chinese new year celebrations continue with a visit to the newly revamped chinatown area for the annual squeeze.. pretty much the same stuff every year but we gotta keep up the traditions, eh? :)
Wednesday, 29 January 2003
Monday, 27 January 2003
if the god of fortune doesn't come to your home, bring him home instead!!
hahahahaha... :D Happy Lunar New Year!!
Have you done your annual spring cleaning yet?? err... oh dear.. i haven't myself too.. :p as a matter of fact, i think i just added to the clutter by bringing Mr God of Fortune home from the Woodlands trade fair... :D wahahahaha.. (hope you didn't find the pictures disturbing.. :p)
hahahahaha... :D Happy Lunar New Year!!
Have you done your annual spring cleaning yet?? err... oh dear.. i haven't myself too.. :p as a matter of fact, i think i just added to the clutter by bringing Mr God of Fortune home from the Woodlands trade fair... :D wahahahaha.. (hope you didn't find the pictures disturbing.. :p)
Sunday, 26 January 2003
personal missions quests (?)
the web just got less useful... these guys are on a mission to try out all the different snacks in the world.. cool...
have you got one of these quirky personalmissions quests as well? :)
i am still on one of my personalmission quest to swim at all the different public pools in Singapore (i think i have visited about 10 so far), to walk across the country (albeit small and unimpressive) from coast to coast, top to bottom, left to right.. my sister at some point was determined to try all the different char siew rice stalls in Singapore - but i think she is into tiramisu, brownies and strangely and incongruously, chye tow kweh (aka chinese carrot cake) now.. a friend of mine has parents who travel across the country by MRT to visit all the different food courts (especially the new ones that are sprouting up in suburban shopping malls now)..
hahaha... :D
the web just got less useful... these guys are on a mission to try out all the different snacks in the world.. cool...
have you got one of these quirky personal
i am still on one of my personal
hahaha... :D
Saturday, 25 January 2003
public transport wisdom
i've started taking public transport to get used to not having a car.. mum's selling the car i normally drive while i'm away in South Am (i'm leaving in exactly 3 weeks' time!!) as it is nearing the end of its 10-year COE and to save on parking charges... yet another victim of increased car park fees...
yet, i can't deny that the beauty of being a passenger and not a driver is that you actually take in the view a lot better.. and you get to listen to music on your CD player and to read and ponder while watching the scenary change around you. and of course it works out cheaper too and you don't have to stress out about bad drivers on the road, crowded car parks, traffic jams etc etc... of course there are plus points to having a car, but at least for now, i'm just going to look at the plus points of public transport and enjoy the ride!! :)
i've started taking public transport to get used to not having a car.. mum's selling the car i normally drive while i'm away in South Am (i'm leaving in exactly 3 weeks' time!!) as it is nearing the end of its 10-year COE and to save on parking charges... yet another victim of increased car park fees...
yet, i can't deny that the beauty of being a passenger and not a driver is that you actually take in the view a lot better.. and you get to listen to music on your CD player and to read and ponder while watching the scenary change around you. and of course it works out cheaper too and you don't have to stress out about bad drivers on the road, crowded car parks, traffic jams etc etc... of course there are plus points to having a car, but at least for now, i'm just going to look at the plus points of public transport and enjoy the ride!! :)
Thursday, 23 January 2003
parking rates in town
i don't normally blog about stuff like that, but it disturbs me greatly how astronomically car parking rates have been going up in town... as far as i noticed, these new parking fees didn't just increase by 50cents or a dollar over their old rates, but almost doubled or tripled! take for example Cairnhill Place carpark just behind Heeren, which used to charge $1 for the first two hours and $1 for every subsequent hour or part thereof (making it one of the cheapest places to park in town)... since Dec last year however, it suddenly went up to $1 for the first hour and $1 every subsequent half hour! that is a full doubling of fees!
and just around noon today, while i was driving into Wisma Atria carpark to save on parking charges (since it used to charge a surprisingly low rate of a flat $3.00 after 12pm all the way till night), i realised that they have raised the fee to $1.30 for the first hour and $1.10 for every subsequent half hour until 5pm, where they will thereafter charge an additional $3.10!! this time more than doubling of the fees!
it has almost become impossible to drive to town and park for the whole day without spending a fortune, not to mention the additional expense of ERP and what-nots...(see a rather outdated list of parking rates in town).. it really is mind-blowing how expensive it is to have a car in Singapore... i really should just save up on all these auto-related expenses and spend the money travelling instead..
non sequitur: i enjoyed this Icon War thing very very much!! (via alb)
i don't normally blog about stuff like that, but it disturbs me greatly how astronomically car parking rates have been going up in town... as far as i noticed, these new parking fees didn't just increase by 50cents or a dollar over their old rates, but almost doubled or tripled! take for example Cairnhill Place carpark just behind Heeren, which used to charge $1 for the first two hours and $1 for every subsequent hour or part thereof (making it one of the cheapest places to park in town)... since Dec last year however, it suddenly went up to $1 for the first hour and $1 every subsequent half hour! that is a full doubling of fees!
and just around noon today, while i was driving into Wisma Atria carpark to save on parking charges (since it used to charge a surprisingly low rate of a flat $3.00 after 12pm all the way till night), i realised that they have raised the fee to $1.30 for the first hour and $1.10 for every subsequent half hour until 5pm, where they will thereafter charge an additional $3.10!! this time more than doubling of the fees!
it has almost become impossible to drive to town and park for the whole day without spending a fortune, not to mention the additional expense of ERP and what-nots...(see a rather outdated list of parking rates in town).. it really is mind-blowing how expensive it is to have a car in Singapore... i really should just save up on all these auto-related expenses and spend the money travelling instead..
non sequitur: i enjoyed this Icon War thing very very much!! (via alb)
Tuesday, 21 January 2003
Sunday, 19 January 2003
a motley bunch of us, led by folks from the Singapore Adventurers' Club, braved the Sunday morning downpour, muddy gravel slopes, deadly insects, fallen tree trunks and prickly vegetation this morning to go on what is known as the "Choo Choo Trek" - a rough trek designed to follow the old, disused Malayan Railway track from its start somewhere near King Albert Park on Bukit Timah Road till it ends at the Singapore Mint (near Teban Gardens, off West Coast Road). Got utterly drenched but definitely an unusual and educational way to spend a Sunday morning.
Saturday, 18 January 2003
Last night, in a quirky sort of mood, I suddenly decided that today was going to be spent the way I always imagined an “Ideal Day” would be spent.
Imagining what an ideal day would be, I would probably spend it doing only the things I like to do, no obligations, no schedules, no rush, maybe not even meeting anyone familiar in the day! I will wake up without my alarm clock, eat a leisurely brunch, read in a nice café with a cappuccino or at home with a lemonade, do my lomography around Singapore, go for a relaxing long run, or an aimlessly long walk, do some spontaneous art & craft at home, but to do nothing if I so felt like it, and to end the day with a healthy home-cooked dinner.
This was how it actually went: Woke up with a start ‘cos mum announced loudly that she had made breakfast. Ate leisurely while flipping through old schooldaze pictures and laughing at them with my sister. I was really nerdy with my big round glasses in school! :p Squeezed some orange juice and relaxed while doing some lazy colouring in my Powerpuff Girls Jumbo Colouring book (btw, this seems really childish but you have no idea how therapeutic colouring is… try it..) – at this point, I was really tempted to turn on the computer but I stopped myself.. addictive and mostly non-fulfilling, the computer sometimes can be… along the way, distracted, I took out my Spanish language book and started learning how to name parts of my body, pointing at them and saying the names out loud while listening to Laura Pausini singing in Italian in the background.. bizarre but somehow quite effective.. halfway through, I suddenly felt like making Indian Chai tea and started boiling a mixture of milk and water in a pot, adding in the chai tea mixture and sugar.. very random distraction… but the chai was nice..
Finally, at 3 o’clock, I decided it was time to go out and take some lomographs of the Thaipusam festival at Little India. At this very instant, the sky started to drizzle in protest and I defiantly decided to go out anyway. I reached my stop, it had stopped raining, but I got distracted by the colourful stalls selling Chinese New Year goodies at Victoria wholesale market, the flea market at Weld Road, the old shophouses at Arab street and started doing my lomography there instead. I used up my film, had to buy a new roll as the colourful Thaipusam procession rolled along (with the pierced menfolk balancing their heavy metal kavadis and the womenfolk with milk pots on their heads) and found that my lomo camera suddenly couldn’t work! So I ended up with no lomographs of the procession.. sigh…
Got home finally at 9 something, cooked a pack of instant noodles and realised that I actually did have fun today and felt really relaxed and fulfilled at the end of the day, even though things didn’t quite go the way I imagined..
I finally realised that the ideal day is a matter of attitude, and not events.. how enlightening…
Imagining what an ideal day would be, I would probably spend it doing only the things I like to do, no obligations, no schedules, no rush, maybe not even meeting anyone familiar in the day! I will wake up without my alarm clock, eat a leisurely brunch, read in a nice café with a cappuccino or at home with a lemonade, do my lomography around Singapore, go for a relaxing long run, or an aimlessly long walk, do some spontaneous art & craft at home, but to do nothing if I so felt like it, and to end the day with a healthy home-cooked dinner.
This was how it actually went: Woke up with a start ‘cos mum announced loudly that she had made breakfast. Ate leisurely while flipping through old schooldaze pictures and laughing at them with my sister. I was really nerdy with my big round glasses in school! :p Squeezed some orange juice and relaxed while doing some lazy colouring in my Powerpuff Girls Jumbo Colouring book (btw, this seems really childish but you have no idea how therapeutic colouring is… try it..) – at this point, I was really tempted to turn on the computer but I stopped myself.. addictive and mostly non-fulfilling, the computer sometimes can be… along the way, distracted, I took out my Spanish language book and started learning how to name parts of my body, pointing at them and saying the names out loud while listening to Laura Pausini singing in Italian in the background.. bizarre but somehow quite effective.. halfway through, I suddenly felt like making Indian Chai tea and started boiling a mixture of milk and water in a pot, adding in the chai tea mixture and sugar.. very random distraction… but the chai was nice..
Finally, at 3 o’clock, I decided it was time to go out and take some lomographs of the Thaipusam festival at Little India. At this very instant, the sky started to drizzle in protest and I defiantly decided to go out anyway. I reached my stop, it had stopped raining, but I got distracted by the colourful stalls selling Chinese New Year goodies at Victoria wholesale market, the flea market at Weld Road, the old shophouses at Arab street and started doing my lomography there instead. I used up my film, had to buy a new roll as the colourful Thaipusam procession rolled along (with the pierced menfolk balancing their heavy metal kavadis and the womenfolk with milk pots on their heads) and found that my lomo camera suddenly couldn’t work! So I ended up with no lomographs of the procession.. sigh…
Got home finally at 9 something, cooked a pack of instant noodles and realised that I actually did have fun today and felt really relaxed and fulfilled at the end of the day, even though things didn’t quite go the way I imagined..
I finally realised that the ideal day is a matter of attitude, and not events.. how enlightening…
Thursday, 16 January 2003
Your name of hweeling gives you the ability to be creative along practical lines of endeavour. Your ideas can be very original and inventive.
You enjoy being with people in a social environment. Your personal appearance is important to you, for you desire to make a good impression on others. Your pleasant manner attracts people to you with their problems and you are capable of offering practical advice, though you would probably not follow such advice yourself.
This name causes you to be somewhat too concerned with the personalities, problems, and activities of other people. You seem positive and decisive and can be outspoken in the expression of your opinions, but you lack the self-confidence needed to follow through with your ideas and plans.
Procrastination is your downfall. You frequently choose the path of least resistance to avoid your responsibilities. It is not easy for you to overcome obstacles or face issues.
This name does you an injustice in that it restricts your success in business and personal pursuits through a lack of ambition. There is a weakness in the fluid functions and in the region of the head resulting in sinus problems, headaches, eye, ear, or throat conditions and related ailments. Hair loss could also be a problem. :O
umm.... this name analysis thingy (via krisalis) is so..random.. but umm.... somewhat true.... eeks..
You enjoy being with people in a social environment. Your personal appearance is important to you, for you desire to make a good impression on others. Your pleasant manner attracts people to you with their problems and you are capable of offering practical advice, though you would probably not follow such advice yourself.
This name causes you to be somewhat too concerned with the personalities, problems, and activities of other people. You seem positive and decisive and can be outspoken in the expression of your opinions, but you lack the self-confidence needed to follow through with your ideas and plans.
Procrastination is your downfall. You frequently choose the path of least resistance to avoid your responsibilities. It is not easy for you to overcome obstacles or face issues.
This name does you an injustice in that it restricts your success in business and personal pursuits through a lack of ambition. There is a weakness in the fluid functions and in the region of the head resulting in sinus problems, headaches, eye, ear, or throat conditions and related ailments. Hair loss could also be a problem. :O
umm.... this name analysis thingy (via krisalis) is so..random.. but umm.... somewhat true.... eeks..
i can't run away from the thick smell of curry in the air!! mum's cooking her secret curry recipe and the smell permeates every nook and cranny in the house..
new images from taiping trip have been added to lomohome!
new images from taiping trip have been added to lomohome!
days have gone by without blogging!! amazing...
some updates (in case you need to know about my life).. alb & I both didn't manage to buy the $66 colour laserjet printer from Hewlett-Packard so we are both of course disappointed.. (afterall, we did manage to get his credit card details in and all that before they blocked the site..) :p haha.. would have been really nice (imagine printing 85,000 pages without changing the cartridge!!!).. wonder if they will compensate in some way.. umm... still, i guess it's obviously a genuine typo error so i really wouldn't "sue" them or anything (not like the guys who took advantage of it and bought 2,000 at one go.. gulp..so greedy..)
i've also discovered that in order to be able to get up to enjoy a morning run, i really do have to (realistically) get to bed by 10.30pm (or latest 11.30pm) to get the minimum 7 to 8 hours of sleep i need.. this makes the battle to get up in the morning to do something i love much less of a battle.. i'm still working on it and so far have managed to get up once in the last two days. The morning air is really much fresher, the scene much more tranquil (with people doing their morning taichi and falungong) and a run in the morning makes me feel a lot more energetic for the rest of the day's work. Must do it!! Run run run!! I know it is pretty common-sensical but honestly, it's quite a revelation for me..
some updates (in case you need to know about my life).. alb & I both didn't manage to buy the $66 colour laserjet printer from Hewlett-Packard so we are both of course disappointed.. (afterall, we did manage to get his credit card details in and all that before they blocked the site..) :p haha.. would have been really nice (imagine printing 85,000 pages without changing the cartridge!!!).. wonder if they will compensate in some way.. umm... still, i guess it's obviously a genuine typo error so i really wouldn't "sue" them or anything (not like the guys who took advantage of it and bought 2,000 at one go.. gulp..so greedy..)
i've also discovered that in order to be able to get up to enjoy a morning run, i really do have to (realistically) get to bed by 10.30pm (or latest 11.30pm) to get the minimum 7 to 8 hours of sleep i need.. this makes the battle to get up in the morning to do something i love much less of a battle.. i'm still working on it and so far have managed to get up once in the last two days. The morning air is really much fresher, the scene much more tranquil (with people doing their morning taichi and falungong) and a run in the morning makes me feel a lot more energetic for the rest of the day's work. Must do it!! Run run run!! I know it is pretty common-sensical but honestly, it's quite a revelation for me..
third big thing? i've finally managed to clean up quite a bit of the clutter that has been lying around the house and to sort out and straighten some of the books and cds that have been lying around untidily..it's amazingly therapeutic to sort out stuff that no longer has any significance in my life, kind of symbolic of my latest effort at "simplifying my life" and prioritising what is important and what is not.. and the best part is, i think i will end up saving a lot of money buying new stuff 'cos now, i realised i have so many books i haven't even started reading since i bought them, old books that i really feel like re-reading, and all the cds that i only listened to once or twice and should listen to again this time to see if i can appreciate them in a different way now that my tastes may have changed..
my life in summary now? austerity rules!!
my life in summary now? austerity rules!!
Sunday, 12 January 2003
Saturday, 11 January 2003
Friday, 10 January 2003
do you sometimes get the feeling that Singapore is actually just one huge kampung rather than a country?
i know we are described as a city-state (and we are "just a dot" on the world map) but what i mean is that, after a while, the whole country actually feels smaller and smaller and every corner of it more and more familiar as you find yourself knowing exactly where to get the best laksa, where to buy a toaster, where you can get the cheapest computer parts, where to fix your bicycle or your camera.. and even if you live on the eastern side of the island, the uncle at Clementi knows you by name because you come here for church every weekend and eat his roti prata, or the auntie who is at takashimaya in town knows you and what you want to drink because you order the same thing every morning before work.. it's really amazing how we think nothing of zipping across the whole country to go to work, to get to a "Sale worth waiting for", to windsurf and wakeboard, to meet friends for coffee, to run an errand... and everyone everywhere looks and speaks pretty much alike... we are a kampung-state!
oh well, morning ramblings.. :p was just drinking the famous Aun Tong coffee i bought back from Taiping and sis mentioned that it tasted similar to Malacca coffee and i realised that yes, even food tends to taste different in different parts of a country.. but in Singapore, umm... hahaha...
i know we are described as a city-state (and we are "just a dot" on the world map) but what i mean is that, after a while, the whole country actually feels smaller and smaller and every corner of it more and more familiar as you find yourself knowing exactly where to get the best laksa, where to buy a toaster, where you can get the cheapest computer parts, where to fix your bicycle or your camera.. and even if you live on the eastern side of the island, the uncle at Clementi knows you by name because you come here for church every weekend and eat his roti prata, or the auntie who is at takashimaya in town knows you and what you want to drink because you order the same thing every morning before work.. it's really amazing how we think nothing of zipping across the whole country to go to work, to get to a "Sale worth waiting for", to windsurf and wakeboard, to meet friends for coffee, to run an errand... and everyone everywhere looks and speaks pretty much alike... we are a kampung-state!
oh well, morning ramblings.. :p was just drinking the famous Aun Tong coffee i bought back from Taiping and sis mentioned that it tasted similar to Malacca coffee and i realised that yes, even food tends to taste different in different parts of a country.. but in Singapore, umm... hahaha...
hi hi! thanks for all the belated birthday greetings today! :D
well, i need to clarify something about the last minute greeting that came in from Lynn yesterday... you see, this wonderful friend of mine was so pre-occupied trying to help me do something important (which i will reveal shortly)... that was why she forgot about my birthday.. it is 1000% forgiveable!!! And i thank God for friends like that.. I really do.. The more i think about it, the more i know I've been blessed with the acquaintance, friendship and love of some of the most wonderful and inspiring people who walk on this earth in our time and generation!! Thanks everyone! I owe my dreams to your support and encouragement!
Now for some revealing... as some of you might have forseen will occur at one point or other in my life, I have decided to embark on a little semi-long journey to pursue a dream of mine.. (at this point, i feel like Bilbo Baggins in Lord of the Rings during his birthday feast as he makes his announcement..haha...).. as you see from this little map, there is this huge chunk of the southern hemisphere of the earth that has thus far eluded me and my travels...i've decided to see a part of this giant land mass, and perhaps try to live out the hidden dreams of many.. i'm going to take time off from work to travel to South America over the next 3 months, do all the incredible photography, learn all the Spanish, see all the culture, and really experience the other side of the globe which i have been dreaming of all this while...
it took no less than a lot of thought and lonely and frightened moments from me, still takes a lot of support and understanding from people who care for me, work with and/or love me, and considerable planning and help from friends and acquaintances.. but now (despite much hair-pulling and tearful moments), with the grace of God, everything seems to be working out nicely at last.. i've got my flights booked, i've learnt a whole bunch of lessons about how to do things right and now, the preparation is really just exciting and every moment is a blessing..
yes, Lynn helped me to find an alternative to my original flight arrangement which was to fly to Rio De Janeiro from Singapore via Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, LA and Sao Paulo (four transit stops no less.. a continuous flight time of more than 26 hours!!!).. i'm now going to fly from Singapore to London (my favourite city!) instead and then onwards to Rio after resting in London for a full day at her friend's house... isn't she wonderful?? :D
well, i need to clarify something about the last minute greeting that came in from Lynn yesterday... you see, this wonderful friend of mine was so pre-occupied trying to help me do something important (which i will reveal shortly)... that was why she forgot about my birthday.. it is 1000% forgiveable!!! And i thank God for friends like that.. I really do.. The more i think about it, the more i know I've been blessed with the acquaintance, friendship and love of some of the most wonderful and inspiring people who walk on this earth in our time and generation!! Thanks everyone! I owe my dreams to your support and encouragement!
Now for some revealing... as some of you might have forseen will occur at one point or other in my life, I have decided to embark on a little semi-long journey to pursue a dream of mine.. (at this point, i feel like Bilbo Baggins in Lord of the Rings during his birthday feast as he makes his announcement..haha...).. as you see from this little map, there is this huge chunk of the southern hemisphere of the earth that has thus far eluded me and my travels...i've decided to see a part of this giant land mass, and perhaps try to live out the hidden dreams of many.. i'm going to take time off from work to travel to South America over the next 3 months, do all the incredible photography, learn all the Spanish, see all the culture, and really experience the other side of the globe which i have been dreaming of all this while...
it took no less than a lot of thought and lonely and frightened moments from me, still takes a lot of support and understanding from people who care for me, work with and/or love me, and considerable planning and help from friends and acquaintances.. but now (despite much hair-pulling and tearful moments), with the grace of God, everything seems to be working out nicely at last.. i've got my flights booked, i've learnt a whole bunch of lessons about how to do things right and now, the preparation is really just exciting and every moment is a blessing..
yes, Lynn helped me to find an alternative to my original flight arrangement which was to fly to Rio De Janeiro from Singapore via Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, LA and Sao Paulo (four transit stops no less.. a continuous flight time of more than 26 hours!!!).. i'm now going to fly from Singapore to London (my favourite city!) instead and then onwards to Rio after resting in London for a full day at her friend's house... isn't she wonderful?? :D
Thursday, 9 January 2003
ystdy was my birthday! (did you realise?? :p)
the first greeting came in via sms as early as 8 am, with the rest streaming in through the day in various shapes and forms, and the last one of the day rushing in a little before midnight with a "Oh ya! It's your birthday! Happy Birthday!" by my dearest friend Lynn. The first belated one came in a minute after midnight, and the second one 2 to 3 minutes after that.. i imagine a few more today..
so i had a happy birthday! :D thanks everyone!
and alb gave me a trio bunch with these masks.. can you guess who they are??
the first greeting came in via sms as early as 8 am, with the rest streaming in through the day in various shapes and forms, and the last one of the day rushing in a little before midnight with a "Oh ya! It's your birthday! Happy Birthday!" by my dearest friend Lynn. The first belated one came in a minute after midnight, and the second one 2 to 3 minutes after that.. i imagine a few more today..
so i had a happy birthday! :D thanks everyone!
and alb gave me a trio bunch with these masks.. can you guess who they are??
Tuesday, 7 January 2003
down with a bit of flu today and took mc to fix myself up..
on my way home from the doctor's, i chanced upon a group of secondary school students from the nearby secondary school, still in their uniforms. the girls were puffing away on cigarettes, held expertly in their hands. they were acting intimately with a group of male students and appeared totally unembarrassed by my sudden presence.. in fact, they appeared proud and probably thought they looked really "cool"..
normally, i would have just shrugged the whole thing off as "juvenile delinquency" and moved on.. but i guess illnesses have a way of making us think about life and death and other "deep" stuff...and for me to be a little irritable.. i was annoyed that the kids seemed only concerned with looking "good", fitting in, enjoying life and indulging in what they perceive as "forbidden activiites".. in fact, it will be worrying if this mindset carries on into their adulthood and instead of adding to the richness of their lives by wholesome activities, giving back to society by voluntary work, or challenging and developing themselves through travel and reading, they take away from their lives by harmful activities such as smoking, drinking, driving fast bikes and cars..
tsk tsk... i am beginning to sound like a parent.. :p
on my way home from the doctor's, i chanced upon a group of secondary school students from the nearby secondary school, still in their uniforms. the girls were puffing away on cigarettes, held expertly in their hands. they were acting intimately with a group of male students and appeared totally unembarrassed by my sudden presence.. in fact, they appeared proud and probably thought they looked really "cool"..
normally, i would have just shrugged the whole thing off as "juvenile delinquency" and moved on.. but i guess illnesses have a way of making us think about life and death and other "deep" stuff...and for me to be a little irritable.. i was annoyed that the kids seemed only concerned with looking "good", fitting in, enjoying life and indulging in what they perceive as "forbidden activiites".. in fact, it will be worrying if this mindset carries on into their adulthood and instead of adding to the richness of their lives by wholesome activities, giving back to society by voluntary work, or challenging and developing themselves through travel and reading, they take away from their lives by harmful activities such as smoking, drinking, driving fast bikes and cars..
tsk tsk... i am beginning to sound like a parent.. :p
Sunday, 5 January 2003
are those real goldfishes they are using in this ice sculpture??
goldfishes seem to be one of the favourite subjects of cruel experiments to test effect of cold waters on animals... this school especially does a whole bunch of bizarre (at least from my unscientific point of view) experiments on living things..
isn't there a law against this??
goldfishes seem to be one of the favourite subjects of cruel experiments to test effect of cold waters on animals... this school especially does a whole bunch of bizarre (at least from my unscientific point of view) experiments on living things..
isn't there a law against this??
Saturday, 4 January 2003
UZUMAKI!
utterly spooked by last night's jap movie about snails, washing machines, japanese fishcakes and all things spiral... still spooked... maybe i should just stick to watching cute or romantic or fantasy or tragic movies...since even thrillers set my pulse racing a little faster than what i can handle sometimes.. errr... hahahaha :D ... still, it's a good and entertaining movie. a cross between a B-grade "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" (which means it gets an occasional guffaw from me for its sheer absurdity) and a good ole Jap horror movie ala "The Ring"...
umm .. wonder if they will make a sequel on it...
finally went roller blading this morning, after almost a year's break! after a couple of near tumbles and a real fall-on-my-bottom, i started to sail along smoothly on my faithful Salomons, and enjoyed the new and broader cycle path, passing other slower bladers and cyclists, the cool sea breeze after the rain, the happy people walking around with their loved ones and pets.. very relaxing... i started to wonder if i should and could make this a weekly or fortnightly affair.. then i realised that i thought the same thing around the same time last year (and even made it a New Year's Resolution!) and never ever got around to doing it again..
ha.. talk about lack of discipline.. :p
Thursday, 2 January 2003
i'm been experiencing what i suppose the new agey people will call "Synchronicity" - otherwise known as "meaningful coincidences" these past two days..
i'm not really into this sort of mystic stuff (and choose not to indulge in them) but things have kinda been falling into place nicely (especially where i most needed them to) and at the right time, even like reaching traffic lights just as they turn green, finding parking lots in crowded car parks, getting to places just as the people i need to meet appear, getting calls from people i need to talk to, remembering to do something where previously i would have forgotten to do them (simply because something totally unrelated triggered me to think along certain lines and about certain people).. and the people around me (especially my close friends and family) seem to be really agreeable and warm and supportive..
life seems to be "in sync" at the moment... which is really nice.. :) ... and i haven't been messing it up by having late nights or waking up late or losing my temper unnecessarily... let's hope that i can keep this up till it becomes a good habit... it has been so encouraging..
starting to pick up spanish from a book called Accelerated Learning Spanish.. wah.. not easy language to learn.. might have to take a crash course sometime in the year to get the pronunciations right..
i'm not really into this sort of mystic stuff (and choose not to indulge in them) but things have kinda been falling into place nicely (especially where i most needed them to) and at the right time, even like reaching traffic lights just as they turn green, finding parking lots in crowded car parks, getting to places just as the people i need to meet appear, getting calls from people i need to talk to, remembering to do something where previously i would have forgotten to do them (simply because something totally unrelated triggered me to think along certain lines and about certain people).. and the people around me (especially my close friends and family) seem to be really agreeable and warm and supportive..
life seems to be "in sync" at the moment... which is really nice.. :) ... and i haven't been messing it up by having late nights or waking up late or losing my temper unnecessarily... let's hope that i can keep this up till it becomes a good habit... it has been so encouraging..
starting to pick up spanish from a book called Accelerated Learning Spanish.. wah.. not easy language to learn.. might have to take a crash course sometime in the year to get the pronunciations right..
Wednesday, 1 January 2003
alb said something just now about New Year's Resolutions that is so true!
it's not that New Year's Resolutions are generally ineffective 'cos people end up not doing them anyway and giving up on setting them (or recycling them) for the following year. the real problem with New Year's Resolutions is the hidden perception for many of us (who set these resolutions with a great amount of zeal and genuine sincerity) that many of the things we say we will do can actually be done in a really short time.
for eg, a friend of mine says she intends to learn how to build her own desktop PC in 2003.. however, since this is something that can technically be learnt in a little over a week (or even less for the more diligent ones), the tendency is to actually leave it till 20 Dec 2003 or so before getting around to doing it (by which time other more important things would have cropped up). another example is the learning of languages or losing weight. since there is really no fixed checkpoints at which we assess our progress until the next time we set our resolutions, we end up see-sawing in our progress and may end up a little disappointed at how much we achieve in the year..
alb proposes renaming it New Year Scheduling and actually taking a whole year's calender and pencilling in exact dates of when we want certain resolutions to be done as well as progress markers along the way.
Swell idea!
btw, here is a little something for those wondering what New Year's Resolutions to set... try this
Take the What Should Your New Year's Resolution Be? Quiz
it's not that New Year's Resolutions are generally ineffective 'cos people end up not doing them anyway and giving up on setting them (or recycling them) for the following year. the real problem with New Year's Resolutions is the hidden perception for many of us (who set these resolutions with a great amount of zeal and genuine sincerity) that many of the things we say we will do can actually be done in a really short time.
for eg, a friend of mine says she intends to learn how to build her own desktop PC in 2003.. however, since this is something that can technically be learnt in a little over a week (or even less for the more diligent ones), the tendency is to actually leave it till 20 Dec 2003 or so before getting around to doing it (by which time other more important things would have cropped up). another example is the learning of languages or losing weight. since there is really no fixed checkpoints at which we assess our progress until the next time we set our resolutions, we end up see-sawing in our progress and may end up a little disappointed at how much we achieve in the year..
alb proposes renaming it New Year Scheduling and actually taking a whole year's calender and pencilling in exact dates of when we want certain resolutions to be done as well as progress markers along the way.
Swell idea!
btw, here is a little something for those wondering what New Year's Resolutions to set... try this
Take the What Should Your New Year's Resolution Be? Quiz
Tuesday, 31 December 2002
seven and a half more hours to the end of 2002!! it will be 2003 soon my darlings!! and there is nothing anyone of us can do about it!!
*gasp* gasp**
have you made your new year resolutions yet? re-examined your old ones??
i'm trying not to recycle anything from last year.. :p.. but i think the main themes will still be the usual:
- skills (language/artistic/business/sports etc): might try to pick up pottery and get around to learning Spanish and Malay. would love to do more oil painting too..
- family: respect and love my parents and siblings
- fitness and health: run hweeling run! :)
- finances: cut out all the frivolous expenses
- break bad habits, grow good ones: late nights, poor eating patterns
something like that lah..
*gasp* gasp**
have you made your new year resolutions yet? re-examined your old ones??
i'm trying not to recycle anything from last year.. :p.. but i think the main themes will still be the usual:
- skills (language/artistic/business/sports etc): might try to pick up pottery and get around to learning Spanish and Malay. would love to do more oil painting too..
- family: respect and love my parents and siblings
- fitness and health: run hweeling run! :)
- finances: cut out all the frivolous expenses
- break bad habits, grow good ones: late nights, poor eating patterns
something like that lah..
i still get tickled everytime i see this in Amazon while surfing for a particular book. they have this to introduce their new Apparel Store (just below the usual helpful section on "Customers who bought this book also bought")..
Customers who wear clothes also shop for:
Clean Underwear from Amazon's Target Store
Ladybug Rain Boots from Amazon's Nordstrom Store
Pet Socks from Amazon's Urban Outfitters Store
Puppy Footed One-Pieces for Newborns from Amazon's Old Navy Store
For a limited time get $25 to spend at Amazon when you spend $75 in Amazon's new Apparel Store! Valid on first Apparel purchase only. Limit one per household.
hahahaha.... :D
Customers who wear clothes also shop for:
hahahaha.... :D
Monday, 30 December 2002
i was originally going to blog about the Raelians and cloning but then, after watching the 10 o'clock news on Channel U, i've got more exciting stuff to share with you!! (btw, check out the Rael.org site... it's really odd!! with flying saucers and aliens!! creepy too!)
according to the news report on the recent fad regarding mexican jumping beans (they showed a whole trayful of them!! remember my earlier blog on my new pets - Biggie, L, and Bert??), some countries such as Hong Kong and Taiwan have banned the import of mexican jumping beans due to their disastrous effect on the natural environment! i didn't quite catch the whole report but apparently, the hatched moths and their crawlies supposedly wipe out huge tracts of native forests!
the news reporter said that the Singapore authorities haven't produced confirmed reports on the extent of the impact but PPD has issued a request for all owners of Mexican Jumping Beans (including me!!) to hand them over to PPD "for proper disposal"!!
they're going to kill my Biggie, L and Bert!!! No Way!! Oh dear.. what am i to do?? :(
and to add to the injury, my mom says they are the most likely cause of the nagging cough she has been having over the past two weeks, as well as the cause of the bit of ill-health I had earlier ... in fact, she added, they are probably the reason why the clinic has been so crowded with so many ill people recently, with persistent illnesses!! :O
huh??? surely not!!?
according to the news report on the recent fad regarding mexican jumping beans (they showed a whole trayful of them!! remember my earlier blog on my new pets - Biggie, L, and Bert??), some countries such as Hong Kong and Taiwan have banned the import of mexican jumping beans due to their disastrous effect on the natural environment! i didn't quite catch the whole report but apparently, the hatched moths and their crawlies supposedly wipe out huge tracts of native forests!
the news reporter said that the Singapore authorities haven't produced confirmed reports on the extent of the impact but PPD has issued a request for all owners of Mexican Jumping Beans (including me!!) to hand them over to PPD "for proper disposal"!!
they're going to kill my Biggie, L and Bert!!! No Way!! Oh dear.. what am i to do?? :(
and to add to the injury, my mom says they are the most likely cause of the nagging cough she has been having over the past two weeks, as well as the cause of the bit of ill-health I had earlier ... in fact, she added, they are probably the reason why the clinic has been so crowded with so many ill people recently, with persistent illnesses!! :O
huh??? surely not!!?
Sunday, 29 December 2002
today is one of those days when i suddenly get into a strange shopping mood and end up with the strangest and most random things in my shopping bags..
i bought a matt silver thermos flask (350ml) from the household department, 3 packs of film (36 photos in all) for my Polariod i-zone camera (which i haven't used at all since i bought it in 2001) from the pharmacy, special edition Spawn action figurines (Exclusive Two-Pack Evolution) from the toy department; and a pack of Polish sausages from the supermarket.. very surreal when i look into my bags..
anyhow, pics from my trip to Taiping are ready!!
click on the wantan mee auntie to view gallery!
i bought a matt silver thermos flask (350ml) from the household department, 3 packs of film (36 photos in all) for my Polariod i-zone camera (which i haven't used at all since i bought it in 2001) from the pharmacy, special edition Spawn action figurines (Exclusive Two-Pack Evolution) from the toy department; and a pack of Polish sausages from the supermarket.. very surreal when i look into my bags..
anyhow, pics from my trip to Taiping are ready!!
click on the wantan mee auntie to view gallery!
Thursday, 26 December 2002
a lovely article that Straits Times columnist David Kraal wrote four years ago. The core message cuts across all lines of race and religion, colour and creed. It is a message of the wonder of life...
The Straits Times, December 2, 1998.
Yes, Auréa, there is a Santa Claus
I SPOKE on the telephone to my favourite little girl in all the world three nights ago.
Her voice filled with the sparkle of good cheer: "Our Christmas tree is up and it's so tall it touches the sky. The lights are so bright, just like the stars in Singapore." Then she laughed a laugh of complete joy.
Sticking to the festive theme, I asked: "Has mummy gone out and bought you your Christmas presents?"
There was no pause from the Paris end when the six-year-old set about correcting the ignorance of age with controlled patience: "Grandpa, grandpa, it is Santa who brings me my Christmas presents, not mummy."
I was utterly mortified; devastated by my own ignorance. I could only blurt out: "Of course, my darling Auréa, Santa will be bringing you your presents."
She laughed again, happy that she had put me right about Christmas gifts and where they really came from.
We chatted about this and that for a few more minutes, then she said she had to go, something about it being time to feed Gaston, her cat.
I told her I would ring her up to wish her a Merry Christmas and I sadly hung up the phone.
I sat in my chair for minutes on end, pondering my mistake. How could I, of all people, forget the reality of Christmas? How could I, a journalist all my life, forget that unforgettable journalistic landmark dedicated to Santa Claus?
Francis Church, the editor of The Sun newspaper in New York, wrote an editorial, published on September 21, 1897, in answer to a letter. It was headlined (strong contender for the most famous headline of all time!): Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.
"We take pleasure in answering thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time our great gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the friends of The Sun:
Dear Editor,
I am eight years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says: 'If you see it in The Sun, it's so.' Please tell me the truth: Is there a Santa Claus?
Virginia O'Hanlon.
Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see.
They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or
children's, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect as compared with the boundless world
about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus!
It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The external light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.
Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove?
Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.
You tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could tear apart.
Only faith, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.
No Santa Claus! Thank God! He lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood."
I want so much to tell you, my dear Auréa, that I do know who brings you those Christmas presents.
I thought long about how I could make up for my blunder. I decided that try as I might, my journalistic words would be no match for the words written by another journalist just over 100 years ago.
Yes, Auréa, as Mr French says so eloquently, there is a Santa Claus. Please forgive your old grandpa for his festive folly. One tends to get a little forgetful with age, even when it comes to the most important things in life. More is the pity.
ENDS
The Straits Times, December 2, 1998.
Yes, Auréa, there is a Santa Claus
I SPOKE on the telephone to my favourite little girl in all the world three nights ago.
Her voice filled with the sparkle of good cheer: "Our Christmas tree is up and it's so tall it touches the sky. The lights are so bright, just like the stars in Singapore." Then she laughed a laugh of complete joy.
Sticking to the festive theme, I asked: "Has mummy gone out and bought you your Christmas presents?"
There was no pause from the Paris end when the six-year-old set about correcting the ignorance of age with controlled patience: "Grandpa, grandpa, it is Santa who brings me my Christmas presents, not mummy."
I was utterly mortified; devastated by my own ignorance. I could only blurt out: "Of course, my darling Auréa, Santa will be bringing you your presents."
She laughed again, happy that she had put me right about Christmas gifts and where they really came from.
We chatted about this and that for a few more minutes, then she said she had to go, something about it being time to feed Gaston, her cat.
I told her I would ring her up to wish her a Merry Christmas and I sadly hung up the phone.
I sat in my chair for minutes on end, pondering my mistake. How could I, of all people, forget the reality of Christmas? How could I, a journalist all my life, forget that unforgettable journalistic landmark dedicated to Santa Claus?
Francis Church, the editor of The Sun newspaper in New York, wrote an editorial, published on September 21, 1897, in answer to a letter. It was headlined (strong contender for the most famous headline of all time!): Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.
"We take pleasure in answering thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time our great gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the friends of The Sun:
Dear Editor,
I am eight years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says: 'If you see it in The Sun, it's so.' Please tell me the truth: Is there a Santa Claus?
Virginia O'Hanlon.
Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see.
They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or
children's, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect as compared with the boundless world
about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus!
It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The external light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.
Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove?
Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.
You tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could tear apart.
Only faith, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.
No Santa Claus! Thank God! He lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood."
I want so much to tell you, my dear Auréa, that I do know who brings you those Christmas presents.
I thought long about how I could make up for my blunder. I decided that try as I might, my journalistic words would be no match for the words written by another journalist just over 100 years ago.
Yes, Auréa, as Mr French says so eloquently, there is a Santa Claus. Please forgive your old grandpa for his festive folly. One tends to get a little forgetful with age, even when it comes to the most important things in life. More is the pity.
ENDS
this is for the fans of LOTR who were appalled by my mis-spelling of their favourite Lord Sauron... just to let you know how I came up with the name Saudemor.. (btw, alb helped me to figure it out).. realised that it was actually a gross mutation of Lord Voldemort (aka He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named) from the latest Harry Potter movie.... hahahhahah... :p .... unbelievable eh??...
ok.. don't panic.. i'm still around... blogging from the lovely tranquil town of Taiping (near Ipoh) in Malaysia.. taking a lovely holiday break in the shadow of Maxwell Hill, eating the local versions of wantan mee, laksa, char kway teow, nasi lemak, kopi, teh ping, peanut pancake, prawn mee... the appearance is very very different, not to mention the taste!
will post pics once i get back.. :) in the meantime, merry belated christmas and happy boxing day!!
ok.. don't panic.. i'm still around... blogging from the lovely tranquil town of Taiping (near Ipoh) in Malaysia.. taking a lovely holiday break in the shadow of Maxwell Hill, eating the local versions of wantan mee, laksa, char kway teow, nasi lemak, kopi, teh ping, peanut pancake, prawn mee... the appearance is very very different, not to mention the taste!
will post pics once i get back.. :) in the meantime, merry belated christmas and happy boxing day!!
Sunday, 22 December 2002
Discovered today that I have a terribly bad memory in terms of Hollywood movie plots and storylines. Sometimes, when I try to figure them out, the result can be rather hilarious. But mostly, I suppose, they are just plain “bizarre”,as my close friends will testify.
Caught LOTR this morning (Don’t worry, no spoilers in this blog entry. Promise.) and this was my conversation with alb shortly before we went in for the 10.45am show.
Me: umm… can’t really remember what happened at the end of the previous episode. I can only remember this guy saying something like “the battle has been won… but the War, with the Dark side, has just Begun!”..
Alb: huh?? That’s Star Wars lah! Yoda! Not LOTR!
Me: huh?.. oh. umm… quite similar hor?.. I remember there was also this grotesque-looking swamp thing that was jumping around destroying things.. what was its name? umm...
Alb: oh no! you’re getting confused! the swamp thing is Gollum.. but he didn’t destroy anything! The destructive, jumping, grotesque creature was from Harry Potter and he is Dobby the house elf!
Me: oh! But.. but.. what about the trolls then?? There were trolls, right? In both shows? Which are the trolls anyway?? There are so many weird looking things there..
Alb: Trolls are the creatures that live under the bridge and eat goats.
Me: Ya.. but they attacked the Hobbits in the first show, right? I remember the guy, Frodo, had to hide behind some pillar and almost got killed! Didn’t that happen to Harry Potter too??
Alb: Ya.. the troll in Harry Potter was the creature in the toilet with the club.
Me: ok.. then which ones are the orcs? And what are ogres?? What ‘s the difference anyway??
Alb: oh no! you’re confused! Orcs are the enemy soldiers in LOTR, controlled by the evil Lord Saudermor. There are no ogres in LOTR. Remember Shrek? He’s an ogre lor..
Me: huh? Oh, the one with the pointed, antennae ears? But there are dragons in both shows, eh? I remember Gandalf battled a dragon at the end of the first show and got killed. And Shrek had a dragon attacking them too.. and even Harry Potter!
Alb: aiyoh! The thing in LOTR is not really a dragon. It is called a Balrog (supposed to be the devil), made of shadow and flames. The creature that attacked Harry Potter is a Basilisk, more like a snake. The only dragon was in Shrek.
Me: oh dear! Why are all these shows so similar?? Like.. like.. did you see that all this types of shows have a wise old man guiding a young, brave warrior, like in Harry Potter, there was this professor, called.. err…
Alb: Dumbledor.
Me: Ya! And in the LOTR, there is Gandalf! And the bad guy in these shows is always dressed in black, with a cloak, riding a black horse, like.. Ringwraith in LOTR, and err.. the Headless Horseman in…err…
Alb: Sleepy Hollow…sigh…
Me: uh huh! And … this guy controlling this huge lion in this other show.. can’t remember the name, which was traumatizing the villagers??
Alb: oh no! that’s Brotherhood of the Wolves!! You’re getting all the characters mixed up!
Me: even Darth Maul wears a black cloak!!
Alb: But you have to remember by the storyline rather than just the characters or creatures in the show!
Me: but.. but… the characters in each show are so “ripped off” from each other!! Even the battle scenes look remarkably alike! I remember there was another show where the army in this massive battle also uses long spears, like in LOTR!
Alb: huh?? Aiyoh, that’s Braveheart!
Me: huh?? really?? from so long ago??
Alb: sigh…
Me: sigh.. (slightly embarrassed.. but definitely more confused than ever)
Caught LOTR this morning (Don’t worry, no spoilers in this blog entry. Promise.) and this was my conversation with alb shortly before we went in for the 10.45am show.
Me: umm… can’t really remember what happened at the end of the previous episode. I can only remember this guy saying something like “the battle has been won… but the War, with the Dark side, has just Begun!”..
Alb: huh?? That’s Star Wars lah! Yoda! Not LOTR!
Me: huh?.. oh. umm… quite similar hor?.. I remember there was also this grotesque-looking swamp thing that was jumping around destroying things.. what was its name? umm...
Alb: oh no! you’re getting confused! the swamp thing is Gollum.. but he didn’t destroy anything! The destructive, jumping, grotesque creature was from Harry Potter and he is Dobby the house elf!
Me: oh! But.. but.. what about the trolls then?? There were trolls, right? In both shows? Which are the trolls anyway?? There are so many weird looking things there..
Alb: Trolls are the creatures that live under the bridge and eat goats.
Me: Ya.. but they attacked the Hobbits in the first show, right? I remember the guy, Frodo, had to hide behind some pillar and almost got killed! Didn’t that happen to Harry Potter too??
Alb: Ya.. the troll in Harry Potter was the creature in the toilet with the club.
Me: ok.. then which ones are the orcs? And what are ogres?? What ‘s the difference anyway??
Alb: oh no! you’re confused! Orcs are the enemy soldiers in LOTR, controlled by the evil Lord Saudermor. There are no ogres in LOTR. Remember Shrek? He’s an ogre lor..
Me: huh? Oh, the one with the pointed, antennae ears? But there are dragons in both shows, eh? I remember Gandalf battled a dragon at the end of the first show and got killed. And Shrek had a dragon attacking them too.. and even Harry Potter!
Alb: aiyoh! The thing in LOTR is not really a dragon. It is called a Balrog (supposed to be the devil), made of shadow and flames. The creature that attacked Harry Potter is a Basilisk, more like a snake. The only dragon was in Shrek.
Me: oh dear! Why are all these shows so similar?? Like.. like.. did you see that all this types of shows have a wise old man guiding a young, brave warrior, like in Harry Potter, there was this professor, called.. err…
Alb: Dumbledor.
Me: Ya! And in the LOTR, there is Gandalf! And the bad guy in these shows is always dressed in black, with a cloak, riding a black horse, like.. Ringwraith in LOTR, and err.. the Headless Horseman in…err…
Alb: Sleepy Hollow…sigh…
Me: uh huh! And … this guy controlling this huge lion in this other show.. can’t remember the name, which was traumatizing the villagers??
Alb: oh no! that’s Brotherhood of the Wolves!! You’re getting all the characters mixed up!
Me: even Darth Maul wears a black cloak!!
Alb: But you have to remember by the storyline rather than just the characters or creatures in the show!
Me: but.. but… the characters in each show are so “ripped off” from each other!! Even the battle scenes look remarkably alike! I remember there was another show where the army in this massive battle also uses long spears, like in LOTR!
Alb: huh?? Aiyoh, that’s Braveheart!
Me: huh?? really?? from so long ago??
Alb: sigh…
Me: sigh.. (slightly embarrassed.. but definitely more confused than ever)
Friday, 20 December 2002
Thursday, 19 December 2002
i'm still beaming from the afterglow of something which feels a lot like the Amelie Effect.. you know (from the really amazing french movie Amelie).. where Amelie did an unexpected good deed for someone and then felt so good that it set her off on this life mission to create chain reactions of other good deeds to people around her (which even spun-off back to herself eventually).... have decided that maybe my calling in life is to make a difference to people i meet everyday and where-ever i am, with whatever i have rather than trying to do some really "grand" and earth-shattering things.. maybe little differences that make these people's lives better and which helps them along in what they are doing.... wow... it even sounds good.. :)
helped someone today to come up with a novel and "out-of-the-box" solution for a troubling problem which first looked like it was "unsolve-able", and which had been causing her sleepless nights for the past couple of weeks. what was most interesting was that the solution came up almost out-of-the-blue when we were jesting and toying around with the most absurd possibilities.. all at once, there was great hope again and things started looking up.. it felt really good for me as much as it was for her...
then met up with a good friend for lunch and we had a fruitful time updating each other on the latest happenings in our lives and what we have learnt and experienced since some three months ago when we last met. we exchanged some of the new thoughts and ideas and dreams that came up for both of us over this short time.. quite inspiring to be able to knock ideas off someone... and he remarked that it was really good that we had dreams cos "strangely enough, it is really rare to find someone with dreams even among our peers".. can't agree with him more.. everywhere we turn, everyone seems to be so discouraged, in careers, in relationships.. everything... it seems like the economic crisis has taken a blow in almost every aspect of our lives... but then again, maybe we're all just making excuses not to do anything at all.. as someone (i think it was one of my lecturers again) once asked... what do you see in the line below:
OPPORTUNITYISNOWHERE
you could read it as "Opportunity Is Nowhere" (pessimist)... or you could also read it as "Opportunity Is Now Here" (optimist)..
every day offers more food for thought...
helped someone today to come up with a novel and "out-of-the-box" solution for a troubling problem which first looked like it was "unsolve-able", and which had been causing her sleepless nights for the past couple of weeks. what was most interesting was that the solution came up almost out-of-the-blue when we were jesting and toying around with the most absurd possibilities.. all at once, there was great hope again and things started looking up.. it felt really good for me as much as it was for her...
then met up with a good friend for lunch and we had a fruitful time updating each other on the latest happenings in our lives and what we have learnt and experienced since some three months ago when we last met. we exchanged some of the new thoughts and ideas and dreams that came up for both of us over this short time.. quite inspiring to be able to knock ideas off someone... and he remarked that it was really good that we had dreams cos "strangely enough, it is really rare to find someone with dreams even among our peers".. can't agree with him more.. everywhere we turn, everyone seems to be so discouraged, in careers, in relationships.. everything... it seems like the economic crisis has taken a blow in almost every aspect of our lives... but then again, maybe we're all just making excuses not to do anything at all.. as someone (i think it was one of my lecturers again) once asked... what do you see in the line below:
you could read it as "Opportunity Is Nowhere" (pessimist)... or you could also read it as "Opportunity Is Now Here" (optimist)..
every day offers more food for thought...
Tuesday, 17 December 2002
bunnies can come in all shapes and forms...
the exceedingly cute...
the bizarre and mutated..
wahahahaha....
when you work in an artshop, you have permission to be child-like forever!!! :D
the exceedingly cute...
the bizarre and mutated..
wahahahaha....
when you work in an artshop, you have permission to be child-like forever!!! :D
Sunday, 15 December 2002
dropped by after work today to see this "Women For Peace" Charity Carnival & Concert thingey at Fort Canning Park organised by UNIFEM Singapore in conjunction with International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. They had a couple of stores selling exotic jewellery and decorative items, Nepali food and snacks, beer and other random stuff, as well as a stall representing AWARE and another by UNIFEM Singapore themselves.
Spoke to this volunteer at the booth and thought UNIFEM does really good work: helping women to learn to provide for themselves and their families, educating them on their rights, eliminating violence against women etc. They are currently involved in projects in Bintan to help women and families affected by the recent economic crisis. Though she sounded a tad bit feminist ("women are likely to use the money donated to them on their families while men tend to squander it away"), she was truly passionate about the cause she was supporting, in both words and action.
i'm still trying to figure out where to place my time and efforts in terms of contributions to charity... i know i love animals and am against cruelty to all of God's creations.. especially to cats (i love cats!!)... i also want to help children in neighbouring developing countries to have more opportunities in life.. at the same time, i have to acknowledge that there may perhaps already be areas on the home-front that i can readily contribute in... umm.... it used to be easier when i was in the Interact Club in school and we had scheduled days and times to visit special schools and service centres to help out.. now, it takes a lot more commitment and responsibility to make sure i can keep it up once i start.. very complicated..
will surely be something to work on for the new year..
Spoke to this volunteer at the booth and thought UNIFEM does really good work: helping women to learn to provide for themselves and their families, educating them on their rights, eliminating violence against women etc. They are currently involved in projects in Bintan to help women and families affected by the recent economic crisis. Though she sounded a tad bit feminist ("women are likely to use the money donated to them on their families while men tend to squander it away"), she was truly passionate about the cause she was supporting, in both words and action.
i'm still trying to figure out where to place my time and efforts in terms of contributions to charity... i know i love animals and am against cruelty to all of God's creations.. especially to cats (i love cats!!)... i also want to help children in neighbouring developing countries to have more opportunities in life.. at the same time, i have to acknowledge that there may perhaps already be areas on the home-front that i can readily contribute in... umm.... it used to be easier when i was in the Interact Club in school and we had scheduled days and times to visit special schools and service centres to help out.. now, it takes a lot more commitment and responsibility to make sure i can keep it up once i start.. very complicated..
will surely be something to work on for the new year..
Friday, 13 December 2002
Albert Einstein has some pretty amazing quotes (taken from this site):
The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.
People like you and I, though mortal of course like everyone else, do not grow old no matter how long we live...[We] never cease to stand like curious children before the great mystery into which we were born. (in a letter to Otto Juliusburger)
We have to do the best we can. This is our sacred human responsibility.
The pursuit of truth and beauty is a sphere of activity in which we are permitted to remain children all our lives.
The search for truth is more precious than its possession
Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen.
The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.
I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.
With fame I become more and more stupid, which of course is a very common phenomenon.
Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the life-long attempt to acquire it.
Few are those who see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts.
He who joyfully marches in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would suffice. (this one is really harsh.. but makes sense..)
Intellectuals solve problems; geniuses prevent them.
Setting an example is not the main means of influencing others; it is the only means (i love this one :))
The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.
People like you and I, though mortal of course like everyone else, do not grow old no matter how long we live...[We] never cease to stand like curious children before the great mystery into which we were born. (in a letter to Otto Juliusburger)
We have to do the best we can. This is our sacred human responsibility.
The pursuit of truth and beauty is a sphere of activity in which we are permitted to remain children all our lives.
The search for truth is more precious than its possession
Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen.
The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.
I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.
With fame I become more and more stupid, which of course is a very common phenomenon.
Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the life-long attempt to acquire it.
Few are those who see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts.
He who joyfully marches in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would suffice. (this one is really harsh.. but makes sense..)
Intellectuals solve problems; geniuses prevent them.
Setting an example is not the main means of influencing others; it is the only means (i love this one :))
you have heard of the Serenity Prayer which goes like this:
GOD, grant me the serenity
to accept the things
I cannot change,
Courage to change the
things I can, and the
wisdom to know the difference. (see full text)
but have you heard of the Senility Prayer:
GOD grant me the senility
to forget the people
I never liked anyway,
the good fortune to run into the ones that I do, and the
eyesight to tell the difference.
very true.. i'm still trying to learn the lesson of not staying angry with the millions of bad drivers who recklessly cut in in front of me everyday when i drive..grr...
GOD, grant me the serenity
to accept the things
I cannot change,
Courage to change the
things I can, and the
wisdom to know the difference. (see full text)
but have you heard of the Senility Prayer:
GOD grant me the senility
to forget the people
I never liked anyway,
the good fortune to run into the ones that I do, and the
eyesight to tell the difference.
very true.. i'm still trying to learn the lesson of not staying angry with the millions of bad drivers who recklessly cut in in front of me everyday when i drive..grr...
a bunch of Canadian Mennonites have started a movement called Buy Nothing Christmas "dedicated to reviving the original meaning of Christmas giving". They are even providing you with posters you can download (here) to support the movement!
though i don't completely agree with this group of radical souls (after all, isn't Christmas about giving? and if we want to give something tangible, don't we have to buy it??), the Christmas crowd can get a little daunting and frustrating at times. and the worse thing is, we usually end up at the end of gift exchange sessions (especially at work) with a lot of things from a lot of people we aren't really all that close to, that just end up sitting around on the shelf or cupboard for the next 12 months till next Christmas...
hence, i am tempted to practise what i now term the new form of "Gift Exchange".. basically, if you get something you don't really like from someone you are not all that close to, just rewrap it, write a new card, and give it to someone else! :D this way, you save your money buying more presents and at the same time, save yourself from all the clutter that builds up from unwanted gifts...
hahahaha.. . oh oh.. now i think i may end up not receiving any presents from some of you anymore!.. :(
though i don't completely agree with this group of radical souls (after all, isn't Christmas about giving? and if we want to give something tangible, don't we have to buy it??), the Christmas crowd can get a little daunting and frustrating at times. and the worse thing is, we usually end up at the end of gift exchange sessions (especially at work) with a lot of things from a lot of people we aren't really all that close to, that just end up sitting around on the shelf or cupboard for the next 12 months till next Christmas...
hence, i am tempted to practise what i now term the new form of "Gift Exchange".. basically, if you get something you don't really like from someone you are not all that close to, just rewrap it, write a new card, and give it to someone else! :D this way, you save your money buying more presents and at the same time, save yourself from all the clutter that builds up from unwanted gifts...
hahahaha.. . oh oh.. now i think i may end up not receiving any presents from some of you anymore!.. :(
Thursday, 12 December 2002
my lecturer has a website! how fun!
i think everyone should have their own webpage, even if it is just to dump random stuff they find or think up or to scribble down the occassional note.... it's like staking out a home in a global village of limitless communication and connection... go beyond email (which is no different from just having a PO box but no home).. build a house where people can visit to know a little more about you and from which you can make that little bit of difference (no matter how small) in your own way to the information world.. if you are an expert in something, contribute to the global repository of knowledge that will benefit humankind!!
read this random joke in Reader's Digest:
My friend and I were working on her computer when a spider landed on the monitor.
While my friend was trying to chase it away, I couldn't help but retort,"Maybe it's trying to access its website."
hahahaha.... ok ok.. not funny... :p
i think everyone should have their own webpage, even if it is just to dump random stuff they find or think up or to scribble down the occassional note.... it's like staking out a home in a global village of limitless communication and connection... go beyond email (which is no different from just having a PO box but no home).. build a house where people can visit to know a little more about you and from which you can make that little bit of difference (no matter how small) in your own way to the information world.. if you are an expert in something, contribute to the global repository of knowledge that will benefit humankind!!
read this random joke in Reader's Digest:
My friend and I were working on her computer when a spider landed on the monitor.
While my friend was trying to chase it away, I couldn't help but retort,"Maybe it's trying to access its website."
hahahaha.... ok ok.. not funny... :p
Wednesday, 11 December 2002
i think everyone should know about Axel Erlandson and his Tree Circus - pretty amazing! this guy grows trees into amazing twists, hearts, spirals and any shape you can imagine... cool...
.. read more...
20 days to the end of the year!!
having encountered quite a couple of pretty dramatic end-of-year happenings over the past couple of years, i can safely conclude that the end of the year has probably something of a catalytic effect on most people I know, including myself.. For some reason, a lot of dramatic things tend to happen anywhere between mid November to end December... New and old relationships defined & redefined, intense emotions felt, career changes and plans, meeting new people, forming new bonds.. it is as if we are all trying to get things sorted out quickly so we can start life anew for next year ... even though most of the time, things don't quite end up the way we expect or hope them to ... anyhow, we learn a lot of sweet or painful and frequently life-changing lessons - we may end up crying a lot, laughing a lot, but mostly, we just sit around talking and sharing.. it is really nice... warm and fuzzy... This makes the rest of the year somewhat dull.. but hopefully we can all come together on the eve of New Year and count down together, hug, kiss and hope for the best for one other for the next year.. for that, i'm actually looking forward to New Year Count Down.. just for the "purging effect" :p ..
on another note: if i were to challenge you to try something new or to pick up something you have always wanted to learn before the year is through (with what little time we have left), what would it be?
i'm going to try out cooking Asian dishes!! umm... maybe i should try making Tom Yam soup?.. :)
.. read more...
20 days to the end of the year!!
having encountered quite a couple of pretty dramatic end-of-year happenings over the past couple of years, i can safely conclude that the end of the year has probably something of a catalytic effect on most people I know, including myself.. For some reason, a lot of dramatic things tend to happen anywhere between mid November to end December... New and old relationships defined & redefined, intense emotions felt, career changes and plans, meeting new people, forming new bonds.. it is as if we are all trying to get things sorted out quickly so we can start life anew for next year ... even though most of the time, things don't quite end up the way we expect or hope them to ... anyhow, we learn a lot of sweet or painful and frequently life-changing lessons - we may end up crying a lot, laughing a lot, but mostly, we just sit around talking and sharing.. it is really nice... warm and fuzzy... This makes the rest of the year somewhat dull.. but hopefully we can all come together on the eve of New Year and count down together, hug, kiss and hope for the best for one other for the next year.. for that, i'm actually looking forward to New Year Count Down.. just for the "purging effect" :p ..
on another note: if i were to challenge you to try something new or to pick up something you have always wanted to learn before the year is through (with what little time we have left), what would it be?
i'm going to try out cooking Asian dishes!! umm... maybe i should try making Tom Yam soup?.. :)
Monday, 9 December 2002
did grad-dip. laughed. cried. learned. ran. loved. read. took loads of photographs. london again. gained friends. became wiser.
More brisk walking through town...
and check out Happy Tree Friends come alive!!
Saturday, 7 December 2002
Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri! (pick your own greeting card :p)
took a quick glance at Edward de Bono's 'Six Thinking Hats' book just now at Kinokuniya.. seems like a really interesting technique to help confused, overwhelmed people like me make decisions for all areas of life, especially in terms of work.. the technique advocates considering a problem from 6 important perspectives, systematically, so as to get a more rounded view of a situation. You imagine you are putting on different coloured hats, each representing a different style of thinking, from creatively, cautiously, intuitively, analytically, etc... so at the end of it, problems are supposed to get solved a lot more quickly and also comprehensively.. but quite an expensive book.. will try to get it from the library instead..
we also saw this book called "The 36 Strategies of the Chinese: Adapting Ancient Chinese Wisdom to the Business World".. see a list of the 36 strategies here... sometimes, i hate to read about the business world like it's some sort of battlefield.. maybe i'm just naive, but i've always looked at business as just another aspect of modern society - to serve people, driven by the invisible hand.. if you see a want to be met and you fill it, everyone benefits. to win over your competition, you provide the best service or best price (or best value) available and everyone benefits even more.. something like that..
battlefield?.. sigh.. i don't know...
took a quick glance at Edward de Bono's 'Six Thinking Hats' book just now at Kinokuniya.. seems like a really interesting technique to help confused, overwhelmed people like me make decisions for all areas of life, especially in terms of work.. the technique advocates considering a problem from 6 important perspectives, systematically, so as to get a more rounded view of a situation. You imagine you are putting on different coloured hats, each representing a different style of thinking, from creatively, cautiously, intuitively, analytically, etc... so at the end of it, problems are supposed to get solved a lot more quickly and also comprehensively.. but quite an expensive book.. will try to get it from the library instead..
we also saw this book called "The 36 Strategies of the Chinese: Adapting Ancient Chinese Wisdom to the Business World".. see a list of the 36 strategies here... sometimes, i hate to read about the business world like it's some sort of battlefield.. maybe i'm just naive, but i've always looked at business as just another aspect of modern society - to serve people, driven by the invisible hand.. if you see a want to be met and you fill it, everyone benefits. to win over your competition, you provide the best service or best price (or best value) available and everyone benefits even more.. something like that..
battlefield?.. sigh.. i don't know...
Friday, 6 December 2002
went to see Mini-Z Racing today at this walk-up pre-war shophouse unit along Jalan Besar.. very strange place... Here, hidden away from the human traffic below, grown-up men play with modified 5" long radio-controlled racing cars in all makes and models, pitting their speeds against each other on a 10mx5m carpeted circuit at up to 20km/hr.. going round and round and round, flipping over, bumping and crashing... the whole idea is not only to be the most skillful at moving these little cars smoothly around circuits of twist, turns and straight lanes, but also to be skilled at changing the million and one parts that can make the car go faster, turn smoother, survive harder knocks or just be more stable... seems like the sort of things that engineers would love (alb says everyone there is an engineer, one type or other)... the camaraderie present there seems quite good.. like-minded individuals no doubt..
just one of the many hobbies that folks (especially guys) are spending their time and money on that i know nothing about.... such as playing with radio-controlled planes and helicopters, flying stunt kites, playing LAN and arcade games, fishing...
something new indeed.
just one of the many hobbies that folks (especially guys) are spending their time and money on that i know nothing about.... such as playing with radio-controlled planes and helicopters, flying stunt kites, playing LAN and arcade games, fishing...
something new indeed.
Wednesday, 4 December 2002
according to the lecturer in class today (yes, i still have one last module for my SIM course - called the Executive Empowerment Module.. sigh..), we often are attracted to people (or discover that a particular someone is "attractive") when he/she:
- rewards us (either in terms of inspiring us, supporting us, or otherwise making us feel good about ourselves)
- likes us (cos the typical person feels "unattractive" and is usually afraid of rejection and likes to know that they are liked..)
- is similar to us (rather than dissimilar, in term of educational level, intellect level, etc..)
- is physically attractive
- is around us when good things happen
- likes the same people and the same things (my lecturer believes the only time that the notion of "opposites attract" holds true when men or women are attracted to someone of the opposite gender. otherwise, similarity attracts..)
- disclose themselves to us (this one is quite true)
umm... i think there is some truth in most of them, though not all.. what do you think?
- rewards us (either in terms of inspiring us, supporting us, or otherwise making us feel good about ourselves)
- likes us (cos the typical person feels "unattractive" and is usually afraid of rejection and likes to know that they are liked..)
- is similar to us (rather than dissimilar, in term of educational level, intellect level, etc..)
- is physically attractive
- is around us when good things happen
- likes the same people and the same things (my lecturer believes the only time that the notion of "opposites attract" holds true when men or women are attracted to someone of the opposite gender. otherwise, similarity attracts..)
- disclose themselves to us (this one is quite true)
umm... i think there is some truth in most of them, though not all.. what do you think?
Tuesday, 3 December 2002
i ate a half-boiled egg this morning (the type you can find in kopi tiams (neighbourhood coffee shops) anywhere in Singapore), semi-scalded with boiling water, broken into a bowl or saucer (or slurped directly from the shell), with soya sauce and white pepper.. the way we have been eating it all our lives... and suddenly, I wondered out loud if people in other cultures eat their eggs like that too..
do they??
do they??
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