verbiage or garbage? :O

黎明千龟山

2010-04-12T11:07:00.001+08:00

liming
Originally uploaded by hwee_ling

Man smoking DIY pipe

2010-04-04T02:19:00.001+08:00

jianshui_mansmokingpipebw
Originally uploaded by hwee_ling

moganshan road

2010-03-01T17:37:00.001+08:00

moganshan road
Originally uploaded by hwee_ling

a visit to the art gallery area of shanghai...

Fireworks for Chinese New Year

2010-02-18T04:36:00.001+08:00

Fireworks for Chinese New Year
Originally uploaded by hwee_ling

Launched by hundreds of households and businesses all over the city. The more wealthy, the more are launched.

潮洲罗卜糕/Teow Chew Chai Tow Kueh

2010-02-14T17:54:00.001+08:00

潮洲罗卜糕/Teow Chew Chai Tow Kueh

Posted using ShareThis

The weather on CNY Day 1 Midnight

2010-02-14T03:39:00.001+08:00

The weather on CNY Day 1 Midnite
Originally uploaded by hwee_ling

and there were fireworks everywhere!! Cooooool!!

Street Laundry

2010-02-09T02:52:00.001+08:00

Street Laundry
Originally uploaded by hwee_ling

blurring the boundaries between public and private space... the invasion of the private-wear into the public domain...

Milo enjoying the morning sun

2010-01-30T12:15:00.001+08:00

Milo enjoying the morning sun
Originally uploaded by hwee_ling

at Sleepyfish Lodge Dali (Yunnan, China)

2010-01-29T01:31:00.000+08:00

Dusk around the Dali beanfields
Originally uploaded by hwee_ling

2010-01-28T02:12:00.000+08:00

Rural scene around Dali
Originally uploaded by hwee_ling

The Rapeseed season is almost here! And the countryside is starting to look real pretty, with the mountain tops starting to cover with snow.. :)

2010-01-19T03:12:00.002+08:00

上海当代艺术馆 MOCA Shanghai
Originally uploaded by hwee_ling

Click to see set of pictures taken from excellent exhibition in the Museum of Contemporary Art - Metaphors of Un/Real - Animamix Biennial 2009-2010. Also included are pictures from the 上海人民公园。

View of Shanghai from my building

2010-01-15T19:19:00.001+08:00

View of Shanghai from my building
Originally uploaded by hwee_ling

Cold and drab... temperatures have been hovering around 2-3 degrees.. but the shopping hordes are out... i prefer to stay indoors curled up with my coffee and book

Welcome to Shanghai

2010-01-15T18:57:00.001+08:00

Welcome to Shanghai
Originally uploaded by hwee_ling

2010-01-15T02:28:00.000+08:00

The GFW of China

woah! managed to circumvent the GFW (also known as Great Firewall) of China.. but still havent trouble accessing Facebook...

grrr...

2010-01-01T12:30:00.002+08:00

A Restful 2010

Take time to think-
It is the source of all power.
Take time to read-
It is the fountain of wisdom.

Take time to play-
It is the source of perpetual youth.
Take time to be quiet-
It is the opportunity to seek God.

Take time to be aware-
It is the opportunity to help others.
Take time to love and be loved-
It is God's greatest gift.

Take time to laugh-
It is the music of the soul.
Take time to be friendly-
It is the road to happiness.

Take time to dream-
It is what the future is made of.
Take time to pray-
It is the greatest power on earth.

Take time to give-
It is too short a day to be selfish.
Take time to work-
It is the price of success.

2009-11-30T23:15:00.002+08:00

the patriotic singaporean...

who refuses to take down his flag three months after national day...

wheee.... i love my countrymen...

MINDstyle's Scavengers

2009-10-30T01:59:00.001+08:00

mindstyle kathie olivas
Originally uploaded by hwee_ling

by Kathie Olivas

Old Changi Hospital

2009-10-20T01:32:00.001+08:00

Old Changi Hospital, originally uploaded by hwee_ling.

amazing patterns on the wall

2009-10-15T22:09:00.001+08:00

2009-09-13T21:12:00.001+08:00

2009-09-01T23:31:00.003+08:00

A Day @ The Singapore Zoo

2009-08-27T21:08:00.000+08:00

2009-08-16T22:06:00.011+08:00

Singapore Toy, Games & Comic Convention 2009 -

My Loot at the end of 3 days...

and 2 t-shirts (both from wantondoodle), 1 Tanpopo book by camilla d'errico, 1 picture book by Gary Baseman, and five 3 inch mini vinyl figurines by artist Kathie Olivas (MINDstyle)..

my greatest find? the works of local artist Mas of Wanton Doodle!!! they are incredible!! :D

2009-08-15T01:20:00.007+08:00

Singapore Toy, Games & Comic Convention 2009

2009-08-15T01:19:00.001+08:00

2009-08-05T00:03:00.004+08:00

Christoph Rehage: The Longest Way

In 2007, German Christoph Rehage set off to take the “longest way” home, walking from Beijing to northwest Germany. After a year, he stopped his journey in Urumqi after walking 4646 kilometers and growing a very long beard. He put together a very creative time-lapse video documenting his journey:

The Longest Way 1.0 - one year walk/beard grow time lapse from Christoph Rehage on Vimeo.

2009-07-26T21:48:00.005+08:00

Singapore Cable Car

as usual, trying to catch something for the very first/last time before it's gone.. See Singapore's cable car rides to close for S$36m overhaul... took a glass-bottomed one... not bad for $21.90 return... :) hope the new one is even better and doesn't take away the simple charm of the current one..

2009-07-26T21:28:00.005+08:00

Singapore Street Cat

i know you're saying: "how can this possibly be a street cat?? it's so pretty!!"

i think so too.

2009-07-26T20:51:00.003+08:00

Singapore Lights Timelapse

Singapore Lights Timelapse from Weehan Yeo on Vimeo.

really well done! this is the kind of stuff that makes people have that aching feeling of affection for the country.... frankly, i could hardly understand this year's NDP song... they should go back to the KISS principle... such as in this (by now) well-known unofficial 2009 NDP song.

2009-07-22T15:51:00.007+08:00

Total Solar Eclipse of July 22 2009!!

this was what i caught on TV this morning LIVE~! you can hear how excited the Chinese were.. watch it.. it's worth watching till the end... :)

REALLY AMAZING!!

here are other pretty pictures i found online..

Information: A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Sun and the Earth so that the Sun is fully or partially covered. This can only happen during a new moon, when the Sun and Moon are in conjunction as seen from the Earth. At least two and up to five solar eclipses can occur each year on Earth, with between zero and two of them being total eclipses. Total solar eclipses are nevertheless rare at any location because during each eclipse totality exists only along a narrow corridor in the relatively tiny area of the Moon's umbra. This solar eclipse is the longest total solar eclipse that will occur in the twenty-first century, and will not be surpassed in duration until June 13, 2132. Totality will last for up to 6 minutes and 39 seconds.

2009-07-21T22:26:00.003+08:00

The Grass Mud Horses Come Avisiting

According to the web:The grass-mud horse lives in the Malegebi Desert, where it fights its mortal enemy, the river crab. The animals are fairly easy to take care of — according to an online guide to raising grass mud horses, they should flourish so long as they are not fed Sanlu Milk.

2009-07-18T01:24:00.005+08:00

Burma VJ

Official website: http://www.burmavj.com/

What a privilege to have had a chance to see this in Singapore just two days ago!! Eyes that were closed are now open! Courage that leaves you breathless.. juxtaposed against cruelty that leaves you speechless... Nonetheless, and most unfortunately, I hear that the powers that be will definitely not be allowing a commercial release of this documentary in Singapore....:( .... yes, despite the close ties that we have with Myanmar...such as this...

"Burma VJ" (NR): An award-winning documentary offering a rare inside look at the 2007 uprising in Myanmar. The footage was shot by 30 anonymous and underground video journalists who risked their lives to document the clashes with the military and undercover police. Armed with small handy cams undercover Video Journalists in Burma keep up the flow of news from their closed country. Going beyond the occasional news clip from Burma, acclaimed director Anders Ostergaard, brings us close to the video journalists who deliver the footage. Though risking torture and life in jail, courageous young citizens of Burma live the essence of journalism as they insist on keeping up the flow of news from their closed country. The Burma VJs stop at nothing to make their reportages from the streets of Rangoon.

Read interview with director Anders Østergaard.. we actually had a video conferenced Q&A with him after the show! Quite cool..

2009-07-15T21:44:00.004+08:00

Limited Edition Grass Mud Horses (with mama making yummy dumplings in the background)

this is what you find when u google "political reforms china"....hahhaa... see link... btw, these little alpacas even come with their individual birth certs!! they are too cute.. i couldn't resist buying them...

btw, that's my mum wrapping bakchang in the background.. ya, i know it is after the Dumpling Festival but she's perfecting her skills so.... haha.. she practices hard i can assure you... and the dumplings she makes are the best in the world!

for the background about these cute creatures, click here .... and this is the youtube video that started it all...

2009-07-15T00:01:00.001+08:00

The World... lest we forget...

2009-07-12T21:33:00.012+08:00

Surprising new things that I learnt....

Performance-related pay doesn’t encourage performance [read]
Dr Thio Li-Ann, 41, an ex-Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) (aka daughter of "I'm on Page 73") will be teaching ‘Human Rights Law in Asia’ during NYU’s Fall 09 Semester under the faculty’s Global Visiting Professor of Law programme. [read]

Our best ever NMP Siew Kum Hong fails to get a second term in Parliament!!! [read] ... @$%#$%_)&*&*^ .... needless to say, it's a huge loss to all of us, every single one of us in poco punto rojo Singapore, not just the ones who really enjoy and appreciate the good debate he has finally brought into Parliament, and for raising those issues that are truly important but which many have thus far feared to raise.... even the people who may not agree with him 100%... i'm sure deep in their hearts, they know he's worth all the respect we can give him... look at what and how often he actually spoke as compared to the others! Indeed, here was someone who really cared for the people around him... Thank you Mr Siew for what you've done for us and for civil society!! We'll miss hearing your views in Parliament!... as someone said "Thank you for speaking up on the issues that Singapore has always been afraid to confront. Equality has always been a hard goal to achieve because of certain lobby groups, yet you have not bowed to them under their pressure." .... so very true.... I salute you, Mr Siew!
And in his place we have new NMPs like this Calvin Cheng who writes like this!!! - [read]... Such a disappointing and immature and defensive and meaningless response to an entirely valid argument/question brought up by Mr P N Balji [read] !!!! (Mr Balji had asked Calvin Cheng why the latter had mentioned joining Young PAP "out of curiosity" and then "cutting off links only after Today had highlighted it"... you SO need to read the Calvin guy's response... it's almost hilarious! here is a "so-called" Oxford grad! gulp! does this spell the end of meaningful debate in Parliament?? I don't know.. but maybe it's time i dig out my spongebob squarepants dvd and rewatch it instead....

Marital rape is actually still legal in Singapore in most cases!! Gulp! What kind of society do we live in?? [read] - Quoting the law: "Marital immunity will now not apply where divorce or separation proceedings have been commenced or completed, or where the wife has applied for or obtained an injunction or protection order against the husband."... in other words, in all other cases, it is still accepted that a husband is legally incapable of raping his wife... Regardless of whether or not she consents to sex, regardless of whether or not he forces himself upon her, it is simply impossible in law for a husband to rape his wife.... If you don't agree to this and want to petition for a complete repeal of this archaic law, click here!
Praise could result in less motivated and highly dependent kids! Warning to all parents!! [read]

Spinach, Pear and Pitted Prunes taste great juiced or blended and its great for detoxing... it's a must try!

Watermelon, Cucumber and Cranberries taste great together too! very refreshing and full of nutrition!

And in case you haven't tried... Myojo Chicken Abalone instant noodles taste fantastic with two slices of cheese (any kind, even cheapo Kraft Cheddar!) melted on top... yum yum..

actually, i've learnt a lot more things recently but these are just some things that are top of my mind now as i'm typing... remind me if i've spoken to you about them recently... will update list later as i go along...

2009-07-11T09:31:00.004+08:00

The Power of Youtube

Description:
"In the spring of 2008, Sons of Maxwell were traveling to Nebraska for a one-week tour and my Taylor guitar was witnessed being thrown by United Airlines baggage handlers in Chicago. I discovered later that the $3500 guitar was severely damaged. They didnt deny the experience occurred but for nine months the various people I communicated with put the responsibility for dealing with the damage on everyone other than themselves and finally said they would do nothing to compensate me for my loss. So I promised the last person to finally say no to compensation (Ms. Irlweg) that I would write and produce three songs about my experience with United Airlines and make videos for each to be viewed online by anyone in the world."

Two lessons I learn:
1. There is always a more creative way to get even and to seek fairness if we are mistreated
2. Never walk away from your unhappy customers without dealing with their problems.. because with the internet revolution and all, it's no just 3000 people who will hear about it.. it could be 3 million!!

hahaha...

read the whole story

2009-07-05T23:36:00.006+08:00

National Day Parade 2009 Rehearsal @ Marina

a much smaller crowd, less singing of those familiar and heartwarming songs folks of my generation grew up with, less of my favourite item - the military police throwing their bayonets with superb precision, fewer RSAF fighter planes in the flypast (maybe cos it's just the rehearsals)...replaced with more fancy technology, and more silly storylines, confusing choreography and also more hideous and meaningless costumes... and worst of all, my fave singa the courtesy lion has been ridiculed, making a comic appearance as the lion sang nila utama spotted when he first arrived on singapore's shores... (see singa without pants as he was in the past vs. now)

i even saw singa just this afternoon, opposite funan centre, warning singaporeans and tourists alike to "wear a mask if they are coughing or have a cold"...

WILL TODAY'S KIDS REMEMBER WHAT THIS FRIENDLY MASCOT STANDS FOR IN THE FUTURE??

Talk about brand destruction! and at this time when there is an even greater need and urgency (with the falling standards of manners and etiquette) for all of us to educate the current generation of youngsters on what it means to be courteous...

sigh! and they do that to our favourite character?? who else will they assassinate next??

2009-07-03T10:13:00.005+08:00

Goodbye Michael Jackson!

Thank you for being such an inspiration! You made me glad I lived in this era! :")

2009-07-01T00:32:00.000+08:00

Comfortable myths

“There is something feeble and a little contemptible about a man who cannot face the perils of life without the help of comfortable myths. Almost inevitably, some part of him is aware that they are myths and that he believes them only because they are comforting. But he does not dare face this thought! Moreover, since he is aware, however dimly, that his opinions are not real, he becomes furious when they are disputed.”
Bertrand Russell, Human Society in Ethics and Politics

2009-06-28T20:43:00.003+08:00

Dog's Day Out @ West Coast Park 28 June 2009

2009-06-27T12:56:00.003+08:00

Good idea!

The Baby Think It Over infant simulator - I think every parent should try this out before they have a baby!

but i think the replacement parts are totally unnecessary... need i say more??

2009-06-22T19:00:00.002+08:00

Friends with you

2009-06-21T22:49:00.003+08:00

Making a break for freedom...

I'd like to think that that horse and me are some kind of kin - patient, yet yearning for the unbridled life. We make our halfhearted breaks for freedom, searching for a slightly different perspective of that same old mountain.

Meanwhile, another year begins, and we keep on plugging...

[came across this article by chance... it stirred an aching in my heart so deep and so profound i have reason to believe noone will be able to truly understand..]

2009-06-20T02:29:00.004+08:00

It ain’t easy being Singaporean.

an excellent piece by groundnotes!

and in case that didn't amuse u enough, read this other thing i found...

and THAT'S why i don't have time to watch tv...

:p

2009-06-17T03:43:00.005+08:00

Yunnan Province, China - 06.2009

2009-05-26T02:58:00.006+08:00

Be true to yourself!

I REPLACED THE VIDEO BELOW - The new one is a little soft so you can try the audio stream above instead :)

another hilarious but totally inspiring speech by Ellen DeGeneres! A must-listen!

2009-05-24T23:46:00.003+08:00

EnviroFest 2009 @ Toa Payoh Hub

dropped by to take a look at the array of exhibits (panels, specimens and so on) put up by the many passionate volunteers from the various nature conservation groups in Singapore, including Green Volunteers Network, Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research & their volunteers the Toddycats, Team Seagrass, Hantu Bloggers, Nature Trekkers Singapore, NParks etc.. it was fun pledging to eat at least a vegetarian meal once during the next week, to petition against keeping whale sharks in captivity (as was to have been the case for one of Singapore's IRs) and buy some car decals..

always warms my heart to encounter people truly passionate in doing something for the bit of biodiversity we have in Singapore... definitely an eye opener...

2009-05-24T19:33:00.004+08:00

The School Cat Series

2009-05-24T00:38:00.003+08:00

Not JUST another swine flu victim...

Breaking news - First Celebrity Swine Flu Fatality

And we all know who gave it to him

2009-05-17T20:20:00.011+08:00

What a Weekend!

first there was the Pink Dot Event.. see web

then there was the arts fest opening at marina barrage...

and then lastly, the visit to Mrs Wong who keeps something like 80 cats in her apartment and all in really good condition! :) she feeds them very well and the place is clean and odour free... here are some of them.. if you would like to Adopt one or more of these lovely kitties, go to this website or log into Facebook and search for "Adopt a Kitty Today" - they have all been sterilized..

2009-05-16T01:50:00.006+08:00

Screaming Rabbid!!

20"x30" Acrylics ...When Raving Rabbids meet Edvard Munch... Screaming Rabbid!

p.s. not original idea - adapted from idea found online! :p

and here is my version of the full english brekkie... doesn't look that great but i can tell you it was pretty delicious.. :p

2009-05-14T20:39:00.006+08:00

Are Our Children Doomed?? Let's Start Our Own Country!

i just read this online.. a GP teacher was apparently told to take down her note from Facebook, after an anonymous person presenting him/herself as "a concerned parent" put pressure on MOE to do so... this note reads as follows:

I Teach General Paper, not Homosexuality
Mon 12:44pm

With all due respect to the well-meaning “concerned parents” out there, this is starting to sound like a dodgy GP essay to me.

Apparently, because my students and I “discuss topics such as the legalisation of gay marriage and parents of the same sex forming families through adoption” in class, I am guilty of promoting homosexuality.*

Right.

But never mind. MOE has already come to the rescue with their statement that “GP lessons are meant to promote critical thinking” and GP teachers “should also adhere to social norms and values of our mainstream society”.*

Oh yes, apparently one can facilitate critical thinking, that is, the reasoned questioning of assumptions, norms and values AND fully reinforce and adhere to social norms at the same time.

And wait, I see this again, in the debate on sexuality education and just what should be said about homosexuality:

1. Homosexuality is against the social norms and values of mainstream society.
2. Homosexuality is illegal and considered unnatural under Singapore law.

The first thing any student of GP (or indeed, any human being who knows anything about world history) will realise, is that social norms change.

Secondly, if you insist on going by “mainstream” values and beliefs, you may like to follow 43% of Singaporeans and look to Buddhism, which views homosexuality on neutral grounds, as opposed to Christianity (15%) and Islam (15%).

In any case, the legal argument will only hold as long as homosexual acts are considered illegal in Singapore.... and judging from the force of change in the world, frankly my dear, you can't hold the dam for much longer.

Singapore's law criminalising homosexual acts is based on British law – which decriminalised this in 1967.

Other countries which have decriminalised homosexuality include France (1791), The Netherlands (1811), Brazil (1830), Ottoman Empire (1858), Germany (1871), Japan (1880), Italy (1889), USSR (1922), Denmark (1930), Iceland (1940), Switzerland (1942), Sweden (1944), Greece (1951), Thailand (1956), Israel (1963), Chad (1967), Canada (1969), Kosovo (1970), Australia (1981), South Africa (1994), China (1997) etc.

This shows an increasing acceptance that personal preferences that do not harm anyone else should not be governed (in this case, criminalised) by the state. As with the wearing away of all other forms of inequality, I believe this discrimination of homosexuals cannot last.

So what are we left with?

Are we justifying a brand of education with reasons that won't hold weight for much longer?

You may argue that making something legal doesn't make it right, and you have a point.

But then that would depend on what you consider “right”, which really is a moral issue and one that concerns personal belief.

So I have two points for you:

1. Personal beliefs – religious or otherwise – should not influence the laws of a secular society. The onus is on parents and preachers to educate their children in these beliefs. Say what you want at the pulpit, not in Parliament, and certainly, do not foist this responsibility onto your child's teachers in secular schools.

2. It is unfair, impractical and dangerous to insist that youths be given only the old rules when they live in a completely different world. Parents, if you insist on a black-and-white moral education for your children, you only drive them into secrecy when they need you most. If teachers cannot teach openly and factually, rest assured that the internet will.

As an educator and maybe future parent, I admit I am less concerned about whether my children are homosexual/transsexual/(fill in the blank) or not, and more concerned that they should always respect others and themselves, never discriminate, always critically examine issues, always feel free to share their thoughts with me without fear of condemnation, always love and always be loved no matter what.

This is my hope.

Lisa Li
11 May 2009

PS. If you think your children will rush to become homosexual/transsexual/(fill in the blank) because of my words, I THANK YOU for crediting me with such influence! By the way, your children are smarter than you think....

* Quoted from "AWARE sex guide suspended" (ST, 7 May 2009)

indeed, she puts forth several strong points to support her arguments, being a GP teacher after all.. but the thing is, is she right? or are the "concerned parents of the world" right?

surely we shouldn't be too harsh on these parents, eh? after all, they mean well, don't they? protecting their scions as a mother hen would protect her brood... nothing wrong with that, surely? after all, even the teacher agrees that they now live in a "completely different world"!

I share these concerns of the parents! I really do! I mean, with the "evil" Internet ready to corrupt their "innocent as a flower" sons and daughters at every turn, with all the negative influences their children get from their schoolmates and others they may meet around them, as well as the media having just shown that the "liberals" have won at the marathon Aware EoGM, with their "hooliganism" and "dangerous pro-gay pro-lesbian" agendas, while the now ex"new exco" is still licking its wounds from the defeat, there is now NO ONE LEFT to protect their little princes and princesses from the EVILS of the world, the corrupt, the sinful"!!! ISN'T THAT WHY PARENTS HAVE TO STEP IN TO DO THEIR PART??

SO WHAT ARE THESE POOR CONCERNED PARENTS GONNA DO???

well, here are my humble suggestions to them:

1. How about homeschooling your kids all the way to University? Keep them away from all the "evil" as long as you can! Separate them from all the negative influences from their misguided peers, or worse still, from "irresponsible" teachers like the one published above who (in the words of a concerned parent) "indoctrinise our kids with rubbish"! Who knows what they are telling our impressionable kids! What if they ALL decide to turn gays and lesbians because it is "OK TO DO SO"?? We can't let them know about these things can we??

2. Better still, how about getting together with a bunch of your like-minded "friends" and set up your own school!! you can even build a tall wall around it so your little precious ones cannot look outside and be influenced by all the 4D outlets and even the IR and other such vices that is happening around them 24/7!

3. Or even better, go buy an island in Indonesia and start a new country! One that you can protect your kids COMPLETELY from all these "sinful practices" of the world! a sweet little place that you can run in any way you want..... IMAGINE THAT! you could even make sure the island has no Internet access OR nonsense like Cable TV so that your precious little babies cannot be exposed to whatever rubbish and vice that the media is now feeding them! surely THEY deserve ALL that you can do for them?? SURELY YOU KNOW BEST??

4. Or you could build a giant glass dome (ala Simpsons the Movie) and quarantine them from the "dirt" of the modern world! In this pretty lala land, you can play wholesome pro-family movies on TV all day, teach wonderful values that they don't teach enough of in mainstream schools (WHO NEEDS CHOICE??), and best of all, PROTECT PROTECT PROTECT! let them grow up sweet and innocent and full of Goodness (with a capital 'G')!

Woohoooo!!!! Let's cover their eyes and keep them from seeing and hearing the evils of the world !! Teach them NEVER TO TOLERATE those vile and different from them!! Don't worry! Mummy and Daddy are here!! We will make sure you are safe forever!!

and to help you along in your most laudable anti-gay campaign, how about this "How To Write An Anti-Gay Tract In Fifteen Easy Steps"!

2009-05-13T23:22:00.001+08:00

AWARE EGM Souvenir

It's finally here!!

2009-05-13T02:07:00.005+08:00

Shiroi Koibito!!

I love my parents! they just came back from hokkaido and bought me boxes of shiroi koibito! and of cos other stuff but its the shiroi koibito that i am after!! wahahaha...

the amount of wrapping is rather.. umm... excessive... there is the pretty wrapping you see in the top pic. then when u rip that open, you find a white cardboard box with simple designs.. and then in the cardboard box is an ornamental blue metal tin (which is quite nice and probably useful for putting shiny little objects) - which is shown in the middle pic; and then lastly you reach the chocolate which is in the metal tin, individually wrapped, bundled 3 together with a thin strip of clear plastic... makes one wonder if it is all part of the strategy to delay the gratification as long as possible! :)

Shiroi Koibito - This is the famous Shiroi Koibito representative of Hokkaido, born from Ishiya Seika's excellent techniques and passion for confectionary. The soft flavored white chocolate sandwiched in fragrant "langue de chat" cookies (white type) after its first production in 1976 it has been enjoyed by many customers and was awarded by the Suisse Monde Selection in 1986. - taken from the Shiroi Koibito website.

two pieces of thin but crispy cookies with a slice of white chocolate sandwiched between them.... yummmy....... :) about S$15 per box of 28... is that expensive??

2009-05-07T22:28:00.004+08:00

Optical Illusions

Is This Possible??

Are the purple lines straight or bent?

Do you see gray areas in between the squares?

You should see a man's face and also a word...

If you take a look at the following picture, let me tell You ..... It is not animated. Your eyes are making it move. To test This, stare at one spot for a couple seconds and everything will Stop moving. Or look at the black center of each circle and it will Stop moving. But move your eyes to the next black center and the Previous will move after you take your eyes away from it Weird?

2009-05-05T23:01:00.001+08:00

The Impact of Swine Flu...

2009-05-05T16:35:00.003+08:00

French Bulldog

2009-05-03T21:53:00.026+08:00

Aware EGM

the best $40 I've ever spent in my life... as Siew Kum Hong puts it: "Today, I am so proud to be Singaporean".. :) ... finally, victory for an organisation that stands for the values that I believe in: Inclusiveness, diversity, openness and transparency!

2 hours of queuing and almost 8 hours of being in the hall.. but I'm so happy now i could cry.. :,)... (see story)

queuing up.... pretty exciting...

palpable excitement in the hall....

here's ~~two~~ three classic moments captured on youtube by others:

Ms Constance Singam to the "new-exco" at the AWARE EGM

Dr Thio Su Mien (mother of the infamous NMP Thio Li-Ann) stating her credentials asserting why she deserves the right to be called "Feminist Mentor".. aka "I am on Page 73"

from this blog:
We couldn’t see or hear very well from where we were sitting.
A: “What book is she talking about that she’s on page 73 of?”
B: “Dunno. Maybe the Bible. She’s saying God appointed her on page 73,”
A: “Her bible maybe. Not mine.”

... hahhahaha.... actually, it was some book published by Aware in 2007 highlighting some achievements of women in Singapore..

~~I can't find~~ I found (!! :)) the video where the ex-honorary secretary Sally Ang (the one in red) tells the Aware founder Margaret Thomas (the lady in blue on the floor) to "Shut up and sit down"... that was quite a moment.. am pretty sure that was one of the biggest mistakes made by the team yesterday evening.. haha.. anyway, they shot themselves so many times in the foot that i lost count.. here it is..

ok, back to marking! :p .... and for those eager to pick up souvenirs, someone is selling these!! hahaha.. click on pic for link and here for larger image

Update: Just saw newspaper report: Teachers told NOT to get involved in Aware
A teacher who declined to be named told The New Paper: 'My principal warned us not to go as we may be interviewed by the media, and there would be trouble if we were being quoted or someone took our picture' (!!!).

:O!! hahhaha... :p

anyway, pardon me for my obsession.. but this video shows how episodes like these always encourage a lot of creativity...

and oh, one last thing.. for some reason, the "husbands/fathers in their 40s and 50s" who were at the EGM "with their wives" reminded me a lot of Patrick the Starfish... hahahaha... for example, one of these guys said.. “I want to look for the woman who gave me that motherly smile. She is so motherly. She reminds me of my mother.”...hahahhaha PRICELESS!! ... other quotes from these middle age uncles included one guy who said “I am a man, I am rational and logical. Woman are emotional” another who joked that he was inspired by the meeting to 'write a book and call it Women Are From Mars And Men Are From Venus' and also one who asked the crowd not to "harass him" (even when no one was doing so despite his time-wasting antics), saying 'One woman I was sitting next to hissed at me as though she was Catwoman. I feel so harassed. Don't harass me. I am only a man.' ... ????

2009-04-29T18:11:00.001+08:00

Chicken a la Carte

something we need to know... what can we do in our capacity to help?

maybe this?

2009-04-26T23:00:00.008+08:00

Weekend Break - Breakfast & Bugs

took my first mental & physical break of the year till now (yay! exams over for this semester! :)) and went for a nice slow breakfast today and a long walk around botanic gardens.. forgot how much i enjoy the gardens.. one of the places i really love in Singapore... :)

here are some pics.... i'll post up more when i have time..

^ sloan court hotel breafast... singapore's best kept secret

^ bugs @ the botanic gardens

and i washed my car too :).. i love washing my car instead of sending it to the car wash.. but often, i get so busy i don't get to wash it for a while... now i discover this site that tells me what to do with all the dust that accumulates after a while.. check out The Dust Art of Scott Wade

2009-04-23T23:58:00.005+08:00

Latest painting!

Acrylic on Canvas 24"x36"

and new toys!

and in case you're wondering.. moo-bean is handmade and not for sale! :)

2009-04-10T23:59:00.000+08:00

“Requiem

It came to me the other day:
Were I to die, no one would say,
“Oh, what a shame! So young, so full
Of promise — depths unplumbable!”

Instead, a shrug and tearless eyes
Will greet my overdue demise;
The wide response will be, I know,
“I thought he died a while ago.”

For life’s a shabby subterfuge,
And death is real, and dark, and huge.
The shock of it will register
Nowhere but where it will occur.”

- John Updike

2009-04-01T23:44:00.012+08:00

And the birds came to roost in jurong...

my workplace is indeed a haven for pretty little birds.. and i guess it also speaks for how "ulu" (i.e. godforsakenly- out-of-the-way) the place is... haha.. pictures taken from behind glass panel, out of my 2nd floor office window ...

Bird id: Correct me if i am wrong: left is a Yellow vented Bulbul(Pycnonotus goiavier); right is an ~~Olive-backed Sunbird (Nectarina jugularis)~~ Oriental White-eye (Zosterops palpebrosus).. thank you jon! but mine doesn't look as yellow as the ones i find on the Internet nor have this patch of white under its wings... and also the beak of my bird looks a little longer and not as straight...umm.... bird id is so not easy!!

2009-03-03T20:13:00.004+08:00

Discovery of World War II Relic @ Clementi construction site

.. right next to my block! gulp... look at the ugly construction all around.. gonna be like this for the next 3 years.. sigh.. and there goes our wonderful view of the sea.... :(

Update: Experts from the Singapore Armed Forces said it was a Japanese aerial bomb (aerial!! dropped from plane??) dating from the Second World War. Usually, when a war relic is discovered, it is taken to a military live firing range to be disposed of. But bomb disposal specialists decided it was actually safer to carry out the operation at the site itself this time around. That was because the fuse had already been activated (!!!), so transporting the 50-kilogramme bomb could be risky.

... and incidentally, found that the household plant next to the balcony window was flowering.. a rare sight indeed.... so pretty...

2009-03-01T23:33:00.005+08:00

bad english

i was surfing the net for some news on the merlion being struck by lightning and found that Xinhua News Agency had interviewed someone in Singapore who said

"Something like an explosion sound very loud, then after that some of the pieces fell off the Merlion, but no one was hurt in the incident"

can we describe that as Singlish? or a mix of Singlish and English or what??

I remember my NIE lecturer saying that he once heard a mother exclaiming to her child "Be careful! Wait lost how?" and he couldn't figure out, try as he might, what the woman was saying.. hahaha....

i can't decide which is the lesser of two evils - Singlish or Chinglish.. see below for a cutesy example of the latter:

ommmmm.....

anyway, you have to see this.. it was apparently mentioned in NYT:

The-greatest-breakup-story-ever-told (apparently, the animation is made by one woman on her PC - about the story of a marriage breakup using traditional indian characters from the ramayana)

2009-02-18T23:04:00.001+08:00

These will move and inspire...

Lost Generation

be a positive influence

2009-02-11T23:36:00.006+08:00

marina barrage revisited (low res handphone pics)

the water in the reservoir looks much cleaner now! managed to visit the galleries this time round - very good for primary school national education purposes.. hahaha...

btw! this is a non sequitur but for all the type A parents out there... if you haven't already known (which is not quite possible), there is this kiasuparents.com website i learnt from my dear friend today!! watch this fabulous youtube video from there!! hahahaha....hilarious!!

2009-02-08T22:43:00.008+08:00

Birthday Celebrations

getting a bit too old for celebrations but glad there are still wonderful people around me who made me feel special on this day.... like my wonderful colleagues around me... . :) thank you for the toy galore..... by the way, this post is super delayed, my birthday was exactly a month before this day.. haha... busy lah...

and of cos my annual visit to the sea angels exhibit @ the underwater world that very weekend... the place has a lot of the old stuff nicely spruced up as well as new stuff like the Giant Pacific Octopus and Pharaoh Cuttlefish, and an impressive ray touch pool.. still one of my favourite tourist attractions in Singapore, worth every cent!

Grainy pics taken with an Olympus MJU 710:

finally managed to get a decent video recording of the sea angels after these few years of repeated visits.. enjoy!

2009-01-22T00:46:00.003+08:00

Angela Aki - Kiss Me Good-Bye (Final Fantasy XII Theme)

Gosh!! I really love this!!!!

Angela Aki - Kiss Me Good-Bye (Final Fantasy XII Theme)

there are other versions available on youtube, e.g. this one in the Final Fantasy version..

I think i'm going out to buy ALL of Angela Aki's CDs... what a great singer/song-writer!

in case you haven't heard this one.. its fabulous too!!

2009-01-20T01:01:00.003+08:00

Crazy Cows!

20"x30" Acrylic on Mounting Board

i'm all ready for the new year!! :)

will put up pics from the Taiwan trip I took over Dec last year, once i can get back into the swing of things.. :)

2008-12-08T00:17:00.007+08:00

Shanghai: 1-12.12.2008 (the trip so far..)

--> The Old making way for the New

--> shanghainese cats basking (fashionably) in the sunshine

--> Mao watch from Dongtai Lu Antique Market (fake lah!)

2008-11-29T12:42:00.003+08:00

If Everyone Cared

From underneath the trees, we watch the sky
Confusing stars for satellites
I never dreamed that you'd be mine
But here we are, we're here tonight

Singing Amen, I, I'm alive
Singing Amen, I, I'm alive

[Chorus:]
If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
Then we'd see the day when nobody died

And I'm singing

Amen I, Amen I, I'm alive
Amen I, Amen I, Amen I, I'm alive

And in the air the fireflies
Our only light in paradise
We'll show the world they were wrong
And teach them all to sing along

Singing Amen, I, I'm alive
Singing Amen, I, I'm alive
(I'm alive)

[Chorus x2]

And as we lie beneath the stars
We realize how small we are
If they could love like you and me
Imagine what the world could be

If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
Then we'd see the day when nobody died
When nobody died...

[Chorus]

We'd see the day, we'd see the day
When nobody died
We'd see the day, we'd see the day
When nobody died
We'd see the day when nobody died

what have i done today to show that i care....

2008-11-27T14:52:00.003+08:00

Good Wood Gang

Good Wood Gang by Friends with You
(Acrylic on plywood - 19"x24")

2008-11-25T23:19:00.011+08:00

Cookie the Cat

looking around.. notice the sweet heart-shaped bi-colour print on her side..

looking intellectual...

looking blur...

looking serious...

2008-11-12T22:21:00.007+08:00

EU to allow 'wonky' fruit and veg on supermarket shelves

i don't often put up newspaper articles but this is great!! hahaha... Hot off the press...

AFP - 12 Nov 2008

BRUSSELS (AFP) - - EU nations on Wednesday gave the green light Monday for bent cucumbers and other "wonky" fruit and vegetables to be sold in supermarkets and elsewhere, as part of a drive to cut red tape.

"This is a happy day indeed for the curvy cucumber and the knobbly carrot, and other amusingly shaped fruits and vegetables," said European Commission spokesman Michael Mann.

"Rules governing the size and shape of fruit and vegetables will be consigned to history", the commission said in a statement.

In all, marketing standards for 26 fruits and vegetables are being scrapped, paving the way for the return to shopping trolleys of forked carrots, onions that are less than two thirds covered with skin and the bent cucumbers among other deviant vegetables.

The rules had been derided as "bonkers" by the likes of major British supermarket chain Sainsbury's, while major agricultural nations such as France have argued that scrapping the restrictions will lead to a fall in prices and thereby hit farmers.
"This marks a new dawn for the curvy cucumber and the knobbly carrot," said EU Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel.

"It's a concrete example of our drive to cut unnecessary red tape. We simply don't need to regulate this sort of thing at EU level. It is far better to leave it to market operators."

She added that in the current climate of high food prices and economic woes "consumers should be able to choose from the widest range of products possible. It makes no sense to throw perfectly good products away, just because they are the 'wrong' shape."

Representatives of most EU countries voted against the rule change, but not by the overwhelming "qualified majority" required to stop it going through, a commission spokesman said.

The rules are to be scrapped for apricots, artichokes, asparagus, aubergines, avocados, beans, Brussels sprouts, carrots, cauliflowers, cherries, courgettes, cucumbers, cultivated mushrooms, garlic, hazelnuts in shell, headed cabbage, leeks, melons, onions, peas, plums, ribbed celery, spinach, walnuts in shell, water melons, and chicory.

Standards are kept in place for 10 others, including several of the most popular items in European kitchens; apples, citrus fruit, kiwi fruit, lettuces, peaches and nectarines, pears, strawberries, sweet peppers, table grapes and tomatoes.

Mann explained that these were being maintained as a compromise to opposed member states, while assuring that there was "practically no difference" between the two categories.

Vendors will be able to sell deviant versions of the still proscribed items as long as they are labelled as a "product intended for processing" or similar.

The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, must formally adopt the changes which, "for practical reasons", will be implemented from next July.

Rules for straight bananas are not affected. --->>> ???????

The last statement being terribly vague, i went to do further research and found this!

(Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/europe/6481969.stm)

"Was the European Union trying to ban straight bananas, or bent ones? This story goes back so far that a lot of people are no longer sure quite what the scandal was about. They just remember that Brussels seemed to be taking an unhealthy interest in the shape of this fruit.

Here is the correct answer: the commissioners have no problem with straight bananas, it's the crooked ones they don't like so much, but they have never banned them. As Commission Regulation (EC) 2257/94 puts it, bananas must be "free from malformation or abnormal curvature". In the case of "Extra class" bananas, there is no wiggle room, but Class 1 bananas can have "slight defects of shape", and Class 2 bananas can have full-on "defects of shape".

No attempt is made to define "abnormal curvature" in the case of bananas, which must lead to lots of arguments. Contrast the case of cucumbers (Commission Regulation (EEC) No 1677/88), where Class I and "Extra class" cucumbers are allowed a bend of 10mm per 10cm of length. Class II cucumbers can bend twice as much."

Related (honestly!) site: www.bananaguard.com

from their FAQ...

Q: "Not all bananas are the same size or shape, so how can the Banana Guard fit them all?"
A: The Banana Guard was specially designed to accommodate the majority of banana sizes. Our testing indicates that over 90% of commercially available bananas will fit into the Banana Guard. Highly curved bananas can be straightened ever-so-slightly without harm to fit the Banana Guard shape. The opposite holds true of very straight bananas.

2008-11-09T23:44:00.003+08:00

For Ladies: The Reason to Be Healthy

(via email from health fanatic friend)

I noticed an old lady sitting on her front step, so I walked up to her and said,

"I couldn't help noticing how happy you look! What is your secret?"

"I smoke ten cigars a day," she said. "Before I go to bed, I smoke a nice big joint. Apart from that, I drink a whole bottle of Jack Daniels every week and eat only junk food. On week-ends, I pop pills, get laid, and do no other exercise at all."

"That is absolutely amazing! How old are you?"

"Twenty-four," she replied.

2008-11-03T00:20:00.004+08:00

Visit to Marina Barrage

Water Wally!!! Notice the brown water on the left (reservoir) and the blue water on the right (sea)?? Gulp!!

Background
Built across the mouth of the Marina Channel, the Marina Barrage creates Singapore’s 15th reservoir, and the first in the heart of the city. With a catchment area of 10,000 hectares, or one-sixth the size of Singapore, the Marina catchment is the island’s largest and most urbanised catchment. Together with two other new reservoirs, the Marina Reservoir will boost Singapore’s water catchment from half to two-third’s of the country’s land area.

The Marina Barrage is the result of Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew’s vision nearly two decades ago when he envisaged damming the mouth of the Marina Channel to create a freshwater reservoir.

(Related: "Who's Water Wally?")

2008-11-01T12:50:00.001+08:00

The Bad Idea Bears from Avenue Q ... on the Election

Yaaaaaaay!!!!!!!

The Bad Idea Bears from Broadway's "Avenue Q" talk to people about the upcoming election.

2008-10-29T00:21:00.004+08:00

vicky christina barcelona (2008)

woody allen's latest film ... thoroughly enjoyable!

2008-10-23T14:14:00.013+08:00

Pensive....

tried to search online and on "frogs and toads of singapore" on wildlife singapore (Warning: Not for those with amphibian phobia, aka "Batrachophobia"!) for help to id the funny looking fella.. but to no avail... (Update: The fella is listed there! It's the first one on the list!! Seems like the specimen I had was a tad bit dehydrated compared to the chubby moisty one on the website!! :p)

finally joined Flickr: Frog and Toads/Discuss (never knew such a site exists!!) and .... lo and behold! I GOT AN ANSWER!!!

Kaloula pulchra - The Asian Bullfrog (aka Banded bull frog or Asian Painted Frog and even Chubby Frog)!!! :O

Interesting Facts: Known to have immigrated from West Malaysia during the 1800s.Very common seen island-wide, especially after heavy down-pour.

Size: 7.5cm

Diet: Invertebrates

Activity: Nocturnal and terrestrial-burrowing

Habitat: Disturbed forest, agricultural areas and urban areas

Tip: When selecting an Asian painted frog, make sure that it has a good weight, clear eyes, no abrasions or open wounds, and is behaving normally (???).

"Don't be fooled by its bulky size. It can still climb trees very well." :O x 100

2008-10-20T18:06:00.008+08:00

Oktoberuns!

I can't figure out why but i just feel like running this month.. and the more i run, the more i feel like running.... i think.. i think.. i'm turning into... Forrest Gump!! hahahaha....

and who can forget that memorable running scene from the show..

from Wikiquote:
"That day, for no particular reason, I decided to go for a little run. So I ran to the end of the road. And when I got there, I thought maybe I'd run to the end of town. And when I got there, I thought maybe I'd just run across Greenbow County. And I figured, since I run this far, maybe I'd just run across the great state of Alabama. And that's what I did. I ran clear across Alabama. For no particular reason I just kept on going. I ran clear to the ocean. And when I got there, I figured, since I'd gone this far, I might as well turn around, just keep on going. When I got to another ocean, I figured, since I'd gone this far, I might as well just turn back, keep right on going. When I got tired, I slept. When I got hungry, I ate. When I had to go... you know... I went."

Update: My sis just reminded me of "Run Lola Run"... gosh I LOVED the movie!!!! made me wanna get up to run and great soundtrack too!!

2008-10-15T10:49:00.001+08:00

I'm watching Avenue Q on Broadway!

yippee!!

2008-10-13T22:22:00.004+08:00

Wakeboard World Cup Singapore 2008

these people defy gravity!!

2008-10-05T21:08:00.005+08:00

The Funeral of Mr JBJ

the crowd was solemn and respectful.. after all, most people, like me, were there for a simple reason... to honour a man who showed us, and the rest of the nation, what true courage really was.. who lived a life of integrity... and conviction... and with the fear of God... who truly believed in standing up for what he believed in... no matter... and for the weak ... and "voiceless".... beyond all (the ugly of) politics, his life will always remain an inspiration to us all...

Thank you Mr JBJ..

2008-10-02T00:08:00.021+08:00

Mourning the passing of JBJ (5 January 1926 - 30 September 2008)

"He has done so much for Singapore. But what have Singaporeans done for him?" - quote taken from the weblog of Siew Kum Hong.. a line the Nominated MP heard said at Mr JBJ's wake..

"In an age where a million dollars are demanded to serve the nation, JBJ parted with a million dollars to serve his people." .... from Jacob's weblog

Indeed, very few among us can claim to know him beyond what we read in the local press, whether it is fair or otherwise... let alone care about what he does; or try to support or encourage him in his work... I was surprised to read that he faced and lost the first political defamation suit against him way back in 1976.. and was sued again and again and jailed and bankrupted all the way till he was finally discharged in 2008!! Read: JBJ through the years... wow... talk about determination!

Personally, the closest encounter I ever had with this iconic figure was the brief chat i had with him many years ago, when he set up a booth just outside City Hall MRT, near to where i was working at that time, selling his first book "Make It Right For Singapore".

I bought a copy and he was quick to give me his office number, on top of autographing the book, when i asked if I could email him afterwards if I had further questions.

Through someone who knew him, I went on to also buy his second book, "The Hatchet Man of Singapore" a few years later.. it was a pity that this time round, i didn't get to speak to him, even though the book came autographed.

Though he is gone, his life, thoughts and ideas deserve a place in our history books..

Singapore has lost someone very special.. and very important... and who will always deserves our utmost respect...

“At times I feel tired and say to myself:
“Don’t you think you should give up now?”
But that is only momentary.
It is followed by the thought that
if I have started on a job and
as long as I have the health and strength,
I will have to go on with it.
And there are people who look to you
especially when you walk the streets of Singapore.
It is just my conviction that when things are wrong,
and if there is anything I can do to put them right,
then I should do that.
I think every citizen should feel like that.
It is a citizen’s duty.

“I did not have many properties
but I had to sell a bungalow
in a very fashionable area in Singapore
to pay the judgment obtained
by Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew.
Having sold that, three years later
I bought a small apartment,
and then I had to sell that too.
All in, I had easily about 12 to 13 suits to pay off.
Some people say I was a fool.
All I can say is I do not regret it because,
to me, life is not all about making money
and acquiring wealth.
Life is doing something for the people around you.”

- Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam

RIP Mr JBJ.

Read also: Condolence Letter from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Demise of JB Jeyaretnam (-__-)

Some more balanced reporting (Thank God for the Internet!):

A Singapore Hero by Wall Street Journal
Singapore opposition leader dies by BBC News
Veteran Singapore Politician Dies by Reuters

* Photo copyrighted by Lim Soon Chung. See gallery of her great JBJ pics.

2008-09-22T18:32:00.001+08:00

Tainted!

Will snacking office workers and students be able to get through these tough times? Stay tuned!!

2008-09-16T00:10:00.002+08:00

happy mid-autumn festival!

i've been enjoying mooncakes, pomelos and lanterns.. have you? :)

2008-09-15T23:31:00.005+08:00

I Like DHC Balloons! :p

managed to catch the DHL Balloon before it closes end of this month... it's actually a lot more enjoyable than the Flyer, albeit a lot shorter (10-15mins vs. 30mins) cos you can feel the "takeoff" and the wind in your hair, instead of feel like you are just in a grimey fishtank going round and round.. haha.. :p

its not cheap at $23 to go up to 150m (but still cheaper than the $29.50 of the Flyer) but i kinda feels its quite worth it.. then after that you can proceed to eat charcoal steamboat or hainanese chicken rice (or both! which is what i did! p) at the New 7th Storey Hotel, which you definitely need to do if you haven't already tried it, before the authorities demolish it (so sad!! :( ) for the downtown line one (or something like that).

2008-09-05T01:07:00.004+08:00

Singapore Flyer - Teachers FLY FOR FREE!

view was quite nice but if i had to pay (thank you Singapore Flyer for the free flight!!), i'll probably wait for the Sands IR to be up first so there'll be more stuff to see.. anyway, take the 7pm ride, its probably the best.. it's the so-called "sunset" time when the sky turns a beautiful blue, u can still see the clouds and the office lights have yet to be turned off... a friend of mine tells me the Moët & Chandon Champagne Flight is worthwhile too. bring your loved one.

2008-08-21T06:47:00.002+08:00

The Moon on 20 Aug 2008

the moon again, one of my favourite subjects.

2008-08-19T22:28:00.000+08:00

Hitler And ERP Woes (Singapore)

hahhahahahaha....

2008-08-12T23:51:00.003+08:00

A luxurious weekend getaway for a steal

a laidback getaway at a great price... a couple of drawbacks though.. hard to explore around the area unless you have your own transport (there is some rabbit park nearby and of cos port dickson town itself), the swimming pool could be a lot cleaner, and while the food at the hotel is great (love the pizza!!), choices around the area are limited (of cos, unless you have your own car, again).. :) get more details from me if you need.

2008-07-28T19:46:00.002+08:00

The Transformation

check out this funky musical instrument case!!

Painted by me but design is by Norwegian cartoonish Øistein Kristiansen (see website - can you believe this incredible artist is actually based in Singapore?? :))

2008-07-28T09:52:00.004+08:00

Beijing Olympics!

so much muck at the Qingdao venue that swimmers and sailors will be stuck for sure! (see more pics)

Construction workers stand on scaffolding erected to build an Olympic exhibit as the city is covered with smog and pollution, a month before the opening of the Olympic Games in Beijing on Tuesday, July 8, 2008. (AP / Oded Balilty)

and the air is still so bad competitors will collapse from their running, jumping etc.. will Beijing be ready in time??

2008-07-25T01:49:00.002+08:00

'How to encourage your child? Use your imagination.'

in case u haven't seen it, the video that (probably) inspired our NDP2008 video..

as Alex Au of Yawning Bread puts it.. "It's a powerful ad that reminds us how imaginative genius can easily be mistaken for madness and be dismissed, or worse, suppressed. "

2008-07-23T00:21:00.001+08:00

Oh Great Leader we obey thee

original painting by eeshaun (www.eeshaun.com)

supporting local artists! :)

2008-07-22T22:14:00.003+08:00

Daniel Powter - Bad Day

i know it's kinda soppy but hey, it brought a smile to my face and might just do the same for you.. :)

and besides, according to BBC UK, it "has been the most played song in the UK over the last five years"... not bad, huh?

2008-07-15T22:23:00.005+08:00

Toy Shopping @ China Sq (Sunday 13 July 2008)

eager to do my patriotic bit at boosting the domestic economy, i trudged down to China Sq last Sunday, shortly upon receiving my mid-year Civil Servant bonus, and threw it all (well, not exactly) into the following cuties...

it's all for a good cause, i say.. :p

2008-07-09T18:41:00.005+08:00

Outdoor Photography Course - Day 1

theme is "Colour".. which is kinda hard when we are asked to shoot within a 200m stretch of secondary rainforest.. haha.. oh well, i love my snail pic.. :)and if u look carefully enough, i do have a nice range of colours in my photos..

and we were also given opportunity to shoot "Textures & Shapes" in B&W.. more snails!!! :p

Update: Anatomy of a Snail

2008-06-30T22:12:00.011+08:00

Toys, toys and more toys (Singapore Toy & Comic Convention 2008 @ Suntec)

Bought a piece of the wall from Gloomy Bear creator Mori Chack's booth.. toys were all sold out by the time i got there but they started to sell chunks of the wall instead, with the artist's autograph, for $10 a piece and my, was the queue long! :p i can't believe mori chack is actually here! i've been such a huge fan since 2002!! :p

Couldn't resist buying the Bandai Gundam series of BB Warriors - Romance of the Three Kingdom.. hope i have time to assemble them all together..

and i still have all my Keroro toys to assemble... :O..

and guess what?? I managed to buy the Friends With You's Wish Come True toys made by Strangeco!! whee... they are so cute!! and apparently they jingle too when they rock from side to side!