Dream of the Shore Bordering Another World

The SIA Collection

2011-11-01T13:08:00.000+08:00

Crazy Idea

2011-10-28T00:54:00.001+08:00

Some crazy idea I'm having now (look at the travelling time!). I must be out of my mind. Never mind, one day...muahahaha...

MSA Nostalgia

2011-10-26T14:10:00.002+08:00

I just love this video. The golden age of aviation. And that catchy song.

Albothyl (Policresulen Solution)

2011-10-05T00:18:00.002+08:00

I recently had an ulcer in my mouth and usually when that happens, I turn to this wonder called Albothyl which I obtained while in Korea some time back. Albothyl - which is actually policresulen solution - is just a commercial name very much like Panadol. This thing in my opinion so far, is the BEST cure for mouth ulcers. Why? Because it 'burns' your ulcer away and within two to three days, you're on the way to recovery! (the box even has a picture of an arrow stuck in a girl's mouth - that must explain the pain you encounter when using it.) I am not one who enjoys pain, but I will take it if it will cure something fast.

Anyway, I went to my bottle and to my dismay, there was no more solution left. Dang. How now... I knew previously that this medicine was not available locally as 1) I had never seen it on the shelves, and 2) my friends had also never heard of it. I decided to do a search on the Internet anyway and typed 'Albothyl'. My search unexpectedly brought me to a medicine website which told me Albothyl was a medicine for some-part-of-a-woman-which-I-shall-not-mention-here. Many other medicine/pharmaceutical websites yielded similar results. Whoa. From treating mouth ulcers to this.

Okay. Never mind. I remembered the proper chemical name was policresulen, so on a visit to a Watson's outlet, I approached the pharmacist. I explicitly chose not to ask for Albothyl. Instead, I asked, "Excuse me, do you have policresulen? ...I think it's for mouth ulcers?" The pharmacist looked like she knew what that was and began searching the cabinets, finally found it and turned to me, "Yes, I have it but it's for piles." Right.

The next moment, I was queuing up at the cashier with a bottle of Listerine in my hand. No better choice for now I guess (I don't really think Bonjela and Oracort are as effective). I'll have to remember to pick up another bottle if I head back to Korea.

Sweet Comment

2011-09-17T20:23:00.001+08:00

"I ran in the rain with papa."

Something sweet I heard today.

Apology

2011-05-20T20:27:00.003+08:00

What are words

If you really don't mean them

When you say them

I must not forget.

Gold Silver

2011-04-30T10:36:00.009+08:00

Today, I ~~will~~ '~~fight~~ fought for glory'. I've done it before, so I ~~can~~ could do it again. I ~~will jump~~ jumped like a ~~rabbit~~ kangaroo, ~~pull~~ pulled to the sky, ~~sit~~ sat up forty times, ~~shuttle~~ shuttled below ten, ~~and~~ but the biggest hurdle of them all - ~~run like the wind~~ I did not run fast enough like the wind.

6 seconds cost me $200.

FML.

Disappointed.

The Plan

2011-04-23T09:36:00.011+08:00

Like an Architect, I have plans.

Plans for the future. Plans that will lead somewhere and have meaning. What you believe strongly in, you will not throw away so easily.

Like an Engineer, I am now laying the foundations.

Once you put enough time and effort into making the foundations strong enough, you don't need to worry about your building collapsing. Have faith that the construction is strong, that the materials will not give way, that whatever concrete has been laid, will not falter.

And later on, like an Owner, I want to run things well.

It will not be easy - since when was it ever so? But through it, will come many, many life experiences to treasure, cherish and enjoy. Such returns, even money or rent cannot buy.

Phase Shift

2011-03-16T21:00:00.008+08:00

It is funny. Nowadays, the thought of finding your other half, getting a family and kids tends to come up in my mind. Me and my buddies were talking the other day about relationships and the progressions of life and it dawned on us that a few years back, this had never registered in our brains. All that was last time was: when our next LAN session was, how I fragged my friend with that head shot, or how my friend used that massive ass Pershing/Sherman tank group to support my Airborne infantry as we overran the enemy. And now? How's A doing with B? You're dating someone? I heard C is getting married soon. D's got a kid on the way. E broke up after 4 years. F just proposed! I wonder when is my turn. And so on and so forth...

Is there some biological clock that triggers these thoughts at a certain age? I find myself looking at couples and their kids at times and picturing myself in that situation. Noticing how that baby looks in worry as his mother disappears to the toilet, only to smile when she returns. Or how you'd imagine yourself bringing up your kid or having your own family gatherings. Or thinking of future plans... what you need to save on... how much would you need at this age... down-payments... loans... future holidays... Frankly speaking, I had never considered these things prior to graduation. Student life was all about getting through that semester, enjoying life, having fun with friends, not worrying about a boss or deadline to meet but instead, how you'd finish that lab report which you procrastinated and was due the following morning. I was at my alma mater some weeks back to run at the stadium after work and during then, the sight of a group of students playing touch rugby brought memories of my student life flooding back. The look on their faces was different - they played with full enjoyment, as if there was no worry tomorrow. When you've got a career, you get a different face.

After graduation however, 'life concerns' which I mentioned above started to fester in my mind. Almost automatically. As if it was 'time'. And this has only grown with time. I wouldn't think that I'm thinking too far ahead as it is only wise to have some plan and direction ahead. I haven't really thought of the details yet but the general idea is there and I'm just taking it as it comes. Whether it's an age thing or just me... well, it's just... funny. Hah.

One month... and counting!

2011-03-02T10:59:00.003+08:00

Woohoo! It's been a month already going solo at my job and also my... ...anyway looking ahead, lots of stuff coming up and to keep improving on. I'll do what I can, while I still can. Gonna make it!

Hey, have you ever tried

Really reaching out for the other side?

I may be climbing on rainbows

But, baby here goes

Dreams, they're for those who sleep

Life is for us to keep

And if you're wondering what this song is leading to

I want to make it you

I really think that we can make it girl

No, you don't know me well

And every little thing only time will tell

If you believe the things that I do

And we'll see it through

Life can be short or long

Love can be right or wrong

And if I chose the one I'd like to help me through

I'd like to make it with you

I really think that we can make it girl

Baby you know that

Dreams, they're for those who sleep

Life, it's for us to keep

And if I'd chose the one I'd like to help me through

I'd want to make it with you

I really think that we can make it girl

Hello

2011-01-01T21:50:00.005+08:00

I've been alone with you in my mind

And in my mind I've kissed your lips a thousand times

I sometimes see you pass outside my door

Hello, is it me you're looking for?

I can see it in your eyes

I can see it in your smile

You're all I've ever wanted, my arms are open wide

'Cause you know just what to say

And you know just what to do

And I want to tell you so much, I love you...

I long to see the sunlight in your hair

And tell you time and time again how much I care

Sometimes I feel my heart will overflow

Hello, I've just got to let you know

'Cause I wonder where you are

And I wonder what you do

Are you somewhere feeling lonely, or is someone loving you?

Tell me how to win your heart

For I haven't got a clue

But let me start by saying, I love you...

2011, 你好!

2011-01-01T00:00:00.003+08:00

I am lucky this year to have my off days during this transitional period to celebrate the coming and going of the years. Lots of things have happened this year, plus lessons learnt and new experiences. Looking ahead, I'll be penning down my resolutions for the coming year 'cause there are things to improve on! Here we go...

Keeping my Principles.

"NO. WHY? BECAUSE."

Ah, principles, principles, principles... the very basis of things which our lives go about with. What we believe in, and what we will die believing in. With so many influences nowadays, it is easy to get swayed, be it from anything from office politics to ethical reasons. The last thing I'll want is to go against the principles which I've lived with all my life. Then I'd fail myself. Like I once quoted, "I would rather the whole world hate me for who I am, than the world like me for who I'm not." I will live and die by my principles. Because that is what forms each one of us.

Listen more and remember.

"Huh? What?"

This is one of my weak points - I have selective hearing. Time to start listening AND paying attention to things being said. This is important not only in life, but in work as well. Stop acting as if you're really listening and go plug that hole on the other ear so you retain whatever you just heard! And process it!

Be more decisive.

"Ok men, we will go with Plan A. No wait. Plan B is better. Actually... Plan A seems more feasible... but then again, Plan B..."

This would pertain more to my career (and life as well) as my role requires me to make decisions - sometimes easy ones, sometimes difficult ones. The only question is whether it was a good or bad decision. And when you are in the heat of operations, there is no time to sip coffee on a nice rocking chair pondering on whether Plan A or B is better while that freaking aluminium fuselage is burning away with Jet A1 spraying all over the place like a drunk person from Zouk Out! who has impaired bathroom aiming skills. Seriously think. Quickly weigh. Decide. Act.

Be less self-centred.

"ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME!!! MEEEEEEEE!!!"

This is a family trait. I really hate it, but what to do? Blood is thicker than water... This will take some time and will be difficult to change. But not impossible. Impossible is nothing.

Improve on my Chinese.

"Wo suck at Hua Yi. Therefore, wo yao du."

For those of you who don't know, I absolutely suck at this. Suck with a capital 'S'. Simple conversations with the cleaning lady or the station mechanic are humongous and almost impossible tasks. With my laughable vocabulary and horrendous pronunciation, conversing in Chinese is like having constipation and trying to squeeze it all out. I gotta try to slowly buck up and practise using it whenever possible.

Take photos of the KTM Tanjong Pagar Station.

"Choo-choo~"

I have got to do this before this place disappears around the mid year. This is the only place in Singapore where you can enter Malaysian soil without a passport! Haha. What a thrill. Yay. Ok cheap thrills aside, this station still has remnants of the colonial building designs as well as stained glass windows if I'm not wrong? And being the ONLY railway station in Singapore (excluding Woodlands Checkpoint Station - oh come on, that is just a building), this is definitely a must-see/shoot before it goes.

Be myself.

"That's me."

Most important of all, just be myself. Nothing more, nothing less.

That's about it. HAPPY NEW YEAR! RAWR.

Unit Promoted

2010-12-03T20:09:00.005+08:00

With rank, comes responsibilities.

It hurts...

2010-12-02T23:59:00.000+08:00

...but it's ok, if it'll make you happy.

8 months on

2010-11-22T22:22:00.002+08:00

Jojo, I really miss you...

Idleness

2010-10-28T00:05:00.006+08:00

I hate idleness. And I have been feeling it now and then throughout the multitude of courses I have been doing as part of my training for the past 3 months; more so towards the end. Maybe it's because of a lack of practical training? Maybe there has just been too many courses all along? Whatever the reason, it is depressing. And not to mention, degrading. There is nothing worse than to wander and be idle because it is from this that trouble brews. Randomness. Wandering thoughts. Meaninglessness. There is a phrase from a game I used to play which sums it all up: "Heresy grows from idleness."

I have my direction, motivation and passion. I know what to aim for, what to work for. But this idleness is in the way and eroding the very path which I am taking now. I pray Station life will be nowhere similar.

I hate idleness. Go away.

Our Day Will Come

2010-10-15T21:20:00.004+08:00

Our day will come

And we'll have everything.

We'll share the joy

Falling in love can bring.

No one can tell me

That I'm too young to know

'Cause I love you so

And you love me.

Our day will come

If we just wait a while.

No tears for us

Think love and wear a smile.

And our dreams are meant to be

Because we'll always stay

In love this way

Our day will come.

Our day will come

If we just wait a while.

And no tears for us

Think love and wear a smile.

And our dreams are meant to be

Because we'll always stay

In love this way

Our day, our day, oh day, will come.

Bad Dream

2010-10-10T10:56:00.003+08:00

Last night, I had a bad dream but it was not a nightmare per se. It was a very simple dream regarding the current happenings in my life. The message within was something I could not accept and I found myself running, and running with grief and sadness. I soon stopped running and turned back to find the meaning but instead, woke up into subconscious sleep. I tried to fall back into deep sleep to 'complete the ending' but to no avail. When I finally awoke, I felt disturbed for a good part of the morning. Even though it was just a dream, in reality, it could've been a possible scenario.

Does it pay to wait for something? I believe so. But what if your wait yields no returns? Another SIA cadet pilot episode? Not again, please. But if you don't wait for an answer, you'll never know. So you wait. But then no one promised anything. Just because you waited doesn't mean anyone owes you anything for your enduring faith. Or do they? Will they? But remember, you chose to get into this. You chose to wait and take the risk. My good friend told me it is sometimes good to be stubborn - to be specifically objective in what you want. After all, you focus more on one than you do on many. I know what I want. I know I don't just want anything.

I hope the dream was really nothing more than a dream. Not even a premonition. The higher you build your hopes, the harder you fall if they fail. Hope is very powerful, but promises nothing. But then again, great risks come with great returns.

The ball is now rolling

2010-07-21T21:58:00.008+08:00

It has been some time. I watched Inception last week and what a fully worth 2-and-a-half hours that was. A story with a simple plot but it's how the plot is done which is interesting. Smartly done and complex but not to the point which leaves you saying 'huh?' at the end of the movie. Dreams within dreams within dreams... Confused? Go watch it.

Besides that, I have finally got myself employed. My back-up plan did not fail! YEEHA. Initially, I was more relieved rather than happy but towards the day of signing the Letter of Appointment, it was definitely happiness instead. Finally, I can settle down and move on in life. I've been on the job for 3 days already and am enjoying it. It is physically very demanding and I foresee many challenges ahead, some which I must figure out how to overcome.

No longer can I stay up as late as before, especially with my kind of work now. I will also soon have to leave my enrichment centre - a place filled with colourful memories from last year up till now. I will miss the people (and some of the kids) and my past months there.

The ball has started rolling. It is time to look forward. Look forward, but also do not forget the road that I have taken this far in life.

Daft Punk - Something About Us (Cover)

2010-07-06T22:13:00.002+08:00

A pretty cool cover of Daft Punk's 'Something About Us' which I found through my friend. Nice use of the DS Lite, helmet for the lyrics and that weird sounding but cool looking instrument called the theremin.

Closure

2010-07-03T18:25:00.003+08:00

2 weeks ago, after submitting my final medical report, I received news the following day regarding my job application status. Unsuccessful. I was utterly shocked and disappointed. Who wouldn't, after waiting patiently for over a year, paying for medical reports and tests which amounted to almost $200 and having high hopes all the while.

Last year around March, I applied to Singapore Airlines as a Cadet Pilot. I got through the 1st and 2nd round interviews and the medical after that. What came after was a long wait due to the age limit for entry into the course. Patiently, I waited for one whole year keeping myself busy with my enrichment centre job and a whole lot of other things to close the gap between me and my dream. But alas, it was not meant to be. I was rejected due to undisclosed reasons. I appealed throwing every credible piece of information to convince them to reconsider. Another 2 weeks later, I received a reply saying that my appeal had been unsuccessful. Sigh.

I will skip all the details within - it is hard for someone not in my shoes to fully understand the true disappointment and sadness I felt. I am past that stage and there is no point crying over spilt milk, if there was even any to begin with. This episode of my life so far has taught me much; maybe some lessons were learnt painfully. No one said life would be fair. Even Brazil can lose at the World Cup. My mum told me that when God leads the way, there are no obstacles. Maybe this job was not meant for me in the first place. Now that I have some closure, I can finally move on :D

On the bright side, I have reflected on the positive side of not getting the job. Many I have found, and I feel somewhat... convinced now, if that is the right word to use. Maybe it is all a blessing in disguise. Anyway, a whole world of opportunities now awaits!

To Shaun, pilot-to-be, all the way in Ground School and the rest of the course!

To Umar, keep the faith, your call up is coming soon man!

~ Carpe diem ~

NUS Lifesaving Invitationals 2010

2010-06-20T20:39:00.003+08:00

Yesterday, was the NUS Lifesaving Invitationals. What an awesome day it was - sunny all day and with nice cold water from the previous night's showers. It was a day filled with sportsmanship, nervousness, mind-over-matter, encouragement, team spirit, adrenaline, Milo peng shiokness, DQ's, mistakes learnt, joy, fighting spirit, never-letting-go and towards the end, satisfaction and tiredness, among many other things.

I did not win any medals, but I won something more valuable instead: Defeat of my inner self and a wholesome experience. I shaved off a whopping 10 seconds from my 100m manikin carry w/ fins event and 8 seconds from my 100m manikin tow w/ fins events. YEEHA. The relay and rope throw events were good experience as well. I just soaked in the atmosphere yesterday: the tension before every event, the look on each person's face before their event, while on the starting blocks, and after the events, the shagness clearly evident from that 200m Super Lifesaver or Rescue Medley. A showcase of pure determination, all-the-way attitude and enduring-till-the-end mentality.

At the end of the day, prizes were given out and champions named amid jubilation. But most importantly, how we stood till the end as a team and how every one of us conquered that inner self of ours.

Da ULC Family. HOO-AH!!!

"Victory isn't defined by wins or losses. It is defined by effort. If you can truthfully say, 'I did the best I could, I gave everything I had,' then you're a winner."

- Wolfgang Schadler

The Calm Before The Storm

2010-06-19T00:22:00.005+08:00

Broken

2010-05-26T23:31:00.001+08:00

Broke my 1:10 timing for 100m fins today. YEEHA. Next goal: Taipei 1:01 haha, as suggested by my team captain. Hmm, will need to work on that. Need to mentally work up for the coming Invitational's and keep improving. GOAL SETTING: I will work hard during training for my Milo peng. Oh yes, you know that feeling of ice-cold, sugary, chocolatey Milo going down your throat after some good hard training. Lovely.

Milo peng FTW.

Psalms 37:3-9

2010-05-14T16:07:00.007+08:00

3 Trust in the Lord and do good;

dwell in the land and enjoy safe

pasture.

4 Delight yourself in the Lord

and he will give you the desires of

your heart.

5 Commit your way to the Lord;

trust in him and he will do this:

6 He will make your righteousness shine

like the dawn,

the justice of your cause like the

noonday sun.

7 Be still before the Lord and wait

patiently for him;

do not fret when men succeed in

their ways,

when they carry out their wicked

schemes.

8 Refrain from anger and turn from

wrath;

do not fret - it leads only to evil.

9 For evil men will be cut off,

but those who hope in the Lord will

inherit the land.

Improvement

2010-05-13T01:08:00.015+08:00

ULC training has stepped up in preparation for the Invitationals and Taiwan. Last Friday, Mr Sim gave us 400m anaerobic (hold your breath and sprint for 16m, 3 x per lap, 400m total). Jeez, the most I did in the past was 200m... and I couldn't even hold my breath for any of those 16m let alone the first one. That day however, I managed to survive the 400m and took only one breath for each of the 16m. YEEHA. I thought it was probably because of the soccer match I had with the ULC guys prior to training that boosted my cardio but today, Mr Sim gave us... 500m! WTF. Somehow managed to pull it off again, one breath for each of the 16m. So maybe it wasn't the soccer. YEEHA x2.

I am also beginning to see the after-effects of land training which we had the previous months. Most of my timings have shaved off good seconds. YEEHA x3. Monday's 100m finning and frontcrawl sprints were shagadelic. Broke my finning record and tried to get a 1:0X but just couldn't; will break it next time. Also broke my frontcrawl record on the first set but after that it was just OMFG... like digging into water with paper hands. And we started off training that day with 500m manikin and 500m, 400m, 300m finning... :D

Anyway, it's good to see improvement. Especially with my timings getting closer to the fast ones. And now, this song is stuck in my head... (love the dance moves synchro'd with the body lyrics!)

Like what my team captain keeps saying, "No Pain, No Gain". Looking forward to the upcoming trainings.

HARDER, BETTER, FASTER, STRONGER!

A Guide to Plane-Watching at WSSS

2010-05-04T23:13:00.018+08:00

Ever since my conversion to part-time plus the waiting soon coming to an end, I've been doing lots of plane watching at WSSS (Singapore Changi). I've tried many, if not all, of the possible sites and had good and not-so-good experiences at each site. Here, I'll present a short guide based on my experience on each of them plus their pros and cons. I will also include my earlier experiences at Changi Airport's three terminals.

Changi Airport - Terminal 1 (UNDER RENOVATION - Reopening by End 2010)

Among the three main terminals, T1's viewing gallery offered the best view. Unobstructed views through single layer windows offered plenty of enjoyable watching. Furthermore, T1's host of a myriad of airlines other than the usual SIA, SLK and MAS and the rest at T2 and 3 made watching here a colourful experience.

Pros: Good direct, unobstructed view; Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits nearby.

Cons: Currently closed as part of T1's upgrading project (hopefully they don't screw it up like what they did with T2 and 3 - see below)

Changi Airport - Terminal 2

Recently refurbished with the Changi Aviation Gallery, this viewing gallery offers an indirect view due to the double-layered windowing and sun-shields. The gallery offers some nice info on airplanes and operations at WSSS but other than nice carpeted flooring, not a very good place to watch in my opinion.

Pros: Nice info on airplanes and airport operations; Carpeted flooring.
Cons: Indirect view; Sun shields further hamper the already indirect view; Small area.

Changi Airport - Terminal 3

Almost similar to T2's, T3's viewing gallery offers the same indirect view and sun-shields. The unique air-condition ducts near the floor will keep your feet cool throughout though. At night, you can forget about seeing anything related to a plane. The double-layered windows will reflect the terminal lighting and become a 'mirror' making it almost impossible to see anything outside.

Pros: Large area; Toilets within 50m; Floor-level air-conditioning; Giant mirror at night.
Cons: Indirect view; Sun shields further hamper the already indirect view; Giant mirror at night.

Changi Business Park Central 2

Located here, this open field offers a clear unobstructed view of planes landing into WSSS on a 02L approach. If you have a DSLR with lens, this is your playground. On good days, the setting afternoon sun (4-6pm) 'lights' up the planes as they come in, enhancing their colours. One of the better watch sites among the rest but a tad bit inconvenient if you don't have a car. One more thing, unless you want to do it the army way, remember to clear your bladder/bowels before coming here.

Pros: Large open field with plenty of space to watch; Direct view of planes coming in; 'Free' parking right next to the fields; Nice wind during the windy season.
Cons: No nearby toilets; Inconvenient location - unless you drive, the nearest MRT station is Expo plus a 15 minute walk.

Changi South Street 1

Less than 200m away from the above site, this site is actually at a canal and offers a much closer view of planes landing on a 02L approach but without much of the 'approach'. All you have is about less than 10 seconds to snap the planes as they pass over the unobstructed area over the canal. There are a lot of low-rise industrial buildings around so unless you own those buildings or have some way of getting onto their roofs, it will be a bit difficult to spot them coming in. A good alternative spot for those who can't afford a DSLR and lens yet (like me!).

Pros: Even closer view compared to Changi Business Park Central 2; Good alternative for those with zoom-handicapped cameras; Excellent sound from those engines.
Cons: No nearby toilets; Inconvenient location - unless you drive, the nearest MRT station is Expo plus a 20 minute walk; Small area; Not much view time (~10 seconds); Hard to spot planes due to the surrounding buildings.

Changi Coast Road

This 5km stretch of road lies parallel to Runway 02R/20L. Protected by double fencing plus cameras, this entire stretch is as close as you can get to the runway. You get a nice view of WSSS along with all the landings and take-off's but be warned, this area is monitored and the police will chase you away. Watch here at your own risk.

Pros: Close to the runway; The entire stretch to watch; Plenty to see and hear.
Cons: Expect visits from the police; Double fencing spoils the view; No nearby toilets.

South Changi

This site is actually on a breakwater located near the NSRCC Sea Sports Centre. This quiet place offers a spectacular view of 02R approaches, ships harboured at the anchorages, the east coast coastline as well as cloud formations. 02L approaches can also be seen but they are much further away. Bring a hat or some sun protection as well as insect repellent to keep those nasty sand flies away. Be prepared if Runway 02R is underused and you have to settle for mediocre 02L approaches (you can still enjoy the ocean/sky/coastline view!). My personal experience: 5 planes into 02R within 2 hours. Yes, FIVE. Also seems like a good fishing spot.

Pros: Great view of the sky and sea; Plenty to see; Good fishing spot.
Cons: Inconvenient location - either drive or cycle; Nasty sand flies; Sucks when 02R is underused (if your focus is only on planes).

Changi Beach

In my opinion, this is the site for plane-watching. This site is similar to Changi South Street 1 minus all the buildings. Direct line-of-sight views of 20R and L approaches. Planes coming into 20R will fly right above you! The ultimate visual aural experience. Plus there's Changi Village nearby to fill your stomach up once you're done!

Pros: Awesome sights and sounds; Great wind; Changi Village nearby.
Cons: Like all airports, whether planes land here depends on the wind direction; Nearest toilet is about 200-300m away.

All photos above were taken with a Canon Digital IXUS 860 IS. Maximum zoom (3.8x) was used for most of the landing shots.

Medical

2010-04-23T21:44:00.007+08:00

Today, I went for my medical. Like what my friend said, it was déjà vu all over again. I could not and did not sleep properly last night, probably because of all the excitement. Everything went the same and now there is nothing more I can do but wait, and pray. Everything from this point onwards is beyond my control. An answer must come within 3 months time because of one of the medical validity periods. I am expecting it to be June as planned, or better still, next month :D I must continue to keep the faith. The time is near!

Winds of Change

2010-04-20T19:14:00.009+08:00

This morning was like any other morning. I got up at around 10am, switched on the laptop, washed up, made the usual breakfast tea and finished off the last of the scones and read the papers. Coming back to the laptop, I pressed 'Enter' to allow my Gmail notifier to log on and to my surprise... I got an email from That Which I Am Waiting For to go for my re-Medical! WOOHOO!!! Things are looking good. June may really be the end of all the waiting (1 year and counting).

I also drove out to Changi again to snap planes and this time, the winds had changed! 20 approach - Changi Beach here I come! I'll let the pictures do the explaining :)

Indonesia AirAsia A320-200

Cathay Pacific B777-200

Singapore Airlines B777-200

Singapore Airlines A380-800

Pure, raw, awesomeness. Plus the sound of those engines, my goodness - like ecstasy to the ears! I wanted to stay and take some videos but alas, the fun was short-lived because a storm came in. I waited to see if it would subside and let me continue the snapfest but it went on and on and on... Oh well, another time I guess. I drove home and on the way back on Changi Coast Road, saw the evening sun among the storm clouds. The light at the end of the tunnel is finally within sight.

Thinking

2010-04-19T12:38:00.009+08:00

I work as a part-time trainer at a right brain enrichment centre. One of the training exercises there involves students looking at a board with an abstract image where they are required to use their imagination and explain what they see. This week's board consisted of a fairly simple image which showed a yellow circle and a blue background. Within the circle and along its circumference was a picture of a crescent moon as well as 7 stars. My students are mostly within the 7-9 and 10-12 age groups and when showed the board, almost all of them immediately said 'moon' as their first observation. In one class (10-12 age group) however, one of my students took a few moments to study the image and then concluded, "It looks like a brain". I did a double-take and asked how he saw a brain and he explained to me. After that I asked him if he could see the more obvious moon to which he stopped for a second and exclaimed, "OH YEAH!!!". Lol. His level of thinking that day must have been on a higher plane of existence. Sometimes we think too much we fail to see the bigger picture or miss the obvious things.

It is interesting to see how our mindsets shape the way we think. I have been teaching at the centre for coming to 8 months already and it suddenly dawned on me why I found it a bit hard to click with my 7-9 age group students after finishing a 10-12 age group class before that. Teaching the latter group involves a different level of thinking, especially when my student has a penchant for playing with words. After finishing that class and going to my next class, the age shift requires an accompanying mindset shift as well. Students at that age may not catch your wordplay and instead give you blank stares. And thus, after a few minutes of acclimatization, I managed to re-establish two-way communication with my students. I have heard similar encounters from my fellow teachers where they transit from a 10-12 age group to a 2-3 age group or vice versa. Imagine a scene where you are talking to Primary School kids as if they were babies. Got my drift?

Adults, because of their experiences in life tend to think much more and deeply. Our heads are filled with so many thoughts (as well as worries), all an effect of the dealings with the complexities of life. Kids on the other hand, think on a much simpler plane, which is why teaching them can be an eye-opening experience. One of my previous students from my 4-6 age group class asked me how my braces stuck to my teeth.

Student: "Teacher, how did you stick that on your teeth?"

Me: "I used special glue."

Student: "Is it tooth glue?"

Me: *stunned* "Yes, it's tooth glue!"

Student: "Was it a big tube or a small tube?" *FINISHING MOVE*

See what I mean? Kids - whether they know how braces are fixed to our teeth or whether they miss the moon for a brain - will always be kids :D

The Months Ahead...

2010-04-16T01:45:00.003+08:00

Went to watch How To Train Your Dragon today, a pretty good animation initially about Vikings fighting dragons. Nifty graphics with heart-warming and humorous moments as well as a subtle message that parents should sometimes listen to their children. Tsk tsk. Had some supper at Republic of Steak at Victoria Street (right next to Victoria Hotel) which was similar in concept to Aston's - 2 complimentary sides to the mains along with the usual western steaks and fare. The potato salad side was good and chunky but Aston's coleslaw still won hand's down.

Other than the day's activities, I've been pondering on what to do for the coming months. Reservist is coming end June so that kinda sucks. So many options but so little money... Solo holiday to Laos or Perth? Family holiday? DM course? Dives? Another part-time job? I have also seriously been procrastinating with certain activities: Fringe episodes are still stuck at Season 1 Episode 9. Reading of books has been at a ~~turtle's~~ sloth's pace. Practising the violin. Dang. How the hell to advance/improve if I'm gonna hehe-haha dilly-dally wishy-washy. Whenever something is easily within reach, people take it for granted. How true. Now, I have all the freedom in the world and I go and do other less important things... Less wishful thinking and more doing please.

On the other hand, photography has been keeping me fairly busy. I'm hoping the wind changes one of these days so I can take shots of planes landing from Changi Beach (20 approach). The other evening's experience was absolutely not enough! Also, I don't think I can do those CAAS papers I had been hoping to... I need aeronautical engineering experience. Crap. I guess I will just read up on the modules. The weather's also been turning nasty.

I've got till June. Go figure. And just do it.

1 x Update

2010-04-08T12:06:00.010+08:00

It has been an oh-so-long time indeed. I am now working part-time instead while waiting in the meantime for June... IT'S COMING!!! I wanted to look for a job to fill in the current 2 months gap but I may decide to just sit back and chillax for now. Complacent? No. Faith? Yes. Ain't gonna get a break like this once the ball starts rolling - especially once I sign for it. Been having a lot of pressure recently because I couldn't find a job as planned; it's probably because everyone else is working and I'm slacking off. Well, a lot of friends have been telling me I should just take a break since I'm not gonna get something like this in a long long time. It's taken me a long time to get over this Asian mentality and I decided that rest, it shall be. I'll probably get another part-time job or go for a holiday or something plus catch up on everything else: movies, Fringe, training, more dives if the wallet permits and photography... speaking of which, I have been doing recently.

Went down to Changi Business Park that day to snap planes again and brought my binoculars this time. Learned that taking shots in widescreen would give a better presentation effect since the planes were long themselves and a lot of fore/background would be unnecessary. Took some good shots that day and also fooled around with the binoculars and camera to take extra-zoomed shots haha.

Good Shot 1

Good Shot 2

Binoculars + Camera = DSLR w/ 50-200mm lens

Will definitely invest in a DSLR once the money comes rolling in. The planes kept rolling in till about 6:45pm when I noticed they were now taking off from my position. That meant they were now landing from the other side now. It was getting dark and late but I decided to carpe diem and drive off to Changi Beach to catch whatever I could catch. My camera wasn't good enough to snap planes coming because it was getting dark so I took a video instead. Man, you gotta love that sound. As the evening unfurled, the sky greeted me with a delightful surprise:

Changi Beach Sunset

I guess the simple things in life are often the most rewarding. Full Tank Top-up: $50. Camera: $500. Watching planes come in under a breath-taking evening sky: Priceless.

Photography aside, been catching up on some movies as well. Watched Sherlock Holmes yesterday and loved the way they portrayed Holmes' analytical and logical approach to solving mysteries and even... how to win a fight:

Totally loved that scene. Plus, I learned a new word: Discombobulate.

Till the next post, adieu.

In Loving Memory of Jojo

2010-03-22T23:08:00.008+08:00

What God Hath Not Promised

2010-02-16T13:04:00.001+08:00

God hath not promised skies always blue,

Flower strewn pathways all our lives through;

God hath not promised sun without rain,

Joy without sorrow, peace without pain.

But God hath promised strength for the day,

Rest for the labor, light for the way,

Grace for the trials, help from above,

Unfailing sympathy, undying love.

Johnny Hates Jazz - I Don't Want to Be a Hero

2010-02-08T21:37:00.005+08:00

I stumbled across this awesome oldie by Johnny Hates Jazz. I like the way how the simple lyrics portray the futility and pointlessness of war. Love the bass line.

Oh, send me off to war with a gun in my hand

But I won't pull the trigger

Our destiny is here with 'neath the red, white and and blue

So lead me to the slaughter

Now don't be afraid come and join the parade

For the ultimate in sacrifice

It's an old-fashioned story of hope and glory

A ticket for taking a life

Chorus

I, I don't want to be a hero

I don't want to die for you

I don't want to be a hero

Oh, send me off to war in a faraway place

I never knew existed

Subject me to the truth to the horror and pain

Until my mind is twisted

And what if I fail will you put me in jail

For a murder I will not commit

'Cos you don't understand till there's blood on your hands

That it's time to forget and forgive

Chorus

And those who return come back only to learn

That they're hated by those who they love

'Cos you're not satisfied till the thousands have died

And your anger has been paid with their blood

Chorus

Trust in the Flying Man

2010-02-05T01:19:00.000+08:00

From bad... to worth it

2010-01-28T19:26:00.007+08:00

With age, comes its habits. I seem to becoming more the ah pek these days - took the papers down to the nearby Malay coffee shop to read it over some teh and my lunch. This is probably just the beginning haha...

The rest of the day was pretty much uneventful... so much so that I was beginning to lose my sanity. This had to stop. It's an off day for heaven's sake. Dvd's? Nah. Fringe? Not today. Games? Enough. Plane-watching? Hmmm... why not? With T1 and T2's viewing gallery closed for upgrading and T3's C.M.I. status, there was only one place left: Changi beach. I grabbed the camera and keys and drove out.

On the ECP, I saw planes landing and that meant one thing: they were coming in from the 20 approach and not the 02 approach which meant no landings from Changi beach :( I decided to carry on to Changi beach in hopes that the wind would change direction (fat chance...) or I could try my luck with watching planes taking off. I soon reached the beach and to my dismay, planes were taking off much too early to even get any joy in watching them (with the exception of hearing them roar above). Instead, I found myself taking snaps of peaceful scenes at the beach...

After a nice short stroll up and down the beach, I decided to fulfil my original mission. I remembered spotting a potential plane-watching area on the other side of Changi Airport near the Changi Business Park and decided to give that a shot. I drove all the way back along the 5km coastal road (boy, does that road bring back memories...), back onto the ECP and exited at the PIE and into the business park. After much trial and error, I found the perfect spot: Changi Business Park Central 2. At the end of this road lay a circular loop in the middle of an open field which offered an unobstructed view of the flight path of landing planes. Perfect. Overjoyed, I took up position in the shade of the trees and anticipated each plane as they approached 20L. To make things even better, the afternoon sun added a nice 'shine' onto the plane's fuselages as they came in and the clear blue sky provided a clean background.

The snapfest continued till I tried taking a video which caused the battery icon in my camera to go from 2-bars to 1-bar blinking and red. Outstanding. Just when the fun was already in the works. Anyway, I made well with whatever juice I had left in the cam batts and managed to take a video and as many shots as I could before they died on me. Satisfied with today's 'catch', I drove back surprised at how the rest of the day turned out. From bad... to worth it :)

+LEVEL UP: New plane-watching site gained!!!+

Woman

2010-01-21T21:22:00.003+08:00

Woman was created from the rib

of man

not from his head

to top him

neither from his feet

to be walked upon.

She was made

from his side

to be his equal;

from beneath his arm

to be protected by him;

from very near his heart

to be loved by him.

Monday

2010-01-11T22:28:00.006+08:00

What an eventful off-day! I grabbed some post-lunch Lee Kee pisang goreng on the way to my dental appointment at NDC. Teeth and gums status report: Healthy. Good Job. After that, I initially wanted to settle down at a coffee joint with my book and a nice cup of tea but ended up going to Changi Airport instead for some strolling and plane-watching.

The viewing galleries at Terminal 1 and 2 were under renovation so I settled for the one at Terminal 3 (can't wait till the T1 Viewing Gallery reopens and hopefully they don't screw it up like what they did with T2 and 3). Pretty much a quiet afternoon with just a few landings so I headed over to Popeye's for my dinner. To my surprise, I met some friends, who had just returned from a holiday, eating there. No more lonely dinner haha. We parted after dinner and I took a bus down to...

...for a nice swim. NTU Swimathon is coming up so better train lest ye fail thy team mates. You ever get that feeling of unlimited energy whenever you go for a run or swim? The feeling that even though you just ran/swam, you still feel refreshed and not tired at all and can actually continue? Well, I got Da Feeling today and ended up swimming non-stop for an hour after my warm-up laps. Other than eating or sleeping, the next best feeling is the one you get while exercising.

Following the swim, I headed to Bedok Interchange to check out the pasar malam there and to grab some post-swim munchies. I was craving for tutu cake but alas, it was not meant to be so I settled for some ice jelly cocktail from Hollywood at the Bedok Interchange hawker centre. I shared a table with this nice couple and they happened to ask if I had tried the ice jelly cocktail from 'Uncle', another dessert stall a few stalls down. I told them I hadn't and they gave me their opinion of Uncle's and Hollywood's and what ensued thereafter was a hearty discussion of good eating places in the east and some casual chit-chat. (I must remember: Uncle's ice jelly cocktail, rojak at Bedok Interchange and Dunman hawker centre, Cheng Tng at Bedok Camp hawker centre and the restaurant in Siglap beside NTUC and Denise wine place...)

It was a joy talking to them and after dessert, I took the scenic route home by walking back through the neighbourhood whilst listening to Maksim and gazing up at Orion's Belt (I must make it a point to remember where his head and sword are... and where that damn scorpion he is chasing is...)

Hello 2010!

2010-01-01T10:47:00.005+08:00

First post for the New Year! As always, a year passes and a new one comes in - one that will hopefully be better than the previous.

Looking back at 2009, it was a year of change for me: My graduation from the university and my phase shift into the working world. Economy-wise, things were not so good so I couldn't secure a job in a field of my choice... and I'm still waiting for that something big ;) Hopefully, 2010 brings about positive change that will keep things favourable for me and my plans. My wait is coming to an end; I just hope it doesn't get any longer. I'm confident that I'll get there, the only question is, when? Optimism, optimism, optimism!

Celebration-wise, it was a quiet transition to the New Year for me. I stayed at home and watched the last 5 minutes of the countdown on Channel 5. Utterly disappointing. There was this Taiwanese hip-hop band performing various songs of no relation to the new year which made it all seem like the new year was some shallow-minded party bash. Oh wait, it always is.

Towards midnight, hosts Gurmit Singh and Michelle Chia conducted the usual countdown, screams and shouts of "ARE YOU READY!!!!!" Everything happened pretty fast and uneventfully and at the stroke of midnight, we were treated to 8 minutes of fireworks over the Singapore skyline. Very nice yes, but there was something missing. Instead of playing the traditional Auld Lang Syne, some dramatic orchestral piece fused with Chinese elements was played. Why the Chinese themes? Yes, Chinese New Year is up next but what's the hurry? Disappointing with a capital D.

I watched the full 8 minutes of eye candy and was waiting for any instance where they would start playing Auld Lang Syne but to my shock, they didn't at all. After the fireworks, it was back to the Taiwanese hip-hop band for more... yep, you guessed it- PARTY~ This is why I prefer Christmas to New Year's. There is more meaning in celebrating the former rather than the latter because I get no meaning - or feeling - at all from the latter here. Maybe I just celebrated it in the wrong country.

Anyway, here's to a great new year ahead! 2010 HOO-AH!!!

Awesomeness

2009-12-03T20:16:00.003+08:00

Cycled down to Bedok Swimming Complex for a nice 40 laps. Following that was some post-exercise gluttony at Lee Kee at the Bedok Interchange hawker centre for 2 x goreng pisang's (sorry no pics). Ultimate with a capital U. On the way back, I noticed the sky orange with the setting sun so I took a detour to Siglap Hill to check it out...

There is no charge for awesomeness.

I was using my phone's camera to take the shot so yes, the effect is not there. But from my point of view, it was awesomeness with a capital A. Satisfied, I cycled back home through the many small roads in my neighbourhood taking a few detours here and there to savour the peaceful evening...

John 3:16

2009-10-15T19:41:00.001+08:00

Kai Tak - Respect and Awe

2009-10-05T18:55:00.013+08:00

For some nostalgic reason, I've been reading up quite a bit on Kai Tak airport over the past few days. Kai Tak airport was Hong Kong's main airport until 1998 when the new Chep Lap Kok airport took over operations. Situated near mountains, Victoria harbour, and low-rise and residential buildings surrounding the airport, Kai Tak's geographical position for an airport was not exactly considered ideal. What made Kai Tak famous however, was the unique landing approach pilots had to take when landing on Runway 13.

Due to the surrounding mountains, planes landing into Kai Tak via Runway 13 could not make a straight direct approach (which is the common and ideal approach method) and thus instead had to come in at an angle (to avoid the mountains) and in the final stage, make a 47 degrees right turn to align itself with the runway to land. While doing all this, pilots had to control their descent because directly below were low-rise buildings as high as 6 storeys; Pilots could not come in too high either as this could cause them to overshoot the runway, have insufficient braking distance and risk landing in the harbour. This tricky landing approach, further made more difficult with Hong Kong's notoriety for strong crosswinds, monsoon weather and typhoons, made Kai Tak world-famous among pilots as well as aviation enthusiasts, who took up positions at building and car park rooftops and nearby hills to snap photos of approaching planes making 'the turn'.

Back when I was a kid, my dad used to take me to the open-air rooftop of Kai Tak's airport car park. This place offered an unobstructed view of incoming planes making the turn and landing into Kai Tak. As a kid, this was an absolute thrill and watching plane after plane land in full sight in front of my eyes totally made my day. It was only until now, after doing some homework, that I realized how special Kai Tak really was. I recently read an Air Traffic Controller's (ATC) account of his term at Kai Tak and despite the numerous technical acronyms and rough understanding of the modus operandi, I was filled with respect for the people who experienced Kai Tak first hand. If you thought landing at Kai Tak was hard, traffic control was just as hard due to the busy airport operations - which was well over its designed capacity. To the pilots and ATC's who braved Kai Tak, I salute you.

After its 77 years of faithful service and amazing landings, I read with some sorrow about Kai Tak's fate - something which I could not have understood then. I'm sure that Kai Tak will always remain in a special place in the hearts of those who knew and/or experienced it. To end it off, here are some scans of my old photos of Kai Tak taken in days gone by...

A Thai Airways B747-200 landing with a classic backdrop of buildings found near the airport

A South African Airways B747-200 with the infamous checkerboard, a visual checkpoint at which pilots had to make the 47 degrees right turn

A ramp shot of a Singapore Airlines B747-400 'Megatop' basking in the sun with the Control Tower in the back

A Japan Airlines B747-400 waiting for its turn in front of Runway 13 with Victoria Harbour in the background

Kai Tak's empty ramp after its closure

Crossroads

2009-09-30T00:28:00.005+08:00

While travelling along life's road, I recently came across a crossroad - one that would have long-term effects and change my current life plans. The decision on which path to take has made the past few days the most stressful in my life so far. I swear, no test, exam, final year project, army tekan session or anything similar has made me so stressed. Well, today I chose the path - the original path in my life plans - and believe it to be the best choice. Now, as I continue once again on life's road, I must keep the faith and have no doubts. For doubts belittle faith.

Seaweed Fortress

2009-09-25T10:45:00.000+08:00

Kids and their imagination...

My Simple XXV Birthday

2009-08-31T18:20:00.007+08:00

Today started off with some cycling to Parkway Parade to meet mum for lunch at Subway. 1 x foot-long Subway Melt was consumed to prepare me for the rest of the day. Following lunch, I headed off towards Changi via the park connector route from East Coast Park. I had wanted to cycle the previous week but Mother Nature was temperamental so it was no go. Today's weather was good - plenty of cloud cover, some sun and even a light drizzle later on to cool down on the way back.

The first leg of the journey was to Changi Coast Road. I had planned this some time back and today was a great day to do it. The motive: plane-watching. (WTF?! Yeah, it's a childhood pastime.) And what better way to do it right beside the runway! However, things didn't turn out as enjoyable. Double-fencing made visibility a meshed mess. And little did I know that that red "Protected Place" sign was more dangerous than it meant. A few minutes later, a police car eventually homed-in on my position and siren-ed me over. A familiar face (from army) in the police car told me that I wasn't allowed to linger there as it was a protected place. No photos, no lingering, no hard feelings, no problem. Dang, I could've sworn seeing people park their cars along the fence to watch the planes in days gone by...

That red sign with a lot of words in 4 languages and a silhouette of a man being held up by another silhouette carrying a gun means business

The second leg of the journey was to Changi Beach to find another spot for plane-watching. I found a particular stretch which gave me a nice view of the approaching planes so I settled down and let the lazy afternoon pass by. Doing something like this once I started working would probably be hard so I savoured the moment.

Savouring the moment

Following that was the journey back home. A drizzle came up when I was on Changi Coast Road but that soon stopped and the sun ripped through the clouds again. Back home, a cleansing shower rid the filth from thy body and dinner was up next at Astons' Katong Branch.

Dad got a Black Pepper and mum, a Prime Ribeye. I got a Prime Tenderloin (medium well-done) with Potato and Pasta Salad sides. Turned out to be damn bloody good. Literally. The steak was absolutely tender but it seemed more medium rare than medium well-done so I asked if they could grill it again. I soon got it back and to my surprise, my half-finished sides were replenished! Awesome. And not forgetting the IBC Root Beer I had with the meal. Best root beer on earth.

Prime Tenderloin w/ Potato Salad & Pasta Salad: S$26.50 - a bit pricey but worth it once in a while

Dinner over, it was time to head back. Simple.

Rei Kondoh - The Sun Rises

2009-08-13T09:58:00.005+08:00

A very moving song from a game called Okami where you play as Amaterasu (the Japanese sun god) in the form of a white wolf. I get goosebumps listening to it. This song plays during the final battle where you, the embodiment of pure goodness, fight the forces of darkness. An apt title indeed. At 1:28 onwards the song is like crying out, "We must not give up! We will overcome!"

News

2009-07-15T11:15:00.005+08:00

Yesterday, I received news from my employer regarding my job application. It was not news that I wanted to hear and in fact, it was news which I did not prepare for. Prior to this, I had been preparing for two outcomes: I get the job, or I don't. I never expected to get the 'in-between' response which has now delayed things. Despite all this, the news was not something bad, just that my application would have to be delayed due to an age restriction stated by a certain policy which I am extremely sore about. I will not start a flaming session ranting about this certain policy for it will do no good; I will only say that it is a very selfish and disruptive thing. Anyway, my application will be followed-up next year so there is still hope.

The news has also taught me a thing or two about being naive. I am praying hard that my - somewhat foolish (if you ask me now) - actions have not hampered my pathway to my potential career. I shall keep that lesson in mind in future. Right now, I need to replan for this waiting period and the unknown beyond. I am still unsettled by the news, but life must go on. Oh well, as the saying goes, "Good things come to those who wait."

Time... and faith, will tell.

BEng (Mech Eng)

2009-07-11T22:05:00.014+08:00

Today I graduate from NUS, Bachelor in Engineering (Mechanical Engineering) in hand. The Commencement ceremony was all trim and proper with the usual flashback videos, student interviews, scroll presentation, valedictorian speech and even a piano performance by one of the members from the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory. Following that was a frenzy of photo-taking with family and friends which I shall now end this short post with...

Close friends during the course

Executing the highly difficult and dangerous jumping-mortar-board-sky-throw move. (Undergraduates, don't try this at home)

Da ULC Family

Fellow graduates Edwin (left) and Caleb (right)

~Thank you NUS for an enriching experience;

Thank you friends for further enriching that experience~

P.S. I'll be back for Masters in the future!

Loveholics - Butterfly

2009-06-23T21:20:00.004+08:00

Awesome song and music video by Loveholic, a Korean rock group. This song was a collaboration between Loveholic and other singers/groups also under the Fluxus Music group hence the plural name, Loveholics. Those of you who know Clazziquai might also recognize them in the video.

Man, you gotta love that butterfly ;)

Negative

2009-06-15T20:18:00.005+08:00

I just recently returned from a 3-day stay at the hospital isolation ward after having a flu and fever. OMFG! H1N1! YOU BETTER STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM ME, PIG! CAN IT BE TRANSMITTED THROUGH BLOGS? YOU REALLY GOT IT RIGHT? Read the title.

Yes, the results were negative, thank God. However, let me recount 3 encounters at Ground Zero which reflects some of the public reaction.

Encounter #1 happened when I left the X-ray room to cross the corridor and return to the isolation ward just about 3m away. A man walking in my general direction saw me, made a abrupt 180 degrees rotation and then walked away as if it was as normal as picking flowers.

Encounter #2 happened after I failed the initial blood test indicating that I was suspected case. To make things sound nice and less serious, they called it 'Suspected URTI (Upper Respiratory Tract Infection)' instead of 'Suspected H1N1'. Anyway, Encounter #2 took place as I was being wheelchaired from the isolation room to the isolation ward by two male nurses. One male nurse was always in front of me motioning people to stay away from me as I was being wheeled through the corridors and to the lifts. I understand they were just doing their job enforcing preventive measures but I must admit the whole charade was slightly embarrasing.

Encounter #3 is by far the best. As I reached the isolation wards, a young lady was leaving some room (office?) and upon seeing me in the wheelchair, spun around double-quick time, ran back to the room and slammed the door. Hmm, must be the Welcoming Committee.

Fast-forwarding, secondary swab tests (the main deciding factor of H1N1) came back 2 days later with negative results so that was a huge relief but I had to stay an extra day because of a recurring fever. Other than that, the hospital staff and nurses were very friendly and caring throughout my 3 days there. I respect them as they continue to brave the everyday dangers of the H1N1 virus. Thank You doctors, nurses of Ward 17 and not forgetting, the nurse who was stuck with me in the isolation room while waiting for the initial test results - it was nice talking to you.

P.S. Ever since my childhood, I don't think I've watched this much television over 3 days.

No smoking because...

2009-06-08T16:40:00.003+08:00

Jokes

2009-06-03T18:01:00.016+08:00

A man was driving down a road.
A woman was driving up the same road.
As they both passed each other, the woman shouted at the man, "Pig!"
The man shouted back, "Bitch!"
As the man rounded a bend, he crashed into a giant pig and died.

A man met God in his prayers and asked, "God, can I ask you a question?"
"No problem, go ahead," God replied.
"Is it true that a million years mean a second to you?"
"Yes, that is true."
"Then what does a million dollars mean to you?" the man asked.
"A penny," God replied.
"Then, can I please have a penny?"
"Sure, just give me a second."

Three engineering students were discussing about what type of engineer God was.
The first student said, "God must be a Mechanical engineer because of all these joints in our bodies."
The second countered, "Nah, I think He's an Electrical engineer because our nervous system has thousands of circuits."
The last one finally replied, "You both got it wrong, He's a Civil engineer - who else would build a toxic waste pipeline through a recreational area?"

A snail was robbed by two turtles. When the police asked how it all happened, the snail replied, "It all happened too fast."

A man worked very hard all his life to become a millionaire. He wanted to bring his hard-earned riches with him when he died so he prayed asking God to grant his request. God granted it but said that he was only allowed to bring one bag with him. After hearing this, the man took his largest bag and filled it with gold bars. When the man finally died and went to heaven, he met St. Peter who told him that he wasn't allowed to bring any luggage with him. The man told St. Peter about his deal with God so St. Peter went to seek God to verify his statement. St. Peter soon returned and said to the man, "Alright, you can bring in the bag but I need to check the contents first." The man agreed. Upon opening the bag and seeing the contents St. Peter asked confusedly, "You brought pavement?"

The End

2009-04-30T01:03:00.006+08:00

About 6 hours ago, I finished my last paper for the last semester of my last year. (Damn that 8 marks ribblets question... who would've thought that would come out...) Yep, I'm finally done with Uni. And boy has 3 years passed just like that. I still remember my first year - getting slapped in the face with a torrent of high-speed learning. And then subsequently crashing and burning during the first few exams.

On the brighter side, it has really been an experience. The new friends that I've made here, the amount of knowledge gained (OK, I admit, a majority of that has been lost already), the eye candy from Arts (particularly Geography and Psychology), the countless deadlines, submissions, tutorials, mid-terms, exams... yes, it has really been an eventful 3 years. Even now as I type this entry, I am still reeling from the fact that it is finally over.

I guess it is normal for us human beings to become attached to a place or routine thing which we continue to do for a long period of time. But once this routine ends, these things which have become so much a part of our lives suddenly come to an end. At that point of time, you only then start to realize the effect and then you start reminiscencing of the good ol' days bringing this feeling of "So it's over, huh?". Well, for me at least.

After finishing my last paper, me and some Uni friends headed to Clarke Quay for some post-Uni celebration dinner cum chilllout session at Jazz@Southbridge at Boat Quay. (On a sidenote, that place never fails to surprise me - that night's set had a guest flautist who played Girl from Ipanema and another song I forgot. Awesome stuff.) It so happened that just before we left, the set was playing What a Difference a Day Made which resembled thoughts of my last day.

As they say, 'Life goes on', so this is just The End of one chapter and the beginning of another... and that I am looking forward to.

The Law of Bus Waiting

2009-04-21T23:11:00.011+08:00

The Law of Bus Waiting states that when at a bus stop, the service number you are waiting for will not come until all other service numbers have come at least once (if not multiple times) thereby resulting in personal frustration and an increased lack of faith in the public transportation system.

This Law is not restricted to a particular service number, but instead, applies to whatever service number you are currently waiting for.

The frustration level, F can be denoted by the following relationship:

F = f (n, t)

where

n is the number of buses arriving at the bus stop before the FIRST service number (which you are currently waiting for) arrives

t is the waiting time

Mathematically, F can be calculated as follows:

F = (k + 1) t exp (n)

where

k is an amplification factor equal to the ADDITIONAL number of service numbers (which you are currently waiting for) that arrive together in quick succession (i.e. one or more buses immediately behind the other(s))

Find your perfect job in the Empire!

2009-04-07T21:18:00.006+08:00

For those of you who use Facebook, you might have noticed the large amount of quizzes friends are taking like, "What colour are you?", "How many kids will you have?", etc... (there are heaps of these quizzes and they are totally full of crap but great to laugh at). Well, being a Star Wars fan, one particular one stood out which I took rather eagerly: "Find your perfect job in the Empire!"

After finishing the short quiz, my outcome was,

TIE Pilot

We buy Em'/You Fly 'Em! Soar to new heights as a pilot in the Imperial Air Force. Sure Imperial TIE fighters are not exactly aerodynamic, but they look cool and that's all that really matters, isn't it?

My friend Eugene similarly took the quiz some minutes later and got the following,

Snowtrooper

Congratulations! You are definitely going to be working in the coolest place possible! The Empire will be sending you to the scenic winter resort on Hoth. The slopes are always open! The Empire recommends you pack plenty of thermal underwear. Word of caution: Beware of the native creatures - it is rumored that not only do they smell awful, but they can and will rip your arm off.

What followed after this was a comical T.C.S. (Talk Cock Session) between me and Eugene:

Me: Regardless of where we are posted, we will always be disposable free-frag fodder (esp for Vader's tantrums)

Eugene: yah lor.... some more i bobo shooter.... my laser rifle will not hit anything one.....lol

Me: Don't worry, our sheer numbers are there for quantity, not quality

Eugene: only stormtroopers are so "precise"

(You need to have at least watched Episode IV to get the joke)

This. Is. MADNESS!

2009-04-06T11:57:00.005+08:00

This is Hell Month. I just tackled a particular job interview at the beginning of the month so now comes the wait (it's killing me!). That over, I got an Aerodynamics quiz tomorrow. FYP Final Oral Presentation the week after. Study Week the week week after, and then 3 x Final Papers the week week week after. Following that will be the end of my university course. But for now, it's going to be madness:

(turn up the volume for maximum effect; the insanity grows around 3:10!)

I'm lovin' it.

Jam-ming Session

2009-03-15T21:33:00.013+08:00

Those of you who didn't go to the I.T. Fair today or did but didn't notice the OMFG-traffic-jam, allow me to enlighten you.

I was heading for the City Hall area today and as I was leaving my house I saw my bus (Service 14) pass by and missed it so I decided to take another bus (Service 10) which would drop me at One Raffles Link instead. Little did I know that I would come head on with one massive jam at Nicoll Highway.

Let me elaborate a bit more on that. The jam in fact started - coincidentally - at the ERP gantry along Nicoll Highway (near Kallang Stadium). Now using Google Earth, I measured the distance from the start of the jam to my final destination at One Raffles Link (red line in Fig. 1). 2.70km. WTF. (Those training for IPPT, just start 300m away from the ERP gantry and run all the way to the Suntec City junction). The last I remember of a really bad jam was during the IMF when roads were cordoned off and buses had to plow in nice circles around the War Memorial Park. Today's jam was phenomenal.

Fig. 1. A ~~bird's eye~~ Google Earth's view of da jam

I travel on Nicoll Highway 3 times a week to go to school and back and today, I have never had a more scenic moment. I actually spent enough time at a particular section of the highway (yellow X in Fig. 1) to admire dragon-boaters training, the resultant ripples in the water from their boats, and the nice backdrop of condominiums in Tanjong Rhu. The bus inched its way closer to my destination but at the rate it was going, I reckon I'd be spending another good 30 minutes admiring more scenery. The bus eventually approached its next bus stop (opposite the Concourse and two stops before One Raffles Link) and I saw some people getting ready to disembark, obvious that they felt they would make better ground on foot. I decided to follow them and got off.

My walk from that bus stop to One Raffles Link (blue line in Fig. 1) was one of relief, awe and pity. Relief, because I was definitely getting to my destination much faster. Awe, because the amount of buses stranded along that stretch was incredulous. I saw the bus I missed earlier on. I saw at least two more Service 10's further down. I saw three Service 16's, two of which were practically sardines on wheels and that's where the pity part came in. I was basically counting the number of buses as I made my way down. When I reached the Suntec City bus stop, I saw the amount of people waiting for buses there and thought to myself, "Whatever bus you're waiting for, there's at least 2 or 3 of them down the road."

I finally made my way to my destination and then realised that the jam actually further extended all the way down Raffles Boulevard and cars from Bras Basah Road were constantly trying to squeeze in. Because of that, they clogged up the junction there and thus caused the entire Nicoll Highway to literally jam. The roads leading to Esplanade Drive were totally empty.

The initials 'I.T.' probably meant two things that day depending on who was involved. To shoppers, it probably meant 'Irresistable Take-away's' since it was the last day of the fair and prices were slashed to facilitate clearance. To drivers, it was probably 'Impossible Traffic'. So the next time the I.T. Fair is in town, well, get ready to jam.

Earth, Wind & Fire - Let's Groove

2009-02-17T23:43:00.005+08:00

This has got to be one of the most grooviest, groovadelic, groovalicious and groovamongous music videos around. Jeez, just look at the super old-school outfits and hairdo's... and MAN, check out the psychedelic colours... this is uber retro-ness to the max. Get your disco balls out NOW and LET'S GROOVE!!!

Lord of the Dance

2009-02-08T19:36:00.004+08:00

I went to church this morning after a somewhat long hiatus. Yes, I know, I should be more... regular. Anyway, today the choir sang a beautiful hymnal called 'Lord of the Dance'. Following are the lyrics:

I danced in the morning
When the world was begun,
And I danced in the moon
And the stars and the sun,
And I came down from heaven
And I danced on the earth,
At Bethlehem
I had my birth.

Dance, then, wherever you may be,
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he,
And I'll lead you all, wherever you may be,
And I'll lead you all in the Dance, said he.

I danced for the scribe
And the pharisee,
But they would not dance
And they wouldn't follow me.
I danced for the fishermen,
For James and John -
They came with me
And the Dance went on.

I danced on the Sabbath
And I cured the lame;
The holy people
Said it was a shame.
They whipped and they stripped
And they hung me on high,
And they left me there
On a Cross to die.

I danced on a Friday
When the sky turned black -
It's hard to dance
With the devil on your back.
They buried my body
And they thought I'd gone,
But I am the Dance,
And I still go on.

They cut me down
And I leapt up high;
I am the life
That'll never, never die;
I'll live in you
If you'll live in me -
I am the Lord
Of the Dance, said he.

It seems that the 'dance' is life itself. Life is one long dance of ups and downs. Yes, we all fall from time to time, but He picks us up and guides us through those difficult parts of the dance so that we may carry on. And eventually in the end, He hopes to see us complete the dance well. For which teacher does not delight in seeing his/her student finally accomplishing the task at hand?

Sorea

2009-01-29T20:53:00.009+08:00

Wow, it has been a long time. Too long. Well, I admit that I had neither the inspiration nor the drive to post for the past two months.

Anyway, here's a pretty cool video featuring a group called Sorea (Sounds of Korea). Sorea is something of a fusion group which uses traditional Korean musical instruments like the daegeum (bamboo transverse flute), haegeum (string instrument similar to the erhu), gayageum (12-stringed zither) and janggu (hourglass-shaped drum) fused with modern elements to create something culturally chic. It seems that fusion groups are growing in popularity as people realize that while traditional music may not appeal to all, fusing them with today's music probably would. It's also good in a way that by doing so, we remember our cultural roots lest they fade away with time. Ok, enough blabber - Enjoy Seoul in Panic by Sorea!

Winter Holiday

2008-12-18T10:28:00.005+08:00

I will be away for a holiday to Korea - the Land of kimchi's, negative temperatures (right now) and soapy melodramas about things like two girls who were childhood friends and then both fell for the same guy and then blah blah blah... resulting in a sad ending. This is supposed to make up for my grad trip since the economy forecast doesn't look so good. Plus winter is a rare experience, especially for us sunny, equatorial dwellers. Anyway, here's to wishing you all a

MERRY CHRISTMAS and a Happy New Year!

Dance

2008-12-16T17:28:00.002+08:00

Hold your tears, put your worries behind

The time has come, to be with me, so you can feel

Show your smile, put your worries behind

Now take my hand, and feel my heart, so you can see

And I want to feel this way, if I haven't fell in love

Would you stay with me tonight?

So there are no more goodbyes

Can you ever understand?

And you're always on my heart

Put your arms around my soul, till I get to you

Dance now (hold your breath)

Don't you cry (don't you cry)

Take my hand, hold your breath, the night is young

Dance now (hold your breath)

Show your smile (show your smile)

Take my hand, hold your tears, the love is young

Hold your tears (hold your tears)

Put your worries behind

Take my hand, and dance with me, so you can see

When it's time for us to part, don't cry for me my love

Our time together which we remember forever

When your dream has come to an end

I will be waiting for you, to be with me, so you can finally see

Clazziquai

2008-12-02T23:06:00.013+08:00

Now that the exams are over, I can finally post this. A few nights ago, while randomly link-hopping on Wikipedia, I stumbled across a music group called Clazziquai. Little did I know that the simple event of clicking the link would cause me to sleep at 3am. After reading about them, I went to YouTube and all it took was a single video to cause me YouTube-ing and imeem-ing for more of their songs. I have a soft spot for good music - I go ga-ga when I find them.

Clazziquai is a Korean music group which plays songs ranging from acid jazz, bossa nova, electronica and dance to pop. Their name is supposed to be a mix of Classic, Jazz and Groove (the 'quai' from Jamiroquai I suppose) and they comprise of 3 main members: DJ Clazzi, Alex and Horan. The latter two are the lead singers. Being a jazz-lover (especially when it's bossa nova) I easily got hooked onto their music. Their style of music fused with elements of electronica was a fresh change and the outstanding voices and clarity of the lead singers was also aurally pleasing. They also have a certain aura of class, which is evident from their music style and videos. I don't know how to describe it, so I'll show you one of their music videos instead. The song is titled 'Dance' and the video is really very beautiful. The music is simply... WOW.

If you liked that, here's another music video (actually more of a slideshow) to satiate your appetite. The song is titled 'Romeo N Juliet'.

If you really loved those two videos, be sure to check out more of their stylo-milo songs. As for me, this is a mai tu liao situation - I am getting all their albums.

mai tu liao situation [my-too-lee-ow]

-noun Hokkien

The overwhelming positive effect of an activity/product/event which causes it to be carried out/bought/participated as soon as possible, if not immediately, due to the resulting high level of desire or obvious beneficial effect. Also known as don't-waste-time situation, no-need-to-think-one situation.

Akiko - Águas de Março (Waters of March)

2008-11-20T22:56:00.012+08:00

Here's one of my favourite bossa nova songs, Waters of March performed by Akiko featuring Corinne Drewery from Swing Out Sister.

Some interesting background, the song was composed by the father of bossa nova, Antonio Carlos Jobim (he is da man) and it symbolizes the monsoon month of March in Brazil, when it experiences the heaviest rainfall. If you listen carefully, the song has a constant descending melody which is supposed to depict rain falling down. The lyrics albeit very simple, have an artistic meaning as they actually reflect images of everyday life.

I thought this song would fit nicely since it's the monsoon season. If you listen to this song while its raining, it has this 'happy' effect which takes all the gloominess away and lifts up the mood. I'm serious, try it out one of these days.

May this song bring some much needed sunshine.

Enjoy~

Extraction!

2008-11-07T21:21:00.013+08:00

Today, I extracted my pre-molar (that's the third tooth from the back) as part of my plan to get braces. I can happily say that the extraction was a totally painless experience. The post-extraction on the other hand, was not. Let's start from the beginning.

It started this morning at the National Dental Centre (NDC) . I first went to see my braces dentist to get some plastic 'doughnuts' slotted in between my teeth. According to my friend, they were supposed to make way for the braces which would come in later. Following that, it was time to see another dentist for the extraction.

After getting comfortable in my chair, the dentist once again analyzed the tooth and told me that in the event that it chipped during the extraction, he may have to carry out some minor surgery to remove the chipped portion. Since there were no two ways about it, I gave him the green light and added, "It's going to be totally painless right?" in which he jokingly replied, "Oh no, it's going to be very painful - I don't like to use anaesthetic." What a way to start it off. He then proceeded to get the menacing, all-metal syringe to administer the anaesthetic. From my point of view, he inserted it into the side of my mouth at an angle and then halfway through, shifted the syringe upright before going all the way through. Whoa. Freaky? Yes. Painful? No. He gave me another shot and shot some to my gums as well. It took about about 5 to 10 minutes for the anaesthetic to take full effect.

It was finally time to perform the extraction so the dentist grabbed his ToothExtractor Pro5000 with built-in high-luminescence halogen light, GPS grid pinpointer, Class 3 laser dot targeter, Titanium alloy extractor arms and FM radio with soothing music. Ok, it was really just a large plier-like vice tool which he fixed around my tooth and started shaking it up and down and up and down and... My tooth seemed to be pretty dug in so he called for the nurse to grip my head and stop it from shaking. After about 5 or 10 mins of Yes and No head motions, the tooth finally popped out painlessly. The dentist, panting for a moment, passed me a mirror and introduced me to the wound and gave some instructions on its treatment before placing a gauze over it. He also pointed out that while most teeth (at the back) had two roots, mine apparently had three. Interesting.

Da tooth with da third (chipped) root

The whole thing ended off with payment and collection of some painkillers, ulcer cream and an interdental toothbrush. I made my way to school to meet a friend and pass up an assignment and upon reaching the Yusof Ishak House (YIH), the effects of the anaesthetic made me totally oblivious to a stream of bloody saliva that was trickling down the side of my mouth. Luckily, I was on my way to the nearest toilet to change my blood-soaked gauze before being mistaken for some hungry vampire. I happened to be bleeding quite a lot and was running out of gauze so my friend went to the University Health & Wellness Centre (UHWC) and managed to get me a fresh new pack. Thanks dude, you really prevented me from getting into a bloody mess.

I decided to make my way back soon after and realized that the effects of the anaesthetic was wearing off and the pain was starting to kick in. Great, it comes now. I took a bus home but the throbbing pain combined with the go-stop motion and bus vibrations caused me to get off and grab a taxi instead. Besides, my gauze was starting to soak up again and I needed to change it quick. I got home and the throbbing pain was in full effect and my wound was still bleeding. It was very agonizing. I kept changing gauzes at 10 minute intervals, took a nap and finally managed to stop the bleeding another 3 hours later, just in time for dinner and some much needed painkillers.

The Little Gun that Could

2008-10-30T00:28:00.007+08:00

I happened to be looking through my pics and noticed this particular one which brought back some memories:

This pic was taken many months ago when me and two other buddies went down to a LAN shop to have a game of Company of Heroes, a World War II strategy game. What makes this pic worth mentioning is that it shows an artillery gun (a M2A1 105mm Howitzer Artillery to be exact) manned by 3 crew members, located in the middle of a very open and barren plot of grassless land. Cute. But that's not all...

In the game, when your soldiers, tanks, artillery guns and other stuff take out enemy forces, they gain experience points. Upon reaching a certain amount of points, they gain a veterency level (i.e. 1 chevron stripe for the first level, 3 stripes for the maximum) meaning that they are now more 'experienced' and hence, for example, able to survive better, hit enemies more accurately or move faster. Although it isn't clear in the pic, there are actually 3 chevron stripes above the artillery gun meaning that it has obtained maximum veterency level. Or simply in Hokkien, si bei lao jiao.

When I took this pic, it dawned on me that while we were all struggling to push our forces north to the enemy's base - coupled with the numerous tank and vehicle losses, infantry squads getting annihilited and the constant tug-of-war battle for that damn hill in the middle of the map - my friend's sole artillery gun was firing away all the time, helping the war effort either by clearing some road or pounding a concentration of enemy troops or shelling a defensive position. And it did it so well that it ended up earning 3 stripes. All by itself.

Lifesaving at Da Beach

2008-10-18T20:27:00.008+08:00

Today, as part of a Beach Introduction Course by the NUS Lifeguard Corps, I was at Sentosa for an eye-opening, sun-scorching, action-packed day. To those who aren't aware, there are two areas of lifesaving - the tame side in the pool, and the wild side at DA BEACH!

Pool lifesaving involves skills and techniques which include simple line throws, rescue and recovery of different types of victims in the pool, various types of tows (which sometimes involve manikins which are orange-coloured humanoid deadweights that simulate victims), first aid treatment and Emergency Air Resuscitation and its brother, Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation. All this is done in pool conditions, meaning that as long as the swim team isn't in the neighbouring lanes creating an aquatic ruckus, you'll almost always get calm waters.

Beach - or Surf - lifesaving on the other hand, has its own share of skills and techniques of which many are, simply put, fun. They include activities such as board racing, beach flags (a.k.a. dog and bone in the sand), beach sprints and rescue techniques involving fins, torpedo rescue tubes and the above-mentioned boards. The major difference from pool lifesaving? The Sun, Sea and Sand. While pool conditions are mostly 'calm', sea conditions are not. Waves, current, seaweed, poor underwater visibility, the salty sea, the blistering sun and that shark following you provide for a different experience. I was kidding about the shark. Not being able to see underwater will mean that you'll have to take a peek in front once in a while to prevent yourself from ending up at that other island across the sea. Wearing fins in the pool will make you a Michael Phelps but in the sea, you'll need them to aid you against the waves and current which are there to hinder and drain you out. Also, the occasional cold undercurrents provide cooling respite when swimming under those sunny warm conditions.

Other than being a real eye-opener, the Beach Introduction Course, as mentioned by my seniors, showed that lifesaving wasn't just limited to the pool. Our coach, Mr Sim, also added, "I don't want you all to know how to rescue in the pool and then on the beach, you tell me you don't know how to rescue..." The real deal is really out there in the deep blue sea (watch The Guardian and you'll know what I mean). Today was a great day, and the beginning of possible future trainings at Sentosa. I just need to remember one thing: IF YOU DON'T LOOK LIKE A GEISHA, YOU HAVEN'T PUT ON ENOUGH SUNBLOCK.

Joe Hisaishi - Tunnel of Wind and A Chinese Tall Story

2008-10-04T22:11:00.012+08:00

Here are two concert videos featuring one of my favourite composers, Joe Hisaishi, the guy responsible for the music from animations such as My Neighbour Totoro and the Oscar-winning Spirited Away. Really beautiful music. Enjoy. (Joe is the pianist in both videos)

Tunnel of Wind

A Chinese Tall Story

F1

2008-09-29T01:53:00.012+08:00

Over the past 3 days, me and some friends helped out at the Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix. Our job: Ice Boys. Our mission: Deliver ice to the various vendors around the Marina Bay Circuit Park. With ice packs weighing 18kg each and vendors asking for 30 (or more) packs at once plus my fingers getting frosted numb now and then, I wouldn't say it was a very cool job (pardon the pun). But on the bright side, it also gave us a chance to experience the world's first Formula 1 night race up close.

The first day was the most shit. Rain + Mud + Ice Packs x 100 (at least) = I should not have taken this job. The Formula BMW, Aston Martin and Porsche Carrera practice sessions in the afternoon however, helped to bring back some job motivation. It was interesting to note how different each car sounded - the Aston Martin having a low sounding pitch and crude engine roar, the Porsche Carrera having a higher sounding pitch with a more refined roar compared to the Aston Martin, and finally the Formula BMW having a higher sounding pitch and deafening roar. It was only until the Formula 1 practice session later that night that I realized the vast aural difference. Compared to the above cars, the Formula 1 cars had an even higher sounding pitch infused with pure raw power. And when I say raw, I mean raw (like sashimi). As they raced along the track, they screamed like banshees and I revelled at how awesome they sounded as their engine roars crescendoed as they passed by. EEEEEEEEEYEEEAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!

Grandstands at the Start/Finish Point

The second day was mostly the same except that it turned out to be a really hot sunny day. That's when I started being thankful for carrying ice packs. There were qualifying races for the various categories throughout the day but the highlight was the Formula 1 qualifying race which would determine the starting line-up on the race day. The qualifying race wasn't so much of a race - each driver was racing to clock the fastest time to secure the top spots in the starting line-up. There were a number of engine stalls, spins and skids (especially at Turn 7) which brought 'wow's' and 'oh's' from the crowd and spectators flocking to snap photos of the stunned vehicle and its driver. It was quite a satisfying night but little did I know that the following race day would provide even more 'wow's' and 'oh's'...

Spectators gather near Turn 14 at the Esplanade

Race day. Da big day. This was it. Massive crowds. Double the ice required as compared to the previous two days. The day was occupied with the races for the various categories and finally when it was time for the Formula 1 race, me and my friends hurriedly finished our ice deliveries to catch the action. I didn't mention it earlier on, but with all the buildings in the CBD lighted up, it was really a picturesque backdrop complementing such a grand event. I had never seen City Hall bathed in light and looking so regal. The race soon started and the non-stop roars of the F1 cars as they raced by one after another really hyped up the atmosphere. Things were constantly being hyped up throughout the two-hour race with events such as Piquet's early spin-and-crash, Massa's fuel tube blunder at the pit stop, crashes at Turn 13 and Raikkonen's fateful skid-and-crash at Turn 10. Hamilton made some daring moves and was pretty constant while Alonso was just brilliant.

After the race, I concluded that all the mental-cursing, ice-lugging, sun-burning and finger-numbing was really worth it. I seriously enjoyed the race that night. Hey, we got 4 more years right?

P.S. I know the photos really suck. I didn't have my camera on hand throughout the 3 days so I had to use my crappy 2.0 megapixel handphone camera (which also sucks at night shots so no night shot pics). Pity.

The Force Unleashed

2008-09-19T22:12:00.015+08:00

For those of you who don’t know, I am a Star Wars fan and quite a gamer (those who know me will know that I can get quite hardcore at times). So when The Force Unleashed was released 3 days ago, I finally grabbed a copy after months of waiting. Non-gamers, this post may bore you so feel free to pass Go and Collect $200. Uh... forget about that last part.

The Force Unleashed is a 3rd-person Action game which takes place in between the events of Episode III and IV. You play as Starkiller, Darth Vader’s secret apprentice, and are tasked to mop up the Jedi leftovers of Order 66. For those of you who don’t understand a thing I just said, here is the layman-nutshell version: In Star Wars: Episode III, a bad guy called the Emperor has plans to rule the galaxy. In order to do this, he must first remove the Jedi, a group of peace-keeping good guys. He achieves this by passing a decree called Order 66 which involves a Jedi holocaust. Another bad guy called Darth Vader dispatches his secret apprentice, Starkiller, to seek out and kill the remaining Jedi who managed to escape Order 66. With the Jedi out of the way, the Emperor establishes the Galactic Empire, an evil totalitarian faction, and eventually rules most of the galaxy with an iron fist. These turn of events give rise to another faction – the Rebel Alliance (i.e. the good guys) – who oppose the Galactic Empire and aim to bring an end to the tyranny, which brings us to Star Wars: Episode IV, where war between the two factions is already taking place. The game’s story is pretty straightforward for the beginning, but takes a twist towards the end and ultimately, it serves as a fitting filler between the two episodes.

What is thy bidding, my Master?

As the name implies, The Force Unleashed allows you to harness and unleash the power of the Force, except that it’s magnified 10 times, on Steroids, Stimulants and Red Bull. When they said ‘unleashed’, they weren’t joking. If you’ve watched the Star Wars movies, you may have seen Obi-Wan or any of the other Jedi using the Force to lift and push objects or foes away. In The Force Unleashed, you don’t just push things away – you push them as if they were hit by a giant invisible punching glove going at hypersonic speed. An ability called Force Push in the game allows you to pick up any objects lying around (e.g. rocks, giant boulders, steel frames, wall panels or even trees) and use them as ammo to throw at your foes. A giant boulder flying at you is not very nice. No ammo? No problem. Force Push also allows you to pick up enemy soldiers (e.g. Stormtroopers) and fling them towards their squad mates. Talk about teamwork.

Need a push?

One thing worth mentioning is the game's physics engine, which allows objects being thrown to really fly like rigid bodies and act accordingly to the surroundings (objects fall to the ground after hitting a wall, or roll down slopes). Like objects, enemies also exhibit similar behaviour to the surroundings, especially when they are being flung across a room like ragdolls. To illustrate this, let me introduce you to another ability called Maelstrom. When activated, any nearby foes and/or objects will start to levitate and float around Starkiller, who gathers power before emitting an invisible shockwave explosion which causes everyone and everything to be forcefully flung outwards at breakneck speed. Ouch.

Maelstrom - the calm before the storm

Besides Force Push and Maelstrom, there are other abilities which range from nifty-looking Lightsaber combos to sizzling Force Lightning attacks. With the large variety of abilities, raw power on hand, plus the fun and de-stressing factor (one of my favourite antics involves using Force Push to fling enemies off Cloud City, a floating city in the clouds), I’ve been really enjoying myself. There are certain points in the game where I just went, "Wow." after seeing moves which I didn't think possible. It's also funny to be flaunting your Force powers here and there while a hapless Stormtrooper standing nearby says in a resigned (Singlish: sian) voice, "How the hell are we supposed to defend against that?". Other than that, there are some certain issues and gripes in the game which I thought could have been done better, but hey, nothing’s perfect right?

Andre Rieu - Waltz 2 from Jazz Suite No. 2

2008-09-10T10:26:00.004+08:00

Here is one of my favourite waltzes - Waltz 2 from Shostakovich's Jazz Suite No. 2, performed by violinist, Andre Rieu and his fellow musicians.

Boy, I bet everybody's really enjoying themselves in the video. I hope you do too.

FOR MOTHER RUSSIA!

What a night...

2008-08-31T22:17:00.017+08:00

Those of you who have played any of the Grand Theft Auto series of games should be familiar with the term 'Wasted', which appears when you die in the game. That was exactly what happened to me on August 29, 2008 - except for the dying part. What was initially supposed to be a mini pre-birthday gathering at Jazz@Southbridge eventually turned out to be DrunkFest 2008.

Jazz@Southbridge is this established jazz joint situated at Boat Quay just next to Elgin Bridge. With a live band playing everything jazz from mainstream to bossa nova, plus a nice cosy atmosphere, it has been my favourite haunt for some years now and I thought it'd be the perfect place to have the above-mentioned gathering to celebrate my upcoming 24th birthday. The gathering started out well with some light beer and finger food, the usual banter and an unexpected mini celebration courtesy of the band, for which I'd like to thank Alemay, Eddie, Bruno and the drummer (didn't catch his name). And did I mention the great music they played that night? Wave by Antonio Carlos Jobim. Awesome.

Everything was going real well... then the Flaming Lamborghini appeared. I thought, "What the heck, it's my birthday." I conquered it and started to feel my engine revving up. Ok, no problem man. On with the gathering and chit-chat and live music and hmm, what do we have here... WHAT THE. 5 x Tequila shots. WHO THE. Oh man. By then, I was feeling a bit high from the Lamborghini and also infused with some bravado so I gulped down the 5 shots almost consecutively. A few minutes later, I was almost at the gates of La-La Land. I was now really high but could still converse although my do-you-know-what-the-hell-is-happening senses were at like 25% efficiency. The gathering carried on and with my impaired senses, I eventually lost track of time - and didn't notice the Waterfall. At this point of time, I was already flying into La-La Land. Even while typing this sentence, I can only vaguely remember downing that Waterfall. I don't even know what it tasted like. Everything after that was just a barf- I mean, blur.

The next thing I remember was waking up at 5:30AM on my bed. My throat was like the Sahara and I kept trying - and failing - to piece up the missing void in my memory. I somehow managed to get up, walk to the kitchen, and grab a glass of water. And barf. I then made my way to the toilet, brushed my teeth (I took 2 tries to put the toothpaste onto my toothbrush) and took a nice hot shower before KO'ing on the bed.

I woke up again later at about 10:30AM and realized I was in a total shit condition. I was totally WASTED. So this is what a hangover feels like.

I made my way to the toilet and saw toothpaste sprawled all over the sink. Oooh... so that's why I took 2 tries... Anyway, the rest of the day was just rest, recovery, more barfing and the shocking revelation of the night before (after finding out about it from my friends) which I shall not go into detail haha...

What a night. What a celebration. What a hangover.

Friends, thanks for coming down to celebrate. I really hope you enjoyed yourself as much as I did! (post-Waterfall period not counted)

Thanks a lot for the presents too; the chocs, B-Wing and running gear are all AWESOME!

Music

2008-08-19T21:47:00.022+08:00

Can you imagine what life would be like without music? Yeah, it'd be pretty quiet. And boring. Personally, I feel music is very much a part of our lives. It is necessary. It may even be in some way responsible for giving us 'life'. And I really thank God for creating music.

They say music is the universal language and I agree. Music has this power to transcend beyond the borders of gender, race, nationality or however you want to differentiate the people of the world. It conveys feelings, thoughts and emotions, for example, by inspiring us, cheering us up or making us feel happy - or sad. It is solace for the soul. It sets the mood, whether it be the pride and pomp of a National Anthem being played during an Olympic Medal Ceremony, the laid-back tropical tunes of Bossa Nova on a lazy afternoon, or the mega-uber-bass-killing Trance beats at a club. We all understand it and it bonds people together.

Scientifically, music is the product of varying frequencies of sound at different timings brought together to create a combination of melody, rhythm and harmony. This combination is picked up by our ears and transmitted to our brain where it is eventually interpreted as music. These varying frequencies of sound are more appropriately known to us as the notes used in music (A to G). For example, middle C has a frequency of 250Hz.

When I was in Primary 5, my mum, after seeing me efficiently using my time to play and laze around, decided to enrol me at Yamaha Music School in the electone course. For those of you who don't know what an electone is, it's a modernised version of the organ. Details aside and fast-forwarding to the future, I've never regretted taking that course (or more like I've never regretted mum signing me up for the course). Thanks mum! Being able to play the electone has given me another avenue to connect to music. It is a medium which allows me to musically convey my innermost feelings, my reflections on life, or my joy, sadness or whatever mood I'm in. Ok, that's a bit farfetched - I'm not really at a level where I can play and sweep people off their feet or make them start crying; only true musicians can do that. But frankly, playing music on my electone does give me joy and it helps me to de-stress. It is the practical side of enjoying music as compared to the aural side. Recently, I've also picked up the violin and that is one hard instrument to learn! I'm enjoying that lots but the usual screechings do not always ensure the joy haha...

I'm pretty sure most of us listen to music, no matter what the genre is. Whatever it is, just remember that it's that companion that rallies everybody together at a rock concert, or brings in the mood during Christmas, or keeps you company during those late nights.

Fine

The First Day of the Last Year

2008-08-11T20:54:00.005+08:00

Today is the first day of my last academic year - or rather, my final year. After a 3 month hiatus, school has finally begun - again. As I was walking to my lecture class this morning I was thinking, "Jeez, it's been 2 years already?". Time sure does fly.

I made some mental notes of the sights and sounds of the day: Students sardined in the Internal Shuttle Buses? Check. Just-what-the-f***-is-going-on Lectures? Check. How-the-hell-am-I-supposed-to-do-this-shit Tutorials? Check. Mile-long Subway queues? Check. The foreboding feeling that you are soon going to dive into (and probably drown) a pool of work of benthic magnitude? Check.

Ah... the smell of a new semester.

Aside from the usuals, there was something new as well - double-decker 151's! Wow, who would've thought we'd see double-decker buses plying the hilly roads of NUS. It seems that to alleviate the rush-hour problems of the 151 service in school, SBS Transit had kindly allocated double-decker buses to the service. This was actually a subject of some mindless banter I had with my friend some time back in which we joked about how the buses would negotiate the steep slopes and roundabouts of the campus. In fact, while walking down Kent Ridge Crescent today, I happened to see one of those double-decker buses making its way uphill and I watched it trudge up with no problem at all. I'd like to see that thing on full load.

Anyway, I'll see how the semester unfurls. I've got a FYP on hand, an interesting module on music, an Accounting module and some Engineering electives, plus I really need to up my grades (yes, they are pretty sucky). As me and my friend always used to say, "Next semester, I'm gonna work harder."

Yeah, right.

And I'm not being sarcastic.

Goodbye Cartel, Hello New York

2008-08-05T21:56:00.000+08:00

It seems that every time I go to Cafe Cartel, the food always tastes worse than my last visit. This evening's dinner with mum was no exception.

Tonight's order consisted of Baked Chicken & Mushroom Macaroni for me, and Fish & Prawn Combo for mum. The macaroni had a choice of tomato or cream sauce and I forgot to specify tomato sauce. I only realized this much later on but refrained from bringing it up assuming that the default sauce was tomato and also because it'd be troublesome to change at such late notice. In the meantime, mum went to get some of the free flow bread. Back then, Cafe Cartel used to sell their bread as well as offer it free flow. Mum, who loved the bread for its crispy exterior and fluffy interior, would occasionally buy home a loaf or two. Heck, even I loved the bread. Tonight's bread however was far from its former glory. Now, I'm just gonna assume that we happened to get an old batch of bread or something and leave it at that.

Our food soon arrived and mum's Fish & Prawn Combo was looking pretty good with a large battered fish, salad side, some cross-cut fries and about 5 or 6 breaded prawns. Unfortunately for me, the default sauce for my macaroni turned out to be cream. Yay. Ok, so I thought I'd give it a try. I mean, how bad could cream sauce get right? Wrong. It turns out that it was pretty bad. The sauce had this milky-cheesy-buttery taste which was not very palatable in my opinion. They weren't very generous with the mozarella cheese either. I requested for some Tobasco sauce to try to save my taste buds some torture but to no avail. Thoughts aside, I braved through the cream sauce to eventually finish most of my macaroni. How that happened, only God knows.

Mum couldn't finish her Combo so she asked if I wanted some. I accepted, hoping that it would do some justice to the macaroni I just had. Upon closer inspection, the Fish & Prawn Combo didn't really look 'pretty good' anymore. The battered fish and breaded prawns were glistening with oil and after eating a bit of it, I just got sick with all the oil and friedness (that was the same reason mum passed the Combo to me haha). The mayonnaise from the salad and the sour cream that came with the Combo also did nothing to help me forget about that nasty encounter with the cream sauce and at that point I was pretty much sure my dinner was over.

On the way home, the greasy concoction of cream sauce, oil and fried stuff in my stomach left me feeling sick and with a bad aftertaste in my mouth. I decided to get a beer from a nearby 7-Eleven in hopes of preventing any potential messy situation and it worked quite well in killing the aftertaste and numbing the stomach.

I guess my Cafe Cartel'ing days are over. Maybe it was just a case of bad bread and bad sauce (the oil and friedness I've encountered before). Maybe, but one thing's for sure - Cafe Cartel now wasn't like Cafe Cartel then. Next time I'm heading for New York, New York.

Cheers

2008-08-01T11:48:00.000+08:00

I love crappy, utterly nonsensical, exaggerated humour. I really do. Especially when the humour is in the face of seriousness (a la Charlie Sheen in Hot Shots). Here's a fine example of one, a Cheers beer commercial.

And after you've watched that one, check out the parodied version by Phoenix Wrong.

Cheers!

And so it begins...

2008-07-30T21:48:00.000+08:00

I have started. Yep, I've got a blog site now, something which I told myself some time back that I wouldn't get because I would rather keep everything up in my head. Well, I finally brought myself to start one because... I dunno... Maybe it'd be good to keep a small log of my life. Maybe it'd help me remember some stuff. Maybe it'd help me keep my English from getting rusty. Maybe it'd make me write another Maybe statement.

I guess I just feel like penning some stuff down. Life is interesting so what better way to record it? Plus, I'd to like see how long this thing manages to go on. Till the next post, Valedico~