A random joke (Not for children below 21)



A male whale and a female whale were swimming off the coast of Japan when they noticed a whaling ship.

The male whale recognized it as the same ship that had harpooned his father many years earlier.

He said to the female whale, "Let's both swim under the ship and blow out of our air hole at the same time and it should cause the ship to turn over and sink."

They tried it and sure enough, the ship turned over and quickly sank.

Soon however, the whales realized the sailors had jumped overboard and were swimming to the safety of shore.

The male was enraged that they were going to get away and told the female, "Let's swim after them and gobble them up before they reach the shore."

At this point, he realized the female was becoming reluctant to follow him.

"Look", she said, "I went along with the blow job, but I absolutely refuse to swallow the seamen."

The average blue whale produces over 400 gallons of sperm when it ejaculates, but only 10% of that actually makes it into his mate. So 360 gallons are spilled into the ocean every time one unloads, and you wonder why the ocean is so salty...

Canon Photo Marathon Asia 2007

i've signed up for the above.

see link

sms or email me if u would like to join me on that day for some sighseeing and shooting.

what a powerful image



how many of us have courage like this?

Pengerang... Of roadkill, pillboxes, pink chendol and other such wonders..

today I went to Pengerang in Johore for a 1-day cycling trip.. the way i did it was: i went to changi village early (about 8.30am) for a yummy nasi lemak breakfast and to rent a bike from one of the numerous bike shops there (whole day rental $10-$15).. then we transported our bikes via bumboats from changi ferry terminal (the same one that has bumboats bringing you to Pulau Ubin) to pengerang ($8 +$2 for transporting the bike).. we took the boat at about 9.30am.. the journey is about an hour. once we hit the jetty on the other side and cleared customs (quite fast), it was a pretty straight road all the way to the main town Sungai Rengit, with a need to make only a single right turn, well-marked, along the way.. distance is about 19km one-way (takes roughly 1 and a half hours), pretty flat road with occasional traffic.. we got there in good time for a delicious but affordable lunch at the ever-popular-with-singaporeans crystal jade (no affiliation) seafood restaurant. then we spent some time exploring the town before heading back to the jetty, visiting a mango farm along the way to buy honey mangoes (RM5 per kg). latest boat leaves pengerang for changi at 4pm. don't miss the boat else have to stay overnight in pengarang.. :p

anyway, here are some pics...

on the way there...


on the way to largest town Sungai Rengit...


in Sungai Rengit itself...


anyway, i've decided not to post pics of the roadkill.. have decided it is a bit too distasteful.. :)

forgot to include for last weekend..

Amazing!

Waterfest 2007 Bedok Reservoir

and our local wakeboarding representatives - Max and Sasha!

One of Life's Most Important Lessons

read on a blog today:

"life's like that sometimes. we try our best, but there will come a point when we need to recognise it is time to let go and move on."

it's hard.. but what a good reminder..

yes, dammit.. but it's time to move on..

run run run...

My Life in Pictures

Those who know me well enough know these two months haven't been too easy for me.. particularly since there were all these visits to hospitals, some planned, some unplanned.. btw, the last pic shows the pulling cord that patients in ward toilets are supposed to be able to use to get help if necessary.. my sis tells me patients (or even their visitors) often mistake it for the toilet flush, which is pretty amusing to us but definitely not to the nurses who are already running around like headless chickens during their busy shifts... :p



but thank God for all the much needed support from some wonderful people like my best fren kai.. who knows, even better than me, what it really means to be "there for me when i need it"... thank you..:,> .. here's us having hotpot lunch at Hey Hey Hotpot, with her precious other half who looks like the store mascot.. he's very game to pose like this for my amusement.. haha..


when i'm feeling down i tend to notice buildings and scenery around me more... here's my all time favourite "condom building" (of cos it is NOT as 'phallic' as these..) and the view from above Labrador Beach..


and also a splendid view from a friend's condo taken recently; as well as the cranes and construction of the ION Orchard, like temporary sculptures erected against the deep blue sky.. i think construction can be quite pretty sometimes..



and then of course there is my lovely goddaughter Daphne who's growing up so beautifully and quickly! She's gonna turn 1 soon!! :) umm... wonder what i shall buy for her.. can't wait to teach her art and craft once she stops putting everything into her mouth.. :p



and have slowly but surely returned to my all time favourite pasttime.. running! starting really slow though cos technically not allowed to do any vigorous sport yet...



so that's a summary of my life recently.. it's a pretty personal post but I use my blog as a diary, so it's more for me than for you.

Yoga for Special Needs Children


if you know anyone (parents, teachers etc etc) who may benefit from this, please do help to spread the word.. this is a rare opportunity to make a difference to the special children around you!! :)

check out also www.specialyoga.com

Mr Mao

it's been an eventful past month filled with many personal and family incidents and events, not all pleasant but each nonetheless perspective changing in its own way.. but last night's painting session was a blast and here's my version of the ever-popular mr mao done in acrylics (16x20)..

The Cruelty of Foie Gras

I've tried it and I must say the taste is heavenly.. but since I found out how cruel it is some 2 to 3 years ago, I've stopped eating it, alongside with sharks' fin .. but only a video can let us see what the fuss is all about.. nonetheless, there is now "ethical foie gras"..



Synopsis of Video: Most people that have a problem with foie gras, have a problem with the way the French force-feed their goose. There is good news though. What’s really pissed the French off, is that Spanish producers of foie gras have won the prestigious medal for innovation at the Paris international food salon for their product, an ethical version of foie gras. It’s supposed to have all the yummy goodness, without the force-feeding cruelness. According to Gordon Ramsay, there is still a big difference in taste, and he will continue to use ‘real’ foie gras in his restaurants instead of the ethical foie gras made by Patería de Sousa.

Mid Autumn Festival is here again!



i know the mid-autumn festival is here whenever my lovely sister brings back these cartoon-based piglet biscuits for my amusement..

thank you sis! :)

What Car Matches Your Personality?
Brought to you by Tickle


You're driven by adventure

That's not to say we'd necessarily find you rafting wild rivers or climbing tall peaks — it's just that you're curious and enjoy exploring the world around you. You're probably more likely to be out hiking a mountain path or wandering an urban trail than sitting at home watching someone else do it on the Discovery Channel. There's a part of you that just loves a thrill — whatever form it comes in. That's why you're not afraid to try out new things, even if it means taking a risk or two.

But what does this mean about the perfect car for you? Your car better be able to keep up with your unpredictable pace, and unpredictable circumstances. You need a vehicle to get you into, and out of, the thick of things — not to mention a car that can haul all the necessary gear around with you. Your four-wheeled friend needs to perform just as well in the snow and rain as it does in your everyday routine. You can't experience the thrill of a new adventure if you can't get there!

Who's the perfect car companion, the vehicle to fit your adventurous lifestyle? It's an SUV or sports wagon like the Ford Explorer, the Subaru Outback, or the Chevy Avalanche. Your ideal ride might be more affordable than you'd think! And adventures await.

Fake fake bun story!

everything in china is fake! even stories about fake buns! read here..

in case u haven't seen the original video...



so anticlimactic!! but so hilarious! :D

i love that country! i'm soooo going to visit china again soon! wahahaha

Sir Ian McKellen on Channel NewsAsia



Description: Singapore is known for being extremely straight-laced, a city where homosexuality is frowned upon and oral sex is a criminal offense. On the other hand, Singapore has also in the last few years tried to promote creative thinking and the arts. Singapore's dual personalities collided rather embarrassingly when acclaimed actor Sir Ian McKellen appeared live on Channel NewsAsia's morning show. An innocuous question by co-host Suzanne Jung (no doubt suggested by the Singapore Tourism Board itself) led to this unexpected answer...

hahaha..

Watched King Lear just this weekend.. it was EXCELLENT! Ian McKellen was such an amazing actor... whee... :)

here's a clip i found on youtube..

Good and Bad Me

i know i sometimes annoy you...
i know i can be a pain in the a**
and i know i need to improve..

but maybe i have some plus points too i don't know about?
blind spots perhaps?
maybe there are some reasons why u still wanna be my friend?

if you happen to be a personal friend or close acquaintance of mine, or even someone who has had a certain amount of interaction with me in the past or currently, can you kindly do my Johari Window (Angel-me) and Nohari Window (Devil-me) please..?

Thanks a bunch.. :p (last ditch effort to get more plus points for my Johari window.. wahahaha..

Homosexuality in Singapore

MM Lee Kuan Yew recently said that "homosexuals are mostly born that way." The Government has in effect adopted a "don't ask, don't tell" policy. With Singapore becoming more cosmopolitan, should society also be more open towards homosexuality?

Take the ST Poll

iLove iProducts



haha... not that i'm not a fan myself... :p

Olny srmat poelpe can raed tihs.

cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy,

it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm.

Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! if you can raed tihs psas it on !!

i've seen tihs brfeoe sroemhwee but its so cool so let's eonjy! :)

where i went in June



more pics later.. :) school's just started and madness has begun..

Recent sightings...

pics from my samsung x820 .. what strange images i document on seemingly average days.. sometimes i don't even remember until i see the pics again for downloading...



from top (left to right): 'L' from Deathnote acting all aloof, a goldfish ignores ChannelnewsAsia, new HDB blocks, a gathering of chihuahuas, cold cream noodles from waraku (ummm.. nice..), a standard poodle pensive and pondering, reflections on Riverside Point, overhanging clouds, a bizarre soft toy, hideous crow paper decor hanging in the NIE canteen (couldn't figure out if it was for attracting or to ward off the crows??), a frighteningly enormous moth, leaf silhouettes outside suntec mall

Wings: A Tribute



This is so terribly touching....

Visit to the Esplanade area

yet another visit to this definitely over-photographed tourist spot but this time with an excited group of photo club students and no tripods :p.. made good use of railings, lampposts and steady hands... pardon me if these pics are rather cliché.. i wasn't particularly imaginative on Friday nite..haha...

A Rather Amazing Dog

Domokun Ipod Case


someone make me a Domokun Ipod casing pleeeeaaaseee!!!! this is sooooo cute!!! the "furry monster ipod casing" tutorial is here..

on the side.. am waiting for the "other colours" of the Creative Zen Stone to come out.. S$69 for 1gb.. something to accompany me on my runs... :)

finally.. i'm persuaded to switch from Ipod... :p .... half the price leh!! (instant lesson for econs students: consider cross elasticity of demand for ipod with respect to the price of creative's mp3 players..:p)

The Bird Outside The Office Window



the nest's been built and the olive-backed sunbird mother awaits her babies... she sits staring out from the tiny window for hours patiently..

Dolphin Slaughter



i dont' know if this is going to offend anyone but if it is the truth and the truth offends, so be it..

nonetheless, maybe the eating of meat will always be an act of cruelty.. and in that sense, i am a hypocrite... :(.. i don't know.. maybe one day, i'll turn vegetarian after all..

in case u wanna petition.. u can try this site or this one, both are addressed to the "Prime Minister of Japan".

Otters holding hands



i've been meaning to post this up for a while but never got round to it.. more than 5 million views, in case u haven't seen it..enjoy :).. the lighter coloured one is asleep and just floating around, held on by the dark grey one...watch it till the end, it gets really really cute!!

i want to be an otter too!! :) hold hands, float around and get fed.. no more marking!! wheeeee...

The Nest Outside My Office Window

when this female olive-backed sunbird began building its flask-shaped nest a couple of days ago, just a mere 10cm from my office cubicle window, i couldn't believe how lucky i was...


it's so incredibly lovely..

i still can't believe how lucky i am... from what i read, it looks like she's going to be around for at least another month or so... :)

life is made up of little pleasures just like this one :">

You say it is a frog and I say it is a horse!


We have to respect each other's opinion;

You're not wrong but neither am I! I'm not wrong but neither are U!

We just need to wait and listen actively to others' point of view;

Make a conscious choice to figure out why the other person sees it the way they do..

We might just discover something new for ourselves too! :)

Farm Visit to Kranji Countryside



yet another visit to the farms of the far (then again, how far can far be??) north of Singapore ... but still quite fun.. :) the area has some nice new eateries around worth dropping by for lunch or a snack.. check out Petals & Leaves Bistro (Ngee Phoe) - food's pretty ok and great ambience, open only in the weekends... and there's of cos Poison Ivy Bistro at Bollywood Veggies.. a good morning out before the midday showers came :)

SPCA visit



dropped by SPCA yesterday afternoon to rub the tummies of the doggies, scratch the faces & necks of the kitties and pat the furry heads of the bunnies.. the cats were sleepy, the dogs were frisky and the rabbits were .. err..quiet..

therapeutic. :) albeit the crowd...

lots of beautiful and friendly pets awaiting good homes.. please don't buy pets from the pet shops. Please adopt if you can.

Kiwi!



the youtube award winner, in case you haven't seen it.. so meaningful... the kind of stuff i like.. :">

"Kiwi!" is an animation about a Kiwi - a type of bird that cannot fly, who spends its whole life working towards achieving his dream. The kiwi strived to create the illusion that it was flying over a forest as it soared down through the sky from the top of a cliff. Thus, the kiwi spent what must have been its whole life nailing trees to the side of a cliff. All this, to fulfil its one dream of flying, even though it was technically unable to. There are several powerful messages behind Kiwi, but mainly, it makes you think: no matter how absurd and seemingly out of reach your dreams are, what's stopping you from achieving them?

something to encourage all of us dreamers out there.. :)

Visual DNA

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

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Sand Art



you may have seen this before somewhere on youtube but i'll put it up here to let a friend of mine find it more easily..

Forces at work and at play



i love watching stuff like this.. reminds me of the amazing Honda Accord commercial that was done entirely without the use of computer animation and made up of all the different parts of a Honda Accord car.. here it is (below) for those who missed it.. and of course for my friends who were there with me back in my London days, you may remember the Cabaret Mechanical Theatre in Covent Garden to be one of my all time favourite places... ah...with these amazing toys, i think i'll never see the need to grow up.. :p

krabi getaway



thanks to tigerairways, managed to grab return air tix to krabi for $50 (excluding taxes of $90)! apparently not the lowest it can go but still a steal.. sun sea and lots of snorkling plus lots of bowls of tom yum goong, plates of phad thai and jugs of Singha... ha.. nice..

post more pics in a while.. :)

Sea Angel (found on youtube)



such a lovely creature.. :).. but i must say the guy's voice in the background is rather annoying.. nonetheless, these lovely creatures are why i visit the Singapore Underwater World at least once a year..

painting with ketchup & fries



found this video while searching for material for work.. i know our parents tell us not to play with food but as performance art this is pretty cool..

Stuff i grew up with

someone just sent me this!! wah!!! SBC somemore! hahahhaha... nostalgic sia! I think this show is called "Mystery" or something.. I was still in Primary school then!!



See also: Flying Fish, Five Foot Way, Son of Pulau Tekong, Strange Encounters, Kopi-O...

and who can forget the mid-air somersault attack in Moero! Attack! (or as i read somewhere "the Japanese drama "Moero Attack", 《排球女将》 where volleyball chicks can leap, do a 360-somersault turn, spike, fly to the other end, spike back, go for manicure and tea before the ball hits the ground." ...hahahah... maybe that's why i don't watch TV nowadays.. cos i wanna retain my memories of these 80s shows.. wahahahah...

Saving starfish



If you're not familiar with the tale, it goes like this:

A man was walking on the beach saw that it was littered with thousands of starfish. A little boy was picking up the starfish one by one and throwing them into the ocean. He asked the boy, "What are you doing?" The boy replied, "I'm throwing starfish back into the water. If I leave them here they'll dry up and die." The man said, "But look how many starfish there are. What you're doing can't possibly make a difference." As the boy picked up another starfish and threw it into the ocean he said, "Well, it makes a difference to this one!"

the results for my first mischievous bunch of students, who tortured (:p) me all of the last two years just came out and i'm glad that (some? most?) of the starfish i attempted to save, through the gruelling 4 months of last minute work (Gosh! realised i had slogged all the way from 10 Jul to 15th Nov!!), did make it in the end... :,).... (sense the exhaustion i felt at that time)... it's a feeling that i can't quite explain.. though i won't claim credit for their entire success but i'm glad i was there on their journey to where they want to be..

all the best little starfishes! **waves**

Bak Chor Mee & A Famous Ang Moh Man



saw Anthony Bourdain, famous cook and host of the "Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations" travel food show on Discovery Travel & Living, together with the Makansutra guy KF Seetoh when i went to eat at the famous Tai Hwa Pork Noodle stall in Crawfod lane today (website: www.taihwa.com.sg --> hahaha.. got website some more!)

.... i want to write more but i'm too sleepy.. i'll carry on this blog entry tomorrow.. haha.. :p...

The Secret



DHL

Life Cycle

Your Expression Number is 8

Driven and ambitious, you have the potential to reach great things. You're both good with money and good at getting things done quickly. You are an excellent leader and a great judge of character. Full of energy and confidence, you undertake projects that seem impossible. Dependable and determined, you are able to understand the bigger picture. Even if you are not in a position of power right now, it will fall to you. At times, you can be very materialistic - and obsessed with status and power. While this isn't always a bad thing, you sometimes take it to the extreme. In order to be truly happy, you must balance the material and spiritual in your life.

What's Your Expression Number?

Slob Evolution



this is kinda cute, though a couple of comments have said that its a tad bit rude for its dig at the so-called "ugly people".. well.. i can see the innocent funny side of it so i don't quite agree..

here's a non sequitur link.. seems like everyone's playing with the Candybar Doll Maker to make their msn avatars.. have u made yours yet??

here's me..



hahaha.. ok.. not very well done but i went mad after being on it for an hour.. what a *&^$#*)?<:+ waste of time!!

and besides, i can't find anything that remotely looks like me which isn't surprising anyway cos... I DON'T LOOK LIKE A BL****Y DOLL IN THE FIRST PLACE!!! grrr.. :p

Dove Ad - "Evolution"



rather fascinating - especially for those of us who aspire to be like those "picture-perfect" people we see in ads.. perhaps it is time for us to appreciate the natural beauty in people and even in ourselves..

Please Adopt These Kittens

These four lovely kittens are looking for a good home..




I don't know when HDB will finally agree to drop their archaic laws against keeping of cats in government flats. According to the President of the Cat Welfare Society, if only 10% of HDB dwellers take 1 cat home, there would be no more strays on Singapore's streets! Think about that! Cat owners all know how wonderfully apartment-friendly cats (which have been sterilised) can be. In fact, cats are usually quieter and can be confined in apartments for long periods without problems than dogs and can keep themselves clean.. This clearly shows our authorities have some mysterious reasons for insisting on continuing this archaic practice (supposedly from the time of the Brits).. maybe they think like this silly person who wrote to ST forum on 25th of last month...."Why HDB should ban cat and dog ownership in flats"

i almost fell off my chair in sheer astonishment the first time i read the letter! this guy clearly knows nothing about cats and dogs and only manages to make himself sound silly and intolerant... i can't quite fathom what made ST publish this letter.. to make a mockery of this guy?? ... ok.. i shan't be mean.. just rather incensed by his letter, that's all..

so.. any kind cat lovers out there? email me.

On Mooching...

This following letter by a writer to the ST Forum says it EXACTLY the way i've always argued it.. so i'll let it speak for me.. haha... :p

IN THE article, 'Moochers, stop trespassing on my property' (ST, Jan 13), Dr Andy Ho could come to his conclusion only by intellectualising from the wrong analogy.

This is not about your neighbour coming into your home because you left your door unlocked or his meddling with the signals between your router and your computer in your house. Instead, we should think about:
- Your lawn sprinkler spraying water into your neighbour's garden.
- Your huge fruit tree dropping leaves, branches and ripe fruit into your neighbour's garden.
- The wind blowing the seeds of your patented GM crop into your neighbour's farm.

In these cases, case law is clear: your neighbour is entitled to do as he likes. The 'moocher' does not come into your house to use your network. It's your network that has extended beyond your house because you failed to secure it with a password. There is no trespass of your property. On the contrary, it's your network that has trespassed your neighbour's property.

My laptop logs onto any unsecured network within reach automatically and it took me a while to realise that.

This intellectualising should not result in a wrongdoer being charged with the wrong crime (of mooching rather than communicating a bomb hoax).

Anyone who fails to secure his network should expect to suffer the inconvenience of being the prime suspect if some criminal activity was carried out on his network. He and his service provider owe society a duty to ensure that password control is effective.

Imagine if the network was indeed used by terrorists. Or imagine that your neighbour's teenage daughter used your unsecured network to access porno sites, or some chatroom, and was seduced as a result.

Well said!

Why I Visit The Underwater World Every Year


amazing creatures from the freezing waters of the North Pole..

Birthday Celebrations (this is one of those rare personal posts..)

the sms greetings rolled in, not fast nor furious, but gradually, trickling in over the course of the day (and of course others still rolling in the following day, i.e. today).. with the first one by none other than my wonderfully faithful friend of 13 years Lynn (yes, you're the first :)) at 00:27 and the last one of the day at 19:08 from BKK (hello mingli!! long time no hear!!) .. I had messages from long time friends from a surprising four or five countries and it leaves me feeling all warm and fuzzy inside knowing all these friends remember this day... and knowing that i have friends who will forever remain close to my heart!

Thank you everyone for making me feel so loved!! :)

and of course a special lovely thanks to my bestest friends (of some 19 years!!) who bought me lunch at Marmalade Pantry (wow, the food is really good.. and not to mention the service.. haha) and that perfectly appropriate (you know me so well) "Food Play" (check out the brocooli poodle below!) book on Sunday; and to ____ (some things are truly private) for that special Belgian mussels dinner yesterday and the very thoughtful gift that i so appreciate.... :) and of course to my dear parents for the token ang pow (with a big "OU" on it!!) and definitely to Kapo for the effort at blowing up the balloons.. haha.. and to anyone else who might have been missed out...



happy birthday too to elvis, stephen hawking, machiavelli (haha), david bowie... and all the others infinitely more famous than me!! :p

The Singapore Garden Festival 2006



my photos do the flowers no justice! they were really much nicer (and of course much bigger!). I spent a good three to four hours at the show and still feel i didn't get enough of them.

miss the pretty flowers of england..

Singapore River - from mouth to source



(photos by sis & me)

this is one walk i've always wanted to do since I didn't get to do my weeklong London River Thames walk some 10 years ago.. of course it's not quite the same but what to do.. haha.. at the very least i can claim to be patriotic.. hahaha... besides, taking long walks around singapore has always been one of my so-called "senseless quests".. :p.. i'll much rather do that than watch TV... ok, call me mad.. at least i save money..

we started from Bugis MRT, walking towards Victoria Street (next to Lavender MRT station), heading southwards towards the mouth of the river before following the meandering canals through Boon Keng, Potong Pasir, Toa Payoh, Bishan Park and finally to Upper Thomson Rd..

a rough estimate of the distance of yesterday's walk? Not very long, just approximately 14km, mainly along park connectors, but took us some 4 hours because of the bad weather, crossing numerous bridges, an expressway, a couple of underpasses, housing estates, passing schools and factories, exploring a mysterious chinese temple, and saying hellos to the terrapins, egrets, kingfishers and little herons along the way...

waiting for the marina barrage to be completed supposedly by next year (!) and then probably will try to do a Singapore Perimeter walk! :)

When Accountants Get All "Funky"



hahhahhaha... apologies to all my accountant friends... :p plus for those considering this career option, please don't let the conventional opinion of accountants discourage you...

nonetheless, this reminds me of this little piece i read several years ago.. "Why Accountancy Is Not Boring"

South Korea 2006


from top left (L-R): Tumuli at Gyeongju, Mountains at Seoraksan NP, Street Guardians in Seoul, Biwon Gardens at Changdeokgung in Seoul, Streets of Sokcho, DMZ tour, Paldalmun in Suwon, Church steeples

better than i thought :)