Consecration (maha kumbabishegam) of the AVGMT at Seng Kang




holy vessels.. sanctified water.. loud chants.. deities.. mystical powers..

Arulmigu Velmurugan Gnana Muneeswarar Temple (AVGMT)- a temple with three gods living in harmony.

i'm not e-l-a-s-t-i-c



feeling rather stretched.. only to find that i'm not that elastic after all.. today felt like it would go on forever, even though it was one of those days you wish wouldn't start but as soon as it does, you wish it would end soon....

but dear God blessed me with the most incredible rainbow on my way home just now, arching over the PIE as I drove back through the darkening evening sky...

i hope you saw it too. my k700i vga phonecam does it no justice.

life is beautiful, despite.

Your First Game

This is your first game.
I hope you win.
I hope you win for your sake, not mine.
Because winning's nice.
It's a good feeling.
Like the whole world is yours.
But it passes, this feeling.
And what lasts is what you've learned.

And what you learn about is life.
That's what sports is all about.
Life.
The whole thing is played out in an afternoon.
The happiness of life.
The miseries.
The joys. The heartbreaks.

There's no telling what'll turn up.
There's no telling whether they'll toss you out in the first five minutes
or whether you'll stay for the long haul.

There's no telling how you'll do.
You might be a hero or you might be absolutely nothing.
Too much depends on chance.
On how the ball bounces.

I'm not talking about the game,
I'm talking about life.
But it's life that the game is all about.
Just as I said.

But every game is life.
And life is a game.
A serious one. Dead serious.

But that's what you do with serious things. You do your best.
You take what comes.
You take what comes and you run with it.


Winning is fun.
Sure.
But winning is not the point.


Wanting to win is the point.
Not giving up is the point.
Never being satisfied with what you've done is the point.
Never letting up is the point.
Never letting anyone down is the point.

Play to win.
Sure.
But lose like a champion.
Because its not winning that counts.
What counts is trying.

--Author Unknown

kapo



check out the range of Kapo Super Monkies i have in my collection!! :D

the main gem of the collection is the Kapo Super Monkie radio in the middle, which is a fully functioning radio i'm hugging now as i blog. The sound quality is pretty amazing, no muffled music even though the speakers are well hidden behind a thick and soft layer of furriness..

very cute. and very functional too.

This Is My Life, Rated
Life:	6.9
Mind:	7.2
Body:	8
Spirit:	6.7
Friends/Family:	4.8
Love:	7.7
Finance:	6.3
Take the Rate My Life Quiz

Life: Your life rating is a score of the sum total of your life, and accounts for how satisfied, successful, balanced, capable, valuable, and happy you are. The quiz attempts to put a number on the summation of all of these things, based on your answers. Your life score leaves room for improvement. You can make changes to improve your trouble areas, and this will bring you greater satisfaction. Focus on your weakest points and set about to change them. Do not delay your happiness and success.

But then again, the cynics will tell you that happiness, love and all good things are temporary... that all states of being are but temporal, even life itself... so live for the moment?

Your Power Color Is Lime Green

At Your Highest: You are adventurous, witty, and a visionary. At Your Lowest: You feel misunderstood, like you don't fit in. In Love: You have a tough exterior, but can be very dedicated. How You're Attractive: Your self-awareness and confidence lights up a room. Your Eternal Question: "What else do I need in my life?"

What's Your Power Color?

Success
by Ralph Waldo Emerson

What is success?
To laugh often and much;

To win the respect of intelligent people
And the affection of children;

To earn the appreciation of honest critics
And endure the betrayal of false friends;

To appreciate beauty;

To find the best in others;

To leave the world a bit better
Whether by a healthy child, a garden
Patch or a redeemed social condition;

To know even one life has breathed easier
Because you have lived;

That is to have succeeded.

Having said that, I believe that everyone has to have their own definition of "Success". I read somewhere before that "success is being able to do what one wants to do". I agree with that too. So an unhappy lawyer who is earning big bucks but who really wants to be an actor may not necessarily be "successful"..

But then one may ask: What about those things that I don't want to do but everyone tells me I have to do because it is "good for me"?

I think for those things then, you have to ask yourself first of all if you agree they are "good for you". If deep in your heart you do not agree, then maybe doing them may not really be such a good idea... i think you should trust your gut feel to some extent.. But on the other hand, if in resisiting them, you find that you are merely lazy or procrastinating or fearful but that these things are in fact good for you (for whatever reason), then do them without hesitation. Persuade and convince yourself that these are good for you so that the willingness to do them may come.

and this is stuff i muse about at night. instead of sleep. zzzzzz

I saw the Orient Express pass by in front of me yesterday on my way to the Chemistry 'A' levels invigilation!! All the cars had to stop for the train to pass by but I didn't mind it at all... after all, it's the Orient Express!!

click here for more info and here for the official site

"The Eastern & Oriental Express (E&O) offers the romance of luxury railway travel with fine food, attentive service and breathtaking views..... Train cabins are outfitted in embroidered linens, intricate Thai carvings, and polished brasswork; even standard Pullman compartments have convertible seat-beds, private showers, and panoramic windows; and in the restaurant cars, you'll chow down on Malay curries and mango-filled samosas..."

Check out the prices for the train journeys from Singapore

Singapore to Bangkok or vice versa - prices range from SGD 2,520 to SGD 5,070
Singapore to Butterworth or vice versa - price range from SGD 1,750 to SGD 3,440
Singapore to Kuala Lumpur - prices from SGD 1,120 to SGD 2,340

If you just want to feel what it's like to travel on the train, you can go on the "DAY CAR TRAVEL" to KL which will set you back by a mere SGD 380 per person inclusive of lunch and afternoon tea...

in comparison, an airconditioned journey by rail from Singapore to KL typically costs between SGD 19 to SGD 68 depending on the class of travel.

talk about living in luxury!

countries i've been in...



create your own visited countries map

ok lah.. to be fair, for some of the countries, i've only seen the capital or some small town.. ha..but still counted, right?? :p .. look at russia!! wah!! as if i've visited the whole country!!

Observing Moon Craters with A Bino



i was trying to share my joy of seeing moon craters with my bino just now with my mum and i realised she was just nodding mindlessly to everything i was saying. Distracted by the TV. some silly taiwanese talk show.

she didn't even react when i told her i could see Chang Er on the moon.

durh.

so i decided i must share it online.. you have to try this out. blew me away.. you need a somewhat high powered binoculars (12x60s or 20 x 80s.. mine is 16x50s). try to rest the binos on something stable so u can observe the surface slowly... its pretty fascinating..

best is when the moon is in a half or crescent .. when it is full moon, the moon is at its brightest because the Sun shines onto the Moon from almost directly behind us so we probably can see no shadows of craters and mountains...

the black bits are the moon's large, dark plains, called maria (the Latin plural of mare, "sea"). the maria are great lava flows that filled much of the lunar lowlands billions of years ago. astronomers have already named all the major craters and valleys and what nots (you can see this below). if u r interested, i'm sure u can find tonnes of info on this online..



amazing hor??

we can see all this because in astronomical terms, the moon isn't really that far away - just a quarter million miles from Earth.. :)

mr angry and mrs calm

see this. very cool.

(thanks lynn)

Be Careful Of What You're Eating...

you've got to see this Charcoal Roasted Chicken thing ....

this is so not accurate lor..

Your Hair Should Be Red

Passionate, fiery, and sassy. You're a total smart aleck who's got the biggest personality around.

What's Your Funky Inner Hair Color?

been reading this book by steve chandler and he says that most of us live in "cocoons".

it is dark and dusty inside, and we think we can't get out. we tell ourselves stories about the cocoon, but these stories are lies. they only feel like the truth because they have been repeated so often. we could tear open the cocoon if we wanted to. we could push out and see the light of the world. we could learn to fly.

the cocoon is known by the name of 'personality' (or otherwise known as 'invented selves').

no wonder i've got these so-called "issues".. or at least that's what some people have been trying to tell me, especially of late.

sorry i've been so much of a pain in the ***. i'll try to change now that i've got time..

Some recent pics



the first was taken at a pet shop in holland v. 3 puppies in adorable overlap.

the second at an art exhibition in NIE. some statement about how modern society has accelerated our maturity, the way mangoes are 'ripened' by placing them in a vessel of uncooked rice. (enid, correct me if i'm wrong!)

sensory overlap these few days. met some fascinating people and learnt some new things. saw the planet mars through a telescope. read two thought-provoking books in rapid succession. had some long talks with people who matter. got fined $30 for not displaying parking coupons when i'm supposed to.

amongst others.

Wakeboard World Cup 2005 @ Bedok Reservoir




free & exciting.. lots of flipping, spinning & tumbling.

Your Brain's Pattern

Your mind is a firestorm - full of intensity and drama. Your thoughts may seem scattered to you most of the time... But they often seem strong and passionate to those around you. You are a natural influencer. The thoughts you share are very powerful and persuading.

What Pattern Is Your Brain?

a timely message from kai



honestly, few people know how incredibly tired i am. totally pooped. absolutely exhausted. lifeless. drained. energy-deprived. spent. consumed. beat up. worn out.

i am so in need of this so-called "complete rest"... :(

You Are Likely a Third Born

At your darkest moments, you feel vulnerable. At work and school, you do best when you're comparing things. When you love someone, you tend to like to please them. In friendship, you are loyal to one person. Your ideal careers are: sales, police officer, newspaper reporter, inventor, poet, and animal trainer. You will leave your mark on the world with inventions, poetry, and inspiration.

The Birth Order Predictor

i'm a true blue third born.. wahahahah

weekend



from left: (pics 1 & 2) bowling balls for girls @ victor superbowl. (pic 3) patrick the starfish basking in the sun. (pic 4) dashboard shrine. (pic 5) the auntie with the biggest block of butter i've ever seen @ marina south steamboat.

thereafter, we went kite flying @ marina.

after observing us trying to fly our pathetic $1.50 kite (in vain) for a good half hour, a nice malay uncle there (one of the regulars/experts) told us to give up on our kite and passed us his "killer kite" (with glass-covered string and all) which was already airborne. taught us how to "cut other people's strings" (with evil laughter and all). despite our initial reservations, it wasn't long before we "turned to the dark side"... the temptation to cut other kites down from the sky was too great.. as they fluttered innocently in the sky...

i think we made two little girls cry that day... when we cut her daddy's kite down..

i couldn't sleep that night... yes, i'm a kite killer...

:( i hope their daddy bought them ice-cream to make everything better..

i found it in 2 seconds flat



told YOU i'm brilliant. ha.