patched-up

I have a Kitchen.. so I will cook.

2012-01-25T22:40:00.005+08:00

It’s been waay too long since my last post. Amongst the excuses that I can think up, includes: moving too many things to the new place.. trying to settle down in the new place.. the all important event of the year that was my wedding (which, I better state now, that it warrants another post all by itself).. trying to be mr fix-it-all and putting the things from ikea together myself.. trying to settle back to work..

So some of the things that HAS actually happened in the past few months since the last post would be that, 1) I got married! 2) I had a hunnymoon 3) I’ve since moved into my new place 4) the place is a mess and I’m still up to my ears trying to sort it out and am still currently living out of a suitcase.. I guess that’ll be 4 posts that I should be writing about individually in the near future then. Hurhur..

So anyways I’ve finally gotten down to moving the monster of my desktop to my place and I’m happily furnished with an internet connection and for the first time in my life *breathe* CABLE TV!! Haha, I now finally experience how it’s like and why it’s possible to actually sit in front of the tv the whole day. Hah.

Today marking the 3rd day of CNY this year, we decided to make lunch + dinner.. and between that, I decided to bake cookies.. so I typically spent the whole day in the kitchen. Hah.. well done.

Lunch was a simple fish thing.. trying out this new frying pan thing we got. Then it was baking time! Cookies.. the perfect excuse to break in my new oven.. =)

cookies!

Then dinner came along and I pulled out the beef that we got yesterday.. mr chuck tender. =) thanks to the montreal steak seasoning, I FINALLY figured out how to get a perfect tasting steak. Can’t believe how simple it actually is and I can’t believe I actually spent all that time burning my previous steaks in the marinade I tried to DIY. What nonsense.. it’s so simple actually.. just sprinkle and cook. Wah la! *mutter*

mr Chuck Tender..

And then to top it off, there was the perfect glass of Princess Moscato.. and yes, we were thinking of u sharo, when we drank that glass.. =P

It’s so fluffy I’m gonna die!!

just being me..

2011-11-14T22:14:00.002+08:00

could use one of these right now..

50 Days..

2011-11-04T15:06:00.001+08:00

..to Christmas!!

=)

Me Time..

2011-10-15T11:53:00.001+08:00

It’s the first lazy Saturday since my return.. quite a few things have happened since my return. Quite a few things have happened since I was Gone for that matter.

Haven’t quite settled in to the whole routine yet. I’m still waking at odd hours and jumping out of bed. Still having trouble sleeping. Still fighting the urge to reach that snack.

Granny’s moved out too.. she was supposed to stay with us while I was away. But then things changed and she stayed with us the day I touched down. But also, becos for the past 2 weeks things have been back-to-back with me running around due to work and the new house.. and trying to settle the after-work stuff for the wedding.. I haven’t exactly much time to spend with her. It saddens me to see her in this frail state. Just a year ago, she was in the pink of health and how she’s so frail. All I could do was to sit beside her and hold her hand last night.

Sometimes, I do wish that I could rewind the clock. And re-live the past as how I am now.. but of course, it’s never gonna be possible. This morning, dad sent her to my aunt’s place. A part of me feel like I should have spent more time with her when she was at my place.. I had no excuse. She was just here. I have gone without sleep for a month before.. this would be nothing. To squeeze out some time to spend with her.. but I didn’t.

Some things u only get one shot at, I pray I don’t live to regret my actions over the past 2 weeks..

Found a nice song.. ANOTHER nice song. Seems like they’re here to stay on my playlist.

Operation EliteFightingMan

2011-10-13T22:36:00.001+08:00

I’m not too sure how to write this post. For one, it’s been about 9 days since the Graduation.. but perhaps due to how fast things were in the course, these past 9 days actually feels more like a month. Yes, time seemed to have slowed down, significantly.

In a way, it was a deliberate plan to NOT write this post any earlier.. I didn’t want to be caught up writing anything in the spur of the ‘moment’. I wanted it to be a true reflection after things settled down. A tonne of pictures and even our stylo-milo video is with me, but I’m not about to post them, cos that’s not the point of this post. This is not a show-and-tell session, but more of a reflection of what I feel now and how I felt then..

It wasn’t easy.

To say it was a walk in the park would be undermining what myself, 26 other individuals and 37 other batches stretched over the years, have gone through. I have to admit that some parts did feel like it needed some extra work, or could be improved, and there were some portions that I had a ‘this is it? Is that all?’ moment.. but for the better part of it, it was a self-actualization journey.. crystallized only by going through hardship.

A journey, I guess, that began 17 years ago, when I had my first taste of being in a uniformed group. Where I first learnt to recite a pledge or a creed by heart and that I was expected to live a life that upheld something.. that I was specially selected.

It was a journey that, over the years, I have seen how bits and pieces of those lessons and experience gained somehow got re-used and played an even bigger and more significant part of my life at each phase..

Throughout the duration of the 1st phase, I never exactly thought I’d make it true. In all honesty. I didn’t even dared think that far. All that I wanted to do, was to secure Phase I, so if anything, I’d at least have cleared it and will re-enroll into the course next year, into Phase II. Lo and behold, Phase I was over and I was thrown into a whirlwind of activities in Phase II..

They were right when they said the hardest part of the course is the Selections. In my opinion, I guess that’s the moment when the greatest pressure to perform is on you.. It was a make-or-break event, unlike most of the other activities that are scattered throughout the course. Phase II went by hard and fast. You don’t really have any time to stop and think.. u just went along with the flow. Real colours start to reveal themselves and u start getting an inclination of how a person might be on the inside..

The climax of it all, Phase III, is exactly what and how the others have described it. The superficial part of me notes down the ridiculous amount of sleep (or lack thereof rather) that we get.. almost humanly impossible, the insanely little amount of food we get and the huge weight loss I measured at the end of the course, coupled with the almost comical number of socks that I used.. but digging deeper I realize there’s actually a whole lot more to the course than just the lack of sleep, lack of food, long distances, fighting with each other, outrageous load to carry around.. there’s an underlying truth that u find out about yourself.

The truth about what makes u tick, what keeps u going.. what thoughts run through ur mind when u’re placed in a position u never thot u’d get out of.. what risks u’re willing to take.. who u really are on the inside.

To me, it’s not as important what I find out about my colleagues and buddies that matters most. Sure, I know now that there are some who will steal from me to sustain themselves, there are some who would stick by me no matter what stupid decision I make or opinion I have just because, and there are some who would jeopardize their own safety/comfort/good standing, just for my sake without me asking.. these are good things to know about the people around u when u are in this line of work. But no, that’s not the most important.

It’s about finding myself. It’s easy for someone to know who I am and how I’m like, but for me to know myself.. that’ll be more than an easy task. Which is why I’d say that perhaps our forefathers who conceptualized this course (even tho it’s copied from our American friends) had a good foresight that this would allow a soldier to truly know himself. Cos only then, is he able to perform his role better.

So my prayer now, at the end of it all, is that I keep these lessons in my heart. That I never forget the experiences, lessons and comrades that I have gained throughout these 65 days. That I learn to trust in Him who has started the good work.. That I be more like how I wanted myself to be, and less like those whom I do not want to be..

I pray I made You proud and shone your light as a guidance for others to follow.. I know there were times where I did not shine as brightly as I’m supposed to, and instead I crumbled, but I pray that amidst that, You use it and work it out for Your glory that I have made a difference to at least one individual.

It was my honour to have served You under difficult circumstances and I thank You for giving me this opportunity which few have gotten.. keep me strong to walk this path You have chosen for me and give me trust to know that You will see me through whatever You have planned in my life.. This life is Yours after all, not mine.

The 6 letters that mean the world to a soldier..

I'm coming home..

2011-09-30T19:04:00.002+08:00

Thank you for seeing me through this.. I wouldn't have been able to do it on my own, without ur help..

I pray I made u proud and did what u planned for me to do..

=)

15 more days..

2011-07-14T23:08:00.005+08:00

Recognising that I volunteered as a Ranger, fully knowing the hazards of my chosen profession, I will always endeavour to uphold the Pristige, Honour and Esprit De Corps of the Rangers.

Acknowledging the fact that a Ranger is a more elite soldier who arrives at the cutting edge of battle by land, sea or air, I accept that as a Ranger, my country expects me to move further, faster and fight harder than any other soldier.

Never shall I fail my comrades. I will always keep myself mentally alert, physically strong and morally straight and I will shoulder more than my share of the task, whatever it may be. One hundred percent and then some.

Gallantly will I show the world that I am a specially selected and well-trained soldier. My courtesy to superior officers, my neatness of dress and care for equipment shall set the example for others to follow.

Energetically will I meet the enemies of my country. I shall defeat them on the field of battle for I am better trained and will fight with all my might. Surrender is not a Ranger world. I will never leave a fallen comrade to fall into the hands of the enemy and under no circumstances will I embarrass my country.

Readily will I display the intestinal fortitude required to fight on to the Ranger objective and complete the mission, though I be the lone survivor.

Rangers Lead the Way

mel·an·chol·y

2011-06-11T14:29:00.004+08:00

/ˈmelənˌkälē/
Adjective: Sad, gloomy, or depressed.
Noun: A deep, pensive, and long-lasting sadness.

It’s a melancholic Saturday afternoon.. been pouring and gloomy all morning..

another quiet Saturday.

Jewel - Foolish Games

Omelette

2011-05-27T17:49:00.003+08:00

Where do I start? I miss Omelette.. she left 2 Fridays back.. suddenly the room feels empty without her. Even till last night, I still find myself entering my room quietly and fighting the urge to turn on the light, just so I won’t wake her.. but only to realize that the place which was once her nest, is now just an empty shelf.. I miss you Omelette.

U’re the one who’s always with the grub.. if I can’t find u, I know u’re hiding comfortably in ur nest, snoozing away and playing in hamster-lalaLand.. If I do hear u scruffling about in the middle of the night while I’m at my computer, then I’ll know that u’re sitting comfortably in ur food tray, enjoying that midnight snack while the rest of the world slumbers away..

As I was searching for a picture of u to put up here, I came across the whole load of pictures that I’ve taken since Day One. I see how u’ve really grown, from that tiny little furball that u were when beepo first brought u back, till how u were just before u crossed the rainbow bridge. U’ve changed, and yet u’ve stayed the same.

Sure, u definitely looked older and more frail now.. not as jumpy and nibbly as u used to be.. but still, u’re still always around the food tray and ever-ready to take a quick nap.. As if u could sense it, (or my sense of sound-discipline is THAT bad) u still pop ur head out when I return from work and greet me with that half-awake look, just as u always did in the past. Though sometimes I don’t get to see u much, I can never bear to wake u and shake ur nest just to wake u up, so I could see u.. though I was really tempted on more than a few occasions.. U lived the Hamster Life every hamster dreamt of, and yet, I still feel I could have given u more.

Both u and ur sister have shown me what it meant to have a life placed under my care.. and there’s no other lesson in this world that could have taught me better than how the both of u did.. I will miss u sorely.. and u will always have a little corner in my heart..

Send my dearest regards to Hamlette.

Omelette
21 Oct 2008 – 13 May 2011

Musings on 270511

2011-05-27T17:46:00.003+08:00

This serves purely as an outlet for what’s been going on in my mind lately.. need somewhere to let all the steam out.

== Removed portion on Omelette, cos I think she deserves a whole post to herself ==

Bumpy’s been acting up quite abit lately.. air-conditioner broke, then the fan, then the water pump.. and all these at this crucial period before he expires.. I’m now stuck with wondering what I should get next.. a few choices on the list.. Toyota Axio, Honda Fit/Jazz, Kia Cerato, Mitsubishi Lancer. I’ve quite convinced myself that I’ll be needing a car, seeing that my new place is all the way to the other extreme corner of Singapore.. which leads me to my other point..

Got me a new place.. we went down to see it, not the biggest thing, but it’s mine to call a home. Not the best-est of the best location, but it’s mine.. and it’s gonna be my home. So I’m contented to even being able to own a home here in Singapore. Just got the keys, so now the planning and the renos can start coming into place.

Work’s been picking up since the whole load of them came back from their trg overseas.. somehow I get the feeling that the happy period’s over.. upcoming is all the extra stuffs and eventually the mother-of-all-courses to attend in July.

I need a sword-party for my big day.. I can’t seem to find enough ppl for it. But somehow, I’m trusting that it’ll work out at the end of the day and with ppl whom I honestly hold dear to my heart, not with just some any-other-person I pluck off a nominal role to help me.

If u’ve made it thus far.. congrats, u’ve just wasted 3 minutes which u’re never getting back. =P

Mother’s Day Day (part II)..

2011-05-27T16:57:00.007+08:00

Ok, so as promised, here’s the update with the pictures 20 days late.

The was pretty much like any other day except that it was polling day to begin with.. and Lo and Behold, dad wants to go there bright and early, so we didn’t have to worry abt it later in the day.. like, just go, vote, then we have the rest of the day to ourselves. Nice idea.. but not very nice when u’ve to wake at 7+ on a Saturday morning..

So anyway, after casting the votes, we had brekky with beeps and ben at their place.. then I told them that we could go prawning.. see, earlier, like the day before, I told dad that we’d go fishing.. but the whole night, I couldn’t quite figure where to bring them too.. so I figured, prawning. Plain and simple.. and sure got catch.

Beepo wanted to come along.

So fast-forward and I’ll let the pictures do the talking..

Left: the First Catch of the day.. =)

I just love this shot. hahahaha...

the first 1.5 hours were quite a bore.. then suddenly, as if on cue, the prawns started coming up one after the other.. catch of the day? 13 I think.. ok maybe 15, I can’t quite remember. Dinner was over at Lau Pa Sat’s Satay Club.. nice food, nice view, nice company.

Chow!!!

Satay Club..

Mother's Day Day..

2011-05-07T21:52:00.002+08:00

Did stuff today.. cool stuff.. I shall return to this post with pictures and an update when I eventually get down to it.

*yawn*

ok bye.

musings..

2011-04-16T14:42:00.005+08:00

Been up to a few things lately..

Got me a new spool of line, and I picked up fishing again recently.. hopefully this will last abit longer. At least I’m learning as we go along. Went fishing the past 2 Fridays.. catch was decent. Some snappers, gobies and a tonne of catfishes. Pests I tell you. Bad enough that they look ugly.. they come with stings too. Urgh.

-insert pictures of my catch, that Longan and StuntBike still owe me from the fishing trips- *grunt*

Got me a Haynes Repair Manual from amazon. Used. Flipped through it abit earlier, seems good with loads of illustrations. So after the overhaul, hopefully I’ll learn a thing or two about what’s under the hood of my car. Did I mention? I’d probably lengthen the life of my car. Just to see me through the next couple of years. Works out to be about 300-400 tops per month. So it’s pretty alright I guess.. will prob put down a couple of grand to service up and make sure the fella lasts another 3 yrs maybe.. hoses, suspensions, motor mounts and wirings.. oh, and that clicking noise in the steering too.

meet Bumpy.. =)

Yes, and it’s official, the house is through. So the next step would be to furnish it which seems like another daunting task altogether. But I guess it should be fun. It’ll be my own cave after all, and I’ll do what I want with it. =)

Haven’t touched my guitar in a loong while too. It’s just been sitting there quietly for the past months. Something in me misses the times when I used to be so inclined towards it. Maybe it’s like they say, ppl grow through the different phases in life.. pity really.

I..

2011-04-05T11:15:00.002+08:00

S h o u l d

B e

D o i n g

W o r k.. should.

Laser Pointer Fun

2011-03-30T22:22:00.003+08:00

Haven't touched my camera in a while.. haven't really used my new laser pointer much since I bought it last yr.. haven't really had much Eye Candy on my blog since quite a while..

So figured I'd try something.. turned out better than expected. =)

Love the Bulb Mode.. =)

This is March

2011-03-25T11:07:00.000+08:00

It seems every big event that has happened was in one way or another recorded in my blog.. well, not EVERY single event, cos then I’d have no problem whatsoever as the one that I’m facing now..

I’m trying so darn hard to recall every single jump I made, cos the lovely ppl at HQ decided to think it wise to shred my log card. So that leaves me with the arduous job of recalling every single exit I made out of the craft. With the first dating back more than 6 years ago. What the heck. So if u’re reading this and for some reason u can remember when I did one, PLEASE let me know. I’ll buy u lunch. =)

ANYWAY, I figure that I should record the fact that I got me a new set of eyes. Well, not literally.. I finally got PRK done on my eyes and for the record, it was on the 24th of feb. but for obvious reasons, I couldn’t see squat for the past 3 weeks so blogging would be a little of a hassle that I wanted to avoid. Things are still a blur now and nothing’s 6/6 as of now.. but hopefully things will sharpen up soon.

With the eyes like that, I also have not been working out much which worries me quite abit.. there’s a whole backlot of stuff to clear physically, and with selections coming up soon, I’m considerably a little worried.

Other than that, work’s been fine lately, and things are starting to pop up here and there. There’s the typical fires to fight, unruly ppl to talk to and unreasonable requests to answer to. But that’s life I guess.. got me a new reel and some lures to allow me to kill time and fight stress but haven’t put it to much use lately.. sigh.

Ok, so there. I’ve done my dues for the month, to record what happened. Hahaha. Cheater.

The Curse..

2011-02-14T22:49:00.002+08:00

.. of Mr Joel Chan.

ARGH!!! Certified Amphibian.. hah.

my first ever biathlon of my life and they actually got my surname wrong. Think someone was trying to pull a practical joke. Bummer.

So anyway, like they say, u just have to get past ur first time. Having done one now, the swim doesn’t seem so daunting and horrific anymore.. other than the fact that the doc said I tore my ligament (sound so bloody serious right?), I’m actually looking forward to next yr’s one. Do a better timing. =)

And no, it’s not a complete tear. Just a partial tear.. so gotta let it heal, and yes, it WILL and CAN heal, cos it’s not completely torn off.. can still walk/stand/drive.. so all’s good! =) thank God.

A Home..

2011-02-03T20:27:00.002+08:00

..is not a home when u can’t be yourself in it. A home is not a home when it’s no longer a place I can be who I am.. and do what I want. A place where I can hide and be uninhibited. A place where I do not have to worry about pleasing other ppl or nurse a fear of what others might think of me.

A home is not a home when I can’t be who I am and do what I please.. when I have to put other ppl’s agenda ahead of mine. Where I no longer have my own privacy. When my own comfort zone is being intruded by others for mundane reasons. A home is not a home when I can’t even get a good sleep in. A home is not a home when I no longer look forward to going back to after a long day/week/month of work.

My home is no longer a home. It’s just a house..

Made Some..

2011-01-29T11:16:00.001+08:00

pineapple tarts..

Left: making them..
Right: The Before..

The After..

From the Right, Number!

2011-01-16T01:45:00.003+08:00

1. Happy New Year everyone. Yes, it's 16 days late, but what the heck. Better late than never.

2. Work's started proper.. at least it seems more like 'work' work now. I'm doing proper hours and I'm coming home daily. So that's an upgrade from a trainee's life.

3. Things are still highly unsettled. There's a whole tonne of things I'd want to do and love to do, but I can't seem to find the time/motivation/effort/know-how to do.

4. I love Borderlinx.

5. Thanks to leon, I now know what I'm missing. As much as I love my country *cough*, there's so much our northern neighbour has to offer that leaves us here to suffer.

6. So much for the first post of the yr.. later.

Procrastination

2010-12-27T01:27:00.002+08:00

Root Word: Procrastinate. (pro•cras•ti•nate)
“the act of procrastinating; putting off or delaying or deferring an action to a later time”

So that’s how it’s like with my blog. After getting poisoned, it seems that I have had quite a few ideas on what to blog abt, and to add more pictures especially. But, lo and behold, the above-mentioned word takes over and I find a hundred and one other more useless stuff to do. Hah.

So I’ll make it up by putting a picture I took from Thailand while at training. Ok, not WHILE training.. that’s taboo.. after the serious training part.. Figured I got tired of my current wallpaper, and since I’m staring at this all day, I figured u might as well do the same. =P

River Kwai

It is Now

2010-12-20T23:21:00.000+08:00

With great relief and gratification, I put up this post. =) today is finally the day of days.. when I finally graduate from the 8-month long stint. To say that it has been fulfilling would be as much of an understatement as to say that a hot shower feels good in winter, or that u’re just ‘glad’ if u picked up a million bucks. To say that it went easy, would also be a gross underestimation of the course. It is, after all, meant to train to make u a little more special.

The whole graduation package isn’t as big of a thing as I initially thot it to be. For one, there isn’t the whole brouhaha that comes along when the NSFs turn operational and get their crimson beret. There’s also that slight magic that got lost because the graduation date got bounced around more times than I have changed my underpants in my entire life, and mind u, that’s A LOT. Of course, u’d probably see a whole bunch of guys tearing if it had been presented to us at the end of the major exercise before coming home.. but that’s not the point.

So sum that all up and u basically get a quiet yet fulfilling evening. An evening that I’d probably cherish in yrs to come, not for the big fireballs that go off, or the holler of the fanfare as u march on into parade, but for the words spoken to each other upon receiving our prize. For the words Unspoken to each other as we just smiled at each other knowing exactly what we’ve gone thru and that there isn’t a need to say anything to know how we felt inside.

Sure, it could have been made a lot more spectacular.. heck, call in the media if u would.. but that’s not the point. It’s no longer abt showcasing to the world who u are or what u wanna be. It’s abt the Now. It’s abt the fact that u’re part of the team now. It’s abt the fact that u have made it.. and a new chapter begins Now. It’s abt working toward that goal at the end of the day.. His goal.. and that journey starts Now..

So I pray that I will continue to do what has been planned ahead of me, that I will not fall short of His expectations. And that I will continue to do well, not for mine, but for His sake.

The Poison

2010-12-16T19:48:00.003+08:00

One man’s food is another man’s poison.. this poison however, was something that I have been fighting off and staying away from for right abt more than 2 yrs. The logic was simple, I didn’t have a NEED for it, it’s more of a WANT than a need, and so, I have no reason to get it.

Even on the numerous trips with my dearest friends, my good ol’ faithful one will always suffice. However, a comment I heard changed everything overnight. Literally.

One fine day I was at a reunion dinner with my dearest secondary school mates and the usual thing to playing with someone else’s BIGGER camera came into the picture. And there’s the usual fight-scene in my head that tells me it’s nice to have one, but I didn’t need a new one. Then comes the punchline, ‘Alvin, life is short. You should just get it.’

And that drove home the msg for me. The very next day, I was a proud owner of a Canon EOS 550D, with a 18-55mm kit lens and a 50mm portrait lens that I got at a bargain price for submitting my warranty online.. some offer thingy that Canon had. How timely. =)

the poison.. =P

You see, if u know me well enough, I’m not exactly the type that will splurge mindlessly on things. ESPECIALLY so if it’s on myself. The you-dun-need-it thinking will usually always prevail. But the msg drove home something so real to me. Even more so with the nonsense that I do, day in and day out.. life really IS short. And having want something like that for so many years, I’m pretty sure that it’s not gonna be one of them impulse-buy thingies.. so it was a simple decision. A quick lunch, a quick coffee, a walk to 2 different shops to compare, and a proud owner of shiny new toy. =)

Life is short, what will you make of it?

Urgh..

2010-12-05T23:59:00.000+08:00

I finally succumbed..

I got poisoned today.

Target of Opportunity

2010-12-02T16:27:00.001+08:00

ok.. so it's the formation's 41st birthday and we got half the day off.. not like it really mattered cos now that the course's coming to an end, we're pretty much free anyway..

so anyway, i couldn't give up this chance to send in a post cos it's been a while since i'm able to do something like this. it'5 raining outside but i'm sitting comfortably inside a nice quiet Subway watching the cars go by happily and enjoying a nice hot sandwich.. all this after sending my car in for servicing.. so she drives pretty much like a brand new now.. nice and smooth. also, i'm happy i introduced yang to uncle anthony's workshop.. happy for him cos now he has a reliable and trustworthy mechanic to go to who doesn't try to rip him off.. and happy for uncle anthony too cos i just brought in another customer for him =)

So u see. i couldn't pass this chance to blog abt today.. oh and here's a shoutout to all Subway lovers. it's 1-for-1 sandwiches this saturday at the branch at The Verge. ground floor. that's the place they used to call Tekka Mall, opp simlim and near little india.. =)

Ok, now let me get back to enjoying my day off.. =)

meet Bumpy

2010-11-22T16:05:00.002+08:00

Hi, so I’m back from the advanced selections and basically my sad story, of sorts, is that I injured my right foot. The top part of it. Don’t ask me how, cos I’m not sure either. I just know that I walked and walked and it started to hurt and it didn’t get any better.

So anyway, it’s a mix-mash of feelings. Cos on the one hand, there’s my preferred unit to go to and on the other hand, there’s the “what if I’d stay on and persisted, it would have probably felt good to complete it” thinking. So basically, the past weekend was a mixture of emotions for me. Relieved yet disappointed. Calm yet envious.

Decided not to sink any further into the whole emo bit so while settling daddy’s iPhone contract earlier (YES!! Even my dad’s got an iPhone now.. I want one but I can’t get one. Darn..), I dropped by the supermart to get some ice cream, just so I can have it with the hot fudge that dar got for me some time back..

Then the usual walk in the supermart leads me to the auto section of it.. I bet it’s a ploy. The ppl who designed the layouts of the supermart probably have a Degree at how to suck in boys and their toys, ppl like me. So from simply getting some wiper fluid, it led on to getting a can of carb cleaner and then some cleaning cloth and a new can of WD-40 which also comes with a free cloth.. and no, it doesn’t stop there.. my car (aptly named Bumpy in case u were wondering abt the title of this post) has got the passenger side’s wiper broken.. well, it still wipes, just that the rubber bit isn’t really doing it’s part.. so I decided to get a replacement and DIY it.. but it was more expensive there than I recalled at the petrol kiosk.. So on the way back, I dropped by Caltex to get one of them.

the spoils of war.. haha.

So hopefully now, I’ll get a slightly better performing car.. just this past weekend, I managed to open the air filter and get into the iac valve to clean it.. but I figure it’s still not THAT clean, cos the rpm symptoms still return.. hopefully, now equipped with the proper cleaning tools, I’ll better be able to fix up Bumpy.

The windshield too! Finally no more ugly streaks or water marks or basically anything that stays on the windshield to irritated the crap out of me while I’m driving.. =)

Ok, I just realized that I haven’t exactly placed a picture of Bumpy here since I got him in april.. maybe in the next post.. =) thot I’d start blogging with pictures again. Recall how I used to blog with tonnes of pictures per post. Hah.

Latest earwax? The O.C. soundtrack – Mix 1.. =)

nostalgia at it’s best..

2010-11-16T20:10:00.001+08:00

Dear Lord,

Hear my cry, as I cry out to you. Before me stands a mountain so tall I feel dwarfed. Before me stands a river so wide I’m afraid. Before stands the impossible, making me feel inadequate. But mostly, before me stands a choice, that I never wanted to make. A choice that was never mine from the beginning. Yes, I have tried to convince myself of what I will choose, and where I will go.. but right now, I commit it unto you. For I have done all that I did not for myself nor for my own gains. I have spent the last yr chasing not after my own dreams and goals. I have suffered, I have been bruised but I acknowledge that it is Your will for me to be here.

So give me the courage to face my mountain, give me the strength to swim that river, and give me knowledge that u are with me every step of the way.. that I will not be walking through this alone, nor will u leave me. Give me the right spirit to embark on this journey whatever the outcome may be.

And lastly, make me a light that will shine for You. For I am lost without you, and so are those around me. May You continue to empower me and to use me for Your purposes so divine. Reveal to me your will that I may be reminded why I’m doing this.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

A Quickie..

2010-10-31T19:47:00.000+08:00

or rather a quick update.. no puns intended.

so the hard part of the trip has more or less been over and right now things have come to a sudden slow.. like engine braking to gear 2 from 5.

it's been one helluva ride.. every step of the way. short of going into the details of what exactly happened and risk getting myself into trouble with the pple in charge, God has been soo good.

i have seen his grace and his favour just as i prayed and asked for.. and again i am reminded that would not have been able to do it alone/by my own strength.. the fact that i managed to do what i did is a living testament of God's grace in my life..

right now, i'm just thankful for surviving.. and looking forward to going home..

thanks.

A Quick Prayer..

2010-10-15T08:09:00.002+08:00

for those whom i love and hold dearly in my heart.. pls take good care of them and keep them safe in my absence. let no harm come upon them and give them a reassurance that u will likewise be taking good care of me..

remind me again why i'm doing this and rekindle that dying purpose.. realign my focus that i can once again see ur clearer and bigger picture..

i commit myself and all whom i hold dear to you once again..

in jesus' name..
amen.

Staying Alive

2010-10-08T22:28:00.002+08:00

Ok, so this is just to serve as a note that I'm still pretty much alive. Training's been up to my ears and I've been feeling tired and sleep deprived for God-knows how long..

At the same time, I've also been deprived of doing things that I wanna do.. like tinkle with my ride, fiddle with my ipod and take more pictures so I can blog about them..

Anyhow, this post has served it's purpose, yes, I'm still alive.. albeit barely.. will write again.

Drop me an sms and tell me how u're doing.. I'd love to catch up, one way or the other.

HEY YOU!

2010-08-02T20:54:00.002+08:00

This is a shout out to everyone.. yes, that’s you, you and you back there.. *point*

I initially intended to include a whole load of stuff here.. seeing that I rarely get the time to blog nowadays..

In the shower, ideas streamed into my head.. topics ranged from the awesome thai food we had at beepo’s place over the weekend.. the fact that StarCraft II is out and I totally missed it (yes, I’m a fan that was quietly waiting for it to resurface.. just like the now hopeless Duke Nukem). Then there’s the fact that I haven’t had a single post abt my car.. did u actually know I own one? Hah.. cheap little thing, but gets me from point A to point B.. so it’s good enough for me.. who needs a Ferrari.. *cough*.. =P then there’s the endless trg that I’m so tempted to put up here.. but the wiser half of me believes that it’s a better idea not too.. OpSec as they call it.

And then there’s all the little trivial stuff.. like the 6 sticks of ice-cream I bought at the petrol kiosk earlier.. yes, impulse buy I know. But what the heck.. life is short..

So anyway, back to real reason for this post.. this is a shout out to everyone I know, don’t really know, want to know but never did, acquaintances and strangers who somehow stumbled in here.. I’m doing good and I’d love to catch up with you.. do drop me a msg, whether sms, email, a comment here, or through telepathy.. I’d love to hear from you and find out how u’re doing..

Figures I should start somewhere before I start to morph into a grumpy old lonely man in due time.. hah.

Wow..

2010-07-17T00:08:00.002+08:00

Ok, let’s not get excited here.. yes, I’m still alive and this is the first proper post since for-never.. so anyway.

It’s been a long-short 3-month plus since course started and in a couple of weeks it’ll be the mid way point. Fast, definitely.. one way of seeing it is that somehow.. I’ve made it thru toward the halfway mark already. Slow, surely.. cos there were moments that lasted forever and seconds that seem to burn away in slow-mo as you wait there in anticipation/fear/anxiety/pain.

A few things hit me in the shower earlier (no, not the shampoo bottle) and that’s perhaps the inspiration and motivation to getting this post down. For a start, I think I’m getting Fitter, Smarter and will Die earlier now that I’ve experienced this half of the course.

Fitter.
Definitely.. needless to say, when you start working out 3-4 times a week, something’s gotta change. I’m just thankful I have really injured myself big time although I’ve come awfully close on some encounters. I’m clocking my fastest time for the tests that I’ve ever clocked in my entire life.. even beating my supposed ‘fittest time of my life’ while I was serving ns last time.

Smarter.
I’m now dealing with a whole load of different situations that I’ve never had to encounter with previously. Perhaps it’s because previously, no matter what I did, there was someone above to report the issue to. So when servicemen A tells me he has some issues, and I find it too big, I naturally refer it to boss B, who will take over from there. Job done, I’m happy.. or at least I think it’s done and I feel less involved.

But now it’s taken on a whole new approach.. I’m dealing with anal issues both on and off the job-scope and there’s no one higher I can/should/want to report to due to the nature of the course.. which leads me to my last point of enlightenment..

Dying Earlier.
Morbid I know.. but hey.. when u start having an enormously huge sleep debt to pay back.. it comes almost close to impossible to do it. There comes a time when the weekends are simple not enough to catch back on the rest and recharge. Couple that with the stress that comes from both on top and sideways, and the pressure to keep myself up to speed in the course and the unspoken responsibility to lead the class, dying earlier suddenly seems like a good way out after all. Hah. So inevitably, ur lifespan gets shorten with all these.

Ok, so much for trying to keep the post up to date with what’s going on with me.. I also recently (well, not THAT recent anymore) got a new phone.. =) HTC Snap, and it even comes with a free hard-cover case..

A brilliant little device that has a tonne of functions which I’ve yet to explore all.. except that it works on a window platform and apparently no one has done a mod for the android to reside in it (yes, I have something against windows). If there are any lovely programmers who are willing to give it a shot, I’ll be willing to test out ur betas. Hahaha.. oh and did I also mention that it’s NOT a camera phone? So it means I can happily bring it to work.. brilliant. =)

Ok, the sleep debt’s getting back to me and I’m starting to find it difficult to find the cursor on my monitor. Haha.. time to go.

2010-06-17T22:03:00.003+08:00

It's been a while since i posted anything here.. i know.. the past 2 and a half months have been both trying and fufilling at the same time..

in a way, i'm thankful that i'm able to experience certain things for i'm learnt so much both abt how to deal with other ppl as well as dealing with my own self.. i've also seen ppl from all walks of life and those who are here for completely different reasons.. at the same time i've seen how the human-nature can be downright selfish and self-seeking..

so ok.. this is not meant to ramble or complain or whine as much as i'd like to..just saying that i'm still alive and that this blog isn't haunted.

So It Begins..

2010-04-05T00:01:00.001+08:00

It's the start of a new chapter.. One that i'm still struggling to figure what's what.. It'll be a grueling 8 months but i'm choosing to believe that some how in the midst of it all, i'll see how i fit into the bigger picture..

I'll see how what i'm gonna go thru will fit into the bigger picture.. I understand that what's best for me, and what's planned for me isn't always gonna be what i want.. But i have to somehow learn to trust.. He is in control after all..

Dear LORD, as i embark on this journey, i commit whole course into Your hands.. I choose to leave everything, both great and small, into Your hands, for you will take care of everything better than i ever could.. Let me realise my full potential that is Your will and let me never let You down.. Constantly remind me of why i'm doing it, that i may never sway when the going gets tough and that i may never forget you when things go well..

Eye Candy

2010-03-28T00:41:00.005+08:00

Thanks to the advancement in technology.. the previous few entries I’ve made since late feb till now were all from my humble phone. Which prob explains why there weren’t many pictures accompanying them.. Yes, I CAN upload pictures too, but it’s a tad bit of a hassle, also considering that I don’t have a camera on my phone, making it slightly more troublesome to include a picture with the posts..

So now that I’m back, I think that it’s perhaps time to put up some eye candy again for my otherwise getting-oh-so-boring blog..

ok, I’m inclined to add this in cos I haven’t posted a picture of dar in a loong while.. really long.. lovely.. =)

bridge @ changi point

sunset @ changi point

attempted to capture the full glory of the scene by stitching the shots together.. didn’t really turn out too well.. can still see the seams..

and my fav picture of the lot.. it’s been my wallpaper since dec. happy cos I managed to get such a shot, and from my humble canon a520. sad cos I only got this shot after countless countless countless other lousy shots. One-in-a-million as they’d put it.

What if..

2010-03-26T11:43:00.002+08:00

..you were making me all that I was meant to be..

What if I just let go and trust myself to your plans..

Teach me not to doubt in what I can do.. For I'm doing it not by my might, but by yours.

Hooah..

2010-03-17T06:06:00.000+08:00

Heaven Now.. Gosh.. Finally! Now just gotta wait to go home.. Woots!

Greatness in Him

2010-03-09T00:08:00.001+08:00

How does one prepare himself for such a daunting task as this.. How did the great men whom history books have been built upon do it? Were they any different from me? Were they also not mere humans too?

As the start approaches, i can't help but begin to doubt in my own abilities and give in to all the what-if scenarios that are playing in my mind.. It's a battle i'm fighting, cos i know and recognise that i'm answering to a greater calling by being here.. But yet, a portion of me still relies on my own strength to accomplish my given tasks.. A portion of me tries to achieve the goals on my own accord, thinking that i am THAT good..

Dear LORD, as i embark on yet another tour of duty such as this, i pray you guide me in your wisdom.. It truly is a second chance at it all over again, and i thank you for it.. May i never rely on my own earthly abilities, but instead lean on and put my trust in your promises.. May everything i do not fall short of the completeness and wholeness that u have intended it to be, and may i continue to be a light that will shine for you. Help me touch the lives of these 82 here with me.. May i be an inspiration to follow, a light to direct and mentor to guide..

Help me be all that u have intended for me to be.. Not for mine, but for Your honour and glory. Amen.

Greetings from khao meng..

2010-02-27T22:35:00.000+08:00

Saying hi from khao meng.. One helluva walk yesterday and one heck of a fight this morning..

Some things still stay the same.. The same feeling while walking, the same pain in ur neck and shoulder and the same ache from kneeling.. But yet, some things have changed too..

The purpose seems different, the point of view feels different, the experience seems to have changed therefore because of it..

Which is not a bad thing.. As i strongly believe that it's all happening for a reason, and what ever's going on here is not happening by chance. Not at all.. So in a way, there's that tinge of excitement in the air as i anticipate greater things to happen.. =)

For His honour and glory..

leaving..

2010-02-22T00:13:00.002+08:00

It's a mixture of anticipation, excitement, sadness, loneliness and everything else all mashed up into one.. In a way, i thank God i'm kept busy up to my ears since i reached the air port. It keeps the loneliness at bay..

I pray that do nothing short of my best this trip, God willing. And that i remind myself constantly why i'm there for and what i'm doing. That i'll be reminded of the greater good that He has planned for me.. And that i'll just need to trust and follow thru..

I pray i don't disappoint U.. Pls take care of everyone that i hold dear to my heart.. I commit them to you and leave them in ur care..

silent screams

2010-02-14T02:35:00.001+08:00

I've just spent the last 14 hours trying to tweak my computer, with nothing much of a break except for our dinner.. Which was really good.. But anyway..

So the story goes that i haven't been seeing my full download speed that i'm paying for on my desktop for quite a while.. It's weird cos i really thot it was a singnet thing.. Heck, i even called to complain..

Long story short, i eventually narrowed it down to my own desktop being the problem.. It couldn't be singnet, cos the wired lan works fine.. It can't be the router, cos beepo gets an awesome speed.. So that leaves just my desktop..

Happy yet sad, cos i know now it's only gotta do with me, but then again, why me..

So i've been digging thru the net and pouring over forums after forums.. But to not much of any avail.. It would seem that i'm not the only one experiencing some sort of speed cap with my linksys wireless adapter.. But i still haven't found anything solid yet..

So looks like i'll be yet another day with crappy speeds and no clue to what's wrong..

Bummer.. Anyway.. Happy Chinese New Year everyone.. And a blessed lovely valentines to all the darlings and lovey doveys out there..

Time to crash.. Good Night world.. =)

Update 070210

2010-02-07T13:25:00.003+08:00

Pardon the boring title.. I really can’t think of a good one now..

So anyway, some have told me that my blog’s been dead and ppl have been bugging me to update it. Lo and behold, the first post after such a long time came with the sad news about hamlette.. my heart’s still sore abt it.

This past week has been quite eventful. It’s a whole mixed up jumble of events.. both in and out of work.. this week, the line’s quite greyed out.. kinda hard to differentiate work from play with all the cohesion ra-ra activities..

Don’t really have much to comment about the company’s cohesion day, likewise for the bn’s one.. more like I ‘shouldn’t’ be commenting about them.. like I said, I’m not sure where to draw the line between work and play this past week.. and blogging abt work doesn’t seem quite the right thing to do..

Anyway, it’s been quite a ball of a time with the boys.. crazy stuff that I’ve never done in 26 yrs of my life and perhaps stuff that I’ll NEVER do again.. but all in the name of fun. Did some shopping with some of them too.. great warehouse sale. =)

Well, like I said, I don’t quite know how to name this post, and honestly, I’m not sure what this post is about right now.. perhaps just a part of me that wants to write, but I’m not sure what, why and how I should be doing it.. darn.

the wonderful 15 that I’ve spent the past 2 days with and 32 more to come..

coincidence? Nah.. FATED. Haha..

insert some interesting comment here about the long queue at chinatown for the bah kwa..

alvin’s Happy Food.. =)

Totally random post.. I know. If you actually read up till here.. thanks. I’ll buy u a coffee some time. =)

Hamlette

2010-01-31T23:59:00.000+08:00

The room suddenly feels quieter now.. without that incessant ‘nick nick nick..’ as you chew away on ur house.. neither do I hear the wheel turning round and round at hyper speeds while you try to outdo your best timing on the wheel..

Looking over my shoulder at the tank.. it now feels that tad bit emptier.. somehow it just feels different now.

You were the crazier one of the 2. Sure.. you gave me a fair share of headaches and sleepless nights and mornings.. times when you chose to be chewing away at the cage/plastic house/wheel either at 3 in the morning or when I’m trying to nap in the afternoon.. or that time when you chose to do a ninja and climb over the divider and into omelette’s side and pick a fight with her at 5 in the morning..

You were the trouble maker.. but yet.. you brought endless joy to me. You made coming home something to look forward to more. Of the 2, you allowed me to pick u up occasionally, and you would lie at ur happy spot and drift off to lala-land as you allowed me to reach in and stroke ur forehead..

Every time I step thru my door, irregardless if it’s after a long hard week of training or after a crazy week at school, you would pop your little head up and scratch away at the glass.. welcoming me back. Immediately making me smile..

Every time I see you in your sleep, I always wished I could hold you and cuddle u in my palm without you fidgeting.. to just hold you and stroke ur fur as you lay calmly in my palm..

Yet, now as I’m able to do all that.. I wish I didn’t have to.. I wish I couldn’t. I wish you’d fidget away and try to leap off my palm. I wish you’d scratch away at my palm and try to bite my thumb.. I wish you would just move and wake from this deep sleep.

I miss you hamlette.. you have brought much more joy to me than you can ever imagine.. you’ve taught me so many lessons, more than you’ll ever realize.. and you thot me to give.. much more than you ever received..

You will always be remembered..

Hamlette
21 Oct 2008 – 31 Jan 2010

The Promise

2010-01-28T20:46:00.004+08:00

“The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace..”

With those words somehow ringing in my head, I sat in the cab as it turned onto the highway. The brilliance of the rising sun piercing right through the windscreen and onto my face.. I squinted.

Selections.

For the 2nd time..

The same corridor.. that same wall.. the same bunk and the same bed.. the same views out of the same window and the same helplessness that seeps into you. It’s all coming back..

But no, somehow, this time, it would be different.. somehow this time I know it within myself that things are gonna be different. Not for me to boast, nor for me to impress, but for me to claim. For me to claim His promises over my life.. That’s how it all started. Right there in the cab..

The following 2 weeks were succeeded by the usual that I’ve come to expect.. the daily ‘routines’ and the never-ending anxiety.. the sleepless nights as we all tossed, not knowing how long more before it’d be time to wake..

But through it all, I am constantly reminded of The Promise. I am reminded of what I’ve done for Him previously.. how He has not forgotten.. and the sheer overwhelming joy, knowing that I have pleased Him and made Him proud.. I am reminded that I did not have to worry.. that’s all I needed to keep me going.

Dare I say that if there’s one place that I get visions and words dropped into my heart.. it’d be there. Of all places, in the deepest darkest moments that a person has to go through.. that’s where he seeks the light and finds it. That’s where the glory goes to Him alone, that’s where you recognize that it’s no longer your strength that u’re running on, and that’s where the story unfolds.

For 2 weeks, I get to experience first-hand, seeing how His plans will unfold when it is in His will.. I see for myself the impossible that can happen, the uncanny ‘coincidences’ that somehow take place and favour as He extends His protection over me.. And now, looking back, all I can say is that it’s all for Him and Him alone..

Not for mine, but for Your Honour and Glory.. I thank You for giving me the chance to serve You in the most dire of circumstances.. to be a light to shine for the others to see.. to direct them to you and plant that seed.. I pray I made You proud. None of these goes to me, for I know that without You I wouldn’t have lasted a day.. I thank You for opening yet another door in my life.. I pray You give me the strength and guidance as I traverse down this path you have willed..

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." - Jeremiah 29:11-13 NIV

Back

2009-12-26T15:32:00.005+08:00

Ok, so let's see..

1. I'm finally back to using a computer with a proper screen and keyboard, rather than on my tiny little phone. Blew 932 bucks on a desktop, cos I figured it'll be more value for money, since I can't exactly bring a notebook to work.

2. Just spent the last couple of days irritating myself with installing all the nonsense on the harddisk. Reason? My shiny new computer caught a bug, and being the stubborn me, I tried to fix it. Spending more than a day on it. Eventually, I still formatted it. *doh* So this comes from the 2nd installation of everything, and I'm still not done as of now.

3. I pulled out a highlighter, and highlighted away at the computer price list, overlooking some things. Important things. Things like, even though they cost the same, kiasu me went to get a 'higher series' of CPU. In the end, I landed up with a 64-Bit Processor and I didn't even know about it. Not until I tried to run my Linux LiveCd.

4. I've got a tonne of pictures that I'd love to upload here.. but it's so gonna take some time. I still have loads of nonsense to install, followed by ghosting an image of this installation, so I don't have to go through this headache again next time.

5. My notebook really can't be salvaged. I hooked it up to my monitor, and the image's all messed up. Think normal-looking-screen getting a zebra tattoo. *sigh* I shall have an official post to mourn the passing of Sattee.

6. I think my blog's another year older.. that's fast. =)

7. And of course, Merry Christmas everyone..! I think Christmas is losing it's magic. Either that, or I'm just getting old. Most probably both.. but still.. it's not as magical anymore. STILL, a Merry Christmas to all! Go get ur mistletoes!

Saddened

2009-12-09T18:19:00.000+08:00

My comp died. It's beyond repair.. Well, technically. It powers up, but the screen won't wake. Leave it long enough and u hear windows in the background, but nothing on the screen.

The guy at the service centre said it's wear.. So it's most prob the motherboard, lcd screen, graphic card or a combination of the three. And because warranty's over, there's an additional 100 bucks if i just want him to check out exactly what's spoiled and give me a quotation. The estimated price he gave me was 500-600 bucks to fix it.

That's half the price of a new computer u can get today. Sigh..

I'm sad.

A haunting reminder..

2009-11-18T21:22:00.003+08:00

.. of the Anxiety, of the Fear, of the Pain, of the Failure.. and the fact that I have to do it all again.

FINALLY

2009-11-13T12:50:00.007+08:00

So I finally got down to trying out the new Kubuntu 9.10 as mentioned here.. and I'm proud to say that this post comes from the penguin partition of my computer..

First thing that hits me is that the eye candies and everything still stays.. and of course, there's the big fix: Everything simply works out-of-the-box. The previous version of kubuntu (9.04) was merely a lame excuse. Everything from the wlan to file managers were broken. And the thing is, the fellas back there KNEW that it was broken.. they just decided to somehow release it anyway.

So with this new version, the eye candy that was there before still remains.. the awesomely straightforward interface still stays.. with the addition now that everything works by itself. Not so much of any tweaking needs to be done. Heck, I didn't even update any of the 34 'bug fixes' that they prompted me to.. the wlan connector works like a breeze, there's even a in-built firefox installer.. so you don't exactly need to open up the console and start unpacking the packages and 'apt-get' the stuffs..

Medias play fine now too.. perhaps it's the new update with VLC but if I'm not wrong, I'm using a slightly older version, cos I simply went to do a 'sudo apt-get install vlc'.. so I got a slightly older version; but still, it works.

Mounting of other partitions are a breeze too.. previously I recall having to go through the console just to mount my partitions, and so I ended up writing a script to automate the process.. but now, it's all straight forward. Just click on the partition in the file manager, and it auto-magically mounts the partition and shows u the content. As I'm typing this, I'm listening to music that's from my ntfs partition.. once you're done and wish to unmount it, again, just simply right-click and choose the 'unmount' function. Sweet.. =)

Perhaps the only downside to it is hotmail. Which technically goes back one big round and points the problem back to microsoft. You see.. apparently there's some nonsense stunt that micro$oft's trying to pull. They've added some codes such that when u're using firefox over a linux platform, hotmail will know abt it. And so they'll disable the 'Compose' function.

Sure, you'll get through to the Compose page.. you can fill in the address To and CC fields.. and the Subject too. But that's abt all you're gonna be able to do. The main body where ur text will be is greyed out. You can't seem to 'reach' it or 'enable' it.. so in short, you can't send any mails out.

So clever right? Sneaky bastards. They may claim that it's a firefox compatibility issue but really.. you own Hotmail, you create Internet Explorer and you started Windows.. and somehow, things don't work out when I don't use any of these 3 together.. isn't it obvious that u're trying to control the market?

So anyway after digging around the forums I managed to solve it with this nifty little firefox add-on known as User Agent Switcher. I'm not all too sure what it does and I honestly can't be bothered to find out.. I just know that it works probably by mimicking some background codes. So hotmail somehow 'thinks' it's on a windows platform, and allows everything to proceed as normal.

Well, other than this issue with the hotmail thing, which really isn't a linux problem.. this is by far the best distro I've used ever.. well done to the chaps behind Kubuntu.. *thumbs up*

Looks like my XP partition will be collecting dust for a looong while now.. =)

That's how the desktop looks..

and that's the typical multiple desktop eye-candy.. =)

Missing Out

2009-11-08T16:01:00.001+08:00

No, I’m not dead. Just busy. The past 3 weeks have been a back-to-back pileup of things that happened so fast, now that I look back, I can’t quite remember how it all started and what exactly happened.. it all feels so distant.. yet somehow still very vivid. The sights, the sounds, the pain, the raw emotions.

I’ve missed quite abit these past 3 weeks that I was away.. for one, I know I missed my furballs’ birthday.. so here’s a big Happy Birthday to the 2 of them. I promise I’ll try to find a giant sunflower seed for you both. Heh.

I’ve also missed out what’s been going on around the world.. I suddenly realized that I’ve not been reading the papers the past weeks and so I’m quite out-of-touch with the world. It isn’t exactly a bad thing per se.. just that it’s nice to be in the loop of what’s going on once in a while.

I have also yet to try out the new kubuntu.. maybe I will once I’m done with this post. Then I’ll def do an update here abt it, if it’s as good as they say it is.. and talking abt my blog.. I miss going around with my camera taking pictures and uploading them here.. kinda sucky when ur job doesn’t exactly allow u to bring a camera with you everywhere u go for those just-in-case situations where a Kodak-moment pops up..

So anyway, enough moaning and complaining.. blisters, heat-rash and aching shoulders aside.. the past week has been alright. Things could have turned out far worst.. but I’m thankful I manage to get thru it.. thank God.

Birthday’s coming and so is Christmas.. as usual, my fav season of the year.. so it probably isn’t gonna be that bad for the next month or so.. can’t wait for it. =) *cues carols to start playing*

Penguin Update

2009-10-30T23:18:00.005+08:00

It’s finally here! The one that I can honestly say I’ve been waiting for.. a quick update on the penguin partition on my computer as of now will show that I’m happy with the fancy layout and eye-candy that kubuntu 9.04 comes with.. but somehow, at the expense of everything else, it just looks good.

Everything was broken, from the wifi connector to the desktop widgets and even the file manager/explorer was nonsense.. a poor excuse for an OS. So I was honestly waiting for 9.10 where hopefully things will get better.

And in the midst of the whole brouhaha nonsense of this past (worst) week (of my life), I suddenly realize tonight that 9.10 is out..! So as I type, 9.10 is slowly being downloaded and conceived in my harddisk.. shall update soon abt it.

Yes, the tech geek (omg!) in me is all excited. Hah.

Obedience School

2009-10-28T08:47:00.002+08:00

It’s a long story that I’ve played and re-played over and over in my head many times.. till the point that I’m actually tired of talking abt it. The final lesson on obedience and submission was the hardest to learn.

I dropped out from selections with just 2 days to the end. It’s so close I can almost feel it.. but yet, since the start of the week, I had an inclination that things will end early. I just never expected it to end this way.

Doctor says it might be a partial ligament tear, but he can’t confirm it. So I’m praying against it now.. it’s been one heck of a ride and yes, I’ll still give You the glory and I still choose to praise You no matter how difficult this is for me. I trust that You have a greater plan for me, one that I can never fathom, and that You’ll see it to pass.

Thank You for sending me to obedience school.. I pray I made You proud.

Natural Selection

2009-10-23T19:07:00.003+08:00

Biologists or rather environmentalist and ecologists will tell you that the process of Natural Selection is crucial for the balance in life on this planet. Natural Selection speaks of how certain species will eventually triumph over other weaker species, thereby ensuring that only the best genes are maintained and selected for future generations to be spawned. And then the cycle continues, so it behaves like a never-ending fine-tuning process, meant to sift out the weak and allow nothing but the best to survive.

The same can be said abt any SF in the world.. the selections that they create are all but part of a process of eliminating the weak, and retaining the potential. It is a SPECIAL force after all.. and with a tag line that goes ‘A Special Breed of Men, A Cut Above the Rest’, how simple can an SF selections be.

Throughout my time in the army, I can honestly say that I’ve been true some nasty stuff that I never want to re-live again. Ever. Even in my dreams, I never want to ever encounter them.. these are experiences that have been thrown into the deepest recesses of my mind, never to be woken up for good. But yet, nothing that I’ve been through has prepared me for the past week.

We started 17-strong, and by the end of the 3rd day, we were down to a mere 9. As of today, we’re down to 6. And it’s only been just the 1st week. I can’t remember the last time I’ve felt this way if ever, and battered body and bruises aside, I pray that God will see me through the following week.

It all started with dreadful anticipation from the weeks that led up to day 1 of the selections.. there was this internal turmoil, on one hand knowing that I have not adequately prepared myself for this, but on the other hand, knowing that this is the only chance I’m gonna get at it. So definitely, a ridiculous amount of pressure started to mount as the phrase ‘Make it or Break it’ looms bigger and louder everyday.

But on the night of day 2, something special happened. My angel told me, that it’s no longer abt the selections anymore, but abt simple obedience. I no longer have to worry abt whether I make it through or not, because it doesn’t matter anymore.. the fact is, I’m going through it simply because He wants me to, and I’m simply just trusting and obeying. That turned everything around, and for the 1st time in weeks, I can honestly say that I’ve felt the burden been lifted off my shoulders.. I recognized more and more daily that it’s really not abt the selections anymore.. He has planned for me to be there for a reason and the fact is that I’m following and obeying what He wants me to do. So the outcome of the selections; whether I make it or fail it, really doesn’t bother me anymore.. cos I recognise that nothing can and will happen without first being filtered through Him. So I really have nothing to worry abt.

And with His grace, it has brought me thus far.. 50% of the way. The 2nd half is gonna get only crazier, and we all know it. There’s a whole load of crazy, ridiculous nonsense that will be done, but I’m not worried, cos I know that my heart is now in the right place.

I appreciate this rest and hope to recover as best as I can in anticipation for next week. I pray that I continue to do nothing short of what He has intended me to do/go through and at the end of the day, I recognise that all honour and glory goes to none other but Him.

2 more days..

2009-10-17T16:35:00.002+08:00

2 more days to the selections. It's one of those things that if I'm totally honest with myself, I don't see myself completing it and lasting thru to the end.

It's also another story how the manpower side totally messed up and got the date wrong. It's someone's career you're talking abt, and yet just because u are leaving, you and ur bunch of mech warriors mess up the entire battalion with ur nonsense planning of duty forecasts and getting critical dates wrong. Selfish with a capital ASS.

We'll see what comes out of these 2 weeks.

For a start, I'll try to get thru the initial couple of days first..

Staying Alive

2009-10-03T10:59:00.003+08:00

Hi everyone, Happy Belated Children's Day.

Yes, I'm still alive, not dead yet. I know it's getting quiet around here, just that work has started and suddenly, I find myself out of free time to blog as much as I want to. Plus the fact that it's a communal internet terminal to be shared with a whole LOAD of other guys.

The downside of work is starting to show it's ugly head, with all the 'juvenile' politics (like who does the duty officer for the weekend; life will NEVER be fair) etc.. but I'm trying to work on it and take it in my stride.

By the looks of it, I probably won't be out till late October. I wonder how things will look like outside after a month.. orchard rd changes so fast.

Anyway, till then.. later!

Touched by an Angel

2009-09-07T18:45:00.002+08:00

Work’s started and it’s been a helluva ride the past 5 days. From signing the contract to trying to settle in quick, even tho so many thing’s undone, and left hanging. For one, I still haven’t exactly figured out my appointment yet, so I’m not sure what I’ll be doing. I just know that I’ve to report to work and take it from there.. Perhaps I’ll find out in due time..

The motive of this post probably isn’t exactly abt me whining and complaining that I’ve started work, or to share my sad story with the world. Everyone has one, and everyone’s probably tired of hearing another sad story.

Nope, my point this round is to mention, on the other hand, how fortunate I am, to have been touched by an angel. And since there’s no way of making this sound non-cheesy, I might as well serve it with an extra portion of mozzarella...

You’ve been my column of strength thru all these years, even though outwardly I may not show it, just like the steel foundations that work quietly on the inside to hold a skyscraper up, you’ve been my quiet refuge where I turn to for comfort and strength.

From the time we first met, u’ve never restricted me from being who I am, from doing the things that make me come alive. U’ve never cast a judging eye on the way I behave when I’m with you.. U’ve allowed me space to grow into who I am, and not try to make me someone I am not..

Through the time in the army, I had my fair share of laments and melancholy and I know it didn’t just affect me. It affected u too. It stretched you too. It weighed down on u, but yet, u were always there to welcome me with open arms, and a comforting hug. U were always there to encourage me and to believe in me, when even sometimes, I doubt my own abilities.

Throughout the countless exams, u were always there for me, to cheer me on, to surprise me at my door with the lovely cheesecakes and for comforting me especially on the sleepless nights before an examination. I have no idea how I would have done it without you..

And now, at yet another major crossroad in life, where changes are eminent and a fresh chapter begins, I would be more than lost, had it not been for your tender love and gentle comfort.. reinstating my believes in who I am, what I’ve done, and what I can accomplish.

They say that behind every successful man, there’s a women.. no, in my case, she’s an angel. Thus far in life, I look back and I dare say that I’ve been more than successful in my own terms. Blessings after blessings that I thank God for..

And so, over and above that, I also recognise that it’s not just any woman who’s supporting me, but a lovely angel sent from God to remind me how His love for me is like.

Thank you darling for always being there.. I love you.

My Angel

Genesis Now

2009-09-02T22:45:00.001+08:00

And so, the first step of the thousand-miled journey has finally been taken.. this marks a new milestone in life where things will change, things will be different and where I should expect the unexpected.

But all in, it should be good. It should all be for a good cause. I pray for the Lord to continue to guide me in His wisdom, fill me with His courage and empower me with His strength to do nothing short of what He has planned for me.. not for mine, but for His honour and glory.

WooHoo!

2009-08-31T17:44:00.005+08:00

After 2 years.. and all the grey-matter ache.. I finally solved it. I’m not sure what took me so long to realize such a simple truth. Hah..

I FINALLY FINALLY managed to get the darn port forwarding to work on my net connection.

You see, it all started with me doing some simple maths 2 yrs ago when I finally graduated from the 56kbps class and joined the Broadband gang.. I figured it’s waaay cheaper to get a wired modem from Singnet, and then buy a wireless router to route the internet connection around my house..

The math tells me that if I had chosen Singnet’s wireless dsl modem+router combo device thingy, with the additional amount I pay every month, for the 2 year contract period, I’ll be paying an extra 150 bucks compared to using their wired (‘single user’) modem.. and since a wireless router only costs me 70. so technically, I can afford to buy another one, even if it breaks down.

And the pros of getting a separate router clearly outweighs getting a modem+router combo device. Cos even if I should choose to hop over to the Starhub Cable bandwagon in the future, I won’t need to much housekeeping or helping mum/dad/sis to sort out their connection issues. Just plug in the new modem to the old router and I’m good to go.

So anyway, all these while I’ve been blind-sighted by the router. I’ve followed all the procedures on countless port-forwarding website to the punctuation, but still, I can never get it to work. And therefore, I rarely get a decent download speed. And with the linux distros getting bigger and bigger, and available every 6 months, it’s quite irritating to keep waiting really.

Only now did it suddenly hit me that the modem that Singnet provides acts somewhat like a router too.. a ‘smart’ modem as they called it. Mine’s the Thomson SpeedTouch one. And so after hooking up straight into the modem, I get to enter the holy-grail which is the elusive modem’s setup page to forward the modem’s port.

So now, the modem’s port is forwarded to the router, which is then forwarded to my computer and everyone’s happy.

AWESOME.. .. but only after 2 years. Bummer..

Lunch@Area-X

2009-08-27T23:59:00.003+08:00

Ok, so this post is abit out of nowhere.. but just for the sake of documenting it, I figured I’ll do it. And for reasons unknown, firefox has been acting up. My pictures won't show even though it says that they've been uploaded; only after a couple of days and an update then it FINALLY works. Bummer.. Hah..

So anyway over a couple of weeks (maybe more.. hmm..) back we headed out for lunch. The whole thing started with leon wanting a break.. so we decided to go for a walk. And so I thought, what’s a walk with a lunch right? So we might as well.. and with joel having some time to spare, I decided to rope him in as well..

Munrong couldn’t make it due to some mis-comm issues.. so in the end, I managed to drag in siwei, else there’ll be too much food. All thing’s good in the end.. food was good; chicken was awesome and prawns were excellant, company was good.. and the weather was nothing short of perfect. =)

BRILLIANT!

The lunch.. before and after.. =)

Left: leon, who eventually took a long nap on the hammock.
Right: me and joel

me and siwei

Count the Blessings

2009-08-22T23:59:00.001+08:00

Start small and inward, then slowly zoom out.. and see where it gets.

1. I’m healthy.. I don’t suffer from any physical/mental defects that impair me and what I do daily.

2. As above, all 5 (maybe even a 6th!) senses are working fine and I can enjoy the beauty around me. The lovely deep blue sky and beautiful sunsets, the birds that chirp and my favourite tunes, the awesome flavour of my bahkuteh and divine aroma of my black coffee and of course, the gentle touch of dar’s hand.

3. I don’t have alot, but what I have will suffice. I do not go hungry and I have a shelter over my head. Right now, I’m not stuck in the rain outside as I’m typing this.

4. I even have spares.. Spares to occasionally enjoy the pleasures of life. And as evidence, I’ve got the excess around my tummy to prove it.

5. I have even MORE than spares. I’m sitting here in the comfort of my own room.. on a cushioned chair with a lamp illuminating my notebook as I journal away.. while some other half of the population out there is sitting in dusty darkness, not knowing when the next meal will be, and are illiterate.

6. I’ve got a family to call my own.. yes, there are times when they drive me up the wall, and vice-versa. But at the end of the day, I know that I’ve got them, and the extended ones to turn to when I need someone.. anyone. I’m not as alone here as I feel sometimes.

7. Friends. No man is an island, yet how many have actually met some who have no one to talk to. No one to hold a conversation with. No companion to be with.. Not even a pet spider.

8. I’ve spent the last 18 years of my life studying. And not all these 18 years were done willingly. I remember grumbling my way to school and skipping classes for that measly extra hour of sleep. And yet, we all know that there are ppl in the world who would walk for hours daily, just to get to school.. to get a simple education.. all for the sake of attaining a better life.

9. My country. So many times I take the beauty of our country, the cleanliness, the safety, the peace, the just governance for granted. Opening my eyes to see our neighbours around and beyond, I am humbled by the environment that they live in. The standard of living that we have is beyond a gift.

10. Heaven. I know where I’m going when this phase ends. I know my place is secured. Yet, if Christ had chosen to come the day before I accepted Him, I would have missed out entirely. This is one blessing above all, that I still find it hard to swallow.

So you see, it’s not that we don’t know these things.. it’s just that we need a little reminder. This is one of the few posts (the Only if ever) that I honestly find it hard to write.

But yet, as I force myself to come up with these 10 Great Blessings.. I find myself asking why I deserve all these. I’m pretty sure there are ppl around the world who do not have these 10 at all.. not even 1 or 2. So the big question is Why Me? Why have I deserved all these blessings? And likewise, why have u deserved all these?

Over and above that, I believe the bigger and more important one is the What question. Now that we have recognised these facts, What are we gonna do abt it..? Can we allow ourselves to just sit there and not do anything abt it?

..just something to ponder abt perhaps..

The Inspiration

2009-08-17T23:59:00.000+08:00

Crashed leon’s place on sat.. amongst the other stuff we attempted like sorting out the guitars and trying to find THAT lost capo, we managed to catch 2 shows and an awfully sinful supper.

the view from his place.. =)

The first was Cloverfield.. and that really sucked. Hah. It’s one of those 1st-person-movie things where the entire film was recorded on some camcorder-like perspective with the fella behind running around with it. I’m not one exactly who gets motion sickness; whether from the real deal or from playing 1st person games.. I actually love it. But for this, abt an hour or so into the show I really started to hate it and my temples started hurting abit.

All in, it’s one heck of a sickening show.. the ending was crap needless to say.. and from the reviews on wikipedia.. I’d think that there are some ppl who can really tolerate rubbish.. it’s really a bad excuse for a movie to me. =P

So anyway, all is not lost.. he mentioned some arty farty (or ‘artsy fartsy’ as he’d coin it) movie that left him all inspired. So I thot, what the heck. Should be good.. you see, that’s the nice thing abt having an artist-friend.. you get different recommendations and different view points from them.. not ur mainstream point-of-view. And add the fact that he’s got formal training in Theology, there’s just so much more that they see rather than what’s on the surface =)

So anyway, the next show we caught was Once. I’ve heard of Cloverfield before (maybe from friends who told me NOT to watch), but for Once, I’ve never heard of it. So it’s apparently some smaller budgeted film. But I have to say, this is waaaaay ahead and miles better than Cloverfield.

In a nutshell, it’s a movie abt music. And the music in the show’s really quite something. What got to me was that, most of the time, movies that revolve around music would probably be just one song, Music & Lyrics for example. Not to slam them but the usual case is that they’d market and over-hype the song.. and it all becomes ‘plastic’. And at the end of the day, it’s really just that ONE song the movie revolves around.

Whereas in this case, the songs are a significant ingredient to the movie. There’re not there just as decoration, but they are actually used in the movie to set the mood, to create a scene, to reveal the characters of the show.. it’s really quite amazing. Artsy fartsy as they’d call it.. but without overdoing it.

So it was really not difficult to see why such a show could really inspire the greats like Steven Spielberg.. if even I could draw inspirations from it, what more would the arty farty gather.

Haha.. so cheem right? Ya, I know.. see? Watch one movie and I turn out this way. Haha.. so you really should catch it. Go!

The Great Exchange

2009-08-14T23:38:00.005+08:00

One returns almost 2 and a half. A hundred will return 240. And so, the quest to be treated like a king for a day begins.. and it all starts right there.. ... in front of the money changer.. =) *cues comical sounds*

So despite the initial inertia.. I joined the happy couple into the land of Truly Asia to embark on our quest for good food, at an even better price.. and with such an awesome exchange rate, it’s a great way to begin.

meet sharolyn and joel.. the Happy Couple.

Took a bus from jurong east that led us past the 2nd link, all the way up north to some place they called Bukit Indah. And from there on, a short cab ride to a quiet (but HUGE) and awfully new mall which they called Sutera Mall.

one sure way of telling you’re no longer in Singapore.. =)

Funny names aside, we snooped around and eventually, and thanks to our lovely God-given instincts, we found the place without much hassle. Didn’t really get ‘lost’ as we’d expected. Thank God.. and so the feast began.

Aside from the typical à-la-carte buffet method of serving.. what really caught our attention was that after placing our initial orders, the waitress actually prompted us to order more. *ding* *cues comical sound again* that was a first. Or maybe it’s a ploy to get us to order so much food, so they can earn from the food-wastage surcharge. Hah. We’ll never know..

The presentation was also flawless.. experience from the local versions of these buffets has taught us that the first serving will always be the prettiest. Arranged nicely, and with generous amounts.. subsequent orders and their corresponding servings will eventually decline exponentially, both in terms of quality and quantity. But yet, serving after servings, the amount and presentation stayed the same. *another brownie point added* something that Ikoi and Minori can definitely learn a thing or 2 from..

FOOD! The sashimi here was the 3rd bowl we had.. still arranged with effort. ‘Got Pride!’

So after the lovely sashimi and the paddle-pop ice cream *YES* as dessert (which totally sealed the deal for me; I LOVE THIS PLACE), we headed back to the mall and ended up at secret recipe. Even more desserts.. hah.

some cheese cake thing.. some coffee thing.. and some chocolate thing.. HAH.

And then to wrap-up the great expedition, we 3 kings took a taxi to the City Square immigration checkpoint (REALLY GI-NORMOUS PLACE), and headed back to kranji mrt.

The best part of this trip? The price tag.. after counting and re-counting to make sure I got it right, the total amount spent today, inclusive of the grub and all the traveling into, around and back to Singapore, adds up to a hefty sum of all but SGD$25.10.. *cues cheers and applause*

Quite simply, the Great Exchange isn’t it?

Happy Photos

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

Ok, so I couldn’t wait. I had wanted to collate all the photos I had regarding my graduation stuff, what with the convocation ceremony, grad dinner etc.. all together, then create an awesome huge post abt it.

Long story short, we went around school taking some pictures today. And it turned out so well, I couldn’t wait to sort the rest out..

So it started with a cloudy, rainy day, such that I had initially not want to get out of bed.. much less travel 2 hours all the way to school in the gloomy weather to take pictures. But all’s well at the end of the day.. just when we were abt done with a late lunch, the sun came up and the weather got better and better..

And like they all say.. the weather really DOES play a part in the way photos turn out. With a good weather, there hardly is a need for any tweaking in photoshop.. at least to my untrained eye la.. =) hah..

My Jump Shot! Now I've got one too!

Left: That's my 'pose'.. we all took turns standing.. hah.

Left: Me & Alwyn
Right: Alwyn and Shengqiao trying to do the Kappa thing.

My Favourite picture of the entire day..

My only regret is running out of the house and not turning back to take my tripod, thinking I won't need it. If i did.. I could have placed myself in that Favourite Shot.. darn.

Seeing is Believing

2009-08-04T19:27:00.004+08:00

National Day’s round the corner. And in light of recent events, I’ve learnt to just take in the moment and cherish whatever time I have. Figured that it’s quite a lesson I’m still learning, but if I can just understand and learn that if I just appreciate everything I’m doing at that point in time.. then that’s really what life’s abt.

So many times in life we do Task A, thinking of Task B, and Task B thinking of Task C.. and at the end of the day, we look back and find the day gone just like that, and we question why nothing significant happened.. a ‘boring’ day. Take time off and learn to appreciate the little wonders in life.. it’ll look a whole load better.

Ok, so anyway, like I was saying, NDP’s round the corner and I’m really looking forward to it. No tickets, so won’t be able to watch it live, bummer. But perhaps I should hang around the area and take in the aerial display and fireworks.. soak in the patriotic-ness that will fill the air.

This year’s NDP theme song’s quite interesting too.. but amidst the mix reviews abt the song, what got my attention was how Mr Brown actually managed to make a spoof of it. And a rather humorously good one at that. Enjoy! =)

The Original – What Do You See, by Electrico

The Parody - Le Kua Si Mi, by Mr Brown (and Electrician)

Happy National Day everyone! =)

Property of..

2009-07-31T17:20:00.002+08:00

.. the SAF.

There’s probably no hiding it now.. I’m now ‘one of them’. It wasn’t exactly the start that I expected, since I still have to wait up to a month for them to officiate the documents.. but this is pretty much it. I’ve now a new sticker on my 11B.

I can already foresee the comments that will come streaming in.. brace urself alvin. Brace..

Acknowledgement

2009-07-26T00:18:00.003+08:00

Today, it suddenly dawned on me that I’m gonna be convocating next week. And that I’ll actually be a university graduate. RIGHT.. I never thought of it this way.. and so I sit here and I suddenly feel humbled.

I thank God and acknowledge all that He has done the past 3 years with me/for me throughout my undergrad time in NTU. I acknowledge without a shadow of a doubt that I attain my grades not by my own might, my own brilliance or by my hard work, but purely by the grace and provision of Him.

Anyone who’s known me will definitely know that I’m not the academically sound kinda person. Far from it.. I prefer things that I can see/hear/touch/feel/do.. not books. So I’ve never excelled in school, I’ve never been the brains of the family nor have I ever been mr high-flyer-straight-Ace-boy. But as I look back now, from my PSLE, to the big Os, to my diploma and now my degree, I can safely say that I’m proud of my achievements.. and most importantly, I know full well that these are not by my own might.. but a gift.

And so, I acknowledge that it’s all His doing.. and I have to just continue to trust and believe that there’s a path out there that’s carved out for me.. all I have to do now, is to just follow it.

Zap!

2009-07-20T23:53:00.002+08:00

Recently got into the Harry Potter hype.. but it’s got nothing to do with the new movie tho.. all credit goes to beeps. So it started with finding the movies for her cos she wanted them.. being the nice brother that I am *cough*.. so naturally, I watched it too.. and that was my first time watching Harry Potter.. yes, I know.. If u know me, I haven’t exactly much chance to watch movies.

So anyway, I started watching the 3rd installment first.. the one with the prisoner and the dementor thingies.. and I have to say.. it’s Good! Hah.. abit long for a movie.. but the story’s nicely written and the visual effects did it justice too.. so I’m happy. And of course, with my new set of speakers.. I’m not complaining.. =)

So I’ve since watched the first 2 of the series and they’re decent too.. and I now understand what all the hype with Daniel Radcliffe is abt. He’s really got that boyish charm and fresh-face thing going.. more so for the first film especially. But no, don’t worry, I’m still straight. Baah.

Ok, on a separate note.. I came across this article on the new issue of Popular Science.. abt some submersible science vessel that they aptly named.. well.. Alvin. =) hah.. quite shocked when I came across that article. It’s some 21-million dollar (woot!) deep-sea research tool that can apparently dive to 21,000 feet with 3 ppl on board (for the record, the RMS Titanic rests at 12,500 feet).. fully equipped with the latest techy stuffs like high-def cameras and such.. quite amazing.. hah.

Alvin can dive now too!! Haha..

ARGH

2009-07-15T12:42:00.004+08:00

Ok, here’s a quick update at what’s been going on for the past few days..

My computer started screwing up.. for starters, my anti-virus went to auto-update itself and then it starts detecting that some of my files were Trojan-infected.. files that have been sitting there and running with no issues prior. So after many failed attempts at trying to sort it out, I decided to do the unthinkable.. format my computer.

Any windows user will be familiar with the issue at hand. A computer when brand new behaves brand new.. nice and fast.. then over time.. by abt the 6th month.. things start to get screwy.. and almost every 6 months, you need to do a system overhaul to keep ur machine running efficiently. Yes, it’s one of the ‘joys’ that a mac user will never have to go through..

So I look through my archive and I realize that the last harddisk image I created was back in September 2007. That also meant that that was the last time I formatted my comp.. all thanks to my FYP that I kept pushing back the task of formatting it.. just in case I forgot to back up some stuff and jeopardize my project and grades and honours and blah blah..

So now, I’ve got a clean desktop, but that’s abt all.. I’ve to reinstall all my programs, games, drivers, and utilities that I’ve included since Sept 07 and worse.. I forgot to back up my ICC colour profile that I painstakingly created (as mentioned here). DARN. And at the end of the day, I realise that it's just the stupid anti-virus that's too 'sensitive'.. it isn't a trojan; the file isn't infected. Stupid boy.

So much for windows.. when will google’s new OS come.. pls hurry.

Alright, on a brighter note.. if u’ve been catching the adverts on tv lately, u’ll notice the trailers for the new season of Singapore Idol.. then they’ll show these clips of ppl ‘trying’ to make it. There this one that strikes me really hard.. like REALLY HARD. The lady who goes “I’m the next avril lavigne.. ASIA’S AVRIL LAVIGNE!” totally cracks me up.. sounded more like ‘ahhveel lavin’.. heh. So jokes aside, I decided to dig out some of her songs (yes I actually got them)..

and latest earwax? Avril Lavigne’s When You’re Gone.

Chi Ba Boom!

2009-07-10T11:02:00.004+08:00

.. that’s my attempt at spelling my interpretation of how an explosion sounded like when I was younger.. hah. Chi Ba Boom!

Right, so anyway, after what seemed like forever, I finally got down to getting me a set of 2.1 speakers.. =) yet another entry on my wishlist that I can strike out..!

Creative A300

Yesyes, I know, for the purists out there, I can already start hearing the mumblings and grumblings, either that it’s some low-end system, or that it’s a Creative, or that it’s a whatever-that’s-not-up-to-your-standard.. but sometimes in life, it’s all about being contented. You find happiness in being contented with what you have.. and being technically still unemployed, 49 bucks is as far as I’ll part for a pair of speakers..

And so I’ve learnt to be contented in the simpleR things in life.. I am contented therefore, I am happy. Hah.

Right.. so now I can blast (or Chi Ba Boom) away at the silly games I play, watch my movies with more oomph literally and my attend my favourite concerts as though they’re right in front of me, right here on my computer.. all thanks to my nice new set of ears.. brilliant!

Oh and yes, on a separate note, I can’t help but want to mention this.. u know how google has these little google-art thingies that changes with some event.. how they’ll decorate the word ‘GOOGLE’ on their webpage to fit whatever current event is happening.. so well, today I noticed a rather familiar icon while patronizing google..

that to me, looks awfully familiar and somewhat a comforting flashback/reminiscence of the poster I designed for my IA stuff.. ahh.. lovely memories. =)

Chrome

2009-07-08T22:49:00.005+08:00

Took a while to decide what to blog abt today.. so while snooping around, I came across this article that was on my RSS feed on my desktop. It talks abt Google’s Chrome, which is supposedly their very own web-browser.. to me, honestly, it’s getting kinda saturated, with the likes of netscape (remember?) eventually dying off..

For starters, I’m glad that there already are open-source rivals to micro$oft’s Internet Explorer. I’m using Firefox myself, and I totally love it. The whole idea of a ‘tabbed’ browser (which I totally love) came from them anyway.. and with the newest versions, u get a fully enabled browser, without all the crashes and junk and security breaches that IE usually comes packaged with.

Anyway, the topic isn’t exactly on slamming microsoft’s product or anything like that, but instead it mentioned that Google plans to come up with their very own Operating System for the personal computer.. I'm thinking Android on steroids.. hah. And yup, it’s gonna be open source. *everyone goes yay*

So against all odds, I’m hoping that this will truly be the answer that I’ve been looking for.. as lamented here, it’s the tiny kinks and creases that mar the wonders of open source OSes, and hopefully, google will maintain their high level of standards and be the answer the open source world hopes for.. ultimately bringing one that can rival and *hopefully* topple microsoft.. *cough*

Oh, and on a separate note, while looking for inspiration, I looked out my window tonight and noticed mr moon. So after a few balancing acts with some of my tools, I finally managed to capture a decent shot of him.. one of the best shots of the moon I’ve ever made with my humble Powershot A520.

fly me to the moon anyone?

A Tribute

2009-07-06T23:59:00.000+08:00

With all the hype and buzz surrounding his demise, I figured, what the heck, I might as well jump on this bandwagon..

And Yes, for the record, I recall a period of time where I wanted to be him; trying to imitate him and the way he danced.. hey, I was just a kid, being a kid. =P (u can stop laughing now)

The King of Pop.. it’s not difficult to see why he created such a stir.. sheer brilliance..

They say..

2009-07-05T02:05:00.004+08:00

..that life is short..

Happy SAF Day

2009-07-01T23:52:00.006+08:00

Yup, happy SAF day to one and all.. was just gonna hit the sack, then figured, I might as well put up a post here. Since it’s the first day of July anyway.. so might as well start the ball rolling. So for all those out there who will be promoted today, a big Congratulations to you. HOOAH!

Took a loong swim today, and something tells me I’m so gonna feel it tmr morning. Hah. And I added me some new entries into my playlist too.. amongst them I’ve added some Rob Thomas/Matchbox Twenty songs.. lovely kick to it.. somehow these types always appeal to me. Anyway I also think it’s time to do some house keeping, some of the songs that I don’t really fancy are starting to pile up..

Latest Earwax.. The Calling’s Wherever You Will Go. Ok, I wanted to keep this post short and sweet and unlike this one, I intend to actually do it this time. =)

Best Combat Unit 2009

2009-06-30T12:26:00.002+08:00

Woot! Woke up this morning, stumbled around to get my coffee, flipped the papers and TaDaa! For the 23rd time, we won the title.. and that’s the 6th time in a row. Happiness. =)

Reading the articles, it mentioned that the structure of the test criteria was slowly changing, with added sequences of live-firing and stuff.. and perhaps it’s a good thing. Somehow, you’ll have to keep up with everything around you. Like everyone says, the battlefield’s evolving, so in a way, I guess the training’s gotta evolve along too.. so I’m happy that the unit’s managed to keep themselves up to speed and ‘make it a habit of winning’, as they put it.

Let’s hope it doesn’t stop here.. may there be a 24th, 25th, 26th time.. and so on.. maybe until they give us one of those long-term awards and bar us from taking part in future competitions.. hah.

Picture courtesy of The Straits Times.

Read the articles from Channel News Asia’s website here, and The Straits Times website here.

Asian Youth Games 2009

2009-06-29T22:30:00.002+08:00

Caught bits and pieces of the opening of the games earlier today on tv.. for some reason, the AYG didn’t really appeal to me. I’m not sure why. Somehow, I get the feeling that it’s not as well-publicised as other events.. and reading from the papers, with participants having to wait hours to check in to their hotel room and having to use public toilets to change out of their attire.. somehow, it leaves me the impression that it wasn’t very well coordinated.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against it, I’m actually proud to be hosting the games, but having said that, I somehow feel that there’s just something missing. Like there’s no WOW factor in it.. maybe it’s just me being ignorant of what’s going on; in my own well, but it just doesn’t seem to cut it.

Somehow I expected a bigger grander thing altogether, but perhaps the resources are pulled thin, with NDP round the corner and the Youth Olympic Games next august.. perhaps they’re using this AYG to ‘test the water’ and see what should/should not be done for next year’s international event.

Anyhow, I also recall reading the papers that our northern friends have decided not to participate in the games.. reason cited was the flu bug. But honestly, to me, it sounds too convenient an excuse.. sounds to me like a boycott, plain and simple. No one will readily admit to it, but if you look at how childish their behaviour can be sometimes, then seeing that it’s just one big boycott doesn’t seem so impossible after all.. if anything at all, it makes their own marching contingent look rather sorry; with just 3 ppl.

While trying to dig around for other ppl who share my sentiments, I chanced across this other blog. Hover over the hyperlink and u’ll see the apt name of his blog which probably describes how he feels.. this one really caught my eye, if you talk abt someone being unhappy with the ‘gahmen’, this is one classic example. Hah.. this is one FED-UP person I tell you. Hah..

Well, on a side note.. I made dinner today and it turned out good. Attempted steaming a fish today and it turned out better than I had expected. It’s amazingly simple too, just put the fella in the kuali, turn up the heat and let it do it’s magic.. the ppl who started steaming their foods must be quite a genius to have thought of this method.. hah.. the simple things that intrigue me sometimes.. Amazing.

Omelette/Egg thing on the left, Fish on the right.. =)

nada

2009-06-28T18:02:00.007+08:00

Author’s note:
Ok, this makes for one of those posts where I started typing away before actually thinking abt what to write abt.. one of those ‘rambling’ posts if you will.. so don’t ask me what’s with the title of the post or the objective of it; I’ve got no idea myself.. here goes.

So it’s another lazy Sunday afternoon and this one’s abit rainy.. nice and cooling though, something I really appreciate. It sorta reminds me of the line from the song.. “..rainy days and Mondays always get me down..”

Well, not quite ‘get me down’ per se.. just that somehow it’s ringing in my head, and I figured one of the best ways to get a song that’s stuck between ur ears out, is to actually SING it out..

So this week’s been pretty slow.. still waiting for my notification and amidst the boredom, some of the highlights of the week include a mahjong session (what?!? Ya I know.. never figured myself to be a mahjong person either) at joel’s place and a meet-up with the IA folks..

Since I’m at it, I might as well mention abt it.. there’s this place at Liang Court, some jap food place they call Tampopo.

So the story goes that this place is apparently quite known for their pork cutlets and stuff, winning quite a few of those culinary awards. Apparently the source they get their pork from boasts of these black pigs being ‘stress-free’, so supposedly the meat’s nicer.. Supposedly.

For some strange reason, we sorta concluded that the pork was nothing fantastic, well, either that or my peasant tongue is unable to appreciate a royalty swine when it tastes one.. it’s actually a tad bit tough if u asked me. Well, either that, or the ppl at the restaurant were just unhappy with us for waiting 35 minutes before making an order.

Above: That's some Family Meal thing..
Below: That's the one I had.. some katsu-don thingy..

Oh and on the point abt food/restaurants.. here’s a tip, don’t wear a black Hard Rock Café polo to Brewerkz.. unless u want someone to start asking u for a glass of water, and another asking to bring the bill.. *snarl*

Alright, moving on, my latest read would be James Rollins’ Excavation.. borrowed it from beeps; my very own library at home =). I’m right abt halfway through it, and it’s building up pretty nicely.. it’s a typical my-kinda-book.. the kinda plots that I like..

Chanced upon an article on Channel News Asia’s site and it mentioned abt prosecutors seeking to put a 150 year jail sentence on Bernard Madoff.. the main fella behind the Wall Street mess with all the ponzi nonsense.. it’s quite silly if u’d ask me. Haha.. 150 years? The dude’s 71 this year and even with a prolonged life expectancy, you sentence him to 150 years in jail? Hah.. for some strange reason, when I read this article, I had comic pictures of a skeleton figure with his leg chained to those big boulder balls thingy.. slumped up against a brick wall, behind bars.. hah.

I’ve also finally gotten down to arranging my mini montage thing that I printed (which I blogged abt here). It’s really quite amazing.. those tiny little things make for a good montage cos their small enough that u can REALLY pack a tonne of those in a small area. I printed so many of them when I was toying around with the printer, and now that I’m done arranging them, there’s still space left over! So by the looks of it, I prob gotta print more.. of which I’m not complaining.. it’s quite therapeutic actually.. to snap ur own pictures and then have them printed out.. will get a shot of it up here when it’s completed.

Right, I better go before I irritate myself any further. There’s this bunch of juveniles at the adjacent block to my window kicking away at a soccer ball at the void deck. Occupying the space is fine by me, it’s a communal area for all to use. But not when there’s the constant burst of sound as the darned ball slams against the wall and the shouts of curses coming from the dimwits who own it. I’m this --><-- close to calling the police post..

Oh, and meet Omelette.. finally got a decent picture of her NOT sleeping..

By the time this post was finally published, the delinquents had left.. But not before I heard a loud kick of the ball, a loud crash, the sound of something smashing, followed by a “Quick! Run.. Run!”.

I’d tie them to a tree and whip them if they were my own kids.

Caught!

2009-06-24T14:54:00.002+08:00

So it’s a cold day, and I sit by my window and enjoy the rare cool breeze that’s blowing by.. something starkly different and blissfully inviting apart from the dreadful heat this season..

And then I look out my window and something caught my eye.. …

It’s the little behaviours like these that ‘kill’ the reputation we’ve earned. Sometimes, we can try as hard as we can to do our bit to keep the place clean, need and tidy but it’s these ppl with these little behaviours, thinking that ‘it doesn’t matter’ that ultimately wreck everything we’ve done..

We can put up a million signs, one every hundred metre, telling u not to litter, not to spit, not to smoke at bus-stops, to keep to the left on the darned escalators, and to give up that corner seat to those who need it more, but ultimately, if our mindset doesn’t change, if we don’t mature as a society, if we continue to inculcate into our young that ‘it’s ok’, then there’s only so much that the authorities can do.. we are the ones responsible eventually.. and here we are complaining that our government is harsh.

Utter Nonsense.. or as how I’d bluntly put it.. BULLSHIT.

Bored?

2009-06-23T19:25:00.004+08:00

Yes I am, and so I consulted with the almighty Google and found this wonderful article.. love the ‘tongue’ one.. =)

PART I

Blink wildly and then close your eyes really tight for an interesting light show
(Amusement Potential: 1-5 minutes)
See a variety of blobs, stars and flashes. Try to make out shapes and see if your subconscious is trying to send you a message

See how long you can hold a note
(Amusement Potential: 4-20 minutes)
Not that much fun, but it sure passes the time. Play with a friend, or try to beat your own personal best. Inhale deeply and then try and make a noise for as long as you can. Earn extra points for making your partner laugh or ending on an amusing note.

Try to not think about penguins
(Amusement Potential: 1-5 minutes)
This is especially hard, because by trying too much, you remember what you were trying to avoid thinking of. If you try too little, you end up thinking about penguins anyway.
-> a fat donkey came into my mind when I tried.. hah..

Use your secret mind power
(Amusement Potential: 5-10 minutes)
Pick a passer-by and try to use your mind power to command them do something, like drop their bag or knock into someone. The law of averages dictates that sooner or later one of your mind commands will come true, so you can convince yourself that you really have super human powers and waste even more time trying them out.

Pretend you're a robot
(Amusement Potential: 1-3 minutes)
Walk down the street with mechanical movements, adding 'zzzzzt' sounds with each motion. Pretending to have a motor broken in, say, your left hand can add at least 30 seconds more entertainment.

Scratch yourself
(Amusement Potential: 1-3 minutes)
Go ahead, scratch yourself now. Even if nothing itches, go ahead. Doesn't that feel pretty good?
-> sweeeet.. =)

Rate passers by
(Amusement Potential: 10-15 minutes)
Secretly award passers by marks out of ten as you go along, offering (unsaid) expert criticism over their clothing, hairstyle and footwear choices.

Repeat the same word over and over until it loses its meaning
(Amusement Potential: 1-3 minutes)
Pick a random word out of a magazine and say it aloud to yourself until it becomes a meaningless set of noises.
-> tried this on 'milk'.. quite funny.

Pinch yourself
(Amusement Potential: 1-3 minutes)
What is pain? Why is it unpleasant? There's nothing physical about it - it's all in your mind. Plus, after pinching yourself for awhile, boredom will seem nice next to being in pain.

Try to swallow your tongue
(Amusement Potential: 1-2 minutes)
There's not much to say about this one. It is possible, but really stupid.
-> My Fav! haha.. go ahead, try it and record ur facial expression while u're at it!

Pretend to be a car
(Amusement Potential: 5-10 minutes)
Make appropriate revving noises in your head as you walk along and add a racing commentary as you pass strangers in the street. Use blinking eyes as indicators for extra authenticity.

Make Star Trek door noises
(Amusement Potential: 1-2 minutes)
Stand by an electric door to a bank or something and make that silly "Scccccccchwop" sound heard whenever people popped on to the bridge to hang with Captain Kirk.

Look at something for awhile, shut eyes, study after image
(Amusement Potential: 2-5 minutes)
Another great time waster. It takes about 30 seconds of staring to create an after image, and the image is then viewable for about the same length of time. Fun to combine this one with pushing on your eyes.

Get yourself as nauseated as possible
(Amusement Potential: 5-10 minutes)
Best achieved by looking straight up and spinning around. Try to be so dizzy you can't even stand up. This is also entertaining due to the "makes boredom seem a lot better" effect.

Invent a weird twitch
(Amusement Potential: 5-10 minutes)
Adopt a bizarre twitch (e.g. flicking your head irregularly, twitching with eye or busting out sporadic cough noises) and try it out when you go shopping.

Make a low buzzing noise
(Amusement Potential: 15-30 minutes)
Hours of fun in libraries! Keeping a totally straight face and looking nonchalant, make a low pitch humming/buzzing noise and see who reacts.

..yes. I am THAT bored..

Excursion!

2009-06-20T13:35:00.000+08:00

Went for an excursion yesterday.. Visited the Science Centre! Hah.. felt like a kid all over again..

I have to say, though, that quite abit has changed.. I half-expected to see the decade old displays and what-nots still standing around, but there’s actually quite abit of new things.. granted that I’ve not been there in perhaps more than a decade..

There were still the typical ‘familiar’ science exhibits, like the huge container of saga seeds and the huge tank of water creating a vortex.. but there were pleasant new surprises too.. there’s some HUGE Tesla coil thing, and there even was some lightning display and some Laser setup, which unfortunately wasn’t in operation. Bummer..

But still, I felt like a kid all over again.. ooh-ing and ah-ing at everything I saw.. from the huge larger-than-life exhibits at the Atrium to the plasma arcs of the Jacob’s Ladder.. My heaven.. =) heh. Thanks dar for the trip. Enjoyed myself through and through.. =)

Let’s do it again sometime. Heh.. =)

nope, didn’t go to the DaVinci exhibit.. just the science gallery. Contended enough.. =)

10 on the Grump-O-Meter

2009-06-17T20:11:00.005+08:00

hmm.. where should I start?

Ok, let’s start where I left off at the previous post.. Linux. =) first up, I have to say that ever since I started twiddling around with it, I haven’t exactly regretted. For one, I’ve learnt a lot more abt how the computer works over the duration of using linux. For some reason, learning abt how the computer works sorta plateau-ed off over the years.. it started as exciting back when I was 12, learning to ‘save as’ into my very own floppy disk, and learning how to rip an audio cd into mp3, and then learning how to setup the proxy settings on my internet browser to connect to my 56k line and messing around with the autoexec.bat files on the school’s computer *cough*.. then figuring out how the wireless thing worked with the router and how ip addresses get assigned.. all that was fun. But soon there’s pretty much nothing else. Windows pretty much does everything for you.. aside from being brainlessly easy, it also prevented u from effectively troubleshooting when something goes wrong.. simply because u never knew how it worked from the start.

So then, on came linux, and I start the whole process of learning how to save a file.. learning how to mount a thumbdrive via the console.. learning how to download and compile my own applications.. learning how to link stuff around and basically, put the FUN factor back into computing.. and since linux is open, I get to fix my OS exactly how I like it to be, and every step of the way, I’m in charge; learning something along the way, rather than let some wizard do it all for me.. making it a very personalized setup.

So all’s good, and I like it, except for the part that somehow, the folks who released the new version of Kubuntu, v9.04 decided to release a sub-standard version. Out of the box, the wifi connectivity doesn’t work.. and apparently they knew abt it.. but for some reason, chose not to remedy it before the release.. it’s probably things like these that ultimately would turn ppl off the whole linux idea..

But all in, I managed to get it fixed after spending some time on it.. not all’s lost, at least I managed to learn a couple of things.. and I have to say that the new KDE4.2 is really good stuff for the folks who love eye-candy on their machines.. without hogging resources the way vista does. Think running a computer Vista-styled with all the eye-candy, but on a 1999-2000 era computer setup.. =)

multiple desktops anyone?

nope, these aren't my desktop, but I'll upload printscreens of mine soon! =)

Alright, moving on, I’ve tried to tear apart my notebook too (this website basically tells u how to do it for various Toshiba notebooks). Hah. It’s been 3 years, the warranty’s loong over, so I thot I’d give it a go. First was the peek at harddisk drive cos I’m tempted to get me a bigger drive. This 100Gb is just not cutting it anymore.. with 12Gb dedicated to linux, and another 10 to windows, that leaves me with abt 70+ to keep all my junk. And with all the trigger-happy moments on the camera and my music.. it’s getting awfully cramped.. heh. So I figured I’d just get me a new harddisk, then I can pull this one out and get a storage case for it.. then walaa! External portable harddisk.. good stuff. Nothing wasted. =)

Next was the peek into the expansion ram slot to see what ram I’m using.. cos I’m honestly thinking of a ram upgrade. The 1Gb of ram is more than enough on an XP box, but with the prices falling so cheap, it’s tempting to just pay 40bucks and get 2Gb of ram.. hah.

Then it didn’t stop there, since a typical notebook has 2 ram slots, one being the expansion slot and the other being more inaccessible, I attempted to find it. Since if I were to get a 2Gb stick, I’d probably just want to use it by itself, rather than pairing it with a 512 stick.. computing students! Will it make any diff if I do that? Will performance drop if I hook up a 2Gb stick with a 512 stick? Let me know! =)

Requiring access to the other slot needs me to remove the keyboard.. which I was abit edgy abt.. but all’s good. Managed to get it out and it gave me a good excuse to give my keyboard a GOOD cleaning too.. =) the amount of stuff that falls out.. AMAZING. Hah.. *eww*

Then comes the ultimate grumpy part which probably inspired the title of this post.. while cleaning up the dust that’s collected around all the crevices.. I decided to clean up the speakers.. since there’s like a tonne of dust on the diaphragm.. and long story short, the sponge layer around my Harmon/Kardon speakers decided to disintegrate.. probably with the humidity and age.. and so, some of the sponge got wiped off, now I get a really crappy sound coming out of the right speaker. All highs, with almost no mids and no bass.. sickening.. that just totally wrecked an almost perfect day.

Tried to find replacements off the net, but those that sell it do so at like £20 before shipping.. crazy la! Maybe and hopefully simlim would have a better and cheaper alternative.. so much for trying to ‘take care’ of my speakers all these years..

So anyway, maybe it IS time to get me a 2.1 speaker system for my room after all.. oh wells. Baahh..

..well, at least there was something to cheer me up at the end of the day..

Linux Update

2009-06-13T15:48:00.001+08:00

RIGHT!

After so loong of not using the penguin OS, I finally decide to give it a go again, and guess what? My apt-get commands don't work..

And after forever.. I finally found out that they don't support the Gutsy distro anymore.. WAH SIAN. To think i adjusted everything nicely.. now I'm wondering if I should painfully make the switch to Hardy.. and set everything nicely again..

hmm.. choices choices.. *slaps forehead*

Week Update

2009-06-13T13:12:00.004+08:00

Ok, boring title.. anyway, decided that it’s been quite a loong while since I last updated my blog.. abit of cobwebs collecting around the corners..

Right, so anyway, event #1, I went for a medical checkup.. nothing much. Typical, hearing test, eye test, dental x-ray, chest x-ray, ECG and drew blood. This fella who drew the blood did it awfully well. I vaguely recall drawing blood for my ORD FFI previously in the army and that was abit sickening, this one didn’t hurt at all, couldn’t really feel anything for that matter.. 2 test tubes, and 1 small vial. All’s good.. all’s good. =)

Next, there was the hike/camp stunt that I decided to pull with joel.. so much for trying to re-induct abit of field endurance into us, we went in, had dinner which was awesome.. roasted chicken, bbq prawns.. =) and then decided to head out all the way out to get nice chilled drinks from the petrol kiosk.. and even met siwei to have prata! Hah.. wat nonsense right? Managed to find some checkpoints and snooped around quite abit.. interesting side that I never really ventured to before.. and of course, a dreadful reminder that topo skills will degenerate when it’s been stashed aside for 3 years.. sad.

And then, there’s the PC show.. SO MANY THINGS.. SO LITTLE CASH. Haha.. sad. All the new toys at an arm’s length away, but can own none of them.. anyway, dar got a new notebook finally.. a Toshiba! Hah.. welcome to the Toshiba club dear! =) quite a remarkable deal.. free ram upgrade, free antivirus, a choice of extended warranty or a canon AIO printer, and a choice of MS office (3 users) or a 19” LCD monitor + usb keyboard package.. quite cool.. she got herself a monster too! 640gb ext harddisk for a hundred bucks.. good stuff.

Then there was the meeting with clarence.. good to meet up with him after almost a year. Gonna get promoted this july.. splendid.. super happy for him.. just have to pray for his health now and for God to grant him some peace amidst all that’s going on.. hasn’t been getting much sleep since the incident..

Ok, super chyong hae.. even I am bored writing this.. later.

Fishless @ Labrador

2009-06-05T12:51:00.000+08:00

Went fishing earlier this week at Labrador.. in case u didn’t know, it’s got a pretty good jetty that sticks out and it’s probably not as crowded as the Bedok Jetty.. as mentioned here in my prev post, it’ll prob make a good place to go fishing..

So anyway, along with us, there were others around who were waiting in hope of getting some fishes, but apparently none of us caught anything.. except for this little kid who caught himself some mickey mouse fishes.. other than that, nothing at all..

Quite a disappointing trip I’d say.. but at least the weather was abit better than the previous trip, so if I force myself to be positive, I actually did manage to catch a few sunset shots which I didn’t the last time..

after all the fruitless attempts to fish/crab around singapore, I think there’s not much hope for ever fishing anything here.. so the next time I want to fish, I’ll probably drop by one of those pay-ponds.. maybe go prawning or something.. sad.. sad but factual.

The Big Bluff

2009-05-31T18:51:00.002+08:00

Chanced across this little story that pretty much describes our economy and how it works.. which is basically just One Big Bluff..

In a small town the holiday season is in full swing, but it is raining so there is not too much business taking place.

Everyone is heavily in debt.

Luckily, a rich tourist arrives at a small local hotel. He asks for a room and puts a $100 note on the reception counter, takes a key and goes to inspect the room located up the stairs on the third floor.

- The hotel owner takes the banknote in a hurry and rushes to his meat supplier to whom he owes $100.
- The butcher takes the money and races to his supplier to pay his debt.
- The wholesaler rushes to the farmer to pay $100 for pigs he purchased some time ago.
- The farmer triumphantly gives the $100 note to a local prostitute who gave him her services on credit.
- The prostitute quickly goes back to the hotel, as she was owing the hotel for her hourly room used to entertain clients.

At that moment, the rich tourist comes down to reception and informs the hotel owner that the room is unsatisfactory and then takes his $100 back and departs.

There was no profit or income. But everyone no longer has any debt and the small town’s people look optimistically towards their future.

See? It’s all just One Big Bluff.. that’s the way our economy works, rolling around in debt, and that’s the reason why countries around the world are encouraging their citizens to spend spend and spend.. cos if they don’t, the whole thing will just crash.

Take a look around, and u can almost see that all these will eventually build up to a climatic end which is so inevitable.. it’s just waiting to happen.

Show me the MONEY!

2009-05-29T00:40:00.005+08:00

Attended the National Achiever’s Congress over the past few days, and it was really quite an eye-opener. The main speaker was Robert Kiyosaki and his team from the Rich Dad company. If you haven’t heard abt him, then u might have heard abt the book he wrote; Rich Dad Poor Dad.

So the story goes that he’s here giving a seminar with his best mates on the topic of.. yes, u guessed it.. Money, with everyone, from his Real Estate advisor to his Stock advisor to his Commodities advisor, his wife, his sister, heck, even his doctor was there.

For some strange reason, I happily attended the seminar without my camera. Not that I was gonna get a million-dollar picture taken with him, but u had to be there to witness the spectacle.. the way ppl behaved when it’s gotta do with the topic of money.

Imagine a really good picture depicting the scene here =P

To say that ppl are crazy abt money would be an understatement.. throughout the duration of the seminar, what struck me the most, and the hardest, was how keen and just how many ppl were SO interested in striking it rich and hitting it big. It’s really quite something. From the 100 metre dash to the get the ‘best seats’, to the absurdly long queues to purchase the products (which go by the $100s), it’s amazing.

On the one hand, I don’t doubt that it’s sort of a paradigm shift that he’s offering; a different take on how money should be earned/handled.. as an engineer by training, I’d definitely say that I have benefited from this crash-course in financial education.. I’ve learnt things that I probably would never know that I never knew.

But on the other hand, it just seems to me like u’re just rolling around in more debt.. that u’re ultimately creating a bigger bubble to get into.. don’t get me wrong, for all those who swear by his method, I’ll say that I’m not against it, I’m sure it works.. the fella IS rich after all, his taxes go by the millions.. I’m just saying that it’s probably not my cup of tea..

Yes I agree that money is important in the world we live in.. I agree that money has the ability to buy happiness for a select few, I agree that there are some ppl with that inner desire to be the richest chap around.. but that’s just not me..

If there’s one thing that I picked up from the seminar, it’s probably the fact that u have to align what u do with who u are.. don’t try to be/do something that’s not u. It’ll eventually just make u fold..

Find that inner peace on the thing that makes u tick, and go all out for it.

Bestowed

2009-05-26T01:02:00.000+08:00

It’s been a while.. so I figured that I should keep the ball rolling and not slack off the whole blogging thing since I still have time on my hands..

Decided to do some thanksgiving here. So it’s finally official. I’ve completed my undergrad course, so tho I’m still technically a student per se, I’m finally done and just waiting to graduate now.

Over and above that, I thank God for giving me this gift of a 2nd Upper Class honours, it’s one of those things that I never expected myself to get, and in all honesty, something I shouldn’t be getting, but purely by the grace of God I made it. All glory and honour to God, for being with me every step of the way and making all these possible. =)

The Twip - Part VII; Fremantle Fun

2009-05-19T20:04:00.004+08:00

Alright, so far I haven’t exactly mentioned anything much abt the shopping part of the twip. Typically, I guess perth is no Bangkok or Hong Kong with regard to the shopping aspects.. anyhow, the Fremantle Market’s quite a nice place.. very nice actually..

A short walk from the Fremantle Prison, and you’ll find yourself at the Fremantle Market.. definitely one of the main highlights in Fremantle.

Left: That’s the little entrance to the fruit section..
Right: That’s the entrance at the other end..

On the outside, it doesn’t really look much especially from the fruit section’s entrance, but once you step in, it’s pretty much like a whole new different thing inside altogether. It appears to me like a HUGE pasar-malam of sorts.

We entered from the fruit-market section and once you step in, you’re greeted by stalls and stalls selling their local produce. And mind you, these fruits are really quite something. The peaches are ridiculously sweet and so are the strawberries.. and all the fruits are surprisingly competitively priced. I mean, it probably shouldn’t be a surprise since it’s a local produce, but anything this nice and this sweet will usually fetch a hefty price back home..

Moving on further into the market, the scene changes abruptly and you enter a bazaar-like area.. with stalls selling all kinds of stuff from cooking utensils, to keychains (got me a Harley Davidson one heh..), to sunglasses (got me a case for my oakleys FINALLY), to bags and clothes, to stationeries, to knick-knacks, to food, to just-abt-everything-you-can-think-of..

the stunned emu shop really caught my attention.. it’s like SO CUTE la.. hah. And the coffee from this shop’s quite cool.. they’ve got all sorts of flavours like Chocolate Marshmallow, Chocolate Mint, Caramel Fudge and even a Jack Daniel’s one!! Sweet!

The coffee place is really quite something, you get all these nice flavours and you can pick the beans up and take a whiff if you wanted.. then once you’ve decided on which of the ridiculous amount of flavours you want, they grind it and bag it for you on the spot.. =)

What really drew me in to this place is the whole atmosphere in there.. it’s a nice chill-out feel.. you have open-concept cafés with a guy singing with his guitar, and moving around the place you see these little busker’s corner thingies.. where you can just plop urself down and start playing/singing away.. and there were actually quite some ppl doing that.. this particular girl sounded really good singing a Colbie Caillat song..

So much for the shopping part, what’s coming to Perth without trying their infamous Fish and Chips right? A 5 min drive away from the market (could have been shorter but thanks to the one-way traffic and stubborn-ness of yours truly), and you arrive at the coast, sporting a nice stretch of beach and their wharf with all the lovely seafood cafés..

there’s just something abt Perth that makes the photos turn out really well.. it’s probably the nice BRIGHT sunshine (shades are a necessity rather than a fashion statement) and the clear blue skies (thanks again to my polarizing filter) that somehow the pictures just jump out. Abit hard to get these in Singapore.. sad.

We tucked in at Kailis’ Fish Market Café.. they’ve got this little area where they serve food fast-food-restaurant styled.. and at the other corner, they’ve got this ‘market’ thing where you can pick ur seafood and all that.. really nice. It’s really quite an experience.. and especially when we were sitting outside and you see these darn seagulls hovering above you and trying to inch closer to you.. just waiting for you to step aside and they’ll share ur lunch with you..

Left: That’s the market thing.. from this..
Right: To this! Hah..

apparently, the fish and chips in perth are literally just that.. no garnishing, no salad thingy by the side, just Fish and Chips. Hah..
and those are some really good prawns and salmon.. the nice big plate of smoked salmon goes for just 12 bucks!

..all in, it’s a good place that I’ll definitely go back again if I visit perth once more.. especially for the fish.. =) and also cos the place is just huge, there are tones of shops that line the area which we just didn’t have the time to stroll by.. granted it’s a little touristy.. but u just don’t find anything like that around here.. so it’s worth every bit of time driving down there and taking in the Fremantle air.. 5 stars for this one. =)

Colour Me Tones

2009-05-18T16:26:00.003+08:00

After soooo looong of fiddling with the printer, I’m finally done with getting the colour profile fixed, or at least, close enough for me to feel at least contented. It’s a heck of a journey with countless headaches and my eyesight probably got worst with all that staring..

From manually adjusting the colour offset (which works for one picture, but screws up the next), to trying to re-interpret the instruction sets for more advanced version of PhotoShop (yes, I’m still using PhotoShop 5; dinosaur I know).. I’ve finally settled with some custom profiling software that helps u sort it out. The thing is, I don’t have a colour chart and I’m trying to find a fuss-free and cost-free way of getting it done.. so with loads of tweaking, it finally looks decent..

Hah.. with all that paper and ink used.. I’m wondering if I’m actually saving anything here.. *gasp*

alvin wants..

2009-05-16T14:05:00.002+08:00

to be a hamster..

Eat, Sleep, Yawn, repeat.. heh.

Labrador

2009-05-13T15:23:00.006+08:00

Yup, that’s the first thought that comes to mind when I see/hear the word ‘Labrador’.. but apparently I didn’t see any such furballs on this trip. The history behind Labrador Park’s quite amazing too.. with it’s sheer cliffs and awesome vantage points, it was used by the British to their advantage while trying to defend us.. setting huge guns and search lights that pointed out to sea. But at the end, they didn’t really get to use it cos, as we all have learnt, the attack came from up north..

Anyway, so the story goes that Vincent organized a trip to Labrador park in a bit to catch some sunset pictures.. I got the invite from Alvin and since it’s been such a long while (if ever) since I went out just to take pictures, I figured it’d be fun..

Weather wise, it was good but not the best.. for one it didn’t rain, but there was this huge potong pasir cloud that was just blocking half the sky and it didn’t want to budge.. so eventually the sun set and the pictures weren’t too pretty.. ended up taking some shots at night too.. which reminds me, I ought to go back to changi since some pretty good shots came out of there.. read abt it here. =)

alright, so the stitching software isn't as clever after all, look closely and u'll see some anomalies on the jetty.. darn.

night shots! =) I'm beginning to like these.. it's really a play with the lights..

Yes, by the looks of it, it seems I have a thing or two with the lamp-posts.. HAH.. my fascination with lights.. =P

All in, it’s a lovely place I’d say, nice and quiet, perhaps cos it’s so out-of-the-way.. it’s a pity they close the jetty at 8pm, else it’ll make the perfect spot to go fishing.. the jetty’s a long way out and there’s very little ppl there. Heck! There’s even a washing point (fully equipped with a tap) on the jetty!

Printures

2009-05-10T23:31:00.003+08:00

get it? Printer + Pictures? Ok, so that’s another bad attempt to create a word. ANYWAY..

Finally started with toying around with my printer (this one).. being flu-bugged and all, I’m quite thankful I got to stay home and rest yesterday and today.. come to think of it.. it’s actually one of the first few days that I have all to myself since the exams ended.. =) the feeling’s quite nice..

So anyway, the first pictures printed out didn’t seem right altogether, with the colours not exactly matching what I see on-screen.. so being the typical me, I figured that I should just print the same picture (smaller version) 4 times on one piece of 4r paper.. that way I can vary the settings in a more economical way and find out which one works..

Long story short, I eventually started to like the mini pictures.. each little picture came out as roughly 5 x 6.5cm, so it’s really cute. And since it’s so small, I can actually have loads of these for the same amount of paper/ink.. and cos it’s tinier overall, I can afford to put up pictures on the wall at my table.. so I don’t have to stare at a blank wall when I’m sitting here at my desk.. =)

minis!

and yes, I finally got down to moving my photo montage thing from my hostel (read abt my supercalifragilisticexpialidocious post here) to a nice new location in my room.. seems like there’s also some extra space, so I can afford to squeeze more pictures in.. =)

it's finally moved.. wheeee.. =)

and before I forget, here’s a shoutout to every mum out there.. Happy Mother’s Day.. =)

The Twip - Part VI; Go Straight to Jail

2009-05-09T10:49:00.006+08:00

Do Not Pass Go. Do not collect $200. hah.. another Perth Update!

This time, it’s all about Fremantle.. one of the more touristy places in Perth to me. Or at least, here in Fremantle, I can act the dumb-tourist and feel quite good about it. hah.

One of the main highlights in Fremantle, even according to my friends (thanks Alwyn!), would be the Fremantle Prison. It’s quite cool really.. the whole history behind it abt how it first started, and the various milestones it met, and how it eventually closed and is now a lovely tourist attraction. =) Actually, rather than have me try to remember all abt its history, check out this wiki site and it’ll tell you pretty much all you need to know from the historian’s standpoint.

Fremantle Prison from the outside..

So anyway, there are apparently 3 different types of tours you can take at the Fremantle Prison.. there’s the Doing Time one (which we took), there’s a Great Escapes one (which features all the escapes attempted and stuff) and there’s a Torch Light tour (which I believe, is a tour of the tunnels in the prison).

Each of these tours seem really interesting, they each have their own themes and they bring you to different places and they guides talk abt different things on the different tours. Honestly, if time had permitted, I’d have gone for all 3, but the stupid parking gives u only a max of 3 hours at a go.. something like that. Bummer.

That's our tour guide 'Brendon' I think, on the left.. the greyish area in the background is actually limestone. Early prisoners were made to cut the limestone from here and use it to build the prison u see in the above picture.. amazing..

So anyway, the Doing Time tour was quite cool, they gave an introduction to the place and brought us around the prison and basically showed us how life was like while ‘doing time’.. =) they basically let you follow the route that a convict will take from the moment he steps into prison, and how his daily life was like..

that's the corridor of the cells.. rows and rows.. about 5 storeys i think..

and this is the Church-of-England church in the prison.. one of the nicer 'posh-er' looking places in it.. apparently some ppl actually have their weddings here.. HAH.

They brought us around and you get to see the individual cells and how tiny they are.. which they eventually expanded to combine a few cells together to give the convicts more ‘welfare’.. you also get to see the court yards where they’d hang out for a few hours each day.

that's the size of one cell when the prison first started.. can go crazy inside..

There were also some really good murals. Apparently, some aborigines were convicted too (for what, I honestly can’t remember), and these fellas could really draw. So some were allowed to teach others and toward the end of the prison’s lifespan, they allowed them to draw on the walls as a gesture of goodbye..

and of course, they showed us the gallows too.. abit gruesome, I mean, I’ve never really seen the gallows before. So it’s quite an experience, and with them telling you the whole process of how the inmate would be led from his cell to some holding cell.. and subsequently led to the gallows and how the whole thing unfolds. There was an awful silence as he was explaining.. hmm.

right in the middle, u can just abt make out the noose that's hanging from the ceiling..

Ok, this post is a little longer than I had expected.. initially thought of including the entire Fremantle trip here, but I think I’ll leave the other places in Fremantle for another time. =)

Ensnared!

2009-05-08T23:44:00.002+08:00

There’s something known as a photo-opportunity.. and so I’ll hereby coin one known as a blog-opportunity.. =)

For some reason, reading the papers today began with every other section except the Main Headlines section.. so it started off as a typical day.. fighting a beastly headache as I try to wake myself up at the dining table..

Then lo and behold.. I finally get to the headline page and I see the great big picture of him staring back at me.. him who has been known throughout Singapore for the past year by aunties, kiddies and working professionals all alike..

So they finally caught Mas Selamat.. thank God.. for the uninformed, (where the heck have u been?), here’s the headlines, courtesy of ChannelNewsAsia.com (this site for the story).

Singapore's JI leader Mas Selamat arrested in Malaysia
Posted: 08 May 2009 0143 hrs

SINGAPORE: Mas Selamat Kastari, Singapore's Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) leader who escaped from Whitley Road Detention Centre on February 27 last year, has been arrested.

The terrorist, who once plotted to hijack a plane and crash it into Changi Airport, was arrested in Malaysia in a joint intelligence operation involving the internal security agencies of the two countries.

It is understood that Mas Selamat was actually arrested over a month ago but had been under interrogation in Malaysia.

It is believed that the fugitive will soon be brought back to Singapore.

Last December, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had said: "He is one up on us, but the game is not over. One day we will catch him."

Most security experts had expected the fugitive to head for Indonesia, where other JI members are believed to be based. So, it came as a surprise to some that he was arrested in Malaysia.

Mas Selamat gave his guards the slip while he was being taken to the toilet at the detention centre.

The escape sparked the largest manhunt in Singapore's history. Thousands of police and military personnel were roped in to comb the island for the fugitive. Checks at the borders were stepped up, road blocks were set up, officers went house to house, and forested areas were swept.

There were also offers of a million dollar reward by two businessmen for his capture.

Mas Selamat, however, remained elusive although dozens of illegal immigrants were flushed out. Posters bearing his face and description were put up everywhere and every mobile phone here was sent either a text description or a picture of him.

Mas Selamat's escape also resulted in the dismissal of the detention centre's superintendent over security lapses. The superintendent's deputy was demoted.

The two were the most senior officers in charge of the ground management of the detention centre, and were among six Internal Security Department (ISD) officers charged over the escape.

Mas Selamat fled Singapore in December 2001 following an Internal Security Department operation against the terrorist organisation.

The militant leader had been on the run after Singapore authorities discovered plans to crash seven trucks filled with bombs at various locations around the island.

Investigations also revealed that he was the mastermind behind a plan to hijack an airplane and crash it into Changi airport.

Mas Selamat was arrested by the Indonesian police on Bintan island in January 2006. He was detained for using a fake identity card.

When he was arrested, officers found literature on bomb-making on him. Based on investigations then, Indonesia's elite anti-terror police then discovered he was the leader of the Singapore Jemaah Islamiyah network.

They then deported him to Singapore, where he was detained at Whitley Road Detention Centre under the Internal Security Act.

The 48-year-old father of four was said to be involved in JI's plans to mount attacks against foreign and local establishments in Singapore.

These included the US Embassy and American Club, the Defence Ministry headquarters at Bukit Gombak and the Education Ministry building at North Buona Vista Drive. - CNA/TODAY/de

Day of Days

2009-05-05T17:11:00.003+08:00

This post comes to you from Bugis Junction.. happiness. With the setting sun casting a nice golden glow on my keyboard.. and the hustle and bustle of ppl going by.. while I’m just sitting here.. all relaxed.. pure bliss.

Today marks the very end of the last thing I’ll probably have to do for/with NTU. Just had my FYP presentation earlier today. Short, sweet, simple and ‘well done’.. glad it turned out fine.. and all glory to God.

The guy after me had some technical difficulties with his computer.. he couldn’t hook it up to the projector.. so being me, I of course offered to lend him my comp for his presentation.. that also meant that I’ll have to sit through his presentation.. no qualms abt it tho.. mine was done and I’m in no hurry to go off..

If there’s something I picked up abt giving presentations.. it’s all probably summed up in the time span of an hour today.. within that hour, I witnessed how I presented (of course) and how the other guy presented.. and in a nutshell, all I have to say is Confidence. As long as you’re armed with confidence to the teeth, it will show.. and u WILL convince. You don’t have to know what’s going on (I didn’t), u don’t have to know the answers to the questions (I didn’t) and u don’t have to know what the heck the lecturer’s asking (I didn’t), but as long as u’re confident and u stare at him in the eye and tell him what u feel the 'right' answer is.. it’ll come off as fact. Sad but true.. haha.. that’s probably how it works elsewhere anyway..

So much for the presentation.. it’s been a while since I walked down Bugis Street and it’s changed quite a fair bit. It looks a whole load bigger now.. with more extensions and hidden walkways.. =) it’s been a while since I’ve had time to myself to just roam around and watch life go by.. I also got me some photo paper and ink refills, so now I can go crazy with printing photos at home.. =)

then again.. it’s probably only now that the feeling’s slowly settling in. The feeling that school’s FINALLY over.. there’s REALLY no more school work left to do.. and that now I’ll finally have some time to myself.. something that I’ve been looking forward to for quite a while..

So here’s an open invitation to all.. need a kaki to just chill out with? Gimme a call.. =)

MayDay

2009-05-03T01:04:00.002+08:00

So it’s finally May.. and I’m actually quite appalled by the number of posts I made for April.. 12! That’s an average of 3 a week.. and yes, April happens to be my exam month too.. so again, I’ll re-iterate that the number of posts I make is directly proportional and a clear indication of how busy I am.. hah. Talk abt Avoidance Tendencies.. =P

So back to the topic, it’s finally May, before I realized, the exams are over and my FYP presentations are just next week. Right after that, I’ll pretty much be done, which leaves me with the next phase in life.. WORK.. hah. Don’t think I’m honestly ready for that part yet, except for the no-homework part.. haha. =)

Anyway, let’s talk abt happy things..

Happy thing #1, I’ve got me a new printer for 80 bucks. An all-in-one from canon. Managed to convince daddy that he don’t need a fax, that most things can be scanned and just emailed nowadays.. easier to archive things with email too.. so I’d say it’s quite a steal. Got the deal from hardwarezone.com from this guy who stays at the same block as granny.. talk abt coincidence.. =)

that's my new printer.. Canon's MP145.

And the nice part is that it can print pictures too! Tried printing a couple of photos and it was quite good, but the colours didn’t exactly match what I see on-screen.. getting my monitor calibrated would be a totally new ball game altogether which I shall not even think of.. hah.

So all I need now is just some photo papers and some ink refill and I’m good to go.. heard that there are some pretty good feedback abt SingInk.. so I might just give it a shot.. =)

The Twip - Part V; My Ride

2009-04-29T13:11:00.003+08:00

Decided to post a quickie about the trip. Hah.. so before I start talking more about the twip, what with visits to the wineries and fish & chips places.. I figure I should talk abt my mode of transport..

that's her! a toyota axio..

rented this fella from Avis at the airport.. quite fuss free and since it’s at the airport, it’s quite convenient. Go through the customs, pick up the car, and you’re ready to drive off.. or in my case, tail behind joel’s car back to the house at duncraig.. lovely roads by the way.

So anyway, just thot it deserves a mention, since it’s like probably THE only mode of transport there.. it’s one thing to live in Singapore and know that you can take the bus/train to just abt anywhere.. the traveling time’s a bitch and you’ll probably spend a third of your life waiting for the buses in Singapore, but at least there’s a bus service to get you there.. (and no, just cos I said that, doesn’t mean I like sbs transit any better)

In the suburbs, like where the duncraig house was, there isn’t any buses of sorts.. or at least none that I would be interested in taking.. it’s not the city, so to have to take the public transport to 1)go to joel’s church, 2)go see the touristy places, 3) just get around, would probably be madness..

So anyway, my only qualms abt it would be that since I’m below 25 (November, darn!), there’s some extra surcharge of 25 bucks per day, while the basic rental is only 50.. sickening. Other than that.. it’s a good ride, feels and looks like a new car and a lovely place to drive.. =)

Facebook Madness..

2009-04-27T14:11:00.001+08:00

49 requests.. *faint* that’s what u get for leaving a facebook account untouched since you registered it eons ago.. and now that the exams are finally over, I’ve got no excuse but to sort it out.

For those who’ve sent me a request many moons ago, here’s my apology to you for leaving the request to rot in my inbox.. =) I haven’t died, I’m still alive.. just that NTU pretty much sucks the life out of anyone..

And so if anyone is free and caring enough.. drop me a request and u can start telling me how and what to do.. I’m lazy to figure out what to do and I’m out of touch, seeing that the last networking site I used was Friendster back in poly..

Yes I know.. I’m a dinosaur.. bite me.

HOT!

2009-04-25T23:32:00.003+08:00

Went for Wenny’s baby Kayla’s one-month-old party thing earlier.. cute little meatloaf.. and there were so many kids there.. figures that a baby’s one-month gathering is just an excuse for every other friend to bring his own kid along.. haha..

Baby Kayla!

The weather these 2 weeks has been crazy.. it’s so ridiculously warm. 29deg in the night is just madness.. and apparently I’m not the only one complaining.. even my hamsters seem to be doing weird things..

that’s hamlette sleeping on her porcelain food-hut. Took a while, but I figured that the porcelain’s probably cooler and it explains why she’s lying on it. poor girl.. crazy weather!

Was just checking out some website and the weather’s nice and cool in perth. 21deg in the day and at night, it’s now 17deg.. far cry from what we’re experiencing now.. how envious.. haha.

The Long Wait

2009-04-24T23:59:00.008+08:00

For a quarter of a century.. I’ve apparently been waiting for this day.. sometimes consciously, sometimes unconsciously.. but I’ve apparently always been waiting. Now finally, after 25 years, I’m done with the very last exam paper I’ll probably have to ever sit for..

*and everyone goes YAY*

haha.. so I figured this milestone should be blogged. Haha.. now there are other things to worry abt, but for now, I shall just occupy myself with the more urgent things like slacking, playing and nua-ing.. repaying my sleep-debt and finding back that alvin who was lost amidst all the hush-hush of school-life..

FREEDOM!!

it could really just be the Greatest Day.. =)

The Twip - Part IV; Swan(less) Valley

2009-04-21T23:59:00.002+08:00

Perth Update!

Back to the land down-under.. I could definitely get used to the way of life there, except the part where the shops close at 1700hrs (ridiculous I know).. but other than that bit, it’s really quite easy to understand why so many Singaporeans move over to stay in aus.. for that matter, just driving around is an awfully therapeutic experience.. no HDBs, no honking, inconsiderate, inpatient Singaporean drivers, no hustle-bustle of the city life.. just cruise along enjoying the view, with the cool wind blowing thru your hair and their own radio station Coast FM 97.3 playing softly in the back.. it cures any form of headache, anxiety or stress.. ahh… =)

Anyway, so after a few missed turns thanks to the Reid Highway linking to the Tonkin Highway in some tactical, inconspicuous, sneaky way.. we finally managed to find our way to get to Swan Valley.. Yet another highlight of the trip.. or twip in this case.. =P

So the story goes that Swan Valley’s quite infamous for it’s wines and chocolates and local produce and everything aussie.. it’s pretty much the place to go to, for trying their local stuff.. I haven’t been to a winery before, so it’s really quite an experience.. and yes, much to my dismay.. there are no swans in Swan Valley. wth? Hah..

view from the Swan Valley Visitor Info Centre..

It’s one thing to see pictures of the rows and rows of grapevines in magazines, and it’s a completely different thing to stand amidst them.. it’s really quite a humbling experience.. the land in aussie is like HUGE.. so these wineries are needless to say, gi-normous. One of the things that strike me on this trip is how hard-pressed we are for land here in Singapore. Everything goes upwards, from HDBs to parking lots, everything goes up. But in aussie.. there’s just so much space.. no wonder ppl like it there..

Sandalford Wines.. nice place, nice wines.. =)

the wines are quite cool.. for a lovely and silky smooth bottle of red, it costs 20bucks, and given that the exchange rate is practically 1:1, it’s quite a steal.. something that good in Singapore would cost quite abit.. given that it’s taxed so crazily.. definitely easy to turn alcoholic there.. haha.

One of the other places we went to at swan valley was the Margaret River Chocolate Factory (think Charlie’s Chocolate Factory) and Oggies Ice Creamery.. both are good, and memorable.. the choc factory’s quite cool.. delightfully smooth chocolate, and you can even try the samples there.. and when they say that Singaporeans are kiasu for free things, it’s really a stereotype.. standing around the ‘free samples’ bowl.. you see ang mohs and the likes grabbing the samples by the handfuls (and those are HUGE palms mind you) when it’s clearly stated to restrict urself to a spoonful only.. so think again, when you say Singaporeans are kiasu.. it probably applies to the human race as a whole.. =P

Chocolates and Ice-cream! My 2 indulgences.. =)

Then of course, after mucking around the Swan Valley region, we winded up at some Swan River place.. it’s one of the quieter spots which I really like. It’s simply nice and scenic.. no one around to bother you.. just stop your car, hop off and take in the view. Pleasant and relaxing.. quiet enough to just sit and be happy.. =) and I also found out that the bbq pits available (which can be found from parks to beaches) are free for all to use. These electric pits.. just turn them on and you're good to go.. just clean up after yourself. How nice.. no booking fees, no stupid paperwork/admin.. gotta love it!

tried to capture the whole view of where we were..

love this pic! new wallpaper.. hah..

as you can tell, I’m pretty thankful I got my polarizing filter.. nice deep blue skies.. can’t imagine having to take my pictures without it.. I’d kick myself silly.. =)

so as you can see, it’s not THAT hard to like perth.. just a few minutes after touching down and I’m in love with it already.. needless to say, the crazy company over at duncraig definitely sealed the deal.. haha.. it might just feel a little less magical without the ppl around.. then of course, there’re other things that happened like Fremantle and of course, dear Joel’s wedding.. which is probably the ultimate highlight of the trip.. hah..

..shall save that for the next time though.. =) so much for now..

Belated Birthday

2009-04-20T14:52:00.003+08:00

Almost forgot about mummy’s birthday dinner pictures. Had a nice dinner this year at Orchard Hotel’s coffee house, although I was SUPER late for trying to get her some flowers.. anyway, food was good, company was good and the reaction of her receiving the flowers was priceless.. =)

Like daddy said, it was a smart move to buy her flowers above everything else. Hah.. now I’ll know what to get next year. =)

that's us at the coffee house.. this is like the 4th picture and the only one that turned out well.. so much for waiters having steady hands.. hahaha.. =P

mummy and daddy..

girls and boys.. =)

at the lobby of orchard hotel..

patched-up

I have a Kitchen.. so I will cook.

just being me..

50 Days..

Me Time..

Operation EliteFightingMan

I'm coming home..

15 more days..

mel·an·chol·y

Omelette

Musings on 270511

Mother’s Day Day (part II)..

Mother's Day Day..

musings..

I..

Laser Pointer Fun

This is March

The Curse..

A Home..

Made Some..

From the Right, Number!

Procrastination

It is Now

The Poison

Urgh..

Target of Opportunity

meet Bumpy

A Quickie..

A Quick Prayer..

Staying Alive

HEY YOU!

Wow..

So It Begins..

Eye Candy

What if..

Hooah..

Greatness in Him

Greetings from khao meng..

leaving..

*silent screams*

Update 070210

Hamlette

The Promise

Back

Saddened

A haunting reminder..

FINALLY

Missing Out

Penguin Update

Obedience School

Natural Selection

2 more days..

Staying Alive

Touched by an Angel

Genesis Now

WooHoo!

Lunch@Area-X

Count the Blessings

The Inspiration

The Great Exchange

Happy Photos

Seeing is Believing

Property of..

Acknowledgement

Zap!

ARGH

Chi Ba Boom!

Chrome

A Tribute

They say..

Happy SAF Day

Best Combat Unit 2009

Asian Youth Games 2009

nada

Caught!

Bored?

Excursion!

10 on the Grump-O-Meter

Linux Update

Week Update

silent screams