throk

Gain

2008-08-29T00:26:00.002+08:00

I'm back here again, after a three month hiatus of sorts.

Back in Singapore, and I'm in my second year of university. Time sure does pass real fast. Whenever I think back on the past few years, I feel like they were just yesterday. I'm sure you guys do that too? It's such a cliched thing, but it's cliched because it's true.

Besides the usual bevy of engineering core subjects, I have one elective this semester, and I'm taking Introduction to Literary Studies, meaning English Literature. Yeah, you heard me right. Readings aren't really that heavy. Thank goodness. For some reason though, the really poetic and meaningful prose are always the unhappy kind.

The one thing stopping me from enjoying my life here in second year university, is the need to gather extracurricular activities on my scoreboard. Co-curricular points are used in determining your likelihood of staying on campus the following year. I've never been much of an extra activities kinda guy. I don't really play sports, and well, my interests barely coincide with the many societies here.

House prices in Singapore are killer, I tell you. It's about the only expensive thing people here spend their money on. Everything else is cheap, relatively anyway.

Sometime during the holidays I changed the look of this site. Don't know whether you guys noticed it or not, heck, there wasn't a reason to visit anyways. I've always liked clean and simple stuff, and I guess this is one proof of that. There was a slight design niggle though, and the chatbox ended up at the bottom. I think most people would visit this place and just think I've removed the chatbox. Oh well, doesn't matter: two-way or one-way, communication, it works.

If I feel like it, I'll recap all of my escapades during the holidays, but I doubt it. My memories always come to me when I'm not wanting them to.

Revert

2008-05-03T18:00:00.002+08:00

Finished my finals yesterday.

Without noticing it, 9 months have passed since I first came to NUS... and now my freshman year is over. I've learned lots. I really did.

Now a 3-month break awaits me.

Wonder what I shall do?

Weirded

2008-02-24T18:06:00.004+08:00

Just so that this place doesn't seem like a barren woma- I mean, barren wasteland.

I'm in my recess week now. That means that I have a week of holidays and that I'm already in the middle of my second semester. That also means that I have midterm tests the following week, and I am studying. Studying as much as my very heavy eyelids allow.

Besides staring at books, I am also staring at books, playing some computer games, trying out running around a track until my chest seems to explode, and listening to weird rock instrumental. Recently watched a movie, and am going to watch another tonight.

And thats the nutshell so far.

Bereft

2008-01-22T18:59:00.000+08:00

The days have been tiring.

New semester started last week. I have 2 semesters a year, both of equal length (13 weeks not including holidays and exams). My second one this time then. Results of last semester weren't that excellent, but I could do better I guess. Anyway, my new schedule is... well, I start 4 days a week at 8am. Getting up early again after not doing it for the past half year is really quite painful. How painful you ask? Imagine getting kicked in the groin by a kangaroo. Imagine getting smashed in the groin by a tennis ball fired by a tennis ball launcher at 100mph. Imagine falling off a 20-storey cheap-ass cramped singapore HDB flat and landing on a traffic light on the road below. On your groin.

Besides that, the start of the new semester has been fine. I'd like to post photos now of me going to the interesting and exciting and wonderful singapore night safari with all my cool and hip friends... except I didn't go. Came back just in time for the start of school, and my friends went a few days before that. Bah.

I realise I didn't post anything up at all about my 6-week holiday back in Malaysia. But seriously, it isn't really a holiday if you're back home and you don't have any homework and any stuff to read. Without procrastination, a vacation is meaningless!

Hmm, not really.

I did go for the new year countdown at Curve (where I got shoved around by horny bald men and got bubbles and soap-smelling foam all over me). I did have countless mamaks and movies with old pals (like JW, and KW, and Choe). I did learn how to play 3-player mahjong (thanks to Yvonne, and apparently the 4-player version is too complex for a person with my asian linguistic capabilities). I did celebrate my birthday (managed to get a wallet, a stuffed panda, and a really cool bookmark as presents).

Ah, now I'm gonna pull a Kar Wai Blog Stunt™ and finish the rest of this post after dinner.

Edit 9:05PM:
Back, had pasta.

Said really cool bookmark.

And ah yes, I did go genting. While everybody else was busy touring exotic locations around the world and enjoying cultures I may never see... I went ahead to our dear mountaintop theme-park. A truly exciting and interesting location that is so classic, so nostalgic, it warms the heart of all Malaysians!

Uhh well, not really.

I know it seems rather quite lame, but yeah I did have fun. Haven't been there for ages, probably 12 years now.

Anyway, as Nicole mentioned, this semester I'm taking this subject called Einstein's Universe & Quantum Universe. It's probably my most interesting subject in uni yet... and I'm reading this related book which I thought I'd mention:

The New World of Mr Tompkins. If you find yourself ever in need of entertainment by a half-balding mild-mannered clerk trying to understand modern physics, this is the book to get! Or, if you suddenly get the urge to learn about relativity and quantum mechanics. In which case, stay away from all windows and ledges and head to your nearest school counselor for help.

Okay, now I need some sleep.

Phalanx

2008-01-02T06:45:00.000+08:00

2008 has come and is still going, ushered in by hordes of sweaty people. Come to think of it, countdowns are alot like paganistic rituals. For all you know, iterating backwards from 10 and cheering at bursting lights in the sky could be an ancient Aztec ritual to increase feet size.

Happy new year!

Bloom

2007-12-13T01:55:00.000+08:00

I'm sitting here in my living room, munching cheddar biscuits.

Been back here in Malaysia a week now. Went out with some of the old a-levels crowd for dinner. Choe, Jian Wei, TFK, Karwai. I brought along a friend from NUS too. Apparently she's Nick's old schoolmate, guess the world is only this big. After hours of discussion and arguments, we finally went to Jack's Place at 1U for our dinner, where traitors TFK, KW and Choe decided to just order desserts instead of a proper meal. TFK and Choe had a slice of cake each, and Karwai took a banana split. What the heck?!

With calm resolve and without bending to peer pressure, me and JW each ordered ourselves a nice filling (albeit expensive) western main course. I had venison and crayfish. Wasn't too bad, although the portion was a tad bit too small for the price.

Anyways, we went mamak after that, where the dessert-eating-traitors filled themselves up with nice hot cheap roti canais and mee gorengs. Damnit! I guess I'm only pissed because I know that was an extremely smart, intelligent, and wallet-wise move on their parts.

We chatted, had tons of fun. The old crowd never gets old.

Hmm, I've run out of biscuits.

Iris

2007-12-05T02:48:00.000+08:00

In another 7 hours, I'm taking a bus back home.

My finals finished on Monday, and the papers were hard as hell. Didn't really study too much, which made things even harder. Anyways I'm a free man now, at least until mid January.

End of semester. Back home for a month. It's all moving a tad bit faster than I thought.

23:58

2007-11-15T13:46:00.000+08:00

I'm not dead folks! Not yet anyway.

It's all been quite a blur really. I just stooped down to tie my shoelaces, and already finals are 2 weeks away. Next week's Reading Week, so I get the week off, but everybody knows that "Reading Week" actually means "Pull-Hair-Out-and-Cry-in-Frustration Week". Damn, I'm seriously enjoying my time here, so I guess I'm discovering that I have masochistic tendencies. For some reason, fighting to get to the top of the bell curve amidst thousands of smart people around, gets me all giggly... or something.

At any rate... took some time off of my dreary life to catch a concert on tuesday. Not any rubbish concert, mind you, but I went for a LINKIN PARK CONCERT! Okay, I'll be honest and say that this is my first actual concert, but hey who else better to give your concert virginity to?

The concert was held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Yes, they have so few stadiums that the indoor stadium is actually named that. The place wasn't too bad I guess, and I think I prefer indoor stadiums. I only went with one other friend, because all the other cheapos here didn't want to spend 90 bucks to watch LINKIN PARK. Heck, actually I think we were cheapos as well to buy only the 90 bucks ticket... The seats were actually, well, quite far.

Yes, Chester looked like a cockroach prancing around the stage from the distance where I was sitting. Yes, the concert took an entire hour to start. And then, yes, it only went on for about 90 minutes. Yes, that means I lost about a dollar a minute. But did i regret going? Hell no. The band was awesome, the songs were awesomely played (they played all the cool songs from Meteora and Hybrid Theory, and the rest was Minutes to Midnight), Chester's shouting was awesome.

The stage had this semi-LED screen behind where they had really cool visuals shifting in and out during the concert. The crowd was quite cool, and on some songs (like Numb and Crawling), its possible to actually hear the entire crowd all singing even ABOVE the loud music. One thing about sitting with the seated crowd though. They were so mild, they didn't want to stand until Mike started urging the crowd to get up. I saw quite a few uncles and aunties... I mean, seriously, WTH?!

I did have fun though. It was a blast.

P.S. I know this blog updates itself even slower than a holy book of religion. My apologies, but hey, at least expectation heightens the experience... Right? Right?

P.P.S. Strepsils are cool.

KL Is West Malaysia

2007-10-22T00:49:00.000+08:00

Bored? Anxious? Lectures seeming to make no sense whatsoever? Blank throughout tutorials? Boy, have I got the answer for you... come on over to East Coast Park, Singapore! Sand, surf, trees, biking trek, and babes on bikes! What else could a hot-blooded youth such as yourself ask for?

Here's some testimonials from our (very satisfied) customers...

Biking was fun, after a long while of not doing it (outgrew my kid bike, but my dad never got me another one). And the sea breeze makes it feel really cool and therefore it made exerting oneself really less uncomfortable.

Going to a really nice place like this, even though the train ride took nearly an hour, is worth it when you go with a bunch of nice friends, and you can let go and forget about studies for a day and have fun while trying to overtake each other on bike, while some people rollerblade and fall about everywhere.

Apparently the water is too dirty to go mucking about in, so we contented ourselves to just sitting by the pier and watching some old men fish some old fish. While waiting for a girl, who had some cramps barely 2 minutes on the bike.

The trek was rather long, and although it was tiring, I really enjoyed it. Had some delicious braised duck rice for lunch before heading off from the park. And that's how the day went.

I guess Singapore isn't as boring as it looks like from 500 kilometers away while sitting at Murni.

Pressure

2007-09-30T23:16:00.000+08:00

Due to various unforeseeable circumstances and factors outside of my control, I have been procrastinating on studying for my midterms, which will happen this week. Yes, my lack of study has been totally not my fault. Not at all. Nuh uh.

Anyway, for the midterms, especially mathematics, I foresee very difficult papers. What was I thinking to come to this university in Singapore?! I should just go back to Malaysia to sell pirated DVDs. Then I'd get to bleach my hair, wear really cool and hip clothing, and drive really sweeeeet cars. I mean, that career path has nothing going against it! Engineering is sure to be full of sweat, tears, and failing bridges. You have to wear a shirt and tie to go to work, and you have to see more numbers than alphabets; an absolutely un-noteworthy profession if I ever heard of one. I wouldn't be here, struggling against many odds (not to mention many Chinese and Indians), to get a good score in my exams. Pshaw!

At any rate, I should be studying instead of posting this, but I thought I'd take a break. I actually had quite a few interesting events in the previous week, but I'll write about those later...

That's my (very blur) view in the backseat of a small Mazda 3 sedan car, on the way back from dinner. Yes, that's 6 people in the back seat. Yes, those are 5 girls.

Had soft-shelled crab at a Thai restaurant for dinner, after a grueling day of studying and staring at papers.

Delicious and satisfying indeed.

Socks/Shoes

2007-09-26T12:38:00.000+08:00

This week's recess week for NUS... Thus I'm actually back home in Malaysia.

I took a bus back last friday afternoon. Reached 1U really late, and I couldn't actually catch any wink of sleep in the bus. Was quite annoyed by the fact that I only managed to fall asleep when the bus was still in Singapore, but after I had to wake to get down for immigration, couldn't fall asleep again after that. Bah. The rerun of that blasted Jim Carrey movie didn't help either... I've watched it three times now. Three! I kept not wanting to watch, turning my eyes from the screen, but with the sounds and the speech, you're just compelled to continue watching even though you know what's gonna happen and you've (inadvertently) memorised all the lines.

Wouldn't have came back to good ol' Malaysia this week if it weren't for pals leaving for the UK. Couldn't resist, had to return to see everybody one last time. When I saw them all again, it's like I was never gone, merely like I was sick or had gone on a vacation of some sorts. A good thing and a bad thing to studying in a place so near yet still far, I guess. The past weekend was tons of fun, really. There's no group of friends whom I enjoy the company of more.

As of this specific time of writing, Caleb and Jun Sheng are already in Southampton, and I think Hehn should have reached London. JW and JJ will be leaving soon in the next few days. Wish them all the best in studies abroad, don't get too moody or feel too alone... Remember the good times and always have faith that the good times will come again. Caleb, will miss you pal, it's been great, don't forget the pact and the ideals we've always stood for. Oh yeah, geeks forever! Sorry I didn't dedicate or write an entire post for ya, but that would hardly be ESC would it? Hah!

And onto related matters, really sorry about lack of postage on this place, I always want to wait for the right mood for it, but it hardly ever arrives. Only pushed myself to post since JJ was complaining. What would the world do without him? *sarcasm*

I'll leave it at this for the moment. Took me an hour to write only this little, and the mood has run away to hide behind the bushes again.

Time's a'movin' too fast, boys.

Mary Poppins

2007-09-10T19:55:00.000+08:00

brendon says:
although he hasn't asked me yet..

Throk says:
initiative, friend
being shy never got anybody no girls

brendon says:
erm
double negative
so being shy DOES get the girls...?

Throk says:
language nitpicking never got anybody no where

brendon says:
you're confusing me!
then did language picnicking got anyone anywhere?

Throk says:
evidently, its evident that you know that i know that you know that its mutual understanding that picnicking during university never got a single person no where.

brendon says:
but technically, its a technical fact that technique has gotten technical students everywhere!

Throk says:
on the other hand, handily on one hand, everybody in the world has not really not gotten no where with both hands.

brendon says:
but the flip side is that a flippant attitude, or flipping the bird, has never been good for flipping fates.

Throk says:
relatively, its relative that suggestively relative relativism has always had a relatively adverse effect on the relativity conundrum!

brendon says:
the truth is that being truthful is, in truth, not always the best way to face the truthfulness of life and true difficulties..

Throk says:
actually, in actual fact, the actuality is that actual actuation on your own part actually contributes to the overall actual act.

brendon says:
ENOUGH

Throk says:
damn u

I know it seems kinda lazy on my part to post up online chat conversations, but hey, this was too good material to waste... *chuckles*

Wordless Conversation

2007-09-03T01:10:00.000+08:00

The couple walked down the pavement of the busy street. It wasn't strictly body-shuffling busy, but there were quite a few other people walking on that same walkway, going about their own business.

Her hand, fingers entwined, was in his, and her steps were nearly skips.

One of her favourite pastimes while walking like this, back to the car after a day of fun in the mall, was to observe people passing her by on the street. Oh, here's a bald guy in a leather jacket, he probably rides a big mean bike, but goes back home to an overbearing wife. Ah, there's a group of gaggling girls in their teens, still in their school uniforms, looking at expensive designer clothes through the shop's display window. She can't believe she used to be like them, and shakes her head. Ooh, here's a terribly handsome looking guy, busy tapping on his handphone, probably messaging several girls at once. She can't say she didn't still look, but then again... She turned to the man beside her. He smiled back, and they continued walking.

They turned a corner, and before she realised it, she crashed head-on with another woman. Ouch, did that hurt! She looked at the person she had assaulted (or was it the other way around?). The other woman had on quite a haughty look, albeit reduced slightly from the bodily collision, and she was decked out in an expensive-looking dress, with (really) high heels. She was quite amazed that the other woman managed to keep her balance after being crashed into. Ah, there's the reason. The woman's arm was linked around a guy's who was standing beside her, his attire a full formal business suit. Oh man, a rich power executive couple... she didn't particularly like their kind, because she knew that he absolutely hated people like them. Stopping her staring, she just politely exclaimed an apology to the woman she banged into. She received a curt nod in reply, and quickly she walked off. Or at least, she tried. Her hand wouldn't move. He was standing his ground and refusing to budge.

He was staring at the other guy, his eyebrows furrowed together. The man was staring back, lips curled. And then suddenly, to her utter surprise, each man exclaimed the other's name simultaneously. Laughing, they clapsed arms and then hugged each other. They separated, and started talking about things she had no idea about, the guy in the suit, telling something which was kin to a joke. Him, chuckling.

She gave the other woman an awkward glance.

our lives are made
in these small hours
these little wonders,
these twists & turns of fate.

Prerogative

2007-08-29T23:59:00.000+08:00

So here it is. I have highlighted Caleb's nickname so as to avoid confusion between mine and his, I should colour each of our names, but nah, I'm too lazy and I have other work to do tonight.

TRYNAMIC TRIO says:
doo dee doo

jianwei says:
are u guys goin to do this again?

TRYNAMIC TRIO says:
no
just to sit together in a circle and cry together

jianwei says:
what ever for my friends
why cry at such times

TRYNAMIC TRIO says:
because it is a sign of sadness

TRYNAMIC TRIO says:
o shern where for art thou shern

jianwei says:
be still my heart

TRYNAMIC TRIO says:
uhhhh
totally wrong saying

jianwei says:
haha
u guys sounding all shakesperean

TRYNAMIC TRIO says:
?

TRYNAMIC TRIO says:
to shern or not to shern

jianwei says:
that is the question

TRYNAMIC TRIO says:
doooooooo

TRYNAMIC TRIO says:
shern it baby

jianwei says:
lol
oki lemme c

TRYNAMIC TRIO says:
like i told him....
we're all gonna look at the same moon

TRYNAMIC TRIO says:
but 12 hours apart
coz if u were looking at the moon and asking him to do the same
he would turn blind

jianwei says:
lame

TRYNAMIC TRIO says:
u can still see the moon in the morning sometimes
when the sky is still purple

TRYNAMIC TRIO says:
i know

jianwei says:
against the azure blue radiance of the say
day*
or the dark velvet sky...forms a deluge of nothingness
like the void left by shern

TRYNAMIC TRIO says:
the sky is hardly nothingness
look at it for the peace... the peace of something so intangible yet so existential

jianwei says:
but the dark..oh no..the dark night

TRYNAMIC TRIO says:
nic go post this convo in ur blog

TRYNAMIC TRIO says:
hahah

jianwei says:
lol..i cant..too many big words

TRYNAMIC TRIO says:
fear of the dark, and ultimately fear of the unknown... is the penultimate weakness of humans
overcome it to inch further to the discovery of inner peace

TRYNAMIC TRIO says:
what is the ultimate?
spiders

jianwei says:
omg..random philosophy

TRYNAMIC TRIO says:
the prime disability of humans? that is up to each individual self

jianwei says:
it cloaks and devours the brilliance of light

TRYNAMIC TRIO says:
generalisation will not help in that area

jianwei says:
stealth and mysterious beyond the comprehension of the simplicity of the human mind

TRYNAMIC TRIO says:
to err is human, to stray into the unknown is divine

jianwei says:
it watches with deviant intent..scouring for the victim
to be clasped into it never ending vortex
this is getting complicated

TRYNAMIC TRIO says:
indeed

jianwei says:
leb..add in some crap too

TRYNAMIC TRIO says:
its hardly crap
hahah

TRYNAMIC TRIO says:
to think, is to disrupt
hence, dont think

TRYNAMIC TRIO says:
instinct is the true instrument of logi
logic*

jianwei says:
the intrinsic part of every man is to err
yet if ignorance is bliss, to err is nothing

TRYNAMIC TRIO says:
hahahah

jianwei says:
means man is nothing

TRYNAMIC TRIO says:
therefore?

jianwei says:
our existence no matter how much we work for it..is for nothing
i sound like kw

TRYNAMIC TRIO says:
should we give up then?
should we throw everything aside and jump off the cliff (or 10-storey building, whichever is nearer)?

jianwei says:
how high is the building?
have u ever imagine falling from startling heights..and wake up ..and it is just a dream?
or have u not considered that it has actually happen..and that u're living a dream

TRYNAMIC TRIO says:
that has like been explored too much edi this generation.... stupid Matrix, commercialising philosophy

jianwei says:
dang
wei.this talk ought to be posted la
hahaha

TRYNAMIC TRIO says:
should we?
consider the opportunity costs

TRYNAMIC TRIO says:
do it do it

jianwei says:
lol...i feel embarassed

TRYNAMIC TRIO says:
i can post
but nick's blog reaches a wider audience

jianwei says:
hmmm>>it does?

TRYNAMIC TRIO says:
obviously
comparing tagboards
i actually told only 1 person i had a blog
notice how narrow my audience is

jianwei says:
comparing tag board?

TRYNAMIC TRIO says:
i didnt put it in my msn nick

jianwei says:
u shud
c

TRYNAMIC TRIO says:
whatever for
im happy with the 1 person i told
it has spread about as far as i wanted it to

jianwei says:
a blog is a means of publicly displayin ur life
a commercialised effort made by a single person to get attention

TRYNAMIC TRIO says:
and i am... except my public is more like private hahaha

TRYNAMIC TRIO says:
touteimou

jianwei says:
i brb
wanna take a batrh
bath
and i need to study

jianwei has left the conversation.

Teehee.

Trynamic Indeed

2007-08-28T01:24:00.000+08:00

There were three friends
Discussing life.
One said:
"Can we live together
and know nothing of it?
Work together
and produce nothing?
Can people fly around in space
and still forget to exist
World without end?"

The three friends looked at each other
and burst out laughing.
They had no explanation.
Thus they were better friends than before.

Nostos

2007-08-21T18:43:00.000+08:00

How are you man? How's Singapore?

It's fine, really.

Every person who could possibly be reading this post is probably already aware of this fact: I went back to Malaysia for the weekend. Every person I met over that weekend, quite predictably, asked me the question above. Well, I can't say that I'm complaining over the lack of bad manners within my social circle, but hey... it really is fine. You're asking out of common courtesy (perhaps a tinge of concern), but I'm not answering out of courtesy, I'm answering it the way it actually is. Things weren't feeling so good perhaps for a few moments within the first week or so, but from then on, it's seriously turned real fine. Met some nice people who I could hang out and have a drink with, without having awkward pauses in the conversation which, to be frank, really feel weird sometimes. Yes, yes, first criteria in meeting people: no Awkward Pauses™. In fact, let's all pause and wiki up awkward pauses now:

"How heavy does a polar bear weigh?"
"How much?"
"Heavy enough to break the ice."

Anyway, I didn't technically just go back for the weekend, I stayed until Tuesday (but you probably already knew that). Since my A-levels results were just out last week, there was an award ceremony on Monday and I went for that (another very obvious fact). I'd like to use this space here to thank all the people who clapped for me as I went on the stage until Ms. Jeganathan (sic) herself commented on the hearty applause. Of course, the cheer for Jian Wei after me was much louder, and definitely more weight was added by it being announced that he's going to Cambridge. I had to force him to write Cambridge on the slip which was to be given to the MC; don't shy away from declaring your to-be-university anywhere and anytime man.

Other highlights of my trip back home: Crab dinner at Kepong, home-cooked food after 2.5 weeks, two visits to Wong Kok, salmon sashimi salad at Rakuzen, watching a Jay Chou romance movie with just Jun Sheng, awesome mamak/breakfast yumcha session before leaving.

Okay fine, main highlight of trip back home: Meeting friends and family again.

Cheers.

Blue, Black, and Red

2007-08-10T23:59:00.000+08:00

Today is the Lion City's national day, and I spent the whole day lazing around in my room. A well-deserved rest, actually, as the past week has been really fantabulously tiring. When I received the academic calendar for NUS a month earlier, I was quite surprised to see an entire week of orientation. I had guessed that it was to initiate the freshmen into a new system and into studying in the university. Boy, was I wrong.

Spent Saturday awkwardly trying to join in with my engineering orientation group's chats about anything singaporean, while rushing around the faculty building playing continuous icebreakers and group games including but not limited to charades, treasure hunts, and drinking Really Disgusting Stuff™. Result of the day: bruises on my legs thanks to enthusiastic slaps by group members.

Spent Monday awkwardly trying to join in with my engineering orientation group's chats about anything singaporean, while rushing around a big running track, soccer field, and two tennis courts playing continuous icebreakers and group games including but not limited to 15 people tied to each other and dragging themselves across the floor using just their hands in a poor poor imitation of the handphone classic favourite game Snake. Also, walking around blindfolded with a set-up literally blind date, while getting flour water and oreos being thrown at self. Result of the day: realising that sometimes blind dates make you wish you were blind and couldn't see her. Cough.

Spent Wednesday awkwardly trying to explain things during my engineering orientation group's chats about anything malaysian, while rushing around a beautiful beach on Sentosa playing continuous icebreakers and group games including but not limited to carrying seawater in the mouth, taking off pants and dancing in the sea, and playing dodgeball with fruits. Also, playing word and mind games like "How many sheep jumped over the wall?" while eating icecream and thinking about how singaporeans seem to have too much time on their hands to invent such lame word games and why the heck didn't we play this back in malaysia. Result of the day: Sunburnt.

Hm, spent Tuesday awkwardly trying to explain about why I was late, while rushing around the city area wearing a pink shirt, asking for donations for charity from aunties, uncles, white, black, and colourless men. Also, was real glad I didn't follow the other group members who stayed over at the faculty building the night before and had 5 minutes of sleep each. Result of the day: People hate me as much as they love their money.

Singapore has bad food.

Singapore has nice sights.

Sidenote: Congratulations everybody! 0601PE1 turned out to be even more gay than the transvestite I met on the street.

Durian

2007-08-02T23:59:00.000+08:00

Ever wonder what it feels like to explore new places alone and not have any companion/s beside you to share snide comments with when some aesthetic-deprived face with a miniskirt walks by?

...

Just ask me, and I'll tell you.

Anyway, managed to check-in without problem on tuesday afternoon into my new room (hiding-hole for the rest of the year). When I stepped into the room, boy did I suddenly feel the loss of the 3 dimensions... Not that I'm that big of a person or that I need more space, but probably I just need time to adjust sleeping and living in such a small compartment. It was quite filthy as well, but my mum took care of that. Now I sleep to the smells of Dettol.

So there I was, the next morning, got up all early and ready to start on a brand new adventure. Enthusiasm was boundless as i roamed around the block of apartments that I now have to call home. However, as soon as I found and entered the canteen, and took a look at the bread and bihun on sale.... I decided that I had about an appetite of a shrunken tortoise, and proceeded to head back to my room to munch on biscuits. Guess being alone affects more than your mental health. Damn nerves.

Well, parents met up with me during my free time yesterday and today, and I managed to get a look around Singapore. Went to some Buddhist temple. Went to some Esplanade thingy. Had some Häagen-Dazs ice-cream. Both places were quite beautiful really, something I never expected from a country famed for being, I dunno, just "full of rat races". At any rate, the whole island seems to be screaming for more land. The lack of space seems to pop-up in the most obvious things, like the masses of high-rise flats situated around the city, to the less obvious things, like people always parking their cars until the wheels hit the curb because the lots are small (and even if the lots are big, they do it due to force of habit).

At any rate, wished I had a camera with me for the past few days. Well, I did actually, but I forgot to bring the transfer cable so I can't post photos or even save them in this computer. I took some pics with my mum's camera phone, but I don't have the cable for that either, and I'm just too tired now to fiddle with bluetooth.

Orientation sucked.

It had its interesting bits, sure, but overall, it felt too much like a redundant marketing campaign delivered to the wrong audience. Hopefully it gets better next week.

Walking amidst throngs of people all having fun and laughing and talking, it's not easy. I keep seeing half-shadows of people I know when I look at the crowd, but I know theres nobody I know here. Even the few people I met and talked with, seemed to be reminiscent of my associates in the past. A guy who looks like Ting Feng. A dude who reminds me of Chiam. It's all really weird saddening stuff. And studies haven't even started yet.

Tsk.

EDIT: If anyone's interested to know, TFK and Chiam were the first few people I met from my A-Levels class in Taylor's. The correct order would be, if memory serves correctly, Chiam then Yuva during orientation day, TFK and Nicole during the first class. And then Choe during the next class. After this, it all gets a little bit fuzzy, sorta like a television set with its aerial connection pulled out. Aardvarks are cool.

My Funny Friend and Me

2007-07-31T00:27:00.000+08:00

Ever wondered what it would be like eating just wasabi and scratching your groin, while falling freely into a deep canyon, on your wedding night?

...

Well, I think thinking about leaving for another country alone, and leaving friends and family behind feels just like that.

Anyway, leaving for Singapore in 6 hours time. Firstly, I must say that chicken buffets do not disappoint. Seriously. Who knew that a simple fowl could provide so much joy? Not to mention that the poultry was bred by some dude named Hartz (Insert random name joke here).

At any rate, goodbyes are never easy. I will miss all my friends here in Malaysia alot, I would hardly be so torn up if they were all staying in the country. Alas, everybody is going everywhere else. Could be good really when i decide to tour the world on a penny and need places to bunk in at any point of the globe... but until then, staying apart hardly is healthy for the soul. A quick shout-out to Caleb, Shern, JW, Chee Lynn, WK, KW, Hehn, JJ, JS, Eric, Weng, Nicole, and the rest of PE1... All the best in your immediate and far futures. At the risk of alienating my high school friends, I must say that I have bonded really well and close to the people from my A-Levels class, and that is surprising indeed, considering the short timeframe. I have had lots of fun times with you guys, and it is to my immense satisfaction that the past year/two has taught me much as well...

Man is the only animal that laughs and weeps, for he is the only animal that is struck with the difference between what things are and what they ought to be.
- William Hazlitt

I mean, hugging is cool. Gay, but cool. I remember somebody telling me a longtime ago that intimate contact with sick people will get you sick. That does not make sense at all. Seriously, if touching a horny person gets you horny, couples all over the world wouldn't have marriage problems. Really.

On another sidenote, I wonder why people always talk about pigs flying. For the life of me, I have not ever seen a pig soaring, or floating in the air for that matter.

Before anybody makes any inane comments about eyelids, notice that I got to stand beside the girl. And I'm in the center of the photo. Hah!

Tsk.

J28

2007-07-29T15:29:00.000+08:00

Ever wondered, while looking at the intricate tiles paving the floor of a particularly nice temple, what it would be like to fall down 30 storeys and land on an elephant tusk?

...

Neither have I.

Anyway, had to pay a visit to my long-deceased grandfather at a temple today. Of course, he isn't really buried there, they merely have an ancestor-carved-wooden-block-thingy. This visit was part of the rites I was put through by my dad before I leave for Singapore, troublesome as it may be... did still put me through quite a thoughtful mood. The eight (was it eight? Can't really remember) big poles holding up the temple roof had posters stuck on them, each pole promoting a particular virtue. I looked at all the poles, I really did, but I couldn't find a single one advocating Sony. There was Chastity, and Honour, and Responsibility, and Whatnot, but there was no BMW! How saddening. It seems ancient Chinese Buddhist customs have their own brandnames.

Enough words, let's proceed with my beautifully taken photos of the temple...

If I actually had a camera with me at the time.

Tsk.

Edit (3.58PM) : I find wires very troublesome.