time. I hope. Hope. Hope. India has lots and lots of internet cafes. I cannot shoot on only 1.25gb of flash memory. MacBookless sucks.

Right now, the only thing that's driving me are the shots from Popagandhi.com. I'm going to India for India. Not for anything else.

Postscript. Twitter updates might come! Look out for the entry above :)

About iPhone

2007-11-11T20:21:00.000+08:00

Read about iPhone. Look at iPhone (online). Look at iPhone (offline). Read about iPod touch. Look at iPod touch (online). Look at iPod touch (offline). Touch iPhone (offline). Touch iPod touch (offline).

Haha. Apple's a genius. I'll probably wait till iPhone in Singapore. By then I'll have enough k'chng :)

It's cute that so many other companies came up with similar devices over the years. Touch screen has been around since who-knows-how-long-ago, in Palms, HPs. Then HTC Touch and Prada came up with iPhone similar stuff. And guess what, none of them got that hype. Nobody queued up for 22 hours when they launched their products. They didn't get to be on the front page of so many freaking magazines, newspapers, blogs, online stuff. They didn't get to be Time Magazine's Invention of the Year.

So many people cursed the iPhone even before it came out. One of Palm's heads told presses that they had eons of experience in this industry, and Apple had just only started. They will go nowhere.

Look at where Apple's at now, bunch of suckers.

Regretting

2007-11-09T20:16:00.000+08:00

Life is all about regrets.

Regretting how I never relished the experience of Peer Support Camp when I was in Peer Support Camp. While on this topic I would like to thank everyone: Glen, Linus, Alph, Jun Cong, Sherwin, Oswin, Musli, Ze Wei, John Zheng, Joshua (Ng), Yi Zhe, Wei Jing, Muhsin, Jeremy, Jin Meng, Imran, John Wong, Hao Ming and all the Sec 2s for making PSLTC07 such a jackass blast for me. I had one of the most awesome four freaking days of my life and I think it was all because you guys were there. I forgot the Ex-facils as well, shan't name you but I know who you are. PSLTC07 will be one of those reasons why I freaking want a tape recorder that playbacks your life.

I think Musli describes an experience that two-thirds describes how I felt after PSLTC. Read it if you like Musli.

Regretting how half my term with MC and PSB is gone. And how I didn't take time to energise everyone in my EXCO, and how I wasn't an awesome chairman for the first half. And how I actually didn't give my all to these causes which freaking meant and means a lot to me. I think this is a severe wake up call for me. Time doesn't last forever, it ticks away like you're freaking rich. Just that you're not. You're only 15 years and 14 days and 13 hours and 12 minutes and 11 seconds and 10 milliseconds old once. So make good use of the time you have.

Regretting how I never took time to really interact with juniors and relate to them. Regretting how I didn't treasure my Sec One years and in lower sec kept wishing I was in upper sec. Regretting how I didn't give more to school. Regretting how I could have scored a freaking lower l1r5. Regretting how I fucking procrastinated too much. Regretting how I never spent more effort and time with too many people. Regretting how I never treasured too many people. Regretting how I daoed too many people. Regretting how I never bothered to relate to too many people. Regretting a lot of things.

And regretting sucks. Regretting sucks you into a deep dark hole. Deep dark holes and freaking deep dark holes. You do not want to fucking fall into a deep dark hold.

So yeah. This is my life. All about regretting. Get a grip. Get over it.

*half a minute interval*

That was what I felt a lot after I left camp. And it stayed this way for pretty long. Deep dark holes even in a mere day is not fun. Not fun. And then I read Nicolas' blog. No offense to Nicolas but I decided to post it instead of link it in case you guys don't click.

Kenrick: Life is full of regrets, but they shouldn't nail you down.
Nicolas: So I'm quite confused/lost now you see.
Kenrick: Haha, is there any point in regrets?
Kenrick: Life is linear, in case you haven't realised, yet in a inextricable web.
Kenrick: Your life is a story, yet all lives are a single story. Haha.
Nicolas: Woahh, alright.
Kenrick: Right?
Nicolas: Yup.
Kenrick: So don't look back look FRONT.

Yea. It pretty much cut me. I don't know who hell you freaking are, Kenrick, but you're abso-freaking-lutely right. Thanks a bunch.

So yea, I'm now going to push as much as I can for all those regrets.

13!

2007-11-06T06:46:00.000+08:00

I'm up at 6am in the morning in VS while most of the Sec 2s are still asleep. It's PSLTC everybody! Yay!

I guess what's so unique about life in VS is the multiple camps that we do every year, the amount of bonding we go through together as batches, and the ever increasing affection we have for the school. Not just emotionally, but physically as well.

I slept at freaking 12.50 am and woke up at 6.30 am. Thats *holds up fingers* only less than six hours. Shit. How on earth am I going to stay up for lectures later. Imagine Seniors sleeping at lectures. Rawr.

So, like I said, school has become sort of an addiction. We come here for fun laughter, peace and joy. We come here for meetings. We come here to hang out. We come here to eat (Okay maybe not that). We come here to love. When we don't come here, we get jittery. We have withdrawal symptoms. We go on MSN and try to talk to somebody else.

Okay maybe not that degree of absurdity.

Vee ass kemama ole ole ah ah.

Postscript. I know my entry sounds disjointed but it's freaking 6am.

My Fun Shit Holiday

2007-11-02T09:03:00.000+08:00

Five days into the holiday and it feels like shit. It's not a holiday. At all.

At least shit is fun. Haha.

EMD last night was super. Duper. Uuper. Like really awesome.

But what's more super. Duper. Uuper. Like really awesome, for many many times is the process of doing everything. For so many events I have been preparing and preparing and preparing. And when it finally comes the time when I go and stage and finally do it. It's gone like the wind.

So yeah, I have come to a conclusion after many emcee stints. The fun of it is not the product, but rather, the process. Rather cliche, but there's a reason why cliches are cliches.

Of course, what made it more fun was touching an iPhone *swoons*. Not the iPod touch hor, iPhone. I guess it lived up to the expectations to all the great reports lah, but I only have a chance to say that cuz somebody has a rich father.

Okay, this entry was a short oasis of calm. Now caress me as I return into the world of fun shit.

Bye shufa! Bye rollerblading! Bye photography! Bye reading! Bye running!

Shufa

2007-10-30T12:15:00.000+08:00

Yesterday was my first Chinese Calligraphy (书法) class! Not my first actually, since I started way long ago in Primary Three but it was sort of a join-every-CCA-you-can move when joining a CCA was the rage in primary three.

And of course, like every fad, and like every poor time management routine, I left that CCA. I also left the PRC Chinese teacher who was teaching there.

I took an hour just to "get right" the 点 right. And that kind of 点 was just one of the many different ways to write a 点.

Then I decided one hour of just practicing 点s were boring. So I decided to jump the gun to the first page of my Chinese Calligraphy Workbook.

Chinese boleh! 能用华语是服气，别失去！

Postscript 点 is the simplest stroke in the writing of the Chinese language. It is merely a dot in daily writings. It is pronounced as dian.

Post-postscript "能用华语是服气，别失去!" is one of the slogans from the Speak Chinese campaign in Singapore. It suggests that using Chinese is a blessing, and that you should not lose that ability.

How I Work.

2007-10-30T01:00:00.000+08:00

See (love)
Want (love)
Get (love)
Spread (love)

Bouncy (love)
Pure (love)
Fake (love)

Have (love)
Happy.

Sucky PCs

2007-10-29T18:12:00.000+08:00

Mac OS X Leopard's icon for a networked PC on Leopard's menu!

Mac rules!

All the racket.

2007-10-25T17:36:00.000+08:00

377a is just a facade. The government keeps it there just to please our conservative hoi polloi. I mean, seriously, keeping 377a is not gonna stop Singaporean gays from having gay sex. They have been having gay sex for a long long time. And they're not going to stop.

Say la vey

2007-10-23T21:12:00.000+08:00

I'm hooked on A Million Little Pieces by James Frey. It's so good that I'm freaked that his entire style of writing might just flow right into mine because I'm so in love with this book. I've come to see why Man Bookers and Newberies and Pulitzers and Nobels and whatevers out there don't really define whether a book's good or not. It's down to whether the book is good or not.

So anyway, everyone should get a copy of it (although it is pretty rare in Borders now so who knows how rare it is someplace else) or borrow it or something. It will rock your box of socks.

Faces are confusing. There's just too many of them and you wish there were just lesser. It's too tiring to want to switch and to cope with the switches.

I showed some people the thing Esther showed me. I can show it to you too. Click here. It's an article by the Herald Sun to test whether you are using your Right Brain or Left Brain to perceive things and whether you're more prone to the left or the right.

In case you didn't know (I didn't before I read this), the Left Brain is more logic orientated while the Right Brain is more feeling orientated.

And when I showed it to whom I showed it, some were like "Aiya, I want to see it this way, or that way." Basically saying that they wished to be more prone toward a side of the brain.

And I think a lot of times things are like that. We want to be something we're not. Or want part of us to be more dominant. I really don't know if oozing a certain part of you out for more is good or bad. It's subjective I guess. After all, the Bible did say you reap what you sow.

So yeah.

Postscript. On a more hit-reality note something terrible happened today. I didn't cap my bottle properly and chucked it into green crump. The water then went into my pencil case and mixed with the leaking black pens and soaked my bags contents with diluted black ink. My iPod Photo and Calculator since Sec 1 both whom I have had immense intimate relationships with are now RIP.

I never wanted to change my calculator. Despite there being new ones and how everybody moaned about buttons not having spring to it I still sticked on. And now it's gone.

The iPod photo (Queenie) has never ceased to be a part of my life. I still used it as my Music Library connected to the room stereo to play music. All my photos are inside it. It was my first iPod. It is vintage. It is cool. It is dead.

Bye Queenie. Bye Cal.

un-tete-a-tete

2007-10-22T22:52:00.000+08:00

My infatuation with the multiple periods writing-style has been confirmed as style worthy since i got twenty-five out of thirty for my End-of-year free writing composition! Apparently the highest teachers ever give out is a twenty-six and that, is extremely rare.

I remember relishing the moments of writing that essay, adrenaline surging through my bloodstream as it neared the climax (yes, I am not kidding) but as I speed read it through again, today, while the paper was given out, I didn't enjoy it as much. I wonder why.

Thank God the teacher did though. Twenty-five!

I have come to a somewhat conclusion on what I will be writing about for this year's NaNoWriMo. I'm still aiming for a multiple short stories framework because, that way, I could address more issues. This is however contradicted by my current lack of issues to write about. However, if I just focus on one story-line, my whole thing just might turn boring.

Okay you did not have to read that. Ramblings. Suck.

Haha.

Keep breathing.

2007-10-18T17:04:00.000+08:00

My left foot pushes ahead of my right. My right foot pushes ahead of my left. Left, right, left, right. I get the rhythm. This isn't so difficult.

Then tiny ants start nibbling on the soles of my feet, as if my socks have some kind of lice growth. This is aggravated by iron nails growing on the underside of my shoe, it digs into my feet. Bloodless. Excruciating.

Left. Right. Left. Right. I try again.

I can't. Can.

Left. Right. Left. Right. I try again.

I can't. I really can't. Fuck.

I squat on the grey road. My stomach rises and falls. Sick overwhelms me.

Shit.

I vomit. It sprays everywhere. It seeps into the gaps between the pavements. People walk pass. One per cent of my brain is thinking if they're looking at me.

Ninety-nine is overwhelmed with the bile at the end of my throat.

My squatted legs give way. I break into a sit.

I breathe. Breathe. Breathe.

It feels much better, but ants are now crawling everywhere. Everywhere.

Fuck.

I itch. It gets worst. Worst.

The nails are back again. And now its in my head. I grasp my hands around my head. I rub my hair. I'm mad. Mad.

I struggle to get water. Yeah. Water. That'll do me good.

I can't. Now the itch in my hands.

I struggle to get up. I fail.

I lie on my back. I give up. This is too hard.

I breathe. Breathe. Better.

Inspired by Ingrid Michaelson and her song, Keep Breathing. For all the Sec 4s out there. Just hang on.

2007-10-16T22:51:00.000+08:00

Exams really kill the joy from a subject.

Oh and guess what, China's wetting it's pants now. Too big a baby to let their exiled Dalai Lama get an award. He's already out of your country!

ChristmasChristmasChristmas

2007-10-14T20:08:00.000+08:00

See Han was listening to Corrine May's Christmas album on Friday. While playing dota. I guess it's the right time to use the overused o.0 smiley. So there: o.0.

Hence I hastily commented that Christmas was 2 months away! This was also hastily corrected by Esther Chee who told me that when you wait for Christmas to come before getting into the Christmas mood, it will be over really soon. Then you'll still be in Christmas mood after Christmas when all the major department start to tear down all their pretty Christmas stuff and you'll be yearning for something non-existant.

Yeah. I remember the sad withdrawal symptoms from last year. Christmas withdrawals.

So I decided to listen to Jump5's All the Joy in the World Christmas album and Lisa Ono's Spanish-y Boas Festa.

Guess what. Nothing.

I think Christmas cannot exist when one in still going through exams. Either that or I'm deluding myself of being able to get the Christmas spirit a full 71 days before the day itself.

Come Christmas come!

p.s. My biggest Christmas wish? 50% off all Borders purchases!

Push

2007-10-11T20:41:00.000+08:00

Exam period is far from over. It's like a sting, constantly there, crawling over your mind. Not really like jail or entrapment, just that constant lingering of exams. As certain people start the rejoice that their last paper is tomorrow, I realised I'm one whole week away from completion. Sometimes I really cannot discern the administration's complete lack of understanding. 7 subbers get a whole Monday to Thursday off next week and I'll be damned coming back every day.

Even the supposed "marking day" is actually the Art Theory Paper. Seriously.

While whining and pining about the nuance and end of exams, my constantly vigorous brain has thought of millions of things to compel myself with after the wonderful examinations.

Read compulsively. I have my list of books already. And it's pretty creepy.
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion.
A Million Little Pieces by James Frey.
On the Road by Jack Kerouac.
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.
On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan.
The Gathering by Anne Enright.
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy.
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett.
A Book by Gogol, if I can find it, by Nikolai Gogol.

And of course other miscellaneous books which I have bought but not read, including:
The Diana Chronicles by Tina Brown.
The Impressionist by Hari Kunzru.
Fiasco by Thomas E. Ricks.
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens.
Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh.
Shogun by James Clavell.
Mao by Jun Chang and John Halliday.
The Assault on Reason by Al Gore.
Miracles by C.S. Lewis.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

Run compulsively. I will pull myself to East Coast Park at least once a week to run. Roy!

Rollerblade compulsively. I suppose this and run compulsively could be under "exercise compulsively" by there's something about East Coast going that makes matters interesting. Bullshit.

Play guitar compulsively. I will actually be able to play bar chords.

Travel compulsively. This is nevertheless only a hope, unless two destinations in two months is compulsive. I want to fly to Hanoi and Tioman (which is of course highly unlikely) while Delhi and Rompin is largely confirmed.

Photograph compulsively. Chinatown! Little India!

Write compulsively. I will aim to at least do a quarter of NaNoWriMo!

Yes. That is all. Compulsive too many is too scary.

Holidays!

Mumble.

2007-10-09T20:28:00.000+08:00

My cousin is getting married this Saturday. I don't know about everybody but weddings do extract a certain amount of ting from me. Ting as in tingly.

Their wedding blog (kboyjgal.blogspot.com. Just take a moment to absorb that URL.) has been pretty novel. My cousins (and uncles, and aunties) have been devouring their entries of late. But after reading each entry (my heart skipping beat when I see that they have updated), I have come to a conclusion that when you garner such a strong foundation with your fiancee or fiance, a wedding doesn't do much to your relationship.

There isn't a big change emotionally. Sure, you now write "Married" on Facebook, forms, surveys etc. and you move in together and sleep together and share your life whatever. But the fact is that a wedding and marriage is there just to proof that you and your f/f (fiance/fiancee) have come thus far.

Maybe I sound loony. But that's the way I see it.

You know a book is really that good when you find yourself sitting at the large sitting areas at the train station right after come out of the train and reading. When you decide to leave, you find out you have to pay two dollars because you overstayed your time in Singapore's rail.

p.s. DOUGLAS KENNEDY IS JOY READ.

p.p.s I am absolutely in love with my EOY English Free Writing essay

Darfuri

2007-10-03T19:17:00.000+08:00

Human Rights Watch: What is going on here?
Girl: My hut burning after being hit by a bomb.
HRW: And here? [Pointing to what looks like an upside-down woman]
Girl: It's a woman. She is dead.
HRW: Why is her face colored in red?
Girl: Oh, because she has been shot in the face.
HRW: What is this vehicle? Who is this in green?
Girl: That is a tank. The man in green is a soldier.

Adapted from Slate Magazine.

I picked the least hair-raising, goosebumps manifesting picture. Check out the rest of the series here.

Genocide.

2007-09-30T16:12:00.000+08:00

I haven't been blogging for a long time so hopefully this photo will help to stall :)

REGA!

Oh, and Facebook is awesome. Find me!

月饼abourrit?

2007-09-15T10:46:00.000+08:00

Mooncake craze is back again! Sadly, the nice mooncakes from my Mom's boss has all been finished! Now all that's left is the weird mooncakes my Dad brought home from China and nobody's eating it. Except me, 'cuz I'm desperate for mooncake!

My Mom has pledged to get Mariott ones with her Maybank discount today. I, however, pledge my loyalty to the aged mooncake establishment 大中国 (cantonese: dai zhong kok) in Chinatown!

Snowskin, lotus paste, no egg, doesn't seem like a popular choice around today ):

Banquet

2007-09-12T18:41:00.001+08:00

BIMBO PICTURE!

Haha.

Ratatouille

2007-09-04T20:20:00.000+08:00

Today was Movie Day! My long hiatuses toward the film industry had been rather common, even toward Pixar films (I missed Cars, and have not watched it to this day). Hence, my march toward Theatre One in Plaza Singapura still cemented an air of novelty. The film that had my hour plus of undivided attention was, of course, the ever-hyped Ratatouille!

Ratatouille is about a rat, who finds his clan's stereotypical stealing practices disgusting. His sense of smell is also overwhelmingly ticklish, and can detect rat poison from all the fares his family digests. He, however, being a revolutionary rat, journeys to Paris in a cliche drainage system. He then meets a culinarily hopeless waiter and embarks with him through the world of creating fine dining dishes with their impossible French names.

The film certainly lives up to its Pixar label. The animations are not overwhelming but isn't substandard either. The plot wasn't fantastic, and subtly disorganized. A bit like sitting in the midst of middle-age women and their scurrying conversations. A quick pee in the middle of the movie proofed this point when I tried to recall the story-so-far with much difficulty.

What saved the movie was the dominating humor slices, never ceasing to unlock the rivers of the viewers laughter. And of course, who could forget, the charming protagonist Remy, who consistently endeared the audience with his reality cuteness.

After 7 years of hard work Ratatouille is an awesome success and is definitely worth a move of ass from the couch in front of the teevee to a cosy cinema seat. Even in rainy weather.

After 3 years

2007-09-03T19:15:00.000+08:00

You look at the books lying everywhere and decide it is time. You then quickly pace to the service balcony and help yourself to the cleanest rag you can find, they are, after all your books. You then look at the top layer of Childcraft Encyclopedias and decide they have lived their times of glory long enough, let other publications take over. Hence, you begin to take them in threes, putting a strain on your fingers, but you don't care.

Ah! Second-person narrative is tiring. I will now switch to third-person.

He takes extra care not to drop those decade old "gems". He will keep them, although they are almost worthless now. A quick check on ebay showed that the previously purchased at thousand dollar odd books were now worth 7 US Dollars per book. Wikipedia stores all that information now, and is easily accessible plus free.

He, however, believes that one day all these books will become extinct, and, one day, people will wonder how they acquired information in the past without the Internet. And He, will have primary sources of information, and will become rich, or at least, richer, than he is now.

He also enjoys typing in long sentences, for that, he apologizes.

So the books find their place in a dark cupboard and he stacks his new books on the third shelf. He looks at them and marvels at his collection of books. He cannot believe he has spent so much money, but hugs his books anyway.

3 shelves! And Borders is opening in Parkway!

Mark Haddon's Brainchild

2007-08-29T22:13:00.000+08:00

Alpha Pierce took a spade and knocked Beta Pierce over. Wham. It was a hard blow, and Beta laid stationery on the floor. A spot of bother dripped out the side of her mouth. "Shut up", she said, and breathed her last breath.

Donkey!

2007-08-18T22:37:00.000+08:00

I am now immune to the shit I get. I wonder if that's good or bad.

ABISH

2007-08-15T20:58:00.001+08:00

I'm usually such a bore when it comes to updating my blog, this much justified when Danial highlighted the date of the last entry I posted. It's the life and shit we all go through that just kills the enthusiasm in me. But when inspiration comes, it's a totally different matter. I now find myself furiously typing across the keyboard already with the checklist of items clearly imprinted in my head.

Firstly, I would like to tell everyone how rad Sue Townsend's latest book is. Queen Camilla is a fantastic read, I'm telling myself to read fasted because the books is bleeding interesting, yet each time I look at the number of pages remaining, it kills me. It's the book after Harry Potter I have refused to put down, quite an achievement, I must say. The most endearing part must be how Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh refers Queen Elizabeth II as "Lilibet". Shit seriously.

I never really was a fan of food shows, except Nigella Lawson's Nigella Feasts or probably any other of her food shows. It's just plain pleasure to sit through watching her talk about what she's cooking and stuff. The Brit thing just throws off the entire presentation so well, with all her colorful language and stuff. And the best thing is that her food doesn't look that great so I don't go drooling after the show. She makes cooking look fantastically easy though, like every other food personality on screen.

Food for thought: Earlier an advertisement ran on Travel and Living about these people enjoying beach volleyball and sun (I always had a penchant for beaches), then relaxing in a spa and partying at night. And I was like what the freak is this place? Thinking it was Australia or something cuz I never saw the ad before. Then, it burst out big and wide.

Sentosa.

Completely Incorrigible

2007-08-10T17:42:00.000+08:00

Shitassed crap from shitassed people has like bombarded a million Hiroshimas on the crap out of me for the past weeks. It's totally pathetic how we're treated sometimes. The line of work seeks to kill, I'm telling you. You trudge to school everyday knowing it's gonna take another slice of you to survive till you see the dusk. Then you start slogging your head off all the worms they throw at you and sleep. Sleep- the only source of rest you get, it's like heaven. Then you wake up and find the world splat back in your face. Get your ass of they bloody bed it tells you. And then you go through the same horrid cycle the whole week until you're immune to the shit you're swimming in. Shit and oxygen have no more difference, you're breathing it just the same. Education people! You don't have it? You can breathe shit and more shit.

Oh well, it's life. Get used to it. Get over it. Live it.

I just realized I had Fergie's Big Girls Don't Cry in my iTunes all awhile and haven't listened to it except when Concert for Diana was playing on teevee. Oh well, Glamorous and that song is like just this exceptional women we see apart from the typical "sexed" up Fergie we are so exposed to. I guessed it's just her lousy image people who create such a perception from the public and all the people who buy her CDs are horned up yuppies. Whatever man. Fergie rocks my socks.

Oh yeah, while I'm at it let me just spread some awareness forthe Darfurian campaigns Enough and Save Darfur have been strongly pitting towards the world. I'm sure most Sec 3 Victorians have see the film Hotel Rwanda depicting one of the world's deadliest genocide in Rwanda amounting to hundreds of thousands deaths. The same thing is happening today in Darfur.

And what had happened was that China has been trading extensively with Sudan, the nation Darfur exists in. Not only does it trade with the country, it remains the largest foreign investor in that country, largest diplomatic sponsor and major weapons provider. China holds the greatest power to changing the course of the lives of millions of people. Over 300000 people have died in the course of this genocide, and civilians continue to die at a rate of 15 000 a month.

And with their hosting of the Olympics just a year away, it just seems completely absurd that they are letting such an atrocity pass before their eyes. Its lack of reaction has cost lives! Not numbers people! LIVES! It's only when more people know and start pointing fingers is when they will wake up and realize their pearls they have been harvesting- pretty cities that show off their economic development and power- are bloodstained.

The US House of Representatives has already introduced a resolution to boycott the Beijing Olympics next year. Chances of it being passed are high, since it was the Republicans who introduced it and the Democrats has been pushing for further reforms on human rights from China.

People, we don't need such a scenario. Write a letter to Mr Hu Jin Tao now.

Something different.

2007-08-02T22:48:00.000+08:00

Secondary

2007-07-26T22:12:00.001+08:00

Despised, you are
Persecuted, you are
Killed, you are
Pierced, you are

Undeserving, you have been
Shortchanged, you have been
Backstabbed, you have been
Cannibalized, you have been

23 Moral Global Citizens have entered into a feared, spat-upon, disillusioned, despised country all with the aim of bringing hope, joy and love to the people there. Sacrificed they have, received, they have not.

That was what Jesus would have done 2000 years ago. Today, his followers are doing the same thing.

Cowered, you have not
Reaped, you have not
Enjoyed, you have not
Regretted, you have not

Helped, you have
Loved, you have
Hugged, you have
Inspired, you have
Give abundantly, expecting nothing, you have.

Kill the damned hiatus

2007-07-26T21:51:00.000+08:00

Chit chat awhile first, alright? Here's an excerpt from David's blog:

Saw that most teachers are wearing Indian Ethnic Clothings..... asked Weng Keong why and that little scheming devil replied saying that they only wore the Indian Clothes to show that they ain't RACIST against Indians..... -.-"

This is such a legitimate answer dammit! Tons of people are like superfluously trying to embrace other traditionally spat-on cultures with no other intention I can think off but to show that they are not racist.

I mean okay la, they could seriously enjoy that culture, but usually, (usually!) people do these things to wear a badge of anti-racism. Especially now that we're in the revolutionary age of condemning these condemning-blood antics.

Yesterday was wasted on the AEP Exhibition at NAFA. I have seriously dropped all ideas of displaying my works at this sorts of student exhibitions. Not to criticize or anything, since I was part of this event as a photographer, but what I concluded from it was that it was all big show.

Maybe it's just the way students are made to wait tirelessly just to present their works to the GOH and VIPs.

Or maybe it's the rigid timetable, rules, preparation and lack of spontaneity.

Or maybe it's the drastic bitchy, cold, cut-throat atmosphere I seem to seep in to throughout the pre-exhibition preparations.

Or maybe it's the fact that it seems very un-different, very un-unconventional and very un-revolutionary, the way un-art is supposed to be.

Or maybe it's just me whining about the whole procession and tiredness.

Nah. It isn't the last one. So I swear to myself even if I get chosen I probably won't put myself through the torture waiting for the GOH to come to my exhibition area so that I can be heard. It seems so ridiculous.

I still have tons I need to blog about. Like how my life under Chia is over, and how I am free from tests tomorrow, and how I am free from most of the things that are bugging me. It's freedom very soon!

Shut up

2007-07-18T22:50:00.000+08:00

I’m tired of breathing for people. I’m tired of carrying extra stuff on my shoulders. I’m tired of the immense unfortunate shit I have to bear. I’m tired of keeping things up. I’m tired of kicking the ball. I’m tired of keeping everything in place. I’m tired of tracking everything on paper because my mind can’t keep up to it. I’m tired of the responsibilities on top of the responsibilities. I’m tired of systems. I’m tired of the fact that we have to obey the systems. I’m tired of running. I’m tired of irritating people. I’m tired of people who don’t give a damn about me. I’m tired of regretting stuff. I’m tired of my homework. I’m tired on not doing my homework. I’m tired of my sucky aptitude on certain subjects. I’m tired that I have to work harder since I’m sucky. I’m tired of accountability. I’m tired of school. I’m tired of constrains. I’m tired of being barred and jailed. I’m tired of school being constrained, barred and jailed. I’m tired of keep myself afloat. I’m tired of breathing. I’m tired of my addiction. I’m tired of routine. I’m tired of cycles. I’m tired of Chia. I’m tired of freaking myself out. I’m tired of thinking to much. I’m tired of being mentally bound. I’m tired of unrest. I’m tired of lousy peace. I’m tired of reading. I’m tired of world politics. I’m tired of warfare. I’m tired of fighting. I’m tired of being tired.

There, feels so much better. Now, I need to stop whining, get a life, and get over this hurdle.

Speech Day

2007-07-16T20:09:00.000+08:00

Speech Day was fun.

The best part?

The latch that keeps my award close.

It was fun flickin' it.

6th

2007-07-14T23:43:00.000+08:00

We all thought alike, wanting to birth an irresistibly hot idea which would shake the school's guts up, and achieve a legacy that all Victorians would always keep a mental note on on their side of their heads. Like the Victorian Spirit wall, which has etched such a pivotal image in our minds- recesses, muggings, camps, we all deal with that mural.

Or the 1st-5th floor staircase, whereby half the hoi polloi climb up everyday to chiong assembly. I guess these little nooks and littles of our school is what we have gained affection for, despite not participating in its birth.

Hence, Threejay wanted to achieve that. Threejay wanted to replicate one of these great, successful pieces, that all stuck on Victorians minds and live them. We wanted to be part, or lead rather, the revolution, of the next big school feature.

And we got our perfect location, the wall so noticeable to every Victorian everyday. The wall that would propel our class (3J2007) to eternal fame and glory. And guess what? A few days after its approval, we kenna rejected.

We deal with it right? So we ultimately got a less prominent wall, a wall hardly any Victorian walks pass, or none actually. No Victorian walks pass that wall except our class. But we decided to make the best out of it. I guess nobody really expressed it (either they didn't give a damn or they didn't want to be the wet blanket) but the location of the wall were painting wasn't exactly the ideal candidate. The committee did their best all the same and entertained the non-painters with Halo and Winning Eleven while painting their guts out.

But what really mattered this time was that we were bonding as a class. I mean sure, Sec 3 Camp did that for us, on a much bigger scale actually. But this was on an entirely new level, the strictness of camp life were gone and we were being happy like crazy.

Hence started the day with whitewashing, which was a rather fun job, I thought.

Haha, we were Al Gores-Life Earthers-Money savers that day by labeling all our cups so we didn't have to reuse them :)

And what was another major milestone was that there were only 3 AEP students in the class. Everyone else was just a normal Victorian with standard Singaporean 2 years of Visual Art lessons. Yet, we managed to accomplish such a hyped frenzy of painting activities.

Then when we were on the homing stretch I guess the painting got into some of the peeps leading to strippings of their shirts and painting of their bodies. There were female teachers around. (I'm not one of them)

As we finally completed the last stroke of paint, even God was smiling down on us. We had this amazing hue of purple painting the sky. It was super amazing, never seen anything like that in Singapore before.

And in true Victorian fashion, we ended with VS Unite!

Haha, the fruit of our labour:

I guessed what we finally realized after everything (cliche moral-of-the-stories) was that we didn't do the challenge for the school, we didn't do it for anybody. We did it for ourselves, as a class. We did it as a testimony of our esprit de corp. It didn't matter that anyone didn't pass by it, we did. And that was all that mattered.

And what was amazing that despite the secluded spot we left our legacy on, people came to marvel at our mural. Principle, Marran, teachers, students. I guess you really know you're pro when people make effort to come all the way in.

131

2007-07-14T10:20:00.000+08:00

Last year's Speech Day.

It's fifteen minutes before I should get out of my house, take the train and reach Victoria School to go for my one and only rehearsal for this year's Speech Day. I never really had any thing for Speech Day since the Genesis of my Victorian Life. Sec 1 was spent as a student audience, Sec 2 as a photographer (with bitchy professional ones) and now today as an award recipient.

I really rather not go get the award, I'm wasting my Saturday away.

I feel like I didn't do anything to get the award. Shrugs.

Teaser

2007-07-13T19:11:00.000+08:00

I swear I will post an entry for Victoria Challenge, it has been a long time since I posted an entry based on an event. I'm too tired to think though, so this is all you get for now.

UPDATE:

I realized the photo didn't do much justice to some people who were probably pushed to far in or what and hence didn't get included. Here's a help-you-know-who-they-are.

Got Spine?

2007-07-08T17:05:00.000+08:00

Thousands of plastic cups were left on the Wembley Stadium floor at the end of the London concert, despite organisers urging the audience to put them into recycling bins provided.

-BBC News

See what I mean?

Posers

2007-07-07T23:14:00.000+08:00

Yes, I understand the urgency of the catastrophe that has heightened the world's awareness. It is not no longer considered a sideline issue among the many resolutions the UN and superpowers must pass. It is no longer a mundane topic only raised by Greenpeace and the environmentalists. It is now considered hip and cool to be environmentally friendly.

It is cool to be using your own reusable bag when you shop at supermarkets. It is cool to drink with a reusable bottle. It is cool to bathe with cold water. It is cool to wear a sweater instead of turning up the thermostat (if you're in a generally chilly country). It is cool to use the fan instead of air-conditioning (if you're in a sticky, hot country). It is cool to love the earth and love Momma Nature whatever.

But why is it cool? Why? Why is it cool to love the whales now when you laughed at the people who fought so hard to keep them on the "still existing" animals list? Why is it cool now when you swore to yourself you'd never be a part of the school's Environmental Activist Club?

Because everyone is doing that. Cameron Diaz, Linkin Park, Madonna, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, James Blunt, John Legend, Keane, the Pussycat Dolls and whoever else is on the list of Live Earth performers, promoters, is doing that.

We love Earth because they love Earth. We don't love Earth because we love Earth.

How many times has Greenpeace fought for your support? How many times have you received emails from them trying to get you to save our Earth? How many times have you actually gone to the Greenpeace website?

And now Al Gore brings in his troupe of famous people to all the cool places in the world and we go gaga wearing "I LOVE EARTH" tees.

This is our generation, people. We got no spine.

Green

2007-07-05T22:44:00.000+08:00

I'm listening to old Avril emo songs, and trying to be emo. I mean I'm copying Physics homework now. Even after I got d7 at the last war. I deserve to be emo.

It's sorta sad to see that your individuality is stripped away when everyone is doing the same thing as you.

Oh well, I guess wearing green is pretty normal right?

I'm still contemplating whether to just "fit in" on Saturday in green or wear something else just to spark the fact that I don't go with the flow.

Stupid analogies.

Viva.

2007-07-04T21:19:00.000+08:00

It's been too fast, each day as I walk down the 3rd floor to the locker area, also passing by the Lower Sec Classrooms, I just can't help but cajole myself to work harder and enjoy myself more. 2 years have just flickered before my eyes, and I'm already in the middle of my Sec 3 year.

I recall aspirations, and hopes. To join the leadership boards yada yada like my seniors have done, and here I am now. Doing that. It should seem surreal but I guess the jeans are already comfortably worn in. I remember during MC Camp 2005, Jeremy was around. He then walked up to the Sec 3 in charge there and told him, "Ei, this is going to be your future chairman okay." And I was like *shut up*. So paisei dammit.

That was when I knew few people and was only a funky Sec 1. And what he said really came true.

And then there was the ongoing dreams and hopes of being a red shirt, being PSL whatever. Helping Sec 1s fit in whatever, and Bryan was constantly assuring me not to worry. One MC Meeting, Jarren was like, "Oh! This is Weng Keong's red shirt year!"

"How do you even know I'm gonna get in?" I asked.

Then he just smiled. Maybe it was planned, maybe I sounded ridiculous in front of him. Maybe I was just too naive then.

Then there were the PSB EXCO interviews and the hand-over. I wouldn't say I didn't expect it but it did come across as surreal too. Until now, even though I'm a black shirt on paper, I haven't really come to accept the fact. Or maybe, its fine, since I haven't actually got the shirt yet. Lol.

Track meet this year (my first), SLI 08, MC Reforms, Convention (hope, hope), Victoria Challenge.

I better make the most out of these times.

On a side note, Director of Singapore Gaga, Tan Pin Pin , has a new film coming up! Click to find out more.

181

2007-07-01T23:04:00.000+08:00

It's first July, you have officially entered the second half of the year. Do you remember the hugs? The cheers? Or were you sleeping your ass off when the clock struck twelve on First January Two Thousand and Seven. Do you remember your resolutions? Or maybe you didn't write them down. Maybe you just made a mental note, that 2007 would be a great year, as you drank in the euphoria.

Or maybe you had more determination than that. Maybe you saw how 2006 flopped, maybe you told yourself you'd do better. Maybe you committed yourself to that greater cause.

Maybe it related to your school work, you wanted the six A1s, or maybe you wanted to be a better person. Maybe you believe in karma, and you wanted a better one. Maybe you decided that every single time you see an old man on the train you'd give up your seat for him. Or maybe you'd made up your mind that you'd give at least two bucks to that armless guitar player on Orchard Road every time you saw him.

Or maybe you wanted to read more, and widen your horizons. Maybe you wanted to write more, and be more expressive. Maybe you wanted to draw more, and improve your observation skills. The drawing lessons that made you so excellent in Sec One had faded away, your skills have rusted, and you wanted to try again.

Maybe you were going to get more spiritual, maybe you wanted to dive into a deeper relationship with God. Maybe you wanted to give more time. Maybe life was suppose to mean more than it did right then.

Maybe you wanted to be a better son, daughter, brother, sister or friend. Maybe you made up your mind not to ignore anymore smses. Maybe you had made your mind to be a more serving person, that you'd not use so much eye power and actually get your ass down and do some work.

You had a dream, a vision, a thought, a set of sight to accomplish something. However big, however small, you had that teeny weeny thought in your head.

Half a year has gone, are you any closer to reaching it?

My improving my still pathetic grasp of everything Physics.

2007-06-28T20:10:00.000+08:00

Nicolas has written an extraordinarily entry, instinctively striking a chord with those tormenting days last SA in May. Except he studied for his exams, or mugged rather, while I can't even convince myself to say I put in the slightest bit of effort. Nevertheless, this entry is a must read, something you'll sympathize, empathize or even share experience about.

His blog has broken rule two of kennysia's "When A Good Layout Isn't Exactly Important" but heck that and read it anyway. Note: you have to click on the teeny "blog" link at the bottom of the box thingy. Click.

I have a "Physics Revision Test" tomorrow and I'm the only one in the class besides the PRC scholar who scored a 40+ l1r5 who is supposed to take it. Why? We make up the weird population of males who can't do Physics. Or myself, alone, actually, since it's probably the language barrier who caused my dear friend to fail.

So yea, I'm improving, but I'm quite sure I'll fail the revision test again tomorrow. I asked my Physics teacher what would happen if I failed and he said "Do your best."

I'm like, what?

So yea, I have about 4 hours should I sleep at 12 today to revise 6 months worth of Physics lessons last semester.

On a lighter note, I managed to understand and do all the questions from the current Physics topic: Work and Energy both in class and in tuition.

Oh, and did I mention I was first in class to finish the Titration procedure in Chemistry Lab with both experiments having matching amounts of Sodium Hydroxide inserted into 25cm³ of Hydrochloric Acid. Yeah, mine was 27.2cm³ of NaOH to neutralize 25cm³ of HCl.

I don't bloody care.

2007-06-24T21:06:00.001+08:00

Sometimes I feel that people see me as such a social person, and that I'm extrovert whatever. Sometimes I feel slaved to what people see me as and what people expect me to be. Sometimes I get the feeling that I'm not running on the track some random person wants me to be and he's pissed about it. Sometimes my intuition tells me people have already started their stopwatches, as if they're timing how long they're letting me go my own way before they blow their top at me.

Sometimes it gets so bad that I already start to preconceive that ticking clock from people when they talk to me. Sometimes I misunderstand people when they're not the ones. Sometimes people to me seem like this man with big glasses tapping his finger on his watch, telling me time's up.

Sometimes I sit down and wonder where I should go from now. Sometimes, I look up at the clouds wishing things could be simplified, and that life could be as easy as an instruction sheet. Follow step one, then two, then three. There! You achieve nirvana.

Sometimes I start to think that I can start anew. Sometimes I think that I don't have to be this way, I don't have to live by people's preconceived image, I don't have to listen to someone else's bullshit. And most importantly, I don't have to care what others think.

Because the more I hear it, the more I realize that that person is not your mother, not your father, your brother or your sister. He can't do anything to hurt you and he doesn't have that authority. His life probably sucks more than yours and listening to one less person doesn't help.

You're strong, dude. C'mon, is what he thinks about you gonna revolutionize your world? He doesn't make a difference in your life. You do. You know why? Cuz it's called your life for a reason.

This is for everyone who worry so much about their public image. Everyone suffers from it. That doesn't mean you can't be special.

My Mom

2007-06-22T23:58:00.000+08:00

Sometimes I'm really touched to see people move on with their spirituality albeit my own being stagnantly stationery. I'm the sort of person who won't freak out and "work harder" at my spiritual level just because others are at a sky high. I realize it is my own sincerity that will make me closer to God, not my want to get closer to where my friend is to God.

On actual fact, since God is omnipresent, God is with me every day :)

Tomorrow is my Mom's birthday and she has kindly excused me from her dinner because it's teppanyaki and my throat is terrible. Somehow, somewhat I am not guilty. It's an unspoken traditional thing in my family that Mothers' Day, Fathers' Day and this sorta stuff isn't really that important.

I used to feel awkward as a child when others asked me what I gave to my mom on Mothers' Day. 'Cuz the usually answer would be nothing. My mom didn't think anything about it either. She'd just ignore the whole affair, so like at the next year I would do something for my mom. For the sake of telling others when they asked me more than for my mom.

This year was a bit different. I wasn't even planning on shopping for my mom but Natasha dragged me along her short spree for her mom. Then I bought a TY bulldog actually for myself. I sorta like ugly stuff, they're like cute to me. In the end I gave it to my mother.

Despite my slipshoddiness, and actually buying the present on the day itself, it was like the first Mothers' Day present that actually made sense. That dog is now sitting on her fat CRT monitor.

Maybe I'll get her a orang utan this time. She has a thing for monkeys.

Happy Birthday Mom :)

P/S New hot band on the BFS iPod is McFly! Check them out!

Churchies

2007-06-18T22:44:00.000+08:00

OH MY GOD.

I LOVE MY CHURCHIES.

Break

2007-06-18T13:27:00.000+08:00

This alabaster jar, is all I have of worth. I break it at your feet, it's less than you deserve. You're far more beautiful, more precious than the oil. The sum of my desires and the fullness of my joy. Like you spilled your blood, I spill my heart, as an offering to my King.

Here I am, take me. As an offering. Here I am, use me. Every heartbeat, for your glory.

Fourth Dimensions

2007-06-05T20:51:00.000+08:00

Sometimes I really think I'm very privileged, to be given so many opportunities and so more chances. And I really think that I'm privileged because through those chances and opportunities I have had came along with amazingly supportive people making sure my ass is in the right place and that I'm doing the right thing. I can't actually fail.

I thank God for my connections and network, and it ain't all superficial. The life and blood that runs through my co-workers is amazingly real and concrete. It freaks me out sometimes, that I have such trustworthy people around me. Perhaps time will tell blah blah blah, but right now, I'm a spirited person.

Tomorrow is the hand-over barbeque. The very same barbeque that my seniors have attended years before to find out the verdict of their peer support lives. Whether they have proofed worthy of their positions during their interim years as Peer Support Leaders and hence add a "Senior" behind that already prestigious title.

I vividly remember scenes of a certain someone talking about his nascent promotion days before that barbeque in 2005. He was the batch of 2006, that was 2 batches ago. That time, I didn't even know if I would make the cut for red-shirt-dom, and tomorrow I find out whether I'm a Senior Peer Support Leader, and soon to come, a black shirt.

Freaky isn't it? How we grow?

And how time flies so fast?

Victorianism for thy BFS in Victoria School is ending in one and a half years time. I foresee myself looking back and wishing time didn't past so fast.

I'm scared.

2007-06-03T07:41:00.000+08:00

RMUN 2007:)

Empowered by the Almighty!

Ok! Go

2007-06-02T09:02:00.000+08:00

I don't usually post videos on BFS but you have to check this out. Seriously.

RMUN

2007-05-29T20:29:00.001+08:00

RMUN today was a real eye opener. I mean like never in my life will I be discussing such obscure issues so irrelevant (it actually is relevant but whatever) to my daily life except at these 3 faithful days whereby life is full of intellectual discourse and profound vocabulary. Well, I have to admit, some people's adequateness did inject a bit of self-despise.

Then again I thought it wasn't really normal for a 15 year old to understand world economics, reasons behind those mysterious jumps in numbers which make tons of FOREX investors lose money at the Currency Exchange Booths and complicated trade issues like tariffs, protectionism, deficits and surpluses.

I mean people study degrees for stuff like that. Like B.A. Economics or something.

I did manage to grasp everything together though, although I remained largely silent throughout the economic debates. I didn't even bother to talk to anyone during Unmoderated Caucuses (which is basically a timeframe delegates initiate do engage in informal conversations which fellow delegates not necessarily in seating positions) and just sat at my seat and stoned.

I am so social.

The resolution was finally (FINALLY!) passed and after tea-break we had brief debates on military aspects before adjourning the debate to tomorrow.

Yeah. Raffles Model United Nations Conference 2007. 3 days of my June Holidays. Better be worth it.

Decade Home

2007-05-28T17:17:00.000+08:00

The north of Singapore has always been a chapter for working-class hoi polloi. Dominated by middle-class Singaporeans and scatters of Chinese immigrants, it didn't exactly hold the prestige as a prominent location in Singapore. The most widely associated icon towards the North was the bridge (affectionately entitled the Causeway) that transported vehicles and pedestrians to neighboring country Malaysia, which used to be a popular weekend haunt.

Myself, being a resident of the north (Admiralty in particular) for close to eleven years, have formed an intricate love-hate affair with the place. It wasn't really a valuable constituency, despite being the largest one. Most Northerners haven't voted in the past three or four General Elections, and the most recent one was contested by the most pathetic opposition party ever. Even so, Northerners were so fed up with their limited voting chances that 20% of the constituency (around 20,000 Singaporeans) voted for the pathetic opposition party.

My love revolved around the comfort and familiarity of the area. Convenience was a seven out of ten, with a direct bus that took me to Tampines in 45 minutes and the MRT (Singapore's train system) a 5 minute walk from home. The relationships established among my Primary school friends plus church social circle also more or less revolved in the North of Singapore.

However, in the recent Victorian years, I have spent more time hanging out and homing in the East. Parkway Parade and Siglap were more familiar than the forgotten Causeway Point in Woodlands. The holiday season (now), did pull me back into the caressing north again.

So today, I traded the Penne for yellow egg noodles, Creamy Chicken pasta for substandard Wanton Mee and Pasta Mania for the neighborhood food court. Oh, and the Caffe Mocha for the Pao Pao Cha.

And it wasn't that bad.

Check out the photo-series inspired by my suburban neighborhood here.

Chrysanthemum Prisoner

2007-05-28T15:22:00.000+08:00

The starchy examination period had taken a drawl on my reading life, having completed a startling zero books in the past few weeks of May. Hence, I dragged myself to Borders on Saturday to breathe new life into the stale and stagnant recent reading habits of mine.

Previous experiences at MPH (while waiting for late friends at Parkway) brought me to the immensely arousing Biographies section of which I never really paid attention to because of its mostly "hardcover only" direction of which, a poor student like me, was unable to afford. Nevertheless, the array of interesting characters didn't cease to tingle my whatever senses.

Princess Masako: Prisoner of the Chrysanthemum Throne has been a shocking revelation and read for me for the past few days- the book I purchased at Borders on Saturday. $10 off the hardcover ($50 to $40) plus the fact that I still had unused Borders credit proofed a worthy reason to go out of the way for such an expensive publication.

It was certainly worth the green. Seriously. This book has led me glued to it for 3 days, and has brought the cold and rigid Japanese monarchy alive before my very eyes. This being my only source of interpretation towards the Imperial Family could have been an immensely bias sway, but I enjoyed and believed it anyway.

Princess Masako is a deranged, depressed, pathetic woman who is the victim of archaic traditions and practices which scientifically interpreting, does not aid her country. Severely bullied by the kunaicho, or the Imperial Household Agency, she is suffocated by layers of heavy blankets, each one the entrapment of lame responsibilities and burdens.

She is certainly at her wits end in all, if any, efforts in bringing reform to the ironclad monarchy and her princess fairy-tale ending would never be.

A shocking eye-opener.

A Longer than Usual Entry

2007-05-17T22:02:00.000+08:00

The horrid exams have sucked all the interest to blog hence this pretty dead site. The last entry was sort of a hoax, to make my presence on BFS a little brighter. It worked, didn't it? Haha, six comments on an entry.

So, yea, the next portion of the entry was slated for earlier publication but due to my uninterestedness in blogging during the hectic exam period, I pushed it back until now. Enjoy though, I reckon it'll be an interesting read.

***

We get it all covered somehow, despite the mountainous criticisms, cuts and stabs at our so-called gracious society, beneath that deep dark scary exterior, we're really a darling at heart. My dash into a rush train from Dhobby Gaut station last Friday proved a rather stare-filled one, as the moment I ran in, the train doors closed. It was as if I alone had committed the heinous crime of stalling our entire train, and wasting other people's time. Either that or the starers were jealous at the fact that the train arrived right in time for me while they had to wait what? A freaking seven plus minutes for our much debated (on the effectiveness) transport's system's train to arrive (which I believe you all commuters have fantastic experience of).

I'm sure you all have had some sort of dash in encounter into the train, and the look of the people who ogle at you is seriously, not nice. So, to piss them off even further, I plucked out my iPod to listen to fantastic Grey's Anatomy soundtrack music while they embraced the monotony of the train ride.

Yeah, but what made me change my perspective on our somewhat warped commuting society was not the fact that an old man who walked into the train a station later was not offered a seat. I'm sure we all have had our fair share of those old men who look like perverts and think they deserve a seat, but believe me, this one was not. His neck was like bloody bent and he needed a seat dead bad. And then, when we were in the middle of one station and the next, a man finally (finally!) gave up his seat although the old man was like half a carriage away from the seat.

And tata! The train stopped. And because of awesome Physics, we have awesome inertia! (actually its the other way round but really, who cares), his body plunged to the front! And get this. A lady caught him. It wasn't really a movie moment with the carefully planned drama, but yes, a lady sported him from the back. So seriously ladies, don't give me the shit about non-male contact and all that. If he's a pervert than you'll bloody hell know he's a damn pervert so don't touch him. It's definitely not the same for man- have to get that right ;)

So right then after the dear drama, our dear senior citizen continued his expedition towards the half-a-carriage away seat which was then halted because some nice lady sitting nearer to him gave up her seat for him, not noticing his presence until then. So our dear friend then finally sat down super pleased.

So yeah, we all get it covered somehow.

Oh and after six long years, I have finally resigned to the fact that my personal study techniques are not at all effective and have gone for tuition. For Physics at least. Spent an hour+half at Parkway Centre's "Victoria Tutorial Centre" with the sherv, Roy and dy. It was pretty effective, and I swear I understood more than your average Physics lesson. Oh wells, at least I have something to fall back onto in case the 6 subjects in the l1r5 screws up.

Great Expectations

2007-05-10T17:14:00.000+08:00

Marry me?

-Preston Burke and George O'Malley.

Mix.

2007-05-02T20:06:00.000+08:00

I think its only after you stop living your life with a special someone is when you really appreciate that special someone. Absence makes the heart grow fonder right?

So anyway took a trip down to Parkway today with Oswin to collect his new spectacles! Haha, he got a headache within like the first few minutes of wearing them. I guess its technically quite normal because of all the cheem Physics crap which is gonna be tested tomorrow and I am not a single bit prepared for it. That was random, but yea, anyway.

I bought 10 year series English today. Which is really such a mugger shit thing to do. And I am so not that. But the pathetic hardworking of me just yearns to be expressed (AKA me wanting to do real work) whereas the gallivanting, idiotic me just shuts the hardworking one out and wastes his life away. Ooh, abstract ;)

After all the Parkway fun with Oswin, I proceeded to my habitually nap- this time on 966. And then in the middle of that nap, stupid Ding Yuan called me with a super retarded voice (I actually thought he was mentally retarded) asking me if I knew who was that mysterious caller. And wtf when I woke up, how the hell was I suppose to know that 966 changed route and decided to go by Bukit Panjang?

So upon waking up to pick up his retarded phone call, I looked outside to see a strange LRT Station called Petir. WTH is Petir? Like oh my God la. And then with Ding Yuan and his idiotic accent, I was sent into the vertex of panic.

I was thinking if I should get down and call a taxi, then I decided to relax and wait and see where the bus went.

Thank God.

In about 15 minutes time I was back in the familiar Woodlands interchange. Stupid change of route.

Suburban Beverages

2007-05-01T13:43:00.000+08:00

The walk home from the ever familiar MRT Station (10 years of alighting/boarding from the same station) is coupled by the walk down the escalator, the presence of the MacDonalds Desert Stand, the rush towards the Desert Stand and then walking away from the Desert Stand.

Why? You may ask, the MacDonalds Desert Stand has one of the most deliciously cheaper deserts ever. There's the McFlurry when you're feeling richer, there's Milkshakes, there's Sundaes and all sorts of stuff. And there's the bargain hunt~~ing~~ed 50cents Vanilla Cone!

Haha. Because in suburban Singapore, we drink Bubble Tea! Sweet Talk, one of Singapore's most prominent Bubble Tea retailers opened their new franchise about a month ago at Admiralty Station.

I have never really been a mad dog for Bubble Tea. Part of the reason was that when it first came out, it was so exorbitantly expensive. I remembered it was around S$2.50 a cup? And you needed $0.30 more for mere pearls. Distraught! Yet they were the occasional treat my mom gave me.

Now they come as low as a buck a cup. Sweet Talk's cost slightly more at S$1.20. The one at Admiralty serves decently enjoyable pearls- not too chewy, not too soft. I remember the one at Yishun (which closed down), the pearls were so soft! And like you just had to use the top of your mouth and your tongue to gently squish it and it was splat all over.

My favorite concoction is weirdly, Passionfruit Milk Tea. The taste of that syrup just seems to whisk into the Milk Tea so well. At least that's how it goes on my taste buds :)

So after my love continuous ordering of Kopi Beng (See-Han-influenced) and then Kopi See Siew Tai (Ker-influenced), the new beverage to stay is Passion Fruit Milk Tea!

Cram

2007-04-29T22:02:00.000+08:00

Here am I taking break out of my pseudo mug life to blog. Sometimes I seriously lack the motivation to do anything and its getting really out of hand. Days pass before me and at the end of the day, I ask myself: What have I accomplished today? And most of the time the answer is: Nothing.

I think I'm fairly screwed, if there's a scale for how screwed up your life is.

There are three tests tomorrow. I have no idea what the teachers are trying to do. Three tests? Like get a life?

But I really have to appreciate some of the threejayrian teachers. Sometimes I think I'm goddamned lucky to have such great teachers. I don't have a royal flush (ah! I demean my teachers to mere playing cards!) but I really think most of them rock.

So yeah, the exams excluding English are in SEVEN days time and I really have zero confidence right now. I get stressed that I'm not doing anything to make my revision better and I really thank God that I have such cool people around me to keep me going. Thanks to all (you know who you are!) although the blog readership is like zero now haha.

I think I shall make a list of all the things to look forward to after exams, just to help me treat life with a better perspective:

RMUN Conference
Church Camp
Threejayrian Chalet
Trips to Rochor Beancurd
My nascent first Backpacking trip
Hanging out at Borders
MC Camp
12pm Wake-up times

Life has got to get better.

Eewkzams and hopes.

2007-04-23T20:14:00.001+08:00

Eewkzams are coming. Hence BigFatSmiles will be less frequently updated as usual. This is the sad life of Singaporean students. Because we are so wealth-centred as a country, this largely influenced by you-know-who, our students are hence overworked and all supposedly dedicated and geared towards making Singapore more prosperous than it already is.

I long to lie on a hammock by the beautiful beaches in Thailand.

Response to a Tag (AKA Vicious Cycle)

2007-04-20T23:36:00.000+08:00

Okay I shall stop procrastinating and do Danial's and Linus' crappy tag.

“This is what you are supposed to do - cut and paste if you decide to participate in the tagging game.. People who get tagged need to write in a blog of their own 6 weird things about themselves as well as state the rules clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. After you do that, leave them each a comment letting them know you tagged them and to read your blog.”

1. I subscribe to Dictionary.com's Word of the Day in an attempt to improve my English but I always (always!) end up trashing that email.

2. I have resolved thousands of times never to lose my bottle. I have lost expensive Nike bottles, found them, and lost them again. Now, I tell myself I'd never lose my cheapo plastic bottles but I still lose them anyway. My record is 6 days.

3. I think Friendster is totally overrated because tons of people whom I haven't spoke more than a minute of conversation in my entire life adds me as a "friend" when they are not even an acquaintance.

4. I still use Friendster anyway.

5. I put my Gene (my MacBook) in her MacBook sleeve every time I finish using her even though I'm not bringing her anywhere but just depositing her in my drawer.

6. I always hope lifts have mirrors or highly reflective surfaces on them. I enjoy looking at myself there. Oh, and I also enjoy looking at myself from the windows of MRTs when they're underground and from anywhere else.

I tag: Nigel (CHUA), Zeng An, Ernest Puey, Abigail Ho, Jonathan Tan and ZHIXIANRRR!

Ugly.

2007-04-19T20:16:00.000+08:00

I think our "Hope for a Better Age" have painted an extremely disgusting picture of themselves.

"We ingrain into our runners that champions don't collapse."
-Raffles Cross-Country Coach

If your runners don't collapse, where were they in the last 19 years?

Tripping our fastest runner just 10m before the finishing line? If you guys build sportsmen like this, and you guys are our "Hope for a Better Age", I think we're doomed.

2007-04-14T23:38:00.000+08:00

I'll leave tags to another day yea? Sorta when I have no inspiration to post anything yada yada.

I think its pretty cool to hear people bitch about their life. It makes you feel that what you're going through is much smoother. And that although life seems hard, someone always has it harder. I guess it's a vicious cycle, God made everyone good at different things so we each can adapt differently to the problems we face.

Life this weeks has been pretty hectic although I'm proud to say that I'm now homework-debt free. Every single piece of owed homework is handed up and all that's left is homework that is due a few days from now. I swear to myself I'm gonna do them and never be in debt again.

SAs are in a months time and I really need to study. Sometimes I ponder at our student life we have in Singapore, wondering why there is so much pressure and stress to perform at so many different areas in school life. Then I think about how so many people are desperate to get into school- then I feel better.

Right now, I seriously must start revision. Wednesday's the big day for Cross Country boys. I will seriously cry if we don't win both championships this time. Viva Victoria!

Flabbergasted.

2007-04-10T22:12:00.000+08:00

I really have nothing to say. Except that I'm awed and humbled.

A Report

2007-04-04T23:44:00.000+08:00

This is me, at Eleven Thirty-six in the night, typing a blog entry. You think I'm crazy, but, I have: Pokka Ice Lemon Tea!

Go figure! I took that long to discover something caffeine-d in school. There were the canned Nescafes crap but they didn't help at all (plus they carried exorbitantly un-worth-it price tags. The school soon realized the dangers of students drinking coffee (perfectly alright I did mention?) and removed it from the vendor's inventory.

For the past few weeks my reliance was on Milo although they were just energy boosters. They didn't exactly keep me awake but were a great way to start the day. Lizhi also enlightened me on buying the correct type of Milo- the canned kind or the packet kind. The canned one was one dollar while the packet was seventy cents. The canned one had 240ml of energy boosting Milo and the packet one had 250ml of energy boosting Milo.

Yeshhh. I kenna conned.

Whatever, so it's Ice Lemon Tea from Pokka tomorrow! Plus Sports Day and ultimate threejay bonding!

Oh, and to Nico if you're reading this: Thanks for those songs! Love it!

Card

2007-04-03T21:59:00.000+08:00

Spent half an hour making a card for THREEJAY's dear Wilgene who is down with the utterly gross chicken pox. Let's just hope he comes back without any scars on him:)

So rest well Wilgene! We await your return and your (inexistant) naggings to switch off our phones!

P/s I have yet to take any shots for the pasar malam yet! Utterly disappointed with self!

Revolution

2007-04-02T21:30:00.000+08:00

Seems like June is the "it" month for Apple to release Leopard. So while everyone is clamoring that Leopard is going to be a revolutionary product with more WOW than the irritating copycats, here is my list of hopes in the new Leopard :)

1) Dual operating system- to work Windows and Mac OS together without rebooting computer or virtualizing the system (AKA running two native systems alongside)

2) Spaces to be integrated into double screens, so I can have 2 LCDs and each LCD will show me one space.

3) Fancy new UI and new Graphics that will knock Microsoft's socks off yet with super fast loading speeds even with lousy graphics cards because of Apple's Core Animation coding technology.

4) iWork and iLife to be bundled into Leopard and sold together at extremely affordable student prices.

Okay. That's all I can think of. I think it's even stupid of me to try to think I have Apple's creativity in doing amazing stuff. Oh well, its 3 more months to go and we have yet another revolutions. In Apple World, revolutions are part of daily life.

ECHO! (echo)

2007-04-01T22:51:00.000+08:00

The end of the day chat with Elaine prompted me to write a second entry (something I haven't done in a long long time) just for ECHO because I knew that if I didn't I would probably never.

On the left is a beautiful portrait of the beautiful relationships forged at the beautiful PSC. (It's PEE ASS SEE! OH PEE ASS SEE... Peer Support is SOSO part of me!) I probably won't be as emo as you guys, crying and all. But this event has definitely forged an imprint in my heart. For other ad-hocs, it's taken subtle reminders for us to remain in contact although that never happened. PSC has not taken any reminders (only "hopes" haha) that we would stay in contact. Because they aren't needed. We want to.

I'm pretty convinced that our bonds have transcended beyond gender- I hugged two girls- something usually very very taboo and the post-PSC blues lingered longer than anyone imagined. I guess everyone really appreciated the wonders of MSN after that.

The BBQ was awesome. I ate more than I usually did at barbeques- not that I didn't enjoy the food or thought it was unhealthy whatsoever but I wasn't usually the person standing around the pit waiting for those glorious chicken wings to be cooked. Yesterday's fire (kudos to whoever set it up) was awesome! The heat was marvelous and the food was cooked like so fast.

So like I managed to eat quite a lot since they passed the food around.

Oh, and ZHIXIANRRR. How could I miss you out in such a pivotal entry???

Well, the picture says it all I guess! Loves to you!

(AND all other PSC-ers out there of course! Photos courtesy of Becky and thanks to Elaine who referred me to them)

31

2007-04-01T22:34:00.000+08:00

BIG FAT SMILES has no April Fools for you- not really a tradition here. A quick check on the last two April Fools at BFS showed *embarrassing laughs* no entries posted at all. Ah-huh ah-huh.

I am now lap blogging. Gene just woke up so she isn't too hot yet, thus my lap is not (yet) suffering from being overly roasted.

A more important event today would be that Apple has turned thirty one! My Uncle, a Linux supporter and non-apple fan proclaimed a few weeks before I purchased Gene that Apple will be gone from the computer industry in a decade.

So it's two years down, ~~eight~~ many years to go. And Apple's market share for Macintosh computers have a growth of 66% every quarter and that was at last year's WWDC so who knows how much faster it's growing now. Rumours of iPod killers and their eventual introduction did nothing to dent the iPod's powerful market share which still rides high. 13 out of 20 of Amazon.com's Best Selling MP3 players are iPods though I did not bother to check the actual market share (which at last year's iPod event was at around two thirds of the MP3 market).

iTunes has also sold 2 billion songs, a remarkable achievement for an online music store and more importantly, a legal online music store. In a world where pirates thrive, this achievement is definitely commendable. The iTunes Store is also the 4th best-selling music store in the United States- the others in the top five all being physical stores whilst iTunes is online.

Great job Apple.

I really want to post a very angsty title but can't bring myself to.

2007-03-28T21:02:00.000+08:00

My blog has been in a state of neglect for the past few days. A whole new level of school life has consumed me. Every day for four hours since last Monday was pumped into the Animation Elective Module at NYP which is extremely exhausting. Since we were doing traditional animation (2D and Stop Motion), the continuos drawing and sketching drove me to the brink of sanity.

And of course there's the Indian Exchange Program which started this Tuesday- another sucker (it sucks my energy). The Guangzhou exchange we had last year was unanimously agreed more hyped and more fun. I still remember the crazy day where I stood on the bench at the East Coast Park food court and did something stupid. Perhaps its the income divide that walled us and the Indians. Or maybe it's the age gap.

Lizhi and I woke up at 3.30 am this morning to catch the live webcast of the Release of Adobe CS3. Which, did I mention, is like the best graphical software the world has ever seen. Illustrator's price rose though, and I'm not very happy with that. I'm still debating whether to spend a small fortune on something that I don't feel very adequate on fully maximizing. Or maybe it's because I have spent a small fortune which will make me fully maximize it.

Oh well, I have tons of homework to catchup on. There's a pasar malam near my house right now and I swear I'm going to take some shots.

OH! And before I forget, THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO WISHED ME A HAPPY BIRTHDAY/SANG ME A SONG/GAVE ME A PRESENT/TAUNTED ME THAT I CAN'T STILL WATCH NC16 MOVIES. As for the last one, I'll getcha next year!

Day Way

2007-03-24T11:43:00.000+08:00

I deleted my bitch maths entry because the moment I read it on the World Wide Web was when I realized how infantile and childish I was. The one thing I thanked God for was the fact that Mr Zuraimi did not see that entry. It probably won't send him into shambles (since it's definitely not the first student that hates Maths so much) but it won't leave a very positive impact either.

FYI Mr Zuraimi is my maths teacher so go figure.

Someone just commented that my Profile Page was boring. Not really the page itself but the very profile. I didn't delete the comment of course- I'm an advocate of freedom of speech. But this definitely doesn't hinder me from being human. I guess everyone gets hurt when someone says something that stamps at the very bottom of your life. When your personality and lifestyle gets insulted.

That person remained anonymous. So I guess the only thing a sane person would do would be to get over it. As Morrie said, we should experience everything in life. It's all part of living. When he caught his disease, he sat up every morning and allowed himself to cry for a few moments and let it stop there. He was done being sad for the day.

So yeah, I'll let my disappointment stop there. It's FIFTEEN tomorrow.

Procrastination

2007-03-18T14:48:00.000+08:00

I stare at my computer while looking out of the window beside me. It's a sunny day.

I rot my teeth with the Coke Light I'm drinking right now, secretly of course. I burp, gas escapes from my nose- a feeling that exhilarates relief and disgust.

My pile of homework sits beside me. I tell myself I'll do it after this blog entry.

School tomorrow.

shruggs abouritt

2007-03-14T19:26:00.000+08:00

I love my pseudo girlfriend! She rocks my box of socks!

*Warning! This entry just might be boring to non PSCs!

Yeah, so anyway. The scandal is over (FOR NOW) and Convention 2007 has flew past our eyes. So quick, so over, but yet everyone is officially ranting about how great it was and how this year's was better than last year's and how bonded we all are. Wei Ting declared she would add everyone on her MSN.

I wasn't that ambitious but for an ad-hoc event I really have to say this was the most fanbulous one. I mean like, shrugs abourrritt? Relationships really turned more concrete, non of which from the participants, all from the Organizing Committee.

Here's my list of thank yous (hopefully some of you chance on my blog) to all who has made my short time in RGS so wonderful: Becca! Yi Tong! Annie! Andrea! Michelle! Xin Jia! Marissa! Jac! Cong Cong! Wei Ling! Elaine (I mean Kevvy haha)! Kevvy (I mean Elaine haha)! and pseudo girlfriend Zhi Xian!

And! Of course every other RGS girl whom I have missed how! Sorry bouritt!

So yeps, this is my lousy entry! I have nothing to end but...

Jiayou at your guides camp now okay!

SHRUGS ABOURRRITTT!

Convention and Nua

2007-03-12T21:16:00.000+08:00

The speaking in third person thingy was specially for my profile and that teaser. So yup, unless I feel exceptionally compelled towards doing so, I won't be. Perhaps this is my way of preserving the exclusivity of that entry that is just centered around M.E.

Convention Day One was great. I was pleasantly surprised that all the schools were able to bond so well considering the fact that inter-school rivalry is exceptionally prominent in Singapore. But well I guess as student leaders everyone knew well enough to sit down and live these 3 precious days of their hols together.

My role as station master was particularly hyped by myself. Perhaps this is due to the fact that I had never been a station master in station games. I was always a do-er, player and hype-r but never a station master. That degree of responsibility generated a whole new perspective and level of fun for myself.

Unfortunately, the day ended horribly wrong. My parents sms-ed me in the middle of the debrief telling me they were waiting at the RGS car-park already. Hence I rushed down right after the debrief ended and while walking down the stairs (really quickly) I nua-ed my leg. And now there's this really big lump on my feet and its hurts horribly.

I have no idea if I'm attending tomorrow. I can barely walk out of my room to return the papers I took from outside.

Shabalabadingdong.

I got my letter to make my IC today. FIFTEEN.

Teaser

2007-03-11T19:51:00.000+08:00

Big Fat Smiler is now writing in third person. He is too tired to write because he just accomplished a 700 word essay all about himself in the "About" section of his blog. This entry is just a teaser.

He tells you to click that link right at the bottom of the banner which says "About" and read the whole 700+ words although he thinks you'd think it's blardy boring after you finish reading it.

Oh wells. This is his mediocre entry for the day.

This is the link in case you're too lazy.

Human Nature

2007-03-10T22:43:00.000+08:00

Today's photography trip brought me to Little India. It just showed me how friendly Indians were (especially when we ask them to pose for shots!) and reconfirmed my desire to backpack in India one day. Unfortunately the exchange trip to India at the end of this year is a luxury trip which will cost us a bomb and has a zero excitement level.

I am now trying to convince my father to backpack with me in Hanoi. Muhahaha. Hope it works out!

I was exceptionally touched and the very essence of my humanity shaken today by a scene I witnessed on the way home. A small boy had passed by one of those tissue selling peddlers and dropped in a dollar coin into the grimy plastic bowl that delicately balanced on his crutches.

The boy then proceeded to walk away as if afraid but the peddler stopped him to pass him the tissue papers he had paid for but not taken. The boy shook his hands vigorously declining. The peddler just smiled and pushed the papers unto his hand. The boy then burst into a wider smile and accepted the papers after which skipping of ecstatically celebrating the aftermath of his charity.

I mean you guys all know what I mean- when we drop a dollar or two into a blind busker's biscuit tin, or when we buy 3 packets of tissues for a dollar from the singing tissue aunty. The variety of these actions are endless, yet they align themselves to a common goal: Helping others with a genuine heart. And when we do that, our heart skips a beat and we can't help but feel cheery inside.

It is human nature to help others.

Traditions

2007-03-08T20:16:00.000+08:00

A mere insect had taken the reins of our dietary lives. Abhorred, disgusted at and extremely unpopular, they continued their immensely irritating routine- takeoff, land, takeoff, land. And us as their airstrips had to shake ourselves every few seconds.

Yea, the mere insect is the fly. That would be a major, major understatement though. Perhaps it's because there was not just one fly, but many, many of them. Looking at the person beside you and their radial space would proof barf-worthy. They existed in hundreds! How on earth could the kampong people share their lives with these horrible creatures?

It has gone to the stage whereby Nicholas Wong is now disgusted with the people rather than the flies for the very fact that they could live with it.

threejay has been really bonded from the third day onwards. Perhaps it was the adjusting to the horrible environment that caused our bonds to turn into paltry van der waals, but the very anticipation of leaving that place on the third day- sharing a common looking-forward-to had turned these weak bonds into covalent ones.

From the Mountain climb (my third one!) to the campfire night, from the VS Power from Parkway to VS to the final VS Unite at our red bricked, can-be-seen-from-Google-Earth carpark. We all survived Sec 3 Camp.

Farewell organic rice!

Just a short update

2007-03-04T17:44:00.000+08:00

Yesterday forced me into it's per-mutating temperaments. The day started of extremely well- managed to wake up without any of those lousy drowsy states after the 6th Snooze I fired on my phone. Without much procrastination, I proceeded to the Chinatown station about 15 stations from where I live.

It was the first self-organized photography shootout and the first 400D group photography shootout and the first 400D and self organized photography shootout. -.-"" Haha. And to mark that momentous occasion I spilled Milo in my delightful Crumpler because of reasons of which I shall not divulge. Hence my beautiful red shirt and awesome green sweater converted to MacBook case (and on that day, Carly's home) was kenna-ed by the Milo. This is excluding my half read Newsweek , Nikon Photo Magazine and NTUC Bus Guide.

What a loss.

Carly didn't suffer too much though. It would be quite a sin if I put her through torture since she's only one week old. Okay, shan't comment too much on the photographic side since you can all just log onto Flickr to see my day's shots. General comments include an Underexposed for generic shots in that set. Perhaps I am still not that quick enough to toggle between the settings at the right time yet.

Oh well, practice makes perfect =)

Camp's tomorrow and since threejay is a rather bonded class I'd reckon we would survive it rather happily.

P/s BFS is two!

Commonwealth

2007-03-01T23:20:00.000+08:00

I made it past internal judging for Commonwealth. Thank God. Now let's just hope I get a Commended and I will be happy forever. Okay maybe not forever- but for quite a long time.

A quick check with last year's Commonwealth winners from Victoria School only showed one entry that was rated "Commended". And I knew that person (whom I highly admired as a writer).

Email me should you wish to read it. Shall refrain from posting it online for no reason.

Some notes on the usual.

2007-02-27T21:27:00.000+08:00

After two and a half years of continuos transition between school and home, I have grown strangely accustomed to this what deemed as strenuous routine. Commuting has become strangely therapeutic for me- giving me time to be closely aware of my surroundings. I see things that wouldn't usually catch my eye- or perhaps wouldn't notice. It has allowed me to think through things better, giving me areas of growth for mental health.

The 36/MRT Combination has definitely been the best route I have taken so far throughout my vie victorian. For one, the jam usually isn't very bad unless you're traveling during the rush hour. 76 had left me with some very bad (and even traumatic) experiences, leading me to express all sorts of vulgarities towards the motorists and (sadly) the bus driver. Mentally of course, I wouldn't do it verbally, although I know it's just as bad.

I went home during the rush hour today- skipping the usual take-all-the-way-to-Marina-Bay kiansu thing and just going straight towards Jurong East. It wasn't a time saver option, I just felt that I would probably be just wasting my time sleeping away all the way home. And there's just something so uncomfortable when sitting- and that's when every other executive-like, standing commuter starts looking down at you as if to say "I deserve that seat."

So I squeezed in with the rest of our working population and stood all the way to Admiralty. I have discovered -or rather- realized my favorite part of the train. And that's just the area by the train doors. Where you have a piece of glass to lean onto behind you and there're those wonderful windows to look out into.

Anglican High stepped straight into Victoria's ambit today and snatched our coveted title right out from our hands. As of today, we are no longer the champions for 'C' Boys East Zone Badminton. The atmosphere after the disappointing results was strangely not one of sadness (or at least that was what it seemed to me) but just this eagerness to break out into our school anthem and spelling cheer.

Victorianism.

Flirting

2007-02-26T21:10:00.000+08:00

I made my first online non-credit buy today from clubsnap- a Canon 18-55mm kit lens from ClubSnap user reneson. The very epitome of this purchase definitely isn't the lens, since I have used this lens (a symbol of my mediocrity) many times but the actual fact of reading a person online, hearing his voice on the phone and finally, meeting him.

The excitement, before meeting him. The tension, building up. The impatience, as he arrives. The swirl of thoughts, as you look at him, wondering if he's the person, and eventually, the amusement, upon meeting him.

Well of course I don't care how he looks like (decent) and what kind of person he is (can't tell from less than 5 min of conversation), I just want my bloody lens! And it better be in good condition. Thank God it is! So thanks reneson! Although I kinda doubt you're reading this.

The purchase of a new lens led me on an impromptu shutter happy spree (not really la, a net of 38 shots) around the Admiraltirian suburbs of Singapore. I flirted with the surroundings, clutching the camera to my pelvis area, careful not to induce the attention of the camera shy onlookers. It was rather successful, I have posted today's shots in a new set on my Flickr account, entitled "Decade Home".

Check it out.

P/s OH! You haven't noticed? I am now a proud father of an adopted girl from Cathay Photo. Her name is Carly =)

PP/s 3 Cheers for the Mirren Victory!

CNY '07

2007-02-20T12:38:00.000+08:00

Pardon my lack of updates, I really couldn't find the heart to badmouth the holidays during the holidays. Somehow my only motivating factor was to collect angpows (ZOMG!) during the entire procession but of course with utmost maturity I have come to realize the significance of this oriental festival that has about one sixth (or even more) of the world's population celebrating it.

It's definitely (for many many of us Singaporeans) the very happiness of being in the new year. I mean people start sprouting stuff like "Happy New Year!" like they really mean it (believe me it's definitely not 客气话 -in English- Courtesy language) and when somebody says something inauspicious someone will say "Hey! It's the new year! Why are we saying such things?"

(My father started talking about how the designer of the Mandai Crematorium was the first one to use it and my uncle chirped in on how badly designed the crematorium was, lols)

I mean we don't even observe the Lunar Calendar for God's sake! We don't even know (or at least most of us) when's our Chinese Birthday! We don't even know the Lunar Month we're in on a daily basis let alone the day. The only thing we know is it's the year of the Pork (oh yarh, and we start receiving SMS like "I like to eat pork! Happy New Year!") because of the over-hyped publicity 12 animals get on teevee and how women are constantly looking forward to the year of the dragon so they can give birth then.

So why are we so hyped up about this holiday? I mean it's legitimate to be happy on 1st January when we enter into a new year but Chinese New Year?

But I guess the very epitome of this season (for me) is not the spirit, not the food, not the 过年 entering into the new year, but the family spirit. And these pictures speaks everything:

Photos courtesy of Esther Kok!

Commonwealth

2007-02-15T21:56:00.000+08:00

Greetings people! I have just finished my Commonwealth essay! My mountain just cut a huge rock of itself and threw that part into the sea. My face feels lesser pressure on the sand as it continues to eat dirt.

I am too tired to post anything today. Here's an excerpt from Commonwealthy =)

The Pajero bustled down the winding road, descending the highlands of Ermera slowly. The driver dared not go fast, for it was close to dusk and the roads were unlit. The soft engine whirring was a soothing sound to the worried passengers. After all, they were traveling on one of the poorest built roads in the world – where landslides were prominent on the steep hills and roads could crumble to only a third of their original width. The driver then switched on the radio to break the uncomfortable silence. The first station tuned in to was a Christian music station from neighboring Australia. He left it that way and slapped his face to wake himself up.

The week was had been most exciting and extraordinary. Traveling to Timor Leste had been the most incredible experience of Jeremy’s life. It was certainly inspiring to be invited right into the country which kicked up a storm of the various great presses of the world. Her past, culture and heritage – and most importantly- her fight for independence. Was not this chain of events similar to a country he was familiar with? Oh right! His own country -- Singapore.

But Timor Leste had a history of brutal violence. A few days ago, a trip to the Santa Cruz Cemetery sent chills down his spine. Though the noon sun was smoldering at its highest, the environment felt strangely chilling. Walking past the various graves sent a note of empathy into this young man’s heart. He was distraught at the mortality rate, with gravestones after gravestones of young babies who had the same date of birth and death.

Hope you guys enjoyed that! Comment on this to read the next few paragraphs =)

Valentines

2007-02-14T18:37:00.001+08:00

The light spilled through the windows harshly, emitting a garish glow on the sitting commuters. Their black Asian hair looked white, as they continued their commuting activities. Just a brief paragraph of celebration that I returned home before the sun set today!

Today is Valentine's Day. Originally, today was suppose to be a day of hype and celebration. Right from the break of dawn my eyes were on those clocks, wishing school would end. Tick tock tick tock. Time passed so slowly.

Well the plot is that a bunch of Sec 4s and some of us Sec 3s had decided to buy a bouquet of flowers for the delightful Ms Tang to encourage and spur her on in her wonderful teaching career. Incessant rants of her burnt out teaching experiences has prompted our wonderfully compassionate Victorian hearts to do something for our beloved teacher.

At first, we settled on 16 roses. Why? 'Cuz we wanted her to think we thought she was always sixteen. Haha, so cheesy! Then because 16 was like to friggin' expensive we settled on 12. Which is usually the number of roses people buy- like in a dozen.

I never imagined roses were so expensive. Now I understand why 九十九朵玫瑰 (English: 99 roses) are so exclusive. I mean you probably could buy an iPod with that amount of money. I really think hope that my soul-mate in the future would rather me buy her an iPod than 99 roses cuz like an iPod is more worth it. Haha.
Lame!

And so at 2.15 we were suppose to bring her to the beautiful sand-themed PSB room and give her the beautiful bouquet plus the beautiful card I made plus the ~~cheapskate~~ M&M Chocolates! (Roses always come with chocolates what, don't you know that?)

Guess what? The stupid delivery man, said he was gonna call when he arrived, stupidly delivered the flowers to the general office, who stupidly gave the roses to Ms Tang straight. ZOMG how stupid can some people get? I guess it's not really GO's fault la but the dammit florists I really feel like killing them now.

So in the end at 2.15 without ANY element of surprise we gave her our card and M&Ms. A great day ruined.

Student Leaders' Investiture

2007-02-13T21:05:00.000+08:00

SLI 07 has been an extremely therapeutic time for me. Being in the planning committee has been an extra sack on that mountain but I have pulled through all of it as a happier person. Oh man that sounds super cheesy but yea I think you get what I mean =)

I choose not to let the pictures speak their thousand words here although I painstaking edited them on photoshop being stupid and adding round corners and all. This time shall be unlike most other times where I hardly type anything meaningful on graphically enhanced entries at all.

This year's SLI was undoubtedly miles apart from last year's. It's definitely not the rush hour time slots home because I had rush hour time slots home last year too. It's definitely not the cheering, because I cheered last year too. I guess two things that made a stark difference for myself were the people and the planning. SLI had been a great bridge for me to understand a lot of people out there better than I ever had before.

Glen for one, *hi glen, doubts he's reading this* has been a great co-emcee, constantly setting the par on my performance. Being there on his first emcee session when we both screwed up proved to be extremely entertaining as well, muhaha.

And many seniors from grad batch 2007 have really thought me much and provided much mental support throughout the whole SLI. I guess the pivotal point about this is that I have got to know a lot of people much better. It was a process for me as a oddball in their midst to fit in. Definitely comfortable.

So although you guys are not BFS blogders I wave to you here
Nicolas, Chin Boon, Ren An, Jon Tan, Marcus just to name a few =)

And Ms Tang has also been a terrific mentor (I choose not to use teacher!) throughout this whole event. Somehow I guess we all feel that she is not the teacher in charge of this event and just some liaison between the school admin and students but one of us as well. She has broken through barriers in her appointment as SH Character Development. 3 Cheers for Ms Tang!

And then of course there was the usual emcee under John =) Who has once again risen to the occasion, making us acutely aware of our social responsibilities, letting us embrace the myriad of opportunities Victoria School has to offer, helping us recognize the esteemed recognition we were getting that night through being formally invested =)

Thanks John!

And last but undoubtedly not the least ;) there is Monitors' Council which has been such a terrific support through the years. It's takeover soon and as we scramble to assemble our new EXCO, I believe we'll achieve even greater heights (OMG so cheesy!)

And lastly there are the rest of people in my batch whom I really have to thank especially the flag bearers backstage giving me the great support before the horrifying emceeing =)

Whines of a victim of Singapore's education system

2007-02-12T20:51:00.000+08:00

Once again, like every Monday, the homework from last weekend starts to dump itself with deadlines so unfathomable and grotesque. On top of me lays a mountain pounding me into the earth, making sure I never see the sun again unless I finish everything on top of me. Silly metaphor I know but the crap from school has beat the wit out of me.

And then there are tests. Today is CA Week. And last week's test miraculously (a seeming miracle at that moment) have been postponed to this week. Thus tomorrow I have English CA and Bio Class Test (from last week). Wednesday's hell sessions include the Physics Class test (from last week), Thursday is our Humanities CA and possibly the Mother Class Test. And lastly on Friday we have our Chemistry test which has been postponed last week and today.

Today was a half day- thanks to Class of 2006 which obtained immensely fantastic O Level results thus letting us off at 1045 in the morning. Unfortunately, due to the fact that enzymes will get denatured, we had to have Bio practical right after dismissal. So while all the other Sec 3 class skipped off out of their classes to play, here we were in class still mixing enzyme diatase with starch =(

And right after Lab lessons I went down to MC Room to attempt to finish the mountain though very unsuccessfully because of the immense amount of distractions around. I am still considering the viable option of camping in school every day to finish the horrendous workload we pathetic students of Singapore enjoy.

Nicolas has yet to send me SLI 07 pics thus I shall procrastinate the SLI entry. Shabalabadingdong!

Reminiscence

2007-02-11T22:04:00.000+08:00

Somewhere hidden in the corner of my room is a dusty chest full of dusty treasure. It contains mountains of stuffs I have collected since 2004 which are all useless yet containing immense sentimental value. Occasionally, with no fixed interval, I would sit in front of that treasure chest and start taking things out to reminiscent. They include old school autograph books, notes of farewell, trinkets and tokens from Children's Day, old sketches, old sketchbooks, old designs and farewell gifts.

Above mentioned stuff are stuff from the 5 min walking distance school aka Admiralty Primary.

And on a more recent scale things include christmas cards, notes of encouragement, old emcee scripts, significant documents contributing to school events (i.e. SLI 2005 Program schedule), programme booklets (129th Speech Day, Musical World, CO Concert, SLI 06, SLI 07), student ambassador scripts, old timetables, Leadership Training Camp Files (and of course the course material inside), old files I used in school, homework lists, certificates of distinction from the University of New South Wales, ticket stubs from various movies and events, name tags for various events/competitions and interesting pieces of documents (i.e. the page that I designed in terms of layout and one piece of content for the Straits Times Newspaper Competition).

These things mean a lot to me. But as they start to pile up, those occasional sessions start to deplete because of my lack of time. In the past, I would sit down and look through every note and browse through 99% of its contents. Now its more of a browse through and next piece.

I'm starting to realize that Victoria is dominating my heart. And that's not a bad thing =)

Life and such.

2007-02-10T14:13:00.000+08:00

There is something in life called saturated sleep. A saturated solution is when you can't dissolve any more of the solute into the solvent. A saturated sleep is when you can't dissolve any more sleep at one go. I just had saturated sleep today. 12 hours. Full. God blessed me.

Yesterday was a day of revelation and happiness. Victoria School's 'O' Level results were extremely good. Yet among the rejoicing as a school, there were pocketful of people around unable to accept the harsh reality of the scores they obtained. Since I gave a damn more about the people-I-knew's results, the happiness Principal felt didn't really sink into my heart. Sure, we could be a Band One School again, but right now, looking at the faces of those depressed people.

I've come to somewhat a conclusion. Not really knowing the truth about these underperforming individuals, but somehow knowing that they have really tried, they still underperformed. Will hard work guarantee that magical six that passports you to any JC (with the exception of those schools)? Will hard work guarantee that you'll realize your goal? Somehow, somewhat that's what I had always thought it would be. Unfortunately, no.

I mean wouldn't different forms of realist movies have already knocked that hell of that thought into my brain already? Or was I still floating in the air, thinking that at that time I would work hard till my guts flow out. Get into JC and then start to slack again? Or was it gonna be that guy in I NOT STUPID (one) who studied really hard for his mommy for the Maths exam and still fail? What was life suppose to be?

I'll leave that as a hanging thought. More about SLI when I get those camwhore pics =)

Apprise

2007-02-01T22:25:00.000+08:00

The journey home today was long and treacherous. Then again, any uncomfortable traveling done at night is often considered long and treacherous. Today's commute home has been my latest so far throughout 2007. Walking back home from the station when the sun is just about to set and the environment is just lit by this slightest blue tint is just so nostalgic of the many Victorian projects I had sold my soul to.

Last year's SLI, 2005's Victorian, Commemorative Victorian, numerous Victorianas, Teachers' Day 2005 etc. etc.

Just that this time on my way home I had newly-turned 15 Danial to accompany me on this long treacherous road ;) And it was on this long treacherous road that 36 jammed on me for the first time. Unexpectedly, 36 was caught in Great Rush which plummeted the entire smooth journey down Singapore's well built highways (expressways rather) to rather jerky movements and stops.

I'm happy to say that I'm not the only one feeling the ridiculous stress (no thanks to Maths as one of the contributing factors) and monotonousness in school life. I was talking to Bryan on MSN the other day and he was asking me if school life was fun. And in my heart I was like what the?

I guessed the big part about it is the homework that just seems to pile up if you don't finish it quickly and then it starts to fright the guts out of you and you collapse under stress when you find yourself struggling with 3 more exercises of A Maths at 12:30 in the morning.

That was me until I finished the pile of shit yesterday and boy was I glad =) Sleeping time for me for the past five days except last night was 12+ in the morning! Really have to thank God for strength because I lasted through most of the lessons of the day.

Being homework free is like paying of your credit card debts.

Thoughts on Commuting

2007-01-25T20:21:00.000+08:00

Time and tiime again while mindlessly commuting my life away (mostly because my eyes are far too tired to read) I gain insight to different situations in our daily lives. It's interesting to see how all of us live in this rat race country- to be rushing from one place to another always complaining of the lack of time yet sometimes trading time for comfort.

That referred to me by the way.

I take the train towards Marina Bay from City Hall and take it back because I want a seat. Sometimes I don't understand why certain people in our hoi polloi think that it is wrong for students not to give up their seats when there is a needy person. Especially students clad in uniforms. Shouldn't us students deserve as much status as everyone else? Are we suppose to be the first in line for seat transplant?

I mean sure, this doesn't mean that I don't enjoy giving my seat up to nice grannies and grandpas but what I abhor is the attitude that our clackers have towards us students that at the very moment a needy person walks into the train, I and only I have to give up my seat.

I left my key at home thus didn't have the time to run today. Sad.